Boren was on a roll, he just kept shooting off his new spell, and the last couple of weeks had been epic. His new Magic Spell Soil Kinesis having grown rapidly to 12. For the first time in his young life, Boren didn’t feel useless…didn’t feel like everyone had to take care of him. It was an exhilarating sensation.

“Father, look at this! Look what I can do now!” Putting his palms down and willing the Earth to his hand for the hundredth time that day. The King had come out by Boren’s request to see what his youngest had accomplished. He did not have time and the kingdom would not run itself but at this moment he would patiently watch and applaud as appropriate for the accomplishment. Fenwin had already reported the remarkable affinity the lad had with Earth Magic and the first-ever accomplishment he had reached. Normally the Mana consumption would have beggared anyone attempting to level a spell that quickly. Not to mention headaches and other side effects of severe Mana depletion. But there were remedies and potions for everything, the Mana restoration potions and side effect dampening potions that Haemish had been supplying for the Prince had done much to push him forward and allow him to continue to work his magic without rest. Boren had taken full advantage.

“Well done son! You are doing excellent work! How are your Mana reserves?” Borowyn called out. “Make sure to keep your Mana above ten per cent or you will get those migraines. It is very important to be safe!” The training dummies that Boren was practising on were made mostly of straw. However, the trick to bypassing the penalty that was imposed on spells if you used them for training on non-living targets was to have some part of the dummy as a living being. So inside a magical barrier in the centre of each dummy was a small Darter Fish from the Flue River, they were native in the Flue Village close to where Haemish was from, exactly halfway between Brewyn and Pravwell. It made very good living tissue for the dummies as they were small required little and could survive in very small and confined spaces. Inside the torso of each dummy was one of those Darter Fish the magical barrier kept both the water in a sphere shape and also stopped spells from killing the fish. It was annoying to have o keep replacing them when they got fried and so this was the solution. No 50% experience penalty and at the same time no constant need to fish. The Darter Fish did not live long anyway but this way replacing them was required much less often.

Haemish would normally have charge ridiculous sums of money for the potions that he was administering to Boren. But with their new arrangement, Borowyn was realising more and more that this arrangement might not be as bad as he had thought. In exchange for allowing the Potion Master kingdom resources, he had also agreed to continue making these potions. The ingredients were already expensive but with Haemish making them for free the cost had dropped precipitously. And when compared to the average labourers’ salary, each one was still the cost of a year’s worth of money. The queen remained oblivious to the plans he had made with Haemish. Boren was doing well with his studies and happy for the first time in what felt like his whole life. Breathing deeply the King enjoyed the feeling, fleeting as it was. He would need to get back to the throne room soon. Petitioners waited on him to pass judgement for their petty squabbles.

After a few more castings of the spell, it was time for the King to leave. He had barely spent twenty minutes with Boren but it would have to be enough for both of them. Boren gave his usually sullen and disappointed expression before resuming the mask and demeanour of a royal. Borowyn was honestly proud of the boy for managing it. He was used to pouting and tantrums and other unbecoming behaviour. Perhaps he had not noticed when Boren had grown up. Suffering and pain had an unfortunate way to force one to grow up before their years and Boren had had his fair share and then some.

This progress was not without cost. What Boren had gained in raw strength he lacked in experience, a training dummy did not fight back. Eventually, he would either have to accept that it was not possible to be out in the field with luck in the negatives. Or Boren would master his deficiencies and power through. Borowyn hoped it would be the former. At the moment it looked that way.

There were two reasons Borowyn continued to spend money on finding a cure for Boren. The first was that he wanted his son to have a fulfilled life. The second, even though Boren was the youngest of his children the boy was uniquely suited to carry on his legacy. He and Boren had the most in common of all his children. Both had come up in hardship and had the resilience to push through and survive. Borowyn had conquered the previous Monarch that had almost run the country into ruin. He had not been fit to rule.

Another reason that he had assented to Haemish’s request was one that he dared not admit even to himself. It was too dangerous a thought. This last and terrifying thought was the reason that he had not told a very dangerous person in the palace about his plan, someone that had the power to raze the entire city and might do just that if they found out.

That person was none other than his wife, Queen Isabella. She was not some wallflower to watch by the sideline. She had been a pivotal figure in the coup that had landed him on the throne. He had certainly not planned on it ending this way. But when Isabella decided something….well. It was better to be on the right side of her at that moment. No point in trying to get her to see reason. That was already gone. She with her network of spies had discovered and revealed the King’s atrocities to the city and coerced the public to revolt so that he could be silently and efficiently taken care of without anyone in the city being the wiser. The next time the public saw a King it had been Borowyn, advisor to the King who took his place.

“Boren, I am going back to the throne room. Would you like to come and see how royal decrees are made?” Borowyn spread his arms magnanimously, then pointing the way to the throne room to Boren.

“No, that is appreciated, father! I have heard your decrees before and I truly believe I am making some great progress. I would like to keep going.” Boren replied.

“Son, haven’t you noticed the reduction in your efficiency yet?” Borowyn asked.

“Well yes the spell is levelling up slower but that is just because of the requirements of each level of growth requiring more experience, right? I know that much!” Boren eyed his father like he was asking things that would be obvious to anyone using magic.

“Son, take moment to scrutinize how much experience you are gaining with each spell cast. You know how much you should be getting and how much you were getting before you got to level 10, right? If you notice anything then I want you to talk to Fenwin about it. This is a very important step for your growth….and no…I will not be giving you the answers like I used to. It is time for you to understand a few things on your own.” With that Borowyn stepped away and back towards his throne room, leaving Boren to continue practising.

“FATHER! Wait! I know…what….the difference is!” I huge grin erupted on Boren’s flushed face as he ran to catch up with his father’s empowers strides. “The experience that I am getting now is a little less than what I was getting before. I didn’t notice at first but when you told me to look at it more deeply I immediately picked it up. I can’t believe I didn’t notice it before. Thank you, father! Thank you so much for teaching me this.” Boren furrowed his brow realising that there was still a piece of the puzzle missing. “But….why?”

“Haha, son, that question I will leave for Fenwin to explain to you. You need to think about and ask the right questions if you are to learn quickly and efficiently. That is your most powerful tool. Never forget to use it to its fullest.”

“I promise I will remember, father. I will go and find Fenwin immediately!” Boren made to dash off but Borowyn held onto his thin left shoulder with his right hand, halting him mid-stride.

“Boren, do not forget that you have other studies to attend to than just spellcraft. It is important to have a…”

“…a…well…rounded…education. Yes, father, I know. You have mentioned it several times in the past and despite my illness, I have never forgotten. I…just, don’t make much progress in weapons training, not to mention the number of unlikely injuries I have suffered…it makes me a little…hesitant. I know it shouldn’t but I just can’t help it, it just keeps me on my toes and I feel like I am tiptoeing on eggshells every time I start to spar with any of the trainers! And then there is history and politics…soooo boring! I know I need to learn it, father and I promise you I will. But does it all have to be now? I really want to work on my magic! I know that I can be good at that even if… I can’t master the sword.” Boren said the last dejectedly.

“Boren, I have to go back to the throne room now but I will say this only once. In this world, we are only limited by our wishes and dreams and imagination. Remember that above all else, more important than even your analytical skills and abilities as this singular ideal.” Borowyn’s eyes bore into Boren’s as the older man turned his bearded face down to the child’s, Boren staring back up to his father waiting with bated breath. “Thoughts and will are powerful things on our continent of Fryst and the rest of the World at large. It is how a common Soldier can rise through the ranks to become an Imperial Advisor and then how that advisor can gain the strength to right wrongs and become a King!”

“I understand father. I will not forget! I promise….I will go see Fenwin now!” Boren was practically hoping, eager to be on his way and practice was his father had taught him his respect held him from dashing off immediately.

“Alright then, off you go. Listen to what Fenwin has to say and he is Master Fenwin when you address him!” Borowyn smiled knowingly and allowed the child to leave.

A shiver ran up his spine as Boren dashed off and the King inconspicuously glanced around. I can’t help but feel like someone is watching me. Shaking it off his stiffened his stance once more and strode off to the throne room to continue his day.

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Out of the shadows of one of the wide columns in the palace’s square courtyard stepped a striking woman with hair straight hair and black eyes, only a sliver of iris around the edges of abnormally large pupils. Well-muscled legs carried her quickly forward to where the pair had been speaking. Isabella Fralaine had been Queen as long as Borowyn had been King. That was where the similarities ended. The phrase opposites attract could not have been truer for the King and Queen of Darf. Where Borowyn preferred to rule from the front in openness and transparency Isabella knew that sometimes unspeakable things had to be done to make sure that their people and loved ones were kept safe at all times. Allowing them to prosper and flourish even.

I will keep my eye on you, my love. I know you are up to something. You were never very good at keeping secrets and I have always been good at ferreting them out. That Haemish is the weak link here. I will find out what he is up to. Isabella had known for a while now that something was going on with the two. It was even more suspect when they insisted on the charade of using Marasa as their go-between. Time to find Haemish and make that little pig squeal, can’t wait…

Isabella rushed after her husband to see if he had any interesting information to add to her already extensive knowledge of the situation. It was her business to know everything that happened in Darf after all. Not just her desire, and with the interesting developments in Pravwell, she would need to talk to Borowyn about visiting them to understand and preferably purge the problem.

Even that cesspool was secondary to the main mystery she was investigating, she would find out which deviant had hurt her family if it was the last thing she did. Members of her family were not poisoned without someone paying an exacting price. Someone will pay for that mistake! She could not keep the venom from her thoughts though she always tried to maintain a cool external demeanour. It was an attitude more becoming of a Queen. I will kill them all if I must!