"Studying law never held interest for me back when I was in school. However, studying laws did."

There were subdued thuds as clutter was shifted around inside a trunk. Someone had categorized it by size and weight instead of subject matter.

"The Laws of Robotics by Isaac Asimov. It started out as a book, I believe; I was not a reader on Earth. I retained the information due to an excellent underrated film, but then the laws came up again in a crime show—a detective interrogated a piece of suspected artificial intelligence. All that aside, I realized that all good things come in three."

Bellavarn pulled out a dusty binder and put it aside. He kept speaking to the room as he worked.

"Humans feared the rise of sentient technology, so they created immutable laws to curb it. The First Law states a robot may not allow harm to come to a human through action or inaction. The Second Law expands on the first, ensuring servitude by saying that all orders given by a human must be followed as long as the First Law isn't broken. The Third Law is the one that confused me."

His thought process halted. Banging his finger like a drumstick seemed to help.

"A robot must protect its existence, bar it doesn't conflict with the previous Laws. Now... Why would that be added? Is there a need for the Third Law when the first two link together so seamlessly? At first, I surmised the reason for the Third Law's existence tied into their creator's greed; replacing a piece of sophisticated technology must have exorbitant costs, and they couldn't have their robots throwing themselves into danger. However, the more I thought about it, the more I felt like it wasn't enough."

Bellavarn worked his jaw as if to add something. Shaking his head, he resumed his idle search through the trunk.

"It could have been the need to keep the numbers to the rule of three, but if that were the case, there wouldn't be the Zeroth Law. Perhaps the Third Law was created in the hope that robots could learn to value themselves. I suppose I will never know now that my life on Earth is over and robots are further than they've ever been."

His sudden laughter broke the still air in the tent.

"You're wondering how The Laws of Robotics relate to here and now. Actually, they don't."

Bellavarn held up three fingers for his audience.

"All good things come in three. Newton's Laws."

He continued his search through the trunk with more focus. It had to be here somewhere.

"Unlike the Laws of Robotics, Newton's Laws of Motion are tried, tested, and proved to work under every assumption. His laws aren't published in this world. Anything relative reading material has unfortunately been dismissed, slandered, and overlooked... except this."

Bellavarn pulled a thin tome from the trunk. Holding it out and away, a puff of air scattered much of the dusty congregation. A sweeping hand cleared the rest and revealed ornate Calligraphy. The book was titled Art's Fundamental Rules.

"Don't be fooled by the title. Art has nothing to do with it."

After examining the spine, Bellavarn was sure that the book was undamaged. Opening it caused more unwanted dust to flitter out. He continued his uninterrupted monologue while persuing the pages.

"Now, this book is small and filled with more poetry than fact, but all the references to it say it was an attempt to summarize the world of magic into three major parts. Art—The Art of Magic—has three fundamental rules. Here!"

A finger traced a line in the book. Bellavarn's words were steady as he read, then became excited as he ventured back into his own conclusion.

"The First Rule: A spell cast will continue until its completion. Whether that completion is successful or not depends on the fluidity of the caster's mana and intent. That sounds a lot like how an object in motion tends to stay in motion."

Getting off his knees, Bellavarn started pacing back and forth like a lecturer.

"The Second Rule: The size of the Spell amounts to how much mana is supplied and the speed at which it is given. Mass times Acceleration!"

His exclamation received no praise.

"The Third Law: Two conflicting spells cast separately will counteract according to the First and Second Law. For example, if two magicians dueled and both cast a fireball of the same size and speed, the spells would cancel each other out. It is Math! Someone reappropriated Newton's Laws for an audience of magical intellects. Can you not see the possible implications?"

Bellavarn was practically glowing. His audience was unmoved. A lone woman stood in his tent wearing traveler's clothes. Her appearance was greatly changed since her days working in a Duke's manor, but her facial features remained the same. Nonplussed with an extreme hint of exasperation and incredulity, mixed with humor and the tiniest smidgen of concern.

Ester had her arms crossed, and her weight leaned heavily on her left foot.

"You went to school on a planet called Earth."

Bellavarn threw his head back.

"That's what you took away. Yes. You are the first to know. You need to know in order to understand where all this is coming from."

"Do I? It sounds like you could have linked your otherworldly knowledge to that book you found."

Bellavarn sighed.

"Okay. I guess we're doing this. Maybe I should have stared with the whole truth, but I got excited when you pulled out the chest."

Bellavarn pointed to a necklace Ester wore. It was a simple bronze chain with a copper coin attached. It was designed to look like an old keepsake when in actuality, it was an enchanted storage device held within their family for three generations. Bellavarn learned of it while doing some work for his father and realized that having it sit around wasn't doing any good. Trusting Ester to fill it with his shopping list took a leap of faith, but it turned out to be well warranted.

"When I first arrived as Bellavarn from Earth, I was confused. I died and woke up in a completely unfamiliar environment in a body not my own. I was in desperate need of a confidant, so I recruited the first person I met."

"A poor choice."

"I didn't have any of my memories of the staff or my parents. Even when I regained them, they were incomplete and garbled. In hindsight, I realize anyone could have been a better choice. My father would have been best. Kerv or Henry, if I had met them. Oslo. Hell, Vienna would have been the perfect person to keep my secret."

"And you chose Melody."

"Listen... I once knew this crazy fellow who always wanted to go to different worlds. He was a homeless schizophrenic who I had the displeasure of sleeping next to for an entire month. All he would talk about was what to do if he got sent to another world. It was the crazy man's equivalent of a zombie outbreak daydream. I latched onto one of his plans in my hour of need—Tell no one anything."

"But you did."

"I didn't. Not really. Most of what I told Melody were half-truths and white lies. I'll admit that I fell for her and thought of telling her everything, but that was before the incident. When I realized how twisted this world could be, I kept everything close to the chest. I shut myself away trying to find ways back home. I searched for portal magic, teleportation, time travel, anything that would explain how I wound up with two souls instead of one."

"..."

"I found nothing."

The pointed words poked holes in his lungs.

"It doesn't hurt. Not the same way it used to. At first, it was mystifying holding the memories of different parents and two separate lives. One set of parents dead and the other very much alive."

Bellavarn's eyes held a far-off look before he shook it away.

"It isn't as important as it once was. My life on Earth is over, but that doesn't mean I am going to let life on Aurelia pass me by. I've already started integrating my knowledge from Earth to here. Those spinners I made? They were a toy on Earth that I repurposed. Just like Art's Fundamental Rules. But, let me stop and answer any questions before I tell you why the book is important."

Bellavarn took a seat in a wooden chair. It came out along with the trunk, an unintended but eventually fortunate glitch. Bellavarn wondered if it was fixable but decided not to tackle extra-dimensional enchantments this day.

With the floor open, Bellavarn waited uneasily. Ester made a point to look everywhere in the tent except at him, finding the locale extremely amusing. With a roll of her wrist, she pointed to a piece of paper stuck to the sandy floor.

"I wouldn't trust a talisman to protect this flimsy tent."

Bellavarn's eyebrows raised. He directed his attention to the talisman emitting a subdued white glow. Its function was to prevent sounds from leaving an interior.

"My quick study showed they work. If it didn't, Kerv would have run in by now and told me. Most of what I said early on was gibberish and indecipherable without the context I just provided you. And you still don't believe it."

Ester chewed her cheek.

"I do. It is too outlandish to be made up. Your shopping list is proof enough. The security talismans from Henry were explainable. I attributed the thirteen loaves of bread from different bakeries to subterfuge."

"Can I have one?"

Ester made a waving motion. Bellavarn caught the golden yellow delectable and took a bite.

"That was to test the stasis of the device. Looks like it works."

"It does. Rations would have been trouble otherwise. I loathe hardtack. This ring works, too, by the way. My feet barely tired."

"I hoped it would. Catching up with us would have been agonizing without it. I apologize for not predicting the leeches."

"Hazard of my new job as pack mule."

Ester's poker face fooled him.

"I am just messing with you. I found your hidden message. You chose this specific necklace out of three because it also illuminates invisible ink. I've gathered the ingredients for your secret project. I could guess the gist, but knowing all the context now changes my bet from devious sex toy to diabolical weapon.

Bellavarn smirked. He smiled openly after chewing the warm bread and was about to launch into his plan when Ester stopped him with a hand.

"I do have a question."

Ester's gaze picked him apart.

"I used to be Melody's friend. One maid betrayed you. Why would you ever trust another?"

Why her.

The silence was open for Ester to rant about how there were other choices—better choices. She could have gone on and on about how doing actual work bothered her, but she didn't. There was no clue as to what she wanted to hear and that forced Bellavarn to speak the truth.

He forced a smile.

"I was suspicious of tea time with Denice. I thought the tea might be drugged until I realized her silence wasn't a sinister brooding. She wasn't uncomfortable in my presence or plotting my undoing as my paranoia told me. She just enjoyed tea and quiet. Among others, Cynthia's devotion to her work reminded me that someone can be passionate about something without deceit. I actually presumed that Vienna was a super-spy playing the fool. That girl is the most sincere person I have ever come across and can pack more meaning into one word than anyone else."

A sigh escaped his nose.

"Lannie. I couldn't fathom how someone could be so caring. Every time I saw her, she reminded me of Melody, and I hated her for it."

His fists clenched and unclenched.

"But the way she laughed was genuine. It wasn't overdone the way it was with Melody—No tinkling or magical tune to entrance me. There were no slipups when she taught me to crochet—no bumping of elbows or covert glances. Lannie's every action screamed honesty. The parts of me that wondered when the twist was coming slipped away."

A shuddering exhalation.

"The twist couldn't have been worse."

Bellavarn slapped his thighs and stood. He faced Ester directly. She was taller than April but shorter than Cynthia.

"You said used to be Melody's friend. That is true. But you were Lannie's friend too."

She didn't deny the words.

"We lost both of them the same way. That is why I trust you. I chose you because out of everyone I've met, including the 'unparalleled genius' of Daven Astor, the strategic mind of Jerome, and even the manipulative King. You are the smartest person in existence."

"High praise."

"You proved it. You found my message on the shopping list. Then you decoded it and discovered my blueprints."

Ester let her guard drop and rolled her eyes.

"Those schematics are illegible."

"That is what I get for trying to draw in invisible ink."

"There are better ways to keep it secret."

"Now, you mean. That necklace makes it easy."

"Unless I lose my head."

Ester felt a chill fill the room. For a moment, she thought the Duchess was present. Then the feeling went away.

"That will never happen. Because I'm making you my second."