Some time after taking a break to regain my faculties, I descended a hidden staircase to a sealed room. On the way there, I grew lightheaded again, which forced me to steady myself against a wall. I stumbled a little, praying the pain would stop soon. When it eventually passed, I stood up and walked toward the door.
Opening it revealed a bed in the center of the room, where Wilhelm slept. After making a show of stabbing him at the coronation, I’d hidden him away here, sending him into deep slumber by the power of the Sacred Swords. All this time, Alicia had made sure this room stayed spotless.
I gazed at him from his bedside. “It appears Lord Slade is selling innocent children to other nations like livestock, and both Weston and Beckford are guilty of abetting his crime,” I said. “How vile of them to treat innocent civilians so callously! I’m surprised the citizens haven’t revolted. Perhaps it’s due to my presence on the throne.”
I recounted the recent developments to him, silent and slumbering as he was. This was a daily routine of mine.
“Tommy and Gilbert have done very well. I doubt my revenge plot would be going as smoothly as it has without their help. I’m thrilled to see the growth of the men serving under them too. Just recently, they were able to push a new reform through without difficulty. I thought it was due to Gilbert taking matters into his own hands, but it was actually his men taking the initiative in negotiations. The days when they threw their own ideas into the trash seem like a distant memory.”
I wrapped my hand around his.
“Oh, Wilhelm, when can I wake you from your slumber?”
I felt neither cold nor warmth from his skin. This was proof that the Sacred Swords had stopped the flow of time in his body. With each year that passed, the difference in our ages and appearances would grow more and more apparent. I hated that more than anything, but I could not wake him. Not now. I had to destroy the Great Five first. To wake him now would render all my effort meaningless. He, as heir to House Radford, would become my political equal. As long as those who would take advantage of his bloodline remained, I could not wake him, regardless of how much I wanted it.
“I will return,” I told him.
Today, like every day that came before it, I did not remove the sword that still pierced him. I wanted to so very badly. I looked out the window and saw a stormy sky; the weather matched the mood of my soul.
✦ ✦ ✦
“I’ve been waiting for you, Godfrey,” I said.
The man who entered the room was the palace’s head mage, Godfrey. He’d been checking up on my condition since the first time I fainted from using the Sacred Swords.
“Sorry to keep you waiting, Your Majesty.”
I used Heart Realm to compel Godfrey: “Examine me.”
He followed my orders, taking my wrists into his hands and letting his magic flow into me.
“So, how am I?”
“You need treatment immediately,” Godfrey said. His answer came with no trepidation, reverberating through the otherwise silent room. The look he gave me was deathly serious; I found it oddly amusing. I chuckled.
“That simply isn’t happening,” I said.
“You’re near your limit. The damaged mana veins are causing your magic to run rampant through your entire body. It’s tearing you to pieces.”
Freesia, who had been sitting at my side, yelped as she stared at me. Surely it was her concern for me and not some fear of Godfrey that made her respond so.
“Keep your voice down,” I told Freesia. “Now, Godfrey, will treatment actually improve my health?”
“Well…” He lowered his gaze. What little I could see of his face displayed a deep frustration.
“Unfortunately, there are a great many things I need to accomplish. If such treatments will not ultimately change my fate, then I’d rather not waste what time I have left.”
“But…Your Majesty, with treatment, we could prolong your life span! Please reconsider!”
“No amount of consideration on my part will change my answer. That said, are there any medicines I can take?”
“Yes, this one,” Godfrey said, pointing. “Please be aware that it will not cure what ails you. It merely treats the symptoms, not the cause of them.”
“I understand. Thank you,” I said. Then, I spoke using Heart Realm: “Godfrey and Freesia, forget what you’ve learned of my health. Godfrey, you will supply me with this medicine in consistent doses when called to my office.”
Their eyes lost all color and substance as I wielded my magic. They returned to normal with a single clap of my hands.
“Thank you for your report regarding the training of the palace mages, Godfrey. It was quite the interesting subject. I hope to hear from you again soon,” I said.
“It was my pleasure, my queen,” Godfrey replied, accepting my thanks without question. “May I request another look at your Sacred Swords?”
“Again?”
“Please, I beg you.”
I summoned them at his request, and his eyes glittered as the blades floated in the air.
“Ahh, they’re so beautiful! Stay as you are, Your Majesty, I’m going to sketch them.” Godfrey pulled out a piece of paper from his robe and began furiously scribbling. “You can practically feel the magic dripping from them when you’re this close! Oh, how wondrous!”
His face showed utter rapture, yet his hands never stopped moving. That was an impressive feat. If I didn’t know any better, I’d consider him a suspicious fellow.
Eventually, he put the paper away and sat back down, seemingly satisfied. “Thank you so very much, my queen. Your magic is as brilliant as ever. Please excuse me.”
He then ran off like a gust of wind.
Freesia watched him go, muttering, “Is Godfrey always like this?”
“Yes. Have you not seen him get like that before?”
“No. I only know you talk with him about the goings-on of the palace mages.”
That was, of course, a false memory I’d planted with Heart Realm. I always called Freesia here to assist Godfrey with examining my mana veins. I couldn’t have asked Alicia to help, as my magic did not work on her. She had been unable to properly use her magic since the day she nearly died from it, but she still retained enough magic to counteract mine. Also, I wouldn’t be able to hide the dire state of my body from her if she was involved. I could not have her present when Godfrey examined me.
“I see. It’s always quite the show when he and Alicia go at it,” I said. “Alicia will grab hold of him and say, ‘Her Majesty is tired from her duties, so come back another time!’ and he will respond, ‘Nothing will stop my passion for brilliant magic!’ as he attempts to break free and run to me. A comedic scene every time.”
Freesia sucked in a breath. “I apologize for Godfrey’s misbehavior.”
“It’s fine. He and Alicia make an amusing duo. I’ve had fun watching them.”
“Really? Hmm.” Freesia paused, then said, “Godfrey is the head mage, isn’t he?”
“Not as majestic a man as his title would entail, is he?” I joked.
Freesia waved her hands a bit, clearly flustered. “I wouldn’t go that far…”
“Relax. You and I are the only people in this room, Freesia. I think his crazed love for magic is precisely why he became head mage at such a young age.”
“Ah, that makes sense. It may be rude of me to point this out, but Master Godfrey tends to quiver where he stands whenever someone mentions your coronation.”
“He nearly screamed when he saw the five Sacred Swords shining in unison,” I said, remembering. At the time, I thought it was out of fear. I was shocked when he begged me to show him the swords again—so much so that I was momentarily rooted to the spot in stunned silence. He never got tired of seeing the Sacred Swords, even finding time to request their presence on days when, by all accounts, he should have been quite busy.
“So he did…” Freesia bobbed her head, but her eyes indicated her mind was elsewhere. She probably had other thoughts regarding Godfrey, but they weren’t easily discernible from her expression. She was far better at hiding her true thoughts than the ladies of the Great Five.
“Is something the matter?” she asked, noticing my gaze on her.
“Apologies, I’m a bit tired. Mind if I have some time to myself?”
“Of course, Your Majesty.”
After Freesia left, I made my way back to the hidden room.