The Child Prince (The Artifactor)

by Honor Raconteur

  The prince gave him no quarter, but followed him so that a scant half-foot separated them. “Ticker Sullivan, you will help me,” the words allowed no room for disobedience, “for the crimes that you’ve committed against the royal family, for your own redemption, and to preserve your own life, you’ve no other choice.”

  Desperate, panicking, Sullivan looked to Kip for help. That certainly didn’t work. Kip just stared back at him, arms crossed over his chest, for all appearances waiting on the prince’s command. For the first time, the informant looked directly at Sevana, eyes wide and pleading. She looked back at him with amusement, enjoying the whole show. She’d never once believed that Bel had it in him to intimidate someone else, at least not until this moment. Granted, Sullivan didn’t have a courageous bone in his body, so he would be easy to scare, but even Sevana could feel the pressure.

  Bel took a half-step back, easing off the pressure he had put on, and Sullivan gulped in a breath for air as if he were climbing out of a deep well. “You’ll help me,” Bel told him easily. “If you wish to live, you’ll help me, and you’ll do it today.”

  Sullivan bobbed his head several times, like a broken toy, babbling assurances, agreeing to do anything the prince wanted.

  “Good,” Bel praised as if speaking to a pet.

  “B-but Highness,” Sullivan’s tongue darted out to moisten dry lips, “She’s very p-powerful, it’d dangerous to go up against her—”

  “I’ll handle her.” Bel said this in a dismissive way that suggested she didn’t pose any real threat to him. “Your job is to simply contact her and get her here. I’ll take it from there.”

  Sullivan didn’t look at all convinced by this, and he still eyed the door longingly under his lashes, as if he would make a break for it if he could figure out where to escape to. But he nodded again, obedient and cowed. “Yes, yes, of course, Your Highness.”

  Bel nodded to Kip. “Morgan, go with him.”

  With a nod of agreement, Kip grabbed the man’s arm and hauled him out of the room. “Now, Sullivan, let’s talk specifics on how to contact her, shall we?” he asked pleasantly as the door shut behind them.

  As soon as they were alone, Bel heaved out a long breath. “Phew! I can’t believe that went so well.”

  Neither could she. Yes, they’d intended for Bel to intimidate the man, but she’d also anticipated that she would have to step in and help at some point. “So if Kip taught you how to be charming, who taught you how to be intimidating?”

  “Baby, who else?”

  ~ ~ ~

  Lady Aldena Verlinden, like most noblewomen, couldn’t go anywhere quickly. She did send back a reply to Sullivan’s message saying that she would arrive that evening, and gave an approximate time. They had more or less expected her to wait for the cover of darkness anyway, and so they spent the rest of that time in the private dining room, waiting. Holly didn’t mind this one bit—she kept coming in and checking on them, bringing all sorts of food with her. At one point, when she had a slow crowd outside, she came in and asked Bel to tell her the full story of how his curse was broken. After retelling this tale so many times, he could say it now with a polished air, and the matron listened, spell-bound. Her husband came in twice as well, once just to meet the prince, but another time to assure him that if something did go wrong, he’d rounded up a few bouncers just in case.

  Aside from the fact that Bel himself was a formidable swordsman, he also had an Artifactor prepared for the worst at his side. A pair of bouncers, no matter how strong, wouldn’t likely be much help. But the offer and concern touched Bel and he thanked the master with true sincerity.

  Eventually, the hours wore away, and darkness fell. Holly cleared the food away, leaving nothing in the room but the furniture and three people who waited in taut silence. Sevana sat with her legs crossed, a wand in her hand and held at the ready. She glanced at the men, taking them in by lamplight. Kip sat on the other side of the table from her, for once sitting in a chair upright and properly, hands clasped in front of his stomach. He looked…quietly angry, eyes hard as stone. Bel stood with his back to the wall, remaining almost perfectly still, like a great predator cat that waited for its prey to approach. But every now and again, his hand would come up and touch the hilt of his sword, briefly gripping before releasing. At first Sevana thought it a nervous fidget. But he didn’t look nervous. He had the same stony hardness in his expression that Kip did…like rage boiled just under the surface, waiting to be unleashed.

  “Sevana.”

  She started at hearing her name, Bel’s voice sounding almost thunderously loud in this graveyard silence. “Yes?”

  “Don’t curse her the moment she walks in. But do make sure that she can’t get out of this room.”

  “I know.” They would need to question her, to find out who else had been part of this plan. The whole point of luring her here was to discover if she had any accomplices.

  Taut seconds ticked by. They all jumped when a knock sounded on the door.

  “Enter,” Kip answered, automatically standing.

  Holly opened the door without a word, stepping aside so a hooded figure could step into the room. The innkeeper looked up just enough to catch Sevana’s eyes, looking for reassurance, which she gave with a slight dip of the head. Satisfied, the matron stepped back out, closing the door firmly behind her.

  “Wait, who are—” Verlinden managed before Sevana raised her wand and pointed it squarely at the door.

  “LOKKTE!” she commanded firmly. The door lit up in a brief flash of dark grey, and then a film covered it from floor to ceiling, making it look as if it were underwater. “Alright, Bel, it’s escape-proof.”

  “My thanks.” Bel took two steps forward, boots striking the wooden floor in a haunting echo. “Lady Aldena Verlinden, do you know who I am?”

  With shaking hands, the woman reached up and pushed back her hood, revealing her face. She had probably been a great beauty, once, before time and ugly ambition aged her. Now deep lines carved around her mouth and eyes, so that even though her dark hair had been carefully arranged in a cascade of curls, and she wore an impeccably fashionable dress, she still had the appearance of an evil hag. “I do, Your Highness,” she answered, voice wavering slightly. Cornered, without any chance of retreat, the woman lifted her chin in a haughty manner and instead stood her ground. “You’ve grown. Unexpectedly so.”

  “No magic in this world is absolute. It can all be undone.” He responded as if this were a polite conversation instead of an interrogation. “Fortunately for me, that is. Not so fortunate for you. Lady Verlinden, your days of freedom and power have come to an abrupt end.”

  Her eyes spoke of pure, primal fear, but she still shot back scathingly, “And what do you plan to do? You can’t prosecute me—you have no power in Windamere!”

  “A situation that shall be reversed very shortly,” he assured her quietly. “But no, I have no plans to take you to a formal court for this. You directly attacked the royal family. The consequences for that action are quite clear and I have been given the authority by my father to act in his Voice.”

  Verlinden took a step backwards, knees weak, as a tremor shook her from head to toe. The man in front of her could do absolutely anything he wished with impunity and she had no way to stop him. This time, when she asked the question, her voice was a threadbare whisper. “What do you plan to do?”

  Bel waved a hand, introducing calmly, “This is Artifactor Sevana Warran. You know her, or at least know of her, I’m sure. She’s going to cast a spell on you momentarily to turn you into a frog.”

  The noblewoman stared at him with bulging eyes. After a long moment, she managed to croak, “A frog? Are you in jest?”

  “I am not.” Bel’s smile looked downright evil. “She’s always wanted to try it, you see, and I promised her she could. You will stay a frog until my father and I regain our seat of power and we are able to deal with you properly. Now, Lady Verlinden, here is the crux of the matter, as
it were: if you answer my questions, I promise that the spell will be reversed and you will return to your human form in the near future. If, however, you do not answer my questions, then you will stay a frog for the remainder of your days.”

  Without waiting to be prompted, Sevana lifted her wand and spoke simply, “GABOFOZATA NE FOLE. The spell I just put on you is a truth spell. I advise choosing your words carefully.”

  Bel’s threat couldn’t have been better chosen. Appearance and position meant everything to this woman. The idea of being a lowly, scum-sucking pond frog for the rest of her days was beyond horrifying. She didn’t do more than swallow once, hard, before caving in to the threat. “What do you wish to know?”

  “Who helped you plan this?”

  Verlinden shook her head in jerky motions. “No one. I alone conceived the plan.”

  Bel’s eyes flickered to Sevana, checking if that were the truth or not. “She’ll light up in a bright red if she lies,” Sevana explained briefly.

  “Ah.” Bel continued his interrogation with unnatural calmness. “Who knew of it?”

  “No one,” Verlinden whispered. “I didn’t tell anyone.”

  Sevana felt vaguely surprised by this. They’d always assumed the Council was somehow behind the attacks, but apparently that wasn’t the case. They were just guilty of taking advantage of the situation instead. Although, really, not speaking about it at all had been a wise move on Verlinden’s part. The more people she had told, the more risk she ran, after all.

  “Who suspected?” Bel inquired, not giving her any quarter.

  At this, she hesitated. “No one ever asked me anything. I think…I think my husband might have suspected I’d done something. But he never asked me where such a large sum of money went to.”

  Of course, the man probably had figured it out and decided it wiser to not ever confirm his wife’s criminal dealings.

  “Who else?”

  She shook her head. “I don’t think anyone else even thought to suspect me.”

  That might very well be true. Noblemen tended to think of their wives as trophies or elaborate decoration and little more. That she could hatch and pull off such a scheme would be unthinkable to them.

  Bel did nothing more than gave a single nod and say, “I see. I think I know your motivations but I wish to be sure. Why did you curse us?”

  Verlinden wet her lips, nervously, unable to meet his eyes. “The clause in the betrothal agreement. The one that spoke of what would happen to the Council after your death.”

  “The betrothal agreement.” Bellomi gave a hollow laugh, the sound completely absent of all mirth. It sent a chill up Sevana’s spine to hear it. She’d never seen a man so angry that it radiated from him in almost visible waves.

  Morgan dared to take a half step forward. “Bel?”

  “The thrice-benighted betrothal agreement has done nothing but bring my entire family grief.” Bel’s expression tightened as he tried to keep a lid on his temper, but it leaked out through his tone instead, making his voice harsh in an almost snarl. “I never wanted the betrothal to begin with. My father regretted it and would have found a way out of it, given a few more years. And yet, this was the very reason for her betrayal?” Stepping in close to Verlinden again, he loomed over her, making her shrink backwards, instinctively wanting to get away from him. Through clenched teeth he rasped, “Do you understand what I’m saying, woman? Your actions were useless, pointless, and did nothing but set you and your family on a path of destruction. If you had given my father just a little more time, he would have reversed his decision and broken that betrothal.”

  Verlinden stared straight ahead, blindly, a tear escaping from the corner of her eye. She looked more shaken by this last confrontation than anything else that had been said to her. “I did all of this…for nothing?”

  “Nothing,” Bellomi confirmed quietly. He closed his eyes for a long moment, taking two steps back from her and turning away. It took him a long moment before he opened his eyes again, but when he did, he seemed calmer. On the surface, at least.

  Morgan dared to raise a hand and catch the prince’s attention. “I’m afraid I don’t entirely follow. What was it about the betrothal that would drive her to this?”

  To Sevana and Kip, Bel explained, “The clause stipulated that the Council would be dismissed when my children ascended the throne, thereby removing them from their seat of power. Turning me into an eternal child would ensure that would never happen.”

  Sevana now understood his reaction. She was more than a little angry herself, now that she fully understood both sides. So much damage had been done…all over a perceived threat.

  “I see.” Morgan murmured, apparently unable to think of any better response.

  Shaking his head in resignation Bel asked, “Sevana? Morgan? Anything else you want to know?”

  “The name of the magician you contracted with?” she asked instantly.

  Verlinden shook her head before the full question could be said. “He never gave me his name. Even the informant didn’t know it.”

  Sevana had more or less expected as much. “But you saw him, didn’t you? Describe him to me.”

  “Kindian, unusually tall, head half-shaved,” her hand came up to draw a line halfway around her head, indicating it was the bottom part shaved, “oddly white eyes. He looked to be forty or so.”

  That description could match quite a few people, aside from the white eyes. But the eyes told Sevana quite a bit. Eyes like those were only gained by doing one thing—forbidden arts. Whoever this man was, he dabbled in things that were not just criminal, but evil. “That’s all I wanted to know.” She glanced at Kip, but he just shrugged and turned it back over to Bel.

  The prince had an undecipherable look on his face. It could have hidden any emotion from rage to resignation. Shaking his head, he looked to Sevana and requested, “If you would.”

  Happy for the first time that day, Sevana swish and flicked her wand before pointing it at the lady. Verlinden had just enough time to falter and instinctively flinch, a half-cry formed on her lips, before Sevana said cheerfully, “TOADZATA NE FOLE!”

  The transformation happened at a rapid pace, the aging noblewoman turning a bright green and shrinking down steadily to the floor in a smooth, seamless motion as she lost her human form. Her elaborate, fashionable clothes fell away and landed in a circular heap, caging in the hapless frog left on the wooden floor. The frog looked up in bewilderment, no doubt stunned by how different the world suddenly looked, and gave a husky croak. Without waiting, Sevana pulled out a small, glass bottle from the never-ending pouch at her waist. With a practice twist of the wrist, she scooped the noble-frog into the jar and closed the lid. “Captured!”

  Bel took in a deep breath, eyes closed for a moment, before he opened them again and released it. “Thank you. Thank you both. Let’s return, shall we?”

  Bellomi sat facing the clock on the mantelpiece, just watching it tick the seconds away. In four hours, everyone would rise to face the day. In four hours, they would know whether the other kings would truly respond to their call and come to lend their might and aid. In just four short hours, his father’s plan would succeed or fail, and his life would undergo a radical change.

  He felt as if he were on the eve of battle, which in a sense was true. This wouldn’t be a mighty clash of swords and shields, but instead of words and wits. He might have been able to take the waiting better if he could focus on something, but at this point, he had done everything that needed to be done. His curse was broken, his father’s curse was broken, the woman behind the curses had been caught and was even now in a glass jar in Sevana’s workroom, safely in custody. The betrothal that had hounded him most of his life was burned. He’d even heard that his ex-fiancé had eloped and was already married.

  Absently, his fingers softly combed through Hana’s hair, the motion gentle enough to avoid waking her up. She’d also been too nervous to sleep, and had stayed up with him and kept him c
ompany most of the night until she’d finally worn herself out. Bellomi hadn’t protested when she curled up on the couch with him and used his lap as her pillow. He found it comforting to know that no matter what happened, Hana would be right there with him.

  He looked down at her sleeping face, the firelight from the hearth flickering over her fair skin, and a gentle smile teased up the corners of his mouth. A librarian for a princess…quite a few people would likely squawk at his choice. But those same people hadn’t seen this woman’s clever mind weed through stacks of information and calmly analyze a political situation that would make the most hardened politician wince. In some ways, she understood the political hotbed of Windamere better than Bellomi himself did.

  The door to the main room opened and quietly shut. Bellomi turned just enough to see who entered. “Father,” he greeted softly.

  “Bellomi.” Aren walked in further, waving a hand to indicate the clock on the mantel. “Shouldn’t you both be in bed?”

  “Says the man who’s awake at this ungodly hour of the morning.” Bellomi shook his head and gestured for his father to join him. “I don’t think it’s possible for either one of us to sleep tonight.”

  Aren gave a grunt of sour agreement before dropping into Sevana’s favorite chair. The king had apparently made an effort to rest, at least, as he wore a warm robe and slippers. He eyed Hana’s presence as he sat, taking in the way she lay curled up on the bed, and the protective arm Bellomi had around her shoulders. “She couldn’t sleep either?”

  “She’s only been still for about ten minutes,” Bellomi confirmed. “She’s nervous about something going wrong.”

  “I think we all are.” Aren passed a hand over his tired eyes. “The breaking of the betrothal with Belen could have been timed better. I don’t blame you for acting when you did—it would have caused problems later on after all—but I wish you’d waited another few weeks at least. Right now I don’t know if Audenaert will come or not. He’s very influential with Vlatko, so if he doesn’t come, then it’s not one king we’ll lose, but two.”