by D. R. Rosier
Of course, that assumed we fell in love, but even if I just loved and respected her as a wife and mother of my children, wouldn’t that be worth it too? A part of me said no, and I wished for more, she deserved to be in love and cherished, not be a lesser wife of sorts next to my other mates. At the same time, it wasn’t my idea, it was her mother’s, and she’d do it out of duty.
In the end, what choice did I really have? I might as well look on the bright side of it, and look at it as life enriching for both of us, in every way we could make it so. Of course, I could only control my own actions, but she didn’t seem like the type to be petty.
There was always the shallow part of it too. I wasn’t perfect, and I was a relatively young man at twenty-five. She was… stunning, why wouldn’t I add her as a mate? It wasn’t a good reason, or even a healthy one in the long run, but her fragile beauty and the growing heat between us did influence me to like her. Especially after that very hot first kiss we’d just shared.
I nodded, “You can tell her I’m about wrapped around your little finger.”
She scoffed, and said mock archly, “About?”
I laughed, “Give it until this afternoon.”
She smirked playfully, and then squeezed my hand and entwined our fingers as we stood up and headed back to my guest suite.
She didn’t let go, not until we’d arrived, and I didn’t mind that one bit.
Chapter Twenty-One
When I entered the room, my mates were there already, with food. I went around the table and claimed a chaste kiss from them all. They all looked emotionally drained. No smiles or flirty looks, and I couldn’t blame them.
“How’s it going?”
Karana replied, “We think the initial storm of weeping has past. It’ll be a couple of more days before we can even think about putting them on horses, though I think the fresh air and being out of this castle will help. I want you to drop by tomorrow for just a minute or two, that should tell us something. They’ll recover, it will just take time.”
Yeah, a lot of time, they may never be the same again after such horrors.
Saria said, “Regina let us know what you were thinking.”
Karana picked up the thought, her voice was sultry as usual, but restrained at the same time.
“Sianna didn’t make a very good first impression last night, but we’ll try to be open-minded about it. We really don’t have a choice, so we’ll do what we have to do. We also won’t let her ruin what we have with you.”
I bit my lip, “I might have an idea that way, if Sianna agrees will you all try to bond with her too? At the very least, it will show you all who she truly is. I believe there’s manipulation going on, but she seems to be using the truth to do it, and it isn’t her decision any more than it’s ours.”
Regina frowned, “Setting her apart from us wouldn’t be a good way to start things, I’ll do it for that reason alone, but I don’t like it.”
I told them about my morning, including my fuck ups.
Karana tilted her head, “Have you told her about the lifespan thing?”
I shook my head, “I thought that conversation could wait until after we’d been bonded. I assume she’ll want it, and I don’t want to wait too long, but that seems like a good compromise?”
Regina replied, “Yeah, I’m sure she’ll want it, what worries me is the queen finding out about it.”
Saria said, “She’ll find out eventually, if only when her daughter comes to visit in ten years, and only looks nineteen instead of twenty eight.”
Yeah, that was a whole other barrel of worms, what happened when she demanded the same life extension for herself, or for her nobles?
“Have you had any ideas about what to do to prevent another Hanson when I make more flesh sculptors?”
They all exchanged glances, but none of them answered.
I smiled anyway, because I had thought of an idea, thanks to what I’d learned from Regina that morning.
“I have an idea. Let me tell you my plan, in detail, so you can search for holes in my logic.”
I told them. They were all a bit thunderstruck by the idea as I laid it out over fifteen or twenty minutes while picking off my plate. Then I ate in earnest while they thought.
Regina spoke first, “I don’t see any holes in your theory, it will also reduce the volunteers.”
I shrugged, “Flesh sculptors have always been limited in numbers, compared to the other talents. There doesn’t need to be more than twenty or so at once, even two per city is more than needed.”
There were nine major cities including the elven ones, and of course Eastguard which was my home, made ten. Really though, Eastguard was a walled village at less than a thousand people in it now, but it would grow I imagined. Between an academy of magic, my own plans, and the magical shop stocked by the elves out of Laya, people would come and settle.
Saria said, “It’s a bold plan, I just hope the queen sees the logic in it.”
Karana nodded, “Agreed, you should tell her this afternoon, it will give her time to think on it.”
Saria nodded in agreement, “You’re doing well, but keep in mind, when a queen says she’s going to be blunt and honest, she’s usually hiding something.”
I laughed, “Understood.”
The all got up and pulled me to the couch, and we cuddled for a moment, with Saria curled up in my lap while Karana and Regina snuggled into either side. They’d obviously been more affected by the elves plight than I’d thought. They all loved to cuddle in bed, but not usually as a goodbye after the mid-day meal.
I just held them for a while, and I gave them soft kisses before they went back to the elves. I wished I could help them, but at the same time I was almost glad I couldn’t, because I was a man. Not because I lacked empathy, but because I probably had more than my fair share. It was upsetting, and I’d wind up wanting to kill people, but the king was already dead.
I got up and pulled the bell pull, and then waited for my betrothed to arrive.
Sianna got there much quicker this time, just over five minutes. I explained what I wanted to do.
She tilted her head, “We can try, she might be too busy though.”
I couldn’t argue with that, I couldn’t imagine how time consuming it would be to manage such a large land and juggle nobles around.
She smiled shyly at me when I took her hand, and we took the hallway to the back of the castle. She left me for a moment, and slipped inside a room. When she came out she looked a little grim.
“I hope you have a good plan. She’s a bit frazzled right now, and that mean she won’t have patience for foolishness.”
I winked, “Trust me.”
She studied my face for a moment, “I don’t know why, but I do. Let’s go.”
She took my arm, which I supposed was more proper than holding hands, and opened the door back up and led me inside. Just like last night, we knelt on one knee and bowed our heads, this time I managed it at the same time Sianna did it.
The queen didn’t look happy, but was still picking at what was obviously the remains of her lunch.
“Rise and sit. Talk quickly, I have to be back in the throne room in fifteen minutes.”
Well, crap. I mentally revised my speech as I sat on the couch, and I decided blunt and fast would have to work.
“Thank you, your majesty. I might seem rather blunt in my speech, but I want to get through it given your time restraints.”
She waved a hand absently as she took a sip of wine.
“In short, I have a way that will give you what you want, without resorting to such measures, and in a much shorter time. I also have a proposal on top of that, which would make another instance of someone like King Hanson virtually impossible, as well as increasing the quality of a flesh sculptor’s work.
“In short, I propose to remove the entire inheritance of flesh sculptor magic from parents to child, and make it a calling and job instead. Older flesh sculptors couldn’t do the thing
s I can do, which in Hanson’s case was a good thing, because they lacked the knowledge of my world. But what we can do is I’ll open up a college of sorts, somewhere to teach others how the body works, and why, which makes the magic work more robustly.
“I propose the first course I teach be about ethics, and what we’re trying to accomplish. To be healers, and improvers of the lives around us, not to torture or twist others to our will, or simply make their bodies misshapen. Then at the end of that course they’d take an oath, that will bind their magic and life to certain ideals. Once that oath is given your majesty, I’ll simply make them flesh sculptors, then continue to teach them. On my world, it took many years to become a doctor, I believe with the help of the intuitive magic, I can cut that education down to about two years, to teach people about genetics, human bodies, and even a few primers on how to create magical organic devices.
“Those devices would be limited due to the oath, to healing and protecting, making life better, and even luxury conveniences, with the exception of self-defense. In short, I believe if you find enough volunteers for the job, I could put two or three flesh sculptors of my ability in every city within two and a half years, ready to work and heal your people.”
The queen patted her lips, “You knew you could just give people the ability last night?”
I squirmed under her steely gaze, on the inside.
“Yes, your majesty. I’m afraid I held back to give myself time to consider the morality of the matter, and this plan is what I came up with. I’m quite sure it isn’t my place, but I feel a moral responsibility nonetheless for what others do with my gifts. By instituting this plan and place of learning, flesh sculptors will literally be incapable of abusing their power, and it will be an earned thing, with forethought, and not something inherited by birth. The place of learning will also be a kind of repository of knowledge, after the initial group of twenty or so are trained, other sculptors may pass on their knowledge in a more typical master and apprentice fashion, and share new discoveries by documenting them and sending them back to the college, which will essentially be mostly a library at that point.”
She said, “What is this oath?”
I replied, “It’s a modified oath from my own world, that I gave long ago to learn the secrets of the human body. Even without magic, to know how to cure is to know how to kill. It is as follows.”
It was modified more than a little, especially the beginning since this world didn’t have gods.
“I swear by my life and magic, and according to my ability and judgement, this oath and this indenture.
“To hold my teacher in this art equal to my own parents, to make him a partner in my livelihood and consider his family my own.
“To teach my art and gift my magic to pupils who have taken the Sculptor's oath, but to teach and gift my magic to no one else. To teach this art without fee or indenture.
“I will use treatment to help the sick according to my ability and judgement, but never with a view of injury or wrongdoing. Neither will I administer a poison to anybody when asked to do so, nor will I suggest such a course. Similarly, I will not give to a woman a pessary to cause abortion. But I will keep pure and holy both my life and my art.
“I will not use my magic to harm, save in the defense of my own life or in the defense of others.
“Whatever I hear or see in the course of treatment shall not be published abroad, or divulged without permission, holding such things to be holy secrets.
“Now if I carry out this oath, and break it not, may I gain for ever reputation among all men for my life and for my art; but if I transgress it and forswear myself, may the opposite befall me.”
She looked thoughtful.
She tapped her lip again, “That’s fine and good, but what happens when these oath givers have children with the ability?”
I nodded, “Sorry, I had to reorganize things to fit your deadline, and left that part out on accident. I can make the magical trait recessive in myself, meaning all my children will gain their mother’s magic, whatever skill that happens to be. That change would be effective in everyone I copied my magic in as well. It goes back to what I said earlier, it will be a calling, and only someone who gives the oath will receive the magic and the teachings on how to most effectively use it. The only exception to that will be if two flesh sculptors marry, then their child would be born with no active magical ability at all. They’d be a flesh sculptor with the power switched off, and could be given another power of their parents’ choice at birth, or even in the womb should they choose it.”
She asked archly, “Anything else you left out?”
My mind went over the conversation in a moment or two.
“Umm, only that we’ll test any applicants for a suppressed mage ability before approving them. I don’t think we should take anyone with magic ability, they’ll be needed.”
Damnit, did I just umm the queen, and my mother in law? Crap.
She looked away a moment, “I will consider it. Regardless of my choice on how to proceed with imbuing your gift to others, I withdraw my request for you to impregnate the staff. You may go.”
Based on her pulling away from her request, I had to assume she was considering the whole college and oath thing. The other option of course, being to simply gift my ability to several volunteers of her choosing, and probably at sword point. I hoped I didn’t read the situation wrong, but I suspected she cared and truly abhorred the King’s abuses, and hoped she’d choose my option. Not only would it prevent abuses, but it would prevent any flesh sculptors from getting corrupted and trying to usurp her throne as well. I couldn’t imagine she’d pick the least controlled option, if only for that reason.
Except, with my way she has to wait over two years for results.
Either way, my conscious would be clear on the matter, and if she did choose the latter I wouldn’t be empowering them with knowledge, not without an oath. That would limit the possible damages greatly. It was also a matter of my oath from my old world, I literally couldn’t teach others until they’d given the oath as well, as the Hippocratic oath states.
We both stood, and I bowed as she curtseyed, and then we got out of there.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Sianna giggled, “Wow, I haven’t seen my mom that impressed in a long time.”
I asked doubtfully, “Impressed?”
She’d looked about a moment short of calling for the axman when I was done, at least that had been my impression.
Sianna touched my arm, “Trust me. You don’t know her like I do, and it was obvious to me. She just wanted to make you sweat for holding back on her yesterday. At the same time, she was impressed that you did out of a matter of conscience, she just can’t afford to tell you that.”
“Alright, I suppose that’s fair enough, you trusted me. I trust you. What kind of trouble shall we get up to this afternoon?”
She blushed, and I was dying to know what her immediate thought was that caused it, but I didn’t ask.
“How about we just relax and talk in your suite until your mates get back for dinner? I want you to tell me more about this place of learning, and about our home. Maybe it will help me if I know where I’m going.”
I nodded in easy agreement, “Only if you tell me about yourself as well. I’m just as curious about you, and your family. You know, I almost ran west to Gritor when I escaped the king, but I think things worked out for the best anyway.”
I opened my door and followed the princess in, and then closed the door behind us. We moved over to the couch, and I grabbed the wine on the way past the table and poured us a couple of glasses.
She smiled as I handed it to her and sat down fairly close. Then she slid a bit closer which made things rather intimate. I firmly reminded myself she wanted to wait for the bonding, and the queen would have my balls cut off if I seduced and took the princess’s virginity in a moment of passion. That didn’t mean I couldn’t romance her a bit, did it?
I told
her more details about the manor where we lived, how far from the city it was, as well as our plans for it. My plans for the academy which would be short lived most likely, after that I doubted I’d have more than a single apprentice at a time, and most times not even that. Still, it would become a library of knowledge for sculptors to use.
She also asked me about the plans of my mates in more detail, though I’d told her some of it already. She finally relented with her curiosity sated, and started to tell me a little about herself. I already knew she was a bit precocious as a child, and didn’t like the idea of a woman’s place. It was a rare point of view on this world, but I didn’t have to look too hard to find where that influence came from, her mother was an iron-fisted ruler after all.
She said, “I enjoy music, and dancing, though I suppose I won’t be doing much of that where we’re going.”
I shrugged, “The music will be rougher, but there’s music and dancing at the inn in the city.”
She nodded, “I’d like that I think.”
Based on the warm look in her eyes, I hoped she meant being in my arms.
After a short pause, she said, “There really isn’t much to tell, I did what my mother said, and I do know what a good wife needs to know. I’m even starting to look forward to some of those duties as your wife, that I feared just a day ago. I’m getting excited about my future, and about discovering who I am as I learn about magic.”
I put my arm around her, and then pulled her gently into my side. After a moment, she seemed to relax all at once and melted against me.
“I’m happy to hear that.”
Her eyes smiled up at me, and she bit her lip before taking a sip of wine.
I reminded myself why it was a bad idea to kiss her, and then changed the conversation.
We chatted for hours, about her sisters, her life of growing up in the castle and her duty, and simple things. Like she liked to go horseback riding, dancing, and shopping in the city. I figured that last one would go over big with Regina, who loved to shop a lot more than Karana and Saria.
