He chuckled, perhaps at her referring to herself in the third person. Or perhaps describing the diverse and deadly dangers they’d be facing in the near future as a situation had tickled his funny bone.

  “Three weeks is just long enough to establish mental habit, but only barely. Four weeks is better to cement it further before adding more spells to the mix, but it’s not a bad idea if you think you can handle it. I know you’re disciplined of mind, and you’re not wrong.”

  Luna thought her mind had a handle on the original four spells. Psychic punch, the telekinetic and confusion shield, as well as healing for trauma. Controlling them had become second nature, and she could act by intention without deep thought and control with them. She truly believed she was ready, and she took a deep breath.

  “I was thinking telekinetic punch, pyrokinesis, summon earth elemental, and web.”

  He asked, “Reasons?”

  “Some races are immune to psychic punch, and telekinetic punch can hurt anyone. I also need area of affect spells, web will take multiple targets out of the fight without killing at the same time, while pyrokinesis can take out multiple targets permanently. Summon earth elemental is useful in a lot of ways, from having another ally in combat to reinforcing walls and fortifications, or even creating them through the elemental.”

  She felt a little sick at the idea of burning a whole group of people to death, but it was what it was, and she kept a calm look on her face. On the good side, she wouldn’t ever have to mess with a flint and steel to start a fire again.

  They also exchanged a look that made her take a deep breath. A look that suggested they both thought they were way over their heads. Not only had they lost the implicit protection of the empire’s authority, but assassins would be coming for both of them, even more of them after Sebastian than her. She was in a worse situation than when she’d fled her home weeks ago. Not to mention the desperate situations of an army of thirty thousand composed of the evil races poised to invade, and seven kingdoms on the precipice of a human on human war.

  There was nothing for it though but to move forward. She’d given her oath as a personal guard of the prince, soon to be king if their plans were successful. She’d made her choice. It was a choice she could take pride in, she believed. They also had a better chance standing together.

  He nodded, “Very well. Let’s do that now while I decide who I’m leaving in charge here. We’ll head to Castlerest after lunch. It seems prudent to expand your abilities before we land in a possible viper’s nest.”

  He got up from the desk, and they headed to the wizard laboratory in the keep to take care of it.

  Chapter Two

  Luna took a deep steadying breath and focused intently on the runes that Sebastian inked onto her bare shoulder. For some reason she was far more affected by Sebastian’s gaze on her bared shoulders and arms to access the inked leaves there than she had been with Hamal who had seen far more of her flesh. She couldn’t quite meet his eyes so she didn’t even try, afraid she would blush if she did.

  The prince was quite attractive to her, and she knew that was the difference. She also knew anything between them was impossible, and she didn’t really want that anyway. Her body didn’t seem to know that, however.

  Fortunately, the runes themselves and the process was fascinating. Both beautiful to behold and his movements were exacting and sure. She was fairly sure he hadn’t noticed her difficulty, that it made sense her eyes couldn’t leave her ink array.

  Sebastian said, “That should do it. Don’t move while I cast the spell, or it could foul one or more of the spells.”

  She nodded, “Because the vines move when I do, which would put part of the ink outside of the leaves before they became part of the array and move too?”

  He smiled, “Exactly.”

  She froze in place and took another relaxing breath as he started to cast. It didn’t take long, and it felt like the runes and strange writing lifted off her skin as it became part of her ink array. Indelibly inked into her ink array. No longer merely physical ink, but mystical in nature.

  He nodded, and she pulled the blouse back up her arms and over her shoulders.

  He took out a device, then said, “Alright, everything looks good but let’s test it and make sure. This device will shield me, just don’t hit so hard.”

  She laughed lightly, then activated the ink array. A moment later a small ball of fire splashed against his shield and quickly went out. The telekinesis punch was a lot less obvious, but she could feel the physical force it’d applied against his shield in her mind. She cast web next, which shot out sticky and strong binding strands meant to contain and hold an enemy still, but against his shield they slipped right off. After a moment of consideration, she cast a small earth elemental though didn’t specify anything for it to do but appear.

  She felt the connection to it, which was a little odd. The thoughts there were very alien, but it was willing to serve. It was all very intuitive, though she had to focus slightly on the effect she wanted as the array carried out her will. It was that slight focus turning into unthinking habit even while in danger that would take time and practice. Similar to muscle memory.

  He nodded, “Good. Let’s get some lunch, then we need to get moving. We hardly have enough time as it is, given the number of tasks and time limits before us.”

  She almost asked how he was feeling, but simply nodded instead. She knew he wasn’t unfeeling, no more than she was. She knew she’d be a wreck if her entire family and legacy had been wiped out. She had been at her mother’s and father’s deaths. But she was a princess, and he was a prince. She’d refused to break down in front of anyone, and he had the same training to control emotions and present confidence and serenity as she did. Never expose your weakness to enemies or allies. She pushed down the desire to comfort him, because he surely wouldn’t thank her for it.

  He put away the device as soon as she turned the ink array off. Her magic would only take a few minutes to regenerate, the test spells hadn’t taken much of it. Of course, she hadn’t hit him with them all that hard either.

  King Sigurd of Pirean was sixty-five years old, and quite annoyed at the moment. How did those arrogant twits manage to piss off the dragons so much? He was too old for this crap, and of all the other vassal monarchs he was most accepting of the empire’s needs and requirements. Of course, it could be said that was because his kingdom was in the most danger and needed those troops the most. Pirean was on the southeast border of the empire, the only kingdom that had a border against the evil races in the wastelands and the dragons in the dragon mountains to the south. The ocean was a far less deadly threat, after all. Mere human raiders.

  Another reason was Sigurd had no ambitions to enlarge his kingdom by conquering another, not like the idiot to the north.

  Couldn’t this have waited a few more years?

  Prince Erik who was forty, and his youngest Susanna, who was thirty-one, were also in the room for midday meal. As well as his court wizard Bianca who was thirty-five. Bianca had just finished briefing them on what their spy network had figured out. That idiot Melor had been taken down by dragons, and the wasteland races were about to launch an offensive to destroy humanity on this part of the continent. There was no possible way that was coincidence.

  It was a simple quirk of fate that the whole imperial family hadn’t been wiped out, but he wasn’t all that confident that a twenty-year-old prince had the experience or ability to handle any of it. Worse, his latest trade insult to Doryn would have that idiot Janus foaming at the mouth to invade, now that it seemed likely the empire would crumble and fall apart.

  Perhaps that was a failing of his, but he just couldn’t help himself. One of his favorite things in life since Celane died had been to goad that paranoid idiot up north.

  “We need to ride it out. Wait and see which way the wind blows.”

  Erik asked, “Father?”

  Sigurd grunted, “We can’t assume Doryn and Cynia won’t do something stupid. Janus more than Hadrius perhaps, but we leave our troops where they are. If they do attack, we can answer that attack. If they don’t, we’re the closest to the eastern border, so we can shift our troops and fortify the border faster than anyone else.”

  Susanna asked, “And once that threat has been dealt with?”

  Sigurd laughed harshly, “If we survive you mean? Chaos. We need to be ready for anything.”

  Erik suggested, “Perhaps we should subtly reach out to Queen Ricola of Traeg for support, and to try to come to a peace with Hadrius.”

  That wasn’t a horrible idea. Traeg was on Doryn’s western border, and the queen was just as wary of Janus invading her kingdom as he was. If they joined forces in mutual support, then that might just counter any ambitions of Doryn. As for the second part, Hadrius would never support him and Pirean, but peace might be possible. Hadrius wasn’t nearly as unreasonable as Janus was.

  His largest fear was if they did drive back the evil races, then the remaining imperial army made up of seven distinct kingdoms would all have orders to turn on their comrades of moments ago. A seven-way skirmish taking out most of their remaining forces. Then they’d have nothing left to defend from Janus.

  If he could work with Ricola, then Doryn’s remaining troops would be facing both of theirs, and it might just make Janus reconsider.

  It was more complicated than that though, he knew. Ricola also had to worry about her western border, King Allesandro of Thiya. She could insist he help her against those troops, and he’d counter for her to help him against Hadrius should he make a move. It would all fall apart at that point. But it wouldn’t hurt to explore the idea.

  It was all moot, if they couldn’t defend their kingdoms from the coming horde of evil races. But it couldn’t be ignored either.

  As for Thaenid which was also on his border, he wasn’t worried about them at all. They’d be walking extremely softly with the fall of the empire. He also didn’t believe any of his fellow monarchs would try to invade them in revenge, despite chafing at the rules and laws as vassal kingdoms to the empire. The more… aggressive kings and queens would be angrier at their border neighbors and deep frustrated ambitions. Outside of the four laws as part of the empire, the empire hadn’t really played the petty games of trade and insult that the other kingdoms had.

  Plus, Thaenid was in the middle of the other kingdoms, and had a border with all six. Invading and annexing a kingdom that would be all but impossible to hold wasn’t something even Janus would do.

  Damn Melor’s incompetence anyway.

  “Put something together and let me review it. We’ll send Susanna to present it, she’s around the same age as Queen Ricola.”

  It also had the advantage of putting his beloved daughter far from the eastern border and the fighting. Just in case the worst came to pass.

  They sort of had a rough plan for both threats, but he knew the ground would shift quickly and in surprising ways over the next few days and weeks. They had to be ready for anything.

  Sebastian packed what was left of his belongings and tried not to think. His family was gone and that was the worst of it, but he also felt the loss of his legacy, the library and power. He was a powerful wizard, and had learned quite a lot in his education, but only a small portion of the knowledge in his family’s library of magic. It was all gone, all that remained was two bags of clothes, a number of devices, and the clothes on his back. Everything else was dust.

  Even his family’s wealth. The coin in their deepest vaults had been claimed for the dragon’s hoard. He was a prince with power, but he was also a penniless pauper at the moment.

  He was holding it together, barely. In part thanks to Luna’s strength and serenity in the face of what was coming. Her strength wasn’t just impressive, although it was that too, but it forced him to rise to the challenge. He knew he’d have to grieve his losses, but he pushed it away for the moment. He had a duty, and his energy needed to be focused on preserving what was left. All the lives in his kingdom.

  He needed to focus on one thing at a time, otherwise it was all too overwhelming. He couldn’t ignore the rest, but he could work with Duke Embry and hand out responsibilities. He would need concise reports and he’d make decisions on the work of others. He couldn’t do it all himself.

  Point being, he needed to focus on his coronation and getting his nobles in line. The rest although dire, had to wait, and be trusted in other’s hands to keep an eye on it. One step at a time, he couldn’t do anything about the other problems until he’d claimed his birthright.

  It didn’t help, that the mental picture of Luna’s gently curved neck, beautiful and flawless creamy skin, and bare shoulders kept intruding into his thoughts. He was a disciplined man, every wizard was, and he was a prince besides who’d mastered his impulses long ago. But there was a lot to admire about his personal guard, and her extraordinary beauty was the least of them.

  He reminded himself she was just sixteen, and that four years from that age was a huge difference. She was still growing into the woman she’d be, and she was fiercely independent. That he had a duty, and though no one but him could decide on his future wife with the death of his family, he needed to keep his options open. He was in a tenuous position, and almost every vassal monarch would want him assassinated to ensure the empire fell, and quite a few of his own nobles as well with ambition to rule in his stead. He’d need every advantage he could reach for, which might include a marriage to help solidify his position by securing allies.

  Marrying the woman another king wanted dead wasn’t the way to do that. It was bad enough she was his personal guard, though it was worth the risk there for the advantages. She was incredibly powerful, and he had come to believe extremely honorable and loyal. Part of that may have been naivety at her age, but he wouldn’t abuse it. It was also more than that, she believed he was the best choice and way forward for her people and peace.

  Not that he even wanted marriage at that point. He didn’t know her well or long enough for that level of things. He just felt the desire to pursue the possibilities and court her, but what was the point when she didn’t want that, and it would only make his position and life expectancy even worse? What was the point when that end was an impossibility to start with?

  He needed to keep it professional. He pushed his attraction down, even as he felt guilty for his mind lingering so long on it, when his family had been dead a mere six hours. He pushed it all down, and he picked up his packs and left his room.

  Luna was already in the hallway right outside her suite, with a small pack and a neutral look her on her face, though her vivid cerulean eyes were quite empathetic. She had on the same outfit, the thin leather riding outfit that was enchanted to be as good as full leather armor.

  “Ready?”

  She smiled lightly, “Yes.”

  Chapter Three

  The castle in Castlerest was in the center of a thriving and large city. It was as large as her ancestral castle back in Doryn. Which made sense, given it had once been the center of power for Thaenid when it had been a kingdom alone, before the grand palace was built and they subdued the other six kingdoms as vassals.

  The sky was a light blue with the sun shining brightly in midday. There wasn’t a cloud in sight, and the fresh cool breeze tickled her face and caused her jet-black hair to sway lightly. They’d appeared right outside the castle gates, in the large courtyard outside castle grounds.

  She looked around alertly, painfully aware her uncle could already have spies or assassins in the city given what happened. It was an obvious place for her and Prince Sebastian to show up. Duke Embry was a longtime supporter of the imperial family, and it was the logical place for them to start. She was confident she could keep him safe, and her hand lingered near her sword hilt, though she didn’t touch it as they moved forward to the outer castle gates on the north side of the courtyard.

  The gates were open, and the portcullis up, but there were twelve alert guards on station, as well as two pages. The Ducal guards recognized Sebastian on sight, and although giving her a quick assessing look didn’t speak or even move to challenge them as they walked through the gates.

  The back of her neck started to tingle, and she acted without conscious thought as her ink array came online. She stepped back and spun in front of the prince as a shield popped up around her, a split second before the crossbow bolt struck and was deflected to the side.

  She had no idea how she’d sensed it, but she did. Just like the archer behind her on the bridge during her cross-kingdom escape from home. The sense of being stared at perhaps, by someone with murder on their mind. She didn’t understand it, but she trusted her instincts honed by years of training.

  Her heart pounded and adrenaline surged through her veins as she scanned the rooftops on the buildings on the opposite side of the courtyard. Given they were several feet past the gate, and the angles involved of the trajectory of the bolt and the walls to the left and right in front, there were only a few rooftops that could’ve hosted the assassin.

  She saw a glimmer of movement and sent out psychic punch powerful enough to knock out a human.

  Prince Sebastian nodded, “Nice shot,” he turned to the guards, “Go up on that roof and take in the individual for questioning. I want to know who he works for before he hangs.”

  Two of the guards bowed and took off at a jog across the courtyard.

  They continued through the inner courtyard to the castle proper and large double doored entrance.

  Sebastian said, “Good catch. Glad I didn’t release you.”

  She laughed lightly, couldn’t help it. She felt… exultant with the danger passed, and the adrenaline flowing through her veins. She wasn’t shaking though, like she would’ve been in the past. She also wondered about her own sanity. She didn’t like the fear of course, and she’d felt that as well, but there was something satisfying and exciting in dealing with a danger.