Magician Prince by Curtis Cornett Page B

of the south. Tell them to assemble their
armies and begin marching towards Wolfsbane within the week.
Together we will ensure that the magician threat is put down
swiftly and with extreme prejudice.”
    “At once,” Warlord Saberhawk answered, “only…
and I hesitate to bring this up, because I do not wish to show you
any disrespect, my lord, but to assemble all of the kingdom’s
forces and move them across the country will leave many of the
warlords’ territories unprotected. Such an act will require the
word of the king.”
    “Then we will speak with my father. Surely he
would not allow an attack against his only heir to go
unpunished.”
     
    ***
     
    King Kale was gripped by another coughing fit
as Janus and Saberhawk waited patiently for it to pass. It was
common knowledge that the king had become very ill over the last
month and seemed to be continuously hovering near death. However,
only a few men knew that Janus had been using his personal wizard,
Kennath, to poison the king in order to keep him weak and infirm so
that Janus could take command of the kingdom’s forces in his stead
and do what his father was unwilling to do- crush the magician
rebellion, but that was all over now that Kennath was gone. Kennath
had to reapply his spell on a daily basis to maintain the desired
result of keeping the king bedridden, but not putting his life at
risk. King Kale was already starting to recover after missing the
magician’s last treatment this morning.
    “This attack within our walls is surprising,”
King Kale said once the coughing had passed. He dabbed at his chin
to wipe away some spittle. “But I believe that we have the
situation well under control.”
    “Then what would you have us do?” Janus
complained, “If we do nothing, then we wait for their next
assassination attempt and the one after that until they are
successful and you and I are both dead.”
    “Sane will be dealt with for his attack
against you,” his father assured him, but the words were slow in
parting from his dry lips. Kale sipped some water and let out a
short cough. “Likewise your personal magician will have to be
found. He is still a criminal, after all.”
    “And what of the third magician?” demanded
the prince. “I believe it was Byrn Lightfoot that freed them.”
    “Your own guards said that the third magician
was an old man,” Kale reminded him.
    “And some of the Kenzai who were supposed to
capture Byrn Lightfoot last night also said that there was an older
magician with him. One that Kellen let go. Who could that be if not
Sane?” Janus crossed the room to stand at his father’s side and
looked him in the eyes. “They also said that he had a signet ring
of the crow.”
    “Byrn Aurel is now working to aid the
kingdom and his family. He has been granted leave to pursue a
peaceful solution to this rebellion.”
    “You have met with him in secret,” Janus
guessed and his father nodded. “Father, how can you think of
believing that magician’s lies? How can you be sure that he is not
using his magic to manipulate your thoughts?”
    “Because Byrn is my son and a parent can
forgive much when it comes to the failings of his children.” Janus
ignored the barb and let his father continue. “Succeed or fail in
his endeavor, if he returns to us and wishes to be part of our
family, then your mother and I have decided to welcome him and
acknowledge him as a member of the royal line. What we did to him
as a baby- it was not right.
    “I have not been blind to the toll this
conflict has taken on you either, son. Your mood is often dark and
your methods have grown brutal. You always carried a dislike for
those who could use magic, but as this conflict has escalated so
has your hatred. This war threatens to destroy Aurelia and you
believe that only through the obliteration of our enemies can we
stop that, but that is not true. There is another option and it is
one that I have great hope for its success.”
    “There are no