The Cursed Tyrant and His Reluctant Queen

Mother comes not much later than Lucia, and she scolds my sister for running away before freshening up and changing clothes. One should be presentable while meeting a Queen, isn't that right?

Then, she seems to remember that I am the Queen she came to greet, and she smiles at me with her usual, charming grin.

«How are you doing, daughter?»

«I'm fine, mother. Thank you for your concern.»

«And the baby? Can I see my first grandson?»

«Of course... Bring the Prince,» I say to the maids. «And make sure he's in a good mood before letting him in a room filled with strangers.»

I'd like to talk with her for hours, to show her all my progress and how much I've found out about the Mages in the capital, the Church... About everything!

Still, we have to wait to be alone for that.

Her eyes stay on me for a whole minute before moving on to Flavius. She came here just when our conversation was turning lame, and she wouldn't have found him here if she waited a little longer. Lars was brought away a few minutes ago, and Flavius was getting ready to follow.

Yet, I guess she's here as a Queen of Mages right now.

«Hello,» she says. «You must be Flavius. I've read a lot about you. My daughter says you're a powerful soul Mage. I see she didn't overstate your capacities.»

«No, of course not. Veronica knows how to sense people.»

«Do you know who I am?»

«Her mother.»

Seeing the feeble smile on mother's lips, I wonder if she's actually displeased to need to explain everything by herself. But I couldn't risk it. Flavius is unpredictable, and she better understands it sooner than later.

«Finding a Mage working for the King was such a surprise for us,» mother says. «We thought this kind of thing didn't happen.»

«It does. But the late King didn't find many weapons. Just me and a few others, but they didn't last long. They would eventually leave or die.»

«Weapons? You're a person, Flavius.»

«So what? I can be a persona and a weapon.»

She walks towards me and holds my hands. She seems to realise how bad it is, but her smile doesn't falter.

«Where is the Prince?» she asks, visibly in a hurry to check my son's power.

She smiles wide when he's brought in, and she takes him directly from the maid.

«I can't believe it,» she says. «Such a cutie... He resembles his father so much, doesn't he? But I can see a lot of you, daughter.»

«Thank you, mother.»

Flavius observes our exchanges, half bored and half curious. He'd like to see more about the relationship between us, but he's also wary of how my mother holds Lars.

«Hey,» she chuckles, probably noticing the sparks. Lars is already playing, opening his eyes to stare at her. Just like with Flavius, he doesn't seem unhappy to be in a stranger's arms.

He's loud when he shouts his approval, and mother chuckles again. I'm glad she likes him. So glad that I sigh, relieved.

«This is an impatient man,» she says. «Already using a lady like me for his purposes!»

«Purposes?» I wonder.

«He likes playing with magic, but his first and foremost activity is checking whether the people around his mother are safe. Including your maids, I guess. Have they been electrocuted?»

«Yes,» I sigh. «Ignis, as well.»

«Oh, checking his father... What a naughty little boy. How dare he doubt his own father, ah?»

«I don't know mother, but that is something that will turn me crazy. Sometimes, I forget to stop the energy, and the King is hurt because of that. He thinks Lars and I don't love him, but I'm sure it's not like that. Lars doesn't hate his father, does he?»

«It's only the start, daughter. He will learn to do more than this, and he will become even more dangerous for his father. If this is enough to cause trouble, I don't want to imagine when the little Prince learns to control his magic without the need of a catalyst body.»

«Oh, that will be a lot of work,» I whine.

I still love my little boy, but couldn't he be a normal kid? With powers, all right, but without the need to fry people and check out whether his father has intentions towards me. Especially because I'm sure I'd like those intentions very much.

«Who is going to take care of him with this nature?» mother wonders. «Now, human maids can do it if you're not nearby, but when he starts walking... Oh, I don't want to imagine.»

«I can,» Flavius offers, raising his chin so that his nose points upwards. «Lars and I get along very well. We play together most of the time, and his energy doesn't hurt me anymore. Now he finds me amusing, right? Right, Veronica?»

«Right,» I say, rolling my eyes.

What Lars does or does not find amusing will stay a secret until he starts talking. Yet, there's nothing wrong with letting Flavius think like this.

«Do you want to be his guardian?» mother adds, standing straight in front of Flavius.

«Guardian?»

«Yes. Would you?»

«Me? Oh, yes. Of course! But who gets to decide? It's Ignatius who will choose, and I doubt he'll allow a weapon next to his son.»

«Flavius, I have to decide. I'm currently the one Mages refer to when they are in danger. They call me Queen of Mages, but I have no crown nor land. Just a title to pass down to my successors and the duty to help our people in any way possible for me. Such a person needs a guardian.»

«Does Veronica have one?»

«She does.»

«Aida, right?»

Mother nods, and Flavius seems to understand.

«I see... So, if I serve you instead of Alba's royal family, I'll be able to spend the whole day with Lars.»

«Lars is part of the royal family,» mother points out.

«Mother...» I say, but she waves me off.

It's her place to decide, after all. If she thinks Flavius will do a good job, I'll believe her. Even if I'm afraid and worried.

«Your duty will be to follow and protect him. You will be his helper, his confidant, and the person he will look for when he'll have trouble. You two will be closer than a parent and son can be. And it will last forever.»

«Oh, nice. Veronica won't be able to tell me to leave if I become a guardian, right? I'll be able to play with Lars more often.»

I've never sent him away! I would just ask him to let my child sleep because babies need energy. But sending him away? Never!

«One day, he will be King of Mages,» mother says. «Once my daughter retires.»

Finally, Flavius seems to understand.

«He will also be the King of Alba.»

«Yes. That's why you're the perfect guardian for him. You already know the dangers of the Palace. You just have to learn a little about those related to being a Mage.»

«The Church can't do anything to the Crown Prince.»

«I'm not talking about the Church. You haven't been taught about it, but I can help you. I can teach you while I'm here. Mages need to keep their powers balanced. Not using them will make them unstable, while overusing them would consume our bodies.»

«And how can I help with that? I just know my own way of using powers, but Veronica and Lars are different.»

«I am here, Flavius. I can explain the most relevant part. As for the rest, you can ask Aida any time.»

He lifts his arms, reaching out to the baby and collecting him from mother. He dares to stead the first grandson from her, yet she isn't displeased. On the contrary!

Hey, it's my son. Mine!

«We will need to talk a lot, daughter,» she says, remembering that I'm also here. «But not now. We've just arrived, after all. Lucia and I will now go back to our lodgings. We will meet again in the afternoon. Your father and brother are also looking forward to meeting with the Prince and you.»

«They didn't follow you here,» I notice.

«Men can't just barge in the Queen's rooms, can they? They have to wait for an official invitation, and they're so desperate and jealous right now. I'm almost sorry about them.»

I'm not sure that women are allowed to barge in here either, but it is what it is.

«Let's go, Lucia,» she says. «See you later...» She stops her talk and smiles at me. It's a wily yet warm smile, one of her best. «Your Majesty.»

She's calling me using her own title. How odd. But now we're both Queens, so it must be all right if we drop formalities... Oh, but it depends on the people around us. It's so complicated, but we're good at keeping it hidden. We've done so for a long time before today.

We won't stop being capable just now.