The Sorcerer’s Guardian

by Antonia Aquilante

  “And if the worst does happen—”

  He jerked back, the words yanking him from the calm that had been building, but Philip didn’t let him get far. “Philip, no.”

  Philip hushed him gently. “I don’t believe it will, but if it does, I’m comforted knowing that our son has you to love him and raise him, and Tournai has you to rule it until Julien’s ready to.”

  The words hit Amory like a blow. Intellectually he’d always known if something happened to Philip that Julien would be crown prince, and Amory would likely act as his regent until he reached his majority. But hearing it was too much. “And now I’m terrified for a whole other reason.”

  Philip laughed and pulled Amory close again. “I don’t ever intend to leave you with that duty. We’ll raise Julien together, prepare him for his duty together.”

  “A duty which he won’t have to take up for a very long time.” He pulled back enough to look into Philip’s dear eyes, as if by stating the words so emphatically he could make them true.

  “Exactly.” Philip bent and kissed him softly, a caress of his lips over Amory’s. When Philip lifted his head away, Amory saw movement out of the corner of his eye. Captain Loriot stood a respectful distance away, eyes lowered to not intrude on their privacy.

  “Captain Loriot seems to need us,” Philip murmured.

  He nodded. “We’re keeping them waiting.”

  “I’d say let them wait, but we should begin so we can get it over with.”

  “You’re right, of course.” But Amory didn’t let go.

  Philip smiled and kissed Amory again, a deeper, longer kiss. One Amory would hold on to until the spell was finished and Philip was back in his arms again. He melted into it, into Philip for a moment, before forcing himself to pull back. “Let’s go, then.”

  His smile felt forced, but Philip returned it nonetheless. “Yes.”

  Philip stepped away from Amory and bent to scoop up Julien just as he lunged at the butterfly, giving him a tickle so he wouldn’t be upset that his game had been thwarted. Amory watched them, love swelling in his heart for them both, and hoped this wouldn’t be the last time Philip held his son. He took the hand Philip held out to him and walked with him toward Captain Loriot.

  IT SEEMED to be the day for Loriot to walk into other people’s intimate conversations, but at least he’d stopped a distance away from the princes during theirs. He followed Prince Philip, Prince Amory, and their son into the quiet of the small wood, sounds from the outside world almost muffled the moment he stepped through the first line of trees. He wondered if that was caused by the magic of the place, or if he was just imagining the whole thing. He could ask Savarin, and maybe he would, but not today when there were far more important things to consider.

  Everyone was already in the clearing, waiting for them to arrive. Savarin carried on a whispered conversation with Jadis off to the side, the healer there on the chance something happened during the spell. Loriot wondered if his presence reassured or worried Prince Amory and Lord Flavian. With a glance at Lord Flavian, whose arm was still linked through Duke Cathal’s, Loriot could see he at least wasn’t reassured. The duke’s head was bent as he murmured something to his husband. Lord Etan and Master Tristan stood close together beside them. At first glance, they didn’t seem to be touching, but their hands, hanging at their sides, brushed together and separated, then again. He looked away from the intimate touch.

  Lord Vrai, recalled from one of his family’s estates where he was overseeing estate business, stood a few feet off from them and seemed entirely calm. Princess Elodie and Lady Meriall weren’t quite as calm as Lord Vrai appeared, but that might be because Princess Elodie was worried she might be sent away. From the brief frown that crossed Prince Philip’s face, the danger might be real. He had been against the idea of their participating from the start. But Princess Elodie squared her shoulders, Meriall standing straight at her side, both young ladies radiating determination.

  Prince Philip sighed and nodded. If he was still reluctant for her to participate, he didn’t say anything. Loriot still felt like arguing, not that the princess was involved so much as that so many members of the royal family were. If something catastrophic happened today, not only would the crown prince be lost, but a large portion of the succession as well. Tournai would be left with an infant ruler. Loriot didn’t like it, but he’d been overruled. Of course he trusted Savarin, but this was the royal family, and he was supposed to prepare for the worst possible outcome. He didn’t think Savarin understood any of that, though.

  But everything had been decided, and they all had to trust Savarin knew what he was doing.

  “Your Highnesses, Your Grace, my lords, my lady, it’s time to begin,” Savarin said as he stepped into the center of the clearing. “If you would be so kind, I need you to be using your Talent during the spell, as we discussed. And I’ll need everyone who isn’t participating to leave now.”

  His tone was almost apologetic, and Loriot knew why before he even turned. Prince Amory and Lord Flavian didn’t look happy. Prince Philip took a step closer to Prince Amory and leaned the short distance that separated them to kiss him, a tender, loving kiss of a kind that the princes didn’t usually exchange in public. But then this was hardly public, with only he, Savarin, and Jadis not a part of their family, and it was hardly normal circumstances. Prince Amory smiled a bit tremulously at Prince Philip and then surer when Prince Philip passed their giggling son over to him.

  “I’ll wait until after you change, and then I’ll go,” Prince Amory said with a glance at Savarin. A glance clearly asking for permission, despite how incongruous such a thing might be from a prince, but they all were aware that Savarin was in charge here and now, no matter what anyone’s rank was.

  “That’s fine, Your Highness,” Savarin said, answering the unspoken question. Loriot followed Savarin’s gaze as it moved from Prince Amory to Lord Flavian to Master Tristan. None of them made a move to leave, and Savarin nodded, as if he’d expected it. Truthfully Loriot had. He was still hoping he wouldn’t have to drag the three men away from the clearing.

  “All right, then. Let’s begin, please.” Savarin said the words graciously, but it was obvious, to Loriot at least, that he was having some trouble finding the words to ask a half-dozen members of the royal family to use magic and turn themselves into cats. Loriot wouldn’t have much of an idea of how to ask either. But they let the awkwardness of the phrasing go. Prince Amory, Lord Flavian, and Master Tristan each took a step away, but only a step. Loriot moved more than a few steps, though he was on the periphery of the group anyway.

  Chapter 22

  A SHIMMERING golden glow surrounded the six royals in the clearing almost immediately. When he’d seen Lord Etan use his Talent, Loriot had hardly had the chance to notice what happened since they were trying to stop Master Tristan’s daughter from being kidnapped at the time. One moment Lord Etan was running in front of him and the next, an enormous cat was pouncing.

  Today he studied what happened. The golden glow obscured Prince Philip, Duke Cathal, and Lord Etan immediately, and Lord Vrai, Princess Elodie, and Lady Meriall a bit more slowly. It shimmered around all of them, swirling in different shades—from the purest gold to a rosier color to one tinged with silver. And when it faded, six cats stood in the place of the royals. Three were large—huge, really—while the others were smaller, two still much larger than the average cat and one the size of a large kitten. All of them were glossy and dark, and frankly beautiful, but the members of the royal family present weren’t unattractive as people, so perhaps the beauty of them as cats shouldn’t have surprised him. But the three larger ones were also somewhat terrifying, or could be. Especially after what he’d seen Lord Etan do as a cat, and what he now knew Prince Philip had done to save Prince Amory and their unborn son.

  No one in the clearing displayed fear, however. He, Savarin, and Jadis didn’t move, but the others did, led by Prince Julien, who laughed and clapped his hands and
called for his father. Strain was still more than evident around Prince Amory’s eyes, but his affectionate, amused smile was beautiful to see. Keeping what looked like a tight grip on his squirming son, he lowered Prince Julien so he could hug the cat who had padded over to them and was, presumably, his father.

  And wasn’t that an odd thought.

  After a few moments of letting Prince Julien hang all over his father, Prince Amory pulled him back up and gave him a little tickle. Prince Amory smiled down at Prince Philip, who took another step forward and pressed against him, deftly avoiding Prince Julien’s kicking legs and burying his face in Prince Amory’s stomach. Prince Amory’s free hand came up and twined in the fur of Prince Philip’s neck, and Loriot turned away. The tenderness, the intimacy was too much, even if they were having this moment with others present.

  He glanced around the clearing instead. Savarin and Jadis were involved in another low-voiced conversation, and Lord Vrai and Lady Meriall looked to be trying to keep the kitten that was Princess Elodie from straying too far in an exploration of the clearing. Nearby the duke had gone to Lord Flavian. They weren’t touching, and Lord Flavian was staring down at the large cat with narrowed blue-green eyes. Before Loriot could turn away from what he was certain was about to turn into another private moment, Lord Flavian’s hand came up and he flicked his husband on the nose.

  Loriot bit back a surprised laugh as Duke Cathal jerked back and made a noise filled with affront. He glared up at Lord Flavian, a glare Loriot wouldn’t have wanted turned on him from a huge, powerful cat. Lord Flavian glared for a moment too, but relented. He knelt and kissed Duke Cathal on the nose, then the forehead, and wrapped his arms around his neck. Loriot thought he whispered something in Duke Cathal’s ear, but Loriot didn’t hear it, didn’t try. Whatever Lord Flavian said wasn’t for him, and he’d been privy to too many of their private words today.

  He let his gaze drift away from the duke and his husband and allowed it to come to rest on Lord Etan and Master Tristan, almost resigned now to his own curiosity. Master Tristan stood with his hands on either side of Lord Etan’s face, the sunlight that filtered through the tree branches arching over the clearing giving his hair a golden glow to rival that of the magic. They said nothing, but Loriot couldn’t help thinking just from the way they looked at each other that they were carrying on a silent conversation, meaning being conveyed in those looks that none of the rest of them were privy to.

  He wondered if he would ever have that kind of relationship with someone. He didn’t dare think he and Savarin would ever get to that place.

  “Go.”

  The rumbly voice jolted Loriot out of an ill-timed introspective moment. He glanced around trying to figure out where it came from until it came again, and he realized Lord Etan had spoken. Had he known they could speak while cats? He didn’t think he had. Did Savarin know? The royal family’s Talent was odd but intriguing. And much more important than any seemed to have realized.

  “I’ll see you later,” Lord Etan continued.

  Master Tristan sighed. “All right. Soon.”

  Lord Etan nodded, and they stared at each other for a moment longer. Another silent conversation. Then Master Tristan nodded. After a stroke of his hand along Lord Etan’s head and neck, he stepped away and turned. “Amory, it’s time for us to go.”

  Prince Amory’s face fell into stubborn lines, but before he could argue, Prince Philip gave him a nudge with his large head. Prince Julien giggled, and Prince Amory sighed. “Fine. I love you.”

  Prince Philip pushed his head into Prince Amory’s hand, for all the world like an overgrown house cat looking for petting. The gesture made Prince Amory smile and give him the requested stroke. “Love you,” Prince Philip said, his voice a bit more rumbly than Lord Etan’s but still understandable.

  “Come on, Amory.” Master Tristan went to Prince Amory’s side and drew him away with a gentle hand. “Flavian?”

  Loriot had almost forgotten Lord Flavian while watching the tender parting between the princes, but the duke’s husband still stood next to Duke Cathal, the fingers of one hand buried in the fur of his neck.

  “I’m staying.”

  “Flavian, you can’t,” Master Tristan said, even as Prince Amory looked to be about to argue that he should stay if Lord Flavian was.

  “I’m not leaving,” Lord Flavian repeated. “I’ll stay out of the way with Jadis and Captain Loriot, but I’m not going anywhere.”

  Loriot followed Lord Flavian’s challenging glare to Savarin, who stared back at Lord Flavian for a moment, then nodded. “If you remain silent and out of the way, you may stay.”

  Loriot was as surprised by Savarin’s capitulation as he was by the evidence of Lord Flavian’s devotion. Yes, he knew that Duke Cathal and Lord Flavian had to love each other dearly, but they didn’t show their devotion quite so publicly as the princes did.

  “Then I—”

  “No, Amory,” Master Tristan said before he could get any further. “We need to get Julien away from here. He can’t stay.”

  Prince Amory looked obviously torn, but Prince Philip gave him another little push. He sighed and nodded. “All right. Let’s go. You’ll come for us?”

  The question had been addressed to Loriot. “Yes, Your Highness, as soon as Master Savarin finishes.”

  “Thank you, Captain.” With one last look at Prince Philip and his family in the clearing, Prince Amory allowed Master Tristan to usher him and Prince Julien away.

  Loriot watched them walk away until the trees swallowed them up. Then he turned back to the others in the clearing. The cat Loriot knew to be Prince Philip still watched the trees where Prince Amory had disappeared. Everyone remained silent until the sound of Prince Amory and Master Tristan’s footsteps faded away and the wood fell into its odd quiet.

  “All right, shall we begin?” Savarin asked, though it sounded far more like a statement than a question. “My lord, Captain, if you would step away with Jadis.”

  Lord Flavian seemed poised at the edge of hesitation, but he ultimately moved, walking through the clearing and taking up a position at Jadis’s side, behind Savarin and well out of his way. Only after he stopped there did Loriot move, but as he did, he couldn’t help seeing the expression on Lord Flavian’s face, the fear and love, and remembering the trembling he heard in the man’s usually sharp voice. Remembering the words Lord Flavian had spoken to his husband.

  Loriot stopped in front of Savarin without consciously deciding to do so. Savarin’s gaze was slow to focus on him, his attention obviously already on the magic he would perform, his eyes clouding with confusion when he looked at Loriot. He didn’t want to distract Savarin from the important task at hand, but neither could he step aside and say nothing when Savarin was at as much risk in this spell as any of the royal family in the clearing. Perhaps more.

  He wanted to kiss Savarin, but he couldn’t, not here, not now. Not even after the displays of love that the princes and their cousins had been comfortable with in front of them all. He wasn’t a member of the royal family, and neither was Savarin, and he was working, performing his duty of protecting the royal family. So he couldn’t give into his urge to display his concern and care for Savarin. If Savarin would even have wanted him to, which he doubted.

  Savarin’s gray eyes, the color so beloved by now, were narrowed as he stared at Loriot, and Loriot realized he’d been quiet for far too long. For an instant he didn’t know what to say, then words just came. “If you die doing this, I will kill you.”

  Savarin blinked at him once, twice. Opened his mouth and then closed it. “You make no sense.”

  He didn’t, and he knew it. Savarin probably didn’t know the half of it, and that was a good thing. Savarin would think him crazy if he knew how much Loriot wanted to drag him away from here, away from potential danger. He’d come to love Savarin somewhere along the way in their long, somewhat crazy journey, and he had no idea how to express it, no idea if he should. He certainly couldn’t d
o so in the way the princes or the duke and his husband had.

  Loriot could only look into Savarin’s bewildered eyes, hoping he would understand Loriot’s concern and not be put off by it. “I’d find a way.”

  Something came into Savarin’s eyes, a warmth, a softening. An understanding? “I think you would,” Savarin said in a low voice, an almost intimate tone.

  He allowed himself a small smile. “See that you don’t, then.”

  Savarin nodded and looked at him for another moment, his gaze intense. Then he shook himself. “Now, may I get on with my work?”

  “By all means.” He flashed a grin at Savarin and stepped around him, taking up a place at Lord Flavian’s side. Lord Flavian glanced up at him, the look in his eyes shrewd for all his worry for his husband—he’d seen Loriot’s worry for Savarin. Loriot should be upset with himself about that. He prided himself on keeping all aspects of his life out of his duty as captain of the royal guard. But today he couldn’t care. He’d seen the way these men loved each other today, and he was too worried for Savarin to care about consequences, if there were any to come, from Lord Flavian guessing his feelings for Savarin.

  Maybe, if this worked and everyone came out of it healthy and fine, he would care.

  “Your Highnesses, Your Grace, my lords, my lady, if you would all take your places,” Savarin said, and Loriot turned back to watch.

  The cats who were the royal family formed a circle with Savarin anchoring one side and Prince Philip the other. Duke Cathal and Lord Etan flanked the prince with the princess and Lord Vrai to Duke Cathal’s right and Lady Meriall to Lord Etan’s left. They all settled into their places and sat, most calmly, but the tip of the tail of the kitten who was Princess Elodie twitched constantly.

  “Thank you. Now, let’s begin.”