Young Writers Society

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"...The realm is abuzz with the latest scandal at court. Sir Rowan, the valiant knight, has been caught in a clandestine tryst with Lady Elara, the jewel of the East. The whispers among the courtiers grow louder as the Queen's absence casts a shadow over the festivities. Meanwhile, the Imperial Palace's own guard has been doubled, as rumors of a plot brewing in the shadows reach the ears of the vigilant..."

-Lionel Times, Current State of Events 

1300 R, Augusta 27

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      It was cold. That was all that Aelius could tell from his strained senses. With a blindfold and a set of ropes to ensure that he wouldn’t remove his bindings, he was trapped. “Isn’t restraining one sense supposed to enhance the others?” he muttered to himself, shifting uncomfortably as his bindings bit into his wrist. He took a deep breath, focusing on the environment around him.

      The sounds. The smells. The feels. He concentrated on everything that surrounded him as much as he possibly could. He heard the quiet splashes of water as a small animal traversed. He caught a faint smell of the old, earthy scent of moss around him. He felt stone against his back along with the water that drenched his lower body. A sewer? A well? There was too little information, and no further clues to give him an idea of his location. Frustration clenched him. “Then it seems I was left here to perish.”

“There is no saving for those who don’t save themselves, Young Sun.”

      “Who goes there?,” Aelius swiveled, his bitter expression quickly taking one of indignation as the walls around him mockingly echoed his words. He leaned forward as the phantoms dissipated, hoping to catch a sound or even a smell of the one who had spoken. “Who goes there?” he repeated cautiously, this time with uncertainty, a tinge of fear lingering on his expression. Had he imagined the strange words? Was he going mad?

“You are not the only one held captive.”

      He sighed, both in relief and disappointment, any prospect of a rescue abandoned at the moment. He leaned his head against the moss wall, gathering his thoughts. Questions naturally settled in as well, pondering: Who orchestrated this? And what was their motive?

      “Is it to prevent my succession of the empire?” he mused quietly to himself. After all, with thirty-five siblings vying for the throne, the first in line for succession would be object to envy. But..who? The Second Prince, Lypile?

      “No. Though there's not much love between us, he wouldn’t dare to harm me under Father’s watching eyes,” Aelius discarded the thought. “Or even the 13th princess, Rose? The sly wench always had a cunning side to her.”

“Your enemies aren’t of your blood.”

       “The damned voice again,” he whispered to himself. A pause settled between the young prince and the voice. Unable to bear the unnerving silence, Aelius questioned. “So…who are you?”

“Hm. Names are powerful, Young Sun. However…you may refer to me as Mer.”

      Mer? The name rang a bell in Aelius’s head, however, his mind was too fatigued to grasp at the straws. “I have been birthed as Prince Aelius Del Lune. Salvete vos,” he said, pride in his lineage evident as he spoke. Despite the dismal situation, his chest puffed out slightly, a smile tinkering at his lips.

“How…prestigious.”

      The voice said wryly. Aelius nodded eagerly, the sarcasm lost on him. But just as he prepared to ask another question, a realization dawned upon him. Not in regards to the satirical statement, but rather to what Mer had said earlier. Despite claiming to be bonded as he was…his voice contained no muffling of any sort. "Do you know where we are?" Aelius said suddenly.

"..."

      Aelius cocked his head, intrigued by the silence. Could he be the person who had made captive of him? Or perhaps working hand in hand with the culprits? The corners of his mouth tilted to a frown. "Well? Do you?"

"A sewer."

      The voice held a note of wariness, prompting Aelius to delve deeper. "Even a fool could deduce that much," he said flatly, "I believe you know what I meant when I inquired on our…whereabouts." A long silence followed.

"Aronim."

       Aelius took a sharp breath. The city was about a week's travel on horseback, even more, if traversed on foot from the Capitol. The only way to traverse that fast in this short amount of time was through…

      "Magic," he breathed, pieces starting to form together. That could only mean that Mer was a magician. But the question lingered in Aelius’s mind: Could an ordinary magician achieve teleportation over such vast distances? He mulled over this, recalling a conversation he’d overheard between an imperial magician and their apprentice.

──†──

“…But why can’t we simply teleport there?” The words hung in the air as Aelius froze, listening to the sharp slap of paper against skin. “Have my teachings fallen on deaf ears?” The room fell into silence. The magician let out a weary breath before explaining. “In layman’s terms, to traverse such a span, one requires a copious surplus of mana like a Great Magician. Teleportation is not merely vanishing from one location and appearing in another—it’s a metamorphosis. You must transform into an entity so swift, it escapes the naked eye…”

──†──

     "But there have only been a handful of such talented magicians," Aelius murmured to himself, pressing his mind to remember the long-winded palace lectures on the history of magic. "There was..Kirin Willinstine, Trilith Broliphan, Pyro Dehyphen, Cypher Treaty, and the most recent one..." The final piece clicked. "Mer…lin." Aelius said slowly. He paused, incredulous."You're a great magician…"

"...Indeed"

      Aelius frowned, the moment of awe overshadowed as another question came to mind: "But why would a great magician put so much effort into capturing thyself when he wouldn't bother to participate in the Great War?"

"Perhaps rather than mulling over my standing, you should think of your own."

      "I know, it's-" Aelius paused, a hint of their conversation recalled. Perhaps the perpetrators were not of his blood…but that does not discount those of the same lineage. He muttered under his breath, speculating. "Father wouldn't commit such a heinous act. Neither would my siblings…they lack the courage-"

"Perhaps a certain concubine who recently gained power within the palace?"

      The voice interrupted. Aelius made a face of bewilderment. His mind raced with many thoughts and even questions. Speculations of the perpetrator. Questions on how Mer knew so much. Aelius voiced these thoughts. "How do you know this?"

"Must I give you a guiding hand for each deduction?"

      The voice said, slightly irritated. Aelius went silent as he heard the sounds of footsteps accompanied by tiny splashes of water as they traversed.

"Concubine Lilith Del Trynie always had an eye for power."

      “Why are you telling me this..” Aelius said quietly. He tensed, on guard, as he heard the footsteps come to a stop.

“We are one and the same.”

       Aelius winced as the blindfold was removed from his head, light glaring into his eyes. He felt his bonds fall to the side as his vision adjusted. What met his eyes, as he looked at his rescuer, was a man in his youth. An insignia of molten chains signified his servitude to a master, yet the purple emblem that adorned his worn justaucorps inferred a position that lay much higher. With a well-built frame, he had black hair with a fair complexion that framed it. However, his most intriguing feature was his eyes. They were a crimson color, typically the sign of imperial royalty…the same as Aelius'. He whispered, “Who…are you?”

      Merlin’s expression was inscrutable as he studied Aelius. “I am Merlin, an archmage who serves the Crown of Oseshi. But first and foremost.." His voice grew heavy as it dropped to a mere whisper. "I am Karasu Del Lune. Former successor to the Crown of Oseshi and the firstborn of Queen Scarlett Del Ryte and King Marcus Del Lune. Salvete vos…brother."