The feast turned into a wonderful party. Most attendees found an opportunity to personally congratulate Fai. Many toasts were raised in his honor.
Fai enjoyed the marvelous food, accepted the compliments with grace, and stayed close to Ashura. Despite the festive air, he was subdued. He kept darting odd glances at Ashura, and sometimes looked like he wanted to say something, but then would close his mouth and turn his face away. He would chat with apparent enthusiasm when others conversed with him, but Ashura could see that something troubled him. Ashura could have created an opportunity to speak with Fai privately, as he had done with Suhail, but he was too craven, too shamed by what he had done. His heart was raw, and he feared to face his victim so soon after his crime.
He cursed the avalanche, the Witch and the sorcerer, the feathers, and himself. He cursed himself most of all.
Whenever a servant passed by with another pitcher, Ashura refilled his cup.
The party continued long after Fai had been sent to bed. A variety of wines flowed freely and words even more so, though even the insults were merely good natured jibes due to the happy occasion. A very drunk Taishakuten even suggested to Ashura that he should declare an official holiday in honor of Fai. As by then Ashura had also indulged too much, he responded that he would seriously consider it. Wine proved an effective anodyne to his guilt, at least for one night.
The next morning brought more than the usual regrets of imbibing too deeply. Despite his quest for forgetfulness through alcohol, Ashura had at least used a detoxification spell when he went to bed—or rather, when his personal body servants put him to bed. He wouldn't have remembered, but they had prompted him, recalling their master's foul mood the last time he had neglected to use that curative measure.
As Ashura dressed he thanked them all and gave each a gold coin as reward. They were treasures, seeing to his wellbeing when he could not be bothered to do so. He disliked hangovers, and was grateful that his servants had spared him that particular misery.
However, the disquiet and pain that continued to plague him did not come from a night of intemperance.
He broke his fast as usual with Fai and Kendappa. His conversation must have been ordinary, as neither of his companions remarked on anything of note. The benign atmosphere changed after Fai left for his morning lessons. Kendappa turned to him with a martial light in her eyes.
"And so goes the mighty Champion of Seresu, King's Shield and Hero of Nyaidem-Yamalo, to a little boy's lesson in history," was her caustic comment.
Yes, Ashura had known she would not let it pass quietly. He put a hand to his head and waited in silence.
"Is it true that Fai didn't have any supervision at all yesterday?" she demanded. "Is it true you knew he was out wandering all alone?"
"How did you know that?" he responded thoughtlessly, and winced at his mistake. He shouldn't have confirmed her accusation.
"You did know! You fool," she snarled. "One of your pet wizards got drunk last night and mentioned it to me. He assumed I knew all about it and was curious how you'd slipped up. He said you were supposed to watch Fai yesterday, and thought that Fai had somehow escaped you to end up in such danger."
"Oh."
"He said he understood," she went on, waving a contemptuous hand, "that Fai was very hard to supervise even for a whole group of wizards, and that Fai could easily evade just one alone."
"And may I ask who told you all this?" Ashura would need to remove that wizard from his service. He wouldn't tolerate such an indiscreet tongue among Fai's supervisors.
Kendappa folded her arms over her chest, huffed, and ignored his question in favor of her renewed rant. "Ashura, how could you? I know you were here in the castle all day. Why would you let Fai run loose like that? Look what happened! He could have been killed!"
"But he wasn't." That was not Fai's destiny. "Instead, a town was spared Nadenda's fate."
"Only because he's so impossibly powerful! Any other child—"
"Fai is not any other child," Ashura stated coldly. Normally, Kendappa would be correct, but Fai had a terrible and awesome fate, a role to fulfill that would daunt even gods. He was not just "any child."
She made an aggravated noise and covered her face with both hands. When she dropped them to her lap, her frustration was plain: her lips were compressed in a hard line, and her eyes sparked with anger. "You both got lucky," she said tightly.
"I know," he said in a quiet, subdued tone.
"I've told you before that you allow Fai too much latitude and independence. Ashura, promise you will keep him on a tighter leash. For his sake, please promise that much."
"His guardian wizards resume their duties today," he replied. It was not a promise, but it seemed to satisfy her. "It was just a trial, Kendappa. Just to see how Fai handled himself. Normally he is so responsible..."
"So now you see where your leniency with him leads," she said. "He is only nine years old and cannot be trusted to behave as an adult."
"I cannot raise him as an ordinary mage-child, cousin. He is too powerful. You may not fully realize this, but he could swat me aside any time he wants, and it has been so ever since I first brought him home. I can only work with him and hope he is willing to please me."
"He is always willing to please you," she snapped. Ashura lowered his eyes, and she softened. "I've said all this before. He loves you and will do whatever you ask."
Not everything, Ashura thought. That very love would bind Fai's heart too tightly. One day, Fai would be most unwilling to perform just one important but terrible task that, for the sake of his own life, must be done. That was why Ashura had made himself a target for the dark sorcerer's curses by restraining Fai's power. The dark sorcerer's scheme would backfire on him and stymie the rest of his wretched plans. Fai would live.
Ashura smiled inwardly at the bitter justice. He and that polluted sorcerer would both get what they deserved for their vile, despicable actions, but Ashura accepted the celestial judgement and went to his fate willingly. He knew the sorcerer would not, and that knowledge provided him a perverse and vindictive satisfaction.
"One day Fai may not be so biddable," Ashura told her. "You know that. Even the court wizards are daunted by the merest thought of his coming adolescence. You and I have discussed it often enough and debated ways to deal with it."
"And never really come up with any good solutions. Even with the restraining spell you set upon him, he will be a terrible handful."
"Suhail said you'd notice that spell," Ashura muttered, unreasonably annoyed by her knowledge and the casual way she had announced it to him.
"Of course I did. What magician wouldn't? You didn't even try to disguise it."
Ashura grunted. "There was no point. It's visible even to non-magicians."
"It doesn't reduce his powers at all, though."
"No, that wasn't possible. It just keeps them from growing beyond all comprehension. As you said, he will be a terrible handful. Probably all but unmanageable considering how strong he is."
She chortled at him. "The same was said of you when you were young, you know. I suppose you will have to deal with Fai as your own parents and grandparents dealt with you."
"Oh." Ashura considered that unhappily, remembering some of his own stunts and outbursts. He had no doubt his father and grandfather would have cheerfully used the restraining spell on him had it been available to them, and neither would have experienced even a twinge of the guilt, regret, or shame that Ashura felt. "I sometimes lament that I am turning into my father."
"Just as well. It means you have finally become an adult." Kendappa laughed. "I remember your adolescence vividly," she added with twinkling eyes. "You were a terror."
"Oh, and I suppose you were perfect and never caused any trouble."
"Not compared to you or your brother," she teased. "I tremble to think what Fai will be like. He puts on a great show of being dutiful, but we've both seen the mischief that lurks under that polite manner. He will be even worse than you, I'm sure." She smiled at the memory. "There are bound to be a few hormone-driven tantrums to contain. I recall how upset he was when he first came here. He almost crashed the entirety of Luval Castle and Mountain into the earth."
"You know that wasn't deliberate," Ashura defended his son. "He was so terribly upset at the time, he couldn't control his magic. You've told me before that you didn't fear Fai would cause harm to our country, and yet now you bring up that incident?"
"He won't cause harm, not on purpose, though we both know well that there may be some close calls."
They spent some time reminiscing about their childhoods and teenage years, and parted for the day with amity. Kendappa went to perform her usual household duties, which in fact meant that she supervised most of the day to day activities that kept the castle in order, and Ashura retreated to his office to see what kingdom complications the day would offer. That it also provided a refuge—or, to be honest, a hiding place—went without saying.
Kendappa would be hard to replace. He realized that he would need someone to govern the domestic functions of Luval Castle. Normally, a close female relative like Kendappa would be expected to work with the stewards and court officials to ensure smooth running of the castle functions. Or a queen.
His council had never really given up on the idea of finding him a new queen, but Ashura still shied from the thought. He used Fai as his excuse, believing that the child might be upset by such a drastic change in the household. Ashura decided instead to coax his sister by marriage, Sybilla, to move to Luval until he could make other arrangements. While she was all but useless at running a large estate for profit, she was a competent manager of household affairs. Her ability had been demonstrated during King Ukko's visit during the midwinter festival. She and Kendappa had planned and managed the event with exquisite precision. She also managed the regular households in her and Tancred's properties.
Additionally, Tancred was fifteen and could be left home to learn estate management with the stewards, bailiffs, and instructors Ashura already provided. It would serve as a good excuse for Tancred to get some experience outside of his mother's influence, and Ashura had sometimes pondered how to accomplish that without insulting Sybilla. If necessary, more helpers and teachers could be sent to aid Tancred should there be need.
There would be a further benefit to establishing Sybilla in Luval: she would bring her other two children with her. Mielu and Virender were fine companions for Fai. It would be good to have them underfoot again. Perhaps they could entice Fai into happier thoughts, and help him to again forget his past and his promises to the dark sorcerer.
Now, if only Ashura could find a way to do the same for himself. He left instructions that he was not to be disturbed by anyone except Fai, and buried himself in paperwork.
