A Plan Foiled
"Royce, I can't."
Nash's words echoed in her mind. To think, she'd actually seen potential in this cocky little...little schoolboy! Still, she would have her way. She must play her cards right, for Nash was certainly the missing piece. He would find the incarnate of Althena. Nash was the key to unlock the events to come.
"Very well, Nash," Royce chose her words carefully. "Your devotion to the girl is clear, and I will respect that. You must have time to consider the offer. I will be contacting you shortly."
With a wave of her cloak, Royce cast a simple spell that hid her from Nash's sight, making it seem as she had disappeared.
Nash stood and glared at the spot Royce had been sitting. "Don't play games with me, Royce. Have you forgotten I am under training by Ghaleon himself? I will do whatever my lord reasonably asks of me, but I do not want to be caught in the wrath of the Goddess Althena when she catches wind of what is going on."
Nash grabbed his cloak and marched out of the building, head held high, slamming the door behind him. Royce relaxed, slumping into her chair. She sighed with relief. Nash would turn out to be trustworthy, she was now certain. An ignorant student, yes, but he was bright. The seer smiled to herself. Nash would be a valuable asset to their cause. But she needed insurance. Had Nash laid with her, she could have cast a binding spell on his loyalty of the strongest kind, but her plan wasn't foiled just yet. His feelings for Mia would stand in his way, for his true devotion was to her, not Ghaleon. A lightbulb lit up. Royce had an idea. She leapt to her feet and grabbed her cloak.
Royce would be paying her shape-shifting sister, Xenobia, a visit.
Nash returned to Vane well past dark. Tired, wet, and sore from riding hard put him in a highly irritable mood. He stormed into his room without bothering to knock, wanting nothing more than to sleep and forget about that crazy Royce. He flicked on a lantern and saw movement under the covers of his roommate's bed.
"Hey, man! Can't a guy knock?" Lark demanded. A girl's head poked out from under the covers. Nash recognized her as Sal, a magician with healing skills in a lower year of studies. He'd tutored her once, and often wondered what how such an airhead had ever passed the Cave of Trials without walking straight into a monster's grasp. Nash couldn't stand girls like Sal, but Lark relished in their naively willing nature.
"Yeah, like, geeze, Nash! Why don't you just help yourself?" Sal giggled, her speech slurred as if she'd been drinking, and threw herself onto of Lark, kissing him.
Disgusted, Nash slammed the door and stormed down the hallway. His roommate was a respectable user of offensive spells, but Nash found himself highly annoyed with his lifestyle. Couldn't the guy have a steady girlfriend for more than two seconds?
Not in the mood to wander the city, Nash found himself in the palace with the intention of seeing if Mia was still awake. He needed to see her, a reminder that he hadn't made a mistake by turning down that seer who had thrown herself at him.
"Are you Nash?" the palace guard asked him at the door.
"Yes?" he snapped, in no mood for security precautions. A lowly security guard should know who of the top student in Vane!
"Lord Ghaleon requested your presence at your next convenience."
"Oh." Nash scratched his head. The guard let him pass and he made his way to Ghaleon's office. He knocked lightly.
"My lord?" he asked softly.
"Come in, Nash," a nasally voice replied. To his surprise, Nash saw Lemia Ausa sitting beside Ghaleon at his desk.
"Aren't you going to greet your guildleader?" Lemia snapped, glaring. Nash, like the rest of Vane, had been puzzled by Lemia's strange behavior. A few months ago, she suddenly stopped being kind and charitable. Must be hotflashes, Nash sneered to himself.
"Good evening, Majesty Lemia," he smiled and bowed.
"Nash, we have some business we'd like to discuss with you," Ghaleon said, getting to business. "Have a seat. I presume my assistant, Royce, spoke to you?"
"Oh y--"
"And you accepted?" Lemia demanded.
"Lemia, please," Ghaleon placed a hand on her shoulder.
"Not exac--"
"You ignorant little son of a bitch! I could have you and that little brat of mine locked in the dungeon and executed! How dare you refuse an offer backed by Lemia Ausa?" Lemia exploded, leaping on the table with grace that didn't fit her old body. She grabbed the collar of Nash's tunic and shook him. "You fool!"
"Lemia!" Ghaleon ordered. "Get control of yourself."
Lemia flew off Nash as fast as she had been on him and hastily returned to her chair. Since when did the guildmaster attack students and take orders from Ghaleon?
"I personally apologize for Lemia's outburst. She hasn't been feeling well. Now, Nash... what Royce told you was true. I wanted to ask you personally to consider the offer."
"On what grounds?" Nash asked, skeptical.
"An ensured position as a guildleader in the future, and the guaranteed well being of Mia Ausa," Ghaleon twisted a piece of his long gray hair around his finger. "Of course, there are other students who could do the job, but you are the most skillful, trustworthy, and competent."
Nash opened his mouth to speak, but was cut off.
"Nash, don't give me an answer tonight. Take a few days to think about it. You are dismissed."
Nash rose and left Ghaleon's office, feeling utterly confused.