[one month later]

Zellen snuck behind Drysi in the library. "Boo!"

She yelped and swirled around. Before she could say anything, he held out a bouquet of lavender lilies from the king's hothouse. She adopted a bashful look, but took the flowers in gloved hands. "Thank you, Yuui, they're beautiful."

"It's my pleasure," Zellen replied. Over the last month, when it was just him and her, he'd let more of his own personality shine through. It seemed she responded more to him as time passed, she let herself relax more around him and she shared more about herself.

Zellen hated to admit it, but he was glad the search for King Ashura was taking way longer than expected. Every few days Boris would send him word about their progress. Yes, he was worried for the king and his friend, but the situation had given him an opportunity to get to know Drysi. It was an opportunity he wouldn't have had as Zellen, a simple healer from Kella without a D title. Besides, so long as the duchess saw Yuui courting one of her granddaughters, it kept her passive. As a matter of fact, she had packed Drysi's sisters off to their home in the south.

It had been a real challenge to maintain Yuui's personality this long, but he had managed. Real trouble hit when his Aunt Tanya came for a visit two weeks ago. The trickster in him did have fun pulling one over on her and the duchess at the same time. He felt very accomplished. He gloated to himself and mentally told Fai to eat his heart out.

But he had another accomplishment. He had successfully found, and achieved mixing, an alchemical solution that could suppress psychometry for roughly a couple of hours. Thanks to Luval's massive library he was able learn it, but he hadn't told Drysi yet. He was waiting to surprise her, because he wanted to make it a special gift.

"There you two are." Zellen kept the scowl off his face at the duchess' voice. If he was a real suitor to Drysi, he would have told the woman to get bent a long time ago. The woman came in with hot tea and some cookies. She placed them on the table. "I thought you two could use some refreshments."

"Thank you, grandmother," Drysi said.

"You know, Yuui, the word is out that King Ashura maybe headed back soon. I heard he's driven back the bandits."

Zellen nodded. He hoped Yuui and Boris could catch up to the king before he got back. "Mayor Dayken said as much."

"Once he gets back, Drysi and I will take our leave."

"Really? I'd hate to see Drysi go."

A sly smile spread across her face. "Well, you know, I'd have to have a good reason to stay around Luval. Her sisters miss her." Duchess Naidra poured two cups of tea. "Maybe when your brother gets back, I'll bring back Drysi's sisters and see if he takes a fancy to one of them."

Zellen bit his bottom lip to keep from snorting in the woman's face. Obviously the woman hadn't spent much time at court, lately. The two months before Fai was banished, he'd turned real boy crazy. Yuui and Zellen would just sake their heads at Fai's shamelessness.

Even thought Fai maintained his chaste as the freshly wind driven snow status, Zellen bet Yuui that his twin would lose his virginity before twenty. Scandalized, Yuui stuck up for Fai and insisted he'd hold out until the proper time. Zellen laughed in Yuui's face, because he knew that Yuui didn't even believe his own claim.

It wasn't that Fai would upturn his nose at admiring the fairer sex, Fai found both sexes appealing, just like did Yuui, but the hex caster needed someone that could domineer over his outrageous personality. He need someone much stronger than Drysi's sisters to interest him, someone that would stand up to all his nonsense. That, Zellen had to admit, would be one special person who could get Fai in hand.

"Fai is pretty fickle," Zellen said, not wishing to make the twins' preferences known to this scheming harpy if she wasn't aware. Even though Fai was his pranking rival, he'd stick up for him against anyone. "Anyway, I think he'll have to spend a lot of time making up his studies for his D title."

Duchess Naidra's smile turned dry. "We'll see about that." Zellen watched her pour some cream into his tea; he took it and thanked her. "Oh, it looks like it ran out. I'll get some more, Drysi. You stay put and keep Yuui company." The duchess then left with the empty creamer.

Zellen took a sip and admired Drysi over the rim of his mug. The steam tickled his nose as his vision grew hazy. For a moment his body was icy and stiff, then grew warmer and warmer. He set aside his teacup with trembling hands, now feeling feverish.

Drysi's eyes widened in concern. "Yuui, are you okay? Your face is so red."

He was about to tell her he felt sick all of the sudden, and then everything passed. All he could think about was being near Drysi. He wondered what she'd do if he reached over and took her in his arms. What would she do if he dared to kiss her? He looked down, amazed he was now holding her gloved hand.

"Please don't leave me, Drysi. I really want you to stay," Zellen said, horrified those words had left his mouth. Yes, he really did feel this way, but he figured his inhibitions would be high enough to keep from blurting things like this out.

She looked bewildered and then spooked. She looked down at their clasped hands and said softly, "Grandmother won't let me."

Zellen got down on his knee. His mind was screaming that he needed to stop this craziness before he went too far, but the compulsion was too strong to resist. He justified the next words from his lips by telling himself the duchess would never accept him as Drysi's suitor if she knew who really was. He promised to straighten things out with Yuui and the king when they got back. This was the only way to get Drysi.

"Stay here and marry me."

The color drained from her face. "I know grandmother is hoping that you'd pick one of us because she feels cheated, but I don't feel we were cheated out of our position at all. King Ashura is your legal father and I respect that a great deal.

"All of that aside, I hope you know that I sincerely want to stay with you. When we're alone, it's like you're a different person and I've grown to really like that person. You make me laugh and challenge me. I could care less about titles, really... just..." She was blushing horribly and trembling. Her voice wasn't above a whisper. "... I just care that you're happy."

"Then promise to marry me if you want to see me happy," Zellen insisted, getting panicked that he was digging a very deep hole for himself, and he couldn't figure out why he was doing something so insensible. Did he really love Drysi this much? And was it real love if he was tricking her like this?

He was about to drop his glamor and be truthful when the duchess reappeared. He kept it up, afraid that she'd take Drysi away if she knew he wasn't Yuui. Worse, he was afraid she'd then shove Drysi towards Yuui when he got back. He didn't think he could stomach the thought.

"Drysi, that would be wonderful, for you to marry Yuui."

"But, grandmother, I'm not quite sixteen."

"That doesn't matter. By law, I can sign a waiver."

"King Ashura wouldn't be pleased by our engagement," Zellen ventured, knowing this would be something he should point out.

"You did ask Drysi to marry you?"

"Yes, ma'am," Zellen replied, not liking her gloating tone. "I figured in ten years or so we could go to the chapter house and get it officiated. I know it'd be a long engagement, but you'd let her stay if she was engaged to me, right?" Zellen felt he wasn't able to think clearly any more. All he knew was that he had to outfox the duchess and make Drysi his.

"No, she comes home with me if you won't make a stronger commitment than an engagement."

"But..."

"Ashura will be home soon. He can annul an engagement, but not a marriage," Duchess Niadra said.

Zellen's mouth went dry. "Then what do you suggest?"

"Elope," she said. "It's the only way Ashura can't interfere." Zellen thought about it; it was the only way Duchess Naidra couldn't interfere with his feelings towards Drysi. He knew he could, and would, make up this lie to Drysi. He convinced himself she'd understand once everything was explained and forgive him for this deception.

"I want to, but there are no reverends that will just let me get married without Ashura's permission." There was still a rational part of Zellen that wanted to put the brakes on how fast everything seemed to be moving. Drysi looked as jittery as he did; he wanted to slow this down for her sake, but he just couldn't find the willpower. He needed her.

"I know Reverend Romave. He owes me a favor. He'll be willing to sign your marriage petition. Once it's filed with the chapter house, there is nothing Ashura can do."

Zellen looked into Drysi's soft brown eyes and gave her a gentle smile. "Marry me. Now, this afternoon, before anything can stop us."

Her hand was shaking in his grasp, but she returned his smile. "I will."

"Good! Let's go to the Luval Chapter House right now."

Before Zellen knew it, the duchess had them whisked away by sled to the royal chapter house three miles away from the castle. At this point, he was praying Dayken would come chase him down because he felt so unbalanced in his judgment.

They entered the chapel with large, green glass pillars. The duchess cornered Reverend Romave, who, to his credit, resisted flatly at first. Then she threatened to reveal something scandalous about his son. The man capitulated with an angry scowl.

"Master Yuui... are you sure... King Ashura wouldn't be pleased," the weak-kneed reverend pointed out as they walked towards the alter of the chapter house.

Zellen wanted to shout "no" because he knew he was wronging Drysi horribly. Instead, he found himself saying, "Yes, I want to marry her and nothing you'll say will change that. Do as the duchess bids."

The reverend sighed, looking as if he were caught in between a rock and a hard place.

Zellen and Drysi knelt before the altar as the reverend prepared the official parchment. The man lofted his hand and traced a gold rune set in the air. He pointed to the parchment and a fusion of magic hit the paper. This was why divorce among nobles was forbidden: they were typically magically sealed among two mages. Once they signed the parchment, it was close to permanent.

"Drysi Harvoan is this the man you take as your beloved for the rest of your life, to help, cherish, and respect?"

"I do." When she said that, Zellen felt horribly guilty. He didn't even have a ring to offer Drysi. He vowed to buy her the nicest ring in all of Celes when all this business with Yuui was done.

"Yuui Fluorite, is this the woman you take as your beloved for the rest of your life, to help, cherish, and respect?"

"I do," Zellen said, panic hitting him hard, but still unable to stop.

"Then you are are now husband and wife. You may now seal your names, bride first," the reverend said, pointing to the lectern where the parchment rested. Drysi rose and walked over. She signed her name with a trembling hand. Her grandmother, their witness, squealed in delight. She embraced Drysi and tugged her away to the first pew, talking to her about how proud she was of the girl.

Zellen noticed that, for some reason, Drysi looked very uncomfortable. The compulsion to go over and comfort her was so strong. He wanted to tell the duchess to stuff herself and laugh in her face, but Reverend Romave nudged his elbow.

"Are you sure, Master Yuui? I can make an excuse and get you out of this still," Romave whispered.

Zellen took a deep breath as he looked at the parchment. If he signed Yuui's name the spell, then Yuui would be Drysi's bound husband. In Celes, words and names had power. Instead he signed his own name: Zellen Vagin, and then the spell sealed itself. His stomach fluttered in nervousness when Romave glanced at the parchment. Romave's eyes widened when he read it. He looked at Zellen with narrowed eyes and then had a devious smiled, no doubt pleased that the duchess' plans had gone astray.

He whispered, rolling up the parchment quickly, "I owe the duchess a good screwing over. I'll claim I didn't look close enough at the signatures when it's all over. But..." The man look suddenly fierce. "Whoever you are, you better treat Drysi like gold. She a fragile child."

"I love her," Zellen admitted for the first time.

"Does she even know?" Zellen shook his head in shame at the man's question.

The reverend's expression grew hostile. "Fine, but at least do one thing. When you are... intimate for the first time, make sure you're honest about who are. If you aren't, that could cause a great deal of pain and confusion for Drysi."

"I have that intention," Zellen admitted.

The reverend sighed and nodded. "I'm trusting this is all in the Spring Goddess's hands."

"May we see the true Spring once again, Reverend," Zellen said, in typical, religious farewell on Celes. He walked over towards his bride and her grandmother, starting to get sick to his stomach.

Drysi stood up and walked over to him. "Yuui, you look ill all of the sudden."

"I need to get back to Luval," he said, as his body started getting cooler.

Drysi worried over him the whole way back to the castle. By the time they got there, he was dizzy and chilled. The minute they finished levitating to the stables he told them he needed to be alone for a minute and that he'd meet them in the dining room. He bolted down the hallways towards the twins' bedroom, getting a notion why his judgment had suddenly flown out the window.

He slammed the door open and eyed all the magical equipment on the shelves. King Ashura had spared no expense on getting Yuui and Fai anything they desired, and Zellen knew Yuui had one particular expensive item he needed. He fumbled through the brass and crystal equipment on Yuui's shelves and found it: a blood compass. Healers used it to see if there was anything contaminating someone's blood.

It was round, with fluorite hands centered around a spindle and runes around the dial. He pressed his finger to the spindle and pricked his fingertip. The hands of the compass whirred around. The hands slowed and he saw, to his horror, he was under the influence of a powerful aphrodisiac that was beginning to wear off.


Yuui waited in a small cabin on the outskirts of Vercasta. He was huddled under blankets by the fireplace, watching the lavender orb hover in midair. When the search for Ashura stretched on to days, Boris convinced Yuui they needed a more permanent base. Yuui had agreed reluctantly, having to face the fact that this wasn't going to be as easy as he'd hoped. Boris had been able to rent the cabin and secure food and extra clothing while Yuui hid out in the silo. What was worse, they had made some gruesome discoveries on their quest. Yuui's stomach turned and he banished those images from his mind.

Hope sprung up when the orb turned a bright green. He hopped up and tossed the blankets aside. Boris rose from his light slumber on the sofa. They quickly donned their coats and walked to the orb. The orb expanded and engulfed them, teleporting them to the source of the magic it detected.

They found themselves in the forest around Vercasta. It was bathed in dusk light. An encampment was nearby. Yuui murmured, "Father," and ran towards the encampment.

"Wait," Boris snarled, but was too late to restrain Yuui.

Yuui stopped at the edge of the bandits' encampment and couldn't believe the horrors that lay before his eyes. There were fifteen bodies, all drained of their blood, just lying in the shallow snow. He about turned and fled, but Boris' strong hand on his shoulder steadied him.

"The king must be near by."

"He surely didn't do all this," Yuui insisted, even though, he knew the truth.

"I'm not about to indulge you. You need to accept this. Your father is the monster he feared becoming. This makes seventy-three people we know he's slaughtered over the last month. Each time you insist it wasn't him and break down. If you were sincere about helping him, you'd finally get out of your thumb-sucking denial."

Yuui'd had enough of Boris pushing him hard over the last several weeks. No one had ever dared challenge him like this; Yuui finally was pushed to his limit. Rage filled Yuui's heart. He swirled around with a lofted hand to smack the man's face, but Boris quickly caught Yuui's wrist in a bruising grip.

Shock at Boris' audacity drained Yuui's rage. He tried to tug his wrist away, but Boris wasn't letting go. "Stop being impertinent!"

Boris gave him a wry grin. "I'm not some lackey that came along to pamper you. You knew what you could find. What I wish you'd find out is that you have backbone. You have the strength to face this if you survived that damned pit!"

Breath left Yuui and he steadied himself. He about ordered Boris to let him go. Before that happened, a group of five men came from the forest, all had weapons and looked rough.

"What do we have here? Finally the butchers that have been killing us off?" the obvious leader said, drawing his sword. The rest of the men readied their weapons as well. "So tell me who you are before we kill you."

Boris put himself between Yuui and the bandits, getting his staff ready to cast. Yuui whispered, "Their weapons are enchanted to resist magic."

"I can see that," Boris snapped, then he addressed the head bandit. "You'd be wise to stand down. I don't suffer fools lightly."

"And who do you think you are? I'm Adrik, I have a name and reputation around here. You're a nobody that's going to pay for this."

"My surname is Nemtsov."

"Nemtsov? As in Gustave D Nemtsov?" Yuui sensed the leader, Adrik, get a little rattled for some reason.

"He was my father."

"That makes you Boris Nemtsov," Adrik scoffed with wide eyes. The man let out a dry chuckle. "So the disgraced combat mage that got stripped of his D title and drummed out of the army comes crawling back from Valeria? You've got some nerve showing your face in Celes after what you pulled. I'm not surprised you're the butcher we've been looking for."

Yuui stifled his shock. To get stripped of a D title, Boris had to have committed a serious taboo. It was something the council that conferred the title seldom did, unless it was a particular egregious violation of law. Not only that, he didn't realize that Boris had been a combat mage in Celes' army. For him to say he'd casted a hex or two would have been a gross understatement.

"I'm not the person your looking for," Boris said.

"I say you are! And you won't have a chance to reanimate these corpses like you did to get your D title stricken!" Adrik shouted, lifting his sword. "Once you're gone, we'll do away with your little friend there, too. What's the matter, little ball of fluff? You just lost all the color in your face. Didn't know the governor is guilty of reanimation?'

Yuui felt a wave a revulsion at the thought of reanimating a corpse. That would explain why Boris was stripped of his D title; and it explained the root of Boris' depression. Eventually, he'd become schizophrenic and need to be committed. Now Yuui wondered why King Ashura hadn't ordered Boris' execution for doing such a heinous act, let alone given him a governorship.

"Talk, talk, talk... that's all you bandits know how to do. Oh, and wet yourselves like little children when someone stands up to you. I may have reanimated, but my conscious is clear about it. Can you say the same thing about your crimes? I doubt it. Now stop running your mouth and fight like a man. I've got some hexes just waiting on you."

"There are five of them," Yuui whispered.

"Stand back. This is going to get wild," Boris warned, gently pushing Yuui further back.

The five bandits charged Boris. He swung his staff. Purple runes shot out and laid the four other men on the ground. Yuui's empathy twitched and he could tell they were unconscious, not dead. He'd seen Fai do the same impressive feat, only his brother had more raw power behind it. Fai's casting wasn't nearly as disciplined as Boris'.

Adrik still charged, letting loose a fierce shout. Boris jumped back and let loose another wicked hex. Adrik lofted his sword and it repelled the hex.

Adrik chuckled. "Combat mages. All you do is rely on hexes and then you don't know what to do when they're sliced down to size."

"Still flapping your gums?" Boris gave the man a smirk.

Adrik sneered. "Screw you, reanimator!"

"Talk... talk..." Boris taunted, tracing a quick rune set.

Adrik lunged and aimed his sword at Boris' gut. The rune set flew. Yuui was terrified the sword would cut through this rune set. Instead it crumbled uselessly and it sent Adrik flying to the ground. Boris side stepped, and the bandit landed face-first in the shallow summer's snow.

Boris dropped his guard and started laughing. Adrik, rather than admit defeat, quickly drew a knife and bolted towards Boris. Boris stiffened and stumbled backwards. Yuui could see the knife wound blossoming on Boris' stomach.

"Oh you stupid man," Boris said, scowling as his left hand went to the knife wound. Boris raised his right hand and unleashed a vicious killing hex. Adrik body imploded and crumpled to the ground.

When the threat was over, Boris sank to the ground. He clutched his stomach and grimaced. Yuui ran to his side and helped him lie on the ground. "Stay still, Governor."

Yuui lofted his hand above Boris' wound. The governor grabbed Yuui's hand and shook his head. "No."

"But you'll die! I can heal this."

"I don't want you to give yourself away to the king." Boris' gripped Yuui's hand, the pain was getting overwhelming. Yuui could even sense the blood loss. He grew panicked. "Besides... I don't want to be healed. I'm getting what's coming to me and want to be done with my wretched existence. I'm just marking my time until I lose my mind and it's a dark place to be in."

"Please, don't die on me," Yuui pleaded.

"I don't have any regrets except one; I won't be around to protect you, which is a task wroth harming myself over. Promise you'll go back to Luval and let them know about the king. Let an experienced combat mage track down King Ashura."

Tears sprang to Yuui's eyes when Boris sank into unconsciousness. He shook his head. "I won't let you die."

Yuui traced a long blue rune set and pointed at Boris' stomach. The runes drifted towards the wound and slowly fused it together, smoothly and seamlessly. Yuui shifted Boris into his arms and held him close, willing him to wake up. Unfortunately, he'd lost so much blood that Yuui wasn't sure about Boris' chances of survival. He'd have to get supplies together and make an alchemical formula to help quicken the process of rebuilding blood.

Nervousness hit Yuui when the tingle of dissipating magic floated through the air. Ashura appeared before Yuui with a serene smile on his face.

"It seems you've been a disobedient child, just like Fai."

"Please, Father, I need to get this man a blood potion!"

"So I see who's been influencing your disobedience. I forgave his transgressions once, but what I won't forgive is him putting you in harm's way. Stand aside, Yuui. He escaped execution once, but not this time."

Yuui flung himself over Boris, shaking his head and sobbing. "I won't let you kill him!"

"Now, Yuui, don't make me angry," Ashura insisted, lofting his staff.

"No! You impressed on me that I am to serve each citizen of Celes. Each one them deserves my care and protection, even criminals. What you've done is too dreadful to even think about. It's not what you taught me. I'm not going to let you cross this line any further."

"You're acting too much like Fai for my liking, testing my patience. Where did my meek, mild Yuui go? That's the son I want to deal with, not a disobedient wretch."

Yuui reached out his empathy. Ashura's mind was in a swirl of black, incoherent feelings. He doubted his father even knew what he was saying. There was no way Yuui could tamp down those unfettered emotions flowing through the king's tainted heart.

"I know how to heal you. Come back to Luval with me and I'll heal you. The key is in my own blood! I am a descendant from the family that cursed you."

"But don't you see? This curse has lead me to perfection. I am protecting the good citizens of Celes by eliminating vermin. Don't you want to share the perfection I've found?"

"Never! Don't you see? Even if you kill every criminal on Celes your curse has created an appetite for blood that can never be satisfied. You'll have to start killing innocent people next."

"If you won't join me, I'll have to punish you for rebellion," Ashura said, pointing his staff at Yuui. He clutched Boris tighter and closed his eyes, silently praying his father would wake up.

Yuui gasped when the green, crackling runes fell away uselessly. He opened his eyes and realized his panic had activated his magic. There was now a blueish, translucent dome around him and Boris. He realized it was one of the spells Boris had traced on his palm.

"It seems you've learned how to be very naughty from your new companion. That's a defense used by combat mages that Fai wouldn't have learned yet. I can only assume Boris taught you."

"I'm going to teleport Boris to the nearest medical center and then I'll be back for you."

"He didn't tell you? You can't teleport in that dome of protection. You'll have to drop it, and the minute you do I'll stun you and kill Boris."

"Please don't do this," Yuui pleaded.

"Then a compromise. You drop that shield and surrender; then I'll let Boris live."

Yuui looked down at Boris' pale face. He surely wouldn't last too much longer in the frigid air. He had to give Boris a chance. He lowered the dome. Ashura marched over and yanked Yuui away from Boris by the hair.

"It's time I send you to sleep with no supper."

Yuui panicked as Ashura held the fluorite topper just an inch from the tip of his nose. Green rune lashed out at him, and he lost consciousness and fell forward into his father's arms.

To be continued