Eddie instantly sounded confused. “Why not? It is a service like any other, such as arranging your schedule, or fetching your things would be.”
“I don’t think Alistair would see it that way,” I pointed out.
“Whysoever not? I am merely serving my prince. There is no romance involved. It is simply my job to please you, in any way. Though he is not an Elf, certainly Alistair would understand I must serve you,” Eddie said blankly.
He really didn’t get it. Elvish culture had brainwashed him to be loyal to a fault.
I sighed. “Look, Eddie. You’re not like the rest of my guards, okay? We’re friends… probably closer friends than we should be. And because of that, I’m going to give you an order that overpowers all other orders for the rest of your time of service, understand?”
“Anything, sire. What is it you ask of me?” Eddie questioned.
“If I give you an order, and you don’t want to do it, you don’t have to follow it,” I said firmly. “I want you to have free will, and this is the only way I can see getting around the magical contract that binds you to me. If I ask you to do something, and it goes against what you truly want, then you can refuse.”
“I will follow any request my master demands. I can’t imagine refusing you for anything,” Eddie said in astonishment.
“Maybe you’ll never have to. But at least this way, I know you’re following my orders because you want to, not because you’re required to by magic.”
“If this is what you wish, then I will agree,” Eddie said. “But it is a promise I will never have to keep, because I will never disobey you.”
“We’ll see. But keep in mind Ireallydon’t want to do anything sexual with anyone who’s not my wife,” I said as we continued walking down the hall.
Then I scowled. “I don’t want to be like my dad.”
“You are too hard on him,” Eddie insisted. “I have known Drea for many years. She is a part of my family, as all guards who serve the Elvish monarchy are related, distantly or otherwise. I do believe her and your father are truly in love. I don’t think he forced her into anything without her consent.”
“Well, that’s good to know.” I still wasn’t certain he hadn’t given up on me, though. It would take some convincing to make me think my father actually cared about what had happened to me.
“Seeing as you’ve already figured out mirror portals, that brings me to an important feature in your room that we should discuss,” Eddie said. “Allow me to show you.”
Eddie led me back to my room. Ava and Oberi weren’t there, and the room was quiet when we arrived.
“It’s in here,” Eddie said, leading me into the bedroom. He guided me to the wall across from the foot of the bed, and I reached out to feel a tall mirror attached to the wall. “This may appear as an ordinary mirror, but it is enchanted.”
I furrowed my brow. “My grandfather said mirrors didn’t have to be magical to pass through them. An Elf creates that magic themselves.”
“This one is particularly special, because it’s warded to keep anyone but you from accessing it,” Eddie explained. “That way, enemies can’t use it to pass into your quarters. There is one other mirror like it— a sister mirror, if you will. That mirror resides right behind this wall, past six feet of blast-proof and magic-repellent material.”
“What, like some kind of bomb shelter?” I wondered. “Six feet seems almost… excessive.”
“You are the prince,” Eddie stated bluntly. “It’s standard in all palaces to have some sort of safe room for the royal family. If we are under attack, you can pass through this mirror into the safe room, where enemies can’t find you. Would you like to go inside?”
“Sure.” I stepped up to the mirror and splayed my palm over the glass. I imagined the gap between the wall collapsing, connecting the two mirrors into one point in space. The solid surface seemed to melt, and my hand sank through the glass. I stepped forward, and Eddie followed behind me.
My magic swirled around the room as I walked inside. It wasn’t very big, but it was spacious enough that it wouldn’t freak me out to spend long hours in here if necessary. I couldn’t make sense of anything other than the walls, though. There didn’t seem to be anything in here.
“Eddie, it’s empty,” I remarked.
“Well, of course,” Eddie said. “The builders didn’t know when you would arrive. The room was sealed off when it was built, and we needed your magic to access it after that. Now that you’re here, we can start stocking it with supplies. There’s a closet for non-perishable food items, as well as a bathroom in case you’re here for a long time. You have full access to electricity, and the room is equipped with a state-of-the art magical ventilation system that has been rigorously tested for security vulnerabilities— there aren’t any. However, in the case of debris, there are oxygen tanks in the closet. There are no exits, apart from the enchanted mirror.”
“What happens if the mirror breaks during an attack?” I asked.
“It’s highly unlikely, due to other security protocols. However, if it truly came down to it, we’d be able to use machinery to get you out— it would just take some time.”
“If you can get inside, that means so can our enemies,” I pointed out.
“They’d have to know this place existed,” Eddie replied. He smacked the wall and said, “This baby’s completely enchanted so that even if someone’s looking for signs of life, they won’t find it. No amount of infrared cameras, tracking spells, or things like that can penetrate these walls, and they’re completely soundproof. You’ve got complete privacy in here.”
Soundproof.I liked the sound of that. An idea began to form in my mind.
