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Heath gave a grim laugh. “You mean whether I have magic. Does that get me out of the ceremony, by any chance?” he added hopefully.
“I don’t believe that’s my father’s view,” Lachlan said dryly.
Heath sighed. “I’m not sure what to say, to be honest. Like you said, I was sorry for how Percival’s ceremony went. I thought he was over-reacting to everything, and should have been more supportive of the crown. But now…I don’t think it would be over-reacting to publicly object to the whole situation. The king has placed absurd restrictions on my family, most of whom have done nothing to incur anything of the kind.”
Lachlan looked extremely troubled by Heath’s words, but before he could respond, the door swung open rather forcefully, revealing King Matlock himself.
“Lord Heath,” he said crisply.
“Your Majesty.” Heath rose to his feet, as did Lachlan.
“Father. Is all well?”
“I was told that Lord Heath had arrived,” the king said calmly, his eyes on Heath. “And was therefore surprised when he did not present himself as requested.”
“I asked him to come here first, Father,” said Lachlan unemotionally.
“Indeed.” The king’s face gave little away. “Perhaps it’s simplest if I join you here, then.”
Lachlan moved aside, offering his father his seat. “By all means.”
King Matlock lowered himself into the chair, his eyes steely as they rested on Heath. Prince Lachlan took another seat—after closing the door on the king’s guards, who now stood in the corridor with his own—and Heath sat slowly also.
“My son has perhaps told you that I wished to speak with you about your upcoming loyalty ceremony, Lord Heath,” said the king.
“Yes, Your Majesty,” Heath said carefully.
“I trust that you will be especially eager for the opportunity to demonstrate your loyalty given the accusations leveled against you.”
“Father.”
Lachlan’s interjection was quiet, but it spoke volumes about the arguments that lay behind it. Heath had never heard the prince challenge his father before, however mildly. It gave Heath the courage to speak his mind.
“I am loyal to you, Your Majesty,” he said, sitting up straight. “But I don’t feel any burning need to demonstrate it. The accusations you mentioned were too vague for me to even respond to, except to give you the assurance I’ve already given.”
The king’s expression hardened. “Your friends who joined you at the Winter Solstice Festival,” he said abruptly. “Where are they from?”
Heath froze, too startled by the abrupt change in conversation to hide his surprise. What could he say that would be both true and safe?
“No answer, Lord Heath?” the king asked bitingly. “The rumor I heard is that they’re from the South Lands. Are they, by any chance, from an island off the coast of the South Lands kingdom of Thorania? An island where a previously unknown offshoot of the Dragonfriend line has been living in secrecy, aided by you, who have knowingly concealed potentially hostile power-wielders from your king?”
“What?” Heath didn’t even try to hide his astonishment this time. “Of course not!” He was recoiling as much from the suggestion that Merletta was some kind of cousin of his as from the absurdity of the king’s claim. “They’re no relatives of my father’s line. Every descendant of King Calinnae and Queen Elnora is accounted for in either Kyona or Valoria. Surely there are no other power-wielders.”
The king stared at him out of narrowed eyes. “Your friends will present themselves for examination,” he said coldly. “Then we will know for certain.”
“What do you mean present themselves for examination?” Heath demanded. “They are guests of my father’s, and we will not offer them any such insult.”
“Do you refuse your king?” King Matlock remained seating, but he seemed to swell, his presence suddenly suffocating in the confined space of Lachlan’s study.
“I have no desire to refuse my king anything,” Heath said, trying to remain calm and defuse the situation. “But there are boundaries I am unwilling to cross. And I won’t blindly subject my guests to interrogation without understanding what will be expected of them.”
The king narrowed his eyes, but didn’t immediately retort. “You need not think that because magic is relatively new, there are none with knowledge of it,” he said at last. “There are those in Valoria who have made a study of it since it first appeared. They assure me there are signs to watch for, and ways to determine how great a threat a power-wielder might be. They will examine your friends, whether you wish to permit it or not.”
He paused, taking a breath in through his nose. “I am not unreasonable. I will give you time to notify your guests of this requirement, and to prepare themselves for the week of observation.”
“A week of observation?” Heath demanded.
“Under tightly controlled conditions,” the king went on. “The first such period is about to commence, and after it’s complete, the scholars will contact you.”
