Wizard's Spawn

The Elders

"The magic is dying."

The old woman's softly spoken words sent a shiver of dread through her companions. The greybeard next to her hunched down into his cloak, as if he could protect himself from the cold truth. The silver-haired elf, oldest of them all, stared into the depths of the small fire she had conjured up only moments ago, reading the truth of the human woman's words in the very paleness of the flames.

The three eldest councillors of Aelith were meeting in the depths of the Great Forest, a good day's ride from the city of Fairhaven. The Scrying glade was a sacred place, normally used solely for midsummer rites, but this was an emergency. They needed somewhere safe from prying eyes and curious ears for this most crucial of meetings.

No one challenged her. The bitter truth was obvious to all of them, once it had been spoken aloud. And everyone knew exactly who was to blame.

"The King must marry and produce an heir, before it is too late. We can no longer afford this fastidious picking and choosing, this one too old, this one too young! It is beyond a joke!"

"We should never have let him choose for himself in the first place," muttered the greybeard. "We should have insisted on his alliance with Princess Iliana as soon as her father proposed it. What matter that she was ten years his senior? She was still fertile enough, the magic strong in her! And now it is too late," he continued sourly. "She is wed to the Vizier of Tempre. I hear they are expecting their second child."

"No use crying over that," reproved the old woman. "I'll wager there are still plenty of maidens ready and willing to become his queen. Surely one of them must be suitable?"

"We can no longer leave the decision in his hands," announced the elf firmly. "The magic has become dangerously low. If there is no heir by midsummer.... " her voice trailed off.

"We must decide for him," finished the old woman. "He must marry. Before this month is out."

"What if he refuses, again?" demanded the greybeard.

"Then—you know as well as I do. We will have to find the Challenger. We will have no choice."