THE FORTUNIST

60. Lay

“The Fortunist is renowned for randomly wishing fortunate things on Albenians and the fortunate things coming to pass.”

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Three months later…

The events that took place in the Albenian Palace would forever remain a secret even though Xihan had not stayed long enough to sign the pact because he had somehow eloped with his wife. But Xihan is not really Xihan. The Fortunist had called him Wuxhia. Lay always shudders to think how that could have happened but with Xihan and Fowella permanently gone to probably live whole new lives, it is a mystery that would never be solved.

The moment the Anviem Portal closed for good was the moment cryfix magic ceased working. Many lies had to be spread and the residents were made to believe that the cryfixes had worn themselves out of power and thus had to be destroyed. The impact of people used to magic suddenly having to live without it was chaotic at first. Rebel groups reasoned that Rayton would be just as tyrannical as his father who had stopped the Anviem Rebellion for good and thus dashed any hopes of cryfix origin ever being learnt.

The Tai Forest had not immediately disappeared but it has already been noticed that trees from the inside perimeter were gradually reducing at slow pace. There is still time before outsiders find out that Albeny's millennia old forest wall is finally breaking apart.

Maiha became the next big house after the downfall of Dropp. And in Salem's place rose Andenad. Anarella, Ambise's long lost daughter had disowned her house's name. She still hates nobles. It was the king that had signed her father's death sentence. As such, her hate extended to his children, the princes. She had made it her life's mission to find the Fortunist and Lay was amazed by her sheer determination. The Fortunist was gone, had gone before their very eyes!

Leurayssa— not Ciara— Lay is still getting used to the new name which he often admitted to himself that he liked better. The experience had caused her to be estranged with Anarella who had never told her that they were not biologically related. Last he heard about her, she had sold The Hive to Meda and disappeared. A big shame. Only when she was gone did Lay realize that he liked having her around. He hoped she would come back.

The biggest heartbreak of all is to Rayton however. He had lost Thwein to a marriage;  Elia to a heartbreak; and Anarella to his father's mistakes. To top it all, he was now a king being pressed from all sides to choose which country to make a marriage alliance with.

'Brother, Brother. Are you there?'

Lay shivers, blinking aside his past thoughts. He is yet to address the biggest secret of all. He and Rayton still have their cryfix magic powers. There is no way now to confirm if their mother had rigged their cryfix affinity test when they were younger but Lay is getting more certain day by day that she knew. She knew, had always known that when her sons placed their hands on the affinity device, it would mark them to a perfect hundred.

Why?

Lay has this absurd theory he is yet to share with Rayton. The Fortunist had said that Eim was back where she belonged. What if Eim was not Eim? What if a soul had crossed over from Anviem and possessed Eim's body? It would explain how she could speak Anviem so smoothly. The mixture of an Albenian body and an Anviem soul will result in…

'Tainted mongrels…'

'Grand Prince!'

'I'm coming.' Lay strolls as quickly as he can towards Rayton's chambers. He enters and locks the door behind him.

'I am down.'

There is a secret compartment under Rayton's bedroom that only the brothers know about. It functions as a kind of immortalized museum. Zen's sabre and his handkerchief. The queen's scarf, cracking with her dried blood. The queen herself in a transparent coffin, neither dead nor alive. Beside her are two more coffins. One contains Wuxhia Dropp, the other a girl simply known as Medien. The two bodies had been discovered in the Dropp residence after Xihan (who might really be Wuxhia) had fled with Fowella.

Lay goes to stand beside his brother. Rayton is obsessed with the collection. His face always pucker in deep concentration so that Lay often worries someone might one day walk in on him here unannounced.

Lay had once suggested that they give the bodies proper burials but Rayton had vehemently refused. He strongly believes the Fortunist's last fortune which implies that one day, the portal would open again and maybe, just maybe, Eim or whoever she really is could let her soul slip right back into her awaiting body.

"Can you smell what's cooking?"

Lay closes his eyes and draws a soft breath in. "Pleasant things, all types of food. Jedan ambassadors are arriving tonight."

"I've been listening in on the gossip. They say their king has three beautiful daughters."

"You'd have to marry one."

Rayton sighs.

"Forget about Elia, Ray. She left as an illegal emigrant. She does not want to be found." Rayton had used all the resources in his arsenal but Elia had disappeared without a trace.

"Maybe I should broadcast a live announcement. Maybe she would turn up."

"And then what? Will you marry her? You had your chance Rayton but you've lost it. You are king now and you must do right by your people."

"I just wish you'd take my offer and join the council."

Lay shakes his head. The Bureau is no longer what it was nor is Albenarum for that matter. With cryfix magic gone, half of their essence is gone as well. Lay might be next in line but he does not intend to be thought of as Rayton's heir. When Rayton would finally have a son, Lay would then be kicked out and thanked for keeping the seat warm.

"This is why I called you here." Rayton hands Lay a paperstrip which Lay glances through, over and over. "Bough finally has its translation. Mother's last words in Anviem."

"She is a peculiar woman, whoever she really is," Lay comments.

Rayton nods in sombre agreement.

Min droth mo geimim, guman kuiera sein.

A queen's sole duty is to not be the death of her king.

                                 THE END.