Wizard's Price

Chapter 3

Chapter 3

"How could you lose her?!" Boreas raged, wishing dearly that he had something at hand that he could throw in his anger. Then again, it was probably better that he did not.

Jovanni, down on one knee before him, hung his head in shame. He didn't flinch from nor attempt to fight against his king's anger. He took it as he deserved.

"I accept the consequences of my failure, my liege," he said solemnly.

"How did this happen?" Jenifry asked, eyes red from crying.

Their daughter, spirited away. Just simply...gone. They knew exactly who took her and exactly where she was, but they didn't understand how she could have disappeared under the watch of all of her guards without a single one of them noticing. Not for hours. No one realized Lucia was missing until late into the night. It didn't matter how long it had taken, of course. Rune would have only needed a moment, and now she was gone.

"You were supposed to be watching her!" Boreas yelled, using his wife's desperate question to further fuel his anger. "You assured me that there wouldn't be a place she could walk that there wouldn't be at least two men watching over her."

"The last my men saw her, she was walking in the gardens. She strayed from the path suddenly and was lost in the trees. Those guarding that area were found bespelled later. Rune had put them to sleep."

"Then you need new men! I won't have such incompetence. I can't believe this...this...absolute ridiculousness! What are you and your men good for if you can't protect my daughter?!"

"You're right, your majesty," Jovanni lowered himself further. "If I may venture a statement?"

"What?!"

"We know where she is. I can take her back."

"Like you protected her yesterday?"

"Allow me to gather an army. I will march on the tower. I will take it apart brick by brick if I need be. Whatever must be done to retrieve the princess. I will put my own life on the line."

Boreas growled at him. He didn't want his anger placated. He wanted to take it out on someone. But that would be completely pointless. He had to at least try to keep a calm head. Yelling at Jovanni wasn't even making him feel better. It was just making him angrier.

Jenifry stood, clutching a crumpled handkerchief to her breast. She looked at Jovanni quite seriously, her eyes still swimming. "Do what you must, Jovanni. Bring our daughter home safely."

"My lady."

He bowed low to her. Pushing himself up stiffly, he turned and walked quickly from the room. The king watched him go with clenched fists, the queen with stuttered breaths of grief.

"What did we do to him?" She asked, her voice trembling.

"I will destroy him," Boreas swore. "I should have known better than to trust Lerion when he passed on the title to that young boy. He's barely a man himself. He hasn't even been at it a year and he's already demanding to take the princess for wife?! Absolutely unacceptable."

"Boreas...I'm concerned," Jenifry let out a breath. "Luceria Ostia has never been without a wizard. What if another incident like last week happens? What if something that we can't control threatens to harm us? Rune doesn't just protect us from imaginary threats."

"We can find a new wizard," Boreas growled.

Jenifry laughed without humor. "You can't find Great Wizards just laying about in the desert or floating down the river. We're lucky we have one at all. Even if he's...well..."