Love and Other Useless Magics [TEGSA2026]

The useful are respected; the useless are thrown away. That was the first lesson his father had taught him, and the one he'll never be able to forget.

Arin Davos has spent most of his life trying to fit in with his family, hiding away every aspect of himself that would make him an even greater disappointment, from his inherited magic to the direction of his affections. He didn't hide them well enough.

With the neighboring royals about to pay a visit to their storm-torn country, Arin's half-sister Savina quickly sets her mind on one thing, and one thing only: marriage to the prince of Belarune. But she needs Arin's help to succeed, and with his closest-guarded secrets held over him, he can't help but comply. One wrong word to their father, and he would lose everything he'd fought so hard to protect.

When a foreign mage rumored to be the prince's closest friend arrives, he seems to be the answer to Savina's plans. However, the more time Arin spends around him on his sister's orders, the closer they grow, until he starts to see the possibility of a life where he no longer has to hide.

But the calm never lasts for long, and when the storm finally breaks, Arin will have to choose between the family he has spent his life trying to please and the future he never dared believe he deserved.

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This is my entry for TEGSA 2026.

We're currently in the first draft stage, and I'll be posting as I write, with minimal editing. I can promise decent grammar, but you might still stumble upon some inconsistencies and plot holes, which I'll try to clear up during edits before the end of the contest.