Page 38 of Her Royal Blood

I then started perusing the cluttered potion cabinet and shelves next to it and opened drawers haphazardly filled with dust and debris, and little trinkets and items that had no real value. I remembered his workshop being cluttered and messy before, but never this disorganized. He must have been looking for the book for a long time.

Not able to see anything in the dark drawers I started feeling around for it perhaps it had gotten thrown back while being aggressively opened or closed. I felt the first drawer, there was nothing but clutter. The second drawer was papers and nobooks, but in the last drawer shoved up against a corner was a worn leather bound tome. I pulled it out and immediately knew that this was the spell book Amadeus had been looking for.

“I found it!” I said with so much excitement, probably too much because he just gave me a blank stare.

“Found what?” he looked at me as if he suddenly didn’t even know me, not as Aria, nor as my mother.

I rifled through the pages quickly looking for a spell to help Amadeus recover his memories. If I could help him regain his thoughts, perhaps we would be able to start his healing. With his mind as scattered as the shelves and cabinets surrounding him, there would be no port in the storm. As I turned the pages noting his elegant scroll on each one, I finally came to a spell towards the last third of the book that seemed like might help him recover his recollections and memories.

As time marches forward thoughts race backwards, as days disappear their light lingers, if you have forgotten the stepping stones that brought you here, reverse the mind fog and let your memory be clear.

At first there was no sign that the spell had even affected Amadeus in any way. He simply stared off blankly looking at the wall. I thought of saying the words again, and yet there was a glimmer of light just a flicker in his gaze as he turned to me.

“Aria?” he asked softly. “Is that you?”

My heart raced and my lips made a broad smile. “Amadeus, do you recognize me?”

“Of course I do,” he shook his head as if I were an idiot. “Where have you been?”

I brought him with me to the long bed at the corner of his room and helped him sit upon it.

“A lot has happened since we last spoke, father,” I tested the word and it didn’t sound horrible coming out of my mouth.

“I can’t remember any of it. I do recall Polonius picking me up from the ground. I must have blacked out after helping you escape Brahman’s Peak, but I remember nothing, only bits and pieces of what’s happened and my magic is gone. Wait? You cast the remembering spell?” His expression was a mixture of pride and confusion.

“I did. While your mind and magic were being controlled by Polonius, I was able to find my mage and resurrect Onyx Rah.” That was a very casual way of describing the most harrowing and triumphant moment in my life, but time was something we really didn’t have.

“So, you’ve unlocked your mage powers?” His smile was genuine and caring.

“I have as well as brought the Midnight Moon Pack back to Onyx Rah where I rule as their queen, only we are still under Polonius’ attack and at the moment my friend Gabrielle, a servant you may remember from the Bevata house, has been glamored in my place as Polonius’ wife. The real me, however, never wed him, so I’m free of his matrimony for the moment. If we can get your powers back, perhaps you can teach me to control mine and then we’ll have a better chance of winning.” I knew that our problems likely wouldn’t be so easily solved but Amadeus at least had to know what the goals were.

“And you know I’m your father?” he asked with a deep sadness in his voice.

“I forgive you for having to hide me, I understand what you needed to go through to keep me safe from Lady India’s abuse. The pain of not knowing you were my family only made me stronger and now that I’ve become a queen I have that strength to help me rule my kingdom. The past is behind us, Amadeus, we need to look towards the future and the way in which we can win this war with Polonius.” I had been so angry with Amadeusfor hiding who I was from me for so many years, but he didn’t believe he had another choice.

Well I do not make excuses for his behavior, I did believe that he thought it was his only way of protecting me. I didn't want to dwell on my angry feelings as they had passed and I’d become a queen who had the family I always craved. What I needed was to restore my father's health, and reunite our family in safety and prosperity so that we could eventually live happier lives together.

I fully intended on learning from our mistakes. Halo and I, when the time came to continue our resurrection efforts in Onyx Rah, would consider archaic rules such as women not being able to fight in the Royal Guards as Bindi was my head Royal Guard, and allowing servants to fall in love and marry Royals if it was appropriate for them.

“Lady India hated your mother because she thought she loved me, but I never reciprocated that love. Tirah held the entirety of my heart and when she died, she took a piece of it with her. I didn’t have much left to give you. I knew a grieving father who was forbidden to love your mother would never be able to give you the care that you needed, however, to watch you suffer day in and out, was a torture I brought myself to bare.” He continued to labor on his guilt and the feelings it elicited from him.

“It’s behind us. Now we need to win this fight. So, tell me do you have your powers? Are they just fatigued from misuse or gone?” I was confused as to what capacity Amadeus had for magic.

“My powers are gone,” he said as he bowed his head. “I feel weak and not quite myself, but you’ve done an incredible job casting the remembering spell on me. My memories are becoming clearer every minute. You’ve become a very powerfulmage, Aria.” He raised his head to look at me with such pride and wonder, I had to admit, it did feel good.

“Thank you, but my power is wild and out of control. Sometimes I can use it and control it, sometimes it does crazy things and I run out so quickly,” I confessed feeling more like a failure than a success.

“Magic is like a muscle, you must train it. You may have a gift of incredible power, but it must be managed properly.” He started to instruct, becoming the mage and mentor I once knew.

“Can you teach me?” I was so eager to learn and Amadeus was one of the most powerful mages in all of Voltaire before Polonius got to him.

“You can’t have magic without memories,” he said plainly.

“But you said your memories were coming back to you?” I was feeling frustrated because we had so little time.

“I’m not talking about my memories,” he laughed as he struggled to stand up from the bed.

“Where are you going?” I stood up as well, hoping he wouldn’t do something rash.

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