Page 39 of Her Royal Blood

“I have something for you. I’ve been keeping it all of these years,” Amadeus said as he hobbled over to the clutter of trinkets and things on his shelf.

He dipped his hand into the shelf and from a volume of shadowed space he brought out a glass flask with a bulbous bottom and long neck.

“What is that?” I hoped it wasn’t some sort of potion as I didn’t wholly trust Amadeus just yet.

“These are your memories. When you were born I had to put a spell on you to keep you from knowing who you were. I had to glamor you into something you weren’t but when the coast was clear and no one knew I’d bring you into my shop or into the garden and teach you things I knew you’d need to know one day. I hoped you’d unlock your mage so that when it grew stronger,you’d be able to access your own memories of that time. Since I have them here, I’ll give them to you now. I’ve kept them all these years and on occasion I’d bring them out to just be near to you as a father might.” His eyes glazed over and his voice cracked a little as he handed me the flask. “Peer into it. Some of my memories of your mother are in there too.”

“I’m ah,” I was legitimately speechless, I had no idea what to say.

Amadeus had just handed me my family history. I was raised as a servant in the Bevada household. I remembered playing with Lex, Cheyenne and Janaya, as well as scrubbing floors and being fed downstairs the same porridge and rice meals the rest of the servants ate. My Royal playmates had poultry and fish, fresh vegetables and exotic herbs. I was given the scant leftovers mixed with rice. Nana Mavia loved me and gave me a lot of her attention, but she had attention and love to give everyone. I was never singled out or felt special because she had so many others to care for.

Raised as one of the many servants, I had no identity outside of my servitude. I happened to be born in the castle and so I was befriended by the Royal children of the king and queen, but our friendship waned as soon as I was old enough to take up my responsibilities as a servant. Lady India beat me and belittled me at every turn. My childhood was a mix of sadness, loneliness, and a few fleeting moments of joy. Now in my hands I held memories that I only scarcely recalled.

I had fleeting thoughts of times with Amadeus that I didn't remember living through. I assumed they were dreams or projections, but now I learned that as my mage grew so too did my ability to access the memories Amadeus hid behind a forgetting spell.

“Go ahead, look.” Amadeus seemed eager for me to experience all that I’d lost.

While we didn’t really have time for such things, perhaps I’d learn a secret to controlling my magic in these stored memories. I peered inside of the bottle which was empty but held a picture inside. The first image I saw was of a tall woman with hair the same color as mine. She had beautiful deep green eyes, a soft and elegant face with a long sloping neck and graceful limbs. She had my face and yet she was more elegant and regal in her appearance.

“Is this my mother?” I asked, hoping that the graceful woman inside the glass was the parent I’d never known.

I tipped the glass toward Amadeus and his face softened as he made his way back to the bed.

“That is Tirah, the most lovely woman in the land. Had I only known that she had Royal blood, had I investigated…” he shook his head and tsked, “things would have been very different. But yes, child, that is her, your mother.”

I took a moment to look at her face and just absorb the image so that it would burn inside of my brain. I wanted to never forget what she looked like, or how seeing her made me feel.

“She is so beautiful, Amadeus, I can see why you risked so much for her,” I said, still staring at my mother’s image.

“Oh her beauty, like yours, wasn’t what drew me to her. Yes she had grace and attractiveness few others possessed, but it was her heart and her bravery that attracted me. She had a kind soul, but was fearless, especially in the face of Lady India’s insults and tricks upon her. It was a cruel twist of fate that she would die in childbirth, but Lady India didn’t give her the proper medical attention and no one told me that you were coming.” His voice trailed off and I assumed he was battling yet another wave of guilt.

“What’s in the past can’t be changed,” I said, unsure of how to assuage an ages long regret.

“You can change the image by swirling the flask. It will randomly pick another or you can tip it forward and back to go chronologically,” he said laying back on the bed, as if just the effort to remember and share our lives was taxing him.

Silently, I did as he instructed and tipped the glass forward to see another image of my mother pregnant with me with Nana Mavia looking much younger and more joyous holding her in an embrace. In that image I also saw the beauty my grandmother had once been. Oh what the years of hard labor and grief had stolen from her. I moved the images forward to when I was a toddler walking with fat legs through the kitchens with my hands outstretched to take an apple from Amadeus’ hand.

He too was a younger man whose face was lined with sadness, but lightened by my smile and the moment shared between us. It was the same look he was giving me from his bed, tired and weak.

“This is amazing,” I told him. “More than I’d ever hoped to see.”

“It is yours. Held for you all these years, I kept my memories in it saving them for you. I may not have been able to give you a family, but at least now, I can give you this.” He closed his eyes and for a moment I thought he might sleep.

I know he needed it, frankly we both did, but we had to get back to Onyx Rah. For every minute we were away, Polonius’ advantage over us grew.

“When you were born,” Amadeus spoke with his eyes closed. “Fallon’s father sat on the throne, the king your grandfather killed with poison. I had little power then, but I asked Lady India if I could buy yours and Nana Mavia’s contracts. She never named a price. She wanted me, but she was already married so she settled on the ability to make me miserable for not loving her.” Amadeus’ voice drifted off.

“Well Lady India is gone and her tyranny is over. At least you have nothing left to fear from her. We need to get you to the safe house and to King Lex, you can’t fall asleep yet,” I said, worried that if he did fall asleep it would be hours before I could get him to wake up. “Is there a spell in the book I can cast to give you energy? Frankly I could use a little more pep as well.” I sat in a chair next to his bed as he struggled to open his eyes.

“I could show you, but my magic is gone.” He opened his eyes and looked at me.

“How?” He had been so powerful and magic was infinite.

Sure the Mage who wielded it would tire, but only while it replenished, it would have been gone forever.

“My wolf has it,” he said with a groggy rasp.

“Great.” I knock my head back against the chair. “And how can we get it from your wolf?”

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