Page 118 of A Kingdom Restored

“Yes, he did,” the princess said. “And from all we can tell, that act was the main factor in planting the seed of magic inside her that would eventually lead her to give birth to the first power-wielders, thereby causing magic to enter human bloodlines.”

She looked from the king to Lachlan, her expression softening. “My point being, I have no doubt the incident is cited among the dragons as one of the greatest examples of how magical interference with humans is likely to have unintended—and far-reaching—consequences. I don’t think Elddreki would be willing to perform such a function, and I admit I would be loath to ask him. I suspect any dragon would be concerned about the precedent, and I wouldn’t blame them—imagine a future where humans pester dragons to heal every hurt, fix every problem.”

The king visibly deflated, and even Lachlan looked disappointed. Whatever he’d said, he must have gotten his hopes up.

“It’s not worth asking if there’s any chance it would cause offense,” the prince said stoically. “Not when they’ve just informed us they intend to come to the festival.”

Heath looked up sharply, but the king spoke before he could ask.

“I suppose there is nothing to be done.”

“Actually, Your Majesty…” Heath trailed off, his eyes shifting to Laura’s. “Maybe you underestimate the treasures your own kingdom boasts.”

The king looked confused, and Heath went on, although his eyes were still on Laura.

“We don’t necessarily need to look to the dragons for magical solutions. After all, we have magic in our population, don’t we?”

Laura held his gaze, a spark of defiance in her eyes. Heath knew she had so far continued to keep the form of her children’s magic secret from anyone outside the family.

“It’s up to you,” Heath murmured to her. “I won’t force your hand.”

Laura let out a long sigh that was halfway to a groan. Her gaze traveled across the king, landing on Lachlan. After a tight moment, her expression softened.

“He’s right,” she said in resignation. “There may be another way. Although I can’t promise anything. He’s not old enough to properly control it, of course, but he does seem to have some level of impact. If he doesn’t like you, or doesn’t want to be held by you, it probably won’t work.” A hint of pride entered her voice. “But if he’s amenable, I don’t doubt his magic is strong enough, even at this age.”

The king and prince both looked utterly bewildered, but Laura didn’t explain. She just hoisted Germain up her hip, striding across the room toward her second cousin. With a tilt of her head, she held the child out, inviting Lachlan to hold him.

“What do you—”

Lachlan cut himself off as she jiggled her son impatiently. Moving like he thought the robust one-year-old might break, he held out his good arm, and Laura placed her son into its crook. For a moment Lachlan stared uncertainly at the boy, then his expression softened. He settled Germain more naturally against himself, smiling a little.

“He’s a jolly little chap, isn’t he? You know, I don’t think I’ve actually held him before.”

Germain gave a gurgling chuckle, waving a fat fist so vigorously he narrowly avoided whacking the crown prince’s face.

“Oh good,” Laura said, pleased. “He’s taken with you. Offer him your injured hand.”

“My—?” Lachlan looked from her to Heath, confused. “I can’t really move it, actually,” he reminded her.

“Oh yes,” she said. Stepping forward, she carefully maneuvered Lachlan’s immobile arm so that his hand connected with little Germain. “Here, Ger,” she said. “What do you think of this, hey?”

The baby grabbed the hand with such clumsy force Heath actually saw King Matlock wince. Lachlan, however, went totally still, a look of wonder dawning on his face. Although he wouldn’t be able to sense the unsteady torrent of magic that poured from Germain’s little form, he could clearly feel something happening.

Everyone seemed to hold their breath, then Germain gave another squealing giggle, releasing Lachlan’s hand and launching himself back toward his mother in a death-defying dive.

“Whoops!” Laura lunged forward to catch him before he could plummet to the polished floor below. “He does that sometimes,” she explained sagely, as she pulled him more securely against herself. “It’s quite terrifying.”

“I…I can move it,” Lachlan said, his voice hushed. He ripped the sling from his shoulder, holding out his hand to show his father. “It’s like it was before.”

The king’s face was pale and stunned as his gaze passed from his son’s hand to the gurgling one-year-old. “His magic…did that?”

Laura nodded. “Amazing, isn’t it?” Her face grew suddenly stern, as if she was scolding a child rather than addressing her king. “But I absolutely will not have him exploited, Your Majesty. I’ll leave Valoria first—taking all my family’s magic with me—and never look back.”

The king regarded her gravely, his eyes thoughtful as they again passed between Laura’s son and his own. “I understand, Lady Laura,” he said mildly. “It is in the nature of a parent to wish to protect their child.”

“Well, that’s worked out nicely,” Heath’s grandmother said brightly. “But what did you say before about the dragons coming to the festival, Lachlan? That’s excellent news!”

Lachlan nodded, still looking dazed. “Yes, Father informed them that he will be announcing at the festival that the restrictions on the use of magic are to be dropped.”

---