Page 20 of The King's Man 1

“Or we’d have lost our home. The home your great-grandfather was gifted by King Timotheos Aetherion. We would have finally ruined the prestige of my grandfather.”

Great-grandfather, who Grandfather loved dearly and who shared his knowledge and his conviction. His belief—a belief I inherited—that a par-linea could wield vitalian power just as ably as a linea. The glory of his days still glimmers in these now-crumbling walls.

“Where would we go?” Father continues. “Your older brothers, their wives, your nieces—this is their home too. Can you see them cast out on the street? Squeezed into one room at the poorest end of town? No patient would cometherefor treatment...”

Not just the ruin of Great-grandfather’s prestige—the ruin of the family.

My father’s words hit me like a bone-splicing spell aimed at my chest. A marriage to Megaera would save my family, their home, their pride.

But...

I glance at the walls, the fading murals, and imagine them bare. Imagine my nieces huddled in some mouldy alley. I see the faces of the vagrants I’ve treated, their desperation a mirror of what my family’s might become.

But...

Marriage.

It would shackle me. The real me.

Father moves to a small, cloth-draped table and pulls off the dark fabric that covers it. A dozen vitalian spellbooks are stacked underneath. The books I’d hidden under my floorboards.

I suck in a breath. “How... How did you—”

“One of the aklos saw you treating that woman under the bridge last night. You’re lucky it wasn’t a luminist.” He leans closer, his voice firm. “Do you have any idea what they’d do if they found you with these? Behead you, Cael.” His voice falters, and for a fleeting moment, I see something in his eyes. Fear. “Publicly. I don’t ever want to see that again.”

Again? I shake off the confusion and step forwards. “I’m careful—”

“Keeping you here is a curse of its own. Sooner or later, we won’t just be contending with financial ruin.”

I shake my head vehemently.

“You think I want to force you into marriage?” Father’s voice drops, the anger cracking. “It’s the only way to save this family. I cannot keep watching you chasing a dream that will kill you.”

“So you’re selling me,” I say, my voice shaking.

He sighs, running a hand over his face. “I’m trying to save you, Cael. From yourself. From the luminists. From... everything. You’ll have a comfortable life there.”

My throat stings.

Would I? I think about Megaera and that big house with its fiercely formal garden and high walls. I think about how many mornings I’d have to fake a smile.

I don’t want to ruin my family, but I can’t marry her. I dream of choosing for myself, and giving my lovelight freely. “Please.”

“I’ve spoken with the Temenos family. Megaera is willing to do the rites immediately. This evening.”

I stagger backwards, a mounting urgency quickening my breath. “Father, please, don’t. I can’t. I’d sooner you strike me from the family tree.”

Father crosses the room towards me with a sigh. “One day you’ll understand.”

I shake my head again. “What about what I want?”

“Cael...”

I whip around to the door, and sharp pain ripples across my back. My body stiffens under the spell, my knees buckle, and I collapse. Frozen, helpless, I can only scream in my head. At my father’s command, his aklos move forward. Father hesitates a moment, something flickering in his eyes, but he sharpens his posture. “Lock him in. Send someone to dress him.”

No! Stop! But my lips won’t move. I can only watch him, helpless, as I’m carried away.

Father stands in the doorway with a grimace of regret. “Sorry, Cael. It must be done.”

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