Page 15 of A Touch of Royalty

Emryn looked at the two of them and shook her head hesitantly. “I don’t have any memories from before I was found by the temple, so if it would have been taught to a child, I don’t know it.”

“When were you found by the temple?” Asan gave her a sharp look.

Emryn shrank slightly. “The Head healer thinks I was seven, but there’s no real way to tell.”

“An odd age for a foundling.” Asan mused. “But not really my point. Cas, would you be so kind as to relate the myth?”

Cas nodded, looking over at Emryn, who was slowly eating and told her the story of how the Mother had seen the suffering of her children and had sent her guardian birds to teach the people how to heal each other.

How the birds had discovered that only ones called by the Mother could grasp their gift, how they devoted themselves entirely to healing and how they were honored by the mother for their sacrifice.

“And then there’s the spin off stories about the birds taking on human form and becoming companions to the healers. But that’s an offshoot legend and there’s no proof to it.”

“Is there proof for the rest of it?” Emryn asked, spoon held loosely in her hand.

Asan nodded, gesturing with his fork. “We have extant books from that time period which details the rise of healers and there are too many coincidences that tie into the myth. Meaning that, at least as an explanation, we must assume that humans did not evolve as healers, and there was an outside incident that caused the skill to develop.”

“But I don’t see what that has to do with me?” Emryn set her spoon down, looking between Cas and Asan. “Or why that means that His Highness must stay close to me.”

“In order to explain that, we must return to healing’s genesis.” Asan replied. “If we are operating on the idea that the Mother gifted healing to humans, then it must also be true that she maintains a link with the ones that were able to receive her gift.”

“Alright?”

“And if there is a link between the Mother and her healers, then does it stand to reason that there could be a link forged between a healer and her patient?”

“No healer of any quality would be so loose with their power spend.” Emryn said, but Cas could see horror dawningin her eyes. “Unless there was a link needed so that the patient wouldn’t-”

Asan nodded, flicking his eyes at Cas. “Correct.”

11

LINK

Emryn was going to be sick. Sick on the implications of what the First Wizard had said to her. What had she done? Had she truly-

“Emryn, I need you to breathe.” Cas’ voice said as hands removed the spoon from her now nerveless fingers and set it down on the table. “Asan says we can undo it.”

“I have to-” Emryn tried to stand and fell immediately. “Highness, I have to get rid of it.”

“I don’t understand.” The prince helped Emryn off the floor and settled her back in the chair. “Asan, please explain?”

Asan nodded, looking at Emryn who was shaking in the chair. “Forgive me, Emryn. I should have realized that you would take this hard. It can be undone, but the question then becomes, what happens when it is. If Cas is draining you to this extent, there must be a cause.”

“I’m not an idiot, but I am confused.” The prince looked between Emryn and Asan.

“I’m getting to it, Cas.” The First Wizard rose from his chair and walked to Emryn. “We must research the cause prior toeliminating the link, Emryn. If we go off unprepared, we stand to do his Highness a great deal of harm.”

Emryn tried to make herself relax, swallowing her breakfast back again until it consented to staying in her belly. “I saw no evidence of the illness, First Wizard. It should have been eliminated from the first.”

“I would like to emphasize the ‘should have’” Asan said, looking down at Emryn. “We do not know the true nature of the illness, nor do we know the reason that only you were able to mend it. Those questions must be answered before the removal of the link.”

Emryn nodded slowly, the First Wizard made sense, even if the entirety of her training said that she had to eliminate the link as quickly as possible. After all, if the link remained, she would not heal.

But why? What was wrong with the Prince that was draining her magic as fast as it could be produced? Emryn needed to figure that out first, but she was too weak to forge the flame link that wouldallowher to figure it out.

Not to mention that forging the flame link under the eyes of the First Wizard felt like an outstandingly bad idea. His eyes would see, and he alone might understand what she was doing and be able to guess that she was no true healer.

And if that information went around and the head healer heard it, she would lose her home and everything she’d spent her life on. She would lose the vow she’d spoken to the Mother and what would she be then?

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