Page 39 of The Prince and His Stolen Throne
“Show?” I asked.
“When he came to Woe for the wedding, he arrived in a flying carriage led by winged horses,” Dad explained. “With fireworks in the sky. How did he arrive this time?”
“I don’t know,” Delilah replied. “No one was here to see it.”
Father’s brow furrowed. “Really? Maybe he’s getting too old to put on a show. He must be what … a hundred by now?”
“Does he age normally?” Dad asked. “Or does he skip the years he doesn’t feel like living?”
Before I could ask what he meant, the Good Wizard spotted us. “Aha!” he exclaimed, pulling away from his crowd of admirers. “Now that all of the royal champions are here, we must find a private place to speak.”
“We’ve already made arrangements,” Queen Davina said, gliding forward out of the crowd. Instead of leaving the job to one of her attendants, she led the way to the meeting room.
The Good Wizard gestured for the royal champions to precede him, then held up his hand when the first parent tried to enter. “Royal champions only.”
Queen Davina’s smile faltered. “As their parents, we would like to know what dangers they are about to face.”
The Good Wizard shook his head gravely. “I’m afraid that’s not permitted. Messes with the spell, you know, if the wrong people are too involved.”
Our parents exchanged uneasy looks before Queen Davina bowed her head. “If you’re sure. We will await you in the grand dining room.”
“Let us know if you need anything,” Father said.
Dad lingered, staring at the Good Wizard, dark eyes narrowed. He only moved when Father touched his arm and whispered in his ear. Dad shook his head, and they left together.
The Good Wizard shut the door and ushered everyone to take a seat at the table. “Prince Fitzroy’s letter”—his eyes skated back and forth between Fitz and Maximus before settling on Fitz—“stated that you needed help choosing a proper quest.”
“Yes,” Fitz said, fumbling through the notes he’d brought. He found what he wanted and handed it to the Good Wizard. “We made a list of our top choices, and we hoped you could help us define a ‘great and terrible’ evil.”
The Good Wizard scanned the list, his lips pressing into a thin line until they disappeared into his white beard. “How did you choose these quests?”
“I’ve been collecting pamphlets and guides,” Fitz explained, pulling out one as an example.
The Good Wizard took it, examined it, then unceremoniously tossed it over his shoulder. “That pamphlet was published two years ago; half of the quests are no longer valid.”
Fitz watched the mistreatment of his collection in dismay. “I hadn’t realized,” he trailed off and sent apologetic looks around the table.
“The Star-Devouring Horror was subdued by a team of knights last year,” the Good Wizard explained. “And the Dread Lord of Bones and Teeth got married last month. His army recruitment is on hiatus, and he has filed with both councils for a six-month honeymoon period.”
“They’re allowed to do that?” Angelica asked.
The Good Wizard’s bushy white eyebrows bunched in disapproval. “We do have rules, young lady. We only engage with evil mages who actively pursue villainy.”
“But he’ll continue to build his army once he finishes his honeymoon!”
“He might, he might not. You’re welcome to vanquish him if you must, but it will not fulfill the requirements of the Kingdom Defense Spell.”
She scoffed. “I’m not doing additional work without a reward.”
“I didn’t think so.” The Good Wizard returned to reviewing the list. “Neither council has dubbed the King of Gilde a ‘great and terrible’ evil.”
“Why not?” Maximus demanded, bracing himself against the table and leaning toward the Good Wizard. “He’s oppressed his kingdom, imposed prejudiced class systems, and levied outrageous taxes! Isn’t that evil?”
The Good Wizard remained unmoved by Maximus’ argument. “Evil? Yes. Terrible? Certainly. Great? No.”
“What defines ‘great?’” Fitz asked.
“In this case, it means ‘beyond normal expectations.’ A king abusing his people is, unfortunately, typical behavior. If he were a mage king, subjugating his people through magic, that would be one thing. However, he has used only mundane means.”
