Chapter Sixteen

Jasper stood on the water side of the ship as it neared land. His hands buried deep in his coat pockets, he let his fingers caress the worn leather of his father’s journal. All around him, people on the deck were buzzing with activity. The ship was pulling into a small bay on the edge of the Lowenthorp border – the closest point, according to Duncan, to the caves they’d identified as where Jasper had been held.

Being a Crown Prince apparently had its uses. In the space of just two days, Merlin, on Avalon’s orders, had arranged for horses, and a cart for supplies to be ready in the bay when the ship pulled in.

The requisite paperwork from the council had been delivered via dragon rider. Jasper had been fascinated by that. He’d never seen one up close before, and watching the effortless way the dragon, complete with rider, had hovered above the ship as Avalon accepted the scroll from the deck below was a thing of beauty, in Jasper’s opinion.

Unfortunately, the paperwork quickly snuffed any feelings of joy and awe Jasper had been feeling. They were addressed to Avalon, as was only proper, but his husband had let him read them. Now, as he stared out to sea, Jasper tried to swallow down the rage he’d felt at the council’s wording.

The victim… defenseless prince… wounded young man… and so it went on. Avalon tried to explain that it was the Council’s way – they needed to strongly emphasize the harm done to Jasper to justify what was effectively a Cijan invasion in the hills of Lowenthorp. From his previous studies, Jasper knew the World Council didn’t allow any country to interfere with another as a rule, which gave weight to his husband’s explanation. That didn’t make the terminology any easier to accept.

On his own, staring out across the water as Jasper liked to do, he finally reasoned that it wasn’t as though he would ever meet the clerks and officers who wrote up the paperwork. He also accepted Avalon’s firm comments about how he didn’t view Jasper in that way, and while Jasper wasn’t quite as confident about that – yet – he stashed his troubling thoughts into a lockbox in his brain and tried to focus on what would come next. At least Avalon wouldn’t get into any trouble on foreign soil.

However, there was one other note that was included in the paperwork. One that wasn’t as easy to ignore as unimportant or justify as being from someone Jasper didn’t know and wasn’t likely to meet. It was the response from the Queen of Lowenthorp to Avalon’s request.

It was written on Jasper’s mother’s personal stationery. Jasper recognized the curls the Queen added to her swirly letters, and it was addressed to Avalon personally. The message was simple on the surface, and yet much more cryptic than Jasper was used to from his mother.

Take heed and tread cautiously. While the path you are traveling is a righteous one, secrets uncovered can never be unlearned. Ask yourself how much you need to know before seeking truths that might be better left hidden.

Duncan had taken the brief note as proof Jasper was only his father’s son and not his mother’s. Avalon, again, was quick to explain to Jasper that it made no difference to their marriage contract or Jasper’s status. As his father’s son, when his father was most definitely the King of Lowenthorp even if now deceased, Jasper still held the rank of second prince and third child of the Lowenthorp royal family. Jasper hadn’t even considered that issue, and what does that say about me?

Jasper’s magic shimmered under his skin. Since the water creature incident, which was Merlin’s description, it was as if that entity, or part of himself, had gained confidence. Jasper was happy enough to continue testing the theory that sharing a bed with Avalon seemed to render his night’s sleep completely dreamless. He was feeling more rested than he ever had since being taken. But the anticipation, and the weight of what was to come… Jasper still wasn’t sure how he felt about it, only that he had to follow through.

“Ready to hop in a longboat with me?” Avalon came up beside him, resting his hand lightly on Jasper’s arm. “If this is too difficult you could…”

“Don’t.” Jasper shook his head, managing a smile for his husband, despite his jumbled emotions. “Don’t even think of leaving me behind. You would have no way of knowing if you’ve got the right people if I’m not there.”

“I’m just not sure I’m comfortable with you having to face anything ugly from your past.” Jasper found himself turned so he was facing his dashing husband. “You have to know you’re very important to me.”

“As you are to me. Which is why we’re doing this.” Jasper inhaled sharply. Avalon had used cologne that morning – a mix of spice and citrus that smelled nice. “There is nothing I could possibly face with them, that I haven’t already come through before. Despite their best efforts, I am still standing here with you now, married, with increased social status and even a coronet stashed among my belongings.”

“And magic,” Avalon murmured. “Whatever happens on our travels, don’t ever be afraid to use it. Unlike Duncan, I believe that your mother’s cryptic warning wasn’t about your heritage at all. I’m almost certain she would think, like many upper-class families, that no one would ever question your origin.”

“You think she was warning you about my magic?” Jasper considered the idea. “It’s possible. When she learned my eye had been taken, she told the healer it was likely the act of someone seeking to prevent me from being able to recognize them.”

“She never mentioned your magic to the healer at all?” Avalon sounded surprised.

“After the Magic University tests showed I wasn’t possessed by a demon, which I’m sure Luigi only got pushy about because he was a teenager and didn’t like the attention I was starting to attract, no one was allowed to discuss or even mention my magic around the castle.”

“That’s ridiculous.”

Jasper shrugged. “Not really when you put it in context. The fact I had magic is also why I was excluded from social events, my invitations to parties were lost in a faulty communication system, and I wasn’t encouraged to make friends.” He smiled at the concern in Avalon’s eyes.

“My magic wasn’t allowed to exist, and it was easier to ignore it, if I was ignored as well. With the exception of my parents, of course. So no, the healer wouldn’t have been told. And on reflection, you could be right about my mother. She would likely believe if you learned about my magic then you would also question my lineage and would likely shun me.”

“That’s not happening.” Jasper was pulled against Avalon’s chest, so close he fancied he could hear the man’s heartbeat. “You use your magic,” Avalon whispered in his ear. “You hear me. No matter what happens or who we might face, you use your magic in any way possible to keep yourself safe, and to hell with anyone who might object. Please. Do this for me if not for yourself. Do not hide what you can do.”

Jasper was being held firmly, knee to shoulder. It felt wrong, his hands being still in his pockets, when Avalon was gripped by some emotion he couldn’t identify. Pulling his hands free, he wrapped them loosely around Avalon’s waist, patting his husband’s back. “It’ll be all right,” he said, conscious of their audience and keeping his voice low. “You have a dash of Crown Prince arrogance, remember? Everything will be fine.”

“You’re probably right.” Avalon chuckled as he pulled back, his hand lingering on Jasper’s shoulder. “Between your magic and my arrogance, we can’t lose.”