Chapter Eight

“That is classic abuser behavior,” Duncan raged in his and Merlin’s private quarters. “Did no one explain that to him? Was there no counselor or someone who might consider that he’s terrified something is going to happen to the one person he cares about?”

“Apparently not.” Avalon cast a worried eye at the interconnecting wall between the cabin they were in and the cabin next door where Jasper was sleeping.

With the absence of any medications on board, the chef had suggested half a glass of wine to someone who had no tolerance for it, should be sufficient to relax Jasper enough that he’d have no choice but to sleep. But the glass was still half-full on Avalon’s bedside cabinet. Jasper had fallen into a deep sleep the moment his head hit the pillow.

It was Avalon who was preparing for a long night. They had given up the idea of going into port. Avalon was hoping if Jasper had magical difficulties while he slept, they might be easier to contain at sea.

“From the little he told me, Jasper has been made to believe all this time that his magic wasn’t actually part of him. Luigi even believed he was possessed, for goodness’ sake. I mean, can you imagine how Jasper must’ve felt growing up when he was treated so differently from his siblings?”

Avalon was angry about that. He hadn’t had a lot to do with Queen Fiona over the years. It was his parents who’d formed the friendship with his husband’s parents. But the idea that any child would grow up thinking something was wrong with him…

“It’s a tactic I’ve heard about before.” Merlin had worked at the World Council’s Magical University for a time. “Not so much in royal households, obviously. But in rare situations, usually where the mother has played across the fence, and a magical child is born, the child is made to feel there is something wrong with them – something ‘other’ – as opposed to their magic being a normal part of their genetics.”

“Unfortunately, I didn’t handle the questioning on that side of things very well,” Avalon said, remembering Jasper’s anger. “He stated very clearly that the World Council endorsed his birth record that clearly states the King and Queen of Lowenthorp are his natural parents. There has never been any suggestion otherwise. I’m not even sure if I should bring it up with my father.”

“The king would’ve told you if he suspected anything like that,” Duncan said firmly. “Our immediate problem is what are we going to do with your husband? Is he safe to have on the ship?”

“As safe as you or me,” Avalon snapped. “So, he has magic? So what? I can think of situations where something like that could be useful.”

“Duncan wasn’t being disrespectful to Jasper,” Merlin said quietly. “We fully support your marriage, you know that. But it is a concern if Jasper doesn’t believe his magic is an inherent part of him – I mean for him, from what you described, performing magic appears to be as natural as breathing for him. It’s no wonder when you factor in the trauma he’s been through, how unruly his magic might be.”

“Now you’re speaking as though his magic is an extension of him, rather than a part of him,” Avalon teased. “People consciously choose to show or control their anger. Jasper’s concern seems to be that he can’t control his magic unless he’s awake.”

“And he’s performed a feat I never believed possible, staying awake a full four days,” Duncan grumbled, and Avalon knew, in his own way, that Duncan did worry about the new consort. “Is there any chance, now Jasper knows we know about his magic, and the threat to his mother, that he might tell us who we’re seeking so we can get after them?”

“Is it possible Queen Fiona can go on a trip to Cijan, for example?” Merlin suggested. “If we appraised your father of what was going on…”

“I don’t think Jasper’s mother has left the castle since her husband died.” Avalon stroked his chin. “It would be the best idea, of course. If Jasper believes his mother is safe and away from any possible threats in Lowenthorp, then he might be more willing to give us a clue as to who hurt him.”

“You think we’re looking for an organization or family as opposed to a single person?” Duncan asked.

Avalon nodded. “Jasper mentioned his magic being bound in some way. I don’t know how something like that could’ve happened, but the chances of a single person being able to do that…”

“Actually, a binding spell could be done with magical crystals,” Merlin said. “It’s rarely done, highly frowned upon, but it can be done and relatively easily, too.”

“How do the boffins you used to work for even know that’s possible?” Duncan looked at his partner in shock. “Do they actually test these things on real people?”

“The number of people alive today who have workable magic, beyond lighting a cigarette, or something like that is less than a hundred the world over. There are three tribes who actively breed magical lines among their people, but they don’t take partners outside of their established tribe. There is some pirate lore that suggests they have magic, although no one outside of a pirate ship ever speaks of it. That’s more the stuff of myths and legends.”

“All of which suggests that Queen Fiona did have a dalliance, no matter how brief, outside of her marriage to the King.” Duncan frowned. “That could make finding out information difficult.”

“Why would it matter?” Avalon couldn’t see why knowing who Jasper’s parents were had any bearing on the current day, even if it was true and Jasper’s mother had been frivolous with her vows. But then, he reasoned, although he kept it quiet, discussing the lineage of royals was not a topic of conversation that was brought up unless there were life threatening reasons for doing so.

“What if the person who took your husband is someone related to a possible third person who could… you know…”

“You can’t even say it, and I can’t blame you.” Avalon sighed. “That is not something that is ever discussed in polite society. I do know for a fact that if my father knew about this, he would’ve told me.”

“He could’ve just been trying to get you married off, determined to get that part of your life sorted, with the idea that once you invoked the piss off clause, or Jasper did, then you’d be more open to marrying someone else.” Merlin spoke quietly, almost hesitantly, for good reason.

Avalon couldn’t take offense. “The joke is on good old dad then because both Jasper and I revoked our right to invoke the piss off clause. Our marriage stands regardless.”

“Isn’t that only if the two of you are intimate in some way?” Duncan looked to his own husband for verification. “I thought the laws were that a marriage could dissolve if the pair hadn’t been intimate, and as you’re never likely to do that…”

“Never say never, Duncan,” Avalon warned. He wasn’t ready to explain to his closest friends the feelings Jasper raised inside of him, but he wasn’t prepared to completely discard the idea of being intimate with the enigmatic man at some point in the future. The sheer courage Jasper showed, revealing his injury… and his magic likes me, which was something said when Jasper was still viewing his magic as something apart from him, not an integral part of who he was.

“The laws around dissolving a marriage and how that can’t happen if a couple has been intimate only relates to people who went into a marriage with the piss off clause included,” Merlin explained. “What Jasper and our errant prince have done is effectively tied themselves together for life, with no chance of a divorce. A couple may separate. The World Council doesn’t insist that married people share the same abode, but our prince will be responsible for Jasper for life, and sir, I have to say that worries me just slightly.”

“Speak freely.” Avalon knew his friend wasn’t prone to dramatics, or rash statements. “I’d rather hear your concerns while my husband is sleeping, than have something occur none of us are prepared for. Is there something in this situation I’m missing?”

“It’s to do with the fact that you are responsible for Jasper’s behavior.” Merlin reached over, taking his husband’s hand. “When Duncan runs off, putting himself in dangerous situations, then no one bats an eyelid, or expects me to stop him. There aren’t any ramifications on me if he does something silly.”

“I’m not sure you’re being complimentary.” Duncan grinned. “But that’s true. As the higher ranking of the two of us…”

“Which has no relevance to our marriage behind closed doors,” Merlin reminded him, “But sire, you are a prince of the realm. If the consort does anything untoward, if his magic does cause an issue, or damage or something similar, whether it be this week or in ten years’ time, you will be held accountable and responsible as you are the higher-ranking person in your marriage.”

“Which is why I need your help to show Jasper that his magic isn’t anything that needs to be shut away, is not something he should feel ashamed of, and indeed is something that is just a natural part of who he is, regardless of how he came to have that magic in the first place.”

“You still think his mother did something… or something was done to her…”

“At this point, what I think is irrelevant,” Avalon reminded Duncan. “What is more important is that Jasper learns he can trust us, and that his magic isn’t something that we’re going to treat as a condition that he needs to hide.”

“Is that a good idea?” Merlin asked. “Not everyone is au fait with magic. Indeed, because of the lore around pirates, many people assume that if a society family member has magic it’s because they have been closely associating with pirates somewhere in their family tree.”

“That business with Luigi bothers me,” Duncan said. “Why would Queen Fiona not just tell her eldest son that Jasper wasn’t possessed by a demon. I mean, that’s pushing the laws of steam and magic just a bit far, don’t you think? Why call in the World Council and subject Jasper to that sort of scrutiny?”

“Hmm. That’s a good point.” Avalon thought about it. He had many dealings with different departments at the World Council, but never anything magic related. “Merlin, are there any special laws, or different laws pertaining to magic users, restrictions on people who exhibit signs of magical ability, or anything like that?”

Merlin shook his head. “The Magical University is actively seeking ways to enhance magical abilities in people who are born with it. There are pills, potions, and crystals at varying price points that people can use to enhance any ability they might have. By enhance, I mean if someone can light a cigarette with their finger, then the flame might be more consistent, or perhaps a different color to make it showier for a society person.

“But one thing all studies have shown over the last century or more, is that a person’s skills with magic are naturally restricted to the abilities they’re born with. They can’t light a cigarette one minute and command the waves the next. That’s just not possible. But with regards to restrictions on people with any magical ability, no, there’s no legal or societal constraint on that.”

“That could be because most of the people who might have a smidgen of magical ability at all are those same people who tend to live outside of the societal rankings in place in most countries. Huditit, Hooit, the pirates, the Crystal tribes, and those people in the tribes that live inland from Lowenthorp – they are all isolated peoples who appear to reject the way most societies are ruled under the World Council,” Duncan said, and he made a good point.

“All right, so we know…” Avalon broke off, thinking he heard a noise. But it wasn’t coming from the cabin next door, it was someone knocking on the stateroom door. “Enter,” he called out.

“Sire.” The door opened, and Jose, one of the deckhands, poked his head around it. “There seems to be something in the water. A couple of the crew are spooked. Would you come and look at it?”

“What sort of something are we talking about?” Avalon got to his feet and headed for the door. Duncan and Merlin did the same. “Is it a vessel of some kind? A creature? A large piece of debris floating on the surface?”

“It’s not easy to tell, sire,” Jose said. “I really think you need to see it for yourself.”