Remember... Ch. 08

Chapter 8: A Gate of Horn

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So. This chapter is finally out. Yeah, it's been a while. >_>

This chapter actually contains no sex at all. That has all been moved to the next chapter (And oh boy will there be a lot of it :3)

Hope you guys enjoy! As always, comments and feedback are welcomed.

CCG

*****

"Hello father."

"Come in, dear, come in," the Lord Magus waved from his table, not bothering to look up from the trinket in his hands. As the blue haired sorceress approached his desk, he held out the apple-sized stone in his hand to her. "Did you know that the Ancients had magic that could grant any wish? To turn lead into gold. To have infinite knowledge. To travel to places that does not exist in this world."

"I'm pretty sure those are just myths," Mari said. The Lord Magus scowled, but it went unnoticed as Mari took the proffered stone. It was dark blue, with rocks of various colors embedded in its well-worn surface. "What is this?"

Nigel Izer uttered a quick spell. A burst of light exploded from the artifact, sending forth an image in all directions, the blue stone at its center. It gave the illusion of a sphere, similar to the stone itself, a glowing ball of blue and yellow and green. However, as soon as the illusion appeared, it flickered, and disappeared once again.

"What was that?" Mari gasped in wonder.

"I'm not sure yet," her father replied. "I just received this, among other things, from Luminare a few days ago. I can never get the images to stay for more than an instant, so I haven't been able to study it. But it was beautiful, was it not?"

Mari nodded in agreement, handing the artifact back to the elder magus.

"The Ancients created these artifacts that still work after millennia. Simply incredible! And look how intricate the enchantment on this is. Such weaves of power bound with absolute precision. Just... perfect. No living soul could replicate this," the Lord Magus stared at the stone with almost childlike wonder. With a sigh, he rose from his tall ornate chair, ambled over to a bookshelf, and opened a silvery chest.

Mari's sharp intake of breath was the only sign of her discomfort as a sense of dread and powerlessness washed over her. The sensation used to make her shiver uncontrollably, but over the years, she managed to overcome it. But she still hated this room, and she hated the thing inside that chest.

The eerie sensation disappeared as soon as her father closed the chest, having put the stone artifact inside. "Now, Mari, how are your lessons progressing?" He said, returning to his chair. He gestured to a chair across the table from him.

"I am doing well in all my courses, father," she said, taking the seat.

"And the transmutation class that you've been proctoring?"

"That too is fine. You needn't worry."

"Of course I don't worry. Teaching that class is a waste of your time and talents. You should have spent that time working on bigger, more important projects, with people like James Farian, or Hanna Kingsley."

"Father. We've talked about this!" She said, closing her eyes, trying to remain calm. "I want to try things for myself, to see what I want to do here at the Society. I don't want to work with James on his Suppression research! He's getting dangerously close to what the Rogues do! Spirits, I wouldn't even be surprised if he could do exactly what the Rogues do. Father, we hunt the Rogues!"

"Mari!" His voice rose. "Don't be so naive. James is doing valuable research. Where do you think our knowledge on suppression reversal come from? Do you think our adversaries are not trying to improve as well? To find better ways? More permanent ways? We need to do our own research if we are to fight them."

"Fine, but I've learned enough about it and I don't want to be a part of it!"

Nigel narrowed his eyes. "What about Hanna, then?"

"First, I think her research is completely ridiculous. What she wants to do can't be done. And second, I don't think we need to research how to make bigger fireballs, Father."

"Foolish girl. That's not the purpose of her research. She's trying to harness the power of the Ancients."

"But that's what she said it was! 'A ball of fire to vanquish thousands', remember? Even if she somehow manages to find a spell to do that, who's going to be able to cast it? That's an order of magnitude above what our best sorcerers can do!"

"Do not underestimate the power of the Ancients, child. Do not apply your preconceptions to their abilities."

Mari folded her arms in a huff, but said nothing. The Lord Magus shook his head.

"How is our king? Have you seen him lately?"

"I saw him about a month ago," Mari shrugged. "I've been busy lately."

"You should make time to see him. You are betrothed to him."

"But even if I do make time, he's busy too."

"Ask him to make time for you."

"I can't do that!" She frowned. "He's the king!"

"Do you want to be with him or not?"

"I... Does it matter? You and his father arranged this for us."

"But his father is no longer with us. If our king doesn't want this, then he can simply annul this arrangement. The private nature of your engagement was only meant for him to build alliances under the supervision of his father. But now... well, it is no secret that there are many women who want to gain his attention. The daughters of several Lords from around the kingdom. Young ladies from various Mametian Houses. Even the elves have sent their princess here to Astrin. Mari, find time. Spend a day this weekend with him. Make sure he is still interested in you."

Mari looked away. "Fine, but you can go tell Albeus Long that I won't be able to meet with him on Saturday."

"I already did."

"Father!" She stared daggers at him, who brushed her gaze aside.

"This is far more important than his research into Remote Gates. It won't be the end of the world for him if you aren't there for a day."

"I've asked you not to interfere with my life!"

"And I don't, most of the time. But when you show such disregard for your priorities, I have to give you a little nudge in the right direction," he shrugged. He reached for a book on his table, and flipped it open to read. "I believe we are done here. You may go."

-+-+-+-+-+

The earthenware jar shattered on the floor with a loud crash, making several of the students jump.

"Today, I will teach you how to use restore, and how to repair some common household items," Mari said as she began her spell. She spoke slowly and directed her flows with purpose, demonstrating to the roomful of young men and women just how the spell was constructed. As she finished, the broken pieces coalesced into the shape of the jar, and with a small but audible "clink", fused together to reform the object as it was mere moments ago.

"I can show you a few more times if you need it, but you should've all read up on the process this past weekend. Unless you crammed it all last night. Or didn't read at all," she paused, smirking at a few guilty faces. "First, use the hammer to break the jars into a couple large pieces and practice your restore on that before you try shattering it on the floor.

As the sound of smashing jars filled the room, Mari strolled past each table, answering questions and aiding her students. The young men and women, although only a few years younger than her, always treated her with respect. Whether it was because of her relation to her father, or because of her magical talents, she was never quite sure. After the class ended, Mari began to restore the few remaining broken jars. As she finished the last jar, she heard a familiar knocking at the door.

"Hey Amanda," she smiled at her new visitor.

While the elf started to look more cheerful than she had been in the past few weeks, Mari knew that she was not over Mark's sudden "departure." Ever since the day Mark broke the news to Amanda, she had noted that the elf girl's spells hadn't been constructed as neatly as before, and she became tired more easily. But recently, she seemed to be recovering.

"Hi Mari," the elf girl grinned and hugged the green haired sorceress.

"You look happy today! Did something happen?" She asked as she led the elf into the hallway. Her two guardians stood nearby, greeting the sorceress with pleasant smiles, but kept their distance.

"Yeah," Amanda nodded. "I was originally going to go back home for a month in the summer, but my father agreed to let me stay in Astrin instead."

"Oh good! I didn't know you had planned to leave."

"It's a long story. It doesn't matter now though! I'm glad I'm staying. Some of my family might come to visit me too. I'll get to show them all the awesome things here, and maybe, if you're ok with it, they can meet you too!"

"Eh? Meet me? Why?"

Amanda blinked. "Why not? You're Mari Izer! You saved my life! Those reasons alone should be enough."

Mari shrugged self-consciously. "You're making me sound like a big deal."

"Because you kinda are," the elf grinned. "And besides, you're my friend, and I want them to meet my friend."

The sorceress laughed, finally giving in. "Alright, Amanda. I'll meet them as your friend."

"Yay! Thanks! So what are you teaching me today?"

-+-+-+-+-+

The rest of the week passed by at an alarming rate. Still trying to catch up with the work she had missed during Amanda's kidnapping, Mari almost forgot to speak to Andrew about seeing him over the weekend. It was only when Jaraad came to visit Friday afternoon that she finally remembered, and had him relay her message. While he seemed skeptical about the availability of Andrew's free time on such short notice, he nevertheless agreed to be her messenger. To her surprise, a response from Andrew arrived that night, and gave her the good news: he would meet her Saturday at noon, and she should keep the rest of her day free.

The next day, Mari arrived at the palace gardens an hour early. A small entourage followed a well-dressed young woman out of the front gates just as Mari's jump completed. They gasped in surprise before stepping into their waiting carriage. Mari's self-satisfied smirk went unseen except by the palace guards, who waved her in with amused looks.

In hindsight, she realized that arriving so early might not have been such a great idea, as the day was particularly hot for late May. The sun burned brightly overhead, causing her to seek shelter among the trees. There were few people in the gardens during the weekend, and fewer still that recognized her. To pass time, Mari strolled through the tall hedge maze, whose design changed each year. Minutes later, as she emerged into the center garden of the maze, a familiar face she hadn't seen in weeks greeted her.

"Hey," Mark waved to her with a smile.

"Hey Mark!" She smiled back, and hugged him. "What are you doing here?"

"Waiting for you, of course."

"What? Why? How did you know I was here?"

"I know everything," he said with a mischievous look. "Anyway, I'm supposed to keep you company for a while, then take you to Jaraad, who will take you to Andrew."

"That sounds complicated," she said, making a face.

"Yeah, well, you're at the seat of the government. What's not complicated around here?"

Mari shrugged, conceding the point. "Hmph. So, what are we going to do now?"

"I dunno yet. I'll follow you around for a bit till you get out of the maze. This year's layout should be harder."

"We'll see about that," she said as she continued to the other side of the garden, with Mark following close behind. "You know, these hedge mazes aren't really supposed to be hard to navigate. They're more for decoration, not for stopping invasions."

"Well, tell that to Chris," he laughed. "I don't think he'll be completely satisfied until we've trapped someone in here one of these days."

"Considering that the most likely victim would be someone important, Andrew wouldn't mind that?"

"Only that he won't be able to laugh at the victim in front of anyone but us."

Mari rolled her eyes. "Anyway, how have you been?"

"Hmm? What do you mean? I've been ok."

"You know. After the thing with Amanda. How are you doing?"

"Oh. Eh. It's weird. I don't remember ever feeling like this before," he said as he looked away. "Ask me again the next time you see me. How's Amanda? You're still teaching her, right?"

"Yeah. She's still pretty down, though when I saw her on Thursday she seemed better."

"That's good, at least," he sighed.

"Mark, maybe you should go... I don't know-"

"What can I do?" He scowled. "Her guardians are persistent, and I have my duty to Andrew. I can't just risk that for... for..." he struggled as he searched for words, finally throwing up his arms . "For whatever it was that we were doing."

The sorceress laid a hand on his shoulder. "I know. I'm sorry about your situation. I just want you two to be happy again."

"Thanks, Mari. I'll be fine. She will too. As they say, 'Time heals all wounds.'"

"Do you believe that?"

"I haven't yet had a reason not to."

As they made their way out of the maze, Mari stretched. The sun seemed to make her tired. "So what's Andrew been doing today?"

"He's in meetings."

"On the weekend?"

"Well..." he shrugged. "Some meetings are easier to schedule on the weekends."

"Like with that woman who was leaving?"

"Yes. That was Andrea Umoki, eldest daughter of the House Azor ambassador."

"Negotiating for House Azor's passage rights to the Kingdom of Weld, no doubt," she deadpanned.

"Oh I'm sure that was one of many things they want," Mark shrugged. "Mari, you've been coming here for three years. You know why Andrew does this."

She laughed, waving her hand dismissively. "Yeah, I know. I'm not jealous. I don't really care who he meets, or when he meets them. I've just never really thought about all this until recently."

"What changed recently?"

"Something my father said. He wants me to see Andrew more often."

"I'm sure Andrew would like that."

"Maybe, but doesn't he need to maintain his position as a bachelor? I don't want to mess that up."

"Mari, don't worry about that," Mark laughed. "Nobody is fooling themselves into thinking that these meetings will have any bearing on Andrew's choice. It's more for indicating a party's continued interest in whatever arrangement they have in mind. Even with the ever-popular engagement rumors, everyone else will still think that you're here for the same purpose."

"Even if I see him more often?"

"How often are you thinking of? 'Cus right now you hardly ever come by. And besides, as long as we don't officially confirm the engagement, no one will have any more reason to be suspicious of you than any other suitor."

Mari shrugged. "I don't know. I guess you're right. But all these formalities... They're stifling, you know?"

"You can ask him to meet you in the city if you want, though we pretty much only go to one place incognito these days, so that might not be as exciting for you."

"Miss Nyx's tavern is just fine. I don't mind going there."

"Well, you can tell Andrew later. He'll be delighted, I'm sure."

"Maybe. I'll think about it. Let's move on to something else."

"Sure, but whatever it is, you're going to have to talk to Jaraad about it," Mark said as he waved to his brother, who had just emerged from the palace in the distance. "I guess he got back early. Well, I'll leave you with him, then. Still got some stuff to do."

"Sure, go and be vague and mysterious," she teased as she offered him a hug. "Thanks for the company."

"Yeah, no problem. Have fun with Andrew. If you stay till evening, I'll probably see you again," Mark said as he returned the embrace, and walked back into the maze.

Mari turned towards Jaraad, still off in the distance, and waved. The man waved back, breaking into a slow jog.

"Hey Mari," they greeted each other with a kiss on the cheek. "You look really great today."

"Thanks!" She grinned, and looked down self-consciously. The long, light green dress matched the silvery green of her hair, as well as the white strappy pumps on her feet. It really had taken her much too long to pick out the outfit, but her father had made such a big thing of today... she scowled inwardly at the thought of her father's influence on her actions. But today was something that she wanted herself, wasn't it?

"Come on, let's go inside. You're gonna get sunburned like that," Jaraad said as he led her towards the palace.

"Mark said that you were in a meeting. Was it over already?"

"Close enough."

"You don't have to rush things for me, you know."

"Yeah I know. It's ok. The meeting was almost over. And it wasn't that important anyway. And it was really boring," he said as he marched towards the palace. "And... whatever, I'm gonna accompany you for a while, till Andrew's ready. Don't worry about it."

Mari shrugged. "Alright."

Inside, the air was cooler. More members of the palace walked through the halls, greeting Jaraad with respect as they passed. A few even recognized Mari.

"Lord Orthrus," an older gentleman garbed in a High Judge's robe greeted them. "Who is this lovely young lady accompanying you today?"

"Good day, Magistrate Locke," Jaraad said. "This is Mari Izer, daughter of Lord Magus Nigel Izer."

"Hello, Magistrate," Mari bowed slightly, hiding the blush that appeared on her face as she remembered the man, whose party Andrew had taken her to many months ago.

"Hello, Miss Izer. I've heard much about you," he said.

"Good things, I hope," Mari smiled nervously.

"Some, some," he replied. "Are you here to see our king today?"

"Yes, he wished to see me later."

"Ah. His majesty seems to be quite fond of you. He canceled all of his afternoon duties last night."

Mari blinked. Her mouth opened and closed as she tried to find the right words to say in this situation. "I... I'm sorry-"

"Magistrate. King Andrew has been quite busy lately. I think he could use a well-deserved break every now and then," Jaraad said.

"Of course. But a man should show some restraint in these matters. One who rules should think carefully about making such quick decisions. His actions influence the lives of many, whether he realizes it or not. To have his actions so carelessly affected is improper at best."

"I will be sure to inform his majesty of your concerns, Magistrate, but Miss Izer and I must be going now. His majesty is waiting for us."

"Of course. Farewell, Lord Orthrus, Miss Izer," the man said as he continued down the halls.

Mari frowned as she followed Jaraad. "I didn't know this would cause so much trouble," she mumbled.

"Don't worry about it, Mari. I- We love having you around."

"But the magistrate didn't seem so happy. Are people at the palace talking about me?"

"Just the usual gossip. It's nothing important. And don't worry about Locke. He'll come around to you."

Mari followed silently, her mind distracted. How many more of her detractors were there here? While she knew of the possibility, she had never seriously considered that there might be opposition to her relationship with Andrew inside the palace.

"Hey, where are you going? We're here," Jaraad's hand on her shoulder snapped her out of her thoughts. "I guess we're a bit early though. They're not quite done with the meeting yet."

"It's fine. We can just wait here for him."

As the minutes ticked by, Jaraad paced the halls, never straying far. The muffled murmurs from within the chamber continued unabated even as the scheduled end time came and passed.

"So, uh, what's new with you?" Jaraad asked, throwing a quick glance towards the sorceress.