Chapter 11: Training [Break]- Would You?

Christian watched his daughter continue her training. She had improved slightly and moved on to the other targets further away. Yet, there was something wrong. Her eyes had no spark, no fire behind them like before and he wondered why that was. Did the queen say something that made her feel this way? He crossed his arms and tightened his lips. Her highness had said nothing on their walk back to the castle, nor did Lynn when he returned.

'Maybe it was because the prince had not stopped by for the past 2 days,' he thought rubbing his beard.

His eyes narrowed as he noticed the way Lynn's arm shook and her throws failing to reach the tree. He watched her attempt another try, before he rushed to her. Lynn had lost the strength to hold herself up as she fell forward with the throw. Holding her daughter in his arms, he felt the shake in her body buzzing against his. Her face was sweating and the skin around the entrapped gem were blackening. Eyes widening, he quickly picked her up and headed to the castle. Ignoring the saluted bows, he entered and went straight to the mage. He must know what is happening to his daughter. This was no sickness he had witness before.

Banging on the door, the mage opened and stepped to the side when he saw Lynn's condition.

"Kurt, what have you done to my daughter!" Christian demanded laying Lynn onto the bed in the corner.

"Calm yourself Christian," Kurt's steady and soft voice said, "tell me what transpired."

As Christian replayed the past couple days, Kurt touched Lynn's face to feel it clammy and cold. Moving to her neck, he could feel her pulse moving quickly before steadying and then quickening once again. Watching her lips, he noticed the dryness and cracks against the skin. Holding her hand, he looked at the nails to see the darkening skin underneath her nails. He reached for the other hand and repeated his observation.

"I will need to remove her top," Kurt voiced and he could feel the hot stare on his back.

"You will do no such thing," Christian moved toward him and pushed him away from his daughter to create distance.

"I must see where her infection lies," Kurt explained as he stood waiting, "she may not live long Christian. I suggest you remove it."

He could tell the older man was upset by the way his hands kept clenching and unclenching, but it was the truth. There were many complications with the gem and although he voiced them to the king, his highness had no care for them. He turned away from the father and daughter giving them the privacy they needed. Kurt went to his shelves to look at the items he had. He gathered what he may need to create an antidote for Lynn's illness.

"Kurt!" he heard Christian shout and he looked over to see the revealed skin with some black marks. He quickly placed the items down on his table and went over to the girl. With a closer look, it looked as though the blackened skin is wrapping itself underneath the binding against her chest.

"Do you know what this is?" Christian questioned placing Lynn's tunic over her chest.

"Give me a moment," he replied and went to his table. Quickly as he could, he placed the ingredients into the bowl and ground them into a powder. Once that was complete, he brought the bowl over and stood over the girl from the top of the bed.

Placing the powder onto her entire forehead, he placed a palm over it. Lifting his other hand over his chest with the thumb facing him, he closed his pinky finger and chanted softly.

The hovered palm glowed a golden hue as the powder begin to melt into liquid. Once all the powder become liquified, it moved to the seep into the edge of the gem. Kurt could feel his forehead bead with sweat as he held onto his position. He stopped his chant once the liquid powder all entered her skin before he pulled his hands away and waited. Both men watched to see any reaction from Lynn.

Kurt could see the darkening around the gem lighten back to her original skin and the tension on her face relaxing out. Lifting the tunic, he saw the same was happening there and waited until all he saw was her natural skin color. Placing the tunic back over her, he looked over to see a glare from her father and he stood up. Grabbing the bowl from where it was placed beside Lynn's left side of her face, he returned to his table. Sitting on the table, he gritted his teeth and waited.

If Kurt were hopeful, he would say he fixed Lynn and cured her. He was not.

"Their highnesses should know," Christian spoke up running his hand over her daughter's face.

"I will do so," Kurt stood but saw Christian stand too.

"No. You will stay in case it gets worse," Christian announced heading to the door and paused, "take care of my daughter and do not misbehave boy," he narrowed his eyes at Kurt before taking one more glance at her daughter before leaving.

Going over to sit beside the bed, he watched the girl before staring at the gem. Frowning, he narrowed his eyes at the gem before standing and returning to his desk. Pulling out a book, he decided to look through it for any more information he could retrieve.

Lynn opened her eyes to see the ceiling. She was not outside or in her room; she could tell from the smell of sage. Turning her head, she saw the mage reading through a large book at his desk. She remembered that book with the strange writings, but she always liked the pictures. Pushing herself to sit up, she felt her tunic fall off her chest and she stared. Blinking at it, she glanced at the mage who had looked over at her.

"Are you feeling well?" he questioned and returned to his book.

"Yes," she answered putting her tunic back on. She let out a sigh and looked around the room to see a few painting on the walls and a small table at the other corner of the room. Looking back at the mage, he closed his book and walked over to her. She turned so her legs were off the bed as he sat before her.

"I will be checking you over," he explained and Lynn nodded.

She felt his fingers turn her head and touched her neck for a moment. It moved to her hands and she watched him look at her nails before asking her to turn around. She twisted and he asked for permission to lift the back of her tunic. She nodded and she felt his warm fingers slide down her back as it pressed against the skin. He told her to face him and she did to feel those fingers touch her forehead.

"Does this hurt?" he asked pressing against the skin against the gem.

"Not anymore," Lynn admitted watching the freckles on his nose.

"And now?" the mage pressed against the gem and Lynn's face scrunched up, "Hm."

She watched him stand and went over to the shelves to grab some items that she didn't recognized. He placed them in a bowl and grinded them down. She stood up and walked over to him as he poured the powder into a small glass bottle. Corking it up, he turned to her and offered it to her.

"Pour this with your tea every morning," he explained, "it would help the soreness and weakness."

She held the glass before her face and looked at it before thanking him.

"Thank you, Mr. London," she bowed, "for caring for me."

She saw the twitch against his right eye and the set frown against his lips.

"I am only 6 years older," he deadpanned.

"Still an elder," she reminded with a smile watching his purple eyes close.

Kurt sat down on the chair and looked at Lynn who had went back to looking at the glass bottle. So much had changed since the first time, hasn't it?

[["Mr. London!" the redheaded prince cried out smiling.

He turned to see the prince holding hands with a young girl with lavender hair.

"My prince," he bowed.

"I want you to meet Lynn! She is my best friend!" the prince grinned and the girl laughed.

"Oh, this is Lynn. The girl you kept talking about, is it?" he questioned quirking the corner of his right lip.

"Yes!" the prince exclaimed hugging his friend who hugged back.

"Mr. London, Garret said you do magic, can we see some please?" Lynn asked with both hands in front of her.

Ah, the prince was spreading his arrival already. He had only arrived the day before.

"Another time. I will be meeting with their highnesses shortly," he explained.

"Oh alright," she sighed and the prince frowned.

"Don't be sad Lynn!"

"I'm not sad."

"Yeah you are! I can tell."

"No you can't."

"Of course I can."

Lynn stuck her bottom lip out and narrowed her eyes, "how do I feel now?"

"Um," Garret scratched his head, "sad?"

"She is upset my prince," Kurt spoke up, "maybe from you insinuating you know how she felt?"

Lynn looked at him with bright brown eyes and her mouth parted. The prince had furrowed brows questioning what 'insinuating' meant.

"You must've read my mind with your magic!" Lynn grinned hopping from where she was.

"Oh! Do me!" Garret stared at him hopping as well and Kurt let out a small smile. They were too easy to read.

"You are excited," Kurt stated and heard the laughter from both the prince and his friend.

"He's so good, huh?" the prince said to Lynn who nodded multiple times.

"Yes! Sir London," Lynn looked at him again, "you must be really good with magic! You look so young."

Kurt blinked that in and took on the age of the children. They looked to be six years maybe.

"I'm six," she said and Kurt nodded slowly. Did she have magic herself?

"Me too!" the prince added.

"Ah, I am 6 years above you," Kurt nodded and watched the two children look at one another before holding out their hands. Listening to them count off the fingers, he felt his lips curl up.

"So then," the prince started, "you are ten?"

"I thought we counted eleven," Lynn tilted her head with her fingers still out on display.

Frowning, both children counted again and Kurt wondered how this kingdom was. Was it like the lost kingdom from where he was born? Was it filled with deceit or was it filled with honor?

"Twelve!" they both shouted and Kurt nodded to see both grinning.

"Let's go tell everyone Sir London is twelve!" the prince grabbed the Lynn's hand.

"Bye Sir London!" they called out as they ran off.

"We are only six years apart," he called back.

"Still our elder!" he heard the laughter as they turned the corner and it was quiet once more.]]

"Will you be accompanying us?" Lynn questioned going back to sit down on the bed.

He shook his head to see her frown.

"His highness requested that I stay to protect the kingdom if needed," he sat straight on his chair, "are you worried?"

"Heh," she breathed out a smile, "using your magic to read my mind, Sir London?"

He felt the corner of his lips twitch.

"I may fail," she leaned her head back to face the ceiling and closed her eyes.

"You may," he agreed with a nod to see her send him a pout.

It was quiet for a moment and Lynn closed her eyes as she hung her head. What should she do? She could not stop thinking about what the queen had suggested. Should she agree to the conditions or go all-or-nothing?

"If you had the choice to lose your magic, would you?" Lynn said softly looking at the ground.

"Lose my magic?" Kurt looked at his hands for a moment, "why ask such question?"

"Just a question," Lynn said with a shrug as she waited for an answer.

"I would," he finally answered folding his hands on his lap.

"Even if you would never get it back?" Lynn asked quietly.

"Yes," Kurt looked away and looked at the book on his desk, "magic is not something I wanted to have."

The quiet stretched and he glanced at the female to see her hands gripping the side of the bed.

"If it was only to lose it for a few years," Lynn asked with her eyes closed and tone low, "would you still take that proposition?"

Kurt felt his eyebrows furrows low. Standing up and walking to her, she lifted her head to see him standing before her. He placed his hands on her shoulders and stared into her brown eyes.

"Is this proposition given to me by someone I trusted?" he saw her lips thinned, "that is the most important Lynn," he stated it, "if I believe they would fib and use me, I would have nothing to do with it. Even if it was what I wanted."

He squeezed her shoulders gently and he saw her eyes crinkle as her lips curve into a smile.

"Thank you Mr. London," she placed her hands on his before letting out a sigh, "you already know, don't you."

"I can read minds remember, child?" he quirked the corner of his lips.

"I'm only six years younger," Lynn stuck out her bottom lip before letting out a laugh.

"Lynn!" the door swung open and the prince, panting and looking around with wild eyes screamed out, "are you alright?"

Kurt pulled away to see the way Lynn smiled at her prince and his tension relaxing when he was pressed against her.

'They were good for one another, weren't they?' Kurt though as he moved back to his desk where he rested his right hand on his book.

'If it was only to lose it for a few years,' he thought back to what Lynn had asked, 'would you still take that proposition?'

Looking at the two children, no, adults on the bed laughing quietly against one another, a prince and a knight.

He looked away once more.

'Would he?'