New and Old Adversaries

Pharon glowered at the other participants as he swept into the Breakfast Parlor. That damned Co- Miss Adamare had missed yet another Mating Event! At least this time her partner had also been missing, but still she was setting a bad example.

When Pharon had tried to confront High Lord Volanti about her behavior, he, a prince of Viceria, had been turned away! The High Lord had been too busy to see him.

Pharon slammed himself into a chair next to his brother. The china on the table rattled as the table shook.

Blaize frowned slightly at him, "Trouble sleeping?"

Pharon let out a sharp breath, "It's that Miss Adamare. First, she skips the mandatory Mating Events as she pleases and yesterday, she got Kane Essenvir to join her." Pharon lowered his voice to a harsh whisper, "I've seen him compromising her. Am I just supposed to pretend that he's not off ruining what little is left of her virtue? Am I supposed to be pleased to be getting his leftovers?"

"You've seen him compromising her? Have you told Father?" Blaize asked. His frown deepened.

Pharon snarled and threw himself backward in his chair, "He told me to say that Kane was lying. I am supposed to pretend that I am the one that did it."

Blaize whistled, "He's lost his mind. Is it too late to file for…" He trailed off as Lady Vivian walked into the parlor. She was a knockout in a low-cut, tight fitting dress the same blue as her eyes.

Pharon sighed. He knew he'd just lost his one sympathetic ear. Pharon's eyes took in Lady Vivian. Then they fell on Lord Alecai beside her. He looked the way Pharon felt.

Lord Alecai's handsome face was set in a dark glower. His eyes had dark bags under them and his skin had lost some of its bright glow.

Lady Vivian sashayed over to the chair across from Blaize and sat with a flirtatious smile. Blaize straightened and grinned happily. Lord Alecai flopped down opposite Pharon. His eyes roved over the room for several minutes before coming to rest on Pharon.

"What are you staring at?" He asked with a sneer. "I don't go for males." Pharon blushed and lowered his gaze to the table.

"Alec, don't be like that. I'm sure Pharon was just concerned since you look like crap today." Lady Vivian said. Lord Alecai turned a glare on her and she pouted. "What if she, or any other female, saw you approaching looking like that they'd run the other way." Pharon saw Lord Alecai's jaw clench. Lady Vivian sighed heavily, "If your still not over it, why don't you ask Pharon who she is? He is the Mating Season coordinator."

Lord Alecai drummed his fingers on the table as he gazed at Lady Vivian for a long moment. Then, slapping his hand on the table, he rounded on Pharon. Pharon's eyes widened.

"Alright," Lord Alecai snarled, "Are there still female participants that I haven't met yet?"

Pharon swallowed nervously, "Maybe one or two. Are you looking for one in particular? I made up two guidebooks for you. They list all the participants and have pictures of them."

Lord Alecai waved his hand dismissively, "I have already seen the guidebook. She wasn't in it. How many of the female participants are Fae descendents?"

"I- I would have to check. I don't know-"

"You probably ran into Duchessa Miri Brightmoon. She is descended from the Moonchildren." Blaize interrupted with a laugh. "You have good taste. She's a little skinny, but that face-" Lady Vivian shifted in her chair and Blaize hastily cleared his throat. "So I have heard some other participants say. I don't see what's so special about her though." Pharon watched his brothers gaze shift to Lady Vivian again. Pharon couldn't help but sigh.

Pharon knew his mother had some less than savory connections. From the way these two were introduced, he'd guessed they were among them. Blaize either hadn't realized this or didn't care.

Lord Alecai growled, "The female I met was a Tethessia, an Earthchild." He turned back to Pharon. "Are there any female participants, that I haven't met, with Earth Fae blood?" His eyes bore into Pharon's.

Pharon paled under the power behind that gaze.

"I- I would have to check my list." Pharon managed to say.

"If you liked her so much, you should have gotten her name." Blaize teased.

Lord Alecai's jaw worked in anger. Lady Vivian put a hand on his tense forearm.

"Alec, dear, remember he's a prince." Blaize grimaced. Pharon knew it was at the intimacy between these two. "Why don't you go see if you can find her again?" Lady Vivian suggested. "Truly, you look terrible and Pharon will need time to check his list."

Lord Alecai grimaced, then sighed. He stood and left without another word.

Pharon stared down at his hands which were fisted in his lap as his brother chatted with Lady Vivian. He'd felt powerless as Lord Alecai looked at him. It had felt like he were an insect and Lord Alecai could crush him in an instant.

Pharon shivered and remembered the Archivist's words, 'You do not even live up to half of your potential.' Pharon's fist tightened until his knuckles stood out white from his skin. He needed to get stronger.

Standing, he made his excuses and went to find the Archivist.

***

Pharon sat at one of the small round tables with his familiar stack of books in front of him. The Archivist sat beside him as he answered Pharon's questions about the chapter he was reading on increasing the temperature of his flames.

The Archivist usually spent his time cataloging his books but he still set aside ten minutes every hour to answer Pharon's questions. They were just discussing flame compression as a mode of increasing heat when they were interrupted by several loud footsteps on the stone floor.

Pharon turned and saw High Lord Volanti approaching with rigid, angry posture. Following him was a pale, sleep-deprived Kane Essenvir.

Pharon stared at them. He'd at most seen the High Lord mildly annoyed and Kane looked as if someone had died.

"Elbellar," High Lord Volanti said, slamming both his palms on the wooden table. Kane stared blankly at the Archivist. "I need to know everything about the System from the Labyrinth." The High Lord continued, "And I need to know now."

The Archivist blinked, "Has something happened to Miss Adamare?"

Kane stiffened, "Kylara is resting." Pharon frowned. Even Kane's voice was tired.

"They went out training yesterday morning and when they came back, she had changed."

Pharon watched Kane's hands fist at his sides and smirked. The change was probably just buyer's remorse. Kane Essenvir had the personality of toast.

"Changed how?" The Archivist pressed. His face had become clouded.

"According to her blood work she is now half-elf, half-tethessia." The High Lord replied. "Is it killing her?"

Pharon blinked. He did not recognize that second race.

The Archivist expression turned grave, "No, I don't believe that the System will kill her. It chose her as its beneficiary when it killed so many other's, including its creator. It probably knows she can handle these changes."

Kane let out a stuttering breath as the tension left the High Lord's hands.

"What is it doing then?" Kane asked quietly. Pharon watched him gaze at the Archivist like a starving man at a steak.

The Archivist frowned and shrugged, "I am not sure. The System's creator, Nimerius the Brilliant, became obsessed with Polymorphic Transcendence at the end of his life. That is lesser creatures changing their forms, or transcending, their own humble origins to become more powerful than those who looked down on them. He used the life forces of many powerful creatures, spirits, Fae, even demons, to create his System. It was his masterpiece and he intended to use it himself, only it killed him."

"People mocked him and called him mad, but from what little I've gleaned of his research, his theories are sound. Polymorphic Transcendence, theoretically, could work, given the right person and the right circumstances."

The High Lord grimaced, as Kane's hands clenched even tighter.

Pharon frowned and tried to piece together what the Archivist was saying. Slowly, he said, "So, that means that this hereditary System could spawn a line of what- Super beings?"

The Archivist gazed at him a moment, with a small disapproving frown. Then he asked, "Do you now understand why your Father is so insistent, Youngling?"

Out of the corner of his eye, Pharon saw Kane flinch. Kane's eyes fell on him and a wave of malice swept over him. Pharon swallowed.

"But a true female of worth is more than her offspring." Pharon said softly.

The Archivist smiled slightly and nodded, "Very good, Youngling. You are correct. Miss Adamare is worth more than that and you should treat her accordingly."

"There is no need for that." Kane interrupted. Everyone looked at him with a frown. He continued, "Kylara doesn't like- want to be claimed, so there is no need for you to treat her in anyway. Honestly, you'll probably annoy her by talking to her, so don't." Kane finished with a glare at Pharon.

"Mr. Essenvir," The High Lord began, "I invited you to come with me to hear this because I know how concerned you are for Miss Adamare. However, I suspect that Miss Adamare will become my ward very soon and I am far from approving of you as a potential mate for her."

Kane let out a sharp breath at the High Lord's cool rejection of him.

"Mr. Goldleaf is her guardian. Mr. Goldleaf will decide-" Kane began.

High Lord Volanti interrupted him, "Mr. Goldleaf is a relative of Kylara's mother. Mr. Goldleaf should have offered her guardianship to King Regulus first rather than assuming the role. She was a guardian-less noble of her father's country. Her father's King should have been given the option to make her a royal ward, before her guardianship fell to her mother's family. If it becomes necessary, King Regulus will assume guardianship over Kylara and I will then adopt her from him. So you see, I do get to make this decision."

Kane's face became pale, darkened to fury in an instant. Pharon turned a guilty expression on the High Lord.

"I am also not in favor of you, Prince Pharon. I know your brother did not act independently. You must earn my trust again, before I'd turn her over to you." Pharon nodded. "The fist step is to keep this conversation confidential, even from your brother. Mr. Essenvir, I know, will not want to arouse anyone else's interest in Kylara."

"Elbellar," High Lord Volanti said turning to the Archivist once again. "Do you have any books on the Tethessiae? I'd like to bring some to Kylara for her to read."

The Archivist smiled slightly, "Of course. Follow me." He levered himself out of his chair and led the High Lord away into the stacks.

Pharon watched as Kane rounded on him with blazing eyes.

"You intend to claim Kylara then?" Kane growled with barely contained anger.

Pharon swallowed. He felt like a bug, again, as he met Kane's hot gaze. When did a weakling get so strong?

"My- my Father intends for me to do so. I am supposed to say I compromised her and not you." Pharon admitted quietly.

Kane's nose crinkled for a moment in a toothless snarl. Then his eyes narrowed on Pharon. "Try it," he said, "and there won't be a body left for anyone to find. You will be nothing more than ash." Kane's voice was like a furnace, hot and deadly.

For a moment, Pharon saw Kane's eyes flash blue. Then Kane turned and rapidly strode from the room.

Pharon shivered staring down at his hands.

If Kylara were really a female of worth, he might actually want her. Was he going to lose the opportunity before he even figured out whether he wanted her?

Pharon's shoulders hunched and he bent to study with renewed vigor.