Mother and Favored Wife

Dion and the rest of the ministers walked Nicholas back to his rooms. Nicholas noticed a pattern to the palace as he watched his other brothers go towards a different direction. He needed his memories or a history lesson to verify his guess.

As they made their way down the hall one of the king's guards stopped them.

"His Majesty would like to have a word with Prince Nicholas." The guard kept his head down in submission to the prince.

"Allow us to see to his injuries first, then we will take the prince to the king." Dion spoke up before Nicholas could agree to a meeting with his father.

"The king ordered me to take him to him now." The guard insisted as he glared at Dion.

Dion stood firm as he looked the guard in the eyes, he was still the chief minister of a prince of Merlen, he was still higher than a common guard.

While a battle of wits were raging between Dion and the guard, some of Nicholas' memories returned.

He closed his eyes as he allowed his own mana to flow through him. He could feel as his mana struggled to come out of the core in his arm, as if there was an obstacle stopping it's flow.

Nicholas assumed that the earrings and bracelet were responsible of that.

As his mana aided his magic in healing his most grievous injuries, Nicholas noticed as Dion worriedly glanced at him.

"I'll see my father." Nicholas broke the stand off as he finished healing the more serious wounds but keeping those that had a physical mark.

Dion looked Nicholas over as he reached for the prince's hand, pretending to attempt to heal him.

He scanned Nicholas' body, and was surprised to find that he was indeed capable of using his magic once more.

"I don't want to keep my father waiting." Nicholas told Dion in a stern tone as he pulled his hand away. "You can heal the rest of the injuries later."

Dion nodded as Nicholas turned back to the guard.

"Take me to the king." Nicholas' voice was stern but weak, he knew that this was the way he used to speak. His memories may not yet have returned fully, but there were things he just had a feel for.

The guard bowed and led Nicholas, followed by his ministers through the halls of the palace until they reached two grand doors.

Like the banquet hall it had golden engravings on it, this time of symbols and runes that Nicholas couldn't read.

"The king is waiting for you inside, he will see only Prince Nicholas and no one else." Nicholas nodded as the guard pushed open the doors.

Nicholas' jaw almost dropped at the sight before him. The king sat behind a large desk, while around him were bookshelves that reached the impossible high roof of what Nicholas presumed to be the library.

At the top was a glass dome that reflected light into the room, making it feel like it was day rather than night.

"Nicholas, come." Came the king's booming voice, making Nicholas' heartbeat quicken.

He didn't know if he had done something to offend his father, or if the king had seen through his act.

"Father." Nicholas bowed as he stood before the king and waited for him to acknowledge him.

"Sit." The king ordered as he pointed at the seat closest to his desk.

He didn't seem to be in the best mood, making Nicholas worry even more. Nicholas couldn't help but wonder what the implications would be if the king had noticed that he wasn't himself.

Would he realize that Nicholas had lost his memories? Or would he simply think that Nicholas was plotting something dangerous, a betrayal maybe?

"I'm sorry about your brother and sister." The king's tone suddenly changed, he sounded genuine in his apology, surprising Nicholas.

He struggled to keep a straight expression as he looked away for the king, his father.

"I know that it has not been easy for you since your mother's death." Nicholas looked up and saw as the king's eyes began to look glossed over, as if he was tearing up at the mention of the death of Nicholas' mother.

"I barley remember her now." Nicholas' surprised himself when he uttered the words, it was as if he was speaking from a distant version of him, admitting a secret he feared would be revealed.

The king got up, making Nicholas nervous. He walked to Nicholas and to the prince's surprise pulled his son into a tight hug.

"Your mother was an amazing woman, the only one I ever loved." The king confessed. A part of Nicholas knew this to be true, he felt some memories surge forward as he eavesdropped on people in the palace.

'The king only favors that Prince Nicholas because he was madly in love with his mother, the healer Liira.' Nicholas recalled a conversation he had heard. It was between two ministers of his eldest brother.

He was probably only eight or nine as he crouched down under a table, hiding from being spotted. The halls were dark, but the voices were clear as day.

Nicholas could feel the fear of discovery that he felt at that time. He knew that if he was found he would be in trouble.

'I thought that was all a lie? Some rumor the Corporali made to get people to favor their prince?' Another man questioned, clearly shocked by the truth he had heard.

'No, no, the king had sworn to Liira that her son would always be protected, that's why he never gets beaten or punished like the other princes.' The voices moved away as another memory pushed forward.

'Your father, the King, loved Lady Liira with all his heart.' Nicholas was now fifteen as he sat in his office, with Dion standing next to him, a hand placed on his shoulder to calm him.

'Then why does he let my brothers and their ministers say all those lies about my mother?! If he truly loved her he would do something.' Nicholas stood up, pushing the chair away as it fell to the ground, and marched out of the room, angry at Dion and his father.

"Nicholas." He heard his father's somber voice as he was pulled back from his memories. He struggled as he was torn between remembering more and being in the present.

Nicholas took a deep breath as he let go of the memories, hoping that he could recall them later on.

"I'm sorry, father, I was lost in thought." Nicholas shook his head as the king looked him over before nodding.

"Your mother was an excellent healer, the best corporali around." The king praised as he walked back to his seat. "She was also always kind, she never cared if I was a prince or a king, I was simply a person to her."

Nicholas nodded as he listened to his father's story. He couldn't help but wonder why the king was telling him this now, he had years to talk to Nicholas about this matter, so why now of all times.

"I won't keep you, I know that your injuries still need to be healed and with your limited mana core you still need to be seen by other corporali." Suddenly all signs of vulnerability vanished from the king's voice and expression.

He was back to being the strong leader of Merlen that had to murder his own brothers for the throne.

"Thank you for telling me about my mother, father." Nicholas resumed his formal demeanor as well as he stood up and bowed at the king.

"There will be Cruor magic lessons tomorrow with your brothers, I've invited Brie to watch as well even if the magic does not flow in the female line." King Alexander informed his son before he dismissed him. "You may choose to rest."

"I'll be there, father." Nicholas then turned and left.

He knew that the king had no hopes for him, the only reason he invited his weakest son was to not seem biased against him.