Epilogue #2
“I believe the common assumptions on that matter to be wrong, Your Majesty,” Zak said respectfully, but with confidence.
“I fully expect my children to equal my strength, although of course the status of their mother will prevent their surpassing it. I believe, however, that they will gain other attributes from her that will be worth any small sacrifice on that front.”
“A gamble,” the king said in something almost like a grumble.
“It will take twenty years to prove I’m right on this issue, but I am content to wait that long.” Zak looked sideways at me, his gaze warm. “I expect them to be a most joyous twenty years.”
“Well said!” the Spoken Mage murmured.
Faylee stepped forward, having lurked in the background for so long that I had nearly forgotten her presence.
“I know the Robarts would welcome it, were you to bestow your royal approval on this union,” she said in a formal voice that made me eye her with concern. She sounded nothing like herself.
But when I took in her expression and manner, I realized she wasn’t speaking as herself. She was speaking on behalf of her powerful and wealthy merchant family, not as a single individual.
She continued on, strength in her voice.
“We welcome the changing attitude toward commonborns in Ardann, even as we grieve our recent loss. It would bring us comfort in our grief to know that the crown supports those mages who begin to see your commonborn subjects differently.” She stepped back, and I waited with bated breath.
Still the king hesitated, glancing toward the queen.
It was Crown Princess Lucienne who stepped forward, speaking in her father’s place. “The crown welcomes young love wherever it is freely given.” She gave Zak and me a warm smile. “Of course we would be delighted to bless your union.”
The king let out a breath and nodded his head.
He might have been less ready than the younger generation to embrace change, but he didn’t mean to gainsay his daughter and heir.
Perhaps the rumors about his ill health were true.
Along with those that said the crown princess had been taking on more responsibilities of late.
Zak bowed again, giving his thanks on behalf of us both, and to my relief I quickly found myself back outside the door. Only when it closed behind us, shutting us off from the royal family, did I take an easy breath.
“Did that really happen?” I asked in a daze.
“It did!” Zak looked exultant. “My parents won’t dare oppose us now.” He turned to Faylee. “Thank you, Faylee.”
“Robarts pay our debts,” she said with a smile. “As I have made clear to my family.” From her fierce expression I wondered if it wasn’t only the royals who were in the middle of a gradual handover of power.
I stiffened as the door opened behind us, but thankfully there was no sign of the king. The room beyond the door looked empty, so the royals must have left through another entrance. Only the Spoken Mage remained in the doorway, the baby princess still in her arms.
She gave Zak a conspiratorial smile. “That went exceptionally well.” She spoke quietly but with conviction. “I wasn’t sure if Lucienne would speak up for us.”
I blinked at her. The Spoken Mage had conspired with Zak to orchestrate that scene? That seemed to confirm that Prince Lucas had surprised the king with his suggestion of a reward.
Princess Elena smiled at me. “I’m determined that I won’t be the only commonborn to benefit from a change in social status.
You have managed to win one of the best among the mageborn in Zakary, and I have high hopes that you will do much for the commonborn cause in the future—by your existence alone, although I’m sure your contribution won’t end there. ”
“Th…Thank you, Your Highness,” I managed, stumbling over my words.
“And if Zakary proves right,” she said, “we could yet change Ardann’s fate.”
“You think it’s possible, then?” Faylee asked.
“His reasoning is sound.” Elena looked thoughtful. “Let us consider it an investment for the future. It will take time before we can be certain, but I have hope that future generations will live very different lives from those of the past.”
“Let us hope so, indeed, Your Highness.” Faylee and the princess exchanged smiles.
“Zak has ideas about how the commonborn could be benefited now,” I blurted out, startled by my own daring.
But Princess Elena looked intrigued as she smiled from me to Zak. “Does he? I would be most glad to hear them some time. You must come and drink tea with Prince Lucas and me before your wedding, Zakary, so we can hear all about these ideas.”
Zak flushed with pleasure, bowing low. I took his arm, filled with pride, although I still didn’t understand everything that had just occurred.
I refrained from any questions, however, waiting until we’d bidden the Spoken Mage farewell, and the three of us were safely back inside Faylee’s carriage.
“I don’t understand,” I said, as the carriage rumbled off. “What was all that about changing the future?”
Zak grinned. “I thought my theory might get the Spoken Mage’s attention, and I was right. If I’m proved correct, it upends the established thinking about the best ways to preserve bloodlines of power.”
I blinked. “What?”
“If a powerful mage can marry a commonborn and his or her children will equal the power of the mage parent, then the crown should be encouraging mages to look to the commonborn population for romantic partners. We could increase the total number of mages exponentially within only a few generations.”
I gaped at him. “But—”
“Oh, the royals won’t do it themselves,” he said with a laugh.
“The crown must preserve its power. And there will always be couples among the mages, that’s inevitable.
But if we can increase the number of mage bloodlines proportional to the general population—if we can regain the numbers Ardann used to have before the old wars decimated the mage population… ”
Faylee leaned forward to grin at me. “We could be like the Sekali Empire, who never lost their original mage numbers.”
“You mean, everyone could be sealed as toddlers, like the Sekalis are?” I asked, not quite comprehending the enormity of what she was suggesting.
Faylee leaned back again, but her smile was one of satisfaction. “As Elena said, it’s not something that will happen all at once. But there is hope for the future.” She winked at me. “And profit to be made for those at the forefront of history.”
I shook my head, laughing in spite of myself. Of course Faylee had acted on my behalf for more reasons than one. It was no wonder people predicted she would be head of the Robarts before many more years had passed.
“But that’s all for the future.” Zak took my hand. “The important thing for now is that our betrothal has royal approval.”
He swayed toward me, but Faylee cleared her throat loudly, and he pulled back, glancing at her and chuckling.
“I confess there are a few more matters in the here and now that still interest me,” she said. “And I suspect Aria might be interested in at least one of them as well.”
I turned a questioning gaze on her, and she grinned, an expression that looked more predatory than amused. “I thought you might like to know that Teacher Wendell will never be receiving a job offer from the Robarts. He is entirely unsuitable—and untrustworthy besides.”
I nodded, part of me relieved to hear that his misuse of his position wasn’t going to be rewarded. But that meant he would remain in his current role, and I couldn’t help feeling bad for his students.
“I’m glad to hear he won’t receive a lucrative job offer,” Zak said grimly, clearly suffering no mixed feelings. “And I intend to make sure he doesn’t remain a teacher, either. He cannot be allowed to hold power over the future of any more young people.”
I squeezed his hand. “Thank you,” I murmured, my heart full. I hadn’t even needed to voice my concerns. Zak already shared them without needing any prompting from me.
He responded to the soft note in my voice, turning to me with a light in his eyes. “Will you agree to set a date for the wedding now?” His expression turned wheedling. “It can be as far away as you like, but I want to know how many days I need to count down.”
I laughed and slid against his side, tucking myself against his shoulder.
“Let me think,” I said in mock consideration, winking at Faylee on the other side of the carriage. “Perhaps the day after we graduate from the University? That’s only four years away.”
“Four years!” he cried in horror, and Faylee and I both broke into laughter.
“Very well, then,” I said in mock surrender when we regained control. “Perhaps we can set an earlier date.”
Zak gave a laugh of his own and dropped a kiss on the top of my head. “How about a midwinter wedding? I’ve heard those are lovely.”
I considered the idea, a grin spreading over my face. “That sounds perfect.”
Zak gazed down at me, so much love in his face that Faylee sighed.
“I’m still here,” she said, setting Zak and I off into a fresh round of laughter.
I wasn’t sure I was going to stop laughing with joy and delight for a long time to come. I had never imagined that my future could so far surpass the dreams I had worked so hard for. But with Zak at my side, I knew that we would fulfill every hope the Spoken Mage placed in us.