Balancer (Advent Mage Cycle) (31 page)

I didn’t get a chance to say one word. Nolan spied his waiting grandfather and father and bounced forward almost before the earth had properly formed under his feet. “Da!”

Audax took two long strides before kneeling down and catching his son up into a tight embrace. A coil of tension I hadn’t been aware of eased out of the prince’s shoulders as his son fit into his arms. Vonlorisen knelt beside the two, laying an arm around Nolan’s shoulders. The boy squirmed a bit until he could reach out and touch his grandfather too.

Vonlorisen looked up at me, eyes bright with unshed tears. “Thank you, Garth.”

I gave him a half-bow, smiling, before disappearing back into the earth and letting them have some privacy.

Satisfied with the day’s work, I went back to Del’Hain for a good night’s sleep.

~*~

The next day and well into the following morning, it seemed like all I did was run around in mad circles, talking to people. I had to talk to all my new instructors about the academy and have them start creating course curriculums; I had to tell my family about all of the new developments; I had to update King Guin; I had to go to the Sojavel Ra Institute again to dig for information. The vote so far was that since I was the Earth Mage, it would be my job to construct all of the buildings for the campus. I had to admit, it would be a lot faster than the traditional method, but I didn’t know one thing about architecture. I’d have to study up a bit. Besides, they’d found plans for some of the ancient Chahiran academies. If possible, I wanted to carry as many of the old traditions forward as I could. Using Chahiran architecture in the new academy seemed like a good starting point.

I also contacted Saroya and asked for him to put together a list of architects that I could confer with. He promised to do so, or at least have one of his men do so, at first opportunity. I didn’t get to keep him for long as he and the team were still doing a bit of cleanup. The majority of the Priests were not in prison, but a few were still hiding somewhere in Chahir. The team wasn’t really searching for them actively, however. Mostly, what they were now doing were reports. According to Shad, they were endless reports on all of the action that had taken place. Audax apparently insisted that before they could be officially released, he needed detailed reports of everything that happened so that he could make any legal charges stick. Besides, the reports were necessary for historical documentation as well.

Good thing I escaped to Hain when I did. I wasn’t exactly good at describing things or putting an accurate account down on paper.

Chatta, bless her, volunteered to start planning the wedding until I could get the initial plans and designs for the academy ironed out. I had gone early this morning and fetched her mother so that she, my mother, and Chatta could all sit down together and dive in. Our respective fathers wisely found other things to do, well away from the controlled chaos of the Wedding Planning Conference Room, or “The War Room,” as I liked to think of it.

Part of the problem was that our wedding had suddenly become a main focal point of interest for a diverse group of people. Guin and Chaelane wanted to host the wedding at the Palace. Vonlorisen, not to be out maneuvered, now wanted to host it as well, in Chahir. On top of that, the Trasdee Evondit Orra had expressed interest in taking part too. As if blending two culture’s traditions for one wedding wasn’t enough of a headache, we suddenly had to be aware of a lot of political aspects we might be affecting as well. I was secretly relieved that I only had to focus on the academy. Lifting mountain sized slabs of stone into place with my cousin was much more to my liking. Chatta and her talented minions could smooth out all of the rough edges on our pending nuptials. It would make Chatta happy to have everything for our wedding the way she wanted it, and I was content to just show up and say whatever they wanted me to. A happy bride was always a good omen for any marriage, no matter where it took place.

The day before I was scheduled to go talk to Vonlorisen about being the Dean of the academy, I decided some additional research was in order, and went digging for some more blueprints. I was just coming into my suite at the Palace, arms full of scrolls that I had scrounged up at the Sojavel Ra Institute, when Night’s voice sounded an alarm in my head that made me drop the entire load on the floor.

“
Garth, Chatta is in trouble!”

Out of sheer instinct, I immediately spun for the door, dodging blueprints with my boots, demanding from Night as I ran, “Where is she? What’s the problem?”

“
She’s in her mother’s study here in the Palace, with your mother, and they’re having trouble with wedding plans.”

I stopped dead in my tracks. I wouldn’t have batted an eye defending her from a killing attack by a deranged Fire Mage bent on her destruction, but
this
, this was truly serious and made my blood run cold.

“
Garth,
” Night said reprovingly. “
The love of your life is crying out for your help, and this is going to be your reaction? Coward!”

I could hear the unmistakable laughter in his voice and gritted my teeth. Still, I was intensely reluctant to move. There was no way that I wanted to be in the same room as my mother and soon-to-be-mother-in-law—not to mention my fiancée—with wedding plan problems as the main topic of conversation. Just because I have a reputation for finding trouble, doesn’t mean I actively go
looking
for it.

“
If you don’t go right now, I’ll inform her you have abandoned her,”
he added with ruthless amusement.

Traitor… “I’m going, I’m going,” I grumbled, with all of the attendant cheer of a condemned prisoner heading for the gallows.

~*~

When I opened the door to the infamous Wedding Planning Conference Room, I almost felt guilty for my reluctance. Chatta looked so relieved to see me, bouncing up immediately to hug me around the waist, burying her head against my shoulder. I hugged her back, and looked warily at the two mothers sitting at a table mounded over with samples, brochures, pamphlets, and calendars.

“Night said something was wrong.”

“I’m
so
glad you’re here,” Chatta sighed, arms tightening. “Garth, can we please elope?”

“Are you
trying
to get me killed?” I protested instantly in genuine alarm.

“My father won’t be mad if we do,” she assured me earnestly, looking up with a pleading expression.

“It’s not your father I’m afraid of,” I retorted, “it’s my mother.”

“Wise of you,” Mom murmured with a twinkle in her eye.

One woman in my life was pleased with me, but the other certainly wasn’t. Chatta was definitely sulking. Things had to be bad for her to react like this. I might as well get to the bottom of the problem, whatever it was, and resolve it before she elopes without me.

“So what’s wrong?”

“The wedding vows,” L-Nolita informed me with a displeased frown at my mother. “Chahiran vows are not truly legal under Hainian law.”

I blinked at this. “You’re joking.”

“She’s not,” Chatta growled darkly.

“And I do not feel that Hainian vows are…complete enough,” Mom added with a sideways glance at L-Nolita. “I do not feel comfortable with you taking such vows and living with Chatta.”

Great…that was just great. I rubbed at one temple. “So, why are the Chahiran vows not legal?”

“They do not require a witness’s signature, for one,” L-Nolita explained.

I stared at her blankly. “Why would witnesses be necessary?”

It was L-Nolita’s turn to stare at me blankly. “You truly do not feel that your wedding needs to be properly witnessed?”

Chatta finally turned to face the room again, keeping her arm around my waist. “I told you, to a Chahiran, his word is legally binding. I’ve seen Garth give his word as a Rheben several times, and every single time, it was as legal as any written contract. To a Chahiran, his word is quite literally his bond.”

L-Nolita accepted this with a provisional nod. “Still, in Hain…”

“It’s not legal, I understand,” I finished wearily. I was beginning to understand why Chatta wanted to elope. “Very well, is there any rule against us just saying both vows?”

All three women stared at me like I had just sprouted an angelic halo. Hadn’t this idea already occurred to them? Or had they been staring at the problem so long they couldn’t think outside of its narrow parameters anymore?

“Would you be willing to?” Chatta asked me hopefully.

“Of course. I don’t mind being married to you twice over,” I added just to make her smile.

She beamed up at me. “Then let’s do that. Now, next problem.” Taking my arm, she started dragging me to the table.

Wait, next problem? There was more than one? I wanted to dig in my heels. Better, I wanted to run out the door. Chatta’s iron grip on my arm made that impossible.

She guided me into a chair and pointed at a diagram roughly drawn out in front of me. “This is the dimensions of the reception area. We’ve been trying to figure out the proper way of stationing both nations’ monarchs without making any political statements.”

I stared at the drawing in front of me and knew that I was doomed.

~*~

After spending an entire afternoon “discussing” wedding plans with three women, I thought that talking with Vonlorisen about the site of an academy would be a lark.

Actually, those three women were downright reasonable in comparison to a stubborn king.

In the week that I had been absent from Alvacon, Vonlorisen had somehow gotten it in his head that he knew the
perfect
site for the new academy. In fact, his entire desk was covered in terrain maps, survey reports, and budget proposals for it. I’m used to sitting in this man’s study and not being able to see the top of the desk, but this was ridiculous. I could barely see him over all of the paper! And what I could see was worrying. The man had a smile stretched from ear to ear.

The problem was, he wanted it built just on the outskirts of the capitol.

I didn’t.

Oh, I knew what motivated him. He’d just gotten Nolan back, after all. He didn’t want to have to separate again in a few years so that his grandson could have the training he needed. He wanted to keep him close. And considering how young Nolan would be when his Mage powers awoke, I understood the concerns. But I couldn’t let one child—even a prince—dictate the future for the entire academy’s students.

But how to convince
him
of that?

I blew out a breath and reminded myself to be patient. “Sire, while I grant you the area is large enough for an academy—”

“Isn’t it?” he agreed, beaming.

“—I have several reasons to refuse the site,” I finished firmly.

His cheerful smile dropped abruptly from his face with such force that it pulled a frown into place. “What?” he demanded in a low growl.

“We cannot build the Academy so close to the capitol.
Any
capitol.” I could just see an argument brewing to the surface so I hastily continued before he overruled me with an outright command. “Do you remember the last time that politics and magic mixed? An outright war broke out and nearly decimated this country. I don’t dare put an Academy of powerful magicians near a seat of political power. The temptation would be too much. On
both
sides.”

“You wouldn’t let that happen,” Vonlorisen refuted with absolute faith.

“Not my generation, no,” I agreed, a little touched that he had such rock solid trust in me. “But what about your grandson’s generation? Nolan will be the perfect conduit for it. A magical prince. Think about the pressures
he
will face.”

Vonlorisen opened his mouth to contest the point but then stopped, dawning realization sweeping over his face. “Your point is…well made. Alright.” He slumped a little, casting an irritated look at all of the plans in front of him. “Well, Garth, where do you think we should put it?”

“I don’t know,” I admitted frankly, almost sheepishly. “Don’t frown at me like that, Sire. I’ve barely had a week to think about it.” Actually, with all of the wedding planning, I’d had less than that. “I’m still putting together possible plans and experts to consult. The site has to be out of bounds for any political power base. It must be isolated enough to allow room for expansion, should the need arise.” And with it being the only Academy in Chahir, I expected that need to happen sooner than later. “I want it in a very defensible place as well, considering that most of the citizens of Chahir have mixed feelings about magic. I don’t want to worry about the students’ safety.”

“Those are all valid concerns,” he conceded with a weary sigh. “You have put a great deal of thought into it. I cannot think of any location that matches your specifications, however.”

I tried not to grin at him. “Sire, if I can’t find a place, I can build it. I’ve already made an island. Surely the location of a school wouldn’t be more difficult than that.”

He chuckled outright. “I’d forgotten you’d done that. Alright, I shall cease to worry about this. But I want the initial plans done soon.”

“They’re my first priority,” I promised him. “Now, by your leave, I want to go ask some architects a great many questions.”

He shooed me out with a rueful smile on his face. As I stepped out of the door, I heard the whoosh and thump of several armloads of paper hit the floor. The project academy site plans, no doubt. Don’t tell me he does that sort of thing often?

I felt sorry for his secretary, whoever that was.

I spent the next several hours with the two architects that Saroya suggested to me. I’d brought along a few plans of Chahiran academies that I’d liked and they looked them over carefully. We debated different methods of construction, materials, sites, and the like for four hours or so. My mind felt stuffed to the rafters with new information by the time I stopped the meeting. They’d answered my questions, but at the same time, given me a whole new set.

It made me revise some of my ideas and I knew that I needed to go back to my study and rethink my approach on several things. But first, while I was still in Alvacon, I wanted to check in with the team and see how they fared.