Elbauthin waited patiently, watching the book for a response, but nothing came. Perhaps she had simply read his message and gone straight to work - it did seem like something she would do, so he didn't doubt it if that was the case. With a sigh, he closed the book and rose to his feet. He walked over to the doorway and grabbed a bulky leather bag, tucking the journal into it. The brown leather had a small symbol branded into it - a four-pointed star that resembled a plus sign, with a detached dot at the end of each point. The symbol had been a recurring pattern in much of Pasiche's clothing - not for any reason, she'd told him, other than that it was a favourite fabric of the local seamstress - and he'd become very attached to the symbol. It always reminded him of her. He had loved Pasiche, but not as he had found was typical for a man to love a woman. His love for Pasiche had been very similar to his love for his mother. He had wanted to protect her, to teach her, and to learn from her. With Pasiche, he had felt safe and comfortable. He found joy in her company, but he had never felt the way most men tended to describe their feelings for women - he had never wanted to marry her, to give her children, to make love to her, or even to kiss her. He had been more than content with their platonic relationship, where she worshipped him as a god and as a mentor and he taught her, as a student or a sister.
Looping the strap of the bag over his shoulder and stepping quickly into his shoes, which were enchanted to lace themselves up, Elbauthin opened his door and stepped out. Though Sunset City was noted for its incredible beauty at the dawn and dusk hours, the daylight was just as beautiful. It was almost as if Sunset City was closer to the sun than any other city, as it appeared bigger in the sky, though that didn't have any effect on the temperature. Sunset City's magnificent beauty was exactly the reason Elbauthin had decided to settle down here - he had journeyed throughout the Kingdom, and though he felt that his abilities were well-suited to a life in Monadalia, the people there would quickly realize that he was one of the most powerful magic-users in history. Instead, he had chosen the peaceful beauty of Sunset City so that he could do his work and research in peace, surrounded by non magic-users who wouldn't recognize his abilities as anything more than regular magic.
There was a park here in the city. At dusk it was packed with people - travellers, visitors, and locals - who wished to see the sunset. Likewise, at dawn, it was packed with all those same types of peoples seeking to watch the sun rise over the horizon. There was a lot of kissing, there were proposals of marriage, and every now and then, a couple would duck behind a tree in the hopes of making love while watching the famous sun transitions, though such trysts were often caught and ended by guards before they even began. It made Elbauthin incredibly uncomfortable - not their sexuality, but the publicity of it all, as if they saw no troubles with deep kissing and lovemaking in public. Instead, he visited the park during the daylight hours when it was almost empty. It was a peaceful place, with parks and a few tables. Elbauthin would go and sit there for hours, reading and writing and practising his magic - and that was exactly what he intended to do today, to spend the day sitting in the sunlight at his favourite park and read. What he would read, he knew not yet - he would have to visit the market and see if any vendors had books for sale.
Kiera, gazing towards the Queen, gave a firm nod. Yes, my lady, I have finished my searching and I have found the result of the spell. She paused, thinking for a moment. Should she tell Clarice the truth about what Elbauthin had told her? He would not have programmed such a result into His spell if He didn't think it necessary, after all, nor would He have included a way to reverse it if He didn't think it would one day be necessary. Today was that day - Clarice was the Queen, and her husband needed an heir. She couldn't stand the thought of lying to the Queen and saying that she couldn't reverse the infertility troubles, because she could. She also didn't want to lie to Clarice about what was the cause of her fertility problem, but what if she didn't mention anything at all? Was that really a lie? If she told the young Queen that her children might possess some kind of unspeakable evil within them, Clarice might not be willing to go through with it. Kiera was here to help her, not to strike fear into her heart - if Clarice lived her life fearing her own children, then her fears might come true simply through her fear.
Your troubles are problematic, but reversible. There is a potion that I can brew to give you back your fertility - it will only work for two children, however. If you desire more after those two, I will have to brew another batch of the potion for you. Kiera paused for a moment. She knew that Clarice would be overjoyed to hear this news, and she knew that the Queen was probably going to request that she begin brewing the potion immediately. She had to tell Clarice about the one minor problem before the Queen had a chance to speak. There is one complication, however. To brew the potion, I need an enchanted chalice - a specific enchanted chalice - which is lost to me. Kiera paused again. She didn't want to outright proposition the Queen regarding her ideas. With an entire army and a Kingdom at her disposal, Clarice should have no trouble hiring somebody to locate the chalice. Instead, she wanted to let Clarice come to that conclusion on her own.[/hr]
