I finally got some time off from Araharn, leaving Suhzane to take care of her. Arhid offered to escort me, but I declined. I wasn't sure if I wanted him to see where I lived.
I met Rudolph sitting on the front step waiting for me.
"Will I see Father today?"
"Can't you even greet me?" I tsked.
"If you promise I'll see Father," he glared, looking cute with his silver threaded tunic and fiery golden eyes.
"I wasn't going to teach you mind magic--"
"No! I'm not learning anything, then!"
I grabbed him before he could stomp off.
"If you're really good at what I teach you today, and we do a good four hours, I'll let you see-- father,"
My brother's eyes lit up. He punched the air.
"I can do ten hours! Hey-- but that doesn't mean we will," he laughed.
"Iria will teach me swordplay, then," said Rudolph as he finished taking notes on alchemy, "but before you can worm yourself out of this, where is father?"
I sighed and sat down crosslegged on the floor, closing my eyes.
"Connect to my mind image, then,"
Could I face seeing father now? It wasn't really 'seeing' him, but still--
"All dark," Rudolph announced.
"Wait," I snapped.
Taking a deep breath, I recalled father's image from my memory. Unbidden his form appeared in the dark surroundings, his face only visible, the rest of his body melted into the dark hue.
I improved the surroundings, a sun in the 'sky', clouds, and the back-garden of our old house.
There was a bench in our garden and when this addition fell into place, my father strolled over to it and sat down, starring at me.
"Neiman,"
"Father,"
"Neiman," he smiled. The tunic he wore I recognized as his formal attire which he wore for meetings. His hair was braided at the sides and ended in a fish tail-like braid at the back of his head. His tanned hand rested on his lap.
"Father," an idea suddenly came into my head, "why did you banish uncle Ruhzhan?" I did not care that Rudolph was listening.
He looked startled.
"Where did you get such ideas?" He sighed, "did your mother tell you to ask me?" He looked fond, "she needn't worry. I won't let that rascally boy annoy me that far,"
I realized he was a memory.
"Father, could you banish him because he doesn't marry Samunn Rie?"
"No. I wouldn't,"
I realized that uncle's expulsion from our clan had more to it than it seemed.
"What would you banish him for?"
Father sighed.
"Neiman, as clan prince and head of this family, all I do is to protect you, who are most dear to me. Not only you, but Iria, your mother, your baby brother who is on the way--"
I gulped.
"-- and everyone else. Anyone who tries to hurt any of you will be gotten rid of,"
"Where might you send him to?"
There was no hesitation.
"To the North. Savitro Zhan has been asking for an Hakorhi delegate for centuries,"
At that point Rudolph decided that he not only wanted to see Father, he wanted to talk to him as well. Before I knew it, he had popped into my mind image as the ten year old boy that he was. Father glanced over at him once.
"You are?"
"Your son, Rudolph," and he ran up to him. Father said nothing.
"Neiman,"
"Yes, father?" I replied in a bare whisper.
"Do you remember when I told you that boundless mind enaction of mind images can either show us the past, present or future of any time and place?"
"Yes, father,"
"This must be one of those future enactions. Why don't you come, though? I want to see you as a young woman,"
I gulped. There was a stir in the atmosphere when i projected myself into the mind image. I put my hands at my back, overly conscious of myself.
"You are beautiful," Father smiled and held out a hand. I stumbled my way to him, crying freely.
"Is there a problem?"
"Sister is crying because you're not there with us in the future," Rudolph said carelessly, clinging to one of father's arms. Father looked surprised for a moment, but then his face went back to normal.
"Whew! Well, did I want to realise that fact when I embarked on boundless enaction this afternoon?" He sighed, "my mother used to say, when you are too curious, you get to find out unpleasant things," he pulled me into his embrace and gently rubbed my back, "don't cry too much, darling. Your mother is there to fill my place,"
"That's-- that's why I'm so sad!" I sobbed, "mother, you-- everyone! You're all gone!"
He now looked upset.
I sobbed even more, a little surprised that I could feel his pats on my back. He really had been a powerful magic user.
"I love you!" I cried.
"I love you too, Neiman. I'll make sure that I make the most of the time we're together,"
The mind image trembled.
"Son," he looked over at Rudolph, whose face was very very dry, "I love you too. I'm sorry that I don't get to meet you,"
The mind image shattered. Rudolph and I were spread-eagled on the floor, barely breathing.
"What do you think you're doing you stupid girl!"
I was so out of breath I couldn't respond. Tears from my eyes found their way into my nose, mouth and ears. I stared up at the ceiling, trying to catch my breath.
"Did you even realize that you had an immature mage connected to your mind image when you went blindlessly enacting?" Iria shreiked.
(Blindlessly is used by Iria as a pun, a replacement for 'boundlessly', which is a word that also doesn't exist)
"You could have killed him! Look at how you're exhausted yourself! What about-- Rudolph! Rudolph!"
I struggled to sit up but failed, terrified that something terrible had happened to my brother.
A good twenty minutes later, we were both lying on the beds in the room, strengthened by one of my medicines which Iria had concocted incorrectly but nevertheless did the trick.
"Now-- what in the whole wide world were you looking at?"
"Father," announced Rudolph, "Sister Nei was talking to him. He banished our uncle to someplace called Savitro Zhan. And it's not because he didn't marry someone,"
Iria looked at me for an explanation. I was too tired to talk.
"Yes. Rudolph is right,"
"So you happened to jam on some boundless enaction Father did sometime before uncle was banished, I gather?"
"I didn't jam on it. That was bound to happen,"
"I don't take too kindly to enaction. I consider it as showing off," Iria muttered.
"Everything is showing off when you can't do it," I found that I was suddenly angry.
"Say that again!" Iria turned on me, eyes burning. I sat up angrily.
"Sister Nei! Sister Iria! Stop!"
We stopped.
"I'm sorry. It was me. I was the one who forced sister Nei to create that mind image,"
Iria said nothing. I laid back down and so did Rudolph.
"How's Gladius?" Iria asked at last.
"I thought of wiping his memory--" I suddenly cut myself short.
"That's not necessary. Is he all right?"
"Cos I arrived there on time to stop the poison,"
"And Araharn?"
"Only a big disaster will stop her becoming crown princess,"
"Hmm. Great on both sides." She sipped her drink, "Rudolph,"
"Yes, sister?" Rudolph looked wary and excited at the same time.
"I need you for a job only a small boy like you can do,"
"I'm not that small though!" Rudolph protested. Iria ignored the comment. I was frowning, not liking where this was going.
"For the coronation rites Prince Theon will be needing a young male servant-- the boy holding the position before grew out of it-- so I'll figure a way to get you the job,"
"Iria--"
"He'll be fine. Khu will watch him,"
"Who's that?" I asked.
"I don't have to tell you everything,"
"So you mean you have someone watching me too?"
"Of course, silly girl,"
I thought of Arhid and blushed.
"I'm going back to the palace then. Remember to tell me the outcome of the meeting with the northern magic users,"
"If it's useful,"
.....
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