"But Princess Eiko couldn't have given Prince Nikun her personal dagger…" Phari said, trailing off.
Her eyebrows furrowed as she looked to her husband. Arne gave her a slight nod and placed his hand on the small of her back, urging her to continue. She took in a deep breath and bit her bottom lip before turning back to face the crowd of royalties, who were staring at her like birds of prey.
"The rubies were charmed before the withdrawal of magic," Phari explained. "These weapons were given to the princes and princesses to protect themselves when they've come of age, but also, the rubies would be used as charms to keep them out of harm."
"Talismans of protection," Atticus said as he nodded in understanding. "Understandable. Rubies have strong protective properties. There should still be a large batch in circulation even now that can be used even if the wielder possessed no magical ability of their own."
