"What do you mean, what?" the Prince gaped at Ater.
"What part is unclear to you?" Arbor asked cautiously, raising an eyebrow.
"Uhm… You think you can trick my father into lifting the curse from me?" the Prince asked.
"Yes… Yes, I think I can! The Black Tree Festival starts in a few weeks; that's when I'll try to put the plan into action!"
"And part of that plan… is to betray the Great Chief…?" the Prince asked reluctantly.
"Yes! He has to believe he's cursing you!" Ater was explaining this to the Prince for the fourth time.
"I… What would anger him so much? What act would drive him to that extent, again?"
Ater laughed, "Now you're asking the right questions. I have an idea…"
Ater shared his idea.
"No," the Prince said with enough coldness to freeze an ocean all the way to Novus Mundi.
"Oh really? Got a better idea?" Ater retorted somewhat defiantly.
"Are you sure my magic is worth that much?" the Prince asked.
"Of course it is! Eldricka is the strongest branch of magic!" Ater shouted.
"Eldricka has its advantages and disadvantages…" the Prince responded mysteriously.
"Disadvantages?" Ater asked, confused. He had never heard of Eldricka having disadvantages…
"It doesn't matter… I'll accept your plan… for now. Inform Her Majesty," the Prince said, waving his hand. The doctor bowed shallowly and left the room. On his way to his and Theresa's room, he jumped with joy. So far, everything was going perfectly…
The Prince crossed his fingers and placed them under his chin, 'Ater wants me to declare myself the king of the Holy Roman Empire and declare war on Mundi… That would practically ruin all my father's plans,' the Prince thought.
'From this distance, that's the only thing that would anger him so much… But the rest of the plan relies on my trust in Ater, which I've never questioned. Neither has he, considering he proposed such a crazy plan. With Eldricka, all of Europe will be eating out of my hand. I hope the end justifies the means.'
Ater entered the Queen's chambers. The Queen was sitting on her bed reading a book by the red light that passed through the barrier from outside.
"Your Majesty!" Arbor greeted Queen Theresa with a broad smile, spreading his arms.
"Oh… Hello…" she said somewhat tiredly, closing the book. "What's happening that you're greeting me so happily?"
"You're getting married! Congratulations!" Ater said.
"W-what? To whom?"
"To the Prince!"
"No"
"Yes"
"NO"
"Yes yes"
"NOOO"
"Hihi, yes"
Ater explained it to her.
"My answer is still NO!" the Queen shouted, crossing her arms.
Ater approached. He towered over her. Their noses were an inch apart.
"You can say yes on your own, or I'll make you," the change in tone was incredible. All the warmth, cheerfulness, and fun disappeared. The Queen swallowed hard. Ater can be terrifying.
"C-can I think about it?" Theresa asked, wringing her fingers.
Ater ignored her. "Wear a nice dress, the ceremony is tomorrow."
"TOMORROW?" the Queen asked, horrified.
"Yes, tomorrow… Now excuse me, I must see Frejo," Ater turned and exited through the barrier at the door. The Queen hugged her knees and began to cry.
"Frejo! Friend! How's the Catalyst progressing?" Ater burst into his room like a storm.
Frejo was hunched over a table. The table was cluttered with small tools. When Ater entered the room, Frejo was holding a sparkling stone in his right hand and a tool that looked much like a Swiss army knife in his left. He jumped at Ater's unexpected visit.
"Oh… It's you… Hello Dark Doctor."
"Dark Doctor?" Ater asked, confused.
"That's what Her Majesty calls you," Frejo teased him, "what brings you here?"
"How's the Catalyst progressing?" Arbor began conversationally.
"Excellent. It'll be done in a few days."
"Yes… About that… You'll need to finish it... by tomorrow."
"What? Why?" Frejo asked.
Ater conveyed the plan to him. Frejo nodded, "You're acting so hastily?"
Ater didn't care. "Tomorrow I'm returning to the Continent. The Catalyst better be ready."
"If you want it finished, come help, plan-maker," Frejo said sarcastically.
Ater sighed and approached. He picked up one of the tools. "Tell me the frequencies, I'll tune," Ater said.
The Catalyst was one of the newer inventions of Mundi. With the help of lightning magic, Mundi's lightning masters could teleport themselves and others over considerable distances. However, that distance was limited to between 100-250 meters depending on the skill and strength of the wizard. Two Catalysts erase that limit. A Mundi who commands lightning is needed on both sides of the device, and when both channel energy into the Catalyst, a person or people in a predetermined zone will be transported to the connected Catalyst.
The Catalyst Frejo was making was supposed to serve to transfer a larger number of Mundi to Europe, but Ater had another idea. As soon as the Catalyst was ready, he would transfer himself back to the Continent and bring the news of the 'traitorous' Prince to the Great Chief. There he would suggest casting a curse on the Prince. As a master of blood, he would draw the Blood Stars slightly differently, and the Prince's curse would be lifted. At least that's what Ater told his companions.
Frejo and Ater worked late into the night. When they finally finished, dawn was already creeping in. Frejo was the first to wake up. He didn't want to deal with a grumpy, tired Ater, so he let him sleep on the table. He picked up the Catalyst, which consisted of three parts: a small altar full of colorful crystals, a miniature circular podium, and a very large lever. Frejo took it all to the garden and threw himself into the final preparations.
Arbor finally came to his senses. He looked out the window of Frejo's room and saw him working diligently. Ater had a dream he didn't expect… He couldn't believe he actually cared.
'Ugh, what a bummer,' Ater thought. He went to the Queen's room.
He stopped in front of the blood barrier that stood over the door. He pulled out a small empty glass vial and waved his hand. The barrier on the door turned into ordinary blood that hovered in the air for a moment before pouring into the vial.
Ater stepped into the Queen's chambers.
"What do YOU want?" the Queen asked defiantly.
"Today I'm going back to Novus Mundi, we're very short on time…," 'and I didn't expect the Prince to accept the plan so easily, he's suspicious,' Ater thought.
"You're leaving me ALONE to be the wife of that MONSTER?" the Queen asked, horrified. Her lip trembled; she was ready to cry again.
Ater delved deep into his emotions. He cared for the Queen more than he was willing to admit. He hated it. He hated himself for it.
"I'll come back for you. I promise," Ater said and approached the Queen. He spread his arms inviting her for a hug.
Theresa turned away from him. She didn't know how long she could hold back the tears. She cared for Arbor more than she dared to admit. She hated it. She hated herself for it.
"I'll be waiting," Theresa said while Ater was still standing with his arms wide open. Arbor sighed deeply, lowered his arms, and left without a word. 'If you knew the full extent of my plan, it would be much easier for you. But I can't risk you saying anything to the Prince,' Ater thought.
On his way to the garden, he met Antonus: "How long will you be gone?" he asked.
"A few weeks at most…" Ater said. He shifted from foot to foot, visibly nervous.
"What's bothering you, Doc?"
"Listen… I need to ask you a favor…," Arbor said reluctantly, "I know you're not… interested… in women, so only you can be trusted with this. I want you to sleep in my bed from tomorrow, with the Queen in the room, and make sure she doesn't try anything foolish. Also, give her this," Ater pulled out a small box from his coat, "tell her it's… a wedding gift from me."
Antonus just nodded. They shook hands and parted ways.
Ater approached Frejo, who had finished setting up the Catalyst and was now sitting on the grass beside it. The Prince was sitting next to him. The two were chatting quietly. They stopped as soon as Ater approached.
"Oh, Dark Doctor, are you ready for the long-awaited return to your homeland?" the Prince asked with a characteristic smile on his face.
'Oh dear… That awful nickname has really spread,' Arbor thought.
"Yes… Trust me, I'll see this through to the end. I'll return your magic, Prince," Ater said, patting his chest earnestly.
Arbor stood on the podium. He looked at Frejo and put his hands behind his back. "Advisor, take care of the Prince while I'm away."
Frejo nodded and pulled the lever. Out of the blue, the darkest blue lightning bolt streaked down the horizon, striking Ater. The next moment, Ater was gone.
The Prince laughed, "Well… That was easier than I expected!"
Frejo looked at him, "Why did you agree to this so easily? You thought about betraying your father… for what? Five minutes?"
The Prince crossed his arms.
"Listen, ever since he cursed me, I've been plotting revenge. Sooner or later, I'd be in conflict with him again. This way, if I get my magic back, I'll have a much better chance."
Frejo was still not satisfied, "What if Ater doesn't draw the Blood Stars correctly, accidentally or on purpose? You'll have another curse on your shoulders, who knows what kind!"
The Prince looked at him with piercing eyes. Frejo was the first to look away.
"You don't know what it's like to live without magic," the Prince said shortly and went back to the castle."