Not Giving Into Fate

22- Rides with the Grand Sorcerer

"What is it?"

"The elder has cheated death for too long, but she was cursed. She was cursed to live until all blades of grass dies, then she will pass and her body will nurture the new soil." Milo tells me of her curse. "She has lived for over a millennia and she wants to die. The first condition is that you find a way to break her curse."

I nod my head. "I'm sure with proper research I can find a way to help her."

"The second concerns her something- great grandson. He's the current chief, but they aren't doing well. She wants us to save her race. We have to find a way to let them rejoin our country and put her son in a position of power."

I frown. "That would mean he has to be a noble-"

"He is." Milo leans back. "His mother was from some Count in the countryside. She was the youngest but still a noble. Their people are tired of running and hiding from others. Relations have gotten better over the years, but... The second and third condition is that we make sure he sits in Parliament and that with his new position, he will have land where his people can live."

I bite my lip, processing it all. "This... this will take years. How long do we have?"

"Two years."

"What?" I cough. "How- Ivan won't agree to any of this! Even if we dethrone him with the second prince, there will be backlash and-"

"If we don't complete this in two years, you will die. The elder will send a curse to you and you will die in a second. We have to at least get the son in the Capitol in a few months and get him to befriend the Northern Prince."

I cover my eyes, the sudden gravity of the situation has me sinking against the seat. I hear some shuffling and and Milo removes my hands from my eyes.

"Look, I know it seems impossible, but we can do it." Milo urges me. "We have a basic plan already. Find the rings and make sure the Prince cannot access them. Get the Northern Prince into the Capitol where he make himself known, attend meetings as is his duty, attend social events and so on. Somehow, we will get society to turn against Ivan."

"I've befriended the girls." I say. "Warrens is loyal to a fault. If I can help her in some way where she feels indebted to me... we can get rid of Catherina and have society favor me over that bitch and Ivan."

"Good." Milo nods. "Look, your birthday is coming soon. Invite the chief and it will show them that we are starting to uphold our end of the deal. As we continue to raise the Northerner and steal the throne from Ivan, we bring the Chief in again. We have to make a deal of some sorts with the Northerner to get him to instate the Chief as a known noble."

"Milo... that's a lot of work for two people."

"It's not just us." He smiles. "You have the mages, Francis, your brother, his knights, and his people."

"And the Academy and the girls." I smile back.

"Yes." He pats my head. "We have people on our side now. You're already doing a fantastic job. All we have to keep doing is ruin Ivan's image to the point where people don't want him as King. He's not a good man, so it will be easy."

"Actually, I need your expertise." I say, changing the conversation to my current project. I tell Milo of Sir Pine, the black curse on his hand. Milo frowns, not having heard of a curse like this in centuries.

I tell him how he got it, and that it's in a language I haven't been able to crack yet. He lists off old languages, but I shake my head and tell him those are dead ends. We brainstorm bit, and after half and hour, he remembers an old language from the North.