The Mage Wars

Lake Oxy

Galen finishes his climb up to the royal box. He takes a moment to fix his blonde ponytail before offering me his arm and a swim in Lake Oxy. He tells me he's been dying to see the waters since we left Vespera. 

I ask if he's exhausted. There is no shame in waiting another day if he is too tired. After that trial, I'd be too tired to swim in Lake Oxy's crystal waters. 

"I'm fine,"

"Then what are we waiting for?"

Galen's deep chuckles echo in my ears. How wonderful to hear such a thing. He always had the best laugh. 

We begin following in my father and uncle's footsteps. Swimming in such a long dress will be rather hard. I'll need something shorter. Something like my swimming costume in the castle. The last one I had made in Vespera was from the year 13004. It has since gone out of fashion, but it will work splendidly. 

Galen will also need his swimming costume. And perhaps a chaperone...Kaelen might want to come. He's always loved Lake Oxy. We'll have to ask him. 

Galen and I enter the castle and walk to our rooms in the royal wing. Along the way, we bump into my younger brother. Liron. 

Over the last two years, my brother has grown at the very least five inches. He nearly towers over me. Another few inches, and he'll be the same height as Kaelen. 

I have to stand on my toes to wrap my arms around his neck. It's a reach, but I manage. "Spirits, Liron, you've grown so much!"

"You've shrunk!" 

"I have not!"

Liron wraps his arm around my shoulders and pulls me close like I used to do to him. He chuckles and asks us where we are off to. 

"Lake Oxy," I glance at Galen. 

The duke smiles, shaking his head. He knows we need a chaperone, and Liron is as good as any, even if he's fourteen. Galen asks if he'd like to come. Liron thinks hard for a moment. He smiles, pulls me closer, and says he'd love to come.

I wiggle out of my brother's grasp and tell him to meet us outside my rooms in ten minutes. True to the time limit I placed, we are ready in ten minutes. The trek to Lake Oxy takes us half an hour. Even after all this time, I still remember the way. 

After half an hour, the glittering lake comes into view. The pristine water glows with the afternoon sun. It's beautiful. And exactly how I remember it. 

I drop my change of clothes by a tree near the lake yet far enough to keep dry. Then, as I walk up to the water, I step out of my boots. When I'm at the edge, I dip my toes in. It's wonderfully warm. Blessedly so in the second month of fall. 

My ears twitch at the shuffling of feet behind me. What are they planning? I don't get to ask because I'm sailing through the air toward the crystal water the next moment. My whole body becomes submerged, and the warm water swallows me like a hug. 

I come up for air and frown at Galen standing at the edge. Right where I once stood. 

Galen laughs. Liron, on the other hand, stares at the duke. With both the males distracted I pull on my limited water magic and pull them in. When my brother and Galen surface, they also sport frowns. 

This time, it's my turn to laugh. The males don't take that kindly. They begin splashing. Then they remember how I got them in the water. 

For a few hours, we lounge in the water. Occasionally, we hold our breath and touch the bottom. I ended up bringing a rock up from the bottom. Galen tried a few times but failed to reach a rock without running out of air or using magic. 

The afternoon turned out to be wonderful and relaxing. I needed this after a long journey from Vanora and starting the Kingship assessment. 

It's only when the sun is setting that we make the hike back to civilization. 

Back at the castle, Father's high mage, Bryren, urges us to hurry. She rushes us up the stairs to change. Dinner is waiting to start. And it seems we are the culprits. 

As quickly as we can, we race for our rooms to change. A bath will have to wait. As I change, I use a crystal to call will Neirin—a quick check-up on how things are progressing. Thankfully, I use the spell I used two years ago after the mishap with Mother and Father. 

Neirin finds it a lot of work for one person and has resorted to Guinevere's aid. I applaud his resourcefulness. But he tells me her idea was to let him stress her out with work. Neirin wanted to keep her where she was and not add to her stress. 

Guinevere had other ideas. 

I bid farewell to my cousin and pass my hand through the blue mist. The connection is severed, and I run my brush through my hair. 

In record time, Galen meets me outside my rooms, dressed and ready to socialize. His red jacket matches my red dress. I haven't worn this in two years. It still fits but is also out of fashion. But Galen's jacket looks new. It follows the same trend as Father's jacket when he greeted us earlier. 

"Is that new?"

"King Avalon handed it to me when I left you to change. He apparently had it made for me,"

I laugh at Father's actions. He's always loved Galen like a son. The same can be said for Altair. Both males are unofficial members of our family. "He'll keep you up to date with fashion trends, but he won't help his own daughter,"

"I believe he's left that to Mother," Kaelen interjects. His jacket is also up to date with fashion trends. Oh, Father, you missed a family member. But I suppose Mother would choose a dress more fitting of me than Father. 

"A shame then, I'll have to look like how I looked back in 04,"

"Trends haven't changed that much," 

"No, but it shows,"

"Would you three hurry up," High Mage Bryren yells down the hall. "Prince Liron has already gone in," 

Not wanting to anger Father's high mage, my brother, Galen, and I follow her downstairs and to the throne room. The only appropriate place to host four Kings, a Queen, a Prince, five Lords, the kingdom's court and the reigning King of Vespera's family. 

After dinner, Uncle Carys pulls me aside and asks how Neirin reacted to being named regent. Well, he didn't waste any time. My Uncle looks worried, so I tell him truthfully how he took the news. "My bill stands, and you cannot look to hand over your crown before your hundred years are over,"

"You and my son misunderstand. I do not mean to hand over my crown next year. I plan to rule for two hundred years," 

"Ah, Neirin will be glad to hear," I smile softly. My cousin can finally stop worrying. Uncle Carys is not going to haul him back to Evanath. 

"I fear my last letter may have given him the wrong message," 

"Understatement of the year," I mutter. I read the letter before I left Vanora. It was not worded the best and certainly hinted at Neirin leaving Vanora in the next few years. 

Uncle Carys winces. "That bad?"

I nod. 

It's only at Galen's voice that I turn to listen to Father, Mother and the duke conversing. From what I gather, Father and Mother also went to Lake Oxy but saw us and decided to leave us in peace. 

"You saw us,"

"I will not confirm nor deny that we saw you." Father states, a smile worming onto his face. 

I shake my head and smile.