The Contest

Chapter 15: Prince Broderick Lumos III

Governor Divitis looks as though he is about to object somehow, but I take up my father's train of thought, cutting him off, "We will continue our tour. We will not be phased by this blatant attempt on the king's life, showing that we are not afraid. The people will like to see a strong leader, especially in such dangerous times." Father looks around, both pleased with me and displeased with everyone else. He finishes for me, "Everything will return to normal, and unless you have new information to report, none of us will act like anything is different now. Understood?"

Everyone around the table nods, with varying levels of enthusiasm. I specifically notice that Madame Venita seems hesitant to brush this all off and move on. I make a mental note to corner her later and chat. These are difficult political waters that I will have to learn to navigate before becoming First Prince. I catch her eye from across the table as well all go our separate ways at Father's dismissal. They are not cheery and light like the rest of her appearance. Her eyes are a storm, and I must be careful not to be caught in it.

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"My Prince, to what do I owe the pleasure of being followed?" Madame Venita stands in the middle of the hallway, her back still turned to me. I let my illusion of invisibility fall in surprise, but she explains before I can even ask. "You disturbed the air in the hallway as you walked." She smirks over one shoulder at me, "The air is mine."

I shrug, because her knowing I'm here only helps my situation. I had hoped for a more private discussion, but the hallway is empty, so there's no harm here. Madame Venita turns around and stands with her hands on her hips waiting for me to explain myself. Her face is unreadable, but behind her mask is a power I can't even fathom, so I try to tread lightly.

"I understand that your Noble Line hasn't always agreed with the Lumos Kings-"

She cuts me off with a laugh and a wave of her hand. "Prince Broderick, it isn't that my Line disagrees with your family. It goes much deeper, my prince. I wouldn't dare to oppose your father openly, but I have every reason to. I would never try to get him killed, but no one in my family would blame me. If I hadn't stood between them, Venita and Lumos would have torn each other apart years ago, when your father ascended to the throne." I am shocked into silence by the tone of her words. She is hurting as she spews blasphemy against my father. Her family hates my father, she hates my father, but for some reason she still shields him from the brunt of the Noble Line of Venita.
She gestures to a door slightly behind her on one side of the hall. "Would you like to get out of the hallway? I imagine this is all new to you." I nod quietly, trying to process, but not just the words. I keep an eye on her mannerisms, open to the possibility that she could use me to get to the king, but the look on her face seems genuine enough. I step in, opening the door to see a small sparsely decorated guest room. This must be where she planned to stay while she visited.

The door clicks shut behind me as I sit on the edge of a bed tucked in the corner. Madame Venita sits down at a desk along the wall and turns in the chair to face me. I start, "Madame Venita," but she cuts me off again. "Please, Prince Broderick, call me Aeria." I stumble, but continue, "Okay, Aeria. What is your real problem with my father?"

She takes a deep breath, a ragged sound that betrays a deep hurt. She looks up and her eyes are swimming with emotions I can't read. "Broderick, what do you know about The Tournament of Succession?" I have almost no recognition of that, and she reads that on my face. "I thought so."

She draws herself up in her chair, settling into storytelling mode. "The Noble Lines like to keep secrets to themselves, even traditions important to the kingdom. Since the founding of Regnum, there have inevitably been disputes over who would rule. Nobody would settle for the simple rule of inheritance. No Noble Line was satisfied with sitting back while one Line ruled indefinitely. So, in their infinite wisdom, the Council of Regnum founded an institution for the ages. The Tournament of Succession."

The weight behind her words hits me as I realize what she's trying to say, but she isn't done. "Every time a king passes, the Noble Lines send their Leaders to a special session of the Council. At the Council, the Leaders each present a Successor from their Line. These champions will battle at a tournament to determine who ascends to the throne. These tournaments are set every time the king dies. Every time." My eyes widen, and I can't stop myself from muttering, "My grandfather..."

"Your grandfather never competed in a tournament. The Successors have a chance, outside of Council influence, to negotiate a peaceful ascension. Often, this is what results in a single lineage obtaining the throne for generations. Your grandfather inherited his throne through politics, like his father before him. The Lumos Line has rarely ever been challenged, because as much as anyone hates to admit it, you all govern well. But, as hard as it is to understand, your father's claim to the throne was quite contested."

"Times were different then, for the kingdom and your father." She looks up with a funny smile, "We were close in those days. In fact, if you can believe it, we were to be married." The thought that my father was engaged to Aeria Venita seems outlandish, but at the same time it does connect a few dots. But why would Father leave her for Mother?

"After the death of King Broderick Lumos, the Council convened to present their Successors. My brother was the chosen Successor of the Noble Line of Venita. Your father was to represent Lumos, obviously. Governor Divitis was there as well. And many, many others." She sighs sadly. "I was allowed to attend, as the betrothed of the First Prince. I sat in on the Council meeting that presented the Successors, but I was not allowed to be in the gathering of the Successors. They were to meet in complete confidence to negotiate a peaceful ascension."

I piece together what I know of my father with her story and hazard a guess, "My father had opposition." She nods, looking down at her folded hands. "My brother opposed him, as did a few others. Most of the Successors bowed out of the possible Tournament, pledging support to either your father or my brother." She sniffs, wiping away a tear. "The tournament was set for the next day, none of those involved enjoyed wasting time."

"Now don't misunderstand, the Tournament of Succession does not have to be a battle to the death. Successors can drop out of the fighting at any time of their choosing. But naturally my brother thought he had nothing to fear. 'Arden Venita, the windwalker Successor, will not be stopped by a human candle' he would say." She shakes her head, wiping away more tears. "He thought your father was weak. And he was very, very wrong."

Aeria looks at me with pain in her eyes, "My family would never forgive your father for killing Arden. So much so that my father in his infinite wisdom, broke off my engagement for me. As if I never had a choice, as if love didn't matter worth a damn!" She sobs into her hands, the papers on the desk behind her fluttering as a breeze blows around the room.

She looks up at me with tears streaming down her face and practically growls. "And what did your father do? What did the great Broderick Lumos II do? How did the love of my life react to killing the brother of his betrothed? He ran off with that tramp from the Noble Line of Canethi, marrying her within the year." I stand, wondering whether I should slowly leave or comfort the grieving leader of the Noble Line of Venita.

She answers for me, "I never spoke to your father again..." I can't leave when she ends with a thought like that. "I had never seen your father, never even been in the same town as him until today. And the first day in over twenty years that we're remotely near each other, something draws us into the same damn Manor. Call it what you will, assassins, fate, destiny, a fluke, but something drew us into this Manor together to watch me suffer, to make me miserable."

As I walk out slowly, deciding she will benefit more from alone time than comfort, I am followed out by the last words I want to hear.

"And I think it's working."