The forgotten Confirmation

The constant noise of workers made Anis' work all the more difficult. Over a thousand laborers of all qualifications toiled at the palace, setting up parking lots, preparing chambers, and finishing the decorations in the Rotunda that would host the prince's Confirmation ceremony. Several hundred guests were expected, and rooms and security had to be provided in a week. The capital's garrison had been supplemented with reinforcements from cities like Ankadi and Temisil, and over three hundred Magisterial Enforcers were expected to ensure security details at the palace.

For Anis, all of these things were little more than annoyances. Tolerable, as long as they didn't wander in the hall that housed his chambers. This time, he wished that they were just blown to the moon. The document in his hand required all of his attention, especially since what he was reading made no sense whatsoever. He had gone over the fifteen-page document several times in the last two days, and each read simply raised more questions than answers.

"When did this happen?"

"About three weeks ago, sir."

Anis looked up at his assistant, the urge to slap him becoming stronger and stronger. He was the Crown, in everything but name, and yet he had been kept in the dark deliberately. Information was critical for his position to be effective. And he knew there was only one place he could get it.

"Why wasn't I informed of this?"

"Sir, the event was reported with a five days delay. Moreover, as you know, the queen went into labor just last week. You had far too many things on your mind to be bothered with an attack on some town in..."

"Did it ever cross your mind that this was a prelude to an act of war? Potential invasion? In addition, this report is a pathetic example of data. What was it, some animal attack?"

"That was Department Seven's conclusion, yes sir."

Anis tapped his foot impatiently. There was more to this, of that he was sure. And the source was the best place to start. Things were slowly starting to unravel, and while he had his suspicion, he dreaded the implications that could follow from that.

"Thank you that will be all."

The young man nodded and walked out. Anis did the same, a few minutes later. Asking the usual channels was out of the question, now that the Magisterium was involved. The only option available to him was to go right to the source of the report. Besides, several preparations needed to be done before the Confirmation ceremony, and the Unseen Department had just what he required.

Half an hour later, he had left the palace, returning to the impressive structure that was just as essential to the running of Distria as the government itself. Once past the eastern gate, he was escorted to the large doors that lead to what could well have been the darkest wing of the structure.

While Department Nine was almost universally shunned by the court, and Department Five was so elusive that almost no one outside of those who worked there had any clue as to what went on in its chambers, Department Seven had the darkest reputation among them all. Infiltration of noble houses, espionage, assassination, blackmail, and bribery were the words that defined the sector. If the army was a hammer that brought lesser races to their knees, the Unseen Department was the dagger that was placed at the throats of survivors to keep them in check.

Anis did his best to keep a calm attitude. His signet had been taken at arrival and had to pass four different tests before being allowed entry. The two enforcers that escorted him barely spoke, and only answered some of the most basic of questions. Not that Anis had many to ask of them. And inside, he felt a strong sense of guilt watching them. Both were imprinted. Designed with the trait of obedience in mind. No loyalty to anyone but their overseers. Conditioned to act on command, to kill, torture, or hunt down. The same technology, he thought with dread, that was used to design their future king.

The corridor took a sharp turn, and the two escorts halted, waiting on either side of the door, before opening it. Anis walked into the windowless reverbochamber, where the man he had called for was already waiting. The room's doors were sealed with a hiss, leaving him alone with a solitary figure. Both men shook hands, with a politeness mandated more by their position than by their relationship.

"Your message certainly sounded urgent, Anis."

"It is. I trust we can talk freely here?"

The question was more rhetorical than anything else. Reverbochambers were designed to block out all sounds, from either side of their walls. Any conversation done within their walls was almost impossible to record. Anis sat at the lone table at the center of the room, and the other man followed, slightly slower due to his limp. Anis took out the material he had brought from his own office and set them on the table.

"There are two things that I need to discuss, Kem. The first is about what's found here."

"If you're about the attack on Pailt, then I'm afraid there's not much I can tell you. What you have there is all we know."

The man's cold, monotonous voice left no room for further elaboration. It was as genuine and convincing as it could be. As it was expected of a Watcher. Truth hidden in plain sight. Or rather, deception meant to promote truth. Anis had no trouble seeing beyond that. His mind, despite not being imprinted, had acquired the skills needed to detect deception in matters of state.

"Kem, let's not pretend here. I need information if I am to be an effective Steward. That is where you come in. What happened out there?"

The Watcher's eyes narrowed, measuring Anis from head to toe with the precision of a machine. His mind, trained to pick up any subtle movements and gestures, was trying to analyze the situation.

"I appreciate your concern. Truth be told, the information we have received is incomplete. That is not on our part. From what we can estimate, it was an animal attack. Regrettably, no physical traits remained to confirm its nature. All we have to go by are the surviving witnesses. And their reports are sketchy, to say the least."

"How can the body vanish?"

"Not vanish parse. We did find residue of it. None of it matches any data from animals from that area. Or from any place from which we have data."

"Then how can you rule out an attack from a foreign power?"

"Because it makes no logical sense. There are no competing states at our borders. Mere amalgamations of tribes and small fiefdoms. The ability to make a biological weapon, transport it in our territory, and use it against a target of no value is statistically impossible."

"What about its destruction? From what I've read here, it wasn't due to any of our weapons or troops."

"Correct. That remains one of the key aspects of the matter. It appeared to be immune to all conventional weapons, coupled with rapid regeneration. From what we've gathered, it was sentient enough to use a weapon, and it appeared to be capable of unleashing structure-destroying sounds. And as bizarre as it may be, we have at least several witnesses who said that it dueled against someone."

Things were starting to connect in Anis' mind. And even incomplete, the image was becoming frightening. He knew where the answers were. Getting them was a whole other problem. As dangerous as the potential implications for the future of Distria.

"I would very much like to talk to those witnesses."

"If only it were that easy. Our efforts are constantly hampered by a lack of cooperation on the part of the locals. You can guess that we aren't exactly welcomed there."

"They stand as much to gain from this as we do. Another attack could level that town, assuming it's of the same nature. Find out who was there that night. And most importantly, who did the attacker fight."

"We shall try, sir. But please, understand that we cannot give results earlier than..."

"That's hardly a problem. The Confirmation ceremony is next week. I expect that all the Department heads will be invited."

"Correct. Keeper has already nominated his replacement for the day. Now, what is the other problem?"

Anis took a glance at the chamber. Pure instinct overwhelmed his reason for a moment, which Kem had no trouble spotting. The Watcher's hand was already in the pocket of his black coat. There were dozens of ways in which he could die, none of them pleasant. Anis raised his hands, then placed them on the table, and Kem withdrew his hand as well.

"The second problem deals with another objective. One that needs thoughts to flee."

Kem's body tensed at the coded message. Looking at the aged Steward, his mind began the process of understanding the absurdity of his wanting mind gas.

"That would require Keeper's approval."

Anis knew it wouldn't be that simple. The use of mente gas was highly regulated. Not to mention the place where it would have to be deployed. Telling him the truth was out of the question, especially given the additional problems that were involved.

"Regrettably, there isn't enough time for that."

"Then there's nothing that I can do for you. We keep close tabs on the usage of mente. At least tell me the purpose and target."

"Kem, the order comes from the top. And I mean the very top. I'm not at liberty to explain either."

Kem's mind continued to process the new information, his mind analyzing every angle of approach. He didn't view the Steward as a threat. But neither was he an ally. Dot for dot, the data came. Looking into Anis' face, his trained eyes looked for any link or discovery. The man's mind was opened. But when Kem opened the door, he found nothing but an impossibly empty blackness. A world where logic had no place.

Possibilities and endgames came and went, neither settling down to a definitive answer. The request seemed so absurd. And yet, in the possible outcomes, it made the most sense. With his natural calm, Kem nodded his approval.

"Permanent mental obliteration, or only temporary?"

"Enough for a day. Variant 24B, aerosol released. I want those exposed to retain their faculties, but not to remember."

"Very well. My team can have it delivered in two days at most."

"I appreciate that. But in the interest of all parties involved, I think it would be best if my men took care of that."

*** ***

The dark corridor seemed to go on for miles. Just one of a vast network of rooms, corridors, and caverns that stretched underneath Canolfan, it was reserved exclusively for the use of the Magisterium. Five of the nine departments had passages that lead directly to it, allowing them easy usage for projects that were kept hidden even from those working on the surface.

Each department had its independent structure, their projects were kept in check by a central governing body that, at least in theory, coordinated the activities. And for the most part, they did just that. But there were the rare occasions when a department's project needed to be kept in the dark, even from the other branches.

"How much do you suspect the Steward knows?"

"Sufficient for me to request a meeting."

Kem's sentence received no immediate reply, vanishing into the cold air. The only other sounds were those of his steel-tipped cane and the other man's footsteps. A man in his early forties shaved bald. Noting other than the badge on his standard black uniform made him stand out. A simple K embroidered in silver thread. One letter told everyone of his rank and power.

"You should never have agreed to it. We can't afford a wild card at the very start. Weren't you able to get more information out of him?"

"Not from that angle. All signals showed that I should stop at that point, and agree. Perhaps there's something that I've missed..."

The other man increased his pace, and Kem had to adjust. His deformed leg ached in protest, but the man's mind took over, forcing its will upon the uncooperative limb. The pain was still there, but the leg continued to move at the required speed.

"Such a shame we can't redo imprints. Giving you additional observation skills would be such a nice benefit."

The words were as much a chastisement as they were a slap in the face. Imprinted births couldn't be undone. And it was thanks to that very process that he had to live for the rest of his life with a crippled leg. Something that was a trivial operation for anyone else was an impossibility for him.

"My apology, Keeper."

The other man gave no reply, continuing at the same pace. Beads of sweat were starting to form on Kem's forehead. With stoic silence, he kept the pace, hand tightening on the cane ever tighter. He was slowly lagging, but Keeper showed no signs of tiring. Move for move, his footsteps drew the other man deeper into the dark. The hand on his cane became slippery, and only by focus did he not fall.

Keeper didn't bother to turn. The occasional glance told him where the man was at any given time. Kem moved his feet, but the connections in his mind snapped. His crippled leg bent unnaturally, the start of a whole spin of the rest of the body, that nearly ended in a full-body collapse.

Keeper halted. Still with his back turned, he turned a set of locks and gears at the large metal doors in front of him. It opened with a hiss, and two enforcers stepped out of the shadows, waiting for them to enter.

"I trust you can walk without their assistance?"

Kem nodded, standing on shaky legs. The antechamber was dark and empty, the only noticeable feature being a sturdy black box fixed to one of the walls. Keeper walked to it and placed his hand inside. A barely audible sound followed, and the man withdrew his hand, a small red dot of blood indicating the place where his thumb had been pierced. The wall lowered, and light followed.

All of it artificial. Massive farik-powered lamps were spread across the ceiling, illuminating a hive of activity. The two men stood on a suspended platform that gave them a large view of what went on below. The whole chamber was easily three miles by two miles in size, divided into multiple dozens of smaller chambers, each with its purpose. All of them are built around a central covered room. From the catwalk, the ground floors were accessible via levipods, capable of carrying up to a dozen people.

Kem's face betrayed little. Emotions were suppressed as always, but each visit brought him to the edge of ecstasy. The privilege of the elites mass-produced and used in the service of his country. The work that, above all else, was meant to spread Distria's power into the unknown regions of Ered.

"Project Lifeshaver." He whispered with reverence.

"A regrettable choice of name, but apt nonetheless."

The pod's doors opened to a maze of activities that was surprisingly well-managed. In the area they were currently in was a long line, punctuated at twenty intervals by scanning stations. Sealed pods, no bigger than a hand, were passed along sliding rails through each station, where devices scanned them, those who couldn't pass beyond the final one, were discarded into shoots that lead to incinerators still deeper in the structure. Kem looked at them with cold indifference. He knew what was inside them, but his traits made him incapable of crying.

Travel was becoming more and more difficult. Kem was able to identify uniforms from at least three different departments. The walls seemed covered with jewels, connected by gold and amber lines, creating symmetric patterns on metallic surfaces. It was a labor of detail, but for those involved, it was only one part of the whole. Much like the world above, the other sections dealt with all the other aspects, including weapon development, logistics, education, and clothing.

"The process has certainly accelerated." Noted Kem, moving his eyes along the line of machines.

"Changes have been made" confirmed Keeper. "For starters, I had to insist that Department Nine conducted the breeding and birthing in their sector. As you can see, most of the workers are naturals, and they can be easily disturbed. Of course, once the selected traits are found in a fetus, it is removed from the carrier."

"Still the same five weeks gap before the next impregnation?"

"We've cut it down to four. Once delivered, Department Five finishes the imprinting, then the awlya tanks continue the development. Overall, it took us about ten days per fetus. Things have changed, however. Odon's masterpiece opened the way."

"You mean prince Kazimir?"

"The prince's diagram was the perfect blueprint" continued Keeper. "It covered all the missing points. Regrettably, it meant we also needed to terminate over a thousand developed fetuses. A waste of time and resources. But now, with him as the head, we know what genes to aim for."

"Aren't we creating potential problems down the road?"

"If you're worried about potential contenders to the throne, forget about it. Every product here has one purpose: to be a soldier. They will be conditioned into selective breeding, thus keeping their traits strictly under our control."

The sealed central chamber was now barely a hundred meters away. Guarded and monitored, its black shape drew towards it all attention. It was the final goal of all labors. The tip of the spear meant to pierce the unknown.

Another offering of blood, and the door opened, leading to a descending staircase. The light was significantly dimmer, the shuffle of people becoming farther with each step. Then, silence. The two men sat in the greenish light of the lights above them, looking at the heart of Lifeshaver.

The whole chamber was taken up by massive metal racks, each one fifteen meters tall. Arranged in straight rows, they rose to the ceiling, with their base lost in the blackened bottom of the windowless solid. Attached to the racks, were awlya pods. Thousands of them. Each one holds a developing embryo.

"How many are we producing?" asked Kem, his eyes fixed on the scene before him.

"The first batch of thirty thousand will be done within a few months. Regrettably, the growth cannot be accelerated. That would ruin the imprinting. And besides, once the prince comes of age, his army will be ready to march out with him."

Kem's mind processed the data, with multiple streams of possibilities to choose from. It was becoming obvious what the intended plan for Lifeshaver was.

"Your estimates were indeed on target. The steward will be a liability in the long run. Still, a move against him at this point would achieve nothing. The queen has pledged her full support to the project. Any course of action he takes against us can only lead to his downfall!"

"So we take no action?"

"Correct. The Magisterium needs the line of Vallutus family to maintain legitimacy. And they need us to run their kingdom for them. We are the perfect symbiotic parasite, Kem. Impossible to kill without taking out the host with us."

Looking over the pods, Kem's emotionless mind drew in information like a sponge, his mind becoming increasingly aware of what was happening. What he was seeing still felt distant, a mere outline on a hazy horizon. Lifeshaver was a stepping stone. One that opened the way towards other possibilities. But to find them, he would have to wait. Seventeen years. How much could change, all of it outside of his control? The voyage was unavoidable. He saw what lay before the starting line.

The rest was still in a vault, waiting to be opened.

*** ***

"You did this, didn't you?"

Anis' thoughts echoed in the ether of the Canopy, doing what his mouth couldn't. The world around him bore the ever-familiar form of surexistence, dots of light that reflected the matter outside of them. He could see his thoughts passing before his eyes: blackened ribbons that ensnared his vision.

"You complain too much, godchild. Stagnation breeds chaos. My sisters know this. And it's only their gouging of your eyes that has brought that Rubriste into your world."

Standing before what his mind described as a massive vanity mirror, the entity stood with her back turned, allowing Anis brief glimmers of her changing shape. Her natural appearance of quicksilver vibrated to the tune of unseen, lunatic music, drawing to itself strands from the world around her. Dot by dot, her shape changed to match the reality she was searching for. Ether gave way to cloth. Transparent membrane that covered a translucent brain was replaced with graying hair, tied in an elegant bun. Her faceless visage became that of a woman in her fifties.

"What do you think?" she purred.

Anis gave no reply, and the being was merely content to admire her shape one last time, before snapping the mirror out of existence. In the loneliness of the Canopy, the black ribbons became droplets of emerald that scattered in the unknown.

"She will live, yes?"

"I've stated as much. If only to keep you satisfied."

"As if I had any power to stop you."

"True. But even a wounded soldier would seek to stab his enemy, given the opportunity and sufficient hatred. She will live, provided you do your part."

Anis, nodded, his face becoming visibly elongated. His burden was his own. The Birth Gift he had been given kept him bound to that. And now, another burden, this one of his own choice. To preserve life, he would have to embrace the unknown that he had been trying to avoid all this time.

"What comes after today?"

"Labor pains."

Two words pierced his mind like daggers. Looking at the Canopy around them, he could see the shape of Canolfan changing. The skies became molten bronze, and the city's dots were dashing around like mad bullets, looking for a target. Ethereal shapes of monsters and huge battlements rose and fell, the march of troops mingled with that of unknown beasts and vehicles drove his nervous system mad. Life changed with the swiftness of will, beasts forming and deforming, humans rising, conquering, and vanishing.

Anis moved his eyes from the chaos around him to the woman before him. She stood as part of the whole, but not the source. Something else drove the chaos. Peering into the ether, he tried something that he had always deemed impossible. His senses, buried within existence, were of no use. Or were they? Trying to see, he let his mind wander deeper. What was he seeing? Amid the ever-changing shapes, there was no stability to be found. Each step became a burden, dragging him deeper into the dark.

With a mental scream, Anis collapsed in himself, the haunting laughter of the entity still echoing in the deepest parts of his mind.

"What did you think was on the other side, a pot of gold for your troubles? This world is only half-born. The fruit has ripened sufficiently. All that's needed is for the water to break."

"Is that why you're planning that expedition?"

The being's laughter burst into his mind with such force that it nearly sent him back into regular existence. He tried to hide behind his mental barriers, only to have them swept aside with careless indifference. Around him, the Canopy had returned to its normal reflection of regular existence, leaving him with the simple comfort of knowing that he was still in his office.

"Our journey to the east is merely the watershed. Your people are still unborn, groping in the dark for the exit. I plan to give them the opening they seek. And I have the perfect scalpel for the job. Speaking of which, you should go back. It's time to get my new host ready!"

Life replaced surexistence in a twinkle of blinding flash, leaving Anis in the same place he had been at the start of it all. Looking down the window, he saw a convoy of levitracks entering the Magisterium's northern gateway. Workers directed them towards the main docking area, right next to the central entrance of the palace. With a resigned sigh, Anis walked out, keeping his mind clear and his emotions buried beneath his sense of duty.

The double doors of the levitrack that bore the heraldry of House Autin opened, and four people came out. One of them a man in his early thirties, followed by two women, the duchess Leuna came out, carefully raising the hems of her dress. From the other vehicles, multiple luggage trunks were unloaded on the pavement.

"I apologize for the delay, my dear Anis. Troubles at the estate kept me from coming any earlier. I would have loved to spend more time with the child before the ceremony."

"There's plenty of time for that. Please, see to the duchess' belongings. Your chambers have been all arranged. Ladies, go there and wait for us. Once the audience with her highness is complete, we'll join you."

The ladies in waiting nodded, then left with the rest of the staff towards the palace entrance. The bodyguard saw them off, then returned to the lady's side.

"The meeting is private, young man."

The bodyguard nodded in acknowledgment but remained. Anis watched him with care. Imprinted with strong loyalty traits. Reasoning with him was out of the question, and killing him would have drawn unwanted attention. With a resigned sigh, he gave his consent, and the trio entered the gilded arch of the palace.

"Anis, I cannot thank you enough. To be given such a privilege at my age…"

"The queen always seeks the best. And to be fair, you were the best choice for prince Kazimir's godmother. There are so many things I hope you will teach him."

"I'll be lucky if I have an hour each week with him. I've seen your curriculums. I can only imagine how much he'll have to learn."

"Some things you just can't learn from books. That boy we'll have the best education Distria can provide. What he truly needs is a moral compass. Something to turn to when reason and cold sensibility can no longer do the job."

"Anis, you flatter me. The boy's not a doll. He can make moral decisions."

The man gave no reply. Truth was, the prince was a tool in everything but name. And there he was, preparing to destroy the last vestige that could have changed that. The corridors were pleasantly empty. The few staff that wasn't working made way for them without a word. They went past another set of doors, ending up in an antechamber with six walls. Two of them were sealed rooms, while the rest opened to other corridors.

Anis halted, and before Leuna could ask anything, a faint whizz reached her ears. A second later, the bodyguard fell to the floor, a small dart embedded into his neck. Three enforcers stepped out of hidden niches in the walls, and moments later, the doors to the corridors slammed shut, silencing the woman's scream.

"Take him inside. He should wake up in a few hours. If he remembers anything, give him another shot of mente."

One of the enforcers went to pick up the body, while the others stood at the ready, keeping an eye on the trembling woman.

"Anis, don't…please…if I've offended the queen in any way…"

"I won't hurt you. I swear it. But you must do what I tell you."

"What…done…tell me how…"

Most of the words were drowned in a cascade of tears that soaked Anis' shirt. It needed to happen. The first steps. He motioned to one of the enforcers, who pulled a concealed lever, revealing a reverbochamber.

"Leuna, please, you have to enter."

The slap took him by surprise. "They won't hesitate to use force if that's what is needed."

"I don't want to die!" she shrieked through chattering teeth.

"You won't. But now, we need to be alone."

He helped her to stand, and one of the guards moved to the left and grabbed her by the arm. She made no protest. With her feet almost dragging, she entered the chamber. The door closed silently, leaving her alone with the Steward.

"Why are you doing this? What does the queen have against me?"

"She knows nothing of this. All she wanted was someone who would have a positive influence on the child. And to be honest, you would have been perfect for that."

"If I'm to be replaced…Steward, then my gift goes with me. Your ships will find no refuge in my harbors!"

"I never said anything about replacement. You will be the prince's godmother. But in name only. We do need your gift, however. That is why she has decided to let you live."

"Anis, who's she?"

"I'm sorry I got you involved in this," he whispered, this time looking past her shoulder.

A sudden vibration shook her body, and Leuna instinctively turned. Blinking twice, her first impression was that she was seeing a mirror that wasn't there. At least that was the only rational explanation as to why she was seeing a perfect image of herself. She took a step backward, then to the left, but the image remained in the same position, except for its eyes that were tracking her every movement. Leuna looked towards Anis, looking for any answer as to what was happening, but the only response came from an unseen force that seized her by the shoulders.

The image of the duchess smiled, then came close enough for their noses to touch. Its body changed in an instant into fine grains of light that covered the woman, melting into her skin. Leuna closed her eyes, and when she reopened them, Anis saw that she was gone.

"Human senses are such a delight. Having power over them is fascinating, but to touch, to see. You have no idea how lucky you are to be in this form of existence. As bland as it may be."

"I'm glad you think that."

"It's a new world for me, my sweet godchild. And a new one for your people as well. Now come, it's time to break Distria's bubble."

*** ***

The light that came through the immaculate windows exposed a whole menagerie of Distria's social elite. Dressed in their finest, ladies, lords, and officials of every station gathered inside the palace's massive rotunda. Over a thousand selected guests had been given access, the rest crowding into the plazas that surrounded the two buildings, where they would hear the ceremony via voice amplifiers. Enforcers kept a clear demarcation line in front of the building's central feature, the stage draped in the green and yellow of House Vallutus.

From atop the stage, Anis waited patiently with the rest of the Governing Staff. The sour taste of Apitos still lingered on his lips, and he had to check his pockets to make sure he had disposed of the vial before entering. The only known antidote to menthe had to be taken at least an hour before exposure to ensure that no memory was lost. Which is what was happening to all those gathered below him. Unseen and odorless, the gas spread through small holes in the ceiling and floor, inhibiting the mind's ability to recall anything. For all those exposed to it, it would have been as if today had never happened.

The blare of trumpets brought Anis back to reality. The gilded doors were opened, and all chatter stopped. Palace guards came in two rows, forming a line from the entrance to the stage. Following them, the Line Keeper and his attendant entered, followed by members of the royal family. They took their place on the stage in a semicircle, then a second call was heard. Troops stood at attention, and those in the crowd bowed their heads.

Jern strode on the green carpet with the grace of a gazelle, casting the occasional wave or cheerful smile at those gathered. A few steps behind, Leuna and two attendants walked next to a silver crib set on levistruds. The boy inside seemed fast asleep, despite the multitude around him. Once atop the platform, the queen took her place between the gathered staff.

"To all gathered today, joy and bounty to the end of all our days."

"And also to your soul." Came the reply.

A man dressed in the purple and scarlet of the Cesta clapped his hands twice, then raised his hands in a semi-square shape.

"Life springs from those worthy. And those worthy live forever in those who follow. Life is in the blood. Life is in all. Life in Distria. Life is the House of Vallutus."

"Blood and life! Blood and Distria!" shouted the public.

"Today we celebrate the future. Our future is life. And our queen lives on in this future, even when she is no longer here. The House of Vallutus lives forever through its blood. Hail, House of Vallutus!"

"Hail, keepers of the future!" echoed the reply in the assembly.

Jern stepped forward, holding the infant in her arms. Leuna soon followed, and the two stood before the Line Keeper. She made a short bow, the last remnant of a time when even rulers had to bow before those who kept track of the bloodlines back to the days that even the Unknown hadn't erased.

"On this year, eighteen hundred and ten After Unknown, we are presented with this offspring. As Line Keeper, I ask you, my ruler, do you acknowledge him to be of your flesh and blood, forever bound to the noble line that gave you to us?"

"I do."

A sound of cymbal followed, and the two attendants wrote the answer on graphen, then brought them to the queen for signing. The man reached into his satchel and took out a hollow tube, with writings all over its surface. He stretched out his hand over the boy, the open end facing the queen.

"As the child's sole parent, what Birth Promise do you give him?"

Silence awaited to be filled. Everyone knew the weight of what followed and waited. Jern inhaled, and her words flowed with the usual clarity, except for a brief pause at the start.

"As queen of Distria, I give to my son the kingdom and all that is in it at the time when he will take the rule."

The writings on the tube glowed red, then orange, and a membranous sear appeared on the open end, locking the words inside it. Leuna came next to the queen, and she placed the infant in her outstretched arms.

"By my will, I acknowledge duchess Leuna as prince Kazimir's godmother. With the Four Keys, I unite you to my house, my name, and my power. I give you the right to be his guide, in right and wrong, the right to speak on his behalf, the right to be called Second Mother, and the right to choose his spouse."

Applause burst from the audience. Leuna's smile broadened as she stepped near the edge of the platform, lifting the prince for all to see. The sound became deafening, then in the next instance, there was nothing. Other than Anis, no one could have heard the subtle snap of fingers. But her doing so had plunged the rotunda into the silence of death. Men and women stood in their places, bodies frozen in the same position the snap had caught them, faces resembling those of dolls. Voice amplifiers had shut down at the same moment, leaving those outside clueless as to what was happening inside.

"This isn't for their eyes, Anis. Besides, the memory I plant to sculpt for them will be much more pleasant than the truth that they would have gotten otherwise. But you, my ever-faithful godchild, deserve the privilege of knowing. All of it."

Her eyes became pools of deep green, drawing into themselves the light around her until it became a dome of fine strings that wrapped Anis, the child, and Leuna. He saw her lips move, but the words of the fairy were heard only in his mind.

"I, Elster, the only bearer of my name, hereby take prince Kazimir, the son of Jern, as my godchild, from now to the end of life. Your actions will be my actions, and your inaction will be my inaction. I take upon myself your name and the consequences that follow from all that you do. In you, I place my own will, and seal it with the promise of stepping forward into the Awakening of man."

Anis felt his own body shifting under the force of the words. The fairy was drawing something from him, but what? He knew what his Birth Gift had been. But now, with a second godchild, where would that leave him? Elster's aura continued to spread through the chamber, drawing into her shadows and shapes from the frozen humans still there. For outside, concerned voices of protest were starting to reach him. and though he had full trust in the forces placed there to keep the order, he longed for the whole thing to be over.

"As your godmother, I grant you this gift: That in your presence, the gifts of all my sisters will be nullified, no matter how great. To you, I entrust the destruction of the false peace of Distria, and in you, I place the will to take this kingdom to its rightful place!"

A second snap of her fingers followed, and the frozen people resumed their cheer. None of them were aware of what had happened. The minutes that had elapsed weren't registered in their minds. Jern placed the child back in the floating crib, then hugged Leuna, both of them bathing in the applause of the public.

"I trust your promise remains true, dear godmother?"

"Always. You may use what I have to start your dream."

"Our dream," she added, pointing to the sleeping baby.