The Salamander Prince Read online

  The man in front of me shook his head and continued with his task, mumbling, “And good evening to you as well, my lady. Nothing like being compared to a man with a bird’s nest on his face to draw two people closer.” He grabbed some plates out of the cupboard and set them down near the stove. “How did you sleep? I know you said before that you were exhausted, but I expected the change to have taken care of most of that. At least that’s what I was told.” The man seemed a bit nervous, so I decided to answer him.

  “Fine. I’m surprised I didn’t sleep longer. I had been awake for four days straight. If it weren’t for the fact that satyr wine is blended for increased stamina, I probably would have collapsed sooner.”

  “Ah, that explains it. The wine probably delays the affects of fatigue, not canceling them out completely, at least not in humans,” he declared. “Although I’m wondering how it is you didn’t get drunk from it.”

  “A spell makes me immune.” He nodded but said nothing more.

  I watched him for a few more moments, as he finished cooking up the trout and plated it with some fried potatoes and green beans. Finally, I couldn’t stand it anymore and had to ask, “Who are you and why are you in my house?”

  That seemed to take the man aback. “You don’t remember? I mean, I know I look different, but really!”

  “Remember what? The last thing I remember is leaving the satyr’s spring celebration and heading home. After that it gets a little hazy. I know I didn’t meet you there because I was the only human at the party, so who are you?”

  He smirked and put the plates down at the table. “Why my dear lady, do you mean to tell me you don’t recognize your own husband?”

  Chapter 2: River Rafting, Anyone?

  My jaw dropped so hard that it popped.

  “Husband? As in, husband?!” I asked in desperation. Even as I asked the question, vague outlines of the night before began to form in my mind. “Wha– How?”

  He looked at me in concern and gently led me to the table. Helping me sit first, he moved across from me and sat as well. “It will be okay. I promise. Now, what can you remember about last night? Your look tells me something is coming back.”

  “I… I was walking back from the party and I tripped over something.”

  “Probably the golden ball,” he asserted.

  I frowned at that. “Yeah. I think so. I picked it up and carried it with me. Then something grabbed my hair as I tried to walk past. I pulled it down and found an arrow. I decided to take it with me too, although I don’t know why. I don’t normally do that sort of thing.”

  The man watched me carefully. “From what I remember being told as a child, the two objects are constantly being pulled together. There is a very powerful compulsion spell on them both that acts like a beacon when they are in the hands of a sentient creature.”

  “That makes sense,” I said, nodding my head. “I’ve cast a few of those before, and I was honestly too tired to really notice any magic on them at the time.” I paused, thinking back and trying to clear more of my memory. “I think I got home after that. Then all I remember is silver. Something big and silver.”

  “Ah, that would be Yew.”

  “I’m not silver,” I said in confusion. “And I don’t think calling your new wife ‘big’ is the smartest decision.”

  He laughed. “No, not ‘you’; ‘Yew,’ like the yew tree. My bodyguard’s name is Yew. At least, that’s what he tells people. I personally think that he chose that name to confuse people. He has a rather warped sense of humor.”

  “Ah! That makes more sense. He seems to slip from my head quite a bit, but I remember him holding a salamander. A talking salamander. At that point, I’m pretty sure I’d fallen asleep already.”

  “Well, let me finish it then. You were in possession of my golden orb and golden arrow. They were spelled to find the perfect woman for me to marry. A contest of sorts. By picking them up and spilling your blood on them, you began the marriage ceremony.”

  I blinked at him. “You’ve got to be kidding me! The stupid arrow kept slipping! I did not get stabbed by the stupid thing on purpose.”

  “Nevertheless, you were capable of throwing it away after the initial injury but didn’t, thereby accepting the connection in some part of your soul. The next part of the ceremony involved you attempting to return the objects and my gifting them to you along with my troth. After that, I had to add my blood to both objects and fulfill your open bindings.”

  “Bindings of promise, choice, fortune, and magic fulfilled with blood, truth, a kiss and matrimony.” Everything was slowly coming together in my mind. “Okay, I remember that part. But what happened at the end and how are you human right now. All I remember was fire.”

  “Eat and I’ll explain,” he told me, pointing to my full plate. I picked up my fork and took a bite of the trout, my eyes closing in ecstasy. He had cooked it perfectly! It was spicy and buttery and flaky and melted in my mouth like ice in a hot spring. It probably helped that I hadn’t eaten in a while. Satyr wine makes it so you don’t need to, but you end up really hungry once that effect wears off.

  “My family has certain traditions when they marry. They are essential to our health and happiness, though no one is quite sure why. All we know is that not conducting this specific ceremony results in madness and an early death. When we perform the final kiss of the ceremony, we share our magic with our spouse. It serves a few purposes, most importantly keying our two bodies together so that we will never stray or have children with another person.”

  A blush suffused my face as I realized what he meant when he said ‘stray’ (and completely missing the whole ‘sharing magic part’). “So no affairs in your family line? That doesn’t seem so bad. What else does it do?”

  It was his turn to blush. “Well, it combines our magic signatures so that they mirror each other. And it also…” The last part was mumbled, making it completely incomprehensible.

  “What?”

  He cringed. “It ensures pregnancy. The first time we… our wedding night will ensure that you are pregnant. That way the royal line has no chance of dying out.”

  I may or may not have frozen in shock. I was thirty-years-old and had given up on the idea of children already. I’m pretty enough, with chestnut hair and hazel eyes, but I’d always known that those things didn’t matter much in the end.

  The fact was enchanters could live longer than most people, and they aged slower once they came into their powers. That isn’t what most people want in a mate. There are a lot of arguments about the unfairness of it all that lead to bitterness, resentment, and attempted murder. Adding to my difficulties, I was well into the ‘old maid’ territory, age wise. Enchanters had a harder time getting pregnant once their magic reached full force. Basically, if you had no kids by 25, there wouldn’t be any.

  At that moment I was torn between excitement at actually having a chance at a family of my own, nervousness at possibly being pregnant already, and fear that I would be the first woman in his family to not conceive. Or worse, have a kid and become just like my mother.

  Also, I apparently didn’t remember the wedding night. Which was disturbing. “So, does that mean… am I pregnant?”

  “No!” He looked horrified at the idea that I would think that, which made me relax more than his words ever could. It is always comforting to know that the man you are committed to won’t take advantage of you, particularly when you don’t actually know him.

  “No, the wedding night never happens on the actual wedding night,” he continued. “The magic involved means both participants are asleep by the end as their bodies adjust to the changes. For the men, the changes are less obvious, but our minds are essentially rewired. It usually results in about 3 hours of sleep. We slept longer because I was still a salamander and you were already exhausted. Nothing happened after you passed out except Yew carrying you inside and putting us both on the bed so we could rest. I promise, there is nothing else to remember.”

&nb
sp; I breathed a sigh of relief. It was one thing to forget the wedding itself and quite another to forget the wedding night. Knowing that he had been a gentleman the entire time was quite a relief, to be honest. He may have looked like an out of work goatherd but he was very honest with me. Too honest…

  “You can’t lie to me, can you?” I asked shrewdly.

  He smiled. “No, I can’t. There are certain circumstances that I am not allowed to or don’t feel I should discuss with you right now, but I will never lie. It is one of the things that changed at the end.”

  I nodded. I’d heard of a clause like that being put in wedding ceremonies in certain countries. Usually it was just old families with ties to the Fey centuries back.

  “Just as long as you tell me that directly. I would rather have you say you can’t tell me something than listen to you dissemble. So, why were you a salamander?”

  He grimaced. “Family tradition. There is a test of hardship while we search for a bride. This was a bit of a new twist though. Normally the tests don’t involve slimy skin. My name is Jeshu, by the way. It means ‘tree of fire’ in ancient Fey and I am a fire mage, so a salamander was what my magic was drawn to.”

  I smiled. “Jeshu… It’s nice to meet you Jeshu. My name is Grace.”

  “The pleasure is all mine, Grace.”

  ~

  We finished our dinner in silence, both having far too much to think about. Too much to process. Lucky for me, the ball and the arrow were sitting on the table as well, giving me ample time to examine them.

  I don’t mean to brag, but I am an exceptional enchantress. My mother was a witch and not at all inclined to teach me a single thing when she realized I wasn’t as bloodthirsty or sadistic as she was. On the bright side, my magic is very different from hers, so it would have just messed me up anyway. Lucky for me, I had the good fortune to meet up with a Fey woman and learn magic from her directly. Our powers don’t work the same way, but they are close enough for me to have gleaned quite a bit more in technique then I should have. The Fey tend to be sorcerers of immense power and control.

  As a result of her tutelage, I was well versed in the examination and identification of enchantments and spells of all types.

  The golden objects were still spotted with blood from the night before, leaving the metal dulled and casting a slight reddish glow. Lucky for me, the enchantments were made to last for centuries and clearly meant to be used for several generations more without needing to be renewed. It made my job significantly easier because everything was right on the surface.

  The most overwhelming and obvious part was the magnetism between both objects, but there was more beneath that. It appeared that the objects were tuned to my husband as well. It wasn’t a pull so much as them being aligned with his personality, wants, and needs. Together, they basically made a dowsing rod that aimed him to his perfect spouse. Separately they were designed to test the potential wife. The ball would become too heavy if the woman was unsuitable or did not possess the fortitude for the post and the arrow tested talents and blood for how true they would fly.

  They were also used to access the willingness of the participant. If you left the ball because it was too heavy or the arrow because it had cut you, you most likely would be unwilling to marry the man in question or unable to face the hardships a marriage to that person would bring. After that it was just a mild compulsion to help you make the choice you would have anyway, but with less hassle. There was a failsafe in place, though, for when the groom entered the ceremony. When his blood was let, the bride was given complete clarity of thought for just a moment so that she could still choose to stay or go.

  It was seamless and elegant, really. I was impressed and very envious. The objects were very old and very valuable, probably created and enchanted by the dwarves centuries before and gifted to my husband’s family in thanks.

  “They’re magnificent,” I whispered reverently.

  Jeshu stared at me, completely aghast. “That’s why you’ve been quiet this whole time? Because you were staring at the arrow and orb? Does gold interest you so much?”

  That made me blink in confusion before I suddenly understood. “Heavens no! I’m an enchantress. Didn’t you know?” I smiled as his expression turned to bewildered amazement. “I was just examining the enchantments place on them. It helped me understand what happened last night.”

  “I thought enchanters had to hold an object to understand it’s magic.”

  “Usually, yes. Luckily, I have enough training and power to see the magic from quite a distance. My friend Mallie says that I have good vision, probably a gift from another enchanter. It helps quite a bit.” I stopped when I saw his face go a bit… odd. Like he’d eaten a lemon, or something.

  “You can’t use that.”

  I frowned. “I can’t use my eyes to do diagnostics? Pretty sure I just did.”

  “No. Magic. You can’t use your magic. Not for a while yet. It’s too dangerous.”

  Nothing he’d said made any sense. “Why would it be dangerous? And why wouldn’t I use magic if we’re going to be in danger? That makes absolutely no sense.”

  He ran his hand through his thick hair and sighed. “I’m being tracked. Well, my magic is anyway. And now your magic feels like my magic, so you can imagine the problems that will create.”

  “Why? Why would anyone be chasing you?”

  Jeshu groaned and massaged his temples. “I can’t tell you. I want to, but I can’t. Suffice to say, I need to get us somewhere safe, somewhere unexpected and that can’t happen if you use magic. I have an idea, but it will be a bit tricky. Right now we need to be inconspicuous and we need a plan.”

  My stomach clenched. I didn’t like the idea of not using my magic. It was the best defense I had, especially since Jeshu wasn’t the only one trying to avoid someone. Mother wouldn’t be pleased when she learned I had married.

  My heart sank at the thought of her. Unfortunately, if Jeshu was right about the magic changing us and mirroring our magic signatures, then she would find out fairly quickly. Mother was a huge fan of blood magic and used cuttings from all of her family member’s hair to track them. A shift in my personal magic to this extent would throw off her tracking slightly and make her suspicious. She’d want to come investigate rather quickly. My little cottage wouldn’t remain as safe as I’d hoped.

  Bottom line, we needed to leave. Yesterday.

  “Where are we headed?” I asked, voice flat. This was business and no time for emotions.

  The change must have startled my new husband because he seemed to be accessing me very carefully. “We need to head toward Lettelach. Yew told me that my brother was down there. We are much stronger together than apart.”

  It was my turn to access him. I hadn’t before because he’d told me about transforming into a salamander and being a mage. That combination was sure to boggle my vision. Now, I looked deeper and noticed some interesting pieces. The salamander part was indeed a spell, and only partially broken. He would change back into the amphibian at daybreak. He was also magically muzzled about many of the circumstances surrounding the spell and his background. Pretty typical and helpful in building my trust in him, after all, he had warned me about it already.

  I pushed past that and ran into his personal magic. Mages had a lot of raw power flowing through them and had to learn impulse control very early in life so that their element didn’t overwhelm them. Jeshu was like a blazing wildfire, all hot and smoky with a feeling of rebirth underlying it all. It was that little bit of earth magic that led me to my next discovery.

  He was a twin. Not just a twin, but a split soul. He and his brother literally shared a soul. It was a very rare condition and not well understood, but often ended badly due to outside influence. The fact that my husband acknowledged that his brother made him stronger demonstrated a level of awareness that was quite impressive. After all, how frequently do people argue with themselves when they are whole, let alone split in two. And his twin was
an earth mage.

  It was something to consider, but not right then.

  “Okay. I have a boat we can use to cross the lake and head downriver. It is already enchanted, so no new magic and a lot faster than a normal boat. If we stop in Aurism for supplies tomorrow afternoon then we can get to the Lettelach border in about a week, maybe less.”

  My husband nodded and stood. “I’ll clean up while you pack and we can be on our way.”

  ~

  My sister and nieces lived in the capital of Alenia, so I got quite a bit of use out of my boat. I had built it after finishing my cottage, using it to experiment with new enchantments. As a result, it was much more luxurious then it appeared and moved a lot more swiftly then it should have.

  Jeshu stood on my dock, eying my boat warily, refusing to get in. “That thing looks like it’s going to sink any second.”

  I laughed before stepping aboard. After a moment, he followed. Then came the inevitable gasp and shocked expression. I couldn’t help the grin that split my face. The ship was my baby. It looked like a raft, and a poorly constructed one at that. A casual observer would only see a bunch of branches tied together and sitting low in the water, topped by a listing mast and a frayed sail. I had cultivated that image, but the reality was far different.

  The ship was actually two stories, having space for four berthings, a galley, and a large hold in the bottom. Oh, and it was powered by magic, requiring no attention once the destination had been inputted into the navigation system. That way I could sleep while sailing. It still needed a magician to input the destination, but I was working on an adaptation for regular folks as well. It would make it easier to lend to my nieces.

  There were lots of little enchantments aboard, besides the navigation system. Possibly the best part, or at least one of the more complicated, was that anyone who came aboard was recreated as an illusion on the ‘raft’. As we traveled, the image would gradually change until it looked like a destitute old man was piloting the craft. Self-altering illusions are difficult to create, but it kept down on river pirate attacks.