After they had made several stops, they entered a small cottage outside of the castle walls. The door was answered by a girl no older than Erameya who was obviously frantic about something. After they told her they were there for Master Gareth to see Abnor she hurried them into her house.

  “I cannot wake my husband up. He has been sleeping for hours.”

  Erameya asked her if they could apply salve to his leg and drop healing potion into his mouth. After the wife gave them permission, she knelt next to the bed and removed the bandage. The side of his leg with the scratch was putrefied. She was surprised the man was still alive. She laid one hand on top and one under the leg and diffused magic into the leg. She had no idea how magical healing worked but she felt she could at least sooth him.

  “Angus, place a drop of the healing potion under his tongue. Mrs. Will you help him?”

  Abnor shuttered as the liquid was absorbed and he started to wake. Once he was mostly awake, they fed him the rest of the vial. He slowly came to and they watched as the puss was forced out of his wound. There was so much corruption they ended up placing a pan under his leg to catch the awful. Within the hour, his leg looked almost as good as new. There was still swelling and redness where the injury had been, but the scrape was gone. The pan had little spider plant seeds swimming in it so they burned the discharge in the fireplace.

  “Thank you, Princess! Thank you so much. And you too, Angus. I don’t know who you are but thank you.”

  “He is the grandson of Laird Tokavaig, the dragon king.”

  “Thank you from me too. And thank your grandfather for me. He is the only reason I am still alive. He pulled out as much of the infection as he could.”

  “We will. Do you know where the thatcher’s cottage is? His wife needs an elixir.”

  “They live just down the street. Five houses down. They have a big pine tree in their back yard.”

  “Thank you.” They were worn out when they left. It surprised them both how much healing took out of a person. “The thatcher’s wife is our last stop then we can go see if Master Gareth needs anything.” Erameya looked at the list of people they were sent to see. “I am glad I got the opportunity to meet so many of my father’s subjects.”

  “About that. You don’t act a thing like a princess.”

  “What?” Erameya looked at him with confusion.

  “First, you made an emotional display in front of the court; second, you said you would see peasants before their betters; and third, you have treated everyone we met with as if they were your equal. You are their better.”

  “I grew up with everyone being equal. In my reality we had this government system known as democracy. It is a government for the people by the people.”

  “Forget about it. We live in a kingdom. There are people who rule and people who are ruled. You have to accept the obeisance and do the best you can for these people. The people depend on us for everything. We are their rulers, their caregivers, their heroes. We are larger than life to the majority of people, and we have to stay that way. Taking care of the sick and injured is a proper way to show your people how benevolent you are, but you are not their servant, you have stooped to care for them.”

  “I don’t understand. How do you take care of people yet stay aloof?”

  “I believe this is the house of the thatcher. Watch and learn.” He knocked on the door. When the door was answered he inclined his head with haughtiness and grace. “Good afternoon, Princess Erameya and I, Prince Angus, are here to give you the medicine from Master Gareth.”

  “Thank you, Your Highness. Would you like to come in? Kippy is in here.” The frazzled lady curtsied as she spoke to him.

  “Thank you, I believe it would be best if we see him.” He again inclined his head before following her into the house.

  On the bed was a small boy. He was sweating and covered in a rash.

  “Angus, stop. Leave now.” She pulled him out the door. “I believe this boy has scarlet fever. Go to your grandfather’s and bathe in very hot water, use plenty of soap. Go tell Master Gareth, I will stay and see what I can do. I don’t believe it is airborne but take precautions because of the baby.”

  “Can I send someone to tell Master Gareth, before I go bathe?”

  “Yes, just don’t touch them.”

  After Angus had left, she calmly reentered the cottage. “Mrs. Thatcher? Will you help your son sit up so I can give him this potion. She poured a small amount of mana into the antimicrobial they had mixed up. She used her skill to identify it and be sure she hadn’t ruined the medicine.

  Antimicrobial, Magical Healing, Bacterial focus

  Uses:

  Illnesses caused by bacteria

  She knew that was not the same statistics that it had before but she was happy with the results. She helped the mother feed it to the boy encouraging him when he didn’t want any more. She used her life energy manipulation to give him enough strength to fight the illness with the help of the cure. With in an hour the boy’s fever was dropping and he was getting a little better.

  “Stay home and away from others until Master Gareth lifts the quarantine. Wash everything. He should get better quickly but the sickness he has will spread to others very easily. The best advice I can give is wash. Here is a preventative medicine for you and your husband.” She infused two more antimicrobial vials with mana then handed them to the thatcher’s wife. “Make a list of everyone you have had contact with and give it to Master Gareth. He will need to check on each one. Get Kippy in clean clothes and bedding as soon as possible and do send to the keep if you need anything.”

  “Thank you, Your Highness. Thank you. I will do everything just as you say.”

  “You are very welcome. Goodbye, Kippy, get better.” Erameya smiled at the boy before she left the house.

  “Good you are still here.” Angus came running up to her. “Master Gareth said to quarantine them and have them get him a list of everyone they have been in contact with.” He stopped to catch his breath.

  “I did and gave them each a vial of antimicrobial potion. I told them to clean everything and get the boy in clean clothing and bedding.”

  “Good. That is exactly what he told me to tell you. The butcher’s baby is here. Grandfather said his wife is very weak so he put her to sleep. Your aunt is with her. She is helping the nurse maid take care of the baby and the mother. The nurse maid will stay with them until they are both healthy.”

  “Good. After I get cleaned up, I am going to study martial arts and close combat. Do you want to join in?”

  “Yes, Grandfather is worn out. He is resting. I had no idea he ever needed to rest. He sunbathes but I don’t think I’ve ever even seen him sleep. He is almost a true immortal.”

  “I don’t think he is physically tired it is more likely emotional. He has had a stressful day. He started by helping me not explode. Then watched us bumble around in the healer’s tower. Now, he just finished saving two lives. Maybe he needs to meditate for a while.”

  “I don’t know. I am worried about him.”

  “Stop. Honestly, he is the healthiest person I have met.”

  “He had a son that died during childbirth. His first wife will not speak of it and has completely quit cultivating because of her loss. When she does shift to human, she looks hundreds of years old. I know she is nearly as old as grandfather but she feels so much older. I think this experience has brought back the memories of Grandmother Margaret’s pain. She never had another child in human form. She blames her human form for his death.”

  “And all of her hatchlings lived?”

  “They did. Everyone was hatched strong and grew to adulthood. Even after sixteen healthy hatchlings she will not cultivate. She blames it on the death of her oldest but I wonder.”

  “What else could it be?”

  “What if her first child wasn’t grandfather’s, but a human’s? And what if she loved that man, but she and grandfather decided to marry because when they were hatchlings it was even more taboo for a dragon human relationship? What if the boy lived but they hid him, somehow, from the dragons? And what if that boy’s descendant was the farmer Master Gareth was given to?”

  “I don’t think so. What if your Grandmother Eilean is her descendant?”

  “They are close, but I thought it was just because they are sister wives. I never considered that grandfather married the great something granddaughter of his wife.”

  “She is a powerful witch.”

  “And it is none of your business.” Laird Tokavaig growled behind them.

  “So, we are right?” Angus turned accusingly toward his grandfather.

  “I just walked over, of what were you speaking?”

  “With your hearing? You knew we were talking about Grandmother Margaret and her oldest son.”

  “He died.”

  “When? At what age? Is he my ancestor?”

  “Yes.” Laird Tokavaig said succinctly as he herded them to the ambassador’s tower.

  “Yes? to what?” Angus pushed as they walked in.

  “Yes, Margaret had a child with a human man. She loved him but she was afraid her father would kill her if he found out. I found her crying in the woods and asked her if there was anything I could do for her.

  “Will you marry me?” Margaret said with a sob. “The only thing that is keeping me alive is that my father thinks I carry the child of another dragon!”

  “Tell me all about it.” Tokavaig said as he took the weeping woman into his arms.

  “I was sent here to meet the prince. I got lost on the way but found a small village south of here. I was taken in by a kind family and found myself spending a lot of time with his son. He taught me how to live. He showed me there was more to life than cultivating. He had a weak connection to magic so I taught him how to use it. Eventually we grew in love. His parents disapproved and I don’t even want to know what my father would do if he knew. We married in secret and conceived a child. Shortly after, my father came and I felt his displeasure down in the village when he couldn’t find me. Now I have to protect Angus and his village.” She sobbed.

  “You are here because the king wants the prince married?”

  “Yes.”

  “If we marry, I will not be your husband in anything but name until Angus dies. I will claim his child as my own, and do the best I can for their village. I will protect you from your father, but you will also have no relations with your husband.”

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  “I cannot have a child that is half human. My father hates humans.”

  “We will ask Angus to raise the child. We will have to teach the child magical control and cultivation.”

  “We will not teach him to cultivate.”

  “Okay. He is your child. Why do you say he?”

  “I just know. Also, I will not cultivate.”

  “Why?”

  “It takes the joy from my life. After Angus dies, we will be married for real and I will lay your eggs. But I will never cultivate again.”

  “As long as you maintain that is fine by me, we will tell our parents we met months ago but have been living in my cave. We are married and with child.”

  “Her son was Donan. A gift from the gods. His Father taught him magic. Margaret and I both taught him as much as we could without trying to teach him cultivation. The Donan family became known as powerful magic users. We have watched over them throughout the years. Margaret was so happy I met and fell in love with Eilean, neither of us thought I could grow in love. She loves you and your father but your name still makes her sad sometimes. She is still in love with Angus.”

  “That is so sweet!” Erameya smiled. “I need to get cleaned up. I’ve been with a patient that had scarlet fever.”

  Laird Tokavaig’s eyes burned for a moment. “You have no harmful microbes on you. I burned them off. Now, Mr. Inquisitor, what made you think you had been lied to?”

  “A lot of little things. Grandmother Margaret gets a hazy look in her eyes when people say my name. She claims to hate humans but dotes on me. She loves Grandmother Eilean like a daughter, not a sister, and she treats father as if he were her own son. Also, she loves all of her children, but will not cultivate. And you both hate her father even though he died.”

  “He died challenging my throne. He kidnaped my young wife, Winnie, and killed her. Winnie had a hatchling at home. I didn’t even have to kill him. Winnie used some of her insidious poisons on him before he was able to kill her. By the time Margaret and I got there they were both dead. We both mourned the fact we made it too late to save Winnie, and that neither of us had the skill to reanimate him so we could kill him again. In her anger Margaret wiped out all of her siblings making my children and a large group of humans being his only offspring. We had a lot to hate her father for; Angus wasn’t one of them. He lived a full and happy life. He got to see his wife, once in a while, and he raised an amazing son.”

  “How did you show us your memory like that?” Erameya asked. “It was better quality than a movie but not on a screen.”

  “Tricks of old age. I sent a pixie to get Master Bracken and bring him here to teach you martial arts and hand to hand combat while I meditate in the sun. Erameya, try not to blow up anyone while I’m resting.”

  “I was startled so the tap flew open. How was I to suspect a loyal retainer I’d known all my life was a spy?” Erameya defended her loss of control.

  “You nearly killed yourself and others. You need to conserve. You have to find a way to keep the valve off. Your rivers and nodes will be damaged if you don’t explode. Remind me how it felt when you broke open your first nodes verses how it has been with your spiritual nodes.”

  “It felt like I was exploding in many points in my body at once. My spiritual nodes feel like a slow steady grind.”

  “And which one do you think is better?”

  “Grinding.”

  “Good. Next. Act like a Princess! You are better than everyone around you, even me.”

  “You are a king.”

  “And you are the daughter of a king. I prefer the title Laird among humans. Now let’s see how your skill sheet is doing.”

  “You need to assign your 15 points. Your mana is at a sustainable level. I see you have done some compressing. Meditation seems to have stopped increasing, why?”

  Leveling skills:

  Level 1: 0 xp to 2 xp

  Level 2: 3 xp to 10 xp

  Level 3: 11 xp to 50 xp

  Level 4: 51 xp to 250 xp

  “Great. The higher you get the harder it is to get the next level. That means by level ten you would need three million xp to level up.” Erameya calculated.

  “What is xp?” Angus asked.

  “Experience Points.” Erameya shrugged, “it’s a gaming term. I sometimes feel like I’m in a game world. As for my points, if I put three in strength and two in the rest I will be balanced at 39.”

  “That sounds perfect. As for feeling you are in a game world, spiritual cultivation should help with that. You are in a different world and if the feeling of being in a game helps use it. What would you do if you were playing a game?”

  “With a new game I would first read the rule book. I would use the rules to create or choose a character. This would include race and build. If I chose a fighter, I would be a strength and/or dexterity build. A monk would focus on dexterity and wisdom. As I gained levels, I would gain skills and attributes, depending on the game. There are whole books on how to play and the different levels. I just don’t know who I am in this world.”

  “To start with, life is not that simple. Just because you are a monk doesn’t mean you are wise or agile. A monk can be stupid and clumsy. Secondly, there is no rule book. I will help you where I can, but this is your life now. I know you have a different face and name, but your spirit is still you. You will have to accept that if you want to be able to cultivate your spirit. Your spirit is who you are. Your body is a borrowed shell. You’ll find as you get into soul cultivation that you can change your body.”

  “Grandfather, you are scaring her.”

  “No,” Erameya said, “I’m just trying to digest his concepts. If I hear you right, I will eventually be able to look however I want.”

  “Not only that. You will be able to shift into any shape.” Laird Tokavaig closed his eyes and his body changed into that of a small white fox. He then shifted back.

  “When you shift where do the materials you don’t need go?”

  “My theory is a pocket dimension.” Laird Tokavaig smiled. “My father said, ‘magic’.”

  “Pardon, M’laird.” A servant cleared his throat, “There is a soldier here, he said you sent for him.”

  “Take Master Bracken to the courtyard. We will join him shortly.”