Chapter 71: Interlude - Aizel

7 years ago...

Aizel woke to the sound of incessant knocking. He wrapped one of his dozen pillows over his ears. One of the two women in bed with him groaned.

“Come back later!” Aizel yelled.

The knocking did not stop.

“What kind of servants do you have?” The other woman next to him complained.

“They’re probably new slaves, they haven’t learned that I’m not to be disturbed before noon,” Aizel sighed.

The bedroom door swung open, an elegantly dressed drow stormed inside.

Aizel rubbed his bleary eyes, “Mom?”

“What on earth are you doing still asleep?” She chastised.

His mom tore away his silk sheets. The women in bed shouted in protest.

“I swear if either of you harlots make another noise I will have you fed to the city’s shades by nightfall,” she glared at them.

The women fell utterly silent.

“Now, get out, before I kill you myself,” she threatened.

The two women scrambled to find their clothes and ran out of the room, not even bothering to put them on.

“I liked them,” Aizel whined.

“How many times do I have to tell you not to bring that common rabble into our home? You are an aristocrat of a proud lineage, you cannot be sleeping with whatever wench that suits your fancy.”

“Does it really matter?” He rolled his eyes.

“I’m not a daughter of this House. I don’t have to piously keep my virginity for some inevitable marriage to some pompous ass for the sake of some pointless intricate alliance with another House,” Aizel prattled on while waving his hands.

His mother raised her brow. “Is that right?”

“It is. Now may I ask why my beautiful intelligent mother has deemed to grace me with her presence in this ungodly hour?”

She began rummaging through his ornate dresser, “I am going to assume you have forgotten that House Katag is visiting today for breakfast. As my son you are expected to attend.”

“The Katags are family friends. I’m sure lord Katag won’t mind if I’m late to some breakfast.”

“Today isn’t just some breakfast,” She sighed in exasperation and threw him some clothes, “Here, just put this on. And since you clearly have nothing better to do, go fetch your sister. She’s undoubtedly still training in the south courtyard.”

“Don’t get me wrong, I love my little sister, very much. But, don’t we have servants for this kind of thing?”

"Obviously, but you have nothing to do and the servants do. So, get your butt off the bed and bring your sister to the main dining room.”

Aizel jumped off the bed with a twirl, “Your wish is my command dear mother.”

“Don’t be late,” she chuckled.

He kissed her on the cheek and walked out.

“Aizel, don’t forget your clothes dammit!”

“Ah, right,” he grinned.

~~~

Aziel found his younger sister training just as his mom had said. She sat cross-legged with closed eyes. She was encircled by a ring of flame undulating in a rhythmic pattern. He admired her magical expertise for a few moments before he stepped into the courtyard.

“Hey, Loh!” He called out with a smile.

“Aizel, what is it?” Loh said without bothering to open her eyes.

“Mom wants us to go have breakfast with the family,” he said.

“Can’t you see I’m busy? I’ll go eat later.”

“I thought as much, buuut, the Katag family is visiting,” he smirked.

Her face twitched, “What are you getting at?”

“Oh, I don’t know, just that the beautiful Tauri will be there is all. I can just imagine her now, silky red skin, amazing legs, and don’t get me started on her a-”

“Shut up, I get it. I’ll be there in a bit,” she cracked an eye open.

“Great. Seeing as we have a few minutes until then, I wanted to show you something,” he beamed.

“Aizel, I don’t really think that’s necessary.”

He held out his hands, “Wait, just wait one second. I’ve been looking forward to showing you this for months and now I’m finally ready. I promise you will be impressed.”

“Fine,” she sighed. The flames around her died out.

“Okay, perfect.” He took a deep breath, “Here I go.”

He put his hands together, palms wide open. A small burst of flame shot out, sizzling a nearby wooden dummy before sputtering out.

Aizel turned to his sister proudly, “I know it’s not big yet, but I finally got the rotation and heat of the flame spell down. With just a few more weeks I’m confident I can make a proper fireball.”

Loh stood up and dusted off her pants, “Don’t bother.”

“Huh?”

“You can’t cast the agility spell form to save your life and you can barely cast the flame spell form. You took months just to learn this? I could create a perfect fireball five times that size after only two weeks. You don’t have talent in either orange spell forms.”

Aizel’s smile fell, “But, I’m only a chromatic orange.”

“Exactly. You don’t have talent for magic. So, stop trying to be a mage.”

“I-I just wanted to cast fire like you,” Aizel stuttered.

The ring of flames surged back to life with a roar, “Then stop it! Stop pretending to be like me. You will never be like me. Do you see this fire? The skill it took to cast it didn’t happen overnight.”

Loh bit her lip, “Our Great House needed a successor and you clearly couldn’t handle the pressure. So, I had to step up to cover your faults. I had to be the one to sacrifice. You have no idea how hard I’ve worked, the challenges I’ve been put through. I’ve given up so much to stand next to grandfather. Yet, you pretend that you can replace me with just a bit of training?”

Aziel backed away, “No, that’s not what I meant.”

“Of course it is, even if you didn’t realize it. We are a mage House. Not a martial or merchant House. Our family sustains itself through the power of its mage lords. You think becoming a mage lord is simple? Easy? You’re blind to the amount of blood, sweat, and tears it takes. How much our ancestors have sacrificed to get where we are. But, you couldn't care less of the ongoings of this House, so long as it provides for your pretty little lifestyle.”

Loh clenched her fist, the fire died. “So, go on, be the favored handsome son of our parents. Go live the dream, travel wherever you wish, buy whatever you want, sleep with any woman willing to jump into bed with you; we both know there are plenty. I’ll go live in the real world, where sacrifice is needed to attain what one desires.”

“The next time you try to show me your magic, I’ll make sure that you won’t forget mine,” Loh walked away.

Aizel felt a lump in his throat, “I’m sorry. I never wanted you to suffer. I just wanted…”

I just wanted you to be happy.

~~~

“How are the defenses in the trade routes fairing?” Elzri Noir asked.

“More difficult than I’d like to admit. A tribal war lord has recently risen in the southern lands of Dusk Valley. He has managed to evade all our assaults and has returned with a vengeance on many of Hollow Shade’s trade caravans,” Krall Katag answered.

The head of the Great House Katag, war lord Krall, was a tall orc. Standing at 7 feet, he was an imposing figure to all. He had a thick black beard that covered most of his red visage. His orange eyes were set deep in his rigid face. His foreboding figure loomed over the rest at the dining table.

“Loh, it’s great to see you. How have you been? I haven’t seen you in weeks,” Tauri Katag said from across the table.

“I’ve been fine, thanks for asking. I really want to catch up, but the situation in the Valley seems dire,” Loh lowered her head in an apology and went back to listening to Elzri’s and Krall’s conversation.

Tauri pouted and chewed her food.

Aizel silently passed her his dessert. “Loh’s just a bit busy right now, I promise she’s definitely missed you,” he whispered.

Tauri took the strawberry cake with glee, “Thanks Aizel, it’s great to see you too, by the way.”

Aizel and Loh’s father smiled, “That’s my Loh for you. Always focused on what’s most important.”

One of Krall’s wives nodded in agreement, “I’ve heard. She remains undefeated on the dueling grounds I’m told. Quite the impressive mage.”

Loh’s father turned to her, “Did you know that Loh has recently become a master mage? Can you believe it? She’s only 23 years old, but she’s as powerful as magi who have trained for decades!”

Loh’s mother added, “She is a prodigy after all. Though, I do believe even prodigies need a rest. Father, Lord Krall, I know you both sit on the city council, and as city lords I understand how important Hollow Shade’s interests are, but for sake of today’s special announcement may we refrain from talks of battle?”

“What special announcement?” Aizel asked.

Elzri frowned, “Loh is my right hand, she is being groomed to be a powerful mage for our city. Soon, she’ll be out in the very same battles we are discussing. And you wish for us to stop? No, I do not intend to cease simply because you wish to eat your food in sweet ignorance.”

His daughter bowed her head in shame, “Forgive me.”

Elzri sighed, “However, we may as well make the announcement now and then continue the conversation afterwards.”

“May I?” Krall asked.

“Go ahead,” Elzri nodded.

Krall glanced around the table, “Our Great Houses are two of the most powerful Houses in all of Hollow Shade, in all the Ebon Realm in fact. Lord Noir and I have been friends and comrades for many years, which is why we have decided to make it official and unite our Houses through marriage. His grandson and my daughter. Aizel and Tauri are to be engaged and wed in the summer.”

“What?” Aizel mouthed. His body felt rigid, frozen in shock.

Tauri smiled abashedly, “I just found out yesterday.”

Loh’s fork slipped out of her hand and clamoured on her plate. “Forgive me grandfather, may I be excused?”

“You may go,” Elzri waved her away.

Aizel felt his heart sink as he watched his little sister, head down, walk out of the room. Despite her white hair covering her face, he swore he saw a tear. Aizel stood up.

“You haven’t been excused, Aizel,” Elzri said coldly.

Aizel ignored him and ran after Loh.

Tauri looked at Krall pleadingly, “Father may I?”

“Of course,” Krall nodded.

Tauri stood up and left as well.

“Children, all three of them,” Elzri shook his head.

~~~

Aizel ran out of the dining room as fast as he could, yet he couldn’t find Loh anywhere. He called out her name, but there was no response.

He ran his hands through his white hair. “This is so messed up. Everything is wrong,” he muttered.

“Aizel, wait up,” Tauri called out.

He turned around to see the beautiful orc jog up to him. “Tauri? What are you doing here?”

“Same as you, looking for Loh. My best guess is she used an agility spell to run away quickly. You won’t be able to find her on regular legs.”

“I’d like to think my legs are above average, although I’m horrible with the agility spell form,” Aizel lamented.

“I wouldn’t disagree with anything you just said. Luckily, I’m a manifold mage, and I just so happen to be a chromatic orange too,” she grinned.

“So, you keep on reminding me,” he cracked a half-smile. “Look, before we go find my sister, I need to tell you something.”

“What is it?” Tauri asked, her amber-orange eyes alight with curiosity.

“Isn’t this whole marriage thing crazy? Hypothetically, if we ever did get married and had children, they would be born hybrids. They would be sterile.”

Tauri wrinkled her nose, “I recently heard rumors about a hybrid who had a child. What people say about hybrids might be wrong. Our society has ostracized them for so long that we just don’t know enough about them. It’s possible that hybrids aren’t sterile after all. Maybe they only have very low fertility rates, or a high chance of miscarraige, or something else.”

“Perhaps, either way the Noir family line wouldn’t get very far.”

Tauri scratched her cheek, “Aizel, I don’t think your grandfather plans for you to carry on the family line. Loh is the magical prodigy and his most likely heir. She’ll probably be married to some other genius mage to ensure the Noir bloodline’s magical superiority.”

Aizel fidget with his hands, “Even still, we’re friends Tauri. We’ve been good friends for many years. You’ve always had my back. Even when I found out I couldn’t use magic, Loh and you were there to cheer me up. And when my magic finally manifested you gifted me my very own authentic black mage robe, even though I was still barely a novice. I still don’t know how you got it, to be honest.”

“With a lot of money and some smuggling,” Tauri winked.

“Which brings me to my main point. I appreciate you a lot, you are gorgeous, funny, and all-around amazing. And I’m not. I don’t deserve you. I’m just another useless son of some rich House.”

“Oh, Aizel Noir, you are so much more than that,” Tauri said resolutely.

The words touched him more deeply than he had thought possible.

He took a shaky breath, “Tauri, our engagement. It can’t happen. My sister, she loves y-”

Tauri placed her finger on his lips, “I know. But, this decision wasn’t made by me. Both leaders of our Houses struck the deal.”

Aziel grabbed her hand, “But, one of them is your father. He adores you, if you beg him he’ll listen to you.”

Tauri smiled sadly, “My father loves me very much, yes, but he is first and foremost a warrior. As is our House. Duty above all else. He will not change his mind on this, since the engagement will strengthen both of our Houses. As the eldest son you must get married first and your grandfather has decided that I am to be your wife.”

Tauri straightened her back, “Besides, I am a daughter of the Great House Katag. I will obey the family head’s wishes no matter what. I knew I’d be married eventually, I accepted and made peace with the fact long ago.”

“Tauri, that’s…”

“The way of the Realm, Aizel. I get to enjoy many privileges as a Katag and all my House asks of me is to be honorable. How could I face them if I were to run away from my most important duty of all?”

Aizel lowered his head in defeat, “I understand.”

Tauri squeezed his hand, “If I’m being honest, I was a little worried when my father told me I was to be married. I wasn’t sure what kind of man he’d be. All I was sure of was that I would fulfill my duty to marry and support him to the end of my days, for the sake of my House and his own.”

Her mouth curved into a smile, “But, when I heard it was you, the silly, idiotic, Aizel, the drow who always made sure that I had the extra piece of cake. The one who took the blame when Loh and I broke my family’s carriage. The one who was always kind to an upstart little orc girl who refused to do anything but fight. Well, when I heard it was that man, I confess I was very happy.”

“I-I don’t. I don’t know what to say,” his face reddened.

“Well, you could hug me for starters,” Tauri stepped close.

With slow, stiff arms he did just that.

“I don’t mind you sleeping with other women, but I’ll kill you if you bring them to our marital bed,” she whispered.

“...Right,” he swallowed.

Loh listened from behind the corner. Warm tears stained her face. A wretched pain like she had never known tore at her chest.

Congratulations, Aizel. You’ve finally taken everything from me.