Faeryn stood across from Nero in the empty arena, and Nero swallowed hard. He thought of the last time he’d been in the arena like this, standing across from his brother, wondering why he didn’t have any magic powers. There were no judgmental eyes this time… no pressure to prove himself to anyone.

“Are you ready?” Faeryn asked, and Nero nodded. “I’m only going to try some starlight magic, nothing that could do any damage if my theory is incorrect. Just try to block it the way you would do any physical attack.”

Faeryn struck out with his fist, and a burst of bright magic shot directly at Nero. His courage and certainty failed him then, and he took a fearful step back, putting his hands up to protect himself.

The magic never touched him though. A few inches from him hands, it exploded as though it had struck an invisible shield. Tiny bits of light fell around him like ashes, but none of them ever touched Nero, and he let out a loud, nervous laugh of relief.

“You were right,” he said, looking down at his hands. “I can cancel out magic.”

“Would you like to test its limits? For that, though, you could actually get hurt.”

“Let’s do it,” Nero said. There was a glimmer in his eyes and excitement in his voice that Faeryn had never seen in him before. “I want to see how far I can go with this. Come at me with everything you’ve got!”

“Hold on…” Faeryn put his hands up defensively. “I’m not going to just up and attack you with magic, Nero. Let’s go back to the library and discuss it first.”

“Oh, come on, Faeryn! Aren’t you just as curious as I am? You can start out small, and then build up to stronger magic.”

“Of course I’m curious. But I don’t want to hurt you.”

“It’s fine,” Nero pushed. “Even if I do get hurt, then we’ll know the limits, right?”

Faeryn shook his head. He supposed there was no way to change Nero’s mind about it. He wanted so desperately to prove himself, magic or not. He wanted to prove to his family that he was just fine, with or without magic. But he didn’t really need to prove it, did he? There were plenty of kings and queens throughout the continent that didn’t rely on magic the way Anzino did. He wished Nero could see that.

“All right,” Faeryn said in defeat, and Nero took a defensive stance. “Get ready.”

Over the next few months, Nero and Faeryn worked together to discover the limits of Nero’s power, or lack of power, depending on how one might look at it. From what they could determine, there wasn’t any real limit to what he could deflect or disperse.

He didn’t even have to move to defend himself, and he could use the techniques and movements he’d originally learned from the Court Mages to deflect and disperse magic instead. His training wouldn’t go to waste.

While general magic couldn’t touch him, the physical things left behind by magic, like flames or ice, could. A blast of fire, a shard of ice, a rush of water… anything that wasn’t specifically magical in nature could break through his defenses, especially if he wasn’t paying attention. Not that he was completely defenseless. He could still disperse a fireball or block a flame-coated fist, but they could hurt him if he didn’t time it right. His defenses were also harder to get through when he knew magic was being used against him.

Nero used his weak points such as his lack of physical strength as an opportunity to improve. His immunity and aversion to magic wouldn’t be enough. He had to be able to defend himself against a full range of both magical and physical attacks if he wanted to get stronger.

One morning, while Faery and Nero were training, a booming voice flooded the training arena.

“What the hell is going on here?”

Nero startled at the sound of his father’s voice, and turned to the source, losing focus on the task at hand. His father looked angry, followed by four members of the Royal Guard.

“Nero, look out!”

He cried out as a blast of flames struck the back of his shoulder and he fell to his knees. He clutched his wounded shoulder as Faeryn rushed to his aid.

“I’ve been hearing rumors about you two all over the castle,” Father said, the rage clear in his voice and his eyes. “What exactly is the nature of your relationship with this heathen, Nero?”

“Are you all right?” Faeryn asked, helping Nero up and looking over his shoulder with concern.

“Step away from my son, Librarian,” Father demanded, and Faeryn scowled at him.

“I’m trying to help him. We haven’t done anything wrong, we were—”

“I said step away!” Father shoved Faeryn, and he fell back in the dirt.

“Leave him alone,” Nero demanded. He put himself between his father and Faeryn. “He’s teaching me how to protect myself against magic since I don’t have any of my own. It was my choice. Punish me, not Faeryn.”

“Get him out of my sight,” Father told his guards, pointing at Faeryn. They hauled him to his feet and took him away while Nero and Father stared each other down with rage in their eyes.

“This is what you’ve been doing all this time instead of training with the Royal Guard?” Father questioned. “Hanging around with that heathen so he can fill your head with nonsense?”

“I am training, and it isn’t nonsense! It’s the history of our kingdom! He even has a theory as to why I’m not a Sorcerer.”

“You are a Sorcerer—you’re just sick. I don’t know what illness has taken hold of you, but I intend to have the physicians find a cure.”

“I don’t need a cure! There’s nothing wrong with me! Why can’t you just listen?”

“No, you listen! Learn your place, boy. You’re just a child. I am your father and your king. You will attend regular healing sessions with the Court Mages, and you will give up this ridiculous nonsense with the Keeper of Knowledge.”

“I won’t!” Nero clenched his fists. He couldn’t take it anymore. His father had controlled his whole life since he was old enough to be put into training and he’d had enough. “You’re not going to bully me into following your delusional ideas about my power or your unjustified hatred towards Faeryn!”

“A bully? Is that what you want me to be?” Father stood taller, straightening the front of his shirt. “You care about what happens to the Librarian, don’t you?”

“What are you talking about?”

“He attacked you.” Father pointed at Nero’s injured shoulder. “That’s a crime against the kingdom, and I’m sure you know what the penalty is for treason, don’t you?”

Nero’s eyes went wide, his whole body shaking. He clenched his fists, the rage building in his chest. He had never wanted to hit his father, but at that moment he would have loved to.

“You can’t be serious. We were training! He didn’t do anything wrong—it was an accident!”

“I didn’t approve any training. No one here knew anything about it. All I saw was my son being attacked by a mage.”

“You’re insane,” Nero said through clenched teeth. He took a threatening step towards his father, who snapped his fingers and the guards immediately seized him. “Get off of me! You can’t do this!”

“I’ll say this once more, and I will not repeat myself again. You are to end your apprenticeship with the Librarian, attend healing sessions, and return to your training with the Royal Guard. Agree to these terms and the Librarian will go free. You have three days to give me your answer, or I’ll execute him for treason.”

“Listen to me!”

“You’re not the king! You listen to me!”

Father stormed off without another word, and Nero was too shocked and upset to argue the point any longer. He stood in the arena, alone, full of anger and frustration.

He visited the dungeon that night, long after most of the castle had gone to bed. The Court Physician had bandaged his shoulder, since they couldn’t use healing magic on him.

Faeryn was face down on the floor in chains, stripped of his cloak and restrained by special iron shackles that nullified magic powers. He was bruised and bloody, and his long dark hair hid his face.

“Faeryn!” Nero gripped the bars so tightly that his knuckles went white. “Faeryn, wake up!”

He didn’t move or respond, and Nero’s shoulders shook with anger. He’d never felt so upset in his entire life.

He summoned the guard to let him into the cell, and rushed to Faeryn’s side. He knelt beside him and turned Faeryn over, letting out a sigh of relief to find that he was still breathing. He lightly slapped his face, and Faeryn groaned softly.

“Wake up!”

Faeryn groaned again and opened his eyes slowly. They weren’t clear and bright as usual—they were dark and hazy. Had he been sedated? He didn’t even look at Nero, who finally got a good look at the extent of his injuries.

Faeryn’s chest shuddered with raspy, labored breathing. His wrists were bloody from the shackles being too tight, and his face was bruised and covered in dry blood. Nero helped him up so he could lay on the mat instead of the damp cold floor.

“Who did this to you?”

“I already told you,” he said, barely louder than a whisper, and he coughed. “Your father hates me… he doesn’t care what they do to me.”

“I care! I’m going to get you out of here, and—”

He fell quiet as he recalled his father’s threat. What could he do to protect Faeryn? He would have to go along with his father’s demands, wouldn’t he?

“I’m sorry, Faeryn. This is all my fault. I can get you out of here, but…”

He told him everything, and Faeryn listened quietly, then let out a weak, forced laugh.

“I knew he hated me, but I didn’t think he’d ever take it that far.”

“This is wrong.” Nero scowled, angry tears threatening to fall. “He has no right.”

“Don’t worry about me,” Faeryn told him, resting more comfortably than before. “Don’t mess up your life for someone like me.”

“I’m going to make this right.”

On his way out of the dungeon, Nero was overcome by his rage over the whole thing. He grabbed the guard by the front of his jacket and slammed the man back against the stone wall. The bang echoed through the corridor, and even Nero was surprised with the amount of force he’d used, but he didn’t care if he hurt the guard.

“If I find even so much as one more scratch on Faeryn, I will personally see to it that you and the other guards are the next ones to occupy these cells. Do I make myself clear?”

“Y-yes, Your Highness,” he said nervously. He didn’t move or speak when Nero released him and stormed off.

Nero stalked through the castle halls, the rage radiating from him like flames. Everyone steered clear, stepping quickly out of his path.

“Have you finally decided to see reason?” Father asked when Nero burst into his study, throwing the door open so hard that it made a loud bang as it hit the wall.

“I’ll do what you want in exchange for this,” Nero told him. “I’ll end my apprenticeship, but I won’t end my relationship with Faeryn. I’m still going to spend my free time in the library with him.”

Father looked like he wanted to argue the point, but then decided against it. He sighed, but then he laughed softly.

“You’ve always been so defiant,” he said. “Very well. I’ll allow you to stay friends with that heathen, but no more training and no more apprenticeship. You are not going to be the next Keeper of Knowledge. You are going to become your brother’s Royal Advisor and General to the Royal Guard.”

“Whatever.” Nero turned his back on his father. “I expect Faeryn to be released immediately, and tell the healers to fix him up.”

Nero spent the next few days doing everything his father wanted. He saw the healers each morning, laying on an examination table for hours while they ran their hands all over him, trying to flood him with healing magic. It didn’t do anything, of course, and they would speak quietly to each other, trying to find some explanation. An illness, a curse, anything.

He just kept quiet. He didn’t bother telling them what Faeryn had told him or what he’d learned through training with Faeryn. It’s not like they would listen, anyway.

He spent his afternoons in training for the Royal Guard. He’d already spent years there, learning to swing a sword, ride and fight on horseback, improve his skills in close combat… it was exhausting work, but at least he would be a good soldier if he really didn’t have a choice in the future.

By the end of the week, Nero was completely exhausted. His body was sore and tired, and he dragged him feet through the castle halls.

“You look like rubbish,” Daemon said as he crossed paths with Nero in the corridors and blocked his path. “What have you been doing? Father’s been terribly moody lately, and I’m sure it’s got something to do with you. It always does."”

“Shove off, Daemon. I don’t care about Father’s mood.”

“Don’t you think you should try to have a better relationship with Mother and Father? They’re not getting any younger, you know. You stressing them out all the time isn’t going to do them any good, either.”

“I’ll have a better relationship with them when they stop trying to control every aspect of my life. I’m a person too.” He shoved Daemon out of his way. “Now, leave me alone!”

He returned to the library that night for the first time in a week. It was as quiet as ever, and Nero wondered if Father had actually kept his end of the deal and released Faeryn from the dungeon. If not, he would raise Hell in the morning.

He found Faeryn in the old bedroom that he’d originally given Nero to use. It seemed that he still hadn’t fully recovered from having his magic nullified, or maybe he was just too tired to use his magic. He was laying in the bed, his cloak draped over pile of books on the floor.

He slept soundly, and seemed to be breathing easier. Nero hadn’t been sure Father would actually have the mages heal him. He let out a long sigh of relief and sat on the edge of the bed. Even if he had to do everything his father wanted, he was just glad that Faeryn was safe.

“I’m sorry, Faeryn,” he said quietly. “This is my fault. I never should have come here and gotten you involved in my problems. If I hadn’t, you’d still be living here peacefully.”

“Don’t blame yourself,” Faeryn said, and Nero jumped. He’d thought Faeryn was asleep. He turned over to face Nero, stretching his arms over his head with a groan.

“But I am to blame,” Nero said with a scowl. “If you hadn’t been training me, none of this would have happened. I really am a cursed prince. I made you suffer.”

Faeryn grabbed Nero by the arm and pulled him down onto the bed. He wrapped his arms around him, and Nero felt his face get hot when Faeryn kissed the scar on the back of Nero’s shoulder. It was where he’d been hurt by Faeryn’s fire magic.

“Faeryn, what are you—”

“I’ve never felt like I was suffering with you around,” Faeryn told him, tightening his grip around Nero. “I’m sorry for causing you trouble. Your father never liked me anyway.”

“Causing me trouble?” Tears filled Nero’s eyes. Faeryn thought he was the one causing trouble? “You helped me when I felt like I was at my lowest point in my life. Who knows what might have happened to me these last few months without you?”

Nero woke without even realizing he’d been falling asleep, and Faeryn was gone. He probably went back to his work in the library. Nero got up slowly, stretching and yawning, before going out to see him.

The library was in chaos. Faeryn’s two helpers were rushing around in frenzy, gathering books and casting spells that Nero knew nothing about. A few of the smaller bookcases were overturned, books scattered across the floor, and Nero picked a few up.

“What’s going on?” Nero asked one of the helpers. “Where’s Faeryn?”

The young man lowered his gaze and rushed away with an armful of books without a word. Nero watching him scurry around, avoiding his gaze. What was going on?

“Hey,” he said, stopping the other helper. He’d never really spoke to them, and didn’t know either of their names. “Where is Faeryn? Tell me what’s going on? Why is the library in shambles?”

“I’m sorry, Your Highness,” she said quietly, keeping her eyes down so she didn’t have to look at Nero. “The Royal Guard came in this morning and took the Knowledge Keeper away. He’s being put on trial for treason.”

Nero’s eyes went wide, and he dropped all of the books in his arms. Treason? Had Father gone back on his word? The library was silent as Nero ran out, leaving the scattered books on the floor.