The Dark Night.

It’s a terrible disease. One of the mind, and one there’s no known cure for.

Because it’s a disease of the mind’s core, and the mind will come undone if you try to take it off.

To heal it, only time and the right experiences of life can do. Only by gradually living through things which change the mind core softly and slowly can one get rid of the Dark Night.

It usually takes many, many lives to do it.

Not that my grandson can live many lives. Or need to. Being immortal he’s sure to live the needed experiences, as long as his state doesn’t give a turn for worst.

So I must find him a suitable companion.

Prodding his mind, I could sense, vaguely, the experience of mischief.

I can’t say what was it that made his mind sick, but I can sense how to ease his pain. He needs someone to use and be consoled by.

No wonder it manifested so late in his life.

He had his mother before. And his sister. But now he’s mostly alone, since both have separated from him.

I myself do not fit for the role either. I’m his teacher, and his grandmother. Even if I hadn’t my Destined One at my side, even if the course didn’t prevent me from being with any other man, curse it, this child still need a teacher – someone he can’t control or use as an extension of himself. As if it was his mother and he still a baby.

So he should find a proper person.

Someone to take this role in place of others, to live for this cause. There are plenty of poor souls in this world which would gladly become his silent servants for a few hours every day in exchange for food, shelter and a peaceful life.

Except he’s a Royal Genius, too young and also too smart for his own age.

An appropriate person will be difficult to find, so I may need to send him away in the end.

Send him to a place where he can find people to fulfill that role in place of the ones he had before, even if at the cost of some emotional pain later on.

Maybe the best chance is to make him go with Ann when she’s leaving to the country’s capital. The Royal Magic Research Association is out of his reach for now. Even if he can be hired, they would make he do dunger work, and then things would only get worse.

But Duke Bishton’s association usually hire the poor who come around as carriers.

It’s a sinister association as they don’t care much for those who they hire, but it also presents a chance for him. His companions will depend on him, and he will depend on them eventually as well.

It’s decided.

I barely reach my house and hear knocks at the door.

This man. He has finally come.

“Marie.”

“I didn’t expect for you to come to see me personally, Matthew Dorian.”

He’s silent.

That’s not my intention. This should be carried all the way through.

“Is it because of your wife that you have come to me?”

Surprised, angered, ashamed, humiliated and sad. Just as expected for him to be.

“Yes.”

“Very well. Ask my help and I shall help you.”

He almost gives up, but he won’t. Not after what happened with his daughter.

“Please help me.”

“Your wife is suffering from Yellow Skin Vermin. That’s from eating undercooked eggs.”

His face is a bit pale, but stiff.

“We all eat soft eggs. It’s how my father taught us.”

“And that’s why most of you have it as well. But you won’t feel a thing until you are too old or lose a lot of blood. Like she lost when she was in labour. Your daughter was the same thing. Children die easily of Yellow Skin Vermin.”

His face shows a lot of pain. That’s adequate.

“I can give you medicine for the disease, and it should cure you and your sons. But since Ullma is weak I will need to cast detoxification magic on her.”

And now he ponders. But not for long.

“Please do it.”

“Then let’s go at once”.

My family demands a lot of attention and care. However, thanks to him the Dorians have now bow to me.

It’s the course.