Has Leo been speaking with Alexander like I’ve been talking with Hannah? How much does he know? And if the prince isn’t enjoying the courtship, what does that mean for my sister?
“The prince is supposed to propose the night of the ball,” Evelyn said.
Leo froze.
What’s wrong? Was I not supposed to say that? Am I wrong, and the prince already decided not to?
Damien’s jaw tightened. “Where did you hear that?”
“I overheard King Gerard talking with the prince. Well, I heard the king yelling. I couldn’t actually hear the prince’s voice.”
“Huh. That would be an interesting development. Wouldn’t it, Leo?”
Leo was breathing normally again. “We’ll see what happens, I guess.”
Why does Leo seem uncomfortable? Is this related to his reaction yesterday when he didn’t want Hannah to join us in the city? I should ask him about it later, but I have other things I want to know.
“Why is King Gerard so insistent about Prince Alexander getting married?”
“Princes are expected to wed before they inherit the throne,” Leo said, sounding as if he were reciting a rule memorized decades ago.
“But why now?” Evelyn asked. “The king acts like he’s on his deathbed and the prince is running out of time for a wedding.”
“King Gerard might feel exactly like that after what happened in your kingdom,” Damien pointed out, referring to the recent murder of Carrowmore’s previous royal family.
“But why does a kingneedto be married, anyway? Our kingdoms are already allies and the borders are set. So, even if Alexander becomes king tomorrow, what’s the rush?”
“It’s about magic,” Leo said, keeping his gaze lowered.
“Magic?”
Leo went quiet again, so Damien took over. “You already know that kings inherit all the major magical abilities of their kingdom when they accept the throne. Right?”
“Yes.” Evelyn nodded. “My father only had Fire magic as a lord, then he gained Air, Water, and Earth when he became a king.”
“Exactly. King Gerard only had Vision magic when he was a prince, but added Auditory, Aromatic, and Taste magic as a king. It’s not perfect, like your father will probably always be strongest with Fire, but kings have access to all four types of power.”
This wasn’t new information to Evelyn. “So Prince Alexander will have all of the Perceptual magic when he becomes king.”
“Do you also know that people can share magic when they get married?”
“Yes. If I married a Water fae, I would gain some Water ability and he would gain some Fire ability.”
“Right. That’s where things get complicated for kings.”
“How so?”
“With a king, power is all or nothing. If they have magic, they have all of it.”
“Tell me where you’re going with this.” Evelyn’s patience was running out. “What does this have to do with Prince Alexander and my sister?”
Damien eyed his friend, but Leo was lost in his own head.
What is he thinking about?
Damien refocused his attention on Evelyn. “If Alexander marries Hannah, he won’t just get her Fire magic. Once he becomes the king, he will gainallof the Elemental abilities.”
Evelyn needed a moment to think about that. “He would have all of the Perceptual powersandall of the Elemental powers? How can one person even hold that much magic?”
