Ian swung at the spelled shield. His sword hit it with a staggering force that echoed throughout the courtyard.
The spelled shield split down the center and fell apart, exactly as the regular shield had.
A collective gasp of shock went through the assembly.
Ian turned back to face them. “I take it that was the spelled shield, then?” He sheathed his sword.
Onric glanced at Ashlin. Her brows were knitted, concern etched on her face.
“It should have withstood that force,” Lord Munney sputtered, his face growing red. “They have been working on this enchantment for years, and they said it was ready! You must be exceptionally strong, Prince Ian, to have shattered it so quickly.”
At any other time, Onric would have laughed at the councilor’s continued attempts to flatter the crown prince. But at the moment, he could not stop thinking about the fact that he, Onric, had struck both shields multiple times before Ian had taken a swing. That type of compact wooden shield was not meant to withstand constant attack. If he had taken another swing at either shield, they likely would have still shattered. But Ian had stepped in and was now getting all the attention.
Onric glanced back towards the side door. Ashlin was still watching, and for the first time, he was frustrated that she was there. It was bad enough that Ian had to outdo him in front of their father and the most important men in the kingdom, but now Ashlin too had seen Ian hailed as the better of the two.
“Exceptionally strong, indeed,” Lord Munney was still speaking.
“Did they explain how their enchantment worked?” Onric cut in. “What did they do to the shield and how was it supposed to be better?”
“Ah, yes.” Still stammering, Lord Munney turned back to Onric. “They sent along a detailed explanation with the messenger, but it is quite shocking.” He glanced around, ensuring that he had everyone’s attention before he continued. “The source of their power comes from the seeds of chaos. It requires a dark gathering of the precursor of evil. The magic can only be accessed and channeled in the wake of pain, or it can be preempted by inflicting pain unjustly upon someone in order to create the proper environment for discord.”
“What are you getting at?” Onric asked.
“It is most probable that this experiment failed because they inflicted pain upon someone, likely a prisoner, but their victim did not appropriately take that pain and sow it into chaos. Hence the efficacy of the magic on this particular shield did not take full effect.”
Onric’s stomach turned at the thought that the examiners were torturing prisoners in order to create the magic. While he had expected nothing less from the stories he’d heard of the Majis, it was still sobering to hear. Onric tried to apply this nebulous information to a practical scenario. “So, it would be more appropriate to stop any magical attacks by uniting in harmony, person to person.”
“How long has she been here?” Lord Munney cried, ignoring the question and raising his voice as he pointed towards Ashlin. “This was a confidential meeting of the king’s advisors! Seize her. Guards!”
Ashlin froze. Her hand had grabbed the door handle, but she must have realized it would be useless to run deeper into the castle.
The inner courtyard had no stationed guards, as it was safely away from the perimeter gates.
Onric stepped forward, his mind reeling for a reason to excuse her.
“Ah, yes, Prince Onric,” Lord Munney continued, his panicked voice slightly higher than it typically was, “head of the castle guard. Arrest her!”
“That is under my jurisdiction, Councilor, and not yours,” Onric replied. He stepped towards Ashlin but made no move to apprehend her.
“For all you know, she is a Majis spy,” Lord Munney sputtered.
“For all we know, you could be a Majis spy,” Onric replied, trying to buy himself time. The only explanation he could conceive was the truth, and that was not something he was ready to share with everyone currently in the courtyard.
“Onric,” his father warned. “Do not insult the councilor.”
“This woman is a trusted member of the palace staff. I will vouch for her.” He turned to Ashlin. “Go.”
She looked back at him, her face calm but her eyes wide. “I was just passing through to get to my duties—”
“I will have her questioned,” Lord Munney said, cutting her off.
“To what end?” Onric countered. “The Majis will be on our shores in less than a year. What information do you have that is worth keeping secret at this point?”
Lord Munney sputtered, speechless for the first time that day.
“Go,” Onric repeated under his breath to Ashlin.
She made a move towards the door, but turned back towards. “Should we not be preparing for a magical attack, rather than a forceful one?” Her voice was quick and quiet, so that only Onric could hear it.
