In the end it was pragmatism that made the choice for him. Selene was already safe, and even if she did return, she had already proven she couldn’t be controlled. If her father gave her a command, she refused to obey she would die. Such a limitation made her less useful for the king’s purpose.
“Laina,” he said at last. “Free my sister.”
Lognion’s face lit up with undisguised mirth. “Oh, I didn’t say I would give you what you asked for. I merely wanted to see who you would choose. It’s always an instructive exercise, and I’m sure you learned a few things about yourself.”
Crestfallen, Will glared at the man. “Have you nothing better to do than torment me?”
“Careful what you wish for, William. The day I no longer find you interesting enough to torment is the day you die.” Reaching up to his chest, he concentrated for a moment, and Will briefly saw the flicker of hundreds or perhaps even thousands of heart-stone enchantments. Eventually the king picked one and held it out, displaying it for Will’s inspection. “This is the control link for my daughter. Since her recent rebellion, she is of much less use to me. Take it.”
“I don’t want you to transfer it. Just release her,” said Will sharply.
“Take it or I will kill her now,” said Lognion.
Will held out his hand and Lognion passed the enchantment to him. Careful not to let his body destroy it, Will accepted the link and felt it stitch itself to his soul. As soon as the process was done, he reached out and examined it, looking for the correct point to begin unraveling it. He had freed many elementals in the past, so the process was familiar to him already.
“Before you make a mistake, William, let me give you some advice,” said the king, his tone suddenly paternal. “Do you know how I developed my ability to discern truth from lies?”
Will met his gaze but said nothing.
“It was the heart-stone enchantment. Over the years I’ve held the lives of tens of—” His voice stumbled for a moment. “Of thousands of men and women in my hands. I was always gifted at discerning lies, but with the heart-stone enchantment I was able to know with absolute certainty every time someone tried to deceive me. Over time, that feedback allowed me to train my natural intuition to perfection. By watching someone’s expressions, their body language, and even the turyn that flows around them, I know with absolute certainty whether they are lying.”
“I’m never going to enslave people the way you have.”
“I’m not suggesting you should, but think how useful it would be to have a wife whose loyalty you could be absolutely certain of, who could never betray you, who might obey orders that she was not even aware were orders?”
That made him angrier than it should have. “I’ve always trusted Selene,” he declared, but inwardly he felt a sliver of doubt. The dream he had had—was it really a dream?
“Liar,” said the king. “I can see your mistrust, and you are right to doubt her. No man or woman is completely trustworthy. People change over time. An honest oath, a sincere promise, they may be meant when they are given, but time will change the hearts of those who make promises. I’m offering you a refuge from such uncertainty. You can know she is yours. You can ensure that she never strays. The enchantment is subtler than you realize.
“I made a mistake the day you drove me to order her explicitly to do something she was absolutely against. Yes, I admit you were clever that day. It’s one of the main reasons I decided to let you take her as your wife. But you don’t have to be foolish. The heart-stone enchantment will reinforce her own desire to never stray, to never lie to you. Let me give you this gift.”
Will felt the older man’s words circling in his brain, and there was a certain logic to them. He didn’t have to necessarily use the enchantment to control Selene, but he could use it to always know whether her words were true or not. Would that be so wrong? For a minute he was sorely tempted, more than he wanted to admit.
Before his heart could waver any further, he began plucking at the enchantment, carefully unravelling it. A few seconds later it dissolved, and he knew that Selene was finally free.
Lognion shook his head. “Such a shame. I had high hopes for you, William.”
“Even if I only used it for truth telling, it would be a violation.”
“You suggest that lies are somehow a good thing?”
He nodded. “Some are. Trust isn’t about truth or lies. Humans need their social deceptions. We wear them like clothes, to hide ourselves from the judgment of others, or even ourselves. To strip her of that would be to rob her of her privacy, her individuality. It would be a betrayal of love.”
“In your world perhaps,” admitted the king. “Love has never existed in mine, so I have nothing to lose. Your argument is still lacking, though. Truth is the foundation of trust.”
Will shook his head, feeling certain at last. “No, it isn’t. Trust is a form of faith, faith in another human being. It isn’t founded in a cold reliance on absolute truth, but simply on the belief that the one you trust has your best interest at heart. That they can be relied on, even when they lie, to be on your side. I won’t sacrifice something so precious just for absolute truth.”
“Suit yourself,” said Lognion. “You have tomorrow to do what you will. If the infestation persists then I will proceed with my plans on the next morning.” Turning away, the monarch left the room without even glancing at the dead bodies. Someone else would be along to deal with them.
Will felt lost for a moment, and as he looked at Laina he couldn’t bear to wake her. The experience she had had was too fresh and he wanted her to be somewhere safe and pleasant when she opened her eyes. Anything to blunt the memory of the king’s savage cruelty. And my bloody response to it, he added mentally.
The spell was fresh, so he didn’t fear waking her. Bending carefully, he slipped his arms behind her head and knees and cradled her against his chest before lifting and carrying her from the room. It was all he knew to do.
Chapter 47
Out in the hall, he was immediately approached by another servant, but before the man could speak, Will addressed him, “Are Princess Selene’s old quarters still unoccupied?”
The man bowed. “The king has kept them maintained exactly as they were the day she left, sir.”
“I’ll be using them until morning,” said Will, putting as much authority in his voice as he could manage. “Please show my friends up to join us.”
“Should I get someone to carry her for you, sir?”
The look in Will’s eyes turned fierce, causing the man to wilt away, though Will didn’t mean frighten him intentionally. “No. I know the way.” He set off without looking back. The one place in the palace he knew exactly how to find was Selene’s old room.