The Sorcerous Prince - 19. Chapter 19: Crossroads

The city jail was not far from the palace or La Salle de danse, and the receptionist at the desk was more than a little intimidated when she saw the Empress enter the building along with a woman who looked a lot like King Frederico and an African woman with a serious look upon her face. In their company were Prince Mihai, Adelric Bayer and his wife, as well as the Baron of Candavorum. “May I help you, My Empress?” the ginger woman asked nervously. “I'm Sally Bridges, by the way.”

“Yes Ms. Bridges,” Empress Guadalupe said formally. “I would like for you to have King Frederico, Queen Viviana, and Fabian the familiar taken to your largest interrogation room at once along with enough seats for all of us.”

“Will you require any torture devices?” Ms. Bridges asked.

“No!” the Empress said with irritation. “I do not torture members of my own family regardless of how vile their actions are.”

“I'm so sorry, ma'am,” Ms. Bridges quivered. “I just...”

“Just arrange it, please,” the Empress said as calmly as possible. “I don't need your excuse.”

“Yes, ma'am,” Ms. Bridges replied. “I'll get right on it.” A few minutes passed, and Ms. Bridges reappeared. If the Empress felt that Ms. Bridges had not completed the task in a timely manner, she failed to mention or acknowledge it in any way, but her sister, Selena, seemed irritated, much to Mihai's discomfort. Ms. Bridges escorted them down a seemingly endless hallway, one that ended at a magical elevator. The elevator took them down to the only underground level of the facility. The level was drafty, especially since it was cold outside on this late December afternoon.

They walked down another long corridor, and Mihai imagined that they were somewhere underneath the hallway that had led them in the opposite direction on the main floor. Sure enough, there was a room with a white sliding door at the end of the hallway, and Ms. Bridges led all of them in. Directly in front of them was an officer dressed in a light blue wizarding robe with his golden police badge visible. On the far left side of the room were three people in orange jump suits. Queen Viviana's eyes were red from crying while King Frederico seemed stone-faced and unable to look anyone directly in the eyes. Fabian, on the other hand, was sobbing. Selena, unimpressed by the display, walked toward him. “You can stop that blubbering right now!” Selena snapped at him. “A prince's familiar is not to show such emotion! Do you understand?”

“Yes, Your Chancellorship,” Fabian whispered, still sniffling. Selena remained standing, now within in a few feet of Fabian, while the others were seated on the other side of the room.

“What was that?” she asked sternly now that she was much closer. “Speak clearly.”

“Yes, Your Chancellorship!” he snapped.

“Fabian! You will treat Chancellor Selena Rousseau with respect!” Mihai commanded. “You have already disgraced me enough! It ends now!”

“Yes, Your Highness,” Fabian said, unable to hide his shame.

“Thank you, Mihai,” Selena said gently. “Fabian, I must ask. Why did you have sexual relations of any kind with your primary bonder's parents?”

“Ma’am... I...” Fabian stammered. “They told me that Mihai wouldn't care and that he also wouldn't mind if we established secondary bonds.”

“You actually believed that?” Selena questioned harshly. “Never are you to have any kind of sexual relations with the parents, siblings, or children of your primary bonder. I don't care if the family member in question is my sister, the Empress, herself! You are to have absolute loyalty to your primary bonder, and you are not to establish secondary bonds with anyone unless he states that you can or it is obvious that he wishes for such a bond to be established. You are to talk to him. Did he not mention protocols?”

“Yes,” Fabian replied stiffly. “They said...”

“I will ask THEM what they said shortly,” Selena grumbled. “Right now we are talking about you. If I asked you a closed, as in yes or no question, you will answer yes or no. Do you understand me?”

“Yes, ma'am,” he said.

“Now...” Selena said with a slight sigh and a pause. “Do you clearly understand the aforementioned protocols?”

“Yes, ma'am,” Fabian stated.

“Do you understand that having sexual relations with immediate members of your primary bonder's family is strictly forbidden unless you are told otherwise by your primary bonder?”

“Yes, ma'am,” Fabian said fervently.

“Good! If your primary bonder decides that you shall remain alive, you had better remember protocols. You are not to have sexual relations, with or without a condom, with immediate family members of your primary bonder or to establish secondary bonds with anyone without your primary bonder commanding you. It matters not if the other person involved is a citizen or...” Selena pointed to the Empress. “The Empress herself. You were bonded first with His Imperial Highness, Mihai Anton Rousseau, Likely Heir to the Imperial Throne. You are privileged to serve such a noble master, who from my understanding has a tendency to treat you more like a lover, a friend, and as a trusted companion. Through your actions, you dishonored your most trusted friend. I do believe you should apologize to him.”

“I'm sorry, Mihai,” Fabian cried.

“It will take time, but I will forgive you eventually, Fabian,” Mihai said. Turning to the guard, Mihai commanded, “Come here please.” Pointing his wand at the officer's hand, Mihai made a pair of jeans, a pair of underwear, and a black Metallica t-shirt appear in the officer's hand. Pointing to the officer's left hand, Mihai made a pair of black Nike shoes and a pair of socks appear. “I want you to set Fabian free and allow him to get dressed. He will be leaving with me. I'll need you to make sure that his formal wear as well as the King's and Queen's should be delivered to the palace immediately. And before you ask, the King and Queen will not be leaving.”

“Yes, Your Highness,” the tall, muscular, and dark-haired officer replied.

As soon as Fabian had been escorted from the room, Selena looked sharply at her brother. “Well Freddy,” she said in a mocking tone. “You haven't changed one bit. You still think with your dick. Men like you make me so glad that I'm a lesbian! Now, why on Earth did you and your whore of a wife sleep with your own son's familiar!”

“Well, I thought he was cute,” the King replied. “I also thought that it would be a good idea for us to have an indirect link to our son in case of an emergency.”

“God, you make me want to slap the piss out of you!” Selena shrieked. “Do not f**king lie to me, Freddy. Why the f**k did you sleep your son's familiar?”

“I... I acquired him with my son in mind,” Frederico quaked. “But I wanted a taste of him myself. I waited for months, and I just...”

“That's enough!” Selena grumbled. “I get the picture. By allowing Mihai to bond with Fabian, you forfeited any claim to Fabian. I'm sure Fabian's salary is very high and that it comes out of your money, but it is unacceptable for you to ever have such a relationship with your own son's familiar. And you manipulated him and abused your power. You should be ashamed of yourself!” Selena turned to Queen Viviana. “Well, at least you have the decency to cry in private. Tell me... are they tears of guilt for f**king over your own son, the young man who was entrusted to you, who was a gift to you from the gods themselves? Is it not a rare privilege to be the parents of the next Emperor?”

“I'm so sorry, Mihai!” she cried.

“Well, that answers my question,” Selena said in lighter tone. “Still, I cannot comprehend this. I remember your reaction when Freddy slept with his brother-in-law. You slapped him so hard that he had to spit a tooth and some blood out of his mouth. Of course, you were both already whoring, but at least at that time you realized that he had crossed the line! And now, you have joined him in this... this... abomination? How could you? How could you do such a thing to this precious son you gave birth to, who is to be one of the greatest wizards this world has ever seen?”

“Fabian... he's so,” the Queen did not want to admit it.

“Yes?” Selena asked, tapping her foot?”

“He's so handsome!” Viviana finally replied. “How am I supposed to resist such an Adonis?”

“I will ask the questions, you filthy whore!” Selena spat. “He does not belong to you! He was supposed to be a gift to your son, Mihai's first familiar. You have no right to touch him! I cringe to think what your great great grandmother would think! You're a descendent of Orla the Magnificent! She was a woman of grace, dignity, faith, and love! You, by acting like an insufferable c**t dishonor her! Why the gods themselves have not struck both of you dead for this I do not know!”

“I feel ashamed for what I have done,” the Queen said sincerely.

“We'll see about that!” Chancellor Selena Rousseau said indignantly. Softening her tone she said, “Mihai, please come here.” Mihai did as his aunt commanded whilst trying his best to avoid looking at either of his parents. “Read their minds! Let me know if they truly feel remorse for what they've done to you.”

Mihai did not respond. Before she had even finished speaking he was already diving into his mother’s mind. Once he found the answer, he gently extracted his mind from his mother's and directed his attention into his father's. After a few moments, Mihai spoke to his aunt. “They feel remorse for what they did with Fabian, but there was more to it than either of them are saying. Apparently seeing the brutal slaying of my sister, grandfather, great grandfather, the soldiers, and all those innocent animals was not enough punishment even if it was required. They slept with Fabian because he's hot. They bonded with him to be spiteful and to punish me.”

Selena was fuming. “Mihai, the Empress tells me that you have mastered Hamoud's nerve attack. Use it now!” she commanded.

“Whoa!” the Empress screamed. “There will be none of that!”

“Sorry,” Selena said. “I let my emotions get the best of me. Can you please take over for me?”

“Yes,” the Empress replied as she stood up. The Empress made her way across the room quickly. “Why? I don't understand why you two would risk everything for this. Mihai had a fear of this from you, and he was right! I had my suspicions too, but I had no idea that some of your motivation was revenge. At this point, I think the two of you need to take a hard look at what you've become. You have disgraced this family worse than anyone ever has. This cannot stand. You are representatives of this kingdom and of the empire. In my wildest dreams, I never thought that you could be so petty and so irresponsible. And otherwise, you have both had a great record in governance. Why would you risk it all just to punish Mihai, Freddy? Please tell me!”

“It hurt me,” Frederico replied. “He should have come to us, and he didn't!”

“He shouldn't have had to come to you!” the Empress snapped. “You dragged me into this, but for what purpose? Mihai had a right to know, and he even figured out a technicality, one that you had at your disposal. The secret room spell is one that our father personally created! And you know what? I'm now questioning the very existence of this legal requirement. I don't want to make anymore recreations, and I do not wish for my son and daughter to be subjected to them! I'm done! I will be going to the Council of Nobles with the issue with a recommendation that the law be overturned! As for the two of you, I don't think you should be returning to your duties any time soon. You will be allowed to remain in the palace but not as primary residents. Of course, this is operating under the assumption that Mihai will even allow the two of you to live. For the record, the plan was to let the two of you live, but after this new revelation, I am not so sure that Mihai will go along with the plan, and it is his decision.”

“May I speak for myself?” Mihai asked.

“Of course,” the Empress said.

“First, I must tell you, Aunt Guadalupe, that you are partly to blame for the whole recreation issue,” Mihai said flatly. “You shouldn't have joined in the conspiracy. Obviously, you were well aware of the implications. You knew how horrified I would be! You knew about the spell! Why is it that the person who made me aware of it is a distant relative of ours? Surely if he understood the technicality, all three of you did as well.”

“You're right,” she replied. “Thank you for being so frank about it. That was a mistake that we all made, but what concerns me is that your parents were so vehement. They made it seem like they were looking out for you, but they really weren't. It would have been better for you to know exactly what happened through word of mouth. This whole situation is why I intend to repeal the law. Sure we can learn from seeing these recreations, but it should be a personal choice. The only reason I've allowed the law to stand is because of my grandfather. He made the law, and even though I never have liked it for obvious reasons, it is hard for me to stand against my predecessor. He was one of the greatest leaders the empire has ever had. But this situation proves that it was not a good law in the first place. This information, as shocking as it is, should never have been hidden from you in the first place, and I'm very sorry that I went along with the plan. I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive me.”

“I can,” Mihai replied. “Your part in it was small. I cannot say the same for them. I need distance from them. The trust I had in my parents is gone. I don't even know if I want them in my life at all. I know it's a horrible thing to say, but that's how I feel. In fact, I wish to leave now. I can't even stand to look at them, and that trip into their minds has disgusted me more than any demon ever has. I can't do this right now.”

“You are free to go, Mihai,” the Empress said sympathetically. “And please, take Konstantin with you. You have until Friday to decide your parents' fate.”

“Thank you,” Mihai said graciously.

Before long, Mihai and Konstantin were back at the palace along with Fabian. Mihai was emotionally exhausted, and he felt as though his world had come crashing down before him. He had escaped to his bedchamber alone. He did not even want Konstantin with him. He needed time to think, time to cry, and time to decide his next move. The two people who were supposed to love him the most were so wrapped up in their own selfish desires that they disregarded his feelings. This punishment... Why? Why had they done this? He could have probed their minds further for more answers, but the fact that they did it at all was enough to make him abandon the probing and deal with his own emotions first. Then there was Fabian. He felt so betrayed by his familiar. Yet, Fabian had been manipulated into this. Despite that fact, he seemed tainted. Yes, tainted was the world that came to Mihai's mind.

Mihai had learned a great deal of Fabian's background. He had grown up in the Dallas area. His father had left years ago. His mother was a good woman, but she had a dark secret. In order to provide for her son, she ran a business out of her own home, one that was forbidden by Texas mortal law. Her clients varied greatly, but they were mostly wealthy business men who worked in Dallas and returned to their homes in the quiet town of Duncanville. Fabian's mother had men in her bedroom at all hours of the day and night. Though she never told Fabian what she was doing, he knew. Familiars also tend to be well ahead of others in development, which included an understanding of human behavior.. His faster development made him realize at a very young age what his mother was doing for a living. His faster development also allowed him to skip two grades.

Fabian had always felt that there was something different. When he was twelve, he discovered that he could move objects with his mind. Two years later, he had decided to run away from home. The years of prostitution had taken their toll on Sheila Johnson. The money was good, but she was now using a great deal of the money on drugs and alcohol. He simply could not take it anymore, and even though he was running away, Fabian was determined not to turn to prostitution.

In his heart, Fabian knew there was something else in the world, and he felt drawn to it. There was a barrier in the heart of Dallas. Fabian could not see it, but he felt it. Whatever was in the barrier was something that Fabian wanted. He did not know what it was. It was like some supernatural force. It was like a narcotic that he knew he had to try. He then discovered that there was a magical city, and he was amazed. He had going for a long bicycle ride when stumbled upon the magical city, which was a place like none he had ever seen before. He felt drawn to magical people. They were interesting, and there was something almost like hero worship. When someone told him that he was a potential familiar, he instantly felt relief. He knew what he was and that it was his destiny to have a very special relationship with a witch or wizard! That was so exciting to him. He had always secretly believed in magic, and now he was going to be a part of it!

Fabian had been proactive in having Mihai's parents find him. From the first time he heard of Mihai, he knew that he wanted to be the prince's familiar. Something about the fact that he had not yet ascended made Fabian wonder if it was because he was going to be powerful when he finally did ascend. He decided to finish high school at the Candavorum School for Familiars. He knew it would only be a matter of time before the King and Queen would seek their son's first familiar. He knew that his powers as well as his looks would give him a good chance, and from the very first time he met Prince Mihai, he knew he had made the right decisions and that certainty had lasted right up until the previous evening.

The King and Queen were very powerful, both in status and magic. Defying them could have cost Fabian dearly. Add to that the fact that he, like most familiars, was bisexual, and you have a deadly mix. The Queen was very attractive with her natural medium blond hair and her soft feminine features. Any man would kill to have a night with her. Still, Fabian had to know deep down that it was wrong that sleeping with the King and Queen was definitely not a good idea and that bonding with them would infuriate Mihai and would pose a risk to his life had Mihai wanted it. It was rare for a person to kill a primary familiar or a secondary one for that matter. It caused the magical person great pain, almost as great as the pain of losing a husband or a wife, and yet there was an aspect of it that was much deeper but in a much different way. There was a linking of one's mind with a familiar.

The mind? Oh, now that was another thought Mihai had. The King and Queen had their own familiars coach Fabian on blocking the connection temporarily. With Mihai, this was particularly difficult. Mihai had also realized that Fabian closed his eyes as soon as he felt Mihai's presence in his mind. He did not want Mihai to know his exact location or who he was with, but the fact that he was attempting to create secondary bonds had only increased Mihai's resolve to find him. Unfortunately, Mihai was too late, and he knew that the consequences for Fabian could very well be death. For secondary bonds, only once a month was needed for maintenance, but going without renewal was potentially fatal. With primary bonds, death was inevitable after about a week, and it was very painful. It was considered one of the cruelest forms of torture on a magical person to have his or her familiar die from lack of maintenance, and it had been outlawed by even the Dark Empire of Magic. The demons, however, loved the tactic.

As far as the bond that Fabian now had with his parents, it was a problem, one that he would have to research. He would need to figure out how to maximize Fabian's chance of living through the experience and make the experience as bearable as possible. One possibility was to allow him to form a bond with someone else. The two people who made the most sense were two people that Mihai himself wanted to have sex with but had not due to the fact that he was not sure how Konstantin or Fabian would feel about it. He knew that bonding Fabian with these two men would be beneficial to all of them, but he would have to make sure that all parties involved would approve of it.

There was also the maintenance of his own bond with Fabian to consider. They had not exchanged Mihai's semen in a week now, and due to the circumstances, Mihai had no desire to have sexual relations with Fabian. The pain was too great. The maintenance, however, required only that Fabian receive Mihai's semen into one of his orifices and to have some kind of genuine affection from him. Mihai did want to show Fabian tenderness, but he felt that sex with Fabian was much deeper and was not ready to reconnect with Fabian on that level, at least not yet.

As far as Fabian's need to consume Mihai's semen was concerned, a fertilization wand would be able to extract the precious fluid within seconds. Mihai retrieved a fertilization wand from his night stand, which he sometimes used for masturbation when he wanted to orgasm quickly. This was an object he had only been able to use since his ascension. He had only used it thrice, but the orgasms it created were unique. He wasted no time as he pointed the fertilization wand at his crotch, and he immediately had a powerful orgasm. He could see the semen seeping through his clothes and entering his wand.

Semen had a living substance within it, but it was possible to send it into the alternate dimension nonetheless so long as a specially made wand was used. No one knew why for sure, but fertilization was guaranteed if a wand was used in the process, and it would remain dormant until a suitable womb was found. The fetus would be healthy and would grow to full term without complications 99% of the time, and that included multiple births.

Before long there was a knock on the door. Taking advantage of the iron in the doorknob, Mihai caused the door to open. A familiar blond walked into the room and stood beside the bed. “Can we talk?” Fabian asked.

“I don't see why not,” Mihai answered stiffly. “I was going to come and find you anyway.”

“I wish I hadn't listened to them,” Fabian cried. “They convinced me that you would understand and that it would be okay.”

“Why didn't you come to me and ask?” Mihai inquired.

“I don't know!” Fabian lamented. “They said that I shouldn't bother you about it, and I kind of did.”

“Yes, and I reminded you of the protocols!” Mihai grumbled. “Look, I still love you, Fabian, but I don't trust you right now. Do you not realize that this could potentially kill you? I'm not going to allow it to happen again, and I'm trying to figure out how to ensure your survival. I'm so torn right now. Part of me wants to kill you, but another can't stand the thought of you dying.”

“I don't blame you,” Fabian sniffled. “I feel like such a fool.”

Mihai let out a deep, audible sigh. “I blame them more than you. Why don't you come here? It's time for maintenance anyway.”

“Okay,” Fabian replied. When Fabian crawled into bed, he immediately started rubbing Mihai's thigh and kissing his neck.

“No,” Mihai said coolly. “No sex! You're going to be celibate for at least the next week.”

“But I'll die!” Fabian shrieked.

“Open your mouth,” Mihai ordered. Fabian did as he was told, and Mihai aimed the fertilization wand at his mouth. A load of Mihai's cum shot out of the wand and into Fabian's mouth. Mihai pulled Fabian into him, and the two of the snuggled for a while. “I'm not trying to be mean to you, but you need to learn. You must obey me. I'm not one to constantly bark orders, but you should always strive not to do anything that would upset me in any way, and if you do not know, you are to ask me specifically about what you want to do. I just don't understand why the three of you were so inconsiderate of my feelings. I've been good to you, haven't I?”

“Yes, and I feel terrible,” Fabian said as he held Mihai more tightly.

“Well, that counts for a lot in my book,” Mihai replied as he planted a gentle kiss on Fabian's cheek. The two of the lay in bed snuggled together, and at some point drifted off to sleep for an afternoon nap.