บท 20: Your downfall will be my pride and joy
The lavish carriage seemed to be bumping in every damn rock on this road. It jolted for hours on end, almost lurching at times. The sole passenger kept on cursing inwardly. She was far too well-educated to swear out loud but being woken up in the middle of the night and forced to travel in a vehicle not meant for long distance, luxurious as it might be, just got on her nerves. It didn't help that she couldn't vent her foul mood and frustration.
She had been on a journey on behalf of the First Prince Zhou Xi. It wasn't even for diplomatic reasons, he had her visit almost every noble house and hospital for commoners, even the main medical practices in the middle-sized town on the way. Sure enough, she specialized in healing magic but this kind of welfare and community service looked more and more like a punishment. He had her work like a slave and she couldn't even complain. She endured with a smile as befitted her high social standing and upbringing. She couldn't refuse him at all since he took her in as his personal mage ever since she resigned from her job at the Imperial magic Academy when Soon-Yi took over as Great Mage.
However, she was also in debt with the count of Dottery because he helped her when her third husband died. Being a magic user gave power and a long life but it was hard seeing your loved ones die one after the other. Even her grandchildren from her first marriage had died and their own children didn't care about her. Not that she ever visited them either. In the end, they were just like strangers and she was a bitter and twisted widow.
Indebted to the count of Dottery, she could only comply when he specifically asked her to watch over his third son, from a concubine. Thus, she gave the said son an enchanted trinket that would call her if he needed help when she wasn't around. It was a very low-level enchantment and it didn't require any magic element to be activated. Of course, he happened to use it when she was busy and exhausted with the First Prince's affairs. Both these selfish guys just ordered her around without caring about her feelings or well-being. She was old enough to be their grandmother or great-grandmother but they didn't respect her in the least. In the end, she was only an insignificant mage, nothing more.
When she finally arrived, she heaved a sigh. She was so tired, she should just say goodbye and retire. Or maybe, she should ask the First Prince to let her stay in the Imperial capital and work there. Even if the Selnan Empire was at peace, doctors and healers were very busy all year round. It was a good job for an average mage like her. Nonetheless, she regretted her comfortable position in the Imperial academy.
Compared to Soon-Yi, she was hardly adequate and more of a low-level useless mage with high pride. Soon-Yi being her no-nonsense self, she was sure to fire every mage she deemed unworthy. That was the reputation she had, in any case. Therefore, a lot of mages resigned when Soon-Yi became the Great Mage of Selnan. In this crowd, some were jealous, some hated Soon-Yi or didn't approve of her. It had been easy to hide among them and avoid the shame of being dismissed.
However, just maybe, if she had asked Soon-Yi to give her a chance and if she had been able to retain her post, she wouldn't have to obey Zhou Xi's every whim. He truly was an insufferable master, even sending so many guards to accompany her as if she was a prisoner. He made an intensive use of anything he had for the sake of the Empire and its people. Even though she did her best to please him, it wore her out. She was an old lady after all. Perhaps if she changed her apparent age to an older one, people would respect and spare her more. Then she would be able to live leisurely, enjoying money, respect, honor and free time.
However, she didn't need to worry about her apparent age as she entered a small hidden cave near the shore of a crystalline lake. In a split second, as soon as she caught a glimpse of the count of Dottery's son and the woman with him, wrinkles and white strands of hair appeared in spite of herself.
– Oh my God, Ernest ! What do you think you're doing to the First Prince's wife ?
– Mage Madelyn, I need your help. Lady Wei is in pain because of the baby and I don't know what to do !
For hours, ever since she screamed when he was carrying her, Wei Lin had been writhing in pain, holding her belly. It was far too soon to be contractions. If she was to give birth now, the baby wouldn't survive. In a hurry, Ernest found a hidden place to let her rest and called the mage Madelyn, the only mage compelled to do his bidding. He didn't care much for the baby, it was Zhou Xi's child and not his. However, for Lady Wei's sake, he was willing to do anything and her cries of pain just broke his heart.
Moreover, she couldn't travel in her current state. Even if she stopped screaming, she might start again if he tried to move her. Of course, this disrupted his plans and he feared that, at any moment, Zhou Xi's trusted guard would catch up on them. He felt anxious and unable to think clearly. Furthermore, the sleepless night didn't help. He felt powerless, everything was slipping out of his control.
– First, calm down. It's unsightly for a grown man to be in a panic and whining like a child ! I'll take care of her health and the baby's. If we lose one of them, the situation will be irredeemable. I know the First Prince is looking frantically for her, even suspecting his official wife Qing Chan of abducting her. We need a plan.
For once, Madelyn was thankful to her employer for the many guards that usually traveled with her. She didn't have many contacts with her former colleagues in the Imperial Academy and she only heard news of the Imperial capital from the people she healed or the medical staff. Most of the news traveled slowly and the delay was quite long before reaching the faraway places of the Empire. On the contrary, Zhou Xi's guards were informed very quickly. She just had to spy on them regularly to be up to date regarding Wei Lin's and Qing Chan's matters.
Earlier, many of them had been called back in order to investigate Lady Wei's whereabouts. Madelyn took advantage of the situation to give her guards the slip when Ernest called for her. She felt she was really too old for this kind of adventure. She was helping the man who abducted her employer's pregnant wife. She thought the situation couldn't be worse. If she was found out, the First Prince would likely fire her, assuming that he was generous enough to let her live. Anyone would consider this an act of betrayal on her part even though she didn't know anything about it beforehand. Just how did she end up in this mess ?
She always did her best and she surely didn't deserve such an unfair fate now, did she ? Madelyn felt that something went wrong ever since her third husband died and she had to rely on the count of Dottery but truly, wasn't it all Soon-Yi's fault ? Everything started to go askew when Soon-Yi arrived in Selnan with her cursed child in tow, the worst being when she had to resign from a good job because Soon-Yi became Great Mage.
Madelyn knew it was pure jealousy. She hated the current Great Mage and was envious of Soon-Yi's magic powers and knowledge. Even though Soon-Yi was a foreigner with a cold beauty and unfriendly personality, people followed her willingly as soon as she became their leader. Even the previous Great Mage Cheng Hu accepted her. They were often bickering, claiming they hated each other, but Madelyn felt it was mostly for show. It was more of an awkward rivalry than true hate.
Her own hate towards Soon-Yi was far greater, it couldn't even compare. And unlike Cheng Hu, she was far from being able to rival Soon-Yi as a mage. At first, she tried anything to ridicule or demean Soon-Yi and her foster child. Surely the child was cursed, with such a strange hair color, it could only bring bad luck. Even its look was weird, was it a boy or a girl ? As the youngster was later employed as a maid, everybody thought it was a girl but Madelyn knew better. In her opinion, such creature could only be a demon but nobody believed her, some even laughed at her ! According to the legends, the demons were eradicated by the dragon Lords of Lysania and their king. However, as far as Madelyn was concerned, this did not ensure that the demon race had disappeared altogether.
If she could find an excuse for Ernest's behavior and put the blame on Soon-Yi and her demonic child, then it would be killing two birds with one stone. It would probably not be enough to lessen her resentment toward the Great Mage but this small revenge, petty as it might be, would help, no doubt about that !
Madelyn wasn't a very powerful attacking mage but she mastered a number of efficient healing spells. Moreover, ever since the First Prince Zhou Xi hired her, she had been practicing non-stop. Therefore, healing Wei Lin was just a walk in the park for her. For non-magic users, the medicine to help the patient's liver was a potion that had to be taken every day without fail. However, as a mage, she just had to focus the healing on the liver and the recovery would last for months, probably until the child's birth. Wei Lin was now sleeping peacefully. It had been so easy. Madelyn just couldn't understand why her employer adamantly refused her help, or any mage's help, for his own wife and first child.
Even Soon-Yi, who spent a lot of time with Wei Lin, never tried any healing spell on Lady Wei ever since she became pregnant. All of a sudden, Madelyn felt slightly insecure. She had previously healed pregnant women, however she never assisted to the birth of one of those children. Soon-Yi and Lady Wei got along quite well, surely she had asked the Great Mage's help and advice if Zhou Xi had neglected to do it ?
Cold sweat started to drench Madelyn's back. Of course, her face didn't show any trace of worry. Even though she was born a commoner, during her long life, she had to live in palaces and deal with royalties. She knew how to conceal her emotions. In any case, Ernest was too busy fussing over Lady Wei to care the slightest about Madelyn's misgivings. The ungrateful man was ignoring her as if she had been an ant or as if she didn't exist at all, now that he had no more use for her.
Madelyn clenched her fists but said nothing. She wouldn't stoop so low as to be upset about this. The count of Dottery was the one she was indebted to. She would give him a report without fail. She started to turn back. She intended to go back to her carriage and travel as fast as possible to the hospital she had been visiting before this unpleasant and tiring interlude.
Ernest, however, would have none of this. He grabbed her arm to stop her. His grip was so forceful that Madelyn was stunned. She couldn't shake him off, short of using magic against him. Her main focus was healing but she could easily use some minor attacking spells to get rid of a non-magic user like Ernest. Yet, both knew perfectly well that she wouldn't do it. He was the son of her benefactor and he was in her care, as specifically requested by his father. Even though she was not overly loyal, righteous or straitlaced, she couldn't afford to anger him or have his father withdraw his support.
Their eyes met. When he saw the peeved and dangerous look in her eyes, he immediately released her arm. She was the only one knowing his situation and therefore was the only one he could rely on. Moreover, she had just healed Lady Wei and could harm her with a single thought, him as well. He had taken her help for granted, but seeing her expression, he wondered if it was wise to trust a mage.
In a snap, he adopted a friendly and grateful demeanor. Even though she had helped him greatly, he had grabbed her arm without thinking and felt sorry about it. He really wished to pacify her as he still needed her assistance. It was not fitting for Lady Wei to stay in a cave and Madelyn had a carriage and a cottage not far from them. As she was always away on the First Prince's business, the cottage was empty and nobody would ever suspect her. It was the perfect hideout.
Mage Madelyn sighed but complied once more. One day, for sure, she would grow a backbone as strong as Soon-Yi's and have everybody at her beck and call. It truly made her mad that the obnoxious Soon-Yi had everything and was everything Madelyn ever dreamed of.
Back in the carriage with Wei Lin and Ernest Dottery, Madelyn hid an ominous smile as she looked forward to Soon-Yi's downfall. She was younger that the Great Mage and they were both long-lived. She had all the time in the world to undermine Soon-Yi spotless reputation and have a fulfilling revenge.
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