"I want you to try and heal Trix," Jinx said the moment the heavy doors closed behind Jazz.

Cage blinked. He had not expected that. "You know I offered."

"Yes, I know, that's why I'm asking again. I know Jazz said no, but it's been much too long and the priests have failed. We need to try something else."

"I take it that the priest of Tyr Dorna gave up, too."

Jinx nodded, and there was a glint of tears in her eyes. Cage turned away, gritting his teeth together. He'd hoped that the priests of the god of sailors and fortune or of Dam Suna, the god of health and prosperity, would know what to do to bring Trix out of his slumber.

"Yes. There is nothing any of those charlatans can do for him."

"I wouldn't call them that. Priests are known to have healing abilities."

"It's still magic, Cage. A magic much weaker than yours." She looked ready to blow fire out her nostrils, which, given her powers, was entirely possible. "And yet they claim it is not magic."

He nodded. He'd offered to heal Trix the night they'd been thrown upon the shores of Valona by Cecille once their ship sank. Back then, Jazz had forbidden it, claiming that Cage needed to keep his wits about him and that delving into Trix's mind might drive him insane.

The situation hadn't changed. Cage needed his wits even more than before, which explained why Jinx had asked Jazz to leave.

"You know I want to do it, Jinx."

"Then why don't you?"

"You know what Jazz said, what he thinks about it. The danger he sees."

A muscle twitched in Jinx's jaw, but she kept her serene expression. "Jazz is sometimes wrong."

Cage hadn't seen that yet, but Jinx had been with him longer. "And what if he isn't this time?"

"Cage..."

"You know I want Trix to wake up. I really do. Especially because I still feel this is my fault. But if Jazz is right..."

Jinx crossed her arms over her chest and looked away, a pout on her face. Cage would have laughed at her childish behavior, but he could see the pain behind her eyes, and he shared it, too.

"I hate this," he whispered. "All of it. This fucking crown, the fact that I suddenly matter and it feels like my life is not my own... I..."

"I know you," Jinx said, turning to him. "I know you want to do everything right." The words carried an expectation which weighed a ton. "But even you can't do everything. Jazz should know that. And you'll always have to choose what is more important." She squeezed his shoulder and made her way out.

Left alone, he glanced at the map again. The pressure upon him was immense, but Jinx's words managed to shed some light through the darkness. Even with the cursed crown, some things were still more important than others, and with an entire kingdom to rescue, it was easy to lose perspective.

But duty didn't mean he needed to forget his friends and who he was truly loyal to. A sense of excitement grabbed hold of him as he took the crown, placed it on his head, and exited the council room. After days of torment, he finally felt like he could be useful again.

All guards along the walls knocked their heels together and presented arms as he passed. The gesture, though common, made his skin crawl. He knew most of them, even if they'd likely forgotten the young man who used to share crude jokes with them and brawl after a night of too much ale. Those days were over. Now the crown was heavy over his brow and it turned most friends into subjects.

He veered to the right on the next hall and headed for the royal quarters. His heart tightened with each step as the consequences of what he was about to do sank in. This weight that he carried was supposed to be Ferdinand's. Not his, and never Edmund's. Except now he was going to do what he never thought he would.

He halted in front of his brother's rooms. The guards there stood straighter, waiting. Neither of them glanced at him, but Cage could sense their rapid pulse, the nervousness flushing through their pores.

In the royal chambers, the feelings towards him were harder to hide. These had been Fherras' guards, and they now protected the last of the royal line which also happened to be terrified of him.

"At ease, soldiers," he said.

The two men feigned relaxation very unconvincingly. Cage kept in his groan and desire to point out that he could kill them both with his bare hands no matter how alert they were.

He couldn't say things like that, not even as a joke anymore. Not that it was a jest. His curse and the magic it had left inside him gave him abilities that terrified almost all who witnessed them.

A mere year ago, his bones would break and he would turn into a mindless beast, hell-bent on destroying everything and everyone he loved. After the curse was broken, the beast was still inside him, but as he'd found out, he could choose when to let it out and where to direct it. He'd used it to end Wolfbane, the magic-wielding pirate captain who had kidnapped and maimed Ferdinand before ultimately killing him.

Beside the beast, Cage could also summon and control lightning and heal to some degree. These skills were still new and he had trouble controlling them or making sure that he didn't kill himself when he healed. It was precisely his inability to heal without taking most of the damage himself that had determined Jazz to forbid him from trying to heal Trix.

But Jinx was right. Some things were worth the risk, and the small number of friends he still had was one of them.

With a heavy sigh, he knocked on the door.

"Come in!"

Cage did, closing the door behind him and leaning against it. Edmund raised from his seat at once and scurried behind his plush armchair. The fear in his pale eyes broke Cage's heart even more, but he forced a calm expression on his face.

"Your Majesty." Edmund bowed his head.

It was somewhat ironic to be addressed as such by someone who was dressed in much finer clothes than him. Even if he was now king, Cage still preferred to adorn his old Navy uniforms which were of coarse thread, meant to protect from harsh winds. Edmund, despite submitting himself to imprisonment, was dressed in the fine silks that his status had always allowed. The contrast was striking, but it was the crown on his head that settled the score.

"You know you don't have to call me that."

"That is what you are." His younger brother didn't raise his head.

What, not who. The nuance didn't escape Cage. "Raise," he said, annoyance lacing his tone.

"As you wish."

"Ed..."

Edmund stiffened at the pet name. It only put Cage more on edge and his muscles tensed as the magic searched for means of escape. He had to focus very hard to make sure lightning didn't start crawling up his arms.

"You can't be scared like this."

"I'm not scared." He straightened his spine, looking more frail than ever. Even if he'd grown taller with age, his shoulders were still narrow and his thin limbs looked about to snap.

"Then look me in the eye."

Pale green eyes raised to his, and they were filled with fear. Cage didn't move a muscle, giving his younger brother time to analyze the lines of his face. He wouldn't see any difference. Despite everything he'd been through, the magic inside him didn't allow Cage to age.

"I'm not afraid of you!" Edmund decreed after a few minutes of silence.

"Good to know. It wouldn't fare well to be afraid of your own brother."

Edmund winced. "You're not my brother."

And that was one of the reasons Cage had chosen to avoid him and his mother as much as possible. The Queen Mother of course knew that truth and could not deny that she had birthed Cage, but she had avoided confirming it as well, which left Edmund in a state of confusion. And denial.

Because, after all, he had witnessed the murder of his father at Cage's hands, and that could not be undone even if it proved that Cage's claim to the throne was legitimate.

"You accept me as your king but not your brother?"

"I have no choice but to accept you as the king as long as you wear that." Edmund nodded to the cursed crown on his head.

"You are aware that if I take it off, it will land on your head, are you not?"

Edmund's entire body stiffened as if the notion brought him physical pain. "You seem to be in very good health." The words seemed to have been dragged out of him.

The affirmation made Cage huff. "Not for long." He stepped inside the room, taking the crown off his head.

Edmund stumbled back, all pretense of bravery fleeing his frail body. When Cage placed the crown on the low table seated in front of his sofa, he actually trembled.

"Before I leave this here, I want to know what part terrifies you? That I drove my sword through Fherras, or that I used magic to grab the sword?"

"I said I wasn't afraid."

"Bullshit, Ed. You're one second away from soiling your trousers. Don't make me corner you and prove myself right."

"You had no business coming back here, doing what you did--"

"Ferdinand is dead, Edmund." The words hurt coming out, but they needed to be said. "You believed me when I said it. What did you expect to happen?"

"Maybe he's not dead, maybe you're lying about that, too." Edmund's words almost sounded like the mew of a conceded house cat.

"You believed me when I said it the first time."

"Yes, well, then..."

Cage narrowed his eyes and it sent his brother into shivers. "Then what? You didn't know I had magic?" The silence was a clear answer. "Your father had magic, too, and you don't seem to find that bothersome."

"He did not. The fact that you claim it doesn't make it true."

"I felt it." But he knew that explanation wasn't good enough for Edmund. "Not that it matters. I have my answer. You resent me for both. Even if I mentioned I was cursed before and you didn't shun me out."

"That was different! Being cursed was not your fault."

"Oh, but it was. And it was the curse that gave me the magic I now wield. But I supposed magic was not as frightening when it made me miserable and I couldn't control it. Now that I can, it is."

"It makes you a witch," Edmund whispered. "A new witch king."

"I hope you are aware that Endir has a Witch Queen right now. And she will be coming for us." For him.

Edmund eyed the crown on the table, his expression falling into one of concern. As much as he despised magic and feared it, he was by no means lacking in intelligence. He was too aware that, should Cage be right, it was in their advantage to have magic on their side, too.

"I don't--"

"I really don't care if you believe me or not. You and Mother will unfortunately both live to see the war, or, if you are lucky, my subpar diplomacy working. Until then however, keep this crown and the knowledge I have imparted with you. If it comes to it, try to make peace with Endir. War must be avoided at all cost. Give them anything they want."

"What are you doing?"

"And if things don't work out, listen to Jazz. He is a very intelligent man and a valuable ally, and he and Malcom can steer you through a war."

"Kale, what are you--?"

Cage ignored him and strutted out of his brother's rooms. He hoped it wouldn't come to it, but he had to be prepared for the worst outcome. Madness, or even death. But he would gladly take both if it meant saving a friend.

He felt much lighter without the crown of blood upon his head.

⚜⚜⚜

Didn't you just miss Cage being reckless? He'd much rather do stuff like this then figure out how to work an administration job. Not that it's the best decision. In any case, he's going for it and trying to rescue Trix. You also get more lore!

In the meantime, you get to see another part of the aftermath of what happened at the end of Veils of Storm. Everyone is terrified of Cage now, including his mother and brother. Edmund doesn't believe Cage is his brother and is no longer on his side. His mother is a moron (something this poor character can't seem to escape in any variation).

Yep, things are... interesting. Let's see if Cage actually manages to not lose his mind and get to Trix.

Hope you're enjoying the story! Stick around for the next chapter coming next week! Thanks so much for reading and don't forget to vote (if you want), and leave a comment for support.