As his daughters continued to talk eagerly about meeting their husbands to be, Antyny cast a spell. It was simple enough; just a quick spell to check whether they were under the influence of magic. It seemed obvious that they were, but Antyny knew he needed to make absolutely certain that was the case before he could act. Sure enough, a trio of glowing red orbs materializing above each girl’s head, and Antyny narrowed his eyes, concentrating in hopes of detecting who had cast the spell……
Himself? That couldn’t be right.
But as hard as Antyny tried, the only magic he could detect was his own. It was as if the spell could only pick up the magic he’d originally cast, all those years ago, to create his sons in the first place…..or as if someone very close to him had been the one responsible. One of his other sons? Their position would certainly increase with his eldest sons having turned into giggling girls.
Or perhaps it was one of his men? A particularly clever wizard, infiltrating his ranks, learning how to copy his own particular powers flawlessly…..it certainly could be done. He’d done something similar, after first being banished from the kingdom all those years ago. Or perhaps the remaining rebels against his rule, somehow? But how was that possible?
Antyny had descended so deeply into the paranoid whirlwind of possibilities that he’d very nearly walked right past the chamber he’d been intending to enter the whole time. Only a hasty call of “this one, my lord.” from Sheyric kept him from obliviously wandering down the hall in a daze.
His daughters had already entered the chamber, and as Antyny himself entered the room the group of young men who’d been waiting for him rose to their feet. All eight of his new “daughters” were lined up on one wall, their potential suitors on the wall opposite. While they were trying to present an atmosphere of confidence, he could tell the young men were as nervous and excited as his “daughters”. Had the situation not been so dire Antyny might have cracked a genuine smile.
Sheyric handed him a scroll, on which the names of his daughters and who they were to be betrothed to was written. He didn’t understand how it existed; the spell must have shifted reality as well to compensate for the marriage alliances he’d previously considered no longer truly being possible. “Tassette.” He announced, watching a redheaded girl in a low cut green dress perk up. That must be Tassian, part of his mind mused. “You are to marry Crown Prince Julio.” A murmur of excitement ran through the room as Tassette curtsied to the man.
Antyny ran down the list. Lysabel was to marry Prince Rían, a nobleman from the Kingdom of Saresia, an island nation to the north. Aria beamed as she learned she was to marry Irric, an officer in her father’s army who had risen through the ranks through great feats of valor and had been ennobled as a result. Gia and Kellette were to be married off to a pair of twin princes from the frigid Kingdom of Ancion. Ranelle was going to marry one of Lady Rateem’s sons, Balun. Jaspra was to be the bride of Cynrad, a nobleman with holdings in the southern part of the realm.
Finally it was Liira’s turn. Her heart felt like it was going to leap right out of her chest as her father announced, with thinly concealed boredom, that she was to marry Owain, another local nobleman with holdings further down the coast. Much like Cynrad, Owain had inherited his holdings early, his father having died in the seemingly endless war. Liira stared up at the man she was to be the wife of. What would he be like?
Antyny cleared his throat. “Now, it is customary for the new couple to have some time to converse and learn about each other.” He said. “I will be….busy. I will greet you all at the celebration tonight.”