In fact, This Author is certain that our source must be mistaken, and the source’s opinion in no way reflects that of Calluvian Society Gossip. We have only the utmost respect for the High Adept and Prince Eridan, but we thought it was our sacrosanct duty as journalists to keep the public informed and tell the full story, from all perspectives.
***
Master Amara Ghyn Idhron had been part of the Chapter for so long that she liked to think that nothing could surprise her anymore. In her hundred and fifty-two years of life, she had outlasted four Grandmasters, and she had to admit she had become rather detached from the petty politics of the Chapter. She still interfered when needed, but mostly she kept herself apart.
Thankfully, Castien had little tolerance for gossip and favoritism, and the Chapter under his leadership was far more bearable than it used to be in the past. Castien had always been a smart boy, Amara thought. Well, he was not a boy anymore, she supposed, but at her advanced age, anyone younger than sixty seemed like a boy. And in her defense, it was difficult to see him as anything but a boy, because he had been an apprentice of Amara’s own apprentice. Something of a grandchild. A grandchild that both exasperated her and infuriated her at times.
Castien had always been too ambitious for her liking, too manipulative, and absolutely ruthless when he thought it was necessary. That precious boy of his, Eridan, had softened his edges somewhat in ways no one else had been able to do, which was what Amara had hoped for when she had all but forced Castien to finally claim the boy all those years ago. She had been pleased to note that her instincts were correct and that that emotional mess of a boy complemented her grand-apprentice nicely. That was why Amara had been so saddened to learn that the boy had left the Order. Such a pity.
She had been subtly pushing Castien to take on another apprentice, but so far, her efforts had been in vain.
And she was finally beginning to understand why.
Amara looked around the Chapter Chamber, noting the expressions of unease, confusion, and disapproval on other Masters’ faces, before returning her gaze to Castien. His face was as calm and stoic as ever, as if he hadn’t just dropped a bomb in their midst.
Master Zaid cleared his throat, finally breaking the silence. “Let me get it straight,” he said, his voice dripping with lazy sarcasm. “You fucked that boy into imprinting on you, and yesterday he made a spectacle of himself in public, and now everyone on Calluvia is curious about your relationship with him and the Order in general. Marvelous.”
Amara took a deep breath. She was quite fond of Zaid too—he was also her grand-apprentice, the apprentice of her second apprentice—but that boy could be absolutely impossible, as infuriating as Castien was, though in a different way. The fact that he dared to talk to the Grandmaster of the Order in such a tone wasn’t even born of his familiarity with Castien as a fellow Master he shared a lineage with; Zaid had been that way with every Grandmaster, not just Castien. That boy was so undisciplined.
Judging by the slight narrowing of Castien’s eyes, he didn’t appreciate Zaid’s insolence, either.
“What I did with my apprentice is none of your concern,” Castien said coldly. “I am merely informing you all, so that you are not surprised by people’s increased curiosity on the subject.”
“With all due respect, but you made it our concern, Master,” Master Kuli said, her voice quiet but firm. “While I do not agree with Zaid’s phrasing, the subject matter is troubling and might have ramifications for all of the Order.”
“Exactly,” Zaid said, his gray eyes focusing on Castien. “I couldn’t care less that you fucked that pretty boy of yours—I would have been more surprised if you didn’t—but I don’t understand why you didn’t wipe his memory of you and any sensitive information he possessed before letting him go. That was the easiest route you could have taken to avoid this mess.”
Amara pressed her lips together, unsurprised by Zaid’s lack of ethics. But no matter how distasteful she found his solution, she had to admit it was a solution, however morally dubious. She was rather surprised Castien hadn’t taken that route.
Castien stared Zaid down. “That would have been a waste of our resources and time,” he said. “Eridan might have been returned to his family, but he was still raised and taught by us. We did not spend two decades training him just to wipe his memory and be done with it.”
Zaid raised his dark brows. “I’m sure that’s why you didn’t erase his memory.”
Castien’s eyes narrowed, his anger flaring, cold and biting. “If you have something to say, say it.”