Otto made his way upstairs. His brother, Stephan, shared the second-largest suite in the castle with his wife and two sons. A pair of blond-haired boys guarded the room; four-year-old Stephan II with his tiny wooden sword and his brother, one-year-old Mandel who wielded nothing save drool and snot.
“Halt and state your business!” Stephan II brandished his toy sword.
“Your Uncle Otto has come to visit your mother.” He smiled. “May I enter?”
Little Stephan slid his sword through his belt and stepped away from the door. “You may.”
The boy managed to retain his stern expression for a few more seconds before breaking into a bright smile and running over to hug Otto. “Mama’s going to have another baby, Uncle Otto.”
“So your grandfather told me. Grandmother Katharina wants me to see if you’re going to have a little brother or sister.”
Little Stephan’s eyes grew big. “Can you look into Mama’s tummy?”
Otto chuckled and ruffled the boy’s hair. “Something like that.”
The bedroom door opened and the kind, lovely face of Otto’s mother appeared in the gap. “I thought I heard you. Come along, everyone’s waiting.”
“Yes, Mother. Stephan, back to your post.”
Little Stephan brought his fist to his heart. “Yes, sir!”
Otto joined his mother inside and she shut the door. Her hand went immediately to his face. “Arnwolf at his gentle best.”
“Yes, well, he did excuse me from further sword practice, so I consider it a minor price to pay. Did you not think to have the midwife perform the divination when she confirmed the pregnancy?”
“Lidda tried, but claimed she got no result.” Mother smiled and took her hand away. “I thought a proper wizard might have better luck.”
“I can certainly try, though I can’t imagine why Lidda failed.”
“Shall we move this along?” The disagreeable voice of Stephan the Elder came from deeper in the suite. “I mean to go hunting this afternoon.”
Ever the caring husband. Stephan and his bride of five years, Griswalda, had fallen in hate at first sight. Not that either of their fathers cared in the least. Griswalda’s father ruled a small but wealthy county on Shenk Barony’s eastern border. The old count had no sons, so when he died his county would be absorbed into the barony, increasing its size by a quarter. For such a prize Father would have wedded Stephan to a goat.
“Coming, brother.” Otto led his mother back to the bedroom.
Lying on the bed under a mound of blankets was the blushing bride herself. Only the woman’s piggish face, surrounded by a mound of greasy, dark curls, peeked out from under the covers. Otto had on occasion wondered how his brother worked himself up sufficiently to bed the woman, but ultimately the less he thought about that the more his stomach approved.
“I understand congratulations are in order.” Otto sat on the edge of the bed.
“Just get on with it.” Stephan glowered from his chair in the corner.
Otto glanced at his oldest brother. Stephan was big and broad like their father. Receding dirty-blond hair hung down the front of his brown tunic. Angry blue eyes stared at the world from under heavy brows.
They’d never gotten along; too different Otto had always assumed. Over the years he’d come to realize Stephan hated everyone. That made him feel oddly better.
“Right.” Otto placed his hand over the blankets and shifted his perception, so the ether became visible.
“The ring!” Griswalda’s shrill voice cut the air like nails on slate.
Mother held out a silver chain with a gold ring dangling from it.
“That’s not necessary.” Otto refrained from reaching for the bauble. “I can read the ether directly.”
“It’s tradition.” Griswalda heaved herself up higher on the pillows. The blanket fell away, revealing her massive bosom.
Otto shuddered as she covered herself back up. He took the chain from his mother and dangled it over Griswalda. A thread of ether swirled down into her abdomen at his command. Otto followed the thread in his mind and soon found the shape of the baby. Etheric energy caressed the tiny form, revealing everything. A faint resonance vibrated between them as Otto’s blood reacted to that of his partially formed niece.
He smiled. It would be a girl.
He set the chain to swing left to right and prepared to withdraw the magic. He pursed his lips. There was something else, something in the tiny, still growing brain. Otto wasn’t well versed enough to recognize the nodule beyond knowing it didn’t belong.
“It’s to be a girl then?” Griswalda’s shrill voice broke his concentration.
Otto blinked. “Yes. Congratulations.”
“Isn’t that wonderful, Stephan? A little sister for the boys.”
“Yes, wonderful.” Stephan heaved himself out of his chair. “I’ll be back this evening.”
“I should go as well.” Otto straightened. “Would you walk with me, Mother?”
“Of course, dear. I’ll be back shortly, Griswalda.”
She nodded and snuggled deeper into the bed, still beaming at the idea of having a daughter. Otto and his mother left the suite and walked down towards his small bedroom. When they were well away from the suite Otto stopped.
“I know why Lidda didn’t get a result with her test.”
Mother raised an inquiring eyebrow.
“The child is malformed. I don’t know if she’s going to lose it, but if she doesn’t…”
“Are you certain?” Mother’s forehead wrinkled in concern.
“As certain as I can be. I know there’s something wrong, but this early in the pregnancy I can’t tell what, exactly. My guess is Lidda’s spell recognized the child wouldn’t live which caused it to fail. I wasn’t certain if I should say anything. There is a small chance I’m mistaken.”
Mother patted his arm. “We’ll keep this to ourselves. Miscarriages happen all the time. Should the angels will the child not be born, there’s nothing we mortals can do about it.”
Otto nodded and left his mother in the hall. Hopefully he’d made a mistake. Magic wasn’t perfect after all.
Chapter 4
Axel Shenk sat tall and straight in his saddle as he rode at the head of his patrol. A cool breeze sent a chill down his spine and he cranked his broad-brimmed hat down tighter on his head. On Garenland’s northern border, fall was coming to a rapid end. The sun hid behind thick clouds and the air held a hint of moisture. They’d have a dusting of snow by morning, he knew it.
Back home, Axel would have enjoyed another three weeks, possibly a month, of decent weather. He also would have had to share it with his family. Given the choice of sitting beside a warm fire and drinking a mug of ale with Stephan or having the bitter wind blowing down the collar of his heavy cloak, he’d take the breeze. He pitied Otto having to deal with Father and Stephan both, but the runt was used to getting slapped around, so he’d survive. Mother wouldn’t let them do too much damage.
He still remembered the day he gathered up his few possessions and rode out before dawn to join the army. He hadn’t said goodbye to anyone, not even Mother, though he left her a note. He’d lived a relatively easy life as a baron’s son, certainly compared to the average man. But Axel simply refused to stomach another day of his father’s orders or his brother’s arrogance.