“I accept your offer and will take on the commitment required.” Louis was the first to speak and was followed by both Ismael and Silas.
"You must choose a blade, one that has meaning to you. It must be at least ten inches in length, and it must have been in your possession for at least one year. The chosen blade will be blessed by a Cyprian Knight of good standing, which I am." Thayer paused and looked squarely at each of them standing in the room.
"Your connection to this chosen blade will be the same as the Cyprian right of union with their blade and, therefore, not something to be entered upon without due consideration. Your blade will be as familiar to you as your arm or leg and just as important. It is not separate from you but rather an extension of you." Thayer smiled and took a step back when Louis pulled a short sword from his jacket with a blade approximately fifteen inches. Ismael and Silas did the same all were used to their swords and always kept them at the ready.
Thayer completed the ritual that enhanced the blade and bonded the blade to its owner. He did this for each of them, binding them together so they work as one unit, man and blade as one. "The blade belongs to you, and you belong to the blade, and don't ever forget that you carry the power of the Cyprian in that blade."
"It will not be forgotten," Louis vowed, as did the others. Louis could feel the new energy and force pulsing through the blade and the lightness of the power it held.
"This blade will defend you and yours from the dark forces wherever they may be and whatever form they may take." Thayer paused again before continuing with his thought. "Your lands are too vast to cover quickly, so I will suggest you concentrate on the Palace itself for defense. Bring me twenty palace guards with their chosen blades, those willing to take the oath of the Cyprian, and I will have them prepared before dark."
“This will prevent the Black Prince from entering the Palace?” Ismael asked him.
"Place the guards strategically around the outside, and no darkness will enter." Thayer turned to Ismael and Silas, who were leaving the room to gather the guards. "Choose wisely, for these men will become warriors against the darkness, and it is a lifetime responsibility they must know and accept the commitment they are entering into."
"We will find men that are worthy of this honor and responsibility," Ismael assured as he and Silas left the room.
"Thank you for trusting us with this gift," Louis told him and then added. "If you'd like to accompany me, I have an innocent water mage in the cells who needs to be released."
CHAPTER THREE
The Prince moved through space much like walking from one room to the next. Arriving back at Coven DuCane, he felt both anxious and apprehensive, two things he hadn't felt in a while. He was not surprised by the fact that Louis had secured the Palace to repel any future visits. But he was surprised that he managed to enlist the aid of a Cyprian Knight.
Their power was nearly absolute in the magic world. No darkness could stand against a Cyprian. This Cyprian, although no longer part of the Enchantment, still wielded that same energy. He hadn't intended to circumvent proper protocol this time, considering he was planning to ask a favor of the Master.
His prior visit was abrupt and born out of acute frustration with the dogged tenacity of that young man digging into his life. He’d been under a microscope before, and it had been easy to disrupt and interfere with those interlopers, but this man was laser focused and on the cusp of finding his location.
Edward viciously guarded his privacy, and in all the centuries he resided in the castle in the wilderness, no one had discovered it or him. His mistake was leaving his sigil at the site of his last battle or, rather, purge. It had been ego that caused him to take credit for the destruction, not realizing that there was still someone living that would recognize that symbol. It opened a door he thought he'd shut nearly seven hundred years ago.
It also, shockingly, appears to have given life to amazing prospects he thought would never be relevant to him. There was no guarantee that what he experienced was accurate or genuine, but he had to find the person who smelled like evening rain. He was prepared for the worst and ready to walk away back to his isolation, but there was that spark that kept him going, that strange and unfamiliar spark of hope.
The last time he cared about someone, their loss brought the house down, brought the world to the edge, and plunged it into darkness. That loss remained forever present in his life. No amount of vengeance or blood filled that void. It was easier now, but the grief and regret still visited him every so often. The thoughts were no longer crippling. They just left a prevailing sadness in their wake. Time had healed somewhat and provided clarity. It took centuries, but he finally saw himself more as Edward and less and less as the Black Prince.
He walked to the front entrance; no sense knocking on side doors like the insufferable help since they were clearly expecting him. He would present himself fully and ask to speak with Louis DuCane. They saw him immediately as he was making no effort to hide himself, and their reaction was just as immediate. The one at the door drew his sword and presented a defensive stance before shouting at him to stand still and not move.
The one a few paces away to the right and the one to the left converged, and the three moved toward him. They held their swords in a fashion that indicated ease and familiarity and a smooth connection between man and blade. Thayer had enchanted their blades. They were Cyprian and born of the light, a very suitable defense against one such as he.
The Prince stopped and raised his hands palm outward but never took his eyes off the three guards. A situation like this one could go badly very quickly, and he was a cautious man. His magic could not affect the guards with their blades, but it could protect him if they got an urge to flex their power.
"Who are you?" He was asked by the one on the left as the one in the center made a call to his leadership. The one on the right never broke stance or concentration. They were seasoned soldiers well trained and prepared.
"I am Edward, Prince of Wales and Prince of Aquitaine." He stated his name and title. After a few minutes, he noticed Louis coming outside along with his second Ismael. They weren't going to invite him inside, but they didn't decline to see him, and that was good enough. They came to stand before him, confident and ready.
Louis was nobody's fool, and he was prepared for whatever Edward might present. He noticed soldiers and guards gathering on the flanks and movement on the balcony above and on the roof. Thayer was among them somewhere he could feel the presence of the Cyprian Knight.
“Why have you come to my home?” Strong and to the point.
Edward pushed his hood back and let it fall and looked Louis squarely in the eyes. They were approximately the same height and weight and were probably equally matched in skill, but Edward would not test that theory today. "My beloved is inside. I ask that you allow me to follow their scent and permit a meeting." He made his plea, and now he waited.
Louis' expression tightened, and it was a while before he spoke. "You scented this person during your previous visit?"
“Yes.”
“Why didn’t you mention it then?”
"I didn't believe it to be true." Louis nodded to that response, and it seemed to be enough to maybe garner him some consideration.