The Gentleman's Agony

The Valdris emissary arrived three days after Marcus and Pemberton's self-bonding test, riding through the palace gates with an escort of twenty soldiers. They wore black armor that seemed to absorb light, and their horses moved with an unnatural silence that set everyone on edge.

Silas watched from the throne room window as the procession approached. Through the bond, he felt Elara's tension, her careful control of the anger simmering beneath her diplomatic facade.

"They attack our border, kill our people, and then send an emissary," Elara said, her voice tight. "The audacity is almost impressive."

"They're testing us." Silas moved to stand beside her. "Seeing how we'll react. Whether we'll negotiate or prepare for war."

"We're already preparing for war." Elara adjusted her crown, a gesture Silas recognized as her centering herself. "But we'll hear what they have to say. Maybe we can buy time for our forces to train in self-bonding."

The throne room had been prepared for a formal audience. Nobles lined the walls, their bonded Proxies at their sides—a deliberate display of the Shared Bond system. Duke Ravencroft stood near the throne, his expression carefully neutral. Marcus Thorne was there too, still recovering from the self-bonding test but insisting on attending. Kael stood with the other Academy instructors, his young face set with determination.

The doors opened, and the Valdris emissary entered.

She was tall, with sharp features and eyes that were just slightly too dark—not fully void-touched like Mara had been, but showing the early signs. She wore robes of deep crimson, and power radiated from her like heat from a forge.

"Your Majesty." The emissary's bow was perfunctory, barely respectful. "I am Magistrate Severin, First Voice of the Valdris Empire. I bring greetings from Emperor Kaine and a message of great importance."

"Magistrate Severin." Elara's voice was cool, regal. "Your empire's greeting was somewhat more violent at Fort Meridian. Forty-three of my people died in that 'greeting.'"

"A regrettable necessity." Severin's expression didn't change. "Your fort was blocking a strategic position. The Emperor required access."

"The Emperor required access to my kingdom?" Elara's voice dropped to a dangerous quiet. "That's an interesting way to describe an invasion."

"Not an invasion, Your Majesty. A correction." Severin moved closer to the throne, her movements predatory. "Your... reforms have created an imbalance in the region. The Shared Bond system weakens magic, makes it soft. The Emperor believes this weakness threatens the stability of all kingdoms."

"So he attacks us to restore stability?" Silas spoke for the first time, his voice hard. "Forgive me if I find that logic questionable."

Severin's dark eyes fixed on him, and Silas felt a chill. There was something wrong about her gaze, something that reminded him of Mara's void-touched eyes.

"Lord Vane. The famous Proxy who became a consort." Severin's smile was sharp. "Your bond with the Queen is legendary. Fifteen years of constant connection. Tell me, does it hurt? The slow degradation, the fractures forming in the magical pathways?"

Silas felt Elara's spike of alarm through the bond. How did Severin know about the bond's degradation?

"All bonds change over time," Silas said carefully. "That's the nature of any relationship."

"But your bond is dying." Severin's voice was almost sympathetic. "The Shared Bond system is inherently unstable. It requires constant balance, constant adjustment. One person must always give more than they take. And over time, that imbalance destroys the connection."

"You seem very knowledgeable about our bond system," Elara said. "For someone whose empire still uses the old brutal methods."

"We use what works, Your Majesty. And the old methods do work. They're harsh, yes. But they're stable. Predictable. They don't degrade over time because there's no pretense of equality. The Proxy serves, the noble commands. Simple. Effective."

"And deadly." Marcus Thorne stepped forward, his voice carrying across the throne room. "I lived under the old system, Magistrate. I know what it costs. Sixty percent mortality rate in the first five years. Constant pain. No agency, no choice. That's not stability. That's slavery."

"And yet you survived." Severin turned to face Marcus. "You're proof that the strong endure. The weak fall away. That's natural selection, Professor Thorne. The Shared Bond system coddles weakness, allows the unfit to survive. It weakens the entire magical ecosystem."

"It makes us human," Kael said, his young voice clear. "The old system treated Proxies as tools. The Shared Bond system treats us as people."

"People die in war, young Thorne." Severin's gaze shifted to Kael. "Tools can be replaced. Which do you think is more valuable to a kingdom?"

"That's enough." Elara's voice cut through the rising tension. "You didn't come here to debate philosophy, Magistrate. What does Emperor Kaine want?"

Severin turned back to the throne, her expression becoming formal. "The Emperor offers you a choice, Your Majesty. Abandon the Shared Bond system. Return to the traditional methods. Do this, and Valdris will withdraw from Fort Meridian. We will sign a treaty of mutual defense. Your kingdom will be protected under the Empire's aegis."

"And if we refuse?" Elara's voice was steady, but through the bond Silas felt her fury.

"Then the Emperor will be forced to correct the imbalance himself." Severin's smile was cold. "Valdris has developed new magical techniques. Powerful techniques. Techniques specifically designed to counter the weaknesses of the Shared Bond system. If you refuse the Emperor's generous offer, you will face the full might of the Valdris military. And you will lose."

"You're talking about void magic." Silas stood, moving to stand beside Elara's throne. "Magic that consumes bonds. That turns your own mages into weapons at the cost of their humanity."

For the first time, Severin's composure cracked slightly. "You know about the void mages."

"We know you're sacrificing your own people for power." Elara's voice was hard. "We know the void magic is killing them slowly. We know that your 'powerful techniques' are built on the corpses of your own citizens."

"Sacrifices are necessary for progress." Severin's voice had lost its diplomatic smoothness. "The void mages volunteered. They understood the cost."

"Did they?" Marcus challenged. "Did they know they'd be consumed from the inside? That they'd lose their humanity? That they'd die screaming?"

"They knew enough." Severin's eyes had darkened further, the void influence becoming more visible. "And their sacrifice will ensure Valdris's dominance for generations. Can you say the same about your reforms, Your Majesty? Will your Shared Bonds protect you when the void army marches?"

"We'll find out." Elara stood, her presence filling the throne room. "Tell Emperor Kaine that his offer is rejected. We will not abandon our principles. We will not return to a system that treats people as property. And we will not bow to threats."

"Then you choose war." Severin's voice was flat. "The Emperor will be disappointed. He had hoped you would see reason."

"Reason?" Elara descended from the throne, moving to stand directly in front of Severin. "You call it reason to sacrifice your own people? To turn them into monsters? To attack peaceful neighbors because their ethics offend you?"

"I call it survival." Severin met Elara's gaze without flinching. "Your Shared Bond system is a beautiful dream, Your Majesty. But dreams don't win wars. Power wins wars. And Valdris has more power than you can imagine."

"Then we'll have to imagine harder." Silas moved to Elara's side, the bond between them flaring visibly. "We've faced impossible odds before. We've transformed an entire kingdom's magical system. We've built something better from the ashes of the old world. If you think we'll surrender that without a fight, you don't know us at all."

Severin looked between them, and for a moment, something like pity crossed her face. "You're brave. I'll give you that. But bravery isn't enough. The void consumes everything, Lord Vane. Even legendary bonds. Even love."

"Then we'll find a way to fight the void." Elara's voice was absolute. "We always do."

"I hope you're right." Severin turned to leave, then paused. "For what it's worth, Your Majesty, I admire what you've tried to build. The Shared Bond system is... noble. But nobility doesn't survive contact with reality. The Emperor will give you one month to reconsider. After that, the full void army marches. And when it does, your beautiful dream will burn."

The emissary left, her black-armored escort following. The throne room remained silent for a long moment after the doors closed.

"Well," Duke Ravencroft said finally. "That was unpleasant."

"That was a declaration of war." Elara moved back to the throne, her legs suddenly unsteady. Silas felt her exhaustion through the bond, the cost of maintaining her composure. "One month. We have one month to prepare."

"Can we do it?" Kael asked. "Can we train enough people in self-bonding to make a difference?"

"We have to." Marcus's voice was firm despite his weakened state. "Because Severin was right about one thing—the void magic will consume normal bonds. Self-bonding is our only defense."

"Then we start immediately." Elara looked around the throne room at the assembled nobles and Proxies. "Every bonded pair in the kingdom needs to learn self-bonding. Every soldier, every mage, every person who can hold a bond. We have one month to transform our entire military."

"That's impossible," someone said from the crowd.

"So was reforming the Proxy system." Silas's voice carried across the room. "So was surviving the assassination attempts. So was building the Academy. We've done impossible things before. We'll do them again."

"Lord Vane is right." Elara's voice took on the commanding tone that had led a kingdom through revolution. "We've spent fifteen years building something better. Now we defend it. Duke Ravencroft, mobilize the reserves. Professor Aldric, establish training centers in every major city. Captain Voss, fortify the eastern border. Marcus, Kael—you'll lead the self-bonding training program."

Orders flowed out, each person receiving their assignment. The throne room transformed from a diplomatic space into a war room, nobles and Proxies working together with the ease of fifteen years of partnership.

As the crowd dispersed to their tasks, Silas remained with Elara. Through the bond, he felt her fear beneath the determination, her doubt beneath the confidence.

"We can do this," he said quietly.

"Can we?" Elara's voice was small, vulnerable. "Silas, she knew about the bond degradation. How did she know?"

"Valdris has spies. Or their void mages can sense it somehow." Silas took her hand. "It doesn't matter. What matters is that we have one month to prepare."

"One month to teach an entire kingdom a technique that nearly killed Marcus and Pemberton." Elara's laugh was bitter. "And we have to do it while our own bond is falling apart."

"Then we make every day count." Silas pulled her close, feeling the bond pulse between them. "We've always known it might come to this. That the price of change might be everything we have."

"I'm not ready to pay that price." Elara's voice cracked. "I'm not ready to lose you."

"You won't lose me." Silas held her tighter. "Whatever happens, we're in this together. Always together."

But even as he said it, he felt the truth through the bond. The fractures were spreading. The degradation was accelerating. And when they finally had to self-bond, to merge completely and fight the void...

They might not survive the separation.

That night, Kael Thorne stood in the Academy's training courtyard, watching his students practice basic bond exercises. They looked so young, so unprepared for what was coming.

"You're thinking too loud." Adrian Frost, Kael's bonded partner, approached from behind. "I can feel your worry through the bond."

"We have one month to teach them something that took Marcus and Pemberton twenty years of partnership to achieve." Kael didn't turn around. "How am I supposed to do that?"

"The same way you do everything else." Adrian moved to stand beside him. "One step at a time. One student at a time."

"It won't be enough." Kael's voice was hollow. "Even if we train everyone perfectly, even if every bonded pair in the kingdom learns self-bonding, we're still outnumbered. Valdris has been preparing for this for years. We have one month."

"Then we make that month count." Adrian took Kael's hand. "Your father survived the old system. He helped create the new one. He proved self-bonding is possible. Now you get to prove it can be taught."

"And if I fail? If people die because I couldn't teach them fast enough?"

"Then they die fighting for something they believe in." Adrian's voice was gentle but firm. "That's more than most people get. And it's more than they'd have under the old system."

Kael turned to face his partner, seeing the determination in Adrian's eyes. They'd been bonded for three years, built a partnership based on trust and friendship. Now they were going to have to push that partnership to its absolute limits.

"We should practice," Kael said. "Self-bonding. If I'm going to teach it, I need to understand it fully."

"Now?" Adrian looked concerned. "Kael, you saw what it did to your father. We should wait, prepare more—"

"We don't have time to wait." Kael pulled Adrian toward the center of the courtyard. "And I need to know if it's even possible for our generation. Marcus and Pemberton had twenty years of partnership. We have three. Maybe younger bonds are more flexible. Maybe we can do it safer."

"Or maybe we'll hurt ourselves trying." But Adrian was already moving into position, his trust in Kael overriding his caution.

They stood facing each other, hands clasped, their bond glowing softly between them. Kael took a deep breath, remembering everything he'd observed during Marcus and Pemberton's attempt.

"Lower all barriers," he said softly. "Share everything. Become one."

He opened himself completely, dropping every shield, every wall he'd built. He felt Adrian do the same, felt his partner's consciousness rushing toward his own.

And then they merged.

It was nothing like Kael had imagined. He could feel Adrian's thoughts as clearly as his own, could sense his partner's memories, his fears, his love. They were bleeding together, becoming something new.

But unlike Marcus and Pemberton, they weren't fighting it. They were young enough, flexible enough, to flow together naturally. The merger was smoother, easier.

And it hurt less.

"It's working," Kael said, though he wasn't sure if he was speaking aloud or just thinking. "We're doing it."

"How long can we hold it?" Adrian's voice—or was it Kael's voice?—echoed in their shared consciousness.

"Let's find out."

They held the merger for thirty seconds. Then a minute. Then two. The strain was building, but it was manageable. When they finally separated, both of them staggered but remained standing.

"That was..." Adrian gasped for breath. "That was incredible."

"That was possible." Kael's mind was racing. "We held it for two minutes. Twice as long as Marcus and Pemberton. And we're not as damaged."

"Because we're younger? More flexible?"

"Maybe. Or maybe because we didn't fight it. We let the merger happen naturally instead of forcing it." Kael grabbed his notebook, scribbling frantically. "This changes everything. If younger bonds can self-bond more easily, if the technique is learnable..."

"Then we have a chance." Adrian's voice was filled with hope. "We actually have a chance."

Kael looked up at the palace, where lights still burned in the war room. Where Silas and Elara were planning their defense. Where the fate of the kingdom was being decided.

"We have more than a chance," Kael said. "We have a weapon. And one month to teach everyone how to use it."

In the palace infirmary, Marcus Thorne lay in bed, his body still recovering from the self-bonding test. Pemberton sat beside him, their hands clasped, their bond a gentle hum between them.

"Kael just attempted self-bonding," Marcus said quietly. "I can feel it through our family connection. He and Adrian merged."

"Did they succeed?" Pemberton's voice was concerned.

"Better than we did." Marcus smiled despite the pain. "They held it longer. Separated cleaner. The young ones are better at this than we are."

"That's good news, at least." Pemberton squeezed Marcus's hand. "Though I wish they didn't have to learn it at all."

"We all wish that." Marcus closed his eyes. "But wishes don't stop wars. Action does. And our son is taking action."

"He's so much like you." Pemberton's voice was fond. "Brilliant, stubborn, willing to risk everything for what he believes in."

"He's like both of us." Marcus opened his eyes, looking at his partner of twenty years. "He has your strategic mind. Your ability to see the bigger picture."

"And your courage. Your refusal to accept defeat." Pemberton smiled. "We made something good, Marcus. Not just our bond, but our legacy. Kael and all the other students. They're what we fought for."

"And now they're going to have to fight for themselves." Marcus's voice was heavy. "I wanted better for them. I wanted them to grow up in peace."

"We gave them fifteen years of peace. That's more than we had." Pemberton leaned closer. "And we gave them the tools to defend that peace. The Shared Bond system. The Academy. The knowledge that they're worth fighting for."

"I hope it's enough."

"It will be." Pemberton's voice was certain. "Because they're not fighting alone. They have us. They have each other. And they have something Valdris doesn't."

"What's that?"

"Hope." Pemberton smiled. "Real hope. Not the desperate hope of survival, but the genuine hope of people who believe in a better world. That's worth more than all the void magic in existence."

Marcus wanted to believe that. He wanted to believe that hope and principles and love would be enough to defeat an empire built on sacrifice and power.

But he'd lived through too much to be that naive. Hope was important. But so was preparation. So was training. So was being willing to pay the price when the time came.

And the time was coming. One month. One month to prepare for a war that would determine the fate of everything they'd built.

One month to teach a kingdom how to fight the void.

One month to prove that the Shared Bond system was worth defending.

One month until everything changed.

End of Chapter 4

End of Chapter 30