Records of Arcadia (and Esperia)

Now that I've seen this side of Orion myself, I think that the issues of the young man are deep and so tied to the circumstances of his existence, that Cyran's influence, to be honest, may have enabled him, but not truly made him. Orion has a problem and Cyran took certain advantage of that for his personal gain, but Cyran isn't the sole source for Orion's development.

I once defended Orion for being a "good" ruler. I still think he would perfectly be able to "rule". (In light of the 'world of ruling', I'd say he'd even be the perfect ruler (but that's on me for not believing that any form of government exists to solve my issues, but to manage them and maintain their own system of power and our dependencies to it)). But I am now more inclined to think he'd go down in history as one of the more blood-thirsty rulers, insisting on violence to solve problems, be it with the enemy, particularly the Maulers and Wilders, or among his own people even. He'd be one to establish or maintain/use the death penalty and torture in prisons, or work camps. I didn't think that of him before. But now... seeing his treatment of Kazim? I think he'd be known to history as the golden devil.

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Okay, step by step.

Unless I got it wrong, the Lightbearers and Maulers don't like each other and, similar to Arena, the racism towards Maulers is widespread. They are simply not humans and worthy of decent treatment. I realize this may be an assumption, heavily influenced by AFK Arena lore, since we have had plenty of dealings with the Maulers before, all of them friendly in nature. But, there was a divide. Not many Lightbearers in the Ashen Wastes, and hardly any Maulers in Lightbearer territory, and mentions of conflicts and wars. But the real public sentiment hasn't been disclosed to us, yet.

Why was the Mauler Prince kept in Savannah? In what conditions? And how would the Queen end up pregnant with a son from him? Love or forced? Which way round? No way we can answer that for now.

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But in the diary, which has inconvenient and inconsistently censored words, she instills in Orion the fixation of being cursed. It isn't clear whether she did so truly believing it (as in, have negative feelings about the Maulers herself) or if she tried to ensure Orion wouldn't share the secret by falsely making him perceive it as negative. She also apparently taught him to smile when he's afraid. Something he has chosen to act upon growing up and that has proven to be effective in keeping curiosity about him at bay. When she dies, young Orion makes it sound like she did fall a great height. What is the implication here? And did Orion witness it himself? Anyway, Orion remains behind alone, planning to uncover who cast the curse upon him and thus freeing himself from it eventually.

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I think Gwendolyn made the "prophecy" of a mage threatening Orion's ascension at his birth, which persisted as rumors afterwards, so even the young man himself learns of it. So Orion has two fears, an inescapable environment, and one hope:

the pressure, expectation and sole purpose of being the next King

a mage threatening his ascension

and his own curse, severely threatening that which he was born for

the wish to rid himself of the curse and be free

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One one hand he MUST be King, on the other EVERYTHING is trying to prevent it. He cannot ignore either. And since he cannot share his secret with anyone, he grows up in certain self-exclusion, in a perpetual echo-chamber of his own thoughts, worries and fears. He must have been a stressed young man, and judging on how he treated Kazim, and I believe his own birds... (*I just double checked, it says they simply obey him) I can imagine well that he had rather sadistic ways of playing as a child. (This is just an assumption, though. He reminds me of that one boy in A.C. Doyles "Copper Beeches" short story, who killed birds for fun, I believe. :/ )

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So of course he is scared when Gwen comes as the new Queen. But at that time already, he knew how to cover his hatred with the same smile as Cyran. And I do wonder, who is he trying to keep safe? Or what? Again, the diary is terribly ... unclear. 

What is interesting is that Orion seems to register Cyran's presence only at a later age. Orion started the diary when he was able to read and write. Let's say 4 years, given he was quite good and early at it. Then his mother died and a couple of years went by without any other women by his fathers side. At least, not present in the palace, as apparently he went to seek out Gwen and began courting her for some years before they made things official. I've got Orion at at least 8 years when he mentioned Cyran in his diary. He also, interestingly does NOT mention Cyran being a personal tutor which raises an interesting question for me, as I personally like to think that Magic Lessons for royal family members are mandatory even if the person in question isn't talented in magic. Even if they may never learn to properly use it, they will need to learn how it functions and what it can do and what not, etc, so to better understand this aspect of daily life. After all, the King is expected to also make decisions with and for the Arcane Affairs Office.

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Orion allows himself to "trust" Cyran more than his new mother, because he's a good friend of the Hastings. I would like to think that Orion and Gervan had opportunity to meet. Why else would Orion consider the Hastings family another reason to make Cyran more trustworthy if he had not some personal ties to it?

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At a later moment, Orion's in big trouble, as his wings want to grow and he can't hide them anymore. Cyran's name is blacked out for some reason, but who else would it be to help Orion cover things up? A spell was cast to hide his Mauler features, one that's painful. Too bad we don't know what exactly that spell does or requires. Is it Dark Magic? Does it also have a demand for compensation?

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Of course we don't know what Cyran has whispered to him until now, but it seems Cyran was mostly just trying to get on Orion's good side, complimenting him and providing help, rather than trying to force his own view on him just yet. And as things develop, I must admit I don't think Cyran needed to try and convince Orion of something else. Orion was already at this point deep into "I will be King, I will be the ultimate Ruler, and everyone else will have to bow to me" mindset. He understood that Cyran was "insincerely" invading his good graces, but given the service and loyalty he offered, Orion decided to accept him, and in fact, tend to Cyran for his support with wealth and further power (however that may have looked like, since Cyran was already Chief Court Mage). It is an interesting dynamic, because it isn't human "trust", it is a system of mutual dependancy. Orion isn't looking for guidance and he appears independent already at that age. The way Orion and Cyran interact doesn't suggest warmth at all. I am not sure if they simply didn't have chance to show it, because Orion's affinity tales seem to paint another picture. Cyan may come see him without warning and Orion spends long hours with Cyran not-quite-playing-chess but likely talking instead. Talking about what? Dura and the world, I suppose. This suggest the influencing on Cyran's part, but in all honesty, what can Cyran really do or say to impress Orion? Orion is so thick-headed he'd likely more call Cyran an idiot if they ever had different views on the, let's say, death penalty. What Orion might find interesting about Cyran is his experience and ability to see both the world at large and its intricate relationships, giving Orion a clearer image of how exactly he can excert his power as future King and who he needs to pay attention to etc.

No, I think by other means than Cyran (books, other teachers, staff and friends like Gervan), Orion is already aligned with Cyran's views and methods... and so I really do wonder who is ... actually having the upper hand. Cyran, one would assume, but Imagine Orion had become King. As King, Orion would have had the power to get rid of Cyran. And he wanted to, too. I am seriously interested to paint that picture. Cyran versus King Orion. I don't see either of them being able to simply get rid of the other THAT easily. Ahahahah, no, it would be mess! xD

Anyway, we don't have that. We have Cyran being pampered by Orion for his silence and support, and Cyran being happy to serve, as a means to build and maintain his own power in the Royal Court.

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That is where the diary ends. And we proceed with the dreams. Orion is not yet an adult and it is possible King Max isn't ill yet. I'd say Orion is about 16/17 here, with Max's condition changing the following year, when Orion STILL isn't of age. It is interesting that King Max didn't specify anything further than "my wife shall reign". Nothing sensible like: it shall be the Queen until Orion is of age, or it is the Queen until I have truly died, after which it shall be my son. You know? A little more reassurance to Orion that he may actually take the throne in due time? Which makes me wonder if King Max had reservations about Orion taking his place... for what other reason would he so utterly reject his son?

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Well...

Orion then meets Kazim - a man without personality or drive, already a numb empty shell only here to serve Orion, the child of his brother. I don't know what's up with that, but I do hope we learn more about it, since that seems terribly broken to me. Orion is instantly on defense and forgot all about his "smile when afraid" approach. He's angry immediately, and irrational, too. An assassin from another kingdom? It shows how much deeper Orion grew into the "I am the only son and heir to the Empire, and the most important man to be" (something that wasn't just Cyran, surely) and with it the delusion of threat from everywhere. And with Kazim, he is on a seriously short fuse.

And here, Orion makes an interesting move. He tells Kazim to follow and hide his wings. We don't see how it ends, and how Kazim is hiding his wings in the first place... but why would Orion not just reject Kazim? Reveal his presence to the other hunters, who would likely have joined the hunt for Kazim immediately if Orion had just screamed "murder" or something of the sort? Why would Orion keep Kazim at this point? I know he doesn't kill Kazim later on but prefers to torture him, but at this point there is no bond between them, no basis upon which Orion could draw some personal vendetta from. At least... on the surface. 

But we know how jumpy Orion is about his heritage. The moment Kazim mentioned Orion's mother, I think Orion instantly understood. And I think Kazim presented himself as the very first and very obvious representation of that which cursed him. Orion had questions. Plenty of them, despite his hatred.

They were able to have a conversation of some sort. Orion seemed satisfied enough to allow Kazim to fly away. But in some strange, emotionless duty to serve, Kazim vows to stay with Orion and help him become "Chief" (of the Empire or of his clan?). Like a puppet, Kazim is ready to kill and die for Orion. Out of nowhere, mind you. Under what obligation is Kazim that he is doing this?  He doesn't explain at all. What I find interesting as well is that Kazim appeared surprised that Orion's mother has not shared the "beauty" of being a Mauler with her son. Does this suggest a mutual, happy relationship between Orion's mother and the Mauler Prince? Was the Prince let go or did he flee? Was Orion's mother in love? Did she tell Orion his heritage was a curse because she wanted to protect him (scare him into hiding it) or because she hated his father? The Mauler side of the story certainly embrace Orion even as a bastard child, unlike the Lightbearers...

That Orion allows Kazim to leave at first is at odds with his subsequent treatment of him. Why keep him? If Orion was afraid that Kazim could expose him as an illegitimate Mauler child, then he should have killed him or imprisoned him. But only when Kazim promised to STAY, did Orion change his mind. He trusted things to be fine by sending Kazim away, but he didn't trust things to be fine when Kazim promised loyalty. So it's not the Mauler heritage that's the problem... but the familial promise of loyalty and protection? I am confused.

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So despite the vow, Orion doesn't trust Kazim. Because there isn't any reason to tie Kazim to him and Orion clearly doesn't believe in "family". Therefore. he needs a reason to assure loyalty. And he asks his knowledgable confidant. Cyran offers the Flesh Binding Spell, a magical 100% reassurance that Kazim cannot betray his master. It seems this service even comes free, unlike the usual request for payment, and Orion is at first a little annoyed about it. Looks like Cyran is really milking Orion for wealth (and other favors). 

I am not sure Cyran did specify just how much Orion would need to pay for the spell to work. Orion seems to think a couple of years... so something like becoming only 70 when he could be 80. That is far away and not relevant now, so no wonder Orion isn't concerned. If it had been 30 instead of 80, maybe Orion would reconsider.

This raises the question how the spell determines this. Is the length of any person's life predetermined? Do we have a confirmation of Fate, here? It is possible. We have Time Travel, which brings the same question, and we have Prophecies and Omens, which also questions Fate. If this length of life is determined, it must be stored as info in the person themself, so that the spell can access it and simply demand it's cut when the time comes. But then how is the spell powering the curse? On it's own merit at the start? Then why is the exchange necessary? Is it not actually needed for the curse to be powered, but considered mere payment? Then who wants to be paid? The magic itself? Or eventually, the caster of the magic? Or another entity entirely? As I understood from the other applications of the spell, and Merlin's commentary on it, the spell has these side-effects to actually power itself. The caster's activation alone isn't enough to uphold the spell. Thus, the payment option isn't making sense. But then, if the spell needs this power to be run, the side-effects being so delayed also don't make sense. That would have to translate into immediate reduced vitality, health and physical strength. Through that, it seems obvious that at old age the body cannot spare the energy to the curse and must be more prone to sickness or succumb to injuries years before its time. But ... Orion doesn't seem to have any instant side-effects? So... what's the deal? xD

Anyway...

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Orion describes his father... bedridden at ripe old age? Is that was his father is? Now Gwen's likely Merlin's and Cyran's age, so around (at least) mid-40s, 50-60, depending on how you want to time the small detail years before and during the war. With our life expectancy I'd think Orion just described an 80+ year old man. xD But that's weird. That would make King Max 50-60 at the time of the war and the birth of his only son. Was he seriously a bachelor until then? As a King? I think that unlikely. Based on his duty as a King to continue the lineage, I'd have thought King Max was young and married as soon as possible! Younger than Cyran even. How did he not manage to have a child with his first wife unless he was literally young and JUST married to her and started to try. (The Mauler Prince just ended up being more successful.) Since Max managed it with Gwen, I seems to have been a situation of plausible overlap of actions there. Maybe they delayed children until after the war (do they have planned childhood and contraception in Esperia?). But still, King Max should be young. Young still, too young to pass on the throne. If he's also just about 40-50 now, then Orion was definitely exaggerating with "ripe old age". xD

Now it is possible that Max is already older. But then he would have been wifeless and childless up until his 40 or 50s... which is... quite risky for a King. Or King to be. Reckless for the Augusta Family, that apparently has had legitimate son after legitimate son after legitimate son for 2000 years straight. No, I think that unlikely. 

(May I throw in the headcanon that King Max took the reigns during the war? I feel like he needs a reason to ascend to the throne that young, and the war might be it. While he lived, his father did not. (And his father wouldn't have been all that old either at that point, just mid-40's to 50, given that he also had to make sure to have a son as soon as possible).

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But back to Orion... by accepting the Flesh Binding Curse and it's requirements, Orion reminds Cyran of the princes sole purpose: a purpose so important that nothing else matters. Alternatives are all worthless. It is either being King, or nothing at all. And Cyran applauds him, and yet, nothing about this interaction seems sincere or warm (regardless of the ruthless topic in discussion). Just as little Orion has rightly stated in his diary. It really makes me wonder what they may truly have had to discuss when they met for chess. I understand that the reason why Cyran was allowed to visit Orion without announcement was the fact Cyran knew of his secret. But why would they spend nights together if Orion wasn't enjoying Cyran's input? I... guess I just hope they had some form of milder relationship after all. The shown situation was a tense one for Orion and he has clearly shown, even without fear, his ruthless side in front of Cyran. A display of trust after all? Or a threat to Cyran? A blockade of bond? As headstrong Orion was in his diaries, I am sure he had moments of weakness, and found it somewhat reassuring that he could entrust in Cyran certain issues. And perhaps they had chance to become more personal and private with the nature of their talks. After all, you cannot influence someone else without making a step towards them to make them feel heard.

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As for Kazim... Orion now understood that the curse wasn't a curse that could be lifted, but a blood-heritage issue, that cannot be eradicated. He understood that he would not be able to get rid of the curse. He would never be free. He might forever be in the hands of someone like Cyran, to continuously hide his Mauler features. And as the betrayer of his dreams, Orion now has assigned 100% fault for EVERYTHING he had to go through onto Kazim, and Orion would not let him get away alive or dead. 

The pressure on Orion to succeed has become even worse.

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I described Kazim as empty before, but I do have to give him certain credit. Despite the unimaginable situation he is in, he remains human and affectionate without condition. I still don't know why he would feel that attached and obliged to his vow, though. Mere value of family doesn't seem to explain it to me. Perhaps because, as terrible as it sounds, I would face too many insurmountable issues (existential threats) to follow such an honorable promise to a brother or sister of mine. But Kazim lives in nature, and knows how to feed from it, so maybe, for Kazim, there was little personal risk involved to ensure survival and well-being of the child. And so here he is. To Orion's irritation no less, I imagine.

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The dream sequence ends with something strange: words that seem to absolve Orion from everything he has done, in the eyes of Merlin. When in doubt, the blame can be found within. Am I that biased? Can I truly not see what Merlin is seeing? Because while I understand Merlin being harsh about Cyran, I do not understand how he is understanding towards Orion. If Merlin had read Cyran's diary of "suffering so much because everyone is better than him", would Merlin feel differently? I just find myself not agreeing with Merlin's views more and more ... just because I find the game shows us one thing, but fails to align Merlin's inferences with mine. A strange development ever since Merlin was made to have his own opinions more and more. But, the game doesn't owe me alignment with my own values. And as such, it'll just be a question of how much I want to expose myself to it in the long run. It is definitely interesting so we shall see...

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I mentioned before how I was confused by Cyran's strange switch from before and after being exposed to the public as the perpetrator of the "Chapel-Coup". (Although, given the new Epilogue Easter-Egg about Orion, the prince is just as involved, if not even THE spark that set things like that in motion).

So I did some thinking. xD And once again, it dawned upon me, how much we merely "think" we get it... but don't actually when we are pressured to explain it in detail to others. Emotions guide us more than rational thought at times. Without wanting to step on toes here for assuming and projecting, but I can warmly recommend trying to write a thesis about every thing you ever wondered about, to reach clarity. And then, the juicy discussions can start. :3

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So... what's up with Cyran's sudden change into madness? Here is how I see it:

Cyran is a high-ranking, well-connected man of importance in the Empire. For one, he oversees the entire Arcane Affairs Office, and has the final say about all decisions concerning magic. He can decide what magic issues to look into and what not. He can create and guide guidelines for all mages to come, upon which schools must abide to if they wish to produce society-market-compatible mages. 

Even as just THAT, he will have plenty of supporters (and opponents). And as things go in life, one hand washes the other. Cyran is an opportunist and all and any connection somehow offering to be of advantage to him, he will take. 

Cyran also has the additional layer of Dark Magic services offered. Naturally that's been backed by being a Adamant Syndicate member with further connections and ability to use their trading network, as well as being really good in the black arcane arts. Since that's all illegal stuff, the need to protect each other is even stronger. 

Everyone has some issues, and the more people Cyran has done such delicate business with, the more people are in need to protect him. As much as they rely on his discretion. I think, Cyran has a lot of key figures in his debt. Like the Chief Justice Fairfax. A person who can very easily control court procedures and influence the others included in the investigation. Cyran also carefully controls the media, as we saw with his inclusion of Editor-in-Chief Ralph into the people witnessing the chapel incident personally. And that's just two examples, visible in the game. There will be more crucial figures. And Cyran doesn't even have to reach out to them... the moment he has something on them, they will know to keep harm away from him, whether Cyran requested it or not. 

And as such, Cyran is fairly untouchable. Any scandal he is involved in, can be turned into rumors, or kept hushed up by the big papers, or be dismissed with all sorts of excuses in the court procedures/investigation. One big excuse of a politician was "I don't remember" and somehow that meant the case had to be dropped because of lack of evidence. That guy didn't even have to step down. ;-) That's all Cyran has to do and I swear, he would even get away with murder.

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Yes, I do acknowledge it depends a little bit on the circumstance of everything, as usual. But what I want to say is, that I don't think Cyran has to be afraid of small fries like Cassadee, Gwyneth or any noble. Or the general public. They are simply to insignificant, their words would never amount to much in any trials. The public is too divided, always will be. Most would seriously just shrug and move on with their lives, while a small minority is trying to scream loudly in front of the court building, but if the media isn't pushing the narrative, and if the key figures in the system reject the claims, then what can the little man even do? Yes, nothing. 

(One high-profile case everyone should have heard of is Epstein. It didn't end well for HIM, I suppose, but the world-wide consequences? Well... nothing. Right? That's the level of protection Cyran has and he does everything in his power NOT to become an Epstein.)

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So... from this position of safety... we get to have that which Cyran didn't expect or prepare for. That's the details of the circumstances I spoke of. xD Not only was his plan thwarted... but he was also publicly exposed as the main force and perpetrator of the stage play (coup) by none other than King Rolan. A highly revered person, by sadly pretty much most of the public. A person that actually has some weight! In Savannah perhaps even more so than Merlin! How could he possibly have anticipated his appearance? No wonder Cyran opens the rift and sends Rolan's old companions on him, perhaps hoping that would take down Rolan or at least, if Rolan failed to protect the people, dirty his reputation as the capable King.

And apart from Rolan, who wasn't expected, there are still people in the Empire that CAN touch Cyran (and I don't mean someone like Merlin who can simply overpower him in battle, as much as perhaps an assassin could succeed in taking Cyran out) - I am talking about King Maximilian. (Check out my other post, because I do believe (at the moment) that Max was involved in the third experiment Cyran did, bearing the punishment of the curse, hence his "illness".)

His word still has the power to overrule anything Cyran's confidants do to help him. If the King says "head off", it will be "head off". Therefore, getting rid of the King AS SOON AS POSSIBLE is actually a sensible but desperate thought. Once the King is gone, it may not even matter that Cyran did this in broad daylight, because again, key players will protect him (not least because they are actually Orion supporters). The other members of the Royal Family don't have that much power, nor would they go against him. Orion is either disgraced by being a Mauler (= powerless in the Empire, and as proudly as Orion claimed to get rid of any liability, an Orion vs Cyran? Oh boy, that's gonna be ugly for sure) , Peggy is too young to be heard and the Queen is still not supported by the public for the most part, especially if the media can continue to twist reality.

Yes, I think the backlash would be massive. But, I still think it wouldn't be "heads off" if Cyran had succeeded killing the King. It would be exile or house arrest like Gervan. Something manageable. Which means Cyran can continue at least somehow to pull strings. So yes, as crazy as it seems, Cyran's just trying to save his sorry ass - he is NOT actually trying to plunge the world into chaos like a madman for the sake of it.

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And that's a bit stressful, I imagine. xD So stressful in fact, that he's not thinking clearly. I wasn't the only one being surprised or disappointed by his strange "I am cleansing the world" outburst. Why?

Well, because Cyran doesn't really want that. Why on earth would he? This system is currently perfectly catering to his every need. He sits at the very top, playing a gigantic chess game, controlling the pieces and removing those not needed. He has a lot of power over not just the common people in this system, but also influential ones. Why would he want to rob himself of his wealth and luxurious lifestyle by drowning the country into chaos and violence? Listen, even the King and Queen are simply pieces on his chess board. And sure, they appear to the public as the ones making decision, but as even the Queen acknowledges, things aren't quite that simple. No, I am absolutely certain Cyran didn't want to change a single thing about the system's status quo.

It is very possible that he has personal grievances, that he'd love to eradicate. Like his troubled family relationships, or his unfortunate position being alive next to Merlin. But not the rest.

So, when he claims to "cleanse the world", I think he is simply taken over by the stress. He shows clearly that he doesn't care for the lives of individuals, especially if they are merely pawns on his chess board. He is very much ready to accept blood in his transactions (as long as it's not his) and this ruthlessness was expressed through his insane words. It also helps, btw, that he does express this particular view in a milder form through his H2H with Merlin at the start of the season.

He also never wanted to fight Merlin. I am certain he's (again, I am using that word) stressed over it. He is afraid of losing. Even more reason to overshadow his fear with cocky commentary and confidence. Now, I may think that to be the case, but I don't think Cyran is aware of it. He's in a tight spot and finds himself facing Merlin. While he initially didn't want this confrontation, he now can't avoid it - and thus makes the best of it. "Well, if we must, then let's test our strengths." And he's not weak! He knows in the background that he's got his Dark Extraction Spell at 80% completion, and that makes him confident. He could perhaps get Merlin after all! Even if it meant the ruin of his plan, but his current survival kinda depends on it, so he can't be lamenting the fact. 

He only resorts to directly sacrificing himself, when he knows he can't "win" anymore (he was internally badly injured at that point). And his last bet is to at least take Merlin into "death" with him. So he transforms, using a power he gets for limited time, hoping to see Merlin go all out and then take him into the Abyss. Unfortunately... he goes down alone. T_T

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How unwilling he was to change anything, and how afraid he was about risks..  might also show this:

In Cyran's entry to Emerson, he says "nobody suspected a thing". After all the research notes, COE and TOM and tidbits seen also in the Easter-Egg quest... I thought Cyran was a psychopathic killer but... I gotta rewind a little here. This comment expresses insecurity and relief that nobody was openly suspicious about the event. "Viper" also promised to block any reopening of the Emerson case. Remember also how Cyran's recent commentary deals with "stress". Could I therefore perhaps suggest, that while Cyran did the thing (killing Emerson in the experiment), he was actually afraid of the potential consequences and worried his actions/plan were not secret enough... Meaning... he isn't quite as unaffected from such crime after all. Also suggesting he wasn't involved in death personally before. And if, then it was considered "casualty" or it was done by another hand. Giving an order is easier than having to do it oneself, after all. Typical of politicians.

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Yolena absentmindedly played some notes on the piano. She had some free time, between lessons and duties, and she decided to remain seated at the instrument to allow her mind go free and travel the world. She did not notice at first that someone had stopped by to observe and listen to her little melodies. When she finally noted his presence, she stopped for a moment.

“Magister Cyran! I didn’t hear you.”

He smiled gently, as he usually did. Yolena didn’t know him any other way.

“I was enchanted by your tunes, Your Highness. You have a remarkable talent for composition.”

She gleamed at him. “Thank you. Hey, come, sit down. You can play the piano, too, right? Let’s go on a journey together.”

She moved to the right side to make some space for the Court Mage. He hesitated for a moment, but then elegantly sat down next to her. As Yolena continued her little tune the mage tried to embellish it with some carefully chosen chords.

His attempts were not always successful but Yolena kept quiet and bravely played along for a little bit.  She did ponder for a split second how to tell her tutor that his playing didn’t match the grace of his appearance, but then she got carried away instantly by her youthful nature and just spoke freely.

“Well, it’s okay I guess, but I think I expected more from such a distinguished old man as you…”

Cyran immediately stiffened his pose.

“Manners, Your Highness. This is not how you express your opinion, which should, by the way, remain humble at all times." 

Oops. Maybe she shouldn't have mentioned his age. But he himself had revealed it to her and given he was of noble birth she expected better musical training… but maybe music wasn’t his calling. Best to apologize. 

"Okay. I apologize. I have an idea: let’s practice more together. You came to listen to me, right? So you liked it. If you learn to play as beautifully as you look, then maybe a lady just as nice will come and–”

“MANNERS." 

Yolena shrunk a little next to him. He could be so unforgiving. Behaviour was everything he thought about - other than her magical training, which was barely more than rudimentary. But he was also really kind and sometimes more understanding than anyone else for her little troubles. She didn’t think about her words at all, and she felt sorry for making him upset. She sighed and played a few single notes while speaking quietly.

"Aww. You know, I think you are a really cool teacher and an awesome mage. And you are so wise and gentle and handsome, too. But - kinda alone. So sometimes I wish you could be a little less… strict. Then I think you could be really fun, too, and have friends." 

Yolena kept pressing down on a few more keys, waiting for Cyran to react. After a moment, he hummed gently and bowed in his seated position.

"You have my sincerest thanks, Your Highness.”

Yolena sighed again. As formal as ever. But at least, he seemed to have accepted her apology. She took a deep breath. She was about to ask him for a second round but when she saw his broad smile, she hesitated enough to allow him to take the word.

“Well, Your Highness, shall we… "rock the house” ?“ 

Yolena snorted loudly. Then she burst out laughing. Where on earth did he pick up that expression? She could not believe her ears and being utterly unable to focus on the piano, she wiggled back and forth trying not to attract attention from staff with her unrestrained laughter. When she heard a hearty chuckle next to her, her chest exploded with joy. What a wonderful sound and she wished with her all might to hear it more often. She knew she probably wasn’t so lucky anytime soon, so when the Court Mage began to play his chords, she eagerly joined to add her melodies.