The thing is:
The magic in this world is weird and lackadaisical,1 but I do know born seers exist here.
Of course, most of them are either in the King’s employ or dead, thanks to the King’s iron-clad grip on all magic here. But some are alive, either hiding their powers or even as yet unaware of their powers. That was a whole subplot in the second book in the series: Alex discovering his latent magic and seeking out some hedge witch seer, who tells him that he’ll be the first Mage-King.
Granted, telling them I'm magic is a bit of a risky move. Maybe there are ways for them to verify I'm a seer. Even if they believe me, they'll technically have to turn me over to the King to comply with the magic ban.
But as long as I can convince them the King and Queen are out for their family, that should stop their need to hand over magic users. And also hopefully be enough to distract them from confirming my claim.
And I mean, it might not be a lie. Those extremely weird and vivid images in the Morrells’ cabin had to have been a seer’s vision, my imagination’s not that good.
Sure, the books hadn’t mentioned anything about Aurelia having magic. But she was apparently friendly with the rebels and the books hadn’t mentioned that either.
Anyway, it’s the only scheme I’m able to think up under duress. I’m a high school senior, not a master strategist. We can’t all be Livinia. 2
There’s a really long silence after my “I’m a seer” proclamation.
“That’s impossible! If it were true, you would’ve told me!” Alex burst out first. “Why are you saying this? Didn’t I tell you to tell the truth?”
He genuinely looks so hurt and confused, I almost feel bad.
Almost. Survival before boys.
“I mean. Uhm. I just didn’t?”
Alex audibly grinds his teeth. “Nothing about this makes any sense. You’re not making any sense. You’re not acting like yourself. Not since yesterday. Hiding with the women and children, forgetting things you should know, even the way you speak, it isn’t…”
Again, he notices? Why is Alex so obsessed with Aurelia?
“Well, Keeps don’t get invaded everyday,” I rush out. And deploy another block and swerve for good measure. “What's your alternative? Why would I work with rebels and then change my mind at the last moment?”
“I don’t know! You were the one who said you couldn’t harm me or my family but refused to cut ties with them. Why don’t you tell me what you meant?”
“See!” I say, like I’ve known that all along and not like I learned that when Alex mentioned it earlier. “So I’ve never told you everything. Why would you think I’d have told you about this?”
“Because you trust me, like I trust you! Or you did, before those rebel bastards got into your head—“
“You do realize you’re trying to squirrel out of a crime by admitting to another crime, Aurelia?” The Duchess cuts in. Wow, this family sure has a way of side-stepping what Alex says. “A capital crime, for stealing from his Majesty?”
Honestly, why the hell is it so hard to get Aurelia away from any threat of imprisonment or murder? I mean, I successfully avoided any attempts on my life and liberty for eighteen years without even trying.
This stupid book series has it out for her, it’s the only explanation.
“I’m just saying I have magic, to be clear. Not that I was purposely using it, because I wasn’t,” I say quickly.
Hiding that you had magic after your ‘awakening’, so to speak, was illegal, but apparently you mostly got reprimanded for that and then get shipped out to the capital and put to work for the King.
Actively using magic, on the other hand, got you killed. All magic by law belongs to the King, so you were, as Valeria phrased it, technically “stealing” from the Crown.
“I don’t have any control over my visions. And I don’t know any fancy ceremonies to evoke one. So what I saw with the Keep was one-hundred-and-one percent accidental. I wasn’t even really sure sure I was a seer before the Keep vision. My life’s so mundane that my visions were too. So I just thought that I had, uh, a very vivid imagination and really good hunches,”3 I continue. “And sometimes they were even wrong! 4 But then I got the Keep vision and couldn’t risk it coming true.”
Luke crosses his arms, looking stoic and thoughtful.
“That’s… what our books say about the abilities of untrained seers,” he says. “But Aurelia couldn’t have known that unless it came from experience. Books on magic are too strictly controlled. Even ours are closely guarded.”
Of course it’d be Luke who’d believe me first. Oh, I could kiss him!
“Of course! You’re absolutely right Luke, I can’t possibly know otherwise!” I say, trying not to sound too enthused.
The Duke scoffs at the same time.
“Luke, can’t you tell this troublemaker is just trying to distract us?” He folds his arms. “She was in communications with the rebels. She could’ve learned all sorts of things from those pro-magic lunatics.”
Luke… slowly shakes his head.
“Perhaps. But don’t you think we would be remiss not to hear her story in its entirety and then make our judgment, Father? Aurelia’s allegations are serious. If she is telling the truth and the King and Queen see us as a threat, then the people of the Keep are in grave danger,” he says.
I’m honestly impressed that he remembered I said that about the King and Queen, and that his first impulse was to worry about the people under his family’s protection. Alex Prime really wasn’t exaggerating, Luke is everything he—
“Aurelia,” Luke says. I jolt, and snatch my mind back from where it’d flown.
Focus, Aurelia, you’re in a serious situation here.
“Could you tell us more about what you saw in your vision?” He asks. “Are you sure that the attackers came under the orders of the King and Queen?”
1. Natter very clearly and obviously did not bother to put together a real magic system. It was all very “sword and sorcery, whee!” vibes. He just said stuff about magic and how they worked when he wanted to.
(Like when Natter had Alex find out in the heat of battle that he’s a fire Elemental—a mage that can control fire—and then spend the rest of the novels setting people on fire with flamethrower hands. Except when Natter needed a flashier fight. Then Alex fought with a flaming sword, like he’s some sort of avenging angel.)
I’d made fun of the nonexistent magical system when I’d been reading. But now that I’m here, maybe it being so ‘vibey’ will actually be helpful to me.
2. Have I not mentioned Livinia yet? She’s like, the best female character in the series, by like, a mile. Of course, Alex Prime hadn’t appreciated her any, the idiot. Livinia’s not shown up in the story yet, but she will. Or at least, I hope so, because she’s the one character I actually want to meet.
3. I am indeed shamelessly stealing from the hedge witch seer’s “backstory” (info dump, really) when she met Alex. I’m just lightly editing the end bit. For once in my life, I’m grateful to my parents for giving me a memory that can’t remember names or deadlines but will always store away the most mundane, borderline useless trivia from books.
4. I know what you’re thinking: “Wow, these seers sound pretty useless. What’s the point if they one, mostly can’t control what they see, and two, can even be wrong?” And well. You’re absolutely right and this universe agrees. That’s why the King tries so hard to control the other types of magic but basically turns a blind eye to rogue seers, and also why Alex Prime was super judgmental about the hedge witch seer before they actually met. That’s how hedge witch seer got to live her best life in her secret coven, before she sexily gave Alex some information and then sexily seduced him.
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