Chapter Text
Sooner or later the king will choose a successor, and I know that it will be me.
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I have always been a leader within the House of Hearth, I commanded and led the other children around in order to maintain a balance of peace and destruction. As a child I remember when I first met The Knave, Lord Arlecchino, she had murdered the man who had bought my sister and on that same night, my adoptive father was found lifeless among many others. Although that night has long passed, I still owe Lord Arlecchino my respect for saving my sister and I from those sinister men. As time passed on, the water levels around Fontaine were starting to rise, and with that the rumor that had been circling around Fontaine had finally reached its way to the House of Hearth. Lynette and I had already known of the prophecy, we read about it one cold stormy night and that is what set us into motion, we wanted to stop Fontaine from drowning, from losing our home.
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Lord Arlecchino always had favorites within the house, although she never outright said it, Lyney knew she favored him above all. She saw his magic as an asset, a weapon, she began to request him to create “Magic Pockets” to save those among the harbor from the destruction of their home when the day the tides raise their possessions would be safe. Lyney saw no wrong to this when he was younger, the ideals of the House of Hearth aligned with their own but it also provided protection and a place to sleep at the end of the day.
“Lyney, Father has requested your presence at Romaritime Harbour”
Lyney looked up from his deck of cards, he was practicing a new card trick to perform in the city, he has found people will throw their money at anything that is vaguely interesting. He flashed a quick smile in response before laughing
“I will arrive shortly, thank you Olivier!”
He waited for the young boy to leave before pushing himself up onto his feet, to be called by Lord Arlecchino could be seen as a reward or a punishment and Lyney would be lying if he said that it was a blessing when he was called by Lord Arlecchino. He swiftly put his things away under a floorboard and left the room, hiding any fear he had under a layer of confidence and pride. Lyney had taught himself from a young age how to hide fear, how to hide the negative emotions that could potentially mess up a trick, an act, some days he didn’t know who he was because of the many masks he wore to protect himself. As he walked out of Hotel Debord he was taken aback by how quiet the streets were as it began to rain, he remembered something that the people of Fontaine spoke of, that when it rained it meant the Hydro Dragon was crying. Freminet believed it, so Lyney often tried to indulge in the purity and innocence of it.
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I sat quietly on the Aquabus, it was silent besides Aeval’s voice who was always a pleasure to listen to. No matter how many times I hear the same words from her, she always has my attention. The Melusine were interesting to me, to others they simply existed but I always played into their interests of my magic whenever asked, I would listen to their stories, Aeval always had interesting stories that she would tell me on slower days. Today she talked about a strange man who wore what sounded similar to a Harbingers coat. I frowned slightly at the description and I could only assume Aeval could tell I was distressed as she changed the topic to something else. As the Aquabus came to a stop I thanked Aeval for her work and stepped off, Father’s looming figure was one I could not miss.
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Lyney made his way to Lord Arlecchino’s side, he looked over to where her eyes met the harbor, the water had risen, he could tell as the water was now washing over the edges of the docks. He frowned, turning his head to look up at her,
“M’Lord, you requested to see me?”
Lord Arlecchino turned to him, simply gazing down at him as if he was some prize to be won among her ranks. And in a way he was, she saw him as a tool, a prize to be won by those who could overthrow her power, her influence. But she wouldn’t give him up so easily, no she would only want the best to have control over the magician, someone who would treat him as human and not some toy to play with as she had “saved” him from such a life. Lyney didn’t like to think about it, as to think about it meant to acknowledge it.
“To be summoned so su-”
He was shut up quickly as she cleared her throat, “I have a mission for you, as you know I have been looking for a successor to take the role of The Knave once I have stepped down and completed my goal. You, show potential, one of my strongest children, dear Lyney.”
Drip, drip, drip
It was beginning to rain again.
“M’Lord, if I deny this-”
“If you deny this, we can not save Fontaine, we would not be able to save our family”
Family. Lyney held his breath, Father gave him family, a wicked twisted version of family but a family none-the-less.
“What is the mission, Father”