Truth
“Why don’t your kind ever rule?” The young king asked. “You seem much more adept at solving the issues of the land.”
The court mage still had their head laid on the king’s lap. The question had caught them off guard.
“Most of us are viscious at heart.” The mage finally answered, wondering if the king could hear their own viscious heart’s beat.
“Oh?” The king replied, otherwise silent, encouraging the mage to answer further.
Obliging the king’s quiet request, the mage continued. “Power is a tricky thing. My kind have enough of it. We are cruel, but wise, and we know how detrimental it would be to have one of us on a throne, how it would affect the balance of nature.”
“Yet some of you try regardless.” The king had started to run his fingers through the mage’s hair. “Wicked spell casters determined to rule every land graced by the light of day.”
“Most of us are wise, not all.” The mage corrected.
Quiet contentment lapsed, comforting to the mage. The king and his court spell caster had limited moments together, the mage appreciated the ones they got.
However, the king was much more intrigued by the subject he brought up.
“So you stay put in advisory roles.” He stopped playing with the mage’s hair. “Have you ever thought about usurping me? Taking the crown?”
“Of course I have.” If not made aware of how the mage’s kind worked, the king would have been much more alarmed by their answer.
“That’s treasonous.”
“I suppose.”
More silence. The king found himself amused by the mage, while the mage found themselves annoyed. They liked the reputation they made with the king, and hated themselves for telling the truth. Although, they would never lie to him even if they could.
“Are you testing my loyalty?” The king asked. “Seeing if I’d have you locked up for such words?”
“Do you want me to?”
That made the king laugh. “How would you do it?”
“Test your loyalty or run the kingdom?” The mage asked, sitting up to look the king in the eyes. “You know I can’t lie, my honesty will be brutal.”
“I know.” With his chin in hand, the king seemed to ponder his options. “What if I asked you every way you’d overthrow me, would you answer?”
This late in their relationship, the mage was far from worried about their rude actions, sighing dramatically as possible. “Do you doubt your own castle’s enchantment? If asked, I will answer truthfully, there’s no choice.”
“Would you help defend me from traitors? Your knowledge would be useful, especially considering that fact you already had thoughts of overthrowing me.”
“Of course.” The mage slumped back, sensing this was only the first of many questions.
“Why do you care about the kingdom?”
Surprisingly, that was the first question that warranted no verbal response, the mage instead shrugged. This amused the king further.
“Do you often lay on the laps of rulers?”
The mage felt their cheeks heating up. “Obviously not, you royal pain.”
“One more, then I’ll quit pestering you.”
“Finally.” Despite the mage’s tone, they were grinning.
“Would you stay with me, with your own will, your own choice?”
Something was cracking, something that was deeply ingrained inside the castle. The king was oblivious, but the mage felt it in their awful heart. Then came the lies, the words easy to bubble up, to flow from their mouth. The castle’s enchantment was broken, and the mage was freed.
“Without hesitation.”