“Don’t even think about it.”

Erik looked up to see an intense blue gaze on him. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Magnus chuckled. “So you weren’t thinking of joining the Magic Tower to escape your engagement.” 

“The thought never crossed my mind.” Erik glanced at the table. “Other than you, who was poisoning me?” A finger bopped him on the nose. He looked over, shocked. “What did you just do?”

“Punished you.” The king sat rubbing the back of his hand. “It wasn’t me who tried to poison you. Get it right.”

Erik wanted to say a lot but decided to swallow his grievances. This king was playing around. To do more than this would be reckless.

“That is right, Erik. If you want to get away from worldly problems, the Magic Tower will welcome you.” Olean looked like a devout priest as he stood with his hands together, wearing the white robe.

Erik watched Olean. His desire to use the Magic Tower as a refuge waned. “Poison?” he prompted. 

“Two are from assassins guilds, one is coming out of the royal palace, and the last one is from the realm of Aurvandill.”

Erik absorbed the information even though he didn’t understand it. “What was my personality like?” Erik wasn’t naive enough to believe the owner of this body was a good person. This king who clung to him now regarded him with open disdain until he learned that Erik had lost his memories. The servant's relief was palpable as well. Only his parents looked distressed. 

“You were a spoiled shitty brat.” “You were kind and understanding.”

Olean and Marissa answered at the same time. Erik was more inclined to believe the mage.

“Why did you ask?” Magnus was now half reclining on the bed. Erik wanted to move over, but he felt that the shameless man would take it as an invitation to lie down.

This world either didn’t have a strict protocol, or Magnus was powerful enough to do whatever he pleased. Erik’s instincts that saved his life on more than one occasion pointed to the second option. 

“There are only two reasons to kill me. They dislike me immensely, or it would benefit them. The chances that I would wake up were slim. Two of those people hated me, and two of them were targeting me because of you.” Erik wanted to swat Magnus away, but every time he met his father’s eyes, the man seemed to be asking him to bear with it.

Magnus let out a dark chuckle. “I don’t know what to feel.” The man did a dramatic sigh. “Before, you were stupid but wanted to marry me with all your heart. Now you are smart but want nothing to do with me.”

“Since…,”

“Your majesty, Eric has just awoken. He needs time to rest.” Alec cut in. 

There was a Cheshire grin on Magnus’ face. He probably guessed what Erik wanted to say. 

“What about her?” Marissa asked. She’d moved to stand beside her husband. 

“Why don’t we leave her to his majesty to handle?” That isn’t what Erik wanted to do, but it was the only option they had. Erik would rather poke out his eye than believe that Magnus didn’t know someone in his palace was trying to kill him. Magnus might not have ordered it, but he knew it was happening.   

“I am honored that you feel comfortable leaving it to me to handle,” Magnus whispered a word, then ropes bound the maid.

“No! You promised to let me live.” She started thrashing. Her eyes were wild, yet she never took the step to end her life.

“Emm. I promised to let you live. You aren’t dead, so I have kept my promise. I wouldn’t presume to speak on his majesty’s behalf.” Erik cleanly separated house Von Palmore from the royal family. 

“Your majesty! You wanted him dead. Everyone knows he was useless and a disgrace that would mar your reign. I was doing it for you.” The eyes she used to plead with Magnus didn’t hide her intent.

They might have threatened her family and paid her money. However, she truly believed that Erik needed to die for Magnus’ sake. 

“Lovely.” Erik took the opportunity to pull his hand away. “Now that I think about it, the two from the assassin guild might want the position of your fiancée to become free.” 

“Hahaha. Nothing like that. I have always been waiting for you to wake up.”

Erik translated that to mean he was useful for keeping away marriage proposals. “Charming.” He tucked his hands under the blanket when Magnus tried to reach for them. He yawned. “Mother, can I have something to eat?”  

It was a blatant hint for everyone to leave.

“Yes, dear. I will have someone send something up.” Marissa floated out of the room, her footsteps light.

“I will sort out the staff waiting in the study.” Alec looked to Olean and Magnus.

Magnus swung his feet onto the bed. “I will stay with Eric. He must want company after being asleep for so long.“

“No, that’s…,” A hand covered his mouth. 

“I’m offering.” Magnus' eyes had a dangerous glint. 

Erik bit his hand. He didn’t hold back and only let go when he tasted blood in his mouth. Magnus, the bastard, didn’t even flinch. Magnus brought his hand to his mouth and licked.

This man was insane. At least Magnus didn’t alert the other people in the room to what he’d done. Erik reclassified this king in his mind. 

He was a crazy person. Magnus was cruel to the world but probably even crueler to himself. 

Erik couldn’t understand that type. As someone who always treated himself best, he didn’t understand the crazy ones who sought out thrilling situations because they were bored.

“Your nuts.” He summed up before looking away.

“Since his majesty is staying, I will stay and discuss magic with Eric.” Olean floated a chair to the edge of the bed.

Erik didn’t like Olean’s type either. Fanatics were an odd bunch; you had to be careful with them. They often didn’t have a moral compass, only caring about the end goal.

“Your majesty!” The maid cried out. She didn’t seem to realize the situation she was in.

“Gag her or get rid of her,” he ordered Magnus. Everyone turned shocked gazes to him. Erik wanted to wave his hands and ask what they expected him to do. He knew Magnus’s type. They were brilliant and bored. If Erik wasn’t bold and interesting, he would end up in another coma or worse.

It didn’t skip his notice that no one told him what happened five years ago. He didn’t want to push it because he wasn’t sure how much more he could handle. 

“Ehm. I will do as you say.” The smile on Magnus’ face told him he’d made the right decision.

“Would you believe me if I said I’m a boring person?” It was a last-ditch effort that he was sure wouldn’t work, but he had to try anyway.      

“No, your not.” Magnus grabbed a lock of Erik’s hair, twirling it around his fingers. “I’m an interesting person.” 

“I prefer boring people.” Erik did. He never liked being the center of attention. He preferred to do his job in the quiet and in the dark.

“You used to like me before.” Magnus waved the other people out of the room. 

Erik got goosebumps on his arms when Magnus started flirting with him.

“Send Reed in,” he ordered Alec. “Olean, get out,” His tone was light. Erik guessed this was the first time Magnus was being serious; Olean realized it too because he stood.  

Eric didn’t want to be alone with this man. It would be tiring.

Reed entered, but he tripped over his feet when he saw Magnus reclining on the bed. “Your majesty?” The look in his eyes was similar to the maids.

If Erik could see it, then Magnus could too. He shot the man beside him a dark look. Erik would have to sleep with one eye open because of all the bees this useless honey pot would attract. 

“You said something unflattering about me in your head.” Magnus flicked him on the forehead.

Eric rubbed the spot. “Did I? You misunderstand me. I was thinking how charming you were. How are you going to compensate me for wronging me.” Eric could be twice as shameless. He formed a fist and batted the man on the chest.

Magnus looked taken aback before bursting out in laughter. “What do you want?”

You to go away. Erik couldn’t say what he wanted to. Instead, he settled for, “I will have to think about it. I don’t know what I need.”

“Your majesty, you asked for me.”

“Can’t you read the mood?” Erik knew Reed interrupted because he thought they were flirting. He held Magnus' gaze. They were trying to figure out each other's bottom line.

“Who are you to speak?” Reed was red in the face again.

“Your right, it will be a while before I can order you around, but it won't be that long.” Magnus wasn’t going to cancel the wedding. There must be a big reason why a man was his intended and that the engagement held even though he was in a coma. 

If he was going to marry a man, he would secure the best living conditions for himself.

Reed’s eyes darted between them. “You speak out of turn.”

“I can’t be bothered.” Erik rolled over. “You speak to your pet mage.” He waved a hand in Reed’s general direction. 

“Take the maid back to the palace,” Magnus ordered. He rolled Erik back over. 

Erik resisted but gave in when he realized he wasn’t strong enough.

“I am here to guard you.”

“Are you insinuating that his majesty would come to harm in the Von Palmore mansion?” Erik asked, amused. Reed wasn’t smart. He didn’t know how to control his emotions. 

“His majesty can’t be unguarded.” Reed insisted. His eyes darted between Magnus and Erik as they lay on the bed. 

“Ehm. I agree. After you take the maid away, stand at the gate and wait for his majesty to come out.” Erik delivered the proclamation. He didn’t want Magnus, but he wasn’t above using his position to bully someone he didn’t like. 

“Do you know who I am?” Reed’s foot jerked, but he didn’t step forward.

Erik watched every move he made. This young mage was afraid of Magnus probably more than he was in love with him.

“No clue. Don’t care. You’re an annoyance.” Erik batted away Magnus’ hand that was trying to pinch his cheek. Couldn’t this man behave? He knew Reed liked him but was still putting on this display.

“Reed, do as I ordered.” It was clear whose side Magnus chose.

Erik wasn’t happy. In fact, he wanted to bite Magnus a few times. Erik could make his own enemies. He didn’t need his fiancee's help.

Reed seemed reluctant, but he left with the maid floating behind him.

“What do I get for helping you train your pet mage?” Erik asked. They both shifted away from each other as if by mutual agreement. The closeness from before was now gone. 

“What do you want?” Magnus asked, already knowing the answer.

“Is there any chance someone will assassinate you?”

Magnus chuckled. “I could have you hung for treason because of that statement.” Magnus stroked his cheek.

Erik swatted his hand away. “Go ahead. If you could kill me, you would have done it already.”

“People aren’t so direct when dealing with me.” Magnus wasn’t angry; if anything, he was curious.

“I don’t have the luxury.” Erik wanted to avoid this man like the plague he was. “What do you expect of your spouse?” 

“Fulfill the duties of a queen.”

“Don’t be trite. It doesn’t suit you.” Erik scoffed. He didn’t hide his disdain.

“What suits me?”

“Do you think I can’t see the greedy, craziness you hide behind that arrogance and easy smile? What do you want?” Erik met plenty of men like Magnus. 

They started companies or charged into war. They had goals but found amusement in the setbacks and trials. Despite his laid-back demeanor, his eyes said he was capable of cruelty. Erik had a nagging suspicion that the original’s accident might have something to do with this man. 

Magnus approached him. They were nose to nose, but Erik didn’t move back. “Are you Eric?”

“Yes, I’m Erik.” 

Magnus moved back. He didn’t seem to believe, but the truth was irrelevant. “My ambition isn’t big. I want to untie all the human countries.”

“There are non-human countries?” Erik asked. He was uneasy about the fantasy setting he’d dropped into. 

“There is. Damion Lay already united all the races under one leadership.”

“Is that a threat to us?” Erik didn’t want a war with anything that had the joint classification of ‘Races.’ Humans were hard enough to deal with.

“No, he has already reached out to me. Though, he probably reached out to every king and conqueror. He will set up trade between the two nations to the final victor.”

“He started a war amongst the humans so that he wouldn’t have to worry about us while he stabilized his county?”

Magnus nodded. “He usurped the royal family. Not everyone is supporting him.”

“Why did they try to assassinate me?”  Erik wondered when the food would get here.

Magnus’ eyes narrowed. “How did you guess that?” 

“You said neighboring realm of Aurvandill; I assumed it was a country, didn't figure you meant it literally.” 

There was a knock on the door. The butler entered.