«Sire», Kenneth murmured. «Your Highness».

He cast a puzzled glance at his wife, uncertain why they had been summoned, but Alyce thought she knew, and set a hand on Kenneth’s hand in subtle control, her attention focused entirely on the king.

«Sit down, please», the king said, waving them to seats at the little table and himself taking a seat. «I want to explain to all of you what I intend to do tonight. Kenneth, if all goes awry, it may fall upon you to be involved later on, which is why I asked you to be present. Alyce will understand immediately what I am about».

As he spoke, he had been unfastening the wire clasp that held the Eye of Rom in his right earlobe: a great cabochon ruby the size of his little fingertip, set in ruddy gold. This he removed and held before them, gently turning it to and fro so that its heart caught the glow from the candles on the table.

«Only seldom will any of you have seen me without this», he said softly, with a glance at Alyce and Kenneth. «I have told Brion the story of the stone many times as he was growing up, but it will be new to the two of you. According to my family’s tradition, it was one of the gifts the Magi gave the Holy Child, after it had fallen from the heavens on the night of His birth. Every Haldane king since Cinhil the Great has worn it — some of them for rather longer than others», he added with a faint attempt at humor. «It is known as the Eye of Rom; I do not know why».

He set it aside and retrieved a small wooden box from the sideboard behind them, then pushed his chair back from the table, at the same time beckoning Brion closer. «Alyce, please bring that cushion for Brion to kneel on. Put it here in front of me».

Both obeyed, Alyce depositing the cushion on the floor at the king’s feet and moving to his left. Brion knelt, gazing up trustingly as his father set the box in his hands. Opening the box, Donal plucked out a small, stoppered vial of green glass and a wad of cotton wool, which he passed to Alyce. He then delved into the box again to remove a small, folded packet of crimson wool held by a bright steel pin, its head formed in the shape of a stylized Haldane lion. This he kept in his hand as he leaned past Brion to set the box on the table behind.

«It is not given to any man save the king to actually wear the Eye of Rom», Donal said, pulling the pin from the red wool and handing it to Alyce, who had uncorked the vial and moistened the cotton wool with the pale green liquid it contained. «Nor is the Eye the source of the Haldane power, though it seems to be instrumental in its emergence in due time».

He unfolded the wad of fabric to reveal a small ear-hoop of twisted gold wire nestled in the folds of crimson wool. Underneath the earring was a small scrap of hard leather, which Donal palmed before setting the nest of crimson wool in Brion’s left hand. He then reached behind his son to retrieve the Eye of Rom, turning it in his fingers as he leaned back in his chair. Alyce, meanwhile, was carefully wiping off the pin.

«It is customary that the heir should be introduced to the Eye of Rom on the eve of his coming of age, against the day when he shall bear its burden», Donal continued, setting the Eye in Brion’s right hand and closing the prince’s over the jewel. «Accordingly, though you will not wear the Eye tonight, I shall prepare you for its future wearing. Until then, you will wear that in its place».

He gestured toward the hoop of twisted gold in its nest of crimson, then glanced at Alyce and carefully received the steel pin back from her. Across the table, Kenneth watched silently, hardly breathing.

«Wipe off his earlobe now», Donal murmured, nodding toward the wad of faintly green-stained cotton wool. «The right one. Then come to his other side and steady his head».

Alyce did as he commanded, again moistening the cotton wool. The green liquid had a pungent, medicinal smell, but she found it not unpleasant. Even so, Brion flinched slightly at its touch, eyes closing briefly.

She wiped the earlobe several times, front and back, then set the wool aside and moved to the prince’s other side, took his head between her hands and braced his forehead against her waist. As she did so, his father set the tip of the steel pin against his right earlobe, positioning the scrap of leather behind, and gave a sharp thrust.

Alyce felt Brion tense as the sliver pierced through, but he did not move as Donal twisted the pin slightly to enlarge the wound and then squeezed the earlobe, withdrawing the pin as blood welled from the front wound. He then slid his left hand around the back of Brion’s head to brace it and touched Brion’s closed right hand in signal for him to open it, picked up the Eye, and touched the stone to the blood trembling, jewellike, on the boy’s earlobe.

Brion flinched as the stone touched his blood, breathing in with a hiss and briefly stiffening under his father’s hands. In that instant, Alyce, too, felt power stirring, surging between father and son and spilling over slightly against her shields. Even Kenneth appeared to sense that something was happening that he could not see, still seated taut and white-faced at the other side of the little table. But then Brion relaxed again and breathed out a sigh as the king withdrew the stone and set it aside, now marked with his heir’s blood — and Brion, too, with its potential.

Wordlessly the king retrieved the hoop of twisted gold and handed it to Alyce, his intention clear. Carefully she took it and wiped it with the cotton wool, again charged from the green vial, careful to clean well around the twisted wires, then handed it to the king and again held Brion’s head steady as Donal made ready to insert the hoop of twisted wire through the hole just created.

«This will probably hurt more than the first time», Donal murmured, positioning the end of the wire and starting to guide it through the raw flesh, twisting as he pushed.

Brion closed his eyes again, jaw tensing as Donal guided the twisted wire through and fastened it, though he did not flinch.

«There, it’s done», Donal breathed. «The earlobe may be tender for a few days. Try to keep it clean while it heals, and move the wire back and forth in the wound several times a day».

Relaxing a little, Brion gingerly touched the earring and his ear, a faint smile playing at one corner of his mouth. Then, with an apologetic shrug, he glanced back at the silver goblets discarded on the sideboard and leaned back to retrieve one, holding it nearer the candle and trying to catch a glimpse of his reflection. Donal snorted.

«You look very dashing», he said gruffly. «You’re apt to set a fashion trend among the other young men at court».

«To be sure, he shall», Alyce agreed, smiling and casting a glance toward Kenneth, who was quickly recovering his aplomb.

Brion grinned at that, still a boy in that instant. Shortly thereafter, after sharing a celebratory round of excellent Fi-anna red brought up earlier from the royal cellars, the four participants in the night’s work retired to their respective chambers, all of them with much to ponder in the times to come, and a prince with odd dreams to drift through his sleep.

The next day began with the customary birthday court to mark the prince’s natal day, though he had already been awakened early to receive his gift from his parents.

«It’s out in the stable yard! Come quick!» his brother Nigel said urgently, shaking him awake before first light. «I knew they were going to do it! She’s absolutely gorgeous!»

From Nigel’s exuberant outburst, Brion knew instantly what his brother was talking about, and threw on the previous day’s clothes as quickly as he could, still rubbing sleep from his eyes as he wrenched open the door to his sleeping chamber.

Lord Kenneth Morgan was waiting outside with Nigel, leaning against the wall opposite the door, arms crossed and a sly smile on his handsome face.