Corpus Tamrielicum - The Imperial Library

[63] A TALE OF KIERAN
milk. "Why," he cried aloud, "am I treated so unjustly by the old buffoon? Were it not for my
skills, the border contest, mayhaps even the kingdom itself, might have been lost. I deserve
more. I deserve the crown. To give it to that primping simpering daughter of his, who thinks
naught of more than her own whim, is a slap more stinging than that of gauntlet. I will have
justice. I will demonstrate, amply, for all to see, wherein lies true power."
Thereupon, Loziard made his preparations. Princess Einlea's birthday came on a summer
morning. Everyone within the city, and from the farms without, gathered to the palace for the
festival. Banners waved from every rooftop. Fiddlers fiddled and dancers danced. Bakers
baked wonderful sweets for the occasion. It was a day long to be remembered. At noon,
precisely, King Caladan and Princess Einlea emerged onto the main balcony to the cheers of
the kingdom. "Good citizens of Trowbridge," called the King, "We are but a tiny kingdom,
but we prosper, do we not?" Loud hails (mostly) erupted from the crowd below. Encouraged,
Caladan continued, "But now I am an old man. The day has arrived when younger blood can
better attend to the needs and events of the kingdom. My subjects ... My loyal subjects and
friends ... It is with honour ...and pride ...and the greatest of expectations ...that I transfer my
kingdom and my crown to my loving daughter. To one and all, I give you" (a long pause here)
"Einlea."
As cheers filled the air, Caladan made a grand, sweeping gesture with his arm, intending to
make the presentation as spectacular as the pride that filled him. His robe went "swoooosh"
and his hand pointed to ... nobody. What was this? Where had she gone? Where Einlea had
been, moments earlier, there now was naught but vacant air. "Er ...Einlea ...?" he called,
uncertainly. But there was no response. Silence fell over park and courtyard. People glanced
at each other nervously. Old Loziard clapped his hands in glee. He danced. He hugged
himself with uncontained laughter. "How wonderful ..." he cried. "What a breathtakingly
stunning and talented a wizard I am.." For what he had done, of course, was to rid himself of
Einlea for once and for all. With one stroke, crafty and evil, he had removed the vain creature
from the palace. Nought else remained between him and that which he desired.
Now, magic is a tricky thing. Like all forces in the world, it must be kept in balance. As
surely as day balances night and summer balances winter, so too must positive magic balance
negative. For every hurtful or destructive spell, there must be an act of equal goodness or
charity lest trouble overflow into the world. For every black wizard, there must be a white.
For every spell of combat destruction, there must be healing. Know ye this ...if all who
practice magic cast naught but healing or protective spells, dark, horrible forces would build
up until chaos and ruin would burst forth and rain our doom down upon us. Thus may spells
of healing be broken by harm, and the worst of spells be broken by charity. Knowing this,
Loziard planned well his act of vengeance.
To permanently rid himself of Einlea (short of killing her outright) he must devise a spell so
cunning that no act of kindness would ever break it. He was pulling lice out of his long beard,
late one evening, when he burst into laughter. He would make her into something
...disgusting. "I will make her into a frog." he laughed, then frowned. No ... that had been
done. People might expect it and go around, like mindless idiots, seeking frogs, hoping to
earn a kings ransom. And then, a brilliant plan occurred to him. "I will make her into a bug,
an insect, a WORM ..." He almost choked on his wine. "Oh. How perfect.. I will make her
into something so truly loathsome that she will spend the rest of her little bug life in terror of
being squashed by the first person who sees her." He squealed and his rings jangled and his
fat jiggled and he snorted wine out his nose in laughter. "Oh, how absolutely delicious ..."
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