The Crown's Entrapment

Clara didn't know what exactly happened after they met with the eccentric master. In fact, the memories of that day still felt like a fever dream even as she watched Gilas go through his second day of sessions. After the master had inexplicably disappeared with a puff of smoke, Jayra had thankfully explained that her master had a knack for being unexpected with his proverbial bag of tricks. Gilas had also expressed concern about the payment that the old man had seemingly wanted from Jayra, but the mage had simply waved off any and all attempts that they did to try and shoulder her supposed payment to her master.

"Jayra, you know that we can always pay the man in your stead, right?" Clara asked Jayra as they both watched Gilas being treated by Master Kasper. "You don't have to drain your own coffers for us."

"Trust me, Clara. There's nothing you two can give me that my master would even accept," Jayra sighed. "Even if you did, he'll know immediately that it didn't come from me, and he'll promptly just double the payment he'll want from me."

Clara's eyes widened, "What? Why do this for us then?"

"The payment means nothing," Jayra scoffed. "Really, you don't have to worry."

"If you're sure…"

She couldn't help but frown at Jayra's insistence on shouldering the burden. Really, it wasn't even her problem, and yet she was the one that was going to pay for the treatment? That didn't sound fair.

"Cut it, Clara," Jayra pointedly told her off. "I know what you're thinking."

"I didn't even say anything," Clara shook her head.

"But you were thinking it," her mage friend chuckled. "Trust me, it's nothing I can't pay off. In fact, I'd really rather not pay it in the first place."

Clara frowned. "Then why-"

Before she could finish her question, Jayra pulled her close to whisper something into her ear.

"Look, you can clearly see that Master doesn't really care about money," Jayra explained in a whisper. "He just wants me to keep the angry bar keepers back in Ebodia from hounding him for payments."

"Wha-"

"He's a heavy drinker whenever he's not doing experiments," Jayra explained before she could even ask. "He's also a notorious dine-and-dasher."

Jayra then let go of her ear, and Clara could only blink in astonishment as she stared at the one healing her mate. Somehow, she didn't know whether or not to let her respect for him rise or fall with what she was hearing about him.

The session then went on in silence after that, with Master Kasper promptly announcing that his job was done for the day before quickly disappearing into a cloud of smoke once more.

"Where does he even go whenever he does that?" Gilas couldn't help but ask as he stood up. "Does he even have a room here in the castle?"

"Well, Bartos told me that the room assigned to him had signs of being used, so I can only assume he goes there," Jayra shrugged. "Really, it's not use questioning his methods. I can only hope that I can copy his spells and do them as lazily and skillfully as he does them."

"I can assume that his teleportation spell is borderline impossible to you," Clara remarked.

"And he's just using it as a parlor trick too," Jayra sighed. "It just shows that I have a lot of things to learn in my lifetime."

"You'll get there eventually," Clara reassured her with a smile. "Anyway, thank you for today's session."

"Likewise," Gilas agreed as he came to Clara's side. "I'll be forever in your debt for helping me with this."

"It's nothing," Jayra scoffed with a wave of her hand. "Now go. If you'll excuse me, I have a bunch of letters to write."

Clara chuckled as both she and Gilas turned around and left the mage in her room. Making their way to their own room within the castle, she couldn't help but notice her mate's joyful disposition.

"How did it go this time?" she asked.

***

[Amazingly,] Ham scoffed, albeit weakly inside his head.

Truly, Gilas couldn't contain his happiness as he heard Ham's voice echo inside his head once more. Granted, it was far from being fully complete, but they could actually talk again just like in old times.

[You really missed me that much, huh.]

[Of course, I did,] Gilas chuckled. [You're a part of me, and having you go missing like that on me was one of the worst experiences I've ever had in my life.]

"It's going well," he replied to her mate with the happiest smile he could give her. "He's talking to me even now, actually."

"I'm glad then," Clara smiled back at him. "At least that's another problem solved."

"I couldn't agree more," he chuckled.

The two of them walked in relative silence throughout the hallways of the castle. Of course, Gilas took that time to talk a bit more with Ham, catching his inner wolf up with everything that had happened during the time that he had been absent.

[Thankfully, you didn't turn into a complete vegetable while you mourned me,] Ham teased with a low chuckle. [And here I thought you'd be strong enough without me.]

[How was I supposed to take your supposed death easily?] Gilas weakly chuckled. [I really thought I lost you.]

[But you didn't] his inner wolf pointed out. [And you…. Damn…]

[Ham?]

[I'm…. losing you….] Ham's stuttered voice weakly replied. [Need…. Rest…..]

[Alright then. Take all the time you need.]

Gilas shrugged as he felt the connection weaken once more. But while it would've frightened him before, it didn't do so now. After all, the treatment was clearly working, and he was certain that he'd be able to feel Ham again in a few hours or so. In the meantime…

"So, that's your second session done," Clara breathed out to him as soon as they reached their room. "But that doesn't mean your round of treatment for today is over."

Gilas smirked as he stared down at his eager mate. Really, if there was one thing in this whole debacle that he really liked, it was the constant lovemaking that constituted his treatment.

And speaking of treatment, he might as well go ahead with that one idea he was workshopping in his head since last night. He was sure that Clara would get a kick out of it.