Chapter 29: 29.

Well, Ed's been shorn like a sheep. At some point, a sort of bench was brought in and he was untied from the chair and laid out on the bench face-down, still sleeping, while everyone tsks at the hideous scarring. Sir Pasteur is very empathetic about it. "Your highness, this must be... removed. I shudder to think about the effects, this is like... like... like having a hole in your head for anyone willing to reach inside and toy with your thoughts." - he stammers indignantly - "Whoever did this must be... found. This is an abomination, an affront against nature and decency, a... a... A SIN."

Abraham sucks in air. "If they can be found, they will be found." - he rumbles angrily - "Summon Grand Inquisitor here, I have a job for him. For now, sir Pasteur, how do we remove this and root out the influences from Edward's mind? For that matter, can he be returned to his proper mental state to begin with? And if not, can we determine what other commands he was given, because for the love of all that is sane I can not think why would anyone commit that grave of an offense solely to turn Edward against lady Gillespie. The treachery goes deeper."

He hesitates. "Your highness, it is hard to say anything for sure." - he hedges - "The most obvious way to deal with this is simply to use cosmetic spell meant to smooth out scars and keep applying it until there is no recognizable shape. However, doing this will heal in the scar and thus, internalize everything that had been pushed through it. As such, his excellency will require a lengthy convalescence rest and reassessing everything he considers obvious truths..." He pauses, dabs his face with a handkerchief, and continues - "Another option would be to have someone we explicitly trust to use the brand to access his excellency's memories and rearrange them properly before healing the scars over. That is the most medically sound option I can think of, but it will leave us the least of information, because we wouldn't even know what orders were given, much less by whom. Finally, there are spells that should review what passed through the brand, but I am very hesitant to recommend that for fear of more mental trauma being given to his excellency."

At this point, Grand Inquisitor is brought in. I sorta know him - his name is sir Malachi, and he is largely responsible for training and overseeing everyone who deals with "insidious" supernatural and magical threats. Not on casual terms, though, he is old enough to call my father "young man". After being appraised of the situation and casting a couple more spells of his own (the area around us is quickly becoming a makeshift flower bed as servants bring in pots with rare and finicky flowers that are required for some of the spells). "I have to agree with sir Pasteur's conclusions." - he rumbles - "The safest way to break this treachery will destroy the evidence. Perhaps if we could interview prince Edward before committing with any treatments..."

And I have an idea. "Sirs? And idea presents itself to me." - I suggest, making both of them (and king, and Alistair and Selene) turn around and stared at me - "Sir Malachi, would I be correct to assume that all the clues you hope to collect are within the scarring?" He strokes his beard thoughtfully. "Aye, lass." - he finally rumbles - "I think I know where you're going with this...."

I smile at him and turn to physician - "Sir Pasteur, would I be correct to assume the scarring is only skin-deep, since it's a brand?" He blinks his eyes. Then turns around and grabs a sprig of lavender, casting another detection spell on Edward. "...Why, yes, yes it is." - he responds with excitement - "But how to separate the scar from his excellency with minimal harm? I do not believe I possess an appropriate tool to make that kind of broad incision quickly. Still, it could perhaps be forged for the task, this is an emergency after all...."

I raise my hand - "I think I have a quicker option, sir Pasteur. Your highness, good sirs, lady Selene... I hereby suggest the following plan." I turn and point them out in a row - "Sir Pasteur, you will maintain a diagnostic spell on prince and signal when the part of the skin is separated to your helper. Lady Selene, you will channel a healing spell that sir Pasteur will guide to regrow the skin flap and hair properly. Sir Malachi, you will be on standby ready to receive and contain the flab of skin with the scar on it so that it could be examined in detail without harming prince Edward. I believe in doing thus, we shall achieve both removal of undesired influence and preservation of evidence to properly persecute the trespassers. Ah, I will obviously perform the removal of skin. What do you all say?"

The physician pops the question first. "May I see the demonstration of how do you intend to remove the skin before committing to any answer?" - he inquires. Fair enough. I conjure a simple clay pot and set it on the table. "Imagine this is the skull in question." - I explain, coating one side of it in a layer of conjured wax - "And this is the skin." I even sketch a mock image of a flower into it, while at that. "And here is the removal process." I place my hands around the pot, conjuring a simple metal ring on both index fingers. A moment later, and the rings are connected by a length of composite decofilament, which I stretch taut and shear off the layer of wax with flower etching on it from the pot, leaving the clay surface behind and a slab of wax curling onto the table. Dismissing the filament a moment after, I pull back. "And this is it." - I tell them. Sir Pasteur comes closer. His finger brushes curiously against the exposed pot, then over the edge of the wax. He pokes the wax curiously, then stretches out the sheared roll, examining it.

"Ah, I see..." - he hums - "The plan is to use very thin wire, then? Thin enough to cut the skin easily but not thin enough to bite into the bone... An elegant and inspired solution, lady Gillespie. I daresay I would be hardpressed to achieve the quality of cut, and certainly not the speed of it. Well now, let me just check how well lady Selene can handle the throughput of light magic, and we should be all set, provided she can handle the necessary energy." Selene snorts and steps forward, lifting her hand. A ball of golden light coalesces and starts gaining in luminescence quickly. Sir Pasteur and Sir Malachi both bite back swears as they sharply turn away from harsh brightness, while Abraham shields his eyes with a hand before ordering - "Enough, lady Selene, you've more than proved your ability."

Five minutes later, we are ready. Grand Inquisitor had caused a bit of delay to have a specifically enchanted box fetched to him first. At a glance, this is a very curious artifact. Power-hungry, it requires a fresh flower stuck into the holder each day or the effect dissipates. But really worth it, because whatever is inside is held in effective stasis. And not just physical, this thing halts spells in process and keeps them without disrupting. Selene is positioned with her hands next to Ed's neck, wearing (at my insistence) a pair of heavy gloves, just in case I nick her with decofilament. Sir Pasteur is next to her, and is trying to smile encouragingly at everyone. Sir Malachi is standing by with a pair of tongs that he is holding above the place where the skin is expected to curl. And finally me, standing next to Selene with my filament ready. The king is wisely off in the distance.

"Now, everyone is ready?" - he asks hoarsely - "If so, then let this be done." And he turns away. A wise precaution, I suspect. Sir Pasteur grimaces. "Lady Gillespie, we're all ready, you can start cutting. Don't hesitate, the faster you... Gods above!" He probably thought I'd be nervous. I slice the whole scar off in one pull, ending with a bit of jank to nudge the flap against the tongs, and dismiss the filament, stepping away from the operation "bench". Selene grimaces as blood splatters all over her gloves and starts channeling harder, the golden glow around Ed's neck intensifying as Pasteur finally remembers what was his part in this. Malachi drops the skin fragment into the box and slams the lid shut without further ado, grabbing a bouquet he brought with him and casting a bevy of investigation spells over the suspended skin. His face cracks into a terrifying smirk and he growls - "We've got everything here, clear and distinct like a fresh manuscript."

Turning my attention back to Ed, I see that between Selene pumping power into the spell and Pasteur providing his expert insight into what should the skin and hair grow into, Ed gains his coiffure back at impressive speed. And a little more... And a LOT more... And I tap Selene's shoulder. "Yeah, either you stop now, or you get to teach Ed how to braid hair." - I tell her. She amps the channeling down at that wisecrack with a nervous giggle, and the tension is broken. Sir Pasteur is busily checking up on Edward, while sir Malachi collects the box and receives the king's leave to go and investigate it with all the magic and cunning at his disposal. Both of which are considerable.

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Abraham comes closer, and considers the results critically. He then ruins his image of a furious king in one fell stroke by putting his hand on Ed's head and stroking. And now I can't even see him as anything other than worried father. "How is he, sir Pasteur?" - he inquires. The physician snaps up, smiling. "Exceptionally good now, actually. It was a good call to have lady Selene provide the power. I was able to concentrate all of my attention on guidance and examination and I can confidently say his excellency is free from outer influence and the breach into his mind well and truly sealed off. And, less importantly, he has all the hair back. After a visit from a barber, he could be brought back to look exactly like he was before the discovery, and thus fool the villains who put the brand there into complacency thinking it is still there and undiscovered."

"I see." - he mutters and sighs. Then he turns to us - "Lady Gillespie, Lady Selene. The kingdom of Champagne owes you deepest gratitude for your insights and magic contributed to deflecting an attack most foul on one of the royal family. Furthermore, I owe you deepest gratitude as a father. Thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for looking out for my boy."

___

In the end, we leave. The royal physician wants to keep Ed asleep until tomorrow to go over everything with a fine comb, and the grand inquisitor has quite a lot of investigation to do. Tomorrow, we're going to revisit, talk with not so mind-whammied Ed and hopefully sort out something. Alistair is going to stick around, he will be the one to fetch us tomorrow when Ed is free to talk. I think the idea is that Selene is done visiting, but I'm dragging her along anyway. I really need to push the engagement over to her.

"Well, that was... was... WAAAAAH!" - oh goodness gracious, WHAT? Why am I suddenly holding a crying Selene and what the hell is wrong!? Fuck this, I'mma take a clue out of Spiderman's book. Taking a quick look around, I ensure no one is in the direct eyesight, hoist Selene up and do my tentacle wallcrawling routine, scaling up the castle wall we were walking by about half-way before jumping over to the roof and continuing in the general direction of Academy. It's late, the sun has already set, and for crying out loud, this is just silly. Selene keeps crying even when I reach the academy roof. She FINALLY looks up with an absolutely waterlogged face, only to doubletake as she takes in the surroundings.

"Where are we?" - she inquires wonderingly - "Wait, what? But... how!?" She leans over the railing I erected and peers down into the Academy yard for a while. Then she whirls around and looks at me. "Alright, spill." - she demands - "How are we even up here?"

"Spiderman, spiderman, does whatever a spider can..." - I hum at her, making her doubletake again, then slump.

"Of fucking course you would figure out how to be magical Spiderman. Of course. What was I even thinking? Of course this is the bloody thing you'd do." - she grouses and whaps the table - "But goddamn it, why didn't I think of this too?!" She peers at me half in wonderment and half in irritation, whining - "Why do you always have the most awesome ideas first?"

"Virtuous living and a loving harem to recharge my creativity every night?" - I tell her, wiggling my eyebrows for emphasis - "Alright, jokes aside, what's up? You were holding so well and then suddenly came unglued entirely."

She shudders and rubs her shoulders. "I just... I..." - she moans - "I tried so hard not to think about it, but each time I get distracted, I see Ed's blood on my hands and I blank out and uuuuuuuu!"

I sigh and pat her head, as she begins to sob again. "There, there. At least he's going to be fine now, right? And you'll be there next to him to make sure nothing like this happens again, right?" - I try to console her.

"Uuu... Hnn, fuck yes, I will be there, but I waaaaahsint!!" - ookay, this is gonna take a while. On the plus side, I think this is a good proof she's really in love with Edward.

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