– N-yes… I'm so glad I was born a human! There is no need to stress when choosing a life partner. Even if they marry by force, it’s not scary, like you dragons,” Jed blurted out without thinking.

– Don't tell me! A marriage with a true couple will always be successful. This is a perfect match of characters, loyalty, healthy offspring,” Eizeroth began to describe the advantages of truth. – And you, the magicians, have pure roulette. If you marry unsuccessfully, you will suffer for the rest of your life. And so that the magic does not burn out, you will have to choose your soul mate not by their figure or cute face, but by the strength of their gift. So there is a high probability of getting a scary or quarrelsome wife, and, moreover, gifted in such a way that it will not seem a little. But who won’t you marry in order to preserve the magic of the family?

– Oh, don't be dramatic! All you have to do is be patient until the children are born, and then you can get a divorce,” retorted the resilient Freckled One. – Again, walk left and right as much as you like. Not like you dragons. Got married, and no, no! I can't do that. “I don’t look at the same neckline twice,” he said with conviction. – I stand for diversity and freedom, here!

“On the contrary, I envy dragons in this regard,” he expressed an unexpected opinion to Kai, who was much more loving than Jed, he just didn’t talk about it. – This is a true couple! With her you will really be happy, and you won’t have to spend your whole life tossing and searching for a fresh neckline. I wish I could do the same… – He sighed sadly.

Aiz nodded contentedly, rejoicing at the unexpected support, and I again put my hand in my pocket and clenched the Focus in my fist, which I stole from under Mika’s nose so that he would not do the same first. I had no doubt that my cousin was going to do this. He planned to accuse me of theft. I accidentally overheard his conversation with Uncle Olaf, so I decided to take the lead. I immediately went to Uncle Eric's office and took the Focus with me. I will return it to him personally, obey him and explain everything when the right time comes. In the meantime, let it stay with me – safe and sound.

By that time, I had time to thoroughly think about what had happened and understood a lot. Uncle Eric started all this for a reason, and Mika’s adventures have nothing to do with it. He had long doubted his eldest nephew’s ability to rule the state, so he put on a whole performance to give me a chance to compete for the throne with my cousin on equal terms. Surely, my uncle will forgive me the same day I present him with the true truth. But there is very little chance of finding her in an academy where only men study. Except that…

I stared at the Travel Bureau stagecoach hovering outside the main building. The deans and teachers, led by the rector, gathered on the porch itself. Come on! I don't think I'll be so lucky.

– The girls have arrived! We’re on time,” Flammer noted. “But you can’t see them from here.”

– But what an intrigue! – He grinned at Kai, and then, turning more serious, added: – Just imagine, the dragon doesn’t even need to see them if he decides to make a choice.

What wise thought did your friend express?

“This is a true couple! With her you will really be happy.”

On impulse, I took the Focus from my pocket.

– Now we’ll check it…

– Fuck! – Freckled cursed, gawking at the artifact in my hand.

“Ethan, is this what I think it is?” – Kayu stared at the Focus, and his eyes flashed greedily.

Aiz somehow got all sorted out. His nostrils flared and his pupils turned emerald.

– How did you get it? – he asked dully.

“I stole it from my uncle,” I answered defiantly.

The friends looked at each other, but said nothing. And I stood, holding Focus at arm’s length, like in the pictures in the children’s books that my mother read to me, and felt like an idiot. What should we do with him next?

My uncle showed me the cache where the Focus was kept only once, and even admitted that he had found it with my aunt’s help. At that time it was not fashionable among young people, and he did everything in secret, without telling anyone anything. It seemed terribly unfair to me that it was Uncle Eric who was touched by the Misfortune, depriving not only his beloved wife, but also a true couple.

There were no instructions for activating the Focus in the cache, but I suspect there was some kind of ritual or spell that I didn’t bother to find out about. But it’s understandable, I didn’t intend to get married. It was a hard pull, I decided to show off! So what's now? Maybe I should ask Aiz?

Oh no! My reputation cannot withstand such a blow. We are both contenders, albeit for different thrones, and competition between authorities in this situation is inevitable, which did not interfere with our friendship. But now is a completely different moment. Moments passed, but still nothing happened. I began to regret starting all this. Maybe pretend he was joking? At least I won’t embarrass myself, otherwise Kai will giggle at my failed attempt for the rest of his days, and Aze will look on with superiority.