Inside the royal office, Lucian stood in all his glory, still completely naked after reverting from his beast form. He walked over to the large bookshelves, idly browsing the dusty tos while Cogsworth paced back and forth anxiously, muttering to himself as he waited for Lumiere.
Creak!
The door finally opened. Lumiere entered with a flourish, accompanied by a large, ornate wardrobe that moved on its own, and a floating scrying orb that glowed with soft light.
"Your Majesty!" Lumière announced dramatically. "Wrobe has arrived, and with her is Yen Sid!"
"At last!" Cogsworth hurried over, nearly tripping over his own feet. He swung open the wide doors of the wardrobe, revealing rows of finely made tunics, doublets, coats, and trousers, all crafted from the finest silks, velvets, and brocades in deep royal blues, rich golds, and dark eralds. "Co, co, Your Majesty! You cannot rule in... well, nothing. Please, choose whatever suits your fancy. Everything here was tailored for royalty."
While Lucian look inside the wardrobe to change, Yen Sid floated closer, hovering in mid-air just a few feet away. The magical light within the orb swirled faster as it observed Lucian with deep fascination.
"You see?" Lumière whispered to Yen Sid, his flas dancing with pride. "What did I tell you? The new King really can do it! He transford back into his human form entirely on his own will!"
"It is true... truly remarkable," an old, wise voice echoed from within the crystal sphere, deep and resonant.
A few minutes later, Lucian stepped out, fully dressed. He wore a magnificent doublet of deep midnight blue velvet, embroidered along the collar and sleeves with silver thread that shimred like starlight. Beneath it, a white linen shirt peeked out, paired with tight black breeches and polished leather boots that reached his knees.
Wrobe humd happily, her doors closing with a satisfied thud.
Lumière step forward, gesturing grandly toward the glowing orb. "Your Majesty, allow to properly introduce you. This is Yen Sid. He is not rely a scrying glass, but the Imperial Wizard of the Kingdom, the highest and most skilled magic user in all the land. He has served this royal family for generations, guiding us through every age."
Yen Sid bobbed gently in the air in a respectful bow, and an old, wise voice emanated from it. "It is an honor to et you, Your Majesty."
"Now that formalities and attire are settled," Cogsworth said, clearing his throat with a loud tick-tock, "it is ti we spoke of serious matters. Please, take your seat, Your Majesty."
Lucian walked over and settled into the large, plush leather chair behind the massive desk. Cogsworth, Lumiere, and the floating orb that was Yen Sid all jumped onto the large table in front of him.
"Alright then," the clock began, his tone serious and formal. "After everything you have seen and everything that happened with Prince Adam, I believe you already understand in part what the contract written in that book ans... but I shall explain it thoroughly so there is no confusion."
Lucian nodded. "Go ahead."
Cogsworth nodded. "Then allow to explain it more thoroughly. The book you are holding is called ’The Eternal Covenant’. It records the history of Lumièrea, knows the story of whoever holds it, and writes those deeds inside, though the records fade after a day. It can control much of the palace’s functions, cast protective barriers, and... most importantly, it is a binding contract."
"The artifact possesses great power," Cogsworth continued. "It can freeze ti within any room you choose, allowing you alone to move while the world stands still. It can cast an impenetrable barrier around the castle to protect it from invasion or harm. It can open paths, unlock doors, and bend the very laws of reality here. And it works so well because Yen Sid here was a great magician in his ti; he personally connected this artifact to the castle’s core magic formations, binding them as one."
"Sadly, even I could not undo the curse that befell us," Yen Sid’s voice said from the orb, sounding regretful.
"Now, regarding the contract itself," Cogsworth went on, his voice turning grave. "It is absolute. Whoever fails to uphold their end of the deal will have their soul burn away, never reaching the afterlife. That is the true power of the artifact, discovered through Yen Sid’s experints."
Yen Sid’s orb glowed as he spoke. "Just as Prince Adam wrote, you will inherit all the kingdom’s treasures, gold, artifacts, and beco its king. However, you will also inherit the curse. It can only be lifted by true love’s first kiss. Additionally, the previous prince placed another condition upon you, you must kill the fairy who cursed him, or your soul will burn and be gone forever."
"And that, Your Majesty," Lumière chid in, his flas suddenly brightening back up and wiggling playfully, "is exactly why we must begin the search imdiately! We need to find you your fated woman... or perhaps won?"
He wiggled his candelabra arms suggestively. "The more hearts you capture, the better chances you have!"
"Lumière, behave yourself!" Yen Sid scolded sharply, though there was a hint of amusent in his tone. He turned his focus fully back to Lucian, the light within him growing curious and intense.
"I must ask you sothing, Your Majesty," the Imperial Wizard said. "I have been pondering this since I saw you, the curse usually traps the bearer completely, we had no choice, no control, stuck as objects or beasts until the condition was t. Yet you... you shifted back into a human shape simply because you wanted to. How is this possible? How can you turn back when the curse has fully transferred to you?"
Lucian exhaled and explained everything. He told them he was once a wizard who was forced to drink the Mana of Nothingness after being frad. He described his many innate powers, including the ability to transform into a werebear, and how he used that power to revert. He also ntioned his ability to Lessen Curse, which required mana crystals since he had no core, and the experintal technique he was trying, turning his heart into a new mana core.
There was silence in the room for a mont.
Cogsworth, Lumière, and Yen Sid were completely still, processing everything they had just heard. The Imperial Wizard’s light swirled wildly, faster and faster, showing just how shocked he truly was.
"To be clear..." Yen Sid finally spoke, his voice trembling slightly with excitent. "You are telling ... you have no mana core, you were drained of your magic, yet you still hold innate abilities strong enough to reshape your own form and weaken curses... abilities that simply exist within you, independent of everything else? Am I understanding you correctly?"
"Yeah," Lucian replied simply.
"That is good!" Yen Sid suddenly bood, the orb glowing so bright it lit up the entire room. "That is very good! Hahahahaha!"
He floated around in circles, laughing with pure, unbridled joy, sounding like a child who had just been given the greatest gift.
Cogsworth looked up, confused and curious. "What is it? What is so funny? Why is this good news?"
Yen Sid stopped spinning and faced them, his light shining with newfound hope and intelligence. "With His Majesty’s unique powers, we may be able to solve many things that I once thought impossible."
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[A/N: By the way, if you’re looking for other Disney or cartoon fanfics, I’ve put together a collection of them on my reading list, you can find it on my profile.]
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