Chapter Text
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Gerald hefted his sleepy daughter in his arms. The banquet showed no signs of stopping at this hour, but Katarina had been sneaking worried glances at a yawning Genevieve, so Gerald decided to tuck their daughter to sleep.
“Are you sure?” Katarina asked, pulling away from her conversation with her parents, who were currently cooing at their increasingly cranky grandchild.
“It’s alright.” Gerald said with a smile.
While the ball was technically held in his honor, as he was named his father’s successor just moments ago and he was now Crown Prince Gerald Stuart, Genevieve’s designated sleep time was more important.
In another world, obtaining the throne would be the crowning glory of his life, but now it was just another tick in his accomplishments. There was no success greater than having Katarina and their children.
“Not sleepy,” Genevieve grumbled, her words punctured with a yawn.
“Of course you’re not, princess.” Gerald chuckled as they left the noisy banquet, sweeping her blonde curls out of her forehead. Genevieve’s beautiful hair was pinned elaborately with flowers by a delighted Mary earlier, but hours of socializing and dancing around turned it into a little frizzy mess.
“Why don’t you sleep with mother and father tonight, hm?” Gerald suggested. He recognized that pout on her face, one that told him that his daughter was going to be upset about missing the after party. Waking up in between him and Katarina always delighted her.
“Kendrick?” Genevieve mumbled, blinking at him owlishly.
“Your little brother isn’t old enough to sleep with us, yet.” Gerald said, steps echoing in the darkened hallway. “I’ll move his crib to our room, if you want.”
“Mmm…” Genevieve agreed, head lolling in Gerald’s shoulder.
He arrived at his quarters and shut the door behind him.
The unexpected sight of a person standing inside his room— a very familiar person, as he saw it every day in a mirror— almost made him drop his daughter in shock.
His eyes narrowed. “Just who—”
“You’re—”
“Papa?”
Both men froze.
Genevieve frowned, blinking her sleep away. There were two fathers in front of her. But the one holding her was the real one, she was sure, because the other papa in front of her looked… strange. Like a young papa. Shorter. Less… papa. She frowned at the other father. “Fake?”
“I—” the other papa, younger-looking papa, raised his hands in surrender. “I’m not. I’m Prince Gerald Stuart, third prince of Sorcier. I was in the library and—” He stared at Genevieve’s icy blue eyes in fascination. He would know that shade anywhere. “Your mother’s name is Katarina, isn’t it?”
“Don’t—”
“Yes?” Genevieve answered, bewildered. That was mother’s name, everyone knew that.
Real father growled, even as the fake one laughed in delight.
Uh oh. She did something bad.
“I see….” Younger Gerald breathed out, eyes bright as they wandered around the royal suite. The shared royal suite. It was clear, from the feminine touches around the room, that his older self was definitely not living alone. “This is the future, isn’t it? She’s my daughter, mine and Katarina’s, and you’re me, and that’s the Crown Prince’s sigil on your chest, and… oh, who cares about that?” He threw his head back and laughed. “Me. And Katarina. I can’t believe it.”
Gerald gently dropped Genevieve, hiding her behind him as he withdrew his sword.
The younger man stopped laughing, staring at him with an unimpressed glare. “Put that away,” he said with a casual arrogance that was annoyingly familiar. Gerald’s eye twitched. Suddenly, he understood Alan’s constant urge to punch him in the face. “I’m you. See here—”
Flames burst out of the imposter’s hands, weaving in an elegant arch around him, like a fiery twisting dragon. Power and precision that could only come from the him, third prince of Sorcier. Gerald knew that pattern of fire, it took him months to get it right, and he was fairly good at sensing magic now. And that was his magic, he could feel its familiar heat even though he was a distance away.
And just like blood, there was no way of imitating another person’s magical signature. Not even dark magic could do so.
Genevieve huffed, unimpressed. Real father could do better than that.
Gerald’s hold on his daughter’s shoulder tightened, a new fear coursing through him. If this was truly him, from the past, his mere presence was a danger. Time travel was a delicate branch of magic. So much so, that his father ordered all experiments on it to be banned. It was a useful, powerful tool of course, to be able to trick fate, but people kept killing their past or future selves that it wasn’t worth the risk.
And if he wasn’t careful, he might kill his past self by mistake.
He wasn’t ignorant to believe that his younger self didn’t know who he was married to, even if he didn’t see Genevieve. There was a very large portrait of him and Katarina on their wedding day propped up on the wall, and various other pictures of their family all around the suite.
Everything that could be taken away from him if…
“You need to leave.” He said sternly, not wanting to think of the horrifying consequences.
Again, an arrogant look crossed his younger self’s face. “Don’t you think I would have left by now if I knew how to? We are the same person, albeit you’re more experienced than I am, but I know full well the terrible effects of time travel.”
“Huh… I forgot what a wordy little asshole you were, Gerald.” An amused voice said by the doorway. They turned just in time to see Geoffrey wink at them cheekily. “Katarina really mellowed you down, something we’re all thankful for.”
“You said a bad word, uncle.” Genevieve piped up from her father’s leg. “The A-word is bad. Mama said so.”
“So it is, little Evie!” Geoffrey gasped dramatically, kneeling down in front of her. “Whatever shall I do? I’ve erred greatly. Oh, but what’s this in my pocket? A path to forgiveness? Yes, it is! Here, my princess! A boon for my folly!” He cried, whipping out a pouch no doubt filled with gold coins and jewels.
“It’s just one coin for a bad word, mama said so.” Genevieve said honestly, a trait taught to her by Katarina. Still, she proved to be her father’s daughter when she took the pouch anyway, making the men smile.
“I really don’t know what Katarina’s reasoning is for that odd ‘swear jar’ of hers.” Geoffrey said pleasantly, watching his niece as she counted the coins and little jewels. “I mean, we’re rich as sin, we could just give Evie a treasure chest and say anything we want to her until she hits puberty.”
“My wife’s idiosyncrasies aside,” Gerald said, ignoring the way his younger self smiled dreamily when he said ‘my wife’. “This is why people say you can’t even take care of a house plant, Geoffrey. Please focus on the bigger problem.” He waved a hand at his younger self.
“Oh, but he doesn’t look like a problem at all!” Geoffrey said, eyes sparkling. “Look at you, so small and rosy-cheeked!”
“Geoffrey.” The younger Gerald said warily, looking at their beaming eldest brother. “You look old.”
Geoffrey face-faulted. He shook a fist at his younger younger brother. “You little—! So uncute! For your information, I’m as fresh-looking as I was ten years ago!”
“Sure.” Gerald said, ignoring them both as he hoisted his daughter up in his arms. “Whatever helps you sleep at night, Geoffrey. Now if you’d just stop stalling, I’d be able to find a solution to send this interloper back where he came from. Preferably before he manages to ruin everything I worked for.”
Younger Gerald bristled but stayed silent.
“Right.” Geoffrey said, stroking his chin. “I think I have the solution at hand, dear little brothers.”
Both Geralds stared at him. “You have?”
“Of course! I’m the bestest big brother after all!” Geoffrey declared with a grin, arms wide. “But before I tell you, I want you to tell me that I’m the greatest! No, no wait! I want you both to say, word for word, ‘Big brother Geoffrey is the best, the greatest, I love him above all else, and—”
“Please,” Younger Gerald turned to his older self desperately. “Shut him up.”
“Right.” Gerald coughed and gently nudged his daughter. “Genevieve?”
On cue, Genevieve faced his uncle with teary eyes, making Geoffrey stutter mid-speech.
Genevieve’s cute pouting adorable face, so reminiscent of cute pouting adorable Gerald’s...
It made Geoffrey’s own eyes water, his resolve crumbling like dust.
“Uncle…”
“Oh, Evie! Uncle is joking! Don’t cry, of course he’s going to help right now, promise!” Geoffrey reassured hastily as Genevieve sniffled. “It’s in the library! Uncle will fix everything! Both of your papas should go now, I’ll clear the path and tell the guards to leave! I’ll meet you there, alright?”
“Alright, uncle!” Genevieve called back cheerfully, even though Geoffrey was long gone. She turned to her father. “You owe me four favors now, papa.”
“I’m aware, princess.”
“Devious,” Younger Gerald said after a pause.
“She gets it from me.” Gerald said proudly. “Now let me tuck her to sleep before we head to the library.”
…
“It’s a time-travelling seal book.” Raphael said, glancing at a worried Gerald. “Surprisingly, one with a very detailed history. I suppose the creator wanted people to know what they got into. Although what’s fascinating about it is that the people who learn about the book are the people in the future and not the past. Amazing…”
Geoffrey had dashed away after he dropped them off with Raphael, who was already studying the vivid purple book in the library.
Gerald rubbed his head. He could feel a headache brewing.
Apparently, the younger Gerald had appeared in the library and walked his way to his and Katarina’s suite without realizing that he was brought to the future by the seal book. No one stopped him or found him suspicious. Most of the guards were preoccupied with the security of the ballroom, and the few who spotted the him from the distance had assumed it was the real Gerald.
Geoffrey had spied younger Gerald walking around and after following him and confirming that he wasn’t leaving his suite, had retraced his steps back to the library and found the glowing purple book. The first prince then stole his wife and her protégé to study the book younger Gerald had appeared from.
Princess Suzanna already left, smiling sultrily and saying something about reigning her husband from whatever shenanigans he was up to. Which left a tired Raphael and the two Geralds to figure out how to decipher the seal book on their own.
“It doesn’t have an official name, but scholars call it the Carouser.” Raphael said, flipping through the mostly empty book. “It has a pleasure-seeking seal, ensuring a happy ending for its… victims.” He gestured to the younger Gerald. “And it appears and disappears through history randomly—”
A loud crash made the three men look up. Stomping through the royal library, the harem (as Gerald had wryly dubbed Katarina’s closest friends in his head) was making their way to them.
“I’ll kill Geoffrey,” Gerald said pleasantly, because of course his eldest brother had to have his revenge after he set Genevieve after him.
Mary looked ready to commit murder. Alan looked slightly drunk but was calm overall, which was a blessing as he could reign his dragon of a wife in. Keith and Nicol looked slightly upset, Maria seemed concerned, but Sophia’s expression was the greatest surprise. She practically had stars in her eyes.
“The Carouser!” she squealed, practically glomping Raphael. “Prince Geoffrey said you found the Carouser!”
“We did, Sophia,” Raphael said wryly, prying eager hands away from him. Years of friendship enabled him to handle all of them casually. “But please remember that it doesn’t work the way it does in your romance novels. It’s a magical artifact—”
“I live and breathe books, Raphael, fantasy or not! I know the Carouser isn’t the same as the stories but I also know how rare it is to appear! Give me!” Sophia demanded fervently, eyes glinting maniacally.
“I apologize for my sister.” Nicol said, clutching the back of Sophia’s dress to drag her back. “You know how she gets.”
“No, no. I understand. Here.” Raphael said, handing the seal book to her. Sophia made more happy sounds and spun around before dragging Maria with her to study it. “It’s not dangerous. It was actually created by a light mage.”
“What exactly does it do?” Younger Gerald asked, making everyone look at him.
Alan grinned at his younger-looking twin. “You’re tiny.”
He glared and gestured towards his older self. “I’m the same height and build as you.”
“Not now, you’re not.” Alan laughed. “Ah, this is fun. I’m glad Geoffrey called us over for this. I think he would’ve called mother and father over if Suzanna didn’t drag him away.”
“Shut up.”
“What does it do, Raphael?” Gerald interrupted before his younger self could pick a fight with Alan. “Time travel is forbidden, but you’re all acting like this isn’t a dangerous situation.”
“The Carouser is an exception to the King’s rule. It’s not really dangerous, because the future already came to pass. Or at least, that’s what most of its findings say.” Raphael said, smiling thoughtfully. “Oh… hm… How to explain this properly?”
“The Carouser is a time travelling book.” Sophia piped up with a dreamy smile. “It’s been featured in a lot of fiction. They say the Carouser was created by a light mage for heroes who had undergone great suffering. The book would send them to the future where they’ll see that all their sacrifices would be worth it because their future would be a happy one.” She sighed, staring in the distance. “But it can be sad. There’s this tragic story about a man who suffered and wanted to die, but the Carouser brought him to a future where his family was saved, but he wasn’t around anymore and it just hit him that he was dead already.” Sophia’s eyes glistened. “But he also realized that they were happy because he endured a little more, so he lived just a little longer to give his family that happiness. It was so sad…”
“There, there… Here you go, dry your tears. Although… we’ll be here forever if Sophia explains.” Keith said, speaking for the first time as he handed the white-haired woman a handkerchief.
“Sorry.” Sophia giggled through her tears.
“That’s… basically most of the history of the Carouser.” Raphael said. “It was created by a light mage, and it was originally intended for heroes who will be undergoing great upheavals—”
“—except that part must not be true because I can’t think of another person who experienced upheavals less than Prince Gerald.” Keith said with a hum. Everyone snorted.
“—except instead of heroes, it targets people randomly.” Raphael corrected. “And it also wipes away their memories of the future.”
Everyone paused.
“Wait, what?”
“So that part of the story is true as well?” Maria said, tapping her chin. “I’ve heard that the Carouser leaves temporary sensations and urges but removes every knowledge they learned from the future to protect it.”
“Yes, that part is true.” Raphael said. “The book will return young Prince Gerald back to his time after it deems him ready, and will leave him just enough memories to gently nudge him into the future he sees. It’s… well, scholars are still debating whether the book changes the victim’s destiny or brings them to an already stable future, but one thing they can agree on is that it’s the only safe time traveling device created in Sorcier.” He paused, then shrugged. “At least, it hadn’t killed anyone yet.”
“It’s also well-recorded. Because if the people from the future knows of the book and the time-traveling victim, then they can write about it with no consequences.” Maria concluded. “Although… does this mean the Carouser just showed Prince Gerald his happy future with Katarina? And left him with just enough to ensure his life with her?”
A great silence.
“Yes,” Raphael said drily. “That’s actually the first conclusion I had after realizing Prince Gerald was the Carouser’s target. It most likely led him to marry Princess Katarina.”
Everyone glanced at the two Geralds, who both rose a brow at their stares. Then…
“I want to burn that book—”
“No! Mary, it’s an ancient artifact!”
“Does it make me a bad person if I want to punch both Prince Geralds in the face?” Maria said delicately.
“Maria, you’re a saint.” Keith said, crossing his arms with a dark look. “The fact that you only want to punch them just now, after years of being around both the younger and the older one, tells me you have the patience of a very holy saint, and you need to be canonized soon.”
“Let me burn the book Sophia, so help me—!”
“No! No book burnings! Big brother, help me! Wait… No, stop! Brother! Why are you bringing the book towards a torch?!”
“Yes, haha! Burn it! Burn it, Nicol! Wait, no! Ugh! Raphael, why?!”
“I’ve been wanting to punch him since we were born.” Alan said, patting Maria’s shoulder. “There’s no shame in the feeling.”
Raphael swiftly tucked the Carouser away from Mary’s eyes and Nicol’s torch, ending the scuffle.
“Can we do something to him instead? There’s two of them and seven of us. I don’t care that he married Katarina anymore, but he cheated!” Mary said, cracking her knuckles and breathing deeply. Then she blinked at the sudden silence. “What?”
“Mary…” Alan said with wide eyes. “You just said you didn’t care that Gerald married Katarina. That’s… wow.”
“Oh heck, I’ve gotten over it!” Mary huffed, glaring at all the disbelieving looks aimed her way. “I have! She’s happy, so I have to accept it! But that doesn’t mean I’ll stop loving her! I’ve accepted the fact that she’s in love with an arrogant, pigheaded—”
“Hey.” Both Geralds protested.
“—tyrant of a prince, and that she’s perfectly happy with him, heaven knows why, but that doesn’t erase the fact that I’m upset that he cheated!”
“I didn’t cheat.”
“You kind of did,” Maria piped up unhelpfully. “The Carouser ensures that your memories will be wiped away, but any sensation or experience that you deem important will echo back to you. You won’t remember, but you will find the urge to act or avoid things.”
“Again, it ensures that the timeline isn’t broken.” Raphael supplied with a helpless smile. “That this Prince Gerald will follow future Gerald’s actions, which in this case is our Gerald. He will go back to his time, forget everything, but in the back of his mind, he will be secure in the knowledge that Princess Katarina will be his wife.”
“Hmm…” Gerald looked pensive at that. “How far are you in the Academy?”
“It’s been two months since I’ve graduated.” Younger Gerald answered with a raised brow.
“Oh,” Gerald realized with a start. He smiled at the others. “The Carouser really did do something. I remember being hesitant about asking Katarina’s hand in marriage, thinking of allowing her to apply to the Ministry like she asked.”
“But you didn’t.” Keith said with a frown. “You asked her to marry you before she could take the exam.”
“That’s probably the moment I was sent to the future.” Gerald nodded sagely. “I remember having a god-awful headache the night before I proposed. I thought it was because I stayed up late in the royal archives…”
“But instead you’re here. You went to the future.” Keith said, glancing at the younger third prince. “This Gerald will be proposing to Katarina when he returns.”
The other narrowed their eyes. Gerald wondered if they were contemplating murder again. Mary certainly looked like it.
Younger Gerald only got one thing out of that conversation. He grinned. “She’ll say yes, then?”
“She will.” Gerald said the same time Alan snapped, “Shut up.”
“So it’s really your fault, Prince Gerald.” Sophia said poisonously.
“You cheated.” Mary repeated darkly.
“You’re forgetting one important thing, dear ladies.” Gerald said amidst the renewed glowers. “How was I supposed to know I’d get hit by this book? On top of being perfect, am I supposed to be omnipotent now?”
Ugh.
Good point.
“Muh! You stupid Carouser! Why couldn’t you have targeted me?!” Mary cried, shaking the seal book violently. “I could’ve gotten my happy ending! Why is it always books?! I hate everything!”
Alan looked unaffected that his wife was thirsting after a happy ending without him as a husband. Everyone knew he’d be joining her in abusing the book anyway, if he was as shameless as Mary.
“Is… is he still here?” an unusually timid voice said by the door. In all her clueless glory, Katarina slid into view, eyes flickering at them all before landing at her husband. The older one, anyway. “Geoffrey told me that you’re all here. He said I can come inside. I wanted to check if you’re all okay. Is that alright?”
Geoffrey really was asking to get strangled…
A chorus of assurances came from everyone, their eyes softening at the obvious worry in Katarina’s face.
“We’re fine, Katarina.” Gerald knew his younger self was staring in fascination, but he didn’t care even as he kissed his reluctant wife and drew her inside the room. And maybe he was showing off a bit, so…
“Katarina,” Younger Gerald said, giving her a tender smile. Katarina blinked and realized a younger version of her husband was giving her that special look he reserved just for her, just as he did when they were young and she was oblivious. She knew better now of course, and promptly exploded in red.
Younger Gerald looked delighted.
The others were not.
“Skirt-chaser, lay off Katarina!” Mary yelled, shielding her best friend from view with a smothering hug.
“That’s right! Y-you shouldn’t seduce another man’s wife!” Sophia said loudly, although a part of her was somewhat torn. This scene… it was just like in one of her books! Magic and time travel and destined love, oh my!
“I’m getting tired of the accusations thrown my way.” Younger Gerald said. “Skirt chaser? Since when have I given any other lady the time of the day? And another man’s wife? Katarina’s my wife!”
“No, she’s my wife.” Gerald glared at his younger self. “Go back in time and earn your Katarina’s love. I labored to have her by my side, so stop coveting my wife when you didn’t put on the hard work.”
The two Geralds continued to glare at each other.
“Typical of Gerald to argue with himself.” Alan groused. Then he smirked. “I bet if we leave them alone for a few minutes they’d throttle each other.”
“Can we do that?” Mary said hopefully.
“The Carouser always delivers its victims safely back to the past regardless, so maybe.” Raphael shrugged.
“It is quite a cathartic sight.” Prince Ian said, entering the room just in time to hear Gerald and his younger self argue. “At least now, Gerald… both Geralds finally realize how insufferable he is.”
“Now Ian’s here too? Why? What is this, Pick on Gerald day?” No, he was not whining.
“Considering we rarely have the chance to mock you, yes.” Ian said, a rare smile forming in his face. “You make it quite hard, ever since you married Katarina you haven’t been in a lot of embarrassing situations.” The second prince blinked at the sudden flash of light. “And there we go, a piece of the past, laid to rest. That’s not sudden at all.”
The others whipped their heads, but it was too late. The younger Gerald was gone along with the Carouser.
“At least I managed a glimpse,” Ian said before he left. “Oh, and kindly collect Geoffrey before you sleep. It seems Suzanna’s method to keep his mouth shut was to make him drink enough wine to give him alcohol poisoning. I told the servants to cover him under the carpet near the entrance so he wouldn’t ruin the décor. I’m not sure he’s breathing properly.”
Alan groaned, pulling Mary along with him to save his eldest brother reluctantly. “Why can’t I have a normal brother… A pervert, a sadist, and a showoff… Since when was I the normal one…”
“Let’s have a sleepover tonight, Katarina!” Mary said with a smile before they disappeared from view. “I’ll get the bedding!”
“I’ll get the drinks.” Sophia said, standing up and waving at Nicol. “I’ll stay in the Palace tonight brother!”
“I’ll come with you, Sophia.” Maria beamed. She exchanged a knowing look with Raphael before smiling at Katarina. “It’s late, but we can also check if there’s some snacks leftover from the ball.”
“Oh! Yes!” Katarina said with bright eyes. She kissed Gerald’s cheek before leading the two girls away.
“Maybe we can have a men’s night as well, if the girls are having a sleepover.” Keith said, stretching his arms. “What do you say, Raphael?”
Raphael glanced at the unnerved look at Prince Gerald’s face. “Of course. If it’s alright with the others.”
Nicol left with Keith, leaving only Gerald with Raphael.
“What… just happened?” Gerald said finally.
“The Carouser works both ways, it seems.” Raphael said thoughtfully. “In order to protect our future, it dulled the senses of those who came into contact with it. Fascinating. And how your younger self just disappeared… Prince Ian was right, it was so sudden. Almost gave me a whiplash.”
“They don’t remember?” Gerald said, disbelieving.
“They still remember. Fleetingly, at least. But the book's magic is forcing them to believe it isn't important. In a few days, it will be a fading memory.” Raphael said, sneezing lightly, waving one hand to get rid of the residual enchantment. “I remember because I’m warded against magic that influence the mind. You remember because you are the Carouser’s intended recipient, along with being trained in the mental arts as well. Princess Suzanna and your two older brothers also have the same training, and if I’m not mistaken, Maria remembers because the magic behind the Carouser is light-based and does not affect her. But for the rest… well. It will probably come to them in dreams and glimpses, but I doubt they’ll ever remember.”
“That’s… good.” Gerald said, slumping down tiredly. “I don’t like magic that influences memories, but in this case, I’m glad. I really don’t like being glared at or hated anymore, especially Mary’s. She glares like a demon from hell.”
He loved Katarina and their children and he would never replace them for anything or anyone, but it felt good to have the friendships he developed with the others after they matured their feelings for Katarina.
Gerald chuckled. Look at him, getting all sentimental.
“At least I managed to copy most of its pages before it disappeared.” Raphael said with satisfaction, shuffling a sheath of paper in his hands. “It needs to be decoded but hopefully we get more insight on what exactly the Carouser is.”
“It’s quite a pointless artifact, in my opinion.” Gerald said. While it did give his past self some insight, what exactly was its purpose? It just gave him the inevitable. It uselessly gave him information he already knew.
He was to marry Katarina. Have children with her, and start a family.
Raphael laughed. “You say that Prince Gerald, but remember… it may be declared as the only safe time-traveling device of Sorcier, but no one knows how it truly works. Remember those scholarly debates I told you? That we’re still unsure if the Carouser shows us the established future or gives the victims a chance for a happier fate?” A playful look entered his face. “Well, the debates are currently leaning on the Carouser being a fate changer.”
Gerald stilled.
“Otherwise, why would it leave its victims with just the barest amount of hints urging towards a happy future? Why would it show the future at all if it’s already predestined? Other time-traveling devices change almost everything, which is why they’re catastrophic, but the Carouser… well, they say it changes only little things that slowly evolve into a much larger, changed future. Nothing so sudden, but slow enough that it would almost go unnoticed. Like a tiny thread, unravelling away instead of tearing apart at the seams…” Raphael stood up, taking his notes with him. He flicked the Crown Prince with another look, this one a little contemplative.
“After all, it was just as you said… you were quite unsure about asking for Princess Katarina’s hand that night.
“If it were not for the Carouser, who knows where we all would be, right now?”
…