Then the big night arrived. All of Lord Morren’s slaves were in place well before the guests arrived. The huge drafty hall attached to the foot of Lord Morren’s tower was lit up with candles, lamps and glowing mage lights. Music, produced by magic rather than real musicians in a show of power, filled the room. Margaret gave us our last round of instructions and then the time had arrived. I held my tray of drinks ready as the first guests filed in. It wasn’t long before the room was filled with people. The majority were mages, but there were plenty of local politicians and powerful merchants as well. It was the same kind of crowd my father’s parties attracted. I vaguely recognized one or two faces, though this far from my father’s estates, few of the same individuals would attend.

I was kept busy, going back and forth from the bar to bring back empty glasses and get fresh drinks. I managed to avoid spilling anything the whole night long, but I had one near miss. I’d just gotten a fresh tray when I saw Lord Morren’s beckoning gesture. I hurried over to him, struggling to keep my tray level and my gaze down and still move at a fast pace. I reached his side and, as instructed, I offered the tray while keeping my eyes on the patterned marble floor. He picked up a drink and gestured with it. “As I was saying, you do agree that in such cases it’s better to have nothing at all than unusable potential.”

I almost jumped when I heard the man he was talking to reply. My tray quivered, and I had to direct my attention to preventing the drinks from going all over. “Yes, yes, that’s obvious. But I have to say, that’s not really what I wanted to talk to you about. I’ve got more important things on my mind these days.” I peered under my lashes at the man, disbelieving my ears. My eyes confirmed what I’d heard. It was my father! He looked somehow older, more tired, than when I’d last seen him, but there was no mistaking those patrician features.

“Of course!” said Lord Morren. “I can certainly understand your concern. Here, have a drink.” He picked up a glass from the tray and offered it to my father. “You look as though you could use one, I must say.” I didn’t dare look at him directly, my mind was in a roil of confusion and I was frozen to the spot, unable to think of what I should do. Speak, or remain silent? To keep quiet was to give up any chance I had of ever escaping Lord Morren’s grasp, and yet… if I spoke and was rejected… I couldn’t bear it. The scrap of conversation I’d overheard seemed to confirm my worst fears. “Better to have nothing at all than unusable potential,” Lord Morren had said, and my father had agreed. He’d said it with an air of distraction even, as if it wasn’t important. As if I wasn’t important.

“You,” Lord Morren’s voice jolted me out of my shock, “don’t just stand there, you’re supposed to be serving drinks, not daydreaming.”

“Yes Lord Morren,” I muttered and moved off through the crowd. I was in a daze the rest of the night. I performed my duties automatically, my mind playing that fragmentary conversation over and over. “Better to have nothing at all… better to have nothing at all… I’ve got more important things on my mind… more important things… more important things…” At last the night was over and we started cleaning up. I pushed a broom across the floor wearily. As I passed by Lord Morren, he motioned for me to stop.

“I had long suspected you might be the son of Lord Kestral, and now I am sure. Strange that such an excellent mage should have such a worthless son.” I simply stood there. What could I say? It was true. “You heard some of our conversation yes?” I nodded. “When I knew you were his eldest son, I had a thought of returning you to him, but as we spoke it became clear that he is better off without you. After all, ‘it’s better to have nothing at all than unusable potential,’ isn’t it?” He smiled, a sadistic light in his eyes. I knew he was enjoying my despair, but that didn’t make his words any less true. “Far better for you to stay here when you can be of some use in my own work than to go back to your father and be totally useless,” he said as he turned and left, leaving me to finish sweeping the floor. I swept up the last pile of dirt in a state of complete despair and depression. Then I made my way dazedly up to my cell of a room. The door was still open and a dim light burning on the landing. Amelia was sitting on her pallet.

“So how was the party?” she asked, trying to be cheerful.

I just shook my head. I went in and sat down on my own pallet. I put my head in my hands, overcome with a low feeling of depression and a physical feeling of complete exhaustion. I’d thought I’d hit rock bottom before, but now I was truly there. Nothing in the world could deal me a worse blow than I’d been dealt tonight. When Jascin came up and shut us in for the night I welcomed the oblivion of darkness, but my sleep was full of restless dreams in which I heard my father say again and again, “Better to have nothing at all… better to have nothing at all… better to have nothing at all than to have a worthless son like you.”