“The question before you is as follows: what is love?” The First Scholar asked. “You have 100 moments.”

Sean hummed a familiar tune into my ear. I picked it up. It was catchy and I was really tired.

“Don’t hurt me…” Tony joined in.

The egg turned white.

“Love is complex,” Amphie said. “It is at once an abstract concept, yet it has the power to affect living beings. Its impact is irrevocable and those who experience it are forever changed and often scarred, and yet, despite the pain they endured, some of them have no regrets. One can say that love is a process of elevation, a transformative journey from baser animalistic urge to a near-spiritual purity of feeling, from the compulsion to possess to the enlightenment of self-sacrifice, a transcendence that no longer requires mutuality but exists independently of the object of desire. It can be a passionate longing, or appreciation rooted in respect, or it can be unilateral and impartial, as the love of a deity for its followers or a ruler for their subjects.”

The First Scholar nodded.

“Love raises questions,” Amphie continued. “It is healing and yet it can also harm. One must love oneself, but too much self-love causes one to compromise their ethics and become blind to their own flaws. One could say love is a quest to complete oneself, seeking virtue and beauty in others that we lack within ourselves. Love exists in opposition to reason, for when we love someone, we ignore their faults, allowing their moods and wellbeing to affect our own. While it is the root of charity, it is also a kind of madness. In conclusion, love is a layered phenomenon that must be examined in a specific context, for it is too broad for generalizations. Its power is immense, its impact is lifelong, and it warrants further contemplation.”

The First Scholar nodded again and looked at Lady Wexyn.

She smiled back at him. A soft blush touched her cheeks. She glanced up at Kosandion. “Love is what I feel for His Majesty.”

Resven slapped his hand over his face. Amphie stared at Lady Wexyn with an open mouth.

“He is my favorite, and I will never love anyone else in the same way.”

Lady Wexyn gave Kosandion a little wave and smiled.

16

When we last left the inn, the debates were finished, and the Book Devouring Horde Dominion citizens were busy voting for their favorite in the official ratings. Meanwhile, Dina desperately tried to figure out the identity of the assassin targeting Kosandion. Unfortunately, the debates proved less than illuminating.