Magic's Promise by Mercedes Lackey

Jisa sweet, can I put you down long enough for presents?''
    “ Presents? ” Jisa was no different from any other six-year-old when that word came up. She squirmed a little, and he set her down, then extracted the little Companion-figure from his pouch and handed it to her. She shrieked with delight, and ran outside to show it to the two Guards. Shavri watched her go, her gypsy-dark eyes darker with unconcealed love - and something else. Something secret and profoundly unhappy. His first reaction was to want to hold her, protect her, make that unhappiness go away.
    Randi's lifebonded -
    “ That's quite a little impling you're raising, Shavri, ” he said, instead. “ Incredibly unspoiled, given that I'd lay odds she's the pet of the Circle. ”
    “ You say that every time you see her, beast, ” she replied, flashing an uncertain smile, startlingly bright in her sober, dark face.
    “ Well, it's true. ” Vanyel Looked quickly around, ascertained that they were going to be alone for a few moments, and asked quickly, “ How is he? ”
    The smile vanished, and the fear and unhappiness were plain for anyone who knew her to read. :Oh, gods - Van, he's sick, I can't make it go away, and I think he's dying. And I don't know why. :
    :What?: He gathered his scant resources to support her-and to hide the fact that her fear was making him tremble inside.
    “ He's well enough, ” she said lightly, but Mindspoke him with a vastly different tone. : There's something wrong; it isn't affecting him much at the moment other than steady weakness and a dizzy spell now and again – but it keeps getting worse with each spell. And - oh, Van - I'm so afraid - :
    He tightened his arm around her shoulders. :Easy, flowerlet - : “ Then it sounds like there's no problem with my taking this leave. ” :How long has this been going on?:
    Her unshed tears knotted both their throats. : Eight months. It's something I can't Heal, the gods know I've tried!:
    He felt chill creep over him. :Forgive me, Shavri, but I have to ask this. Given worst case - if it is something life-threatening, and it keeps getting worse, how long do you think he has ?:
    :If he keeps weakening at the same rate? Fifteen years - maybe less, certainly not more. Gods, Van, he won't even see fifty - he won't even see his grandchildren! Elspeth was seventy-six when she was Called!:
    There was another thought, unspoken-but Vanyel felt it, since it touched so nearly on his own private loneliness.
    I ' II have to go on alone -
    He held her close to his chest, with her face pressed into his shoulder as she struggled not to cry, and clamped down a tight shield to prevent any stray thought from reaching her and frightening her. Savil supported you. You support Shavri the same way, he told himself, below the threshold of her ability to Mindhear. Let her know she won't be alone. Gods, gods, they're both so young, not even twenty-five . . . and so sheltered all their lives. Oh, Shavri - your pain hurts me -
    “ Easy, love, ” he murmured into her hair. :Does he know ?:
    :No. Not yet. Healer's Collegium does; they’re working on it. We don't want him to know until it's certain. Now you know why I won't marry him. Van, I couldn't, I'm not strong enough, I can't rule! Not alone! And when he dies - and I won't have Jisa forced onto the throne too young, either.: Her mind-voice strengthened with stubbornness. :So long as we're unwedded, it can't be forced on me nor on Jisa until all the collateral lines are exhausted. I - :
    He felt the surge of terror and grief, and tried to project strength to her, not allowing her to see how fragile that strength was at the moment. With grim certainty he knew that she would not be able to cope if the worst came - unless someone she trusted was there to help. And the only one she trusted to that extent - the only one Randi trusted - was him. Gods. They really think I can do anything - and I'm no more ready for this than she is.
    He pushed the thought away,