Page 55 of Veil of Vasara (Fate of the Five #1)

CHAPTER 55 – HESTAN

“S ir, we have tried all manners of concoctions, but the Lady will not wake, we cannot rouse her, and her pulse remains weak, her breathing erratic…I’m afraid all we can do is wait. We could try some other remedies, but they are…rather unconventional, and not so reliable.”

Dyna was lying on her bed, her small chest shuddering, wheezing as she took in each breath.

I had been standing at the side of her bed, listening as the third healer told me his assessment.

I should have been here. I should have been nearby. But instead of protecting her, of doing my duty, of prioritising her safety, I had been in the Prince’s chambers, warning him of danger, obsessed and preoccupied with this paper, sleeping in his bed.

My hands were trembling slightly in fists.

“Of course, it would cost extra to acquire such rare herbs—"

“Does money seem like an object in this instance?” I snapped.

“Well, of course not Sir, but …we have heard Kalnasans have fallen on hard times and—"

“Do what you are paid for by your King and I will pay for the rest,” I told him. Although truthfully, I had no notion of how I would afford such an extortionate amount.

He bowed to me slightly mumbling, “Yes, Sir,” and waddled out of the room. His golden healer garbs dragged behind him on the floor.

As soon as he left, I placed a hand over my mouth and closed my eyes. It was already an effort to keep them open. I was still weak and fatigued, and my wound, despite the Prince’s efforts, had not fully healed. I reached out with my other hand and grabbed Dyna’s.

I knelt beside her. Looking at her face, so innocent, so sickly now, pale, I felt a crushing weight in my chest.

They should never have sent her here, a mere child they had coddled, into a pit of vipers. There was no way she could comprehend or understand them.

The healers had told me that they remained unsure as to the method by which Dyna was poisoned. It could have been something she had eaten, drank, washed herself with, breathed in, been brushed, or scraped by.

No wonder they hadn’t been able to heal the former King Elion if this was the extent of their skill. Thinking on it, as the Prince had declared, they had stitched my wound awfully too. How could it be that these were the best healers in this Kingdom?

I couldn’t help but dwell upon the possibilities, of when she had been poisoned, on if she had known, or been afraid, if she had expected my help, or even called for it while it occurred.

I shook my head, angry, frustrated and loathing myself. I had failed her. It felt as though it was me who had poured the poison into her veins.

And of course, the one question that preoccupied my mind more than the others, was… who was responsible? Whoever it was, I would make sure that they suffered. But it could have been anyone. I couldn’t even begin to draw up a concise list of the possibilities. There were too many people who could gain from Dyna's death.

But…the note on that Noxscroll. It could not have been a coincidence that Kalnasa was mentioned. Was it those who had written it who had struck Dyna in the dark? Or was it someone, something else?

Someone approached and entered the room, I turned around, anticipating the healer’s return but instead, saw the King.

I bowed immediately.

“Your Majesty.” My voice was hoarse and weaker than usual.

“Captain. I came to offer my…” His voice trailed off as he looked at Dyna. “I am truly sorry this has happened here, within these walls.” The King’s face was twisted in what I could only describe as discomfort.

I kept my head lowered as I said, “You honour us with your concern, Your Majesty.” Although I knew perfectly well his not visiting would have been out of the question.

“Please know that any expenses for her treatment will be taken care of.”

I raised my head to look at him. He was dressed in bright red, the precise shade of his hair, which was braided slightly at the sides now. His long jacket reached his knees, and he was wearing his crown.

I glanced up at his head, then back to his face.

“Thank you, Your Majesty, we are most grateful.”

“It is the least I can offer you.” The King's eyes reached Dyna again and he tightened his mouth slightly.

“What is her condition?” he asked me, gently.

I looked at Dyna as I replied, “She is weak. They say her chances of survival are slim, Your Majesty.” My voice sounded detached.

“But not non-existent,” the King said, offering me a small smile. “We will be holding an assembly to announce this development.”

“Your Majesty?” I asked, assuming he would have wanted to keep this affair quiet. It would not be good for the King’s reputation if people learnt that one of his candidates had been attacked during his Courting Season. Of course, it had happened in the past, but one of the candidates dying, or being this close to death, hadn’t happened for centuries.

“We must find those who would seek to harm us, Captain. They will be expecting our silence. I would rather not indulge their assumptions.”

I looked at him, slightly confused. First, this man sacrificed his fertility, now he was openly admitting and announcing to the world, that which would scandalise him. It was almost as if he did not want to be the King at all.

But his poise, the manner in which he held himself and spoke, the way he looked each and every person he addressed in the eye. It all spoke to the contrary.

“Please come to the main hall shortly. The announcement will be made in half an hour’s time.”

“Yes, Your Majesty,” I bowed again.

The King turned and left the room, his guards following him out.

A short time later, I returned to my own room to get fully dressed. I had still been wearing the light and loose pale blue garments I’d had on from the night before.

I removed them, and instead, placed a pair of brighter blue pants on, and a white upper robe. It was decorated with silver leaves, fine and small, along the shoulders and the edges, where the robe cut across a white undershirt, the collar of which sat high upon my neck. I raised my arms to pin my hair back, but they began to shake, and so I let it hang, loosely.

I was exhausted.

The wound, the vision from last night, the note, the riots, Dyna.

It was unlike me to feel emotional, or feel inclined to weep, but in this instance, whether from sheer exhaustion or overwhelm, the urge to do so prickled behind my eyes more powerfully than ever.

But still, no tears came, only a heavy weight of foreboding dread and sadness that lingered in my heart.

My eyes found the Noxstone blade still strewn on the floor of my chambers. I lifted it up carefully and returned it to its hiding place. Then, grabbing my spear, and placing it on my back, made for the hall.

It was almost as full as the day the King was crowned.

It was a sight to behold, for then, there had been silence, and now, there was noise across this vast space, whispers of speculation and quiet conversations merged together as a roar. All the words were to the same effect. People were speculating as to why had the King suddenly called for this meeting, with this many attendees.

“It’s the Courting Season. He must be announcing the chosen candidate!”

“It’s too early for that, it must be something else, those riots in Kalnasa are…”

“Sorcerers have been causing trouble again, I heard that…”

I made my way through the thronging crowds, to where, I knew, I would be allocated to stand, near the other candidates.

As I arrived, I stood next to Zeima’s Princess and her escort, who were, unlike the majority of the attendees, standing quietly, looking around with interest and suspicion. Maiwen was next to them, with, it appeared, a member of the King’s Royal guard, who must have been standing in for her escort. A partition separated us and the others, Vasara’s candidate, and Audra’s.

Audra’s Prince was looking at me. His arms were crossed. His sister was speaking to him quietly, but he appeared to be unfocused on her words. He ever so slightly narrowed his eyes in my direction, then looked around me, behind me, from where I had come. His eyes found mine again, and I could tell he was wondering where Lady Dyna was.

I turned away, unable to bear the question in his eyes.

The King stepped forth, followed by his guards. A few members of his Council and Lord Elias were also there. They hovered behind him as he approached and stood in front of the throne. It felt as if an invisible force swept over the space.

Silence fell.

Everyone got on their knees. “All hail the King!” they repeated, I repeated, three times.

We rose and the King spoke.

“Thank you all for coming at such short notice. I am truly grateful and blessed to have so many loyal subjects within this city, these walls.”

A suffocating tension sat in the air, growing heavier with each passing second.

“However,” he paused on the word. The power of his pause was so great. Only I knew what was to come next, the others would be wondering.

“It is with great regret and despair, that I must announce a tragedy has befallen us, within the same walls of which I speak.”

Some whispers then, spreading across the hall, bouncing, and leaping between lips.

The King waited for them to quieten.

“Let it be known that anyone who attacks an ally of mine, a guest…” His voice lowered with his gaze. He paused again before he said,“…Will not go unpunished.”

The trepidation from the crowd was tangible.

“The Lady Dyna has been poisoned,” he said, his voice rising in volume.

The silence was broken immediately. A flurry and urgency in all the murmurs sprouted to life. Zeima’s Princess glanced at me, and I could feel the force of a hundred judging gazes in my direction. I could hear the disdain in their voices.

“What of her escort?”

“Wasn’t he supposed to protect her?”

“He’s the Captain, isn’t he…”

“How did he…”

“He’s never…”

I tried to block their voices, their stares out. I focused on the floor, the white and golden stone, the flecks, the splatters of colours in the marble.

It was endless, the speculation and shock from this announcement was still ongoing.

Zeima’s Princess placed her hand gently on my forearm.

“I am most sorry, Captain, I will pray for her.”

I closed my eyes slowly, then opened them, turning to her. “Thank you, Your Highness.”

On turning to my left, my plan on avoiding eye contact with the others was nullified.

Maiwen was looking at me sorrowfully, Vasara’s candidate suspiciously.

I avoided the Prince’s gaze. I did not wish to know how it appeared.

The King spoke again. “The Lady is alive, for now.”

The crowd began to speak again, but abruptly stopped as he continued. “However, her condition is critical. This attack is of the highest severity. It is an offence to both myself, our people, and our Kingdom. Whoever committed this vile act of treachery will be found. Please, investigate, and report to my Council.” He gestured behind him, “If there is anything that you know which could help us find this assailant.”

He was silent for a few seconds before he said, “That is not all. The Lady was likely poisoned sometime during the night. However, our trackers have reported that during those same hours, there was a powerful surge of energy, magical in origin, within the Palace, the kind which could only emerge from an active sorcerer.”

The crowd erupted into chaotic conversation.

My eyes glazed over, and I stared in front of me at my feet. There was only one explanation for such a surge. I had no idea such a thing was possible. This was…

“It is, therefore, highly possible, that this deed was committed by a sorcerer.”

The crowd grew even more frantic, as did my mind.

Both myself and the Prince were the only two people who knew that was not the case. But how could we declare that? Our silence would mean Dyna’s poisoner would invariably remain undetected, and the direction of this investigation would remain incorrect, so fundamentally and devastatingly wrong.

But to reveal it would mean our certain deaths.

“Before this tragedy, I had planned to keep the following information from you, at least for a time. I am sure you will understand why. We live in fragile and complicated times. But now, it is more relevant than ever.” The King’s voice was soft. He spoke unhurriedly, but there was a sense of eminent importance to his words that silenced the audience again.

He took in a deep breath and spoke, “My father and mother were victims of sorcery. They died by the hands of sorcerers.”

Not a single sound, or breath, or whisper met his statement. Shock had stolen them all.

This information, combined with all the rest. The threads and fates of all the individuals I had come across were linked, but in a way I could not see, I could not grasp at.

“For twenty years, we have lived in peace. But it has been a false peace. Sorcerers continue to commit acts of violence and sabotage. They plot against us almost daily. This cannot be allowed to continue. Not when they seek to tear down the very structures, the very history on which humankind has been built. Not when they murder our families, our allies, and our leaders. We can no longer stand by and accept the inevitable destruction we invite upon ourselves if we do nothing. This latest act is tantamount to a declaration of war.”

The crowd began to speak again, this time their voices almost becoming shouts. Lord Elias looked at the King with concern, I noticed. His Council members however, seemed unperturbed.

“People of Athlion. It is my greatest wish to see you live, to see you thrive, to see you prosper, and survive in this world. To watch as you grow old and bear children, who are free to laugh, and play, and roam anywhere in these lands, without the threat of harm. It is my greatest wish to protect you. I will dedicate my life to this goal. In return, I ask you to assist me in doing so. Some of you here may remember the war, some of you may even have survived it…lost those you loved to it. We cannot and will not wait for the sorcerers to rise again, to burn and devastate our lands, and our homes, as they did once before.”

The King’s voice, although as smooth, graceful, and cold as before, was different now. It was forceful, powerful, the weight of his words could be felt keenly with every sentence.

Murmurs of assent emerged from the attendees.

“Our trackers are in pursuit as we speak. Please assist them in any way you are able, and please, protect yourselves and your loved ones. Keep them safe. We must band together, in times of calamity and doubt, to be each other’s security and strength.”

The crowd were staring at him in awe and reverence.

“That is all. You may go.”

People began leaving, speaking amongst themselves. I turned around to do the same when the King called out.

“Not you, Captain.” He turned to my left. “Nor you, Prince.”

I finally looked at Audra’s Prince, who was slightly turned towards the door. He stopped and spun on his heel when he realised he was being addressed.

He quirked a brow. “Me? Your Majesty?”

“If you would.”

The Prince’s sister glanced at him worriedly.

“You are the King,” the Prince said. “So, I undoubtedly will.” He smiled, tightly.

Much faster than I would have anticipated, the hall was emptied. Zeima’s and Jurasa’s candidates cast me sympathetic glances on their way out.

Left behind were myself, a far distance to my left, the Prince, and in front of us, the King, flanked by his guards, and his Council members.

“Please, come forth.” The King gestured with one hand for us to come closer. He then sat on his throne.

I did as he asked immediately. The Prince was slower to respond but followed, coming up to stand at my left, an arm’s length away.

We didn’t look at each other.

“Prince,” the King started. He stopped, pondering his next words. “The trackers have informed me that the surge of energy came from the West Wing of the Palace,”

They knew.

“There is a North, East, West, and South within each Wing, including the West Wing,” the King explained. “Since the Courting Season began, we have always stationed candidates in the West Wing based on their geography in relation to Vasara. North for Kalnasa’s candidate, East for Zeima’s, West for Jurasa’s, and South…for Audra’s.”

The Prince remained silent. I remained silent.

“I’m quite sure you’re astute enough to understand what I am about to say. The trackers have informed me that the surge came from the South of the West Wing, where you reside.” The King clasped his hands in front of him on his lap as he finished speaking.

I had not been sure, but now I was. This was my doing. When that woman had touched my skin, I had felt such a strong force enter my body, my chest, my mind. I had been the source of the surge, from the Prince’s room. There was no question that the Prince too, had come to this conclusion by now.

The gravity of this situation was undeniable, the risk, the implications, the potential consequences, were all insurmountably devastating.

But the Prince…the Prince laughed, lightly, as if a silver chime had sounded.

“Your Majesty. Are you asking if I am a sorcerer? If you are, couldn’t you get one of your trackers to…sniff me? Or whatever it is that they do.” He waved his hand over himself.

He gave a polite but entirely false smile. I was looking at him now, marvelled at his ability to act so blithely in this situation.

But the Prince’s gaze remained forwards, not meeting mine.

The King narrowed his eyes and returned a similar smile in kind. It was like watching two snakes tilted up on their bellies thrusting their necks forwards, hissing at one another, waiting for the other to strike.

“If I believed you were the culprit, you would not be standing here now.”

The Prince jerked his head back and raised his eyebrows. He clearly didn’t believe that was true. “So, what is it you wish to know, Your Majesty?”

“Such a powerful surge must, undoubtedly, have come from a powerful sorcerer. You are a man who possesses astute and great observation skills, it is well documented and rumoured. I wish to know if you noticed anything Prince.” The King’s words were languid.

“You flatter me, but even I cannot employ such skills while sleeping, Your Majesty.”

The King remained silent for a few moments.

“The Captain has suffered a great deal from this incident.” The King turned to look at me. “Is there anything you wish to ask the Prince in relation to the disturbance?”

I couldn’t shake the feeling the King knew something about the interactions the Prince and I had experienced. However, if so, as he said, why would he not apprehend us immediately, and how would he have gathered such proof?

It had not escaped me that the guards outside the Prince’s room had not noticed the disturbance. The Prince had later explained to me that a powder had been responsible for that. Was it possible that the King had become aware of its use on his Palace staff? Even so, the powder rendered those guards unconscious and therefore, they would have been unable to recall any information.

The Prince looked at me then, placing his hands behind his back, and tilting his head to the left. I did not meet his eye, but instead, looked at the King as I said, “If the Prince was sleeping, it seems futile, Your Majesty.”

“If… the Prince…was sleeping,” the King repeated, slowly, as if he were savouring every word. He looked at the ground in thought. “Do you suspect anyone, Captain?” he asked, slowly looking up again.

Answering this question was dangerous, and so I only replied, “Nobody in particular.”

“Do you believe a sorcerer did this?” the King asked.

I frowned slightly. “I would not presume to know. But if Your Majesty believes it possible, then I believe it is a strong possibility as well.”

“I do not believe in coincidences…that is all.” He looked at the Prince as he said it.

“Your Majesty, may I ask…if the sorcerer’s trail has been caught?” the Prince asked.

The King looked behind him at Lord Elias.

Elias stepped forwards and spoke, unusually tense. “The trackers found two places in Iloris where teleports were used. The intruders were probably the source, teleporting out of Vasara to escape. The trackers are currently trying to find out where those teleports led to."

“I see.” Audra’s Prince nodded, “Thank you, My Lord.” He bowed to Lord Elias, in what felt like a mocking gesture.

“Captain, did you notice anything?” the King asked.

“Your Majesty?”

“Anything unusual? Your quarters are next to the Lady Dyna’s are they not?”

I steadied myself. I knew my facial expression remained blank, but my mind was a torrent of anxiety and desperation.

“Unfortunately not, Your Majesty. It grieves me that I was not…able to protect her.”

I could feel the Prince’s eyes on me then. Again.

Fargreaves grumbled from behind the Prince. “Why exactly was it, that you weren’t able to do so, Captain? It strikes me as highly unusual. Since when were you so careless?”

My jaw muscles twitched as I met the man’s eyes. But before I could answer him, the Prince doubled over next to me.

He was laughing.

“Forgive me, forgive me, My Lord.” He waved his hand back and forth in front of his face as he straightened up. “But since when did you protect anything… other than your own self interest?” He placed his hand on his abdomen as he let out a sigh. I looked at him, internally shocked, but externally unaffected.

“The question is for the Captain, not for you, Prince,” Fargreaves replied, looking at the Prince with contempt. “Unless you would like us to return to the question regarding the South Wing?”

The Prince clicked his tongue.

“The fault lies with me, not with the Prince,” I said. “You are right, I failed to be diligent and protect her, that is my burden to bear, and my shame. I cannot answer your question. I can only promise not to repeat my errors and commit myself to finding the culprit.”

“And how do you intend on doing that?” Fargreaves asked me.

“However necessary,” I replied.

The Prince interjected again. “The fault cannot lie with both the Captain and the sorcerer, so which is it, Sir?” He looked at Fargreaves.

“That is something only time can determine, Your Highness,” Fargreaves spat back.

The Prince nodded. “Yes, yes, I agree. That is usually the case. The truth has an interesting way of making itself known.”

“Indeed,” the King replied. The King’s voice snapped Fargreaves out of his temperament and he bit his tongue, not replying to the Prince this time.

“Your parents, Your Majesty, for example. The truth of their death was certainly unexpected.” The Prince glanced at him.

The King simply sat there, clearly assuming the Prince had not finished, waiting for him to do so.

But the Prince said nothing else.

Lord Elias replied, “The King has been working to uncover the culprits of his parents’ death for a while.”

“Ahh, I see, so His Majesty believed it best to conduct that investigation in secret.”

“Exactly,” Elias replied gruffly.

“But not this investigation,” the Prince added, inclining his head in Lord Elias’ direction.

“It’s not for you to question His Majesty’s actions. Your involvement in this affair is still questionable. Your deeds have not yet come to light," Fargreaves said.

“ My deeds?” The Prince’s voice changed so suddenly I couldn’t help but turn to look at him. He sounded as if he was circling Fargreaves, watching, enjoying his oblivion before he pounced.

The Prince took one step forwards. One step. That was all. Now he was in front of me, his fingers fiddling behind his back, his thumb running along the edge of his fingers.

One step, and everyone had held their breaths.

The Prince smiled at him sweetly. “I thought I recognised you, ever since you approached my sister and I at the opening ceremony, but I couldn’t quite remember. And then—” he clicked his fingers— “it came to me.”

Fargreaves’ mouth twisted as if he had just swallowed something sour.

“I remember your visits to Audra. I remember…” His voice grew quieter and more drawn out, “…What they were for.”

Fargreaves puffed his chest out and laughed sardonically. “I made no such visits.”

“Didn’t you just hear His Majesty?” He pointed at the King without taking his eyes off Fargreaves. “I am a man in possession of astute observation skills. Are you denying His Majesty’s judgement?”

“As His Majesty said, such skills are based on rumour alone.”

“And documentation.” The Prince held one finger in the air.

The King watched the two of them patiently, his chin was propped up by his right hand, his elbow resting on the arm of his throne. He made no sign he was bothered by this diversion in conversation, in fact, he appeared interested in it.

I, however, felt uneasy.

“Documentation likely based on rumour,” Fargreaves retorted.

“If that’s the case, then why do you remain so suspicious about my activities? If my skills of observation are pure speculation, then why would you have expected me to witness anything at all?”

Fargreaves stilled, like a fly caught in a spider’s web.

One more step forwards from the Prince. I watched him move. I waited, I wondered what he would do next, how he would go in for the kill.

I found myself almost tantalised by it.

“You’re becoming confused, Sir. You don’t even remember the points you yourself made mere minutes ago.” The Prince tutted, then let out a mocking and exaggerated sigh. “How can you serve His Majesty like this?”

“That’s enough, Prince,” Lord Elias said.

The Prince ignored him, taking another step forwards.

“But… my memory is impeccable. Most unfortunately. You were there. You did visit. You may not remember, but I do. Very well.”

“This is conjecture, Fargreaves does not like to venture far from Vasara,” a dark-haired man cut in. Trenton, I recalled his name.

“Then he must have liked the reason for his visit far more than he disliked the travel.”

“Prince,” Lord Elias cut in again, a warning sound in his tone.

“Which was it…the young girls or the young boys that you favoured? That, I can’t quite recall.”

The King raised one eyebrow behind his hand, and side-eyed Fargreaves. Lord Elias, who had been about to warn the Prince again, left his mouth open.

Young girls and young boys…

Fargreaves scowled. “Your lies will not save you from suspicion.”

The Prince placed one hand on his upper chest, removing it from behind his back. “Oh Fargreaves, come now, you don’t remember? Don’t—" he started laughing — “Don’t you remember when you mistakenly thought I was for sale? The first time we met? You looked so mortified when he told you who I was.”

Thought he was for sale .

My heart sank.

“Although I confess, I had half-forgotten it myself. You were one man in a sea of nefarious men I would prefer… to have forgotten.” The Prince’s voice grew quieter towards the end of his sentence.

Lord Elias was looking at Fargreaves with undisguised contempt. The King was watching the Prince fascinated.

“Your Majesty,” Fargreaves addressed the King. “He is lying, this is an unacceptable attempt to divert attention from this inquiry. I recommend that we detain him now.” Fargreaves stepped towards the Prince, his eyes glowering with anger.

I, without contemplating or thinking, stepped forwards as well, so that I was in front of the Prince.

The King’s eyebrows raised even higher at that.

My movement had been a mistake.

If I hadn’t visited the Prince, that surge might never have occurred. If I had never stolen that paper, he would never have attempted to retrieve it here, and the sorcerer would not have read its contents and attacked him. I felt not only responsible for Dyna’s condition, but for the danger and suspicion the Prince was now under.

But still, these were feelings based on events which I knew to have occurred. To the others present, there would be no reason, no understandable reason for me to defend the Prince, at all.

“What are you doing, Captain? He is likely responsible for the Lady’s demise, and you stand there and defend him?!” Fargreaves spat.

“He is not responsible,” I replied, calmly.

“How can you be so certain of that?” the King asked, removing his hand from his chin, and draping it over his legs.

I looked slightly over my shoulder and met eyes with the Prince for the first time during this audience. His eyes betrayed nothing, but the slight tightening of his lips, the tug at their corner, which I had witnessed many times now, told me he was pleased with this development.

I turned back around before I could react to his facial expression, and addressed the King, “He is not a sorcerer, as you know. I agree with Your Majesty that a sorcerer was the likely culprit. After all, your healers have not been able to understand or uncover how the Lady was poisoned in the first place. That strikes me as the work of sorcery, Your Majesty.”

I had no choice. If the Prince and I were to avoid suspicion, I had to use the incorrect presumptions these men were making against them.

I had chosen our safety over Dyna’s justice. A deep disdain for myself enveloped me, so consuming, that it was hard to hide as I spoke.

“I wish for the real culprit to be brought to justice.” The disdain grew more intense. “Your Majesty, the Prince saved your life, and he, I believe, is not careless, nor reckless enough to murder a candidate while he is here, and certainly not by poisoning them, or by working with a sorcerer. I agree that there are several…threads and points of information which may cast suspicion over him, but they are not evidential. They are simply circumstantial, and weakly so. It must also be recognised that anyone who was planning to undertake this attack, would have done well to cast suspicion on the Prince, in light of his reputation.”

My words had a dual meaning. One, to the men in front of me, about my thoughts and declaration of the Prince’s innocence with regards to Dyna, and another, to the Prince himself, reaffirming my belief he was innocent of the crimes the note on that Noxscroll mentioned.

Reaffirming I believed he was framed, that I would defend him, until the last.

I glanced back at the Prince as I finished speaking. His facial features had become more relaxed, his smile softer. His grin seemed to communicate he had expected I’d turn to look at him.

The King stood. “You make some excellent points, Captain, I confess. Though I am surprised to hear you voice them, since you seemed so reluctant to share your suspicions and thoughts before.”

“While I will not condemn an individual I suspect to be guilty without evidence, I will defend one I believe to be innocent.”

“How touching,” Fargreaves said smugly.

I stared at him, making no effort to hide my disgust at his existence.

“That’s lovely, but the most guilty often appear most innocent, Captain. We must consider all possibilities,” Lord Elias said flatly.

“Here’s a possibility that could prove to be informative.” The Prince stood by my side again. “Where is Jurasa’s escort? He’s been missing for days. Perhaps you should look into that, My Lord?”

I tensed up beside the Prince. After the great efforts I had just gone to defend him, he was actively mentioning something dubious which he and I were directly involved in. Regardless of whether this was to deter Elias, the King would not dismiss this point so easily.

Elias furrowed his brows and stared at the Prince.

“We agree that it is rather suspicious,” the King said coolly.

“Who knows? Perhaps the culprit is the same as the one who poisoned the Lady?” the Prince speculated, knowing full well that was incorrect.

“We do not know if the escort is dead or is simply missing. Furthermore, if he was murdered, the motive for his killing is very much unclear,” the King replied.

The Prince shrugged. “Yes, that’s true, but still, I just thought I should mention it.”

“We thank you for your cooperation, Prince,” the King said.

“Of course,” the Prince looked at Fargreaves.

“You may return. We will keep you informed of any developments. If you do learn anything, please, share it with us.” The King nodded to his guards, dismissing us.

“Most definitely,” the Prince said cheerfully. I nodded.

We bowed and turned to leave. The Prince followed behind me by several steps and the guards behind him some more.

Once I had left the hall, I did not turn around to look at the Prince, for there were guards who had been sent with us to escort us to our rooms. It was of course, an act which was labelled something in the interest of our safety, but it was most certainly an act to keep us under watch.

I made my way immediately to Dyna’s room. The guard left me at the entrance of the North of the West Wing.

I had taken a few steps down it when a hand on my wrist pulled me down a narrower walkway.

“Ssshhh.” The Prince put his finger to his lips. I stared at him, looking down at his face, which was far too close to mine. I stepped back. He abruptly let go of my arm and stepped back as well.

“What are you doing?!” I whispered, panicked. “Are you completely…”

The Prince crossed his arms, and his left leg over his right, leaning back against the wall. He raised his eyebrows and smiled with his mouth open slightly.

Seeing his amused expression, I composed myself. “Your Highness, you shouldn’t be here,” I whispered again.

“Since when I have done what should be done, Captain?” he whispered back.

“I need to go back, Your Highness.” Our conversation continued to be spoken in hushed tones.

The Prince looked me once over and said, “How are you feeling?”

I startled, how was I feeling?

“What does it matter? I am not the one lying prostrate in my bed, Your Highness.”

The Prince appeared unimpressed. “You were… yesterday.” He sounded irritated at his own reminder.

“I am well, Your Highness.”

The Prince tilted his head. “But… your hair is different.”

“What?” The bite in my tone was clear and so I quickly added, “That’s not connected.”

“Yes, it is,” he argued, looking delighted with himself.

“Your Highness, I am grateful you asked over my welfare, but I must go.” I started to move, but hesitated as the Prince, I had noticed, was looking down at his shoes, appearing troubled.

I knew I should leave, but instead I found myself speaking, “Your Highness?”

He sighed and with one press, pushed himself off the wall. “I can imagine your thoughts, Captain. That it was because of your decision to warn me last night, that you were neglectful of your duties etcetera etcetera that the Lady is ill.”

I was silent, he turned to me. “Am I correct?”

“Your Highness—"

The Prince held up a hand. “Don’t bother answering that. I know that I’m correct.” His every movement, the pinch of his brow, the fiddling of his fingers, exuded unease.

I shifted back to my original position and said quietly, “Why are you here, Your Highness?”

He shrugged. “To thank you.”

I couldn’t help but shake my head. “You do not seem to be someone who is prone to gratitude.”

“That is because I have rarely met a person I had good reason to be thankful for,” he sounded pensive. “Or to.”

I said nothing. The more I learnt about the Prince, the more I realised that was likely accurate.

“And I came to offer you my help.”

That was suspicious.

“You? Offer me help? Your Highness?”

“You help me, and I’ll help you,” he said casually. He pointed in the direction around the corner, towards Dyna’s room. Then he folded his hand back under his arm.

“You are already under suspicion. It is not wise—"

The Prince stepped towards me. “The time for making wise decisions has long since passed, don’t you think, Captain?”

“No…” I let the word linger. “I do not think so, Your Highness.”

“Don’t you want to find out who was responsible?” Another step towards me.

“We should not be having this conversation.”

“We’ve had plenty of conversations two people shouldn’t have, Captain.”

“Your Highness,” I protested. The closer the Prince grew, the stranger I felt.

“Captain,” he repeated in the same pressing tone.

“The choices I made, which led to these events, and to the crossing of our paths were mine to make, alone. I did so without any incentive, or bribe, or the promise of a favour. When I"— I looked around to make sure there were no guards close by — “helped you, I did so with no expectation of help in return. Any danger I faced in doing so was the result of my own decisions. You do not need to place yourself in this predicament. I want nothing and expect nothing from you.”

The Prince let out a long breath. “But I want something from you, Captain.”

I waited and let those words sink in. I couldn’t understand which emotion was dominating my mind. Confusion? Anticipation? Surprise?

“Your Highness, I apologise but I must do what I have failed to do thus far. I have been preoccupied with—"

“With things which have led you to uncover vital information regarding the welfare of your people.”

I looked down and placed one hand through my hair quickly, the Prince watched my movement and then continued. “I would like your help, Captain. You may accept, or you may refuse. You may also accept or refuse my offer to help you but…”

He came very close to me then, lowering his voice to the quietest level I had heard him speak, “You are one of those people, Captain, I have reason to be grateful for, that I so rarely meet. It would be unfortunate… if we were to part ways… after only having just crossed paths.”

My entire body was raked with tension. My breath stuck in my lungs. I couldn’t see any reason why or how crossing paths with this Prince had been a good thing.

But…I could not deny, to part ways now would feel…an error.

I composed myself, shaking my head before replying, “Perhaps it would be for the best, Your Highness.”

“Do you really think so?” He leant his face forwards slightly.

I didn’t know. Yes, no. I could not decide.

I took a deep breath in and turned to the left to avoid his gaze. As I did so, the brush of a hand, his hand, slipped against my right cheek.

It was the back of his fingers. So fast, so light, like the touch of the wind, come and gone in an instant.

I reached for that cheek myself automatically, but the Prince’s hand had already been drawn away, hovering in the air near my neck.

“You’re a liar, Captain. I should have known, after the performance you put on back there.”

I lowered my hand. He did the same.

“You still have a fever.”

“It will pass.”

“Will it? Hasn’t it been days now?” He took a step back, glancing at me reproachfully.

“I cannot ask the healers for their attention, not now, Your Highness.”

The Prince snorted softly. “Why would you? They’re dreadful.”

Yes, the hope for Dyna was already slim, and with this fact, even slimmer.

I sighed and looked dejectedly at the floor, the Prince, who must have realised my thoughts said, “Do you think it is deliberate?”

I knew what he was referring to, for I had already wondered so myself. “The quality of the healers?”

“So, you thought so too.”

“I cannot say.”

“You cannot say who was the culprit of this affair yet proclaimed me innocent in front of His Majesty himself.” He chuckled lightly.

I looked at him sharply. “That is because you are innocent.”

“Only to you. To the others, I am…” He thought for a moment, searching for a word but only ended with, “…Not.”

I looked at him, trying to think of a way to end this encounter.

The Prince got on his knees suddenly.

“Your Highness?!” Even when whispering, the anxiety in my tone was obvious.

The Prince raised his head and looked up at me from the floor. “I only want to see the wound.”

I moved my leg away. “That’s not necessary, Your Highness.”

He placed his palm on the tip of my shoe. “You don’t want to call the healers away. Do you wish to die instead?”

I didn’t reply, glancing around nervously, my fists clenched tightly.

The Prince was still looking up at me from the floor. Here, the shadows of the narrow walkway struck his jaw, underneath his neck, his hair, making his every line look more defined.

The darkness, it suited him somehow, I found myself thinking.

The Prince narrowed his eyes, then moved his hand, still looking at me.

I didn’t move.

He was still looking at me when his hand made contact with the bottom of my shin and slid underneath my pants.

His fingers were cold. Their light touch sent rivulets of faint chills up my leg.

I turned away, suddenly feeling strange.

The Prince lowered his head and placed his other hand on my leg. After a few minutes, during which I was holding my breath, anxiously anticipating what might happen if a guard came down the walkway.

The Prince stood up and back. “It looks better.”

I cleared my throat and nodded, still facing towards the main corridor.

Instantly, the Prince was in front of me, having come around to my left.

“What are you looking for, Captain? Nobody will see us. The guards are just as inept as the healers.”

“I…” I cleared my throat again. “…Was only being cautious, Your Highness.”

The Prince pointed at my leg. “You’re not cautious. And I am glad of that. I thank you for it.”

I turned away down at the floor again, unable to meet his gaze still. I couldn’t say why, but the Prince’s visit here had made me feel much more restless and uneasy than his presence had done so before. The events of the last few days had altered my mindset. Perhaps he was right, I had not been cautious before and this was the result.

“Do you still have his blade?” the Prince whispered.

I nodded. “Yes, Your Highness.”

“Keep it.”

“You do not…wish to have it back, Your Highness?” I looked at him cautiously.

A pained expression crossed his face for a brief moment, before it resumed its normal countenance. “No, Captain, I do not wish to possess that weapon.”

Of course not, why would he have wanted anything of his?

“Of course, Your Highness, forgive me, I should have realised that—"

“I have enough of my own.” He smiled, “I do not need another. But it may be helpful to you, in the future.”

“I still cannot wield such a blade.”

“You will learn, I have no doubt. Keep it, Captain. It will be better if you have it. You are after all, a more deserving owner.”

“Thank you… Your Highness.”

The Prince laughed again, lightly, but very quietly. “You are such an interesting man, Captain. Thanking me for a blade you rightfully took for yourself, for a blade I just declared I did not want. Why thank me for such things?”

It did not take me a second to reply. “Because I know you are capable of taking it from me, should you so wish, Your Highness.”

“So, you are thankful I have not forcibly retrieved it from you?” Disappointment coloured his voice.

I frowned. I didn’t know how to tactfully respond to that. I could only think to say the truth which I found escaping my lips before I could stop myself talking.

“No.”

“No?”

“I suppose it is more"— I leant my head against the wall slightly, glancing at the Prince from the side — “that I am pleasantly surprised, Your Highness,”

The Prince’s eyes brightened in shock, and he opened his mouth in a wide, amused smile “Pleasantly surprised?”

I nodded. “I am thankful to be pleasantly surprised by you, rather than—"

“Bitterly disappointed?” He came closer to my side, his right arm was at a ninety-degree angle next to him, leaning against the wall.

“No.”

“No again?” the Prince said, teasingly.

“If you would let me finish Your Highness,” I said flatly.

“Ahh, please do.” He leant fully against the wall standing to my left.

“You continue to do and say things which I do not expect, or which go against that which others say about you. I am thankful the things they say are not entirely true, or that if they are, for whatever reason, you choose to refrain from exacting such behaviour towards me, Your Highness.”

The Prince smiled and turned to look up at the ceiling too, wide, and white, and arched, like all the ceilings here.

“I remember when we met Captain, that you told me you didn’t pay attention to rumours.”

“But I am aware of them, Your Highness.”

“I told you then, and I’ll tell you again, that some rumours are true, Captain.” He sounded insistent about the fact.

“Some are not.”

We stood in silence for a few seconds.

“Do you know what my favourite rumour is? About myself?”

I had the feeling this conversation had already gone on for too long. As inept as the guards were, they would soon notice we had not yet returned to our allocated rooms.

But still, I couldn’t help asking, “Which, Your Highness?”

“There are some which are…really quite awful. But they’re all very creative, I will say. Still, there’s one rumour, that people truly believe, even now. It’s that I"— he paused and laughed with his mouth closed — “that I was blessed by the Gods.” He laughed some more, the sound rumbling next to me. “That I was bestowed a ‘gift’ and that I must have sacrificed something in return for it. Some say it was my life span, or my soul, my emotions. Others say my memories, my rank, my…humanity.”

He turned around and looked me in the eye. “Can you believe that? People truly believe I was blessed, that I was touched by the Gods, that I was…lucky.”

“Some would say you are fortunate, simply for being a Prince, Your Highness.”

“Then they would be wrong.”

“Would they?” I asked, thinking on how I had grown up, on the starvation I had witnessed in Kalnasa.

The Prince was gazing at me openly and curiously. He seemed in that moment, not a Prince, or an assassin. Not a warrior, or a spy, or a Vulture. Not confident, or proud, or skilled. He only seemed a young man, blessed only with the one thing all were afforded – a life raked with struggle.

I met his gaze. “People will believe whatever makes them feel most comfortable about something, Your Highness. You are…renowned, your deadliness is a source of fear for many. Perhaps by believing your activities have a point, a purpose, a divine source, they feel they can rest easier.”

The Prince smiled softly. “Captain, you cannot begin to know what is right or wrong about me.”

I swallowed, in silence, perhaps that was true, but, somewhere, somehow, I felt that it was not.

“Perhaps that is what it means to know a person,” I said, turning to face forwards, and looking at my shin. “To learn all that is right and wrong about them, both in rumour, and in self, and be able to tell which is which, which is real.”

“Your Highness,” I added, realising that I had omitted it from the end of that sentence.

“Two words…which are not,” the Prince said.

“You are a Prince.”

The Prince raised one eyebrow.

“Unless of course, you did sacrifice your rank, in return for your blessings, Your Highness,” I found myself adding, and smiling.

The Prince tutted. “Ahhh, now you know my darkest secret, Captain.”

“So, I have begun…to know what is right and what is wrong about you then, Your Highness.”

The Prince turned to me, and we looked at each other once again. “Are you sure that’s something you’d want?”

Our gazes remained fixed upon one another. The words we had spoken, the question he had asked growing further away, sinking into the distance, the longer we stood here.

What was I doing? I had spent far too much time here.

I moved away from the wall. “We can never be sure of anything. Your Highness, I really must—"

The Prince moved away from the wall and nodded understandingly. “Go.”

Before I did, I asked, “Will you come back, Your Highness?”

The Prince looked at my hair then at my face. “Would you like me to?”

The Prince’s help would make a large difference, and if he was willing to offer it, then I would be a fool to refuse it.

Perhaps I was a fool to desire it.

“Yes, Your Highness. I accept your offer.”

The Prince nodded, smiling slightly. He crossed his arms again. “To be quite honest, regardless of what you had said, I would have attempted to help you, and inform you of my findings. Whoever harmed Dyna, may well intend to harm Loria.”

I understood then, his true motivations. They made far more sense than the vague conclusions I had been beginning to draw.

“Of course. I understand,” I said.

I moved towards the exit of the hallway, then found myself hesitating, for the third time.

“Fargreaves,” I said quietly.

The Prince sighed. “Do not trouble yourself. He will be dealt with.”

I didn’t know whether to be reassured or concerned.

“What does that mean?” I pressed.

The Prince walked past me, cautiously heading towards the exit himself. “That you do not need to trouble yourself,” he repeated.

“I am already troubled by it…amongst other things, Your Highness,” I said, thinking of the alleyway incident again.

The Prince turned around in surprise, just after peering around the corner.

“Why?” He sounded confused.

“Do you truly not understand why, Your Highness?” I repeated questioningly.

The Prince shook his head casually. “No, not really.”

Wouldn’t the information trouble others? I thought of Lord Elias’ face, he certainly had been, but I supposed, the others had seemed impartial to it.

“He does not deserve to be in his position, with his past.”

The Prince chuckled. “Most people in such positions have such pasts.” Then he looked at me. “Except for you.”

He peered at me thoughtfully then quietly turned and disappeared around the corner.

But I did have a past, a past he was simply unaware of.

Minutes later I returned to Dyna’s room, she looked much the same as before.

Only now, there was someone by her bedside.

In front of me was a man, clad fully in black and cloaked. The bottom half of his chin was visible from under the hood, pointed and pale.

“If you wish to live, then you will stay silent.”

I was speechless, not from the threat of death, but from his figure. He was tall, taller than me even.

I glanced at Dyna worriedly.

The man noticed.

“Tell me what I want to know, and I will save her.”

Save her?

In response to the quizzical expression on my face, he removed one glove to reveal a hand, long, and lithe.

A hand on which a warm golden glow was pooling in his palm.

I had thought them all dead.

I had believed them a myth.

But here before me, here and now, stood a Healer.