The Hidden

Chapter 42 - [The Oath]

Am had no difficulty finding Seliaryn. Finding people was something she was good at. But what surprised her was that he was in his father’s office, rummaging through his father’s things.       

     “What are you doing here?” Seliaryn asked, noticing her presence immediately.

     “I came to talk to you,” she said, “I want to know what you plan on doing.”

     “That’s none of your business.” He pulled out a large box of weapons and set it on his father’s desk.

     “I told you already, not minding my own business is my job.” She shrugged her shoulder to adjust the strap that went over it. Her sword wasn’t sitting on her shoulder today, instead it was placed in a sheath the she wore over her shoulder. The large sword crossed from her left shoulder to the back of her right knee and she seemed very good at not hitting anything with it.

     She watched Seliaryn pull out a sword and look at it carefully. “What are you planning?”

     Seliaryn ignored her.

     Am bit the inside of her cheek, feeling worry fill her. There was something strange about him. The aura that surrounded him was completely different now and Am didn’t like it.

     “Go away, Ameryna.” Seliaryn said as he took off his royal tunic and tossed it aside.

     She frowned. “My King, I swore an oath to protect you–”

     “I am not your king anymore.” He said as he put on a simple black tunic, one with no crests.

     “Well, whatever. I swore an oath to protect you which means I’m not going to let you run off alone.”

     “Stay out of this.” He tied his belt around his waist and stuck his sword, sheathe and all, right into it. He didn’t understand why she was being so stubborn but he decided not to care.

     “Seliaryn, you can go wherever you want but I will follow you and protect you. I will keep my promise.”

     Seliaryn looked at Am with a fierce, angry look. He had hoped the red-eyed glare would scare her away but he had forgotten that she too had the red eyes and frightening a woman like her would be near to impossible.

     “Your job is to protect the King,” Seliaryn said, “Avaryn is going to need you to protect him, so go.”

     “I didn’t swear my oath to Avaryn, I did to you.”

     “Forget about the goddamned oath,” Seliaryn turned back around and added a smaller knife to his belt, “I swore the same oath to the old king and then ran a sword through his heart.”

     “Circumstances called for that,” Am argued.

     “And circumstances call for you to leave.” He growled as he turned around to face her again.

     Am simply glared back, crossing her arms.

     She wasn’t going to be scared away.

     He glared at her for a long time.

     But without another word, Seliaryn vanished.

     Am rolled her eyes then shrugged her shoulders while she shook her head. “Men.” She said as she left the room.

     She didn’t doubt for a moment that she would be able to find him when she wanted to.

     Because finding people was what she did best.