Golden Prophecy

X L V I I I

BAZILE WAS pacing back and forth. His makeshift office, the one the Royal Counsel had given him, was covered in sheets of ice, some layers thicker than others. He felt the chill seeping from his pores, wrapping around him in a mist of ice.

Everyone had been right about Anlithamy; his power was infinitely stronger here. He had missed this part of himself, the part that had lived and thrived off of his powers, manifesting around him as if they were their own entities. He felt the ice curving around his limbs as he paced, becoming a part of him.

Everything was going to plan. Everything was falling in line perfectly. He grinned to himself as he watched from his own little bit of truth pond. The water laid in a bowl, and under normal circumstances, it wouldn't have worked. But not everyone was the Winter Prince, and not everyone could hold the power of truth beyond the pond.

He watched as the Sun Clan rallied outside of the newly made gate to Anlithamy. They were ready. They were hungry. Bazile watched as Paulisn, the Sun Clan leader, spoke with his people, his arms swinging wide as he spoke. The rest of his clan rallied, excited about entering. Bazile hoped they felt the same taste of vengeance he did.

He needed them to help secure his spot on the throne.

There was a knock at the door, interrupting Bazile's scurrying. He let the image of the sun clan disappear as he called out, "Come in!"

He had expected it to be a member of the Royal Counsel, but instead, it was the last person he expected.

"Father, you wanted to see me?"

Bazile gave his son a grin. The months apart had done Nohx well. "You certainly look more the part of Clan Leader. Destroy any fae villages yet? Or, perhaps you've conquered land by freezing your enemies? Tell me Nohx, just what have you been up to without me?"

Bazile knew it was impossible to get a reaction out of his son. It had always been impossible to read Nohx, ever since they had deposited the princess with the humans. Still, Bazile tried, poking his bear of a son, hoping for a reaction.

Nohx slid his hands into his pants pockets. "I've been helping our people reacclimate to Anlithamy." A boring answer from a boring son. Bazile rolled his eyes.

"Where is the excitement in that?" Then, Bazile grinned, knowing what would get a reaction from his wretched offspring. "I have a surprise for you downstairs."

"The Princess? I already saw her." Nohx leveled his father with a blank stare.

"And? You didn't release her?" Bazile felt his tone of voice verge on desperate. "You could have, you know. Her bracelet trapping her here is technically keyed with your blood. Our blood."

Nohx cocked his head slightly. "You wanted me to release her." A statement, not a question.

Bazile scoffed. "So, what? Nothing? No tears from you, begging me to let her go? No demands for me to save her?"

"What do I care if you release her?" His measured voice was pissing Bazile off, more than he thought. He slammed his fist on the ice desk, watching the ice shatter against his strength.

"I don't understand. You begged me to let you bring her home. You begged me when I sent her away. And now, I've brought her here, I've trapped her, and you don't care?"

Nohx didn't even blink in response. "I did my job. I brought her to the clan. I got us into Anlithamy. I saved our people, and now I'm trying to keep them safe. Can I go back to the Snow Clan now? I've seen you, you've seen me, what else do you want?"