COBALT: The Sovereign's Stratagem (Book Two)

Chapter 10: A Promise of the End (Part 3/3)

Happy Holidayzz

—————

The halls were quiet as Adrian snuck through them, lighting his path with a dim orb of light. It was well enough into the night for most of the castle to be a ghost town. He wanted to make sure nobody was there to see him at his destination aside from the spare guard.

He had his pride to keep up.

He stopped at two metal doors, groaning as he silently propped one open and snuffed the light he held. Looking around the massive library he squinted through the shadows of shelves, stretched by large windows lining the walls. The main bookhold was likely to have more of a sorted selection, but at this very moment, he desperately needed quality.

A shield of the highest caliber.

Horus sighed as they stood in the private library, reminding the prince that he had dragged him along for the night raid. This was a mission of stealth and critical timing, one slip and Adrian would be grounded with a guard escort instead of just at his door. Adrian paid Horus a nod, forming a dim orb of light and pointing to the rolling ladder leading up to the second level of the private library.

Horus obediently started up the ladder. His slow paced turned to a scramble when they both heard the approaching footsteps. Adrian practically shoved Horus up the last few bars, the two of them toppling over eachother to crawl behind a shelf as the door opened.

Adrian held his breath instead of sighing as his father voice came through the walls. Of all the blasted times to get a book.

His father's footsteps were unmistakable as the room became awash with light. Through the thin cracks in the shelf, Adrian could barely make out his father's head as Jackling followed behind him with a few rolled documents. He thanked him as he laid them on the desk in the middle of the room, activating a smaller light enchantment perched at the desk to clearly display the lines of artful text one of the pieces was filled with. 

He eyed the document with the same look he'd had for days. Adrian saw it on his mother when she was choosing outfits for him. He was torn. 

The king hummed, "Jackling, would you allow me to pick at your mind for a moment?"

Mr. Jackling bowed his head. "Of course, your majesty."

"What do you think of this treaty?"

Adrian grimaced. He never saw much of a point in asking servants for their opinions on matters. Jackling could read, but that didn't mean he could comprehend even the simplest problems a king had to solve. And none of this explained why his father had to choose this room of all places to work late into the night.

"I agree with you your majesty. Signing it seems risky."

Cilvren frowned at the response. "I'm surprised you share my opinions Jackling."

"You sit upon a throne for a reason your majesty."

"I'm a meathead in the diplomacy department, as my wife kindly puts it. You don't strike me as one, that's why we hired you to tutor."

Mr. Jackling remained studious at the blow, nodding with a soft smile. "I see, your Majesty."

Cilvren chuckled at his continued politeness. "I don't mean to dismiss your thoughts so easily Jackling... but I think Yahsha may be right, and I suspect if she asked your opinions, you wouldn't be so stiff to agree with her. Both sides tire of fighting, and I need to focus on our more localised, fire breathing neighbours."