Moonhart's Shadowed Coronet

Chapter nine: The Unseen Tides

Dogon's fingertips lingered on Kamari's wrist, feeling the faint thrum of her pulse—a subtle rebellion against the grand hall's oppressive silence. Each of her breaths was a soft murmur, challenging the stillness that had fallen over the whispering and rustling robes. Dogon stood apart, an unmoving sentinel amidst the chaos, his gaze locked on the fragile rise and fall of her chest.

In front of Dogon stood Kale in the shadows, his silhouette stretched over them, a spectre of foreboding. The blade in his grip partnered with the remaining flickering candlelight, casting a web of shadows upon the cold stone. His usually unwavering gaze danced with a tempest of unvoiced thoughts, drawn not to the weapon he wielded but to the ghostly pallor of the girl cradled in Dogon's protective hold. His hand, poised above the sword's hilt, betrayed his role as a reluctant sentinel over Dogon's quiet watch.

A dance of shadows played across Dogon's features as he held Kamari closer, a silent battle waged behind his composed facade. The grand hall seemed to hold its breath, the air thick with an indefinable tension. Yet, in the moment Dogon's eyes met Kamari's ashen face, a fracture appeared in the fortress of his expression, revealing a glimpse of the raw, unguarded emotion he fought to conceal. It was a rare crack in his armour, exposing a maelstrom of emotions for her he had never meant to bare.

Oblivious to the scrutiny of the gathered crowd, Dogon remained laser-sharp on Kamari, his touch gentle yet possessive as he murmured soothing assurances. The air thrummed with unspoken questions, but Dogon paid them no heed, his entire being anchored to the precarious lifeline of Kamari's existence.

Badar, having slipped unnoticed from the monarchs' table—a testament to her stealth—watched intently. Her gaze, sharp as obsidian, sliced through the dissenting whispers, fixated on Dogon with a near-obsessive fervour. The air around her seemed to crackle, charged with jealousy that had found a new target as she watched Dogon with predatory patience, as if waiting for the perfect moment to strike, her silent stare issuing a challenge from behind.

Amidst the charged atmosphere, Eleena Kadake approached with measured steps and the grace of royalty. Her gaze, as cold as the steel of her crown, fell upon Dogon and Kamari with icy scrutiny.

'Duke of Haiiro,' she declared, her voice a silken lash that stilled the room. 'Please, do explain yourself.' she commanded, her voice echoing against the high arches.

Dogon met her icy gaze, a mischievous grin playing at his lips.

'Your Grace,' he corrected himself, feigning a deferential bow, 'or should I say "Your Highness" now? I couldn't simply stand by while she lay here, life slipping away.' His voice, laden with unspoken truths, resonated with a quiet strength.

Dogon stood up from where he had been kneeling with Kamari in his embrace and closed the gap between him and Eleena Kadake with purposeful strides, his movements a silent reply to the urgency coursing through Kamari's veins. Her heart, a faltering drum against the hollow of his chest, was a testament to the tenacity of life. 'Stay with me, Kamari.' he breathed, infusing words woven with hope. His smile bloomed, a rare warmth as if it were winter in the grand hall—Kamari had persevered. The crowd's disbelief, the sharp intake of breaths, the whispers—all faded into nothingness. In Dogon's world, there was only her. There was only Kamari.

Eleena Kadake's eyes turned to stone as she watched on, her face a mask sculpted to hide the storm within. The confusion that knotted the brows of the onlookers mirrored her own—not just at Dogon's unexpected tenderness but at the very breath that still dared to flow through Kamari's lips.

'How is she still able to breathe? And what business is it of yours to intervene in matters that do not concern you?' Eleena Kadake's voice lashed out, each word a barb dipped in venom, her challenge hanging heavy in the air between them.

Dogon's grin unfurled, a playful spark igniting in his eyes as he met Eleena Kadake's gaze.

'Ah, but to extend a hand to those faltering is the mark of a true citizen, is it not?" His voice, rich with irony, danced through the growing tension. With Kamari still cradled like a precious relic against him. Dogon moved in even closer. His poise a silent ballet, a stark contrast to the weight of his charge and the gravity of the moment.

Eleena Kadake's jaw set, a ripple of annoyance briefly disturbing the regal calm of her features. She stood, an unyielding statue, her gaze ablaze with caution and curiosity.

'Spare me your lectures on duty, Duke of Haiiro,' she hissed, her tone silken yet threatening. Dogon's expression remained tranquil, betraying none of the tempests raging beneath.

'Of course, Your Highness,' Dogon replied, his voice a gentle, smooth stroke, each word dipped in feigned deference. 'I merely seek to assist where I can.'

The grand hall thrummed with tension, a silent storm brewing between Dogon and Eleena Kadake. Dogon's sharp and discerning eyes nearly betrayed a hint of wariness. He was keenly aware of the delicate balance he tread, the danger in exposing his true might within this mortal realm. Yet, as he locked eyes with Eleena Kadake and Kale, a sliver of respect shimmered through—the acknowledgment of the power they wielded was surprisingly strong for the ones he deemed insignificant.

'You inquired about her breath,' Dogon spoke, his voice a steady hum, masking the whirlwind of his thoughts. He adjusted Kamari in his arms, a quiet, unspoken pledge to his guardianship of the girl in his arms whom he barely knew.

'She breathes because the threads of fate have not yet severed. She breathes because she has proven herself to be the strongest ruler your Queendom has ever known,' he declared, the certainty in his tone leaving no room for doubt.

Turning away from Eleena Kadake, the murmurs of the crowd, and the scrutiny of the monarchs', Dogon moved with deliberate steps. Kamari, nestled securely against him, was a silent vow of protection. Kale watched with a skeptic's eye, Badar with concealed admiration. And yet again, Dogon remained undistracted, his entire being focused on the precious life against his chest.

And again, with a sudden flash of light, they were gone, leaving only the echo of their departure.

As the night deepened, so did the mystery of Kamari's condition. Whispers among the nobles grew into a cacophony of rumours. Some spoke of a curse, others of a coming-of-age ritual gone awry. But amidst the speculation, a singular truth emerged—Kamari was the key to a power that could shift the very balance of the Queendom as well as the realms.