For once, Cain was grateful that he hadn't made many appearances as a Duclair in the Empire, though his striking blond hair and golden green eyes didn't help much. He still stood out like a sore thumb, and unfortunately, now was not the time to switch personas if he wanted to avoid linking his identity to Wolf Brooks.
"I don't know how well I can fight off those men if they have the same kind of magic as the Prince." Catalina warned, still in her human form but prepared to shift at any second.
Cain cursed under his breath, not having predicted this scenario in a million years, nor did he have time to ponder on why they were saying his father was dead when he'd just seen the man.
Norton rushed from around the corner and skidded to a halt when he noticed the two hiding behind the building. "There you are!" He whispered urgently, checking to make sure no one saw him as he approached. "Look, I don't know what's going on, but I know a way out of here without being spotted."
Of course he did. Cain could always count on Norton to get out of a tight spot!
He nodded towards Catalina and the two followed the ex-theif through the alleyways, towards the slums, and through the servant's quarters of a restaurant. They slipped passed the cooks who were too busy to do anything more than shoo at the trio of caped figures who rushed to the adjacent restaurant and headed for the bridge out front. Climbing down to the lower ledge, they found a sewer pipe full of sludge, and to his dismay, Norton led them inside.
It was hours before they got a good whiff of fresh air again, and it was nightfall. As they emerged, Norton pointed out a local stable where they could purchase horses to get further out of the Capital.
"Thank you for your help." Cain led two horses towards the road.
"Not at all." Norton followed along, casting curious glances at Catalina now that they were no longer in the darkness of the sewers. "You helped me get off the streets, the least I can do is help keep you out of jail."
"I truly appreciate it."
"Anytime. Duke William was a prick anyway." Norton commented offhandedly, and Cain fought back a smirk.
Then, the smirk was wiped off his face once Cain processed what this meant. "Andrew's now a Duke." He groaned his realization.
"So much for taking the title from him." Catalina clicked her tongue. "Not that it was ever his to begin with."
"I don't understand?" Norton intervened. "What's this about a title?"
"Did you not read the pamphlets?"
"I did," Norton admitted. "I just thought it was some more rumors. I went to that gala before and heard all kinds of stories that I knew weren't true because...Well, some of them were about me! So I didn't take any of what was said seriously."
"But it is true," Cain explained. "Those weren't lies. Lena did kill my mother, and I have proof of it now, but my father was an accomplice and would never have let her go to prison for it."
"It sounds like you were the one who made those pamphlets...." Norton stopped walking.
Cain weighed how much he could reveal at this point. He was already a wanted man, framed for a murder he had no idea had been committed, or at least faked. It was not like things could get much worse. But before he could say anything, the man shrugged.
"Well, I can't blame you."
Right. Norton was the one who notified him of the poison in the first place. He should be able to trust the man at this point.
"So does that mean everything on that flier was true? Master Andrew is practicing black magic?"
"When the poison didn't work, it would seem he resorted to more dangerous measures. Probably because I'm so good at disappearing that his normal assassins would have had trouble tracking me." Cain gloated.
Catalina climbed up on one of the horses and lead the other toward Cain. "Sorry to interject, but we have to get going before your brother sends scouts this way."
"Right." Cain grabbed the horse's lead and climbed up, then glanced back to his friend. "Do you want to come with us? It might not be safe in the capital for you anymore."
"I'll be fine." He shrugged. "I'm going to stick around for a while and see if there's anything I can do. I'm an eyewitness to your whereabouts after all. Maybe I can help clear your name?"
"That won't work." Cain shook his head, knowing that this was a complicated cover-up lead by the imperial family itself. "Trust me. If you're going to stay here, lay low."
"If you say so." Norton glanced back at the city. "I like having a normal job. It's better than living on the street. Hopefully, I'll find another one with everything you've done to help me."
"Yes. I'm sure you will." Cain promised himself that once this mess died down, he'd send for Norton and reveal everything. Just not now. He couldn't risk dragging the man down with him if he were to be captured on the road. No, he'll have to either clear his name or disappear first...
They all bid each other farewell, and Cain and Catalina rode off towards the Forest of Death, arriving days later, exhausted and dirty, but overall alive.
The same four eldest girls greeted him on arrival, and he ordered a bath immediately. Having sorted out his plans on the road, he came to a decision and dyed his hair black. From here on out, whenever he left, he'd always keep his mask on, no matter what. He was no longer Cain Dulcair. He was now Wolf Brooks. And his plans had changed.
His father had been murdered, probably to cover up the flier incident. That meant that both the Prince and Andrew were up to something even bigger if they were willing to go that far to keep the Duclair's in power.
If they waited too long, then the truth about their ages would have eventually come to light and they'd have had no choice but to acknowledge Cain as the legitimate heir. He just didn't expect them to kill the current duke and frame Cain just to hand everything over to Andrew.
War was about to break out very soon. If Andrew got drafted and killed in battle, Cain could focus on clearing his name and reclaiming his inheritance. But he would have to wait months for that.
In the meantime, he sent out more servant requests as well as a personal courier to help deliver letters. He wanted to keep in touch with Norton for starters and make sure the man didn't get caught up in everything.
On top of that, he needed someone to retrieve his mail from the Capital. Once or twice he'd send Catalina to the Duclair manor to see how things were going, only to find that Andrew had blocked out any demons from entering the property anymore.
There had to be another way to get information...
Cain decided to risk it and wrote a letter to Gideon, using his real name, and had it delivered to the man. The letter was simple. He apologized for all the trouble he'd put the butler through and swore up and down on his innocence. He also asked about the wellbeing of the servant staff and expressed his hopes that they were not being mistreated.
Within a week, he got a reply.
To Cain's surprise, the man's loyalty to the Duclair manor had diminished after William Duclair's death. He hadn't witnessed it, but he already suspected that Andrew had something to do with everything. As a butler, he had eyes and ears everywhere and the way the new Duke carried himself indicated a lack of remorse for his late father.
Plus, having been in the manor, the butler already knew that Cain couldn't possibly have been responsible for Williams's death since he'd left the grounds before it happened.
In other words, Cain had a new spy in his pocket.
Checking his calendar, he went over the upcoming events that he knew were about to happen. The Empire already blamed the Kingdom of Chalot for the assassination attempt on the prince. This caused the borders to be closed down. However, unbeknownst to the rest of the public, the Emperor had also begun encroaching on Chalot's land.
Naturally, this would result in retaliation, and Maddox would be leading the first battalion.
If he didn't already know where the battle would take place, he'd have no way of contacting the man. But in this case, he did and prepared for his inevitable trip to the battlefield...
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