King Felix Andry
Iron City, Sarkin
I have been staring at this map for half an hour with no luck. The disappearance of Henrietta's son Rowan with the prisoner Roland is now known throughout the castle and probably the city as well. Soldiers have been dispatched to track them down, as well as rangers, but no luck so far. No one knows for sure how it was managed but having a traitor within the walls aided the rebels enormously. It was always my biggest fear, having a traitor within the walls; it just wasn't the one I thought.
"Well, well, well..." I look up, momentarily startled by the new voice booming over the room full of chaos. "Don't you look a hundred years past dead." I let out a laugh of surprise, seeing my baby brother striding through the Great Hall, his wife close behind.
"Did you really just call me old?" I embrace him, glad to have him here, despite the situation. It has been a while since I have seen them, but they have not changed much.
"Yes." Raleigh doesn't hesitate and grins as we pull back. "But to be fair, you are much older than I and you can't call me old without calling yourself old."
This causes a fit of laughs between us, old friends and brothers reunited again. "You are impossible, brother." I turn to his wife. "Ana." I greet with an embrace. "As terrifying and beautiful as ever." She punches me in the arm, but grins in a teasing way. "Nothing has changed I see."
"Indeed not." Elleana has always had the type of dark eyes that you never knew what she was going to do, but they shined in a way that made you happily uneasy; a strange combination. "The children send their love."
"I wish they could have come, but not under these circumstances." I reply, turning the conversation to a more serious matter. "The rebels are forming."
"Yes, we know." Elleana answers, before Raleigh could jump in. "We saw them crossing the borders on the way here." She shares a look with Raleigh before adding on. "Topaz is leading the army of rebels herself." This is not a surprise. Our traitorous aunt has been keeping herself very busy.
"We rode as hard as we could." Raleigh says, finally getting a word in. "Even found a couple of strays on the way."
As if on cue, two familiar faces round the corner and spot me immediately. "Thank God." My aunt's gentle voice reaches me as she does and wraps me in a tight embrace. "We were so full of fear when we saw the rebels." She finally let go as her husband, my uncle Zircon, walked up beside her. "We thought perhaps you would be still out looking for Josie and Jaymie. Have they come back?" The mention of my missing daughter always dampens my spirits, but with the mention of my missing sister on top of it makes my blood run cold. I have made so many mistakes in my life. How could I not see how unhappy my sister was? How could I have been so cruel to her?
"No, Aunt." I tell her after a long moment of silence. "They are both strong and stubborn girls. I have no fear for their safety, for they could always take care of themselves." It was a complete lie, but I had to say something to soften the look of terror on my aunt's face. Someone had to have a little hope.
"Where is your mother?" Uncle Zircon asks, diverting the subject, to which I am thankful.
"Upstairs with my father and Marina. They are trying to talk Karic out of joining the fight." A small smile comes to my lips as I think back on the last three hours I was up there. I had to escape that situation while I could. I wasn't about to tell Marina she was smothering the poor boy, or that she treated Karic like I did Jaymie. That is a battle I am not prepared to fight. "The boy is stubborn."
As I look up at my uncle, I catch a grin as well. "Runs in the family, doesn't it." He chuckles.
My aunt and uncle head off in the direction of my wife, while Raleigh and Elleana stay behind. "What is the plan, brother?" Raleigh asks, coming to stand beside me as I look at the map of Sarkin on a makeshift table.
How could I tell him that I didn't have a plan? I am the King of Sarkin, being invaded by rebels and I have absolutely no idea what to do. All my life I have wanted to control everything, but somethings can't be controlled. I look at my brother for a long second until he meets my gaze with the same blue eyes as our mother. "What do you think we should do, brother?" Raleigh has been in more battles than I ever have. I can't do this all on my own. I need help, and it starts right here and right now. Brother to brother.
***
King Rory Fairmore
Imperial City, Vrinian
The details...I have to give my future wife credit. All of the wedding celebration details she has been handling, and doing so well, I might mistake her for a professional. I sit at the long table, my chin resting in my hand, elbow pointed on the table, staring at her as servants rush to her for answers. She calmly answers and sends each away, while still managing to eat something. She catches me starting and blushes. "What?"
"Nothing." I answer, dropping my hand onto the table with a grin. She raises an eyebrow at me in question. "You are really pretty." I answer in a cheesy way. She scrunches her nose at me in a mocking way and eats the grape at the end of her fork. "I am serious. You are handling all this so very well. I was afraid it would be too much."
"What this?" Lyana motions to the chaos swarming us. "This is nothing. You should have seen the orphanage I was raised in." Her voice drops for a while and I can feel her spirits lessen, thinking back on the past.
"You are here now. The past is the past." I reach across the table and take her hand. "Think back only on the good memories, and not the bad, love." I suggest and her blue eyes meet mine with a grateful look.
"How is it I landed the affection of the most handsome, most eligible young bachelor in the realm?" She questions, her eyes shining.
I sit up straighter in my chair, adjusting my tunic with mock pride. "Yes, well...It was very difficult."
Lyana places a hand over her heart like I had seen many girls in the village do when they swoon over me. I don't know why. "And he is modest." Her voice is soft and playful, but full of heavy sarcasm. She sighs. "Be still my beating heart." I laugh and she giggles as well.
We fall back into the morning routine, continuing with breakfast for a while until she looks at the vacant other chairs. "Where is your mother?"
"In her research place, no doubt." I hadn't seen her since she gave me the ring that I gave to Lyana. I wasn't worried though. She has always been distant, off in the background somewhere. I had thought, with the wedding being in three days, she might actually appear and help with some of it.
The doors of the room burst open and Tobias comes rushing in. "My King. We are under attack." The playfulness leaves the room and a state of seriousness sets in. Lyana stands up and runs to my side, reading to take on anything, together, as always. "I must get you two to safety."
"To late for that." A foreign voice fills the hall as two figures round the corner where Tobias had entered. Several rebel soldiers follow a moment later. My own guards draw their weapons, awaiting their orders.
"How dare you come here!" I shout at them. Tobias is at my side in an instant, sword in hand; ready to give his life to protect me. I take in the two rebels in the lead, both having a higher rank look about them. One was older, frailer looking, while the other was around my age, or a few years ahead, and bigger in size. Both of them share the same blond hair and blue eyes, family resemblance. I look to the older one, taking in every detail and realize I know him. "I know you. You are Roland Castian."
"Oh, will you look at that, the boy king isn't just a pretty face." He remarks in sarcasm. The boy at his side sneers.
"I know more than you think. Including that you escaped from Sarkin with the help of a traitor within the castle walls." I look at the boy rebel. He is nearly Tobias' size, but arrogant and undoubtedly just brute strength. "A boy I am told is Henrietta Digory's eldest son."
"Very good." Roland Castian says, with a tone of being impressed. "This will make it all the more entertaining then."
"Make what entertaining?" I question, hating how intrigued I feel.
"Listen here, boy king, you have something I want, and I will get it back even if I have to slaughter everyone in this castle." Roland sneers. I try to think of what he might want; my castle, or my throne possibly. "If you give it to me, I will leave your castle and your kingdom and not return." That, I highly doubt, but I am willing to play along for the sake of the lives in the castle.
"And what, dare I ask, is this thing that you want that I supposedly have?" I question, standing straighter as a King ought to. I am almost afraid to ask, but at a time like this, fear is not allowed.
"My daughter." He says, and for a second I am struck dumb. It is not the answer I was thinking. "This castle has held her captive for long enough. I have come to set her free."
I shake my head. "I know nothing of your daughter, Roland Castian. No one even knows what she looks like."
"Ah..." He nods, clearly amused with himself. He shares a glance with his nephew, before looking back to me with a piercing glare and a haunting grin. "There is at least one person who does know, other than her mother and I."
"And that person would be?" I am growing tired of this traitor's games.
"You, King Rory Fairmore." He lets out a laugh. "Surely you of all people must have guessed..." When he meets my stare again, he falls silent, surprised that I still have no clue what he is talking about. "How touching...and how heartbreaking this will be for you."
"Don't listen to him." I hear my love's voice in my ear.
"He is right." Tobias voices, casting me a quick side glance. "Roland is exceptional at deceiving people."
"You would know, wouldn't you little traitor assassin." Roland snaps at Tobias.
"Enough games." Tobias yells at them, taking a fighting stance.
"You are right." Roland's voice falls soft again, like honey in a trap. "Enough games."
"Please." I hear my future wife say close to my ear, and for a moment I think she is talking to me, but as I look at her, she is looking right at the rebels. "Don't do this." She begs.
I look back to Roland, more confused than ever. Does she know him? How? He grins, while is bright eyes stare like a snake. He holds out his hand and I have the sudden thought of having Tobias chop it off as a trophy. That is when I realize, Roland isn't looking at me anymore. I am just a figure in the background of his mind. The true focus now is standing beside me. "The game is over, daughter. Your mission is finished." My gut feels as though it is twisting into thousands of knots and I recoil from Roland, refusing to listen to him a moment longer.
"Tobias, end this. I want those traitor rebels killed or imprisoned." I command and Tobias doesn't even hesitate.
"You know your orders." Roland commands to his nephew at his side. The boy grins evilly and turns to run out of the room with the rebel soldiers. Orders? What orders?
"No!" Lyana screams at my side, clearing understanding better than I. "I will go with you!"
"You cannot be serious!" I turn to her, wanting to shake her to reason.
She is still looking at Roland, and his nephew and rebels have stopped, awaiting more orders. "I will go with you, but you have to leave this castle and kingdom unharmed. No one gets hurt."
"Oh, child, you know better than I that one person will get hurt. But it won't be because of me will it?" Roland smiles darkly, and I look back at Lyana, her eyes closed in a defeated way.
"You can't go with him. He is a traitor." I can tell that my words are not sinking in with her. Tears streaming down her face. "He is rebel traitor, Lyana. You are not his daughter."
Lyana opens her eyes to look up at me, and it is like a slap to my face; a burst through my memory of every time I have been close to her. I can see the things I didn't see before. I can understand the things I didn't understand before. I can see it then. The color of her eyes, so clear blue and so traitorously familiar I wonder why I didn't see it before. I didn't want to see it. I didn't want to believe it. She shakes her head, unable to deny my fears. "I am his daughter."
***
Heir Princess Jaymie Dain-Andry
Infernal City, Hosephia
"I don't know what to do, Ezra." It is a confession that has been weighing heavily on my mind since I awoke. The realization of being two heirs rather than barely being one is unsettling. "Hosephia needs a queen, and as the last blood relative of Queen Maya, I am the obvious choice, but I am also the heir of Sarkin." It is everything I can do to keep myself from bursting into tears. Pyro, nestled and hidden within my braided hair, hums in a comforting way as I feel him nuzzle closer to my ear. I had been worried about him, but once he finally ate something, he seems to be doing fine now, as I am. We are both still weak, but every hour we grow stronger. My muscles ache but my bruises are hidden from sight.
Ezra takes my hand in his and kisses it as we walk. He hasn't left my side and we have easily found a familiarity that comes with the love we were refusing to feel before. It feels strange knowing Ezra loves me, having previously thought no one ever would. "Whatever your decision, I am by your side." I nod, silently telling him that I understand. Do I even want to be queen?
The group is in the Great Hall when we arrive. Ezra has already filled me in on his escape at the hands of a man named Henry and a woman named Tessa, close friends of Alexa's. As the doors open, it is Iris who hollers out my name. I am swept into an embrace, and for a moment we cling to each other, and I suddenly understand that I am the closest thing to family she probably has. If she does have family, she never speaks of them. She is family to us. She doesn't say anything more but she doesn't need to. We pull away and I can see a brokenness in her eyes; guilt, shame, sadness. I look to Lucas who gives a nod out of respect. I notice that he is apart from the group, undoubtedly feeling awkward among the rest. I hug Alexa for a long moment, knowing how free she must feel now. I am sure she would have cried if we had been alone. I am sure I would have also. There is a new fire behind her dark eyes; a hope and a relief. I take in Tessa and Henry, both obviously ready to depart to go in search of those still hiding from Brighane. There is an obvious closeness between the two, one that spans years; an understanding and a friendship. A familiar friendship not unlike one that I suddenly feel lacking in my own life. Despite everything, I couldn't deny our past. I may not trust him anymore, but he is still a part of me. I search out my childhood friend, but he is not present. I look up at Ezra, with one word escaping me. "Dex?"
"He is upstairs." It is Alexa who answers as I face the group. "In a locked and guarded room, recovering."
I nod, only to signal to move on from the subject. I am not ready to talk about him just yet, let alone face him. I take in the group, from strangers to friends, as Ezra slips his hand into mine. The act does not go unnoticed from Iris as well as Alexa. Alexa smiles, but Iris's face falls into a state of foreign sadness, unreadable to most, but not to me. It is almost like she isn't herself anymore, though she is trying to hide it. Something happened, but I won't press her now. "You don't know how much it means to me that you came to save me." I voice to the group. "I would not be alive today if you hadn't been there." That much is undoubtedly true. I face Leo, the once great pirate king and my rescuer. Alexa had come to check on me soon after awaking and we had talked of my rescue. Though she refused to go into much detail on the pirate, I was well enough to read between the lines to know just who he is, or was, especially to her. "Leo Cavalier, I understand you have made a lot of mistakes in the past." He shuffles uncomfortably, and I only just notice that he has taken a beating. New and old bruises color his face. "But I also understand that you are trying to fix those mistakes. I do not have the power yet to pardon you of all wrong-doings in the past, but I can do one thing. I award you enough money restore your armada, if you are willing to follow the path of good, rather than your thieving ways. You must forget your pirating ways, and instead become an Admiral of Zoshan."
Leo's head tilts slightly, not understanding fully. "There is no such title as admiral in Zoshan, not since many, many years ago."
"I know." I nod, finding a regal air in my tone and posture. "It is the highest honor a captain of the sea may possess. As you have said, no one today holds such a title, until now. Do not waste it."
There is no hesitation in his answer, but his shock is unmistakable on his face. "I am honored, Princess. I have seen the error in my ways. I will never again make such mistakes."
"See that you don't." I tell him with a stern look, leaving the threat hanging in his mind.
"Have you made a decision, Jaymie?" It is Alexa who approaches me. She doesn't have to say it, for I know to what she is referring. The look the others share tells me she has told them.
"Not yet." I admit. "I am honored to have such a tie to the Hosephia throne, and I acknowledge that I am the last blood-related heir, but I am also the heir of Sarkin. If I stay, I am removing myself from my family in Sarkin and relinquishing my right to the throne, giving it to my brother Karic instead. If I go home, I relinquish my right to the throne of Hosephia and leave you vulnerable to another ruler. I cannot make this decision without weighing it heavily. If Jemma was alive, I wouldn't hesitate to be queen of Sarkin. My quest to find her has failed. I have to accept that Jemma is gone."
"Jemma?" Alexa's friend, Tessa, is a voice that pulls me to look up and meet her uneasy gaze. "I haven't heard that name in years. I knew her well, but how could she have been Queen of Hosephia?"
"Jemma was my sister." I reveal to her, finding a second of hope in that someone knew her. There are so many things she could tell me about my sister. Maybe then I could find peace.
"Impossible." Tessa lets out a small laugh of disbelief, while shaking her hooded head with a frown. "I know for a fact that Jemma had no family at all."
"That is what I thought about myself, but I discovered that my mother, Matylda Dain, had a daughter before I was born and named her Jemma before she was taken from her." I give a shrug off my shoulders, trying to show that it doesn't bother me as much as I know it does on the inside. Knowing my sister is gone has chipped pieces away at my heart. "I only just found out a few weeks ago she even existed at all. I came in search of her, all the way here to Hosephia, only to find out Brighane murdered her."
"He sure tried." The woman, Tessa gave a harsh laugh, eyes lost in memories. "That bastard really, really tried." For a moment, I am almost too shocked to speak. It is almost as though Tessa was there; as if she saw it. But then I take in her words of "tried" meaning he tried and failed.
I feel the air leave me, and my jaw hangs for a moment. "Are you telling me that Jemma is alive?" Could it be? "Is my sister alive?"
Tessa hesitates, but her voice rings out in a tone of seriousness. "Do you swear that what you tell me is the truth? That Jemma really is your sister?"
"Yes." The answer escapes me before she even finishes the question. "Jemma is a Dain and she is my sister and the true heir of Hosephia. She has a far greater claim to this throne than I do, but I don't care about that. If my sister is alive, I just want to meet her." If there is any hope, any at all, this Tessa woman holds it.
For a moment, I am unsure if my answer pleases Tessa. Is she even telling the truth? What if she is lying? What if she is just using me to get information? "Very well." She looks up at the man, Henry, standing next to her, who has been silent all morning. They share a look and it seems that he is telling her something. Their body-language suggests a mental argument between the two. She gives a sigh, clearly giving in. "Jemma is alive." Tessa's pale green eyes meet mine with a look that is haunting.
I let out a laugh of happiness, and cling to Ezra, the only thing holding me up. "Where is she? Can I see her? Can you take me to her? Can I meet her?"
"You already have." At this, Tessa removes the hooded cloak she has been wearing the entire morning, revealing for the first time her fiery red hair. "I am Jemma."
***
Lady Adelina Argos
Imperial City, Vrinian
Fear. What do people fear the most? As I look around the eerily quiet, trashed house, I realize all too terribly how much I fear losing family. If Benjamin was not here, I would crumble to the floor, into the darkness that is creeping inside of me. This is wrong. All wrong. Every warning in my body, every instinct, is telling me so. "Billy?" I am momentarily startled by the whimper of my own voice, how afraid I sound. Benji looks at me, a finger to his lips and I fall silent. He can see the terror in my eyes, and somehow I draw a bit of strength from the fearlessness in his eyes. We have waited, far too long, for this day.
I am not sure what is worse, finding Billy dead on the floor or not finding him at all. The house is empty. Benji checked twice and had soldiers check a third, leaving no floorboard unturned. He is gone. Where, I don't know. Suddenly, a thought hits me. I run to the nearest window and look out, seeing a form at the top of the hill. "Billy." With Benjamin at my side, we run up the hill, to the resting place of my god-father's wife and my sister-in-law. He leaning back against the side of the headstone, his eyes lost and his chest rising and falling in a slow rhythm. He is alive. I touch his shoulder, kneeling now beside him. "Billy."
It takes a second, but his eyes meet mine and recognition crosses his face. "Addy."
"What happened, Billy?" I question, searching and silently begging for answers.
His eyes look down the hill to the house where he and Clarissa had raised their children. So many happy memories were in that house, along with one very awful one. "They came in the night, while I was up here. I didn't hear them because I was too drunk. They took everything. There is nothing left."
"You are alive, that is all that matters." Benjamin reasons, placing a hand on my shoulder.
A sudden, horrifying thought hits me. "But if you're here and fine, then..." My question is cut short by the loud bell to which signals alarm. I stand up in shock, realizing what happened. "The prisoners weren't the distraction, Billy was." Dear Lord, no. Benjamin didn't hesitate to take action, but me, I am frozen in place. My city. My beautiful stronghold city. Fire and chaos burn throughout Emberhelm. Screams and sounds of scraping metal waft up the hill and ricochet off the mountains. This must have been what it was like when Ebonash attacked all those year ago. It had been a dragon which burned the city to the ground that time. Now, it was the rebels.
I run, barely aware of the calls from Billy telling me to stop. I can't stop. This is my city. I am not just the leader protecting her people, but a mother protecting her children. An anger forms inside me, one deeper than anything I have ever felt. How dare they come into my home and threaten me. They have no idea who they are messing with.