Rilan and Tomas were in awe…and shock.
The hundreds of corpses that had littered the fields the day before had vanished. Broken Coast soldiers and Akurai soldiers. All gone.
All that remained was the blood-stained grass, the thick, churned-up mud, and the man-made leftovers of the fight.
“What the fuck is going on?” Tomas whispered to Rilan.
“I said it yesterday, and I’ll say it again today,” Rilan said. “This doesn’t bode well.”
Chapter 8 - A Single Moment
Katryna lay on her bed in a dark and empty room. A single lit candlestick rested on her bedside dresser. Everything else was cast in shadow.
Katryna could feel her heart beating out of her chest, the blood pumping through her veins, and the muscles tensing throughout her body. It was as if she were being constricted.
Breathe. Breathe.
She inhaled deeply, before exhaling slowly.
Cool fingers of the evening wind run across her skin. The shutters had been left open, but Katryna didn’t mind the cold. It helped her stay grounded.
Katryna tried focusing on the cold sensation, but her mind kept returning to the nausea in her stomach, the racing heartbeat in her chest, and the panic in her mind.
Mother and father, poisoned. This cannot be happening.
It was an uneasy sensation to have. Katryna didn’t feel safe in the very castle where she had grown up.
Returning to her quarters as soon as the meeting had adjourned was a good call, she realised. She needed the break from everyone. Finding her way through the maze of halls and stairwells had not helped her panic, however.
Katryna felt trapped, slowly suffocating.
The walls felt like they would topple at any moment.
Fear was not the only emotion causing her such grief. Coming back home had filled her mind with long-hidden memories of Willem. Memories she had dug a pit for long ago. Memories she did not want to resurface at all.
Cold, icy hands pinned her down in the bed and strangled the air from her throat.
Her mother’s voice shrieked from the past.
“Katryna, what have you done?!”
There was a heavy knock on the door.
Katryna, startled, jumped up in her bed, wiping the sweat from her face. “Who is it?”
One of the Infinity Guardsmen stationed at her door replied, “My lady, your handmaiden Trish it here to see you.”
“Let her in, and shut the door behind you, please.”
Trish entered holding a small platter of food, still wearing her flowing red dress.
“I brought you something to eat, you haven’t had food since yesterday,” Trish said. Her voice was gentle and soothing to hear. A welcome relief.
Trish closed the shutters. The room fell silent as the breeze vanished. She placed the food on the bed and sat down next to Katryna. Katryna said nothing, still feeling swamped with emotion and anxiety.
“You really should eat something, m’lady.”
Katryna pushed the platter away. “Thanks Trish, but I’m really not hungry.”
Trish looked straight into her friends’ eyes with concern; her scar was barely visible in the dim light beneath her stunning blonde hair.
“What’s going on, Kat?”
Katryna sat with her legs against her chest, arms wrapped tightly around them. She shook her head. She did not even want to utter the words. But like an old, blocked pipe, the pressure was released, and it all came out at once along with a stream of tears.
“It’s my parents,” Katryna said, sniffing. “They…they think they were poisoned.”
Trish covered her mouth in shock and was speechless for a moment. “What? Poison?”
Katryna could only nod. She continued with her deep breathing.
“Kat, I’m so sorry. Oh my, that is so awful.” Trish held Katryna as she cried into her hands. “Who could have done this?”
“Creator, I don’t know. I can’t even fathom it. They were supposed to have the best protection in the kingdom. How could this have happened?”
“It’s unbelievable. Is your father still…?”
“He’s still alive, yes. Someone will be sent soon to take me to him.” Katryna took some deep breaths again to calm her crying. “The High Sword, Ser Arthus, said that we are all in danger. Anyone could be a target. We don’t know who the assassin is or what they want.”
“Oh, Kat. I’m sure that everything will be alright. You have guards to protect you, and Castle Bower is a fortress. Plus, you’ve got me to look out for you.”
Katryna smiled through the tears. That was reassuring to hear for her, considering how alone she was feeling.
“I don’t understand, Trish. Father doesn’t have any enemies; he is a good man.”
“He is.”
“How did this happen?”
Trish shook her head. “I don’t know. But right now, I think you should focus on yourself and your father. Worrying about things that are out of your control will only drive you mad, believe me! Let the Infinity Guards, the High Sword and myself worry about your safety. We won’t let any harm come to you; I promise.”
“And what of my brothers, and my sister-in-law? Or my aunts and uncle?”
“Don’t worry about all that. Most of them don’t even want you here, Kat.” Trish replied a little coldly.
“They are still my family. I still worry for their safety.”
Trish composed herself before nodding. “You’re right, I apologise. I did not mean to be rude. But if the king and queen were poisoned, then anybody could be responsible. Anybody. I think it best that you look out for yourself first.”
Trish was resourceful. Katryna could hear it in her voice that she knew what she was talking about, so she nodded understandingly.
“No matter what happens, you will be alright. You are stronger than you know.”
“Thanks, Trish. I don’t know what I’d do without you.”
“Starve and die, most likely,” Trish smirked. “Now come on, eat up.”
Katryna gazed at the platter of food. Chicken marinated in honey, green beans and onion, and an assortment of shellfish. Yet she could not see beyond the possible dangers it held.
“And it’s safe to eat?”
“The Infinity Guard had it taste tested, and I brought it straight up from the kitchens myself.”
Katryna felt her stomach aching and her mouth watering. She took the platter, grabbed a fork for herself and passed the other to Trish. The two shared the food, enjoying the rich tastes of her homeland.
Honey and seafood were staples of Camridian diet. The chicken was juicy, and the honey sauce was sweet with a slight tang, while the shellfish was firm and fresh. She mixed the steaming vegetables in, giving each bite a satisfying crunch.
“This is so good. I’ve missed Ravenrock’s food,” Katryna said, the sweet tastes filling her with energy again.
“Me too. The best food I could ever find in Redwatch was rabbit stew! And rabbit gets old real fast after a while.”
Trish poured Katryna and herself each a cup of wine.
It was the first moment since arriving where Katryna had a moment to herself to think and relax, and for that, she was grateful. She eventually caught herself smiling.
Trish eagerly dug into her food with Katryna as if she had never eaten before.
After a minute of feasting, another knock came at the door, shattering the temporary serenity.
“My lady, a servant is here about you father,” said the guard.
Katryna put her fork down and swallowed the last of her mouthful of food. “Send him in.”
In came a young, handsome servant with a mop of brown hair on his head and a familiar face. Trish blushed with a smile, before Katryna then recognised who he was.
“Edrick?”
“M’lady, it’s good to see you again.” He looked over to Trish and a smile spread across his dimpled face. “Hello, Trish.”
Katryna recollected how pas
sionate Trish and Edrick’s young romance had been. The servant boy and handmaiden- it was like something out of a fairy-tale Katryna would have read as a child.
The couple had always snuck off during the night to go on adventures and make love. Trish would always gossip with Katryna about it afterwards.
In a way, Katryna had secretly longed for such an exciting love affair for herself. Being of noble birth, she grew up knowing that her marriage would be chosen by her father for political purposes only.
Love and happiness did not come into the equation for noble Camridian girls.
Katryna stood up and wrapped her coat around her slim body. “I’m guessing you two already…reconnected?”
Trish chuckled and Edrick’s face went bright red. He had missed a button of his vest too; he had clearly been in a rush to put it back on. Edrick looked so embarrassed and uneasy, like a nervous mouse.
“While you had your family reunion, Edrick helped show me through the castle.” Trish’ voice went high pitched in a sarcastic manner. “It’s been so many years- I’d forgotten my way around!”
“Mhm, I’m sure he did,” Katryna joked.
Edrick wiped away his embarrassed smile, straightening up his shoulders and composing himself.
“M’lady, your aunt Rashel sent me to come collect you. Your father has awoken, and the physicians have finished treating him for the night. You can go see him now.”
Just like that, the ache in Katryna’s stomach returned.
Father.
“Thank you, Edrick,” Katryna said with a nervous gulp. “Trish, will you see to cleaning up our supper, please?”
“Of course. Good luck, Kat.”
Chapter 9 - Bleeding
Wesley Seynard sat on an uncomfortably lumpy, cushioned chair at the head of a table that sat much of his blood family and newlywed’s family. He and his new wife were at the highest point of the entire feast hall, like the crown on the head of a ruler.
All eyes were on them. All conversations were about to the ceremony, the wedding vowels, and the beautiful new couple.
It was nauseating. Wesley hated the attention. He couldn’t wait for the night to be over.
Sweat dripped from his brow. The feast hall was hot. Hearths raged all around the room, candles hung from metal chandeliers, and the enclosed space was packed with hundreds of guests, all drinking, feasting, and dancing.
It was the largest room in the entire palace of Chateau Cardell, and it was full of strangers and sycophants.
Wiping the sweat from his forehead, Wesley flicked his long, brown hair back. His ocean eyes stung. His ears were drowning in the sound of conversation, clatter, and music.
Just a few more hours to go, then I can be rid of these fools.
Guests had arrived from across Alyria to attend his wedding. Blacktrees and Seynards comprised most of the attendees. The guests mostly comprised of highborns, nobles, lords, and barons from across the kingdoms. King Justen Mannering of Stonebridge, a boy of just twelve years. Baron Artima Lowe of Veridia, the ‘Old Bear’, as he was known. Baroness Emilia Erma of Fentis. Too many faces to identify and names to remember all at once.
Platters of roasted chicken, juicy venison, steamed vegetables, and hot, baked breads sat before Wesley untouched. The foods, while mostly Caldaean-grown, were plated on expensive serving dishes and silver platter trays crafted in Dawnhill, one of Caldaea’s vital trade partners.
Anytime Wesley saw wares from the neighbouring kingdom, it filled him with loathing. That said, he ironically disregarded the fact that the wine he had been sipping at all night was poured into an Ashen-crafted goblet.
The captain of the city watch, Ser Isec Batir, approached the newlywed’s table, shadowed by several soldiers from the watch. The brutish man was tall, clad in shining armour and had a neatly trimmed beard. He bowed to the couple to pay his respects.
“I wish you a lifetime of happiness, my prince and princess.”
Wesley rolled his eyes but made sure not to let the captain see. “Yes, yes,” he said, unamused.
Isec had something held behind his back. “I would like to present you a gift, from all of us at the city watch.”
“Oh?” Wesley said, raising an eyebrow.
Isec presented a dagger before the prince. It’s fresh-forged blade was polished and shining. The handle, while nothing exquisite, looked to be expensive resin with golden crossguards.
“Master Deniter of Ashen is one of the finest blacksmiths on the continent, my prince,” Isec said proudly. “Had this poignard specially designed and crafted for you. Sharp enough to cut through bone, Deniter boasted!”
Wesley nodded. Despite having no kind feelings towards the captain, he could not deny that it was an incredible gift.
“I’ve got to say, you did well, Batir. It is a fine gift,” Wesley said, keenly taking the weapon. He slipped the dagger into his belt before waving the men away, knocking over his goblet and spilling his wine all over.
“Servant, another,” Wesley said, pointing at the fallen goblet.
An Anai slave promptly wiped up the mess. The red wine flowed elegantly like a waterfall of incoming relief for Wesley.
He took another sip before feeling a soft hand grab his. He looked over at his new wife, a beauty named Ciana Blacktree, from the royal family in Ashen. Ciana was the most sought-after princess in all the kingdoms.
Young, fertile, rich, and with a powerful name.
Ciana smiled at her new husband with white teeth and cherry lips. On her head sat a traditional ornate headdress, stitched with jewels and gems of all colours. Her ebony hair was tightly braided with silk ribbons and flowed out to her shoulders from underneath the stunning headdress.
Wesley could not deny the princess’s beauty.
But he had only ever had one woman on his mind, and it was not Ciana.
Ciana leaned over and kissed his unshaven cheek. “Everything alright, my love? You seem tense.”
‘Love?’ We have known each other for a day.
“Everything is fine,” Wesley replied with a forced smile. “Just tired is all.”
Someone approached the grand table. It was Wesley’s father, Tobius, with a sleazy grin across his face.
“Not too tired, I hope,” Tobius chuckled. He kissed his daughter-in-law’s outstretched hand as a courtesy, although appeared to enjoy the gesture a little too much. “We expect the princess to have a son or daughter in her belly by the morning!”
All those around who heard King Tobius’s comment laughed and applauded in support. A pregnant bride on the wedding night was one of Wesley’s duties. He felt his cheeks grow red.
Tobius smiled pompously at the attention his comment received. His bronze crown sat unevenly atop his bald head.
Wesley and Ciana squirmed awkwardly in their seats at the thought of being intimate with one another. They had only just met. She looks young enough to be a child.
Tobius staggered away, sipping his wine.
“Um, if you don’t mind me asking. How old are you exactly, my lady?” Wesley whispered into his wife’s ear.
She leant over to reply. “Sixteen, my prince.”
“Sixteen?”
“Yes, my prince.”
She is a child. Wesley was ten years her senior. Moon Mother, how can this be?
Most noble girls in Alyria were married off while they were young and fertile. However, something about it did not sit right with Wesley.
He could not ignore her beauty, her allure. He felt attracted to this girl, there was no denying. His mind became a hive of dissonance.
Ciana’s father, King Emery Blacktree of Ashen, walked up from the crowded floor where he had been conversing with nobles to his daughter’s hand, before bowing to his new son-by-law.
Emery had a strong presence about him, an unspoken power that he gave off. Standing with Emery would make any man feel inferior. The presence of a true king.
Wesley hoped his new father-by-law hadn’t heard his father’s cr
ude jest. Tobius was insufferable at the best of times, but when he drank, he could become reckless.
Making such lude jokes about King Emery’s daughter was a risky thing to do. Emery was probably the most powerful man in Alyria, and Wesley knew what was riding on this wedding.
Tobius stumbled over to Emery, raising a goblet for a toast and facing the crowd. The music stopped and the crowds went quiet, awaiting the king’s speech.
“The ancestors of we Seynards were the first true Alyrians. We tamed the wilds and built cities from the very earth itself!” the king boasted.
Wesley noticed some of the Anai slaves around the hall lower their heads solemnly.
Tobius continued his speech. “Our lands are beautiful and rich. We hail the Moon Mother for all the blessings she has bestowed unto us. Tonight, we celebrate peace!
“For many long years, the kingdoms of Caldaea and Ashen have been at odds with one-another. We have fought valiantly to defend our borders, to uphold our cultures, and to protect our freedoms. But as of one year ago on this day, peace was achieved between our two nations, and an end to the border conflict was reached.
“I, Tobius Seynard, King of Caldaea, and Emery Blacktree, King of Ashen, agreed to end the war, and settle our differences through matrimony!”
The hall erupted with applause and cheering. The relief felt when an end to the conflict was reached was widespread and across every group. Caldaea’s economy had made a turnaround ever since as old trade links were re-established and industry could again thrive.
It had been a necessary, lucrative venture to seek peace for both kingdoms.
King Tobius took a sip out of his goblet, wine spilling down his chin. He mumbled before continuing, his crown tipped further offside.
“We promised to wed my firstborn son and Emery’s firstborn daughter as a gesture of peace, and so here we are today! Moon Mother, bless this happy couple with your light and radiance! May this marriage serve as a union between our two families, our two Houses, and as a symbol of prosperity for Caldaea and Ashen.”
Wesley sighed, rubbing his temples. The crowd stomped on the floors with approval, clapping their hands, shouting support, and swigging their drinks. The royal families seated at the high tables gave applause.
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