It was dark through the windows, but that’s how it always was, as no light was allowed in the front room per the Arracian rules. William ascended the steps and knocked on the door rhythmically. The Arraci would understand; it was a rhythm only the royal family knew, one that Aroden used long before the usurpation and passed along to his sons.
The door clicked open and he passed through the crack.
“Welcome back,” a female voice said after the door quickly shut.
William couldn’t see anything after transitioning from the bright outside to the black interior. “A light would help,” he muttered.
“Well…”
“I know,” William interrupted light-heartedly, “it’s against the rules.” His eyes slowly adjusted. “This place feels like a prison more than a home, sometimes.”
“You’re telling me,” she answered with a laugh.
“I might not be able to see you,” William muttered with a grin, “but I know it’s Rachel I’m talking to.”
“Yes.”
“It’s good to see or… hear you again. It’s been a while.”
“Yes, it has. You’ve been away from Orwell for just over a month now.”
“That long,” he said as he passed towards the back of the room. He noticed a couple Arraci sitting around the room watching the door. They gestured and William waved back. “Time passes quickly.”
“Not when you’re stuck in a house all day for the whole month,” Rachel pointed out, “and usually in the pitch dark.”
“I imagine not.”
“How was your journey?”
“Long,” William mumbled, “but it was nice to see Porter again in Skee.”
“He’s a good man,” Rachel said.
“Yes, he is. Do you have anything to report regarding Orwell?”
She shrugged. “A few odd faces about but nothing too out of the ordinary.”
William nodded.
“Where’s your brother?” Rachel asked, noticing his absence. “Is he still out in the markets? I know a few of us are still roaming around there for protection. Perhaps he’s picking up some herbs for his alchemy hobby?”
“Well…” William didn’t know what to say, “about that…”
To his relief, a knock interrupted his answer, though after hearing the whistling call of an Arracian, his relief quickly died. He recognised Adriana’s call and turned around to see the door open and Adriana standing in the doorway, two other Arraci flanking beside her. She walked in calmly, way too calmly if she knew where Richard was, and approached William in the back. After affectionately embracing Rachel, she motioned for William to go into the back of the room for a chat.
The opened front door let in just enough light to see the room. It was a small room with few furnishings, most of them wooden chairs and tables. This room served the only purpose of being an outpost for the Arraci and nothing else. It was the back room of the house that had slightly nicer things and all of the supplies. Adriana clearly wanted to go back there as she held up an arm and motioned towards the back door behind them.
“Why are you not still with my father?” William asked. “I thought you’d be watching him and Max with your brother.”
Adriana opened the wooden door to the back rooms and waited for William to pass through first. “We thought it best if I stayed here at the house.”
Closing the door plunged the back room into utter darkness. He could hear Adriana rummaging around on the table before seeing her light a small candle, the tiny flame flickering, which illuminated the room just enough to see her face. After setting it on the table, the flame eventually grew larger until the whole room came into focus.
It was a simple room, certainly nothing in comparison to the royal quarters of Brymar. Several seats lined the sides of the bare-walled room and a couple of wooden tables stood in the centre. At the far end was another wooden door that led to the second level, where the bedrooms and living quarters of the house were, and next to the door was a small fireplace. Adriana continued to light a few candles around the room, their flames propelling dancing shadows along the walls.
“Why would it be best?” William pried, slightly concerned. “Are my father and brother alright?”
“Yes, they’re fine, William,” she assured, almost surprised by the question, “Brian will guard them along with the other Arraci.”
“Then why are you here?” he nervously asked, avoiding eye contact.
“Just a precaution,” she said. “We’re seeing some strange faces on the streets. It seems like something has changed since our last visit, and we don’t want to be caught by surprise.”
“Different how?”
“The lack of guards for one,” Adriana responded. “Shortly after we arrived in the city, many of the guards left their posts. You know that we’ve scouted their schedules for years now, and they never deviate from them. But they seem to be inside now rather than patrolling the streets like they normally do.”
“Could it be the heat?”
“I don’t think so.”
“Well, that’s very strange,” William agreed as he anxiously thought of Richard.
“And there are more wandering eyes around. Brian noticed more people paying attention to Zed’s house, and I noticed it too. You know we don’t like strangers with wandering eyes.”
“I had someone make eye contact with me earlier,” William admitted, knowing it would alarm her, “I know it was a man but didn’t see much else.”
“Could it have been one of us?”
William shrugged. “I thought that at first, but then he walked into the Crilover District.”
“Then it’s definitely not one of us,” Adriana concluded.
He could hear her concern. “I’m sure it was nothing, Adriana, just a coincidence. That’s all.”
“I don’t believe in coincidence,” she shot back, “especially since the person went into that foul district.”
William didn’t respond.
“Your brother is upstairs, I’m assuming?” she asked while glancing at the door in the back and noticing his absence.
“Yes,” William nodded. But he’d hesitated with his answer, just long enough for her to notice his fatal flaw.
Adriana looked into William’s eyes again, which had widened after her question. He’d looked away from her as he answered it, too. “Where’s your brother, William? Is he upstairs?”
William could feel his face physically cringe and a drop of sweat forming almost everywhere on his body. He stuttered a bit in a desperate attempt to conjure up some words but fell silent after realising he couldn’t form a coherent sentence. Lying never was one of his strengths or abilities; both of the twins, especially Adriana, could see right through it. He’d never managed to tell a successful lie or hide the truth, not once, and now seemed to be another time where he’d completely fail at it. What was the point in even trying?
“William…” she started with slightly more force, prepared to run up the stairs to check for herself, “where’s your brother…where’s Richard?”
“On the road to Forelorne,” he blurted out. “I tried to convince him not to go, but he just wanted to experience independence for once, and he wouldn’t listen, and…”
“What?” Adriana interrupted with a hand raised in front of her to silence him. Her face had morphed into a combination of both horror and unremitting rage. William knew he was in for it now. “He travels to Forelorne alone?”
“No, of course not,” William said as he tried to regain some small ounce of composure. “Orthol and Gringal went with him, two of your best Watchers and his personal guards,” he answered, “of course I didn’t let him leave alone. And the road to Forelorne is short and safe,” he added to the end.
“But he left without a full escort,” Adriana exclaimed. She ran a hand through her dirty blonde hair and closed her eyes. “You know that violates your father’s wishes. You know he’ll be furious about this, especially considering the strange things goin
g on in Orwell right now!”
“The village isn’t far,” William repeated, trying to make his flawed point. “I’m sure he’ll be fine. He said he’d be back before sunset. He was determined to do this on his own. And I did send the two Arraci with him. I wouldn’t let him go there alone.”
Her mind wasn’t eased, not even close. “He should be here, William. I must tell Aroden; he needs to know about this.”
“No,” William said, almost obstructing the door. “You know he’ll ban Richard from ever coming to Orwell again and make him stay in Brymar for the rest of his life!”
“That’s beside the point,” Adriana said, brushing off the gross exaggeration. “Your brother, an heir to the throne of the Brutean Kingdom, is currently wandering the streets without a full escort. Think of the consequences, William, if he’s killed or captured. Did it not occur to you all of the terrible things that could come out of this?”
“Yes, it did, but it didn’t occur to him.”
Adriana hesitated. She knew headstrong Richard would have left anyway without William’s approval, but protocol still needed to be followed. “Aroden must know.”
“Wait,” William said. “Why not just take a few of the Arraci with you and act as a full escort to him in Forelorne? That’s what he needs right now, anyway, isn’t it?”
“No, because that’s against the wishes of your father,” Adriana shot back. “He explicitly stated that you and Richard were to stay in this house.”
“Then just go and bring him back here, then. That’s easy enough.”
Adriana shook her head. “Why do you defend him, William?” she demanded angrily. “He never listens to your father or the Arraci and is always causing us problems because of it.”
“Because I want to see him grow up,” William sighed. “And because he’s my brother. He doesn’t enjoy the freedom or responsibility that Max and I do, and it’s not fair. He told me he needs the chance to grow up, and I believe him.”
Adriana sighed. William could see that she wanted to storm out and alert Aroden, but he could also tell that she thought about his words. “Fine,” she said with a finger angrily pointed at his face. “I’ll go and bring Richard back, and I won’t say anything about this. But William, if anything like this happens ever again, I won’t hesitate to tell you father about it.”
“Fine,” William nodded.
He paused, hesitating before saying anything. Technically, he was a prince…but that’s not how their dynamic worked. The twins were like family rather than soldiers under their command. If William tried to ‘order’ Adriana to do something that went against reason or their protection, she’d probably laugh at him and walk away – and scold him for eternity; and he’d completely deserve it. The twins were mentors and friends – family – not minions; William and his brothers could order the twins every bit as much as Adriana and Brian could order them back, and for good reason.
“Thank you, Adriana,” he added.
She brushed off the gratitude and pointed again. “William, stay in this house.”
“Of course I will.”
“I mean it,” she said. “Don’t leave this house.”
“I promise I will stay here,” William asserted with his hand raised, as if it made the promise more believable and binding. “I will absolutely not leave this house.”
She sighed and looked to the door that William still blocked. “I’m going to go and find your brother. He should be close to Forelorne by now.”
“I hope you find that he’s safe,” William said while moving away from the door and opening it.
“Me too,” Adriana agreed as she passed through, “there’s no reason to expect otherwise.”
Chapter V
Aroden knocked forcefully on Zed’s door one more time. They had been waiting for some time.
“What was the point in rushing this journey,” Aroden began angrily, “if Zed won’t answer his door?”
Max turned to him. “Surely the Arraci entering the city through his house would’ve woken him up,” Max suggested. “Perhaps he just fell back asleep.”
“Then we’ll wake him up again,” Aroden exclaimed, giving in to his frustration. “He must have known we were coming when they arrived.”
Max glanced around the marketplace behind him, noticing a few friendly faces along the stalls blending in with the light crowds. Brian had returned to roaming the markets shortly after meeting Aroden, and Max could see Adriana currently walking up the marble steps in the distance towards his two brothers, who were likely both in the safe house by now. He hadn’t seen his brothers ascend the stairs because of the conversation with his father and the twins, but he knew they’d be safe in the house, and knowing that Adriana would be with them helped set his mind at ease. It was probably best to have one of the twins with each group at all times.
He admired Adriana’s tenacity and skill and continued to watch until she disappeared into the courtyard above, breaking his stare only after her long blonde plaits fell out of view. Brian probably watched from somewhere in front of him, though Max couldn’t spot him amongst the crowds. It always amazed him how the twins did it, how vigilant and skilful they both were; he figured Adriana could probably beat Brian in both archery and the blade if they ever duelled, but he’d never admit this to Brian.
Aroden pounded the door again.
The wooden door bore a few tiny scrapes along the front, each telling a story of their own, as did the ancient metal plates that connected the door to the three thick hinges alongside the stone frame. It was a tall door, taller than both of them, with the width large enough for several people to pass through simultaneously. The metal barred window on the side showed no signs of light or life inside, nor did the small, dark gap at the base of the large door. They could feel the freezing cold draft passing from inside, a welcome relief from the direct sunlight they stood in.
Max glanced up at the city walls, noticing most of the guards still missing, and then looked around for a few of the Arraci. He felt a sense of vulnerability and anxiety building. Something didn’t feel right.
“Father,” he spoke up, “we’re out in the open. Perhaps we should move…”
His voice trailed off as they saw a small light appear through the window, followed by the sounds of Zed mumbling to himself and shuffling towards the door. He’d finally heard their knocks. With a loud jolt and another quiet mumble, the door squeaked open to reveal a short and thin man with a stubbly brown beard and short black hair. His eyes widened upon seeing his guests, and he tried to stand taller and appear more presentable, though his white night gown and blood-shot eyes worked against him. He rubbed his eyes and face and gave a warm smile towards Aroden and Max with open arms.
“It’s good to see you, Aroden. I wasn’t expecting you so soon.”
“We noticed,” Aroden shot back, but his expression softened after he heard his own tone. “It’s good to see you, too, old friend.”
“Come, come on in,” Zed said, extending his arm towards the interior. “Come out of the heat.” He waited for them to pass through the door and addressed Aroden directly. “You received my message, I assume?”
“Indeed,” Aroden said as Zed closed the door behind them, “I received it two days ago.”
“Impressive that you made the journey in under two days,” Zed commented, but he addressed Aroden’s subject of interest. “We can discuss the details of the message in my living quarters.”
They stood in the shop section of his home, where he conducted daily business as a butcher. At the far side of the long room was a wide stone counter, with a short section of the room behind it for Zed to stand. He would negotiate prices for meats to customers until the early hours of morning and was known as the best butcher of Orwell. He earned well more than his keep, most of which he then donated towards Brymar; in fact, most of their trips to Orwell, along with many other excursions, were funded directly by his contributions. Everyone in the city visited his shop, a rich irony consideri
ng his trade was all a front, a disguise so that he could secretly conduct his actual business for the Brutean Kingdom.
As a weapons dealer, where his true area of expertise lay, Zed had been employed by Aroden for decades. For almost forty years he’d served the crown, acquiring materials for Brymar’s forges and finding contracts with underground traders. His constant post in Orwell, however, offered another useful commodity: information. It was a beneficial post, overhearing his customers chatting and catching a glimpse into the inner workings of the city. Sometimes the information bore fruit, other times it didn’t, but Aroden could only hope that this time it would.
Zed led them towards an open door to the side of his shop, which accessed his living quarters. Their footsteps echoed on the large, stone-slabbed floor, and Max looked around before reaching the door. No one knew just how old the shop was or the sheer number of carcasses that had passed through; but then again, no one knew how old the entire city was or the number of generations that had lived there. Regardless of its age, Zed’s shop appeared well-maintained and very functional.
On the walls hung many more of his wares, the heads of several animals mounted using metal frames, a display of the shop’s prestige and vast selection of goods. Beneath each head was the name of the hunter; they’d even pay Zed just to put the display up for them, and it had become quite a competitive, lucrative side business for him. He also displayed a few other useful items from the animals, such as tools made of antlers, lard meant for cooking, or the furs either for functional use or décor. Many of the items were inside locked display cases with clean glass tops.
“How is business?” Aroden asked as they passed through the second door and into his personal living quarters.
“Very good,” Zed proudly answered, “sales continue to rise. I’ll have more money to send for the kingdom this time than the last.”
“And the last was already a greater sum than the previous,” Aroden nodded approvingly. “You’re funds help sustain Brymar, a deed not forgotten.”
The Secrets of Brymar (The Elitherian Fragments Book 1) Page 6