Aelea and Maevine turned to Elijah. Eyebrows raised, Aelea also had confusion in her eyes.
“I didn’t…”
“You don’t have to explain yourself. I could tell when I told you that you hadn’t done it.” Maevine smiled. “No friend of mine would poison the king.” Aelea stayed quiet. Silently eyeing him up and down until she came to the same conclusion.
Royal Guards burst through the stable’s doors, Merrick scrambled to keep himself between them and Elijah.
“Elijah Walcott, by order of the Royal Guard you are under arrest for suspicion of intent to poison the king. If you don’t get out of the way, Merrick, I’ll arrest you too.” It was a guard Elijah had seen before. Outside the North Tower, with his two goons, although they were nowhere to be seen now.
“I swear to you Luis, Elijah did not do this.” Merrick wasn’t about to let them take him. Luis’ eyes told a different story. There were ten guards, plus Luis. Merrick couldn’t take them all.
He stepped forward to meet Luis’ eyes. “Do you have any proof?” Elijah asked.
“Letters found in your chambers. The desk drawer, I believe they were stored,” Luis had a sinister smirk on his face.
Elijah’s heart sank. They were letters about King Hector, not Roderick. He hadn’t even had a chance to read them himself yet. Merrick looked shocked, as did Aelea and Maevine.
“My room is not locked; someone could have planted those there. When did I supposedly do this?”
“This morning, they found the poison in King Roderick’s porridge.”
“He’s been with me all morning,” Maevine said innocently.
“Before that he was at breakfast with King Roderick, me and the Royal Family,” said Merrick.
“All statements can be taken once the accused is locked away, stopping any further attempts he may have planned.”
Merrick went to move, but Elijah had already anticipated this. He put his hand on his mentor’s arm.
“I’ll go willingly.” Elijah took a deep breath as they led him away. How have they found out about the letters?
28
A silent Princess
The dungeons were exactly as Elijah remembered them. Damp, dirty and dark. Little light came through the barred windows and the stench of the other prisoners was so potent and it made him dizzy.
His cell was one of the nicer ones he had seen. Instead of a stone bed, his was made of cloth and hay. While still not as comfortable as the one in his room, it made lying down a lot easier than it did on stone. The floor, although not completely clean, didn’t have as much debris covering it, and the walls weren’t covered with moss.
The only problem Elijah had was that he was inside the dungeons. He hadn’t done anything wrong, and this traitorous guard had him right where the Master wanted him. Hoping someone would come for him, Elijah rested his head between two of the bars on his cell’s door and gazed down the corridor.
A bang alerted him to a door opening.
“You can’t keep him in here if the king himself has requested his presence.” Merrick.
“This boy has tried to kill the king, so I advise we leave him here until we have investigated everything. Those letters prove it.” Guard.
Elijah couldn’t see far enough down the corridor to know much more than their voices. He could imagine Merrick puffing up his chest, making himself the stronger looking man.
“Those letters are from a trusted advisor to King Hector. I know because I wrote them. Now, get out of my way. I am taking Elijah back up to King Roderick as requested.”
“You wrote these letters to King Hector?” The guard questioned. Elijah could hear movement getting closer.
“Oh, bloody hell. Get me some parchment and I will show you my handwriting. Then you will believe it was me. Hand me your keys,” Merrick said, his footsteps halting for a moment. “I said, hand me your keys, or open the door. I don’t care which you do.”
Grunting, the guard obliged Merrick’s orders, and the footsteps started up again until they both came into view. Elijah’s heart filled with hope as he watched the Guard turn the key in his door’s lock and opened it.
“Come on, you stupid boy, King Roderick is waiting for you. We have a guest.” Merrick put his arm around Elijah as he led him out of the dungeons. He expected both of them could feel the stares of the Guard like daggers in their backs.
Neither of them said a word until they had climbed the stairs to the main hall of the Castle. It surprised Eli to see people everywhere. Servants were beating the curtains, sweeping up dust, polishing the floors and even changing the half-burnt candles for new ones.
“What is going on, Merrick?”
“Sorry about that. The decoy Roderick sent for as arrived.” Merrick looked over his shoulder and hurried them out of the dungeons. “Only, it’s not what we expected. He’s turned up, announced himself as a Kane, and is claiming your birthright. Roderick is furious, as that was not agreed.”
“Why would someone want to be a Kane?” Elijah shook his head at his stupidity.
“Because it comes with a crown.” Merrick didn’t turn back as he spoke.
“And a death sentence,” he said under his breath.
Merrick stopped for a moment and turned back to him. “I hate imposters, but having someone here who looks like you wouldn’t be a bad thing.”
Elijah raised his eyebrow. The sinking feeling in his stomach getting bigger as he thought about another succumbing to the same fate as Prince John. “Why does the king want me there when he arrives?”
“If he’s going to pretend to be you, we need to see whether his likeness matches up.” Merrick cleared his throat. “You will also be named, with your actual name.”
“Actual name?”
“Yes, your proper name. One I haven’t heard in a long time. Elijah Amrynn Daendis Kane.”
His ears tingled at the sound of it. It’s so long. “Maybe we can stick to Elijah Walcott? Does it really need to be that long?”
Merrick smiled at him and shook his head before they continued on to meet the king. “It will be fine. You don’t have a choice, anyway. Roderick has already decided.”
Entering the Main Hall, Eli saw everyone there except Princess Sienna. He couldn’t help but wonder if she wasn’t there because of what someone had accused him of. Seeing his mind working, Sahab came over to him and whispered in his ear.
“She’s still locked up in her room. She doesn’t know about your arrest.” These words of reassurance were enough to settle Elijah’s fears. For now, anyway.
“Where’s everyone else?”
“Leon is being checked over by Naoko, and Gianna and Jaxon are outside Sienna’s room.”
Something didn’t feel right, tension seemed to be poised in everyone’s stature. The doors to the Main Hall opened and Elijah took his place by Merrick’s side.
“Ivan Cadevel Kane, from Stillbreach,” announced the servant on the door. He banged his flagpole and a young man walked in. He was taller than Elijah, about the same build, with blond hair and deep purple eyes. This other Kane was wearing a fine silk cape that was draped over one arm and embroidered with golden thread. Obviously to look more royal than he was.
Another of the king’s flagmen stepped forward. “You are standing in the presence of King Roderick Cadeyrn of Adelith, his wife Queen Valerie Cadeyrn, their most trusted advisor and personal guard to the king, Captain Merrick Walcott, and his ward, Elijah Amrynn Daendis Kane.”
Elijah swallowed hard. Hearing his name for the first time was weird and caused goosebumps over his back. Everyone stayed silent as they focused on Ivan’s reaction. His eyes widened a little but, only someone who had been trained by Merrick would have seen it. The boy barely flinched.
Ivan bowed after a few brief moments of looking at each of them. “A pleasure to make your acquaintance, Your Majesties. Thank you for inviting me here.” His thick accent native to the northern reaches of Tarkos. Elijah didn’t know the layout of the villages i
n Galaun, so he assumed Stillbreach, Ivan’s village, was one of the most northern ones.
“Welcome to Castle Aebarrow, Ivan. We were expecting a less formal occasion for our first meeting.”
The boy looked down the line and stopped as he reached Elijah. They looked similar. Apart from the sandy blonde hair and being the same height, they had a similar jawline and nose shape. They even walked similarly.
“You invited me here to claim the throne, did you not?”
“No,” Queen Valerie said, her disdain laced through the word. “We invited you here to warn you. The Master is back, and he is hunting for you.” Ivan’s eyes went wide, and he swallowed. “How long have you known who you were?”
“My guardian told me. He used to work here at the castle when my parents were on the throne. He said he took me away when the castle was set ablaze, and the assassins came for my family.”
“Who was your guardian? There are many beloved people still missing from that tragic day, we would love to find them.” Lies rolled off the queen’s tongue like honey dripping from a bee’s nest.
The imposter’s eyes flickered to the floor for a second before looking up. “Benji Mason.”
“How did he get you both out?” The king asked quickly before they could ask another question.
Ivan smiled. Elijah wasn’t sure he had an answer.
“He didn’t say. I was very young; I think he wanted to keep me shielded from that horrible day.”
An easy cop out.
Elijah shuffled a little in his place. Standing still, listening to this man lie through his teeth to the Royal Family, claiming his birthright, angered him.
“Elijah,” King Roderick said, turning towards him. “How did you escape the castle?”
Everyone’s head whipped toward him. He gulped, not sure if he should answer. Looking to Merrick, his mentor nodded in agreement that he should continue.
“Uh…” How did I? What do I even remember? “I am told that my nanny carried me through one of the secret passageways she helped my mother build. She was shot with an arrow by one of the assassins posing as guards as they closed the gates. I believe she took me to Rheanydd, where I lived until Merrick brought me back here a few months ago.”
He took a deep breath before continuing. “It’s not a pleasant memory, so I try not to dwell on it much. My memory is patchy, but I sometimes have nightmares about my mother’s screams as she fell to the floor.” Surprising himself with how much suppressed memory he could recall.
Merrick placed a hand on his shoulder. His guardian’s eyes tearing up at Eli’s recount of that horrific night.
“Thank you,” Queen Valerie said. “Ivan, as you can see, it’s very easy to make up a story about being the missing child of Hector and Rhohesia Kane. How do we know your story isn’t just as made up as Elijah’s here?”
“I-I am not lying to you, my queen.” Yes, you are. “Everyone knows the Master searches for a boy with a mark on his back. May I have your permission to show you mine?”
The king and queen looked between each other, to Merrick, who nodded, and then back to Ivan. Queen Valerie nodded her head and gestured for him to continue with her right hand.
Ivan called one of his companions forward and gave him his cloak, belt and waistcoat. He turned to face away from them and lowered the right side of his shirt to reveal a small splodge on his right shoulder, close to where it meets the arm.
“Is this proof enough, Your Majesties?”
King Roderick sighed. “It’s something, not necessarily proof. Gwenilia, will inspect it.”
The nurse walked into the centre of the room where Ivan was and checked him over. “It’s definitely an actual mark, but it has nothing prophetic about it.” Her eyes looked up at Elijah. “I’m not sure this is the best light to view it.”
Queen Valerie stepped closer to Elijah and whispered to him. “Do you have a mark like this?”
Eli nodded. “I do not know what it looks like, though. It sits too low to see without a mirror. Merrick used to say it looked like a dragon.”
The queen smiled and stood back up, and Gwenilia finished her examination. “A dragon? How curious,” the queen said.
“A mark of prophecy,” Gwenilia said. “Sometimes they are there, and no one knows. Sometimes they are there, and these people are called upon to do great things.”
“Do you really believe this, this nonsense, Valerie?” Merrick asked.
“I always have Merrick, you know that. There is magic out there and I don’t see why it should be hidden.”
“You know why,” King Roderick said in a huff.
The queen placed her hand on the king’s shoulders. “Your mother tried to dabble in what she did not understand, it was an accident.”
“She was sought out and lured in by that, that sorcerer, who made her believe she could do anything.” King Roderick’s face grew redder with each word. “He is the reason she’s dead. His blind will to try and get her to do magic. But you know that’s not why it upsets me.”
Queen Valerie tilted her head to the side. “Not all magical beings are evil, my love,” she cooed.
“Yet it killed Hector and Rhohesia, anyway.”
There was an awkward silence as everyone paused, only broken by Gianna bursting into the hall. Jaxon followed closely behind her.
“Your Majesties,” she panted as she slowed his pace. “Princess Sienna is missing, and the Agents of Cyran have a message for the Heir of the Throne.” She stopped and looked between the king and Ivan, who was putting his belt back on.
King Roderick moved forward. “How did you learn of this?” His voice, wavering. He took the note from Gianna as Ivan stepped forward to speak.
“This is for me, what does it say?” He reached out to touch it but pulled his hand back as the king held up a hand for Ivan to be quiet.
“Speak Gianna, what happened?”
“Her room had been quiet for a few days. Yesterday her maid came out and said that she was still feeling ill and didn’t want to be disturbed.” Gianna’s eyes flickered to Elijah. “So, we stood outside and waited for a shift change.”
Jaxon stepped forward and took a deep breath. “When we returned, the guards outside were already gone, and so we knocked on Sienna’s door. There was no answer from the princess or her maids, so we went inside and found that.” He pointed to the note in king Roderick’s hand.
“This says nothing of value—just some cryptic nonsense.”
“How could they take our daughter? And right from under our noses. She has done nothing against the Agents of Cyran or their Master.” Queen Valerie’s voice was not as strong as it had been moments before. Her eyes glazed in tears that threatened to fall any moment. Merrick had paced, his eyes on the floor. Eli knew this was his way of thinking up a plan.
“What does it say?” Eli and Ivan asked at the same time. He resisted the urge to snatch the paper from the king’s hand and prevented Ivan from seeing it. This is why I didn’t want to be suspended. How could they not have let me protect her from this? Eli clenched his fists. “Where have they taken her?” Merrick’s hand came down hard on his shoulder to stop him from moving forward.
“If the note is for the heir of the throne, I should know what it says,” Ivan said, raising his eyebrows.
“It says, ‘I’m tall but short, with not enough room, you won’t find the princess through all the gloom. The only way in is an overgrown knock, otherwise the door stays locked.’” King Roderick scrunched up the paper in his hands.
“Whoever wrote that riddle needs a lesson in them.” If looks could kill, Sahab would have been dead a hundred times over for his comment.
“You’re right, how am I meant to know what that means?” Ivan shook his head and paced while rubbing his chin.
“What’s overgrown on the estate?” Elijah asked. His mind sticking to that word.
A few people shrugged and shook their heads, not knowing what to say.
Queen Valerie sniffed. “
The broken tower.”
“Of course,” Merrick said. “I’ll gather some forces.”
“No, you won’t.” King Roderick’s voice echoed in the silent hall.
“The king is right,” Ivan said, stepping forward. “It says I am to go alone.”
Elijah rolled his eyes. “Enough of this nonsense.”
Merrick took the paper from the king. “I won’t sacrifice his life when I have spent mine protecting it, Roderick!” Merrick threw the balled-up paper on the floor.
“And I won’t allow Princess Sienna to suffer because of me. I’ll go.” He went to leave but stopped at the sound of the imposter’s voice.
“I’m coming with you,” Ivan said, stepping forward. “I am the heir, I should go.”
Sahab shook his head. “Really, you’re sticking with that, are you?”
“I said, enough.” Elijah gulped as the room went silent with his words. He pointed to Sahab and Gianna as he walked. “You two come with me, Ivan, do what you want. But if you’re coming, don’t get in the way.” Elijah turned to leave the hall, leaving Merrick and King Roderick to argue over his and Sienna’s lives.
29
Into The Depths
Silence hung in the armoury’s air as Elijah picked what weapons he would take with him. Ivan was pacing up and down looking at the swords, as he strapped smaller weapons that could be easily concealed to his body. A small dagger hidden against his chest, and in his boot, a scratching claw on his finger.
Neither of them were sure on what they were going to face, and all that ran through Elijah’s mind was one thought. I have to save Princess Sienna.
“We are obviously going with you,” Gianna said. She stopped pacing and looked at Elijah.
Raising an eyebrow, he shook his head. “No, if I don’t show up alone, they could kill her.”
“Then why did you ask us here?”
He looked back at her. “For moral support?”
Kingdom of Lies (The Kane Saga Book 1) Page 22