The Ones Who Serve

by Jennifer Kenny

  The sides of Quintus’ mouth twitched, but he did not form a smile. “You impress me, Eva. I was certain you would pick one right now, and give into your rather notorious impulses.” Glais smiled at this, but that was all he did as Quintus seemed both impressed and curious about her question. “I shall give you three days to come to a judgement.”

  “And Darius will be confined to the dungeons during this time?” She asked, knowing she was pushing her luck already, but Evangeline could not change entirely overnight.

  “He has been shown to suitable living quarters. However, he will not be free to roam the castle as you do without an armed escort,” Quintus told her.

  Evangeline frowned, knowing that spare soldiers to follow Darius would be rare to find these days. It was likely that Darius would never leave these rooms. The prison was simply nicer accommodation now than before. “Is there something about Darius you cannot trust?”

  Quintus shrugged. “When you live for this long, and you get to see all kinds of people come in and out of your Kingdom, you soon realise even the man with the best of intentions can become an enemy. Baxter killed your father Eva, and Darius will not forget that. Regardless of what was becoming of him, Barret was a good man to Darius. I cannot trust that deep-seated hate to be unguarded.” Quintus met her eyes with an intensity she did not usually witness. “You understand that Evangeline?” he asked.

  She nodded. “Yes, and I apologise for questioning you, I just did not understand the need.” She attempted to explain herself, and when Glais did not give her any help, she could only assume that she was handling herself well enough without his usual guidance.

  “Of course.” Quintus stepped towards her, and Glais took a small step away to give them a moment to speak privately. “I am trusting you with my life, Eva. Not only mine but the livelihood of all of Braykith. Should your brother stay, I will have to assume any fears I have of him are non-existent and that he is safe.”

  Evangeline nodded. Quintus looked down on her until it was a struggle for Evangeline to maintain eye contact. “I trust him.” She said, and Quintus seemed to accept that. He gestured for the guard to come with him and move on, leaving Evangeline standing alone and Glais carefully watching on.

  Hearing the solid closing of the door behind him, Evangeline felt free to hug herself tightly around her middle section. “I do not like this Glais.” She mumbled, afraid to speak louder than a whisper because there was always the chance of spies waiting to catch them in an act worth reporting.

  “My father will trust your judgement. Only you know what Darius will do.” Glais tried to comfort her, and yet he struggled with that because physical closeness was just as likely to send her running rather than anything else. “What are your first thoughts?”

  Evangeline looked around the room and saw no one of concern to her. She sighed. Evangeline knew that simply because they appeared to be alone, did not mean it was true. She struggled to speak freely, and the tension in her back seemed to entrap her as Evangeline felt that she was still being watched. “I want the decision that will make Darius happy.”

  “And which is that?”

  “I cannot be certain,” Evangeline confessed, squeezing herself tighter. “I cannot imagine him being pleased with either outcome. To serve under you might feel demoralising after the future he had been promised as Earl of Crimah.” Evangeline pushed a hand over her forehead and the beginnings of her hair. She rested it there, but the weight could not satisfy her. The tension would not be so easily shifted. “Is there still a Crimah for him to return to?” She wondered.

  Glais had no answer for that. “It is assumed that the manor is under rebellion control if it is still standing at all.” He softly broke the news to her, but she only nodded. Evangeline thought as much already.

  “And so, land for his own is the best he can hope for, but he will not know how to make the best of it. A squire, well, he is a little old for the position.” She confessed.

  “It was a desperate suggestion,” Glais admitted. “When I suggest he stay here as our guest, my father demanded to know what role he could be given. Squire was the first to come to mind, and I am sorry it is the only suggestion my father took seriously.”

  Evangeline shook her head. “No, it would have been the only one that he was sure Darius would turn down. Your father does not want him here.” That was evident, but saying it made Evangeline wonder how safe Darius would be if he stayed. “Can your father be trusted to keep his word in this matter?”

  Glais nodded. “Yes. Even if he does not like it, he will follow through with this. He cannot be seen to give you reasons to abandon this marriage.”

  She thought it was useless to mention that she was aware that Quintus had made threats against her life once he felt a little pressure. If he could consider ruining a marriage, a sacred act protected by Xado, what would stop him from ruining a deal for her brother’s life? She shook her head, keeping her lips closed as her mind came up with reasons why Darius could not stay, and yet she could not send him out into the world either. “I need to be alone to think on this.” She turned to leave but stopped when Glais gently caught her elbow.

  They looked at each other, not a word spoken until finally, he released her. Whatever he had intended to say would not be heard, and Evangeline was glad for it because she doubted she could have said the same thing in return.

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  T he trees had not changed since the last time she had looked upon them, and it was that never changing state which had brought her here to the window in her bedroom. Evangeline felt that she had lost all control and even the clothing on her back felt itchy. Her skin was both hot and cold at the same time, and not a single thought could finish its statement before the next concern took her focus. The trees did not move as Evangeline struggled to stay standing. The view from the window soothed her and just looking upon their natural state relaxed her mind.

  She pushed a hand against the thick glass and Evangeline closed her eyes, taking in a deep breath, and then released it slowly as to better ground herself. Two days had come and gone, and Evangeline still struggled with the problem Quintus had given her. Darius had been no help at all. Upon visiting him, all he had to say was that he trusted her.

  The greater question was simple. Did Evangeline trust him in return? Darius did not seem motivated by vengeance, and yet she had never considered it as a possibility until Quintus had mentioned it. Could she be trusted to make such a judgement of character when she could not understand the signs that made it possible in the first place? Would Quintus use the vengeance in her brother as an excuse to kill her with politics at his side? Evangeline felt the tension mount within her again, and so she took another deep and slow breath, but each time she followed this exercise it grew less effective.

  Beyond the dilemma with Darius and the implications it would have within the royal court, Evangeline continued to struggle with Glais and their relationship. More than once Evangeline had wondered if he did understand her, more than she ever gave Glais credit for. No longer did they fight, and Glais did not make demands of her that she could not keep. He slept in their shared bed, and Evangeline assumed he took his meals privately elsewhere, but that strain that seemed so consistent before had begun to dissolve between them recently. Was she tired of fighting? Or were her feelings for Glais changing? Evangeline was not sure. She was never sure.

  Since Quintus had given her the ultimatum concerning her brothers' fate, Evangeline had retreated to her bedrooms and never emerged. Meals were brought to her, but the food returned to the kitchens without much being consumed. Evangeline knew she was being withdrawn, and she blamed no one for leaving her to chase her thoughts until exhaustion caught up with her each night. Her mind had wandered far in the past two days, and when the sun broke on the horizon, panic gripped her as she realised that she had no answers for the king.

  The longer she was here in Braykith, the more it seemed that what she knew to be true turned out to be fals
e. Preparing herself had been a joke, and her feet stumbled over every hurdle. It forced Evangeline to wrap herself around her own stomach and try and silence the trapped butterflies that lived there. Evangeline would never wish to return to the naïve child she once was, but she hoped that she could speak to her past self and let her know that soon nothing that seemed important to her would be, and every day would feel like Evangeline was fighting both sides of a losing war. Barret’s ultimate betrayal, and Quintus’ welcoming statements and attitudes were just the beginning. Evangeline doubted it would ever come to an end.

  She looked up suddenly as the door opened, embarrassed to be found with such hurtful thoughts on her mind.

  “I’m sorry,” Glais said, pausing in the doorway. He left the door open as he crossed the threshold since it seemed to put her at rest when he did that. “I didn’t realise you were still in here.” He stammered pulling the cuffs of his jacket over his wrists as he lowered his eyes. Evangeline nodded and went back to looking out the window. Glais watched her before moving towards the fire to warm his hands. “You look like one of us.”

  “Is that bad?” Evangeline asked, her back to him still.

  “No. I mean, gazing out the window at the trees.” He smiled softly to himself as he continued to watch her profile. “After your arrival, it seemed every window was suddenly occupied because of the changes in the trees. Many of our subjects thank Xado every day still and believe this was a sign of him personally blessing our marriage.” Glais shrugged. “Or so I heard the staff say.”

  She turned from the window. “And what did you think of it?” she asked.

  Glais looked down at his hands and as the silence stretched Evangeline finally went back to looking out the window. “I thought it was hope.” He said, laughing at himself as Evangeline slowly turned to see him again. “I figured it was a sign that perhaps we would be matched in a way I never could understand.”

  “You don’t think so now?” Evangeline asked.

  “No.” He shook his head. “No, I no longer believe that.”

  “Why?”

  “Because the one time we were free with each other, your magic rebelled against it.” He did not mention the curse by name. Although the death that usually followed suggested the curse did not happen to those who suffered from it, avoiding it was something he had grown up with. Those childhood lessons continued to stay with him.

  Evangeline never did often think of that time. Subconsciously it ruled all she did, but usually, it was a black hole that she dared never peek at. Being forced to acknowledge it now, Evangeline admitted that she did not enjoy the memory any more than when it was fresh. “And now it is proof that we are destined to be opposing forces?” she asked gently.

  Glais paused, considering his words carefully before answering her. Evangeline was tricky at times, and the wrong words could end this conversation quickly. “I suppose.” He was sure the only reason they had been so compatible recently was because of all the stress Quintus had put on her shoulders. However, Glais hoped it was a starting point that would not be wasted once the stress was over. “But I hope it manifests differently in any children we have.” Glais sighed, heading towards the closet. He pulled out a shirt, and without pause or apology, he removed the jacket and shirt he had been wearing.

  Evangeline only just noticed the front fabrics of his clothing were soiled, but she paid him no mind as he continued to lose the final layers. Glais made no attempts to seduce or draw attention to his nudity, and Evangeline could not banish him from their shared space. She did her best to just ignore him until the flash of colour at his wrists from the corner of her eye grabbed her attention. She rushed to him impulsively and grabbed his hands so she could see the marks better. Glais’ lips in a firm line, he pulled his hands free from her grasp. “What happened?” she demanded.

  “It was a warning from Father.” He answered quickly, licking his lips and trying his best to hide the marks from her.

  “Regarding what?”

  He might have laughed had the situation not been so cloudy. Glais pulled a clean and simple shirt over his head, securing the tails into his pants and made sure that Evangeline could not inspect the injuries closer. “I publicly challenged Father,” Glais said but when Evangeline continued to look up at him for information he sighed and continued. “I spoke against his decision regarding Darius, and he needed to ensure I realised what I was doing.”

  “Darius?” she asked, reaching for his wrists once more but Glais easily kept them out of her grasp. “This is from two days ago?”

  It unnerved Glais that it had taken Evangeline so long to see the signs left behind by his father, but he pushed those feelings down. “It is fine. You have been busy, and I will confess that I have been hiding the worst of it from you. I will heal slowly, but in time it will not even leave a scar.” Glais assured her. “My father is a brute, but he is a good King. I had known the consequences before I spoke out.”

  “And you did it anyway.” Evangeline sighed, putting her hands behind her back so Glais would stop watching her so closely.

  “You think Quintus as a terrible and controlling man, but you do not understand the life that he had as a child and the world he is forced to live in. We are all built upon the foundations set before us, and unfortunately for my Father, his father was not a kind or cautious man. His father would make the torture from Barret appear as child’s play.” Glais set about retying the laces to secure his pants at his hips and prepared to put on his coat.

  “I do not understand,” Evangeline said, hating to admit it but curious as to what this all meant.

  Glais had said too much, but there was no way to leave this conversation and remain on good terms with Evangeline if he did not explain himself now. He took the time to replace his jacket, pressing his lips together and hiding a wince as he did so. “My grandfather lived for close to two hundred years before my father was born. He had a succession of wives, none of which took on the family burden well.” He used words that Evangeline would use herself. It was his way of trying to have her sympathise with the story instead of reminding her how much she hated Glais. “Without an heir, he could not die.” Glais sat on the edge of the bed while Evangeline continued to stand. “I have told you before Evangeline that even we are not meant to live forever, and as time passes, the impulses of what we are continue to grow until we are nothing more than slaves to those desires.”

  Evangeline looked down at the floor, ashamed to admit she thought Glais was still a monster now, and that shame echoed in Glais since he understood that this was how she looked at him. He looked down at the floor before he could continue. “My grandfather came to care less about hiding what he was. He took whoever he wanted and performed acts that were too horrible to become legend. The people of Braykith would rather forget them than allow my grandfather’s legacy to be joined with the rumours that keep us all safe.”

  “The stories of your grandfather never became the works of fable because no one could dare imagine such a dangerous man having existed.” Evangeline looked to him for confirmation in her summery and Glais nodded.

  “By the time my father was of age and showing symptoms, there was no one to teach him how to best control it. He learnt because to do it wrong meant beatings, or lashings, or abandoned in the dungeons for days on end with no sustenance.” Glais paused, still struggling with understanding how his Father could have survived those times at all.

  “What became of Quintus’ mother?” Evangeline asked gently.

  “My grandmother died when she came between my father and grandfather during an argument.” Glais was stubborn on those details and not matter how Evangeline stared at him, and he would not say more about the incident to her. “Her memory was stolen from the records because of the man her husband was. She had deserved better, and sadly she had no choice in her spouse. Much like many of the women who come to Braykith with a promise of marriage, she could not understand until it was too late.” Evangeline herself, she was a t
reaty agreement between allied forces, and he fell silent as he was consumed by his guilt.

  “Glais?” Evangeline asked his name, and he grunted softly in response. “How old is your father?” She asked.

  Glais’ eyes darted away from hers. “He draws closer to a hundred and twenty.” He admitted.

  Evangeline’s mouth opened on its own accord, and she had to make it a conscious decision to close it again before she could find the words to speak. “Kyleigh is not his first wife?”

  Glais shook his head. “We are not his only children.” He confessed.

  “But you are his first son?” Evangeline came to sit beside him. Glais nodded. “And this is the reason for his urgency?”

  Glais sighed. “Father fears that perhaps there has been a change in the inner workings of what we are. That perhaps it is growing harder to conceive and have those children survive.” Glais had looked at her before he recalled the reasoning for this story. “This is not about me. This is about Quintus. He was raised harshly, and it was luck that Kyleigh was able to bear him heirs before it got worse, but his time as the only living heir of Braykith ensured that he learnt one good trick.”

  “And what is that?” Evangeline whispered.

  “That you can live through more than you imagined.” His mouth was dry, and Glais’ hair fell forward as he lent into his posture. His fingertips pressed together, but he did not cry or shout. Instead, he pulled all those emotions deep into himself and straightened his shoulders. He turned his head to face her, and Evangeline reached out and moved his dark locks and pressed them securely behind his ear, so she could see his face as he spoke. “My grandfather would never allow my father to die. He needed Quintus to give him the ultimate freedom he deserved from this realm. But before that could come to pass, I needed to be born and survive to an age where it was evident the bloodline would continue.” Glais shifted uncomfortably, keeping his sleeves over the tired wounds around his wrists. “When I say it is nothing Evangeline, believe me when I say it is. Because it could be much much worse.”