He waved his hand as if dismissing his line of thinking. He did not need to think about Katarina at the moment. His focus needed to be on the Unfading Lands before him. Too many times had Lancer slipped through their fingers. There had to be a way to conquer the Lands without succumbing to the darkness. The darkness was the easy route. Isaac never liked easy. He thrived on the difficult and seemingly impossible. And Edward had enveloped the darkness and what good had it brought them other than the fact Lancer could no longer cross the boundary? Nothing.
Isaac glanced up as movement shifted on the other side and Edward hesitantly stepped into the clearing. Isaac’s brows rose as he watched the former Northern Prince glance over his shoulder in paranoia. He offered a wave to Isaac and pointed to a letter in his hand. Isaac stood and grabbed Thatcher and nudged the small rabbit across the line to him. Edward hastily tied the letter around its neck and sent it across the line. He bowed to Isaac and quickly darted back through the trees.
Brow creased, Isaac untied the letter.
I am glad someone has ventured to the boundary line. I have been waiting.
There is much to discuss, but I only have a short time. I have discovered the source of the betrayal. The person who told Lancer of our plans was Cecilia. Yes, this cuts deeper than you know. I have yet to confront her or deal with the issue at present, but I intend to. Her motives, I’m sure, were not to harm the Realm, but only to keep the boundary line. She loves living within the Lands and did not wish to see the boundary line fall. The fact anyone would wish for this is foreign to me, but we must consider those that do not wish for the Realm to succeed and destroying the boundary. A factor, I do not believe, we paid much attention to previously.
Lancer wishes to meet with Alayna, here at the clearing. He told me that should I see someone here to have him or her bring her the following day. Therefore, we will be here tomorrow awaiting her arrival. I do not know more than that at the moment or what he intends to discuss, only that he wishes to show her something.
Please know that I remain loyal to the Realm and our cause to defeat the Lands.
Edward
Isaac folded the parchment and stuck it in his tunic pocket and slowly stood. He paused in his movements as he sensed someone watching him. Without hesitation he unsheathed his sword and swung around, the blade pausing within a breath of Clifton’s neck. The Eastern Prince’s eyes widened as he held up his hands in surrender. Isaac’s shoulders relaxed, and he lowered his breath.
“I could have had your head, Clifton.” He put away his sword.
“I’m grateful you didn’t.” Clifton rubbed a nervous hand over the back of his neck.
“What are you doing here?” Isaac asked.
“Following you.”
“Elizabeth.” Isaac stated, knowing the princess had confessed his plan to her husband after all.
“Yes. She was worried.”
Isaac smirked. “I figured as much. I try to do something heroic and selfless and you steal my thunder.”
Clifton laughed. “Don’t be so glum, Isaac. You are still heroic. You just aren’t invincible. Now tell me, what did the letter say?”
Isaac handed it to him and watched as Clifton’s green eyes scanned the page. “It will take some convincing to get Alayna to venture here.”
“Aye. I agree. But we need a place to start. We are at that awkward moment of transition. Between battle and rest. Between rest and upcoming battle. We need direction. Perhaps her visit to the line and with Lancer will give us some direction.” Isaac walked towards his horse and his lips tightened as he strained to lift himself into his saddle.
“You must recover first, or you will be no good to anyone in the upcoming days.” Clifton launched into his saddle with ease and Isaac bit back his envy.
“I am fine. Maybe a bit slower than usual, but I still almost caught your head at the end of my sword.”
“That may be, but I was not trying to kill you.” Clifton pointed out.
“Fair enough.” Isaac grumbled as he slapped his reins and the two princes made the journey back towards the castle.
∞
“So, let me see, you wish to journey to the Western Kingdom with your father-in-law to check on the whereabouts of King Anthony while we wish to commence battle at week’s end?” Alayna asked, the contempt in her tone not going unnoticed by Elizabeth or Melody as they both sat at the Council table.
“That is correct.” Elizabeth replied. “Though the ‘battle at week’s end’ part is still a bit vague.”
“No, it is not.” Alayna stated in annoyance. She diverted her gaze towards the maps on the table and ignored the two princesses sitting before her. She would not be swayed, and Elizabeth wishing to pull King Eamon away from the North was her sister’s subtle way of sabotaging Alayna’s battle plans.
“Alayna?” Elizabeth waved her hand towards her sister. “We’re still here.”
Alayna glanced up as if just noticing her sister. “And what of you, Melody? What brings you to the Council Room?”
The Western Princess straightened in her seat. “Elizabeth asked me to join her.”
“Ah. To double-team me, hmm? Two are stronger than one?”
“Not so.” Elizabeth replied. “I asked Melody because my quest involves her kingdom and her father. I assumed she would like to know the plans King Eamon and I have conjured.”
“My answer is no.” Alayna stated. “Your request to journey to the Western Kingdom is denied until I say.” She turned her attention back to the maps and avoided the open mouth of her sister. Elizabeth’s cheeks flamed, and she clenched and unclenched her fists.
“You are being unreasonable.” Elizabeth replied combatively.
Alayna’s head snapped up. “My answer is final, sister. Now please, leave me be.”
Elizabeth looked at a shocked Melody who gathered her skirts and quietly made her way to the exit. Elizabeth stood and leaned against the back of her chair.
“You have been many things, Alayna. But you have never been selfish to the point of stupidity.” She turned to walk away as Alayna jumped to her feet.
“What did you say?” She demanded.
“You heard me, sister.” Elizabeth looked to Alayna with disappointment. “You wish to risk the lives of everyone for a foolish battle that cannot be won until we have our feet under us again. You rush this, and you do not heed counsel from those wiser than you.”
“I cannot believe you are speaking to me this way. Has everyone forgotten that I am the Queen? That it is my decision that is final? You call me selfish,” she pointed her finger at Elizabeth, “when you yourself are wanting to journey to the West no matter what I say. Is that not also selfish?”
“No.”
“Oh really?” Alayna crossed her arms.
“Because I am going for the sake of our Realm. We are stronger knowing our situation in the West. The Western Kingdom could still be under Abner’s rule, Alayna. Do you not wish to find out? King Anthony could be in trouble. We need the West if we are to battle against the Unfading Lands again. The trip is purposeful.” Elizabeth explained.
Alayna shook her head. “You are all blind. Now is our time to defeat Lancer. We must kill him and destroy those lands.”
“Lancer is not the enemy, Alayna. The darkness is. And we are not one step closer to figuring out how to rid him of it than we were last time. I think we realized the hard way that the Lands cannot be defeated without first defeating the darkness.”
“I don’t care about the darkness. I care about Lancer. He is the one holding the boundary line up. We kill him, and it disappears.” Alayna waved her hand in finality.
“And what of the darkness? What about Edward?” Elizabeth asked.
“We will cross that bridge when it comes.”
“That is folly.” Elizabeth growled and clenched her fists at her sides. “Perhaps you should read Father’s letter again, the one he wrote to you. If you will not listen to me, perhaps you will listen to him. Lancer is n
ot our enemy, the darkness is. We achieve nothing if we kill him and let the darkness linger.”
“I am aware of what Father’s letter said to me. But things are different now.”
“No, they are not.” Elizabeth cut in and watched as Alayna’s eyes hardened.
“Yes, they are. Besides, without my Captain of the Guard, it is up to me to make military decisions, as I see fit. I seek the counsel of no one on this matter until everyone agrees it is the best course of action.”
“You dictate your choices, sister, and you risk killing us all. Perhaps it is best Ryle is not here to see this side of you. He would be as disgusted as I am.” Elizabeth grabbed her skirts and spun on her heel as she left her sister glaring behind her.
∞
“Cecilia?” Ryle asked in surprise as Edward ran a frustrated hand through his dark hair and nodded on the other side of iron bars.
“Yes. Lancer was quite pleased with her contribution. I have no idea what she told him, I have yet to speak to her until I have control over my emotions.”
“That is understandable.” Ryle scratched at the scruff that peppered along his jaw line as he pondered how to handle the news of Cecilia’s betrayal. “Why would anyone wish to stay here?”
“I don’t know, but if she is willing to betray me in order to keep the boundary, then there must be others loyal to Lancer as well. Perhaps they fear what their life would be like back in the Realm. I will admit that life here is much different than across the line. There are no stresses of time or hard labors as there are in the Realm. Time is limitless, and labors are not on a schedule. Perhaps they fear the Realm to be too constricting.”
“It doesn’t really matter what they fear, the fact is they are loyal to Lancer and that poses a problem, no matter their reasoning. Do you think she would tell you if your life was at risk?” Ryle asked curiously.
“Yes. From what I gather, she did not inform Lancer of my involvement. He seemed naïve as to what my role was in the surprise attack.” Edward explained. “That tells me that her feelings are at least somewhat genuine. Though, thinking of her betrayal makes my skin crawl. I am not sure I could bear to look at her face at the moment.”
Ryle smirked. “I think I would have a hard time as well.”
“Prince Isaac was at the boundary line this morning. He seemed ill.”
“I imagine he is nursing bruises of his own.” Ryle lightly massaged a place on his thigh as Edward remembered the feel of his dagger through muscle he delivered there earlier that morning.
“I know I keep saying it, but I am sorry I am having to torment you each day.” Edward leaned against the wall and crossed his arms. “Your wounds seem to be taking longer to heal.”
“They are fine.” Ryle looked up, his blue eyes hard. “Nothing I cannot handle.”
“Until you can’t handle them.”
“I will, and I must. Lancer can have you beat me a thousand times a day and I would still sit willingly in that chair and take it for the sake of the Realm.”
“Your bravery is honorable, but it will also lead to your death should you not be wiser.” Edward pushed himself off the wall. “Tomorrow Lancer will be meeting with Alayna at the boundary line, and I am sure some of the others. I will let you know how it goes. Until then, happy healing.”
Ryle watched as Edward ducked out of the prison chamber and clambered up the stone stairwell that led out into the hall. So Cecilia had betrayed them. He had to admit part of him was not surprised at that revelation. There had always seemed something off about the young woman. Now he understood why. She was sneaky in her betrayal, he would give her that credit. They did not filter their plans in front of her, trusting Edward’s affections for the woman. But affection did not make someone honest. And clearly not trustworthy either. He shifted on the uncomfortable ground, the dirt and hay sticking to his trousers as he pulled his knees up and leaned his head against them. He took several deep breaths as a pain in his side began to tinge and begin the process of fully healing. Edward was right; his body was taking longer to heal between tortures. However, Ryle knew he would never give into Lancer’s demands or Edward’s suggestions. He would die if need be. He did not wish to die, but he would gladly lay down his life for the Realm if he had to. He wondered if Alayna thought of him as much as he did her. Her face plagued his thoughts even in sleep. And he had convinced himself that just the sight of her would renew his strength. He feared her encounter with Lancer tomorrow. Would she bring Clifton with her? Isaac? His father? He needed to see them. He needed to see their faces and feel their quiet support. His body was weakening. The only strength that remained was in spirit, but he slowly felt the weakening in his resolve. He needed an encouragement. Perhaps Edward would accompany Lancer and share with him the happenings.
Stretching out his legs, Ryle leaned his head back against the stone wall and closed his eyes. Rest. He would rest while he could and save what little strength he possessed. He had a hunch that the outcome of Lancer’s interaction with Alayna would determine his remaining treatment in the Lands. He prayed their meeting went smoothly.
∞
Isaac sat in the Northern castle’s gardens and watched as Katarina walked towards him. She was a beauty, but for the life of him he could not steer his heart towards her as more than a friend. He had tried to feel for her as more, but she lacked certain qualities he knew he wished for. She was meek and sweet but lacked an inner strength he came to find in others. She smiled at him as she approached and eased onto the bench beside him.
“Good to see you out and about, Isaac.” She greeted warmly.
“Aye, likewise. It feels nice to be out and about. What brings you to the gardens?”
“You. I was hoping to talk with you.”
He waved his hand for her to continue.
“It is about my father.”
He noticed her divert her gaze to one of the yellow roses nearby, Elizabeth’s favorite in the entire garden. He smiled at that thought and waited patiently for her to continue. When she did not, he spoke. “Are you wanting to know why I killed him?”
“Yes. I guess part of me is wondering. Would he not have been a better captive?”
“No. He was an evil man, Katarina. I apologize for speaking so plainly, but you must know that. You feared him yourself. Now you are free of him as well as the entire Realm. He can bully no one else.”
“I did not ask you to liberate me.” Her voice was quiet but sharp and his brows rose in surprise.
“I thought you would be glad to be free of him.” Isaac stated.
“Part of me, yes. The other half of me is devastated. He was my father. At the end of the day, he was my father, Isaac. He did not deserve to be killed.”
Isaac rubbed a hand over the back of his neck, not liking the turn in the conversation. Sighing, he turned towards her. “I will not apologize for my actions. The man was trying to kill Clifton. And me. He was also attacking the Realm. He would have killed everyone if I had not stopped him.”
She shook her head. “There must have been another way.”
Isaac motioned towards his side in frustration. “You see what he did to me. If Clifton had not been with me when this happened, I would have died right next to your father.”
Katarina swallowed back her emotions though her eyes filled with unshed tears. “I truly am sorry for your wound, it’s just… my heart is torn. I still grieve my father, even knowing what he did and has done.”
“Understandable.” Isaac said. “But if you are looking for an apology for my act, I regret to say, you will not find one.”
She nodded. “Understandable.”
His lips quirked at her mirroring his response.
“I wish to travel back to my realm as soon as Queen Alayna allows me to do so. I do not know what is to become of us now that my father is gone.”
“Would the queen not rule in his stead?”
“I am sure she will. But my father was a hated man, I imagine there are plenty of strong-wi
lled men wishing to overthrow him. Now is their chance.”
“And you wish to return and face that?” He asked, surprised at her sudden gumption.
“I wish to return and aid the queen. Should she wish to step aside, rule would pass to me. It is my duty.”
“And you would serve as queen?”
She held a faint smile. “I would try. Seeing Queen Alayna rule successfully has encouraged me quite a bit.”
“That is good news. Too bad Lancer’s family line is diminished. A strong alliance would be between your family and his. The two rulers of the Valleylands in a united front.”
“Lancer?” Her brows rose. “Why would anyone wish to have his family rule over them again?”
“From what I gathered from King Eamon’s stories, his father was a fair ruler.”
Katarina’s back stiffened. “Yes, but he was overthrown, and his family line wiped out. My father made sure of that. So, a merger would be impossible. And I must say I would not even consider the idea if it were possible.”
“And why is that?”
“Because the Valleylands belong to my father. He fought for them and won.”
Issac’s brow furrowed at the tension in her voice. Katarina had to realize her father stole what was never meant to be his. She seemed to understand that clearly when he visited her prior to her coming to his realm. However, sitting before him now, a new Katarina had begun to take shape. A girl not much different than her father.
“You would not return the Valleylands to Lancer’s family should there be an heir?”
“No. His family has long been out of rule. The Valleylands has changed considerably since his father was in power. They would be out of touch with the people.”
“Bold sentiments from the girl who had never left the confines of the castle walls until just recently.”
Her shoulders sagged. “It is different.”
“I must say, Katarina, I am surprised at you. I thought you were wishing to be released from your father’s controlling hand all this time. Did I misread your intentions of coming here? Or has your position just recently changed?”
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