Sahab sucked in his cheeks and shook his head. Still fuming, Eli turned back to the door.
“-not enough! If someone is after me, I will tell the king, and he can deal with it. My father and I can leave, go back to Jereg and be done with this nonsense. I’ll have to marry a noble girl and not a princess.” Elijah kicked the wall in frustration. He couldn’t wait anymore and as he reached for the door, a crash came from inside.
“Okay, now we go in,” Sahab said.
They both pushed the door open and rushed inside. What they found was not what they had expected. Prince John stood by the window, face in shock at their unwanted entry. Osmar, the librarian, was sitting at the table and smashed plates littered the floor. The only person who was missing was Lord Conrad, but Elijah was sure he would turn up soon.
“Uh, sorry for the intrusion, Your Highness, but we thought there was an intruder.” Sahab took two more steps into the room.
“Well, as you can see, there is not. Now get out,” John snapped as he pointed to Osmar.
“I can’t do that, Your Highness,” Elijah said, trying to mask his anger. “We will need to check the room.”
Prince John rolled his eyes and sighed. “Fine, go ahead. But be quick, Osmar and I were having quite the heated discussion that still needs to be finished.”
Osmar was now looking at Elijah—no, studying him. It was making the hair on the back of his neck stand. Nodding in recognition of what the prince had said, Sahab and Eli investigated the room. Elijah didn’t stray too far from the main bed chamber in case Prince John and Osmar said anything else that he could hear.
“You must be careful. There are ways of getting inside without being seen, Prince John.”
Elijah looked up, and the prince had his arms crossed and was shaking his head. Keeping up appearances, Elijah checked behind the curtains in the room. The windows were securely locked, but something caught his eye outside. His head hurt and images flashed in his mind. His legs went weak, and he steadied himself on the window.
He blinked hard as memories came rushing back. His reflection in the window of a young boy looking out to a hooded man standing down below, a torch in his hand. Someone burst inside the room behind him and grabbed his shoulder. Magda, she covered his face as she told them they needed to leave. He tried to call out for his mother, but she wouldn’t listen. She took him to the far side of the room and disappeared behind the hanging tapestry where there was a door hidden in the stone.
“What on earth is going on here?” Lord Conrad boomed. No-one answered. “I believe I asked a question. You,” he jabbed his finger towards Sahab, “tell me why you are inside my son’s room.”
Conrad’s voice pulled Elijah from the memories and back into the room.
“Apologies for the intrusion, Your Highness.”
15
Revelations and Truths
Elijah felt like time was standing still, as the awkward silence hung between the five men. Prince John had taken a step back and was now pressed up against the window, while Osmar had slinked away behind Sahab. Conrad, however, was still blocking the only exit out of the room.
“We heard something smash and thought there may have been an intruder.” Sahab cleared his throat after he spoke.
“Checks had to be made to ensure the prince’s safety,” Elijah agreed before Conrad could say anything further. “There is nothing in here. It seems Prince John was having fun smashing plates.” Elijah gestured to the mess on the floor.
“Smashing plates?” John scrunched his nose at him. “You barged in here unannounced, with the weak excuse you heard something.” He looked at Conrad, who folded his arms, a sour expression returning as his son spewed lies. “Eavesdropping, that’s what you were doing! I know it.” Prince John pointed his finger at them both.
“Prince John,” Elijah said through gritted teeth, “it is my duty to protect you. I heard noises and came in to check you were okay. Would you prefer me to not check next time I hear a crashing and shouting?”
The prince’s face changed colour as he boiled up. Elijah imagined steam coming out of his ears and had to turn away for a second so no-one saw him smile.
“Enough.” Conrad commanded the attention in the room. “You, librarian. What are you doing here?”
Osmar rolled his shoulders back and stood up. “What you asked me to do, Lord Applebottom. Speaking with the prince about the situation.” He closed the gap between him and Prince John. Sahab caught Elijah’s eye and shrugged as he moved from the back of the room to the front of the table where Osmar had been sitting.
“What?” John frowned. “You put him up to this father?”
“He has the mark. On the back of his shoulder.” Osmar crept closer to the prince with each word. In a swift motion, the librarian grabbed the prince and ripped his shirt, revealing his shoulder. There on the back was a large dark mole.
“Hey!”
Hardly considered a mark. Eli forced his hands to stay where they were and not reach up to his own shoulder. For underneath his shirt was a mark from where he had been burned.
“I knew it!” Osmar cried. He bolted from the room and pushed Conrad out of the way.
Elijah rushed out the door after him. Peering down the corridor, there was no sign of the librarian. Lord Conrad straightened himself out and moved to his son’s side. John shrugged away from his father and pulled his shirt back up over his shoulder.
“What are you waiting for, permission?” The prince waved an arm towards the door. “Go! He assaulted me, go and get him!”
Not waiting for another outburst, Eli made his way through the corridor, skidding around the corner. Aldus, one soldier Elijah had trained with, was walking through the same hallway. “Aldus, good. I need you to look after the prince now. He sent me after an intruder.” He didn’t wait for a reply before running past him.
Adrenaline surged through Elijah’s body as he bolted down the corridor. He ran down the stairs two at a time. Only stopping when he reached an open door to a courtyard.
The librarian was hunched over and muttering into his hands. Elijah stepped forward slowly, trying to make as little sound as possible.
“I found him. I really found him. But who to tell? Who should know the prince has returned?” Osmar turned around and locked eyes with him and then smiled.
“Why did you run? If Conrad sent you there to speak to the prince, why did you…”
He shook his head. “I needed to know he was alive. I found him.” Osmar smiled, his eyes lighting up. “But you.” The librarian stepped forward, hand outstretched. Elijah backed away from his hand and gripped his sword.
“Stop, I will take you in for questioning and trial for assaulting the prince.” Eli adjusted his position, all the muscles in his body tensing as Osmar studied him.
“Who are you? I recognise that face. From before, before the fire. Before the madness.” He shook his head and stepped back. “Who are you?”
Elijah scrunched his nose. “I’m no-one.”
Osmar smiled, tilting his head to the side. “You are someone important too. I remember. The boy with the blonde hair through the window.” He stepped to the side, his eyes flickering behind Elijah. “You’re the one they are looking for. The one who was here when they came.”
“You’re not making any sense. Now calm down and let me take you to the king.”
“We will take it from here, Elijah.” Merrick’s voice came from behind him. He stepped up beside him, along with three other guards. “Conrad called us. Well done for keeping him distracted long enough for us to get here. You’ll be going with them.” Merrick strode over to the librarian and moved him into the clutches of the guards.
“Where are you taking him?” Elijah asked, wondering if the librarian knew more about him.
“Dungeons. He laid hands on the prince, and will need to be spoken to by the king. The prince is worried that he might try again if he isn’t contained, so King Roderick agreed he would spend a night in the dungeo
ns before being called to speak to him in the morning.”
“I’ll come with you.” He followed his uncle like a puppy out of the courtyard. Below the castle, the dungeons were not a place Elijah thought he would ever visit. Damp and dark, only a few candles lined the walls. They opened the cell, and the rusty metal door creaked open. Merrick pushed the librarian inside.
Osmar fell forward but steadied himself. He looked around the small cell and nodded, then sat down on the small bed. “See you in the morning then.” He smiled.
Merrick put an arm around Elijah’s shoulders and turned him away from the cell as they walked back through the corridor to the stairs.
“You have done well Eli, keeping him distracted was an excellent tactic.”
“We need to talk,” Elijah said, gulping. “Now.”
Merrick nodded, and they walked back upstairs. His uncle took them to a private room where no-one could overhear their conversation.
“I need to go first,” Merrick said, before Elijah could start speaking. “Why on earth did you go barging into the prince’s room? You were supposed to stay outside.”
“Oh, of course, John would have mentioned that,” Elijah moaned. “Did he also mention that he was smashing plates and speaking ill of the princess?” Merrick shook his head. “No, I didn’t think he would. We heard the crash and so, Sahab and I went in and see what was happening. Was that not the right thing to do?” Elijah crossed his arms.
“No, Prince John did not mention any of that to me. You did… as expected of a guard,” Merrick agreed. “I should remember that I taught you and you wouldn’t have gone in there without reason.” Silence hung in the air between them before Merrick broke it again. “You still have early training in the morning though.” Merrick winked. “Now what did you want to talk about?”
This is it. “I read the letter to Magda,” Eli blurted out. Merrick’s expression changed from soft to angry. “I found it when we were looking through her room.”
“You don’t need to explain yourself. I should never have sent them to her, but I knew she would worry herself unnecessarily if I didn’t tell her you were safe.” He looked back at the door before continuing. “I promised my sister-in-law, your mother, that I would keep you safe. That I would do everything in my power to make sure they couldn’t find you again.”
“The Agents of Cyran?”
Merrick nodded. He took a deep breath and looked to the floor. Elijah wanted to say something, but he didn’t know what to say when it was him that needed the answers. Yet, there was something in his mentor’s face that made him think Merrick was mourning something, or someone.
“Magda delivered you to me, before she went into hiding. The king and queen had been murdered, Magda was injured, and she carried news of the massacre that had killed people I loved dearly.” Merrick’s voice broke as he spoke, lowering his tone. He was whispering, even though no one was around.
Elijah wanted to comfort him, but something in his chest felt heavy.
“They killed everyone I loved, my wife, our daughters, her sister and my best friend. Roderick, Hector and I were a formidable trio, but after all that death I had to stay away, and I took you in. You were only a child, I had to protect you.” Merrick stepped forward and placed a hand on his arm.
Elijah looked to the floor unable to look Merrick in the eyes, they were filled with so many emotions. I need to ask him directly.
“I don’t regret it, Eli,” Merrick continued. “Every day with you has been a gift.”
He turned away when Merrick tried to put a hand on his shoulder. “That’s why you didn’t want to come back here?” Elijah walked to the window and looked outside, keeping Merrick in his peripheral. The guards had been doubled, and they were walking patrols.
“And be reminded every day of what I lost?” Merrick shook his head. “I am glad I got to spend these years with you, but it hurts to be in the place where I lost my wife, and our children.”
“Then it’s me?” Elijah put a hand on his chest. “I’m the one they are really after?”
Merrick sighed and nodded. “I didn’t tell you because it’s a secret I would gladly take to my grave to make sure you stayed alive. No-one can know this information Elijah. Your life depends on it.” Merrick’s voice had never been so demanding. “I had Emily distort the mark on your back so it looks like a scar, but without the ointment it will return to its normal form. She also hid your painful memories. You were having nightmares and…”
“You wanted to protect me.”
“I promised your mother nothing would happen to you. I thought you’d want to grow up as a normal boy and not remember what you might have seen as a child. You were scared, and I didn’t know what else to do.”
Elijah turned to face the man who had cared for him for what felt like his entire life. The man who was best friends with his mother and father, who lost his wife, who became his guardian. Merrick looked tired, but also like someone had lifted a weight off him. Eli knew that he would have to keep this secret, to protect Merrick, as he had protected him.
The truth was out, and there was nothing else that could be said. Both men stood facing each other, their silence sealing the promise.
“Right,” Merrick wiped away a stray tear that had fallen on his cheek, “let’s get you back to bed.”
Elijah had his truth, but it came with a hard sting of knowing he’d been lied to his entire life.
16
Dancing with Fire
Pacing the length of his room, Elijah couldn’t stop his feet from moving. There was no way to sleep with all the additional information swirling around his head. This was his kingdom. No, it wasn’t, not anymore. He was a prince with no title and no home. Yet something still nagged at the back of his mind.
Should he be mad at Merrick for keeping the secret of who he was from him? Or should he thank his uncle for taking his nightmarish memories and keeping him safe for years? He could be angry, but he was also conflicted. The look in Merrick’s eyes when he told him about the loss of his wife and children…
Elijah kicked the bed, catching his toe and regretting it immediately. He sat down on the bed and rubbed his throbbing foot. Next to him was an empty goblet that he picked up and threw at the door. It felt good to let out his emotions instead of quietly stewing on his uncertain feelings.
He sighed. With the imminent training sessions to come after the threat of an attack, he needed to relax. Yet no matter what he did, his restless body would not let him sleep. He tried a few exercises to tire himself out. Elijah jumped when a knock came at the door.
“Open up,” hissed a voice from the other side. “Hurry.”
“Coming,” he whispered back. Elijah yanked his door open and raised an eyebrow at who was standing in front of him.
“Are you just going to gawk at me or actually let me in?”
“Oh, thank the gods. Are you alright?”
Elijah’s eyes moved from Princess Sienna to Maevine and back again. “I’m fine.”
“Maevine, you may go. I want to speak with Elijah alone. He will walk me back to my room. Wait for me there.” Sienna turned to the girl who nodded. Maevine locked eyes with Elijah before she turned, mumbling to herself, and left.
Not waiting for an invitation, Princess Sienna pushed past him and entered the room.
“You shouldn’t be here. I should escort you back now,” he said, shutting the door behind her.
“What you should do, and what you will do, are completely my say so,” she said, matching his tone of voice as she sat on the side of his bed.
“Of course, Your Highness. Can I get you a drink?” asked Elijah, gesturing to the jug on his table. The princess nodded, and he poured them both a goblet of water.
“Water?”
“It’s what I drink before bed,” he answered. “I can get you something else from the kitchen if you prefer?”
“No, no, this is fine. I was just… surprised.”
He handed her the drink an
d drank his in one swift gulp, before pouring himself a second. The princess wasn’t speaking, and it was making him nervous.
“Princess Sienna,” he cleared his throat, “what are you doing here?” Elijah took a pew on the chair he had in his room, keeping his distance from her. This room was so small, he could feel the heat increase with the extra body. He needed to remain her bodyguard. Not cross the line. Not let his feelings get in the way.
“I wanted to make sure you were okay,” she said, matter of fact. “I heard about what you did.”
“What I did?” He frowned. Unaware he had done anything to affect the princess.
“Chasing that traitorous librarian.” Sienna took a sip of her water. “I… Thank you.”
“Oh.” It surprised Elijah that the princess felt she needed to make a visit in the middle of the night to thank him. “That’s why you’re here? In the dead of night? To thank me?”
“Y-yes,” she answered, looking away from him.
“I was only doing my duty,” explained Elijah, still unconvinced by her reasoning. “That’s what you wanted me to do, right? Protect your betrothed?”
Princess Sienna cringed at the mention of her impending marriage. Hope brewed in the pit of Elijah’s stomach.
“I wish people would stop calling him that,” she sighed. “I’ve not consented, and my father promised me that if I’m not happy, I don’t have to. He is merely a suitor at this point.”
I wonder if King Roderick told her that to make her happy. Elijah kept his thought to himself.
“My apologies, Your Highness. I assumed…” his voice trailed off, and he looked to the side to hide the smile teasing on the corners of his mouth.
“No need.” Silence hung in the air. “How do you know Maevine?”
“She’s Jaxon’s daughter, Merrick’s niece. They came to meet us when we were on our way here. One of my first friends here, she’s been showing me around, helping me get my bearings.”
Kingdom of Lies (The Kane Saga Book 1) Page 11
