Chapter 11
“Prince Gregory’s retinue is a mile out.” The news that the Death Mage was nearby spread through the castle in moments.
Kathryn stood at her window, watching for the signal from the stables: a red horse blanket hung out one of the windows. When it appeared, she used verdant magic on the vines outside her window to lower herself to the ground.
Lenore watched her descend and waved goodbye briefly before opening the sack and smiling at the pile of boulder opals inside. She said, “Time to see what I’m capable of.”
She pulled out a couple handfuls of opals. Her eyes turned black as she began to speak. “Break the ground. Break the floor. Break the walls. Obey my command and crack the earth.” Black, vein-like tendrils of magic spread across her face and up her arms.
The castle began to shake, and guards and servants shouted in fear as the walls around them trembled and cracked. Many guards assumed they were under attack from Gregory’s forces and began to rush to arm themselves.
Lenore strained to maintain the magic. Her head spun, and her legs shook under her.
I can do this!
A gasp of pain escaped her lips, but she wouldn’t stop. Kathryn needed to escape. No more members of her family were going to die because of Navinor, now, or ever!
The thought gave her a fresh burst of power, and she expended the last of the opals before tottering and falling to her knees. She could only hope it was enough.
She mumbled, “Goodbye, Kat.”
In the tower, Ren felt the ground tremble. He sat up quickly and grabbed onto the bars as the guards outside yelled to each other, “It’s an earthquake! Get out! The tower is coming down!”
“Wait!” Ren shouted after them, fear clutching at his throat. If it came down while he was locked inside…
They didn’t seem to hear. He threw himself against the bars, cursing. The stones above his head began to crumble under the strain of the shaking and the impact of his body. He slammed himself against them once more, and they gave way.
As he stumbled forward, Brenin’s voice startled him. “I should have guessed you’d let yourself out.”
Ren turned quickly. “Sir! We have to get everyone out. The castle is coming down!” He began.
“It won’t. Come on!”
Ren raced after him, somewhat bewildered. Brenin tossed him his sword. “The princess is waiting at the stables. Illian and the rest are on the way to meet Gregory,” he snapped. “Move fast; we won’t have much of a head start!”
“In fact, you’ll have none at all.” The cold, lifeless voice stopped them in their tracks.
Dorian stood in front of them, blocking the hallway. He wore several opal bracelets and necklaces, and in his hand was a boulder opal.
“Dorian, wait!” Ren cried. “I’m not guilty of this and you know it!”
“Of course I know,” Dorian said.
Ren froze, the blood draining from his face.
Brenin only snorted and said, “But you don’t actually care.”
“At least you understand that much.”
As the words left the warden’s mouth, Brenin lept towards him, raising his sword.
Dorian’s eyes turned black. Brenin’s sword shattered. Then Dorian’s eyes changed to glowing orange, and fire burst out from his body.
“Brenin!” Ren raced forward, shielding his mentor and shouting in pain as the fire singed him.
Brenin shoved Ren aside and threw a dagger. Dorian’s eyes glowed green and a potted plant nearby grew so rapidly that it surrounded and enveloped the dagger mid-air.
With an inarticulate yell, Ren pushed the plants aside and tackled his brother, slamming him to the ground.
“Why are you doing this?!” he shouted at him, punching him in the face. “Why?!”
“Ren, enough! We don’t have time!” Brenin shouted.
“He’s right,” Dorian said with a smirk. His eyes turned black once more. The walls and ground around them started to crack. “You don’t have time.”
Brenin dragged Ren to his feet and the two of them ran. The corridor started collapsing behind them.
“He’s insane!” Ren panted. “He’s going to bring everything down!”
“Forget about him!”
The two of them dashed to a window and Brenin jumped out first without hesitation. Ren glanced back once. A massive blast of fire blew towards him from where Dorian stood with blood trickling down his face and a terrifying smile on his lips.
Ren jumped. The flames exploded out the window, singeing his hair before he tumbled into the bushes below.
Brenin dragged him to his feet and they ran for the stables.
Soldiers scrambled all over as the ground continued to shake, and a few of them tried to run towards the escaping men.
Brenin pulled out yet another dagger, dodging a sword thrust, and stabbed his opponent in the shoulder.
“Leave them alive!” Ren yelled at him as he knocked out another soldier with the flat of his sword. Brenin only grunted in reply.
Kathryn came galloping out of the stable, mounted on her horse and leading two horses beside her. Relief filled Ren at the sight of her.
He said, “Talk about timing.” He reached up, grabbed his horse’s mane, and pulled himself into the saddle. Brenin followed suit, and they galloped for the line of trees that would shelter them from their pursuers.
Kathryn called, “What about Dorian? Is he-”
“He’s been taken care of!” Brenin shouted back. He glanced over his shoulder. Strangely, no one was following them yet.
“Why aren’t they chasing us?” Ren yelled over the sound of the wind rushing by.
“Their horses escaped,” Kathryn responded.
“Smart girl,” Brenin remarked.
Kathryn couldn’t resist a smile in spite of their predicament.
Ren laughed aloud. “We did it, Kat!” It might have been early to celebrate, but he was just happy to be out of the cramped little cell and riding by her side once more. She would figure out the rest later. She always did.
Hours later, Illian held a meeting of the remaining 10 generals. The paintings, two of which had been unseated by the violent quake and now had broken frames, seemed to stare down upon them even more forebodingly than usual. He said, “Prince Gregory is awaiting the transfer of a prisoner who we no longer have in our custody. His majesty has taken a severe turn for the worse and is believed to be incapable of deciding the next course of action.” It was hard to hide his triumph, but Illian had plenty of practice. He kept his face inscrutable.
“Your highness, are you requesting that we make you the acting monarch?” one of the generals questioned.
“It is not a request; I am next in line to the throne. You may speak to my father’s physicians, if it eases your mind,” Illian replied coldly. “In the meantime, I have called this meeting simply to inform you of my intent. Princess Kathryn and her bodyguard will not be pursued. Instead, they are now exiled.”
“Without a trial?” the general exclaimed.
“By fleeing, they clearly showed they have no intention of standing trial in Navinor or anywhere else. The only option, unless we wish to pursue them around the world, which would be a terrible waste of resources at the moment, is to banish them.”
“Something so serious must be put to a vote,” another general said hastily.
“Of course. But I think we all know the vote would be undecided with just ten generals. For that reason, I am taking the privilege of the monarch to assign one new general in the event that a general dies or is banished.”
As he spoke, Dorian walked in. There was a smirk on his face in spite of the black eye, and as he took Ren’s chair, the other generals murmured in surprise and disapproval.
One of them exclaimed, “The Head Warden cannot be a General as well, my lord!”
“What law says that?” Illian leaned forward to look directly at the general, who flinched. “I am allowed to make anyone I choose a General. Ren’s title was only honorary for his position as my sister’s bodyguard, but Dorian Patrick is an asset who fought by my side during the war. He fought by all of your sides. There were times when his actions alone turned the tide of a battle. Who here will say he does not deserve the position of one of the Generals of Iridalys?”
They had no response for him.
He said, “Then the General is recognized as such. I will now call for a vote regarding the banishment of both Princess Kathryn and the former General Ren. All who agree to instate a lifelong banishment upon Kathryn Prada and Ren Patrick, raise your hands.”
Only five generals raised their hands. Illian glanced in surprise at General Valen, who was sitting with his head down and his hands on the table. There was a moment of silence. Then Valen slowly raised his hand.
Illian hid a smile and said, “All who disagree, raise your hands.”
The five remaining generals raised their hands, their faces filled with anger and annoyance as they knew their votes were worse than useless.
“The vote is passed,” the prince said. “Kathryn Prada is stripped of her title as Princess and shall never again set foot on Iridalys soil. Anyone who is found to be harboring her will be guilty of treason. Ren Patrick is stripped of his title as General and will not again set foot in Iridalys. Anyone who harbors him will be guilty of treason. General Dorian, please write a proclamation to this effect and ensure that it is shared with the Navinorian representatives. Also inform them that I have no intention of allowing them to pursue anyone through my territory. They may return home.”
Dorian nodded. “Consider it done, my lord.”
As the generals filed out, Lenore stood near the door, watching them.
When Illian emerged, she stopped him. “What did you just do?” she demanded, her voice choking up with tears.
“Lenore, I don’t have time for this right now,” he replied.
“Make time. Did I hear right? Did you banish Kathryn and Ren? You know they didn’t kill anyone. If Father can’t make the decision, you should have at least made an attempt to protect them! Navinor is our enemy. They’re monsters! Why would you let them win?” Even though she knew Illian and Kathryn had stopped being friends long ago, she couldn’t believe things had gone this far.
“You have no idea what you’re talking about,” Illian said quietly.
“I know they killed my mother. I thought you would at least try to keep them from killing my sister as well. I guess I was wrong.”
Lenore turned on her heel, angry tears starting in her eyes.
Illian grabbed her arm, gripping so tightly that she yelped in pain. “I know what you did, Lenore. And while I understand your loyalty, I will tell you this: since you stayed behind, I expect you to not cause me any more trouble. Be a good girl; go to school, do your lessons, and keep yourself to yourself. I wouldn’t like it if you and I had to become enemies as well.”
The girl flinched, terrified at the cold look in his eyes. But she only said, “I’ll do as you say.”
“Good. Perhaps we can eat together tonight, Lenore. It has been too long since we’ve had proper time together as sister and brother,” Illian said pleasantly, all sign of his threatening manner gone.
Lenore watched him leave and let out a sigh of relief, only to shiver when Dorian’s voice spoke behind her. “I see Prince Illian is still too soft when it comes to his family.”
She whirled, instinctively falling back a step. With a thrill of fear, she realized there was a wall behind her and she couldn’t retreat further.
He leaned forward, placing his hand against the wall to lean against it and smile at her grimly. “I would have had you executed for treason,” he remarked.
“I’m sure you would. After all, I already know how you treat your brother,” she shot back, in spite of the fact her legs were trembling.
“I have no brother. The Patrick family has disowned him. It’s what should have happened in your case. I must say, I was impressed. You hardly seem to have experienced any ill effects. Some dry skin and chapping perhaps, but nothing serious, which is remarkable given the amount of magic you expended today.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Lenore replied shamelessly.
“Don’t you? You’re a better liar than I would have expected. But as a Warden, you will have to learn to control your foolish impulses and obey the rules. I suspect you will also live longer that way.” He cocked his head. “You might even be an accomplished Warden one day.” He left her there, and she leaned against the wall with a sigh of relief.
She mumbled, “I really hate him.”
Prince Gregory received Illian’s message and cursed, tossing the piece of paper onto the forest floor and urging his horse forward to step on it.
Xian looked troubled. He said, “The hunt is over. He will not allow us to pass through the land.”
“Maybe not all of us,” Gregory said curtly. “I want you to take ten of the vipers and continue your pursuit. Under no circumstances should the girl and her bodyguard survive!”
“But my lord, the new King has been very clear-”
Gregory’s eyes flashed blue briefly and his horse whinnied and shifted uncomfortably as the air around them became ice-cold. “Tell me, General, what do you think will happen to me if the former princess and her bodyguard find powerful allies and decide to seek revenge? I will not allow that to happen. It would be a terrible inconvenience when I take the throne. Now, make a detour to avoid any troops from Iridalys, and go finish them off.”
Xian lowered his eyes and nodded. “Yes, my lord.”
Gregory grunted in satisfaction. At least the little rats would pay for inconveniencing him.
He did hate to be inconvenienced, after all.
Kathryn could hardly believe their luck. As of yet, Brenin reported, they were not being pursued, which could only mean that her brother had no intention of coming after them at the moment. As odd as that was, it was also a welcome respite.
When they made camp for the night, Kathryn finally had a moment alone with Ren while Brenin scouted around for any Vipers.
Kathryn was struggling. Emotions overwhelmed her, mixing gratitude for Lenore and Brenin with guilt for leaving Lenore behind and anger against Illian and her father for refusing to protect their own family. Those emotions, instead of numbing her to her surroundings, made her more sensitive. She flinched at every rustle, and the smell of dirt and sweat made her feel ill.
Ren saw the look of misery on her face and reached for her hand. “Kat?” he began.
She pulled away. “Let’s put out the bedrolls,” she said briefly.
“They’ll keep. Take a moment to breathe. Please. Just a moment. We have time.”
One, two, three. One, two… How strange. She couldn’t even seem to count correctly.
He sat her down and then joined her, putting his arm around her shoulder as she blinked back tears. “I can’t believe we made it out,” she whispered.
I was so scared.
“I promised you I’d keep you safe. I will.” He smiled at her gently. “We’re going to be all right, Kat.”
Kathryn softly touched the cut over his eye that he’d received during the fight with Xian and Dorian. There was a lump in her throat, and it was hard to talk. “Ren. I was afraid for you.”
“Me? Don’t be silly, Kat; I always come out all right, don’t I? I lived through it, and I’m strong enough to fight off anyone who comes after us, so don’t-”
“Please stop.” She pulled him closer and rested his head on her shoulder. “Just…just stop talking, Ren.” She desperately wanted to cry, but the tears wouldn’t come. There was no reason for him to be this loyal. There was no reason for him to be here at all. She was no longer a princess. And she couldn’t stand the look of tenderness and adoration in his eyes.
Confused, he was quiet for a moment.
Then he said, “Kat?”
“Hm?” she said distractedly.
“What do we do now?”
Kathryn didn’t have an answer for him.
A few minutes later, Brenin arrived at the encampment. By then, Ren was snoring away with his head in Kathryn’s lap as she stroked his hair in silence. Brenin watched for a few minutes with the usual grumpy look on his face.
Eventually he said, “Your highness.”
Kathryn looked up. “There’s no need for such formality anymore, Brenin. I am no longer a princess.”
“Well, that much is accurate. Now, let’s discuss next steps.” He sat down on his bedroll. The tiny fire cast a dim orange glow over the three of them, flickering ominously. “We should get right to the point, Miss Kathryn.”
In spite of her words a second ago, Kathryn flinched when she heard the new form of address. It made everything far too real.
Brenin continued inexorably, “Ren was a paid servant of the crown. What do you have to offer him now?”
Kathryn was quiet.
The old man sighed and shook his head. “That boy will never leave you. I’m sure of that. But this kind of life, constantly on the run, isn’t for him. I imagine it will wear you down as well. Do you not have allies, friends who you can trust?” The sudden gentleness in his tone surprised her.
Kathryn bit her lip and a single tear trickled down her face. The only friend she could think of at that moment was Trista, but staying with her would put her and all of her subordinates in grave danger.
“Miss Kathryn. Is this it? Are you simply going to accept what has happened?” he pressed her.
“I do not know, Brenin. I believe…I believe I must take some time to think and to plan. For now…there is a small village in the crossing zone between Iridalys and Tephraya. We will be safe for a time, and it is far enough away from Navinor that they are unlikely to pursue us there.”
As she spoke, her voice and her hands steadied, and the fog began to clear from her mind. “After that, our next move will depend on Gregory and Illian. Should they attempt to pursue us, we will cross the border into Tephraya. They wouldn’t dare to follow us there.”
Brenin nodded approvingly, but was quick to point out the gap in the plan. “And if they don’t pursue you? Will you stay quietly in a little border village for the rest of your life?”
Kathryn hesitated, then looked down at Ren’s face, which was flushed with sleep as he snored away, completely oblivious to the world. “I don’t know,” she said softly.
Loyalty Fallen Hub 