Chapter 9
Lenore Prada had long been the star pupil of Iridalys’ Royal Warden Academy. In spite of naysayers who had suggested a princess would be too spoiled to apply herself properly to the study of opal magic, she attended all her classes on time, was a favorite of many of the professors, and won multiple competitions for the use of verdant magic.
After Kathryn left for Navinor, Lenore worked even harder. If her father was only going to allow her to be useful as a Warden, she would be the best one the world had ever seen, she decided.
But this morning, something seemed off. She wondered why the other students kept looking in her direction and whispering, and why even the instructors looked grave and concerned. Her boulder opal magic professor even asked her, “Are you sure you’d like to continue your classes today, Princess Lenore?”
Puzzled, Lenore replied, “Of course, Sir Hughon! I am quite well and eager to continue my lessons.”
Shortly after the class, her best friend at school, Parrel Hart, intercepted her on the way to her fire opal exercises.
His bright blue eyes, which contrasted strongly with his dark skin, were full of concern. He said, “I’m surprised you came to classes today, Lenore.”
Lenore frowned. “Why does everyone keep saying that?” she demanded petulantly. “I’m not unwell or anything. And as for Father, he’s been ill for months, so it makes no difference now.”
“Do you really not know?” Parrel exclaimed. “Lenore, your sister is-”
“Parrel Hart!” Their blinding opal instructor, a wrinkled old man who had long since gone blind from the use of his magic, scowled at them from a few feet away. “Do not address the princess so informally, even if she is your classmate!”
Parrel flinched. “I’m sorry, sir,” he said hastily.
Lenore rolled her eyes, since the old man couldn’t see anyway, before grabbing Parrel’s arm and pulling him around the corner. “You were saying something about Kathryn,” she snapped. “This had better be important, Parr, because you know I don’t like talking about her.”
“They really must have kept it all from you. Princess Kathryn has been arrested, and General Ren with her,” Parr told her bluntly.
Shock and guilt overwhelmed her. Her lips trembled and she fell back a step. “Why?” she exclaimed. “What do you mean she has been arrested? Why would Navinor-”
“It wasn’t Navinor, though I heard Prince Gregory is on his way to take custody of them. It was your brother, Prince Illian. The rumors are all over, Lenore. I’m sorry. It seems that Prince Lorrin was murdered, and they are trying to pin the blame on Princess Kathryn,” Parr explained grimly. “I don’t know what will happen next, but I suppose either we will hand them over…or another war will start.”
Lenore pushed him away and ran out of the academy as he called after her, “Wait! Princess Lenore!”
20 minutes later, Lenore had ridden the short distance to the palace with only a couple men-at-arms to accompany her. Still out of breath from her hasty ride, she dashed into Illian’s office, exclaiming angrily, “Illian, tell me you didn’t actually arrest Kathryn!”
She stopped short when she realized the only person there was that thin, hollow-looking mage who made her skin crawl. She took a step back, trying to hide her fear. “Dorian,” she said. “Where is Illian?”
He gave her a look of open disdain and didn’t bother to stand up from the desk. “Head Warden Dorian would be the correct form of address, your highness,” he said wryly. “Or do your professors at the academy not teach you about that kind of thing?”
“I just want to find Illian,” she repeated firmly. “Where is he?”
“The king summoned him. He will be back later.”
“The king?” The blood drained from Lenore’s face and she faltered. “I see. I will return later, then.”
“That would be best, your highness.” He watched her go with an irritated look on his face before returning to his paperwork.
Lenore trudged down the hallway outside, trying to think of what to do next. Without really intending to, she found herself outside Kathryn’s door.
After a moment of hesitation, she approached the guards, saying as calmly as she could, “I want to see my sister.”
The guards glanced at each other. One of them said uncertainly, “We don’t have any orders about who’s allowed to see her just yet, your highness. I’m sor-”
Lenore glared at him, reaching into the pouch of opals she always had tied around her waist whenever she traveled outside of the academy. “I wish to see her,” she repeated.
They flinched and moved aside.
What am I doing? What can I even say to her?
Guilt made it hard to reach for the knob. Screwing up her courage, she pushed the door open anyway.
Kathryn sat at her dressing table with her back to the door and her head in her hands. Her beautiful red hair streamed over the shoulders of her white gown as she said quietly, “I do not require anything else; thank you, Carina.”
Lenore stood frozen for a moment. Kathryn had never been defeated. She was strait-laced and straight-backed. She stood firm against all comers and strategized her way out of all problems. Lenore could hardly recognize the worn, thin, grief-stricken girl in front of her. Guilt ate at the pit of her stomach once again, and she said in a choked voice, “Kat.”
Kathryn recognized her voice and raised her head, her expression changing to one of coldness. “Princess Lenore,” she said. “What are you doing here?”
But Lenore saw the crack in the facade as Kathryn’s green eyes welled with tears.
Lenore rushed to her sister and threw her arms around her. “I’m sorry,” she wailed, her own tears falling freely. “If it hadn’t been for me-”
Kathryn gently extricated herself and put a hand against her sister’s cheek. “No, Lenore; I am sorry. You needn’t feel guilty for any of this. It was entirely my choice.”
Lenore sat next to her and laid her head on her shoulder as she had when they were children. Kathryn sat stiffly for a moment, but in the end, she gave in and took Lenore’s hand.
Lenore murmured, “This family has never been the most fortunate, has it?”
“It must be the price we pay for being royalty,” Kathryn replied softly. “But it hasn’t been all bad. We still have a powerful Warden in the family. I am sure you will make the world remember the name of the Pradas.”
“Why are you talking like you’re dead already?” Lenore demanded. “We can fix this. Father will take your side. They wouldn’t dare start another war so soon after the last one!”
“Father has already agreed to hand over a prisoner.” Kathryn turned her head to smile sadly at her little sister’s shocked face. “The only question remaining is who that prisoner will be.”
Father would never hand over Kathryn to them! He wouldn’t.
It was all she could do to silence the little voice in the back of her head that added, but what if he does?
“It was the worst mistake of my life to assign you as bodyguard to Princess Kathryn.”
Ren sat in his cell with his wrists and ankles hampered by chains and his head bowed as the king’s words pierced him.
Two guards supported the king, who glared down at the wounded young man with an expression of utter malevolence. Illian stood close by, watching in silence.
Ren began in a low voice, “If I may, your majesty-”
“You may not. The only thing you may do is confess your crime. Prince Gregory’s retinue will be here shortly, and they will require a prisoner. That prisoner will be you.” The king spat the words at him contemptuously as the guards glanced at each other in discomfort.
“My lord, I would never do anything to put the princess in danger.” Ren raised his head, unable to hide his pain and grief. “You know I would do anything to protect her. Why would I kill Prince Lorrin? Why would I put her in that situation?”
The king waved away his appeal. “Why are you asking me? Young men in love do foolish things. Everyone knows you are in love with her, despite the fact that you are the lowest kind of noble and should never have had the privilege to stand by her side. You’re no better than a servant. Your only purpose was to protect her, and you managed to fail at even that.”
Despite his situation, Ren’s eyes narrowed with anger, but he restrained himself and said quietly, “If I confess, what will happen to Kathryn?”
“She is Princess Kathryn to you,” the king snarled. His breath came in short wheezes.
Illian said, “My lord, you should rest. I’ll speak to Ren. I am certain we can come to an understanding.”
The king nodded wearily and turned to leave, but he paused to say one more thing over his shoulder. “You disgust me, former General Ren. The least you can do is make up for a small portion of your mistakes.”
Ren put his head in his hands, closing his eyes and wishing he could block out everything that was happening.
He heard a faint “clank” as Illian opened the cell to sit next to him on the hard bench. The prince told the guards, “Step away for a moment, please. I wish to talk to Ren alone.”
Though hesitant, they complied. Illian put a hand on Ren’s shoulder. “He didn’t mean any of that. You know how he has been recently. He’s simply concerned about what will happen to Kathryn if you don’t confess. You know that we may have to hand both of you over to Gregory to avoid a war.”
“It’s funny, Illian.” Ren raised his head and looked at him. A new feeling pushed aside the grief that had overwhelmed him a second before. “It seems to me you’re the only person this whole situation benefits. It couldn’t be true though, could it? You wouldn’t actually want to discredit your own sister or kill me. You would never do something like that, would you?”
Suddenly, he grabbed Illian by the front of his shirt, slamming him against the wall of his prison. “There was no reason to do this. She was never a threat to you!”
“Ren, calm down. What happened in Navinor wasn’t my fault. Surely you can guess whose fault it was. Who else might feel threatened by a younger sibling and take advantage of Kathryn’s presence to get what he wanted?” Illian said softly.
“I already figured Gregory killed Lorrin. But you’re the one who turned the King against Kathryn,” Ren accused.
“Do you think it was necessary for me to do anything to turn him against Kathryn?” Illian gripped Ren’s wrists, smiling at him grimly. “Kathryn already infuriated him when she called the Generals together. You lost what little confidence he had left in you when you gave her what she wanted. Whatever happens next is a natural result of your own choices. Now, let’s think this through, shall we? If you don’t confess, you will both be handed over to Gregory. They will then extract a confession by any means necessary. I can tell you that will be most unpleasant. Alternatively, you can confess now. I will negotiate a speedy execution for you.”
“I am not the type of man to go down with my hands chained behind my back.” Ren shoved him away. “Even if I do confess, Kathryn won’t be free of suspicion. But you knew that already.”
“Of course. Her life will be very different; she will likely be exiled to the Northern Palace and live out her days there in obscurity. But it is better than dying, don’t you think?” Illian stepped outside the cell and closed the door with a clang. “Make your decision, Ren. I will return later to ask what you have determined.”
Ren stood up and shouted after him, “I’ve already made my decision!”
Illian stopped again and glanced over his shoulder. “Really? And what is that?”
“I’ve decided I’d trust Kathryn over an opportunistic fraud like you any day.” Ren glared at him. “When Kathryn comes to me herself and tells me to confess, I’ll do it. Until then, I’ll trust her to solve this.”
“I’m surprised you know what opportunistic means,” Illian said coldly. “Let’s not play games. Kathryn can’t get herself out of this situation any more than you can. You trusting her will not change that.”
“She’ll figure out a way. That’s the difference between you and her, Illian. She’s smarter than you.”
Illian smirked. “I suppose you also think she would make a better ruler than me”
“I would stake my life on it. And that’s just what I’ll do.” Ren lay back on his bed and put his hands behind his head as he always did when he was relaxing. “Wake me up if you decide to come to your senses and fight those animals. Otherwise, don’t bother to come back.”
Illian stiffened and his fist clenched at his side. “Fine,” he said shortly. “Have it your way. But your selfishness will be the reason Kathryn dies. You keep talking about forgiveness, but that is one thing I will never forgive you for.”
Ren said, “I don’t need your forgiveness.” He closed his eyes and pretended to snore. Illian reddened with anger he could barely contain, turned on his heel, and left.
The young prisoner opened his eyes, pressing his lips together in pain. It wasn’t just the pain of his wounds. The king’s lost faith in him hurt more than he expected. It was true they’d never been close, but the man had at least tolerated him over the years. Now, the royal family stripped away from him the only thing he really knew or cared about.
Kathryn will think of something, won’t she? But even if she did, what would life look like for the two of them? Would she still want him to be her bodyguard? Or would she one day resent him for failing to protect her?
The last question was the most frightening of all.
When Illian returned to his office, he paused briefly in the doorway. A shadowy figure stood in the back. The prince instinctively reached for his sword, but when he saw who it was, his shoulders relaxed. “Brenin,” he said. “I thought you would come when I heard someone was destroying Prince Gregory’s patrols.”
“I wonder who that was,” Brenin said briefly, stepping out of the shadows and putting back the cowl of his cloak.
“Well, we can play ignorant if you prefer. But why are you here? I thought you didn’t want anything to do with the palace,” Illian observed.
“I thought I’d pay a visit to an old friend. How is your father?” Brenin’s cold dark eyes bored into Illian’s as the younger man sat at his heavy oak desk.
“He is quite unwell. I am afraid he won’t be able to see you,” Illian said smoothly.
“Then I’ll address my concerns with you, your highness. Iridalys cannot afford to allow Prince Gregory’s retinue to take General Ren.” Brenin slammed his hands down on the desk, actually making Illian flinch. “You can’t afford it either.”
“Are you threatening me, Brenin? I will remind you that you are no longer a General.”
“As if I needed a reminder. But I am still someone you would be wise not to alienate.” Brenin straightened, carefully realigning the papers he had displaced before smirking at Illian one last time. Somehow, on his scarred, grizzled features, the expression was even more terrifying. “Make your play, Prince Illian. Just be prepared to face the consequences.”
“Ren will confess. Once he does, I have no more say in the situation,” Illian said flatly.
“I suggest you find a way to bring your influence to bear.” Brenin walked to the door and glanced back over his shoulder. “I have been wondering how Prince Lorrin died. More specifically, I have been asking myself how the murderer knew his scapegoat wouldn’t also drink the wine that poisoned the prince. I wonder what the king would say to that little detail?”
Illian’s jaw clenched and he watched him go. Dorian came in just as Brenin was leaving, and the older man pushed past him without a glance in his direction.
Dorian remarked, “That almost looked like the former General Brenin. But it can’t have been him. All my sources say he died years ago.”
“Your sources were wrong,” Illian muttered. “And he may turn out to be a major inconvenience. Dorian, I have a new job for you.”
Loyalty Fallen Hub 