For The King - 8. Chapter 8

“Why the fuck would she do that?”

Adan paced around his room, fuming. The day had been long and he was exhausted, but sleep would not come for him. Lady Corin’s actions disturbed him. Was she trying to sow discord between Adan and his father? And would they let this drive a wedge between them? That could be deadly for both of them.

“I do not think she is a born noble,” Roku said. “Maybe she did not realize it would cause problems. I did some asking when we met her, and there is no record of her family.”

Adan spun, staring wide eyed at Roku.

“So an unknown noble discovers a letter threatening the throne and no one suspects anything? Was she ever a part of the Rogues?”

Roku winced.

“It was staring us in the face…” he said. “I will find Lord Arien. We need to figure out who she is.”

“Bring Arien here when you find him.”

Nodding, Roku left the room. Adan sighed, sitting on his bed. He never thought being a prince would be easy, but now he seemed to be embroiled in a plot to take the throne. Maybe. They still really had no idea what was happening.

A clink sounded on his balcony, and Adan instantly called up a shield spell. Creating a ball of lightning in his hand, the mage approached the balcony, looking over the edge.

“I hope that magic isn’t meant for me!”

Lady Corin stood beside a tree a few yards from the balcony, a black cloak covering her body. Adan lowered his hand slightly, but kept his magic ready.

“Lady Corin. To what do I owe this pleasure?” he called quietly.

The woman deftly climbed the tree, walking across a branch to step onto the balcony’s rail.

“I came to apologise. Apparently I caused some strife between you and your father. I am sort of new to this whole nobility thing.”

“Really? How new exactly?” Adan asked.

Keep her talking, spilling her secrets. He could not feel Roku’s energy, and now was certainly not the time to meditate so he could find the familiar. But there was another way to talk to the cat.

Fixing a simple message in his mind, Adan focused on Roku, on his being. Releasing his magic, the message faded from his mind. Nearly instantly, he received a response.

“Understood. And give me more warning next time. I had to explain to Lord Arien why I just yowled.”

Any other time, Adan would have laughed. But now he focused on his possible assassination.

“I’ve only been a noble for two years now. The Rogues are all nobility, if only in name. I’ll tell you more about it sometime,” Corin said. “You didn’t zap me, so does that mean I am forgiven?”

“Perhaps,” Adan said simply.

He noticed the contraction in her words, just as any noble would have. Still, Corin definitely had the bearing of a noble.

“How exactly did you get here? I thought there was a guardhouse blocking the level.”

“Secret of the craft,” Corin said.

She pulled up the hood of her cloak, nearly vanishing in the dim light.

“The guardhouse has an anti-magic gem in the gates. But I don’t use magic to hide. Just simple shadows.”

“And you didn’t think about asking to see me?”

“If there is anything I have learned about my time as a noble, it is that you do not like to be seen alone with each other. So I thought about it and dismissed the idea.”

Lowering her hood, Corin smiled slightly.

“I hope I did not overstep my bounds.”

“It was a little suspicious for you to sneak here unannounced,” Adan said. “Why did you offer me your oath of fealty?”

“I was hoping to take any suspicion off of me. I mean, I gave you a strange note I just happened to find. Not very subtle, right? But I just made things worse. And I apologise for that.”

“Did you think that coming here and telling me all of this in the middle of the night might make me even more suspicious?”

Corin looked at the sky, still glowing with the last vestiges of daylight.

“To be fair, this is hardly the middle of the night. And you are still dressed for the day. Besides, there really wasn’t a better time. It isn’t like I know your schedule.”

“I have a schedule?”

Corin laughed.

“I suppose your life is a little chaotic, with your Ascension Day barely past you.”

The door to Adan’s room opened, Lord Arien following Roku inside. Corin drew her hood up, but lowered it as she recognised the two.

“Your Highness, Lady Corin,” Lord Arien acknowledged. “I did not expect you to remain in the city, my lady.”

“It’s not like I had anywhere else to be,” Corin said.

“Sir, your familiar informed me of your misgivings. Lady Corin was one of my Rogues, and a good one too. However, the business with the letter showed she had been compromised, and she has since been released from the Rogues.”

“Thank you Lord Arien,” Adan nodded. “I apologise for disturbing you this late.”

“I always have time for the prince,” Lord Arien said, bowing. “By the way, you may want to explain to your familiar the benefits of keeping a message secret.”

“I will do that,” Adan smiled tensely, glancing at Roku.

The tiger frowned apologetically as Lord Arien took his leave.

“Well, Lady Corin. Since you are not here to steal my throne, will we see you at my father’s ball in two days?”

“Naturally. I do enjoy watching other nobles try to outdo each other. Though the invitation I received stated this was your ball, not your father’s,” Corin smiled. “A little bird told me it had to do with meeting ladies.”

“Unfortunately, that bird may have been correct. But perhaps this could be discussed at a later time?”

“Of course Your Highness. Have a good evening.”

Corin pulled up her hood, vanishing across the branch she had used to gain entrance. Adan frowned at the tree.

“That branch needs to be cut,” he said.

Adan found he could look out at the nobles arriving at Darinhal from his balcony. He watched the carriages enter the mountain, feeling more and more like a prize pig awaiting judgement.

He and Roku were already dressed for the occasion, formal outfits revealing nearly everything the two had to offer. Not that it mattered for Roku. He was not on display. No, only Adan was required to mingle with the guests. Roku was only going so he could calm Adan.

A bell rang, signalling the start of the affair, and Adan sighed as he stood. He should have been waiting with his father, but he needed this last moment of peace.

Together, Adan and Roku left the room, walking swiftly to the ballroom. They entered right after Adonis was announced, the crier listing their names as they followed.

The ballroom was empty, save for guards manning the entrances. Adan breathed a quiet sigh, moving to stand with his father on a dais similar to the one in the throne room. Roku headed towards a wall, to remain out of the way. Adonis gave a nod, and the main doors across the room were opened.

The next hour dragged for Adan as lords and ladies were slowly introduced by the crier. He greeted each of them graciously, the picture of a perfect prince. But he knew this was the easiest part of the ball. The challenge was still to come.

Lord Arien brought up the end of the line of nobles. He had a small smile on his face as he bowed to Adan.

“Lord Arien,” Adan acknowledged.

“Your Highness. I hope the ball is going well for you?”

“Perhaps I can answer that more confidently after I have been to the actual festivities.”

Arien chuckled.

“I will leave you to your party then,” he bowed again, before walking away.

Sometime during the introductions, a small group of musicians had set up in the corner of the hall. Music played, quiet yet vibrant. Adan scanned the room, at a loss for what to do. Spying Lady Corin on the far side of the room, the mage started weaving through the crowd of nobles, receiving many murmured acknowledgements.

Corin wore a masculine style of clothing, pants and a velvet shirt clinging to her body. Adan found the look a refreshing change from the numerous women in dresses swishing about the room.

“Lady Corin,” he greeted.

“Your Highness,” Corin replied, handing a glass of wine to a passing server.

For a moment Adan wondered if he’d be allowed a glass. Then he remembered, of course he would. He was the prince. Whether it was a good idea or not was up for debate.

“Would you care to be my first dance of the day?” he asked, pulling his mind back to why he was here in the first place.

“You honor me Sir,” Corin smiled, holding out her hand.

Adan took it, leading the woman to the centre of the room, where a space had been marked off for dancing. No one was dancing yet, the room waiting for him to lead. He noticed his father was absent from the room, and he felt a tinge of jealousy that he quickly shoved down.

Nodding to the lead musician, Adan turned to Corin as the music picked up, trying to recall the steps for the dance he had been practicing.

“Relax,” Corin said quietly. “I’ve led my dancing partners for nearly two years now with none the wiser. Just follow my step.”

Stepping together, the two spread their arms, hands touching. Adan followed along smoothly, picking up each move as he remembered them.

“I don’t remember seeing you the night I returned to Darinhal,” he said as they danced.

“No, I was not near the city at the time, nor had I received the news that you had returned.”

Adan frowned slightly as they turned, trying to remember which way he was supposed to go. Corin chuckled quietly, ending up behind him. She stepped around quickly, the move looking like it was practiced and not an accident.

“Your Highness, I have a small request,” she said quietly as Adan’s arms closed around her.

“I cannot promise anything,” Adan warned.

“I hope you can promise this. Don’t choose me to be your consort.”

Pulling back, the two faced each other again, the dance bringing them together once more.

“Most people would want to be my consort. Is there something wrong with me?”

“Not at all. I just do not believe I would be a good mother.”

“Or are you afraid to be tied down in one place?”

“That may have something to do with my request,” Corin admitted.

The song ended, the two parting.

“I will take your request under consideration,” Adan said.

“Thank you Your Highness.”

Around them, nobles bowed to each other, their dance concluded. Corin melted into the crowd, soon lost from Adan’s view. Holding back a sigh, Adan looked around for another dance partner.

Ten dances later, Adan was done with the day. His feet hurt, he had a headache, and the noise of the ballroom seemed to be increasing every moment. The prince learned nothing about the women he danced with. They all seemed more interested in his secrets, and he was unwilling to give those away. Now he realised why Dennet had despised these sorts of events. They drained him faster than any bout with either Dennet or Jacob ever had.

He retreated to Roku, standing against the wall with the tiger.

“You finally learned the steps to the dance,” the tiger said with a smile, scanning the room.

“I saw Lord Arien pass rather close to you,” Adan said.

“He gave me a note about Eran. The guard has not been the same since he met you. You did not do anything, did you?”

“Of course not.”

“I will tell Lord Arien to keep an eye on him then. But you should get back to the festivities.”

“I would rather go to my room and spend the day reading,” Adan muttered. “Can I borrow some energy?”

Roku nodded, and Adan touched his shoulder lightly, focusing on the tiger’s ball of energy. He was surprised to see a ball of flame-like energy spinning near one of the doors, and as he pulled away from Roku, feeling slightly refreshed, the prince directed his feet to the door.

It was unusual to find a person with a fiery energy to them. Humans generally had an electric energy. But it did happen. Adan was surprised to realise the energy was Eran’s. The guard certainly didn’t seem to have a fiery personality.

Eran’s eyes bored into Adan, the prince shivering slightly at the look of hatred in them. His revelation couldn’t have made the guard that angry. There was clearly something else going on.

Lord Arien stumbled into Adan from the side.

“Oh, my apologies, Your Highness,” he slurred slightly, holding a nearly empty wine glass.

“Lord Arien, I was just looking for you,” Adan smiled slightly, steadying the man. “Would you join me for a walk? I could use some fresh air.”

“Of course Sir.”

The two left the ballroom, Adan directing Lord Arien toward the palace gardens. He noticed that the further they got from the ballroom, the more sober Arien seemed.

“That is some good acting,” Adan commented.

“Thank you Sir. I find my job to be easier when no one suspects I can remember what they say. Did Roku tell you about Eran?”

Adan nodded.

“Something has definitely changed. He seems angry.”

“You are not the only one to think that,” Arien said as they stepped onto a dirt path through the gardens. “Perhaps it would be best for you to stay away from him, especially after the letter that was found.”

Adan heard footsteps behind him. Turning his head, he noticed Roku following them at a respectful distance, eyes searching for any threat to Adan.

“There is still no news about that?”

“Fingers point to Korain, but I am uncertain if that is where we should be looking. They have their own problems, and it is unlikely they would be looking for a fight.”

Turning to face Adan, Arien paused.

“I will give you one piece of advice. His Majesty has his own sparring ring, and he only trains with those he trusts. You might wish to do the same.”

“A bit of advice in return,” Adan said. “You may want to put Eran near an anti magic field. There is something we are not seeing. It could be a transmutation.”

Arien blinked in surprise.

“I am ashamed to admit I did not think of magic. I will take your suggestion. Thank you Sir.”

Bowing slightly, the man walked away, leaving the prince to sit in the silent air for a few minutes.