"I'm sorry," I responded, not yet meeting her gaze. "I just needed to go for a walk…" I hesitated, trying to decide if it'd be a good idea to tell her about what just happened. "It just got kind of stuffy in here." I finished, finally looking at her emerald eyes. She frowned while tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear.
"I'm just glad you're alright. I've lost enough today." She said softly, her expression returning to a maternal sternness. "Next time, tell someone before you just up and leave." She stood to her feet. "And who's this?" She asked, eyeing Cal.
"I am Calen," He announced proudly with his hand placed over his heart. There was a brief pause while Marin and I regarded Cal with unblinking eyes. Maybe…a little much, bud.
"Uh, yeah." I started awkwardly as I searched for the right words. "He helped me get back—" and before I could finish.
"I found him at a crime scene with two deceased," He blurted out, interrupting me. So much for any tact there. Slightly annoyed, I looked over at Cal, who still had his hand over his chest, looking nervous. I followed his eyes and realized the king was still standing there patiently. Why was he waiting there? Is he waiting to be greeted? I locked eyes with him.
"My king," I said with a respectful bow.
"Canaan, good to see you. I wish it were under better circumstances," He said, clasping his hands behind his back. "Marin, do you mind if I steal him for a few moments?" He asked, but only out of respect. She turned to me, nodding yes.
"A crime scene?" She said under her breath, narrowing her eyes, giving me yet another chastising look. I flashed her a sheepish smile as I walked passed her towards the king.
"Thanks, Cal." I said over my shoulder. He nodded stiffly.
The king gestured towards the staircase. Which immediately sent me into a mini panic. I padded my back. The journal was still there, and the orb was in my pocket. Hopefully, he's taking me somewhere else because of what happened in the meeting room and no other reason.
"So, did I hear correctly that you're returning from a crime scene?" The King asked, making his way up the steps. For better or worse, I decided not to mention the fact that I saw the attacker, to him or the guards from earlier.
"You did, sir, it wasn't too far from here. I heard a commotion, and when I got to where the sound was coming from, there was a group of shackled children." The King's steady stride was interrupted by a slight hesitation, then he continued on. "And two dead guards." I finished.
"These are strange times. It is regrettable that you had to see that. But fear not, we don't make it a habit of imprisoning children. You're too young to understand, but this is what happens in war, and they are the children of our enemies." He said, reaching the top of the stairs.
I followed after him quietly, heading for the office. I'm pretty curious about what he wants to talk to me about and why Marin can't be around for it. I wonder if he knows anything about the druid.
The King, while reaching the door, lifted his hand over the metal plate and activated the mana lock, and then cast a glance at me from over his shoulder. The oak door slid open, and he made his way to the desk. What was that? Was he checking to see if I was surprised? Maybe he does know about the missing items. I swallowed hard, knowing this would be a tough situation to explain away. I guess I can lean on the fact that I'm a child.
He sat on the front of the desk, brushing at the corner to his left. I made my way in, careful not to accidentally look in the direction of the sliding bookshelves or where the orb was.
"I'll start off by saying, what's happened to your father is unfortunate. For both us and this country." He started. There was something…some sort of emotion, suppressed, lurking behind his regal demeanor. "But my son seems to believe he's somehow caught a glimpse of some strange intruder performing impossible acts. He's always had quite the imagination. So I was curious if you saw anything." He leaned off the desk, searching my eyes.
Normally, in an interrogation like this, I would have asked my account of what happened first, to see if it matched the other witness's story, in this case, Adonis. But he's telling me what Adonis saw. What game is he at here? Would he be trying to catch me in a lie? Maybe I'm reading too heavily into the situation.
I shifted my weight to my left foot. "Everything is a little foggy. I don't really know what I saw. But my Dad…" I trailed off, looking at the floor. "I'm sorry, I-I just…is there anything we can do to get him back?" I can't dwell on the recounting of events, especially without knowing how much Adonis already told him.
"There's nothing to be sorry for," He said, placing a hand on my shoulder. "As for your father. We have a long history together. I consider him a close friend and confidant. So trust me when I say we will be doing everything within our power to reunite your family." He gave my shoulder a reassuring squeeze before letting go and heading back towards the desk. "Oh, and Canaan, I'll be counting on you to not spread stories about what happened here." I shook my head yes.
"Do you know where my father is?" I asked, paying special attention to any subtle twitch or tell hidden in the King's visage. There was a long pause while words formed in his mouth. He straightened a few loose papers on the desk and turned to face me. "I'm afraid not. We believe the Grishans were behind the attack. Perhaps it's connected to what you saw earlier. Like I told you before, this is war. Now that they've taken my wife, the Queen, too, things…" He paused. "Well, that's all for now. You and Marin should be on your way back to Ettle. I'll send word of what's happened to Cercie."
Does he realize how dangerous pinning this on the Grishans could be right now? Even I know, and I've been exposed to this chaos for less than a day. Not to mention, in the meeting, he said he'd prefer not to create any more enemies inside his borders. Is the druid right about the Celtreas, or is the King just your average politician? Even trying to take further command of the narrative by telling Cercie his lies directly. Which could gain him support from the public.
"My lord," I said, bowing respectfully before heading for the door.
"May the nine fates watch over you. And I hope to see you at Adonis's alignment ceremony." He made his way to the chair, and I entered the hallway.
Things are changing fast, and one thing is painfully clear. I need information.
Victoria Armand
I plopped the weight of today's proceedings into the bench as I sat next to Elder Rolus. His gray hair was slicked back and tucked neatly behind his ears. His sunken eyes were a brilliant shade of vermilion. He had his normal ivory colored vestment on, which was odd for a meeting this late at night and at a bar, no less. The light glinted off the golden noveá markings on his robe. Looks like they reflected his recent promotion, too. Pretty quick turnaround on the tailoring.
A barmaid made her way over, placing two drinks on the table. There was a slight hesitation before she placed the mug in front of Elder Rolus.
"We clergy are still human," he said, easing the barmaid's reservations. His voice was a little husky but still carried a hypnotic warmth. She chuckled nervously and turned her attention back to the busy tavern.
"You're looking well, Elder Rolus." I took my mug and swirled the ale around before taking a large sip. The chatter in the bar was soothing, almost like it cleared room for all the thoughts in my head. And yet, there was a quiet tension in the air.
"It's good to see you, child." Elder Rolus spoke slowly as he ran his fingers around the rim of his tankard. "But you asking me here, especially at this hour, must mean what I felt earlier was real."
I lowered the mug from my lips, rolling my head around and cracking my neck. I opened my eyes, meeting the elder's gaze.
"We had a meeting of the small council earlier, as things with the missing guards and prisoners have begun to escalate." I stared grimly into the mug, cupping it with both my hands. "Then something appeared. What had to be one of the nine pillars. Their presence was both awe-inspiring and oppressive. I could hardly move a muscle, and that was before they commanded what felt like our very being to be still. It was truly terrifying." I said, my voice a little shaky.
"What you felt is only natural, child. The divine presence has always had a level of dissonance within our world. However, you should consider yourself highly favored, having encountered one of the nine." He pushed his mug to the side. "These are signs of the time. The great unification is underway. Did the pillar say anything?"
"Yes. The king was chastised and given a time limit of eight years. That was after the queen's life was taken and before Dean was captured." I responded. Elder Rolus' eyes widened, his expression a mix of shock and fear.
"Are you sure?" He asked with some sense of urgency. I nodded yes. "The queen gone…and the sword saint?" He muttered to himself. "And our investigations into the Celtreas possibly turning against the gods?"
"I wasn't entirely sure until the first few moments after the pillar left. The king had turned his anger towards Nole, who let slip a comment about the King's greed over something I'm not sure about. Causing the King to lash out, lunging for Nole and destroying a chair in the process. I barely had any time to intervene before the kids arrived." I took another sip observing the room to make sure there were know prying eyes or pointed ears. "But with what happened today, I can say for certain the Celtreas have angered the gods."
The Elder grabbed my hand and squeezed it gently. "It's times like these we must draw nearer to the faith, for it is our noveá brothers and sisters that will carry us through this next phase." He gestured to the novea markings on my head. "Remember what those mean, the sun, moon, and the truth. Three things that can not long remain hidden. The truth will come out, and we will have justice. The nine are faithful to their own. Just continue to walk in the light."
Normally, I would go to great lengths to hide my emotions, especially fear, but the elder's gifting allows him to understand emotions on a level the likes of which I've never seen before. It does feel good to not have to hide in front of him, though.
"So, what's our next move?" I asked.
"We wait and continue to observe. I have been picked to be the officiant at the prince's alignment ceremony, so everything is still going to plan." His vermilion eyes tracked across the room. We were in a corner booth, and most of the patrons were gathered near the bar. Watching two drunk men chug in competition.
"Well, I must be off then. I need to inform the others," He said, standing up and brushing his robes.
"May the nine fates watch over you, Elder." I said, removing the band from atop my head, letting my hair fall past my shoulders.
"And may the path of Veritas continue to guide you." He responded.
I finished what was left of my ale. Why has that intense look on Dean's son's face stuck with me for so long?