“Of course, King Dalior, I understand.” I didn’t. Something was wrong.
He placed his jewelled hand on my shoulder and squeezed. Hard. “I knew you would. And as a way of showing my thanks, you will no longer be needed in the kitchens. A small gesture to show my appreciation for you saving my precious son’s life.” With each word, his grip seemed to tighten on my shoulder.
“Thank you.” I tried everything I could to not flinch under his grasp.
“You may retire, I am sure you are going to need the rest after the day you have had...”
He finally released his hold on me and moved back to his seat. Keeping my eyes trained to the floor, I took calculated steps moving backwards to the door to leave. I didn’t look up until I opened the door. When I did, King Dalior was looking at me, but his expression changed the moment I caught his eyes.
“Remember what you have promised me, my child,” he said, stuffing a grape into his mouth.
“I won’t forget, my King.”
King Dalior smiled, but it never reached his eyes.
I slipped from the door and closed it behind me. Fadine was waiting, leaning against the wall. I didn’t say anything to her as we walked back through the corridors and anti-chambers until we reached the throne room.
“I can trust you will find your way back from here,” she said and I nodded.
When she left, I stuck my closed fist into my pocket and dropped the blood-stained material back into it. King Dalior hadn’t noticed that I had kept it.
Something was amiss, the entire meeting felt off. King Dalior was different. His lack of worry over my news unnerved me. Between King Dalior’s placid face and the way he disregarded the proof made me think that he already knew.
His eyes screamed so.
I FELT GROGGY after the few hours of sleep I managed. And standing beneath the front of the palace with countless bodies pressed in on me from either side didn’t help my irritable mood. During breakfast, we’d been informed that the King was to give an opening speech to the city and all its occupants, including the guards and shifters. No one seemed to know why we’d been called, but once we exited the palace it was clear the entire city of Olderim buzzed with anticipation.
I’d still not heard nor seen Hadrian since we arrived and with every passing hour my worry grew. I had spent the hour before breakfast looking for him, but he was nowhere to be seen.
The sun had burned through all remnants of clouds that had hung in the sky from the previous day, leaving a pure, blue open expanse. There was no shade, nothing to give us rest from the burning rays of the sun.
Drips of sweat ran down my neck until they disappeared into the neckline of my new guard uniform. I stood out more than ever beside my initiates. They’d been placed on my bunk by the time I woke that morning with a note from King Dalior with one simple word attached
Remember.
I’d asked Gwendolyn if she saw who brought it in, she was the only one awake early, but she had not. It unnerved me to think someone had been so close to me whilst I slept, when I was so vulnerable.
Like the training clothes, the uniform was loose fitting. Matching purple slacks and top, each made from a cotton material that allowed more room for me to move. I had spent a while working out how to fit the leather shoulder garments over my head and how to tie them up. Gwendolyn helped me while she asked about the trip to Nasamel and congratulated me on saving Hadrian. News really did travel fast.
“It’s what I had to do,” I replied.
I’d even asked about Petrer; he was still absent when I arrived back to our room. Yet there had been no news regarding his recovery.
Nyah stood next to me waiting for the King. “What is taking him so long?” she asked. “I’d love to get inside as quick as I can before I start burning. At this rate, by the time King Dalior shows up, I’ll be covered in blisters.”
“I hope he comes out soon…” I replied.
My mind was all over the place. For King Dalior to call for so many people to gather in one place meant it was important. And there was only one thing I could imagine him telling everyone.
I pushed up on my tiptoes to get a better look around. For as far as I could see, elves took up every available space in the surrounding streets. I saw some climbing up on the bridge connecting Thalor to Vulmar to get a better look, some even sitting on the roofs of the buildings closest to the palace, waving flags with the King’s emblem.
I trained my focus back to the balcony. A large banner hung from the wall beneath it, swaying in the breeze. I blocked the sun with my hand, making it easier to see the vines that wrapped around the pillars of the walls and the crystal glass doors between them.
I watched and waited until a shadow passed behind the glass doors and they opened.
Sheer curtains blew out like reaching hands and the crowd roared like one beast as King Dalior stepped out onto the balcony.
He wore pure silver from his shirt to the long cloak that dragged behind him. It was difficult to make out the features of his face from where I stood, but I could already tell he seemed like a different man than the one during my private audience with him.
I was thrust from either side, narrowly dodging fists that pumped into the air. I thought the shouts would never end. But they did when King Dalior raised a hand and everyone silenced.
“My children…” He paused and looked around. “I must first thank you all for coming to visit me this morning, especially when my request was such short notice. What I have to share with you all is something that before this day I thought I would never have to say. As you are all aware I sent a legion of our best soldiers to attend Nasamel after the most recent attack. During the expedition your prince, my son, was ambushed and an attempt on his life was made.”
A collective gasp came from the crowd and my blood ran cold with anticipation. He was going to tell them.
“Luckily Prince Hadrian is safe. Protected by his loyal guards, they were able to prevent the attack and kill the assailants.”
I turned to Nyah who was already looking at me, her face twisted in disbelief. “Did he just lie?”
“I…” I croaked, looking back to the balcony.