Sabotage - Chapter Seven

                                        Chapter Seven



The next day, the Advisors greet the young girl and her parents at the front doors. "Welcome, Daemon Marques Bradin. Welcome, Daemon Marquises Esther. Welcome, Daemon Marinae." Bersion says, bowing his head low. The family bows their heads ever so slightly in respect. "Where is His Majesty, Daemon High Prince Mondre`?" Marquises Esther asks. "The Daemon High Prince is coming shortly." Everdron says with a bow. "We may wait for him in the Gold den.” They escort the family to a den, where they wait for the princes. High Advisor Everdron has to leave soon after to start a jousting tournament that was going on that day. Servants bring in drinks and entrees while High Advisor Bersion entertains the guests by talking with them. Mondre` and Skreme hurry to get dressed in their best outfits with Hume and Iar‘s help. Mondre` is worried and excited about meeting the Marques‘ daughter. Skreme, on the other hand, is thinking of other things. “We wish to see the Tournaments after this.” he says while his pants are being put on. “Perhaps we may be able to if this does not take long.” Mondre` says then Hume puts a yellow tunic with gold trim over the High Prince’s head. “The Tournaments will be here for several days, Your Majesty. You do not need to worry.” Iar says. He puts Skreme’s boots on him. The princes’ circlets are placed on their heads. Skreme's is gold with a dark green emerald. Mondre`'s has a gold circlet with ridges on the top and a single yellow topaz in the center, which makes it look like a small crown. He pulls an object out of his dresser drawer, keeping it covered by a silk cloth. “We are done. Now go on, Your Majesties. And good luck.” Hume says. The princes race out and down the two flights of stairs. They stop at the den door, where guards stand. They make sure everything is straight. The guards nod that all is well then turn and knock for them. Bersion walks over and opens the door. The adults bow and curtsey to them when they step in. The Marquises Esther has long flowing red hair and soft blue eyes. Her aura is a deep violet aura that surrounds her. Marques Bradin has short brown hair and sharp eyes that are half red and half yellow horizontally, showing his courage. He has a sand brown aura around him. Mondre` notices Marinae is close to his age. She has long red curly hair like her mother, bright green eyes, and a few freckles that cover the top of her cheeks. A bright leaf green aura surrounds. She blushes when she sees the two boys. "Your Majesties. This is the Daemon Marques Bradin of Haeltin and Daemon Marquises Esther of Uatha. And this is Daemon Marinae of Haeltin. Keep her company and show her the city. She and her parents will be our guests for several days." Bersion says politely. “Yes.” the boys say. Mondre` lifts the object out from behind him. "This is a gift for you." he says. Her eyes glisten as she takes it, removing the cloth. "It is beautiful." she breathes, touching the edges of the distance mirror. Bersion was peering at it, his eyes narrowed. "Thank you very much, Your Majesty." Marinae says gleefully. "I will take it while you go with Their Majesties." her mother says. "Thank you, mother." Marinae says. She hands it to her mother. Mondre` holds out his arm. She smiles and takes it. Both boys escort her out the door. "Do you believe he will like her?" Marques Bradin whispers to his wife. She smiles, looking down at the mirror. "I believe he will." she whispers back. The Royals are taken in a carriage down to the city with more than three dozen soldiers following. They can hear cheers coming from the Tournament stadium. “I'm missing it.” Skreme says to Mondre` bitterly. “We'll get to it later.” Mondre` tells him. When they arrive in the middle class section of the city, they get out to walk along the crowded streets. Marinae holds Mondre`'s arm as they stride by shops. "This place is so different from my home. The people are so friendly. The shops are much bigger." she says. She looks down below as they cross a bridge with a wide waterfall. Her face glows with wondrous fascination from the reflected light. "We would like to see your realm." Mondre` says. "I would not." he hears Skreme mutter in his mind. He does not listen. “How long did it take you to get here?” he asks. “Only two days on the straight road.” she says. Mondre` comes to a stop. They are several yards from the merchant’s corner. Skreme looks to him, as if to say We should turn back. “What is wrong, my Lord?” Marinae asks. “There is nothing wrong. We would just like to show you the countryside.” Mondre` says. “That is a fantastic idea.” she says happily. So they return to the palace. Mondre` has three tall strong animals brought out. Steam drifts out of the creatures’ nostrils. Their eyes glow with an inner flame. Their hooves click on the cobbled stone pathway, sending out sparks. Their tails, made out of long black hair, whip at the insects that bite them. The creatures shake their black manes as the sun shines on their black fur. And when they whinny, long sharp teeth can be seen in their mouths. "Oh, what beautiful nightmares!" Marinae exclaims, running up to one. It snorts, sending out streams of steam. She pets it's muzzle, offering out her other hand. It sniffs it for food. "Would you like to ride this one?" Mondre` asks. She smiles to him. "Yes, my Lord." she replies. He helps her onto the one then climbs up onto Gan, his own nightmare. Skreme hops onto his named Praimer. Soldiers on nightmareback file in behind them, carrying long green and black halberds at their sides. They ride around the kingdom, enjoying the day. They see many people in villages and towns close to Veud. The people bow and curtsey when the Royals pass. The group decide to rest under a thick tree, having a small snack. Marinae enjoys feeding her nightmare. When she asks if it wants more, it bobs it‘s head, making her giggle. Mondre` watches, glad she was not acting like the Count‘s daughter. Skreme was too distract by the city. The Royals finish and return to their nightmares, returning to their journey across the fields. Skreme guides his steed between Mondre` and Marinae. "Let us have a race. The first person to reach that tree over there wins." he says. Mondre` and Marinae look in the direction he indicates. There is a group of trees straight ahead. A single tree stands out just infront of the others. "Why would you wish to race?" Marinae asks. Skreme is puzzled by her question. "To have fun." he replies. "Oh. Very well." she says. Mondre` and Skreme move their nightmares into a row then ready themselves. Marinae does the same, following their example. "Captain." Mondre` calls. "Yes, my Lord?" a soldier says, trotting up. "Get ready to signal." Mondre` says. The soldier bows his head. "Yes, Your Majesty." he replies. He holds the reins and the halberd in one hand and holds up the other. "Ready?" Skreme asks, grinning. "We are ready." Mondre` grins, staring straight ahead. "I think I am ready." Marinae says nervously. Skreme nods his head to the captain and gets ready. The soldier swings his arm down. "Go!" he shouts. The Royals dig the heels of their boots into the sides of their mounts. The nightmares whinny and charge. Mondre` and Skreme keep their bodies low so they don't get pushed off by the wind. Marinae keeps herself held high. Her nightmare slows at the resistant pull she creates. The princes race ahead of her. She stops her nightmare, watching them dash away. The soldiers come up beside her and watch. Skreme starts to move ahead. Mondre` kicks his steed repeatedly, making it move faster. He comes even with Skreme then passes him. "That's not fair!" Skreme growls, racing after him. Mondre` laughs and spurs Gan on. Skreme comes up beside him. The nightmares suddenly snarl and shake their manes, slowing to a stop. “What's going on?” Skreme asks as Praimer rises onto his hindlegs. “Gan, what is it?” Mondre` asks. The other nightmares were shrieking and snapping at the air behind them. Gan swivels his head to gaze at Mondre` with one bright eye. The feeling of danger runs through him from the creature. “Something's wrong.” he says. A crash from the trees makes them swivel in their saddles. The nightmares bare their teeth, ears lowered, eyes brightening. A huge Demon comes crashing through the branches. It has a lithe body and a bony tail, with long arms and legs. The claws on it’s hands are big black hooks. It has four pairs of long ears flattened and horns that curl infront of the ears then back behind it's head to pinpoints. Four pairs of wings line the sides of it's back. It’s face is contorted with rage. ‘A rogue Demon?’ Mondre` wonders. The Demon roars and dives for the cousins. The nightmares crouch. Mondre` and Skreme slide off. The nightmares charge at the Demon at full speed. The Demon pulls up, barely avoiding their teeth as they leap at it. The soldiers launch volleys of lightning at it. It avoids their attacks, hitting the missiles with it‘s calloused hands. It holds out it’s palm and sends a thick spout of flame. It streaks along the ground between the cousins and the escort. Mondre` keeps Gan between him and the Demon. Marinae clings to her nightmare’s mane in terror, remaining behind the soldiers. The Demon lands yards from the princes, who stand behind their nightmares. Their auras are gathered in their hands, ready to attack if the Demon made any sudden movements. The Demon walks toward them, a wide grin on it’s face. “Stay back!” Skreme orders. The Demon’s grin widens, showing multiple teeth. Mondre` throws his aura at it as hard as he can. It goes to deflect it with it's tail. The aura chips a piece of it off. The Demon snarls and spreads it’s wings, lunging for them. The nightmares leap at it. They catch the Demon on two of it’s wings. They pull it to the ground. It swipes at them. The captain has all the soldiers face the ring of fire. They have their auras shaped into thin pinpoints, stabbing into the fire and aura. “What is going on here?” High Advisor Everdron stalks toward them. “Lord Everdron. The princes are being attacked! And we are unable to get through!” the captain yells over the roaring fire. Everdron steps up to the fire. His aura brightens as he holds out his hands, palms together. His aura narrows to a pinpoint and stabs into the barrier. He moves his hands apart, spreading his aura and the barrier. Once it is wide enough, he leaps through, hearing the aura snap closed. He sees the princes standing several yards away then hears a shriek. He falls back to avoid a nightmare that is flung at him. It lands on it’s hooves and swings back around. The fire goes out and the barrier goes away. Everdron rolls to his feet, but what flung the nightmare is gone. Another nightmare is sniffing around, growling in frustration. “Are you all right, Your Majesties?” he asks, hurrying over to the princes. “We are not fine! We were just attacked!” Skreme snaps. “We are fine. Is Marinae all right?” Mondre` asks. “I believe she is, Your Majesty.” Everdron says. “We must return to the palace immediately.” He gestures to the nightmares, who trot over to them. "Get on, Your Majesties." The princes climb onto their nightmares. Marinae is still on her steed, looking around fearfully. “I wish to return to the palace.” she says warily. “We shall, Your Majesty.” Everdron says, holding the nightmares’ reins. The units climb back onto their steeds. Everdron takes Marinae’s nightmare’s reins then says. “Let us go.” The Royals then are traveled to the palace. They arrive at the steps of the palace. Bersion is there waiting for them. He makes his way down as they climb off their mounts. “We wish to go to the Tournaments now.” Skreme says after three soldiers escort the nightmares to the stables. “Not at this time, Your Majesty. You were just attacked. And I was informed the intruders returned.” Everdron says. “Intruders?” Mondre` asks. “Yes, it is true. They left mere moments ago with one of our prisoners.” Bersion says. ‘Does he mean…? Could it have been Ashla and Ryuu?’ Mondre` wonders. Many more questions run through his head. He carefully looks to the soldiers, but they are paying attention to Everdron. “I believe it would be best if you stayed closer to the palace.” Everdron says. “We want to go see the Tournaments.” Skreme says. "Can we see the Tournaments another time? I would like to see the grand ballroom." Marinae says, seeming to have calmed down. "Which one?" Mondre` asks. "The best." she says. “That would be the Red Ballroom.” Bersion says. "Will you show her, Your Majesties?" “What about the Tournaments?” Skreme mutters stiffly. “We can go tomorrow.” Mondre` suggests, looking hopefully to Everdron. “Perhaps.” Everdron says. Marinae slips her arm through Mondre`’s. He looks to her. She smiles. “Please?” she says. He blushes. “All right.” he says. He escorts her into the palace. Skreme stands on the walkway. “Will you not accompany them, Your Majesty?” Bersion asks. “No.” Skreme mutters. “Then perhaps you could return to studying. You still need to read the chapter on the Crafons.” Everdron says. Skreme stiffens, pressing his lips tightly together. He walks after Mondre` and Marinae. Everdron watches him leave then faces the soldiers. “Stay with them. I must speak with Advisor Bersion.” he says. “Yes sir.” the captain says. The escort follows the Royals. The three come to the nearly empty Red ballroom. Some servants are cleaning the floor. They bow when the teenagers come in. "What a beautiful place!" Marinae breathes, gazing at the architecture. She twirls around then faces Mondre`. "Why, hello, my Lord. I hear music in the air." she says with a curtsey. Mondre` smiles and bows. "Then shall we dance?" he asks and gestures to the servants. The servants bow then walk out. Three musicians step in. "The Jochiro Waltz." Mondre` says. The musicians lift their instruments up and begin to play. Mondre` takes Marinae’s hand and dances with her to the music along the sleek soft gray floor. He shows her the different dances he had been taught. She giggles when he does a silly dance. “Where did you learn that, Your Majesty?” she asks. “We imagined it.” he says, chuckling. “You try.” “Oh, no, Your Majesty. I could not possibly do that.” she says, lowering her gaze sheepishly. Skreme was sitting in a chair a servant brought for him to watch the pair. She hears him snap his fingers to make a flame. She stops dancing and walks over to him. “Would you like to dance?” she asks. “Why not continue dancing with Mondre`?” he asks, returning his gaze back to the flame. “I would like to dance with you now, Your Majesty.” she says. “She is our guest. Please?” Mondre` says. Skreme sighs, extinguishing the flame with a flick of his wrist. He stands then she takes his hands and dances with him. He keeps the dances short and sweet. Her parents and High Advisor Bersion come in to see what they are up to. “Is everything all right in here?” Marquises Esther asks when she sees her daughter dancing with Skreme instead of Mondre`. "We are fine, mother, father." Marinae says, folding her hands infront of her. “Are you having a good time?” Marques Bradin asks. “Yes, we are having a fantastic time.” Marinae says, beaming. “Good. I am glad.” Marquises Esther says, smiling. They leave the three alone. After ten more dances, Mondre` begins to feel tired. “We do not think we can dance any longer.” he says. “I understand, Your Majesty. May we go to the library?” she asks. “Of course.” he says. They walk to the library, where she describes all of the books she has ever read. They try to include Skreme in every conversation, but he would just grunt in response. The soldiers follow them everywhere. They spend the whole morning and afternoon escorting her around the palace, even the courtyard. Mondre` wonders who the intruders were while walking along the walkway. ‘Was it Debern? It couldn't have been him. He's an Avantra, isn't he? He would've been stopped.’ he thinks. Marinae sees him gazing with a troubled expression at the cobbled ground. “How many trophies does your father have?” she asks. He turns to her. “Hmmm? Oh, very many.” he says. “May I see?” she asks. “Yes. It is this way.” he says. They return to the palace, where he shows her the trophy rooms. She talks about what her father has then talks nonstop about sewing, clothes, shoes, flowers she liked, jewelry, her favorite foods, and more. By the fourth tone of the evening, she begins to bother Mondre`. He would start to walk away or speak with Skreme when she asks him what he is doing. He explains to her what he is doing then she asks him to show her a part of the palace she had not yet seen. "We are High Prince, you know. We can do what we wish." he says after listening to her question him. "Fantastic. This is going to end well." Skreme mutters and walks away from the two. They don't notice him leave with half of the escort. "Why do you not walk me to the east wing?" she asks. "Not at the moment. It is far too late." Mondre` says, walking down the corridor. She follows him. "Please come back, Your Majesty." she calls. Once out of sight, he sinks into the shadows. She comes into the hall then stops. "Your Majesty?" she asks, seeing no one there. "Your Majesty?" He runs through the walls. He stops and peeks out of a room wall. No one is there, so he steps out. Several other escort soldiers keep up with him. “Is there something wrong, Your Majesty?” a soldier asks. “She talks too much for our liking.” Mondre` says, moving down the corridor. “If you see her, do not tell her where we are.” “Yes, Your Majesty.” several soldiers say. Skreme finds him later that tone relaxing under his bed with his eyes closed. "Are you sleeping under there?" he asks, kneeling down to peek under. Mondre` opens his eyes. "We’re hiding." he whispers, scooting back. "From whom? Us?" Skreme asks. "From Marinae." "Oh." Skreme nods, a look of understanding on his face. He stands up and strides to the open door. "Oh, Daemon Marinae! We found him!" he hollers down the hall. "What are you doing?" Mondre` hisses, crawling out. "Are you hiding?" "Yes!" "Well, it seems to us you two are playing. It is a shame you did not invite us." “You are just angry because we did not go to the Tournaments.” “That is true.” Skreme says then looks out the door. "Ah and here comes the seeker." Mondre` fades into the shadows just in time. Marinae walks into the room. "Where is he?" she asks. "We may know where he is going." Skreme says. They stroll down the hall. All evening, Mondre` hides from them when he can. Skreme escorts Marinae, looking for him while she calls out his name. Other than that, she is mostly quiet, unlike when she was around Mondre`. 'She's not as horrible as I thought.’ Skreme thinks. He notices a movement by a doorway. He sees long blonde hair disappear through a wall. “He is over there!” he says, grabbing Marinae’s hand. They race into the next room. Mondre` runs past them. Skreme catches his arm. “Your Majesty!” Marinae exclaims, grabbing his hand. Mondre` grimaces then gives Skreme a sour look. Skreme smirks then sneaks out. Some time afterwards, he walks down a corridor with a dozen soldiers behind him. He has a pleased smile on his face. ‘He deserves it for agreeing with her. This worked well.’ he thinks pleasantly. Mondre` appears upside down in front of him. He jumps nearly six feet. "Don't do that!" he says angrily. "Where is Marinae?" Mondre` asks, landing on his feet. "We thought she was with you." Skreme says. Mondre` looks down the corridor. "No, she is not." he says. He goes to leave. "What are you doing?" Skreme asks. Mondre` gets a smile on his face. "We are going to play." he says. "What are you going to do?" Skreme asks. Mondre` shakes his head. "Never mind." he says. Skreme glares at him. "Tell us. We want to know." he says, following him. Mondre` knew he did. It was killing him inside to know what he was up to and he was going to use that. He crosses his arms. "If you swear you will not help her anymore, we will tell you." he says. Skreme mutters under his breath. Mondre` watches him fuss. "If you are not going to then go on." he says, turning away. "Fine. We swear we will not help her." Skreme says. "Excellent. Follow us. We will tell you on the way." Mondre` says. They move through the halls along with the guards. Mondre` tells Skreme what he wants to do. They find Marinae walking around the east south-eastern sentry tower, searching for Mondre`. While she isn't paying attention, the boys sneak up behind her, trying to remain concealed. Mondre` places a long-legged blue pond spider they found in the courtyard beside her. It's little claws click on the floor as it walks by her legs. She looks down at the noise. She sees it and screams, jumping onto a wall. The boys burst into fits of laughter while she catches her breath. "Why did you do that? That was horribly rude of you." she chides. She makes sure the spider is gone before she comes down. Skreme chuckles. "That is what we do." he replies. "Can we do something else instead?” she asks, straightening her dress. “What do you mean?” Mondre` asks. “I mean I would also like to go to the gardens. Maybe we can pick some flowers for mother." she says. The boys get blank expressions on their faces. They look to each other then howl with laughter. "What do you think we are, girls?" Skreme asks, doubled over with laughter. Marinae's cheeks become red with embarrassment. "It was a suggestion. You do not have to be so rude about it." she huffs. She stomps away, leaving them to their laughter. After dinner, the boys walk to their bedroom. Marinae was supposed to stay in a guestroom below Mondre`'s. Her parents were to stay in another guestroom beside hers. Mondre` and Skreme see servants bring in chests of clothes. They follow the servants up to the room. When the cousins come to the door, at first they think they have the wrong room. The whole room is entirely green and gold. Green drapes, green blankets, green carpet, gold bedposts, gold painted furniture, a golden fireplace. "We thought the Green Room was four doors down that way." Skreme says, pointing his thumb to his right. Marinae steps up behind them as Mondre` says. "Should we see if they have changed it?" 'I wonder if they can be scared.' she thinks. She reaches out and grabs their shoulders fast while shouting. "BWHAAA!" The boys scream like girls. They leap straight up to the ceiling and hit their heads. They fall down to land on their behinds. The servants in the room swivel around from the cries. Marinae drops to her knees. She is laughing so hard, tears are coming out of her eyes. “Ow, ow, ow, ow.” Mondre` hisses, rubbing his head. Skreme gets to his feet. "What was the reason for that?" he growls, a hand at the back of his head. She giggles up at him. "You mean what you did to me?" she asks with an innocent smile. “We did nothing of the sort to you.” he says. The servants return to what they were doing. "We are sorry we scared you." Mondre` says, standing. Marinae smiles. "There is no need to apologize, Your Majesty. I think what I did is good enough." she replies. She gets up and brushes her dress off. "Daemon Marinae, everything has been brought. Do you need anything else?" a servant asks behind her. "No. You may leave." she says. The servant bows then leaves the room, along with the others. She faces the princes with a serious expression. "I am going to bed now. You need to leave as well." she says. "Excuse you?" "By whose orders?" they ask. She gives them an evil look. Mondre` stops to reconsider. "Maybe we should leave." he says to Skreme. "That might be a good idea." Skreme says to him. They walk by her, stepping out of the room. She closes the door behind them. "One day here and she thinks she’s High Queen." Skreme mutters. "At least she's not staying here for long." Mondre` says. "That's true." Skreme says. They head down the corridor to the stairwell. Skreme catches sight of Everdron walking into the throne room. He pays him no heed. The two go up the stairs then down the hall to their room, where Hume and Iar wait. “Is everything all right, Your Majesties?” Iar asks, seeing their upset faces. “No. We were not able to go to the Tournaments. And the Marques’ daughter is ordering everyone around like she is our Auntie.” Skreme says angrily. Hume chuckles. “I am sorry to hear that, Your Majesty. Maybe Her Majesty is used to people listening to her at her home.” he suggests. Mondre` snorts. “This is our home. She will not be ordering us to do anything.” he says as Hume helps him change clothes. “Maybe she will learn, Your Majesties.” Hume says. “Ha!” Skreme laughs while Iar helps him. “She might. She talks and reads so much, we would not doubt it.” Mondre` says. “Did you not have a good time today?” Iar asks, trying to change the subject. He slides a sleeping shirt over Skreme’s head. “At first. Then we were attacked by someone. and she would not stop talking about everything.” Mondre` says. “And he would not stop helping her search for us.” “She is not so horrible.” Skreme says defensively after he reappears from under the shirt. “You do not have her stalking you.” Mondre` says, stepping into his sleeping pants. “If you were with her more often, she would not be stalking you in the first place.” Skreme retorts. “Are you defending her, Your Majesty?” Hume asks. “No! We are being logical.” Skreme says. “I understand, Your Majesty. It is time for bed.” Hume says. Mondre` lays down in his bed then Hume tucks him in. Iar tucks Skreme in then puts the candles out and they leave the room, the door closing behind them. The cousins fall to sleep, exhausted from the excitement of the day. Mondre` dreams of walking through Veud. Skreme, Ryuu, and Ashla are by his side, laughing and talking. Marinae appears infront of them, blocking their path. Her eyes widen when she sees the thieves. "You are in trouble now." she says with a cruel smile. "Yes, you are." a voice behind the four growls. Everdron stands behind them. His eyes bare into theirs. Mondre` moans, twisting in his bed then settles down. Skreme dreams of ruling his own dukedom. Everyone bows to him when he walks up to a golden throne with a jeweled crown on his head. He is dressed in elegant robes of silk and holds a bejeweled scepter. The citizens bestow grand gifts at his feet when he commands. He smiles in his sleep. Some time during the eleventh tone, Mondre` wakes up. He looks over to Skreme, but he is still fast asleep. 'I need a drink.' he thinks. He gets out of bed and walks out of the room, dragging his bare feet. He yawns as he goes downstairs. The portraits on the walls follow him with their eyes as he goes by. He crosses the wide corridor to the throne room door when a strange presence stops him. ‘What is that?’ he wonders. He creeps over to the door then reaches for the door handle. A sound inside makes him pause. He opens the door a crack and peeks in. Something thick moves in the middle of the room. It stands on four legs, grunting while four other shorter limbs stick out by it’s sides. It moves at an angle. It turns out to be two figures, struggling with something between them. The four short limbs are their elbows sticking out. A puddle is on the floor. Mondre` can see a liquid dripping off the object between them, which they slip and slide on. ‘What is going on?’ he wonders, his heart pounding in his chest. One figure wrestles the object away then plunges it into the other. The person cries in agony. Dark liquid spews everywhere, all over the attacker. Mondre` is frozen with fear. He can't breath. ‘What do I do? What do I do?’ he thinks in a panic. The person pushes the weapon deeper into the screaming person. ‘Move! Move!’ he orders his legs. He backs away then bolts up the two flights of stairs to his room. He runs over to Skreme’s bed and shakes him. “Skreme! Wake up!” he yells. Skreme groans and turns away. “Let me sleep.” he mumbles, covering his head with his pillow. Mondre` yanks the pillow away and hits him with it. “Someone's been murdered!” he hollers. “You had a bad dream.” Skreme says. “It was real. I can prove it." Mondre` says loudly. Skreme sits up. “What did you see?” he mumbles. “I saw two people in the throne room. They fought then….I can't explain. You need to come with me.” Mondre` says urgently, pulling on Skreme’s arm. “Fine. I'll come. But if you're lying, you're going to regret it.” Skreme threatens. Mondre` pulls him out of the room. The palace is silent. The two make their way down the first flight of stairs. They are coming to the next stairwell when Marinae’s door opens. Her head peeks out. She notices them standing there. “What is going on?” she asks in a whisper. “Stay here.” Skreme whispers. He follows Mondre` to the stairs. They move through the corridors as silent as possible. They come up to the throne room door. It is still ajar. The presence is still there. “What is that?” Skreme whispers. “I don't know. We should get High Advisor Everdron or High Advisor Bersion.” Mondre` whispers. “By the time we retrieve them, the person will be gone.” Skreme hisses. He opens the door further. Mondre` stands behind him. It is dark inside with strands of light coming in through the columns. They can see a figure kneeling over something on the floor. "What a fool." they say, chuckling. Mondre`’s breath leaves him. ‘That sounds like Everdron.’ he thinks. “What is it?” a voice asks behind him. The boys shout and swivel around, backing into the door. Marinae stands behind them. “Is that High Advisor Everdron?” she asks. Mondre` realizes what he had done. He turns back, along with Skreme. The door was wide open. The person stares at them with eyes that glow blue in the darkness. They can see the clothes the person wears. They are long robes similar to the High Advisors’. Their face can't be seen behind long black hair. The cousins stand stock still. Mondre` had never felt this scared except for when his parents found out about something bad. Marinae peeks out. The figure lifts an arm. "Run!" Mondre` manages to shout. They dash down a corridor as fast as they can, pulling Marinae with them. It sounds like someone is running after them. They speed up, running blindly through the palace. A lieutenant is walking their way down the hall when he sees them heading straight for him. He has a specific decoration above an L on his breastplate and his shoulders. It looks similar to a vine snaking around a hand reaching for the sky. The three plow into him when they come up. "What is going on?" he asks, taking off his helmet. His brown hair is a mess and his blue eyes are wide from the surprise. The three start telling him what happened all at once. "I walked out of my room and..." “….he told me someone was murdered….” ".......Marinae came out...." "We saw someone in the throne room.…" "Hold it!" he yells over them. They quiet down. Marinae is in tears. She shakes like a leaf in a strong wind. "It is all right, Milady. You are safe now." Lieutenant Ivinin says gently. “Tell me what happened.” “I woke up and left my room to get something to drink when I saw someone in the throne room get attacked.” Mondre` says shakily. "He woke me, so I left with him to find out what was going on." Skreme says. "I went with them." Marinae says then sniffles. "We didn't know she followed us. We saw a person in the throne room standing over something. He had glowing blue eyes." Mondre` says. "Then she startled us." Skreme mumbles, nodding to the weeping girl. "The person saw us and was about to fire. So we ran." Mondre` says. "Check the throne room, quick!" Marinae orders in a panicked voice. She has her hands clasped together infront of her mouth. Skreme rolls his eyes. Ivinin bows. "Yes, Your Majesty." he replies. He walks down the hall with the three following close behind. The door they ran out of is wide open. The lieutenant steps in, clasping his sword hilt tight, and scans the room. He notices a figure kneeling over a lump on the floor. The person looks up to see the four gazing at him. He stands and raises a hand. Ivinin unsheathes his sword and holds it out, ready. A glowing orb appears in the air, lighting the room. Everdron narrows his eyes when he sees the Royals standing with Ivinin. “High Advisor Everdron!” Ivinin gasps. He sheathes his sword and bows his head, saluting. "What are you doing here? Return to your rooms immediately." Everdron growls, glaring at the teenagers behind the lieutenant. "But..." Mondre` begins. "Return to your rooms!" Everdron orders. Marinae notices him sweep his robes across the floor. She looks down at a dark dried up hand that lays out from underneath. Terror washes through her, making her emit a blood curdling scream. It bounces off the walls and rattles the windows. She faints on the floor. Mondre` kneels down and shakes her. "Marinae? Marinae?" he says. Ivinin notices the hand sticking out from under Everdron's robes. "What are you hiding, High Advisor?" he asks. Everdron looks to the two boys and the fainted girl. "They need to leave." he says. Ivinin eyes the hand then looks back to Everdron. "Show us." he says, gripping his sword hilt tight. Everdron looks back to the Royals then moves his robes away. A dried up corpse lays on the floor. It's eyesockets and mouth are wide open with terror. The armor it wears glints in the moonlight. A stab wound the length of a hand is in the center. No blood covers it. An L marks the front then a ring of thorns is beside it. ‘That mark. Isn't that the soldier Everdron spoke to before?' Mondre` wonders. Marinae's parents, High Advisor Bersion, and several soldiers and servants rush in. "Who screamed?" Marques Bradin asks. He sees his daughter on the ground with Mondre` over her. He runs to them. "Is she all right?" "Yes. She only fainted." Mondre` says, getting up. Marques Bradin picks her up as Marquises Esther hurries up beside him. "Marinae? Wake up, dear." she says softly, stroking her daughter‘s hair. Marinae shifts then moans. "What happened here?" Bersion asks, noticing the corpse. "I heard a shout and hurried here as soon as I could. I arrived in time to see the murderer run out that door." Everdron says. He nods his head to the door everyone arrived through. The soldiers run off to investigate. "You must have only just arrived then, sir. Their Majesties informed me they saw someone standing where you are now only a few ticks ago." Ivinin replies. Bersion looks from him to Everdron, who gives the boys a fierce look. "Who did you see?" Everdron asks. “Mondre` saw them.” Skreme says quickly. “We could not see them too well.” Mondre` says, knowing he had to be formal with the advisors. "Return to your room. I will have a talk with you before your parents arrive tomorrow." Bersion says. "What of Marinae?" Mondre` asks. "I will take her to our room." Marques Bradin says. "Very well then. I will clean up here." Everdron says. He moves a hand toward the body. "I am sorry, Advisor. But I will have to ask you to accompany us." Bersion says, stopping him. He seems surprised. "For what reason?" he asks. "I wish to ask you a few questions." Bersion says. He turns to Ivinin. "I will speak with you shortly, Lieutenant. Meet me in the Royal study." he says. Ivinin bows low. "Yes, my Lord." he says. He bows to the other Royals then strides out of the room. Bersion faces Marques Bradin and Marquises Esther. "We will escort you to your daughter's room." he says. Marques Bradin carries his daughter back to the stairwell, followed by his wife. Mondre`, Skreme, Everdron, and Bersion follow in silence along with the soldiers. The boys make sure to stay close to Bersion. Everdron looks very unhappy as he walks behind them. Marques Bradin climbs the stairs and walks to the guest room they were staying in. He places her in the bed. Marquises Esther sits beside her, trying to wake her. Marques Bradin steps out. “What is going on, High Advisors?” he says. “We do not know as of this moment, Marques. We will inform you when we find anything out.” Bersion says. He signals to a wall. A guard steps out. "Keep an extra watch over the Marques‘ family." he orders. The guard salutes then sinks back into the wall. Marques Bradin walks back to his room and shuts the door. The rest head upstairs to the princes' room. Once there, the boys hurry to the doorway. Everdron stands at the edge of the stairs, arms folded in his sleeves. "Sleep now, Your Majesties. You need your rest." Bersion says. They nod and close the door. They put their ears to the wood. A new pair of footsteps can be heard. “Come with me.” Bersion says. They listen as three pairs of footsteps walk away. Skreme swivels around to face Mondre`. "Everdron did it. You heard him." he whispers harshly. Mondre` scratches the back of his head, unsure about what had just occurred. It had been Everdron‘s voice. But there was something strange. "It didn't seem like Everdron." he mumbles out loud. "You have to be joking. You were there! You saw him killing that soldier. We heard him. And I watched him go in there before we went to sleep!" Skreme shouts. "Shhhhhhhh!" Mondre` hisses, eyeing the door. "Don't 'Shhhhhhhh!' me!" Skreme snaps, though he uses a softer voice. He stomps to his bed and lays down on it, placing the covers over his head. Mondre` walks to his bed. He lays down, but he is afraid to close his eyes. He listens to the noises outside the window. So many thoughts run through his head while he ponders on what he witnessed then looks to Skreme. "Skreme?" he calls in a whisper. "Yes?" Skreme mumbles. "What if it was Everdron?" Skreme can be heard sighing. "Then we're in trouble." he replies. Mondre` gets a chill from the sound of his voice. "Should we tell our parents?" he asks softly. "I'm going to." Skreme says. "What do you think Everdron will say tomorrow?" "What I would like to know is what Princess will do." Mondre` smirks a bit. "We'll be able to scare her better now." he says. Skreme chuckles then yawns. "We need to sleep. I can only imagine what will happen tomorrow." he mutters. "I'll stay up a little longer." Mondre` says. "All right." Skreme says and yawns again. Soon, Mondre` hears his steady breathing coming from his side of the room. He takes a deep breath then looks to the balcony window. Clouds cover the moons and stars. Animals call to each other in the dark. Voices drift through the air, cheery to the ears. That makes him think of the guild. ‘I wonder what they're up to.’ he thinks. He blinks, his eyelids feeling heavy. He tries to stay awake by rubbing them. He didn't want to sleep. He stretches then looks around the room. Light that comes in hits the door and wall. The rest is all dark, with shadows black compared to the walls. 'Would Everdron do that? He's never done anything that would've had him be suspected of something like that.' he thinks. His eyes feel heavier. 'Maybe it was....someone....else.' His eyelids close on their own. Bersion, Everdron, Ivinin, and another soldier stand around a desk in the second study. A single candle is lit, filling the room with soft light. Bersion sits behind the desk while Everdron stands beside it. “What happened?” Everdron asks. “We were scheduled to change shifts at the fifteen ticks to the eleventh tone. We had been ordered to wait five turns before we were to travel. When we arrived, Their Majesties were gone.” the soldier says. Bersion faces Ivinin. “Then what happened?” he asks. "The princes and the Marques’ daughter ran up and started ranting about what they saw. I had to calm them down before I could let them explain." Ivinin explains, standing infront of the desk. "What did they say?" Bersion asks. "They said High Prince Mondre` witnessed someone get attacked by another person. He woke the Prince of Klohmoi and they went back. They discovered the person standing over the body. And they described him as having glowing blue eyes." Ivinin replies. Everdron gazes at the candle, listening to him. 'The intruder stole the High King's gift as well.' he thinks. Bersion sees a frown make it's way across his face. "I think we should keep quiet about this." he says. Everdron faces him. "The High King needs to be informed of this." he says. Bersion holds up a hand. "Until the High King returns." he finishes. "What of Their Majesties?" Ivinin asks. "I will talk with them tomorrow. Now, if you do not mind, Lieutenant." Bersion says, holding a hand to the door. "And the body?" Ivinin asks. "Take it to Tauva and have her examine it." Everdron orders. Ivinin salutes. "Yes, High Advisor." he says. Both he and the soldier stride out the door. Once it closes, Bersion looks down at the papers on the desk. “The High Prince might be traumatized after this.” he says then shakes his head. "How could someone get into the palace without alerting the guards? It is almost as if they walked in." "I will see to it that this murderer is found." Everdron says, hurrying to the door. Bersion sits up to stop him, but Everdron is already gone. He sighs and sits back in his seat.
 
 
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