Distant incoherent voices permeate the air, akin to raindrops pattering the surface of a tin roof. The sound neither deafening nor soft surrounds Orpheus. He stands in the centre of a room, bustling with others. The throne room in which he stands, previously an immaculate and beautiful representation of elegance, is now soaked in blood and littered with bodies. The bodies of fools who dare defy the crown and all the authority accompanying it. 

Orpheus quietly observing transpiring events witnesses groups of nobles huddled together, whispering to each other. The bodies of turncoat soldiers are being dragged out by guards dressed in the same armour. The king and queen standing near their thrones whispering to one another. Both of their expressions are filled with concern about the topic of their discussion. Orpheus turns his head towards the exit and see's Lambert graciously tending to the injured noblewoman.

He places his hand on her injured shoulder, tenderly observing the injury. She shutters in pain, wincing at the stinging sensation.  "I am so sorry milady did that hurt?" Lambert asks with a sincere and tender voice. 

"It is fine, thank you, Sir Lambert, for coming to my aid."  She sincerely gazes upon him, with a sweet smile and an expression of gratefulness.

This very look startles the knight, but only for a moment. He returns her affection with a smile.  "Think nothing of it, milady, I was merely doing my duty."  Lambert looks around turning his head left and right as if looking for someone to help him. Just as he glances to the right, he sees Orpheus staring back at him.  "Orpheus my friend can you assist me?"  He reaches out with his hand requesting assistance.

The sorcerer frowns before pondering Lambert's request.  "Help you... I'm not your friend buddy!" He thinks indignantly with his internal monologue. Now deep in thought, he turns to Susanna walking up beside him, placing her hand on his shoulder. 

"Go help him... Hero remember?" She whispers in his ear with a soft, yet encouraging voice. 

Orpheus cracks his neck, begrudgingly walking over to assist Lambert and his injured damsel. Contemplating his situation along the way.  "Well, this is going to be an interesting experience I've never helped someone I've harmed before." He thinks to himself, pondering the unique situation. Reaching them both as Lambert starts to press his hand on her wound, in an attempt to stop the bleeding. 

"Can you help her Orpheus, perhaps a healing spell of some sort?"  Lambert sincerely requests aid from the man that caused the very injury he desires to treat.

Orpheus smirks internally, but not before he leans down to inspect the situation. "Oh, that looks bad I'm sorry about that." He stated with false sincerity, furrowing his brow.

"Sir Orpheus, there is no need for you to apologise. It is not your fault." The noblewoman attempts to reassure him, her injuries are not of his action or design.

The statement rings in his ears, he is confused for a moment but retains his composure, continuing his treatment here.  "Well, I am still sorry, I do not know any healing spells. To be honest I kind of fell asleep in that class and never really studied healing magic." He admitted in a rare moment of honesty. Slightly shrugging and revealing genuine embarrassment.  

Both of them are slightly disappointed but ultimately relent. "It is all right; I believe non-magical treatments will suffice.” Lambert chimes in with a soft smile. “Oh, I completely forgot. What is your name milady?" He asks as if the question had just struck him.

She smiles, her head dips down for a moment before looking up at Lambert. Their eyes meet with a tender gaze, and after a moment she decides to speak. "It's Jennifera Farol Saviorna, but you may call me Jenna if you wish Sir Lambert." Their eyes continue to gaze at each other. Orpheus to the side is visibly bored and remains patiently between them.

Watching the two, internally monologuing.  "Oh, my Vera, they're staring into each other's eyes like a couple of love birds. Get a room you two, and also how are you doing this cheesy love stare whilst Jenna here is bleeding all over the floor?" Orpheus ascends with disinterest, turning to walk away. Just as he takes the first step he collides slightly with a woman. "Oh, I'm sorry about that."  He turns to look at her, only to notice beautiful crimson hair passing across his vision. The sight evokes a sense of familiarity.

Pausing for a moment almost completely frozen in place, hearing a woman's voice from behind.  "Oh, that looks very painful, don't worry I'll help with that." The female's voice spoke with a compassionate tone. 

Orpheus slowly turns his head, seeing his old classmate. Leila appears with slightly longer hair, wearing a white mage's robe with the royal crest embroidered. Upon witnessing the familiar face, he is stunned and stiff. Quickly turning around to contemplate his precarious situation. 

"Percuro Vulnere." Leila chants, aiming her outstretched hand at Jenna's wound. A white ethereal aura emanates from her hand, surrounding it with a shimmering glow. The wound starts to close, sealing with unnatural speed. Soon the bleeding gash is no more, leaving pristine and uninjured skin.

"Oh, my that was incredible, I feel no pain, none at all." Jenna gratefully thanked her, with a soft smile and compassionate eyes. 

"It was no problem, it's only a basic healing spell I learned in my first year, any decent mage can learn it." Leila replies with a joyful tone. 

Jenna and Lambert look at each other, before turning to Leila. Both look with even wider smiles denoting just how grateful they both are. Lambert then stands up, reaching his hand out to the seated Jenna. She looks at it for a moment before placing her soft hand intertwined with his. He slowly helps her to her feet and accompanies him. Directing her with an outstretched hand towards the door. 

"Please milady I wish to see you home." Lambert suggests with a compassionate air.

Jenna curtseys, directing him to lead the way. They both exit the throne room, hand in hand. Leila witnessing this act smiles and then turns around.

Orpheus still with his back turned, assessing his situation. "What do I do? What do I do!" He mutters to himself, caught up in his own head. "Illusion spell... No, um... Twin brother... No, dammit!"  Coming up with futile strategies he places his hand on his chin. 

"Sir Orpheus!" The king's voice rings out from the distance, reaching the ears of almost everyone in the room. 

"Orpheus, the king wishes to speak with you." Susanna states, walking up to him just as Leila is only a short distance behind. 

"Yes, I know thank you, Susie!" Orpheus states passive-aggressively, with a forced rigid smile. 

"No way, Orpheus is that you?" Leila moves up behind him, tapping his shoulder just as the king, queen and Tiephinne arrive. He is still stunned by her presence but slowly calms himself in order to deal with this unforeseen turn of events. "Orpheus that's you, isn't it?" She adds while trying to peer at his visage. 

Orpheus slowly turns his head to her, his body facing the other way, eventually, he turns all the way. Coming face to face, the two gaze at each other "Hi, Leila, long time no see." He stumbles over his words still unable to keep his composure, flashing a nervous expression. Subtle expressions appear upon his face, obvious to a keen observer.

Leila witnessed the tension visibly written on his face; she quickly inhales a single long breath. Looking down at the ground and then back up, she becomes flushed and red. "What are you doing here!" She yells aggressively, her face even redder with anger, her forehead veins becoming prominent. "I haven't heard from you in days... You don't call, you don't write, and you drop out of the academy with no notice. You broke my nose before you fled... Now you show up and you just say hi!" Her face explodes with a brighter hue, her rage pouring out with every word. Others around notice the one-sided verbal confrontation.

Orpheus was still stunned as if this was a new side of her, he had never seen. Unable to grasp a method to deal with the situation he says the only thing he can. "I'm sorry?" Attempting to give a half-hearted apology, shrugging his shoulders and looking down guiltily. 

"Oh, what is this then, a lover's quarrel?" Queen Lysia cuts in with a question proposed to both. She has a cheeky smirk, tilting her head to the right with gleeful curiosity. 

"Lovers no!" Orpheus and Leila reply in unison with a disgusted expression on her face whilst a more passive expression on his. 

Orpheus looked back at her, with blatant annoyance. "Hey, could you sound a little less insulted?" He turned to Leila in response to her reaction. 

"Calm down Lysia, it is clear, this is a case of old friends who have lost touch." Artuiel suggests calmly. 

"No dear husband it is obviously a lover's quarrel, perhaps even a love triangle between all three of them." She points to Susanna then Orpheus and finally Leila, labelling them as participants in her made-up fantasy. 

"Correction I have had no such romantic or sexual liaison with Orpheus, the nature of our relationship is... Actually, I'm not quite sure?" Susanna chimes in to correct the inaccuracy, speaking in an almost mechanical tone. 

Orpheus now perplexed, thinks carefully. "Um... Friends, I think, maybe?" He turns to Susanna, answering her questions with uncertainty. 

Leila visibly annoyed glared daggers at them. "Who is she?!" She states aggressively, pointing at Susanna who replies with little to no reaction. 

Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

The queen's eyes beam with joy as if watching the events like her personal play. "You see she is angry and jealous as the man she loves has taken another lover, causing his heart to be torn, oh my it's just like the Thirteenth Night" Her expression grows even more gleeful, her smile widens and her cheeks flush. 

"Thirteenth Night? No matter, I apologise for the interruption but I need to speak with Orpheus if you don't mind?" Artuiel mutters to himself before showing a passive-aggressive look at his wife, curbing her interest. 

Leila realising her folly regains her calm with a simple ruffle of her robe. "I apologise, your majesty, I will attend to the injured." She curtseys to the king before flashing an indignant look at Orpheus. Soon enough she turns and walks away. 

The situation descends to silence before the King speaks up. "I'm sorry sir Orpheus it seems you have something going on there, but we must speak." Artuiel sincerely states, before requesting his attention. 

"Sure, your majesty." Orpheus replies with a sigh of relief, the uncomfortable situation has finally ended. 

"Please both of you come with me, it is best we speak in private." The king, queen and her knight walk past Orpheus towards the door, gesturing the pair to follow.  

"So, she seems nice " Susanna speaks up, a mischievous grin on her face. The expression lasts for a few seconds, before reclaiming her cold demeanour. 

"Don't patronise me, Susie." He replies, visibly annoyed at the whole affair. 

"I'll stop when you stop calling me Susie." She counters placing the proverbial ball in his court.

Orpheus and Susanna begin their childish back and forth, both following the king and queen. They make it past the crowd of nobles and out the door to the foyer. Turning to the left a butler quickly pounces on the doorway and opens it for them. Stepping back, he bows to the king and queen. 

The King turns to the butler with a frown. "Walter are you all right, perhaps you should seek medical attention." He sincerely queries, casting his concern upon his condition. Inspecting the slightly ruffled suit and a faint bruise on his left cheek. 

"I am fine majesty, thank you for your concern." Walter tilts his head to the king, respect in his voice.

The King’s frown slowly recedes, but the pain in his expression still lingers. "I am pleased Walter, but I have to insist that you at least get examined for injuries, it will put me at ease." Continuing to lay his concerns bare, the King tries once more to convince him. 

Walter bows respectfully. "If that is what you wish, it shall be done." Leaving that final note, he concedes to his liege.  

Artuiel flashes an expression of concern, along with sincere fear. The thought of him being seriously injured visibly disturbs the monarch. "Thank you, Walter." He manages to speak whilst reclaiming his dignity as a royal. 

They continue on through the door, into a long hallway, Walter closes the doors behind them. The hallway stretches out a short distance with several doors on the left and a double door towards the end. Traversing the hallway Lysia turns her head, still walking forward. "Orpheus I overhead Leila mentioning you attended the academy, am I correct in assuming she was referring to the magical academy in Atrasal?" She asks with an inquisitive tone and a slight note of sarcasm. 

"You heard that, did you... Yes, I did attend for a while, why do you ask?" Orpheus tilts his head, curious as to the reason for her abrupt question. 

"No reason just a bit of nostalgia coming back to me. You see I was once enrolled to go but had no talent with the craft, the sword was my true calling... To the disappointment of my father." Lysia spoke about herself, chuckling at the end denoting some humour. 

This information was of little interest to him, another part of that sentence intrigued him. His thoughts churn with this little titbit of knowledge. "Lysia has no magical aptitude that's an exploitable weakness of hers. Then again a brief showing of her sword skills reveals something of concern." Orpheus contemplates this useful information before asking his question. "Who's your father?" He asks with minor curiosity.

"Oh, a nobody called Aran Azahl." The sheer mention of this individual's name strikes a chord in the sorcerer's previously calm manner.

The words jostled the Zen he had come to nurture all his life. Collecting himself, he steals his mind, reclaiming the precise words to obtain the information he needed. "What, you don't mean Aran Azahl the leader of the Atrasal Society and one of the most powerful mages in Atrasal?" He asked, thoroughly baffled. 

Lysia turns back to him, nonchalantly replying. "Yes, that very man, but I assure you, that title is a bit exaggerated." Turning back, they all continue walking reaching the double door at the end. A male servant dressed in a fine black suit and bow tie turns to the door. Grasping both handles he pulls them both outward. Turning to the King he shifts to the side and bows deeply, directing the group to enter. 

Orpheus enters, witnessing a large circular room roughly twenty feet in length. The room has light grey painted walls encircling a round table. A lit chandelier hangs above and no windows can be seen. The table is wooden and finely carved with a white sheet draped over it and six chairs surrounding it. The chairs are spaced equally from each other except for the two seated on the opposite end of the table. The chairs are also made of finely carved wood with minimalist decoration and a simplistic design. The two on end, placed next to each other are much larger, with two crowns carved at their heads. 

The group enters the room, and the king and queen seat themselves on the chairs placed nearest each other. The king is on the right and the queen is on the left. Tiephinne then seats herself on the chair nearest the queen to her left. Orpheus and Susanna stand near the table awaiting direction from the king. "Orpheus, Susanna please have a seat, those two chairs are unoccupied." He directs them to the unoccupied seats. They comply and seat themselves with Orpheus closest to the king and Susanna just next to him.  "Well, Orpheus I asked you to attend this little meeting of ours to discuss the events that have transpired." He folds his hands placing them on the table and directing his gaze towards them, turning to his wife mid-sentence. His expression exudes calm accompanied by an authoritative posture.

"Yes, a coup d'état is an issue that demands immediate attention, I fully understand." Orpheus states, nodding in agreement with a slightly sarcastic tone. 

The King nods in response, ignoring the verbal jab. "I couldn't agree more, I was aware of the grievances the nobles had but I didn't think they would go this far. Lysia, may I request that Tiephinne perform a thorough investigation into this matter?" Artuiel turns to his wife requesting the assistance of one of her knights to which Lysia nods in response. 

"Yes, I will get her to attend to this matter immediately." She replies quickly, shifting her gaze to her knight. 

"Thank you." Artuiel replies before returning his gaze to Orpheus and begins to speak again. "Now that matter is attended to, I wish to ask you a question?" 

Orpheus's expression shifts to confusion and then curiosity at his abrupt request. "Sure." He replies simply.

"Lord Kencus you are acquainted with the man, yes?" The King asks, his gaze narrowing. Orpheus attempts to hide his contempt at the mere mention of his name but is unable to. "I'd say you do from that reaction, does that mean you grew up in the Towershore province?" He asks, probing Orpheus for a reaction. 

Confusion flashes across Orpheus's mind before he replies. "What makes you say that?" He asks. 

Artuiel leans back on his chair to speak. "Your disdain and familiarity with the man, of course, I overheard the conversation, just before you dispatched the treacherous villain. I assumed you grew up in his former province." Explaining his deduction, the King awaits a response.  Orpheus's expression diverges from confusion to curiosity, leaning forward his head tilted downwards. "There were a few unpleasant rumours about the man, nothing could be proven. The rumours entailed how he treated the peasants, abusing them...” Trailing off, the King leads the man opposite him, towards his intended topic. 

Orpheus begins staring blankly at his hands, cupped together on the table. Taking in a deep breath, he exhales slowly. Lifting his head, turning his gaze to the curious king with sad and cold eyes. His lips denote a slight tremble, attempting to keep his composure.

Once he has collected himself, he speaks. “Quite right you are your majesty, I did grow up in that province with my mother and father. It was a life of a low-born peasant, but for better or worse we were happy." Orpheus replies with a genuine smile before his gaze turns down. As he speaks the others listen as well as Susanna who leans forward in hopes of learning more. "We were farmers you see; my father would work in the fields and my mother would take care of me. She would tuck me in bed, sing to me... Those are where my happiest memories reside." Susanna's cold expression grows softer, she continues to listen, and his eyes become on the verge of tears.  "And there is where my worst also reside. One day like any other day, my father was working until Lord Kencus came with his monthly taxes. We couldn't pay them so my father tried to reason with him. He had his men take my mother right from my hand as collateral and when my father protested, he beat him right in front of me... Until he stopped moving." Orpheus's voice began to stutter, his breathing becomes heavier with the pain in his heart.

The others look at him with sympathy at his every word.  Reclaiming some composure, Orpheus continued his sad tale. "When he discovered my father was dead, he sent his man to kill me, but luckily he spared me out of pity." Orpheus returns his gaze to the king, and Artuiel attempts to keep his composure. 

"The suffering you endured at the hands of my subject is a heinous crime. You have my sincerest apologies." Artuiel apologises with a calm tone and an almost cold manner. 

"No need to apologise, your majesty, it's ancient history. I prefer to look towards the future, I offer my services in discovering the villain's co-conspirators." Orpheus shakes his head before making a request.

King Artuiel replies with a concerned expression, his eyebrows curved downwards. "I do not believe that to be appropriate, given your personal history." Attempting to convey sympathy while remaining firm in his decision. The King shifts his gaze to the others. 

Orpheus smiles wryly, not taking the rejection to heart. "I see well that is understandable... Justice is justice no matter who passes it upon the wicked." He replies sincerely.

Artuiel flashes a brief smile at the man's sentiment. Turning his gaze to his wife equally smiling in joy. Orpheus mentally contemplates his current situation as the others discuss the further business. "Excellent he did precisely as I predicted." He thinks to himself, concealing the words behind his façade. 

"Well, now onto further business I have received a request from my court wizard Arnas Ekron. He wishes to meet with you, to discuss things of a magical nature... As such, I have prepared private rooms for you, but I believe we must prepare another room for your companion, yes?" The King explains trying to change the subject. 

Susanna turns her gaze to the king with a fearful expression. "I do not require a room; I would prefer to remain with Orpheus." She stated firmly, very concerned. Orpheus turns to her, confusion in his eyes, his eyebrows arch slightly and his head turns back to the onlookers. 

"So, you are lovers after all?" Lysia snidely remarks. 

"No, it's just a personal preference, is that okay with you Orpheus?" Susanna quickly chimes in, to avoid another misunderstanding. 

Orpheus turns back to face Susanna with a confused expression that eventually relaxes upon witnessing the fear in her eyes. "It's fine." He states simply, conceding to her desires.

The King nods in response and calls out to the door. "Excuse me, servant!" In response to his words, a man pulls the door open. He stands ready for a command from his king.  "Would you escort our guests to their rooms?" The King asks in the form of a question, but the clear intent of command was evident.

"Of course, your majesty." The servant bows deeply in response, directing them with his outstretched arm towards the exit. 

"My servant will take you to your room." The King states, gesturing to the exit. 

Orpheus and Susanna both stand from their chairs and walk towards the exit with Orpheus out front and Susanna trailing behind him. They vacate the room; the servant closes the door behind them. The trail of a faint conversation emanating from within slowly dissipates as the door closes. The servant turns his gaze to them, walking in front, ready to guide.