The familiar walls of Xu Castle greeted Kaewyn after he and the others completed their slow ascent up the hill. Edderfield banners hung from either side of the gatehouse as well as from the tall towers from which Oakerton and the surrounding land could be easily surveyed. He smiled to himself when he heard the excited voices of the men up on the walls. The Greystone army had been on campaign for a long time and he suspected there was much he would need to be caught up on, but for now he simply wished to enjoy being back home.
The gates were quickly opened as Kaewyn, Yohren, Rahim, Marcus and Lady Eliya Elentide, as well as a few personal guards, tiredly approached the gatehouse upon their horses. General Alaric, Arlan and Sir Darius had led what remained of their disbanded army into Oakerton to celebrate with the locals. They had implored Kaewyn to join them, to enjoy the heroes welcome they all anticipated from a grateful populace, but he was quite tired and not in the mood for parties and nightlong celebrations. Instead, he and others who shared his sentiment headed for Xu Castle.
Eliya had given orders for her small force to return to their longships and make camp on the banks of the Rau River to await her return in the next few days. Renlai and the Ralerai had made camp where they and the Edheren warriors had nearly come to blows. Kaewyn figured that it was best for their introduction to the populace of Greystone to be slow, a process that he wanted to take care of and personally involve himself. The last thing he wanted was for a misunderstanding to take place on the first night back home that could sour the relationship between his own people and the Ralerai.
Kaewyn and his small party passed through the gates and were immediately met with several cheers from those on the walls and in the courtyard. He waved to them and smiled, wondering just how big of a reception Oakerton was putting on for the rest of his returning companions and soldiers. He led the group to the stables on the far side of the courtyard and dismounted, handing the reins to a stableboy he recognised. He whispered for him to take particular care of Kelphi and told him that the horse was special. The stableboy nodded and promised to do as he asked. Before Kaewyn had walked ten steps, he snuck a glance back to see the stableboy feeding Kelphi an apple. Satisfied, he and the others began to make their way across the courtyard toward the fifteen grey marble steps that led to the Great Hall of the castle.
“So, this is Xu Castle?” Said Eliya with a smirk. “My father often told me that he dreamed of storming this place and putting every Edderfield to the sword.”
“A dream, I take it, that you do not share now that we are allies?” Marcus quipped.
“Hah, my father was consumed with rivalries and petty revenge. He spent all of his time obsessing about them.” She said, shaking her head. “I plan to be more productive with my rule.”
“You did not answer the question, my lady.”
“No, I did not.” Eliya chuckled and then turned to Kaewyn. “I do like your castle, though it is not quite what I had expected.”
“And what did you expect?” Kaewyn asked.
“I do not know. Something more formidable.” She paused and smiled, eyeing him as she spoke. “Something… bigger.”
“In my experience, the size of your castle matters less than one commanding it,” Rahim said with a sly smile. “Wouldn’t you agree?”
Kaewyn saw Eliya roll her eyes and then smile briefly before she shook her head. “If it were anyone else other than you saying so Rahim, I might have argued.”
As they reached the base of the fifteen marble steps that led up into the great hall, a voice rang out from the top of the steps. Kaewyn recognised the voice as belonging to Seneschal Talbury. The Seneschal hurriedly made his way down each step as he continued to call out Kaewyn’s name over and over. When he finally reached the bottom of the steps, Kaewyn found himself face to face with the man whom he had left in charge.
“My lord Kaewyn! It brings me great pleasure to see you return unharmed.”
Kaewyn chuckled and rubbed at the wound on his leg that still caused him a moderate amount of discomfort. “I return, though I would not say I am completely unharmed, Seneschal Talbury.”
The Seneschal began to fuss over him and ask about his wound. He even offered to send for a local healer, but Kaewyn waved him off. Instead, he asked Talbury why none of the messages he’d sent home during the campaign had been replied to. The Seneschal looked at him awkwardly and shrugged his shoulders apologetically. He then went on to explain that he had sent numerous messengers himself, but not a one returned to Xu Castle. Kaewyn frowned and rubbed at his forehead. It was not so great a distance from here to Vinum or Oscua provinces, so to him, it did not seem normal that so many messengers would not reach their intended destinations. With a sigh, he decided to let the matter rest for now. It was something he intended to investigate and improve on before the next campaign. By Ohnix, I pray that we have some time to recover before the need to ride out on campaign comes again.
“Before you go, my lord, much has happened here in your absence.” Seneschal Talbury said worriedly. “Much that requires the attention of the Lord of Greystone rather than the mere Seneschal.”
“You do not give yourself enough credit, Talbury, I am sure you did a fine job as Seneschal during the prolonged campaign,” Kaewyn said. “But for now, I would prefer to rest and to speak with Rahim. We have only just returned so surely such matters can wait until tomorrow?”
Talbury then gave him a look that reminded Kaewyn of the days when both Talbury and the Late General Alaric would eye him disapprovingly whenever he made excuses to get out of doing his duty or avoiding responsibility. He wasn’t like that anymore, he told himself. And he certainly didn’t like the look he was getting.
“My lord,” Marcus interjected. “Perhaps the Seneschal can fill me in on these urgent matters while you get some much-needed rest and speak with your brother. I am sure I can deal with most of the matters myself, but, rest assured, if there is anything both the Seneschal and I believe you need to be informed of, then we will do so before making any decision.”
“That sounds… wonderful,” Kaewyn said tiredly.
“How about we hold court tomorrow, say around midday?” Marcus suggested. “We can then bring the most urgent matters to you and the rest of the court. General Alaric and Arlan will be there this way too.”
“Very well, I leave it in your capable hands for now Marcus.” Kaewyn then turned back to the Seneschal. “On your way, could you perhaps lead Lady Elentide to the guest chambers?”
“Putting me to bed already Kaewyn?” Eliya chuckled and then nudged Rahim with her elbow. “Not as quickly as you did perhaps, but still.”
Rahim’s eyes widened and he hushed her as quietly as he could manage, but everyone present had heard Eliya’s words as clearly as the sun was shining. Rahim smiled awkwardly and there was an uncomfortable pause before Marcus finally broke the silence.
“If you would follow the Seneschal and I, Lady Eliya…”
“Yes, please allow us to show you to your chambers which will be yours for the duration of your stay with us.” Seneschal Talbury added with a nervous smile.
“Very well.” Eliya said with a bored expression. “I was having a bit of fun but I suppose the brothers want to speak alone. Do not make me wait, Rahim. I want a tour of the whole castle before nightfall.”
Rahim nodded his head and promised to find her soon, then he gestured for Kaewyn to follow him as he started up the steps. Kaewyn moved to follow, but paused when he noticed Yohren still shadowed his every step. He told his retainer and friend that he was free to do as he pleased, and suggested that he head down to Oakerton for the celebrations, but Yohren seemed entirely reluctant at the idea.
“I… I don’t like the idea of leaving you alone again.” Yohren said hesitantly. “The last time I did—”
“I was nearly killed… I understand your concern, but we’re no longer on campaign, Yohren.”
“I know that, but as your retainer and as your friend, I feel it’s my job to keep you safe. I don’t ever want to neglect that ever again.”
“Well, we are home now. And Xu Castle is the safest place we could ever hope to be.” He explained. “Besides, Rahim will be with me. Your loyalty is commendable, but truly, you fret for nothing. I will be fine.”
Yohren sighed and nodded his head. It was obvious that he didn’t like it, but neither did he want to argue the matter further. Kaewyn then left him and climbed the fifteen steps up to the entrance of the great hall and looked back down to see Yohren hadn’t moved. Kaewyn then sighed and felt a pang of guilt.
“Oh, come on then Yohren!” He called out.
His retainer looked up to him from the courtyard with a confused expression and did not move. It was only when Kaewyn gestured for him to follow that Yohren finally came after him. Now together, Yohren quietly thanked him as the pair followed after Rahim into the castle proper.
Rahim led them through the great hall and past the kitchens and into the hallways of the castle. Several servants bowed their heads as they walked by, their hands and arms burdened with sheets and fabrics of wool and silk. Others carried buckets of murky water that he guessed had been used for cleaning, though how much cleaning had been necessary with most of the castle being empty for so long, he did not know. Eventually, Rahim led them to the private section of the castle that only the Edderfield family and trusted servants were permitted to enter, and paused outside of the Lord’s chambers. Rahim placed his hand on the door and took a deep breath, before continuing on down the hallway to the solar, a comfortable room where the family could rest and speak privately.
Rahim held open the door as Kaewyn and Yohren entered and closed it behind them. Kaewyn smiled as he saw the old oaken table and familiar fireplace. The solar had been seldom used since his father’s passing and he could almost imagine seeing him warming his hands by the fire during the cold winter months while his mother fussed over him and their children, making sure they were properly clothed and warm. A memory of a particularly cold winter came to mind then. He recalled that he cannot have been older than ten. He and Rahim had been at odds over some trivial matter and refused to speak to one another, and their sister, Alyssa, who was older, was in a similar situation with their parents over being not allowed to go riding alone. Their mother had forced the entire family into the solar and had the servants lock the door, much to the chagrin of everybody else, including Lord Corrhen. Doing so had made her the target of the entire family’s ire, but still, she refused to unlock the door until they promised to act like a family again. Kaewyn remembered how angry he was with his mother for trapping him with Rahim, but eventually, he realised that his mother’s actions had united them against her. The family stopped bickering and instead beseeched her to release them, which she did only when they all agreed to treat each other with respect. Soon enough, they had all come to the realisation that her scheme had worked. Their grievances had been temporarily forgotten, and once the servants had brought in fresh food and drink at their mother’s request, none of them felt particularly keen to leave once the door was unlocked. It was one of the last times they were all together and happy before his sister’s death.
Suddenly, the castle felt empty and lifeless. It no longer felt like a place where a family would live. The hallways and chambers were quiet, no sounds of laughter or argument could be heard anywhere where it had once been so frequent. He missed his father and sister terribly. Knowing that he would never see them again caused a pain worse than any cut could ever cause to burn inside of him.
Rahim walked around to the far side of the oak table and rest his hands on the wood, his fingers sliding along the edge as a ponderous look came to his face. Kaewyn guessed that he too, was reliving memories of the past.
“I wanted for us to be alone for this, but this man is your retainer, is he not?” Rahim said plainly. “Your first and only?”
Kaewyn nodded. “He is also my dearest friend. I trust him with my life. He is like a brother to me.”
Rahim chuckled and sighed. “Like a brother? And do you trust me Kaewyn, like a brother?”
“You are my brother, Rahim. Of course, I trust you.”
“That is kind of you to say, but we both know that I am not truly your brother,” Rahim said wistfully. “But my heart still burns with the desire to avenge your father, the man who raised me as his son.”
“As does mine.” He said.
“Does it?” Rahim said quickly. “You have marched the army in every direction but north. First to Oscua and then Vinum. All the while our true enemy, the man who orchestrated the death of our father grows stronger every day. If not for Eliya, we wouldn’t even suspect he was responsible!”
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“Lord Valehran…” Kaewyn said as though he had a foul taste in his mouth.
“Yes, Lord Valehran.” Rahim seethed. “I wanted nothing more than to ride north and battle that monster, but you were right Kaewyn. We couldn’t just rush off recklessly and hope to succeed. When you left me at the fjord, I swore I wouldn’t act without your blessing. Still, I started to recruit and build a force in the hopes that the time would come soon when we could march into the Heartlands together to avenge father, but you were dragged into conflict after conflict and it seemed you would never come north.”
“I did not plan to remain in the south for so long Rahim, and I couldn’t just ignore the barbarian invasion.”
“Oh, I agree.” Rahim said. “I’m no fool, ignoring the events in the south would have been catastrophic, but you’ve managed to resolve those events to our advantage now. Not only does the Severus boy owe you his allegiance, but somehow, you’ve managed to win an army of barbarians to our side. In fact, we almost control the entirety of the southwest of the empire.”
“I’m not sure that is entirely true, Rahim.”
“What do you mean Kaewyn? Greystone and Oscua are under our direct control, and Vinum belongs to your best friend in Rhys. Lord Sudrow of Karikhan to our northwest is a coward, so we should have little trouble in getting him to do as we please. And I have already spoken with Eliya and she agrees with me completely.” Rahim said excitedly as he walked around the table and took a hold of Kaewyn’s shoulders with both hands. “With all of these lands under our influence, we can finally raise a mighty force and attack Lord Valehran!”
“As much as I want to agree with you, I am not confident that we can act so swiftly.” He explained. “Rhys and I no longer see eye to eye and I do not think I can call him my friend any longer. And Vinum Province has been ravaged twice, first by the late Lord Severus and then by barbarians.”
“But you and Rhys were the very best of friends in our youth,” Rahim said. “Surely whatever has come between you will pass.”
“Well, ever since the invasion he has been different,” Kaewyn said. “Though, I must admit how Camilla and I acted has not exactly helped things.”
“Camilla?” Rahim said quizzically. “Oh, Kaewyn. Don’t tell me you and her…”
Kaewyn sighed, then reluctantly nodded his head.
Rahim began to laugh, but owing to the gravity of the situation, he managed to rein himself in and control himself. “You know, there were whispers that Camilla and I were to be engaged a couple of years back. I always thought that it would be odd between us, but one thing I did know was that she always had eyes for you, brother. Even then.”
“Rhys does not approve.” Was all he could say in response. “Anyway, Tavian Severus has only just claimed the lordship of Oscua and his rule hold on the province is fragile, not to mention his forces are weakened by constant conflict, so the suggestion of him being able to help us in any significant way is… doubtful.”
“But what about—”
“That is not all.” Kaewyn continued. “Lord Sudrow may be a coward, but he owes us nothing. He would not even act when Lord Severus was coming for us, and Lord Valehran is far more terrifying than Severus was. As for our own forces, well, you saw them. They may be experienced and well-equipped, but they are exhausted from the constant fighting in the south. They will need rest and we will need time to recruit more men.”
“Okay, but—"
“The army of barbarians you say I won over are not exactly an army, nor have I won them over. They are called the Ralerai, and the majority of them are not interested in war and simply want a place to live in peace. Renlai says he will work with us to protect his people, but I am not certain if that extends to an aggressive military campaign. And I have no doubt tomorrow that Marcus and Seneschal Talbury will inform us of half a hundred issues that will need to be dealt with before we can even think of starting yet another campaign.”
“By Ohnix, what a headache,” Rahim said in amazement. “Is that what you have been dealing with all of this time? Is that what being a lord is all about?”
“I am afraid so.”
“Well, I cannot say that I envy your position. I am a warrior and military man, Kaewyn. The world is simpler in my eyes. I see the enemy and wish to fight them, but as lord, you are burdened, as father was, to consider and see the bigger picture.” Rahim admitted, though Kaewyn could see clearly the pain in his voice. “I want so badly to avenge father that I sometimes become reckless. If you believe we are not ready, then I trust you. Father chose you for a reason and I have to trust in that decision as well.”
“Thank you, Rahim.” He said. “But please, do not think that my caution means I desire to avenge father any less than you do. When we are ready, truly ready, we will set out to avenge father, together.”
“That brings me joy, brother, but there is something else I need to tell you.” Rahim said. “I sent my most trusted retainer into the Heartlands some time ago to spy on Lord Valehran and hopefully learn of when he plans to attack us next. My retainer has been sending me frequent reports, mostly irrelevant matters like which lord is currently currying favour with him or when he is expected to make his next speech to the people, but the latest report is more significant. Much more significant.”
“I do not like the look you are giving me Rahim.” Kaewyn said. “What is it? What did this report say?”
Rahim sighed and shook his head. “We already know that Lord Valehran has conquered the entirety of the Heartlands, but his dominion has yet to stretch to the rest of the Empire. The lords of Silvershore Province to the northwest pay him lip service, but I doubt they truly serve his will.”
“And what else?”
“My retainer tells me… that Lord Valehran launched his next military campaign about a month ago.”
“Lady Eliya would not have left Edheren Province to come to our aid if Lord Valehran was coming, so where is he going?”
“His campaign marched south from the capital of Atahlan, and it appears his plan is to conquer the southeast.”
“But that would mean Erorah is in danger!” Kaewyn said frantically. “What about mother? She was staying with her family there. The Duwells, Lord Rhudan?”
Rahim shook his head. “I’m sorry Kaewyn, but according to my retainer, Erorah has already fallen under Valehran’s control. There’s been no word of them. But fret not, I’ve already sent word to my retainer to find out all he can about mother and the Duwells, but it may take some time to hear back.”
Kaewyn felt his heart beating in his chest. All this time he had been focused on Greystone, on Oscua, and on the barbarian invasion. The goings on in the north and the capital seemed so distant to him, both out of reach and influence. But now he feared for his mother.
“Listen, Kaewyn. Everything up until now has been a distraction. Lord Valehran is our true enemy and he moves to strengthen himself by bringing more land and men under his control. I’m no lord.” Rahim said as he shook his head. “But I am a warrior. Eliya and I have already agreed that we must do whatever we can to weaken him if we are to stand a chance when his greedy eyes inevitably turn to our lands. When we return to Edheren Province, we intend to raid the Heartlands along the Rau River and cause as much mischief as we can. Perhaps we can even hinder his campaign in the southeast if we hit his supply lines hard enough.”
“You plan to go back to Edheren, with Eliya? I thought you would stay here and help me rule Greystone.”
Rahim bit his lip. “I cannot stay in Xu Castle, Kaewyn. In Edheren, I feel closer to the revenge I crave. And I cannot be here and be content until I have avenged father. You understand, don’t you? Besides, you have built up an experienced army and won talented people to your cause. This Marcus, Arlan, those… Ralerai. Even Yohren here. I feel that if I stayed and joined your court, I would only become between them and you. No brother, I think I will leave rule to you, as father intended. Do what needs to be done to make our lands strong and united and I will do what I do best, causing headaches. Though for our enemies, this time.”
“I just hoped to have you by my side. For a little while, at least.” Kaewyn said.
“I will always be on your side, even if I’m not by it, brother,” Rahim said warmly. “Even if you and your advisors decide now is not the time to act against Lord Valehran… as much as it pains me to delay, I will still stand by your decision. As long as you agree that he is our ultimate enemy. There can be no peace between us and him, ever.”
“No peace,” Kaewyn confirmed. “None whatsoever, but take heart Rahim. I will bring what you have said to Marcus and the others and hopefully we can come up with a long-term plan for how to deal with Lord Valehran. Marcus may be prickly, but he has a mind for these things. With his help, we can work towards taking him down.”
“Good.”
“But…” Kaewyn continued. “It will take time.”
“Then I will go with Eliya back to Edheren and do what I can to hinder our enemy while we wait for you. Perhaps even raid the capital… or harass his supply lines. Eh, Eliya will have a better idea for it. The Elentide are good at that sort of thing.”
“There is nothing I can say to convince you otherwise?”
Rahim shook his head. “I am afraid not.”
“Then go with my blessing.”
Rahim hugged him and patted him on the back. “I am proud of you, Kaewyn. What you have done since father passed, even before that… let me just say that I do not think that I could have done better. Father was right when he chose you as his heir.”
“Thank you, Rahim.”
The two brothers embraced as Kaewyn did his best to hide the tears beginning to form in his eyes and when they parted, Rahim quickly returned to his usual self.
“I had better go find Eliya before she comes looking for me.” Rahim said with a smirk. “She can be quite demanding, especially if she does not get her way.”
“After the siege of Taneby, when I received word of you crossing the fjord with an army… I thought you had broken our alliance with the Elentide, betrayed my trust, and started another war.” He explained with a laugh. “Little did I expect that you were simply helping our allies in their time of need. And now it seems you two are… close?”
“She wasn’t exactly subtle with her comments, was she?” Rahim laughed. “But that is what I like about her. She isn’t your typical noblewoman. Eliya gets what she wants when she wants it. And it just so happens, for now at least, that I am what she wants.”
“Well, I am happy for you. I think.” Kaewyn said with a chuckle. “To be honest, I find her to be rather scary.”
“Oh, Eliya is not always like that…” Rahim said in thought. “Eh, actually, she is. Thankfully she hates Lord Valehran almost as much as we do. Anyway…”
There came a sudden and urgent knock on the door. Yohren stiffened and placed his hand on the hilt of his sword and looked to Kaewyn for instruction, but when Marcus’ voice came through, he relaxed a little.
“Kaewyn? My lord?”
Kaewyn signalled for Yohren to let him in. The door creaked open to a panicked Marcus who moved quickly and rushed inside.
“I know you wanted to wait until tomorrow to begin dealing with matters of state, but a messenger arrived from the capital.”
Marcus held out a piece of parchment bearing all the signs of an official edict from the emperor himself. The edges of the paper were lined with black and gold. Red tassels hung from a rope-like string that dangled loosely from the document. Normally such edicts or proclamations would be read from an official messenger of the emperor, but Kaewyn suspected Marcus took it from he who delivered it and brought it here himself.
“An imperial edict written and signed by the emperor himself,” Marcus said slowly. “It is addressed to you, my lord.”
Kaewyn narrowed his eyes. “What does it say?”
“It says that all loyal lords of the Revaryn Empire have since renewed their oaths of fealty by answering the emperor’s summons and coming to the capital.” Marcus said slowly. “And that all those who did not are now labelled as traitors to the Empire.”
“Emperor’s summons? I do not remember being summoned to Atahlan.” Kaewyn protested.
Marcus then produced another document, as official as the first and handed it to him. He briskly read through all the technical stuff announcing who wrote what and in what capacity and quickly found the content of the parchment. He sighed in frustration when he read that he and all of the other lords of the Empire had been summoned to the capital at the emperor’s request.
“How could I have gone to the capital or responded to this edict when I was not even aware of its existence?” He said angrily. “I suppose Seneschal Talbury tried to warn us of this edict but word never reached us?”
Marcus nodded. “It arrived shortly after we left Taneby to repel the barbarian invasion of Vinum, but it makes no matter, my lord. I imagine the summons was Lord Valehran’s plot to lure the lords of the Empire to where he could get his hands on them. Those he doesn’t trust, at the least. I would have advised against handing yourself over to Lord Valehran and his cronies by attending some farcical event.”
“Eliya… Lady Elentide.” Rahim corrected. “She received this summons as well.”
“What did she do?”
“Tore it up and laughed in the messenger’s face.” Rahim said with a smile. “You forget Lord Valehran has already invaded Edheren once. He killed Eliya’s father and brothers in battle but was then forced to withdraw due to some issue in the Heartlands. She saw right through Valehran’s attempt.”
“It was rather obvious.” Marcus said snidely. “Who would be foolish enough to actually go to Atahlan and expect to not be imprisoned or killed?”
Rahim rolled his eyes. “So, Lord Valehran is using his control of the emperor to label those who did not fall for his rather obvious scheme as traitors? We cannot be the only ones to defy him.”
“We do not know who else has been named, but it is safe to say that the lords of Greystone, Vinum and Edheren are now considered to be traitors,” Marcus explained. “Lord Tavian of Oscua is likely as well as he has sworn to you, my lord.”
“What do we do about this?” He asked.
“Nothing. It is a perk of controlling the head of state of the empire. In reality, it changes little. Though trade and travel will now suffer between us and those who wish to remain neutral in our fight against Lord Valehran. They will have to cut us off in order to not be seen as supporting us, but I have a way to fight that, at least temporarily.”
“How do you fight an imperial edict?” Yohren finally spoke up.
“With facts and logic.” Marcus smiled. “I will write a letter on your behalf, my lord, stating that it is unjust for Greystone and Vinum to be named traitors of the realm when in fact, the armies and lords of both provinces have been fighting against a barbarian invasion that threatened the whole of the empire. Lord Valehran will ignore it, but I will circulate this letter publicly to the entirety of the land. Every castle, city, town and village will hear of our battle in Vinum. Furthermore, we can send Prince Odabek in chains to the capital at the same time and make a spectacle of him to the common folk, as added proof that we have been fighting for the empire and not against it. Word will spread quickly and it will give pause to those who wish to remain neutral and may buy us some more time. It may even win us support amongst the populace.”
“I do not like the idea of parading the prince like an animal, but I see little choice. See it done, Marcus.” Kaewyn said reluctantly. “Is there anything else?”
“Nothing that cannot wait until tomorrow,” Marcus said with a polite bow of the head.
“Thank you, Marcus.” He said. “Leave us for now.”
Marcus nodded and took his leave. Rahim also made his way to the door of the solar but lingered in the doorway a moment longer before departing.
“By Ohnix, Lord Valehran and his tricks only make me want to strangle him all the more. Using the emperor as some puppet and pretending to speak on his behalf? Father saw him for what he truly was the moment he took the Great Traitor’s place.” He said as he balled his hands into fists. “I’m going to go and find Eliya and tell her about all of this. Talking with her calms me down.”
With that, Rahim left the solar. Yohren walked over to the door and gently closed it, then made his way over to where Kaewyn sat at the great oaken table and placed a supportive hand on his shoulder.
“You didn’t tell him.”
“About what?”
“The attempt on your life.”
Kaewyn chuckled. “He does not need more reason to become upset. He would probably blame Lord Valehran for it.”
“He could be right in that Kaewyn. We still do not know who the assassin worked for.”
“Some would say Rhys, since the assassin turned out to be one of his recruits.”
“You know that isn’t very likely. Besides, the assassin tried to kill Lady Camilla too.”
Kaewyn sighed. “…I wish she were here, Yohren.”
“…I know.”
For a moment, Kaewyn simply sat limply in the chair and fingered the Token of Ohnix around his neck. There was much to do and even more to think on, but for tonight at least, he would rest.
“Have the servants fill my tub with hot water.” He finally said. “I wish to bathe.”
And to be alone for a time.