Bruno waited on the balcony, looking out at the bustling port below. The sun had climbed higher, casting a brilliant glow over the busy scene. The workers moved with purpose, resembling tiny ants as they loaded and unloaded goods from the ships. They all tried their best to stay away from the vicinity of the Exalonian ship, which attracted many of their gazes.
He was waiting for Viki, Javohir, and Raul to depart, which they did a bit hesitantly. Clearly unhappy with Vere’s demand. Mamadou remained with the tall man and the new, enigmatic stranger. This figure bore distinctive scars on his face, and his clothing, while similar to the locals', hinted at his origins from the distant land of Exalos. An inexperienced eye could easily miss it, but the fabric was simply too nice compared to what the pirates mostly used.
Bruno knew there were people from that part of the world among the pirates, but this particular individual's presence today was no coincidence; the tall man must have brought him for a specific reason.
When the sound of the door closing reached the young alchemist's ears, he returned inside.
"So this is the man sent by Smenkhkare?" he asked looking at the three – Vere, Mamadou, and the stranger.
"King Smenkhkare," Sa'di Najjar corrected, emphasizing the title.
It only served to widen the boy's smile. "Yes," he agreed, "he is a king."
The young alchemist’s casual attitude seemed to infuriate the former knight, whose face showed signs of brewing anger. Vere noticed the tension and quickly positioned himself between the two.
"You should be more respectful," he warned Bruno.
"Maybe, but if I were respectful, I wouldn't be able to assess this man's loyalty to his king. Now I know he is loyal. One could even say a bit too loyal," Bruno pointed out, before taking a seat on his bed. „I would say a noble, judging by how offended he is hearing minor signs of disrespect. A knight, judging by how his hand moved toward the knife by his belt.”
"I brought him here, isn't that proof good enough?" the tall man interjected, hiding the surprise of how keen the boy’s eyes were.
"You don't really trust me, so why should I trust you?" the young alchemist retorted shruging his shoulders. "You keep treating me like a kid, who knows a thing or two but still has milk under his nose. I know my way around both the peasants and the nobles."
Vere remained silent at those words but stepped aside, allowing Bruno and Sa'di Najjar to face each other once more. The air was thick with tension as they continued their silent standoff.
„Vere says you helped save the princess from death," the mysterious man started.
His demeanor had shifted; his voice now calm, and his expression more focused.
„No. She wouldn't die... So, technically, I didn't save her from death. Well... Actually, depending on how you define death, maybe I did... She was to marry the man who is behind all this, to secure his position and allow him to sit on the throne of Exalos. Well... Not exactly,” he sighed. „Maybe I should start from the beginning.”
„That would be best,” Vere agreed.
And so, Bruno began weaving the tale of young Mamun, his love for Queen Arabel, and their bitter parting. He spoke of Akhenaten and the atrocities he committed against his wife, as relayed by the archmage. Finally, he revealed the existence of the spell intended to transfer the mind into a different body, and the alchemical discoveries made by the old man, along with his own efforts to improve the treatment. He was patient, ignoring occasional outbursts of Sa'di Najjar, who kept repeating the same word: ”Lies!”
He narrated Mamun's probable plans to take over the kingdom, utilizing his secret army, body-swapping magic to seize Bruno’s own body for himself, as well as Hallel's for his love – Queen Arabel.
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Bruno's storytelling prowess was evident in Sa'di Najjar's reactions. The man's fists clenched so tightly that his knuckles turned white. His teeth ground against each other with such force that the muscles of his jaw became visible, there was also a single vein bulging on his forehead.
„Obviously, you might choose not to believe me, but I can prove it all. Hallel's mind is shattered, and amidst the fragments, Queen Arabel still exists. I believe I know how to make her appear,” Bruno concluded.
„There is no need,” Vere said.
„No. I need to see the proof so I can relay all of this to my king,” Sa'di Najjar argued.
„Very well. Let's visit the princess,” Bruno spoke, a smile appearing on his face.
There was no hesitation from all three men. Even Mamadou, who had been silent throughout, observed from the sidelines. They left the room immediately, with the boy following closely behind. Outside, Viki, Javohir, and Raul awaited them in the corridor.
The girl clearly wished to say something, but the view of the people who came out first prevented her from doing so. Bruno gestured to his friends to follow, but he didn't say a thing.
So, like that, the whole group headed to the higher floors, choosing a longer route dedicated to the servants and guards, to stay away from the eyes of those who weren't supposed to see them. Eventually, they arrived at the door to the princess's room.
Vere opened the door, but he allowed only Sa'di Najjar and Bruno inside. Even Mamadou had to wait outside. The tall man himself went in as the last one, closing and blocking the door with his massive frame so that nobody could burst in.
Hadiza already waited with a knife in her hand, protecting Hallel with her own body, but the familiar faces made her put the weapon down on the nearby table.
"It's you," said the princess, looking at Bruno.
"Yes. It's me," he agreed, then stepped slowly forward.
He kept a pace slow enough that wouldn't alarm anybody. Still, the handmaiden blocked him at some point.
"Forgive me, but I need to get closer to the princess," he said.
Hadiza looked at Vere, and the tall man confirmed with a nod. Only then did she make space for the young alchemist.
"What are you doing?" the princess asked.
He didn't answer, going around her and approaching her from behind. She was confused, and since he didn't give her any answer, she looked at the others in the room to receive one, but they all stayed silent.
Bruno then leaned forward, whispering something into her ear. The reaction was almost immediate. Anger twisted the face of the princess.
"You filthy peasant, how dare you!" she yelled, turning around to push the boy.
He anticipated that and took the attack head-on, stepping back a few paces afterward, then laughed out loud.
"How dare you!" she yelled once again, then turned her head to the side, glancing at her servants. "Do something, you idiots!"
It made Sa'di Najjar nervous, and he looked at Vere, who also had trouble keeping his composure. The worst reaction came from Hadiza, who slowly took a few steps towards the table, where the knife lay.
"Why would they do anything?" Bruno asked. "They are here to help me. The king said his word. You can't argue with His Majesty Akhenaten."
"He is only the king because he married me! You will hang if you dare to touch me!" Hallel continued her outrage. She pointed her finger at everybody, one by one. "I'll remember this, and I'll watch when you will be skinned for this!" she added.
This made Bruno laugh even harder. He ignored the furious princess and walked right by her toward the tall man who was blocking the door. On his way, he briefly looked at Sa'di Najjar.
"That's your proof," he said to him.
The man was completely pale. His eyes opened wide. He couldn't help but switch his focus between the boy and Hallel.
Meanwhile, Vere stepped to the side, allowing the young alchemist to leave. The rest, though, stayed in the room.
Outside, in the corridor, his friends were waiting for his return.
"Why?" asked Viki. "Why couldn't we go in? Why are you keeping secrets from us?"
She was clearly angry and didn't even pretend otherwise. Bruno passed by her, at first not saying anything. But then he spoke.
"Are you asking because it bothers you, or is it because you started blaming me for your brother's decision to return to Blackrock?" he asked in response. "I've noticed that you got very irritated since he left with Billy. If it's the first, then I can give you a good reason, but if it's the second, it's you who needs to get over this. Tom made his decision. If you couldn't stop him, then nobody else could."
She didn't answer at first, but after a couple of steps, she squeezed out, "It's the first... I'm bothered by this... By this girl."
The fact that she didn't use Hallel's title made Bruno smile. He quickly got rid of that display of emotions, though.
"I'm keeping a secret because this information is dangerous. It could cost you all your lives. I don't want you to pay that price if something goes wrong," he said.
This left an impression on Viki, as well as the others. She was simply stunned. Javohir smiled, while Raul slightly twisted his head to the side, showing his curiosity.
"What do you mean?" he asked shortly after.
"I can't answer that," said the young alchemist, not stopping his march toward the passage for servants and guards.
The rest followed him, accepting those words as an answer.