Nik decided to see if Helastus knew anything about Ophelion's hints. The two sisters had always been close, so Ophelion might have shared whatever this secret was with her. Helastus was in her chambers, in the seating area she shared with Pelagius; Pelagius was taking care of some official business somewhere. Nik didn't ask for details because they always bored him to tears. After a servant announced him and Hel welcomed him herself, he sat and made small talk with her for a while. She was becoming a very pretty young woman.

"What is this?" He asked, laughing as he looked as the incomprehensible jumble of numbers on the scroll in front of her.

"Mathematics,” she said. “It's from Monar. It's interesting, it has to do with shapes. This part is about how to work out the area of a circle."

"Wow. That does sound interesting," Nik said.

"I know you don't think so. So why is it?" Helastus had never gotten into that playful sibling bickering like the others had.

"Do I need a reason to visit my favorite sister?"

Helastus gave him a skeptical look.

"You're definitely in the top five." he joked, but she didn't respond, so he awkwardly moved on. "I wanted to talk to you about Ophelion."

"I'm not surprised." Helastus moved the weights off the scroll and started to carefully roll it up.

Nik rubbed his neck under the high collar of his robe, embarrassed. "I had a strange conversation with her earlier."

"About what?" Helastus started to put her wax writing tablet away. Nik picked up her gilt stylus idly and held it up to look at the engraved design in the sunlight: a golden snake, coiled around the length of the stylus. It smelled of flowers, he thought.

"She wanted to know who I thought should be the Doukar. She also said she knew something that would hurt Cordelian. She said she would tell me about 'her' later."

Helastus had been reaching for her stylus, but stopped and said nothing for a moment, looking down at the table, thinking it over for him. "Is that all she said?"

"Yes. Who do you think was this woman Ophelion was talking about?"

Helastus looked up at him with a thoughtful expression. "I don't know, she hasn't talked to me about it. Probably Meronion. It was strange that Meronion agreed to take her north. It would be have been like Meronion to keep evidence outside the capital, away from Cordelian. She might have given it to Ophie when they were alone out there."

"That makes sense. I did think it had to do with Meronion." Nik tapped the stylus against the table. "You're so smart Hel."

He would need to talk to Ophelion soon about this, but first he needed to figure out how to cancel her marriage. It seemed clear she only planned to tell him what she knew after he had thought of some way out for her.

"Nik, I'm not trying to be rude when I say this," Helastus said, drawing his attention back to her. "But please don't involve me in your schemes. All I want is to live in peace with my brother and read my books and tend to my garden and cat."

"Yes, I'm sorry Hel." He was being thoughtless, Hel was still a child, and he shouldn't put her in danger. The whole reason he was fighting Cordelian was to make sure children like her could live in peace. Besides, Hel was a gentle, if awkward, soul who wasn't cut out for scheming and lying.

Helastus stood, having finished fastidiously putting everything away. "I'll go talk to Ophelion for you."

"You don't have to do that."

"It's fine. I'll see if she will tell me anything." Helastus seemed determined, so he didn't argue any more.

"I would appreciate anything you can find out. In the future, I promise I'll leave you out of it."

She nodded. "You should visit her after I'm done. I'll send word."

He agreed, of course. He always welcomed a chance to visit Ophie.

Nik followed Helastus out and saw her off towards Ophelion's chambers. He was halfway back to his own chambers before he realized he was still holding her stylus. He popped it into his pocket; he’d give it back the next time he saw her. Helastus was becoming a beautiful young woman, and clever too. One day she might be another powerful ally.

His good mood soured when he saw who was coming down the corridor from the other direction: Cordelian, striding down the hallway with a smug look on his face. This was the first time they'd come face to face since their disastrous confrontation in the court. Nik hadn't trusted himself to see his older brother's face again, so had made excuses to avoid the last few formal events he should have attended, also following Pel's advice. Cordelian looked over at him with a sneer as they approached each other. Nik knew he should be the bigger man and past by him without incident, but just couldn't. He deliberately rammed his shoulder against the man as they passed, causing Cordelian to stagger back a step, and Nik stopped to glare at him. One of the Eukrates's strigulos jumped forward as if to put his hands on Nik, but one of Nik's own guards stepped forward to block the man.

"Is this what you've been reduced to, little brother, childish bullying?" Cordelian asked. “What would young Helastus think?”

"Better than murder."

Cordelian's sneer just grew. "A barking dog should bite or fall silent," he said, probably quoting somebody or other.

"I'll bite sooner or later."

"There's nothing for you to bite onto. You should give up this sad little grudge against me."

"It's not a grudge, it's the fury of the righteous." Nik stood straighter as Cordelian approached him to leer down at him. "One day soon, you'll see what all your crimes have wrought."

Cordelian clapped a hand down onto his shoulder, causing Nik to push it away. "Why did you even begin to hate me, Nikolonium? This started far before our father's death, didn't it?"

"I hated you because I always knew what you were."

"Hmph. I think you're jealous of me."

"What could I possibly be jealous of?" Nik scoffed.

"I've always been more popular than you at court. I'm more charming, more handsome, more intelligent, more loved. Even father respected me, while he never paid any attention to you."

"More modest too," Nik retorted.

Cordelian continued, in a deceptively light tone. "Everything came so easily to me, but so hard to you. You never impressed our father with your performance at the tasks he gave you. I had success after success, and gained more and more responsibility, while you languished behind with nothing, as nothing. I think that's why you hate me.”

Nik told Cordelian exactly what he thought about that, but Cordelian continued without even pausing.

“I think that's why you became so enamored with the church and your idea of "virtue". It was to differentiate yourself from me. You knew you could never compete with me at court, so you removed yourself from the competition. Better to pretend to be above it all than to admit your loss. You remember what our father used to say about those who obsessed over afterlife, don't you?"

Nik huffed angrily, not giving Cordelian the satisfaction of a reply.

"They were weaklings who lost in this life, he'd say." Cordelian chuckled. "I wonder how long you'll continue to be close to Pelagius. He's already outstripped you, so I'm sure your jealousy will start to bark at him soon."

"I've seen Fornulus." Nik tried a new angle. Cordelian's sneer slipped.

"What did His Exaltedness want with you?"

So, he hadn't heard. "Don't you know? I thought you knew everything."

Cordelian's face finally soured, to Nik's great satisfaction.

"He looks like death." Nik continued. "Are you proud of yourself?"

"I am not blame for the Doukar's drinking. I am merely his servant."

"Who do you have, Cordelian? Who loves you?"

Cordelian raised a questioning eyebrow.

"I have people who love me," Nik said, "siblings who care for me, a mother who loves me. You have only allies. People who want something from you. You're all alone. Your crimes even cost you Agathio."

Cordelian grew angry in a way he hadn't been even during their earlier fight. "Don't you dare say his name! You don't know anything about him. He was a noble man, better than I, and certainly better than you. He, like his father before him, were the best of the imperial type."

Nik felt ambivalent about exploiting this weakness, the one human part of Cordelian. But he reminded himself of all the young men and women who would die if Cordelian had his way with the empire. All the noumens whose lives would be spent like water for the benefit of his rich friends. He drove the knife in further.

"You pushed Vicca, made her desperate. She just wanted to defend herself. It was your fault Agathio died, and you know it."

Cordelian grabbed Nik by the collar, and Nik backhanded the older man across the face. Cordelian was not used to fighting and went down to his knees from the force of the blow. Nik had never actually hit him before. Nik raised a fist to hit him again, beyond restrain now, trembling in anger, but the guards intervened before the fight could go any further.

"Let go of me," Nik hissed at them, but they didn't listen.

Cordelian slowly stood up, putting his hand to his mouth and looking at the bloodstain on his gloves with a frown. "One day soon, Nikolonium, you'll find out what it is to lose someone important to you, somebody you thought would be with you until the end. Then you'll understand how foolish you are, and how completely you have lost to me."

"Don't you threaten me, you bastard. You do anything to anyone I care about, and I'll kill you!"

Cordelian turned to look at him, still held between two of the strigulos.

"It's not a threat, just a prediction. You're blind, as you'll soon discover."

----------------------------------------

The fight with Cordelian put him in a foul mood, so later that day Nik was happy to receive an invitation to Ophelion's chambers scratched onto a sherd from Helastus. It was just what he needed. He decided to take Ophelion riding. Couples riding alone by the river at sunset was a popular romantic theme in poems, and Ophelion always enjoyed riding. Once in his riding leathers he made his way over to her chambers and was announced in short order.

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Both of his younger sisters were there and greeted him cheerfully. They had been having tea together, the empty cups still in front of them. The sight made him think of Meronion. Many of her possessions were still in the chamber, a reminder of what they had lost. He'd heard Meronion's daughters now lived with the former Empress Rigiaron, their grandmother. Ophelion would be leaving the capital at some point, so she couldn't act as their mother. Helastus had taken in the cat.

"Hello my love,” he smiled at Ophelion. “Say, would you like to go riding? We can go out to the river. It’s lovely at this time of day." Perhaps they’d even share a kiss or two... He hoped Helastus would get the hint and not invite herself.

Helastus's message had said he should try to charm Ophelion to get her to tell him what he wanted to know. He had decided that even if she wouldn't tell him anything, he would at least deepen their relationship. He wanted to make some special memories with her, and maybe then they could provide a reason to Fornulus as to why she shouldn't be sold off to some Circiniad heathen.

"I don't know..." She hesitated, and then coughed. "I'm not feeling well. I'm queasy. Let's stay in today."

He sympathetically asked her what was wrong, trying not to let it hurt his feelings.

"You should go Ophie," Hel said, helping him out, the darling girl. "Some fresh air will help you feel better."

Ophelion gave Helastus a strange look, which Nik couldn't decipher. "Well, I suppose, if it's the three of us. You'll be coming too, right Hel?"

Nik didn't want his baby sister dragged along for this ride and was about to push again when he realized what the problem must be: the thought of being alone with him in such a romantic setting embarrassed her. Most likely she didn't want him to see her sick and not at her best. Silly girl, she could never look less than totally appealing.

"I don't think that's such a good idea. You two should go together," Helastus said.

"Nonsense, it will be more fun with you coming along too," Ophie seemed annoyed at Helastus, which surprised him.

"It's fine with just the two of us Ophie. If Hel doesn't want to go, she doesn't have to." Nik moved over to her and gently took her by the elbow, trying to herd her away.

"Hel, you're coming too. It's your idea after all, " Ophie said between coughs.

Helastus bowed her head. "I understand. Perhaps…I should be there." Nik had the feeling he was missing something about this conversation.

Ophie beamed at her. "Thanks Hel. Nik, please wait for us here while we get changed." She left the room, coughing as she did.

"Sorry, I tried," Hel said, before following Ophie out.

Ah well, he could probably get rid of Helastus somewhere along the way with some excuse, maybe once Ophelion had relaxed. He was sure she'd like to make special memories with him too, but was too modest to be upfront. He admired that about her.

A while later they were outside riding together, just downriver from the city, in land reserved for royal use. It was a beautiful afternoon, warm with a gentle breeze, and he enjoyed leaving the sounds, and especially the smells, of the city behind for a while. The crickets were loud in the tall grass around them, and scattered fig trees here and there provided spots of shade as they passed under them. They rode slowly, chatting and watching the lazy flow of the river Rubo. Nik was on his favorite chestnut stallion, a present from Ophelion some years ago. They rode towards a shady grove with cool ponds and enjoyable riding trails. They'd all spent much of their childhoods playing there, and the horses knew the way so well they headed towards it immediately.

The three of them were engaged in a strange dance, as Helastus repeatedly tried to slow down and hang back from the two of them, and Ophie would in turn bring the younger girl up to join the two of them. Nik attempted to convince Ophie to leave her be, but she was strangely insistent. A girl's heart was a mysterious thing. He'd always liked seeing his sister in riding clothes, as it was such a change from the usual robes. The leathers were more formfitting to allow freer movement, and Ophie's long, dark hair was tied back behind her.

"Helastus, I just remembered," he said, "I took your stylus back when we were talking." He showed it to her. He'd transferred it to his riding clothes meaning to give it back to her in the palace but had forgotten.

"I wondered where it went. Give it back to me when we get back, I don't have pockets in these clothes," she said. Nik nodded and slipped it back into his pocket before turning back to his love.

"You're going to need to go back to the latrine before we've gotten past the eastern copse at this rate," he joked, as Ophelion took yet another swig from her water skin.

She returned the skin to her waist. "I'm so thirsty." Her voice sounded thick. "My mouth's dry and fuzzy and nothing seems to help."

"Not feeling better? You might be getting a cold."

"Yeah." She looked out into the distance, squinting, before rubbing her eyes. "Is there something out there, like a tent or a ship?"

There was no tent anywhere in sight, and he told her as much. He glanced back to Hel, riding behind them now. She shrugged.

"Are you feeling well, little one?" He asked her.

She looked at him and nodded. "I'm fine. It's Ophie I'm worried about."

He turned back to the older sister, who was still squinting. He started to regret pushing her into this, as she was looking distinctly unwell.

"Ophie, maybe you were right in the first place and you're too sick for this. Do you want to go back?"

She irritably waved him off. "I'm fine, stop lecturing me. Go back to your troops if you're so bored by me."

His troops?

"You never listen," she continued. "You're always telling me off. I'm a grown woman now and you’re not my mother."

Nik was starting to get concerned. Did she know where she was?

"Ophie," he said, gently taking the reins of her horse and stopping with her. "You're not feeling well. I think you're confused. It could be the sun or maybe you've got a fever coming on. Let's go back."

Ophelion stopped and looked him blearily, before nodding. "Y-yes, you're right. I'm feeling sick to my stomach. I'm not well. I'm..." She slowly began to topple from her horse. He lurched forward to try to grab her but was almost pulled out of his own saddle. Nik jumped off his own horse as some of the strigulos behind them followed suit and raced up to help. They slowly lowered her to the ground as she started to convulse.

"Ophelion! OPHIE!" Nik cradled her body as as the convulsions grew more serious. "Get help!" He screamed at one of the guards still on horseback. The guard wheeled around and galloped off at full speed. The servants milled about in panic, unsure how to help.

"This isn't sickness." He heard Helastus say quietly. She'd dismounted and was kneeling close to him, watching her closest sister with huge, unblinking eyes.

Nik knew exactly what she meant, after all, he'd seen this sort of thing just a couple of months ago. Ophelion wasn't sick, this was too sudden and severe. It was Euphastolon all over again, although the symptoms were different. Cordelian had already killed two of Empress Rigiarion's children, and now he meant to take the last as well, to uproot the whole family branch. This was what Cordelian had meant by his threats, this was the punishment he had chosen for Nik.

No, no, no, not her, not her! He squeezed his stinging eyes shut. If she dies, he thought, so help me Cordelian, you die too.

His prayers to Oma went unanswered that day as Ophelion, his love, his life, died in his arms. Helastus was silent in grief behind him.

----------------------------------------

"CORDELIAN!"

Nik barged into the chambers of the Doukar, followed by the messenger carrying the latest tragic news. The last tragic news. Cordelian was here, of course, hovering over the bed of the dying Doukar like the vulture he was. The room was just as dark and oppressive as ever. Nik had raced here before Ophelion was even cold, not bothering to change out of his riding clothes as he should have done to be in the presence of the Doukar. Formality was the last thing on his mind. Several of the patros turned and clucked their tongues loudly at his entrance and his clothes, murmuring about respect and decorum, but Nik shoved them aside, even knocking one over. Right now he felt nothing but anger, not even grief. His heart was like a stone inside him. He didn't think he'd ever be happy again.

Cordelian turned from Fornulus's bedside to look at him, clearly only a hair's breadth away from rolling his eyes. Behind him Fornulus was struggling to sit up in the bed, looking confused. Nik knew exactly what Cordelian was thinking. The crowns were so close he could practically taste them, and here was irritating Nikolonium causing a scene again. If he'd thought Ophelion's death would cow Nik, he had a surprise coming. One way or the other, one of them had to leave Trigon tonight. Nik could no longer tolerate this continued coexistence.

The Eukrates sighed. "How delightful to see you again Prince Nikolonium, and so angry as is your wont of late. Another baseless accusation perhaps? Let us hope it is not more apples, but I do actually feel in the mood for a pear."

There were laughs around the room at Cordelian's sarcasm. Nik barked a laugh, joining in, before cutting them off.

"This time I'm not going to let you weasel your way out of your richly deserved punishment. I'll see you go to the Heartsman for this crime."

"Oh very well. What is it this time? Let me guess, you've just discovered that I killed noble Izocratos?" Some of the patros laughed again at the reference to one of Tarcassian's heroes.

"No, you killed beautiful Ophelion," Nik spat.

The room fell silent, and Cordelian frowned, looking almost puzzled.

"I don't understand what you mean," Cordelian said. He was good, Nik had to admit. He was the picture of innocence.

"My beloved has just died from the poison you gave her. I was riding with her when she collapsed in front of me and Hel. We tried to...but we couldn't help her. You chose your poison well." Nik blinked his eyes to hold back the tears. He didn't need tears right now, he needed anger.

"Ophelion's dead? That can't be right. When did this happen?" Cordelian was putting on a good expression of shock, but Nik spotted the scheming look in his eyes.

The messenger who'd followed Nik into the room went over to the Doukar to confirm the news. There was a lot of phony consternation among those present, the patros, the mistress, and all the rest.

Fornulus murmured something and struggled to get out of his bed before giving up and slumping back. "Our little sister's dead. Death follows us and will take us all," he moaned. His mistress comforted the lord and master of the empire like a mother would a child.

Nik stepped towards Cordelian. "What do you have to say for yourself? Once again you've spilled the blood of Doukar. That means death, even for royalty."

"Nikolonium, I am tired of your baseless accusations," Cordelian growled at him. "I had nothing to do with this. Can you not see I am just as grief stricken as you at this news?"

"Spare me the lies and theatrics. I know you killed her. You threatened me and then the very same day the person closest to me dies," Nik said. "If you think I'm going to leave here quietly, you're very wrong."

Somebody shouted from behind him for him to shut up and go away.

"Fornulus!" Nik cried out, ignoring the gasps at his ill manners, moving towards the bed. "You have to do something about Cordelian before it's too late! He's killing us, one by one." Fornulus turned to look blearily at him through his tears but made no answer. Nik wasn't sure he even understood what was happening.

Cordelian grabbed Nik and pulled him back from the bed. "Don't talk to His Exaltedness in such a rude manner.”

Nik smacked Cordelian's arms away from him and some of the servants stepped forward to separate them. "Get off me! I'm not going to let you hide your guilt again, to take the time to polish up your lies."

“Come little brother, you've had a terrible shock, and this is not the time to fight. I don't blame you for your outbursts. We all understand, we all loved Ophelion, so let's all calm down and talk about what happened."

“You can talk to the heartsman, you scum.”

"Nikolonium." Cordelian took a deep, shuddering breath, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "Please stop for now. Our sister is dead. It's not the time for us to be at each other's throats. I'm trying to be patient with you as I truly do sympathize, but I'm not in the mood for your tantrums."

"Once again you've arranged it just right, haven't you, you rat? You're nowhere near the scene of the crime, once again."

"Whereas you, once again, were," Cordelian snapped.

Nik screamed in frustration. "So that's it! It's just the same, the same as last time. Poison you're going to blame on me. I loved Ophelion you bastard! I would never hurt her."

Cordelian visible composed himself, regaining that infurirating calm. "I know, Nik." Cordelian had never used the nickname before. He stepped closer and reached his hand out to Nik again as if to comfort him.

He wasn't even looking at Nik, but off to the side. His sympathy was a mere act. That's how far beneath his notice Nik was.

"The same as last time?" Cordelian mused. Nik had no idea what his game was, and cared even less. "Poison? But if that's the case..."

Cordelian made a soothing gesture to the servants and gestured to them to move back from the two brothers. He stepped next to Nik and placed his hand on Nik's shoulder, just by himself, just the two of them. This would be the last mistake he would ever make; Nik would make sure of it. He slipped Helastus' gold stylus out of his pocket.

Cordelian almost whispered to him. "Nikolonium, you need to calm down for a moment and listen to me. There are important things you don't know. I realize now we've both made a terrible mistake. I thought you were the one being tricked but…I think I was being tricked as well. We can root out the truth if we only talk to each other, truly talk."

"Your mistake was killing her. I've had enough of your lies and schemes; you won't pour your poison into my ear," Nik grabbed his brother’s arm.

"Nikolonium, don't be a fool! We’ve both trusted the wrong-"

Nik cut him off. "I should have just done this as soon as our father died." He stabbed Hel's stylus into the side of Cordelian's neck. The man always loved to hear himself talk. Nik would shut him up permanently.

The room erupted into chaos and screams as everybody surged forward. Guards wrestled Nik to the ground in an instant, but he still saw Cordelian fall to the floor, blood pouring from the wound, engulfing the hand he was holding over it. Patros, servants, and physicians milled around, helplessly fussing over him trying to figure out what to do with a fatal wound. Some fool pulled the stylus out, causing the blood to rush from the wound even more quickly. The two of them were on the floor, staring into each other's eyes, Cordelian supine in a spreading pool of his own blood, Nik held face down with a guard’s knee on the back.

Cordelian's last expression was one of shock and fear as he tried to mouth something to Nik. Nik felt tremendous satisfaction when he finally stopped gasping and his eyes glazed over. Cordelian died staring at Nikolonium, the brother he'd thought was beneath his notice. Nik liked to imagine his last thoughts were disbelief over how all his careful schemes had been beaten by a few inches of metal and a religious idiot.