Chapter 24: Blind

He was lost in thought when he heard someone knock on the door.

“Who is it?” he said in a low baritone but was very sure the person outside heard it.

“It’s Bran” the voice said from outside the door.

“Come in” Edgar said not moving an inch.

“My Lord, I’m sorry for the disturbance but this couldn’t wait” Brandon said hastily as he saw Edgar laying peacefully on his bed.

“It’s alright, what’s the matter?” he said looking very serious.

“I took them to the cadet’s room, we found nothing but a written letter” Brandon said.

“Where’s the letter?” Edgar said.

“Right here” Brandon said handing the letter to him.

“I’m relocating, you might try to find me but you wont. I’m going to a place where I cannot be caught in the middle of a power struggle. Farewell. Marcus” the letter read.

“The ink’s still fresh, I think someone told him to flee because we were going to search his room today and see that bottle” Edgar said after pausing for a while, all his mind could tell him was that this was so unusual.

“Is it a coincidence that after the night Donald informs us about the culprit of the poisoning of the general that same culprit disappears this morning?” Brandon said looking very confused.

“Get me Donald” Edgar said thinking skeptically. Maybe Elaine was right when she said that Donald was jot to be trusted, but what exactly is his aim and gain in all this? What exactly have Skylar promised or threatened him with.

“What does he have to do with any of this?” Brandon asked looking confused.

“I want to goddamn know why the person he told me was the culprit disappears into thin air this morning” Edgar said with an angry tone that vibrated through out the room.

“What if he isn’t the one?” Brandon said.

“He is connected to this somehow. Now get me the man and bring him to the room across mine immediately”, Edgar said alighting from the bed.

“Yes my Lord” Brandon said and walked out of the room and closed the door gently.

Edgar combed his hand through his hair and sighed heavily, he thought of how anyone on Skylar’s side must have gotten this important piece of information made in his room.

“Eddy” Elaine said as she entered his room while Brandon left to see him in a very troubled state.

“Elaine, I’m sorry I woke you up” Edgar apologized.

“I’m alright, you didn’t wake me up, what’s going on?” she said looking worried.

“Uhmm.. the cadet that we were supposed to search his room today for the bottle is gone” Edgar said.

“Like dead?” she said terror filling her eyes.

“No, we don’t know yet” he said stuttering a little bit.

“Then what are we doing about it?” she said getting interested.

“I sent Brandon to bring Donald here because I need to find out how this plan leaked to Skylar’s informants” Edgar said pacing around as he was getting really worked up about this incident.

“What is it Edgar? Why are you so worried about this?” she said as she noticed the uneasiness in his poise.

“Why is it that everything I’m doing failing? First it was the general and now the cadet tomorrow it is going to be something else, I’m just tired of making plans and watching them fail” Edgar said frustrated as he tried to hold it in so not to raise his voice on her.

“I understand Eddy, and I know how you feel but you need to be patient, no good thing comes easily?” she said placing her hand on his cheek as she looked him straight in the eye.

“And what if that never happens? What if Skylar is going to continue ruling and I never get the opportunity to take what’s mine?” He said taking a sit on the bed and burying his face in his hands.

“It will happen, because no evil king sits on the throne for too long, there will come a day when the people will see his evil and leave this pack one after the other until there is no one for him to rule” she said and paused for a while.

“If you do not believe in yourself, I believe in you and I know that you are strong enough to beat him so instead of sulking about not being the man, why don’t you come up with a plan that puts Skylar in his goddamn place” she said to him pouring her soul out and she didn’t realize that she had been holding her breath all this while, heaving a sigh of relief, Edgar stood up from where he sat and hugged her closely.

“Thank you Elaine” he said holding her closely.

“I’m here for you Eddy, I’ll always be” she said holding his big body in hers. And there was a knock on the door.

“Brandon’s back with Donald” Edgar said and disengaged from the hug.

“I don’t think I want to be here when you guys have a talk, I’ll just stay in the gallery” she said as they both disengaging from the hug.

“Why?” Edgar said looking worried.

“Well, I just want to see your paintings” she said, she got closer to him she gave him a peck on his cheek and that alone made him calm down more than ever.

“Alright, guess I’m calm now” he replied with a smile on his face.

She walked towards a door in the room and opened stepped inside and closed the door again.

“Come in” Edgar said and Brandon walked inside with Donald following him behind.

“My Lord, you called for me” Donald said as soon as he entered into the room.

“Yes I did, so you want to tell me why the cadet you knew poisoned the general found a way to disappear a night before I search his quarters and question him?” Edgar said looking him straight in the eye.

“I don’t know my Lord, I did not know that he ran away” Donald said looking very confused.

“And do you also want to explain to me why you didn’t tell me that Jon, Skylar’s right hand man is your cousin” Edgar said in a very calm tone as he tried to keep his cool.

“I thought it wasn’t necessary” he said bowing his head in remorse.

“I know who’s side you are really on Donald and its not mine, so instead of standing there and pretending to be what you’re not, you can just tell me the truth” Edgar said looking quite vexed.

“Yes Edgar, I am your brother’s loyal servant and I will be that till the day I take my last breath” Donald said smiling wickedly.

“After what you did to your daughter?” Alex wondering how that was possible.

“We’re at war and my daughter was one of the casualties” Donald said looking psychopathic.

“You bastard” Edgar said looking more angry than before.

“I would’ve said I’m sorry for fooling you but I’m not” Donald said feeling high and mighty.

“ I hold no grudge against you, I just hope you know the devil you are siding and what he is capable of, now get out of my sight” Edgar said in a cold tone and Brandon dragged Donald out of Edgar’s sight because he has business to settle with him too.

Brandon and Donald walked out of the room and when they were few steps away from Edgar’s door, Brandon held his shirt by the collar and pushed him against the wall.

“After giving me that shitty story about your daughter and how she died now you’re betraying the only person that sees a good reason for your sad existence, so much for wanting to serve the good king” Brandon said and let him go totally disgusted of himself for trusting Donald.

“I betrayed no one, I only did what my king ordered” Donald said with a proud look on his face.

“You better go tell your king that if he wants to pick a fight with us, he might as well do it himself and stop being a coward” Brandon said and walked away looking very angry.

**

“Donald is a bloody liar” Sapphire said as soon as she walked out of the gallery.

“Yes he is and I was too goddamn blind to see it” Alex said looking very angry.