Chapter 74 A friend’s promise

Chapter 74 A friend’s promise


Three days after the banquet, everything seemed to have gone back to normal.

And then, the letter from Valdris arrived.

It came in the form of a royal courier, a young man in the blue and silver livery of the human kingdom, his horse lathered from a hard ride. He presented the scroll to Cardan in the throne room, where I sat beside my husband on the smaller golden chair that was mine.

The letter bore the new seal of the Crown Prince of Valdris, a rising phoenix, symbol of renewal after loss. Cardan broke the wax and read it in silence, his expression unreadable.

"Well?" I asked.

"It seems your brother has been busy." He handed me the scroll. "King Eris of Hel has offered to mediate the debt renegotiations between Aurelia and Valdris. The King of Valdris is... amenable to the arrangement."

I scanned the letter. Sebastian's handwriting was familiar, sharp and elegant, with the slightly impatient slant I remembered from his notes during his stay in Aurelia. He expressed his condolences for the "recent difficulties" at court, a diplomatic way of referencing the chaos Elowyn had caused, and proposed a meeting  to renegotiate the terms of the loans. Eris would serve as a neutral third party. 

"He's being generous," I said. "After everything that happened with Philippe, he could have demanded immediate repayment."

"No, he's being strategic. A stable Aurelia benefits Valdris. And your brother's involvement gives him political cover." Cardan paused. "He also sent a private letter. For you."

I looked up. "A private letter?"

"The courier delivered it to your chambers. Your handmaidens have it." His jaw tightened. "I didn't open it."

"Are you jealous?"

"I am. But I'm learning to manage it." He met my eyes. "What does the Crown Prince of Valdris have to say to my wife that he couldn't say to me?"

"I don't know. But I'll tell you after I read it."

He nodded, but the tension in his shoulders didn't ease.

\-—————————————

The private letter was waiting on my writing desk.

I opened it alone, with only Ash for company. The dragon was curled on his pillow, his tail wrapped around his nose. He had been sleeping more than usual lately, but I had attributed it to the lingering cold of the northern journey. Dragons were so sensitive to temperature changes. Or so I had thought.

Nyx,

I write this not as Crown Prince of Valdris but as your friend. Philippe's death has changed me in ways I'm still trying to understand. I find myself sitting in council meetings, hearing my uncle's advisors debate trade routes and border disputes, and all I can think is: I am a poor substitute for the king he would have been if he had the chance. 

But I am trying. I am learning. I think of what you said to me in the gardens, that I would be a good king, not because I'm like him but because I'm like myself. I hold onto those words when the doubt creeps in.

I've heard rumors about what's happening in Aurelia. Forgive me for prying, but news travel fast. I don't pretend to understand the complexities of your marriage, but I know you, Nyx. You are not a woman who breaks easily. Whatever you're facing, I have faith you will survive it.

But if you ever need a friend, if you ever need anything, Valdris remembers you fondly. So do I.

Yours in friendship,

Sebastian

I folded the letter and tucked it into my sleeve. It was a kind letter. A thoughtful letter. The letter of a friend who was trying very hard not to say more than friendship allowed.

I would show it to Cardan later. He deserved to know. But for now, I had other concerns.

Ash had not moved from his pillow in three hours.

\-———————————-

"He's been like this since you returned from the north," Liriel said, her voice hushed with worry. "At first it was just sleeping more. Then he stopped eating the smoked meats he usually loves. Yesterday, he didn't touch his food at all."

I knelt beside the bed and stroked Ash's scales. They were dull, lifeless, where once they had gleamed like cooled lava. His eyes, usually bright with intelligence and mischief, were half-closed and glassy.

"Why didn't anyone tell me?"

"We thought it was just exhaustion. The northern climate. The long flight." Liriel's voice trembled. "We didn't want to worry you. Not with everything else you were dealing with."

"Ash is more important than all of that. Ash is more important than anything." I pressed my forehead to his snout. His breath was shallow. His usual rumbling purr was silent. "Fetch the palace healers. All of them. And anyone else who might know what's wrong with him."

The animal physicians came. The healers came. They examined Ash from snout to tail, casting diagnostic spells and consulting ancient texts. Their verdict was unanimous and useless: they had no idea what was wrong.

"There is  no infection," the head healer said, wringing his hands. "No injury. No poison we can detect. It's as if his life force is simply... draining away."

"Draining where?"

"We don't know, Your Majesty. We're sorry."

I dismissed them with a wave of my hand. Useless. They were all useless.

"Your Majesty." Sera appeared in the doorway, her dark eyes serious. "When you were away in Hel, Ash appeared to be having nightmares."

"Nightmares?"

"Violent ones. As if something is tormenting him in his sleep."

I looked at Ash. His eyes were closed. His breathing was labored. His claws twitched occasionally, as if he was running in a dream.

Dreams.

"The Umbral Host," I breathed. "They're creatures of shadow. They feed on fear. On darkness. On.." 

"On dreams," Sera finished. "You think they're attacking him through his dreams?"

"It would explain the symptoms. The exhaustion. The draining life force. He's not sick. He's being hunted." I stood abruptly. "I need to enter his dreamscape. I need to see what's tormenting him."

"Is that possible?"

"I don't know. But I'm going to find out."