Chapter 30 Chapter 28

Chapter 30 Chapter 28
“Let the countdown begin”

Xanthanius 

I fought against a lot of internal restraints to wake the lady up myself and ask her what had transpired.

Anthonier noticed what I had been looking at and I’m certain he saw what I had.

It could not be. Was the blade stolen? Was this a replica?

I looked back at the mistress who was being nudged to consciousness by Hilra and Xialara. Remembering the sword had fallen from her hand when I got here.

She had held it and there was no barrier between herself and its material.

My brain ceased to understand anything at this point. 

I checked the gem again to be certain there was no chances of the blood leaking out. Even if it had, I could not tell with all the blood that painted the spans of this room.

I could not tell where the mistress’s blood ended and where the attackers own had begun.

Lifting the sword again to be sure it was an actual weapon and not the faux one I had kept in my office. The weight was accurate but it suddenly felt numb.

What had happened in here?

I began walking out of the room with a newfound sense of purpose. I needed to go to the tower.

“You will not go there alone” Anthonier said, grabbing me by the forearm and turned to the guards present.

“Prepare a carriage for the two of us” he added and walked out on me. I was certain he aimed to follow to end that woman once and for all.

This time around, he had my support. Back in the room, I saw the guards trying to lift Marina and at the same time assess the dead man.

“Nobody touch the sword. All royals should be escorted to their various destinations for tonight. Inform Grindr and Rodon that I would need an increased number of guards at the castle’s perimeter. Make sure Granj attends to her tonight and immediately” I needed to understand some things and I could only do that when I was sure the castle was safe.

“Take her to my room” Xialara suggests. I had no doubts that she could handle the rest from here.

And where she could not, Hilra was more than able.

They all nodded and dispersed to carry out each duty. 

“Do not indulge in any form of excess stupidity under the guise of bravery tonight. If not necessary, leave your quest for tomorrow” Hilra whispered when she had gotten close enough for just my hearing. 

“The longer I wait, the worse the chances of the outcome” that was the extent I was willing to divulge to her as I headed straight for the carriage where Anthonier had already been waiting with an axe.

He was going to play the Grim Reaper tonight and he had no remorse about it.

“You kept her because you wanted to prevent this. She is alive and it is still happening. You may be my King but I am your friend and your safety is more important to me than whatever that woman has to say” his voice firm.

I had no energy to comment anymore. I still felt bursts of the antidote in my system that urged me to go lay down in an ice bath and tremors from my blood that had gone missing from the blade.

All the hassle to get that sword was to secure my blood and it was just gone. Right under my nose.

I had never felt so incompetent. The mistress’s room was the safest place for it. 

Or so I had assumed.

“I need three more of you with me in the carriage” in contrast to the usual two who rode with me and the two who drove the carriage.

Three more guards hopped in as I took a seat next to Anthonier. The last one had to stay next to me. 

There was a little delay before the rider called out “Where are we headed your highness?” It was not a strange question to ask. The time should be a bit past two AM and I was requesting for a ride after my territory had been attacked.

“Farlick Tower” was all I said and our carriage jerked forward.

The entire journey was silent. If not for the gravity of the situation, my high adviser would have gone on an ‘I told you so’ charade.

But he was furious. And the Anthonier I knew was not just furious at the woman at the tower and the attacks at the palace.

He was furious at me for sparing her. From the beginning he swore her life would cost us more than her death. 

He was also most likely furious at himself for allowing me to convince him that she was worth more to us alive than dead.

“Was it all the guards?” I asked. Knowing I had no further information on the attack. Had I not overheard the conversation in my sleep, I may have been snoring away the night.

I was busy dealing with my hormones.

Damn Nerida.

“I could not find Welkish among them” he needed no further explanation to understand the question I asked. He probably was thinking the same thing I was. 

Her cell was unguarded.

Welkish was the guard that had been sent to replace the one who was still under admission at the palace clinic.

The one whom we needed to recover so we could ask him a few questions.

“After this, I would like to pay a visit to Caraven” 

“I thought you would. I’m prepared to follow you there as well”

His reply was courteous but more supportive than I had hoped. 

If anyone knew how important that sword and my blood in it was to me, it was Anthonier. He knew the struggles I had gone through to procure it. Now, its very essence had been lost.

Maybe, Caraven had tried to steal it back. He was the only outsider who knew that the lady had the blade in her possession. 

My mind wandered back to how lifeless the weapon felt in my hands. The hum that usually called to me whenever it was nearby had suddenly gone silent. 

Like its life had been taken from it and now it was no longer a magical tool. It was just a crafted regular blade. 

The chess board was starting to fall apart once again.

We trudged forward into the dark of the night and only came to a stop directly at the entrance of the tower that was left ajar.

Something had definitely gone wrong here. The men who usually stood outside the door were no more. 

It had actually been all the guards, asides Welkish.

Some beams of light shone into the sky, coming from the sea nearby. Indicating that the Easterners were on the lookout for their Royals who were still on my lands. 

I’m sure they had some of their men patrolling this area in search of anything fishy. The news about the castle attack ought to have gotten to their hearing.

Thinking back, I don’t think I saw Voldmir in the ballroom when I returned from my room. 

“Two riders wait behind. The rest of you come with us” Anthonier instructed as we walked into the dimly lit building.

Only a few lamps had been put on and they were already burning out. Indicating the guards had begun their night shift as at when due.

On high alerts, we moped around for anything that might seem out of place as we ascended the stairs to where our major target would be.

The smell of blood filled the air as we got closer to her cell. Not giving me a positive feeling about what I was about to sight.

Another door was found wide open. The door to her cell. When we walked in, only glimpses of the moonlight and the beams of light from the Eastern lands illuminated the room.

A guard ran back to get a lamp and returned. Now that we could see better. Welkish’s dead body lay at the entrance to the cell. He was probably about to serve her dinner when he had been attacked. The metallic bowl of white rice and stew had been spilled. His stomach had been ripped open and his guts spilled out by his side.

I leaned over his body to examine it and discovered a part of his liver had been bitten off.

His liver had an evidently darker hue to it. So it told me that Welkish consumed alcohol regularly even though it was against the rules.

But that was why his guts had not been eaten.

He was torn open but after having a taste, and discovered he was an alcoholic, she abandoned him to death.

She had an awkward taste for healthy meat.

That also meant she had escaped. Not that she was dead.

“Search the building for any signs of a living thing. Animal or human. Bring it to us” Anthonier gave the orders. His rage slowly rising.

I had already seen the door to her cage was left open. 

When the guards left, he turned to me “She did this, didn’t she?”

There was no need to respond. He already knew the answer. I would rather avoid a conversation with him right now.

We waited a bit in silence for the guards to return.

“The entire building is empty” one of them said.

“Let’s head somewhere else. Once we get to the castle, get some of your colleagues to come for his body” I said, pointing to Welkish. “Let’s go”

We all walked out in unison.

At Caraven’s cave…

“Caraven!” I yelled as I walked into the opened cave which I believed was to allow some moonlight into the cave as he worked.

A candle was burning at the far end of the area on a table. Already half burned. 

There was no sign of him or anything related to him. Frustration itched at the back of my head.

He definitely had some questions to answer. First, to know if he had gotten his artifact back. He was an arrogant bastard so he clearly would not deny it.

Or if he had not stolen the weapon, to let me know who else had an interest in it that I should be aware of. 

“Check the back rooms” sending two of the guards to the door that he usually emerged from when attending to customers.

As they went, I approached the candle. He had obviously been working tonight. 

My feet struck something as I moved and I glanced downwards to see what it was.

It looked like a body.

Hastily picking the candle without caring for the wax that would trickle its way to my fingers, I turned back to where I had met with an interruption.

“See anything?” Anthonier asked when he noticed my movements.

And yes… I did see something.

“Yes. Caraven”

Anthonier came closer to observe the body just as I did.

The blacksmith lay sprawled out on his belly. He had been stabbed in the back multiple times and the weapon was tossed at his feet. The dirt around his face and parts of his clothing visible to us indicated a struggle.

Caraven had been murdered.

I touched his forehead. His body was still slightly warm.

He had been killed less than an hour ago.

“Xanthanius. I think something bigger than what we know is about to happen” Anthonier, hardly ever regarded me by my first name in front of others.

He was terrified.

And so was I, because I believed he was right.

Something far bigger than what I believed is coming.