Walking through the streets, the luxury of the Capital surrounded me at every turn; polished marble and the sound of shoes that were not muffled by dust, unlike in Valenreach. I walked toward the fortress of this empire, the imposing castle that rose like a mountain of gold and stone against the blue sky. People strolled through the streets unconcerned, a stark contrast to those in Valenreach, who walked hurriedly or fearfully. There, hunger was a distant concept, and manual labor seemed like something destined only for tales about forgotten frontiers.
I felt the weight of my swords at my waist and, for a moment, the excessive cleanliness of those streets felt suffocating. I crossed the inner gates under the vigilant gaze of the elite guard. They did not greet me, and I did not expect them to; in the Capital, everyone knew I was the shadow sent to watch over the King's mistake. I was led through familiar corridors to the King's chambers.
The door opened abruptly, cutting through the silence of the hallway. A figure passed us like a gale of silk and authority. Her brown hair was adorned with gold clips and jewels; the green glow of the rubies in her ornaments competed with the coldness of her piercing green eyes. It was the Princess.
We bowed immediately. Brin followed closely behind her, maintaining that relaxed yet lethal posture that was his trademark. The Princess didn't even address us; she merely cast a look of superiority that seemed to pierce through the wall before continuing on her way.
I stood before a double oak door and gave a few light taps. The door opened silently.
I entered the room. The curtains were open, allowing sunlight to flood the room, but the bed had heavy shutters keeping its occupant in a protected gloom. I approached with calculated steps.
"Your Majesty," I said, making a long and deep bow.
"Well, well... if it isn't Lygni," a voice came from behind the shutters. It was low, weary, but still carried the weight of one who rules. "I see you came as quickly as possible."
"As soon as I received the letter, Your Majesty," I replied, keeping my eyes fixed on the floor.
"Then, let's get straight to the point." The voice seemed to gain a decisive strength. "The reports you sent me are... interesting. Especially when you mentioned that he asked simple questions."
"Yes," I affirmed. "He asked things a child would know. At first, I thought he was joking or merely shaken by being sent to Valenreach. But after a few days of observing him, my suspicions were confirmed. He genuinely wanted to know basic things."
I paused, feeling the weight of what I would say next. The air in the room seemed to grow denser.
"Hmm... did you investigate his room that day, before you left?" the King asked.
"Yes, Your Majesty. While he was in the washroom, I heard him retching. After he finished his audience with you, I returned to investigate. The scent of alcohol mixed with aconite was unmistakable," I replied, keeping my voice steady. "It was enough to kill about ten people."
"Hmm... so my bastard son became different right after trying to kill himself?" The voice was reflective, almost savoring the irony of the situation.
"Yes. And he became even more interested in the Web, going as far as to ask me to teach him."
A low, dry laugh came from behind the bed shutters.
"I can only imagine the scene of you teaching him," he said. The laughter ceased, replaced by a cutting silence. "And what did you think? Does he have potential?"
"I haven't been able to evaluate him adequately yet," I replied, as the wind entered through the window, lightly swaying the curtains. "But coming from your lineage, I believe he has the potential to be one of the best."
The King let out a loud and genuine bark of laughter this time.
"Interesting! So there will be a struggle for the throne between three people," he murmured to himself. "You also mentioned that he bet his own life that he could pull Valenreach out of oblivion?"
"Yes, Your Majesty. And he even helped dig a canal with his own hands."
"Oh... so he's even digging holes? Did you help him?"
"I helped him physically, digging the canal alongside him," I said.
"Well, well... you helped him, knowing full well you could have opened that canal in seconds with your abilities," the King's tone shifted to something more dangerous, a mix of amusement and threat. "You chose to sweat like a peasant. He really has changed you too, hasn't he, Lygni?"
"I am merely doing the job Your Majesty assigned to me," I said.
"Since you haven't evaluated him, it's a perfect time to see if he has potential," he said.
"Why?"
"As we speak, I have sent soldiers disguised as merchants to test him. Let's see how he fares—or if he will die without a fight," he said. "Let's see if he is another person or just had an illumination after trying to kill himself."
So the King was truly willing to go that far.
"Go and return to Valenreach. I hope you get there and find him still alive, or he is just the bastard." He paused. "Go and keep an eye on him, and report everything to me as much as possible. I am close to death, but I want to know how far my children will go."
"Yes, Your Highness," I said, bowing and leaving. Valenreach was once again my destination, and I had to get there as quickly as possible.