When the knock came, Zedane was sitting at his desk, using his knife to carve lines through his old wooden desk. “Enter,” he said. It seemed too soon for lunch, but after only a day locked up, he’d already lost his sense of time as well as most of his appetite.
“Leave it on the table,” he said without turning.
“Zedane.”
Halcone’s voice. Zedane sprang to his feet, turning. “You’re back.”
Halcone closed the door behind him. “I returned as soon as I heard.”
Zedane rushed to the doorway and threw his arms around his father. Halcone’s body stiffened. He didn’t return the embrace.
“This isn’t the way I expected us to meet,” Zedane said. A warm reunion was another thing that he had looked forward to. Another thing ruined.
“Why, son?” Halcone asked. “Why did you do it?”
Zedane turned away. He expected his father to be more worried about him than about the notan. “I didn’t mean for her to die. It wasn’t on purpose.”
Halcone sighed. “Kae was a wonderful girl. I had hoped...” His mouth twisted. “It seems a macabre thought now, but I was sure you’d be firm friends.”
“She’s a notan.” Everyone seemed to have forgotten the most important detail in the matter. Although Zedane regretted what he’d done, her status couldn’t be ignored.
“I feared sending you to the Towers, but I never thought you’d change this much.”
“I didn’t mea—”
“I’ve spoken with Belial Hothe. I know the details.” Belial Hothe, the chief magistrate, was the most powerful thought-mage in the palace. Via a meld with Zedane, he’d seen exactly what had happened, even registered Zedane’s emotions during the event. “I’d prefer to hear some regret rather than excuses.”
“She showed me no respect.”
“I should have kept you in the Palace, had Belial Hothe arrange your education.”
“I had to learn,” Zedane said. “I was too cosseted here.” As much as he’d hated his time in the Towers, it had been necessary, both in strengthening his magic and more importantly, preparing him for the world.”
“Cosseted.” Halcone expelled the word like a sigh. His knees buckled and he almost fell into a sitting position on the bed. “I wanted to protect you from the world, then I made the same mistake with Kae. I guess you aren’t the only one to blame. Come here.”
Zedane sat down on the bed and leaned against Halcone, who put an arm around Zedane’s shoulder and kissed him on the head.
“Do you know what my time in the Towers was like?” Halcone asked.
Zedane thought about how powerful Halcone was, especially with energy magic—he’d surely have won every duel. “I imagine it would have been pretty sweet for you.”
“I was a huge bully.”
“You?” Halcone was the wisest and most generous person Zedane knew.
“I’m afraid so. It took me a while to grow out of the brash young man who emerged from the Crystal Towers. When I did, I thought I could change things, make it better. The older I get, the more I learn how powerless one truly is.”
“If you are powerless, what are the rest of us?”
Halcone didn’t answer. He just clutched Zedane closer to him. After a brief silence, Zedane spoke again. “I guess there’s no way this can easily disappear.”
“Even if I wanted to, I can’t help you. The High Lord is on his way. He’ll be here soon and will meet with you tomorrow.”
“What will he want?” Zedane asked.
“What would any heartbroken and wronged father want? Satisfaction.”
“Vengeance?” Zedane asked.
“That often amounts to the same thing.”
“Can you do anything?” Zedane asked. If High Lord Relcarian was the most powerful person in the land, then Lord Halcone Florassiv was the second.
“I can do little. I won’t risk a second war between the Desert Palace and the Mountain Kingdom.”
“It couldn’t go that far, could it?”
“A Florassiv prince has killed a Relcarian princess while she was inside the Desert Palace. Centuries of war have begun over much less.”
“But...” Zedane stopped himself. She was just a notan, he’d been thinking, but Halcone didn’t think of her like that. And clearly the High Lord wouldn’t either.
“I’m expecting him soon.” Halcone stood and moved toward the window, then pointed. “There he is. He’s coming now.”
Zedane went to stand beside his father. He shivered when he saw the distant silhouette of an approaching dragon. “Why didn’t he just portal here?”
“He’s making an entrance,” Halcone said. “The world knows that a Florassiv prince killed the Relcarian princess. And the world will know that the High Lord rode his golden dragon to seek satisfaction.”
“So no chance a simple apology is going to satisfy him?”
Zedane didn’t need an answer and Halcone simply patted him on the back. “I’m sorry, son.”
Zedane watched the dragon soar ever closer. The giant wings flapped, black against the shimmering orange orb of the sinking sun, and fear clutched at Zedane’s chest. Death was coming for him on black wings.