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“Well, I suppose we know where she is now,” Edmond muttered as soon as they passed the gates.
“Leave your guards at the front!” Prince Raulyn called out.
His guards lined the entrance and surrounded him. He stood in the middle of courtyard, grinning like a mad man, one arm clutching Avelina around the waist while another held a dagger to her throat.
The Infinite swayed behind them, unsure of their orders.
“Stay here,” Lissandra said over her shoulder. They were just inside the gates, so if they were raised, at least Eamon was sure that he would have back up, of some kind.
Prince Raulyn had a bloody lip that was bleeding freely and another gash on his forehead.
Avelina appeared untouched, if for the knife at her throat.
“Sending your spy in for me was a foolish move, Eamon!” Raulyn said.
“Hardly a spy. Only a sister eager to return her brother to his rightful place,” Eamon said.
“I’m sorry-” Avelina said and then the knife pressed deeper into her throat and forced her head back. She put her hands to Rualyn’s forearm as he restricted her movement and air.
Eamon couldn’t help but watch her movements. They seemed erratic, like it wasn’t even Raulyn’s arm that she reached for, but something else.
“All four of you survived? How lucky for me. If this one proves barren, there is another princess, just waiting for me,” Raulyn said and licked his lips.
“Why don’t you let her go and you and I can discuss it?” Lissandra asked.
Eamon looked over at his sister, dressed in her armor, and she smiled wickedly at Raulyn.
“But I am not nearly as sweet as her. Perhaps you are afraid of women your own age?” Lissandra asked.
“Is that why you killed your father?” Alik called out.
Everyone turned to look at him.
“I loved my father-” Raulyn said.
“But you wanted power more and he looked like he would live forever. Am I correct?” Alik asked.
“No! My father was a good man-”
“A healthy man, a man that would live and conquer and never let you have the slightest bit of power-”
“No, it wasn’t-”
“And he talked down to you, in front of the court. Belittled you, made you feel small and stupid, would not let you marry, would not even think of choosing a princess for you-”
“He was-”
“Angry, all the time. Nothing you did could please him. He didn’t think of anything but more power, more land, revenge for his ancestors and he built it all up in your mind, that power, that blood, that vengeance, dangled it in front of you like a sweet morsel but never let you touch. Did you fear, now that he had the Storm Isles, now that the royal families were dead and gone, that you would never see the throne?” Alik pressed.
Eamon felt like Alik spoke from a place of personal knowledge.
“I am not a child!” Raulyn screamed.
Alik fell silent.
“All the power was his and he spoke of finding one of the princesses and taking her for his own. Once that child was born, I knew that my days were numbered and that I would never see the light of day again. And even if I could kill that child, there would be another and another. It was my life or his and he already had his turn, don’t you see?” Raulyn said. The knife shook in his hand and his eyes were wide and wild. Spittle flew and clung from his lips.
“Easy, darling,” Eamon muttered to Alik. He had pushed Raulyn to the very edge and Eamon worried that he would kill Avelina if he pushed much harder.
“So you took his plan for your own, now that he was out of the way. Now that you moved him out of the way,” Alik said.
Raulyn sneered but did not deny the accusation.
The guards around them were no longer still. In fact, they glanced around at one another and perhaps that was the reaction that Alik was looking for; he was already beginning to sow the seeds of distrust among the men.
Soldiers loved their king and if they did not, they trusted him. They had to trust him with their lives.
If the Prince killed their King, who was next on the chopping block?
“He had his time and the both of you should be thanking me for giving you your time and kingdom as well,” Raulyn sneered.
“I would rather have my parents,” Edmond called out.
“I never wanted the throne,” Alik added.
Everyone fell silent and turned to him once more.
“It’s too much responsibility. You have to care for everyone and everything all the time. If you do not, you will fail. I do not fail, Raulyn, but you seem to make a habit of it. Already, the people here are starving. Your soldiers fail at keeping a King imprisoned. A King. Your mistakes will only get larger from here,” Alik said.
There was a subtle, but swift movement from Raulyn. It looked like he was trying to reposition Avelina, as she squirmed in his arms. The knife cut deeper and Eamon heard a high ringing in his ears, like he might watch the death of his youngest sister right then.
Instead, she twisted away from him, the cut went deeper and then-
There was the jeweled dagger in her hand once again. She slashed him across his waist and then whipped her arm straight up, perhaps aiming for the soft flesh just beneath his chin, but he fell back and she only caught his cheek and laid it open.
Avelina threw herself backwards and away from him, towards Eamon and the others. Issat and Edmond caught her around the waist and pulled her into their group.
Which was now surrounded by hundreds of guards and one infuriated Prince.
Raulyn, who now had a hand pressed to his cheek, stared at them.
He laughed.
“Kill them. Leave one princess alive, I do not care which one. Bring me their bodies,” he ordered and turned.
There was only the echoing silence of his footsteps as he left the courtyard.
The soldiers turned to the group.
“Foolish of us to think that this might have gone our way,” Edmond remarked, still sounding delighted.
The soldiers pulled their weapons and pressed in to them.
They all formed a circle, weapons ready.
Eamon glanced over at Alik and Alik met his eyes.
It was not how Eamon wished for their story to end, but if this was all they could have, at least Alik was by his side.
As the soldiers rushed in, Eamon readied himself.