TWHoC: Chapter 6 - It is Water

“There are some charities that help educate children with basic reading and counting that I took an interest to,” Beks had told Laurence in preparation for asking to leave the palace.  It wasn’t a lie and philanthropic project were common for nobles to take an interest in.  Even Luther supported a local orphanage with clothes every year.

“Is that so?” Laurence had signed a document with flourish.  “Do you plan to apply for money from the royal treasury’s charitable funds to donate or do you plan to donate your own?”

Beks wasn’t in need of money.  Since she arrived, she had a monthly allowance that increased with age.  Typically, young noble girls and ladies would spend their allowances on upkeep for social gatherings, such as clothes, jewelry, and hosting said gatherings, but as Beks wasn’t allowed out for such gatherings and was provided the very best of everything, her allowance was saved or invested.

Part of it went into businesses and the profits were then funneled into Nexus to be spread amongst the projects it oversaw.

“I will donate with my own money.”  That wasn’t a lie.

Laurence had looked up from his desk and gave her an amused smile.  “Then, you don’t need to tell me about this.  It is your money to do as you please.”  He had paused for a moment and seemed to come to another thought.  “Did you want me to donate, as well?”

“No, Brother.”  It had been kind of him to ask.  “I would like permission to leave the palace and visit the charity to look over their projects in person.”

At this, Laurence had straightened in his seat.  His lips had tightened, but his eyes held a look of sympathy.

“Beks, I trust you,” he had said in a gentle voice.  “You need not ask my permission every time you leave the grounds.  If it is only within Kadmium and for only a few errands for things like shopping or perhaps going to that pastry shop you like, you need only tell the chamberlain so we know where you are and can assign guards to protect you.”

For a moment, Beks had stood in place, unsure how to reply.

Her entire life, she had been kept in the palace, only able to go as far as the moat unless someone, usually the late Queen, was with her.  Even then, she could count the amount of times they sneaked out of the palace in a single year on one hand.

To be told she wasn’t restricted as before left her almost confused; unsure what to do with the sudden freedom.

And it wasn’t as if she didn’t know what actual activities she would do.  She had an array of things she wanted to see and do, but it was overwhelming.

Beks had been in such disbelief that she’d tested Laurence multiple times, asking if he was sure and even gave examples of where she planned to go to see if he protested.  He had just smiled and reiterated that as long as she reported where she was going so she could be protected and reached in case of emergency, then she was free to come and go from the royal grounds into the city.

This is what Luther and the Third Consort did all the time, after all.  Why couldn’t she do it?

Of course, leaving Kadmium would require more planning and approval, but just to get out of the royal grounds with little preparation and no permission required was surreal.

This must be how sheep feel when the fence is left open, but they are so used to their field.  Beks climbed on to the prepared carriage.  She had asked for the most modest carriage available, as she wanted to go around the city as unnoticed as possible.  Laurence had agreed, as he felt the less attention she attracted, the safer she would be.

Her hair was covered by a headscarf and she wore some older, drab clothing.  She looked, at best, as if she were from a decent middle-class home according to her maids.

The carriage, escorted by four plainclothes royal guards, began down the gravel path to the main gate.  Beks sat on the edge of the seat bench and leaned towards the door to look out the window.  When she sneaked out before, they’d gone through another, smaller and older gate, in an ignored part of the grounds.

The last time Beks had gone through the main entrance, she was arriving from Sagittate.  At the time, she recalled she had also pasted herself by the window to take in the scenery.

She curled her lips inward and bit them as she suppressed a giggle.  The carriage traveled beneath the old stone gate house and over the bridge crossing the moat.  Her heart quickened.

Past the royal grounds, when they exited the new gate house that led to Kadmium’s High Street, Beks continued to look out the window to take in the sights.  She didn’t have to hide in the back of a dilapidated wagon so no one would notice her.

The carriage cut through the city’s main streets before turning onto one of the narrower roads.  The path became progressively narrower and less maintained as the buildings on either side became smaller and more rundown.  Walled manors became narrow hovels. The people on the street gradually went from well-dressed nobles and merchants to commoners with worn clothing.

The carriage reached the familiar slums on the northwest edges of the city.  After years of the late Queen’s efforts, it no longer looked like a desolate series of charred ruins with skeleton men, women, and children either dying on the streets or begging.  The buildings had been resorted to a live-able state through programs that paid one person per household to assist in restoration.

That person was also taught some sort of construction skill as a way to learn a trade.  A small school had been set up to combat illiteracy.  Children were required to study for at least six years to learn to read and do basic math, then could be assisted into learning a trade or finding a job.

Nexus backed these programs and seeing how the area transformed since she first visited made Beks’ heart swell.  When she was a child, she didn’t understand why the place was in such shambles.

In Sagittate, children went to school for ten years, which included classes on using biha wells and tutorage on one’s spirit core, as most of the population had them.  Even if Kadmium was the capital, with its nobles and fancy buildings and wealth, Beks thought that overall, Sagittate’ s average citizen had a better standard of living.

The carriage stopped in front of a narrow alley.  It wouldn’t be able to fit, so Beks stepped out, asking the maid accompanying her to remain.  She raised her hand to stop the guards from following her.

“Don’t attract attention.  Two of you remain at the entrance and two of you remain with the carriage where it waits,” Beks told them.

The royal guards followed her instructions and as the carriage trotted away, Beks walked into the dark, dingy alley.

Nexus’ headquarters was an assuming building with a rundown facade of old stores and workshops on the ground floor and small apartments in the upper floors.  It looked like several of those narrow were buildings pushed together, as there was no space between them.

In fact, Nexus was one large, interconnected plaza on the inside and took up an entire block.  It’s different programs and corresponding offices and work areas were contained inside and even the chairman, Mr. Kesse lived inside.

The door was a regular wooden door with iron fixtures facing the alley.  Beks knocked on a simple iron knocker and waited.  The sound of stone grinding came from her side and one of the stone bricks was pulled back, revealing a narrow, rectangular slot.  Without hesitation, Beks stuck her right hand into the slot.

Her ring finger had a simple metal band inlaid with crushed urapearl.  Inside, it would react to another urapearl, confirming her approval to enter.

“Welcome, Miss.”  A young man smiled as he opened the door to let her in.

“Thank you, Mr. Jameson.”  Desmond Jameson, an orphan from the rebellion, was the Doorman.  His biha well had an affinity for water, though it was weaker than others who had water biha.  Those with strong water biha were assigned tasks related to plumbing and sewage.  Those who had weak water biha did other work instead.

He closed the door behind her and Beks walked the familiar path down a narrow hall to a set of stairs.  The building had three stories, an attic which she had to bend down to walk through, and a spacious basement used for storage.  The Chairman’s office was on the third floor and overlooked an interior courtyard.

No one was guarding his door and Beks knocked and waited to be given permission to enter without pomp.

“Come in.”

She opened the door and smiled at the old man behind the desk.  He stood up to greet her, returning her smile of his own.  “Welcome back, Miss.”

“It’s good to see you again, Mr. Kesse.”

Rather than return to his seat, the old man motioned for her to take it.  “I’ve prepared all the information you asked for.  All the money that was donated will help with the water reservoir renovations this year and once it is fixed, flooding by the offshoot of the Tage River will no longer be a yearly problem.  Our calculations show that we have enough to prepare for more rare extreme floods, as well.”

“Wonderful,” Beks said with a gentle smile.  “Flood often carries disease with it if we’re not careful.  If it can be mitigated, it is money well spent.”

Mr. Kesse pushed a leather folder tied closed in front of her.  “And this is regarding your other request.”  He took a step back from the desk and bowed his head.  “It is about time for my lunch meal, Miss.  If you don’t mind, I will step out for a moment.”

He was giving her time alone to look over the information provided.  Beks gave him a nod and waited until the door closed for her to reach down and untie the portfolio.

There were copies of maps, sketches of terrain, and different sized sheets of different material all gathered from different intelligence points.  The information had not been arranged in any particular order, but that was likely to prevent anyone else from taking a look at all the intelligence gathered.

Beks familiarized herself with the map and then reviewed all the parties involved.

The Third Prince was over a week into a return from pilgrimage and accompanying him were other priests of similar rank, two high priests, and their various attendants and staff.  In addition, they had Temple paladins escorting them.  Twelve didn’t seem like a lot for such a large caravan, but St. Cormac’s trail was considered safe.

In addition, Temple paladins were highly skilled.  Even having a half dozen escorting two dozen people wouldn’t have been considered out of the ordinary.

Beks narrowed her eyes.

The Great Temple had a ten-seat council of nine high priests and priestesses.  The tenth seat was reserved for the Great Oracle, once they had reached that status.  At least three council members were required to be at the Great Temple at any given time, thus in order to visit the various shrines and holy grounds around the continent, as well as go to places where the Temple was needed to intervene and bring support to locals, each high priest or priestess would travel in the company of lower ranked priests, priestesses, and attendants.  Separate travel was both practical and for safety.

She couldn’t think of an example where two high priests had traveled together to the same place, at the same time, in the same caravan.  It was dangerous.  If that caravan had an accident, the Great Temple would lose two high priests at once.

Beks shifted through documents in front of her steady hands.  The bodies of both high priests were found.  The Great Temple had already identified them, and at the moment, they had secretly called back all other high priests and priestesses traveling outside out of fear that this was a targeted event.  That wasn’t strange and was a natural reaction.

What was strange was that the large, locked chest in the caravan.  Old monasteries and abbeys kept particular relics under lock and key.  Often they were old relics and were kept out of the public eye for conservation, so as not to deteriorate faster.  This wasn’t strange, either.

The chest in the caravan had been locked when it was found.  The locks of these chests were often highly difficult to pick or cut open by force.  She’d also seen a relic transported before and the first chest was kept in a larger chest built into the wagon itself.  The wagon was plated with iron and heavily guarded.

The wagon the chest had been inside of in the Third Prince’s caravan was just a regular wagon.  It was kept with foodstuffs.  That was strange in itself.  It hadn’t been moved, but that could be explained by how heavy it was and how difficult it was to open.  If bandits had come, they wouldn’t have wasted too much time fumbling with a locked chest secured to a broken wagon on a busy route.

The usual gold and silver, as well as some precious stones and fabrics that were recorded as part of the caravan weren’t found at the ambush site and presumed stolen.

The Temple had kept it quiet and took the chest back to the Great Temple.  When it got there, the council found that the chest was empty with no signs of tampering.  Whatever was inside, likely a relic that was being secretly transported if Beks’ intuition was right, was gone.

And the Temple kept the loss a secret.

“That’s suspicious....”  Beks pursed her lips and narrowed her eyes.  At the same time, she was impressed that Nexus had found out such a closely guarded secret.  She couldn't help but feel a little excited at her new-found information network.

Next, she looked at the reports on the remains of the caravan.  As expected, the Third Prince’s body wasn’t found.  His two close attendants were found not far away with fatal wounds to their upper bodies.  Deep cuts along with several arrow wounds on their backs and legs according to the report.  They likely bled to death.

Another report caught her eye and she leaned forward.

The arrowheads removed from the attendants were different from the arrowheads that attacked the caravan.  It wasn’t all that strange.  Different people bought different arrows that they preferred.

But the arrowheads from the attendants were the same as those typically used by paladins.  The paladins escorting them were not archers, just regular swordsmen, so they weren’t carrying arrows purchased by the Temple with them.  She tilted her head to the side and squinted.

It was such a glaring mistake to make if the Temple had turned on its own people to leave evidence, but no one thought that the bodies of the attendants would be dug up and a few arrowheads pulled from their rotting corpses by Nexus.

That’s dedication....

Footprints and horseshoe prints had also been collected and drawn out on several pieces of paper.  When Beks held them side by side and compared them, it looked like two sets of people had ambushed the caravan.  If there were two separate groups, then perhaps it tooktwo separate groups to completely destroy the caravan.

She moved through the papers and a sketch of the caravan ambush site layout.

“That explains why there were signs of campfire and waste....”  The first ambush didn’t kill everyone.  While the caravan was reeling that night, the second ambush finished them off shortly afterwards, but they were in a rush to do the job and vanish before another caravan showed up.

As for the Second Prince and his Wild Dogs, they’d heard about the caravan ambush while enroute and the Second Prince decisively re-routed his battalion to search for his brother.  How the information got to him was odd to begin with.  Laurence and Marquis von Glasser’s people had been very cautious and didn’t let it be known that it was the Third Prince who was lost in the ambush.

Beks’ eyes drifted back to the sketch of the arrowheads found in the attendants’ bodies.  If the Temple, with its widespread network and influence, was involved, it was easy to see where the information could’ve been leaked.

She took a deep breath and leaned back against the chair.  Of course, if this theory was true, then it meant that the Temple was targeting the Second and Third Prince.

The Second Prince wasn’t a fool.  She remembered him to be very observant even as a child.  When they were young, he once made Luther cry when he traced her missing egg tarts back to him.  Luther was more daring at the time and said that ‘Father says that anything that belongs to Beks is mine!’

That had infuriated both twins, and despite being the less temperamental of the two, the Third Prince had joined his brother in beating up Luther.  They were punished, but the Second Prince claimed it was in the name of justice.

Laurence had also bragged that the Second Prince was rather infamous for forensic work in the legion and he’d personally been requested multiple times to assist with difficult cases plaguing other battalions.

Identifying two different ambushes and then tracking his younger twin brother were likely child’s play to the Second Prince.

The two were close, sharing everything.  No matter how much one twin liked something, he would share it with the other.  Beks had learned this quickly and would share it with them equally.

If his younger brother was missing, the Second Prince wouldn’t hesitate to go after him.

And since he and his battalion seemed to have disappeared into thin air, it meant that he had tracked the Third Prince somewhere.

The terrain maps Beks poured through had small notes on the side, including information on the frequency of traffic and who moved through the area.  She followed the noted sighting of the Wild Dogs until they began to split apart.

She narrowed her eyes and she snatched a pencil from a small tray on the desk to make her own markings.  Using circle size to note the battalion, she drew smaller circles each time a sighting was noted with a smaller group.  She continued until the map was covered in circles going from large to small, as if she’d made a sort of fan across the map.

Did the Second Prince scatter his battalion on purpose?

Her eyes dilated a bit.  A group of that many men was sure to attract attention, but a few men here and there would blend into the area easily.

“Brother Laz, where are you going?” she said softly as she stared at the map, her eyes following each set of circles as they grew smaller and smaller.  They seemed to go all over, even turning around and going back where they came from.  It was disorienting.

Beks’ lips pursed.  If she were having trouble following their movements, then anyone watching them would as well.  Was the Second Prince trying to lose a pursuer?

She combed through the map again.  Each trail seemed to fade, disappearing into some random forest, town, or valley.

Beks fixed her eyes on a few heavy strokes of ink across the paper.  To the south was a mountain range that acted as the physical boundary between an arid, hot, hilly climate and a tropical area that led out into a gulf.  The mountains were high and there were other ways to get to the gulf, but there was a well-known ‘ancient’ path.

It was well-known not because it was still in use or popular, but because of its name and the fact that every group that had tried to use it to cut through the mountains either came out terrified of some beasts or never came out at all.

Her fingertips ran across the text.  Forbidden Valley.

One of the circles led right to the purported entrance and her chest tightened.  If it was the Second Prince who entered, then was it because he was following the Third Prince?

How would she tell Laurence about this?

And even if she did, what could they do about it?

Her heart began to quicken and her breath trembled.  Beks pushed herself back from her desk and hunched forward, pressing her chest against her knees as she shut her eyes tight and took deep breaths to calm herself.

She pushed the now likely possibility of two of her foster brothers lost and dead in the Forbidden Valley out of her head.

It was just a possibility, after all.  There was also a chance that it wasn’t the Second Prince who entered.  It could’ve been one of his subordinates, and the Second Prince was elsewhere.  And even if it were him, who is to say that he actually went into the valley?  What if he lingered along the edge?

Beks took a deep breath, counted to three, and then released it.  She repeated the pattern all while comforting herself with rational thoughts.

She couldn’t jump to conclusions.  She needed to verify the location of her foster brothers.

A small knock came from the door.  “Miss, I have returned.”

Beks lifted her head, her chest still tight, but her breathing was more even.  A thin sheen of sweat went across her forehead as she glanced at the large pendulum clock against the wall.  Had she been sitting there for an hour?

“Come in!”  She straightened up and clenched her hands under the desk.  She continued to even her breathing as her heart slowed.

Mr. Kesse entered the room and closed the door behind him.  “Is the information useful, Miss?”

“It is.”  She remained seated upright, wearing a calm facade as she pulled the flaps of the leather folio closed and began to tie it closed.  “Is this the most recent information gathered?”

“Yes, Miss.  Up until now, no additional news has come from the last location.”

“I understand.”  She needed to get Laurence’s people or von Glasser’s people to check, but she couldn’t explain how she got the information.  She narrowed her eyes.  “Mr. Kesse, we can gather,” she said as she tapped the leather folio.  “But can we also spread?”

Mr. Kesse was unruffled and gave her a small nod.  “It is a simple matter to spread news through the city.  We also pace ourselves when spreading outside, so as to appear natural.”

“What if I want the spread to reach a particular ear without too many people hearing it?” Beks asked.  Laurence and Marquis von Glasser had released little information on the status of the Second and Third Prince; only one was missing after a bandit attack and the other was ‘sent’ to look for him.

The official word was that the Second Prince was accounted for and leading his battalion to search the region.

She couldn’t spread the rumor that he was missing, too.

Mr. Kesse tilted his head to the side and gave her a curious look.  “May I be so bold as to ask Miss who is our target?”

Beks didn’t bat an eye.  “The King.”

╔═════════════════ ∘◦ ♔ ◦∘ ═════════════════╗

The exact details of how Laurence would find out weren’t explained, but Beks trusted the system the late Queen left her.  The less she knew, the more she could claim ignorance on the subject.

She didn’t leave for another two hours, as she dutifully reviewed the various philanthropic projects Nexus was engaged in.  The flood control project should’ve been overseen by the Ministry of Public Works, but there was a lack of funding.  Communities could band together to take on public works projects, but it was rare, as they often required much more money than a community had.

With the recent donations, their team had the funding to take on the project.  This was enough to make Beks satisfied despite the information about the twin princes.

She returned to the palace in the same carriage she’d left it, stopping once for some snacks outside and food for the guards, maid, carriage driver, and footman who had spent half the day waiting for her.

When they reached the old gatehouse, another of her maids was waiting for her.  Beks felt her heart shoot up, wondering if she was in trouble for having left.  She’d notified the chamberlain like Laurence told her, but she was still worried.  Were they looking for her?  Was there an urgent matter that needed her attention?  She’d only been gone a few hours.

“His Majesty was nearly killed,” her maid said as soon as she got into the carriage.

Her heart sank and she told the driver to go faster.

“Brother Laurence!” Beks didn’t wait for the footmen to open the door.  She threw open the carriage door by herself and jumped out, grasping her skirt as she ran up the steps into the Gilded Palace.

“My lady, His Majesty is in the East Library.”  Chamberlain Wilton had been waiting on the foyer, appearing to be waiting for her.  He looked worried and half chased, half led Beks to the library.

The old man couldn’t keep up with the young woman, despite her wearing a long dress and heeled boots.  The library’s double doors were open and Beks ran through, almost skidding to a stop immediately as she took a sharp breath and looked at the mess before her.

The East Library was a storage library.  It didn’t have an open space for a study table or chairs.  It was wall to ceiling shelves of books with rows and rows of shelves as tall as two people going from one side to the other.  Each side of those shelves was filled with texts and only one wooden staircase with wheels was inside for use getting to the books at the top.

The room was usually well kept, but the wooden shelves were now piled on top of each other on their sides like toppled tiles while all the books that had been stored on them littered the floor.  Dust was still in the air and the scent of old books was stronger than ever as dozens of books were displaced, wide open.

Beks tore her eyes away from the mess and looked around.  The second and third row of books were fine.  They hadn’t toppled over.  It was only the first row, but it went across the entire room.

“Beks!”  Her eyes finally settled on the man standing against the wall with a dark look on his face.  Laurence was wearing a tight-lipped frown.

“Brother, are you all right?” Forgetting his formal title, she jumped over the piles of books and rounded two servants picking books off the ground to get to the man.  His arms were crossed and as she rushed forward, he must’ve noticed the fearful expression on his face.  His eyes softened and he uncrossed his arms.

“I’m all right, Beks.”  He studied her face for a bit and touched her head.  “I’m not hurt.  Don’t be afraid.  Breathe.”

Her heart was beating quickly and she shut her eyes.  She forced herself to focus on breathing to calm down.  While it was clear that Laurence was safe, the lingering knowledge that the Second and Third Prince were missing and possibly in danger coupled with this accident in front of her made her anxious.

Two foster brothers were unaccounted for.  Beks had already lost her foster mother.  If something happened to Laurence, the foster brother who loved her the most since she arrived in the palace, she didn’t know what she would do.  As he stroked the back of her head as if she were a child and counted out loud to assist her calming technique, Beks was able to refocus.

She swallowed hard and opened her eyes, turning towards the pile of wood.  The first shelf in the row was split across horizontally, as if it had snapped.  “What happened?”

“I was walking across to get a reference book in the back row when I heard a creak and then a sudden crack.  I paused for a moment and before I could step into the aisle to look for a source of the sound, the shelves began to come down.”  Laurence let out a heavy breath and looked at the broken shelves and scattered books with pity.  “Luckily, I was able to get out of the way before the shelves on either side of me fell over.  I would’ve been crushed by the books and between the two shelves if I didn’t get out of the way in time.”

Beks squinted her eyes.  “Was anyone else here?”

“Thankfully, no.” Laurence looked relieved.  “The guards remained outside.  I was just passing on my way to my study and no one else was there that I saw.”

She gritted her teeth and stepped over some books to kneel beside the wooden shelf.  There was splintered wood where it split, but no signs of rot, animal damage, or an ax.  But why only the first one?  Was it because its placement in the room exposed it took much and it aged faster?  The weight of the books?

“We should’ve had the library checked for any damage from age,” Laurence said as he looked around the large room.  “The building is new, but these shelves were brought in from the Old Tower’s library.  They’re far older than the Gilded Palace.”

Beks understood that, but she couldn’t rid herself of the knot in her stomach.  She wasn’t fully convinced that it was an accident, though she had no proof.

“Brother!  Are you all right?  I heard you were hurt!” Another voice shouted from the entrance to the library and Luther had to grab on to the door to stop himself from tripping on the books on the ground.  His face was paler than normal as his eyes swept across the room to find them.

“Luther, I’m fine-”

“I told you not to go into the library!” Luther pushed himself against the door to try to make his way to them without running into the servants picking up books or the debris.

Laurence let out a heavy sigh and rubbed the bridge of his nose.  “That’s not what she said.”

Beks looked up from where she was kneeling as a chill swept through her.  She slowly rose to her feet.  “What do you mean ‘not what she meant’?”

Laurence met her eyes and gave her a small shake of his.  “It is nothing-”

“Iris said this morning that she dreamt that brother was hurt by books.”

“Hurt by books?” Beks frowned.  “What does that mean?  She dreamt he was crushed by them?”

“She didn’t say exactly what her vision was, only to tell him to be wary around books,” Luther said.  He looked over Laurence to assure himself that Laurence was not injured.  When it confirmed that Laurence was fine, he gave his brother a frown and looked as if he wanted to stomp his foot on the ground.  “Brother, why didn’t you listen to me?  I took a carriage back to the Gilded Palace before I finished my breakfast just to tell you.”

Laurence seemed to tense up.  His exasperated expression turned dark once more as his eyes narrowed.  Beks turned her head towards Luther.

“You were at the Hall of Eloquence this morning?” she asked in an even voice.  Luther froze in place.  His eyes widened and he glanced at Beks’ expressionless face before darting away.  He opened his mouth, but no words came out.  “It’s fine you spend the night with her, but do not make it so obvious.”

His head snapped up and he looked at her with a pale, horrified face.  “Beks, I didn’t-”

She raised her hand to stop him.  “Your attentiveness to your partner deteriorates my status in the eyes of witnesses.  I am effective because I am your fiancée and there is the assumption that I carry royal influence as a result.  I can do nothing to assist you and Brother Laurence if I am seen as a joke.”

Luther lowered his head, unable to meet his eyes.  She’d told him several times already to restrain anything that could be perceived as an affair during their engagement.  His eyes crinkled up.

“I didn’t spend the night with her,” he said in a pained voice, as if he were the victim.  “I only went to join her for breakfast.  The Hall of Eloquence is large and there are only a few people there.  Attendants and servants don’t dine with her; she was lonely.”

“How many meals has Beks had alone because others were busy?” Laurence asked in a low, disgusted voice.  “I was told that you’ve eaten with the oracle every day since she arrived.  How many meals have you had with Beks since you returned?”

Luther took a step back, as if he’d been dealt another blow.  In the last week, he’d eaten nearly every meal with the oracle.  They could count how many meals he ate with Beks present on two hands, which included banquets.

“Brother, it’s all right.” Beks stepped forward and gave Laurence a small shake of her head.  “His Highness and I are in a political engagement.  This is not a romantic match.”

“Both of you grew up together.  How can there be no fondness?” Laurence said with a frown.

“I am fond of Luther,” Beks replied.  To her left, Luther’s head perked up.  “We are partners, him and I.”

“I trust Beks,” Luther told them as he took a daring step forward.  “Of course, I want to support her.  She is my fiancée and everything she does is for the sake of me and our family.  I respect her greatly, Brother.”

“Then act like it.” Laurence snapped in a low voice as he sent a scalding glare at his younger brother.  “From now on, you will not have any private meals with the oracle.”

Luther gasped and almost reached for Laurence’s arm to try to dissuade him.  “But she is my guest-”

“She is the guest of the kingdom, not yours alone.” Laurence pulled his arm away the moment Luther came too close.  “You are well aware of the protocol you are supposed to follow as a Prince of Kadmus.  Mother gave you the best wife she could; she didn’t engage Beks to Laz or Cian despite being older.  She engaged Beks to you.  The daughter with dawn in her hair is going to be your wife.  If you cannot accept her and decide to disrespect her position and be with another before her position in the family is official, then I will cancel the engagement and let her choose between the twins!”

Luther trembled and backed away from Laurence as if he’d be struck.  His mouth opened and closed like fish out of water, looking at Laurence with disbelief.  No one could deny the privileges and respect Luther received because of who he was engaged to.  He knew just how their engagement benefited him in business, as well as in politics and amongst the people.

It would be humiliating if Laurence reneged the engagement, especially since it directly opposed their mother’s orders.  If Laurence really wanted to, no one could stop him.

Luther slowly shook his head.  “But...I am the most fitting.  The Second Prince...he’s too crude and rough for Beks.  And the Third Prince is a priest...he’s drunk the Water of the Covenant.  She’d never have children because of that.”

Laurence, appearing even more infuriated by Luther’s lack of self-awareness, snapped. “Then I will allow her to marry both!”

“Brother-”

“Go to your villa and prepare the projects I assigned to you!”  Laurence lifted his head and glowered.  Beks thought he was going to throw his arm up and point to the door, but didn’t.  “Not only have you missed every court session since the oracle arrived, but I also haven’t seen a single report from you this entire week.  I want to see them all on my desk by tomorrow, otherwise I will take it as a reflection of your dereliction of duty and lower your, and your father’s, monthly allowance accordingly!  The royal family will not tolerate idlers!”

Luther seemed to shrink further into a ball as he dropped his head.  He gave a small nod and took a step back to bow, but tripped over some books.  He fell against a pile that had been stacked up by a servant, sending all the books tumbling back on to the floor as he floundered around.

Laurence rolled his eyes and clenched his jaw as Beks stared at Luther with cold eyes.  She knew he’d missed the court sessions, but didn’t expect him to have submitted no work.  She’d sent him outlines and notes to assist him with the projects he was assigned to.  Did he not look at them at all?

“I’m sorry, Brother.  I’ll finish them at once and have them sent to you.”  After finally regaining his stability, Luther bowed to his brother and then swept out of the library as if being chased by a ghost.

Laurence closed his eyes and took a low, deep breath.  “Stop aiding him in his work.  He is an adult member of this family and should do what is expected of him without having to depend on you for everything.”

Beks almost wanted to laugh.  “Isn’t that why the late Queen engaged me to him?”

Laurence scowled.  “You should’ve been engaged to Laz or Cian, but that shrew of a man begged mother to engage you to his son instead.  Laz is strong and cunning, he’d protect you well.  Cian is gentle and thoughtful; he would treat you far better than Luther.”

Beks lowered her eyes.  She remembered that about the twins.  Thinking of their unknown statuses made her stomach twist.  She tried to make light of the king’s worry.  “Well, together they’d make a good partner, but I can’t marry them both.”

Laurence lowered his head.  “I’m sorry, Beks.  Luther is making your job more difficult.”

She shook her head.  “It’s not your fault, Brother.  You didn’t raise him.”

Laurence sneered for a moment, thinking about the Third Consort.  He ground his teeth and turned back to her.  “I know that love between you and Luther isn’t likely, but if he disrespects you enough that it starts to affect your status, if it starts to hurt you, tell me.  My mother’s order or not, I will break it.  When we find Laz and Cian, you can pick between them.  They will listen to me and are afraid of Eleanor.  Your brother and future-sister will protect you.”

Beks’ face softened.  She was not wrong to trust this foster brother who loved her most, and she was grateful.  She smiled and nodded.  “Thank you, Brother.”  She held her breath for a moment and weighed her thoughts.  “Regarding the Second and Third Prince...have you heard any news?”

A look of disappointment appeared on his face and she got her answer.  Before he could open his mouth, yelling was heard from the hall outside the library doors.  The two looked over.  Laurence frowned and Beks recognized Luther’s voice.

And the voice of a woman who sounded urgent.

“Let me see him!  I must warn him at once!”

“Iris, what’s wrong?  Did you have another vision?”

“Your Majesty!”  The new oracle yelled and Laurence frowned.  Beks’ brows furrowed.  How did the new oracle enter the Gilded Palace without Laurence’s permission?

Laurence walked towards the door and just as they reached it, a flurry of white robes and frazzled orange hair rushed in.

The oracle gasped as she saw the toppled shelves and the books strewn about.  Her jaw dropped and she turned.

Her voice shook as she looked at Laurence.  “Beware books...,” she whispered in a breathless voice.

Laurence frowned, but didn’t contradict her.  “I was cautious when I entered, remembering your words, Your Eminence.  I was able to escape unscathed.”

The oracle swallowed hard and shook her head.  “Your Majesty, you must pay attention.  It is no wonder I received another vision.”

Luther stepped forward and grasped her hand.  Beks stared at their conjoined hands with a dull expression.  What did Laurence just tell him?

“What did you see?  You look pale...is it bad?” Luther asked, his voice shaking as he paled.  “Is my brother in any danger?”

The oracle looked at Luther with sympathy and nodded.  “For your sake, I will tell him.  Perhaps the danger can be avoided.”  She turned back to Laurence.  She seemed to remember who he was and quickly pulled her hand from Luther’s before giving him a bow of her head.  “Your Majesty, I was in the garden at the Hall of Eloquence.  As I passed a fountain, I saw a vision of you falling into water.  I don’t know where, but you were struggling before you went under.”  She paused and swallowed hard once more.  “You did not come up.”

“Are you saying I drowned?” Laurence asked.  “Non-sense, I can swim.”

“Brother, there are rivers with a strong current that people cannot fight again.  Mommy also used to tell me about invisible tides in the ocean that can sweep people out to sea,” Beks said.  “It doesn’t hurt to be more wary of water.”

Luther and the oracle both turned to look at her with surprise.  Luther’s shoulders relaxed and he gave her a relieved smile.  “You believe her, Beks...thank you.”

Beks shook her head.  “He is the king and my foster brother.  I want him to be well and erring on the side of caution isn’t a bad idea.”

Laurence still didn’t seem convinced, but let out a heavy sigh and nodded.  “I will be more cautious and stay clear of water.”

Both the oracle and Luther looked relieved and exchanged smiles.

Beks nodded.  “I will arrange with Lady Eleanor to represent you at the Inundation Blessing.”

Laurence shook his head.  “The Inundation Blessing comes once every five years.  After Mother’s death, I should preside over it.  It’s an important festival and my presence will make the people confident.”

Beks frowned a bit.  “Brother, it is water.”

“I won’t go on the customary boat.  I can do the royal blessing from the shore.  It’s been done before as our great-grandfather would get sick on the water.”  He looked at Beks and gave her a reassuring smile.  “Don’t worry, Beks.  You’ve never been, so you don’t know how it is set up.  It will take place by a shallow inlet to begin with and there is a wide promenade along the water with a waist high railing.  I will be perfectly safe.”