KGWrites

Samuel

The Royal Apartments, Falcon’s Nest Palace, Kingdom of Aldiron

“You have become… annoyingly good at this.” King Samuel said, pinching his nose and staring down at the game board in front of him. Every possible move he could make came at a cost. Iona had well and truly boxed him in.

Across from him, his daughter grinned in satisfaction.

“Thank you.” She said, pride clear in her voice. “Meghan says knowing and reading your opponent is one of the most important parts of the lessons she’s trying to teach. I’m glad something’s going in.”

“And how are those lessons going?” Samuel asked, moving a pawn in what he hoped was the best move he could make.

“I’m getting the hang of swords, I think. And I’m as good on a horse as any rider we have. Though… I don’t like lances much. I’m no expert with a bow but I think I’m doing alright. They haven’t put me in armour yet though.” Iona responded, not taking her eyes off the game board. Samuel chuckled.

“That’s because armour restricts, you’ll need to get good at the basics before you can wear armour as well.” Samuel explained. “As for lances, if you’re riding at the head of a vanguard, they’re useful. But as a royal you’re more likely towards the back of the charge where its somewhat safer so you might not need them so much. Beyond warfare the only time you’ll use a lance is at a joust, which you could just as easily not take part in. I wouldn’t worry much about lances.” He sat back from the game, clearly already beaten by Iona and now more invested in their conversation than their game.

“And your… other lessons?” He asked. Iona flicked her orange hair, sucking her teeth with a frustrated look.

“I… It’s not working!” She told him, bottled up anger clear in her voice. “I follow everything Meghan says, and it doesn’t work.”

“I remember trying to learn it. It takes time, and patience. Which I’m afraid to say, isn’t really your strong suit Iona.” Samuel reassured her gently. “Keep at it, you’ll get there.”

Iona glared down at the game board, but nodded, understanding her father’s words. She looked ready to respond when there was a knock at the door.

“Enter.” Samuel called out and the door was quickly opened, Iona’s personal guard Sir Reynard Junice stepping inside ahead of two other figures.

“Lady Violet Hills and Lord Captain Haster your majesty.” Junice announced, saluting while the two guests bowed. Samuel and Iona rose from their seats, and Samuel returned their greeting with a nod.

“Violet, Haster, good evening. What can I do for you?” He said and both looked to the other, gesturing to go first. But neither spoke and both looked at him with slightly sheepish looks before Haster finally spoke.

“Forgive me your highness but, I actually bear news for the princess.” He told Samuel and next to him Violet also nodded.

“I’m looking for Iona too your highness, I hadn’t realised you were here.” She agreed and Samuel laughed.

“Well, don’t stand on ceremony for my account. It’s nice not to be the one everyone’s looking for for once.” He stepped to the side, allowing Iona to step up in front of them. He knew that Violet likely just wanted to speak with her friend, but what Haster could have for Iona, Samuel didn’t know.

He didn’t need to wait long to find out. Iona looked first to Violet and gestured for her to take a seat before turning to Haster.

“You were looking for me, Lord Captain?” She asked, cocking an eyebrow and tilting her head in curiosity. Haster nodded.

“Yes, your highness. My men and I made several arrests this evening in the Winter District and one of the prisoners asked me to bring something to you. Normally, I wouldn’t dare entertain such a notion. But in this case…” Haster trailed his voice off before reaching into one of the small pouches on his belt and fishing around inside. He lifted out a silvered ring and held it out to Iona.

Samuel watched his daughter’s eyes widen in clear recognition and she reached out to take the ring from Haster.

“Alyx.” She whispered, her voice barely audible. Samuel recognised the name, the urchin that had saved Iona the month before when she’d been mugged in the streets of the Autumn District. Iona had said that she’d given Alyx one of her rings as thanks. Iona’s head snapped up from the band of silver in her palm to fix Haster with a withering glare.

“You knew who she was, and still you arrested her? You knew she’d saved my life and you put her in chains?” Iona demanded, her voice on the edge of yelling. Haster took a half step back.

“She didn’t leave me much choice princess.” He tried to explain but Iona followed him, staying in his face. Her fire orange hair seemed to blaze around her.

“What did she do that convinced you to arrest her?” She asked. Haster sighed and fixed Iona’s angry gaze with a resolute look of his own.

“She punched me in the face at the centre of a unit of my guards.” He told her simply.

Samuel drew his head back in surprise. That, he hadn’t been expecting.

Apparently neither had Iona as she came to a complete standstill, blinking slowly in disbelief and her mouth hanging open as she worked through what Haster had told her. Then she slowly began to shake her head.

“No. No, she was afraid when we came across you and your men at the docks. She wouldn’t start a fight like that. She must have had a reason.”

Haster looked at her and gave her a half smile.

“My thoughts exactly princess. She didn’t seem like someone that would lash out for no reason. That’s why I came to you with the ring, I thought you’d want to know she was here.”

Iona looked around at the others in the room before she hurried over and grabbed a cloak from where she had tossed it onto a couch.

“I need to go and see her.” She said simply, heading for the door.

Until her father stepped in her way.

“You need to slow down.” He told her firmly, holding out his hand to block her. She looked up at him in shock, which rapidly faded to anger.

“She’s not a criminal father. She saved my life.” Iona insisted.

“And picked your pocket while doing so.” Samuel reminded her. “This woman is very much a criminal. And she’s now attacked a city guard. You can’t just march down in there and let her out.” He turned his head to Violet Hills, who was sat listening to the conversation with a look of confusion and concern.

“Lady Hills, please ensure that the princess remains here in her chambers until I say otherwise.” He commanded and Violet nodded, rising to lay her hand on Iona’s shoulder, gently pulling her back away from the door to sit down, even as the princess began to splutter incredulously. Samuel ignored her and looked to Haster.

“Lord Captain lets you and I go down to the dungeons. I’m curious to meet this bold as brass street urchin that’s saved my daughter and assaulted my guards.” Haster nodded and turned, marching from the room ahead of Samuel who moved to follow.

“Father.” Iona’s voice, now much calmer sounding, called out. Samuel turned to look back at her, sat next to Violet and looking up at him, her wide green eyes sincere.

“I think… Alyx is a good person from a bad place. I think she does what she needs to do to live. Please, be merciful, if you can.” She asked and Samuel stood for a second, taken aback by his daughters’ sudden sincerity. Then he nodded and smiled, and she smiled back.

And then Samuel stepped from the room falling into pace behind Haster and marching down towards the dungeons.

The Falcon’s Nest palace dungeons were set deep into the cliffs below the palace, linked to the docks in the Spring District through a lower gate set at the cliff base. Within the palace itself, a winding series of corridors and spiralling staircases led a confusing march down into the rocks of the cliffs, eventually emerging into the dungeons.

The dungeons themselves were carved out corridors and chambers, rooms of stone walled on one side by iron bars. Light filtered in through windows that looked out over the bay or mingled with shadows dancing on the walls from braziers and torches. The floors of the cells were covered in straw, and hammock like beds hung from the wall, able to be flipped up and down as needed. Around the foot of the stone walls, the bricks were wider, forming a stone bench that ringed each cell.

And there were plenty such cells, spread across three floors of dungeon and all centred around an open central shaft that ran a spiral staircase between all three levels.

It was onto the third and lowest of these levels, that Samuel and Haster arrived, with Haster leading Samuel to a cell in the corner of the dungeon, with windows that looked out over the sea.

Outside the cell, they were met with two city guards and a black robed and beaked mask wearing woman. A priestess of The Physician. Haster looked at her, a question clear on his lips but she interrupted before he could ask it.

“They wouldn’t accept my help. Just told me to leave the medicines and I quote ‘just fuck off’. Then they took care of it themselves.” She explained, her voice somewhat deepened and echoey with the mask. “I’m still here, just in case.”

Haster sighed and nodded. Then he looked to his two guards and gave them a signal. They saluted and stepped either side, letting Haster and Samuel step past them and up to the cell bars. All three keeping their heads lowered while the king passed them by before taking a respectful step back, leaving Samuel and Haster alone with the prisoners.

In the flickering torchlight and silvery moonlight filtering in through the windows, Samuel had to squint to make out the prisoners properly. Two of them, a man and a woman. Both young, around the age of Iona by the look of them. The man was maybe a little older. Both had the same olive hued skin, hazel eyes and deep brown hair, so there was no mistaking they were related.

The man was laid back on one of the folded down hammocks. He had a patchy stubble beard and looked painfully thin. He wore no clothing upwards from his waist except a tight bandage wrapped around his chest. It seemed to be holding a compress of cold, wet bandages against his side. From the edges of the bandages, Samuel could make out dark bruising beginning to spread across his left side. As he shifted, Samuel spotted that his right hand only bore the thumb and two forefingers, with his ring and little fingers being barely stumps above the palm of his hand.

The young woman, meanwhile, was pacing the room, her arms folded across her chest. Her left hand was wrapped tightly in bandages and her right eye was already showing signs of a dark purple bruise forming just below it. Her nose bore the scar of a bad break and she drummed her fingers on her arm impatiently as she paced.

When she caught sight of Haster she walked up to the bars of the cell.

“Haster! Listen, we were in trouble, it was the best way to-.” But she was cut off as Haster held up his hand, looking apologetically to Samuel.

“Traditionally the people of Aldiron bow before their king.” He said forcefully. The woman’s gaze turned to take in Samuel, surprise clear on her features for a second before she hid it away.

“Oh.” She said simply before gesturing back towards the man on the hammock. “Well, he’s got a broken rib, and I don’t give a fuck, so we’ll give that a miss, eh?” There was a sharp intake of breath from Haster and a gasp from the priestess behind Samuel. With a groan of pained effort, the man in the hammock sat up and shot a warning glare to his sister.

“Alyx.” He warned and she shrugged. She’d never taken her eyes off Samuel’s.

Samuel hummed and walked down the length of the cell, finding a wooden seat meant for guards positioned next to the wall and lifting it. He brought it back down in front of the bars and sat, still looking in at the prisoners. The woman sat down on the floor of the cell opposite him, crossing her legs and still never breaking eye contact with him.

“So,” Samuel began after a moment. “You attacked Haster. You attempted to evade arrest and, as best we can tell, you burned down a tavern.” It was guesswork, done by Haster based on a couple of other crimes and arrests committed that night and the state the Cobalts had been arrested in. To her credit, Alyx just nodded.

“And you’re the king who raised a princess to nearly get murdered on the Tide Road.” She replied, her tone matching his. Another gasp to the side reminded Samuel that not everyone had heard about Iona’s escapade in the lower districts, and he didn’t need rumours and gossip darkening her reputation. He turned his head to face Haster, the guards and the princess.

“You can leave us.” He commanded and, though they looked at each other uncertainly, all of them nodded, bowed and walked away. Only once they had faded from view did Samuel turn his head back to Alyx.

“You have my thanks for saving her.” He said sincerely and Alyx nodded.

“Yeah well, thanks are one thing. Letting us out from behind these bars. Now that’d be gratitude.” She responded and Samuel laughed, looking around at the metal bars.

“Perhaps. But first I want to understand how you ended up behind them.” He said and Alyx blinked in surprise.

“Ask Haster, I’m sure his jaw is sore enough to speak to how we ended up here.” She said by way of explanation.

“Hmm,” Samuel agreed, picking up a piece of straw from the stone floor and turning it between his fingers. “But Iona seems to think you wouldn’t have attacked Haster without a reason. She seems very certain of it in fact. I trust that she’s right. So, I want to know why.”

Alyx tensed, her shoulders rising, like a cat’s fur standing on end. She looked to her brother and, after a moment of silent communication between the two, her shoulders sagged again.

“If we’d waited, or gotten caught up by the guards, then the minute they were out of sight, we’d have been jumped, beaten and quite possibly murdered, or worse. Attacking Haster was safer than anything else.” She explained.

“Why would you have been attacked? What was so special that made these people come after you?” Samuel asked. Surely there were plenty of people in the Autumn and Winter Districts that would have made for just as easy quarry as these two.

Across from him, Alyx chewed her lip and sighed, looking up at the ceiling for a moment. Clearly, she was working herself up towards whatever she had to say.

“That would be because I maimed their boss and I’d just killed one of their mates.” She said after a moment. Samuel looked down at the floor. That complicated things.

“Why?” He asked, watching Alyx carefully. He needed to know this. If she gave the wrong answer here, then what he was considering would be impossible. Alyx’s hazel eyes found Samuels and her gaze hardened into stone, resolute and unyielding, free of regrets or second thoughts.

“I maimed their boss because he’s a monster that threatened a little girl and attacked my friend. And I killed their friend because she did that to my brother.” She said, her voice steady and unwavering as she pointed to her brother’s bandaged side. There was no hint of remorse or regret.

Samuel sat back in his chair, looking to the ceiling. “I think she does what she has to do to live.” Iona had said of Alyx and Samuel saw now that his daughter hadn’t been completely right. Alyx didn’t just do what she had to do so that she could live, but also so that anyone she cared about could live too, and clearly, she protected those people with a ferocity that few could match. And if her brother was anything like her…

He let the silence hang for a minute, let the words Alyx had said sink in with the weight they were owed before he spoke again.

“Princess Iona asked me to be merciful to you before I came down here.” Samuel began, rising from the chair and looking off towards where the two guards had taken positions, out of earshot but not out of sight. Seeing the king looking to them, they began marching back towards the cells. Inside the cell, Alyx rose to her feet and took a few steps back, putting herself between her injured brother and anyone else.

“And so often I find myself beholden to my daughter’s wishes.” He reached out to the guards as they reached him and obediently, they passed him a key which he slid into the lock on the cell door with a click. He turned the key and with a loud creaking, pulled open the door. Inside, Alyx and her brother looked at him with confusion and a healthy amount of suspicion.

“You are both free to leave. If you wish.” He concluded. He wasn’t surprised to see Alyx react immediately, reaching a hand down to help her brother up.

“But” He said suddenly, holding up his hand. “If you are both willing to show a little faith and remain in the palace tonight. Not in the cells, but in guest rooms in the Falcon’s Nest itself, then tomorrow I have an… offer for you. One that could change both our fortunes for the better.”

The two siblings’ eyes boggled, and they stood still as statues for a moment before looking slowly to one another. A renewed completely silent conversation began between them as Samuel waited, a half-smile playing at his lips.

“One condition.” The brother said, his voice hoarse as he straightened, one hand pressing his bandages close to his side.

“This isn’t really a barterable offer.” Samuel began, shaking his head but the man pushed forwards anyway.

“At our home in Winter, there’s an eleven-year-old girl, our ward. She’s all alone in a district of monsters. If we stay to hear this offer, she needs to be brought here too. I won’t leave her alone.”

Samuel blinked slowly, he hadn’t been expecting that. But in terms of conditions, one more mouth wasn’t exactly asking the world, if it turned out to be true.

“Very well, tell Lord Captain Haster where to find your home and he and his men will retrieve your ward.” Samuel offered and Haster stepped forwards, having rejoined his men when he saw Samuel summon them. But the man immediately shook his head, holding out his finger towards Haster and stopping him in place.

“Absolutely not. We’ve spent years staying out of the way of your guards, keeping our home hidden. We’re not about to give that up. Besides, if she sees your great armoured monsters then she’ll disappear and not us nor you will be able to find her.” He said firmly. Samuel shifted his jaw, it was a frustrating point, but Samuel could see the truth in it.

“Fine then, you’ll go with Haster, reassure your ward that all is well and then bring her back here. Your sister will stay here in the palace as a way to make sure you don’t double cross Haster and lure him and his men into a trap.” The implication of sending the brother, rather than Alyx, was clear. His injuries would be a massive disadvantage to any tricks he intended to pull. But to his credit, the man simply nodded a firm agreement.

“James…” Alyx said softly, her voice unsure as she looked at her brother, her gaze lingering on his bandaged side.

“This is how it has to be Alyx.” Her brother, whose name Samuel now knew was James, said reassuringly. He laid a hand on her shoulder. “I won’t be gone long, we’ll be right back soon. But for now…”

He looked over his sister’s shoulder at Samuel, fixing the king with steely glare, daring him to try something.

“Try and enjoy the benefits of our royal invitation.”