Chapter 17
Evander and Alyx were not at dinner but the others were and they promised to give Evander the regards of the court. For the first time in a very long time, it felt like the people were at ease once again. Their king had returned to them, would protect them, and there were no more worries in the world.
Their lives could go on as they had.
After dinner, Alyx and Evander were joined by Prince Alik and Lord Margrave and Lady Issat in the east sitting room. There was an assemblage of chairs, all situated in a circle in the room. There was not one bit of room to spare and Alyx was worried about the amount of people they would have in there to hear what Evander had to say.
But Evander would not repeat it, could barely bring himself to do it again after telling Alyx, and was worried about how the others would react.
Slowly, the others began to trickle in; Gael and Cordelia, then Auelina and Aldous. The Ataton family followed, then Gia, Edward, and Cade. Finally Josette limped in on Geoffrey’s shoulder and then every single seat was taken.
As soon as everyone was seated, Evander cleared his throat. He did not stand, as he normally would, because his strength wasn’t returned completely and the trip down to the sitting room took more out of him than he wished to say.
“I just want to say that I am so grateful to be back. I know that the time when I was gone was hard, harder on some than others. But now that I am back, I wish for the things to go back to the state that they were, as much as possible,” Evander said and then reached for some water. With his other hand, he gripped Alyx’s hand fiercely.
“I cannot thank my friends enough. Prince Eamon, first of all, for keeping my family and kingdom safe. And Prince Alik for coming to my aid. My friends, there is not enough gold or thanks in this world to express my gratitude but just know, so long as I am alive, or any De Loughrey sits on the throne, you will have our allegiance,” Evander went on.
Alyx hated how he sounded. Unlike before, he was no longer as boisterous and proud as he was. Alyx wanted to kill Serlo more than he wanted anything in his life.
“Unfortunately, with my return, I have news that-” Evander paused and looked down at where Alyx and he were joined. Their rings were identical and he held Alyx’s left hand in his own, afraid to let go for even a moment.
“That none of us could have predicted,” Alyx finished, picking up where Evander left off when it was clear that Evander could not continue. “Our King won’t be answering questions of his time gone, as I’m sure that all of you understand.”
Everyone in the circle murmured their assent, their words soft and agreeable.
Alyx risked a look over at Evander, to see if he was able to pick up the story but Evander seemed lost in their hands and Alyx squeezed him and Evander looked up. Alyx raised his eyebrows but Evander only shook his head. Alyx gave him a tight smile and nodded.
“Evander spent a great deal of time with Thomas. The real one, not a decoy sent to fool us once more. I-” Alyx cut himself off, unable to continue with the mask civility in his tone and on his face. Not when he looked to Gael, Cade, and Auelina.
Alyx cleared his throat and shook his head. “I am so sorry.”
“For what?” Edward asked, looking around.
“Thomas. He has been under our noses all this time. Thomas is Serlo. Evander’s father,” Alyx said. His voice was barely above a whisper but his words fell like a boulder in the middle of the room.
“That’s not possible. Evander, you must be mistaken-” Gia said and stood.
“He is not,” Prince Alik said.
The room fell silent once more. “I knew Serlo from my visits here as a child. When I was there, at the place where they held Evander, I saw him. He was the one who did all this to me,” Alik said and gestured to his face and side.
Auelina shook her head. “No. You said you killed him. You said he was gone.”
“I thought he was. There was no reason to believe he should have survived. Mother and Edward were there. They saw him drown same as I. But it appears that he was nursed back by a fisherman and his daughter. Miss Vail,” Evander said, for those that did not know.
Cade was shaking his head. “No. Why? Why would he-”
“From all accounts, you are too young to remember. He was cruel and often, from what I can gather, his greatest love was to torture his children,” Alyx said.
“So what is this? Some new trick? One last time to torture us? Is that all he wants, is to make us pay for what happened to him?” Auelina asked.
“He wants the throne back,” Evander announced, very carefully.
This time, the room was filled with shouts and denials and threats. Nearly everyone was on their feet, trying to speak over one another and it seemed like the only ones that remained seated were Evander and Gael, seated across from each other, staring at one another.
Of them all, these two were the ones that suffered the most at the hands of King Serlo. They had the scars to prove it. Gael learned to hide from such a young age that it was his first instinct for a very long time. Gael stood and went to Evander, knelt in front of him. The others continued to argue, but for Alyx who stood back and watched the two brothers.
“What does this mean for us? Does he have a claim?” Gael whispered.
“I was only given the title by mother who received it on his death. I believe that makes my claim, and Alyx’s, false,” Evander nodded.
“What can we do?” Gael asked.
“Kill him, I suppose,” Evander said.
Evander stared down into his brother’s face, so lost and searching, but he could not take that pain away. He could not even soothe him, because they both knew that only a legitimate challenge could be made.
The only one able to lay down that challenge was Evander.
It would have been laughable, if this were to happen a year ago. A year ago, Evander would have put down King Serlo like a rabid dog. Now, Evander could barely make it from his room to the great hall without fainting.
“The people-” Gael started and Evander saw him go pale, saw him begin to tremble.
“The people are ours. The manner in which we take care of them says that their allegiance is with us. All we have to do is remind them what it was like under Serlo and they will not take his side,” Evander said.
“Are you sure?” Gael asked.
No, he was not. But he had no other answer.
So he didn’t answer.
“Please can we all sit?” Alyx said.
It took a moment before they regained themselves, but eventually everyone sat once more.
“What options do we have?” Cade asked. He was leaning forward with his forearms braced on his knees and his hands pressed together. If Alyx were not mistaken, it would look like he was praying.
“A challenge,” Gael said faintly from his chair.
Cade looked from Evander to Gael and then to Eamon. “Can there be a second who does battle for the challenger?”
“No. Only the king and the challenger might fight. So the one who sits on the throne and the one who wants it might fight. If any trickery is involved, no matter how sophisticated, it renders the challenge invalid and the throne goes to the man that was tricked,” Gael said.
Cade did not look back to Evander.
“How long would it take for Evander to be in fighting strength?” Edward asked Lissandra.
Her fingers twitched against her long skirts and she looked down and then back at Evander. He gave her a soft smile and Alyx saw her eyes brighten with tears.
“The soonest? Months. Three, possibly more. And even that is pushing it,” Lissandra whispered.
“I fear that we do not have that much time,” Evander said.
“So what do we have?” Gia asked.
Evander shook his head. “I can only double our guards and fortify our borders. Not that it matters. If he wants in, it is his right.”
Evander stood and so did the rest of the room. “I must rest. I will continue to think on what can be done. Alyx and I will study the books. Come what may, if I must, I will kill him again.”
Then they were gone, back to their rooms, a contingent following their every step.
∞∞∞
Eamon was out with Kane that night. It was nearly a full moon and Kane was worked up. Eamon had to wonder if the old legends were true about animals turning on the full moon or if Kane was just used to more running after being out with Josette and Paige for so long.
The moon stained the tall grass silver and the chill through the air would tip them with ice by morning, he knew. He missed his islands and the sound of the waves crashing against the rocks. He missed the large fires and his home and the food and everything about what his life was like before he came to Cerith to rescue his friends.
“Your men tell me that you are out here with your dog, raising evil spirits,” Alik’s voice called out. He was mocking him but Eamon knew it was because he was terrified.
The young prince knew nothing of war, only that it had taken his brother and sister from him.
Eamon did not rise to his challenge and instead held up a hand for Kane to pause, sit, and wait for his next command. Alik ventured closer and Eamon knew the moment he spotted the bucket in his hand.
Eamon dipped his hand in it and threw a large hunk of meat out into the tall grass, but held Kane back without a word or a touch. Kane’s every muscle vibrated with the need to go get the bloody piece of meat but waited for Eamon’s signal.
Finally, Eamon let him go.
“Everyone is so obedient around you,” Alik noted. He sounded bitter.
“I wouldn’t say everyone,” Eamon said and gave Alik a meaningful glance before turning back to where Kane disappeared in the grass.
“Well you hold no sway over other royals,” Alik said and rocked back on his heels.
Eamon looked over at him and Alik looked out where he could hear Kane ripping the meat from the bone. Eamon knew that if he told Alik to do something, really do it, he would obey. If only for the safety for his own country.
This time, when Kane returned to Eamon, Eamon threw a piece of meat as hard and as far as he could.
Kane waited.
“Go,” Eamon whispered.
“I worry,” Alik blurted out.
Eamon nodded.
“If Evander loses, our kingdoms will be next.”
“Your kingdom. Mine will be gone and yours is nothing more than a fat goose, waiting to be dressed and cooked.”
Alik did not refute Eamon’s words.
“Evander will lose,” Alik whispered.
“Yes,” Eamon said.
“What can we do?” Alik asked.
It was the question everyone was putting forth to him. Eamon hated the way the others looked to him. The whole thing felt like he was watching the world end and for all his strength and might, all he could do was sit by and watch it all burn to the ground.
Even at such a desperate hour, Eamon worked better with his siblings at his side, concocting plans and running scenarios. But now, even Lissandra who was the cleverest of them all, had no ideas.
“We bear witness to our friend’s end,” Eamon said.
Eamon could feel Alik’s temper rise to the surface. “Some great warrior you are. All you have is to watch him die! Is he not your friend? Is he not as close to you as Edmond? And you will stand by and watch him die?”
“If I fight for him and kill Serlo, which I happily would, the country would call Evander a cheat for sending in someone in his stead. It would end up in civil war, still. If I go out there in the forests and track Serlo and slaughter him like the coward he is, there would always be rumors and would undermine Evander’s rule, for as long as he lives. If I offer him sanctuary, his own people would think him a coward for abandoning them, and would never welcome his rule. Anything I do only results in hurting Evander and Alyx. What would you have me do? Do you have some great lie or scheme that you would like to tell me?”
Eamon sounded tired even to his own ears.
“Is there truly nothing?” Alik whispered.
Eamon realized then that Alik expected something, anything, from the great warriors of Ataton, for them to come through at the end because his own people did not see a way out either.
This was Alik, at his side, realizing that they might both die while still being Princes, never Kings.
“Here they have the goddess above and the god below. Our islands are ruled by the Faith of the Two Divines. I do not know who you worship in your lands, but I suggest that we pray to all of them,” Eamon said.
With one final look at the field around them, Eamon turned and left Alik there, under the cold light of a winter moon.