Inevitable War (Jalapeno x Shelby)

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At least there was someone who believed Avram could make a good king, though he had yet to see evidence of that himself. Still, Myla's optimism was comforting despite the fact that he was distraught by the idea of her leaving. "I will do my best to see this kingdom reunited." Her hands still felt warm and inviting, and though they were too small to fully enclose his it was wonderful feeling all the same. Parting was not easy to swallow, but finally they separated for what would be the last time. Their eyes met as she stood in the doorway, a split second that could have lasted a lifetime, and just like that she was gone. Avram rubbed his forehead and squinted out into the darkness. The sun would be coming up within a couple of hours, but he did not have the will to go about his duties today. He would have curled up into a ball and wept for the lost love that he could not have. Better yet, he would have packed some travel clothes and set off after her. "If only," he sighed and threw on a plain tunic. It would do for now, but he would be required to put on something more elegant for his crowning as well as his father's funeral. Lyanna would likely be there by his side through the ordeal, though it would not be of her own will. An apology was the least he could do for her. His wedding gift would have to be spectacular if he wished to regain her trust, assuming he ever had it to begin with. Did he really even want it? She was not Myla. But she was the woman he would be seeing every day for the rest of his life. It was past time he accepted that.

A knock at the door interrupted Avram's thoughts. "Enter," he said sullenly as he laced his breeches up. Yaryk entered and looked him up and down with a speculating glance. "You wished to see me, my lord?" Avram had already thought about what he was going to ask him. As it turned out there was information he needed from the scribe anyway. He was glad he asked the guards to summon him and not someone else. "Have you received any news from your source at Tallarth?" He did not expect there to be anything new. But once they learned of the king's death there would surely be some movement coming from Maryn Lodar's encampments. Shaking his head, Yaryk glanced around them room and he frowned. "You really need to sort through those letters," he stated boldly, eyeing the desk that remained cluttered with numerous scrolls and parchments, all which Avram had read through at least a dozen times over. In voice that was more somber, Yaryk continued while returning his attention to the prince. "I am very sorry for your father's death. We are investigating everyone and everything we have a lead on. Though I must admit, it would be easier to find a needle in a stack of hay." Avram put his hand up and nodded with remorse. "As long as everyone is doing their best to find the culprit I can not be upset. See that everything is set for his funeral." He did not mention the coronation. He could not care if that ceremony lasted only a minute. The shorter the better, because then he would have more time to complete his duties. Yaryk gave him a stiff bow. "As you wish, my lord."

One of the servants came in immediately after Yaryk disappeared down the corridor, replacing the cold wine with a fresh pitcher, steam rising from it and a strong aroma tickling the nostrils. Avram reached for it but found that he could not bring himself to drink this morning, not after what Myla had told him the previous night. Begrudgingly, he set the goblet down and returned to the still open window. A few lights could be seen in the distance, random shops opening up to accommodate the early business hours. The dark of the night made it difficult to make out the walls or gates. Assuming everything went right, Myla would be riding through those gates before the dawn came. "It is for the best," he continued to mutter to himself. "She will be safer this way." Belin arrived a little while later, and by the way he was dressed Avram assumed he was all ready for the coronation, which was hours away yet. "Good morning, my lord," he stated formally with his usual bow. "I hope you are doing well." Avram simply grunted what was meant to be an affirmation, though he was not sure the message came across that way. "I want you to find Lady Mina for me. That is if she is awake. If not then leave her be. I will speak with her when she has the time." As Belin left to fetch Mina, Avram slumped down before his table and began sorting through the papers. It would only take another day or two for it to look a complete mess again.



The morning came as it always did for Ector. Elize was still fast asleep, though her clothes and personals had been packed the night before. They had not agreed to leave today, but plans could change in a heartbeat from his experience. It was best to be prepared for the worst. If for some reason they needed to flee the capital with all haste it could be costly to lose time while packing their belongings. They each only packed a small rucksack and a cloak, along with Ector's sword and knives. A light load would prevent the horses from growing tired too quickly. He did not want to wake the girl just yet. But he also wanted to see Myla's training for himself. If he was going to teach her while on the road it was best for him to get a good idea of where she stood now. Elize would be well taken care of here. The innkeeper was a kindly woman who adored his daughter as if she were her grandchild. She was always happy to keep an eye on the girl whenever Ector had to step away for a while. He had also informed Lord Dremond of his decision to seek another's employment, to which the plump man responded with a mixture of bitterness and intrigue, but he did not make any arguments. In truth Ector cared little for whatever his opinions on the matter were.

It was still dark outside when Ector left the inn. There were hardly any people walking the streets at this hour except for a few merchants opening up their shops and wagons. There was also the occasional city watch patrol that marched by. Ector gave them a friendly salute, but they were either ignored him or were to intent on their duty to notice. The palace gates were already open, and a long line of commoners was already forming to enter the court. It was unlikely that the prince himself would be present there today, not after his father's death. A king whose mind had been less than useful in his final days. It was a tragic tale, but Ector did not expect to lose much sleep over his passing. Were it not for him the Viricof Legion would still be a force today. He ground his teeth at the thought but made himself stop. He was helping Myla Auvery now, which was just as good as being a part of the legion in his mind.

There were guards all over the palace; the watch had been doubled after the king's murder. With their helmets covering their faces, in addition to the lack of light besides the odd torch here and there, he could not tell if Larcin was among the men on duty. He assumed the man would approach if he saw Ector, but none of these guards seemed to pay Ector any mind since he made no attempt to enter the castle walls. The armory itself was bigger than he remembered, but it could have been renovated since his last trip to Sarvayl. The training grounds looked no different, however, and still empty for now. He had half a mind to practice a few swings here himself. If Ser Gerold were up for it he might try a few rounds with the Captain of the Guard himself. It would be a true test of his skills at the very least. The last time he sparred with a true sword master of note was when Ser Walric Dal'fon was the High Commander of the legion. Ector had only just been promoted to Captain when the man insisted on a quick match. And though it was not even close to being a contest, Ser Walric still complimented his opponent's skill with a blade.



"What do you mean she was not in her chambers?" Ser Gerold peered at the four guards before him with a critical eye. "You mean to tell me that you spent the entire night standing before an empty room?" The one at the front of the group spoke first. It was Criston Hasle, a younger man with only a small tuft of hair on his chin. The others had their eyes downcast. "Sorry Captain. When we knocked there was no answer, and we thought she might be asleep." Ser Gerold threw his hands up in disbelief. "So you did not open the door to make sure that was true?" A second guard chimed in. Balwin Guss was older than Criston, though not by much. Next time Gerold would have to make certain that all of the guards he placed in front of Myla's door were veterans. "We thought she might be unclothed or in her shift. It would not be proper, Captain." Standing up, Gerold slapped a mailed fist on the table and growled. "Proper? There are people in this castle who would see her dead, and you want to talk to me of what is proper? She was sleeping in the courtyard..." He took a moment to calm himself and catch his breath. "You are lucky she turned up safely. If anyone harmed her it would be on your heads." Or worse, if she had harmed someone else. But that would not be so. An Auvery would never murder.
 
It had been a restless night. A restless night filled with tears and the continuing sensation and thoughts reminding her that she would no longer be able to see her father alive. No longer would she be able to hear the words that would spew from his mouth, nor would she ever see his eyes open and alert, though she had known that it had been a long while since her father had ever seemed alert. But nevertheless, throughout the night there was always this sense of dread that continued to billow down on Mina because of the guilt that had formed in the pit of her stomach. With the guilt of having shot her mouth off, even for just a second, to Lyanna when the girl had stepped into Avram's chambers, her shout at Avram because he would rather not want to look at the corpse that now was their father. But most of all she held guilt because she could not remember the last words she had spoken to her father, and the fact that she had waited to long to visit her father in his time of need. She should have gone to his chambers the first day she had arrived to the castle, even if it was to just show him that she was there and that she still cared for him. Would he think, even in his state of lifelessness, that she did not care for him because she did not go to see him? She truly hoped not, because she loved her father dearly so. She had waited too long and now look what happened. She had to end up visiting her father when he was no longer living.

She had spent long hours with her mother throughout the night, trying to comfort the woman and to just mourn along with her. After she had left Avram's chambers she went back to check on her mother and stayed there for as long as she had, Trinity being there as well, and Lady Odella being there for a short while longer. But soon it had only been left with the woman of the family, and while she wished Avram was there to mourn with them, she would no longer let his presence anger her. She wanted to think that her father was in a better place now because he was no longer suffering through the pain that he probably had been dealing with, however had he gone through pain after being poisoned? Did it hurt his chest and suffocate him from breathing so that he struggled to try and keep his life at bay until he inevitably failed as the last of his gasping breath slipped from his body. She would have rather his death had been natural, where if he slipped his eyes closed for a nights rest, but no longer would he open his eyes to see the sun rise that morning. But alas that did not happen, and even that seemed a pity of a way to go, even scary, but she hated to think of such a way. She hated to have such thoughts running through her mind, yet she could not stop them.

And then when she had finally left her father's chambers to head back to her own because her mother thought it would be best if she get herself some rest for tomorrow, sleep had not come to her. Carsil had been there for her, holding her, giving his condolences and blessings. She had even held onto Elwin for a long while, or at least for the time that he cooperated with her. She vowed to never leave the two of them, despite how she knew that one day it would happen or one day one or both of them would leave her before it was time for her life to pass, but it was at least a little bit of a reassuring thought. She twisted and turned on her bed. Every time she went to close her eyes she continued to see her father's lifeless face right in front of her and it always shook her from her sleep. But there had always been a figure right by her father, a shadowed figure that she could not make out. She thought it to be the killer of her father, yet she did not know who it was. She wanted to know, had even demanded that if any news arise about the matter that she be told immediately. But no news had come. They still had yet to find the killer and that upset her more because that meant that that person was still walking around the castle. Unless, of course, Avram had been right with his train of thought when he mentioned that their father may have just poisoned himself. If that was the case, then he was his own culprit.

When the knock had come on her door before dawn, Mina had been sitting in her bed. Carsil flinched from his sleep with open eyes and looked around at the sudden sound. The fact that he seemed more so protective would have been a little endearing to her in another time, however now she merely put a hand on his shoulder to calm him down a bit. She allowed the person to enter into the room, knowing that the guards in front of her doors would have turned the person away had they been no one of importance, but when she saw Belin stand at the door after it had been opened she furrowed her brows and straightened her back. Had there been news of the poisoning? Apparently not, however, because when he merely mentioned that Avram would like to speak with her, she sighed, nodded her head, and sent the man off.

Mina sat in bed for a few longer minutes, trying to figure through her thoughts as to why Avram would want to speak with her, especially if the sun had not even risen yet. However she could not stand to wait, the curiosity becoming too much for her to handle. Besides, it was not as if she was getting any sleep, and apparently her brother was awake as well. How had he fared through the night? She readied herself for the day before she went to leave the room. She sated Carsil's worry by telling him that there would be a guard to accompany her to Avram's chambers, just to make sure that she was safe and that nothing happened. It was a shame, she thought as she walked through the corridors with two guards, each flanking a side to her, to not even feel safe within her own home. More guards were paroling around now as well, something she also found equally as nerve racking though she knew that it was only for their protection. It just frustrated her to think that the guards and knights of this castle had not been able to stop the poisoning of her father. How would the Lords and Ladies and others that would come for the wedding tomorrow think and feel of all of this?

She commanded the guards to stand outside once they made it to the doors of Avram's chambers. She knocked before she headed into his room, only to see him still by his window, almost as if he hadn't moved from his spot since she had last seen him. "Is everything well, Avram?" Though she looked well enough, having been prepped in her expensive garb with her hair pulled up like it normally was to show that she still had the beauty that a princess would have. However, she felt anything but stable.



Myla's hand that held onto the handle of the door trembled as she continued to stand in her place. The grip on her rucksack only seemed to tighten as those troubling thoughts continued to circle through her mind. Had she made herself seem suspicious to those guards who had been standing by her door? Had they believed what she had said to them when she said that she had spent her night out in the courtyard? More than likely she could not help but believe that they would ask if that statement had been true. They would ask around to see if a woman had come and stayed in the courtyard in the middle of the night. If such a thing happened, Myla could only hope that she was long gone by that time, because she would not be able to answer the questions that she could only imagine they would ask. Where were you, really, last night? She would not be able to speak the truth.

Eventually she had finally stopped the trembling of her hand and opened the door, her eyes swiveling this way and that as she held the rucksack close to her chest. She could hear the footsteps, now, of people walking around, though it was too early for the nobles who resided in the castle now to be awake. They were guards, but if she had been able to avoid them before, perhaps she could do the same now. Except she hadn't been offered the same luck. As she made her way in the same pattern that she remembered heading in only a day before when she was being lead to the armory guards had been moving her way, and she instantly ducked her head down so that they would not see her, or at least her face, as well. She would peek her eyes up to see as they would walk past her, however she could not bare to keep ducking her head. It was against everything she had been taught, and did she not look more suspicious when she could not even meet the gaze of the helmet covered faces of the guards? She reminded herself that she had to keep a strong air about herself, otherwise everything could fall right in her face and she could not bare to see something like that. But hopefully Ser Ector would be there, or perhaps she would see him on her way to the armory, or even maybe she would run into Larcin. However she did not see him. No doubt they had him on duty, but as to where he was she could not say. She picked her head up and straightened her shoulders and her back, the muscles in her body rigid. Yet, the only thing she could truly think about was how she wanted the relaxed feeling of being with Avram back.

All was silent in the armory as she made her way into the area, her shifty eyes heading this way and that. The place looked more than intimidating without the light that been given to it the morning before. Shadows of armor making it seem as if actual people were standing watch of her, shadows of weapons darkened in the vision of her eyes. They almost looked more menacing than before. Bartle was not even present, though she had no mind to doubt that shortly he would be there and he was the last person that she wanted to come into contact with. But was Ser Ector there? Not in the armory, but soon after her feet began to lead her to the door that would lead to the training grounds. She flipped the latched and opened the door, and when she saw a figure in the distance she thought about stepping back and hiding herself. However she did no such thing. She narrowed her eyes and tilted her head, but when the man's figure came into her vision she could not help but let out a sigh of relief before she pushed her way through the door and headed over to him. "Ser Ector. Thank the Gods that you are here now." She stopped her feet as she stood right before him, her eyes peering up into his as her brows furrowed. "We must leave this place now. Before the sun shall rise, preferably. I know we agreed that we would wait for the King's death to subside a bit, however we cannot wait any longer."
 
Belin returned after a short while to inform him that Mina would be present shortly. He took that as an indication of her needing time to look presentable. He produced a light chuckle, thinking about how ragged he looked himself. He had not washed himself yet, and his tunic was old and worn, as were the pants he currently wore. Had he been walking among the streets someone might have taken him for a commoner. He had not meant to dress like that this morning. Those just happened to be the first clothes he picked out. Avram never fully understood the need for women, especially highborn women, to obsess over their dresses and garments the way they did. His mother had spoken many times about the importance of appearances. And there was some truth to that. But did Mina really care about how she looked in front of Avram, the little brother who she threatened to beat over the head with a stick many times before? He sometimes wondered if she still saw him as a baby brother or if he had become a closer semblance to their father, or what he used to be anyway. She had certainly made the point last night about him being the new head of the house, and quite angrily at that.

His thoughts shifted back to Myla and the wonderful night they had shared. It really had been the most wonderful experience of his life, despite the bitterness he felt in seeing her go, not to mention the guilt he felt about betraying Lyanna. Myla had told him that she did not deserve him for a husband because she was weak. Yet Avram could not help but think that it was he who did not deserve Lyanna. She had wanted this marriage no more than he did, but she accepted it anyway for the sake of her family. And he was so willing to betray her trust for another woman. It was an unforgivable sin he would have to carry with him for the rest of his life. Would he ever tell her about it one day? If he did it would not be any time soon. Maybe when they had actually grown to love each other as a true married couple, should that ever happen. He was still convinced that he could not love Lyanna as he did Myla. And his wedding would be tomorrow.

Eventually Mina came to his chambers. As expected, she was dressed as if she were attending court soon, though the emotion in her eyes contradicted the bright colors she wore. It had clearly been a fitful night for her. "You look beautiful this morning," he commented. He gestured towards the silver tray sitting carrying the pitched and goblet on his stand. "Help yourself if you wish. I have no thirst for wine this morning." He glanced back at the window and frowned. Was she still upset with him for leaving them while they mourned? "I'm sorry I left you all. I should have stayed with you. I just... I could not bare to look at him. I saw him, and I wondered if that would be me in the future. I was just so angry. There was so much fury, so much rage, just growing inside me and..." He half contemplated informing her about his feelings for Myla. Surely Mina had her suspicions already. Though he could never tell her about what they did last night. She would have more than enough reason to smack him upside the head as she used to. Mina herself had warned him about letting Myla get inside his head, and that was exactly what he did. He could not even muster up the will to blame the wine for it.

Instead he took a different route, one that was still eating at him. "I shouted my rage at her. Lyanna I mean. I was so furious with everything, and she came to me at the worst possible time." He looked at Mina hopefully. Surely she would know how to mend this. She could help him just as she had done so many times before. "I have a feeling I hurt her. She is not as strong willed as... as you." He had to swallow to stop himself from bringin up Myla's name. "She might be hesitant to trust me now that she has seen what I can become. And to be completely honest I think I scared myself with the outburst as well. I can only imagine the effect it had on her." Had she told her father? Lord Corlan would not be happy to hear about any mistreatment of his family.



For a while, Ector simply stood in the middle of one of the sparring rings. He did not duel with other men as much as he used to. Lord Dremond's soldiers preferred to spend their time either gambling or visiting a brothel. There were a few occasions in which he sparred with some of them, but most of them already knew of his status as a knight and were not up to the challenge. The other knights in Dremond's service preferred to keep to themselves most of the time, electing to take part in political matters rather than swordsmanship. Ector was sure some of them could swing a blade as well as he could, maybe even better, but they did not seem to care much for sparring with a man of low birth. He could not give them the knowledge that he was once a part of the Viricof Legion, so he had to tell them that he was a lowborn man who fought in three battles during his younger years and, for his bravery, was knighted by Ser Perill Wilmack. That was not a household name among knights by any means, but he was a knight for good many years until his untimely death after falling ill.

Hearing his name, Ector looked up to see Myla trotting before him. He was expecting her to be wearing armor or a leather tunic at the very least. But she looked to be wearing traveling clothes and was carrying a rucksack that presumably contained items for the road. "I had hoped to see your training session with Ser Gerold today," he insisted with half a smile. But that faded quickly at her urgent tone. She wanted to leave now. That was unexpected to say the least. He thought the decision to remain in the capital until after the wedding was the final decision. But Myla seemed adamant about setting off today, as if she had just learned something that had changed her mind completely. It did not give them much time come to think of it. He would have to return to the inn and wake Elize immediately. They would also have to find Larcin. It occurred to him then that Larcin had not been informed of their previous decision to leave after the wedding, so it was likely that he was prepping the horses for their departure, or he would be soon anyway.

"I'm sorry, my lady. But what brought this sudden change on?" He then raised a hand to stop her. "Never mind. We can discuss that once the city walls are behind us. You will have to give me time though. Elize is still asleep and I must return to the inn to rouse her. Larcin may be at the stables already with the horses. We must find him before someone sees you lurking about with that," he gestured at the rucksack, "and grows suspicious." He was about to head off towards the stables when another thought stopped him in his tracks. "How exactly will we be getting out though? After King Feldon's death they will surely be more than a little strict about letting anyone in or out of the city, especially someone many are accusing of the deed." There was still plenty of time before dawn, but that did not matter if they were turned around at the gates and forced to stay within the confines of city walls.
 
Mina surely did not feel as beautiful as Avram had complimented her with. Despite her garb, to which she opted out, for the time being, to wear a black dress that had been packed for a situation like this, she did not feel as cheerful and she did not feel as well. But she still had to keep the air of royalty around her, though it made her wonder whether or not she was being a bit of a disgrace for doing as such. Would her mother look as dashing as she normally did? Would she even care to, or would she even leave the confinement of her chambers for that matter? To be honest she would think not, or at least excluding the moments when she would be seen at Avram's crowning later today. What was supposed to be such a grad event would be filled with sadness and guilt, of sorrow that she felt none of them would be able to swallow. She wished they could push it back so that they would not have to come to reality that her father was dead. Except it could not be stopped, because there needed to be a King especially in this kingdom's time of need.

She sighed and walked more into the room so that she stood beside Avram. She reached for the goblet and the warm wine and poured herself but a little sip, if only to quench her thirst, and took that drink before she set it all down. It would not calm her nerves, not a simple sip such as that, except she wished that it would. But she needed to be of sane mind so that she could think clearly, especially with the tone that Avram was now speaking in. She turned her attention to look at him despite how he wasn't really looking at her. She frowned, another wave of guilt rushing through her as he apologized for not being there with his family. No, he didn't need to apologize for that because she could understand why he would not want to see his father in such a state. She wished that she could forget the sight that would forever be burned into her eyes no matter how badly she tried to wash them away. But then her eyes turned to look out the window, just as he had been doing, when he mentioned Lyanna. There almost seemed to be a bit of hesitance in his words, but she did not call him out on it. So, he had grown angry with the girl as well. She knew that she should reprimand for the act, however she did not. He did not need that at this time. She had done enough of that last night anyway.

"I do not really know what to say about Lyanna, other than that yesterday had not been a well day for her in the least bit. Not with you, not with me, and certainly not with what happened at the tea party." Mina closed her eyes and she breathed out a sigh, shaking her head lightly as she rested her hands against the sill of the window. "To be fair, I would not blame her if she did not trust any of us that well, even mother because of what she had subjected the girl to at the tea party with inviting the Auvery to attend... She knew it would hurt her, yet she also knew that it would unnerve Myla as well and that was exactly what she wanted to do. And it also upset Lady Odella more than plenty." She opened her eyes back up and tilted her head and eyes to look back at Avram. "But she does not need to distrust us, especially you because she is to be your wife. Surely while she had a rough day she must understand the pressures that you are subject to daily, and she must understand of how hurt and upset we were last night after hearing of our father's death. Perhaps she is not as upset as you may think, though I do think that it would be best for you to speak with her personally. Speak kindly to her and show her how kind you are. Make her understand that your outburst was not at her but towards the person who killed our father. You had just lost your sense for that moment. I don't know if that will actually work, or if it will even make her feel better, but I feel as if that may be the least you can do. After all, you two are to be wed and you must spend the rest of your lives with one another and that could last a long while. Eventually, if trust has been severed, you will gain it back but I feel as if you will have to prove it to her. Because, as you said, she is not not that strong and I can see that just as well as anyone else. But it is not like you can train her to be someone different. She, maybe unfortunately, is who she is." She straightened her back up. "It isn't the best advice, but it's hard to help you with this when I have never experienced it before. Carsil has always been kind to me, as I have been to him."

She gave her brother a sympathetic glance as she rested her hand against his shoulder, gently. "I'm sorry that you are in the position that you are in."



He seemed surprised by her sudden request, not that Myla was surprised by the act, but, nevertheless, she just hoped that he wouldn't ask her too many questions about anything. However, that did not seem to be the case. She did not attempt to answer his first question, despite how he had raised his hand to stop her if she should, because she did not know how to answer the question correctly. Why did she suddenly find the urge to leave? Because Avram had given her, hopefully, a pass to leave this place and because she could not bare to be in this place any longer. Not when she was no longer needed and not when she could be hunted down despite how the same could be said for outside these castle walls. She could not bare to stay here with Avram, knowing what they had done last night because if she did it would make her want to stay all the longer and it would be so much harder for her to leave after or during the time of the wedding. If she stayed for the wedding she could not say how she would feel or how she would even act. She would not be able to face him though she knew she never would. She would not be able to watch the ceremony or enjoy the festivities that would be thrown afterward because her heart would hurt too much. It would be too full of jealousy and anger towards what she knew she had lost. And just because she was afraid to be here because she did not know if she would be able to keep herself from wanting to drift to Avram's chambers again.

It was odd how conflicting her thoughts were, and it frustrated her all the more. How she missed Avram dearly and felt such a strong connection with him, though did not want to feel those things because she could not have him. And then the guilt that ran through her because all she could remember, now, where the voices of her family that haunted her in her sleep. And the sadness and anger that swirled through her body did not help as well. She flinched herself back into realization when she noticed him looking at her rucksack. Her grip had loosened on the object a bit as it hung in her grasp, however she could not help but tense when he asked how they would be getting out, and it didn't seem as if he would be stopping her answer this time. "I have the King's seal," she spoke bluntly, turning her eyes to look directly into Ser Ector's. Though she wanted to avoid that conversation, she knew that she could not be avoided because he would see the parchment with the seal on it that she had been given as they tried to leave the gates. "Do not be alarmed with how I obtained it; just know that I do and I used no thievery or trickery to get it. But this may help us leave because the King's word, or seal in this case, is last, and since we have it we must obviously be of some trust no matter what. Hopefully it will be enough to let us pass, and hopefully me being who I am will be overlooked." She turned her head to look around them when she thought she had heard a noise, except nothing was there and she turned back to Ector. "Just trust me. Leaving now, I think, will be best even despite what you said last night about waiting."
 
Of course Lyanna would not have enjoyed that tea party. Avram was just too blind to see it at the time. Myla was placed right in front of her, almost like a taunt. Doubtless the queen had not intended to make Lyanna uncomfortable. Or had she? Did she really need confirmation of the fact that this girl had no backbone? Not that there was anything Avram could do about it anymore. He was sure his mother had turned quite a few heads after that, but her primary objective in alienating Myla was achieved. Now one of the women was on her way out of Sarvayl while the other might still be sobbing in her chambers as he spoke to Mina. At least Avram could take a little bit of solace, however small it was, in the fact that he had not been the only one to upset Lyanna yesterday. But that only made it worse for her, and he could not blame her if she suddenly felt unwanted by the royal family. But what else she did expect? This was a marriage planned only for power. No one one was concerned for her feelings about it, or his for that matter. And she is not Myla. Avram frowned and attempted to ignore the voice that continued pushing thoughts of Myla into his head. He had a feeling that they would not fully disappear for a long time, or ever.

Mina's suggestions were not new ideas to him. Avram was already quite sure he would have to mend the broken trust, assuming it was ever built to begin with, between him and his fiance. He caught the word 'we' and was certain that Mina also felt guilty about snapping at Lyanna herself. But that was nothing compared to Avram's outburst. He chuckled lightly. "I suppose my wedding gift will have to be more than spectacular." He would also have to woo her with whatever words he used on Myla. This would be more difficult, however, for Myla already loved him and simply needed that emotion to be brought out. Lyanna did not. In fact she might even despise him after yesterday. But soft words and a winning smile would help his cause. Many girls fell to their knees for that alone, though most of them, in Avram's experience anyway, had been lowborn girls with no hope of actually marrying him. But surely a girl of noble birth could be no different. Myla would not fall for something like that so easily, but she was more resilient than Lyanna. "Do you think she likes horses?" he asked her absently, half directed at himself. They could go on a ride together in the fields behind the north wall of the city. He had a faint memory of something similar to that, but for some reason he continued to picture Myla instead of Lyanna. That was hardly a surprise.

The comforting hand on his shoulder soothed him a little, and he offered her a brief smile. "I'm a king now. I don't get to complain about my position." Her words had helped a little, but she could not say anything to make him forget Myla. But it would do no good to bring that up. It would make things worse in the end. So he returned the gesture, placing a hand on her shoulder with a broad grin. "I suppose we should be preparing for the coronation soon... and the funeral." He swallowed at mentioning his father's final ceremony. This time he would be forced to watch men lower his father into the ground beside the kings of the past. At least they would not have to look directly at the body, but it would be painful nonetheless. Lyanna would likely be standing at his side during the process as a means of comfort. Something else he wished he could put off.



Ector eyed the document with a look of bemusement. How had she come by that? The King's seal was not handed to anyone so idly, and certainly no one who was among the accused of a murder. "I won't ask you how you came by that. It is not my place if you would not reveal it." A slight uneasiness set in him, however. Had she stolen it? Had Avram really wanted her out of Sarvayl so much that he was willing to give her his seal? It did not matter now, and it was not his business. What was a more immediate concern now was if this seal would actually get them past the gate. "My lady, Prince Avram remains a prince until he is crowned, and that will not be until noon. Do you think the guards will be lenient enough to allow it as a right of passage? If you believe so then I will follow you without hesitation." Yet he could not help but question this method. That seal was the most official document in the kingdom. A man could murder ten people at a crowded street corner and not be arrested so long as he displayed that seal to authorities. But did it mean anything if it was used while there was no official king? They would find out eventually once they reached the gate.

Straightening himself up, Ector put on a face of duty. "I trust you to do what you must, my lady. If leaving now is the best option, as you say it is, then we shall go now. I just hope Larcin is at the stables." If he was not anything at least Ector was respectful of those above him. Did Myla really count as being above him? In his eyes she was higher than all but the royal family. She had no lands or titles to speak of. She had very little money. But she was an Auvery, and that was more than enough for him. He kept his hand on the pommel of his sword out of habit, but there was no telling when he would need it. If things got ugly at the gate they would have to be prepared to flee for their lives. As they sped back through the armory, Ector stopped to examine a few blades before picking up a nicely sized short sword. It was worn with use and somewhat blunt, but he could fix that with ease later. "You will need something to continue your lessons with," he said bluntly, not waiting for Myla to ask questions. Stealing was not something he could do without feeling guilty, but he saw this as a small repayment for the crown throwing their lives into the river like waste all those years ago.

Luckily the stables were not very far from the armory. They had to cross through a corner of the courtyard, but otherwise there were plenty of buildings and stone walls around to hide them from the guards that were on patrol. And it was still dark with only torches to light the way. Treading silently and stealthily, they finally made their way to the stables. When they entered, the large door creaked audibly and Ector winced. Someone within fifty feet of the stables would have heard that. A whispered voice came from behind them. "You should have used the front entrance. That door is silent as a lamb." They spun around to see who had spoken, and the knight breathed a sigh of relief when he saw Larcin standing before them. He was holding the reins of two brown mares and a grey destrier. They were already saddled. The guard twisted his mouth with annoyance. "I had expected you two sooner. But it doesn't matter. We have little time before sunrise and no time to explain useless information." Ector moved over to help Myla onto one of the mares. "First we must go back to the inn. Elize is still there as well as my rucksack. It will not take long." Larcin did not seem pleased with the delay but did not object. Not that an objection from him would have swayed Ector any differently.
 
Yes indeed, he would most definitely have to find a way to weave into that girl's heart, however Mina could not help but think that it would take more than just a few words, a little conversation, and an extravagant gift that he could give her for their wedding gift to win her over. Oh, she did not want to think of how awkward their night would be once they would be sent back to their shared chambers to consummate their marriage between the closed doors. To be honest, the thought almost made her laugh a bit, however she just merely shook her head, sighed and leaned into Avram a little more, resting her head against his shoulder as her eyes continued to stare out at the view of Sarvayl that he had. Despite the sadness that swept through her, she could not help but feel the longing she was already feeling for when she would have to leave with Carsil and their son, especially to know that their father was no longer going to be there. "I don't know of her love for horses, but I do know she enjoys flowers if you haven't already been informed of that." She spoke the words quietly as she tilted her head to look at Avram, her brows raised just a bit as she remembered the conversations her and Lyanna had before Myla had come to disrupt the flow of the tea party. "Perhaps that means she has an eye for beauty. But, I feel that if you want to do something nice for her, involve those. It may make her feel a little better." But again she was unsure of the matter. There was no telling the hurt that the girl felt, though Mina still found that no matter what their pain was greater. At least her father was still alive and well.

She dropped her arm from Avram's shoulder as he mentioned the coronation, though as the word funeral escaped from her lips she could not help but flinch at the word. How were they supposed to, now, enjoy the wedding with everything looming above their heads? To be honest, she knew that it would be difficult for her to delve into the festivities, though she hoped that most would understand if the entire family would not be as joyous as they should be, or at least act. Unfortunately there was no time to postpone the wedding to give them a little more time to cope, so, regardless, they would all be faced with the dilemma. "Yes, I suppose we should get ready for everything. Though, if I can give you a little more advice I would say to change out of these ragged clothes. Though we have lost our father and mother is surly upset over the matter, I'm sure even with the state that she is in she would not stop to even think about scolding you for looking nearly like a peasant." Thinking of her mother, she wondered if the woman was up. She wanted to check up on her, just to see how she had fared through the night and if she needed anything or if she wanted any company from her oldest daughter. She also wanted to check on Trinity to see how the girl was doing with the death of their father, even though she figured the girl had still been given a terrible stick in regards to never really getting to know the man. Perhaps that had been the reason why only a few tears had slipped from her eyes, and to be honest Mina only thought those tears slipped because it was hard to see their mother, and even her, in the state that they were in. But first her mother; she was more of a primary concern at the moment to Mina.

Another sigh escaped from her lips before she turned to face Avram, and before even saying anything she wrapped her arms around him and enveloped him into a tight hug, just needing to feel it for just a moment. Maybe it would comfort him a little, because it helped her a little. "Do not stress yourself too much today. You deserve a break, even though I know that is something that you will never be able to do, especially now with you becoming the King. But your wedding is tomorrow and you have just lost your father; you shouldn't push yourself." She dropped her arms then and took a step back before she looked Avram up and down. Would he, soon, look much older than his actual age because of the stress he would be under? Would his hair start to gray quicker than it normally would? "I'll go check on mother to see how she is and to see if she is even awake. You should do the same when ever you get the chance." With a short nod and another glance out his window, her shoulders sank a bit before she straightened herself out and proceeded her way out the door. Again the sensation of wanting to cry crept up her spine though she kept those tears at bay as she walked down the halls with the guards flanking her sides. This wasn't fair, especially not to Avram. He had been dealt a bad hand with being the only son to be born into this family and now he was taking on duties that Mina did not think he was ready for. Eventually, yes, he could have done good. But she wanted to have to confidence in her brother. She just wondered if he had enough years on him to support him, as well as give the trust to the people that he would rule over.



At least he wouldn't pester her for answers as to how and why she had been given the seal given who she was and the trouble that surrounded her. Though, now that she thought of it, she could not deny her own questions and worries about it, worries and questions that nearly made her sick to her stomach. Had this seal, in a sense, been a bit of a payment since she had shared a bed with Avram? It was a terrible thought to cross one her mind, one that she did not want to ponder on, but one that, once it came into her mind in that instance, she could not forget it. No. Avram would not give this to her just for that reason. He wanted to ensure her safety and he had assured her that this would help her. This would get her through these gates and that was why he had done it. Not because she had shared the bed with him and as payment he had given her that, almost as if she was some sort of lowly whore. She pursed her lips at the thought, and it didn't help that Ser Ector had voiced his own concerns over the matter of it actually working because of the fact that Avram was not yet King. And would the guards at the gate find it suspicious that she had this? Hopefully they would overlook it. Hopefully they would be worried of the flow of traffic going into the castle that would distract them enough to not pay enough attention. Avram had given it to her for a reason; he wouldn't have given the seal to her if it would get her into any more trouble, right? No, she trusted him. Except, was it bad that her father's words of 'don't trust anyone by yourself' rang through her head in that same moment?

But she said nothing, and instead just nodded her head and followed right behind Ser Ector. As he took the sword from it's place she thought of throwing out a short little snappy comment, if only to ease the bit of tension that rested in her being, but she refrained from doing such a thing. Not only would it be out of turn, but she honestly felt too bogged down with everything else that the words would not easily slip from her lips. At least he would be willing to continue her training. At least then she would eventually learn how to defend herself and it wouldn't only be for show. But if a time ever came when she would have to use a sword to protect herself or someone else would she be able to do such a thing? Would she truly be able to let the blade slash through someone's body and have their blood spread across her hands? Well, she figured, if the situation ever arose for her she would then find out. But as they traversed the rest of the way through the armory she could not help but look to where she had been just yesterday morning with Bartle and how he had gotten her fitted for armor for her. Perhaps he would be happy when she would not return, or maybe he would be even more upset to know that he had been given the task of wasting the time of someone to make the armor to fit her size. Despite herself, the thought tilted the corners of her lips just a bit. She didn't like that man.

She continued to follow behind Ser Ector, surprised to see that he knew his way around the castle, maybe even a little better than she did. But, she figured, maybe he had already scoped out a way to the stables just for this situation, or for when they would leave in a few days when that had been planned. She could not help but let her eyes glance up at the walls of the castle that they would pass by, her throat tightening at the thought that these would likely be the last times that she would see them. But she continued to try and push those thoughts from her mind and followed behind the man. The smells of the horses could be scented the closer that they came, and Myla couldn't help but scrunch her nose up. How long had it been since she had ridden a horse? A long while. Generally she traveled on foot from place to place, despite how slow of a process that was, or she would find a way to get herself into a cart of someone who was traveling long distances. That had been where a lot of her gold had gone to; bribing those people to allow her to travel along with them for even just a little bit. Just so that she wouldn't have to continue to blister and bruise her feet and make her legs become even more sore.

Grimacing at the sound that the door had made when Ser Ector had opened it, a small gasp escaped from her lips as she swiftly turned around to see only Larcin standing there, looking more irked than he should seem. Her brows furrowed at the sight, but regardless she rolled her eyes to his words and allowed Ser Ector to help her onto the mare as she secured her rucksack between herself for the time being. How would the guard have reacted should they had decided to continue on with the plan of waiting until after or on the day of the wedding? Would he have stayed here for hours, waiting for them, or would he have come to look for them or just assume that they had already left and forgot about him? No matter though. They had not informed him of the change in plan before, so at least he was still here as if nothing had changed. As they were all mounted on their horses then, Myla held onto the reins and turned to look at Larcin, narrowing her eyes. "Lead our way out of here since you seem more than anxious and irked. I don't trust you being behind either of us." Though what would it look like having Larcin, the son of Ser Gerold, along with them? What that not in itself look suspicious. "Once we leave and find a safe place for us to rest for a little we will then plan on what we will do and where we will go and how we will go about getting there." She sighed and tightened her hands on the reigns a bit. "We will figure it all out soon."
 
Peering down at his garments, Avram could not help but snort with amusement. He really did look as if he belonged in the lesser areas of the city, maybe in a bakery or on the docks among the fishermen and riverboat crews. There was still plenty of time to change of course, but Yaryk and Orfin would likely throw a fit if he were to leave this room as he was. And his mother would certainly have some choice words. Appearances mattered a great deal, especially for a king. In no way had he intended to wear something this old and ragged to his own coronation or his father's funeral. Though had it been up to Avram there would not even be a coronation ceremony. Why would he willingly waste time with a pointless ritual when he had a kingdom to run? But he knew better than to go against such traditions. The common folk clung to such ideas, and to take that away from them would be to disregard them as his subjects. He had to turn that thought over in his head again. His subjects. His people. They would associate him with everything that went right or wrong with the kingdom. The thought was still new to Avram. Perhaps that was another reason for the coronation ceremony. For him to fully realize and accept what this meant.

The embrace from Mina was actually somewhat comforting, and he was more than happy to return it. Avram could remember a time when he would have run ten leagues before accepting a hug from his elder sister. It brought a smile to his face to remember those days again. He was sure there were plenty of times back then when she would have gladly swatted him over the head with a stick, and as many times as she yelled at him and cursed him for being the nuisance he was, she never actually raised a hand. When their father first fell ill and Avram had to grow before he was ready, Mina had been there for moral support wherever he turned. Were it not for her and Trinity he may have given up within those few years alone. Now Mina had her own duties to her husband to her son. Before long Trinity would be married as well, something he still had to discuss with the queen, though that would have to wait until she was not weeping the way he saw her last night. The one left to support him in these times would have to be Lyanna. Not Myla. He had to remind himself of that truth over and over until it stuck. Would it ever stick though? It would have to if he planned to stay sane. He could not let himself end up the way his father had, spouting nonsense that few could comprehend.

He smiled knowingly, unable to promise that he would not burn himself out before the end. Instead he said, "I will do what I must. A good leader puts his people before himself. But I will not lose myself in the process. That I can promise." Could he though? He was sure his father had made the same promise to himself many years ago when he took the throne. The subject of his mother was a little touchy. Avram had felt a little more distanced from her since he learned of her plan to marry away Trinity at such an early age. In addition, the way she treated Mina at the tea party yesterday was unacceptable, not to mention the negative repercussions it had on Lyanna as well. Were it not for her Myla would still be here in the castle instead of fleeing Sarvayl while being forced to look over her shoulder at every turn. Maybe it was best for him to not see her though. Thoughts of her had rarely escaped from his mind since she first appeared before him. Still, Avram could not deny that many of the queen's decisions had been questionable at best, and often times she had not even bothered to tell him. "I fear I will not be able to see her before the coronation. But I will see her at least twice before the day is out." When Mina departed Avram did not do much in the way of readying himself just yet. He continued to gaze out the window for a little while, ignoring the wine that sat near him on the night stand, touched only by the few sips Mina had taken. The sun would be peaking over the horizon soon. Was Myla out of Sarvayl yet? She would have to hurry. It would not be long before someone learned she was gone.



Ector eyes Larcin eerily but made no comment on the man's eagerness to leave. They were in just as much of a hurry to be out of those gates as he was. "I would put that cloak on if I were you," he said to Myla. "It will do us no good if someone recognizes you before we even leave the palace grounds." Getting outside of the palace gates would not be difficult if no one recognized her, as the guards were usually a lot more strict about who they let in than who they let out. It was the city gates that would be tricky. But Myla claimed her plan would work, so Ector did his best not to worry about it. He mounted the other mare, which was just a little larger than Myla's. He would have preferred the stallion that Larcin rode, as it was even larger and Ector planned to carry Elize with him. But from what he could tell that was Larcin's personal steed and it would likely be less than friendly to any another rider. Though it seemed to be more than pleased by the two mares it stood next to.

They wasted no time in riding out of the stables at a slow trot. Had they went off in a full gallop they would have certainly drawn unwanted attention. When they crossed the plaza from the rear side of the stables, Ector could see the line of commoners growing outside to be let into the court. It only reminded him that dawn was approaching fast, and the castle would be awake soon. There were no issues when exiting the palace grounds. Four guards were posted by the gate and each of them only spared the riders a few glances as they passed. Had it been a little lighter they surely would have recognized Larcin. Two were occupied by an old man who must have been a beggar, and he did not seem to have much success in convincing the guards to let him into the court. Any other time Ector would have offered the man some coin, but they had little to spare as it was and were in far too much of a hurry to assist every poor man they passed. The roads were still dark and lit only by lanterns at every corner. Some of the shops were already opening. The few commoners in the streets gave them passing glances but none spoke to them. Some of them eyed the swords that he and Larcin were carrying, which may have contributed to the decisions by most of them to avoid getting close. Another beggar approached them with his hands held out, muttering something incomprehensible to Ector's ears. He caught the words "glory to the Gods" at least three times, however. Larcin shooed him off without a word, which made Ector frown. But he knew it was best to avoid any distractions until they were far away from the city.

The inn appeared before them before long, and Ector leaped off the mare and tossed the reins to Larcin in one motion. "I will be as quick as I can," was all he said before darting into the inn. Mistress Maena, the innkeeper, was in the common area scolding one of the serving girls about something Ector did not care to hear about. Her face smoothed when she spotted the knight come through the front door. "Ser Ector. I did not expect you to be back so soon. She is still fast asleep upstairs just as you left her." He smiled in return but did not slow his pace at all. "Nothing ever goes as planned when one visits the capital, Mistress. I'm afraid Elize and I must be on our way sooner than I thought. Else I would have let you know beforehand." The innkeeper's smile fell and concern was written all over her face, but she did not follow him and seemed to forget about the serving girl for a moment. Only for a moment. Ector took the stairs up two at a time and all but sprinted into the his room. The first thing he did when entered was grab his rucksack which lay open by the door with half of its contents still outside of it. "Elize," he half whispered to the girl still laying peacefully on the bed. He gently shook her awake and she started for a moment. "I'm sorry, but we must leave now. If I had known before..." He stopped and peered at her with sorrow. Could he really give her a better life on the other side of the sea? "It's okay," she said dutifully with a touch of sadness. "I am already packed. But I have to change." He smiled and straightened himself before rummaging around the room to gather his belongings. Whatever they did not take would be cleared out after they left and either kept by Maena or sold for profit. He did not care either way.

Elize actually finished changing before Ector completed his packing, but in no time the two of them were hurrying back down the stairs and into the common area. There were a few more people there now, though none payed the two of them any mind. Maena hurried out of the kitchen carrying a large sack that brought a delicious smell to his nose. "I can't stop you from leaving but I certainly won't see you off empty handed. I've packed you some freshly baked bread and cheese for the road. Had I been given more time I would have made some raspberry tarts as well." She all but shoved the sack into Ector's hands before bending down plant a kiss on either of Elize's cheeks. "You be a good young maiden now. Listen to your father and make sure you hit him over the head for me if he does something only a wool-headed man would do." Ector bowed his head in thanks. He had half a mind to leave Elize with her for how much she loved the girl. "I cannot thank you enough, Mistress. Should we ever return to Sarvayl we will not hesitate to find your inn again." Maena seemed to take great pride in the compliment. With that, the two of them departed through the door to where Myla and Larcin still sat upon their horses. It took Ector all of two minutes to have their bags and the sack of food lashed to the back of the saddle. He placed Elize up on the saddle and mounted up behind her. And just like that they were off in a moment's notice.
 
Before Mina had made her way to her mother's chambers, she had went to see Trinity, if only, she told herself, because the girl's chambers were on the way. She could hear the footsteps of more people as the day continued to pursue on, morning upon the horizon shortly, though it made her wonder if the people in the castle, all of them, had gotten word of the news of the King. Were they whispering their own rumors and thoughts on the matter? What did they think of the royal family now, and what were their views on the King, or former King rather, now since he was no longer living. Yes, speaking ill of the deceased was still no better than speaking ill of the living, especially to that of a royal in the position to end the life of anyone should they find the just cause to do so, however there was no doubt in Mina's mind that people more than likely though low of her father to an extent. Who wouldn't, she thought, especially the regular class citizens and folk of the kingdom. Their King was the person to bring them a better future. Their King was to ensure that their lives would be safe and protected and their King was to assure his people that his and their kingdom would be as it stood now, or better rather. Except her father hadn't made such commands since he had fallen ill. Surely the confidence had waned, and surely the name of her family had been tarnished from such an act, though people would not dare say such a thing. Hopefully Avram would be able to change their mind. Hopefully he would be able to win this war she had heard about in order to gain the people's trust back into their rulers so that they would not think of them to be fools.

Of course Trinity had been asleep, Mina having figured that out when she opened the door to the chambers quietly. With her guards behind her, as well as the guards that stood outside her little sister's doors, she poked her head into the room only to see the gentle face that the girl exuded. At least her dreams were not being plagued by nightmares or the looks of their father's face. She almost envied the girl for being able to find enough peace to sleep. But quickly she left the room, closing the door quietly behind her before she started down the halls again to head towards her mother's chambers. She dismissed the notions from her guards, them trying to persuade her that it may be best for her to head back to her room, just in case anything happened. She would only give them short replies, only asking if they were truly strong or man enough to protect her if such a thing happened. After all, that was what they were there for, and if she wanted to walk the halls to her mother's chambers, then she would do such a thing, with or without them. Though she hated to be so quick with the men, because she knew that they were only trying to see her well being, she could not help it. She did not want to hear them say such words because, in a way, it made her feel less safe and that was not how she wanted to feel.

There were four guards posted right outside the doors of the Queen's chambers, though there were others, Mina noticed, standing and walking along the walls of the corridor, watching to make sure that everything was safe. But despite their presence there, Mina could still not help but feel almost a bit alone, and frightened because these were the halls that her father's body still stayed, if they had not taken the body else where by that point already that was. It was almost as if his presence still lingered in these halls, despite how he had not left the confinement of his chambers in years. Nevertheless, Mina shook her head to clear those thoughts and stepped to the door, knocking on it softly as she leaned forward to see if there would be any noises coming from behind those doors.



Myla nodded her head to the suggestion before she reached into the rucksack to pull out her cloak. She cursed herself a bit at the sight of her still trembling hands, and while she tried her best to push the thought aside as she tied the strings loosely around her neck she could not do such a thing. The impending thoughts of knowing of was to come, of her leaving, was almost too much to bear despite how she told herself that she should not so surprised or even shaken from any of this. She was not the type of person, any longer anyway, to stay in one place for a long time and she had conditioned herself long ago to grow accustomed to only staying in one place for a little while before she would have to leave. While it wasn't the ideal life she wanted to live, it was the one she was subject to. And again she reminded herself that she had always planned to leave the castle and this city at some point, though now she wondered how long she would have taken. Had she not run into Avram, had those kitchen maids not given her the extra task of cleaning the kitchen, none of this would have happened. She would have been fine to leave this place. As the thoughts passed her mind, Myla cleared her throat lightly to herself as she listened to the swish of the tails of the horses swaying against their backside, herself pulling up the hook of the cloack and pulling it over her head, the lip of the fabric tipping over her brows.

As they trotted their way through the plaza, Myla had to continue to tell herself to not look back, Avram's words ringing into her mind. It would only make things harder for her, yet she could not help but do so. As they passed the gates of the castle, to which she let out a breath she hadn't even know she had been hiding, she couldn't help but look back at the looming architecture that was the castle. This would be the last time she would see this place, as well as the people that resided in it, however that was best and even she knew that. In a way, she just wished that it wasn't true. Quickly she looked back ahead of herself, relaxing the tension that had built up in her fingers as she loosened her hold on the reins a bit. Even the horse she rode upon did not seem all that at ease, however she had more of a thought to think that it was because of her own displeasure that was causing such a feeling to reside within the horse. Hadn't her father told her once before to always be as calm as she could while on horseback? Otherwise she may find herself on the ground with a bruise, scratch, or even a broken bone or worse. Always be aware. When they would pass by the beggars that littered the streets, Myla would turn her eyes to look away, though she could not deny the short bit of anger that came from her when she noticed Larcin shooing one of them off as if he was some insect that meant nothing. But she had grown accustomed to such sights, both higher men and woman shooing those lesser of them away, while those of lesser statuses begged for their lives. She, at some point, had been like one of them, however her pride had gotten the better of her and she had never begged. She would have rather have starved and died before she had to subject herself to that type of pity.

When Ser Ector had gone into the Inn after they had made it to the establishment, Myla couldn't not help but grow anxious with the time that they would be spending just sitting here, waiting for him. But he said that he would not be long, and she trusted the man. Still, Myla would turn her head to look this way and that, keeping her head hooded as best as she could as she would catch the wary looks that passerby's would give them. What if one of them would know who she was and call her out? And, if that happened, what if people came after her? She had a horse, yes, and she could always gallop away, but what if she was stopped? No, keep those thoughts from her mind. Huffing out another breath, her eyes flicked over to Larcin before they pointed up to look at the sky, the stars beginning to dwindle as the coming of morning was beginning upon them. Though it was still dark in the streets, lanterns still lit and faces of people still generally shadowed, she knew that they did not have much time to waste or wait. And that was when Ser Ector finally emerged from the Inn with a basket in his hands and a little girl following right behind him, his daughter. Ah, so this was the one. There was a look of grogginess still seeping into the girl's eyes, and while she did not seem to be entirely woken up yet, at least she was there. It was still a shame and a pity that she was being brought into all of this, as well as just Ser Ector himself, and even Larcin to an extent. It was all because of her, and Myla hoped to the Gods that they did not pay in the future because of their decision to follow along with her.

But without so much as another word, they were off again down the roads, trying their best to avoid the people that continued and started to mender about. No doubt the shop keepers, that she could see at least, started opening up earlier with the arrival of so many people so that their chances of business could rise. It wasn't a bad idea, she had to admit, however the voices of trying to persuade others to find their way to their shop in case they needed some items had grown quite annoying. And it might have taken them a little longer then they would have hoped to make it to the gates of the city because of the people that walked about as people were beginning to wake from their sleep, however at least they had made it before the sun had started to peak over the horizon. There was a short line of people looking to leave, it seemed, but it seemed to be more people trying to get into the city, not that she had expected anything different. "Suppose this does not work," she asked, turning her head to look at Ser Ector as he rode beside her with his daughter right there as well. "Though I want to surely assure you that it will, anything can happen. If we need to do something quick, what do you suppose we do?"



Darwyn Edgar quickly continued his way back towards the training grounds where Ser Gerold had informed him that he would be at. This, he knew, could not be a good thing. Only a short time ago had Ser Gerold commanded him to seek out Myla and lead her to the training grounds so that the two of them could go about their training for the little amount of time that they would have. The captain, he remembered hearing, wanted him to show the girl to the training grounds because no one could be trusted to not try to attack her, especially if she would be by herself. Apparently the man wanted to keep the girls safe. Darwyn could not trust the woman fully from what he had heard of her, however Darwyn knew better then to think ill of the matter, or to even speak such a thought to the captain. But he could still think nothing other than that. Especially now since he had seen that the woman hadn't, again, been in her room. But instead of being like the other guards that he had heard of that wasted their time in protecting a chamber that had been empty the entirety of the night because they had not checked into the room to see if she was actually there, he did. First he knocked, of course, but when he had been presented with nothing he knocked a few more times before pulling on the handle of the door. It opened easily, and when there were no sounds of protest coming from the other side he looked in, only to come into contact with nothing. Absolutely nothing. It was as if her presence had never been there. No ounce of luggage or any ounce of her possessions were in the room. She wasn't there.

"Captain!" He nearly shouted as he caught sight of the man at the training grounds, Darwyn's face pinched into a look of concern as he finally stopped in front of the man. "I went to bring Myla Auvery here, just as you said, however when I went to the room she was not there. There was nothing in her room either. No more of her possessions or anything... I think she may be gone."
 
It took a while for Meredina to realize how long she had been crouched for. Despite protests from just about everyone, she stayed in Feldon's chambers throughout the night, not daring to leave his side for anything. Food and drink had been brought but it remained untouched, just like every other meal carried into this room over the past few years. Her appetite had left her as soon as the news reached her ears, and since then all she had been able to do was mourn over lost love. The queen knew this day would come eventually. The fact that he had even lasted this long was impressive to say the least. But now that his death had arrived Meredina was lost in what to do or say. What would she do now that he was gone? Avram would be crowned today, and that meant she was no longer the queen. What was left for her to do if the only title she held now was mother of the King? Surely she could offer him some advice every now and then, though whether or not he would listen to it was another matter. Still, it would be more than whatever his queen would conjure up. Lyanna knew nothing of politics as far as she could tell. Only a pretty face to warm his bed every night and nothing more. New queen indeed.

Another tear rolled down her face as she laid a kiss on Feldon's forehead. She had shut his eyelids earlier that night, not capable of looking at their hollow emptiness. "Oh my sweet," she whimpered quietly. "How can I wander this world without your guidance?" Through all her pain, Meredina also felt a burning anger, a heat that would not be quenched easily. Myla Auvery. Poison. The weapon of cowards used by only the least honorable men... or women. She would see the girl dead before all was said and done. First she had to find the evidence. And even then convincing Avram to hang her would take a great amount of effort. But she would not rest until her head was perched on her mantle. The Auverys had caused her pain for the last time, and she would put an end to it. Their line would be no more, and history would remember Myla as a murdering whore who whispered of treason and deceit. Would it make up for losing both her father and husband to the blood of that filthy northern house? She could only hope. "Don't worry, my love," she whispered to the wrinkled face below her. "Your life will be avenged soon, as painful as that life was for you. I will see to it myself. When I am doe with her that girl will beg to be let back into those fires of hell from whence she came."

A knock at the door interrupted her thoughts and she lifted her head to pear at herself in the mirror. Her face was damp and ragged after having gone the entire night without so much as thinking of sleep. But her pain ached far too much for her to care a great deal about her appearance just now. It was ironic of course, given how often she preached to her children that appearances were of the utmost importance. "You may enter," was all she said. Her face softened when Mina entered the room, still looking as somber as she had before. Her firstborn. Those three children, all grown into beautiful young royals, were all she had left now. Her father dead after that monstrous betrayal. Her mother dead from grief for her late husband. And now her own husband, poisoned by that Auvery bitch. Meredina's brother, Lord Carren, was still alive and ruling over their homelands nicely. But they had never been very close, and even so he was many leagues from where they were, all the way to the westernmost shores of the continent.



The pace they kept was an easy one, but Ector could not help but feel that they might as well set into a full gallop. Had anyone discovered Myla was gone yet? If not then they soon would. Prince Avram would not order an arrest warrant for her by any means. But anyone else might send someone to bring the girl back without Avram's knowledge. And that was far more dangerous than simply being arrested by the king's men. He and Larcin would fare no better for being her associates. And what would happen to Elize then? Would they take her away and give her to some noble to use as a cup bearer? And then would they consider her for other things when she was older?... No, he would not think about that, because while he still drew breath such a disaster would never occur. But then what could he do if they tossed him into a cell? That was not a place he wished for Elize to be either. It was all the more reason for them to escape to somewhere safe successfully.

His head turned to Myla when she asked her question, and he expected his expression was something of bewilderment. Was she really beginning to have doubts now? Just as they were closing in on the eastern gate? He had hoped she already had a backup plan to begin with. Then again he should have been thinking of one as well. But the decision to leave today had come so suddenly that he had no time to even contemplate. "Hopefully we will not have to worry about that," he said hesitantly, praying that it was true. "But if things go sour, the only thing we may be able to do is make a dash through the gate and hope they don't cut us off or catch us from behind." If either of those happened they would have to fight their way out, and that would not end well with how many guards were at the gate. And even if they did somehow manage to fight through all of them, Avram would certainly have no option but to send soldiers after them for spilling blood at his gate. But none of that would matter so long as they were let through without a problem.

Eventually they came upon the gate, still at the simple trot they had been keeping the whole way. Elize seemed half asleep for most of the early part of the ride but now seemed fully awake with the gates in view and the dawn beginning to loom ahead. They had to make this quick. Sixteen guards stood at the gate, and another ten were on the wall just above them. All along the city watch was patrolling around the tall stone architecture, and many of them had crossbows. Yet another obstacle that would impede them if they tried to make a run for it. Despite how early it was there were still a good number of people, and a few wagons, attempting to get in or out of the city. Those who were trying to leave were given no such courtesy, despite how much they begged. Ector maintained a smooth, calm face as they rode up. But the men looked at Larcin before either of the other two, clearly recognizing him as one of the palace guards and the son of Ser Gerold Godfrey. One of them approached the three horses and neither frowned nor smiled. "Larcin Godfrey," he said briskly. "I had not expected to see you wandering out to the edge of the city. What brings you here, and with such an array of companions at that?" Ector gulped. He hoped the fool would not mess this up for them.



Avram had spent a good while at the window before finally dressing in something more appropriate for his coronation. It was something simple in design but embellished with threads that exude of royalty. His mother would be proud, and he expected his father would as well. The sun was not yet up, but there was light to be seen from the horizon now, meaning that the dawn was right upon them. Hopefully Myla had found her way out now and was well away from the city. Someone would have discovered her missing by now and prepared to begin a search. They would not have his help of course, but that would not stop someone who was bitter towards the girl for whatever reason from sending out their own hands to capture her... or worse.

As if on cue, a forceful rap sounded at his door and Ser Gerold strode in. On his heals was Darwyn Edgar, a man only a few years Avram's senior and one of the higher ranking guards beneath Gerold. What his actual rank was eluded the prince. He left those matters to the captain himself. But Ser Gerold looked both mortified and calm at the same time, something only a man like him could do and have it seem normal. Both men bowed before Gerold spoke. "My lord, Darwyn tells me that Lady Auvery is not in her chambers. And all of her items are missing." Surprisingly his voice did not give any hint of aggravation. He seemed to take the words coming from his mouth as calmly as he would learning what was being made for supper. "I don't suppose you had a hand in this. I do hope I am not overstepping my boundaries by saying this. But if it is true then you may have just sent away our greatest hope in bringing peace to the north."

Avram eyed him warily and gave a swift glance to Darwyn but just as quickly averted his gaze back to the captain. "That is a bold statement, captain." He kept his face hard and his eyes unwavering. A good king was intimidated by no one, even someone as respectable as the knight standing before him. "Regardless of whether or not I had anything to do with it, Sarvayl is not safe for her. You know that as well as I. Rumors were spreading and it would not be long before someone made an attempt on her life." Judging by his face, Ser Gerold seemed to take that as confirmation that Avram was indeed involved in her departure. But that mattered little. He could care less if the entire kingdom knew he sent her away. But the knight was not yet done. "I was also informed," he began, much more slowly than before, "that she was not in her chambers last night. Supposedly she fell asleep in the courtyard. But I had guards patrolling there and none of them claim to have seen her. Either I need to retrain their vision or Lady Myla was not in the courtyard." Avram felt himself tense at that, but he kept his voice straight and firm. "Whatever she did last night is none of my concern. She is gone from this city, and before long she will be gone from this kingdom. That will be the end of it." He almost choked on the last sentence. The end of it. He would never see her again.
 
To see her mother in such a state nearly broke Mina's heart once again. As she stepped into the room to see the disheveled look of her mother, as well as the lifeless body that laid right beside the woman, she could not help but feel her throat beginning to tighten at the sight. Even her mother's softened look could do nothing to make her feel better about the situation, though she could help but not still pity the woman that looked broken beyond everything. Hopefully her mother would not lose her mind as her father had. That was something Mina knew that she would not be able to handle, and she had doubt that any of her siblings would be able to handle it much better either. They had already lost their father to the darkness of madness; they did not need to lose their mother over the same thing. Nevertheless, she tried to give a little smile to her mother, however she found the corners of her lips dipping back down into a frown of sadness before she sighed and walked over to the bed. She sat down next to her mother, her eyes peering over at her father's body as she breathed out another sigh before she dipped her head down to see her hands clenching onto the bedding. "My nights rest was fitful," she started to admit, still not looking up at the woman who she regarded with so much grace and strength. If only she looked like that now. Why could her mother not look strong like she normally did? "As I'm sure yours was. I... Father's face kept coming to mind, as well as a shadowed figure who I could not identify. The shadow always stood by his bed..." But she was sure her mother did not want to hear of her nightmares. The woman had her own worries to deal with, as well as her own demons to beat.

She shook her head, her eyes going back to look at her father's body. At least his eyes were closed now, something her mother had probably taken care of. At least she would not have to look at the void of emptiness that surrounded them. And, at least, his body did not look disfigured or disturbed, like she imagined the faces of knights and others who were killed by battle or weapons. While she could figure her father's death had been less than pleasant, at least his body hadn't been slaughtered. But then it brought along a question that Mina had been pondering in her own mind; had her father's death been instant, or had it been a steady stream of agony that the poison brought along? Had the poison already been set into his body days, maybe even weeks ago, and it had finally caught up with him, or had it had an instant effect last night and killed him right then and there? But still, it posed the question as to who had done this. When and why and who... "I spoke with Avram this morning. He seems to be dealing with this fairly well, though I do still worry for his mental state. You know as well as I do that he likes to not show his worry to us, though I do believe that he is readying himself for his coronation." She wiped her eyes as a tear slipped from them, a little sniff coming from her before looked up to her mother.

"But I am sure that those may be the least of your worries for the moment." Reaching a hand out to grab onto her mother's she squeezed it lightly. Why she felt the need to hold such small talk with her mother was unbeknownst, however she almost felt that it would be right. "How are you, mother? I know you are not doing or feeling well, but I just want to know. What are you thinking?"



Myla could not help but grimace at Ser Ector's answer, herself having hoped that he at least had a bit of a feasible plan that they could go about with. Apparently not, though she supposed that she shouldn't have thought any different. She herself should have come up with something, because as she now looked upon the gates with the guards that stood atop of the wall, as well as the guards that stood on the ground with their swords at their sides, she had no doubt that just running would get them no where. And they could not fight all of these men, especially with not the amount of people that were in the area. Too many civilians for her liking. They could be ambushed or taken down easily, and, again, Myla told herself that she wanted to do everything she could to make sure that nothing happened to her companions. None of what would happen would be their faults. She breathed out a sigh as her hands tightened against the reigns again as they started moving forward, only to stop again before a guard began to approach them. She turned her eyes to look away, her eyes sweeping over to Ser Ector to see that even he looked to be a bit on edge with the ordeal. At least, she could see, he wasn't letting it show too outwardly.

But when the guard began to speak to Larcin, Myla turned her eyes to look in his direction, her eyes narrowing a bit. Perhaps it was a mistake to allow him to come along because of who he was. People knew of him because of his father, and surely it would not seem right for him to want to leave other any circumstance, especially not with the state that the castle was in. They needed any guard that they had in the castle to patrol around to either figure out who the killer was or to just protect the people that walked the halls of the castle at the moment. And, certainly, people would believe that he would be one of the main guards to stay in the castle, given his name because, apparently, a name meant so much for a person regardless of whether or not they could achieve the task that they were given and the duties that they were commanded. It was then that Myla realized that this man still had a lot to prove to her. She just hoped that he wouldn't get the killed, especially now, when they were so close to being free.

"I have been ordered to escort these women back to their home, in the east if you will. Along with their own guard." Larcin rose his brows as he straightened his pasture on his steed, Myla shifting in her seat a bit as she listened to the words that the man spoke. A lie. His words were a lie, yet he wondered if they would work. Apparently the guard did not recognize her, given how he had not questioned a thing. However, just to be sure, she kept her head ducked a bit. Did this guards here know of what happened with the King? "It may seem like an odd request, however I was not given the details as to why it was brought upon me to do such a thing, though I think that we can all agree that having to protect these women with two swords would be better than one, so just having him take them along may have been a little risky. We have even been given permission to leave, however." When Myla saw him turn to look at her with raised brows, she narrowed her eyes back at him before she looked down at her rucksack. She had spoken with Larcin just a bit before Ser Ector had come from the Inn, him having asked her what she planned to do to get them out which was when she mentioned the seal in a hushed tone. Just like Ser Ector, he didn't question how she had obtained it. Avram had said that showing this to them would work. She had no reason to distrust him, right? She pulled the document with the King's seal out of her rucksack and handed it to Larcin before he handed it to the guard who had approached them.
 
While Meredina had told just about every servant, lord, and lady in the palace that she wished to be alone with her deceased husband until she said otherwise, Mina's presence was a welcome sight. Clearly she was just as distraught as she was the night before. But she was dressed as a high lady of the court should be. Next to her the queen... or rather the woman who used to be the queen... probably looked like a ragged old woman who crawled through the palace gates right off from the road. At least she was not the only one who had a less than pleasant night. At least Mina had managed to get some sleep, however little it was. The woman had grown into an elegant lady just as she had been taught. One could half believe that she herself was the queen. Meredina felt a sudden chill run down her spine at the mention of the shadowed figure in the dream. Feldon's killer. Myla Auvery. It had to be. But she would not let the fool girl tear apart her mind now. Her time would come, and it would be painful. "Do not fret over dreams," she said as calmly as she could. "You miss your father, and I can understand that as much as anyone." She truly could, and that made it all the more painful for her. A father and a husband. Both taken from her. "But do not remember the madness. Remember the man he was. The father he was. Many don't care to acknowledge it, but behind that wrinkled face was once a great king."

When Mina set herself down on the other side of the bed, Meredina reached over placed a hand on her daughter's cheek, subconsciously wiping a tear away and brushing her hair back to gaze at the face. She had been blessed with her mother's long lashes and high cheek bones. Her jaw was somewhat of a mix between the sharp chin that Meredina possessed and the sturdy, broad one that Feldon displayed when it was not littered with scraggly gray hair. But there was no mistaking where her eyes came from. Those deep, dark brown pools had descended through the royal line over a multitude of generations. Both Mina and Avram possessed that trait as clearly now as they did the day she first held them in her arms. Trinity's were a lighter brown speckled with dark flecks, much like her own.

The mention of Avram and the coronation pulled her out of the temporary trance she found herself in. Her son would be the new king, and she had to be there for him. There could be no tears during that ceremony. They would have to hold until the funeral. A strong face would be put on for Avram and all who were there, though a part of Meredina wished she could stay in this room with Feldon until he was taken out to be lowered into his grave. Servants had insisted multiple times already that they could not allow the body to rot in the palace, and she almost ripped their heads off in her anger despite the fact that she knew they were correct. "Yes, he must be. A king must remain strong for his people. He cannot show weakness. We must be ready to support him. We must show that we are strong and united in the face of adversity." But the next question that Mina posed made her feel anything but strong. What had she been thinking? Too many things for her to mention, and too painful for her to want to. She was widowed now. At the hand of an Auvery she would despise even in death. Suddenly fresh tears sprung to her eyes and she gripped Mina's hand in return. "He's gone," she gasped through her sobs. "He's left me alone in this forsaken world." Her voice tensed suddenly. "I swear by every fiber in my body that I will see that girl dead."



For all the mistrust Ector had for Larcin, he could not deny that the man seemed to know how to speak with authority and give himself the upper hand in a confrontation. No doubt those were skills he picked up from his father. He was not quite sure how the guard knew about the seal, but then he supposed Myla must have discussed it with him while Ector was retrieving Myla. The knight tensed a little and placed a comforting hand on Elize's shoulder, though she did not seem to need much comfort. The girl was probably still sleepy. The city watch officer studied the seal with a deep set frown that Ector assumed was a permanent fixture on his face. There were already three or four heavy wrinkles across his forehead, and the man looked no older than Ector himself. The studying of the parchment seemed to go on a lot longer than any of them expected. How long did it really take for a man to determine if something as official as this was forged or legitimate?

Finally, the officer looked up from the seal and rolled it up, though he did not make any motion to hand it back to them. "This is indeed the king's seal. But Prince Avram has not been crowned as of yet. I'm afraid it will not be sufficient enough for passage until after the coronation ceremony is complete." That was the news Ector was afraid they would hear. It would be hours yet until the coronation began, and by this time someone in the castle would have confirmed Myla missing. It was too late to turn back now. Luckily, Ector had been racking his mind to come up with something else that might let them through. It was not perfect by any means but it was something. "I'm afraid you have no heard our entire reason for leaving, good sir," he began as deliberately as he could. Speaking in such a manner brought him back to the day when he was a captain in the greatest legion the world had ever seen. But that was history now. "Both of these women have come down with cases of the flux. I begged the prince to call in healers from the Black Bay, as the capital's healers have not helped. But he would not risk the flux spreadina round the city and said they must leave at once." Ector wished he had thought of placing Elize in Myla's saddle beforehand, but what was done was done. He just hoped it was a minor detail that went unnoticed by the officer.

Peering at them with wide eyes, the man on the ground examined the girl sitting in Ector's saddle and then the woman sitting atop the other mare. He frowned and twisted his mouth. "You must be acquaintances of the good prince if he was so willing to see you healed that he gave you his seal to make for the Black Bay without interference." The words were directed at Myla now. "What are your names, if I may ask?"



Ser Gerold did not seem entirely convinced that Avram was ignorant of Myla's whereabouts last night, but he did not pursue that particular matter any further. Instead he went back to his original point. "You have sent her out there into an unfriendly world. She could be captured by bandits or worse. If she dies at someone else's hand then what good will all this trouble you went through to smuggle her out have done?" He seemed to realize that he was raising his voice to a man who would be crowned king in a few hours and immediately took a step back and lowered his voice to a smooth coolness. "Forgive me, my lord. I do not mean to overstep my boundaries. I only fear for the girl's safety while she rides out unprotected."

Avram raised an eyebrow with amusement. He did not know yet. "Worry not, captain," he replied with what he would almost describe as a sly grin. "She is being accompanied by Ser Ector, a former knight of the Viricof Legion. I have no doubt her name alone will bind his loyalty. And another that I assumed you knew about." His grin widened ever so slightly. "Larcin has gone as well. I can't say I was not surprised by his sudden interest in leaving Sarvayl, but it was his decision to make. He swore no vows to remain here." Ser Gerold cursed and looked as if he might throttle someone. Darwyn had not seemed to be moved by the news at all. Though something in his expression told Avram that this guard was not particularly fond of Myla. His eyebrows had dipped into a steady frown when the prince had admitted to sending Myla away. Was he among the people who believed she was the murder?
 
Yes, remember the man that her father once was. Remember the great father that she used to have; the one who used to laugh, the one who used to smile, the one who used to have conversations with his family. How he would sit with them when they would eat, how he would care for each and every one of his children and how he would never let a thing happen to any of them, especially not his wife. But, in a way, Mina almost wanted to think of him to be a failure because he did not keep his promises to all of them. He did not stay with them. He did not protect them and instead stayed in his room as he slowly let the darkness consume him for reasons none of them knew. Why? Why had he not told them, and what was it that brought him down into the despair that his world had been wrapped around after the Auvery's were stripped of their power? Again she wished to know, and again she wished her father would have spoken more to them about his mood. Did he not trust them, or did he just not want them to worry over him? Well, they worried over him a great deal. But while it was easy to anger herself over her father's decreasing life before it had been abruptly ended, it was even harder for her to forget the times that she shared with him and that was what made this so hard. Forget about his madness. Remember how much she loved him and how he hadn't disappointed them, and remember how much he loved them.

Mina bit her lips at the thought, but slowly let her lip fall as she blinked her eyes at her mother. Would she ever be the same? From the way she spoke and the anger that still sprouted from that woman, she had a hard time believing so. The woman was beginning to fill herself with anger and resentment and malice, something with which Mina did not even believe her mother to have. Yes, she knew that she was protective, but in almost scared Mina to see the sadness and hatred that sprung in the woman's eyes. Especially when she mentioned that the girl was going to pay for what she had done, that girl being the Auvery and it did not take much to understand or even know that. Her mother was so fixated on that one person that she would stop at nothing to get her killed, and Mina would not put it against her mother to push away the person who actually did kill her father, if it wasn't Myla, if only to try her best to put the blame on the girl. But would her mind truly be that clouded where she would throw away the real culprit and still blame it on the Auvery? Hopefully not. But Mina dared not speak any of those words, nor did she even think to speak the words that her and Avram shared last night about their father; about how the murderer may even be their father himself. She knew her mother would not stand to hear any of that, and, personally, Mina did not want to hear the scolding that she knew she would receive from that.

But it also pained her to hear that her mother believed that she had been left alone in this world because her husband had been killed. What about her children? While Mina knew that she would not be here always, and while she knew that eventually Trinity would be married of and would have to leave this castle, Avram would still be here. And while he would be busy with his new status of being the King, and while he would probably not have time to just sit around with their mother, at least he was still there. But regardless she was not completely alone in this world. She had lost the love of her life, her husband, but she still had their products of their love. Their children, and they would always be there until the day they died. Mina's lips flitted down into a frown as she continued to listen to her mother's sobs, their hands locked together tightly. "But you are not alone; you still have your children." She spoke those words softly, even almost to herself before she shook her head. "And his killer will be found; the guards of this castle will not stop until they find who did this, and you know that they will. That person will deserve what they will get, regardless of who it is. Every suspect needs to be looked at and they will be. Father's death will be avenged."



Myla could feel her breath hitch when the guard turned down their access for leaving because Avram was not yet named the King. So these men were the wiser of the fact that the King was dead. Her eyes went down to look at the neck of the mare that she sat on, her hands once again clenching around the reins as she grit her teeth, trying her best to keep herself calm. But again she was beginning to get paranoid, and again she was beginning to grow worried for her life. It wasn't a feeling that she had encountered in a long while; this feeling of desperation of wanting to leave, this sense of fear that sank in the pit of her stomach because she almost felt as if all hope was lost. Perhaps she was just beginning to overreact, and even she knew that herself, however she could not help but let the feeling run through her. It was almost too much. It made her rethink the decisions that she had made over the past months, with first deciding to come back to the capital, with the decision to make her way into the place, and then to make her way into the castle so that she could at least make a little bit more gold before she would leave again. She should have just tried to take any other little job that she could have taken. She should have never went to that castle...

But then Ser Ector spoke back up. She caught the pinched brows that were on Larcin's expression before she turned to face her other male companion, eyeing him warily as he spoke. The flux? Would they believe that? Surely his daughter could pass off as being a little sick, given how the tiredness she exuded could very easily be misconstrued to represent something else, but what of herself? She surely felt sick, if that constituted for anything, though she knew the feeling came from no sickness or disease in itself but because of her own mind throwing so many thoughts and worries to her. Myla steeled her breath as the guard's voice finally spoke back up, and when she turned her attention back to the man, the hood still shrouding the point to her brows, she pursed her lips before answering.

No, she could not speak her actual name. Surely they had heard that an Auvery had come back to this capital, and surely they would have at least been on a little of a lookout for the person, or girl rather. Or her more like it. But again, Myla reminded herself that the man seemed to not take recognition of her face, which in itself was a bit of a relief. And the document of the seal had given no hint of to who her identity was. That, hopefully, could give them a little bit of a leeway, or at least hopefully it would. "Of course you already know of Larcin Godfrey here, so he needs no introduction. But I myself am Ingrede Darlle. Over there is my younger sister, Elize Darlle." Speaking of her old fake name and even bringing a little girl, one that she hardly knew, into her lie made Myla sick to her stomach. But having to go along with what Larcin had said at first, and then to continue on with what Ser Ector had spoken, this was probably the only way. Act as if he girl was her sister and that Ser Godfery was their personal guard, to which it wasn't a complete lie, at least for her own sake. She looked over to Elize and Ser Ector with raised brows. "And that there is Ser Mavis Lyman." And she was almost afraid to utter his true name for fear that somehow they would associate him back to the man he was in the Viricof Leigon. Despite herself, however, she nearly commended herself with creating such a quick name. Soon, though, she turned her attention back to the man who questioned them.

"But surely I do not see how knowing of our names will greatly matter. Surely you would not want our sickness to to spread throughout this city like I am sure we all know that it can given the right opportunity. Of course, we have done our best to stay away from the general public, however I am afraid to say that I am already in the beginning stages of this sickness with the weakness that runs through my bones. And my sister is fairing no better, though I am afraid to think that she may be worse than I am." She paused an took a breath, shaking her head before she continued on. "And surely if Prince Avram himself thinks it to be worthy enough to let us head to the Black Bay to even give us a seal that he will shortly be able to use, then it must be important. You would not want to be the one to hold us in this city with what we have, now would you, especially if this were to spread around? I'm almost certain that the Prince would be less that thrilled to hear that something he tried to prevent from happening happened because we were kept from leaving for the good of the people."



To see his captain take such an interest in this woman was a bit unnerving. In a way, it seemed that he was more worried over the girl than Avram was, though Darywn questioned himself as to why the Prince would even worry himself over a girl. Well, now that he thought about it, her name would be enough to want to get him involved, especially if it was enough to get Ser Gerold involved. He pursed his lips at the thought, his eyes widening just the slightest bit when the Viricof Leigon had been mentioned, as well as the fact that Larcin had also left when those people. But why would he? Darywn's eyes went to Ser Gerold as those curses spewed from his mouth. Would he not look like a fool once people would hear of the news that his son had fled the city? Surely it was an embarrassment to the man, as well as just a shame to his family. "No disrespect, your highness," he spoke up, turning to look at Avram, "but do you not think it's odd that Larcin would agree to follow along, or at least make his own decision, to go with that woman? And do you not find it odd that she is also along with someone who was apart of the Viricof Leigon? While I know pointing thumbs and making assumptions of others is a wrong doing, especially if there is no evidence, but to have her, to have them, leave with such a haste and so soon after the King's death? I almost believe that to be a bit of a suspicion, especially if she had not been in her chambers all night. Who is to say what she could have really been doing, if anything, or if she had been planning anything."
 
Meredina actually managed to smile through her tears. Her children. Thank the gods they were all alive and well. If there was such a thing as mercy from above then all three would outlive her by many years. She could not bare to have her own offspring pass into the next life before herself. If she witnessed any of their deaths, which was entirely possible with a war looming, Meredina could not promise she would not lose her sanity as Feldon had. There were more than just a handful of people around the kingdom that would like to see them dead. Up until now they had been fortunate to have any attempts on their lives thwarted without issues. None had even gotten close to the palace. The only way for someone to succeed was for them to have the trust of the royal family. That was another reason the queen was so intent on convicting Myla. The girl had Avram's trust, for whatever reason, and had used it to her advantage to leap at the chance for revenge. Thinking of the Auvery woman again made her fume, and she shoved that from her mind hastily. It did no good to think about Myla at a time like this. Nor would it do her any good to think about her children dying.

"Yes. I have my children," the queen muttered through an attempted smile. "And I would be lost without you three." She placed her hand over Mina's, almost as if her daughter was the one that needed comforting right now. "Nothing will happen to any of you while I still live. That I promise." She scrubbed at her cheeks to remove the salty tears that had marred her face since the previous night. Mina was right. The killer would be caught soon, and not just because they knew exactly who it was. Or at least the queen herself knew. Without Avram's word she could not have Myla arrested. But that did not matter so much now. It was time for them to prepare for his coronation. There would be plenty of time to mourn during the funeral, though Meredina was not entirely sure that she was prepared to fall into that hole of despair again. She stood up and brushed off her dress. Dust had collected on it from sitting in the same place for so long, and it was as wrinkled as Yaryk's skin. "I must prepare myself for the day's events now. Unless you wish to see him for a little while longer we must have someone take him away soon." Letting her husband's corpse remain there any longer would cause it to rot and decay, and then the smell would persist for days, never letting her forget seeing that cold, lifeless face. A shudder ran through her spine before she made for the door.



Ector shifted uncomfortably in his saddle as Myla went on to discuss matters with the officer. Though he was probably not as uncomfortable as the guard himself was. His eyes seemed to widen at every breath. But Ector still could not help a little worry pass through his mind. She was still speaking like a lady of the court, at least to an extent. That would have to be eliminated from her tone if they planned on getting very far. And a city watch officer would normally be less than inclined to do them any favors if she continued to speak that way. But the idea of the flux spreading throughout the city, and him being the one to cause it, seemed to be more threatening at least. Ector even noticed the man take a slight step back as he glanced from Myla to Elize and then back again. Larcin glanced sideways at her as she spoke, though whatever his thoughts were they could not be made out. Not from this angle at least. If he was on edge about the way she was addressing the officer than he did not show it. Elize, for her part, was laying the part of sick young girl quite well thanks to still being half asleep.

The officer frowned at Myla, though there was also a hint of bemusement thrown in there. "I don't know how a noblewoman would have come down with the flux before any of the commoners. But I will not argue with the word of Prince Avram." He peered down at the document still in his hands. From the way he held it one would believe that had he not been wearing gloves he would refuse to hold something that was in the possession of a woman with the flux. Their lie had worked apparently. "I doubt he would bother to hand out something like this if it was not important, even if he has yet to be crowned." Rolling up the parchment, he handed it back to Myla in a hurry, seeming glad to be rid of the thing. "Be gone then. If what you say is true then I will not have you infecting everyone at this gate." He glanced back at the open gate as if to make sure it was still open for them to leave. The line of people coming in was still a slow trickle, but it would not remain that way for long. No taking any time to let the officer change his mind, Ector bowed in his saddle. "Thank you, officer. Hopefully we will reach the Black Bay before their fevers grow worse." The officer nodded but said nothing, stepping aside to let them pass.

Once they were at least fifty horse lengths beyond the gate, Ector breathed a sigh of relief. It was not until then that he realized he had been holding his breath through most of the ordeal. He had never had a problem speaking to anyone that might not let him past a certain point, but he had never attempted such while knowing that one slip up could cost him dearly. Larcin was the first to speak once they were a safe range from the walls. "You cannot speak the way you would at court anymore," he said coldly, hastily adding, "my lady." So he had been bothered by it. Ector did not like the tone he was using but he could not disagree. A few harsher words would have set the guards against them in a hurry. "We have to remember that we are no longer members of a high court," the knight added, though in a much softer tone than Larcin. "We are refugees now." It was surprising to think that Myla still held that much authority in her voice even after spending most of her life living as a peasant or worse. "I know it's not easy to swallow. But what is done is done. We must accept that."



Hearing Darwyn speak up so suddenly took Avram aback for a second. The man seemed to be among the believers that Myla was the killer. The prince had a half a mind to reprimand him and set him to barracks duties for the rest of the day. What a sight that would be. A high officer of the palace guards sent to work on chores that only new recruits and servants were responsible for. "I sent her away for safety reasons," Avram replied in a calm, cool voice. "It was on my orders that she left. I know many people believe she is the murderer, but she is not. There will be no senseless accusations and backstabbing." Despite the fact that he still held a scowl on his face, Ser Gerold nodded in agreement and mumbled, "An Auvery would never dishonor herself by using poison." Avram was not sure how the man would cope with the knowledge that his son had fled the capital without so much as a note left behind.

"If that is all you have to say then leave me to ready myself," he ordered. "I have a coronation to prepare for." He glanced at the window as the pair of them left with steep bows and heavy boots that thudded against the stone floor as they marched out. The sun was peaking over the horizon now. If everything had gone as planned then Myla would be out of the city by now. She would be safe. It was reminder he had to repeat so as not to forget that he was not sending her away for nothing. Before anyone else could come in to bother him with things he did not care to hear, Avram quickly stripped off the rags that did not suit a king and dressed himself in a red-gold doublet embroidered with sapphires around the collar. The banner of his house was sewn in black on the left side of his chest in a neat pattern. A heavy sigh escaped his mouth when he was fully dressed and took one more glance at the window. She was gone for good. He departed and made for the council chambers. Two guards apparently had been left by Ser Gerold outside his door, though Avram was not sure if they had paid attention to the previous conversation. Even with his protests, they insisted on accompanying him wherever he went until the killer was caught.
 
It was almost a bit of a reassurance to hear her mother speak those words; to hear her say that she would be lost without her children. Yet Mina could not still help but think that her mother may fall into some type of hole that she would not be able to get herself out of. How would she take not being Queen any more? What would she do for the rest of her days since, eventually, all who would be left to reside in this castle would be Avram and his wife? She wouldn't put it past her mother to try and stay in charge of the palace; after all, for years she had been the Queen of this Kingdom and while the people had gotten used to her face and position so had she. Then again, now that Mina thought about it, perhaps it wouldn't be so bad if her mother tried to keep as much power as she could, given how Lyanna seemed to already show that she was not going to be one of the best Queens the Kingdom had ever seen. Despite herself, Mina frowned at the thought. Lyanna was certainly able to be molded into the person that anyone wanted her to be, and there was no doubt in her mind that she would only be a means of support to Avram, hardly to the Kingdom like she should be, and she didn't even seem to be the best means of support given how she had hardly done such a thing the night before...

No, now was not the time to worry over such a trivial thing such as that. There was no point, she figured, seeing as there would be nothing to stop that from happening. As soon as Lyanna married Avram tomorrow, she would be Queen and the Kingdom would have to become used to an entirely new King and Queen. How would they take it? How would they take the sudden news that their former King had finally died? Quickly, Mina shook her head to clear those thoughts from her mind. Her eyes drifted back to her father as her mother placed a hand over her hands before she let out a little sigh. The poor man. The poor woman that sat besides her. The poor family that had just lost their father and husband, despite how it could be seen as if he had left them long ago. Only now he had finally stopped breathing and living. It made her wonder how things would have been different if he would have just passed because of the madness. Would they be as sad? Yes, even Mina knew that, but would they be as angry and upset over the matter? Unfortunately that was another question that would go unanswered, just like so many things.

When her mother finally stood from the bed, Mina watched as she smoothed her dress out as she spoke, a frown still gracing her lips before she nodded her head and stood up her own self. Right. Ready themselves for the coronation. As her mother left the room with the door closing behind her, Mina stood in her place for a little while longer, her gaze locking onto her fathers. She prayed silently as she bowed her head and closed her eyes. Why did he have to leave? Why did he have to leave them? Why had he allowed someone to poison him? He used to be a strong man. If the situation arose he would have fought his way in order to survive in that situation; he would not have let himself pass because of a simple little poisoning. It just wasn't right. It just wasn't fair.

When her words had stopped she turned and left the room, turning to look at the guards that stood by her father's door. "Make sure my fathers corpse gets taken away as soon as possible. We do not need there to be any terrible smell to come along with him." She willed her voice to not break as she spoke those words, but as soon as she had been given a nod from the guards she nodded her head as well before she started walking back towards her chambers, her guards following right beside her. She entered the room to see Carsil holding onto Elwin, and for what felt like forever she felt a little smile come to her lips at the sight. It surely wasn't that often when she had been able to catch the in moments like this, given how busy Carsil generally was. How would she feel when it would be his time to pass if she had not yet passed on, with both of the men in her life? She pushed that thought from her mind; no. She had last one person already; she didn't want to have to even think about losing someone else. "You should start getting ready for the coronation," she said as she walked over to them. "There may still be hours left before time, but I still believe it would be best to get ready now."



The tension couldn't help but had lowered in her body as the guard said his piece and would allow them to leave. The expression of his face told her enough that he was uncomfortable, yet she could not decide whether or not he wanted them to leave because he did not want to be the one who was blamed for an outbreak of the flux that they supposedly had to happen within the city, or if he was more afraid of contracting the disease himself. Regardless, it took a lot for Myla to not smile at the notion that this had worked and that they would actually be set free. It was a bittersweet moment, yes, but in reality she was more relieved to have not been trapped here to suffer the torment that she would undoubtedly face. Then again, who was to say that she wouldn't face torment while they were running from this place? She kept her mouth pursed as she grabbed the document that was handed back to her, giving a slight nod, though saying nothing else as she ushered her horse forward along with the others as the opening to the city was presented to them. They could leave. They actually were leaving, and the sun now was beginning to peak over the horizon. Just in time, she figured.

But as they traveled further away from the walls of the city, Myla, despite herself, turned to look back at the looming city that was getting smaller and smaller they further they traveled. Her heart beat in her chest as she bit her lips, her throat beginning to tightened as she thought about Avram and about what they had done last night. What could not be said and what would never be... But this was for the best, right? She almost felt like it was not, because not only was she losing him, but she was losing her life in a sense. She was an Auvery, and because of that she was condemned to the reputation that had been put against her family because of a rumor that started over her father and the fact that their power had been taken away. She could no longer live in the lands that she was born in and had grown in because people wanted to kill her. If the nobles of the north would not be after her life, then it would be the people of the royal castle and she had no doubt that that was true. But regardless of how irritating the thought was, Myla could not deny the anger that it brought when she thought of it. Was it fair that she had to leave this place when she had done nothing wrong? When she was not her father but only shared his name?

Unfortunately the anger had settled in the middle of her chest in that moment, and when Larcin spoke up to her she turned her attention to look at him, her eyes narrowed as she scoffed at his words. "But what of you? You are the son of a legendary knight and people from all around the lands knows of your father, and because you resemble him in looks someone may say something. What is to say that you just being you will not lead us into any more unwanted trouble?" She knew that she had more than likely spoken out of turn, though she did not stop her words. She was well aware of what they were now; refugees that Ser Ector so called them, so there was no more need of trying to convince herself. To be honest, refugee sounded much more pleasant than being called a peasant or a lowborn woman. But would it take them long to realize what they were now? Could they stand to think that they would no longer be able to live with what they used to have?

In a sense she knew that Ser Ector had suffered a lot after the Viricof Leigon had been disbanded, however he had always had some semblance of power. No where near what it used to be, but at least he had not been stripped of everything he once had. He wasn't considered a fool. But then that left Larcin and Myla wondered how he would fair of it all. He did not know of the life that she led and he did not understand it either. Would he run back to this place someday because he wouldn't be able to handle it? No, Myla didn't believe that one bit. While she wasn't very fond of the man, she doubted if he would ever give up on something so easily, and she doubted that he would crawl back to this place despite how he left on his own accord. Nevertheless, she still could not help but worry over them all. But on that note she also pitied herself because she was delving right back into this world where she would have nothing and would be considered nothing. While in the castle she was, in a sense, considered nothing, at least she had been given the opportunities to have back what she once had. A nice bed. A nice meal. People to converse with... At least that was one thing she would have; companions.

"My... Apologies." She spoke up after a moment of silence had ensued between all them, Myla clearing her throat in that moment. "I've spent years trying to catch the speech patterns of everyone else around me, the... Peasants, but it is much harder than you may think." Or, she figured, she may have just been too proud to throw away her pattern of speech that would fit a noble. She just didn't want to lose every part of herself. "Let us just be happy for the fact that we've been given the access to leave without many problems; hopefully this is an omen for better times in the future." Oh, she could only hope. But still because of her own paranoia she could not help but look back to see if anyone was coming after them. No one. That was good.
 
The entire castle, and very likely the city as well, had been a panic for the better part of the night. The fact that Carsil had managed to get any sleep at all was a surprise even to him. That was not to say that he expected to be more effected by the king's death. He had seen men die before, men that he was close to. Some of them he would have considered brothers in all but birth. So to hear of the king's murder was nothing new to Carsil. But he did lose quite a bit of sleep for another reason. Mina had been wrought with grief the whole night, and he had done everything he could to comfort her in a time of need. It was difficult in a way, as he had never been one to give into emotions very easily, and learning to ease someone else's pain was just as unnatural for him. But he did what he could to the best of his knowledge, or so he hoped anyway. Mina was rarely one to show pain or misery, always so full of joy with a bright smile on her face wherever she went. Carsil could not deny that the mood around the palace at Barrenton seemed far more pleasant when Mina first arrived there. The nobles at home would be heartbroken to see her so devastated as she had been yesterday and likely today as well.

One of the handmaidens brought Elwin into their room upon Carsil's request, just after Mina had gone to see Prince Avram. It was not often that he got to spend much time with his newborn son. He did not see it as his responsibility to be a caretaker for the babe, primarily because of how busy he already was and how many people they had taking care of him already. But this trip to the capital had given Carsil an opportunity to see his child properly without interruptions. He shared his mother's eyes, the strong, dark brown color of the royal bloodline. It was hard to see how the rest of his features would turn out just yet since he was currently no more than a chubby little ball of flesh, one that would be the future Lord of Barrenton. Carsil quirked an eyebrow up at the boy as he peered down at the little thing sitting in his arms. "To think I once looked like this." Elwin Hedric. Had it been up to Carsil the name would have been Pomar, a name that history often associated with strength after the legends of Pomar Halleford of the Red Mountains and Pomar "The Beast". But Mina had insisted on Elwin. The more he thought about it, the more Carsil decided that the name suited the face, young as it may be.

Mina returned a little while later, and Elwin was still goggling up at his father. The boy seemed to have the most unnatural sleeping hours, but then again what infant did not? Despite her smile, Mina still seemed as bedraggled as the previous night, only now she was making an effort to hide it. Though she insisted on them getting ready for the coronation, Carsil simply smiled and carried the babe toward her. Wrapping his free arm around her comfortingly, he pulled her close and placed a small kiss on her forehead. Showing affection was not his strongest suit, but for her sake Carsil had tried to do more since the news reached him. As odd as it felt to him, Mina needed something more than words of comfort. An extra kiss here, a warm embrace there, and a softer tone from time to time. "We still have time. Come. Elwin has been waiting to see you. Does he not deserve as much attention as your brother?"



The council chambers were empty upon Avram's arrival. He had expected Yaryk to meet him here just after dawn, which it was now. But he would not be surprised if the scribe was caught up in his manuscripts and dated documents from centuries ago. He seemed to do everything at a leisurely pace. Although as old as he was, his slow pace probably seemed like a horse race to the scribe himself. Luckily Avram did not have to wait long. Yaryky bustled in with only a few scrolls in his hands, which as met with a quirked eyebrow from Avram. Normally the man looked to be drowning in parchment wherever he was, so to see him with so little this time was unusual. "This might be asking purely out of hope but I will ask anyway. Have you heard anything of the killer yet?" He barely gave the man time to bow before asking. It was not likely that a man who rarely left his study during the day would know anything about who the murderer was, but Avram had every member of the council utilizing their numerous resources to locate the criminal, assuming there even was one of course. As much as the prince wanted to know how the death occurred, he would not allow himself to become obsessed with a chase leading to nowhere.

"None none so far, my lord," Yaryk stated bluntly. "But I do have all of the details of your coronation set. It will take place in front of the palace sept by the gates. The throne room is not large enough to hold every noble that is arriving today. I tell you, there is no worse time for a coronation than right before a wedding. When you are presented before the gods make sure you..." Avram stopped listening after that. Yaryk would provide a more than lengthy list of requirements that had to be met for the ceremony to go as planned, and get sidetracked more than once in the process, only to give Avram a scroll that had everything he needed to know scribbled out in as much detail was necessary. So instead he pretended to listen while he let his thoughts flow elsewhere. How soon would the crown's enemies learn of his father's death? Was that the type of spark they were waiting for to unleash that army of their's? Was Myla on her way to the harbor already? And if so, would she really be safe across the ocean in Altiman? Could Avram trust his mother not to do anything rash, especially in her distraught state?

Thanking Yaryk before he left, Avram tucked the scroll into his belt pouch and and stood to brush down his doublet. There was much to do in so little time. If he could be crowned without having a ceremony he would. Numerous lords would be arriving now, and Avram was sure he would only know about half of them, but he would be required to greet every one as an old friend. He detested unnecessary formality. The morning continued as such, with the prince seeing all who came to the castle with a friendly but sad smile. Friendliness for those before him and sadness to show his devastation at losing his father. Hearing some of them feign regret for the king's passing was almost laughable in some instances. By the time he had greeted all of those who had arrived, knowing more would be coming later, Avram was preparing himself for the coronation, striding towards the sept with all the grace of a king, flaked by four royal guards now instead of two.
 
A quiet sigh came from Mina's lips as she felt the slightest bit of warmth from Carsil as he wrapped an arm around her to bring her closer to him and their child. Her eyes looked down at the bundle that sat cradled in his arms, little sounds of gurgles coming from the little boys' mouth as he seemed to stare blankly up at his two parents, until she felt the kiss on her forehead and tilted it up to look at her husband. Her smile softened a bit at the little show of affection, something that was also rare to see, though she appreciated it more than she could probably ever tell him. She knew that this was a stretch for him; him being as affectionate as he was being, but she liked it and liked that he was doing it to try and make her feel better. It let her know that he cared, something that she knew she didn't need to be reassured of, but, nevertheless, it was always nice to see a different side of him, a side that most people probably never would see or ever hope to see. Given his relatively stoic nature, Mina was more than positive that most people wouldn't even begin to think that he had this much of a soft side. But she knew, even if it was a bit of a struggle for him to do as such. "I believe he's happy to be in the presence of his father, seeing as it normally isn't a time when you are given ample amount of time to spend with him." Gently and tenderly, she raised her hand out and brushed her thumb against Elwin's cheek, lowering her eyes a bit as she sighed. "Though, perhaps he may be happy to be in the presence of both of his parents, if he even has much of a particularity to who he is with." But at least their baby was well tempered, or at least he seemed to be from what Mina could tell. He was relatively quiet unless he wanted something, to which he would then scream like nothing she had ever heard. Again, it only served to make her think that he would be good with commanding things when he grew to take his father's position when it was his time. Not any time too soon, she prayed.

She rested her head back against Carsil, breathing out another sigh as she tried to better prepare herself for the events that would be happening later throughout the day. With the coronation and the funeral, at least in this moment right now she could relax and be with her loved ones, though she could still not get rid of the overwhelming guilt that continued to build up within her. What if she had gone to see her father yesterday after speaking with her mother that night? Would he had been alive at that point? Could her having been there stopped that person from coming into his room to poison him, or, heaven forbid, would her being there stop him from poising his own self if that was what happened? But she knew it wasn't fair to ask herself such questions because no one would ever know. She was not the reason why her father had been killed and she could not carry the weight of that on her shoulders. She refused to do that. But right now she did not want to think of those thoughts. She wanted to stop the tears that still threatened to appear in her eyes and she wanted to stop the absolute grief that continued to riddle her body. She wanted to fall into the affection that Carsil was trying to give her because he knew that it would make her feel better, and she wanted to bask in what was her son, despite how all he could do was lay in the arms of whomever was holding him. It was enough for her; back in her home this had always been enough for her. Though her family here, her mother, father, brother, and her sister would often be on her mind, she had her own family to think about and she loved them and they were always at the forefront of her mind. They were enough for her at this point, except she could not deny how a chunk had been removed from her after her father had passed, and she was unsure of it would ever return.

They spoke for a while longer, moving to the bed to sit as she eventually took Elwin into her arms and cradled him as she sat next to Carsil. She even told a few stories of what she remembered of her father, saying that, though he was usually always busy, it was always nice to see him when he was not, especially for dinners when he was finally able to sit down and talk wit the family, even if there was a point in time when she felt like she had to compete for attention with Avram when he was around. Surprisingly, it made her feel better to talk about her father with Carsil. They were bittersweet memories, yes, however they were in the past and at least she had them. At least she could share what a great man he was. But as the morning continued on their food had been brought to them, despite how Mina could not find an appetite nor could she feel as if she could trust the food that they were given any longer. It was an odd feeling to have a distrust towards just about everything that sat in this castle now, her own home, or used to be home, a place that she had always thought was safe. But after their food had been taken away, Carsil started to get ready for the coronation that was getting closer and closer.

Elwin had been put back in the care of her handmaidens when it was time to start leaving for the coronation. Mina figured that it would be best for the babe to stay behind for this event, just so that he wouldn't disrupt anything in case he decided to cry out for attention or food despite how he had been fed. Guards flanked their sides as they walked through the halls, sounds beginning to echo against the walls. More people had come into the castle, not that she suspected anything less, however, she felt that this was not a time for there to be so many people around. There was a killer among the people and that person could easily hide among the crowd that would be around. But again, these were not the thoughts that she wanted to have. When they would pass by others as they made their way to the sept, Mina would merely give them quiet nods and solemn looks. Hopefully they would understand that she was still grieving, but nevertheless she would tighten her hold a little tighter around Carsil's. People were already coming to the sept, and her mother was already there, along with Trinity who stood right next to the woman. If there was one thing she could say about her mother, it was that she could go from looking like a mess to an absolute Queen, to which she would only be for not much longer. But there was still an air of mourning around her mother, a sense that she was know alright at this point. But at least she was attempting to be better, though Mina had more reasons to believe that the woman was only trying to stay so strong because of the people that were in the castle now.

They went and stood by her mother and Trinity, Mina's eyes searching through the other people. The Eburhart's were there as well. Lyanna, looking dashing as always as well as her mother, her father and her two brothers standing there as well. But her eyes stayed on Lyanna, taking note of how her eyes were looking in one direction, yet they seemed to be looking at nothing. It was as if she was just there, though maybe not really. She felt the urge to apologize to the girl, for both her and Avram's outburst last night, but she decided against it. Now was not the time, especially when she was around her family. While Mina was unsure of if they knew of their harsh words to the girl, she did not want to bring something like that up around them. Nevertheless, the girl still looked relatively unhappy, though most people probably saw it as sympathy over the death of her soon to be husband's father. The Gods knew how 'upset' Lady Odella had been about the matter, however Mina could still not figure out whether that woman had been truthful with her tears, or if she had been in the state that she had been in only to be a ploy to make it seem as if she was sympathetic about what happened.

She huffed a breath at the thought. The men of the royal court were also in attendance, not that she hadn't expected them to be there, but she also noticed the amount of guards that stood by the sides all around the area, keeping watch, their bodies still, swords at their sides, ready to defend against anything that could happen. Though she knew that their presence was there for protection, Mina still could not help but feel a sense of worry over their appearance. But then soon Avram showed his face and had come into the area, looking much better in terms of clothing than he had that morning. It was still a whirring thought to think that he was about to be named King for the kingdom, and in that moment as she saw him walk along, she grew nervous for him. What would happen to him after this? But again, Mina found her eyes going over to Lyanna, noticing how her eyes seemed to have come back into focus as soon as Avram's body appeared. Still, there was a look of hurt in the girl's eyes, and Mina could only hope that he would be able to make it up to her in some way, or at least make her feel a little better.
 
Carsil half-smiled when Mina suggested that Elwin would appreciate seeing his father. It was no secret that the babe certainly preferred the company of his mother, probably because of how used to her presence he was. Carsil had actually expected the lad to start crying as soon as he was away from the nurse, but to his surprise he remained calm, staring up at his father with wide eyes that could mean just about anything. He wanted to promise himself that he would spend more time with Elwin before he grew older, but he could not bring himself to. Why make a promise that he could not keep? "He has your eyes," was all he said in response. They were the same word he spoke when he looked upon his son for the first time. The dark eyes of the royal line had been passed to him. Mina's eyes. Carsil was sure it meant the boy would have all the grace of a royal himself, or so he hoped. His own house had never had a strong blood connection with the royal family until he was wedded to Mina. Being the father of a boy with royal blood was something he could most certainly be proud of. The boy would grow up to be the most notable man of the Hedric line. He had to, now that it was in his blood.

When her head came to rest against his chest, Carsil gently stroked Mina's hair. It felt like silk under his fingers. Although they did not spend very much time together, during the few moments they did he would often find his hands stroking her brown locks like so. It was a warm feeling, and she did not seem to mind it. Eventually they migrated towards the bed and Carsil handed Elwin to her, somewhat regretfully. It was not often he got to hold the boy in his arms without hearing a high-pitched scream for one reason or another. He listened intently to Mina's tales about her father and what it was like being the daughter of one so important. It sounded just like any royal family should as far as he could tell. It was no surprise that King Feldon gave more attention to his only son. If Carsil himself had a daughter he would like to think he would give her an equal amount of attention as Elwin, but that was easier said than done. He never had the chance to grow up with siblings of his own. His parents had two children before him, neither of whom lived longer than a few minutes after leaving the womb. After Carsil, they had hoped to have one more child, but another failed attempt had left his mother distraught and unwilling to try again for fear of being overcome with grief. It was not something he understood at the time, being less then three years old, though now he wondered if he could be stronger as a parent through such adversity.

His arm draped around his wife, who still held their son in a tight bundle, Carsil did not speak much even when she paused. Clearly talking about the happier times was good for her even if they would not be seen again, at least in the same fashion. Unsurprisingly she did not eat much when food was brought to their chambers. As for himself, he would have sent for more if they had more time. They had spent longer sitting and talking than he intended, even though it was Mina who did the majority of the talking. It was not until they gave Elwin back to the handmaidens that they started preparing for the ceremony. It would have been nice to take him along but they had learned all too well that he was not fond of any events that involved loud noises.



The noise of the crowd gathered outside the castle could be heard before Avram was even outside of the main tower itself, let alone through the palace gates. When he stepped out onto the sept, still surrounded by his guards, he gazed over the many people that had come to watch. The last time he had seen streets this packed was during the tournament held in Sarvayl many years ago, and even that seemed minute compared to this. He could not even see where the crowds ended this time despite being so high up relative to the rest of the city. The news of the wedding had more than doubled the population of the city if Yaryk's numbers were correct. And now all of the people who came for that were getting to see a coronation as well. Of course there were about twenty commoners in the streets for every noble, and that was not counting the numerous servants each lord or lady had accompanying them. Many of those highborn faces had arrived only just today, and more would be present by nightfall, well after even the funeral.

Avram's eyes landed on the Eburharts. Corlan looked as calm and dignified as ever, showing no more emotion than he would if he were dressing himself for his morning routine. Odella and her sons, Harrick and Warren, looked to be smiling, though whether they were real or not was another matter. Avram often wondered which of the twins would be given lordship of Ahthari after Corlan either passed away or relinquished the title. But the thought did not remain for very long this time when his eyes met Lyanna's. She quickly averted them, or at least he thought she did, a moment after his gaze landed on her face. She was still shaken about their encounter from the previous night. His stomach twisted into a knot of guilt not just because he wished he could take back what he said to her, but also because his thoughts strayed to Myla yet again, even while he looked at the woman who would be his wife by tomorrow night. He had to stop himself from glancing in the direction of the eastern gate. Was she safe? Had she made it out with no setbacks? Would there be any obstacles along the way? Somehow he did not expect those questions to cease haunting him any time soon.

Before he realized it, Avram was standing with his back to the crowd and facing a priest who was dressed in gray silk from his shoulders down to his ankles and wore a hilwa, an enormous hat studded with diamonds worn by men of the faith. He recalled stealing one such hilwa right off a priest's head when he was only about six years old. That had earned him one of his more brutal punishments. "Avram of the royal house of Barkwer," the priest began. He looked even older than Yaryk, if such a thing was possible. "With the gods as our witnesses, you come before your people to proclaim yourself as their rightful king. Will you let it be known as such?" Avram had rehearsed the words since he was old enough to know that he would be king one day. Yet saying them now almost made him want to vomit. "I, Avram of the royal house of Barkwer, do declare myself the rightful heir to the throne and the rightful king of Sarvayl." It was only after he spoke that he realized how much quieter the crowd had become. It was hard to believe considering there were hundreds of thousands of people behind him.

"As king, it is your duty to see the crown's justice is served in every land you rule and for every citizen in those lands. It is your duty to protect those who would harm your subjects. It is your duty to protect this kingdom from invaders and enemies who..." Avram's eyes shifted as the priest continued on. He already knew what would be said and felt no need to continue listening fully until it was his turn to speak again. Only a few paces behind the man stood his family. Mina and Trinity flanked his mother, both of them looking bright and beautiful despite yesterday's events. The queen on the other hand seemed distracted. She was not looking at him, but just past him, where most of the nobles stood. She was looking for someone. She was looking for Myla. He almost nearly felt the urge to vomit again before he realized what the priest had just said. Clearing his throat to cover the hesitation, Avram lifted his chin up just a tough higher. "I, Avram of the royal house of Barkwer, pledge my life and will to serve my kingdom in all of these duties. May the subjects of my kingdom accept me as their ruler. May the gods judge me fairly and justly for my successes and my failures." They had likely judged him for quite a lot in the past few days alone. "Then with the gods as oour witnesses, I hereby declare thee," the priest stated as another approached the two of them, carrying a shining golden crown studded with more jewels than Avram would have thought possible, "King Avram Barkwer, Protector of the Realm and Deliverer of Justice." When the crown was placed on his head Avram could not help but think about how uncomfortably heavy the thing would be while he wore it in court every morning.
 
The entirety of the situation was beginning to become overwhelming to her. At first, Lyanna knew that she would be going into the marriage to become a princess, to be the wife of Prince Avram, not a King. But now, as soon as she would be wed to the man she would become a Queen, something that Lyanna doubted that she would ever be good at. She could not even compare herself to the woman that Queen Meredina, and she could not compare herself to the type of Queen the woman had made herself to be over her reign of that title. But now it was coming all too quickly, and she could do nothing about it. Her parents did not seem to mind the sudden change of events, them telling her that now she would have more responsibilities to take on, them saying that it would be her time to prove what she could do and that she could be a good Queen. She would be a good Queen, if only to prove that they had chosen the right woman to become Avram's wife. Except, Lyanna did not feel as if she was the right woman. After all, if she was, then Avram would not have yelled at her as such he did last night, nor would have Mina. Yes, she understood that their emotions and their anger had been flared because of the death of their father, however would they have yelled at anyone else? Why had she become the brute of their words last night?

As she stood right next to her mother at the coronation with her hands crossed in front of her, she averted her eyes when she noticed Avram making his way towards the priest that would lead this entire ceremony. It wasn't until that his back had been turned to look their way that Lyanna had looked back at the man, her ears barely listening to the words that the priest were beginning to speak. His mouth seemed to move, yet she did not understand that words that he spoke. Her eyes went over to the royal woman of the family, their gazes all pointed towards Avram except for the Queen who seemed to be looking in another direction. So regal, such a strong woman that she was going to have to try to take the place of. Would the Kingdom even like her? Would they like the thought of having a new Queen, one that had come from a different city, one that they had never met? When she was to be a Princess, Lyanna had always thought that those years, if it would have lasted that long, would have been the time when she would have gotten to know the people of the Kingdom, or at least the civilians that resided in this city. She had always thought that she would be able to ask the Queen for help, to see what she would do as Queen. Of course that option was not entirely closed, because she could always ask the woman for advice since she would still live in the castle, however things would be different now. Technically, she would have no power, or at least no power like she was used to. Lyanna would not actually be able to watch the woman and learn through that. She would have to learn through words or through her own experiences which was not a reassuring thought.

She wanted to question her parents against this marriage, just as she wanted to when they had first brought the news to her. When they had told her that she was to be wed to the Prince she had not believed them at first, but then she knew that they would not take an event like that with a little grain of salt. They would not have brought the news to her had they not been serious. And during the time she had almost had half a mind to rant to refute against the news, however she did not do as such, could not even imagine to do as such against her parents. While she had always known that her parents would have arranged her in a marriage that would help them gain some sort of power, whether it be wealth or just with brute strength for an army or allies, she did not expect this. She did not expect to be given the power that she would be given, and she did not expect them to marry her off to the Prince. It was almost laughable to her to think that any other woman in her position would have been thrilled to be able to marry him, to be able to be a Queen, but she did not. She did not want this, yet there was nothing that she could do to stop it. She would not stop it. But he seemed to not be the man that she had thought he was, if only from the events of last night. Lyanna had not told her parents about the matter, or her mother rather when the woman had come to the room to see her, questioning her as to why she wasn't with Avram. She just let things be.

That man was not the one she had seen at the feast, however she still felt as if she could not blame him. He was under stress and overwhelming stress could do so many things to a person, could make them say and do so many things that they may not want to do or normally would do. She wanted to believe that. She wanted to believe that the man she saw at the feast, the one who she had danced with, was there. She wanted to believe that eventually they were grow to love each other, but she did not believe that. Not anymore. They would grow to tolerate each other, she believed, but not love. They would have children with each other, but not out of love. It would be out of duty, just as this marriage was.

Her eyes peered up at the crown that was placed on Avram's head, the jewels glinting in the light of the sun that showed down on them when a cloud would not shroud its light. He was the King now, taking over his father's place. And tomorrow she would be married to him and be the Queen. Lyanna pursed her lips at the thought, her eyes turning to look away and at her parents now. Their eyes were stuck on Avram, her father keeping his face as he had that entire morning; hardly showing many emotions. And then her mother had a smile on her face at the sight, one that seemed a little brighter than the one she held just a few moments ago.



As the crown had been placed on his head, Mina could not tell what the emotion was that started to swell through her. Pride for her brother? Possibly. Proud that he was finally taking this leap in his life and taking on such a giant responsibility that could either have him end in greatness or sadness. But then there was also a sense of sadness, a sense of remembering who he used to be when he was younger. So happy, so filled with joy. When he would run around the castle pulling his dastardly pranks and when he would laugh loudly when things would amuse him. Seeing him in this moment she had always known she would see one day, yet, right now, she thought that this was too soon. Her eyes searched upon his face to see what he was feeling and how he was beginning to handle all of this. For the time being, however, she could not tell anything. And then her eyes shifted over to the Eburharts before she slightly turned her head to look at her sister and her mother. Trinity was smiling, but her mother didn't even seem to be looking at Avram, looking to be even a little irked about something. Something was off about the woman, however Mina would not question it. For a long while her mother would probably not act the same, though she hoped that she would soon.

The noises from the crowd were beginning to start again, Mina's lips pursed before she turned to look back at Avram, people even beginning to bow in respect for their new King. So, this was it. He was taking over their father's spot. In that moment, Mina wondered if this was what their father looked like when he was crowned King. Remembering what her father looked like when he was well, she knew that Avram resembled their father greatly, a few differences from a few of the things that he got from their mother, but the boy favored his father. They were both strong men, yet she knew that these were different times and that they were their own people. How many times would he be compared to their father in regards to what he had been able to do as King and what Avram was able to do?
 
For a moment Avram was not completely aware of what was happening now that the crown was on his head, but he remembered that most of the nobles, at least the highest of them, were all supposed to declare fealty to their new king. That was what made the ceremony last so long now that he remembered. If there was a way to speed up the process he would gladly do it, but every family that approached the sept insisted on doing so one at a time for various reasons that Avram cared little for. The first family to kneel at his feet and swear words of fealty was house Horley of Riverkeep. One of the most important trade partners with the crown, Lord Wayfor was as cool and collected as any man and led his wife and children to the sept with all the grace a lord of his status should display. Despite a horrible scar that slid down Lady Foswin's cheek, apparently from a riding accident, Lord Wayfor's wife was quite beautiful in her own right. Avram did not know the names of their children, or rather he did not remember them. He would be reminded soon enough. Of all the families that knelt before him, the Horleys were among the ones he trusted the most, though not without caution of course. There were many others, such as the Vanderwelts, that were trustworthy in the same way a fisherman was afraid of water.

Avram was not sure how long it took for every major house present to swear fealty, but it was too long for his liking. And he had no doubt there were some lesser houses who wished to do the same if for no other reason than to gain some status in his eyes. In total he counted thirty-six that had approached the sept. That was less than half of the powerful nobles in the kingdom. More would arrive tonight as well as tomorrow before the wedding, but it was still an unsettling fact. The final house to swear fealty to their new king was none other than house Eburhart. Unlike the others, in which the house head stood just in front of the rest, the proud daughter stood at the front this time. That was likely done at Corlan's insistence. Judging by the way they spoke the words and the expressions they wore, there was no sign that any of them knew of the exchange that had occurred between him and Lyanna. But his fiance still looked shaken. Was the woman really this upset about the incident? Surely she understood that she caught him at the worst possible time, and even then he apologized after the outburst. That issue would have to be mended soon, but not here and now. The less people that knew about it the better.

Thankfully there was no tradition of the new king speaking after his coronation was official. Some elected to do so, and some did not. Given how much had to be done before his father's funeral, Avram chose the latter. He came down from the sept trying not to appear hasty and all but tossed the crown into the priest's hands. He was only required to wear it in court and certainly had no wish to wear it outside of that. Now that he was king he would have to start rebuilding the royal council. Three positions were still open since his father had failed to find replacements: the council chief, the master of laws, and the spymaster. The last of those was not an official council position, at least not to the masses. While many people, even commoners, would use the name even in public, it was not widely known just how often the spymaster was used utilized by the council. Avram already knew who he would be selecting for each position, and he had already planned for a council meeting to be held immediately after the ceremony with invitations sent to those new members he was hoping to include. There were some he would consider as second options in case any refused, but they would not be ideal if everything was to go as planned.

When he reached the council chambers, most of the members were already there. Yaryk was in his normal seat, as were both generals. Ser Gerold had not yer arrived, though he was likely preparing security measures for the funeral. A fair excuse for tardiness. Orfin was present in his usual place, looking just as glum as he always did. Corlan had entered just before he did. The man clearly expected to be named council chief from the day the marriage date had been set, and Avram did not see much of a choice other than giving the man what he wanted. No doubt he would make a fine addition to the council, but the fact still remained that he was among the suspects for poisoning the previous king. Also among the new additions was Lord Mirac Belladon, Lord of Darmoth. One of the largest, oldest, and most powerful strongholds in the kingdom, Darmoth was an ideal ally to have. Lord Mirac had already declared his loyalty to the crown years ago, but like any other noble he probably expected something in return. It was best not to test his patience. Therefore, Avram invited him to be the master of laws, an invitation that was offered only this morning when the Lord of Darmoth arrived. The final member, the one who would be spymaster, had not yet arrived. Despite his wishes to keep her in check, Avram had passed a message earlier today, barely an hour before the coronation, to have his own mother, Meredina herself, be named spymaster. Though he was not sure she could be fully counted on to tell him everything, it was no secret that she had spies all over the kingdom, and rumors said she even had some across the sea. Being queen for so long, it would be difficult for her to relinquish her power to Lyanna. Being named spymaster might soften the blow. And Avram also hoped it would take her mind away from losing her husband.



"I must be elsewhere right now, and for a very important reason. So do not take it lightly that I have summoned you to me at such a time." Meredina stroked the arm of her chair as she peered down at the man kneeling before her. Darwyn was one of the high ranking officers under Ser Gerold's guards, though he had not been knighted yet, mostly because of his lack of experience in battle. That was not likely to last long, unless of course the task she had in mind for him lasted longer than she intended it to. He was a skilled fighter from what she had observed during her occasional trips to the training grounds. It was always nice to find men that could be of use to her, whether as spies or as deadly killers. In this case, she expected Darwyn would do a marvelous job at both. He was not flashy in his fighting style, but stealthy and quick. Now that she was being named as spymaster, Meredina would have ample opportunities to utilize the resources she had available to her. Unfortunately it would be limited, as she would have to inform Avram of every spy she had and where they were located. There were hundreds by her count, and going through all of them would take a great deal of time. But this one she intended to keep secret. She could not care less if Avram wished to have any of her spies removed of their duties. Darwyn, however, would be known only to her.

"Myla Auvery is gone," she stated bluntly. "I had expected to see her at the coronation, but she was not there. A brief visit to her chambers revealed that all of her possessions were nowhere to be seen. I think it is no coincidence that my husband was poisoned only last night and she has elected to flee from Sarvayl now. Your job will be simple." She could not help but grin with delight. The girl would pay no matter what Meredina had to do. "You are to bring me her head. Without delay, I might add. You will not leave until after the wedding of course. When you inform Ser Gerold that you are leaving, tell him that Queen Meredina has ordered you to escort a young maiden, one that you have interest in marrying, to her homeland. He will not pry for more information if he believes it is so personal. It is a weak point of his, though he hides it well sometimes." Her face darkened and her tone grew just a slight more menacing, though somehow more graceful. "There is no need for me to tell you how vital it is that your true mission is not to be revealed to anyone, not even Ser Gerold. I do not care which men you take with you, nor how many. But should any of them spread word about what you are doing, then you will be held responsible. And you do not want to disappoint me."
 
There was an anxious sense that flitted through Darwyn as he knelt down in front of the Queen, or former Queen for that matter. Why would the woman call him away from his duties, especially so soon after the coronation of her own son? Of course he did nothing to question the woman, because he was not foolish enough to get himself into that type of situation in which he may lose his title, rank, and his entire life. It had been done before, he had seen it happen, and he did not want that to happen to him. However, despite his unease he tried to keep a confident air about himself, because she would not have called him for a matter that was trivial or something small. It was important, and the look the Queen sported upon her features was all but an indication of that. The man picked his head up to look at the woman, his lips pursed as he nodded his head to her words, keeping his brows from furrowing, or even moving, like they wanted to when he noticed the strange glint in the Queen"s eyes.

And then she spoke. The Auvery, the very woman who had caused a bit of a stir to happem among the entirety of the castle as soon as her name had been spoken and as soon as she had been revealed. Before he had thought that the woman would no longer be of an occurrence to him, seeing as she was no longer in this castle, possibly no longer in this city, but, apparently, that would not be the case. His body stiffened as he continued to listen, his eyes staying on the Queen as she started to grin at her own thoughts, obviously happy and proud of her plan, obviously filled with so much malice that she could not help but smile at the thought of the Auvery being dead. It was intimidating to see the woman in such a state, however Darwyn could not deny the sudden shift in energy that came to him. Yes, the anxiousness was still there, however there seemed to be a bit of an excitement, despite how this was such a serious matter, one that could easily end up in his death should he fail. But he didn't plan to fail. He would not fail, especially if it was the Queen who had requested him specifically to take on a job such as this. Out of every other man she could have chosen to do this job, she had chosen him, and he could not deny the pride that swelled through him. She thought of him capable, she thought of him able enough to do this... He had to do it. He shivered at the thought, having to keep down his own grin at the prospect of being able to prove himself to the Queen, to prove that he was worthy.

But then another thought came to him. What would Prince, no King, Avram think of this? Nothing, he could not think anything of this because he could not know any of this. The Queen was adamant enough with that with her tone, but how to go against the King in such a way? But, then again, was the Queen even aware of the fact that he was the one who had allowed the girl to escape? "I will do my best to not disappoint you, your Majesty. You have my absolute word on that statement. However, I do have to ask of one thing; Are you aware that King Avram allowed the Auvery to leave? Ser Gerold and I spoke with him about it only this morning, and he even admitted to himself that he was the one that told her to leave, and he did not see to have any remorse for such an action. But not only that, I had been informed only after the fact that during the night she had not been in her chambers at all and no one had been any the wiser." Only now did he furrow his brows and clear his throat. Why he felt the need to tell such things to the Queen was beyond himself, however he spoke them nevertheless. "And she also has some companions along with her; a man by the name of Ser Ector who is a former knight of the Viricof Leigon as well as Ser Gerolds son. I have no knowledge of what could happen with those men accompanying her, especially Ser Ector. What if she is trying to resurrect the Viricof Leigon?" He paused for a second before starting again. "I assume that you would want me to take care of them as well, just so that they will no longer be of any worry? After all, if they were willing to follow and go with her, who is to say that they are not traitors of the crown either?" He knew that had Ser Gerold heard him speak those words then things would no go well for him. His son was already a soft spot as well, something that had bothered him greatly after knowing that he had left as well.
 
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