Tales of Cadence/Chapter IX

When Raven disappeared from sight, Elsynne rounded on Skylar. “Why did you let them take him away?” she demanded angrily. “Skylar, I thought-“

The elf shook his head, still grinning slyly. “Elsynne, calm down. By letting his brother take him back to the castle, we’re eliminating one problem.”

She stepped back, looking at him curiously. “What do you mean?”

“If we ran off with Raven, then his brother would probably pursue us right out of the city. Did you see how eager he was just to get Raven back?”

“Yes, but still...what if his brother tries to keep him in the castle?”

Skylar tapped the side of his temple, still grinning slyly. “I have a plan on how we can get him back.”

Felix suddenly jumped, beaming excitedly. “Are we going to infiltrate the castle and help Raven escape?”

Skylar laughed. “Something like that. Although infiltrating sounds good and fun, it’s not something that’s completely possible in this day and age. We’ll have to think of a much more elaborate and foolproof plan to get Raven back.”

Felix stopped jumping. “What else can we do to get into the castle?”

Skylar smiled and Elsynne shivered; he looked much too pleasant and careless. “I already told you, I have a plan in mind,” he replied. “Although Raven is a completely useless asset to this group, we still need him with us. We have to get him back, no matter what it takes.”

Elsynne took a hesitant step backwards. How much did he know?

Raven suppressed a sigh as he was led into the massive castle on the outskirts of Itona; he had not been there since he was fifteen years old and had promised himself the day he left that he would never return. He was disgusted to find himself back in his former home, being greeted somewhat pleasantly by the surprised guards and servants working inside.

One by one, Lukas dismissed each of the guards and stood beside Raven. “Nostalgic yet?” his brother asked, smiling as they walked down the long, bright corridor leading to their parents’ chambers.

“If my hands weren’t in these stupid chains,” Raven started, wriggling his hands as he tried in vain to free himself, “I’d punch you in the face.”

“You don’t mean that,” Lukas said, casting a casual glance over his shoulder. Raven glared at him, still trying to free his hands. The iron manacles were too strong; he could barely move his fingers, let alone his entire hand.

“Fine, I don’t mean it.” Raven said. “I’d much rather murder you in your sleep.”

Lukas smiled sadly. “I can see you haven’t changed much in three years. If anything, you’re even more bitter than you were before.”

“Of course I am.”

Once they reached the end of the long corridor, Lukas pushed the heavy doors open without hesitating. He pulled Raven in behind him, ignoring his disgruntled muttering.

The room was richly decorated and furnished with thick, wine-red rugs and somewhat elaborate ornaments. The massive bed in the middle of the room was adorned with what looked like hundreds of satin pillows. A huge picture window overlooked the ocean to the east.

Every time Raven entered his parents’ chambers, he was taken aback by the sheer size of the bedroom. He often wondered why two people honestly needed so much unnecessary space. They were usually working around the castle, taking care of the various businesses that required attention, and very rarely had any free time to spend in the room.

“Lukas,” a female voice said warmly. Raven slid back as his mother looked up. She was perched on the edge of the bed, flipping through a thick novel.

“I see your search was successful,” The king said, standing up from the chair beside an elaborate wooden table, “you found him.”

Lukas nodded enthusiastically. “Yes. I was lucky I managed to find Edward before he left the city again.”

The king smiled; or, at least he tried to. Raven could tell that his father still was not acquainted with such an unfamiliar gesture. Whenever he tried to remember his father’s stern face, he was often frowning with disapproval.

“It’s good to have you back,” the king said, making no move to approach his prodigal son. Raven did not reply.

“Edward...” his mother said, finally setting the book aside as she stood up. Lukas stepped aside as she rushed forward and pulled Raven in a tight embrace.

Raven tried to shy away, avoiding her gaze. “I’ve missed you so much...” she murmured, pulling him closer. “You were so young when you left, but now...you’re nearly a man.”

“I...know,” Raven muttered quietly. “But I’m not here to stay.”

“Of course you are!” his father said, frowning. “Lukas went to a lot of trouble to find you. He’s supposed to be resting after what happened yesterday.”

“I already told you, I’m feeling much better,” Lukas said, smiling modestly. Raven felt his stomach convulse; he had not been back in his home for more than fifteen minutes and already his brother was sucking up to their parents.

“Lukas,” his mother said, pulling away from Raven as she turned to look at him, “thank you for bringing your brother home where he belongs.”

Raven instantly cast his gaze downward, trying not to look at her. The entire right side of her face was burnt beyond recognition; the skin was shriveled and dried a sickly mix of red and pink hues. Her eyelid had closed shut over what was once a dark blue eye and the corner of her mouth was a twisted into a fierce grimace. Part of her hairline had burned off as well, along with the eyebrow that had once grown just below her forehead.

Raven could vividly remember the day she received the ghastly burn – it was the setting of his frequent nightmares.

“Edward, it’s about time you stopped parading around the countryside and came home where you belong,” his father was saying. “We’ve let you run around long enough.”

“If you wanted me back so badly, why didn’t you come get me?” Raven challenged.

“I decided that you needed some time to think on your own. Besides, you were being well taken care of, weren’t you?”

“Just how many spies did you have stalking me?!”

“Now, now,” his mother said gently, patting his shoulder, “we’re all happy that you’re finally home. Aren’t you glad as well?”

“Of course not,” Raven said, trying to stave the wave of guilt he felt when he saw his mother’s pained expression. “I don’t belong here.”

“You’ll still have a place in the court, I can assure you that,” his father said reassuringly.

“I’ll just act as his backup in case something goes wrong,” Raven said, scowling. “The second son is always useless.”

Lukas frowned. “That’s a lie. You’re not useless.”

His father suddenly cleared his throat. “You’re very important to us, Edward. Not just because you’re our son.”

Raven arched an eyebrow. “Oh, yeah?” he asked sarcastically. “So what other purpose do I serve besides being a figurehead?”

Before his father could continue, someone knocked on the door. A guard stepped in without waiting for a greeting.

“Your Highness,” he said, quickly standing at attention. “Several people – an elven male and two human children – were caught on the castle grounds.”

“Did you imprison them?”

“Yes. They’re being held in the dungeons as we speak.”

Raven lurched forward, nearly tripping as the manacles threw him off balance. “An elf and two kids?”

“Yes.” The guard said, bowing respectfully to Raven.

“I forgot about these,” Lukas said, ignoring Raven’s outburst. A key clicked into place and Raven felt a weight drop from his hands as the manacles hit the floor with a loud clang. “I’m sorry, Edward.”

Raven turned back to the guard. “I know them. Can you escort them here?”

“You know these people?” his father asked skeptically. “Just what kind of group were you traveling with all this time?”

“I didn’t meet them until a week or so ago...at least, I met the girl a little over a week ago,” Raven quickly amended. “I met the elf some time after, and the boy yesterday.”

The king exchanged a quiet glance with Lukas, who nodded. “All right, bring them up here,” he said.

“Please forgive me for saying this, Skylar,” Elsynne said as the guard behind them nudged her into the cell and threw the iron door closed, “but that was probably the worst plan I’ve ever heard from anyone.”

Skylar shrugged. “Well, our plan was to infiltrate the castle, and here we are. Getting arrested was the only way in.”

Felix’s brown eyes seemed to water. “That was so humiliating...” he said, pulling at the hem of his red jacket. “We just walked out onto the grounds and they caught us in five seconds flat. You didn’t even put up a fight!”

“Of course not. If we had, they would have put up a fight as well and we would be mangled bodies rotting in the sun by now,” Skylar replied pleasantly. “Be thankful that they decided to throw us right in the castle.”

Elsynne leaned against the bars. “But now we have no chance of seeing Raven at all. We’re trapped in here for good.”

“Not necessarily. We were only caught trespassing on the castle grounds without the proper letters of entry,” Skylar said, “they can’t hold us for long.”

“But by the time we get out, something could have happened to Raven.”

“The royal family are his parents. What horrible things could they possibly do to their own son?”

Elsynne folded her arms over her chest and sighed. “I don’t know...”

“We have plenty of time to find him. Don’t worry.”

“But the Gemini God’s revi-“ Felix started, but stopped as Elsynne shot him a glare. “Never mind...” he muttered quietly.

“Hehe, why does he want to see this weird group anyway?” a light, playful female voice echoed down the long hall. Elsynne moved away from the cell’s door and backed up against the opposite wall as they heard the sound of footsteps. “Besides, it’s just some weird-looking girl and her weird-looking friends.”

A small group of armor-clad knights appeared at the cell. A small girl accompanied them, twirling a lock of her long, light indigo hair with one gloved finger. She smiled at the group and stepped aside as a guard opened the cell door with a small rusted key.

“The king and queen want to see you,” she chirped. “Actually, one of the princes wants to see you, but it was the king who ordered you to the chambers.” She continued, correcting herself.

Elsynne watched the girl with interest; she looked as if she was only thirteen or fourteen, and yet she led this group of older soldiers with ease. What kind of government did the Itonian royal family run if it was allowing small children to lead soldiers?

“Come on, hurry up!” the girl said, running ahead. “The king’s pretty impatient, you know!”

Skylar smirked. “You see? We’re being led straight to Raven, just as I planned,” he whispered triumphantly.

“But you *didn’t* plan it this way, did you? We just got lucky!” Felix asked. Skylar chose not to reply and continued to follow the girl and the soldiers, still grinning.

“I can’t believe Edward knows you guys,” the girl was saying, flipping her hair over her slim shoulders, “I mean, he’s pretty much a loner, anyway. I joined the Itonian mage army right before he left, but I still heard a lot of stories about him, you know? Apparently he’s pretty antisocial and doesn’t like to talk to people, so why did he become friends with you guys?”

Elsynne sighed; this was going to be a long walk.

The girl continued to babble as they climbed several flights of stairs that led to the main floor. Most of the time, Elsynne was too distracted by the new sights of the castle and ignored the girl’s constant chatter. Felix busied himself with admiring the decorations as well, eagerly pointing out everything that caught his eye.

“Whoa! I can’t believe that the *castle* is still using candles,” he said as they passed a display lit by flickering candlelight. “I mean, I knew that the civilization here on the mainland was way behind us, but I didn’t think they were this far behind.”

Elsynne quieted him with another look, but the girl and guards had already heard. “What do you mean by that?” the girl asked curiously.

“N-Nothing,” Felix replied hesitantly. “I didn’t say a thing!”

“You’ll have to forgive the boy,” Skylar said. “He’s a fool and tends to babble incessantly when he’s in awkward situations such as this.”

The girl tiled her head to the side and gave them a crooked smile. “Yeah, whatever,” she said before continuing. She quickly launched herself into another long-winded, one-sided conversation as they walked down another long, darkening corridor. Elsynne stole a glance out a nearby window and saw that the sun was already beginning to set. Had it really been that long since Raven was arrested? She remembered then that he had not left the inn until almost noon, and was arrested an hour or so afterwards.

“So, we’re going to meet Raven’s parents?” Felix whispered in undertone. His eyes were wide with unconcealed fear.

Skylar nodded, “That’s how it looks. Be careful not to say anything that will get us in trouble.”

“Don’t mention a thing about the Heir or the Scale,” Elsynne added.

“Hey, hey! You don’t need to pick on me...” Felix said defensively.

“What are you guys talking about?” the girl asked, sounding more annoyed than curious.

“Nothing at all,” Skylar replied nonchalantly. “Why don’t you take us to the king and queen’s chambers before they get tired of waiting?”

The girl suddenly jumped and began leading them down the corridor at a much quicker pace. Elsynne took a deep breath to calm her nerves as they approached a door closely guarded by two soldiers.

“I brought the prisoners, just like the king asked,” the girl told them, craning her neck to look up at the two men.

“Very well. They’ve been waiting for you.”

“I know, I know. So let us through already!”

The guards stood aside as the girl reached up and opened the door. The soldiers who had been walking behind Elsynne and the others nudged them inside without waiting. The girl followed behind them, shutting the door as they got inside. Elsynne could not recognize the older man and woman – although she assumed that they were the king and queen – but she felt her heart skip a beat when she saw Raven and his older brother standing off to he side. She wasn’t surprised to see the hateful glare on Raven’s face when he finally saw Skylar.

“Here are the prisoners you asked to see, Your Highness,” the girl said, bowing respectfully. She then turned to Raven and winked. “It’s good to have you back, Edward.”

Raven grimaced and turned away as the girl moved to the corner of the room, watching them intently.

The king carefully scrutinized each of them, although his eyes lingered on Elsynne for much longer. His fists clenched at his sides as he spoke.

“So, these are the three people you’ve been traveling with for the past few weeks?” he asked.

Raven nodded casually. “That’s right. But Elsynne started following me around first.” He said.

The queen looked at her husband questioningly as he narrowed his eyes. “She’s...” he said, stopping himself as he paused to control his anger. “For how long have you known her?”

“I already told you, it’s only been a little over a week,” Raven replied harshly. “It’s not like I try to keep track of time while I’m out there.”

“I see,” the king responded quietly. He sighed and looked her over once more. “What are your intentions?” he asked.

Elsynne started. “M-Me?”

“Of course,” the king said, his mouth becoming a tight line as he repeated his words. “I asked, what are your intentions?”

“I’m just a traveler. I tried going through the countryside by myself and was attacked by bandits,” she replied, sticking to the old story she had told Raven when they first met. “After that, I decided that it was too dangerous for me to go by myself, so I decided to hire Raven to come with me, since he’s a mercenary...” she trailed off, flinching under the king’s harsh gaze.

“Is this true?” he asked, turning to Raven.

“Yeah. I agreed to travel with her for a while, as long as she can pay me for protecting her. The other two wanted to come with us.”

“Are they being compensated for their trouble as well?”

“No, they’re just going because they can.”

The king turned his cruel gaze back to Elsynne. “Why do you need my son to go with you on this journey of yours? Aren’t two bodyguards more than enough?”

Elsynne nodded nervously; the king’s words reminded her of Raven’s argument from earlier. “Skylar is an archer, so he can’t deal with melee fighting. Felix only just started using a rapier, too,” she explained. “Raven will be invaluable help.”

The king seemed to consider this for a moment. “Now, then...where are you from, and why do you need to travel?”

Elsynne winced; she had been praying that those particular questions would not come up in the discussion. “I’m traveling just for the fun of it.” She replied, hoping that the king would not notice that she had skipped part of the question.

“But where do you live? You don’t seem like you’re from Austror.”

“I...can’t tell you that.”

“Why not?”

“Personal reasons...”

Skylar folded his arms over his chest and Felix bit his lip nervously. The king was beginning to look and sound impatient because of Elsynne’s vague replies.

“Listen, let me make a deal with you,” Raven said quickly, turning to his father. “I’ve already been commissioned to this job, so I’m obligated to finish it. Let me travel with Elsynne and the others for a while longer, and then I’ll...come back here.”

Lukas raised an eyebrow skeptically. “How can we be sure that you’ll keep to your word? You left us once in the past with no qualm, and I’m sure that you’re capable of doing it again.”

“Send someone out to find me if I never come back, then,” Raven snapped.

Lukas turned to the king. “I don’t think that we can trust his word. It would be too easy for him to slip away from us again.”

The king shook his head, surprising them all. “Let him go with them for now.”

“Wh-What?”

“Let him travel with this group for a while longer. We’ll see how things play out,” he said, giving Elsynne a meaningful glance. She swallowed nervously and looked away.

Lukas nodded absently. “A...All right. But after I worked so hard to find him these past few days...”

“We’ll discuss things later,” the king insisted.

Raven narrowed his eyes. “Then why did you go to the trouble of bringing me here if you’re just going to let me go again?”

“Things have changed,” his father replied, “but you will be coming back here eventually. If you do not keep to your promise...”

“All right, all right. I get your point,” Raven said, moving closer to his companions. “I’ll come back here once I’m done with this job.” *Although I can’t guarantee that I’ll actually stay in the end...*

The king nodded curtly. “Very well. You’re dismissed.”

Once Raven and his group had been escorted from the room by a few of the soldiers, Lukas turned to his father, looking at him questioningly.

“Why did you do that?” he asked. “We’ve been looking for Edward for three years now and we finally brought him home.”

“I’m aware of that,” the king replied, his voice quiet. “But did you see the girl with him?”

“The strange-looking one...?” Lukas said, trailing off. His eyes suddenly widened with realization. “Do you mean she was-”

“That was the Heir, wasn’t it?” the girl asked. Lukas jumped; he had forgotten that she was still in the room with them. “She looked like she was one of the Penna.”

“Ilia, I’d like you to do a favor for me,” the king proposed. “The Heir being on the mainland puts us in a very delicate position, especially since Edward is with her. I want you to keep an eye on them.”

“Should I try to bring him back home?”

“Let them believe that is your goal. Try fighting them, and then join their group. Send me frequent reports.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

Lukas looked skeptical. “I don’t know if that will work...he isn’t that dense. Besides, he already promised that he was coming home, wasn’t he?”

“The Heir is in his group. This complicates things...”

“Don’t worry, Your Majesty,” Ilia said, bowing again. “I’ll keep a close eye on the Heir, as well as Edward.”