Over the Sea [Dual Trilogy Book 1]

Kano

Sairos led me out of the castle after dinner.

We returned, leading Evan and Melai toward the throne room where Father, Mom, Rhosyn, and Lily waited. Sairos went to join Rhosyn at his throne while I leaned against a nearby wall, crossing my arms, soon joined by Lily.

"We have come to a decision regarding your proposal," Father began. He paused, and I scoffed.

Does he have to be so dramatic? I asked Lily, who shrugged in response.

    "I accept."

"That's great to hear!" Evan beamed.

Mom put up a hand. "You will need to prove that the job will be done. You will go to Uskyae and kill the High Nobles so that our daughter can safely assume the empty throne. Some of our most trusted adversaries will accompany you across the sea, in order to ensure a trustworthy report."

"Who would you have us bring?" Melai asked.

"Four of my knights, as well as my son, Prince Kano," Father answered.

What? I snapped my head up and looked at him, then at Lily. Did you know I'd be joining them? I asked angrily.

    Hey, don't look at me! She snapped. I knew nothing, I swear. This is new information for me, too.

    "You'll leave in four days to kill all nine families. After they are all dead, you will return here and we will hear the report of your travels," Mom continued. "If it's to our satisfaction, we will discuss the details of killing King Ronam."

"For now, you will be our guests here in the castle." The King stood, followed by Mom and Sairos. "I've had servants prepare two rooms for you both. Welcome to Kalhaire Castle."

The king, Mom, Sairos, and Rhosyn left the throne room as two servants hesitantly made their way towards Melai and Evan. The two began to follow the servants out when I, closely followed by Lily, cut them off.

"Wait outside," I ordered the servants, keeping my gaze locked on the two of them. I knew it wasn't their decision to bring me along, but I found it difficult to keep the anger out of my voice. Now that I stood in front of them up close, Evan only stood a few inches taller than me, and Melai just a little bit shorter than Lily. I found the contrast of their skin tone more eerie than I had yesterday.

"You may have enchanted the rest of this castle, but not us," I began, feeling Lily press closer to me in support. "I don't know why you would use our grief to grant you this kind of 'glory', but give me one reason to suspect an ulterior motive, and that glory will be gone faster than you can disappear." I turned and walked down the stairs, side by side with Lily. My heart pounded harder and harder with each step.

We entered a side hallway, and I turned to Lily. "I'm going to have a talk with the king."

She grimaced, and placed a hand on my shoulder. "Don't be harsh." She dropped her hand before leaving me to walk alone towards his study. I tried to listen to what Lily had said, so I focused on my breathing as I walked.

In...

Out...

In..

Out.

In--

Anger swelled up from the pit of my stomach as I neared his study, and I barged in. "Were you planning on telling me that I'm going with them, or were you going to tell me as they were getting ready to leave?" I yelled.

He looked up, set down his pen, and walked in front of his desk. "I did not mean to put you out like this, Kano," he responded. "I'd hoped to find you this morning before Princess Rhosyn arrived to tell you myself."

"A decision you apparently made right after the meeting? Because unless my twin sister is lying to me, she knew nothing of this plan either!" I chuckled to myself and looked around the room trying to collect my head. "And you're actually going to allow them to do this?" I cried, meeting his eyes, "They asked to kill King Ronam, not King Ronam and the High Nobles."

"We need to make sure they will follow through on the task they requested."

"I thought it was peace you sought between our two kingdoms! That's how you raised us, Father!" I paced the carpet. "Peace with Uskyae is not made by assassinating their king and destroying their way of life."

"That was before my son died by the hands of one of theirs." He leaned back against the desk.

"You don't know that! Ronam always wanted violence. You're just looking for someone to blame, and Uskyae is the easiest option." I stopped pacing and walked closer to him, glaring into his brown eyes. "If peace cannot be made, angering them simply because we suspect their hand will only make it worse. If we had actual evidence of their crime, believe me, I'd be leading the charge." I closed my eyes and swallowed, placing a hand on my forehead. "Please tell me you won't condemn entire families to death by the hands of strangers, all in the name of my brother." The last words came out strangled, an indicator to him of my inability to keep my emotions under control. Despite this, though, I felt no shame.

I watched him mull my words over in his mind. I couldn't actually get through to him, could I? Surely he would see the sense behind my argument and call off this pointless endeavor. Or would he notice the croaked words, assume my emotions have gotten the better of my judgement, and shrug off everything I said?

"Evan and Melai will leave bright and early in four days." The king returned to his seat behind his desk. "I expect you to join them. This trip will give you a chance to see Uskyae as the desperate kingdom it is. It will allow you to see this as an opportunity for our kingdom to grow in power and wealth."

I allowed the disappointment to show on my face. I wanted him to know that, should anything terrible result from this, I would blame him for all of it.

With nothing left to say, I calmly walked out of his study, slamming closed the doors just as hard as I had opened them.