Light from the Shadow

Chapter 23

Inside one of the rooms in Solbaru castle, Helten was sitting, waiting for someone. When he heard a knock on the door, he replied and let the person in.

"How was it?" He asked as the person stood in front of his desk.

"The body was burnt. It was almost unrecognizable." His aide said.

"I see..." Helten muttered. He dismissed him.

He leaned back on his chair and thought about the dead man his informant just mentioned, the man he hired weeks ago. The operation had only intended to prove the existence of Remblan's secret power that was said to run in the royal family's blood. Who knew his plan was going to be ruined by totally something else. After the incident in the mountain, the leader whose body was covered in scars, had come to visit him one night. Helten recalled him saying his men were all killed by a single man.

"He was a monster, Your Highness!! It was as if... he could read all our moves!!" He had said.

It was not hard to figure out who that man was. Rishi Meanica, the newly appointed Head of Remblan's Grand Library. But how could a mere librarian defeat the whole group? The men he hired were all skilled fighter trained by Solbaru military. Helten tapped his fingers on his desk. He did not like the librarian. More so after a rumor circling inside the castle reached his ears. One of his aides had reported that recently his wife, Ares, was seen meeting him secretly. He clenched his fist. His eyes turned to his wedding photo on the desk. His eyes were sad.

Ares... what are you thinking?

***

Ayna almost dropped her spoon when she saw a familiar figure came into her room three days later. The echo of his armored boots clanking filled the room.

"Jyaga? Why are you here?"

"I have come to escort you home, Princess." He said in a matter-of-fact way and took the seat in front of her. Ayna asked Aria to bring more food for him but he waved his hand.

"Why suddenly?"

"That damn librarian wrote to His Majesty. He abruptly resigned from his position as the Head of the Grand Library and especially asked me to come to escort you back to Remblan." Jyaga nibbled on Ayna's bread without asking, like usual. She did not seem to mind either.

"Rishi did?"

Jyaga nodded. "He said he had some business to do, not telling what, but he won't be back to Remblan at least for a while." He recalled the short letter he received from Rishi a few days ago.

Her Highness is being targeted and I'm worried about her safety. As I have things to do in Solbaru, I hope you can come here personally to be with her. I am trusting her with you.

Jyaga grumbled. Who did he think he was, ordering him like that? She was his childhood friend and protecting her was his duty since the day he was sworn as the captain of Remblan royal knights.

"We'll leave tomorrow."

Ayna nodded her head slowly and continued to eat her breakfast in silence. She had not seen the librarian since that day. She did not even know if he was in the castle or had left for... somewhere. He probably did not want to see her either. It would be awkward if they met. She remembered his expression the last time they met. Shocked... and bewildered. Was I too hard on him?

She touched her lips and then she became angry again. Serves him right!! How dare he kissed me like that when he is planning to leave me?? And is he hitting on the princess consort too?? The princess even came to beg her to let him go. Let him go from what, exactly? It was not like he belonged to her. She paused and stared blankly at the food on the plate in front of her. Right... Rishi did not belong to her... The sudden revelation hurt her heart a little. She knew she did not have the right to get angry with him for this.

She recalled the day she saw they came out of Rishi's room together. Were their feelings mutual? But what about the crown prince? Surely, he would not just sit back and watch? Rishi could probably be jailed if he was found flirting with his wife! Ayna shivered. She did not like the first prince at all. He was a total opposite of his sweet brother.

"What are you thinking? Are you okay?" Her childhood friend broke her inner thoughts. He was still munching her food. She frowned.

"You are eating my breakfast." She then laughed. "Thank you, Jyaga."

"What about?"

Ayna shook her head. "Nothing. I'm just thankful that you are here."

The knight looked at her, uncertain if he should be happy to hear that. He was not sure if the princess was thanking him... or the librarian who called him here.

***

Kuan could guess what his father and brother were thinking. They set him up to marry Ayna because they knew about Remblan's magi, or maybe suspected the possibility that the princess could use it. He did not actually oppose to the idea of marrying her, after all, he did love her. But at the same time, he felt guilty. It was as if he was deceiving her. He was afraid for her too. What if she rejected the marriage proposal and his father decided to use another way, by force? Kuan wanted to protect her but he did not have enough power to do so. He was not the next king. What could he do?

"Commander." One of his subordinates called. "About the matter you asked me to investigate..."

Kuan's expression changed. He turned serious. "Speak."

The informant nodded. "Two of our men actually saw a group of knights carrying something this big out of the castle that night when they came back from their duties." He described the size with his hands. "It was not a strange sight but they remembered it because there was an awful smell coming from it."

"Awful smell?"

"Yes... like... burnt bodies."

Kuan's eyes widened. "You mean... dead bodies?"

The subordinate nodded. "That's what they said. In fact, our men are positive that they are dead human bodies. The smell is different. They remembered the same awful smell... from the war."

Kuan knew which war he was referring to. The war from 15 years ago, where his father had cold bloodedly set fire to the former capital of Mehari during his coup to take the throne, killing many unarmed civilians. He was still a 10-year-old at that time and was kept inside his house in Tehra with his mother while his father and older brother, the then 17-year-old Helten, led the attack to the capital. The burnt capital had since been rebuilt and renamed as Solbaru, the city he was living in at the moment.

"Anything else?" He asked.

His subordinate looked hesitant.

"What is is?" Kuan asked.

"...I am not sure if this is relevant but apparently one of the gardeners had been making a fuss about his work. He could swear that a new patch of grass were being replaced in the Sun Garden without him knowing."

"Grass?"

The informant nodded. "We went to take a look and we found one of its sides had burnt grass on the edges. Weird thing is that nobody saw anyone burning anything, not even a smoke."

"I see..." The prince muttered. "You may leave." The man excused himself and left quietly.

Ayna was found unconscious in the same garden. Were they related somehow?