Beneath Shadows and Secrets

♔ 𝔉𝔦𝔣𝔱𝔶 - 𝔖𝔦𝔵 ♔

First and foremost, I just want to apologise for my lack of activity. I have truly pushed myself to the limit these past few weeks, and have not had a day to myself, let alone a moment. I really crashed the past few days, and to prevent making myself poorly (as I have done many times before) I put everything on hold.

I feel awful after having promised you updates for what has been a fortnight now, but hopefully you can understand that for my own health, and for the quality of the writing you guys receive, I just had to take a bit of time to collect myself.

I'm planning the next update to be Friday, and I have Sunday off from work this week, so I will also aim to have another written and posted for then too. It's so frustrating to me that I'm struggling with being overworked right now, because we're so close to the end, and I want to get this finished, for me and you! That said, I truly thank you guys for being patient with me, and your continued support.

Hopefully you can forgive my absence with this 4K + chapter <3
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♔ 𝔑𝔦𝔯𝔞 ♔

If Calix continues scowling at Eesah with such severity, it is bound to kill him. Or kill Eesah.

I grit my teeth as he stalks behind us, the Prince of Posieren brandishing his weapon beside me. There is no threat, has not been for the time we have been walking in the search of nothing. Except, I think Eesah still does not consider there to be full amicability between us. He is right not to trust me. As soon as I know what his words meant, I will kill him.

"Where did you find your spear?" I ask, glancing at that which he carried at his side. "Was it your weapon, or one of my future generosity?"

"Your generosity?" He echoes.

"A weapon given to the competitor at the generosity of the future monarch." He scoffs, and behind me, I hear Calix make a similar noise. When I scowl at him over my shoulder, he only raises a brow in question. I suppose my comment is enough to make him curious. I have promised to help him take the throne, after all.

Eesah turns to me, his head cocked in a playful way. "No, this is from the generosity of my monarchy, not yours, Queen Daenira." I hate how the simple words sound so suggestive. I would have thought the threat to kill him twice, and the attempt to fulfil said threat would have warned him from this juvenile attempt at flirting, but alas. It seems Disanye was right – both he and Josiv seem to have taken an intolerable liking to me. "Should we both survive, perhaps I will have to bring you to the Sinking Kingdom one day."

"She would not be allowed to enter." Calix says from behind us. We both turn to look at him. With a lift of a single shoulder, he reminds Eesah, "it is called the Sinking Kingdom for a reason. Nira is no water dweller, so would not be able to hold her breath for so long, even if she could swim." Those last words are so snide, I can taste the bitterness they leave in the air.

"She did not seem to do so terribly in the lake." Eesah lifts a hand to touch my neck, and I hiss at him before pulling away. "I have never seen gills behave the way yours do." Calix's eyes narrow with curiosity.

"You have never seen a being like me before." I mutter, before raising an arm to stall them both. "We are wandering aimlessly. Wait." I remove two daggers from my collection and brace them in my hands. I still have six left, though the blades of these two are sure to be damaged beyond use after this.

I stab them both into the tree, using a strength that beds them to the hilt. Ignoring the dull pain in my side, I use them to pull myself up the trunk, letting my feet find their support as I scramble up to the first weight-baring branch. For a short time, I press my hand against the bite on my hip. Blood comes away on my palm – I should have healed by now. There must be some sort of toxin in that bite that has stopped me from doing so. It has not burdened my power though, so for now, it is a problem that will wait.