The Thorn in My Side

Part 4

At the stroke of midnight, a small shadow darted across the night sky. It spun and dived until it landed on the very windowsill that held the letter. It poked it twice with its sharp beak before picking up the envelope in its claws and carrying it away. It flew through the kingdom of Ezaelon, over the trees that guarded the border, and into the kingdom of Shaiya. Tucking its wings, it dove suddenly into the trees below and dropped the envelope into the hand of a hooded figure seated on a horse-pulled cart. They opened the letter and scanned the words. The small shadow landed next to them and waited with patience. The occasional rustle of leaves or whinnies filled the silence as the horse became restless. The figure scoffed before tucking away the letter and tugging the reins.

The next day was filled with even more stress than the day before. The two didn't even sit down for breakfast, instead choosing to work in the study. It distracted them from the fear and anger about their missing son. They would've worked all through the morning if the guard hadn't brought them a visitor.

They sat on their thrones, the whole room in their sight. The statues portraying ancestors lining the walls glimmered in the golden light. The red fabric leading to the door was pristine, as it had just been swept this morning. Pillars of marble were spaced evenly on either side of the carpet, making the room seem even larger. Their thrones were unique, each with intricate details relative to their family. Sebastian massaged the groove right where his thumb rested. It was not there originally, ground down by the weight of the kingdom and its stressful affairs.

"Bring them in," Sebastian boomed. The guards that stood on either side of the door opened it in one swift motion. A young lady walked in, following the red until she reached the bottom of the stairs. Her eyes did not wander the room, as many do, instead trained on the king and queen who sent for her. She immediately dropped to one knee with one arm tucked under her stomach and the other rested on her lowered knee. She held the pose long enough for the royals to assess her.

She wore a plain tan tunic tucked into a pair of chestnut colored leggings. Her boots ended right below her knees and were scratched and ripped, obviously from years of use. Her wavy brunette hair reached her waist, half of it tied up in a loose bun. A stained, hooded cloak draped across her shoulders. The longsword strapped to her waist appeared to be of pure craft, stored in a gold embroidered sheath with a leather wrapped hilt. A bow and quiver were slung over her shoulder which scraped the floor as she bowed.

When she finally straightened up, her face was hardened, decorated with scars and smudged with dirt. Yet even with evidence of years of work, she was still breathtakingly attractive. Her deep brown eyes held tales for the ages even being what looked to be around 17 years old. When she spoke her voice had a slight rasp but was smoother than that of a mother's.

"Your Majesties, I am Rowan Brookes of Shaiya." Her neutral expression faltered, a hint of consolation in her eyes. "I've heard tell of your missing son and you have my sincerest sympathies."

Sebastian answered first. "We accept your sympathy, Miss Brookes. Thank you so much for coming in our time of need. From what we've learned, your skills are of high quality and you have plenty of experience in retrieving lost items or... people." His posture was tense. He just wanted to finish this little introduction so they could get to saving his son.

Rowan chuckled. "Just Rowan, your majesty. And yes, you'd be surprised at how often this comes about. For the issue at hand, I have a feeling of where Prince Alex may be." Rosa and Sebastian felt a rush of anticipation. "I can not confirm that he is there at the moment but I have high hopes. I promise you, he will be returned to you, unharmed, before morrow's sunset."

"Wonderful. Is there anything you need from us to complete this mission? We have plenty of resources," Sebastian asked hastily, done with the formalities.