Book 2 of: Whispers Of Desires.
In the kingdoms of Niameda, Althea, and Ivamis, trade ships are mysteriously vanishing without a trace. When Kazi, the General of Niameda, risks her life to save the King of Althea from an assassination attempt, he of...
A surge of adrenaline flooded Kazi's veins as she heard the faint sound of footsteps drawing closer. Her heart pounded as she shoved the ring into her pocket and darted out of the throne room, the heavy doors closing behind her. This was no time to be stuck snooping in the throne room unattended.
Her thoughts raced, as the gravity of her discovery became ever more apparent. A Changer. The implications had been terrifying. She needed to get to King Eldarion's study, an area where she would possibly locate a few references to Changers in old texts or royal information. Perhaps there would be a clue, something that could help her unravel this mystery.
As Kazi turned a corner, she collided with a figure. She stopped, her breath catching in her throat as she looked up at the figure...Azrael.
He raised an eyebrow, his expression a curious mix of enjoyment and concern. "K, is everything alright?" he asked his voice laced with a hint of arrogance, a trait Kazi was finding increasingly...tolerable.
"Everything is fine, Your Highness," Kazi stammered, her voice slightly breathless from her hurried escape.
Azrael studied her for a moment, his blue eyes sharp and perceptive. "You do not seem fine," he countered. "Leaving the dance floor so abruptly, then practically sprinting down the hallway...something must be wrong."
Kazi cursed herself internally. There was no way she could explain her presence in the throne room, not without revealing her true identity. "I just...needed some fresh air, Your Highness," she lied, forcing a smile onto her face.
Azrael seemed unconvinced; however, he did not press the issue. Instead, he gave her a small smirk. "Look," he stated, his voice losing to a conspiratorial whisper, "how approximately we ditch the stuffy nobles and the suffocating ballroom for a breath of fresh air? Fancy a walk in the gardens instead?"
Kazi's mind whirled. Every intuition screamed at her to refuse. Spending time by myself with Azrael, especially after the odd encounter on the dance floor, felt like a bad idea.
But...curiosity gnawed at her. Perhaps some casual conversation might reveal some hint about the goings-on within the court, some unguarded comment that might be useful in her investigation. With a sigh of resignation, she knew she couldn't find a good excuse to refuse.
"Very well, Your Highness," she conceded, her voice flat. Internally, she cursed herself. This mission was getting more complicated by the minute.
Moonlight streamed through the Althean gardens. Kazi walked beside Azrael, the awkwardness of their initial encounter slowly dissipating.
"I must admit," Azrael began, his voice a low murmur, "I was surprised to see you dancing with me earlier." He paused, a playful glint in his eyes. "Though, I have to say, you are a terrible dancer for a royal guard."
Kazi scoffed, a ghost of a grin on her lips. "And you, Your Highness, are a prince with the social graces of a drunken badger."
Azrael threw back his head and laughed, a rich, authentic sound that resonated inside Kazi. It was a sound that surprised her, a glimpse into a side of him she had not seen before. A warmth spread in her chest a sensation both unusual and oddly comforting.
They continued their walk, engaged in a light-hearted conversation that touched on everything from childhood pranks to court gossip. Azrael, despite his initial arrogance, proved to be easy to talk to and understand. Kazi found herself captivated by his stories, his smile, the way his eyes crinkled at the corners when he laughed.
As they walked, a comfortable silence fell between them, a silence filled with a strange tension that crackled in the air. Kazi found herself stealing glances at Azrael, his profile bathed in the moonlight. A shiver danced down her backbone, a reaction that confused and alarmed her.
Suddenly, overwhelmed by this unexpected feeling, Kazi felt a desperate need to escape. Placing a hand over her heart, she cleared her throat, pretending to be in pain. "Forgive me, Your Highness," she stammered, her voice tight with suppressed emotion. "But I seem to be feeling an unexpected...pain. Perhaps I have to retire for the night."
Azrael frowned, his concern evident. "Are you okay, K? Should I name for a physician?"
Kazi shook her head vehemently. "No, no, Your Highness," she insisted, her voice a little too frantic. "It is not anything critical. Just a...a hint of indigestion, I agree with."
Internally, she groaned. Indigestion? A likely story. The truth was, she needed to see a physician, and soon. Not for a physical sickness but for whatever strange illness was affecting her heart and mind whenever she was around Azrael.
This task was turning into a challenging emotional situation, and Kazi was worried that she was losing focus on her goal.
She gave a forced smile and left, leaving Azrael alone in the moonlit gardens, with a hint of worry on his face. Kazi quickly returned to the castle. Sleep seemed out of reach tonight. She had too much to ponder, too much on the line.
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Kazi made her way through the maze-like passageways of the castle, her heart pounding in her chest. The thick carpets seemed to swallow the sound of her footsteps, adding to the eerie silence of the night. She was headed towards King Eldarion's study, a place where valuable knowledge was kept behind imposing oak doors.
Gathering her courage, Kazi knew that what she was about to do was risky. The discovery of the Changer's ring had left her with burning questions. She was determined to find out if there was any link between the Changers and the recent attacks on Niamedan trade ships.
With her well-honed skills, she expertly picked the lock and slipped inside. The room was filled with the scent of old leather and parchment, and moonlight illuminated the lavish furnishings through the tall windows.
The centre of the room was dominated by the king's desk.
Kazi was aware that she had limited time. Every creak of the floorboard and rustle of parchment could potentially alert someone to her presence. Crouching low, she began her search, her eyes scanning the shelves filled with leather-bound tomes, looking for any mention of Changers or recent historical events that might provide some insight.
Minutes stretched into an eternity. Frustration gnawed at her as her search turned up nothing but dusty treaties and forgotten lore. Just as she was on the verge of giving up, she caught a glint of metal out of the corner of her eye. A small box was tucked away in an unassuming corner of the desk, partially obscured by a stack of papers.
With a surge of hope, Kazi crossed the room and cautiously lifted the lid. Disappointment washed over her as she found it empty. But then, she noticed a glimmer of white. Tucked into a hidden compartment within the box was a rolled-up piece of parchment.
With trembling hands, Kazi unfurled it. It was not a treaty or historical record; it was a detailed map of the Althean coastline, with a large red X marking a specific location near the southern cliffs.
Recognition struck her. It was the location of the first Niamedan trade ship that had been attacked. The one they had found in ruins, a scene of utter devastation. But why was there a map of it here, in the king's private study? And more importantly, why had not they informed Niameda of this discovery? A cold dread settled in her stomach. This map, this secrecy, pointed to a far more sinister truth than she could have ever imagined.
Carefully refolding the map, Kazi's mind raced. Althea was hiding something big, something that had the potential to shatter the fragile peace between the two kingdoms. She had stumbled upon a truth that could change everything. Now, the only question was how she could get this information out...
