THE FORTUNIST

30. Wuxhia

“Dian's Teardrop takes the form of a purse.”

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How can the Winter Solstice be gone? Forget about usurping the crown. With the queen indisposed, not even her children can take over her titles without the Winter Solstice.

For the moment, Wuxhia is tempted to feel betrayed. His suffering to find the Fortunist, Bala's sacrifice and consequent death, his rebellion against his father and deceiving everyone around him would all be for nothing if he is unable to sit on the Albenian Throne at the end of it all.

"The Winter Solstice, it's gone." That had been exactly what Captain Bough Andenad had said and even repeated on Wuxhia's request.

Expected questions of shock and how it could have possibly happened had exploded across the strategy room. Even the usually aloof Jaise Lemohn had looked put off. At that very moment, the whole lords and ladies of the council might have been thinking along the same lines.

The Winter Solstice is the sole cryfix of the royal house. It makes its famed appearance unfailingly at every coronation event, bestowing upon every single royal ruler, the outright legitimacy to rule. It is a culture that everyone had been born to meet. There is no going round it and Wuxhia fears that his house would never be the royal house.

But the Fortunist is always right. Wuxhia closes his eyes and takes himself back to the moment when the Fortunist had smiled at him with blood red lips while telling him that she wasn't there for him.

After a solid five minutes of arguments and an elaborate play on the blame game for which Bough bore most of the brunt, Wuxhia had called for silence and had stolen the power of the Hand to adjourn the meeting. Idris had tried to oppose but thanks to the ever conservative Jaise, the council saw reason on why they should let the shocking news simmer amongst themselves and in their heads for a while before addressing it.

"You don't have to be bothered about not reaching here in time for the next meeting Lord Beckefort. His Highness has graciously offered you residence in the palace," Jaise had said with a touch of finality.

Wuxhia had been the first to leave and he couldn't get out fast enough. He was worried that if he had stayed even just a second longer, they would see through the body of an experienced man and right into the soul of a frightened boy.

Frightened?

Since entering Xihan's body, Wuxhia had lost his connection to the Twin Mountains— the cryfix from his mother's side. He now has instead, Xihan's ability to disintegrate objects with his touch. He moves over to a hidden shelf from which he retrieves a scroll, the scroll the Fortunist had given to him. He begins to scan it.

A persistent knock on his door interrupts him and he immediately hides the scroll before yelling out a customary "come in!". Jahrys, his thirteen year old attendant, enters. Jahrys is one of Bala's younger siblings whom his family had sent to replace Bala. Wuxhia had immediately taken the boy in as a personal servant, uncaring of what Fowella would think. He knows no one can take Bala's place in Fowella's life. Even now as he stares at Jahrys, he knows it is the same fate for him.

It is not Jahrys' fault. The boy like the rest of his family are trapped in the illusion that Bala is only on a long term travel. Wuxhia had tried to sell the same lie to his mother but she would sooner find the actual truth from her exceedingly loyal servants. She would learn how Wuxhia had cut Bala's body down from where it dangled and how he had gone to bury it in a place known only to himself. And how he had taken a servant girl along but returned without her. How he had fought with his father afterwards and how he had grievously injured a guard in the process. Wuxhia wonders if the guard survived. Fowella is a smart woman. Although she did not read the Fortunist's fortune, she could tell that something changed on the night Wuxhia returned from his mission. Something more than just the problems of the royal house.

"What is it?" Wuxhia sharply asks upon remembering that his attendant is still waiting by the door to be granted audience.

"Lord Lemohn wished for me to inform you that he will write you a letter which you must read alone. I cannot deter Lord Beckefort, he insists on seeing you. Captain Bough also waits along with him. My Lady sends her regards for your health. She appreciates your dedication to the crown's affairs. She wants to know if there's anything specific you want for dinner."

"Tell her to cook whatever she likes."

"And the rest, My Lord?"

"What rest?"

"Lord Beckefort and Captain Bough."

"Tell them to wait."

"I've been telling them that for the past two hours. The captain isn't scary but the Lord looks like he might pummel me to the ground the next time I say it," the boy whines.

"Do you want to take my place now Jahrys?"

The boy immediately goes red, "No."

"Then tell them to wait, and if they can't wait they're free to go. I'll see them at the next meeting. You may leave."

Jahrys gives a hasty bow before making his exit, banging the door behind him. Jahrys has a hyper spirit that Xihan being Xihan would not have been able to tolerate. Wuxhia hurries to the door and bolts it before Jahrys' hot blood can cause him to barge in without knocking the next time.

He returns to the hidden shelf and takes the scroll. Along with it, he brings out the bejeweled comb. He examines it as before his very eyes, the colour seeps out of the glowing amethyst that Xihan had stabbed and mixes with the red ruby.

"Many citizens connected to Salem's Flower have been complaining about their abilities fluctuating and failing them."

"Wherever safe place the cryfix was hidden before, be it under the ground or above the sky, it is no longer safe there."

Wuxhia sighs and softly strokes the comb. The glowing purple colour steals back into the amethyst and leaves the ruby blinking crimson red.

'This can't be right,' Wuxhia thinks, reviewing the scroll but coming up as blank as ever. Too much is at stake he decides. There really is no going back now. He would take the throne like the Fortunist had promised. He would do whatever it takes to make that happen even if it means finding the Fortunist, all over again.