Bound by blood & Ink

Whispers of the night

Two days had passed, and Alex was still confined to her chambers. Each passing day only deepened her confusion as she tried to piece together the fragments of her memories. The harder she tried, the more her thoughts seemed to blur, memories folding in on themselves like layers of a puzzle she couldn't solve.

Late that night, she stood at the open doors of her balcony, gazing out at the courtyard below. The last baker was tidying his tools, extinguishing the fire in the oven. She watched as he disappeared into the night.

"I can't stay here forever," Alex muttered to herself. "I need to find out what's going on. This doesn't make any sense."

Determined, she crept to the door of her room, cracking it open to peer down the hallway. Two guards stood posted at the far end. Sighing, she closed the door quietly and turned back toward the room. Her eyes flicked to the balcony.

"If they can climb up here, I can climb down," she thought.

She hesitated, catching her reflection in the mirror. "Right, I should probably not flash the entire courtyard."

After rifling through a few drawers, she found a pair of decorative trousers and a silken top that seemed more practical than her current attire. She changed quickly and moved to the balcony. Peering over the edge, her stomach twisted. The drop seemed much higher than it had before—easily four or five meters.

"Well, guess I'm aiming for the bushes," she muttered before letting go.

The landing jolted her, a sharp pain shooting through her side where the wound was. "Damn it," she hissed, clutching her ribs. She stayed still for a moment, trying to regulate her breathing.

Voices echoed nearby. Alex froze, spotting two knights walking along the patio near the bakery. She quickly ducked into the bushes, holding her breath until their voices faded.

"Security here sucks," she muttered, brushing dirt from her pants as she snuck toward the courtyard entrance.

The hallway she entered stretched long and grand, lined with doors and framed paintings. Ahead, a larger space opened, likely leading to the main staircase. As she moved, footsteps echoed from the grand hall. Startled, Alex ducked into the nearest door, shutting it softly behind her.

Her heart pounded as the footsteps passed. Only then did she exhale and glance around the room. It was a study, walls lined with towering bookshelves. A table near the center held a large map, and a marble desk sat in the corner.

Drawn to the map, Alex stepped closer. The layout of the country and its neighboring territories unfolded before her. On one side of the map, a desert was sketched with a few districts marked. On the opposite side, dense forests signaled another nation. At the border of this forest, miniature armies with purple flags and black dragon emblems were stationed. Her side of the border was crowded with armies bearing diverse insignias.

As she studied the map, her eyes fell on the desk. There lay a book that sent a jolt through her—It's the book, she recognizes it from her schools library. She reached for it with trembling hands, tracing her fingers over the freshly carved cover.

The silhouette on the front was unmistakably her own.

Heart racing, she opened the book. Now she being able to read the title that has previously been covered by ink. Her name stared back at her from the first page: Alexandria Fairmont.

"This can't be real," she whispered.

The contents were as she remembered from her room back home. She flipped through the pages, stopping where the words had once faded. But now, as she watched, new writing appeared, ink etching itself across the page as if an invisible hand was at work.

The title at the top read: "The Assassination of Count Fairmont."

Her breath caught.

"You haven't changed much, have you?"

The voice startled her. She snapped the book shut and turned to find the blond female knight standing in the doorway.

"I—I shouldn't have left my room," Alex stammered, stepping away from the desk.

The knight stepped forward with a kind smile. "It's alright, ma'am. This is your home. You're free to go where you wish."

She stopped short, her gaze dropping to Alex's feet. "Ma'am, where are your shoes? And...is your ankle bleeding?"

The knight hurried forward, but Alex flinched, throwing up her hands defensively.

"I'm sorry!" Alex blurted.

The knight froze. "Did...did you think I was going to hit you?" she asked, her expression pained.

Alex hesitated. "No, I—well..."

"Ma'am," the knight said softly, "I would never hurt you. I swore my life to protect you and your family. The day I betray that oath is the day I leave this earth and join the gods above.

She dropped to one knee, bowing her head.

Alex shifted awkwardly. "Uh, can you please stand up?"

The knighy rose immediately, her smile now tinged with sadness.

"How can you say those things when I don't even know your name?" Alex asked.

The comment seemed to sting the knight, though she masked it quickly. "I apologize. Allow me to reintroduce myself. I am Odessa Madlock, your head of the royal guard."

Alex extended a hand, surprising Odessa, who hesitated before shaking it. "Nice to meet you, Odessa."

Odessa smiled again. "May I ask what brought you to this room so late at night?"

Alex glanced at the book on the desk. "I was...trying to refresh my memory."

Odessa's eyes drifted to the map. "Studying the war, then? This map isn't fully updated, but it's the best we have. The staff wouldn't dare enter your father's study without your permission."

"My father's study..." Alex murmured.

"Where's the other map?" she asked, feigning certainty.

"In the courtroom, of course," Odessa replied.

Alex forced a smile. "Could you show me?"

Odessa lit a candle and guided Alex to the grand staircase. The guards bowed as they passed, murmuring, "Evening, Countess." Alex nodded stiffly, " evening." She replied offering a small smile. The guards looking a bit confused give a smile back while Odessa chuckles.

The courtroom loomed ahead, grand and imposing. Inside, Alex recognized the space from the night she had been brought in. The bloodstained table was now clean, its surface dominated by a detailed map.

"Why bring me here that day? Why with all those people?"

"To protect your claim," Odessa explained. "Without proof of your survival, someone else would have taken over—likely General Murena."

"General? Of my army?" Alex asked.

Odessa nodded. "With your father's passing, the council saw him as a strong candidate, especially with us so close to the border."

Alex's gaze shifted to the map. "Are we close to the war?"

"Not exactly," Odessa said, pointing to a desert on the map. "Arrakis is a concern because of our southern vulnerability, but the assassins... they were from Ravaryn," she points to the other border of the map with the gaint army "the kingdom of King Karhu."

Alex stiffened. "Ravaryn?"

Odessa nodded solemnly. "Karhu has always harbored hatred for our king Edgare. With our king  ill, he saw his chance to strike. Whether Arrakis and Ravaryn are working together remains unclear, but we are stretched thin either way."

Alex's chest tightened, her mind racing.

"I see," she said, her voice quiet and distant. "Could you take me back to my room? I think I've had enough for tonight."

Odessa nodded, her concern for the young countess evident as she led her back through the quiet halls.