Voyage of War

Chapter 15

Princess Sybil paced in front of the single shelve of books, frowning at what it had to offer.
"Sad, isn't it?" A woman asks from the door.
Princess Sybil turns to face a simple yet elegantly dressed woman with raven hair and striking green eyes.
"Where I grew up we used to have a huge library with a vast collection of books, from old legends of Pelgrima bound between leather too a collection of encyclopedias that contained information on everything about anything you could think of." The woman walked over and stroked the spines of the books with her forefinger." They have no pride in knowledge here."
"They do go through life blinded by well fortune. Living as though they cannot die, frowning apon old age, when we celebrate and rejoice that the person has survived so long." Princess Sybil procedes to stand behind the desk. The lady smiles as if in agreement.
"I don't believe we've been formally introduced. I'm Lady Alphira and you would be Princess Sybil. Everyone would recognize you after that entrance the other day."
"It is a pleasure meeting you. If I may ask, how is it that you came to reside here within the palace of Casima?"
"You've noticed." Lady Alphira says with surprise.
"The contrast is barely hard to miss."
"Aaa... I suppose a person of your origin wouldn't trust easily enough to have something like this unnoticed."
Princess Sybil can't help but get the odd feeling that Lady Alphira is trying to avoid answering her question. This puts Princess Sybil on her guard, a person avoiding a question as simple as their origin and reason for leaving is most possibly not to be trusted, yet this reminds Princess Sybil of Ced. He had after all not told her he was a Prince and more importantly the brother of her future husband. There is a small voice telling her that it was not the same, she had never directly asked him ,but still he had decieved her he could have told her when she had told where they were headed. Princess Sybil found it easier to bare the fact that she was to be wedded to his pathetic brother whilst being angry at Ced.

Princess Sybil's mind had wondered off and she did not hear a word that Lady Alphira had said. Apon bringing herself back to reality after finally deciding that she was angry with Ced. Princess Sybil decided to press the matter of Lady Alphira's origin, before she could do so they were interrupted by Cayman barging into the library.
"A well known seamstress will be meeting you in your room in a few minutes to take your measurments and make sure to give her your ideas." Cayman sounded cloomy at the prospect of Princess Sybil designing her own wedding gown.
"Thank you. Have you by any chance seen your father yet this morning?"
"No, he's most probably still in bed. Why?" Cayman struggles to hide his suspicions expression from Princess Sybil.
"I have some business to discuss with him."
"What business?"
"Never you mind. I'll be going to my room then." Princess Sybil strides past a dumbstruck Cayman out of the library having much more success at hiding her smug smile.

                    *    *    *

Drakar has not ever felt more frustrated in his life. The party continued well into the early hours of the morning. It was now past midday and King Casimir had not yet made an appearance.
Drakar could rip out his hair in frustration but instead he took up pacing to and fro in front of the spiral staircase leading to the rooms he had discovered the night before, leaving footprints of fire in his wake. The pacing served as a functional methode of passing time and giving a less destructive outlet for the flames, for if he is to stand still there would be more than a few feet of black marble to worry about. They might find the king to be smoked out of his room or dead because he did not wake. Drakar stopped abruptly in his tracks, shook his head and started pacing again. He was a long way from anybody fimiliar, whom would help him out of trouble and Princess Sybil had to stay in the king's good graces. Not that the assistance would be needed after what Drakar had heard the night before.

Footsteps approached but Drakar gave them no heed, probably just another maid or guard coming to tell him off for burning the floor again. A small hand closed on his upper arm preventing him from moving without dragging it's owner with him. Drakar looked down to see little Cassy staring up at him.
"Where's Resa?" Drakar questioned. She hardly ever let the twins out of her sight, much to the annoyance of their parents.
"She is to be a bridesmaid, so she is having a meeting with Princess Sybil and the seamstress."
"And your mum and dad?"
"Sleeping." Cassy said this as if it was the most normal thing in the world.
"Raf?"
"Probably sneaking around in the kitchens, scaring the cooks."
"What do you normally do?" Drakar was suddenly struck with an idea.
"I wonder around the palace."
"Do you like it?"
"No but I'm not allowed to play outside without somebody watching me, lest I go play near the pond." Cassy says so with a mournful look as if playing by the pond was her hearts most deepest desire that she is being denied.
"Well. Let's go then. I'll be your watchful eye."
Cassy eyes him suspiciously but gives in and starts skipping ahead of him.

Drakar and Cassy played for about an hour, baking mud pies, making flames dance on the surface of the water and chasing tiny frogs before her parents came charging over the lawn. They looked livid and Drakar began to question the wiseness of his actions, he glanced over at the body of water behind him, they could drown him and nobody would be any wiser. Yet he stood there one arm draped over Cassy's shoulders watching her parents aprouch, he knows that Cassy would be in as much trouble as he is about to be and he would shield her from as much as he could. It was after all his idea.

They took to shouting at Cassy before Drakar interrupted and took the blame apon himself. They shouted some more and made to pull Cassy away from him but he held her firmly at his side.
"She is under adult supervision, why not let her play?" They looked at Drakar with incredulous expressions. "As you were always to busy to sit and watch her play before and it has been over an hour before you showed and she does not have so much as a scratch... Why not let her play?" Drakar pushed on.
"No, Cassy come."
"Why then haven't you gone searching for your son?"
"This is none of your business!" Cassy's father roars
"I want to play with Mister Drakar by the pond mommy." Cassy pleads.
"Let go of the child!"
"No."
"I'm warning you..."
"Let her play if she wants to play."
"We will not allow her to associate us with people like you."
"People like me?"
"Let go of the child or so help me I'll have King Casimir Chuck you in the sellers."
"Let him come." Drakar had difficulty keeping the triumph out of his voice. Casey's mother had bustled off to summon King Casimir and the rest preceded to wait for him in the informal lounge. Drakar kept Cassy at his side.

King Casimir entered closely followed by Resa and Princess Sybil. Resa approached Drakar her face set in angered worry.
"What were you thinking? Endangering Cassy like that and angering the Duke?"
"I needed some reason to get King Casimir out of his slumber."
Resa gave him a shocked look and pulled Cassy out of his grip.
"You should be ashamed of yourself." Resa shrieks and walks Cassy out of the room all the while bent over to console her.
"What is this all about?" King Casimir roars.
Drakar answers Princess Sybil's scornfull look with a sheepish grin.
"I think we should excuse the Duke and Dutchess while we discuss a more pressing matter than their daughter playing with Drakar."
The Duke did not appreciate being dismissed before having chance to state their case but left without a word, eyeing Drakar with unmistakable loathing.

Drakar told King Casimir what he had overheard. King Casimir stood listening with a frown without interrupting. When Drakar had begun to give a vague description of the woman, an expression of recognition flashed across King Casimir's features but was gone as fast as it had appeared.
"How reliable do you think this man is?" King Casimir turned to Princess Sybil.
"I trusted him with my life." Princess Sybil stated with no room for any doubt.,"Do you know anybody by that discription?" She added surveying King Casimir's response very closely. There was none he had gotten over the initial shock of whom it might be.
"No, not that I can think of."
"Sure? Nobody comes to mind?" Drakar presses.
"No."
"Well, I advise that we take action inspite of the lack of knowing against whom we are fighting. Double the security around the city. We prepare for any and everything that can possibly penetrate the inner court. Put the villagers on allert..."
"Now now see here. I am the ruler of this kingdom and I doubt that such rash actions would be necessary."
"The protection of the people should be our priority."
"I did not say that it wasn't. I just don't want to cause a panic and we don't know for certain if there is a plot, we only have this man's word to go on." King Casimir gave Drakar a shifty look.
"We can tighten security without causing disturbance and this man..."
"I wil not permit it and you can't go giving orders to my guards. You are not Queen yet and I will not strain my people because of a rumour." King Casimir's face turned purple with strain to keep calm.
"As you wish. I just hope that there would be a kingdom left for me to rule after this." Princess Sybil said calmly and exited the room without another word.
Drakar stood dumbstruck by Princess Sybil's careless reply. He scurried out after her but could not catch up. He stood in the hallway looking right and left wondering which way she had gone.

There was no hope left if even Princess Sybil had given in without a fight. King Casimir would not believe and would most definitely not act on the possible threat. He knew who the woman was but would not tell. He lived in too much well-fortune for too long he would not recognize a threat even if it poked him in the side. By the time King Casimir begins to take action it would be to late and as Drakar knows Princess Sybil, she would stay and fight not flee. A feeling of dark foreboding had gripped Drakar and he knew that it was already to late for them all, nobody was going to escape from the clutches of suffering.