The redheaded animal he had found in the ruins seemed corrupted too. Nothing good ever comes of stubborn green eyes.
Half an hour with King Thomas and General George had taught Nick more than years of rereading the same three history books in Laneby. Whether it had been the battle of the twins, the rebellion of the magician General, or the thirty-year wool crisis, Kings and Generals were only ever praised for their great accomplishments. No tale had ever mentioned that important strategic plans were discussed over something as ordinary as tea and biscuits.
Seb had the perfect life ahead of him.
He strolled behind the General, still licking the leftover crumbs from between his teeth. That last hazelnut biscuit had been the right amount of sweet with a perfect tinge of bitter. He should ask the King for a job in his kitchen, to learn how to bake those little pieces of heaven himself. And that way he could keep close to wherever the apples and carrots were stored; all the easier to smuggle them to Billy.
They passed a young guard in the same Greenlander uniform as the Captain; the only difference the golden sycamore leaves on his collar: three, just like the King. A Lieutenant. "Has the meeting ended, General?"
"No, keep on patrolling, Stephen. I'm heading to my office while I wait for His Majesty and the young Lord to finish. Documents sadly still don't read and sign themselves."
"I've heard they do in Silvermark."
"Which is why that country is going to ruins."
Behind his back, Nick fiddled with his fingers. As much as he liked finding out about the Silvermarkers and their struggles, he could have been heading back to the stables to take care of Billy.
He had told His Majesty all that had happened in Laneby and had told it again to Seb. Fetching Alex would be a waste of time. She had no new information. As the faster rider, she shouldn't have been there in the first place.
He let out a silent snort. If Alex had left with Abby, then Seb would have been the fool to run after Fox. Katla the magician wouldn't have been so kind to the Crown Prince of The Greenlands, and then there would have been no war left to fight. All King Ariel would have to do to claim the throne was wait for King Thomas to die.
He would have won already.
Was that what he had to settle for? The Captain had explained that Abby had been injured too badly; no Healer would have been able to save her. Still, the Gods had clearly favoured a prince over the sweetest little sister in the world.
Fox's mantra rung truer with every passing moment. It wasn't fair.
The General and the Lieutenant nodded their farewells, each of them heading for the opposite side of the corridor. Busts of Kings made room for paintings of various saluting officers receiving medals.
"Your parents raised you well, Nicolas. You don't talk unless spoken to, and even then you keep your words to a bare minimum." The General opened the door and entered. "The perfect companion while I work."
"I prefer silence too, General."
Nick ambled into the room, ready to spend the time collecting his thoughts. He stopped upon beholding the rows and rows of bookshelves that covered the greater part of the wall by the door. His eyes nearly fell out of their sockets. This was every man's dream.
He turned his head to read the titles: A Call to Arms, A Lifetime of War, A Respectable Army, ...
Unlike on the battered wooden plank above his bed in Laneby, the General's books were neatly organised, in alphabetical order. The God of Greed pulled his hand closer, forcing him to touch the golden letters on the spines: Back in Control, Birds in the Night, Breaking the Enemy Line,...
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A Blaze in the Dark (A New Dawn #1)
Fantasy[High Fantasy/Dark Fantasy] Sebastian is finally old enough to be a warrior. He has dreamt about joining his friends, Alex and Nick, for as long as he can remember. His best friend, Fox, doesn't like it one bit that he still has to wait nine more mo...
