In the Shadows~zayn au~Completed ✅EDITING

~Chapter 12: A Unified Dalitrise~

A/N: Spent a long time on this one! If you're confused, SERIOUSLY just ask. :) I'll clarify if I need to, but I hope this is clear.

Kalysta led the way out of the dungeons, still frustrated, still confused. "We can meet in the council chambers," she offered.

"Are you sure nothing can be overheard in there?" Zayn asked warily. "That's the place everyone wants to listen in on, big decisions made there and all that."

"As sure as anyone can be about such things. The walls around it are solid stone and there are guards posted in the connecting halls to prevent eavesdropping at the doors."

"I can't have anyone knowing what I'm going to tell you."

"Oh really? I gathered that." She snorted under her breath.

"No need to be rude," he complained.

Kalysta laughed outright at that. "And what have you been doing the entire time since we met?"

Zayn didn't respond and the rest of the trip to the council chambers was silent.

"You have me here against my better judgment," she said when they arrived. The room was formidable by design and it felt even more so in the absence of her council. She sat at the head of the large rectangular table, hoping this would give her the authority he had ignored up until now. "What is the information that is so drastic it will change my very low opinion of you?"

Zayn did not seat himself, seeming too agitated to rest his feet. He sighed and paused to gather his thoughts for a moment.

"A hundred years ago, there was a time of increased hostility and unrest between Mullingar and Bradford," he began solemnly.

Kalysta just sat there, baffled by the random history lesson he seemed to be unfolding. What on earth was his motive here? She knew the history of Dalitrise! That was part of royal training from a young age. She could probably tell this story.

"Most would say that this was my great-grandfather's fault, related to the greed that is so prevalent in the Mullingar royal family even now," he continued. This tone was a surprise, though. Calling out his family's greed insinuated that he did not agree with their political stance. "However, the real reason is much closer to home. At the age of twenty, legitimate royal children take a leave of duty. They travel the country, supposedly to learn about the inhabitants and attain a better understanding of their fellow people, but it really ends up being a time of lax responsibility and morals before they become royally encumbered by the nation. Stasiya, the Princess at the time, was on her royal leave when she ran into the wrong crowd of Bradians. She foolishly traveled without the proper protection and... well, you can infer what happened. She returned, barely, and shut herself into her quarters, never to be seen outside the palace again.

"As you can imagine, my great-grandfather, King Kayin, was inconsolable. Only the quick word from his advisors stopped him from going to war with Bradford immediately. Instead, they encouraged him to bide his time. Some of the best rulers throughout history were terrible people, but terrible people with good advisers. Kayin was not one of them. He was a bad man, worse ruler, and led by a counsel of even worse men. They guided him to a revenge by destroying Bradford's economy and essentially taking over under the guise of helping them. They turned to their destroyer for help, and now Bradford exists subservient to Mullingar in everything. Really, he dismantled them worse than if he'd gone to war with Bradford. He destroyed an entire people group for what a group of outlawed thugs had done to his daughter."

Kalysta wasn't surprised, given what Murdoch was up to now. At least Kayin had possessed subtlety. Rage had been passed down, but not subtlety.

"Is this your way of trying to discourage me from keeping Hayden in prison?" she sighed. "Because I'm not your great-grandfather. I won't wage a personal vendetta against Mullingar... just Hayden. You might as well save your breath."