A Guardian's Fate (Book #2)

Chapter Eighteen

Eldon woke up to someone shouting, "Get up, son!"

He didn't move for a moment, convinced they weren't talking to him. Then someone cleared their throat close to his face, and he jolted awake. At first, he only saw a pair of blurry legs. And it took him blinking several times to realize there was more than one person.

Eldon raised his gaze to the man right in front of him—the Captain of the Guard. Behind him, a group of trainees who looked drained and had sweat dripping down their red faces. He rubbed his eyes and glanced around until he remembered where he was and why.

Lady Fayre.

He was supposed to be searching for paintings with her.

But then he blinked hard again and turned his head to the right, where he spotted a painting leaning against the wall. That's right... he'd fallen against it. Something had happened when he'd touched it.

And he couldn't forget about the voice or the figure he'd seen.

"Now," the captain began, "I have no idea who you think you are, but you have no right being up here." He clapped his hands together twice. "Get up. It's time to go."

Eldon groaned and hauled himself off the floor. His head felt heavy, like he'd knocked it against bricks instead of a painting.

The captain squinted at him before turning to the trainees. "Booker, stay behind and escort him out. The rest of you... clean up. We are finished for the day. Tomorrow, we'll be up at dawn as usual!"

"Yes, sir!" the trainees responded all at once.

They walked off together, except for one who seemed to be about Eldon's age. Eldon assumed he was Booker.

Booker paled as soon as their eyes locked, and Eldon tilted his head.

"I'm the one who found you up here," said Booker, looking away. "I know I should've kept this to myself instead of going for help, but I couldn't tell if you were breathing. I... I got worried. I apologize."

Eldon side-eyed the door's plaque. "This yer room?"

Booker looked at it himself and chuckled nervously. "No. I'm still training. I-I'm nowhere near good enough to guard a queen. E-Especially since that is going to be... Princess Elouise one day."

Ellie.

Eldon gasped. "Where is she right now?" Since the trainees were done for the day, it was probably the evening. He'd been passed out the entire day. And no one found him until now?

Booker flinched. "Her Highness? Uh... well, I'd assume she's in the dining hall inside the castle." His cheeks flared with a red hue.

Eldon took a step forward before he remembered the painting again. It was one of Ashton's. He didn't doubt it was.

"I can pick that up—"

He ignored Booker and moved closer to do it himself. The painting's frame was still intact, but when he lifted the painting, he heard something fall from behind.

Eldon glanced down, seeing a large and folded parchment by his feet. He placed the painting back on its small hook and picked up the parchment. He opened it and titled his head, confused by what he was looking at.

It was a map of Aristol. Each region had been drawn out with very careful detailing, though. Not like any map he'd ever seen. From the waters surrounding the land to the sharp and curvy mountains in the west and in-between the east and south. Someone had also written all over it, naming villages, towns, and lakes. He didn't recognize many of those, and he didn't really care until he noticed the writing on a circled spot. Somewhere in the middle of the Southern Eastern mountains—mountains he'd heard stories of before from Davidson. Where the weather was always freezing. No reason for anyone to want to travel there.