Through The Storm

e i g h t e e n

Blake, Gwen and I hurried down the unfamiliar castle corridors, passing the stones embedded in the walls. It was quite a busy castle, with servants and handmaids bustling about. Sunlight streamed in, birds quipped outside and there was life in the castle. Quite contrary to last night.

We were going up a tower. This was where some of the ministers and important officials resided, Gwen had told us- as well as Caedmon, the former Head of the Guard.

Striding ahead of them, Gwen kept running her hands down her pants while adjusting and readjusting her hair, even when there was absolutely nothing wrong with it at all.

“We’re going to meet someone important, aren’t we?” Blake asked me.

I looked at him in surprise- then immediately hid it. Of course he could see Gwen fidgeting. He was young but smart. And observant. “We are. In fact, you’ll love this- we’re going to meet Caedmon at last,” I said to him with a smile.

“Even though Murphy told you not to.”

Taken aback, I opened my mouth to reply, but he cut me off. “I’m not that stupid, you know. You and Gwen think you can send me off just because I’m hungry, and I’ll go without question?”

I knit my eyebrows together, focusing on the passage ahead of us. “No,” I lied weakly.

He huffed indignantly, sniffing my blatant lie out instantly. “Well, I won’t. I know you’re used to taking care of me, but things have changed, Ash. Ever since the Guard captured me, I realised I had to become stronger. If I do, maybe I won’t be dragged away from you like that again.”

“So that explains the obsession with swordfighting and the listening in on conversations,” I replied, even as my heart broke for my brother. The kind of fear and helplessness he must have experienced was exactly what I'd always wanted to keep him away from. I wished more than anything that I could reassure Blake -and myself- that he’d never again be taken from me, but I knew better by now.

“I wouldn't call it an obsession, you granny," he teased, and I instantly felt lighter. "Murphy’s honestly the only one who might get it,” Blake continued. “I have to… how did he say it? Right- I have to adapt, he said. To this new situation. He told me it was my new top-secret and very important mission. And at first, I won’t lie, I was scared to do that. It seems like such a huge mission, right? But after he spoke to me, I realised that he must believe I can be strong if he’s asking me to be it. I mean, you wouldn’t ask someone to do something if you thought they couldn’t, right?”

My chest became tight with emotion as I thought remorsefully of my last encounter with Murphy. I didn’t even know when he’d taken Blake under his wing, but I was inexplicably grateful for it. Blake looked up to him in a way that he would only look up to a male role model, if he’d had one. “We all believe in you, Blakey. The very fact that we’re in this castle still is because of how you spoke up in front of the King.”

Blake grimaced, suddenly looking so much older. “He’s a scary man, Ash. I could hardly dare to breathe around him! But then I figured that he would have no need to be so scary if he wasn’t scared about something himself.”

“Gee,” Gwen exclaimed, whirling around instantly. “That’s… awfully smart of you, Blake.”

I was speechless. I’d clearly misjudged Blake all along. In fact, I hardly thought he needed me to look out for him anymore. Maybe… maybe it was the other way around. Maybe I needed his wisdom and ability to stay calm in stressful situations.

“Anyway,” Gwen said, crossing her arms across her chest, “we’re here now. Honestly, all I’ve done since you two got here is usher you around the castle to meet people.” She sounded surly. I didn’t exactly blame her- Murphy was going to kill her once he found out what I’d made her do.