Empire of Kingdoms Awakening

Chapter 20

The wind howled outside of the castle walls. Someone had upset the balance of nature, and it was punishing the Icelands for it. The floor was freezing against his bare feet. Samuel did his best to brush down the pain, but he was still far from a full recovery. With shaking hands, he poured the hot water into his mug for herbal tea.

Most of the water spilled onto the counter from the strain caused by raising his arms. "Let me help you, my lord." The servant reached out for the kettle. Samuel grabbed the steaming cup away from her reach, burning his hands. Samuel winced at the strain of his stitches, clutching his sides.

The servant gave him a nod before she returned to chopping carrots for Samuels stew. He watched her a moment before mixing his cup. He struggled to hold himself tall, but he never enjoyed being catered.

Airenesse stood in the doorway to ensure Samuel didn't push his limits. The worry she felt for him seemed to grow stronger every day. Frequently he ripped his stitches as he did not listen to the medical staff's recommendations.

She jumped at the sound of heavy footsteps coming behind her; it was Cole. A blanket of snow covered his light hair and boots. She was unaware that he was heading for the keep. Ryella had told him what had happened, asking to stay up to date on his conditions. His eyes were full of sorrow when he demanded to know what had happened to Samuel.

Airenesse told him they went to the Hollow Mountains. Before she could update him on the details, Cole began to fume. The king had made it clear that the mountains were a forbidden place.

Cole shoved his way past Airenesse to get to his leader. Once closer, he forced himself to hold down a gag at the scent radiating off of Samuel. "How could you be so reckless to go to the mountains?" he demanded. "Do you have a death wish?"

Samuels mug trembled in his hand. "There is a way to get out memories back. We need to get an herb from the kingdom the mountains surround." Cole's eyes grew at the new information. He questioned if it would be something worth crossing the king.

His mind became bombarded with the idea. He was miserable in the life he was living now. He felt passion for the things he did, but there wasn't much for him to do. He felt as if he were just wandering through his endless time in Caster. Perhaps in the past, he had a reason worth living.

Cole shook his head to bring himself back to reality. "I got that box open. I did peek inside, but it doesn't seem like much." He handed the cold metal trinket to Samuel. Pain rested in his eyes as he reached to take it.

The box creaked as it opened. Any hope he had for more answers died before him. Inside there was a pile of drawings, a few letters from names he did not recognize, and a small device that did not work. His shoulders slumped as he stared back at the useless items. He wondered why it was important enough for him to place in a compartment to keep safe.

Cole was also disappointed. He had spent weeks trying to get the box open. It was a lot of trouble, all for nothing. "Where did you find it?" Cole asked. It did not look like any of the boxes he has seen in the marketplaces.

Samuel told him about the woman in the cottage who offered him the dagger he had accumulated. He also told him about the dream he had that morning and the rubbled castle she sent him to. Cole was surprised. Strange dreams haunted him while he slept, but never while he was awake. He convinced himself it was just his imagination.

"I will travel there and see if I can find anything else." Cole believed there had to be more than just pointless objects. If what Samuel said was true, there may be hope yet to find what they need. Cole wanted to help in any way possible. While he was loyal to his country and king, they were no match for his leader.

"I will come with you." Airenesse rolled her eyes at Samuel. She did not want him roaming about in his condition, especially with Ryella acting strangely. He could have died, and she craved to keep him safe. If not for him, then for her. She could not protect herself.

Cole did not have much left to offer Samuel other than the oath he swore to protect him and the allegiance. He remembered a meeting he had with Elaine. 'The day will come when the darkness will cover the country like a weighted blanket, and one day the blanket will be ripped off.' Cole wondered what she meant by it, but did not question her. He found that when they spoke, she often talked in riddles, which he did not have time to solve.

All Samuel ever wanted to do in his life was to make something of himself; this was his chance. He was determined to do things on his own. In his eyes, Samuel needed to earn the position given to him. If he could restore everyone's memory, they could find what it is that the king was hiding. He could leave an impact on Caster for the better. "I will be returning soon for the next meeting."

Airenesse and Cole both look to Samuel in annoyance. He needed to improve his condition. If Samuel didn't stop acting as if nothing happened, then his health would not be able to recover. They wished he accepted that for a while, that was how things were going to be. They didn't even know if someone spotted them at the mountains other than Ryella.

"I'm sorry for not heading your warning; there is a whole kingdom that is being kept secret from us. We need the herb, and we need to find out what King Charles is hiding." The mystery of the secret kingdom was eating at his mind. What laid beyond the mountain could help them later.

"You're making a mistake." Airenesse knew there was a purpose to the concealment of the kingdom, despite not remembering why. The danger beyond could make their current struggles the least of their concerns. The darkness that she felt inside of her was nothing she had experienced before.

The erlking spoke as if the kingdom would not last much longer. Without a Queen or heir, she could only imagine what chaos would break out. But she couldn't help but wonder what the queen had done to lose her people in the first place. What price would she have to pay?

She did still have some fuzzy memories of the kingdom. It's how she knew it existed. The first time she had visited Hollowbane was with her mother. The queen had taken them to the dragons best that crawled with newborns and elders alike. While she couldn't remember her face, she was most certain of her long red hair.

The queen had welcomed them into her home. They were of high standing within their species. Her mother had asked the queen to look after Airenesse while she and her father took care of some personal matters. After their deaths, the queen sent Airenesse somewhere she felt would be better suited. In the castle she could never be safe due to all of the attention.

Ashton had recommended to the Queen that Airenesse lives with Samuel, a newly rising leader. The queen had interrogated him to ensure she would be in good hands.

Samuel once knew of Airenesses' dark past, but with the memory loss, he no longer did. She had to speak before she was pulled too far into the moments that stayed with her. "Cole," she paused. "I will go with you. Samuel, stay here and out of trouble."

Samuel tried to oppose her, but she raised her hand before he could. He may have wanted to do it himself, but he understood the mission was in good hands. Cole followed his lead without question, and Samuel needed to rest.

He sipped on his tea as he watched them head out. Airenesse stopped at the messenger in the doorway. "Send for someone to ensure Samuel stays rested and kept safe." She looked back at him with a friendly smile.

She would have hugged him but knew it would cause him pain. Airenesse knew that they would be together again.