Soft sunlight pulled Alec from his wonted nightmares, the sickening din of screams and inferno replaced by a soothing chorus of birdsong. A gentle breeze carried in the warmth of spring, and he blinked. The other two beds were empty. He considered burrowing deep under the blanket to sleep for a few more hours, but a rustling noise caught his attention.
At the kitchen table, Edwin was sorting tomatoes and corn into two baskets. “Ah, you’re awake,” he said. “Have any plans for the day?”
“Resting.” Alec pushed himself up, rubbing his shoulders. “My whole body is stiff and sore, but at least the reconstruction is done. For now.”
“There won’t be another attack. It wouldn’t be worth it.”
Alec slipped on his house shoes. Wen was a small town, separated from the rest of Emory by the Amlin channel and bordered to the south by the impassable Toston mountains. It should be a valueless target.
“But it was still a loss,” Alec said. “My father would never have accepted that. If the emperor of the Leith Empire is like him, then…”
Edwin shuffled over to him. “Alec, because of you, this town was saved and very few people died. Focus on that, okay?”
“How can I?” Alec clasped his hands tightly between his knees. “Even if you’re right and they never return, I’m still a murderer. Those soldiers may have been attacking the village, but they were people, Edwin. And I killed them! I hate how it felt, and I hate how easy it was, and I hate-”
“Hey.” Edwin placed his hand on Alec’s shoulder. “Don’t do this to yourself. This was nothing like before. You weren’t killing for conquest or approval: you were protecting the innocent people of this town from the conquerors, and you succeeded! Didn’t you hear the mayor last night? You’re a hero!” Alec shook his head.
Edwin stared at him for a moment. “Listen, Oracle’s tending to the garden, and I imagine she won’t be back till around noon.” He snagged a stray corncob off the floor and tossed it in a basket. “My
deliveries won’t take long. Once I’m back, why don’t we have breakfast and read that new book. Sound good?”
“Sounds good,” Alec said, managing a small smile. “And if it’s interesting enough, maybe you’ll let me try teaching you how to read again? It’s been a while. Might be easier now.” “Ehhh, probably not.” He heaved the baskets up, one under each arm. “Anyway, I need to head out. Want me to leave the door open?”
“Sure.”
Alec forced himself out of bed, though his body protested every movement. The house had fallen into a poor state in the last couple of weeks. Sweaty clothes mottled the floor and shrouded a chair near the fireplace. Dirty dishes were stacked haphazardly on the corner of the counter, covered in the crusty remnants of their meals. Among the many messes needing to be scrubbed away was a moldy lump below the table—more than likely an old vegetable that had rolled away without anyone noticing.
Alec stretched, bracing himself for the task ahead.
“I found you,” a woman said.
She stood in the open doorway, her hand tightly gripping something at her waist. A sword. He steadied himself. Panic could lead to imprudence, and imprudence could be fatal. “Who are you?” He held her gaze as he shifted, placing the table between them. “Wait.” That sharp
voice, the rich auburn hair, and fierce blue eyes—it was all too familiar. Even if it had been five years. “Princess Sable? Why are you here?”
She pointed her sword at his throat. “To kill you.”
“Revenge, then.” Alec backed into the kitchen counter.
She stepped forward. “I’ve been waiting to end your life for a long time. But I couldn’t seem to find you.” She was blocking the doorway. There wasn’t a way around the table that wouldn’t be within range of her swinging blade.
“Today.” She lifted her chin. “You breathe your last. For Clara.”
“I thought the Lost Princess was above that. Justice, honor, hope, peace… isn’t that what you stood for?”
“Shut up!”
“Though I shouldn’t be surprised. I mean, where was the justice in executing my sister? Addilyn was only a child. She was innocent. You’d already claimed the capital, so why-” “I said, shut up!” Sable slammed her hand on the table. It cracked, a line splintering from under her fist. The Laverne’s gift of overwhelming strength. What was he supposed to do against that? “What matters is you deserve it. You attacked my home. You killed my best friend. You smiled as she died at your feet. You’re a monster.”
There was nowhere to run.
“Maybe I am.” He had no weapon. No armor. No help. “But what about you? You have more blood on your hands than I do. What does that make you?”
His healing wouldn’t save him. It would only prolong his suffering.
“I don’t care.” Her eyes narrowed into slits, her knuckles whitening on the hilt of the sword. This was it.
Alec tensed.
“Alec!” Edwin yelled from the doorway.
Sable spun toward him, and Alec bolted. Pain sliced through his back. He gritted his teeth, pushing forward and stumbling past Edwin. He tumbled into the yard.
“No!” Sable yelled from behind him. “Move!”
“Never!” Edwin said. “Run, Alec! Don’t worry about—“
He screamed. Alec glanced back to see Edwin hunched over, his hands clutching Sable’s arm. The tip of her sword jutted from deep in his side.
Alec lurched toward him. “E-Edwin…”
“Go!” Edwin gasped, looking over his shoulder. “Hurry!”
Sable kicked Edwin away. He teetered backwards and collapsed to the ground. He lay still.
“No…” Alec ran towards him but only managed a step before his foot caught on a root. He fell, and a jolt of pain shot through his wrist. He scrambled to stand back up. “No, Edwin, you’ll be okay. I —“
“Accept it.” Sable kicked him, forcing him back to the ground. “Your life is over.” Alec’s breath shook from the pain. “Please. Just… let me try to… to heal Edwin first.” “No.” She pressed her blade against his throat. “You deserve this. How does it feel, hm? To lose someone—“
“Stop it!” A young girl’s voice yelled.
Without moving, Alec shifted his gaze. It was Fern. Her mother, Jane, and the mayor were with her. Other members of the town were gathering, too.
“Please.” Jane inched forward. “Whoever you are. Don’t do this.”
“I need to,” Sable said. “I am Princess Sable Laverne, and this man is Prince Alec of the Slaine Empire. It is my duty to punish him for the crimes against our people.”
“I-I see.” The mayor bowed his head. “Still, I must insist you leave him be.”
“Leave him—are you defending him?”
“We know he has a troubled past,” the mayor said. “But for the last five years, he has healed our sick and helped anyone who needed it. And when the Leith Empire’s soldiers attacked, he stood with us. Defended us. He’s one of us now.”
“And how can you claim to be our princess?” Jane said. “You did nothing as the Leith Empire conquered Emory. ”
“I…” Sable’s gaze flitted over the crowd before landing on him. Her anger had faded into something unreadable. “Fine.” She sheathed her sword. “I won’t kill him. Not here, at least.” “Thank you.” The mayor rested a hand on her shoulder and gestured toward his house. “Will you
please come with me, then? It’s a long journey from the mainland. I imagine you need rest.” She glared at Alec a moment longer before turning, letting the mayor lead her away. Alec raced back to the house. “Edwin!”
No answer.
“No.” Alec knelt by his friend’s side and checked for a pulse. “Please…”
It was there. Faint. Weak. But there.
“You’ll be okay.” He placed a hand on the wound and closed his eyes. “I’m so sorry, Edwin. This is all my fault.”
Edwin drew a deep ragged breath. “…That weird warmth in my side…as uncomfortable as I remember.” He struggled to sit upright. “I almost died, didn’t I? Good thing you were here, but…” He looked around. “What about her?”
“She’s with the mayor. The townspeople convinced her to spare me.” Alec drew his hand back. “I’m done. Hope me saving your life wasn’t too unpleasant for you.”
Edwin nudged him. “Hey, you know your healing’s not natural. Of course it feels weird!” “Most people say soothing.”
“Uh-huh. Sure they do.” Edwin’s expression darkened. “It’s crazy, though, isn’t it? To see her again after all these years? How are you feeling?”
“I don’t know.” Alec flopped back onto the grass. “My wounds have healed, but beyond that?” “So what are you going to do?”
“I wish I knew.” Clouds drifted across the sky above him. “I don’t want to kill her. Not anymore. Honestly, it’d be great if she left and let me live my life here, but what if she won’t?” “I am terribly sorry, Prince Alec. That is not your destiny.” Oracle hobbled up the path toward them, more hurried than usual. Alec rushed to her side, and Edwin fetched a chair. “And what is my destiny?” Alec said once they’d helped her get settled. “You wouldn’t tell me before.” Someone else answered. “I am terribly sorry, Prince Alec, but that is not your destiny.”
Oracle was hobbling up the path toward them. Her pace was slow but more hurried than usual, so Alec ran to her side while Edwin fetched a chair. Once they’d helped her get settled, Alec said, “And what is my destiny? You wouldn’t tell me before.”
“To defend all of Elida,” she said.
Alec laughed. “That’s not possible. The Slaine Empire and Emory have already fallen, so what am I supposed to do to change that? I’m not a warrior, Oracle. You know that.”
“You may not want to be, but you can be,” Oracle said. “Regardless, it is not your skills on the battlefield that are most needed. It is your presence. Our two nations must stand united if we are to free ourselves from the Leith Empire. To ensure that, you and Princess Sable must stand united as well.”
“Me and Sable?” Alec tore at the grass by his boot. “I’m sorry, Oracle, but are you sure? You’ve said the stars can be difficult to read, and you are getting older. Maybe—“
She raised her hand. “I am not yet senile, Prince Alec. Edwin, dear, do you remember our lesson about reading details in the stars?”
“Of course,” Edwin said. “Details of the future can be blurry, especially when distant or minute, but some things are crystal clear.”
“Very good.” She met Alec’s gaze. “When we fled the capital, I consulted the stars. They led us here, to Wen, and this is why: this reunion with Princess Sable, five years after the Slaine Empire fell, in a small town tucked away from the rest of the country. This has kept the two of you safe from each other until the time was right. While some of the details of your journey are blurry, there is one thing I can say with certainty. If the two of you do not stand together against the Leith Empire, they will win, and both the Slaine Empire and Emory will be lost.”
“But I’m not a hero! I’m weak and broken, and I already have too much blood on my hands. I’m not—”
She grasped his hands in hers. “Breathe, Prince Alec. I understand your fear and hesitation, but you can do this should you choose to try. Ask yourself this: would you truly prefer staying here and doing
nothing while our peoples suffer?”
Alec lowered his head. He loved his life here. Gathering herbs in the forest with Jane and Fern. Helping the mayor build new furniture to surprise his wife. Watching over people who had a little too much to drink at celebrations. Learning how to fish with Edwin, both of them ending up with fishhooks in their hands. Laughing and dancing and simply living. It was more than he had ever thought possible, but could he still enjoy those days knowing thousands were suffering needlessly?
“No, I don’t think I can.” He raised his face. “But, Oracle, what about Sable? She just tried to kill me and Edwin. I’m not confident she’ll agree to this.”
Edwin clutched his side. “Yeah, I can’t say I’m hopeful about her becoming an ally. Or happy about it.”
“It may seem impossible today,” Oracle said. “But trust me, Prince Alec. Go talk to her. All you need to do is convince her to come listen to me.”
Alec sighed. “Okay. I will.”
“Good luck and remember: the two of you, together, are Elida’s only hope.”