Soft sunlight streamed through the open window, and a warm breeze carried in a chorus of birdsong. Together, they pulled Alec from his dreams. He blinked open his eyes. Since the other two beds were empty, he considered burrowing deeper under the blanket to sleep for a few more hours. Before he could, though, a shuffling sound caught his attention. He turned to see Edwin in the kitchen area and pushed himself up to watch his friend fill the baskets on the table, one with tomatoes and one with corn.
“Ah, you’re awake,” Edwin said. “Have any plans for the day?”
Alec rubbed his shoulders. “Yeah. Resting. My whole body is stiff and sore. I may have pushed myself a little too hard, but at least the reconstruction is done. For now.”
“I highly doubt there will be another attack. This is such a small town, and it’s separated from the rest of the country by the channel. It wouldn’t be worth it.”
“Maybe, but it was still a loss. My father would never have accepted that, so if the emperor of the Leith Empire is like him, then…”
Edwin sighed. “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 together. “Even if you’re right and they never return, I’m still nothing more than 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 or anything like that. 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 then returned to his baskets. “Listen, Oracle’s tending to the garden, and I imagine she won’t be back till around noon. My deliveries won’t take very long, though, so once I’m back, why don’t the two of us have some breakfast and then start reading that new book you got? Does that 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 awhile. Might be easier now.”
“Ehhh, probably not. Anyway, I need to head out. Want me to leave the door open?”
“Sure.”
Alec waited until Edwin was gone before forcing himself up out of bed. As much as he longed to keep laying down—and though his body protested his every movement—the house had fallen into a rather poor state in the last couple of weeks. Sweaty clothes dappled the floor in every room and completely covered one of the chairs near the fireplace. Unwashed dishes were stacked haphazardly on the corner of the counter, covered in the crusty remnants of their meals, and among the many miscellaneous messes that needed to be scrubbed away was a molded lump of something below the table—more than likely an old vegetable that had rolled away without them noticing.
Alec straightened and stretched his arms, bracing himself for the task ahead.
“I found you.”
Startled, Alec turned around to see a woman standing in the open doorway, two swords gripped tight at her waist.
“Who are…wait…You?” He shifted so the table was between them. She looked different now—it had been five years, after all—but her sharp voice, auburn hair, and piercing blue eyes were all too familiar. “Princess Sable? What are you doing here?”
She raised one of her swords. “I’m here to kill you. Obviously. I’ve been waiting to end your life for so long. I just couldn’t seem to find you.” She took a step forward. “But today, you will breathe your last. For Clara.”
“You’re here for revenge.” Alec backed up against the counter, searching for a way around her. “How surprising. I would have thought the Lost Princess would be above that. Justice, Honor, Hope, Peace…isn’t that what you stood for?”
“Shut up!”
“Actually, it isn’t that surprising. I mean, where was the justice in executing my sister? She was only twelve years old, after all. A child. She didn’t deserve that, and it was especially pointless because you’d already claimed the capitol, so why-”
“I said, shut up!” Sable banged her hand on the table, causing it to split apart. “What matters is that you deserve it. You attacked my home and killed my best friend, smiling as she died at your feet. You’re nothing more than a monster.”
“Maybe I am.” There was nowhere to run. “But then what about you?” Nothing within reach he could fight with. “You have far more blood on your hands than I do.” And nothing he could do against her overwhelming strength. “So, what does that make you?”
“I don’t care.”
Alec tensed. This was it. Any second now.
“Alec!”
Sable looked toward the door, and Alec bolted. A sharp pain sliced through his back, but he grit his teeth and pushed forward, stumbling past Edwin and out into the yard.
“No!” Sable yelled from behind him. “Move!”
“Never!” Edwin said. “Run, Alec! Don’t worry about-”
He screamed, and Alec glanced back to see Edwin hunched over, Sable’s sword deep in his side and his hands clutching her arm.
“Edwin! Hold on, I-”
“Go! Hurry!”
Sable kicked Edwin away from her, causing him to stumble backwards and fall to the ground.
He lay still.
“No…” Alec spun around, and his foot caught on a root. As he collapsed into the dirt, a jolt of pain shot through his wrist. He scrambled to stand back up. “No, Edwin, you’ll be okay. I-”
“Stop.” Sable kicked him, knocking him back to the ground. “Accept it. Your life is over.”
Alec winced from the intense pain coursing through his body, pain that worsened with every ragged breath. “Please. Just…just let me try to heal…to heal Edwin first.”
“No.” She leaned over him, pressing her blade against his throat. “You deserve this, too. How does it feel, hm? Losing someone-”
“Stop it!” A young girl’s voice.
Without moving, Alec shifted his gaze to see Fern and her mother, Jane, as well as the mayor. A few other members of the town were gathering as well.
“Please. Whoever you are. Don’t do this,” Jane said.
“I have to,” Sable said. “I am Princess Sable Laverne, and this man is Prince Alec of the Slaine Empire. It is therefore my duty to punish him for the crimes against our people.”
“I-I see.” The mayor bowed his head. “Still, even if it is you, I must insist you leave him be.”
“What? How can you defend him?”
“We know he has had a…troubled past,” the mayor said. “But for the last almost five years, he has healed our sick and volunteered to help anyone who needed it. And when the Leith Empire’s soldiers attacked, he stood with us, defending us, so as far as we’re concerned, he’s one of us now.”
Jane stepped forward. “And what about you? How can you claim to be our princess when you did nothing as the Leith Empire conquered Emory?”
“I-I-” Sable’s gaze flitted between everyone before finally landing on him. Her anger faded into something unreadable. “Fine.” She stood up, sheathing her swords. “I won’t kill him. Not here, at least.”
“Thank you,” the mayor said. He placed one hand on her shoulder and gestured towards his house with the other. “Will you please come with me, then? It’s a long journey from the mainland, and I imagine you need some rest.”
She glared at Alec a moment longer before turning, letting the mayor lead her away.
Alec ran back to the house. “Edwin!”
No answer.
“N-no…” Alec knelt by his friend’s side, reaching out to check 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. “You’ll be okay, but I’m so sorry, Edwin. This is all my fault.”
Edwin took a deep ragged breath. “I feel that…weird warmth in my side…just as uncomfortable as I remember. Scary, though. I almost died, didn’t I? Guess it’s a good thing you were here, but…what about her?”
“She’s with the mayor. The townspeople convinced her to spare me.” Alec crossed his arms. “And since you’re so bothered by my healing, I guess I’m done.”
Edwin sat up with a wince. “Hey, it’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. My wounds have healed, but…”
“So, what are you going to do?”
“I wish I knew.” Alec lay in the grass, staring up at the clouds. “Even though I hate her, I don’t want to kill her. Not anymore. Really, I think I just want her to leave and let me live my life here, but what if she won’t?”
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, “What is my destiny then? You wouldn’t tell me before.”
“To defend all of Elida,” she said.
Alec laughed. “That can’t be possible. Both the Slaine Empire and Emory have already fallen. 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 simply your presence. Our two nations must stand united if we are to free ourselves from the Leith Empire, and to ensure that, both you and Princess Sable must stand united as well.”
“Me and Sable?” Alec shook his head. “I’m sorry, Oracle, but are you sure? I mean, you’ve said before that the stars can be difficult to read, right? 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 distant or minute details, but some things are crystal clear.”
She nodded. “Very good.” She met Alec’s gaze. “When we fled the capitol, 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, because while some of the details of your journey are indeed 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 to the pages of history.”
“No, but…Oracle, I can’t. I’m not a hero. I’m weak and broken and I-I already have so much blood on my hands. I’m not…I’m not-”
She held his hands in hers. “Breathe, Prince Alec. I understand your fear and hesitation, but I truly believe you can do this should you simply choose to try. Ask yourself this: would you really prefer staying here and doing nothing while our peoples suffer?”
Alec lowered his head. Gathering herbs in the forest with Jane and Fern. Helping the mayor build new furniture to surprise his wife. Watching over people at celebrations who had a little too much to drink. Going out with Edwin to learn how to fish, only for both of them to end up with fishhooks in their hands. Laughing and dancing and simply living. He loved his life here, more than he had ever thought possible, but…
“No, I don’t think I can.” He raised his head. “But, Oracle, what about Sable? She literally just tried to kill me and Edwin. I’m not exactly confident she’ll agree to this.”
Edwin placed his hand on his side. “Yeah, I can’t say I’m hopeful about her becoming an ally. Or happy about it.”
“It may seem impossible now,” Oracle said. “But trust me, Prince Alec, and 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.”