The Darkened War

Ch.5

      Alyssa clutched the sides of her dress when she entered the dining room. The first person she saw was the young man who had saved Adrien from the chandelier and first night of her arrest. He glared at her as she was seated, the distrust—and perhaps even hatred—clear in his eyes. She supposed this time he was joining them; of course, private dinners were out of the question now, and she didn't mind. It would take time, but she would earn the king's trust.
The first thing Alyssa did was make observations. Effulgence was still new to her, and despite having spent so long thinking about the war, she never really put much thought into the kingdom itself. The castle was livelier, and more artistic than Rayland's. Music played in the halls throughout the day. When she compared the two kingdoms, Rayland seemed dull; yet, before her recent assignment, she had never left it. She was fascinated how far one kingdom could differ from another. In the few days she had been in Effulgence, she found there were different customs, expectations, and mannerisms—despite that they were neighboring kingdoms—and even though Rayland and Effulgence shared a language, there were sometimes words used in Effulgence that were not in Rayland, which confused and exited Alyssa at the same time.
Still, excitement did not equal belonging. Talking to Carmella for even a short time made her more fully realize that she had left Rayland for good; she was in a foreign land and could never return home as long as Daniel remained king. But, lack of comfort was a small price to pray for the safety and protection of her people, and those she loved. Alyssa raised her head and faced the King of Effulgence head on. Adrien smiled, and nodded as a greeting, but the man next to him was not as welcoming. He moved his hand to the sword on his belt.
"I am glad you were able to make it a little early," Adrien said with a grin. Alyssa said nothing. She was still lost in thought.
    "Is that how you treat the king who has treated you so mercifully? Adrien has not only spared your life, for it would have been just of us to kill you, but also has given you a castle room, when you should be rotting behind bars. Yet you do not respond when he speaks?" The comment came from the man, followed by a look of annoyance.
    Alyssa was just about to respond when Adrien came to her defense, "Let her be, Alain, if she wants to speak, she will." Alain, so that was his name. He could not be more than a year older than Adrien, yet his voice was far more intimidating. She liked to think herself brave, and she had proved herself to be on many occasions, but the look Alain was giving her made her want to crawl under the table and hide. Alyssa said nothing the rest of the meal, and the other two also remained silent.
They all finished quickly, and afterward, Adrien rose and motioned for her to follow him. The room they next entered appeared to be a workspace; every inch of it was covered in neatly organized stacks of papers, and their steps echoed against the marble floor. The dark skies demanded lamps to see, and Alain went around lighting them as Adrien and Alyssa took their seats across from each other at a small table. Almost immediately, subconsciously, she noticed the small amount of space between them, and thought about how easy it would be to kill him. Even without her weapons, even if her magic failed her, with her training, she had no doubt in her mind she could find a way. If nothing else, she could leap across the table and strangle him, choke him, grab the pen lying in front of her and stab it through his throat—all would bring death. Alain was focused on the lights, and though his reflexes were sharp, Alyssa was confident hers were sharper. The guards were far enough away that they wouldn't realize what had happened until was too late. Already, she had received more trust than she had earned. Was the king dense, or did he sense something in her she didn't even understand herself? After all, she had not killed him, or anyone, for that matter. Out of all her attempts she had not succeeded once. Perhaps Adrien was not the fool she thought he was—perhaps he understood what Alyssa was capable of better than she did.
    "Your job is simple," Adrien began, "all we need you to do is map out the Rayland castle. Include any hidden passageways, entrances that are not commonly known, and areas that are likely to be flocked with guards." Alyssa nodded, and Adrien continued, "If you are willing, when we do infiltrate the castle, I would like to send you with the troops. However, in the end that will be your decision. Now, I hear you have power, and in all honesty, the idea fascinates me. It is a foreign concept I had never believed in or even considered, but I'm not fully convinced that the chandelier fell on its own."
    Alyssa opened her mouth to answer and found the words did not come easily; she had not told anyone about her gift aside from her mother and king—and that was years ago. From that point on, she was not allowed to speak of it to anyone except Daniel. He had ordered her to keep it secret, and she had--but things were different now. She no longer worked for Daniel. Adrien was her new authority. "I do not know what it is . . . or how I do it. I was born with the gift, and since childhood have been able to do things others can't. How it works is difficult to explain. It's not the objects themselves I'm able to move, but rather the air around the objects. When my mother discovered my talent, she had taken me to Daniel, hopeful that the king would desire me for my power, and that I would move up in the world; that I could get more out of life living in the castle with Daniel than she as a poor women could give me living with dirt floors." She looked down at the hands she had folded in her lap. "Despite Daniel's admiration of my powers, they do not always work, I have learned much about them, but just as magic is a foreign concept to you, I too am ignorant on many aspects of my own abilities. I am still not always in control of what I can do."   
    Adrien nodded, "I'm afraid for too long many of us have considered abilities like yours to be mythical, but in all honesty, I have never met another person who can do what you're describing." They both were silent for a few moments, then Adrien cleared his throat, "Regardless, it doesn't matter, you still can do more than anyone I've ever met. That makes you very valuable. However, it all comes down to this Alyssa: how much are you willing to give to end this war?"
An image of Alyssa's brother Calvin flashed through her mind. Until the war was over, he wasn't safe. He was still in Rayland, and as far as Alyssa knew, Daniel would continue to manipulate and risk the lives of his people. Her answer was simple.
"I will give you the information on the whereabouts of the castle, I will go with your men, and if necessary, I will assassinate Daniel with my own hands."   
    Adrien's eyes were shining. "Wonderful. Then we will begin on strategy."
   
Alain silently paced on the other end of the room. Adrien was too invested in his conversation to notice and Alain was thankful for that. He didn't want his anxiousness to become apparent, for fear that Adrien would think he did not trust or respect him as king. Though, when Alain thought about it, objectively maybe he didn't trust Adrien's decisions—even if he would never say that so bluntly aloud.
    Alain stopped moving and leaned against a wall with a sigh. While Adrien could not help but see people as good, Alain was the opposite. He was suspicious of everyone he crossed. How could he put his trust in someone who had broken it the very first time he saw her? Alain did have respect for Adrien, and his privacy, but his safety was Alain's biggest concern. Adrien went to great measures to help Alyssa trust him, but where did his confidence in her come from? His blood boiled as he remembered the falling chandelier and Adrien's wide eyes.
   
When the meeting ended Alyssa was confident it had gone well. They had spent nearly 2 hours discussing the layout of the Rayland castle, and after permitting Alyssa to leave he had brought it to Alain to look over. It wasn't until she left the room that she was hit with a feeling that resembled an icy blast to the gut. It was the reality of what could happen, and likely would: Daniel's death coming about by her hands. She now knew who he was, and his lies no longer had ahold on her. Really, she should be furious and without pity. Still, she could not forget who had been to her before this confusion—her king she had sworn loyalty to, her only companion for seven years—she only ever spoke with him, even if their discussions were almost always business. Deceitful or not, cruel or kind, it made no difference. For years Daniel, though far from, was the closest to what Alyssa had for family.
She saw herself, 12 years old, entering the castle. It was large, dark, and unfamiliar. Her steps echoed as she walked down a long hallway from the front doors to the throne room. Her mother had not been allowed inside, so she had been escorted by two large guards, neither of which had introduced themselves nor asked her her name. Truly, though, she did not expect anything more from castle guards.
She followed them in silence, till someone caught her eye. A boy who looked around 15 years of age with hair as black as nice was leaning up against the wall, gazing at her with mild curiosity. He was dressed in royal attire, and immediately, she recognized him: Prince Daniel, heir to the Rayland throne. Her face remained blank, but inwardly she was surprised; she had thought he'd be older.
"Halt," The word was sharp and cold despite being spoken by someone so young. Then again, his position separated him from most boys his age, and Alyssa wondered if he'd ever experienced youth the way others had.
The guards stopped in their places without question, and Daniel walked over to Alyssa, looking her up and down. "What is a young peasant girl like you doing in the castle?"
Alyssa voice didn't shake. "I have been brought here to be of service." Much to her surprise, the prince laughed, and for a great while. Even the guards had a slight change in expression at this; Alyssa guessed it didn't happen often. It was a while before the prince stifled his laughter, putting a hand over his mouth. "You? Oh goodness, what use would my father have with you?"
    Alyssa said nothing, she only looked him in the eye. Now, she realized, that was probably audacious, but at the time she was more interested in seeing a prince than she was paying attention to her behavior—and after all, this prince in particular was peculiar.
    When Daniel met her eyes, the amusement died and a curiosity stronger than before took its place—though it had no warmth. He analyzed her as if she was a puzzle piece out of place, and then smirked. "Very well then, carry on." His sharp eyes turned on the guards, "It's idiotic to keep my father waiting."
    That was their first meeting. From that point on they would work side by side, yet, held apart by a cool distance.

    When Alyssa entered her room, immediately she dropped onto her bed and buried her head into her pillow. She tried to tear her mind away from the past, and refocus on the future. Somehow in the process, she fell asleep. It had been a long day.
   
Adrien watched Alain scan the layout in silence. Maybe it was the lighting, but Alain looked pale. After what seemed to be an eternity, he finally spoke.
"This is valuable, if she's been honest in what she's given us. Where are we planning to go from here?"
"Brutus is starting her training tomorrow." Adrien responded, "She was trained in Effulgence, but this is a precaution. It is also a way to bide time. Give her another month to prove she is trustworthy." From the look on Alain's face, Adrien could tell he was pleased with that last part.
"I advise we invite her to the ball taking place at the end of the week," Alain began, "We will introduce her to the attending nobles from our neighboring kingdoms as Effulgence's assassin; you must show you are serious about this arrangement, but never let her forget we have a dungeon to welcome her back if she steps out of line. After all, this rare party in the midst of war is about gaining alliances and knowing our allies—this applies to Alyssa as much as it does other kingdoms."
"I still feel like the ball will render meaningless; what kingdom would side with us against Rayland? Many have already made it clear it is too great of risk. Alyssa is the only chance we have."
"We did not have Alyssa when it was first planned and it is too late to cancel now. Besides, Adrien, we don't have many options." Adrien reluctantly nodded, and when Alain left the room, put his head in his hands; because his advisor was right—he was usually right. More than once, Adrien had wondered if Effulgence would be better run if Alain was king. He was logical, practical, and efficient. The way Alain went about duties made Adrien feel scattered. He had always been accused of ruling with his heart on his sleeve, but could one simply disregard morals and humanity simply because they were in authority? Was it worth it, protecting Effulgence, if it ended up like Rayland? That was considering Effulgence could be saved. Somehow, Adrien's father had found middle ground between goodness and law, and Adrien longed for his father in this moment. He wished he could ask all the questions he kept bottled up in his mind, and receive guidance from the man who had kept Effulgence strong, alive, and standing for decades. Death had taken him; Effulgence's heart and Adrien's light. Though out of his control, his father had left Adrien alone in this cold, miserable world: and he was lost because of it