Locked Legacies

Chapter XXXV: Army leak

It was somewhere in between going over the moment when the Ianua Nexum appeared to get the leaves, making their experiment successful, and smiling at the memory of when they came up with its name that Augustus' exhilaration for the end of the project returned. Once again, his inquisitiveness and the drive that had pulled their investigation forward from the beginning came back. The thought of many months of work spent coming to a close suddenly seemed a little bit less melancholic; he knew it was something he had to do and that, despite everything, it would also be rewarding. The image of the dragons free, Stormi and Foggy heading directly home, was something inconceivable; he couldn't begin to imagine what it would look like and the feeling that would take over all of them.

Mystichut had been the setting to merely happy memories, so he didn't expect any less from giving a successful closure to the whole investigation. That is why, he fell asleep with the aim of telling Faylinn in the afternoon; he would ignore whatever doubts and finally open the passage.

As a rare occurrence, he would have a peaceful rest. After weeks of distressing dreams and nightly palpitations, he finally had the tranquil sleep he deserved. And thank god he did, for his nightmarish worries would bleed into the real world just the next day.

While the prince enjoyed his well-deserved ease, the king's disappeared. Not too far away, was the rulers' chamber, which was filled with lit candles for around an hour longer than their children's.

"Did I ask you to remind the worker to make a new purple cape for me? Right before leaving for Phobrakha some months ago?" He changed the topic yet again, after having been tackling various ones for a couple of minutes.

Meredith nodded, responding as she placed her embroidery frame on the desk, "Yes, my love, and I did so. They left it in your wardrobe."

Aldrich sighed, "But did I order purple?"

"You did. Much against my wishes."

With mere disappointment, he took a couple of steps toward the piece of furniture, "I wish I had ordered red. I shall do so next time, it makes me look more powerful."

Meredith giggled audibly at his statement; he had warned him of exactly that the day that he left for the other kingdom. "Just open the wardrobe, Aldrich," she shook her head in amused disbelief, making the man obey with a cocked eyebrow.

Of course, behind the two wooden doors were graciously hanging two tailored capes; one purple, and the other red. The king smiled in delight, which was Meredith's cue to explain. "I knew you would change your mind, so I asked them to make both."

"You know me better than I know myself, dear," Aldrich added as he placed a kiss on the back of her hand, "Thank you—"

In the middle of his expression of gratitude, there was a knock on the door, which signaled something important was to be told to him, or at least by someone who mattered. Standing right outside was Leopold Ashdown, who was received by the couple that didn't let him into the privacy of their room but, still, listened attentively.

"I bare news, Your Grace," his slim figure was barely visible because of the flickering candle. After receiving an allowing nod, he proceeded. "I have heard from a witness that your son has been involved with a young woman, spending time with her in a little house in... I quote, 'the middle of nowhere'."

Meredith fought the urge to widen his eyes; it was immediately that she knew that Augustus had been caught with the Langdon girl. She could only hope that the story would not continue in that direction yet, unfortunately, it did.

Aldrich, on the other hand, wasn't too stunned by the news yet; on the contrary, depending on where the conversation was heading, he could have been slightly proud. Nevertheless, there was not even a lingering positive feeling when he heard the answer to his next question. "With whom?"