Brethen is not afraid of anything. Or at least, of very little.
Trained by a league of warriors and assassins, she was personally picked to be Prince Arian's Champion. From that day forward, Brethen became the prince's shadow, responsible for keepin...
For the following two weeks, Arian didn't mention the Dark Tide again, which Brethen found at least strange. When he wasn't studying with a tutor or in meetings with his father, Arian was with Belinda.
Two days ago, the two had made their first public appearances as a couple. Although the engagement had not been officially announced, Arian and Belinda were already described as engaged in all the newspapers of Pratoria. It was on that same day that the first headline about the rumours of the prince practicing Dark Magic resurfaced, but the story was overshadowed by the future king and queen's visit to an orphanage, then a hospital, and finally, the inauguration of a school. Brethen, of course, closely accompanied them through each step, a silent and ever-present guardian.
At the end of that day, Brethen arrived at the palace exhausted and found the bathtub filled with hot water, steaming, and scented with herbal fragrance waiting for her in the bathroom.
"Sabina!" Brethen exclaimed, and the maid appeared from inside the closet.
"Ah, Lady Brethen! You've arrived! Hurry up, or the bath will get cold."
Sabina was the servant assigned to take care of Brethen, the only person who called her "lady." The sixty-something-year-old lady had more energy than most teenagers Brethen knew. Since Brethen wasn't really a lady, Sabina didn't have to worry about dressing her and doing hairstyles, except for special events. She just kept Brethen's room tidy, brought meals, and pampered her occasionally.
Brethen walked over to Sabina, held her head with both hands and loudly kissed the lady's forehead.
"Sabina, I love you!" she said, then began undressing to get into the bath, with Sabina following behind, picking up the scattered clothes.
Brethen stayed in the bathtub until the water started to cool, and those were the last moments of relaxation she had in the past few days. Even her dreams had been restless since then.
That afternoon, two days later, Arian had some free time in his schedule and invited Brethen for fencing practice. Five years ago, when she had arrived at the castle, the prince already had some sword training, enough to defend himself relatively well. But with Brethen, Arian came to appreciate the training as a sport, a way to channel energy.
"Over the weekend we have lunch at Viscount de Arbus's house," Arian said between sword strikes. "I suppose he'll want to take us hunting afterward."
"With Belinda?" Brethen blocked a high strike and delivered a low one, which Arian blocked at the last second.
"She's a champion duck hunter in the Rivena province."
"Such a fine title."
Brethen trained with Arian to stay in shape but, mainly, to keep him sharp. Her real training sessions were with Fausto, a truly worthy opponent.
Arian delivered a few more strikes, which Brethen easily defended while giving him another chance to get closer.
"You're leaving your guard open again," she said, and Arian spun the sword in an attempt to disarm her. But Brethen was quicker, tossed the sword from one hand to the other, and used the same move he had just tried to disarm him. The clatter of the blade echoed on the granite floor.
Arian placed his hands on his hips, panting, and looked at the sword on the ground, and then at Brethen.
"You make this totally lose its charm, you know?" he said."It's not supposed to be charming," Brethen went to the fallen sword and picked it up, "it's to ensure that you'll be able to defend yourself if there ever comes a day when I can't."
"I have other ways to defend myself." He raised his hands— ungloved — to emphasize his point.
With a busy schedule until the engagement, Arian wasn't having as much time to practice magic, and the spots on his hands didn't go beyond the fingertips, as if he had stained himself with a bit of ink.
"One thing doesn't negate the other," Brethen returned the sword to him and he sheathed it.
"I think that's enough for today," Arian stretched his arms over his head, leaning his body from side to side. "I need a bath and fifteen hours of sleep."
He started walking towards the door, but Brethen called him:
"Arian," he waited for the prince to turn before continuing. "I've decided to look for my family."
"When?" Arian asked from where he was, near the door.
"Tomorrow. You have two days without anything on your schedule, so you won't need me, and..."
"I'm coming with you," he interrupted.
"You don't have to."
"I need to. I'm about to go crazy with everything that's been happening. I need a break, to see other people for a change. If you don't mind, of course."
Brethen moistened her lips, thoughtful. It would be good to have Arian's company. She was about to see her family after ten years. It would hardly be a peaceful meeting. But at the same time, she didn't know the effect his presence would have, both on herself and on the other people involved.
"We'll go by carriage, leaving in the morning," Arian continued. "Arture can come with us. Do you prefer to go to your brother first and then your parents, or go to them first and visit your brother on the way back?"
Brethen rubbed her neck, nervous. She had decided to look for her family a few days ago, but until then, it was just an idea. Now it was plans taking shape. Thinking about it, she would need a reassuring presence.
"The second option," she said. "If everything goes as I'm imagining, our reception at my parents' house won't be very friendly. I want to meet my brother already having gotten rid of that concern."
Arian nodded slowly, not taking his eyes off Brethen as she talked about her father's cold and harsh manner, and how her mother couldn't stay still for two minutes to have a conversation with the children and was always cooking or cleaning something, even when there was no need. As if she didn't know how to function without working. How Basken ended up having to play the role of caretaker many times, even for siblings who weren't much younger than him.
According to the report from the person hired by Arian, two of her brothers still lived with their parents, Benedit and Bernard, the twins. Banoc, the second youngest, had enlisted in the army and was on a mission in the north, and the second oldest, Brenon, had disappeared from the map after committing some crimes. Nothing indicated that he was dead, just hiding very well.
Brethen wondered if her family had any idea where she was now. If, at some point, the news reached them that Brethen Acadia had become the Champion of the heir prince and now lived in a palace. If so, she wondered how much they resented her for it.
"I'll take care of everything, Breth," Arian assured, putting his hands on her shoulders. "Just be ready to leave tomorrow before sunrise."
If everything went as planned, they would be back at the palace in two days. Then Arian could continue with his commitments, and Brethen could accompany him, having taken one of her concerns off her mind. Too bad she had others, and those seemed to be growing.
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