Midnight Moon (The Bleeding Crown Book 1)

Chapter 1 - A Soldier's Duty

Jate's hand clenched around his sword hilt. He longed to pace, but remained fixed at attention, his every muscle taught.

At long last he was ushered into the palace's main hall; the room seeming to loom and stretch without the court present. The King was already seated on his throne, a guard positioned behind each shoulder. The expression on his wan face was as difficult to read as their helmets, his stare, cold and unflinching, as it followed Jate's approach.

Jate fought to keep his face blank too, despite the disconcerted tingle creeping up his spine. He had been urgently summoned to the palace just days after leaving, and now the King received him with hostility in his gaze and the royal guard prominent in his shadow. Jate lowered his eyes when he drew near the throne, dropping to one knee and dipping his head subserviently.

"Captain Aeron." Despite his greying hair and lined face, the King's voice echoed off the bare walls. The coldness in his tone made Jate glad he couldn't see the man's expression anymore. "I trust your return was not an inconvenience?"

"I am at your disposal whenever needed, Your Majesty," Jate responded prudently, taking the question as an invitation to look up.

The King's stony stare bore down as if he were trying to see Jate's very thoughts.

After a short silence, Jate asked uncomfortably, "What is it you require of me, sire?"

The glare continued for a moment longer, then the other man's face cracked. "My daughter," he said, his words tight and clipped as though forced from deep within.

Jate's heart clenched and his throat constricted. "Sire?"

"When did you last see Princess Veanna, Captain?" the King asked, his gaze and voice steely again.

"I... The day I departed. I spoke with her shortly before I left." He tried not to think about how few words had been spoken, how her kiss had been warm on his lips as he rode away.

The King's eyes narrowed as though he could detect what Jate withheld. "What did you speak about?"

"My plans for how best to distribute patrols in the south," he answered promptly, relieved to be saved from lying. They had indeed discussed how to deal with the problem tactically, before she dismissed the conversation with a shake of her head and a dazzling smile as her arms slid around his neck.

He hurriedly blinked to dispel the memory, unnerved by the prospect that the relationship which they worked to keep secret could be dragged out before her father.

"You have not seen her since?" the King persisted.

Jate shook his head. "No."

"Or heard from her?"

"No."

"Have you had contact with anyone in the palace?"

"Only the message instructing me to return." He had never experienced an interrogation like this, and he was beginning to ache from kneeling on the cold stone floor and craning his head to meet the other man's eyes.

"And when you spoke with Veanna, she said nothing of following or joining you?"

Jate couldn't hold back a frown. "No, sire." What was the implication - that Veanna eloped with him?

The King sighed and his gaze turned distant. "I half hoped... but no matter." His stiff posture collapsed and he sank back into the throne, suddenly looking his age and more. "Stand, Aeron," he said, waving a hand wearily.

Jate stood gratefully, smoothing his uniform and discreetly rolling his shoulders against the aches lingering from the saddle.

"She's gone," the King said simply, his tone hollow and his expression disconsolate.

It felt as though a trapdoor opened under Jate's feet and he was dropping to the bowels of the earth. The blood drained from his face, and he was sure that even his dark skin had turned as ashen as the King's. "Sire?" he heard himself croak, knowing he should retain his composure but unable to focus his reeling mind.

The King raised his eyes. "She's gone," he repeated. "There was no warning, no strange behaviour, just one day... gone."

"She left?" Jate couldn't comprehend it. Veanna would never desert her parents like this, would never run away from her duty, from him.

"Nobody seems to know. No one saw her leave, she simply... disappeared."

Jate's eyes narrowed. "Do you think it was foul play?"

The King gave a sardonic smile. "I never thought I would pray that my daughter suddenly decided that she hates me." He looked away, the smile falling. "But yes, I do. I cannot see another explanation."

"Nobody has any information?" Jate pressed, knowing he was being blatantly unprofessional but past caring.

"None that I can glean." The King lifted his head, apparently forcing himself back into a commanding mode. "I asked you here, Captain, because I want you to find Veanna and bring her home."

Jate didn't have time to register his surprise before he was speaking again, all restraint of his tongue lost amid the panic buzzing in his mind. "Why me, sire?"

The King surveyed him, seeming to choose his words carefully. "Because I know that you will put your heart into the search, and I believe you have the initiative and determination to return her."

Jate didn't know how to reply, so he inclined his head wordlessly.

"I want you to start straight away, Captain," the King continued. "The main priority is Veanna's safety, but I also wish to know who took her."

"Do you believe it was a plot by one of the other territories? Relations with Niskas have been strained lately, but they don't want to repeat the War, surely?" The domains of the Lands had been at peace for over a decade, the bloodshed during Jate's childhood fresh in everyone's minds.

To his surprise, the King gave a bitter laugh. "Subtlety has never been King Uarno's strong suit. Truthfully, I have no idea, but I trust you will succeed."

Jate nodded, refusing to consider an alternative to success. The world felt wrong, every heartbeat painful and every word unfocused.

The King gestured to one of the guards and passed them something, which they dutifully handed to Jate. He rolled the small cylinder between his fingers, rubbing a thumb over the stamp engraved at one end. Though he had never seen the mark used before, he recognised the diamond of petals as a mark of priority missives.

"Any letter with that seal can be passed through army messengers," the King explained as his guard resumed their position. "It will be delivered as fast as possible to my hand. Very few people have use of this seal, so apply it sparingly, but in an emergency it will convey your message directly to me. I will also have a steward bring money to fund your search."

Jate pocketed the stamp as the King leaned forward, resting on the arms of his throne.

"Return my daughter to me, and the kingdom of Levea will owe you a great debt." He appraised Jate. "I will give you whatever reward you wish."

Jate kept his mouth shut as his mind whispered the treacherous reply, Even if I wish for your daughter? He simply nodded again and gave a constricted thanks.

The King nodded too and sat back on his throne, looking weary once more. "You may go, Aeron," he said with a wave of his hand. "Ancestors guide you."

Jate bowed and turned, but froze when the King called out.

"And, Captain?"

He glanced back, meeting the monarch's icy stare. "Yes, your Majesty?"

"Be discreet. My sole heir is missing, and I do not want to cause a panic. Only reveal the truth of your mission when absolutely necessary."

Jate swallowed hard, his heart thumping against his ribs, and he could feel the man's eyes on his back all the way down the hall.