SECOND BOOK OF THE CHRONICLES OF FANTASILIA SERIES
𝘈𝘯 𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘶𝘳𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘨𝘶𝘦. 𝘈 𝘴𝘪𝘦𝘨𝘦 𝘢𝘨𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘛𝘦𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘚𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘴. 𝘈 𝘥𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘴 𝘫𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘯𝘦𝘺 𝘵𝘰 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘧.
Xanthiene Vivenca, af...
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"Where is Cyrdel?" the King asked with a tone so cold it could have frozen the room despite the heat outside.
Nyxis stepped back. "Uh..."
"Father!" Cyrdel burst from a corridor to Xanthy's left. Wasn't he out doing who knows what? "What are you doing here?"
The King stepped inside, regarding Reeca's sleeping form. Xanthy moved forward and spread her arms as if guarding the varichria. What's he going to do?
Cyrdel stepped into the King's way, blocking him from walking farther into the room. "Father?"
June and Ravalee popped by the doorway, about to go in. Xanthy shook her head at them. Ravalee's arm shot out to block June from entering. Xanthy glanced at the source of tension to find the King's eyes burning through Cyrdel's. The prince held it even if he stood a head shorter than his father.
"You're out inventing again," the King's nostrils flared.
Cyrdel scowled. It was an expression that didn't suit him. "So you found out about that too?"
The King whipped a pile of parchment from behind him. He swept it past Cyrdel's face, slapping him. Cyrdel recoiled with a deep growl at his throat. "The guards completed their search. Review the list."
Cyrdel glared at his father as he yanked the papers from the King's hand. Silence and the sound of parchment crinkling filled the room as Cyrdel skimmed the pile, his eyes moving rapidly through each one. He froze when he came across something.
"Holy Nira," Cyrdel murmured. A look of defeat flashed across his face. His shoulders slumped. "Anything but that."
The King's eyes narrowed. "Do you know of it?"
Xanthy could see Cyrdel's knees shaking from her vantage while crouching by Reeca who still managed to stay sleeping. Cyrdel met his father's eyes. "They took the maximizer."
Xanthy felt like she was punched in the chest. Her conversation with Cyrdel went back to her.
In the wrong hands, it can destroy cities.
The prince had shrugged back then. It's just a test run to see if my theory works.
Xanthy's stomach soured. If that's only a prototype, who knows what's going to happen if someone uses it?
The King seemed to grow larger as Cyrdel shrank from his father's shadow. "I'm guessing it wasn't good news?" the King growled.
"No," Cyrdel squeaked.
The King pinched the bridge of his nose. "I keep telling you, Cyrdel," he hissed. "Keep your hands off your crazy ideas and care about your people for once. You're the Crown Prince, for Nira's sake! Act like one!"
"I tried, Father!" Cyrdel's voice rang back. Xanthy winced. It felt bad just being here, witnessing a private moment. Cyrdel clawed at his hair in frustration. "It didn't work! I'll go insane if I don't invent! Everything I did was to be the perfect son for you. This is the best leniency you can ever give me."
