Erivale: The Lost Princess

Chapter 17: Part 2

Thankfully I did not see Renatus again for the rest of the day. He was not at dinner with Heinrich, Luciana, Guinevere, and I. Of course, that didn't make it any less uncomfortable. Politics never strayed far from the dinner table and they're not so equal policies only filled me with more anger.

Potentially even worse was when they were actually nice to me. They asked about my day, my training, and complimented me on my improvement. It was hard to swallow the bitter pill that all of these niceties were just to butter me up before I was slaughtered.

Guinevere acted surprisingly normal. I half expected her to rat me out, but the only thing I noticed was the way her eyes would linger on me a little longer than usual as if she was unsure of who or what I was. A simple glance here or there was the only indication things were amiss, but thankfully neither Heinrich or Luciana noticed and I don't even think Guinevere realized she was doing it.

I returned to my room after dinner ready to forget the stress around me. My bedroom was one of the few places I felt like I could breathe. There were far fewer prying eyes, only Leda and Soren's occasional appearance. Within my room and within my own space I could think freely, I could let my shoulders relax, and I no longer had to pretend like everything was fine.

For the most part that is, my bedroom was still a mysterious location of rebel contact as I had recently realized. The notes on my bed and the secret passage, no longer concerned me quite like they once did. I now know that the rebels and their occasional visits to my room were the least of my concerns.

I came across Fenrir on my way back to my room and a quick brush of my fingers through his chilled fur let me know that he had just been outside. Walking towards my bedroom door the guards silently opened it allowing Fenrir and I entrance.

The doors closed quickly behind me nearly masking the sound of a growl from Fenrir. It was a growl I had heard many times before when I had discovered the notes. Now I frantically looked around to see what was putting him on edge. It wasn't hard to notice the panel hiding the secret passageway slowly closing.

"Fenrir, stop them!" I shouted and Fenrir sprinted off towards the entrance. There was a man's yelp as Fenrir's head disappeared behind the wall and then an arm was being pulled back outward by the force of Fenrir's jaw.

"Princess, are you okay?" One of the guards said and knocked on my door. They must have been alerted to my shout.

My reply that I did, in fact, need help to catch the intruder fell short on my lips as the figure tumbled out from behind the wall. I knew that face anywhere. "Uh, no I'm fine. Just tripped over Fenrir!" I shouted back at them and then hurried towards the figure on the ground.

"Fenrir, that's enough," I ordered and he slunk back to the side and sat his furry haunches in front of the tunnel preventing any escape. I knelt down, to the figure in front of me. Their overcoat was that of traditional Ithican royal attire, a satin blue with gold shoulder attachments and buttons. Their face was worn with age, but it was a face I had always associated with kindness.

The familiar older face with the immaculately trimmed graying beard grimaced in pain as he clutched at his bleeding wrist. His grey hair was tousled from the struggle and his familiar eyes looked at me apologetically.

"Soren, what are you doing here?"

He closed his eyes briefly and let out a resigned sigh. "I came to give you this." He reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a note. A similar notecard shape with a red insignia on it, something I had seen many times before in my room.

"It was you. You were the one delivering the notes." Shock, surprise, confusion – all of it, was heavy on my words. I'm sure my face held the emotions as well. Never in a million years would I have expected the king's personal advisor to be the one delivering me rebel notes.