Chapter 158:
Greetings from Eva
"Who sent you?" Silas barked, his voice heavy.
The human man spoke again. "You already know who. Hand him over."
The two groups were in deadlock, knowing only one person who could have guessed their location at this point. Eva couldn't wait any longer, could she? Silas thought sarcastically to himself as his gaze fell towards Clarence, his eyes hinting a trace of worry.
Feeling Silas's gaze on him, the prince spoke up. "No," Clarence's hand rested on his sword in a casual fashion, his eyes surveying the men like prey on a chopping block. "I'm not leaving without them."
Silas stood by his side, his own sword drawn as they glared forward at the group, prepared to fight their way out if they had to. "Step aside."
"Bastard, you don't get to decide." Another man cajoled, his voice deep and scratchy.
Hearing such a gruff insult, Clarence kept his sword still and his expression flat, holding his weapon close at his side as he sidestepped, positioning Silas slightly behind him as he glared at the group of men, unsure if he could take them all at once. Watching him try to defend her son so diligently, Maeir felt some sympathy in her heart for the young royal and spoke up, prepared to fight alongside the two.
"Ha-" Maeir's face was full of smiles, her grin nearly maniacal as she spat, "You think I would just let him off here with you all," Her eyes scanned over the small crowd, their figures threatening in the back alley space. "I don't care what her orders are, or were for that matter, I'm not letting him go until we reach the palace."
"You old fucking hag-" The larger man gritted his teeth, adjusting his dagger in his hands as he stared forward, locking eyes with Maeir. Swiftly, he lifted his sword and took a swing at Maeir, missing her slim frame as she moved deftly out of the way, pushing Clarence and Silas back with her arm as she pushed back, swinging her sword in a slashing motion towards the large man.
Two armored men from the side stepped forward, their weapons drawn as a third man stood not far from his comrades, rope tightly wound in his hands, preparing to tie Clarence at the hands and ankles at a moment's notice. As the group progressed forward, they were abruptly stopped by a sudden voice, startling them into silence.
"Stop it." A shorter man stepped forward and entered the alley, stopping the fight before it continued any farther, his face nearly shadowed by his long cloak as he moved the larger man out of the way, incurring a nasty scowl from the taller man. "We're not here to fight, we're here to do what we were told." The man adjusted his cape, his almond eyes becoming more apparent as the dim lighting lit his elven face. "If you want to get killed, keep resisting. Otherwise, the prince comes with us, alone."
"He's not going anywhere without us." Silas spat, lifting his sword.
Maeir and Clarence grabbed their weapons as the sudden attack began, no warning other than the sound of swords being drawn and the screams of men.
There's too damn many of them. There's no way we'll make it out alive if we keep fighting- Silas thought, his eyes flurrying between soldiers. As one fell, two others took his place to push back against the ferocious enemies. As they fought, they continued to get pushed back farther and farther, until they were standing in the middle of the alley with nowhere to run, cornered like rats.
"Dammit." Maeir muttered, flicking a trail of stray blood off of her sword. "We can't hold on much longer if they keep coming like this… watch out!"
A soldier swung his sword towards the middle of the group, their three-point formation shattered with it. Silas, having been forced to move a step away from Clarence, left an opening behind him, one he was not aware of until it was too late.
There was no warning, no screams, no chance to avoid the inevitable. The wooden plank, large enough to be held with two hands, smashed into the back of Silas's head, knocking him forward, down on his hands as his vision began to swim, ebbing and flowing with black patches, and the scent of blood flooded his nostrils as the impact caused a string of blood to drip from his left nostril, his body nearly limp.
"Greetings from Eva." The familiar cloaked elven man said as Silas lost his strength, nearly smashing onto the ground before his unconscious frame was caught by Maeir, her arms wrapped around his head and torso like a protective binding.
"-Silas!" Feeling the sensation of familiar arms wrapping around him, Silas's eyes quickly fluttered shut as he watched Clarence's figure retreat a step towards him, his arm reaching out before he's swiftly pushed back, yelling something that his ringing ears are no longer able to hear.
Like that, the world around them fell quiet, and he could no longer guess what their next destination would be.
…
The first thing Silas saw when he regained consciousness was Maeir's anxious figure sitting on the ground in a simple wood carriage, a carriage made for transporting animals, no less. Her eyes scanned her son, as if ensuring he was really conscious before she moved closer and said, patting his hand. "Silas, thank the gods you're okay. How's your head?"
It hurts, and my ears won't stop ringing. I feel like I could vomit. Silas thought to himself, his eyes spinning slightly as he steadied himself, sitting up with the support of the back of the carriage wall behind him. Using his free hand, he steadied his spinning head the best he could, responding dryly, "They did a number on me, huh?"
Maeir, holding her son's hand with a hard grip, responded, "The moment you fell, I caught you… then Clarence went berserk. It took at least four of their men to hold him down, and even then, they nearly would have killed him if I hadn't intervened."
Shooting his head up abruptly, Silas asked, "Where is h-" His neck and head throbbed at the sudden movement, and he fell back down again, holding his head again.
"They took him in a separate carriage. Once he knew you were still breathing, he promised to go quietly, so long as the two of us were taken with him." Maeir added, her voice light, tense. "I'm so glad you're conscious at least. If you didn't wake up soon, I was afraid you never would."
Feeling the tone of the carriage change, the air around the pair grew even gloomier than before. "Where are we?" Silas asked weakly, leaning back on the carriage wall the best he could without leaning on his head wound, his eyes still dizzy at the edges.
They stared out the small carriage window, the scent of animals still lingering in the wooden container as Maeir curled her nose, "We're not far from the palace now. Look, you can see part of it now."
The image of death and destruction they had once left was no longer. The palace was still standing, the outside noticeably damaged, but there were places where obvious repairs were taking place, where stones were being replaced by various men working on the outer stone wall of the palace. The grey stones were no longer stained with red blood, not even a single trace, and the broken windows had been repaired and sealed tight, no longer gaping open to the cold wind.
"The rebels definitely left their mark." Maeir's eyes never strayed far from the barred windows, as if memorizing the route they had taken. "But for them to return the palace to its previous state, Eva has something in mind."
Housing similar thoughts, Silas agreed, "If they wanted to demolish the royal family, they would have removed the palace too. Why did she go so far as to repair it?"
"I don't know what her plans are, but I want to find out." Maeir replied, her eyes focused up ahead, a group of rebel soldiers blocking the front entrance of the palace as they approached with a loud, clattering noise. They were the second carriage in the procession, but there were no notable noises, no screaming, no dragging bodies, only the sounds of clanking metal and whispering guards.
There was no window to the front of the carriage, and it was impossible to see what had happened, but they were quickly rolled forward, the carriage's outside thoroughly inspected before they were allowed inside, the eyes of the guards fixed on the carriages with a vengeful light. Silas and Maeir kept their eyes open and their heads down as they were wheeled into the back entrance of the palace, the heavy wooden door shut loudly behind them, sealing their fate as they were led inside the place they had escaped only a short time ago.
The carriage was abruptly stopped near the back entrance to the palace near the servants quarters, nearly jolting the pair forward as the doors to the carriage were thrown open. "Get up." A soldier said to Silas as they dragged him up and out by his arm, roughly. There was no sign of the second carriage or Clarence, but Silas still moved his eyes around, attempting to find any sign of him before they were dragged away without a chance to speak.
After being escorted out of the carriages, their limbs untied in a surprising manner, Silas and Maeir were led into a small room on the first floor, guards monitoring their every movements like turkey vultures. Once they were pushed inside, they were led to sit down on the sofa in the middle of the room, disallowed to move from their permitted spot.
Quietly, Silas looked around the room, finding it unfamiliar. Inside the waiting room were four sets of heavily armored guards, a mix of humans and elves. Their expressions were poor, flat and lifeless, but their disdain was hardly hidden behind their eyes. Why are they taking us here rather than the dungeon? Silas pondered, his eyes scanning over the intricate decorations with a raised brow, having thought the previous decorations had been stolen during the raid.
"Wait here." A guard spoke, his voice gruff as the others as he stepped out of the door, slamming it behind him as they were made to wait on the soft sofa, their confusion immense.
What are they planning to do with us? Silas thought, making motions with his eyes to Maeir.
I don't know yet. Just sit still for now. They're keeping us alive for now, so let's keep it that way. She blinked twice, moving her gaze suddenly to the door with a confused hum. As if sensing something not far from it, Silas found himself staring towards the door too, hsi thoughts in disarray as the pain continued to throb in his head. .
Not long into their wait, there was the sound of commotion outside of the door, and the double doors were quickly pushed open before the guards could stop it. In strode Clarence, his face full of panic until they landed on Silas's conscious frame, his face visibly relaxing as he stepped closer, only a few feet away from his lover.
"I could sense you were here, so I made them take me here too." Clarence said, his eyes full of relief as his gaze was fixed on Silas's bruised and beaten frame, his eyes nearly fixed on the back of Silas's head. "How are you feeling? Did they do anything to you?" The way his gaze fell on Silas made him feel as though Clarence were caressing his head, attempting to check the wound before his eyes were withdrawn by the persistent glares of the nearby guards.
"I'm okay. How are you? Did anything happen on the way here?" Silas asked back, his concerns directed towards Clarence as he sat, unable to make himself stand from where he and Maeir had been placed.
"Nothing much. All we discussed was a meeting with Eva in a short while." Clarence's eyes fell on the red mark on Silas's lower arm, where the soldier had grabbed him earlier. "Did they hurt you?"
"No, it was-" Silas began, but he was swiftly interrupted.
"Reunion time's over." A soldier stepped forward, his gait intimidating. "It's time for the meeting with Lady Eva. Move along."
With only a moment left to speak, Silas could only hurry his words along. "Will you be okay meeting with her by yourself?" Silas asked, his eyes full of worry.
"Of course." Clarence gaze lingered on Silas's face, his expression full of warmth as he whispered, "I'll take care of everything. Just wait for me here."
Impatient, one of the nearby guards lifted his sheathed sword and pushed the two back, knocking Silas's hand away from even the air around the prince. A red mark formed on the elf's pale hand, marring the perfect skin with a sudden wood, flaring Clarence's unending anger.
"I said don't touch him again." Clarence growled, his head tilting to the side with a dangerous glint in his eyes.
The elves present in the room felt a shift of mana in the air, causing some alarm as they hurried to shuffle Clarence out of the room. Even Maeir and Silas, standing in the room, felt an immense wave of dangerous mana reeling around the prince, so much so that they could not fathom it came from Clarence.
It's cold. Silas thought, rubbing the cold away from his arms as Clarence was swiftly led to the door, not allowed another word to be uttered. They left his hands untied as he walked, his entourage leaving him little room to breathe. They were sending Clarence away with a set of heavily-armored rebel soldiers to meet with Eva, sending him to the final passage, the deafening sounds of each footstep echoing like the calls of the dead.
Once the quiet fell over them, Silas walked to the couch and sat back, covering his eyes with his arm. "Mom, what do you think will happen now?"
"We'll have to wait and see, Silas." Maeir, standing by the window, kept her sigh to herself as she and Silas waited in the sitting room, the doors protected by a series of rebel guards that would not allow them exit. Let's hope we can live, so long as Clarence's temper holds.
With no reason to meet with Eva, they rested patiently in the room, hoping only positive outcomes would come from the meeting.
…
"Sit down, Clarence." Eva began, gesturing to a formal chair in the king's study, a large room on the second floor. The decorations had since changed, appearing more sterile than before, but there was a trace of strange elegance that lingered in the air like a faint memory. Standing in the room had brought back a flurry of memories to Clarence, none particularly as stirring as the image of the room in utter disarray during the raid.
Staring at it now, it was like a glimpse into the past. It made him disgusted, so much so he wanted to turn around and walk out of the room and back to Silas's arms, but the pressure at the table effused around the room like a wave, allowing the prince to walk straight towards the table as the guards closed the door behind him, ensuring he was on his best behavior.
"Sit down, Clarence." Eva gestured from behind the desk, the intricate chair unmarred, as if the earlier raid had only affected the spirit of the castle, and not its contents.
Sitting in the chair across the large wood table, Clarence did not hesitate to speak first. "Why did you call us here, Eva?" He lowered himself slowly into the chair, his eyes cold.
"I called you here for a few reasons." She began, her short, curled blonde hair trailing around her face in a gentle manner, contrary to her words. "There was some unfinished business you left for me to clean up." Eva responded, her eyes lowered, as if looking down at Clarence. "After Malcolm was chased out by my allies, it left the kingdom in a frenzy. But, what surprised me the most is that you planned to abandon the kingdom altogether, after all the damage your family caused." Eva paused, her words biting, "I won't allow this kingdom to fall again, and this needless war to continue. That is why you're here now, alive."
"Kidnapping the three of us was not necessary." With a trace of anger, Clarence spat, "We had already responded to your letter. Maeir, Silas, and I were nearly to the palace when your goons had almost killed Silas. What part of you thought that was a good plan?" He bit his lip, his anger unhidden, "You've gone too far, Eva."
"My, you two have grown close. I guess sharing a bed would do that to anyone, wouldn't it, Clarence?" Eva said, raising a brow in a mocking manner as she spoke of Silas in a disregarding manner, her smile dim. "If we waited any longer, the kingdom could possibly collapse. It's time we start doing something to fix this goddamn kingdom, and that starts with you and your companions. I'm glad we brought them with you, why, they'll be quite useful in the future it seems."
There were only the two of them in the room, allowing no one but those present to hear what had been said, and what threats had been made. The rebels were already wary of the prince, having no good feelings towards the spawn of the king who had led countless elves to their deaths after forcing them out of their homeland. Only Eva was keeping them from slaughtering him outright.
"If you hurt him, I'll kill everyone here, starting with you." Clarence's eyes burned bright, his gaze void of emotion as he stared forward, a chill hanging in the air as he spoke with venom foreign even to himself. "Silas has already suffered enough by your hand. I won't let anyone else hurt him. Direct your anger at me."
"Of course, you're afraid of others hurting him because of the grief you've already caused him. Kidnapping, torture, I'm surprised he has kept you by his side that long." Anger pooled in Clarence's face, but Eva could only laugh, her smile nearly vindictive as she responded again, "If he were me, I would have left you a long time a-"
"Be quiet!"
If Clarence could change his interests and his view of the elves publicly, his past transgressions could be partially forgiven with future action and time, if he was willing to change. Thinking this, Eva could not help herself as she said, "You're far from redeeming yourself, you ignorant royal. Your goal for now should be to keep your head low until you're needed to face this kingdom's people. Even then, you'll do nothing more than do what you're told."
Clarence sat forward, his hands in his lap, "Is that why you rebuilt this palace? To emulate the old palace to try to win over the hearts of the people? I know why you need me, Eva, and it's because you don't have the full support of the Yursear people." Eva's gaze grew dark as Clarence added, "My father, while misguided, was popular in our kingdom. The hate for the elves will not disappear if we install them in our government."
"I am well aware of that, Clarence." Eva cut in, her words dripping with aggravation. "The only reason you're still here, alive for that matter, is because I want to propose a deal with you."
"What do you want?" Clarence crossed his arms, feign interest resting on his face.
Eva leaned back slightly, her smile biting, "Not that you have the ability to refuse, but, I would like to start with a few political changes, ones I think you will find agreeable." Under Eva's hand rested a piece of paper, detailed notes sprawling the page. Various plans, political structures and other safeguards were written in a clear, well-thought out manner that made Clarence's eyes trail the page with thought.
After reading the contents, Clarence looked up and said, "From what I understand, you want to install a council to lead the kingdom?"
"Returning to monarchy will not bid well for the kingdom. The distribution of power in the Yursear Kingdom as a whole has been too unbalanced, so much so that the nobles have been relying on the royal family and using bribes to retain their power and their rule over the smaller districts." Eva summarized, her words carefully chosen, "We want to change that, starting with the top."
Clarence, staring forward at Eva, let out a small sigh. "I believe this plan is well thought out, but I still am doubtful. What makes you so sure of yourself?"
"There's far more to discuss, but this is enough to inform you of the basics." Pulling the paper back to her reach, Eva laughed, "Because I can use you as the face of this new ruling style. The council will do all of the work in your place, so don't worry. More importantly, do you agree to this plan?"
"Can I really say no?" Clarence shook his head defeatedly, his gaze bitter. "I agree, alright? What else is there for me to do?"
"Now that we've discussed my terms, and you've agreed to them-" Eva's hand rested on her chin as she stared down at the prince from across the table, her face dark, full of lingering detestment, "Nothing will happen to Silas or his mother, so long as you continue to cooperate."
"I want a contract to confirm that. I don't trust your words in the least, Eva." Clarence spat, his eyes narrowed, the blue in his eyes chilly. "Now."
"Fine then." With a smile on her cold face, Eva lifted a piece of plain parchment and began to scribble on the page with delicate cursive, the page quickly filled with a list of demands. At the end of the page, Eva passed the paper on the table towards the prince, the quill in the inkwell. "Write your demand there. It's only fair if you can write it yourself, hm?"
With a frown, Clarence grabbed the quill, neatly taking the pen as he wrote his own demand on the contract, his eyes narrowed as his careful cursive script was expanded on the page.
Silas and Maeir's safety must be ensured the entirety of the contract duration and upon their departure from the palace. If any party is to void this condition, it will result in death.
"This is my only wish. Anything else, if it is in my ability, I am willing to do." He spoke, his words weighed with determination.
"Let's sign it, then." With the contract details read and discussed, the contract was signed by both Clarence and Eva, and there was an awkward moment of silence. Feeling it would be the last time she could ask such a question, she spoke frankly. "Let me ask you this, Clarence." Eva said the prince's name casually, as if speaking to an acquaintance, "Silas saved your life, and you later tried to kill him after finding out he was never supposed to have saved you at all. Then, you kidnapped him and held him hostage in this very palace before you fell in love as if nothing had never happened between you. " She stared towards Clarence, the weight of her gaze pulling on him. "How do you know he won't betray you after what you've done to him?"
"If Silas were to betray me now, I would die happy knowing I was able to love him." The prince said, his gaze softening at the mention of Silas's name. However, the more he spoke, the more twisted his words became, until he let out a slight chuckle, as if what was mentioned was not possible, not even hypothetically. "But, I know he would never harm me, because he loves me just as much as I love him, and I won't let anyone get in the way of us." His eyes, glimmering like orbs, held a trace of obsession that stilled the room, causing Eva to sit back with a thoughtful expression, her shock carefully hidden. "Not even my past self."
My, love is quite a dangerous thing. Eva knowingly thought, moving the contract back out of Clarence's view as she lifted her hand with a solemn frown, the silk fabric of the gloves reflecting from the candlelight.
"If that's all, then our deal shall be settled here." Swiftly, Eva lifted her hands and loudly clapped them, leading two large guards to enter the room and stand by either side of the prince's chair, their faces emotionless. "Send Clarence to his quarters with the two elves. Don't let them out of your sight." Eva spoke to the guards, her eyes fixed on Clarence as she said, "We'll be discussing your future here first thing tomorrow morning. Bring your companions with you."
"Goodnight." Clarence replied with a nod, his words curt.
Once the prince disappeared out of the room, the echoing sound of the guards' armor dissipating with it, Eva tapped her right index finger on the table in thought. For a moment, I even felt a chill when he spoke of Silas. Eva thought to herself, staring down at her gloved hands as she toyed with a fountain pen on the table in her dominant hand, preparing to write something, if anything, but she could not find the words as she placed the pen back down, letting out a heavy sigh. I never thought that fool would fall this helplessly in love with that elf, but now, that relationship may be our only hope of keeping the prince on a leash.
Eva was well aware of the prince's behaviors. Silas was the only person who could hold his leash as he kept his naive, innocent facade in front of the person he loved. With anyone else, the lingering undercurrent around him was enough to know how much the prince had grown, and how much more dangerous he could become if not controlled.
At least this contract will keep him in the palace, for now. Eva thought, staring down at the dense cursive signature on the page, detailing the prince's agreement. Staring at the wet ink, a smile crossed Eva's lips once again, a feeling of victory overwhelming the chill of the prince's anger. With him here, we can finally begin to restructure the kingdom. We can finally begin to address the oppression of the elves. Finally, we can end this war.
She could not help herself as she muttered, "Imre, I won." She sounded aloud, speaking to no one as she stared out of the glass pane next to her, the moonlight spilling over her lonely frame. "Now, it's time to make this kingdom worthy of life once again."
…
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I've been waiting 3 long years to hit this plot point, and honestly, it still feels like a dream. I know I was receiving a far amount of flack for keeping Beau alive, and also for Clare to go back yet again to the palace, but this is the whole reason why, at least, most of it. Also, I had an epiphany about something I swore off to myself, so much so it startled me out of a near dead sleep. In the future chapters, just saying, the characters tell me what to write, not the other way around.
If you thought Clare was not yan-yan enough, this is more of him true self. I really wanted him to have golden retriever energy to Silas, but demon spawn to everyone but Silas. He gets his chaos goblin energy from his writer mother LOL. The mental illness tag is there for sure
As we approach these plot points I've been camping on, chapters may hit a small delay. I've been doing a lot of reading with my free time off work (present at work, but there's not work to do), so I can feel myself falling back into my favorite writing style and falling back in love with writing. Hopefully it stays like this until YMtK can end.... Anyway, see you all next week >u<