Evan led Ardyn out of the hall, making sure no one noticed them on the way. Taking advantage of the distraction, they slipped into the guest room where Ardyn was staying.
Evan had previously ordered the servants who normally stood guard in the corridor to go and enjoy the banquet, so no one would notice their presence.
Evan quietly locked the door behind them and breathed a sigh of relief.
"If any of the servants saw us, we would look suspicious," he explained.
"Still, how does a prince like you even get away with escaping from the palace?" Ardyn questioned in confusion. "Don't the guards notice?"
"The guards are my friends. I made them promise not to tell on me to the King unless I'm gone for more than three hours," Evan explained as he slid on his brown cloak and buttoned it down to his waist. "It's fine as long as I finish my daily duties and come back on time. I'm always punctual, you know."
"Still… what if something happens to you?" Ardyn asked uncertainly.
"Then I'll call for my Guardians, and they'll come for me as fast as they can," Evan assured him gently. "See this?"
Ardyn stared as Evan held out the necklace he was wearing. It was a simple necklace, but there was a thin chain at the center that stretched downwards with small, glittering pendants.
When Ardyn looked closely, he saw that those pendants were seven different colors of gems hanging by the chain in a single line.
"What's that?" Ardyn asked curiously.
"This is the Summoner's Necklace," Evan explained. "This necklace is given to us as a gift by the gods after completing the Final Ceremony. Basically, we can use this to call for our Guardians whenever we're in a pinch."
Ardyn's eyes went wide. "Really?"
"Yes. Summoners can also use it to locate them, but it only works when the bonding process hasn't been done yet," Evan said. "I'll reserve the full explanation for later, but basically, one of the gems will glow orange whenever an unbonded Guardian is nearby."
"Whoa," Ardyn said, his expression filled with interest. He was so fascinated by the existence and the use of magic in this world. There were so many cool possibilities, after all. "That sounds pretty convenient."
"It is. That's why Mathias doesn't really worry about me going in and out of the Palace often," Evan said with a chuckle. "Though he gets annoyed all the time because it's like a one-way communication. I can call for my Guardians, but they can't find me or communicate with me unless I bring along a commcrystal. However, I usually don't activate it whenever I go outside. I find it a hassle because Matty would always call me and interrupt my meditations."
"Poor Mathias," Ardyn muttered.
Evan laughed. "He complained about me to you, didn't he? He always does that, even to the other Guardians."
Ardyn shrugged. "I can't exactly blame him. He is tasked to look after you."
"That is true. But I am a free soul," Evan said proudly.
Ardyn laughed. "I can relate to that, though. I'm a free spirit, too. I do what I want to do, and I don't really care about what other people think."
"Really? Looks like we have something in common, then."
When Evan finished wearing his cloak, he handed Ardyn a similar-looking brown one.
Ardyn gestured towards the half-mask he was currently wearing. "Should I take this off?" he asked.
Evan shook his head. "Keep it on just in case. When the evacuation starts, take it off, but make sure not to wash your face. Keep the hair extension as well. You can return to your original appearance once you're safely in another town. By the way, have you finished checking the contents of your traveling bag?"
"Not yet. I just need to take my clothes with me later," Ardyn said, remembering that he had hung them in the bathroom earlier to dry.
"All right." Evan watched with a thoughtful expression as Ardyn wore the cloak around his outfit, buttoning it up to his neck. "So here's the plan. Once you arrive at a safehouse, just ask one of the civilians how to get to Ravencoast."
"Ravencoast?" Ardyn repeated. "What's that? I mean, where is that?"
"Ah, that reminds me!" Evan went over to a nearby dresser and started rummaging inside one of the drawers. In a few seconds, he took out a piece of paper and what seemed to be a fancy-looking pen. "I need to write two letters first. It's important that I do this."
"Two letters? For what?"
"There's an envelope that I placed in your traveling bag. Can you take it out for me?"
Ardyn obeyed and picked up the bag that was resting idly on the bed. He rummaged through it and found the said envelope, just tucked in one of the inside pockets. He scrutinized it curiously.
"I think I found it," he said. "What is it for?"
"I wrote down the instructions there for you," Evan said, not even looking up from his writing. "You can read it."
Confused, Ardyn opened the envelope. Inside was a piece of paper, neatly folded.
He read the contents. It seemed to be in Evan's handwriting, scrawled in a hurry but still legible enough for him to understand. The man really had prepared as much as he could in a limited amount of time. It was admirable, to say the least.
[Once you arrive at a safehouse, tell one of the soldiers that you need to return to your kingdom. Inform them that you are new to Elfroien and that you want to know where Ravencoast is located. Ravencoast is a small coastal town where you can trade goods and travel by boat to different islands.
Elyana reached out to a friend in Ravencoast. Her name is Kaya. She will be wearing a purple hat and a pink shirt at the docks. Don't draw any attention and just tell her that 'Ely' and 'Evy' sent you. Remember to wear your hood.
Kaya will give you a ride to Prismond Town outside of Elfroien free of charge. There, someone close to Gideon has agreed to take you in for a while until you find your Summoner.]