Aliya did want to know. Why was she here, why had she been called at a time when she was present for something so shocking? The Emperor dismissed the other three lords, asking them to wait for him in another room.
When the door had closed behind them he also sent most of the servants away. The dining hall that had been so full and loud earlier was almost empty.
The emperor looked at the two of them with concerned eyes. "I'm sorry you both had to see that, Aliya I know you're very close to Tate. That must have been a shock for you."
"Where is Tate now?" Aliya asked her heart was pounding and she had a terrible feeling. Kira Delmont looked up at her for the first time since the dinner had begun, they made eye contact. The tears were still streaming down the woman's face.
To Aliya's surprise, it was Lady Delmont, who answered her question. "Aliya, I know that you were very close to my son and I had hoped to meet you under better circumstances however, we have just found out that Tate is – Tate is." she broke down into sobs and couldn't finish.
Lord Delmont picked up the thread. "We have just received the report." His voice was quiet, barely more than a whisper. He didn't seem to be able to speak another word. Instead, he handed her a short piece of parchment. Cade looked over her shoulder and they silently read the words "Report: Tate Delmont is presumed dead..."
She dropped the parchment unable to get past the first four words. Next to her Cade made a strangled noise before he stood so quickly he knocked his chair over. "No, that's not possible. You said earlier he was kidnapped, you never said he was killed!"
The Emperor was silent and it was the Crown Prince who answered instead. "Cade, it was not brought up because Tate was not killed by anyone."
"Wha-
"Read the rest of the report." His older brother pushed the parchment that had floated to the table in front of his brother.
Aliya was still in shock, her hands in the exact same position they'd been in holding the horrible parchment.
"Oh," Cade said in a small voice.
"What? What is it!?"Aliya snapped, his small sound waking her up.
"Read it aloud, Cade." The Emperor then commanded.
Cade took in a stuttering breath and began. "Report: Tate Delmont is presuemed dead. When we located him he had made his way to the veil itself. Backed against this barrier I requested that he come with us. He then said the words 'I'm sorry' before doing something I had not thought possible. He leaned back into the misty veil and disappeared along with one of my young riders who was reaching for him at that moment. We have tried to get through the veil as well but it is a solid wall. I say presumed dead because I have no other way to classify it. I have no idea if Tate Delmont is dead or alive..." Cade trailed off and Aliya looked over at the parchment to see something she hadn't noticed before. The rest of the report had been redacted in black ink.
"So what does this mean, what really happened?"
The Emperor sighed. "Just as you heard earlier. Tate was drugged and kidnapped during a foolish and poorly thought out plan to drive a wedge between myself and house Delmont. I knew that this occurred shortly after it happened and someone was tracking them almost immediately. I wanted to make sure to capture the culprits red-handed so while they were en route, I used those days to have the inspectors dig into the households of the suspects. I found all the evidence I needed of their treachery. As soon as Tate was dropped off in the plains a dragon unit was already dispatched to retrieve him while the person contracted to kill him was eliminated by my person who had been following them from the beginning. The rest of the kidnappers were arrested swiftly after abandoning Tate. This is the report for the Dragon Rider unit I sent to get him. I sent his old unit because it was full of familiar faces as well as an old apprentice of Tates. However, as you have read something strange happened and Tate and the young man in question are lost."
"What about this young man's dragon, you said he was a Dragon Rider?" Aliya ventured. Everyone knew what she was hoping. A dragon could die and the human in the partnership would live on like Tate and Aquana. However, if the human were to die the dragon always followed soon after.
"Dead." The Emperor crushed her hopes. She covered her mouth with her hand and began to cry.
Cade looked like he didn't know what to do. The Crown Prince surprised Aliya when he put his arm around his little brother's shoulders and began whispering something to him.
"I am sorry for such a stressful evening. I'm sorry this unfortunate news has caused all of you pain. However, I wanted the five of you to be present for these revelations because you are the ones closest to Tate."
He looked at each in turn except for Lord Delmont whose jaw was clenched and who was pointedly refusing to meet the Emperor's eye.
"I must also ask you to keep this to yourselves for the time being. I will make the announcement if and when it is appropriate."
Lady Kira cried out. She glared at the Emperor and it was clear that she had much she wanted to say and much she was holding back by a thread.
"Your Majesty," Lord Delmont spoke up without looking at him, "I would like to take my wife home now if you don't mind."
The Emperor actually looked at a loss. He was clearly trying to catch Lord Delmont's eye but the other man was having none of it.
Finally, the Emperor sighed. "Very well, good night Lord and Lady Delmont. I will be in contact tomorrow."
Lord Delmont nodded curtly and quickly removed himself and his wife from the empty dining hall.
Now all that were left were the two princes and herself.
"Rigo take your brother to his chambers for tonight. I'd like him to stay here until tomorrow."
Aliya watched as the Crown Prince, whose name was apparently Rigo, took an eerily quiet Cade out of the hall.
Now all that was left were the Emperor and herself. She fiddled with her dress nervously. She was a mess internally. Her mind felt like it was going to explode.
"I would like to speak to you for a moment, Lady Aliya."
"You know better than anyone that I am not a Lady, Your Majesty." She whispered.
"You are a Lady because I say you are." His tone brokered no argument.
"Of course, Your Majesty."
"It is unfortunate that I'm having to bring this up under such tragic circumstances but despite my personal feelings some things continue on."
She looked at him curiously, after all she had witnessed this night she was surprised to hear that tone that she was familiar with. The kind Emperor who'd sent her away with the nation's greatest warrior so she could be protected, so she could learn.
"I know from your instructors that Tate taught you very well. You are very accomplished at a young age, you are much like him in this regard. You have never received formal Academy training yet you are either on par or ahead of your peers. It is truly a credit to Tate."
She nodded but couldn't say anything.
"I just want you to know that in Tate's absence, I am here to support you. Again, I know this is not the ideal time to say such things, but it is important for your future that you know. If you need anything Lady Aliya please tell me. I consider you the next bright star of the Empire and I fully expect you to take your place alongside Tate Delmont in our history books. Alive or not I want you to make sure you honor the legacy he has left you. Don't let yourself get left behind, he would not have wanted it. I will support you in any way I can just like I have always done for him."
"Thank you." She mumbled.
"A carriage will escort you back to your dormitory. Please remember what I said earlier. Do not speak of what you have seen or heard here tonight until I have said something first, do you understand?"
She nodded.
He smiled at her. "Good." He stood and left the room and a guard silently stepped up behind her and effortlessly guided her out of the room and into a waiting carriage. She barely remembered how she got from one place to the other. She couldn't think of anything but Tate. Was he alive? If he was then what about the other man? Logically wouldn't his dragon dying indicate that they were probably both...
She couldn't finish the thought. She looked out the window the entire way back and cried.
=====
The Emperor was sitting alone in his personal study long after the events of the day. He rubbed his hand over his face. He was exhausted.
He looked at the full report again and then made his decision. He picked up a pen and began to write.
"Take the dragon to Iywill Castle and chain it in the pit there. We will keep it alive for one year. If in one year's time they do not return we will put it down." He sealed the message and had the carrier pigeon on standby take it immediately.
Dead or alive? Dead or alive? The question was a mystery to him. Of course, he hoped they were alive. Tate meant a great deal to him personally, he would like him back healthy and whole. Tate was his godson after all. As for this Lou Veylin, he hoped the boy came back as well. He hated to waste resources and if he did not return the Emperor would have to kill a riderless dragon. The dragon could not be bonded with anyone else and would become a danger if left unsupervised."
He would give it a year.