Out of sight, beyond the veil of shadows.
Anger
I woke up to the tantalizing aroma of warm cocoa. There's no better way to start the day—unless you've been up all night and someone brings it to you at nine in the morning.
"Hrrrm," I mumbled.
"You're welcome," replied the kid. He must have read the articles on Kaleidoscope or at least he had glanced at the headlines, since he didn't bother me further but simply sat down and waited patiently for me to wake up.
"Did you have a busy night?" he asked sarcastically as I mustered the strength to sit up.
I shot him a scowl. "Mose?" I asked.
"He's all right," he said quietly.
It was only then that I noticed he was holding a mug of cocoa as well. It struck me as suspicious. Very suspicious.
"So, what did you find out from your research?" I inquired.
Rolo froze momentarily at my question but then took a cautious sip of the cocoa. He cradled the mug between his palms, seemingly drawing comfort from the warmth as he prepared to speak.
"Which one?" he finally asked.
I remained silent, simply listening.
"I know you were right," he began, "but I also know that if you're even a moment late, he dies."
I nodded in agreement. Rolo's fingers were turning white as he gripped his mug tightly, his hands trembling slightly.
"You are playing with people's lives!" he nearly spat the words.
"That's not true, and you know it," I said calmly.
I wasn't angry, because I knew Rolo's frustration came from his concern for the boy. It was hard for him to admit it, but he cared deeply. He took a few deep breaths, trying to calm himself.
"I am so angry with you," he declared, and I could see the dangerous sparks in his eyes.
"I know," I said, nodding.
If I had told him that Mose was a Mystbane, Rolo would have been unable to make the right decision. He would have been desperate to avoid awakening him, fearing it would mean his death, yet at the same time, he would have been slowly killing him. Mose's condition was deteriorating rapidly, and no amount of medicine or magic could have helped. Despite knowing this, Rolo's anger was directed at me for making that decision.
"If anything had gone wrong..." he started ominously.
Yes, I know. You would never have forgiven me.
Rolo's scowl softened as he finally allowed his anger to dissipate. "Thank you," he whispered, his voice barely audible.
The feeble gratitude brought a smile to my lips. He had finally understood. I would never have let anything go wrong and harm Mose. I nodded.
"Maybe you should try to get closer to him," I suggested. "His research might be the perfect opportunity, especially since you're interested in artifacts too. Although your manners could use some work, I think you can manage."
Rolo managed a soft, incredibly tired smile, and I knew that everything would be okay.
(...)
The Weasel began one of his usual stories. Like the bards of old, he felt it his sacred mission to share his legends and exploits with as large an audience as possible. Today's story was about how, with only a single packet of snacks, he had spent three months trapped in a magical space, only to hunt down some highly undesirable mage then. His advice? Always keep snacks on you—who knows when it might come in handy. Like most of his advice, this was as effective as cleaning chakras with a vacuum cleaner. I took the kid and his gang and, less kindly, kicked them out.
"I'm done for the day," I announced as I entered Hajnal's office.
My boss was sitting in her usual chair, fiddling with the cord of her landline phone and staring thoughtfully at a picture on her desk. She slowly raised her eyes to me. From the look in her eyes, I could tell she was very determined about something.
"This is the last night you've ever worked for me," Hajnal said firmly.
I was momentarily at a loss. What had I done to anger her this time? She was dead serious, and I knew now was the time to beg for forgiveness.
"Whatever I did, I'm sorry, okay?"
"It's not that," she said.
"Then what is it about?" I questioned, feeling a knot tighten in my stomach.
Damn it, you don't fire your most trusted employee for little things! Especially not when he's as good at his job as I am. She was silent for a moment, and I didn't take this tense silence very well. I could only think of one thing.
"Is it because I'm king?" I asked.
"Indeed," she nodded, "it has something to do with it."
It was tough to hear it. Fucking tough. A tough pill to swallow.
Hajnal's lips curled up slightly. "Imagine how it would tarnish a king's reputation if it turned out he was just a bartender in a shitty little pub!"
This place was not a shitty little pub. I loved this place. It was my first job, and I couldn't imagine working anywhere else. I didn't have the strength to argue further, though. I just nodded—Hajnal was right.
She handed me a piece of paper. At first, I was sure I was holding my resignation and was about to take the pen and sign it willingly when I noticed the title: Transfer of Ownership Contract.
"What is this?" I asked, shocked.
"What it looks like," replied Hajnal. "I'll give you the pub."
"But why?" I demanded.
"It's your coronation present," she declared. Before I could interrupt, she continued, "I never paid you generously, but I always wanted you to take my place one day."
"I won't take it," I said firmly. "What would you do without the pub?"
"I didn't tell you because I didn't want it to overshadow the ceremony…" she began quietly. "I don't know if I mentioned I had a brother. He died two weeks ago and left the Villány wine region to me for lack of other relatives. Ervin and I were planning to move nearby, hire my brother's men to tend the property, and I will help him with his research."
"You've got it all planned," I stated, and she nodded. "I don't have a say in it, do I?"
"Of course you do," she said, "but I wouldn't be happy if some stranger got his hands on my pub."
I sighed deeply and scribbled my signature on the document. Hajnal smiled triumphantly.
"When are you leaving?"
"Ervin cannot travel by day, so we'll leave with the last train," she said.
Typical. She calls at the last minute so that I can't even stop her by chance.
"I'll walk you home," I offered, and she agreed.
We got dressed and were on our way. We walked slowly, silently, side by side, both lost in our thoughts. I almost didn't notice when we reached the door of the house. For a few moments, neither of us spoke. I didn't really know what to say.
"So this is our goodbye."
Hajnal smiled. "Yes."
She put her arm around me and rested her head on my chest. "It seems like yesterday when I met that annoying brat, yet I have a strong man standing in front of me. Time passes strangely quickly."
I groaned. An annoying brat, eh? A brief moment later, she let go and looked up at me. Hajnal wasn't the sentimental type, but her eyes seemed to be redder than usual. Maybe I was imagining it.
"Take good care of yourself," I said. "And always remember that one of the kings is forever in your debt."
She nodded. She seemed about to say something else but then changed her mind. She put a set of keys in my hand and squeezed it.
Then she started for the door. Ervin was waiting in the hall. Humans come and go, and that never changes. All we can do is accept it.
Hajnal took one last look around the station. Only a handful of people were waiting for the last train. She sighed deeply. Ervin must have sensed her disappointment because he wrapped his arms around her waist in a comforting manner.
"For some reason, I thought he would come," Hajnal said softly.
"He walked you home, didn't he?" said her partner reassuringly.
Hajnal's lips curved up a little.
They boarded the train, and Hajnal took her seat. She chose the one by the window. The train finally started moving slowly. Hajnal propped her hand up and tucked it under her chin, looking bored.
She stared at the view passing by the window for a while, then her eyes found a human-shaped dot. The figure grew and got color, graceful in shape. Hajnal jumped up from her seat.
It was only a moment before they passed the figure, but Hajnal knew. Out of a thousand, she would have recognized him in an instant. Silent tears welled in her eyes. Ervin smiled and pulled her into his lap.
The next day, a blurry picture appeared in one of the articles on Kaleidoscope. In previous articles, they had tried to find out why no one could take a recognizable picture of the Hueless King or why those who had spoken to him could not remember his face.
The Hueless King was a real mystery. This time, they were trying to determine whether he had been seen or whether an impostor was trying to attract attention in the vicinity of the Railway Station.