Days passed and Kazi, with Nia's help, managed to avoid Prince Azrael. Every time their paths seemed destined to cross – a turn in the hallway, a shared meal in the grand hall – Nia would intervene like a guardian angel.
Nia would pretend to talk about baby names or cravings. Another time it would be about the Niamedan army, pulling Kazi aside for a "strategy session." The conversations would flow naturally, but always managed to keep them from running into each other.
Kiyoshi, too, played his part. He would find excuses to take Azrael on impromptu tours of the city's historical sites, steering him clear of any potential encounters with Kazi.
The charade was exhausting, but it had to be done. One afternoon, Kazi spotted someone walking out of the library at the far end of the hallway. Before the figure was glowing with light and before they could take another step, Nia pulled Kazi away. "There you are, dear sister!" she cried, throwing her arms around Kazi. "I have been wanting to talk to you about the baby's nursery."
"Who is that person?" Kazi asked, her curiosity piqued. She glanced back at the figure in question, who had since disappeared into another room. "I did not recognize them."
"What person? Oh, you mean that man?" Nia asked, feigning innocence. "He is just a librarian here. He has been helping me research some old tomes on herbal remedies and such. You know, for when the baby comes." She smiled, batting her eyelashes. "He has been so helpful!"
"Oh okay," Kazi said, a bit distracted. "You were talking about the nursery?" She glanced back at the library again, still feeling a bit curious about the mysterious figure she had seen.
"Yes, I was talking about the nursery," Nia said, taking Kazi's hand. "I wanted to get your opinion on a few different colour schemes I have been considering."
"Alright. Lead the way," Kazi said, still somewhat distracted. Nia smiled and led her down the hallway, towards the nursery. As they walked, Kazi couldn't help but feel a nagging sensation that she was missing something important. The librarian, or whoever that person had been, seemed to be on the edge of her thoughts.
Once inside the nursery. Nia spoke. "A nursery filled with sunshine and butterflies! A stark contrast to the gloomy Ivamis decor, would not you agree?" She gestured to the walls, which were painted a bright yellow.
"Perfect," Kazi agreed, her mind still lingering on the mysterious figure from before. "But first, perhaps I should..." She trailed off, feigning a sudden cough.
"Absolutely not!" Nia interrupted before Kazi could finish. "You look pale! Go and get some fresh air. Do some sword practice in the courtyard! You would not want to return to Niameda rusty, would you?"
"You are right, thank you, Nia," Kazi said, giving her sister a grateful smile. "I will go get some fresh air."
Kazi hugged her sister and rushed to her chambers. Grabbing her armour, covering herself from head to toe in silver and black, she made her way to the courtyard.
As Kazi practised her swordsmanship in the courtyard, her mind kept returning to the mysterious figure she had seen leaving the library
As Kazi practised her swordsmanship in the courtyard, her mind kept returning to the mysterious figure she had seen leaving the library. Who was that person, and why had they been there? Was it just a coincidence, or was there something more to it? The questions swirled around in her mind, making it difficult for her to focus on her training.
All of a sudden, a scream echoed through the courtyard. Kazi's instincts took over and she ran towards the source of the sound. The sound led her towards the Ivamis forest, the trees looming ominously in the distance. As she drew closer, she could see a figure. The figure was glowing with light.
"What is wrong?" Kazi demanded, adrenaline pumping through her veins. "Where is the danger?"
The figure spun around. A man with a youthful face, long white hair and blue eyes filled with fear. He had very delicate features and looked as if a strong breeze might carry him away. He was dressed in white.
"It is... it is in the bush!" the figure stammered, pointing towards a cluster of shrubs on the edge of the forest. "It is watching us! It is following us!"
Kazi, muscles coiled tight, approached the bush cautiously, her sword raised and ready. The man followed behind her, his expression still filled with fear. As she drew closer, she could see movement within the bush. Whatever was hiding there seemed to be watching them intently.
Slowly, inch by inch, Kazi parted the branches of the bush. As the leaves fell away, a pair of long, twitchy ears and a pair of black eyes peeked out. In the centre of the bush, huddled in fear, sat a fluffy rabbit, no bigger than Kazi's hand.
"Sir," she said in disbelief. "It is a... rabbit."
The figure slowly cracked one eye opened. That is when Kazi realised...this figure looked a lot like a younger, version of King Eldarion.
"Oh," the figure mumbled, looking at the rabbit. "Oh...well, it is just...it seemed like it was...following me." He paused, as he dusted himself off.
"My apologies," he mumbled, looking a bit embarrassed. "I appear to have... overestimated the threat."
Kazi stared at him, a single eyebrow raised, unsure if he was joking or not. This had to be Azrael, the fabled (or perhaps infamous) Prince of Althea.
As Kazi was about to leave, the prince stopped her. "My greeting?" he said.
Kazi turned to face him. She rolled her eyes before she spoke. "Greetings, Your Majesty," Kazi said, her voice dripping with sarcasm. She gave him a bow that was only the slightest nod of her head, as if she were bowing to a child.
"That is better," he said, nodding in approval. Kazi rolled her eyes, "If there is nothing else, Your Majesty," she began, her voice dripping with sarcasm, "I shall leave you to... contemplate the existential threat posed by fluffy rodents."
Before she could make good on her escape, Azrael grabbed her arm with surprising strength. He leaned in conspiratorially, his perfectly maintained hair brushing against her helmet.
"Wait," he whispered dramatically. "Tell me, brave warrior, who are you?"
Kazi, trapped by his overly dramatic grip, sighed internally. "Uhm..." she mumbled; her annoyance evident in her voice.
"Your name?" Azrael asked, tilting his head like a confused puppy.
Kazi, desperate to avoid revealing her true identity, blurted out the first thing that came to mind. "Uhm... My name... is K," she said, trying to make it sound mysterious.
Azrael's brow furrowed. "K?" he repeated, his voice dripping with disbelief. "Like... just K? No last name?"
"Yes..." Kazi mumbled, feeling increasingly ridiculous.
"Oh," Azrael said, "Very mysterious, very intriguing... K, the silent protector. I like the sound of that."
Kazi rolled her eyes, she just wanted to get this over with. "What is your job here?" Azrael asked, finally releasing his grip on her arm.
Kazi, on the verge of snapping, decided on a different tactic. "I am a royal guard," she lied, hoping to deflect further questions.
"Most unusual," Azrael mused, taking a step back. "Most vampire guards I have seen wear the Ivamis crest on their armour."
Kazi cursed her luck. Of course, she had not thought that far ahead in her lie. "Uhm..." she stammered, her mind racing. "The Queen... Queen Nia is my... uhm aunt... so yeah, special treatment and all that."
Azrael's eyes widened. "Your aunt is Queen Nia?" he exclaimed. This, Kazi realized, was her chance to escape.
"Yes... now if you would excuse me, I would like to take my leave," Kazi said, brushing off her armour. She was beginning to lose her patience with this fool.
Unfortunately, Azrael was not done yet. "Wait," he said again. Kazi groaned internally. This was worse than dealing with a child. "Yes, Your Majesty?" she asked through gritted teeth.
"So, if Queen Nia is your aunt," Azrael said, leaning in once more, "General Kazi is also your aunt? Is that correct?"
"Something like that," she mumbled, hoping he would let her leave...