I remained seated in the tavern, unable to shake the thoughts buzzing in my head. The news of the king's death was a weight pressing down on me. The creeping darkness had already begun to encroach upon the kingdom, and now with King Renfell gone, the burden I carried felt unbearable. The fate of this kingdom lay in my hands. But what should I do now? How could I, alone, stop this darkness from consuming everything?
The thought spiraled in my mind, growing heavier with each passing moment. My actions had never felt so consequential. Since I had emerged from the flames—those cursed, powerful flames—I had always known I had the potential to either save or destroy this kingdom. And now, with the king dead and the shadows closing in, that choice loomed larger than ever. The thought drove me nearly mad. I pushed the half-eaten meal away, unable to finish it.
At intervals, I glanced at Hei Hei, who stood silently by, watching me with those knowing eyes. She understood the gravity of the situation, even if she didn't show it outwardly. There was more to all of this than I'd ever imagined. The weight of the kingdom's fate and the shadow of the creeping darkness—it was all becoming too much.
As I sat there, deep in thought, I noticed movement outside the tavern. Groups of people were running toward the square, toward their families and friends. A wave of curiosity broke through my daze, and I turned to the tavern keeper.
"Who are they? Where are they coming from?" I asked.
The tavern keeper, a gruff man with tired eyes, glanced outside before answering. "They're the king's court members, returning from the palace. When a king dies, his household staff—stewards, chamberlains, handmaids, everyone who served directly under him—are dismissed. The new ruler appoints his own. These are the ones who worked for King Renfell, and now they're returning to their families."
I watched as the servants and courtiers were embraced by their loved ones, some in tears, others relieved, as though they had narrowly escaped the palace with their lives. It wasn't just because they had been gone for so long; it was because they had survived the darkness. Whatever killed the king had not claimed them. The marketplace, which had been swallowed in an eerie silence earlier, now thrummed with life again as people reunited with their families, the relief palpable in the air.
But that relief quickly gave way to a different tension. Whispers began to spread through the market, conversations hushed but urgent. I overheard bits and pieces of complaints from others in the tavern, their voices low but filled with fear.
"Who would even want to serve the new king?" one man muttered, his voice dripping with apprehension. "If the palace wasn't safe for King Renfell, what chance do we have?"
"The palace can't be left empty," another whispered. "A new king must appoint his court. It's tradition. The palace must be filled with new stewards, handmaids, and advisors."
"Yes," a third voice added, "but who's willing to step foot in that cursed place now? If King Renfell himself wasn't safe from the darkness, what hope is there for the rest of us?"
The rumors spread like wildfire through the marketplace. People were already plotting their escape, speaking in hushed tones about leaving the kingdom before the new ruler came to select his staff. The law dictated that within days of a king's death, his court would be dissolved, and new courtiers and palace staff would be chosen. Yet, no one wanted to be part of the new court. The fear of the palace—now seen as a cursed and dangerous place—hung heavily in the air.
Then, a new thread of conversation caught my attention. I overheard a man at a nearby table, his voice laced with fear and disgust.
"And the prince," he whispered to his companion, "the one who's going to take the throne… they say he's been under the influence of the darkness for some time now. Have you noticed how erratic he's been? How he disappears for days, only to return without any memory of where he's been?"
The other man nodded grimly. "I've heard it, too. They say he's been losing control more and more lately, acting strange, as if his mind isn't his own. That darkness has a hold on him, and it's only getting worse. He's been slipping—everyone knows it."
I stiffened at their words, a chill running down my spine. The prince? I had heard the rumors before, of course—whispers that Prince Valen had been struggling with the same darkness that had begun to sweep over the kingdom. But I had never taken them seriously. After all, he was the prince, the future king. No one had ever spoken openly about it, not like this.
"If it had been the prince who died," the first man continued, his voice barely more than a whisper, "it would have made more sense. Everyone knows he's been cursed by the darkness. It was only a matter of time. But the king? Renfell? The great king, gone like that?"
The second man shook his head. "It's worse than we thought. If the prince is to take the throne while he's under that spell, the kingdom is doomed. The darkness will swallow everything, and we'll all be left to rot in its shadow."
I leaned back in my chair, my mind racing. So the rumors about the prince were true, then. He had been under the spell of the darkness for a while now, his mind slipping further and further from his control. That made the entire situation even more dangerous. If the new king was already compromised, already touched by the very force threatening to consume the kingdom, then what hope did we have?
The whispers continued around me, the murmurs of fear growing louder. People were speaking of fleeing the kingdom altogether, desperate to avoid the moment when the prince would take the throne and the darkness would fully descend upon the palace.
"It's said that when a new king is crowned," an older woman muttered from the corner of the tavern, "he must appoint his court within three days. But who would want to work in that palace now? With that cursed prince on the throne?"
Her companion shuddered. "No one sane, that's for sure. I'll be on the first ship out of here before the selection begins."
The fear was spreading, and with it, the realization that the kingdom was teetering on the brink of disaster. If the prince—already tainted by the darkness—became king, the palace itself would become a battleground for whatever evil had taken hold of him. No one wanted to be caught in the middle of that.
I sat there, listening to the murmurs of fear and desperation, the pieces slowly coming together in my mind. The palace had always been my goal, my way in. And now, with the court dissolved and a new king about to take the throne, the door might finally be opening. But this was no ordinary situation. The chaos, the fear, the uncertainty—it all created the perfect storm for me to slip in unnoticed. While everyone else was trying to flee, this might be my chance.
I leaned back in my chair, my mind whirring. The burden was still heavy, but this—this could be my opportunity. Courting favor with the new king wasn't my concern. Getting into the palace was. And if I could position myself among the new courtiers or even one of the palace staff, I'd have access. I'd be inside. And then, I could figure out my next move.
Hei Hei was still watching me, her calm presence grounding me in the midst of all the uncertainty. I met her gaze, feeling a new resolve take shape. The death of King Renfell was a tragedy, but it was also a pivotal moment for me. If the new king—compromised or not—was coming to form a new court, then that would be my gateway into the palace. Whatever chaos was unfolding inside those walls, I had to get there. I had to be part of it.
I stood up, throwing a few coins onto the table for the meal I hadn't finished. As I made my way out of the tavern and into the bustling marketplace, the whispers of fear and the shadows of doubt lingered all around me. People were afraid of the palace, of the darkness that had claimed the king and now threatened the new ruler. But I—despite the weight on my shoulders—knew I had to go there. There was no other choice.
The sun had dipped lower in the sky, casting long shadows over the marketplace as people hurried about, their voices tinged with worry. In the distance, I could still hear the faint cries of families reunited with their loved ones from the palace, but that joy was short-lived. Fear had taken root in the hearts of the people, and it was spreading like wildfire.
I took a deep breath, steeling myself for what was to come. "Let's go, Hei Hei," I muttered, my mind already spinning with plans. "We've got work to do."
And with that, we made our way through the crowded market, past the murmuring crowds and the fearful glances, toward the unknown future that awaited us inside the palace walls.