Machinations and misery (2)

With a job like ours, there was no question of regularity or fixed hours. In fact, everything depended on the nature of the missions, the constraints imposed by our clients, and the agreed-upon fees. As a result, we inevitably found ourselves working more frequently at night than during the day.

Given the current situation, we couldn’t maintain this pace with the prince at home. So, we agreed to take a break to give him time to adjust to his new life. Having just pocketed the biggest bounty of our careers, a little time off wouldn’t hurt us… Speaking of Edwoyn, he had been watching us for a while.

Hesitant to make his presence known, he had tried to hide around the corner of the hallway leading to the bedrooms. When our gazes met, he abandoned all pretense and joined us. The laces on his linen shirt fluttered as he sat down to my right.

Edwoyn moved with a nonchalant demeanor, and his gestures lacked the usual energy. Nothing like a prince; he didn’t even have the strength to sit upright as etiquette demanded.

Whoa, he must have really had a rough night! Maybe he’s been crying all night long?

“Missing the triple-layered mattresses at Hiven Palace?” I asked without bothering to greet him.

The boy rubbed his eyes, which were rimmed with dark circles. “Ah, don’t even get me started! I miss everything from my old life!”

“Come on, you’re alive, that’s what matters, right?” Justine said, handing him a small spoon.

The kid pouted, clearly unconvinced.

“I think some dariamande juice wouldn’t hurt him.”

“Go press the dariamandes yourself, Aurora. Why are you offloading your work on me?!”

Without arguing, I went to prepare two glasses in the back of the kitchen. I only half-listened to their conversation.

“Your cooking is way better than at the palace, madam, that’s for sure!”

It was one of the highest compliments one could give her, and the little laugh that escaped her confirmed it. Despite her complaints about having another mouth to feed, I knew deep down that Justine was always pleased to take care of her guests. She would have made a perfect innkeeper, even though that profession wasn’t profitable enough for her taste...

“Call me Justine. I’m glad you like my cooking. And if you can’t handle Aurora or her training anymore, don’t hesitate to take a break and grab something to eat. I always leave some leftovers in the food magical storage.”

“Mind your own business! You could at least wait until I’m gone to gossip behind my back!”

The boss snickered openly, as if I didn’t deserve to be taken seriously.

It didn’t matter; I had nothing to gain from clashing with this resentful lizard over breakfast! Through her insinuations, Justine reproached me for a whole host of things—there was no need to be a seer to figure that out.

I was wasting her money, acting like a spoiled brat, or taking unnecessary risks... This old paranoiac was only good at grumbling while enjoying a rather comfortable life. She was almost as capricious as the prince in that regard!

Justine didn’t understand a thing. She never would. That was why she felt so frustrated with me. I didn’t give her all the pieces to understand my actions.

My reasoning was pretty simple: it wasn’t her concern; it was between me and those who had taken Big Brother from me. I needed to find out what had happened to him and make them pay the same price to restore balance.

I do acknowledge, though, that I was rushing things to satisfy my curiosity. I couldn’t resist the pleasant sensation of getting closer to Big Brother through Edwoyn: what was the source of his magical malfunction? Why did his power remind me of prohibited weapons? What role did the government play in the ‘curse’ afflicting the royal family? What would happen when I took him on his first mission?

How to harness so much power like his?

To me, life was merely a game, and not having fun was like withering away slowly. Every living being, every element that composed this world, existed solely to help me stave off boredom.

Everything was at my disposal to fulfill even the smallest of my whims. If I destroyed one, there was always another to replace it. The puppets to manipulate were abundant and within reach, so why should I restrain myself from playing with them?

Mysteries were another form of entertainment that occupied most of my time. They were one of the few things that eluded my control. Generally, it was enough to get my targets to spill the beans to piece together the puzzle and know the ending like in a detective novel. But sometimes, the challenge was greater, and cunning was required to obtain answers.

Prince Nathan, contrary to all expectations, turned out to be one of the most complex enigmas. What was he? What did his treasure box contain? What were the motives of those who had raised him?

Each of my actions was driven by the necessity to shed light on these dark areas. In doing so, I could reign supreme over the entire game board. How thrilling it was to unravel mysteries!

It was becoming imperative to learn more, and quickly. First, because I wasn’t the only one playing this highly interesting game. And second, because Edwoyn was far from providing the entertainment worthy of the usual targets in the cellar.

With him, I had to restrain myself and follow a gradual method to preserve his physical integrity. The problem with this method was that I didn’t like waiting too long for results… and it was better for everyone if I didn’t lose patience anytime soon, or there would be no more game or amusement.

“Here you go. Drink it right away or it will lose all its vitamins.”

Edwoyn took the glass of Dariamande in his hands. “Thank you. By the way, what am I supposed to do today?”

“Get ready quickly. Once you’ve finished your breakfast, we’ll start a new kind of lesson on the training grounds. Between everything you’ll learn and this afternoon’s outing, we don’t have a minute to lose!”

“An outing? Aren’t we going to continue our fencing training like yesterday?”

His gaze implored me for an answer, and I loved having this superior position over him.

Everything you know amounts to the crumbs I deign to throw in your direction. Isn’t that pitiful?

“I sent Aurora to see informants based in Luleath. It turns out their cover is a tavern, so you can have a meal there this afternoon. As for your training, your tutor will be happy to explain everything to you in detail because she needs to stand by her choices. Isn’t that right, Aurora?” she said with a biting tone.

“Exactly, Justine. You’re lucky it’s not that lizard woman training you—she’s a real bore!”

“Lizard woman yourself! Without me, you’d be nothing by now! Respect for your elders, ring any bells?”

“I’m just pointing out the obvious. Just listen to yourself, you laugh like a lizard.”

“If you keep this up, I’ll replace you with our new guest, Aurora!”

“That’s right, don’t hold back, he’s already lured in by your cooking like a little wandering dougat!” I challenged her with amusement.

The blonde woman abruptly drove the knife she was cleaning into the wooden countertop. The conversation came to a halt as the mood was cut in two.

“Oh no, look what you made me do!”

The boss took a deep breath to regain her composure. Her fingers began to caress the damaged wood of her precious counter with regret. With a frustrated groan, she turned away to put her blade away in a drawer.

“To answer your question, Edwoyn,” I continued, turning to the boy who had frozen, “your schedule for today will be much more interesting than fighting. You’re too tired for physical exercises anyway… With theoretical classes, it shouldn’t be a problem.”

He nodded reluctantly, fearing he might trigger a real conflict between us. The kid was amusing in how seriously he took everything. Only with time would he learn to distinguish between a moment of camaraderie and a true argument.

We had never really had a fight, and as long as my plan went smoothly, we weren’t likely to have one. For now, I had candles waiting for me in the workshop. In a cheerful mood, I left the kitchen after placing my empty glass in the sink.

“Do you hear that whistling, Edwoyn?” I heard from afar. “You should beware because a relaxed Aurora is always planning something mischievous…”

What was the point of warning the poor recruit if he couldn’t avoid what I was preparing with so much care?

Edwoyn~~ Friday morning 7:32 AM – Training Ground

Aurora had asked me to join her at the training ground after I finished taking care of the horses. It was a task we alternated to maintain a certain balance in the chores. I walked, dragging my feet for no particular reason, towards the small clearing. The sun was slowly rising, casting a mischievous shadow that began to follow me around.

In the past, I could only admire the world through paintings or windows, dreaming of escaping into the vast and free outside world. However, I had never imagined that there could be other prisons besides my palace.

When had I become so pathetic? Was it solely Father's influence that gave me power? Should I have, like my grandfather, undertaken military exploits to earn the people's respect? Or was it rather due to my small stature and lack of presence?

I had often been sidelined when it came to making important decisions. Delphine, my steward, organized my days without even consulting me, and the few times I had attended meetings of the Council of Ministers, I felt completely invisible.

In hindsight, it was only in Father’s presence that I was given reverences and suddenly gained importance. I had naively assumed, at the age of twelve, that Father took my training personally because he had high hopes for my decision-making abilities. However, as I learned about his political plans, I realized that he had already mapped out everything I would carry out during my reign in the coming decades.

I remembered the terrible wave of frustration that had fallen on my shoulders the day I understood that I was nothing more than an extension of his power through time. In the following days, the realization struck me more and more wherever I looked: no one at the Capitol cared about what I really thought as long as I had no executive power.

What if I hadn’t been kidnapped and had been able to ascend the throne? Would I really have been forced to fulfill Father’s will even after his death? Would I ever have been able to take control of my own life?

Despite myself, I recalled the proposal Aurora had made to me the previous evening: was physical strength and magic the only ways to be heard in this kingdom? Could I stop being powerless and finally act on my own with power like hers? Wasn’t it that very power that had ravaged her?

Aurora viewed the world with a disinterested eye, as if she was constantly lost in her thoughts. I had often felt that there was only emptiness behind her red, sharp eyes, but replaying our few arguments, I had trouble imagining the teenager as devoid of personality.

No, she had a fiery temper and reacted quickly. She had also offered me sincere apologies. I didn’t want to believe that she had a bad nature. It was foolish of me to cling to this unfounded idea. But if that weren’t the case, it meant my life was in the hands of a heartless monster, which was a thousand times worse. Ultimately, I found it impossible to grasp her true intentions, and the mystery she posed left me perplexed.

What does Aurora want from me? Is she after my ‘magic malfunction’? Was she aware of my potential even before accepting the request for my assassination? What’s wrong with this Killer Wind organization?!

All this anxiety mixed roughly with the reproaches I had endured so far. My legs felt heavy. Breathing was painful, as was keeping my eyes open. I had cried all night over my misfortune, but I still couldn’t move on. I found myself looking up at the purple sky, then sighing deeply as I dragged my feet through the dust. In fact, I had a thousand reasons to drag my feet…

What will she pull out of her magic hat this time?