The fate of a prey (1)

Aurora rummaged through the numerous mail slots that made up a large industrial blue-painted metal cabinet. She read the names on the large brown envelopes she pulled slightly out of the drawer, then put them back in place while muttering to herself. After a minute, she found what she was looking for and slid it under my nose like a bribe.

"I kept the Revolutionary’s request file. See for yourself."

I swallowed hard. So all the answers were in just a few papers? Did I really want to discover what they had planned for me? Now that the folder was within reach and the flap was open, there was no turning back.

"Significant death of Prince Nathan before the date of his coronation for a coup d'état project. [...] We will not be particular about the methods used. [...] Proof of the prince's death with an authentic magic seal is required as soon as possible after the contract is carried out. [...] The reward will only be paid through the Central Bank of Anésiah in exchange for proof that the contract has been fulfilled."

The letter was dated three months ago.

There was nothing more to read. Troubled by the cold, impersonal wording and the few conditions they imposed, my gaze drifted towards the mercenary with sadness. This proof seemed unreal to me. Everything was falling into place, and my common sense kept whispering that there was a very specific purpose behind this request. That they had been right to take precautions in this context, one that only the royalty knew the true extent of.

The Revolutionaries... That name initially evoked the arrogance of a group of fanatics seeking independence. Contrary to what everyone at the Capitol said, they weren’t trying to put themselves on a pedestal by proclaiming themselves that way. They weren’t envious of the crown, nor did they dream of founding their own nation.

My suspicions were now confirmed: regardless of their reasons, they wanted to end the monarchy, the caste system, the Court—everything that guaranteed a comfortable and idle life for the nobles. To talk of revolution was to issue a deadly serious threat: "The time of the privileged is over. Ours is the era of the people."

I clenched my teeth. They must have learned about Father's plans. Otherwise, they wouldn’t have acted so urgently. They would have attacked the Council of Ministers first, as I was no threat at all.

Aurora is right: whatever happens, I’m the one who suffers first, I thought with a discouraged smile.

“The Revolutionaries wanted to remove you from power to weaken the government, that much is clear. What’s less clear is what they meant by ‘coup d’état.’ We still haven’t seen any sign of it, even though the opportunity was perfect. Be aware that Justine and I have nothing to do with those activists. I’m sorry if you expected more from us, but we don’t know much about them. They haven’t shared their intentions with anyone so far.”

“Of course, you’re nothing more than soldiers in their service for a few coins.”

"A few coins"?! Good grief, Edwoyn, you’re so used to luxury that you can’t even grasp the value of money. Justine wasn’t wrong about that. Hiring us for two million fifs? They must have bankrupted themselves unless they have nobles in their ranks, which I highly doubt.

“Alright, alright, I take back what I said,” I sighed. “Those anti-noble extremists desperately needed you to chop off my head. A ‘significant death,’ given that they broadcasted everything on the national news, was meant to intimidate the nobles and give hope to their followers. Maybe their real coup d'état is coming soon?”

“I’d bet on it, but if they wait too long, the government will be ready to face them. Look: they quickly replaced your vacant position with another puppet. Your death didn’t destabilize them as much as they expected... However, your abduction showed that even the most protected place in the country is like a sieve. That must have really bothered them since their precious appearances matter more than anything!”

My teacher was mistaken. In reality, changing the heir so suddenly couldn't have pleased them. If my cousin Eliott, who was actually a distant relative, were to be assassinated before his coronation, then the dark plans of Father might not come to fruition. The government was wounded much more deeply than she imagined.

The Revolutionaries were far from foolish. They had been operating behind the political scenes for a long time and had chosen the moment of their enemies' greatest weakness to paralyze them. The next step would undoubtedly be complete annihilation.

“I concede that the magical protection barrier surrounding the Capitol complex was their greatest pride. No one, not even foreign forces, could attack the government because of it. It was supposed to be the best magical innovation to date, created from the most priceless magical crystals in the world... but thanks to you, this technical achievement has lost all credibility. By what twisted miracle did you manage to get through?”

The Hiven Palace is part of a group of institutional buildings known as the ‘Capitol.’ Located in the southwest of the capital, Laliza, it was constructed when my family came to power and consolidates all the kingdom's might within a few hectares. Here, you'll find the Court, an academia with its artists and scholars, the headquarters of the army with its politicians, as well as my palace, which is set slightly apart.

It’s the most heavily guarded place in all of Asyria, largely due to its impenetrable magic barrier, inspired by the one that protects us from the creatures of the Ancestral Forest, built millennia ago by our ancestors, the Asrins.

As far as I know, it was a trap that paralyzed monsters on the slightest contact. The barrier appeared as a tall wall but required constant maintenance. This is why a logistical center was dedicated to it at the army headquarters. The best magicians took turns day and night in a control room connected to the barrier. At the first sign of intrusion, their role was to alert the army and deactivate the magical trap to reset it after a capture. The protective dome could withstand all kinds of attacks, even aerial ones. It was, so to speak, infallible.

"This isn’t some twisted miracle; it's a very well-thought-out plan that took us three months to prepare.” Explained Aurora. “When we accept a mission, we start by gathering information about our target and finding a way to reach it. Espionage and intelligence gathering make up the majority of our work time, and for good reason."

"You probably didn’t find much on me," I scoffed with a small chuckle.

"It seems you are the best-kept secret of this kingdom! We couldn’t compile a file on you, but we have one on your entire close guard. Here."

Aurora handed me a brown folder filled with identity files that were supposed to be confidential. Each one was accompanied by a small photo of my guards.

“Since you never leave your palace, we thought we'd come to you at home. We then focused on how the palace security operates, and that’s how we found a flaw: the magic barrier. No matter how strong it is, spells are managed by human beings. And human beings can easily be negligent, distracted, or manipulated. Too bad…!”

“The doors can always be opened from the inside,” I concluded.

The way she thought out her plans reminded me of Father. He also had an entire room dedicated to developing his new policies. He would unroll immense maps on a table and move all sorts of pieces around to illustrate his meetings. I attended most of them, losing my enthusiasm over the years.

When he spoke in front of his maps, the entire world became nothing more than a vast game board on which he vented his frustrations.

“You’re starting to get it, that’s good.”