CHAPTER FIVE — A QUIET SUSPICION
597 Words
He remembered the tiny movement Finnian had made toward his pocket in the hidden corridor.
And now...
He was beginning to put the pieces together.
Alaric reached for the fragment at last.
The piece of silver rested in his palm, surprisingly light for something that had suddenly made the room feel much heavier.
He turned it over once.
The engraved crown caught the sunlight before disappearing beneath his fingers.
"Where exactly was this found?" he asked.
The attendant bowed.
"Just inside the private corridor, Your Highness. One of the guards noticed it while inspecting the passage."
"I see."
Nothing in the prince's voice betrayed what he was thinking.
He laid the fragment gently on the desk.
"You may go."
The attendant bowed again and quietly left the chamber, closing the door behind him.
Silence returned.
Neither man spoke.
Finnian lowered his eyes to the shelf before him, pretending to dust a row of books that no longer needed cleaning.
His heartbeat refused to slow.
Does he know?
No... he can't.
If Alaric knew the truth, the guards would already be here.
The prince walked slowly across the room.
His footsteps were unhurried.
Measured.
They stopped beside the bookshelf.
"You've been distracted ever since that fragment appeared."
Finnian kept his attention on the books.
"I don't know what Your Highness means."
"Another lie."
There was no anger in Alaric's voice.
Only certainty.
Finnian finally looked at him.
"You seem convinced I'm always lying."
"I think you're hiding something."
"Aren't we all?"
The answer surprised them both.
A faint smile touched Alaric's lips.
"Perhaps."
For a brief moment, the tension eased.
Then it returned just as quickly.
The prince folded his arms.
"Tell me something honestly."
Finnian nodded cautiously.
"If I can."
"Why did you seek employment in the palace?"
The question struck deeper than Finnian expected.
He had prepared dozens of false answers before coming here.
None of them suddenly felt convincing.
"I needed work."
Alaric watched him.
"That is true."
Finnian blinked.
"But it isn't the whole truth," the prince added.
Finnian said nothing.
"You don't look at this palace the way other servants do."
"How do they look at it?"
"With admiration."
"And me?"
"You look at it as though it's hiding something."
Finnian's grip tightened around the cloth in his hand.
Before he could think of a reply, a bell rang somewhere outside.
The sound echoed through the royal wing.
Alaric glanced toward the window.
"The afternoon council."
He exhaled quietly.
"I dislike being late."
Finnian almost smiled.
"I imagine no one dares complain when a prince arrives late."
"You'd be surprised."
For the first time, they shared a genuine smile.
It disappeared almost immediately.
Alaric picked up the fragment once more.
"If you remember anything about this..."
He paused.
"...come to me."
Finnian hesitated.
"I wouldn't know where to begin."
"Then begin with the truth."
Those words followed Finnian all the way to the door.
He bowed respectfully.
"Your Highness."
Alaric inclined his head.
"Finn."
Finnian stepped into the corridor, gently closing the chamber door behind him.
Only then did he release the breath he had been holding.
He had escaped another conversation without exposing himself.
But it was becoming harder.
Much harder.
As he walked down the corridor, he slipped a hand into his pocket out of habit.
Empty.
The missing seal was still gone.
And somewhere inside the palace...
Someone else had it.
Finnian lifted his head.
For the first time since entering the palace, he realized he wasn't only searching for the truth anymore.
Someone else had started searching for him.
- Writer
