Rise of Heroes

Chapter 32 - A Year Or Less

When the two guards finally slowed down, Isabelle realized she was almost out of breath. It was one thing that the king wanted to speak to her, but with the urgency with which his men walked, she was starting to wonder if the king wasn’t taking his last breaths this very second.

The last thing the world needed was a destabilized country plagued by monsters.

The guards in front of the king’s chambers straightened up as they saw them, one of them knocking on the door three times. Just as Isabelle stopped before them, they grabbed the handles of the door, pushing it open. She hesitated for a moment, taking a deep breath before moving forward. As she was entering the room, she heard a low, threatening sound come from Simon behind her. When Isabelle turned, she found the guards blocking his way.

“His Majesty will speak with the princess alone,” one of the Roderians declared, but the look on Simon’s face said clearly he wasn’t going to let that happen. Her Guardian’s unshakable calmness had kept her grounded those past few days as she fought with the nightmares and the fear, so she didn’t really want to leave his side. But she didn’t want to get him in trouble either, and she definitely didn’t want to look like she couldn’t do anything alone.

“Simon, stand down. I’ll be fine.”

“No, Your Highness! I swore I will…” he began, and just as she was going to interrupt him, the second guard spoke.

“She will be safe,” he said in a milder tone, although he didn’t sound any friendlier than his countryman. The two didn’t move as they waited for Simon to step back. “Those are the King’s quarters. There is no safer place in the castle, so rest assured that she will be absolutely safe until she steps out. If you want, you are free to wait here, but His Majesty will speak to her alone.”

Isabelle gave Simon one last reassuring nod before her Guardian stepped back with a defeated look in his eyes. He shot the guards an angry glance, then retreated to the opposite wall and crossed his arms. The doors closed while Isabelle stared at him and she turned, looking around for the most powerful man in Roder.

She had rarely been invited to a private conversation with a man so above her station, not counting her father, of course, so she definitely didn’t want to look like a scared, hesitant fool. Joel Driennon was a name she had rarely heard, but every man with the title of king and an army as intimidating as that of Roder, was someone she had to be very cautious of. Especially if he held hers and her sister’s life in his hands.

For a moment, she almost wished her father’s advisor was there instead of her, but she quickly dismissed that thought. She could handle herself no worse than any of those nobles who kept looking down on her. Her gender didn’t affect her ability to think and deal with complicated matters, as they would have her think.

Besides, Lord Frendy was now dead. He would be of no use to anyone anymore.

Her gaze finally found him, sitting in a chair surrounded by cushions and wrapped in a blanket up to his waist that made him look even more fragile. His hair and beard were almost completely gray and his skin was lined with wrinkles, especially around the eyes and on his forehead. Isabelle tried to remember how old he was — if what she read before coming to Roder was true, he had to be around ten winters older than her father, yet his appearance suggested twenty years' difference if not more.

Then she remembered the rumor that he had some incurable disease that was slowly killing him, but she didn’t expect him to look so frail and… plain. Her father had this imposing presence — eyes that made one’s knees weak and a frown that made people want to run away. He also had a smile that could put everyone at ease and make them want to spill all of their secrets.

King Joel Driennon looked like an old man that liked to read fairytale books to his grandchildren and smoke a pipe in the evening by the fire of his tiny house. He did not look like a king at all.

Isabelle took a few hesitant steps inside the chamber, her eyes carefully taking in her surroundings. To her surprise, the king’s quarters were almost empty except for the furniture in use; there were no decorations or paintings — bare stone walls surrounded her, like a cell. Her own room there had the same vibe as she paced through it for hours, but at least they had tried to make it bearable with what seemed to be all of their pretty workings.

She caught a movement from the corner of her eye and jumped, surprised when another person appeared in her vision. She stared at prince Jaden as he pushed himself from the wall where he had been standing, letting his hands fall to his body. He was wearing a pair of tight-fitting pants and a dark blue shirt embroidered on the sleeves and collar and tightened at the waist by the belt holding his sword.

All his scratches and minor wounds seemed to have healed, revealing a man even more handsome than she initially thought. She hadn’t seen him since they stepped into the safety of the castle, but even now she could feel her body temperature rise at the memory of his touch.

She had always been surrounded by plenty of men in court — old, young, handsome, or unsightly. She had never felt anything close to what her body went through the first time he held her hand. Even when she was with Reuben — when she still loved him and wanted to share everything with him regardless of their arranged marriage — even then, she never felt a desire so strong. It scared her and it clouded her judgment so much, she was afraid she would turn into one of those lovesick fools she spent so much time berating.

She had decided to put as much distance between them as possible. When she was away from him, the pull wasn’t as strong and she could completely rely on her wits and control her emotions. If he could just stay away, she could continue with her plan until it came to fruition, and then she would leave this forsaken place and never let herself be stirred like that again.

“Isabelle,” he said with a small smile.

Isabelle gritted her teeth, anger rising within her, but was soon overwhelmed by the loud beats of her racing heart. Just saying her name made her mouth dry and her palm sweaty. She hated it.

“Your Highness,” she said coldly, curtsying at him before looking away. The look of displeasure on his face was more than obvious. She had no intention of forging a relationship with a man as dangerous as him, so there was no way she was calling him by more familiar terms.

“I understand you’ve already met my son,” King Joel said with a warm smile. Isabelle nodded, not bothering to look at the prince of Roder.

“Your son saved my life, Your Majesty, and for that, he has my gratitude,” she replied with an even lower curtsy. The king laughed wholeheartedly, the wrinkles around his eyes deepening. Stepping closer to him, she realized she was wrong. While he was thin and frail, his eyes watched her with unwavering sharpness.

“No need to be so formal with us,” he said in a tired voice. “Please address me casually. The same applies to my son.”

“I wouldn’t dare, Your Majesty,” she replied with an indulging smile.

“Yes, she is way too proper for this place,” Jaden said with an amused tone, striding to his father’s chair and stopping next to it. Isabelle had no choice but to look at him and that was way too uncomfortable.

“In that case, I hope you won’t mind if he stays for our conversation. Please, take a seat. Both of you. My neck is getting tired of looking up.” The king motioned toward the two empty chairs around the low wooden table and Isabelle hesitated before taking a seat. She had a suspicion as to what their conversation would be about, but she was not ready for it. She needed more time to assess these people, this place, so she could conjure a plan that would benefit both her sister and her country without making Roder their enemy.

She felt Jaden’s eyes on her, but she kept hers on his father.

“First, let me express my deepest condolences for the loss of all of your countrymen who fell during the attack. We took all precautions to secure your arrival and your stay here, but we were not expecting an assault on such a scale. Your people will all be serviced with the highest honors.”

Isabelle nodded. Nine of their guards and maids were killed, along with Lord Frendy. She had to take responsibility for them and their families and the king seemed to be feeling remorseful enough to agree to any of her demands.

“Thank you,” she said, studying him just as hard as he was studying her. Despite his meek look and weak appearance, she found him extremely hard to read. That warm, friendly smile told her absolutely nothing about what was going on in his head.

“May I speak frankly, Isabelle?” King Joel asked, leaning forward in his chair and intertwining his fingers. She nodded. “Sir Frendy’s death makes you the highest-ranking and the only royal who can approve the contract before the wedding takes place. If you don’t put your signature down, then the negotiations will have to fail or start from scratch.” He paused, his eyes watching and searching, but she made sure to keep her expression blank. “I need you to understand why this alliance needs to go forward. Not later, now.”

“Alright,” she said, leaning back in her chair. She reminded herself not to cross her arm and let them fall in her lap instead.

“Last year Roder had forty-six thousand soldiers protecting it. More than half of them were specially trained to fight demons. This year the number is forty-one, with less than half knowing how to properly handle a demon,” King Joel started in a serious tone. “In comparison with last year, fourteen villages and large settlements had become desolate or completely destroyed along with their residents. Do you know what that means?”

Isabelle stared at him for a few seconds before stealing a glance at Jaden. His smile was gone too, replaced by a grim expression.

“You’re losing to the demons,” she finally replied, returning her eyes to the king. He nodded. “The citizens?”

“In the past five years, Roder’s population has decreased by twenty percent,” the king said without hesitation. Isabelle’s eyes widened in shock. “Since it’s too dangerous to stay in the open for a long time — sometimes even during the day if you are away from the cities — the agricultural activities have dropped drastically. We have about a year’s worth of rations left. Give or take.”

Isabelle’s hand instinctively rose to cover her mouth. She closed her eyes for a second, trying to wrap her mind around it. Anamir’s constant food shortages and the fact that it had poor harvests three years in a row didn’t sound like such a big problem right now.

“What about Keldar? Why haven’t you asked for aid?” she asked, letting her hand fall and resuming her previous position. “You could trade with them. Or take a loan. They should be willing to help you, since if anything happens to you, the demons may turn their eyes to them.”

Jaden snorted with contempt, looking angrily aside.

“Of course.” The king nodded, a sad expression appearing on his face. “You should be familiar with their religion since you are to marry into their family, am I correct?” Isabelle nodded. “Their god condemns all things magical. For them, the demons are magical beings and as such, they are abominations sent to earth to punish sinners and drag them back to hell. For them, those sinners do not deserve their aid. They think that because they walk the ‘true path’ they will be spared from harm.”

“You’re saying King Reid knows of the existence of the demons?” Isabelle gasped in surprise. She didn’t know her future father-in-law that well, but from her father’s stories and the time she spent in Keldar during her formal visits, she got enough to paint a picture of a man who thought of nothing but himself and his position. She wouldn’t be surprised to hear that he twisted the teachings of their god in a way that would serve his purpose. He definitely looked like a ruler who wouldn’t waste men or resources on somebody who has nothing to give back. “Does he really think he will remain unscathed if the demons turn their way? Do they have better weapons than you?”

“I have no idea what is going on in that man’s head, but I know he is confident he can deal with the threat if it even turns into a bother for him,” the kind scoffed.

“Their weapons are definitely better than ours,” Jaden added, his fingers tapping on his thigh. “But they are meant for fighting other humans. If they were to face a horde of demons, they would be defenseless. Isabelle...”

“How much time do you think you have?” she asked, staring at the king and completely ignoring his son.

“If we are lucky until provisions run out. A year or less.”

“And my father knew about this?” she asked, afraid to hear the answer.

“Of course he did.” The king smiled. “Andreas is a smart, resourceful man. His job is to know everything that happens in and out of his kingdom. This includes any and all threats to his lands and his people. And I have not concealed anything from him.”

Isabelle sighed again, finding it harder and harder to keep her composure. Her father knew. She shouldn’t have been surprised. This explained why he was determined to make Elaine’s wedding happen first — Roder was running out of time. He wanted to tie what was left of that kingdom, its most precious resource, its warriors, to Anamir. But at what price? Why would he agree to send her along which would mean putting both of his daughters in danger? Even if he didn’t love them or care about their wellbeing, which was definitely not the case, Isabelle herself was a precious game piece that was tying Keldar to him and bringing him numerous benefits.

“If I agree to stamp my approval on the marriage,” Isabelle said, picking her words carefully, “would you allow Elaine to return to Anamir after the marriage ceremony?”

The smile King Joel gave her made her heart drop.

“I am afraid that once that marriage takes place, your sister will become part of the Roderian people. And as their future queen, she has to stay until they do.”

“So you’re keeping her hostage to make sure my father keeps his part of the agreement?” Isabelle said quietly, her voice growing colder. They knew how dangerous it was here, they knew in no more than a year this entire country might not exist anymore, but they were willing to put an innocent girl in danger for their plans.

“Elaine will stay here as Jaden’s wife,” the king corrected her in a sharp tone. “As a married couple, they are expected to share their joys and sorrows together, no? And her safety is and would be of paramount importance for everyone here. As is yours.”

Isabelle bit the inside of her lip, staring between the two of them.

“There is just one thing I still don’t understand,” she said, tilting her head and smiling slightly. “If my father knew about the situation and you already have his approval for the marriage, why are we having this conversation? You don’t need my approval, you have the authority to go over my head and marry my sister to your son. Today even.” She leaned forward, meeting the king’s eyes with confidence. “Why tell me all of this?”

King Joel smiled brightly, almost with pride, as if she had just put together a crafty puzzle he had created especially for her.

“Because, Isabelle, you might be powerless now, but in the near future it might be us who is powerless against you,” he said, shrugging. “And we don’t want to have you as our enemy.” He sighed tiredly, glancing at his son. “We’re fighting a battle we can’t win. So we need to ensure that we won’t lose the war. If my son marries your sister, we will get a safe place to go when our time is up. Anamir gets more soldiers, we get a place to regroup. Believe me when I tell you, those demons will not stop with Roder. They will go for Keldar, and Reid will eventually be forced to look for aid from Anamir and the other kingdoms. And if we’re lucky, it wouldn’t be Reid who is going to be ruling at that moment but you and Prince Reuben. An alliance is what our kingdoms need against this threat, but King Reid is too proud to accept one. I would hope those who come after him would know better.”

“Who knows about all of this?”

“Me, Jaden, your father,” the king replied, “and now you. Even Tamara is not aware of the whole situation, so I’d appreciate it if you keep our conversation to yourself. And I’d appreciate it if you give me your answer as soon as possible.”

Isabelle nodded, getting to her feet. She fell into a graceful curtsy out of habit, her eyes lingering on the king for a moment before glancing at Jaden involuntarily.

“Thank you for your honesty. I have much to consider.” She glanced at the door, then back at the king. “I will take my leave, so rest easy, Your Majesty.”

Jaden got up to follow just as she was circling her chair and she froze, meeting his gaze.

“Please allow me some space, Your Highness,” she said in warning. “My Guardian is outside, you don't need to see me out.”

And with that, she left the both of them, hurrying toward the door.