Rise of Heroes

Chapter 15 - Enemy At Court

“Her Highness Elaine Niabard, future queen of Roder,” the herald announced with a loud, clear voice, and the entire hall quieted at once. Isabelle turned toward the double doors only to find the pool of nobles dividing into two to make way for her little sister. Elaine stood hesitantly at the threshold, her pose straighter than ever before. Contrary to her outside confidence, Isabelle could clearly see how her little sister’s eyes searched the hall for a familiar presence, a confident nod, or a reassuring smile.

Elaine walked slowly, carefully, as if that was the most important walk of her life. She didn’t stumble, and she didn’t pause, but glided toward the throne where Isabelle stood by her father’s side, smiling. When their eyes finally met, Elaine’s expression relaxed, and she allowed the edges of her lips to turn upwards.

She stopped in front of the king and curtsied so gracefully that Isabelle could almost imagine Lady Alana bursting with pride at the sight. Their father urged her to stand up and embraced her fondly.

“Ladies and gentlemen,” he turned toward the silent crowd while his hand rested on Elaine’s shoulder. “Today we celebrate the betrothal of my dearest daughter, Elaine. May this alliance bring Anamir the strength and support it needs and for my daughter, may it bring her the happiness she deserves!”

“Long live the princess!” the crowd cheered and Isabelle found herself joining in while her sister blushed. Isabelle reached out and squeezed her hand, and Elaine’s body tension drained away from her at once.

When the crowd stopped cheering and music filled the hall, Isabelle stepped toward her sister, pulling her into a tight embrace. Neither of them spoke, but Isabelle heard the girl sigh in relief. The cheerful voices of Elaine’s ladies made them turn to face them. Cara and Melina curtsied in front of Isabelle, then grinned excitedly, dragging Elaine to join the festivity in her honor.

Isabelle stared after them with a sad smile, wondering when was the last time she and her ladies acted so happy and carefree. Even when she was fifteen like them, she couldn’t remember running around and laughing like that. Maybe it was because both Cara and Melina were second daughters and their fathers were mere counts. Or maybe they just adjusted to Elaine’s playful and lax personality.

Even Lydia, whose head was often in the clouds, was always careful in her conduct, even at the smallest of gatherings. And with her younger brother still at the academy, she spent every moment that she was not attending Isabelle helping her father manage their estate and business. Isabelle’s other lady-in-waiting, Corelle, could teach even a priest a thing or two about propriety. Even Alana couldn’t find a fault with the girl’s endless knowledge of etiquette and customs.

Isabelle made her way through the ballroom, nodding politely to everyone who greeted her, but avoiding starting any conversations. It didn’t take much for a rumor to start — a word with the wrong person, a look in a particular direction, or a mere expression change. She was going to leave for Roder soon. She couldn’t afford to have any rumors spiraling out of her control while she was not around to deal with the aftermath.

Isabelle continued roaming through the ballroom in search of her ladies when she almost bumped into a man upon turning. His attire suggested that he was coming from a wealthy family, but she was positive he was not an Anamirian noble. The slender built, short stature, and mud-brown hair didn’t make him stand out much, but the confident, almost derisive gleam in his gaze made her put a cautious smile on her lips.

“My apologies. I don’t believe we’ve met,” she said now that she had no choice but to speak to him. He didn’t initiate the conversation, which meant that he was waiting for her to do so. His station had to be lower than hers, not that she was surprised — there were only a handful of people that outranked her title, and she knew all of them. Speaking to her first would have been a great offense.

“I’m afraid I haven’t had the pleasure, Your Highness,” he smiled and reached out for her hand. She instinctively offered it so that he could place a quick kiss on her knuckles. “My name is Byron, from the House of Britton. Kalevia wishes you good health and prosperity, Your Highness. You were but a child the last time you visited us.”

She raised an eyebrow but kept her smile on her lips. So Nickolas was right, which was not really a surprise. The question was, what was a Keldarian high-ranking noble doing in their court, and one from its vassal state on top of all? She had thought best to stay away from Keldar’s intrigues and politics for as long as possible, but her curiosity was demanding its fill.

“You’re a long way from home, Lord Byron. What brings you to Anamir?”

He offered her his hand, and his smile widened upon seeing her hesitation.

“Will you grant me the honor of a dance, Your Highness? I’ve heard that you’re an exquisite dancer.” She bit the inside of her lip, but eventually took his hand. She couldn’t outright refuse him, not before finding out what his agenda was. But she didn’t like the looks she got from the people around her either. Her plan to stay away from gossip had failed already. Lydia might have been right — even if she stayed in the corner and talked to nobody, people would have still found some kind of secret plan behind it.

Byron escorted her to the middle of the ballroom and both of them took their places in the lines of dancing couples. She didn’t like him, especially the way he looked at her. He might just as well have been a Keldarian spy sent to keep an eye on them.

“To answer your question, Your Grace, trade brings me here,” he said, and Isabelle looked up to find him staring at her with a mischievous smile. “My family is looking to expand our trading routes. From what I’ve heard, Anamir has a lot to offer.” He turned her around, then quickly pulled her closer. Isabelle was sure by then that she did not enjoy his closeness or the fact that he was lying to her face. “And curiosity, of course,” he added, and she raised an eyebrow.

Byron chuckled, placing his hands on her waist and raising her a step in the air before putting her back down and switching places.

“I had to see the future queen of Keldar, and since His Majesty was most generous to grant me an invitation to this marvelous gathering, it was settled. Reuben is a lucky man! Your Highness is even more beautiful than the rumors say.”

“You speak as if you know him well,” Isabelle noted, ignoring his compliment. Despite his sweet words, they didn’t sound at all sincere. “And you call him by his first name. Are you close?”

“He is my cousin on his father’s side. But we’re not that close. He doesn’t seem to like me much.” Isabelle just smiled in response but said nothing. His smugness made her long for a reason to leave. “How is your engagement going, by the way?”

“It’s going very well, thank you,” she replied with a polite smile.

“Then why haven’t you set a date?” Byron asked just as she expected. Isabelle opened her mouth, but the song ended and she realized that she was free to leave. “Your sister’s engagement was arranged recently, and the date is in two months’ time. Your engagement took place years ago, and yet you’re still unwed.” His eyes moved from her face down to her dress and returned to her uneasy eyes. “I can tell by one look at you, Your Highness. You should have been married a long time ago. So, is Reuben unwilling to marry you? Or is your…”

“Isabelle!” a familiar voice called from behind her and she held back a sigh of relief. Nickolas joined them, glancing at the man in front of her.

“Lord Byron,” Nickolas greeted coldly.

“Your Highness,” Byron bowed slightly with another mocking grin. “Such an honor.”

“So you’ve decided to come.”

“I wouldn’t miss it for the world, Your Highness,” Byron bowed again, and when he rose, his eyes glanced aside. “I will take my leave now if you would allow me. My companion just arrived and I’m afraid he is feeling a bit lost. I’m sure he’ll be thrilled to make your acquaintance later. Excuse me.”

Nickolas nodded and Byron slid past them, heading toward the big double doors of the hall where another familiar face had appeared, his eyes searching the crowd. The man she had spotted earlier, Claus, was standing next to the herald, hands behind his back. His eyes found Byron with ease, even though there were plenty of people to hide him from view. Claus looked more richly dressed than Byron, and by one look at him, a person could tell he had noble blood running through his veins. The same repulsive feeling of danger and darkness emanated from him, even stronger than before.

Isabelle shivered involuntarily and almost jumped when her brother put a hand on her shoulder. Nickolas raised his brows.

“I hope I didn’t interrupt your… engaging conversation. You looked like you were about to chew him out and we can’t have that tonight,” he said with a smile. “What did he want?”

“He asked me why I am still unwed,” she replied, her calmness now restored. Nickolas studied her under his thick brows. In the end, he nodded.

“I am not surprised. Those two have been quite busy asking questions all day,” he said. “I found out more.”

Isabelle nodded subtly, placing a smile on her face while her little brother kept whispering in her ear.

“This man, Byron. Father is quite suspicious of him — he thinks that he may be planning something. That’s why he invited him and his… companion. Did Byron say something to you? Any hint or… I don’t know. Something that may show us what he is planning?”

“I’m afraid not,” Isabelle shook her head. “But he seemed quite happy with the fact that my wedding had not happened yet. What do you think of it? Is he planning something against Anamir or Keldar? What did father say?”

Nickolas hesitated for a moment, then reached out and put his hands on her shoulders, shooting her a warm smile. His young face turned somewhat concerned and sad, but only for a moment.

“You needn’t worry about any of that. You and Elaine leave tomorrow and whatever it is that he is planning, it’s father’s concern. And mine, of course.” He let his hands fall off her shoulders and took her hand in his. “Come. Dance with me.”

“Maybe later,” Isabelle said, pulling her hand away. “I’ll be right back.”

Painfully aware of her brother’s gaze on her back, she proceeded toward the doors, hoping that the object of her curiosity wasn’t too far gone. The sound of music, laughter and countless conversations carried over the empty corridor outside, making it hard to hear anything else. She was just about to go back to her brother when the same strange feeling from earlier tightened her chest, forcing her to take a step forward. The feeling disappeared only after she ended up at the end of the corridor and down the next one.

The noises faded away and after a while she found herself alone, the only sound around her coming from her heels and her racing heart. She walked around for a bit, glancing at the flickering torches and cursing herself for leaving without her Guardian. She was so used to his reassuring presence that now that she was alone, she felt strangely vulnerable.

Isabelle stopped, swallowing with difficulty. What was she doing? Why did she even follow them? All she could remember was the urge to follow them.

Isabelle raised her hand and rubbed her temples.

“My, my, what do we have here?”

Isabelle jumped, suppressing a scream. She spun around, looking at the man standing behind her. His blonde hair was like melted gold under the light of the nearest torch and his features looked sharper than a knife. Cold gray eyes stared at her with curiosity and the type of complacency she did not like.

“You’re quite something, aren’t you?” Claus said with a smile, reaching toward her face, but Isabelle pulled away before he could touch her. That only seemed to amuse him. “Don’t you know that pretty little things like you should not run around alone, princess? Think of all the things that might happen,” he looked around as if to emphasize his point, “and nobody would even hear your screams.”

“Are you threatening me?” she asked, cursing her voice for sounding so frightened.

“Me?” he laughed, tilting his head. “On the contrary, I’m here to save you.” He took a step closer and Isabelle retreated until she felt the cold wall behind her. He reached out again, his fingers touching her cheek ever so slightly. “Such a fragile thing you are. And you harbor so much power… how enticing!”

The sound of hurried steps reached her ears, and she thought of screaming for help, but the look in his eyes stopped her. The steps paused and Isabelle felt panic overwhelming her. She was alone. Alone with him.

“Are you out of your mind?” a male voice exclaimed, and she sucked in a sharp breath. She never expected to be glad to hear Byron’s voice, but right now, even his presence seemed preferable to being alone with that man. She saw him step toward them, eyes locked on Claus. “We have to go! Now! This is not the time! Moreover, this is not the place! What were you thinking? ”

Claus’ expression grew frustrated for a moment, but then he quickly smoothed it over.

“You’re right. It’s too early,” he said, stepping away from her. “Until we meet again.”

He smiled, then walked away without looking back. Byron didn’t even look at her, rushing after his companion. Isabelle took a deep breath as if released from a spell, leaning on the wall for support. A minute passed, then two, until she finally regained her composure.

Cursing herself for losing so much time, she rushed toward the main hall, lifting her dress so that she could move faster. At first sight of guards, she picked up her pace. Upon seeing her, the men exchanged surprised glances, but bowed respectfully at her approach.

“Rise!” she urged them impatiently. “Two men just went down this corridor. I have reason to believe they are planning to attack the castle. I want them apprehended immediately!”

“An assault on the castle, Your Highness?” One of the guards raised an eyebrow almost in disbelief. “Are you…”

“This was an order, soldier! If you don’t catch them, I will hold you personally responsible for any harm that comes to any person under this roof! And I promise you, I will make you suffer tenfold! Am I understood?”

His face switched from annoyed to stiff, full of uneasiness and even fear. The two guards straightened up and Isabelle noticed that the one that had spoken swallowed nervously.

“Go!” she urged them impatiently, and they quickly picked themselves up, racing down the corridor. She watched them disappear at the next turn with a rapidly beating heart, hoping that they wouldn’t be too late.

“Isabelle?”

Isabelle jumped, plastering a smile on her lips. Elaine stopped right in front of her, cheeks red, smiling from ear to ear.

“I couldn’t find you anywhere! I was afraid you retired already!”

“No, of course not.” Isabelle shook her head. “I was just getting some air. It’s very crowded there, and it was so noisy…”

“Are you alright? You look pale.” Elaine frowned as she examined her sister’s face. Isabelle took her by the hand, pulling her toward the main hall.

“That’s probably because I haven’t been dancing enough tonight. Come on, I owe Nickolas a dance.”