Ruins And Royalty

Word of Mouth - Chp 9 Part 1

“I overheard the Council talking the other day,” Kalmin said, lowering his voice and darting a quick glance around to make sure no one was near.

“Go on,” I urged, leaning in slightly, curiosity piqued.

“The head of the Council was speaking to someone, whose voice I didn’t recognize, but this was the day before the Windane and Wren royals left Emperos for young Prince Zander’s eighteenth birthday celebration,” he began cautiously. “It was a woman, and… she spoke about the Game of the Gods.”

“What did she say?” I asked, keeping my voice low, my pulse quickening.

“She mentioned preparations for the trial… for the game,” he replied, his tone uneasy.

I scoffed, rolling my eyes. “Kalmin, that’s hardly news. The Council has plenty of people helping them plan the whole thing.” Was he really wasting my time like this?

“No, Brother, you don’t understand,” he said suddenly, stopping in his tracks and grabbing my arm.

“The head of the Council… instructed her to harvest human hearts,” he whispered, his grip tight and urgent.

I froze, disbelief rooting me to the spot. “What?”

“They spoke in hushed tones, mumbling mostly, but that part was unmistakable,” Kalmin explained, leaning in, his eyes scanning our surroundings. “He told her to do it while the two royal families were in Yarrow. Perfect timing, a distraction while they were away.”

I narrowed my eyes at him, skeptical. “Are you sure you didn’t mishear?”

“No,” he said, a hint of offense in his voice. “That part was clear as day. I couldn’t believe it myself.”

“That’s… alarming,” I muttered, trying to process the weight of what he was saying.

“That’s all I could hear before I got out of there,” Kalmin added, taking a calming breath.

I ran a hand down my face, the pieces of the puzzle forming a darker picture. “How did you even stumble into a situation like that?” I asked, curiosity and unease mingling.

“I was at the window of the Palace study where Father and Mother always scold us,” Kalmin admitted, pulling his usual clueless expression.

“What were you doing there?” I asked, narrowing my eyes at him. It was obvious, he’d been snooping. No one could eavesdrop at the study windows without climbing a tree or something equally absurd.

“Never mind that! I think the problem of a woman on the loose, snatching hearts from humans, should be our focus right now.” He spoke louder than intended, glancing around nervously.

“Do you have any idea who this woman could be?” I pressed, trying to piece together the growing web of danger.

“No… but her voice was mature, so she must be older than you,” Kalmin said, thinking aloud.

My stomach tightened. Between Princess Hyathene’s treachery and now this, dark intentions stirring within the Council, the situation was spiraling into something far more dangerous than I’d anticipated.

I hesitated, wondering if I should confide in him about the last few months, the first encounter with the dark druid, and the trap in the Woodlands of Solovey.

“I don’t really know what to make of this,” Kalmin continued. “Maybe I should take it to Mother and Father.”

“NO,” I snapped sharply, feeling the weight of betrayal and secrecy pressing down.

“Why?” he asked, confused, frowning.

“Because we need to discuss this somewhere private. You never know who’s listening,” I said, glancing at the passersby around us.

We made our way to a nearby atrium, secluded and lush with houseplants, centered around a rectangular marble pool with a small fountain at its far end, vines crawling along the walls. Once inside, we dismissed the garden workers and servants. The sunlit room glimmered, casting soft gold across the ornate furniture.

We sat on carved wooden curule seats facing the fountain. I lowered my voice. “There’s something I need to tell you, but you must swear on your life that it stays between us.”

“You have my word,” Kalmin said, his expression serious.

“I’ve met with the dark druid… again,” I began, watching his reaction closely.

“The one you confronted while scouting in the forest with Dayron and the others?” he asked, leaning forward, eyes wide.

“Yes,” I said slowly, “but it’s not what it seems. She… she is none other than the engaged Princess of Palisade.”

Kalmin froze, disbelief etched into his features, perched on the edge of his seat. The weight of my words seemed to hang between us, heavy as the sunlit air of the atrium.

“Princess Hyathene came to me one day asking for help,” I began, my voice low. “She claimed she needed a safekeeping amulet from the Woodlands of Solovey for her soon-to-be husband, so that he wouldn’t die during the first Game of the Gods so that he is able to forfeit. Keeping their marriage valid and preventing war between our nations.”

“I don’t understand… what does that have to do with you?” Kalmin asked, frowning in confusion.

“That was my thought exactly,” I admitted, “but she said only a blood-born Nightingale could retrieve it.” I swallowed hard, the memory bitter. “Long story short… I was tricked. The moment I handed over the amulet, she revealed herself as the Dark Druid.”

Kalmin’s face tightened as he processed the revelation. After a pause, he spoke again. “I have so many questions… what does she intend to do with the amulet?”

“I don’t know,” I said, staring into the cool, rippling water of the pool. “But I do know she has far bigger plans.”

“Do you think her schemes could be connected to the Council’s?” Kalmin asked, his voice tentative as he tried to piece things together.

“Perhaps… but what makes you think that?” I glanced at him, curiosity piqued despite the unease gnawing at me.

“I’m not sure. It just seems possible.”

“Or it could be a coincidence,” I said, my mind spinning.

Kalmin nodded, but his expression betrayed his thoughts. He suspected, as I did, that Hyathene and the Council might be working together. Whatever they were planning, I had to uncover it. Usually, I might turn a blind eye but this involved me, and the thought of the Game of the Gods being jeopardized was unacceptable.

“What do you think is happening?” Kalmin asked nervously, cutting through my thoughts.

“I… I don’t know,” I admitted, voice tight. “But it can’t be good.”

“Harvesting hearts isn’t like harvesting grapes,” he said darkly. “Whatever’s going on, it sounds like trouble. After what you just told me… there’s certainly evil brewing among us.”

I nodded, rising from my seat, the unease coiling in my chest. The calm of the atrium felt fragile now, like glass ready to shatter.

The sun hung low in the sky, casting the atrium in a warm, orange glow. My mind was a storm of thoughts, each one heavier than the last, and with every passing day, new troubles seemed to surface as if I didn’t already have enough to contend with. Staying focused was nearly impossible.

“I could try to find out more,” Kalmin offered, remaining seated, his tone tentative.

“Do you think that’s wise, brother?” I asked, narrowing my eyes. “What if you get caught?” Trees and shadows might hide him, but the risk was still real, and reckless.

“I’ll be alright,” he said with a casual shrug, as if danger were nothing more than a passing breeze. I hesitated, uncertain. He wasn’t the sharpest when it came to these kinds of matters or maybe I was underestimating him.

“I’ll see what I can do,” he continued, his voice firm now, “and when I gather more information, I’ll tell you.”

“We should meet here again when you do,” I suggested, feeling the weight of secrecy settle between us.

Kalmin nodded, and we left the sunroom together, each of us burdened and unsettled by the knowledge we now shared.