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It wasn’t until they had nearly arrived at the castle doors, with the outer walls rising tall around them, that Diamant let himself relax. The past three days had wrought an exhausting toll on his body, but he didn’t have the heart to complain. Not with his little brother, still so close to death’s door, sleeping fitfully in his arms.
The past few days still felt like a waking nightmare. Alcryst’s disappearance, his retainer’s treachery, Diamant’s flight to the crossroads, and the confrontation with Alcryst’s abductors…ending with a knife piercing through the younger prince’s chest that would have killed him had Diamant not had a vulnerary to hand. Even now, the vile poison from that blade still tore through his suffering body. They’d attempted to neutralize it with an antidote potion, but either the antidote had been too weak or the poison too strong. Alcryst’s life was no longer in danger, but he’d been left weak and feverish despite their best efforts.
At the other end of the wagon, Amber was dozing against one of the supports for the heavy canvas that shielded them from the rain. Diamant regretted having to leave Jade behind, but speed had been essential. She simply couldn’t ride as fast as the others. He knew she would understand; she took Alcryst’s safety almost as seriously as she took Diamant’s. She might be the crown prince’s retainer, but she considered the entire royal family under her protection.
The wagon rumbled to a halt, and Diamant’s father was leaning through the opening before he could even think of moving.
“Let me take him?” King Morion asked, holding his hands out for Alcryst’s body.
Diamant shuffled closer to him, waking Amber in the process, and managed to gently pass Alcryst out to their father. He climbed out after them, thankful for Amber’s steadying hand on his arm when his numb legs stumbled under his weight.
Morion was walking briskly toward the door to the palace, and Diamant felt his shoulders heave in a sigh of relief when he saw the figures hurrying toward them.
His mother. Queen Opal of Brodia. Her own retainers, and Jade, were close behind her. Diamant could hear his mother’s cry of dismay when she saw the state of her younger son, then the faint bass rumble of his father’s voice explaining the situation. Diamant slowly walked after them, body still stiff from both the exertion of the rescue and the long, cramped hours in the wagon.
To his surprise, Opal sent Morion on his way and turned her attention to her older son, hurrying up to meet him with her long skirts gathered in one hand. “Diamant?”
He took her offered hand, steadying her when she leaned in closer to wrap her arms around his shoulders. “Hello, Mother.”
“Are you all right?” Opal pulled away, cupping her hands around his face. “Are you hurt, my love? Do you need a healer?”
“I’m fine,” he replied. He leaned into his mother’s touch, grounding himself in her steady presence. She was nearly as tall as he was, with the slim figure so similar to Alcryst’s. Honey-colored hair was woven into a complicated braid that twisted around her head like a crown, and her red eyes were brimming with concern. “You shouldn’t worry about me.”
“I have worry enough for all of you,” she replied. “Diamant…the blood?”
He glanced down at his bloodstained armor with a grimace. “It isn’t mine.” It was mostly Alcryst’s, but he didn’t have the heart to tell his mother that. She’d know soon enough, but he couldn’t bring himself to put it into words.
That horrible moment when Alcryst had stumbled out of the bushes, looking so small and fragile as the fight raged on. Pyrite rising up behind him, thrusting a knife into his back that pierced through the other side. Holding his dying brother, trying to pour a vulnerary down his throat, praying that the healing potion would be enough to save the flickering flame of his life.
“Diamant?”
He shook his head, bringing his mind back to the present. “I’m fine,” he repeated. “I just need to clean up.”
Queen Opal didn’t reply immediately but stretched up on her toes to kiss his cheek. “Thank you for bringing him home.”
He nodded, suddenly unable to look at his mother. If he’d been faster…if he’d insisted that they went after Alcryst sooner…. His brother had been covered in bruises, his sleep rife with nightmares. The signs of physical abuse were obvious, but Diamant feared for what damage the kidnappers had done with their words. Or what Pyrite had said over the last three years. His kind, sensitive brother…who knew how much he had suffered under cruel hands.
“I’ll take care of him, Your Highness,” Jade said. Her words snapped him out of his thoughts, and he realized he’d gone silent for too long again as he looked into his mother’s worried eyes. “Come along, Prince Diamant.”
Jade gently took him by the elbow and pulled him away. He followed her, head down, barely noticing Amber shuffling along behind them. He could hear his mother calling to someone as she hurried away from them—maybe to call another physician. She didn’t need to worry about him at the moment; Alcryst was the one who was suffering.
“Are you sure you’re all right?” Jade asked, when they were back in his quarters. She sat him down on a high stool and began removing his armor, setting it aside to be cleaned. Someone had hauled two tubs of water in, and he stared dully at the curling steam.
“I’m sorry we left you behind,” he replied, after a few long moments.
“It was the right choice,” Jade said. Something in her voice caught his attention, and he turned over his shoulder to look at her. She met his gaze, her eyes hard. “One of your mother’s maids disappeared after you left.”
“What?” Diamant turned to face her, heart pounding.
“I joined her retainers in watching over her,” Jade continued. “She wasn’t alone for even a moment while you were gone. It could have been a coincidence, but we didn’t want to take that chance.”
He nodded, sinking down to rest his head in one hand. He hadn’t thought…was Alcryst’s abduction just part of some larger, nefarious scheme? “Thank you, Jade.”
Diamant’s mind whirled. Who could they trust? He trusted Jade and Amber implicitly. And his mother’s retainers—Ferrus had been with her as long as Diamant could remember, and his wife, Amelie, had joined him just after Alcryst was born. Pyrite had been Alcryst’s first true retainer, as he’d finally reached the age to participate in more of his royal duties. Had he been planning this from the start? Had Pyrite always been a traitor, or was it a recent development?
Who could they trust to look after the younger prince now?
There was a heavy splash as Amber dropped heavily into one of the tubs. He let out a contented sigh, not noticing the water he’d let crest over the side of the tub. Diamant heavily pushed himself up to his feet to start removing his tunic and breeches. He needed a bath, something to eat, and a few hours to put his thoughts into line.
Jade had already turned to the door, her arms full of his bloodstained armor. “I’ll have the kitchens send something up,” she called over her shoulder.
“Thank you, Jade,” he called after her, but she was already gone. Diamant sank into his own tub and closed his eyes, leaning his head back to rest against the rim. Amber was humming to himself as he washed, and Diamant let the noise soothe away his troubled thoughts as the hot water soothed his aching muscles.
…
Opal settled into a chair at Alcryst’s bedside and took up one of his limp hands while the physician fussed over his wounded body. “There’s nothing more we can do?”
Dr. Hauyne shook his head. “His body is at its limit, I’m afraid. As you know, my queen, the human body can only take so much magical healing, either from a potion or a stave, before it proves detrimental. While it has undoubtedly saved his life, the healing he’s already received has caused quite a strain on his body. He needs time to recover his strength before attempt any further measures.”
“And the poison?”
“Ah. The poultice will help,” Dr. Hauyne gestured to the clean bandages peeking out from the neckline of Alcryst’s loose tunic. “It is a natural remedy and not a magical one, we need not worry.”
She nodded; her gaze focused on her son. Alcryst was curled up on his side, supported by pillows, face pale as he slept. The physician had given him a remedy to ease his pain, and that had sent him into a deep sleep. He seemed so small now, wrapped in a heavy blanket against the lingering chill of the castle. He had always been small for his age and looked far younger than his fourteen years now.
“When he wakes, give him some bone broth,” the doctor suggested. “It shouldn’t be for a few hours. He can have another dose of pain remedy at the sixth bell.”
“Can he have something to eat?”
Dr. Hauyne hesitated. “If he feels strong enough to eat, perhaps some light soup and toasted bread. But I wouldn’t expect him to want much. His appetite will return over the next few days, as his body recovers.”
“I see.”
“Will that be all, Your Highness?”
“Yes. Thank you, Doctor,” Opal nodded to Dr. Hauyne as he gathered his things and left. Once they were alone, she leaned forward in her chair until her head was resting against the back of her son’s hand. She’d held it together for so long, not wanting to be lost to emotion while others needed her. But now….
Footsteps in the hall alerted her to another presence. Opal sat back and wiped her tears away with the fingers of one hand, unwilling to let go of Alcryst’s. The door swung open, and she could sense her husband’s presence before she could see him.
“I saw the doctor in the hall,” Morion said, resting a broad hand on her shoulder as he stood beside her chair.
Opal hummed in response. She leaned into her husband’s touch, and he responded by brushing the backs of his fingers down her cheek. Theirs had been an arranged marriage, but that had not meant love could not blossom. Even now, she was sure she could love no other as much as she loved Morion. He was her confidante and protector, and she his pillar of strength.
“Is Diamant all right?”
“I haven’t seen him.” Morion crouched beside her chair, placing his hand over hers as she held Alcryst’s. “You heard?”
“Dr. Hauyne told me.” He hadn’t wanted to, but she needed to know the truth of Alcryst’s wound. She couldn’t even imagine what Diamant must be feeling now, having witnessed the attempted murder of his sibling. If he hadn’t acted quickly…she couldn’t bear losing another child.
“I should go to him,” she whispered. “I’m worried, Morion.”
He sighed heavily, bowing his head. “Give him some time.”
She bit her lip as her hand tightened around her younger son’s. It felt like she was choosing one son over the other. She longed to stay at Alcryst’s side, but she also wanted to seek Diamant out and comfort him. “He should never have had to do that.”
“On that we are agreed.” Morion rose to his feet and pressed a kiss to her temple. “Give him some time,” he repeated. “You know he needs to be alone to put his thoughts in order. He’ll seek you out when he’s ready.”
Opal nodded. Diamant shouldered far too much responsibility for one so young. What she wouldn’t give to take some of that off his shoulders. “You should get some rest,” she said to Morion, when he tried to hide a yawn behind his hand.
He shook himself. “I don’t want to let him out of my sight.”
“I know.” Alcryst hadn’t moved. The remedy had sent him into a deep sleep, and it was likely he wouldn’t wake for several hours. “But—Morion?”
The king was already moving, walking around to the other side of Alcryst’s bed. He stopped long enough to pull his shoes off, then climbed on top of the blankets to stretch out next to his son. Opal smiled fondly as Morion settled himself in place, one arm tucked under his head and the other resting between him and Alcryst.
“What?” he asked, noticing her smile.
She shook her head. “Get some sleep.”
The bed was more than big enough for Morion and Alcryst. Opal watched her husband settle in the bed, hand reaching up to rest against the top of Alcryst’s head. He was asleep within moments, his breath a deep rumble in his chest.
Opal leaned her head back in the corner of the chair to watch them both. The next day would come soon enough, and with that their other concerns would return. They had a kingdom to serve and a conspiracy to root out. Alcryst would need a trustworthy retainer—her niece, Citrinne, had recently sent a letter expressing her desire to join the royal household more permanently. Perhaps she would be willing to serve in that capacity. Or maybe Saphir could recommend a trusted member of the guard.
Lost in her thoughts, Opal was unaware of how much time had passed when she heard another set of footsteps in the hall. She leaned around the chair to watch the door open, her face relaxing into a smile at the strong profile of her older son. “Diamant.”
“Mother.” He hesitated at the door, and when she held a hand out he crossed over to take it and kneel at her side. “I’m sorry, Mother.”
Her heart ached at the sorrow in his voice. “For what, my love?”
“I wasn’t…” Diamant’s head was bowed, his shoulders tense. “I should have been faster. I wasn’t able to…to protect him.”
“Dearest,” Opal sighed. She pulled her hand free and gently ran her fingers through his hair. “You were fast enough. That’s all that matters.”
Diamant shook his head. “I should have followed him days ago. I had my suspicions, but I kept them to myself. If I had only….”
“And what if you had?” she asked gently. Opal tucked her fingers under Diamant’s chin, raising his head so she could look in his eyes. “What if you had followed him to Echo Lake?”
He stared at her bleakly, brow furrowed in confusion.
“That’s where we thought they went,” she continued. “It wasn’t until Amber found that scrap of paper that we knew their true destination.”
Opal swallowed hard, her own tears swimming in her gaze. “Diamant…if you had tried to follow him then, he would have been lost to us.”
Diamant closed his eyes, then leaned forward to rest his head against his mother’s knee. His shoulders heaved once as he curled in on himself, and her heart ached for him. He was a good son and would make a fine king, but he already took far too much on himself.
She carded her fingers through his hair, smoothing and ruffling the dark red waves that were so like his father’s. Her heart ached for both her sons. For Diamant, who acted as though his miraculous rescue of his brother was somehow a failure on his part. And for Alcryst, who was likely as wounded in spirit as he was in body.
Diamant shifted, and she lifted her hand momentarily as he twisted until he was sitting rather than kneeling and resting his head against her knee with his face turned to his brother’s sleeping form. Opal ran her fingers through his hair again and smiled at the way his body relaxed against her. His hair, while not as soft as his brother’s, formed gentle peaks and waves at her touch.
“See the oceans, love?
The wide and watery deeps?
As fathomless the bounding waves,
So is my love for thee.”
He stirred a little and looked up at her as she sang. “That sounded familiar,” Diamant commented quietly.
“It’s an old lullaby,” Opal replied. “I sang it to you when you were a child—both of you.” She moved her fingers through his hair, and he let out a soft sigh and leaned against her knee.
“See the valleys, love?
The secret places deep?
As deep the soul of blessed earth,
So is my love for thee.”
Alcryst hadn’t moved, but she thought she saw more color in his cheeks. She still held his hand, as her other hand carded through her older son’s hair.
“See the mountains, love?
The silent, snowy peaks?
As they rise, unmatched in strength,
So is my love for thee.”
They would survive this. They would recover and stand as a family, and together they would be stronger than the very foundations of Brodia.