Casting about, Liam stood solitude in the castle library shadows, lost in articulation with disparate pieces of memories. The youngest prince would exhibit his show of prowess, turning about tides of disbelief. But knowing this, Liam was well aware of the further dark that must lurk behind.
8 Days to Go for the Death of the King.
The Harbingers are pulling strings, but who is their puppet? Liam's gut instinct suggested the second son, yet something felt still askew.
"Nyx," Liam whispered, "We need to dig deeper. Next, I'll test the second son."
Mask of the Second Son
This afternoon, Liam trailed the second son, Prince Alaric, secretly. He differed from the firstborn who had hardly pompous airs. Alaric seemed so composed in almost too overmuch composer. He was neither afterage-power-hungry like his brother nor neglected like the youngest prince.
"Odd," Liam muttered, observing Alaric managing the arrangements for the royal function. "Why does he seem untouched by this tempest?"
Determined, Liam took hold of the Moon Stone, the artifact which could expose influences coming from higher entities. It was today he motioned it as Alaric stepped into the room. The stone pulsed in Liam's grip with faint powers flowing into the chamber.
At first, it did not produce any effect. Alaric kept on reviewing his papers with a calm and focused face.
"Could it be possible..." Liam murmured, dropping the stone slightly.
Then Nyx hissed in Liam's mind. "Something is entirely wrong. Look closer, Master."
Liam narrowed his eyes. The light from the Moon Stone revealed pale threads of black energy lingering around Alaric. But the energy wasn't from him; it was mimicking him.
Liam's blood turned cold.
Not being manipulated. He is orchestrating this.
The Truths Concealed
Liam saw Alaric's calm mask chipped slightly. He murmured to himself while he was either isolated with himself, oblivious to Liam's presence.
"Everything now falls into place, and, once the firstborn sits upon the throne, the kingdom shall crumble, and no one shall suspect..."
Liam's eyes widened. The second son is the one who masterminds everything.
He clenches his fists and holds back the desire to hit Alaric right there. "So that's your game," Liam muttered under his breath. "Letting your brother take the blame while you plot from the shadows."
A cut in from Nyx's voice, "Be careful, Liam. He is dangerous. If you face him right now, everything will turn out wrong."
Liam agreed to that and slipped silently into the corridors, proceeding carefully.
The Princess as a Possible Ally
Hours later, when twilight set about enveloping the castle, Liam was left merely pacing outside the royal gardens. He did not interact yet with Princess Evelyn, for something in her did not seem right. She was quiet, withdrawn, unlike her brothers-and unlike them, she did not seem to care about the throne's politics.
"But that is exactly why I need her," according to Liam's conclusion. "If Princes cannot be trusted, perhaps there can be some trust with the Princess."
Liam struck then, at that evening tea gathering place where Princess Evelyn almost always sat on her own, sketching quietly under the garden's gazebo. The young prince approached her, careful not to attract too much attention toward him.
"Your Highness," Liam said softly, bending down to bow.
Evelyn glanced up at him, and her deep green eyes narrowed. "You're a servant, aren't you? What do you want?"
Liam stepped closer and lowered his voice. "I need to talk with you about the future of the kingdom. Please... it's urgent."
Her expression changed to become softly curious. "The future of the kingdom? Why would a servant be concerned with that?"
It was truth that was a tough nut to crack for Liam. "Because I know what's really going on here. The life of the king is at stake. And the Harbingers of Ruin are manipulating others for the destruction of this kingdom."
Evelyn went pale. The word "Harbingers" had a pallid effect on her face. She peered around to see whether anyone else was eavesdropping on them and then asked, "How do you know about them?" The question came up in an incisive whisper.
Liam leaned towards her, his tone grim. "Because I've seen it with my own eyes. The corruption runs deep, Your Highness. And if we don't act now, everything will fall apart."
Evelyn studied him closely, her gaze scouring his face for any signs of falsehood. After a moment, she spoke quietly, "Who sent you?"
"No one sent me," replied Liam truthfully. "I am trying to save this kingdom. And you are the only person who can help me."
Evelyn turned her gaze away as her fingers curled around the sketchbook edge. "You should not meddle in such affairs. My brothers will not be merciful toward you if they find out."
"I don't care," Liam said resolutely. "I already risked it. The younger prince is recovering; the older son is manipulated; and the second son..." He hesitated a little before adding, "The second son is not who he pretends to be."
Evelyn's head jerked around. "What are you saying?"
"I'm saying that Alaric is actually the mastermind behind all this," confessed Liam. "He is the one orchestrating the downfall of this kingdom."
Evelyn gazed at him for a long moment, her face inscrutable. She then surprised Liam by sighing and closing her sketchbook. "I suspected as much... but I had no proof."
His eyebrows shot up at that. "You knew?"
Evelyn nodded almost imperceptibly. "Alaric is wise. Too wise. I've seen how he manipulates others behind closed doors but never thought he'd go this far."
To be continued...