The Wicked House of Caroline

“The budget for the upcoming year has been approved.” Luther smiled as he signed his name on the front page of a carefully prepared folio before closing the cover and sliding it across his desk to Duke Durmott. Satisfaction and pride were on his face as the middle-aged duke eyed the folio, then nodded and reached for it.

Across the room, Iris looked on with a smile on her lips and a glint of pride and satisfaction in her eyes. The various members representing the court who were in the room with them didn’t pay any attention to her, but she didn’t care. She wasn’t there for them. She was there to support Luther.

She always knew he would be a good ruler if given the chance.

She didn’t believe that all his success thus far had been because of that woman. How much could Lady Rebecca do as a mere foster daughter? The late Queen and King simply favored her too much.

“Thank you, Your Majesty,” Duke Durmott said as he gave him a bow of his head. “We will begin assigning the appropriate ministries their budgets in the next week.”

“Excellent.” Luther rose from his seat and gave them a small, acknowledging nod. “You are dismissed.”

The three courtiers and Chamberlain Wilton bowed their heads towards Luther and filed out of the room. The Third Consort, who was standing to the side, watched them with haughty eyes. The door closed behind the courtiers and Iris stood up from her seat.

“You completed your first budget!” She beamed as she brought her hands together and clapped. “I knew you could do it!”

Luther’s cheeks reddened as he smiled back at her. He raised his arms and extended his hands and Iris eagerly took them. The warmth from his skin brought her joy as she closed the distance between them.

“I couldn’t have done it without you,” he said with bright eyes. “If you didn’t remind me of the resources at hand, I would’ve been at a loss.”

Iris blushed at the thought and shyly lowered her eyes. Even the small things she did for Luther were praised. The man was so kind and grateful.

“Whatever I can do for you, I will,” she said in a soft voice.

A small cough came from across the room and the duo turned towards the Third Consort. For a moment, the two of them had forgotten he was there.

“You’ve done well, Luther,” the man said in an upright voice. “But you can’t get too comfortable. This is the first of many things you must complete.”

Luther took a deep breath and straightened his back. He faced his father and nodded. “I understand.”

“The court has not yet fully accepted you. Duke Seneca heads the largest faction questioning the legitimacy of your rule.”

Hearing that, Iris frowned. She thought that with the ‘body’ of the former king entombed in the royal mausoleum, Duke Seneca and those in his camp would have no choice but to begrudgingly accept Luther as the rightful King of Kadmus. She narrowed her eyes a bit. Did the old man know something?

“I am keeping the kingdom running, as Mother wanted. I don’t see why Duke Seneca would continue to question me,” Luther said with a frown. He lowered his reddening eyes. “My brothers are gone, the kingdom has no one else. If there was, did he not think I’d give my power to them? I was only forth in line!”

Iris grasped his hand and squeezed it tight to reassure him. “No one is more fit to be ruler than you, Luther,” she told him in a firm voice. “Your brothers and mother are counting on you now.”

She watched him swallow hard and nod at her words.

The Third Consort let out a low breath. “Even if he accepts you as the ruler, that doesn’t mean that Duke Seneca feels you are fit for the position. You will have to do more, and better, than what he would expect of the late king.”

Luther nodded once more. He lifted his chin and met his father’s expectant gaze. “I understand, Father. I will continue to work hard.”

“I don’t want to admit it, but your brother and the Caroline girl took extensive notes on various existing policies and procedures,” the Third Consort said with a slight frown. He didn’t seem to want to mention the names of the late king and Lady Rebecca, let alone acknowledge their past titles. “As your mother trained them for their positions, their work will have insight into the kingdom’s governance. It would be best if you can review them.”

Luther was already doing that. Iris had helped him go through the late king’s and Lady Rebecca’s offices to find their work as reference, but surprisingly, there had been very little. She had almost wondered if their work, in particular, Lady Rebecca’s, had been culled before they could get to it.

The Old Tower still had the same decorations from the Caroline Duchy as well as Lady Rebecca’s clothing and accessories, but her office only had legal books and books on royal protocol, which were copies of those already in the royal library. There were suspiciously large, empty areas on the shelves and empty drawers that made Iris wonder if what resources they could use had been taken away.

But by whom?

When Lady Caroline had been arrested, the Old Tower was locked down and under guard. Servants were temporarily forced out during the ‘trial’ period and the entourage of the Noble House of Caroline were forced out of the palace grounds. After the family was exiled, the various servants and guards of the family were given the notification that they no longer had a family to serve.

Iris’ paladins had watched those servants and guards in case they got in the way of their plans. The Valorous House of Enidmore had taken them in as they were on good terms with the Carolines. However, none of those servants and guards had returned to the palace grounds. They didn’t follow the prisoner carriages to exile, either.

That meant that either Lady Rebecca knew that she would not be returning to the Old Tower after Luther’s coronation and had preemptively gotten rid of anything that could help Luther, which Iris felt was petty and unnecessary, especially if Lady Rebecca really held the kingdom’s well-being at heart, or someone else had purposely destroyed her and the late king’s work to sabotage Luther.

Iris would place her bet on Lady Rebecca’s cruel preemptive designs, as the palace staff would not do such a thing without order.

She, Luther, and the Third Consort all knew the value of Lady Rebecca and the late king’s work.

She and Luther had collected everything they could. Unfortunately, they’d only found the budget for the coming year in the late king’s office. However, she believed that Luther would be able to create another one based on the existing budgets within a year’s time. She turned her head to look at his handsome profile.

Luther was devoted to the kingdom. He would do what he could for it.

“I am reviewing all I can, Father.” He almost sounded as if he were reporting to the old man. Iris held back her annoyed look when turning to the Third Consort. Luther was already under a lot of pressure from the court; he didn’t need his father giving him more. What Luther needed was support.

“You should also begin the plans for your wedding.”

Her head snapped up as her eyes widened. As her heart quickened in her throat, she almost thought she had misheard the older man. Beside her, Luther drew his head back and blinked, equally surprised.

“Our wedding?” Luther gasped. “But we’ve just gotten engaged.” It had hardly been a few months. If they were wed so soon, most people would believe it was because Iris was pregnant before marriage. She’d be seen as a joke, as royal protocol would be ignored and the wedding wouldn’t reflect her status in a rush. It would be seen as no care had been taken.

In addition, her paladins had reported that her reputation within the city, and likely the kingdom, wasn’t very good. She was seen as a mistress who got between Luther and Lady Rebecca, the much-favored fiancé who had a shining reputation.

She hated that she was in the shadow of that woman, but forcing the situation would only make it worse. She needed to buy the love of the kingdom.

“Royal weddings take time to prepare, but the sooner it happens, the better,” the Third Consort told them. “A married monarch is seen as more stable than an unmarried one, even if there is an engagement. Marrying the new oracle will also strengthen your reputation and give the kingdom confidence during this transitional time.”

Luther’s head bobbed up and down in agreement. He looked at her and put his hand over hers. “Iris, are you ready to marry me?” Her heart shot to her throat as her eyes softened. “I am!” How could she not be?

She watched his lips pull into a smile, as if he were unable to help himself. “I’m afraid I don’t know much about the procedures for a royal wedding. We will need to talk to Chamberlain Wilton. Also, is there anything we should consider as you are an oracle?”

Her orange hair flew around her head as she shook it. “No, the decision is mine and I will take responsibility for dealing with the Temple during our wedding!” She’d proven herself as an oracle and was already given control of a paladin order. There were no other young women as accomplished as her with prophecies and there were many who already believed her to be the next Great Oracle. The Temple would not so easily intervene, though they had already voiced their concerns when she notified them of her engagement to Luther.

It would be the first time that an oracle married someone of high rank from any country. She understood that the Temple would have their reservations, but assured them that this would only strengthen Kadmus’ connection to the Temple.

“Very good,” the Third Consort said. “While it isn’t good for the wedding to be rushed, it should happen sooner rather than later. Discuss with Chamberlain Wilton on the appropriate time in which you can get married.”

“You don’t think it’s too soon, Father?” Luther asked. He glanced at Iris would some worry. “I don’t want my wedding to Iris to lack anything.”

The corner of the Third Consort’s lips curled up. “Of course not, my son. A few months is more than enough time to ensure a grand wedding fitting of a king. Under normal circumstances, I wouldn’t insist that a royal engagement last less than a year, but you can’t risk having a child out of marriage now, can you?”

He gave Luther a teasing smile as Luther’s face heated up. Iris felt her cheeks burning as she averted her eyes. She grit her teeth as her free hand clenched at her side. Though she wanted to marry Luther as soon as possible and start the family they deserved, she didn’t like the Third Consort’s implication that they’d be so reckless and that her purpose was to give birth.

“Father!” Luther pulled Iris back a bit and tried to shield her with his body. “What child are you talking about? We’ve-”

“This isn’t anything to be ashamed of,” the Third Consort said as he raised a hand to calm him and let out a light laugh. “You are an adult now and King, at that. Having an heir is a matter of course. And you’re young! I’m not so old as to not understand the feelings of the youth.”

Iris wanted to glare at him. She wasn’t ashamed of her time with Luther, but she was embarrassed that it would be brought up.

“Iris and I will not have a child until after we are married,” Luther said, with some determination. “Our child will be legitimate.”

Her heart tightened. Yes, that was right. She raised her head, almost proud. Their child would be legitimate. The entire kingdom would bow down and pay respects to their royal child.

“And I can’t wait to hold a grandchild in my arms.” The Third Consort’s face softened as he held out his arms and looked fondly at Luther. “Though an heir will further boost the confidence the court has in you, I look forward to another member of the family.” He let out a chuckle and a strange, warm smile making him appear gentle appeared on his face. “Let’s hope it’s a girl. She can be named after your mother. You know how much your mother wanted a daughter after four sons. Ah...it’s a shame I was never able to give her one.”

Hearing his mother’s hopes made Luther’s demeanor become gentle. He nodded his head. “I’m sure mother would’ve loved a granddaughter.”

Iris tried not to change her expression. What granddaughter? Her gaze was burning into the Third Consort. She never had a daughter. She had a son! And that man knew it!

“We will begin the process for planning a wedding, Father,” Luther said.

The Third Consort gave them a nod. He looked at Iris and she could see the sharpness in his eyes. “Then, shall we find Chamberlain Wilton? Luther has his hands full at the moment. We can’t take up so much of his time.”

“I do have much more to review,” Luther said, already pulling his hand from Iris. He lifted his hand and caressed her face as he smiled. “Will it be too much to leave it to you?”

“Of course not!” Iris said at once. “This is nothing compared to what is required of you.” She placed her hand against his chest. “I will take care of our wedding. You focus on the kingdom.”

His eyes crinkled up as he took her hand and brought it to his lips. “I am lucky to have you to support me.”

“Always, Luther.”

They parted ways and she followed the Third Consort outside of the study. The gentle look on the Third Consort’s face vanished as soon as his son was no longer with them.

His voice was low as they passed the royal guards outside the door. “Don’t tell me that you’re hesitant to have a child now that you’re engaged.”

She shot him a dark look. “It’s too soon.”

“Too soon?” He almost let out a mocking laugh as he gave her a sidelong glance. “You had no problem crawling into my son’s bed when he was still engaged to that woman.”

“It was urgent then. Right now, Luther is king and she’s dead.”

“So, you’ve become complacent?”

“I just don’t believe there is too much of a rush right now. We should follow protocol in order to show Luther’s respect and legitimacy. If we rush into things before the court is ready to accept it-”

“Don’t concern yourself with what the court will or will not accept,” the Third Consort told her in a sharp voice. “Leave them to me. Play your role and you will get what you want.”

Iris narrowed her eyes as she stopped in place. The Third Consort continued walking and rounded the corner, leaving her behind in silence. Iris took a deep breath and then dutifully marched back to her villa. She wanted to move into Luther’s villa after his coronation and their engagement was announced, but with so many eyes on them, she resigned herself to staying at the Hall of Eloquence.

It was only the other week when one of the smaller villas was approved for her. Luther had Chamberlain Wilton prepare it. Luther had wanted her to remain close, but they’d be criticized if she moved into his villa. After all, Lady Rebecca had maintained a respectful distance throughout their engagement. For Iris, the one just behind his would suffice until their wedding.

It seemed like it would come sooner than she thought, anyway.

“Your Eminence.” Her two attendants greeted her as she returned. She gave them a nod and one stepped forward. “Captain St. Moore is waiting for you in the parlor.”

Iris gave her another nod, but frowned a bit. Her chest tightened as she walked down one of the corridors to get to the parlor. Seated on one of the sofas, waiting for her, was the tall man still in his paladin uniform. Paladins weren’t allowed in the Gilded Palace to guard, though during particular hours, they could come in to report to her.

Her paladins were still located outside the palace gates, though several had gone off to try to find their missing brothers.

“Your Eminence.” Captain St. Moore rose from his seat to greet her, but she raised her hand to stop him and then waved it behind her, signaling the attendants to close the door.

“Brother,” she said, informally. “Has there been any news?”

The man took a deep breath. His face was a bit ashen. “The two we sent north contacted me this morning.” Iris took a seat on a chair across from him, but he remained standing. “They combed the border area. There was some delay due to snowstorms.”

Iris held her breath. “But did they find anyone?”

Captain St. Moore’s Adam's apple rose up and down as he swallowed hard. “The clothing was burned and their features were destroyed,” he said. “But the remains of five men were found past Kadmus’ borders.”

She nearly shot to her feet. “The remains?” What had happened? “Are you certain it's them?”

“From what we could identify, yes.”

“But you said their clothes were burned and their features....”

“Also burned beyond recognition. The most telling items were the swords with them. They are our own,” Captain St. Moore told her. His eyes turned red with pain. “We are certain those five are our brothers.”

Iris lifted her hand to her chest. “But how...? There were five...against one person? And where could they make fire under such conditions?” Shouldn’t the winds and lack of fuel prohibit it?

“Amadeo of Caroline was the prisoner exiled to the north,” Captain St. Moore replied. “He was a master fire biha user.”

“But they were suppressed!” Iris almost yelled with denial. “How could he use his biha if he was suppressed?”

Captain St. Moore lowered his eyes. “It is well known that the biha users from the Duchy of Caroline are powerful,” he said with a hesitant breath, as if unwilling to believe the possibility because it would become a variable they could not control. “Perhaps they are more powerful than the suppressors.”

╔═════════════════ ∘◦ ♔ ◦∘ ═════════════════╗

“It doesn’t let you select the language,” Beks said as she looked at the floor of the library. The first page projected onto the floor of the tablet they’d inserted into the carefully cleaned niche was written in High Berup, and disappointment tugged at her.

“Try another one,” the Second Prince said without looking over his shoulder. Jonas nodded and pulled the stone tablet from the niche. He blew over the back of another tablet and stuck it in. The light pearl pendant lights above the center of the room dimmed for a brief moment and then re-illuminated.

Beks’ lips tightened into a line. The text was still in High Berup. She took a deep breath and exhaled. “The tablets here may only be in High Berup.”

The Second Prince let out a low grumble of agreement. The Third Prince on her other side furrowed his brows. “Since the tablets in the plaza below seemed to be for commercial purposes, they may have the option of selecting a language due to trade outside the island.”

“We’re on the upper tier, which is typically reserved for nobility or aristocracy,” Jonas told them as he tried another tablet. “It could be that this was the private library of a powerful person.”

Beks took another deep breath. “Then, for now I’ll study the languages in the lower tier.” She closed her eyes and lifted a hand to her forehead. “Having something to write on would be useful.”

“Have you tried writing on leaves, my lady?” Jonas said. “You can use a small, sharp stick to write on the leaves to take temporary notes.”

“I’ll do that, Jonas, thank you,” Beks replied, giving him a small nod.

“All right, the food is going to get cold,” the Second Prince said as he put his good hand on Beks’ shoulder and gave her a little squeeze. “Are you not the least bit hungry?”

Her hand rose to her stomach. She’d been so distracted; she’d forgotten about her hunger. “A little.”

“Then let’s go eat lunch first,” the Third Prince told her.

“Jonas, come and pick up Gerard’s meal,” the Second Prince said as he took Beks’ hand and led her out of the room.

“Yes, Battalion Commander.”

Outside, Snowflake was once more coiled and asleep. Beks sighed and pulled away from the Second Prince to hug the horned serpent and press her face against his body.

“No luck, Snowflake. I will need to learn High Berup.” Snowflake flickered his tongue in acknowledgement. “Can you gather large leaves for me to use as paper?”

The serpent began to move and Beks let him go.

“I told him to get us some meat and he ignored me,” the Third Prince said with narrowed eyes.

“Beks is more important than you,” the Second Prince replied in a cool voice. Beks chuckled and grasped the Third Prince’s arm, tugging him forward as they followed behind the Second Prince.

“I am very thankful to you for sending Snowflake to me, Third Prince.”

“Beks, can you call me by my name?” he asked with a tired sigh. “We’re not at the palace. You needn’t be so formal.”

“Brother Lucian, then.”

“Lucian is fine.”

“And Beks, call me Laz.”

“Are you sure you don’t want the honorific?” Beks asked. She wasn’t used to calling others without it. Only Luther was called by his name during informal occasions because he was younger than her.

“I’m sure,” Laz replied as he looked over his shoulder. “You don’t have to be so formal with us.”

She furrowed her brows and sighed. It was difficult for her to lose all her formality, though. She was so used to it, especially with people who were from the palace.

“What about if I call you Battalion Commander?”

Laz let out a small snort. “Then you should be prepared to train and go into battle under my command.”

Gerard and Jonas spoke highly of Laz, but also of how strict he was as a leader. Beks decided against it. She looked at Lucian. “Should I call you by your title as a priest?”

At once, Lucian’s face dropped. His eyes narrowed and he gave her a firm look. “Do not call me Father Cian.”

Beks nodded. “Understood.” As she walked along with him, her brows knit together once more. “Lucian?” “Hmm?”

“Considering that your caravan was attacked by paladins, after this...do you plan to return to the Temple?”

“No.” Both twins replied at once with determination in their voices. Beks’ brows shot up for a moment.

“Lucian didn’t plan to stay in the Temple forever,” Laz told her.

“The only reason I went to the Temple was because Mother made me go, but I never planned to spend the rest of my life in it. Once Brother Laurence became King, I planned to leave the Temple and come back,” Lucian replied. He took a deep breath and shook his head. “The Temple is not as pure and generous as layman believe. I’m tired of navigating the internal politics of some of the most arrogant, self-righteous people you’ve ever met.

“If one doesn’t pick a side to join and support, then ostracization is inevitable. There is also a very strict internal hierarchy and many of those from poorer backgrounds have difficulty obtaining higher positions. They prey on orphans, training them to be loyal to the Temple and do difficult work that clergy from wealthier backgrounds would not do. All paladins are orphans, Beks. Trained from the moment they’re taken in to become soldiers loyal to the Temple. As long as their reasons are validated by the Temple or their handlers, they are capable of anything.”

Beks lowered her head, frowning. “It’s good that you planned to come back.”

Lucian raised a hand and placed it over hers. “Laz also planned to come back.”

This surprised her. She drew her head back and looked at the tall man in front of them. “You, too? But I thought you loved leading your battalion.”

“I’ve done enough,” Laz said with a dismissive wave of his arm. “I also planned to return once Brother Laurence took the throne. I can assist him at his side.”

For a moment, Beks felt her heart tighten. If everything had gone as plan, then the twins would’ve come home without a problem.

“Don’t feel bad for something that hasn’t happened,” Lucian said as brought her closer and rested the top of his head against hers. “Our situation now is not permanent.”

“Once Brother Laurence is well, we will take the kingdom back from Luther and his father,” Laz told her. “There is a lot to do, but this is not something we can rush into. You need to prepare.”

Beks nodded her head once. “I know.” She followed them back to the top tier to eat lunch and then went to gather leaves to write on with Snowflake. Since it was his idea, Beks dragged Jonas along, and the two of them assessed different leaves, to see which ones would be easiest to write on.

She initially thought he meant gathering large, broad leaves and then scraping into them with a sharp tool, but he also gathered palm leaves that had fallen to the forest floor and turned yellow. Using a small knife of his own, Jonas cut out even strips. He also fashioned a stylus to use, and once they had a sizable amount of leaves, he went to the kitchen to prepare soot ink.

“I’m impressed with the abilities of your men,” Beks told Laz as they ate dinner.

“Jonas has a particular love of stationery,” Laz replied. He gave her a firm look. “Although you have the tools for your review and to learn to read a new language, do not forget about everything else.”

Beks was a bit insulted. “Even I have my limits when working on such things.”

“Yes,” Lucian replied as he poured her some water. “However, your limits are different than others. When you have a drive, you will put all your effort into it. There were days when we didn’t see you because you were so focused on learning.” “I don’t want to see you skipping meals and foregoing sleep,” Laz added with a frown.

Beks sighed and shook her head. “Learning High Berup and gaining access to the information in the tablets in the library is important, but I won’t forget to eat and sleep.”

╔═════════════════ ∘◦ ♔ ◦∘ ═════════════════╗

“Rebecca Anastasia of Caroline, do you know how long you’ve been awake?” As Laz spoke, Beks could feel her skin crawl. Her eyes crinkled up and she sat on the floor in place and refused to turn around.

She could already feel the oppressive gazes of both Laz and Lucian behind her.

“Not too long,” she answered. It was difficult to tell time, after all. The room didn’t have windows.

“You were missing from your bed this morning. If Snowflake weren’t at the entrance, we wouldn’t know where you went,” Lucian said. “Do you know how late it is?”

Beks let out a heavy sigh and turned around, sliding her body to face them. “It can’t be that late.” She just had breakfast and not long ago, Laz had loomed over her to make sure she ate the dinner he brought to her.

The twins’ gazes seemed to harden. “It’s dawn.”

Her lips pursed. She scowled and didn’t believe them. “Dawn? Are you certain?”

Lucian raised a brow. “Shall we step outside to watch the sunrise?”

Beks shrank down. This wasn’t the first time she’d stayed in the office so long, losing track of time and forgetting to sleep. She lowered her eyes and looked around where she sat. She was surrounded by a blanket of massive green leaves and bundles of dried palm leaves, all of which had various scribbles from soot ink. There were pieces of leaves that had been shredded to form small ropes to tie the bundles of leaves together.

The broken clay plate she was using to prepare ink was still wet. She’d added water to it throughout the day. The tips of her fingers were stained with dark soot ink. Everything was spread around her on the floor, but not on the open area where the text was projected from the light pearl above.

If someone walked in without knowing what she was doing, it was a chaotic scene. Even Jonas, who had come that morning to assist her in preparing leaves and ink, would not know where to start. However, he’d left some time ago.

Laz had come by to give her food and she’d eaten, but had been distracted the entire time. Her Classic Esuser was passing, but there were some archaic characters she didn’t recognize. Every time Lucian came to check on her, she had a list for him to translate.

After she reviewed a page of Classic Esuser, she’d change the language to High Berup and painstakingly try to pair the words together. Of course, no language could be directly translated verbatim, so using what she had accumulated, she would go to another page in High Berup and attempt to translate it.

It was decoding one system to use it to decode another, and the process had been slow and grueling. All her thoughts were on decoding words, rearranging them, or making notes on leaves to check if words meant what she thought they did.

There were dozens of scrapped leaflets with misidentified words scratched out.

She’d also come to realize that High Berup didn’t have a grammar system like Classic Esuser.

However, she could not rid herself of the feeling that learning High Berup would give her access to information she couldn’t get anywhere else. This alone was enough to push her.

Lucian carefully stepped around the piles of leaves and knelt down next to her. “Beks, you’ve been obsessed with High Berup for days now. You need to rest.”

She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. “I don’t know where else in the world I can learn this language. I don’t know if another such place exists,” she said in a tired voice. “So, I need to learn it here.”

“We understand that, but you can’t spend days in a secluded chamber, focusing on nothing else,” Lucian said in a soft voice. “You need to give your mind a rest or it’ll get tired. You won’t be in peak learning condition if you’re fatigued. You’ll miss things and make errors that will cost you time and effort later.”

Beks took another deep breath. She knew he was right. When she was a student, she would hit what her instructors called a ‘block’, where although she was reading something, she was not processing it. In the end, she would need to remember the text she was reading and re-read it to understand what it was saying.

It would’ve been much worse if her memory was not what it was.

“It is the same thing in battle, isn’t it?” Laz asked from the doorway. He crossed his arms and leaned against the stone slabs framing the door. “How can an exhausted soldier continue to fight? Their bodies are too tired, their minds are muddled, and their reaction time is severely slowed.”

“Laz, this isn’t a battle.”

“Isn’t it?” he asked, raising a brow when she tried to protest. He glanced at the leaves spread around her. “It is just as chaotic as the battlefield.”

She frowned at him, but felt Lucian’s hand over hers, prying her ink-stained stylus out of her hand. “You need to sleep.”

“All right, fine,” she agreed. She looked around and began to push away some of the leaves around her.

“What are you doing?” Laz asked with a frown.

“Clearing a space. I’ll sleep here.”

Lucian immediately frowned. “Beks!”

“No, you will not.” Laz pushed himself away from the doorframe and walked inside, a stern look on his face as he uncrossed his arms. As he put his foot down on top of some of the scattered leaves, Beks let out a cry.

“My notes!” She almost lunged forward to gather them, but Lucian caught her and brought her back.

“You can re-organize them later,” he said as Beks extended her hands to try to stop Laz. The younger twin looked up at his sibling. “Can you step around them?”

“And put my feet where?” Laz asked in an irate voice. “Do you see any empty space where I can step?”

“I’m still using those notes for reference!” Beks cried out in protest.

“Then next time, you will keep your notes together so as not to be in the way.”

“I didn’t expect you to step on them!”

“I didn’t expect you to forget to eat and sleep.”

“Lazarus!”

“If you are not going to take care of your body, then we will do it for you.” Her eyes dilated as the man loomed above her. As Laz was usually so doting and gentle to her, she didn’t see his ‘battalion commander’ side directed at her until now. A small voice in the back of her head unwillingly praised him for being both an admirable example of a leader, and a leader who made his soldiers follow his orders, just by standing. “You are going to go back and sleep.”

Beks remained where she sat, her face slowly heating up.

Lucian sighed beside her. “Beks, you can’t sleep here again.”

She lowered her eyes. “Whether I sleep on the floor here or on the floor in the rotunda, does it matter?”

“Yes. The rotunda has fresh air and woven mats Lucian made for you to sleep on,” Laz told her. “Don’t let his hard work be in vain.”

Beks stared at the floor with the light shining on it in front of her. “I may have been sitting here too long.”

“We’ve already told you that,” Lucian said as he began to stand. He offered his hand. “Do you need help getting up?”

Her face was burning almost as much as it did when she had a flare up. “I can’t get up.”

The twins both cocked their heads. “What do you mean?”

“I mean I can’t get up.” She grabbed her thighs. “I lost feeling in my legs from sitting.”

Lucian let out a low breath. “I knew we should’ve come earlier.”

“Move aside.” Laz took another step forward and bent down. Beks’ eyes went wide and she held out her arms.

“No! Your hand-” “I can carry you without a hand.”

“You don’t need to carry me!”

“If you can’t stand, let alone walk, how do you expect to get back to the rotunda?” Lucian asked, exasperated.

“Snowflake!”

“Snowflake can’t fit inside.”

“Just give me a few moments to stretch my legs,” Beks said, rubbing her legs to try to regain feeling.

“Don’t be stubborn.” The older twin was already bending down.

Beks paled. “Laz! You have a stomach wound!”

His movements were fast, even with only one hand and a recovering injury. One moment, she was trying to sit up and the next, she was heaved over his left shoulder, legs hanging in front of him as her torso was draped over his back. At once, she wanted to struggle to be released.

“Laz, I’m not a small person-”

“If you struggle, you could injure me.” His single sentence made her entire body freeze in place, terrified that if she moved the wrong way, she really would hurt him.

To the side, Lucian looked impressed. “You got her weak point.”

“Well, I should’ve learned some sort of strategy by now, shouldn’t I?” Laz turned around and carried Beks over his shoulder.

Neither twin could see her scowling face as she was carried along. “This is ridiculous.”

“Ridiculous is leaving you to spend days straight in a chamber.” Laz admonished heartlessly.

“I wasn’t in there for days!”

“Beks, we weren’t going to let you,” Lucian said in a droll voice. “You are usually better at taking care of your health than this. I would expect that as an adult, you wouldn’t become lost in your studies anymore.”

She grit her teeth and didn’t answer immediately. When she was a child, so much was expected of her. The fact that she could memorize text at a glance only made those expectations greater. Piles of books were often given to her to memorize overnight. In order to meet the expectations of her instructors, and the late Queen, there were times when Beks wouldn’t leave her room.

She’d even send away servants bringing her food or coming to prepare her for bed. Royal intervention was often needed to ensure that she ate, slept, and even bathed properly. As she grew older, and the work she was expected to do changed, such periods where she knew nothing else but studying were few and far between.

It was rare that she’d spend days straight poring over documents to try to find a suitable answer that would be beneficial to the most people.

But she supposed that didn’t change how, for lack of a better term, obsessed she became with finding resolutions that she’d neglect her well-being. If she were being honest, she was also surprised that she allowed herself to get lost in her research so easily.

“There is so much information waiting for me,” Beks said as they carried her outside. The morning sunlight hit her and Beks winced, turning her head away.

“Why are you in such a rush?” Lucian asked. “Laurence will take time to heal in Sagittate and you must have faith in your family’s ability to survive.”

“Even if I have faith in them, that doesn’t mean I don’t want to see them,” Beks said. “My father and brother will be able to hold their own easily, but I’m most worried about my mother. She has Thad and Wrath with her.”

“If the Duchess could not protect them by herself, she would have sent them with your father or brother,” Laz said as they passed Snowflake.

“Snowflake, let’s go back,” Lucian told the serpent as he patted his side. “Don’t let Beks stay for too long. She’s barely eaten and she hasn’t slept.” Snowflake flickered his tongue, but otherwise didn’t answer.

“You can put me on Snowflake now,” Beks said.

“I’ll carry you the entire way back.”

“Lazarus!” She shifted once more to protest, but his voice cut her off.

“You’re going to aggravate my wounds.”

She froze once more and glared at his back. Helpless, she allowed herself to be carried back. They went around the main building to get to the pool rotunda. Near the ledge where she slept there were three woven mats that Lucian had made for her piled on top of each other. It wasn’t necessary to have a blanket with the heat, but the mats did give her a little cushion.

Next to it was a bundle of cloth that was Lucian’s priest’s garments. She was using it as a pillow now. Next to the ledge was another woven mat, but it was rolled up.

She sighed as Laz bent down and deposited her onto the ledge. Her hair had fallen over her face and Lucian sat beside her and brushed her hair back.

“Although it’s already dawn, you haven’t slept for an entire day and night. Don’t you feel the least bit tired?” “No, I didn’t notice so much time had passed,” she replied. She really didn’t. Lucian sighed and gave her a disapproving frown.

“Then, go to sleep. We’ll wake you up for lunch.”

“If you need to cover your eyes, tie Lucian’s robe over them,” Laz said. He grasped the rolled up woven mat that was leaning against the ledge.

“I already have three of those,” Beks told them. “You don’t need to give me another one.”

“This one isn’t yours,” Laz said. “It’s mine.”

Beks knit her brows together. “Why did you bring it here?”

“We’re going to sleep here.”

She drew her head back and looked at him and then at Lucian. “In the rotunda?”

“There is enough room,” Lucian replied.

“Isn’t this rather inappropriate?” Beks asked as Laz rolled out the woven mat on the floor next to the stone ledge against the wall where she slept.

“Are you uncomfortable with us?” he asked as she watched him.

She shook her head. “No, not with you, but is it necessary for you to sleep beside me?”

“It’s a precaution,” Lucian replied. He leaned back against the wall beside her. He didn’t seem to show any signs of moving, either.

Beks frowned. “A precaution for what? I haven’t done anything wrong.” The twins turned to her simultaneously and gave her dull looks. She drew her head back, but stood her ground. “I haven’t!”

“Since you started trying to decode High Berup, you have missed several meals and we’ve found you sleeping on the floor surrounded by tablets and leaves twice already,” Lucian said. “You’re not taking care of yourself if you work until you pass out.”

“I did not pass out,” Beks replied as she lifted her chin. “I was sleepy, so I took a quick nap.”

“If Snowflake was not coiled outside the building, we wouldn’t know where you were,” Laz told her.

“Well, where else would I be? The lower office is the only place where we’ve found tablets that allow me to select a specific language,” Beks said, making a vague hand motion in the direction of the office.

“Yes, and it’s not going anywhere, so there is no rush,” Lucian replied with a raised brow. “Beks, we’re not complaining that you’re spending too much time there. We understand what your goals are and they’re admirable.”

“What we’re concerned about is that you’re spending so much time there that you’re neglecting your health,” Laz told her with a firm look on his face. Beks could see the shadow of Uncle Timur on his angular features when he scolded her. “You haven’t been eating properly and you haven’t been sleeping well.”

“We’re no longer at the palace where we have access to medical staff and pharmacists, or even clerics for healing,” Lucian said as he raised a hand and stroked her hair back. “In addition, our current environment is exhausting, so it is important that we take care of our health.”

Beks lowered her eyes. Her health was usually one of her top concerns considering her risk of flare ups, but after she woke up from the pool and found that any excitement, anxiety, or other emotion that came to an extreme did not instigate a flare up, she’d been more unrestrained. Her attention had been elsewhere recently, and she had to admit her obsession with learning a new language to find out what the tablets contained did make her negligent in other aspects.

However, Lucian mentioned a good point. If something did happen to her, if she exhausted herself, they had little resource to help her. She took a deep breath and nodded.

“I will be more careful and pace myself.”

“Good,” Laz said. He sat on the ground in front of her and patted her knee with his stub. “You can’t get revenge on that idiot Luther if you’re not well.”

Beks scowled. “I’m not trying to get revenge. I only want Brother Laurence to take his rightful place.”

“You can call it whatever you want,” Laz replied with a cheeky grin. “But don’t worry, we’ll be right there with you when you tear Luther from the throne.”

“He’s not going to step down easily, even if we have Brother Laurence,” Lucian said as he leaned back against the wall. “I wouldn’t be surprised if he and his father came up with some sort of excuse to stop Brother Laurence from returning.”

“Before we return, it’s important we look into the current situation and those involved,” Lazarus said. He took a deep breath and leaned up to touch Beks’ head. “But, let’s leave that for another time. You need to sleep.”

“I can sleep on my own,” she said with a small snort. “I’m not a child. I am fully capable of controlling myself. I have will power.”

“Oh, we believe it,” Laz replied with raised brows and a smile. “We believe that you have the will power to wake up well before dawn and go back to the lower tier to continue translating.”

Beks balked and narrowed her eyes. “I will not!”

“I don’t believe you,” Lucian said. He put his hands on her shoulders and pulled her down, so she was laying across the ledge with her head on his lap. “You’ve always been a studious child. I doubt that’s waned now that you’re an adult. If you have a goal, you’re restless.”

Beks frowned, but didn’t move, partially worried that they’d tie her down thinking she’d escape. “I can pace myself.”

“Yes, and we’ll help you.” Laz laid down on the woven mat beside her, raising his arms to cradle the back of his head. “Brother Laurence will be furious if we allow something to happen to you while we’re with you.”

Lucian leaned back against the wall with a slight smirk on his lips. “I’d hate for that to be the reason that he won’t allow the engagement.”

Beks, who’d just closed her eyes, shot them open at once. “Engagement? What engagement?”

“Our engagement,” Laz said, as if it were obvious.

She tensed up and couldn’t seem to breathe. She swallowed hard as her wide eyes stared at the stone ceiling above her. Laurence had approved the dissolution of the royal order engaging her to Luther, and the twins knew because she told them, but she didn’t mention that Laurence would change the engagement to one of them.

That was something Laurence should discuss with his brothers in person.

“How....”

“Our Egg Tart Monster is an important member of the court and must become an important member of the royal family.” Laz sounded teasing from below her. “Of course, the engagement will fall to us if it ends with that idiot younger brother of ours. That is exactly what Laurence would arrange.”

“It’s a difficult decision, we know,” Lucian said as he gently patted her head to try to relax her. “How can you pick between us?”

“I was going to leave that up to Brother Laurence....” Beks found herself admitting it without prompt. Her face heated up with guilt and she shut her eyes, as if hoping they’d ignore her. She hoped they didn’t think she looked down on them.

“You don’t have a preference?” Laz continued to tease her. It didn’t seem as if he took it that way. “After all I’ve cooked for you?”

“I can’t choose.” She wouldn’t. It would be unfair and she didn’t favor one brother over the other. They were both very good to her and she refused to wrong either of them.

“Well, no one said you have to,” Lucian said.

“That’s right, Beks. Don’t worry; Lucian and I are close. We don’t mind.”

She wasn’t sure she liked where this was going.

“You can marry both of us.”