The Wicked House of Caroline

She was usually good at reading the situation and could interject her thoughts at the most opportune moment. It seemed she’d dropped her guard after being away from Kadmium and the pressures of the court the last few months.

Across from her, Laurence had an unreadable expression on his face. His eyes were looking directly at her as his hands rested on his knees.

Beks’ brows furrowed just a bit. “I assumed that was the natural course.”

“Natural course?” Laurence frowned and sat up straight. “Do you think that since your engagement with Luther was broken, you would have to marry another prince?”

Part of her did think that, but looking at Laurence now, she didn’t want to admit it. “It was something I considered, as a non-royal cannot live in royal grounds permanently.”

Laurence seemed to mull over this for a moment. He leaned back against the carriage seat and took a deep breath. After a few moments, he seemed to find his response. “It has never been my intention to engage you to another prince.”

Beks couldn’t help but sit up even straighter in her seat as she heard this. She knew when the twins mentioned it that there was always a chance that Laurence would not agree, but now that he actually didn’t, she was at a loss for words.

She didn’t think he wouldn’t consider it.

Beks felt a dullness in her stomach as she lowered her eyes. Did Laurence no longer find her useful? Had she failed him? She recalled her dream and the warmth and joy it filled her with knowing that the twins were with her.

“You don’t want me to marry your brothers....” Her voice was quiet, but laced with disappointment.

Laurence jerked his head back and immediately shook it. “No, that’s not what I said,” he replied in a firm voice. “I don’t want to force you into an engagement.”

She lifted her head. “Did my father speak to you? I told him it wouldn’t be forced.”

“No, he didn’t mention anything about....” Laurence trailed off and cocked his head. “Beks, are you saying that you’re willing?”

“I said it’s something I’d consider and if it came to it, I wouldn’t protest marrying the twins,” Beks replied.

Laurence let out a tired breath. “Beks, I don’t want to force you.” He leaned forward and gave her a beseeching expression. “I watched you through your entire forced engagement with Luther and you weren’t happy.”

Beks looked at him, a bit confused. “What did it matter if I wasn’t? I wasn’t miserable.”

A pained look reached his eyes and he shook his head. “I don’t want you to be miserable. You have dedicated your entire life supporting our family and even now....” He held out his hands in front of him as if speechless. “Beks, who do you think saved me?”

She tilted her head to the side. “Mommy-”

“You.” Laurence cut her off and met her eyes with firm ones. “Eleanor told me it was you who planned to smuggle me out of the Gilded Palace when everyone else believed I was going to die. It was you who had contacts waiting to take us away, and shield both her and I when I was at my most vulnerable. Yes, the Duchess provided the ship, but who put it in her mind to do so? You did.”

Beks lowered her eyes as they reddened. “Then why don’t you want me to marry Laz or Lucian?” Didn’t she do enough? Did she not react fast enough to protect him, so he had to get so sick?

“It isn’t that I don’t want you to marry them,” Laurence told her. “It is that I don’t want to trap you in another loveless engagement that binds you to the royal family. My mother, for however much she loved you, still took you from your home when you were three. You were not allowed to leave the city, let alone return to Sagittate.

“If you had married Luther, you would continue to live and work in the Gilded Palace, likely without rest. Even as a mere fiancée, you had more duties than the prince you were supposed to marry. What more when you actually become a Princess of Kadmus? Not only am I aware of the amount of work you would be doing, but the entire palace and the court are. Now that you are no longer engaged, you are free.” Laurence leaned forward. “Beks, you can go home. I won’t try to coerce you into remaining in Kadmium by marriage or duty. It is already too much for me to be depending on you to regain my throne that I stupidly lost.”

Beks frowned at once. “You didn’t lose it. You were conspired against.”

“By someone I underestimated. I made a mistake. One I won’t make again,” he replied. “But that doesn’t change the fact that you saved my life, Beks. I would’ve rotted away, trapped in the Gilded Palace if you didn’t think of a way to get me out and bring me here. You are my savior. How can I wrong you?”

She felt a bit wronged by him not being interested in an engagement between her and the twins, but she didn’t mention it.

“Then, after you retake the throne, what are your plans for me?” she asked. Did he need her to stay and help with the aftermath? No doubt that things would be chaotic and he would need people he could trust and depend on to settle things.

Laurence furrowed his brows and frowned. He leaned back against the seat and crossed his arms over his chest. “While I have general ideas, how exactly they will be executed remains dependent on how we take back the throne. If Luther willingly hands it over despite his support’s protests, which is unlikely, then I am not against pretending he had been confused and giving him minimal punishment.”

Beks choked. “After what he did, what he supported, you’re still willing to treat him lightly?”

“I said minimal punishment, not that he’d return to whatever position he had to begin with,” Laurence told her. “He’ll keep his title, but it will be empty. He won’t be allocated royal funds to support his lifestyle, however he chooses to spend it, and everything he currently has will be confiscated. He’ll be left destitute and sent to the far reaches of the kingdom to be kept under close watch.”

Royal banishment. Beks read about this in the books. It was typically done to royal children who were caught in a power struggle and whatever side they were on lost or they had no backing to support them. In order to prevent them from amassing support and becoming a threat to the monarch, they’d essentially be imprisoned in a distant royal villa.

But at least they’d be alive.

“If that is the case, what about the Third Consort?” Beks asked.

“Beheading.” Laurence didn’t dance around the subject. If anything, his direct response meant that he’d already decided that no matter how he regained the throne, the thorn in his side that likely supported his ‘death’, if not instigated it, would be killed as a precaution.

“The Hessings will protest.”

Laurence almost sneered as he looked out the window of the bumpy carriage. “If the Hessings still exist.”

Beks drew her lips inward and bit them. It was rare that Laurence would show a cruel, albeit practical, side. He’d given the Hessings a chance, as while much more diluted than Luther, he and the twins also carried Hessing blood through their shared mother.

It was a shame that the Hessings forgot about that and treated Laurence and the twins as the enemy.

“Are you going to do anything to the new oracle?” Beks prodded. “She is still a part of the Temple. And if she is named a legitimate oracle, then they won’t let her be killed.”

Laurence narrowed his eyes. “I was told that they are getting married. While their marriage wouldn’t negate her connection to the Temple, she would be legally bound to Luther. His crimes would be hers. Her best case with us is similar to Luther’s in that she’d be royally banished.” He frowned and rubbed his chin as he kept his eyes outside. “But my concern is the same as yours. The Temple may not stand for it. In fact, I would bet the treasury that they won’t. Punishing her for her involvement will be difficult.”

Beks narrowed her eyes as her lips tightened into a tight line. The new oracle participated in the assassination attempts, but in response, her family had killed the would-be assassins. Regardless of the reason, killing paladins wouldn’t go over well with the Temple. They were the Temple’s guard dogs, after all.

The paladins weren’t fighting in some holy war or valiantly defending a high-ranking priest or priestess. The Carolines would simply be called liars for claiming that the paladins were sent to kill them and likely try to make it seem as if they were getting revenge on the new oracle because the new oracle had come between her and her ex-fiancé.

The Carolines were a strong ducal family, but only in Kadmus. The Temple was a monolith across the continent.

Beks ground her teeth together. Putting the affair aside, how could she let someone attempt to kill her and her family and let them go?

“You know that she sent paladins to kill us?” Beks asked.

Laurence nodded once. “But it’s difficult to prove outside of your own witness accounts. It’s too easy for the new oracle to deny it.” His eyes flickered from the window to her. “If it were you, what would you do?”

Beks raised a brow. “She tried to have my family killed. She is a danger to them. What do you think?”

“The Temple won’t stand for it.”

Beks let out a small scoff and looked back out the window. “I’m starting to think the Temple is straying from faith.”

“That’s sacrilege.”

“Paladins tried to kill us first.”

“True.” Laurence let out a light chuckle. “When you act like a dog, you die like one.”

Beks tapped her foot. “And what about the extreme?” She looked back at him. “What if Luther doesn’t hand over the throne after finding out you’re alive and returning?”

“Obviously, I must retake it by force,” Laurence replied. “I will be gracious and give Luther a chance. If he refuses, or if any of his father’s cronies try to delegitimize me, I’ll have no choice but to destabilize his support base and rip the throne from his hands myself.”

“You will need information, resources, and a military,” Beks reminded him calmly.

Laurence’s lips curled into a knowing smile. “I have my sister,” he said. “Isn’t that what she is here for?”

Beks raised a brow. “You’re giving a lot of credit to someone who was willingly exiled.”

“Willingly is the point,” Laurence said. “If you and your family did not leave, it would’ve gotten...messy. You left to stall and to reassess the situation, and prepare for a subsequent attack. Your father and brother are military leaders, they know what they’re doing. Your mother built the largest piracy fleet in the known world, she can assess a situation well. And you...you have always been like this.

“When you came across a problem where you couldn’t produce an answer immediately, you would hide away and review everything related to the problem to try to come up with a solution. Your success rate was obscenely high and you were able to reference old laws, guidelines, even historical events. For all the pressure my mother put on you, she succeeded in making you the most important resource I as a king could have.” He held her gaze for a moment before leaning back. “And for your aid, I want you to have the freedom to choose your next marriage, if you so wish to marry. I owe you that much.”

Beks drew her lips inward once more. “What will you do if I return to Sagittate?”

Laurence gave her a wry smile. “I’ll do what I can and refer to other trusted advisors. Laz and Lucian have their own life experiences now and can be of aid to the crown.” He chuckled. “They certainly won’t replace you. And Eleanor will be sad if you leave.”

“Brother....” Beks began carefully. “I want to spend time with my family, but I feel I can be most useful in Kadmium.”

Relief filled his face at once. “Thank the gods.” He leaned forward and ran a hand down his face. “I know I'm doing the right thing by giving you your freedom and releasing you from your duties, but I won’t lie to you. I do wish for you to stay and continue in an advising role. No one can replace you, at least not after we retake the throne.”

“You will need as much help as possible,” Beks agreed. “I am willing to continue in an advisor position. What else can I do with everything I’ve learned and been trained for? It would all go to waste.” She’d be frustrated.

“Yes, but you should take time to visit your family in Sagittate.”

“Of course,” Beks said. “I’ve not yet spent enough time with them. Daddy still wants to go on a family trip. I also need to go to the island.”

“The island?” Laurence tilted his head to the side. He sat up straight. “The one you washed up on after the assassination attempt?”

“Yes, where Laz and Lucian are right now. If everything had gone according to plan, a group fleeing the Giant’s Ridge should’ve arrived to populate the island, providing they were able to get through the barrier,” Beks said .

She tried to explain it better, moving her hands in front of her as if there was a map of the island. She explained the current that moved ships and the dense fog that shielded the island whenever a ship got too close.

Laurence’s eyes lit up with interest when he heard about the ruins. It had been an interest they both shared.

“And you couldn’t recognize the architecture?” He was on the edge of his seat, almost as excited as a child learning a new game.

“Not by itself. There are certainly elements that I’ve seen in pictures for some of the coastal kingdoms, but it feels inherently unique. I am guessing that the structures were also built in accordance to the island’s landscape and weather.”

“Of course, of course, those must be taken into consideration for both safety and longevity of a structure.” Laurence agreed with a thoughtful nod. He tapped his foot, impatient. “Beks, when the matter of the throne is settled, I’d like to see the island.”

“Of course, Brother. You are always welcomed there,” Beks said. She admittedly knew she sounded as if she owned it. “Regarding the island, once it is revealed, I have discussed with the Dranga Elders...for their safety and the safety of the island, they would like to become a territory officially governed by Kadmus so as not to be attacked by other kingdoms or principalities in a grab for territory.”

Laurence’s brows shot up. It was rare that an independent place would ask for such a thing, but all things considering, it seemed to make sense. The island needed protection.

“If they are willing,” he said. “I will name a governor for the island. As you are familiar with the elders, I will refer to you for this.”

Beks nodded and then paused. “Brother, what if they want to give me governorship of the island?”

Laurence raised a brow. “It’s a bit surprising. Is there a reason?”

“Elder Arash believes I am an Inheritor,” Beks said. “She says that their ancient motherland was led by someone with both a spirit core and a biha well.”

Laurence nodded. “And you have both.”

“Yes.”

He stroked his chin. “I don’t see how this is a problem. You washed up on the island and found the ruins.”

“Laz and Lucian helped, as well as Jonas and Gerard.”

Laurence waved his hand dismissively. “They couldn’t find ruins if they ran into them. I’m sure they only found them because of you.”

Beks’ lips pulled into a line. He wasn’t wrong. “Then, I will assist in governing the territory on behalf of your crown.”

Laurence nodded with agreement and then slowly came to a stop. His eyes flickered to Beks’ face and then to the streak of orange in her hair. He seemed to be lost in thought for a moment and Beks cocked her head. She called his name and he jerked to attention.

“I tried never to pay too much attention to that prophecy,” he said. Beks raised a brow.

“Which one?”

“The daughter with dawn in her hair,” Laurence replied as he looked back at her orange streak. “You just told me that there is a piece of land that would like to become a territory under Kadmus,” he said carefully. He met Beks’ eyes. “Turn a kingdom into an empire.”

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

She felt the cave before she saw it. It wasn’t the biha pouring out of it, though there was something in the air that made her skin tingle. Rather, it was the humidity.

The Mouth of the Valley was the cave where the river that cut through the Sacred Valley originated. It was a jagged cliff face with a massive cave. Within the top of the cave walls, there was a large hole where water gushed out into a waterfall that fed the river. However, behind the veil of water, there was a deeper cave.

Inside the cave were pools that were fed from water from three geysers deeper in the cave. The closer one got to the area, the more humid the air was.

The carriages stopped at the top of a cliff overlooking the falls and the Mouth of Valley cave. In order to get to the cave entrance, they had to walk down a gently sloping path along the cliff side, down to the river, and then around a path that went behind the falls.

It was a well-used ceremonial and healing site, but access to the inner cave required ducal permission. Visitors could only view the Mouth of the Valley from the pathway outside the falls.

Beks, almost appearing as a round bundle in fur, followed her parents and attendants down the path. Thirnir, the duchy’s knights, flanked them and lined the walkway leading all the way to the falls. The closer they got, the warmer it became, and Beks began to shed her layers. An attendant followed to collect her clothes.

By the time they reached the inner cave, she was down to her loose, long sleeve dress and was rolling up the sleeves.

“The water here is all bihar-rich,” Robert said as he stood on the platform before the stone steps that lead into a series of curved walkways that went around the numerous pools. “Any of them should do.”

Beks knelt down and touched the water. She wrinkled her nose. It was quite hot. The closer to a geyser, the hotter the water. She looked towards the pool closest to the entrance and furthest away from the geysers. “What about that one?”

“That’s the one we usually for ceremonies. The water hits at about waist height in the center, though it’s shallower around the edges,” her mother replied. “How deep must they be submerged?”

“I’m not sure, but the marking itself must be completely submerged,” Beks replied.

“It should be fine, then,” Robert said as he shrugged off his coat and handed it to one of his attendants.

“Daddy,” Deo stopped him as he stepped down on to the stone path. “Are you sure you want to go first?”

“You are the heir to the duchy,” their father replied in a firm voice. “If anything happens to me, you must be safe. Besides, I’m your father. We don’t know the risks of this yet, so I should go first.”

Deo knit his brows together, but nodded and stepped back. He looked at Beks, who wore a serious look on her face.

“This is my first time doing this,” she said. “If Daddy starts to show any signs of pain, I’ll stop.”

“Don’t force yourself,” her mother said. “We will figure out something else if you are unable to remove the markings.”

Deo nodded in agreement. “The Dranga Elders may be able to change Daddy’s suppression marking, as well.”

“Yes, but we still need you to gain access into Kadmus,” Beks told them as her eyes hardened. Even if this was just a test, she needed it to succeed. Having her father and brother to assist with retaking the throne could almost replace the need for hundreds of people.

She followed her father down the path and when they reached the pool, her father waded in. Beks took off her leather boots. An attendant came to get them so they wouldn’t get wet by the edge of the pool. Her mother, brother, and Laurance remained on the wooden walkway overlooking the pool.

By now, the sun had risen and the morning light came through the falls, illuminating the inner cave. Beks had clear sight of her father’s markings. He had removed his shirt and held out his arm.

Beks waded near him and as she took his wrist and inspected the exile marking, her father gave her a serious look.

“If you feel any sort of discomfort, stop,” her father told her the same thing she told her mother and brother.

“If it gets to be too much, I’ll stop,” Beks replied without meeting his eyes. Giving up because of a small bit of discomfort would be a waste of their time.

Her father hesitated, but nodded. “What should I do?”

“Can you float on your back, submerging the back of your neck and your arms?” Beks asked.

Her father nodded and leaned back into the water. Beks stood to one side and took a deep breath. Like she had done before in the rotunda, she released biha through her hands.

Her father’s eyes were open, looking up at the ceiling. Almost as soon as she released her biha, her father’s eyes widened.

“Beks....”

“I know, it’s a lot. Laz and Lucian told me,” she said. “It’s fine, Daddy. My biha well is deep.”

Her father furrowed his brows a bit, but didn’t stop her. Beks kept her eyes on her father’s exile marking. It remained dark and vibrant, without a hint of fading. At least, she thought it was supposed to fade. Since Beks had been unconscious when her exile marking disappeared, she didn’t know how exactly it happened.

All she knew was that when she woke up, it was gone. When Lucian found her, it had already disappeared.

She narrowed her eyes. Perhaps she needed more biha?

She increased her output.

Her father’s chest visibly rose as he took in a sharp breath. “The water is dense with biha, now.”

“Hmm...” Beks hummed, but frowned when the exile marking remained the same, as if it were mocking her failure. “What if....” She grasped her father’s forearm with one hand and cradled the back of his neck with the other. Still submerged beneath the surface of the pool, Beks poured even more biha directly from her hands onto her father’s skin.

This time, Robert shifted in the water. He tensed and she heard her mother call out.

“What’s wrong?”

“It’s fine!” Robert shouted. “I just didn’t expect this....”

“Does it hurt?” Deo asked.

Robert grit his teeth. “I wouldn’t say it hurts....”

“Your expression says it’s not comfortable,” Laurence said. “Beks, how are you feeling?”

She’d shut her eyes in an effort to focus all her biha through her hands. “Fine,” she said behind gritted teeth.

It wasn’t convincing, but since at most, she looked focused, no one stopped her. They couldn’t know that the amount of biha she was expelling seemed to hit a wall. If she could describe it, it was as if the corridor she was channeling the biha to had clogged once it reached her father.

Robert’s brows knit as his eyes shut.

“How does it feel?” Deo asked.

“I can’t absorb any more biha,” Robert replied. He unclenched his teeth and frowned. “My biha well is full.”

There were a few murmurings above them, but Beks wasn’t paying attention. She continued to force biha into her father despite his wellbeing full. That was also what happened to her, wasn’t it? Her body could no longer hold all the bihar it absorbed, so she had biha explosion, which ejected her marking.

Robert took a deep breath.

“Does it hurt?” Beks asked.

“No. Keep going,” her father told her in a firm voice. “I’m fine.”

She didn’t think he was. Whatever he was feeling was causing him to sweat. Under normal circumstances, she would’ve stopped at once, but at the moment, she felt she’d come too far.

Beks continued to force biha into her father until he hissed. Beks looked down at her hands and saw a black cloud in the water. Her eyes widened and she moved her hand down his forearm. The black cloud in the water was coming from his marking.

I’m forcing it out...that’s what happened! The ink is biha rich and it’s being forced out because the body can’t absorb any more! As if she’d stumbled upon the answer, Beks focused all her biha on to her father’s markings.

Robert’s face was red and covered with sweat. He could barely stay afloat.

“Beks, I think that’s enough,” Deo called down.

“Almost done!” Her eyes were fixed on the marking that seemed to lift from her father’s skin like smoke. There was only a little shadow of the dark ink left. “A little more!”

“Is it working?” Laurence asked.

“Keep going!” Her father said as he grit his teeth. “It’s fine, I can take it! It’s nothing I haven’t had before!”

“Robert, you’ve been cut by swords and stabbed!” Sybil shouted. “What kind of comparison is that!”

“My daughter is almost done! Give her a moment!” Robert insisted.

Beks grit her teeth. A black inky cloud came from her other hand that cradled the back of her father’s neck. She could see part of it at her angle and it was almost completely faded.

“Daddy, hold your breath!” Beks said.

Robert did as he was told and Beks shoved him into the water, expelling as much biha as she could.

The water splashed around them, like a small explosion. Cries were heard from the platform above and Beks heard footsteps running down. She retracted her hands and saw her father’s pale, unmarked flesh.

A breathless huff escaped her as she stumbled back. “I did it....”

Robert shot up from the water, letting out the breath he’d held in as he lifted his hand to wipe the water off his face. As soon as his eyes were clear, he looked down at his arm.

“Hah...hah!” His loud laugh filled the cave as he turned towards Beks to show her his arm. “You did it! Snow Flower, you did it!”

Beks stood still, afraid that if she moved too quickly, her legs would give out and she’d fall into the water. She gave her father a single nod and he turned to the edge of the pool where his wife and son had rushed to. He lifted his arm proudly, showing it off as if he were bragging about his child’s art piece.

“It’s gone!” Deo unceremoniously snatched his father’s arm and pulled it forward, his eyes wide as he looked over the bare skin. He twisted his father’s arm, earning him a sharp glare before Robert pulled his hand back.

“What about your suppression marking?” Sybil asked. She knelt down and raised her hand to sweep aside his hair and look for the mark. Just like his arm, it was gone. Her eyes were wide as a breathless voice filled with awe escaped her. “Amazing....”

“All right!” Deo bent down and began removing his boots. “My turn!”

“Wait!” Beks held out her hand to stop him. As soon as she made the sharp movement, her legs faltered and she began to fall. Her father rushed out and grabbed her before she went under.

“Beks?”

“I’m fine! I’m fine! Just tired!” she said. “Give me a few minutes to rest. It’s a lot of energy exerted to remove the markings.”

Deo frowned. “Then we can do this another time. You should rest first.”

“No, no, I can do it now. I just need a moment to regain my strength.”

“And you can do that at home,” Deo told her. Their father dragged her weary body towards the edge and Deo began to pull her up.

“No! I’m fine!”

“You’re not fine if you can’t stand,” Laurence said above her. “Someone get her some towels. Beks, you are to rest for at least an hour.”

She tried to restrain a childish pout. “Fine.”

“And if you’re still unsteady in that hour, then we’ll wait two more.”

She choked and looked up at him with disbelief. “This isn’t as bad as a biha explosion.”

“It doesn’t matter,” Laurence told her. “If after two hours, you show the slightest hint of unsteadiness, we’re going back. We can return another day.”

Everyone around her seemed to nod in agreement, but Beks protested. “We came all the way here today!”

“It’s not far from the fortress,” her mother said as she knelt down and wiped Beks’ face. “You still need to remove my exile marking as well as your brother’s, so take your time to recover well and do it properly.”

Her mother’s words practical words subdued her and Beks nodded honestly. Her mother lifted her hand and removed all the water from Beks’ clothing before returning the mass to the pool. Now that she was dry, she could wear her furs again.

Robert climbed out of the pool and stretched out. Before anyone could stop him, he drew his hand back and let loose a stream of crackling fire that went through the falls. Water sprayed everyone and Sybil yelled at him to stop as she shielded Beks with her body.

Robert let out a laugh and beamed. “Did you see that, Sybil? I can use fire biha again!”

His wife lifted her hand and ran it down her face to wipe off the water before moving her hand to repeat the water collection process from everyone who had gotten splashed in Robert’s exhibition.

She glared at her husband. “You are lucky you are attractive.”

He grinned from ear to ear as Sybil reached out and pulled the water from his hair and clothes.

Laurence was looking at Beks with curiosity and she met his gaze. “Brother Laurence?”

“I can’t figure out why you can’t use biha directly as an element, but you can use it through a medium,” he said. “This isn’t life biha, right?”

Beks shook her head. “No, Lucian would’ve told me that at once.”

“It’s pure biha,” Robert said as he shrugged on a thin shirt. “Had I not known that Beks was the one releasing biha into the water, I would’ve thought it was bihar.”

Bihar specifically did not pass through a human. It was the most natural energy from the earth.

“But why water?” Laurence asked, looking confused. “Can she use it through air or earth?”

“Bihar moves far too easily through air, so it may be too difficult to control. Earth has the opposite problem in that it may not absorb the biha, but water is mutable enough for it to be dispersed and can be controlled,” Sybil said. She seemed to think for a moment. “Or in Beks’ case, it could be because she is a Lyone.”

Laurence looked confused and Deo turned to him. “Mommy’s Lyone bloodline has an affinity to water and sea creatures.”

“Some are stronger than others, and some may not have such an affinity,” Sybil said. “My aunt said that only half of men with the Lyone blood carry it, but more than half the women do. Beks may just have a natural affinity to water, so her biha can be spread through it easiest.”

“That’s true. It isn’t to say that Beks can’t disperse biha in other elements, but water may just be easiest,” Robert said as he stood beside his wife.

“But even if I can put biha into the water, I can’t control water,” Beks told them with a frown. This brought her back to her usual frustrating point: all that power with no way to use it. At least, not without something else.

She couldn’t very well travel with a retinue of different biha users or a pool for the rest of her life.

“Snow Flower,” her father said as he knelt in front of her. “You were able to do something that no other biha user was able to do. Do not think that your abilities are weak.”

“They’re not, but they are inconvenient,” Beks replied with a dull look. She let out a heavy sigh and nodded. “But you’re right. At the very least, I can do this.”

“It looks like you’ll have additional fire power when you retake the throne, Your Majesty,” Deo said as he looked at Laurence with a slight grin.

Laurence smiled and nodded. “I hope to retake it swiftly, with as little bloodshed and suffering of the masses as possible.”

“We want you to, as well, but those in power at the moment may not make it so,” Sybil said. “You should be prepared for blood.”

Laurence took a deep breath and nodded. “I am my mother’s son,” he said. “I was born into it.”

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

Beks opened her eyes as she heard the knocking come from her door. At once, the image of a memorized tablet disappeared and she refocused on her dark room. She furrowed her brows. How long was she reading that she didn’t realize it had grown dark? The daylight hours for that part of Sagittate were few.

“One moment,” she said as she rolled off her bed and put her bedroom shoes on. She felt around for the oil lamps and turned three on around the room. The large light fixture above her room hadn’t been lit, but the oil lamps would be enough.

It was a pain to have to lower the fixture down and light the candles. It was different if her brother or father could do it for her.

Once the room was bright enough, she walked to her door and opened it.

Lady Eleanor beamed and behind her Laurence smiled. “We brought you something good.”

Beks raised her brows and stepped aside, holding the door open to let them in. They walked towards the low round table with the chairs and chaise beside it.

“What did you bring me?” Beks asked as she closed the door.

The king and his fiancée took a seat on the chaise and Laurence put a book and a pile of papers on to the table.

“Your education has always focused on history, politics, and law,” Laurence told her. “You likely know all the nobles worth mentioning, especially anyone who has been in court, but outside of some basic information that everyone knows, you’re lacking in social knowledge.”

That wasn’t criticism so much as a fact. Beks never had a chance to look into all the nobles, especially more regional ones, due to time and lack of interest. Just the nobles who showed up often and she crossed paths within court were the most important to her, as they were who she had to deal with most often.

“I wasn’t allowed to leave the royal grounds,” she added. How could she socialize if she weren’t allowed to?

“Aside from safety concerns, the late Queen didn’t want you to be tainted by the foolishness of some of your peers,” Lady Eleanor said. “This also means she didn’t want you to be used as a pawn, especially when you were a child.”

Beks nodded and took a seat across from them. She knew that, as well. After all, if someone couldn’t manipulate an obstinate queen or her heir, there were other princes and Beks who could be turned into tools. It wasn’t a far-fetched idea, and even Luther had to be reminded by his father multiple times that so-and-so could not be trusted or to limit his contact with another’s child.

“I understand that,” she said. “But I mainly dealt with nobles in the city, and the high-ranking ones. They are the loudest in court.”

Laurence scowled with distaste. “Unfortunately,” he muttered. “Regardless, you are well aware that there is a social aspect to governing. So, we’ve brought you this.”

Lady Eleanor patted the thick book on the table and beamed. Beks craned her neck. It was a directory of nobility. She’d seen a few older copies in the Gilded Palace. The book referenced nobles by location, starting in the central region, which included Kadmium, and then going east to south to west and ending in the north.

Maps were included of territories and they were listed from Duke down to local lord. It was particularly useful for tax purposes.

What made this copy interesting was that there were pieces of paper wedged between pages that appeared to be notes. And the book’s title was in Sagittater, meaning the book itself was in Sagittater.

Curious, Beks reached forward and picked it up.

“We didn’t have one of our own, so the Duke allowed us to use this copy to begin compiling a reference of marriages and business connections,” Lady Eleanor told her. “Typically, the book just notes the territory, basic family information, and current leader and their heir, but it doesn’t cover whose child married into another family and what families are doing business with each other.”

Beks flipped through the pages and found that the notes were written in Jasper, but the text of the book was in Sagittater, as she expected. She looked up at the couple. “Were you able to read this?”

Laurence laughed as Lady Eleanor covered her lips to keep from laughing out loud. Laurence nodded. “We can’t speak it very well, but we can read Sagittater.”

Beks snapped her head. “You can read Sagittater? Since when?”

“For years,” Lady Eleanor said. “It was your mother tongue, so we thought it would be good to learn. In addition, it’s the mother tongue of the Caroline Duchy.”

Laurence nodded. “We read it better than we speak and hear it, though.”

Beks looked back down at the book and nodded. “I see...”

“But never mind that. How can that impress you?” Lady Eleanor said with a grin. “You speak several languages and read different scripts. You also just learned a new one after you cracked its code.”

“I had help,” Beks said. She really did. Lady Eleanor just gave her a knowing look.

“Take a look at the book,” Laurence said. “We’ve been pouring over it for days as we didn’t think you had enough of a reference. You need to know these for what we’re going to do.”

“Yes, you never know what information will be necessary,” Lady Eleanor told her.

Beks flipped through the notes and found them rather detailed, particularly where marriages that were for the sake of business were noted. Such information could come very much in handy.

“Where did you get all this information?” she asked. She knew that Nexus could get it for her, but that would mean she’d need to know where it started. She couldn’t have them do marriage and business checks with every single noble and aristocrat in the kingdom. That was a time-consuming process and Nexus was currently busy making Luther’s rule difficult.

“Eleanor,” Laurence said as he reached over and grasped his fiancée’s hand. He gave her a loving expression and Lady Eleanor nodded once.

“I am the future wife of this king,” she said, giving Laurence a teasing squeeze of his hand as she met his gaze. “As his spouse, this sort of social knowledge is something I need to know.”

Beks looked up. She hadn’t expected that considering Lady Eleanor was always practicing the sword and didn’t seem very interested in social gatherings. Then again, being interested and doing research about political necessity were different things.

“My lady has done a remarkable job,” Beks said sincerely. She squinted as she read the documents. “Incredible...even down to local lords who were given only titles, but no land.”

“Most of those are based on service they’ve done to the kingdom,” Lady Eleanor said. “They received a lump sum of money, as well, but what’s important is that many of them engaged in some sort of business.”

Beks noticed that as she scanned the papers. She recognized many names, but didn’t know that they were so intricately tied with other families to the extent they were. Someone’s wife was from one powerful family, and each of their children was married to someone of influence. Those people had extended family who married others to create a vast network.

Beks stopped as she looked over some papers.

“Kadmus doesn’t have surnames of saints or Esuser words,” Beks said as she narrowed her eyes. “There are some prominent families here who patron the Temple and it looks like some of their children had married orphans.”

Laurence tilted his head to the side. “How can you tell they are orphans?”

“When a child is placed into a Temple-run orphan, they received Esuser text surnames, like the new oracle or, if they are a boy and are raised to become a paladin, are given the surname of a saint with the titular ‘saint’ in front of it,” Beks said. “The paladin who I stabbed in the hand was surnamed St. Moore for example.”

Laurence frowned. “Perhaps it was a parent or someone in their line that had such a name and they carried it.”

Beks shook her head. She’d done a lot of reading. “Those surnames cannot be passed down, as they ‘belong’ to the Temple. It’s a badge of honor and even when married, they won’t change their surname.”

Lady Eleanor leaned forward and took one of the sheets Beks held out to show them. “The Halgers...they’re a count family and are well-known for patronizing the Temple. The Great Temple of Kadmium has a marble statue in their foyer that was paid for and donated by the Halgers.”

“The one with the gilded robe?” Laurence asked, raising a brow. Lady Eleanor nodded.

“They can do what they want with their money.” She shrugged.

“Two of their daughters and a son joined the Temple.” Beks continued to read as she looked over the paper. “The son joined the Koskeria Expedition ten years ago that went to search for the Muil Solar Stone, said to be the solidified heart of Saint Ingrid, the first priestess of Xeria.”

“The goddess of destruction?” Lady Eleanor asked.

“She’s more the goddess of order by rebirth or regeneration,” Beks said. “But since those only happen when there is destruction, she carries the unfair nickname.”

“Did they find the stone?” Laurence asked.

Beks raised a brow. “Weren’t you the one who wrote this?”

“Eleanor wrote it.”

Lady Eleanor sighed. “No. They didn’t. In fact, that son went missing along with the entire expedition.”

“I would think that after such a tragedy, the family would distance themselves from the Temple,” Beks said with a hum.

Lady Eleanor shook her head. “They’re always donating things, saying they are in the name of their son. The daughters left the family home and it is presumed they went to the Temple with their husbands or at least to the river basin.” Lady Eleanor frowned a bit. “But I always thought it was strange.” She shifted in her seat. “The son who disappeared was thought to be an illegitimate son, since before he was born, the Count and Countess were separated. Still, Count Halger had him listed as a child of the family. It wouldn’t seem so suspicious if it weren’t for the fact that while the other siblings were present for social gatherings, that son was not.”

“You’re saying he’s not favored.”

“Isn’t it strange that they’d give donations on behalf of an unfavored child? Who knows if he had voluntarily joined the expedition or if he was forced....”

“To get rid of him?” Laurence frowned. “But if it was a high-profile expedition by the Temple, wouldn’t it be seen as honorable?”

Beks raised her hand to her head and rubbed it as a slight throbbing came through.

“Are you all right?” Lady Eleanor asked at once.

Beks nodded as thoughts seemed to spring up in her head. “I’m fine,” she said. “But...I’ll need to keep these notes. There were six Muil Stones of Xeria’s six priests and priestesses. At least two of those relics are still missing, and one just recently.”

“Which one?” Laurence asked.

“My guess is the hand of St. Cormac,” Beks said. “Lucian and Laz said that a chest was empty in Lucian’s attacked caravan. A chest that should’ve been housing a relic. Where did they just come from? The St. Cormac shrine, where the holy relic that sanctified it was the petrified hand of St. Cormac.”