“Yes, I’d been sent to Sirelis to speak with Queen Noemi Thrudesh-Vo and Prince Shey about the issue of the Empire,” Caelan started simply. That seemed like a safe answer. “I apologize for not being here to protect my people.”
“No! Your Majesty, no! If you’d been here, you’d be dead too, and we would have no hope,” Ophelia countered. A bright blush stained her ruddy cheeks and she looked away. “I’m sorry. I-I never served in Stormbreak. The closest I’ve ever been to the royal family is when you were in Carigset near the Ilon border, fighting fiends from the Ordas. I never thought I’d actually speak to you or Queen Amara.”
Caelan reached out and placed a hand on the woman’s shoulder and squeezed. “Let’s talk as soldiers would. I feel that I’ve spent more time fighting recently than being a royal. Please, tell me what you’ve heard happening in our kingdom. I learned the news of the attack on the radio when I reached Caspagir, and what news I’ve been able to gather since then has been unreliable. What do you hear? What have you seen in Hollowind?”
Ophelia nodded, her shoulders relaxing. “There has been little news out of Stormbreak other than a lack of food and medical supplies. It’s our understanding that the Empire has been hoarding the supplies for their own use and our people are starving. Other than that, there has been no word of fighting.”
“The rest of the kingdom?” Rayne demanded.
Ophelia shook her head. “Quiet as far as I know. We’re relatively far from things here, though we’ve gotten regular visits from the Empire since the attack on Stormbreak—all in the name of finding you. New Rosanthe soldiers have quickly taken out any with military or police training so there would be no resistance. Other than that, they largely leave us alone.”
Caelan slowly smiled. “And since you couldn’t match them head on, you went underground and formed your own militia.”
Ophelia’s answering grin was a bit crooked. “I wasn’t sure Your Majesty would approve, but I felt we had to do something. It also helped to organize the reckless youth and keep them from doing something stupid that would guarantee an end to their lives.”
“I appreciate your efforts. They will not be forgotten,” Caelan said, trying to sound as formal and regal as he needed to be. Apparently it was enough, because the look of wonder and awe returned to Ophelia’s expression.
“One question,” Rayne interjected. “When they were searching for Prince Caelan, did they ask about anyone else?”
Ophelia’s brow furrowed for a moment. “No. Who else would they be searching for? You don’t mean that Queen—”
“No,” Rayne quickly cut him off. “I’m sorry. I was referring to myself, Eno, or Drayce. We’ve been traveling as part of the His Majesty’s entourage. Searching for us could also be a way of finding Prince Caelan.”
Ophelia shook her head. “No, they’ve only asked for the prince.”
Caelan glanced over at Rayne, a thoughtful expression on his face. The wheels were definitely turning in his brain, but Caelan couldn’t guess at what he was thinking. Did he want to split up when they reached Stormbreak? If they were only searching for him, they might not notice Eno or Drayce entering the capital. Something to consider.
They spoke a little while longer about life in Hollowind, but Caelan was unwilling to give any particular insight into how he planned to get rid of New Rosanthe from Erya soil. He wished he could give Ophelia some rousing speech about how this would all be cleared up in a matter of weeks, putting life back to normal. But then, Ophelia was a former soldier. She didn’t need words of false hope. She seemed to only need the reassurance that steps were moving in the right direction.
Caelan wasn’t entirely sure what those steps were going to look like until he reached Stormbreak. Only when he was faced with his home with a knowledge of what resources were at his fingertips would he be able to finally act.
His only regret was that he couldn’t put his entire focus on the future of Erya. The Emperor wanted the power of all the godstones, and that reached far beyond the borders of Erya to touch all of Thia.
Would his people understand?
8
Drayce Ladon
Hollowind was not what Drayce would call a vacation spot. Even as the dreary sky started to brighten, revealing patches of pale blue, the town still clung to its gray and bleak aura. The smell of fish tainted the air, mixing with the salt from the sea as the wind blew up from the harbor. Every building they passed was old, as if nothing new had been built in the last fifty years. No growth. No change.
But even in the dreariness and austerity of the place, there were splashes of color on all the people. Everyone wore colorful clothes as if they’d decided to become walking rainbows. Vibrant blues, regal reds, flashy oranges, and of course, Erya green.