After seeing off Liliana, Riley and Austin returned to the gazebo and sat on a bench. There was less risk of being overheard here than in the crown prince’s room at the palace, but they still activated a magical device to prevent eavesdropping.
“Sorry to ruin your private time with your fiancée,” Austin said.
“It’s fine. She’s still only a candidate. You’re in a hurry, aren’t you?”
Austin scratched his cheek. “Not exactly, though I do need to head to the barracks later.”
“The barracks? Oh, right—you’ve got that test early next year.”
“It’s the shortest path I can take.”
The entrance test for the royal knights’ order was held twice a year, and Austin had eagerly waited to be old enough to take it. Riley assumed his red-haired friend was putting his all into preparing—at least until Austin shot him a devilish smile.
“Thought I’d squeeze in as much fun as I can before then.”
Austin’s propensity for messing around drew a sour look from the crown prince. “Quit it already. We both know you’re not the type to actually fool around. You’re still young, so the rumors about you aren’t too bad—but that behavior won’t fly once you enter high society.”
“There’s more value in what those noblewomen say than you’d expect. And as the second son, I’m more adaptable than my older brother. If you heard some of their gossip, you’d think they were more useful than my family’s own information network.”
Austin spoke without remorse—but not from experience. Neither he nor Riley was old enough to have entered high society.
The crown prince cracked a smile. “I can guess whom you heard that from.”
“My uncle,” Austin replied calmly, not bothering to hide it.
Riley shrugged in resignation. “Duke Ealdred won’t be best pleased if you take too much after your uncle.”
Austin frowned. His father, Duke Ealdred, wasn’t one to scold. Instead, he explained earnestly and logically why this or that was wrong, looking disappointed all the while. It never failed to make Austin feel uncomfortable.
“Just endure the lecture with me,” Austin said peevishly.
Riley laughed. “Like that time I visited your estate, you mean?”
“You were the culprit then,” Austin said, raising an eyebrow in disbelief. “If anything, I tried to stop you.”
“Nice try. You were just as enthusiastic about it by the end.”
Austin threw his arms up in surrender, unable to think of a counterargument. He and Riley had known each other since childhood, and they had done all manner of reproachable things under the guise of what they called “adventures.” They would sneak around the palace and the Ealdred estate, hiding from adults and exploring unused rooms, secret passages, and routes meant for servants. Not even locks could stop them—Riley had learned to pick them, letting the pair cover more ground than ever.
The boys’ antics ended when Duke Ealdred caught them, and they were promptly subjected to an hours-long lecture. It covered all manner of topics: why they shouldn’t act like criminals, Riley’s duty to become a role model, and Austin’s role in admonishing such behavior as part of his responsibility to the crown prince. The two rascals hadn’t gone on any “adventures” since.
“That takes me back,” Riley said, reminiscing about Duke Ealdred, who seldom left his duchy. “The duke is second only to my grandfather in teaching me how to carry myself as king. I haven’t seen him in a while; it would be nice to change that.”
“He’s doing well. He and my uncle have been playing chess.”
“He’s still on a winning streak, I assume,” Riley mused. His relaxed expression then turned serious, and he quietly asked, “How’s the duchy?”
Austin, too, cast aside his high spirits. “It’s bad,” he groaned. “My father’s racking his brain for a solution. It’s hard even to tell friends from foes.”
“Today’s allies could be tomorrow’s enemies, I suppose.”
“You know it,” Austin replied, then leaned closer to the prince. “The situation’s too chaotic. And to complicate things further, some who publicly claim to be on our side are secretly in league with the Arcacians.”
Two generations past, the king’s brother had been granted a ducal title after losing the fight for the crown. Some might have expected the matter to end there, but a problem remained: the king was born of a Yunatian princess, while his brother came from a Slivegrandian duchess of royal lineage. The Arcacians argued that this gave the duke a purer claim to the throne than his brother, whose blood was imperial rather than royal.
In the present day, this sentiment had led the Arcacians to insist that Duke Ealdred was the rightful candidate for the throne, and the current king’s weak constitution had only swelled their forces. The loyalists remained steadfast nonetheless, standing by their king and placing their hopes in Riley as his successor.
“All this even though my father says he doesn’t want to become king...” Austin sighed. Duke Ealdred had no interest in the throne.
“I guess they don’t care what he wants,” Riley said, forcing a smile.
“Those drawn to power act the same in any era. Even my father can’t ignore Lord Plaisted.”
House Ealdred and its related families controlled Arcacia, in western Slivegrandia, with Duke Ealdred at the top of its hierarchy. His younger brother, Lord Plaisted, was second in influence, and everyone knew of his admiration for the duke.
The way Austin had woven Lord Plaisted into the conversation brought an ambiguous smile to Riley’s face, followed by a sigh he couldn’t suppress. “This stuff makes my head hurt. There wouldn’t be a problem if His Majesty were in good health.”
Austin frowned, unable to ignore what he’d just heard. “How’s he been recently? My father said there have been ups and downs...”
“He’s seemed a little better these past few days, but it looks like he’ll never fully recover.”
“I see...”
The two lapsed into an oppressive silence. For the past half year, the king had been in poor health—and now, nobles he had just barely kept in check were springing into action, represented by the Arcacians. There was nothing Riley or Austin could do, yet they were caught in the storms of political instability whether they liked it or not.
After hanging his head, his brow tightly knit, Austin looked up with resolve. “There’s something else—a rumor about His Majesty.”
“What rumor?”
“You know how the doctor diagnosed him with depression and heart disease?”
Riley nodded, unsure what his friend was getting at.
Austin leaned close to the prince’s ear and whispered, “Could it be a hex rather than a simple disease?”
Riley’s eyes widened, and he leaned in even closer. “What makes you think that?”
“Just a rumor,” Austin said, easing his friend back to his original position.
The crown prince took a deep breath to calm himself. “Okay. I’ll advise His Majesty on how to proceed, taking the possibility of a hex into account. If all goes well, we might get the Minister of Magic involved. But you’d better not tell anyone until His Majesty recovers.”
“I won’t. But don’t get too deeply involved.”
Riley didn’t respond. Austin frowned, then decided it was pointless to press further and steered the conversation elsewhere.
“So, what about Lady Liliana? Why was she here if she can’t speak? Did you summon her?”
Lost for words, Riley shook his head, offering no further explanation. He looked a little uncomfortable. “She’s healthy—she just lost her voice to the fever brought on by the epidemic. That’s why Duke Clarke said I don’t need to refrain from summoning her.”
“That’s terrible,” Austin said, showing concern—though Riley couldn’t tell whether it was for him or Liliana. “Will her voice come back?”
“I hope so.”
“Huh.”
There seemed to be a hidden meaning behind the prince’s words. Riley shot a sidelong look at his friend, whose reaction might have seemed like disinterest, but he couldn’t see any trace of emotion.
“If she can’t speak, that means she can’t call for help if she’s in danger,” Austin said at last.
“I know, but there’s nothing I can do about it publicly. She’s not my fiancée—just a candidate.”
“Yeah, your top candidate. That’s pretty much the same thing.”
“Keep those thoughts to yourself.”
Austin looked at his friend, incredulous. “Besides, her father’s the Cerulean Flame himself. Do you really think he doesn’t have a stake in this?”
Duke Clarke, as the premier of the Kingdom of Slivegrandia, had been nicknamed “the Cerulean Flame” by the public. He had been appointed to the role by the previous king, who took notice of his political acumen. The two had originally been on very bad terms—Riley knew his best friend had mixed feelings about the situation—but Austin insisted the animosity had come entirely from Duke Clarke.
Duke Clarke’s talents were part of why Liliana became the top candidate for Riley’s fiancée, though it also helped that few other powerful noble families had daughters of a suitable age.
After some hesitation, the crown prince spoke again. “I learned from my grandfather, the previous king, that the king is a symbol of altruism—and that he would slay even the Demon King if necessary to protect his kingdom and his people.”
Austin raised an eyebrow at the roundabout answer but prompted his friend to continue.
“Do you know what Lady Liliana told me a few minutes ago?”
Riley took a piece of paper from his pocket and handed it to Austin. It read, in Liliana’s handwriting: “We ought to act in accordance with pride and self-respect. That is more important than feelings or personal desires.”
“Isn’t she younger than us?” Austin asked.
“She is, but I admire her way of thinking,” Riley said, a flush rising to his cheeks. “She took the same stance as the previous king, and he was a wise ruler.”
Austin returned the message without a word, unsure what to think. He knew how much the prince respected his grandfather, having likely spent more time with him while his frail father was absorbed in art.
“Well, I can’t argue with that,” Austin conceded. “Even setting aside her age, she thinks far more like a member of royalty than the other fiancée candidates.”
Riley looked satisfied. Austin had wisely avoided saying anything unnecessary.
“In any case, don’t feel like you have to bottle things up,” the red-haired boy said, clapping the prince on the shoulder. “If anything happens, come talk to me.”
“Of course. What would I do without a friend like you?”
On that note, the two rose from their seats.
“Watch yourself out there, Riley. I don’t like where things are going. You better not be dead next time I see you.”
“Who do you think I am? I’ve been inuring myself to poison for as long as I can remember. You’re the one who should keep an eye out.”
“You don’t need to tell me twice,” Austin said, a bold smile curling his lips.