Snippet #2733198

”Now Shadow King, I’ll be taking my leave.”

“Hm, yes, very well.” Maelthra responded as he looked through. He waited for her to be out of the room as he looked at the guards. “The guards who haven’t been my friend since I was a child, leave me.” The guards were confused but most, save for two or three guards, left. When they did, he finally allowed what he was hiding from the princess to come out. Small, tears of joy.

“He had a family. A real family, just like he always wanted. Just like we talked about in the honey fields of Valinar. Do you remember those times my friend?” He said softly, before finally allowing the tears to flow. “You got the last laugh, Cain Azura. It’s painful to admit that.”

He continued to research the family tree. But the book only went as far as four hundred and one years. The Child Born on that time, according to the book, was spirited away when a tragedy of the House occurred. So there was one out there, possibly a year or two older then Clara, or maybe Maelthra. But what was the tragedy, and where did the child go? He knew the person to ask.

———

The Sun began to set, as Maelthra invited Clara to dinner. He didn’t bother to tell her why, it wasn’t to tease her or threaten her people, or try to ask her hand. Instead, he wanted to get to know her. That was part of it. He was sure she didn’t want to bother answering his questions either.

But when she would arrive he said what he rehearsed. “Evening your highness, I wanted to talk to you about, recent history as far as other Noble Houses across the continent are concerned, if you wish to speak of it. I’m asking about one House in particular. House Azura perchance?”