“I know that.” Celeste gently moved Eliade aside. “He’ll be coming to the capital today. I should welcome him properly.”
***
That song I heard was a religious hymn called The Prayer of Sending. Most people call it the Melody of the Dead.
It was one of the fastest and deadliest coups in recorded history. The attack on the Empress came from the inside, orchestrated by one of Gwendolyn’s own Imperial Guardians, a man named Alexander Tremont. There was no declaration of war, so the soldiers weren’t mobilized, or even prepared at all. Gwendolyn’s remaining guards were able to take a few Carmine soldiers with them, including two of Anwar’s own Guardians, but most were either killed, or killed themselves before anyone else could.
Except Celeste. She hid until Anwar himself arrived in the capital, and attacked him during his coronation. Before she was killed, she threw a knife into Anwar’s left eye.
And while this made her a hero to the newly subjugated citizens of Myrrh, it wasn’t the smartest idea she’d ever had. It sent Anwar on a permanent warpath. He decided to stay permanently in Gwendolyn’s old palace, claiming Myrrh needed his “special attention,” and soon after, he made a few rounds around the country to ensure that no one believed he was vulnerable to attack. House Kasshen was his first stop.
***
The singing had not stopped for days. Sometimes it grew quieter, as if only a few voices were continuing, but then it would grow in strength again, to the point that the sound was overpowering, wherever Catalin was in the house. When Eliade pulled him into the Main Hall’s closet, he could still hear it clearly.
“Ellie—” Catalin whined, squirming in his sister’s grip.
“Shhh!” Eliade hissed, clamping a hand over Catalin’s mouth as the footsteps began to circle the Main Hall. “Catalin, please, be quiet…”
Her voice withered away as the footsteps planted themselves in front of the closet door. “You can come out, young lady. I know you’re in there.”
Eliade pressed Catalin against her tightly, shutting her eyes.
“Eliade, do as he says.” A different, familiar voice this time.
“Father?” Eliade blurted out. Seconds later, the door swung open.
Catalin looked up at the tall, impressive man clad in red and white that stood in front of them, beckoning for Eliade to step out. Though he was middle-aged, he had a dignified handsomeness about him – or at least, he would have, if not for the heavy bandages covering one eye.
“What are you doing here?” Eliade hissed, still holding on to her brother.
“Eliade,” their father snapped. “Do not speak to the Emperor in such a manner.”
“It’s perfectly all right.” Anwar regarded them calmly. “You have very handsome children, Henric. Which of them is to become the head of the family?”
Henric paused at length, ignoring the sob of his wife behind him. “The girl.”
Anwar clicked his tongue lightly. “It would not be wise to lie to me, Henric.”
Henric faltered, his gaze falling to the floor. “The boy was to be my successor, Your Highness.”
“Very well then.” Anwar nodded curtly. “Young lady, if you’ll give your brother to me?”
“Get out of our house!” Eliade looked around frantically for someone to back her up, for a guard to draw his sword in her defense.
“Eliade…” Their mother inhaled deeply. “It would be best to do as the Emperor says.”
Catalin began to squirm harder as Eliade’s arms tightened around him. “What are you going to do with him?”
“I assure you, young lady, your brother will come to no harm.” Anwar extended his arms. “But he’ll have to come with me. Now.”
“Ellie… Ellie…” Catalin freed one arm, pointing at Anwar’s bandaged eye. “What’s that?”
With a slight smile, Anwar pulled Catalin out of his sister’s grasp. “Would you like to know, Catalin?”
The singing trickled in through the open front door, disharmonious as ever, and, like a retreating tide, slowly began to recede.
***
The Imperial Guard
***
NOTES:
- This is the only chapter in the story with this much first-person. Every other chapter is mostly third-person; post-war Cat makes his presence known occasionally, but usually not.
- I'm going to say this often, but there's no need to panic over lots of new information. If something's really important to know, I'll repeat it in more detail in a later chapter.
- Important characters introduced in this chapter: Catalin, Celeste, and Anwar. Cat is your ever-so-charming protagonist, so get used to him. XD Celeste is actually one of my favorites, and I wish I could reveal everything about her right now. Anwar is the same way. If I started talking about him now, I'd spoil everything.
I hope you enjoyed!
