《Warriors of Kagolania》


 1 Chapter 1

    Note: This is a translation of a work originally written in Polish (by me lol). I''m not a professional translator, nor a native English speaker, and there''s just me and Grammarly app working on that text. Any advice would be highly appreciated.


    Thank you and enjoy!


    ~~~~~~~~


    "What''s wrong?" Namia repeated the question several times. Hearing no response, she came a little closer. "Hey! I''m talking to you!"


    Kalena had been sitting huddled by the pool for a long time. For a brief moment, she fixed her eyes on the woman talking to her, but then she started looking at the water again.


    "I''m a little tired," she said softly.


    "You have been resting for an hour now! If anyone notices, we''ll both be punished! What''s going on? Did our lord whip you?"


    "No."


    "Will he?"


    "No." she repeated.


    "So what''s going on?"


    The girl moved away a little further. She was silent for a while, before revealing the reason for her sadness.


    "Have you heard what he said in the morning? I''m going to be sold! He''ll sell me on the market!" She blinked her eyes quickly to wipe away tears. It worked She felt her throat tighten slowly.


    The other slave reacted with a soft snort and brushed from her face an unruly strand of dark, but slowly graying hair.


    "That''s it? Get yourself together, it''s not like this going to kill you! Every day people are sold on the market, it''s nothing."


    "But I''m afraid!"


    "Then go back to work! It will do you good, you have wasted too much time already! If our lord wants to sell you, he will. Crying won''t help. If I were you, I would be happy!


    Kalena said nothing. She tried to find some comfort in the chores. She liked working in the garden, mainly because when the plants bloomed, she could admire the effects of her work. But now she was painfully aware that she would never see this garden again. She felt like she was about to die and not change her place of residence.


    "Your mother always hoped you wouldn''t stay here forever," Namia said again and Kalena immediately focused her attention on her. "She prayed for you to get to a better home. Perhaps her gods just heard these prayers? Since she''s dead, she is a lot closer with them now and she is watching over you."


    "Do you know where he will take me? Did he say where he wants to go?" she changed the subject.


    "Probably to Kagolania. He has some deals there, that he wants to finish."


    Kalena shook her head. She seemed completely devastated.


    "I was hoping I would at least stay in Port!" Why up to Kagolania, it''s far away!"


    "Maybe it''s far away, but the people are richer and they have bigger houses. And their prince reaches the age of majority soon. He''ll rule as a king and ban slavery! For now, the regent rules there, but change is a matter of time. Hyan told me that during one holiday, the prince publicly announced his intentions while speaking to his subjects, and they cheered in his honor." She paused and licked her chapped lips for a moment. "When we''re done, go help kids on burning leaves. I don''t understand why our lord gave this task to little Toki, probably only to have a reason to whip him later. And check if the kitchen does not need to light a fire. I give you my word, before leaving you should teach someone how to raise a flame so quickly!"


    Kalena''s stomach still roiled with tension but she forced herself to ignore it. She continued to work, but she couldn''t forget about her worries at all.


    "You have to be of good cheer," Namia was still trying to comfort her. "You''re fifteen, you''re almost adult! Women your age are already getting married and leaving their families. They are certainly afraid too! But is someone crying because of that?"


    "Won''t you miss me? I will never see you again!"


    "Of course I will miss you! But I can''t change our lord''s decision". It''s good that you can be useful. You live because he wants it, you should be happy that you can repay him for all the years of keeping you. And maybe you''ll find someone who likes you? Maybe you will become the beloved slave of your new owner? He will give you food three times a day, you will walk dressed up fancy and rest on the bed with pillows. I bet you haven''t thought about it at all! Stop feeling sorry for yourself, you are pathetic when you keep crying!"


    Kalena knew that the woman said it in good faith because she thought that such a thing would help her become a strong person. Slaves could not be weak, because if they were, they died.


    Fear grew in her every hour. In the afternoon she managed to suppress it, but in the evening he completely took control of her. She couldn''t imagine living outside the home. She had her small world, from which she sometimes only went away for a few days, but always came back.


    She spent a sleepless night, which made her terribly tired the next day.


    Early in the morning, they head out from the Free State Port towards Kagolania. Kalena didn''t remember much of it. After a few years, she could only talk about the feelings that accompanied her. About sadness, fear and terrible longing. At first, she cried quietly, but after a few minutes, she ran out of strength.


    The road was long. Kalena watched the changing landscape, hoping that fear would finally leave her and let her fall asleep for a moment. From the morning her stomach ached terribly and although she was very hungry, her nerves did not allow her to eat a whole breakfast.


    "My lord, could you tell whom you will sell me to?" She asked although she knew that her owner did not like it when slaves speak without permission.


    The tall man driving the carriage looked at her and smirked.


    "An extremely cruel tyrant. He asked me for someone like you. All his other slaves had died because he beat them too much."


    The servants next to her laughed. Kalena never liked them. They were the strongest of the whole group and sometimes the owner ordered them to punish the disobedient when he did not want to do it himself. Her eyes filled with tears again.


    "Please, let me come back!" She groaned.


    "You''re never coming back! You''re solving my problems with this fool kid so he''ll finally stop sending his people after me! He''s a cursed, as the whole family, he came out of! I have overstated your value anyway, so pray that he doesn''t notice that you are no longer a virgin!"


    "I beg you..."


    One of the men took out a long leather strap and folded it in two. Kalena already knew what that meant. He grabbed her wrists so that she fell on the wooden ground of the carriage. He hit three times, but it was enough.


    "Are you deaf, bitch? You have to sit quietly."


    The owner gave him a severe look.


    "Goods cannot be damaged! Leave her!"


    The trip lasted all day. The landscape changed quickly, but Kalena was not interested in it. She lay down in the corner, crouched her legs under her chin, and tried to imagine that it was all just a nightmare. She wanted her lord to turn around and say that it was all a punishment for her rude behavior, a cruel joke. But they weren''t coming back. It was real.


    They kept on moving forward.


    After a few hours, she felt exhausted like never before, but she couldn''t rest, because she was still waiting for the market at which she had to be present as one of the goods. All the time they were walking from the stall to the stall, and from the tent to the tent. She looked anxiously at every man her lord had spoken to, thinking he was a slave dealer to whom he would be transferred.


    She expected to be asked what the symbol burned on her shoulder meant and probably punished for not being able to answer. On the other hand, slavers should know for themselves what each stigma means. They even had special books, with all the signs that slaves had burned. For sure this one will have too. Kalena kept repeating this to herself, trying to calm down in this way.


    Finally, the owner grabbed her by the shoulders and measured her from top to bottom.


    "One wrong move and you won''t lie on your back for a month! I will take care of it!" He threatened. They entered a white tent in which two people sat. An older man and a young, elegant-looking boy, maybe a few years older than her. They didn''t seem like slave traders.


    When the boy saw them, he nodded politely and then began to speak to her lord in a language she had never heard before. After a moment, he took a step back, clearly surprised by something and pointed at her, and immediately shook his head saying something quickly. Kalena felt something delicious smell outside. She wanted to see what was that, but she was afraid to turn around. She preferred not to draw attention.


    She glanced briefly at this boy and after a while reluctantly stated that he must be very strong. She wondered if he could cut the skin on her back with a single blow of the rod.


    Kalena could tell by his appearance that he was certainly very rich. He didn''t change into an expensive outfit, he really came from a completely different environment than the rest of the merchants. His skin was white-alabaster, as if he rarely went outside and if, obviously not for work. She stared at his fingers for a long time, which she liked very much. Extremely long and slender, but still masculine. His thick, black, shoulder-length hair was combed back. His brown eyes resembled her own, but a little larger. He looked at everyone sharply and without a trace of fear or shame.


    He seemed nice, but there was something about him that made everyone show him respect.


    He was wearing a plain brown T-shirt and trousers, and he wore an unbuttoned dark red fabric with a stiff collar. He could buy ten slavegirls like her for this coat, and there would probably still be something left if he could bargain well.


    She stood trembling as both men discussed her fate. She was light-headed and very afraid that she would lose consciousness soon, and it would end badly for her. The stomachache again. She was eager to cry, but she knew she had to hold back.


    In the end, it ended with what she expected. She was given away. The owner just went out with his servants. They didn''t even turn around. She was now only with her new lord because the older man she had seen before had gone somewhere.


    "Sit down, you must be tired," he said, "it''s always so loud in the marketplace. Forgive me, I should notice you sooner."


    She gladly took advantage of his suggestion. She fell to the ground and sighed quietly, feeling the forces slowly lowering her. The dizziness increased even more but slowly began to subside, as did nausea. Nerves were replaced by exhaustion and she felt like sleeping.


    "My name is Galaspiael," he said, handing her a cup of wonderfully cold water. "I''m sorry I treated you so rudely." You look like you haven''t been resting for a long time, I feel that I should...


    "This is fine, sir," she interrupted him. "I''m tough."


    From his smile, she immediately knew that he didn''t think so.


    "I see. You have to wait outside because we will roll up the tent. Drink to the end. He gently pulled her hand away when she wanted to give him the dish. "Drink it. If you want more, just ask. Unfortunately, I have nothing to eat, I''m hungry myself. I can buy you a baked potato because I see that they are the only ones left."


    Kalena nodded slightly confused by the entire exchange. He behaved atypically. He talked to her as if they were equal. He apologized to her, and she didn''t even know why.


    A few minutes later, he waved to her, signaling her to go with him. They got into a similar car that she arrived. Only this one was in a much better condition and much larger. Galaspiael encouraged her to sit down next to him and hand her a paper package.


    "Go," he said to several men who were his companions. "We''ll take the carriage, it''s more convenient."


    "Then your horse must be harnessed to it." the man whom Kalena took as the friend of her lord glanced briefly. "What an insult to this wonderful animal! If something happens to you, just shout out loud, maybe we''ll hear."


    Galaspiael only replied with a smile and caught his reins.


    "I have nothing to eat at home. You will have to go to sleep hungry, but I promise you that this will only happen once. Sorry, I didn''t expect guests today."


    She didn''t answer. The sliced baked potatoes were hot and the packet was starting to burn into your fingers. She ate quickly, blowing now and then, trying not to burn her tongue. The boy glanced at her and nodded as if trying to write something down in his memory.


    "What is your name?" he asked.


    "Kalena, sir."


    "Nice. Please, don''t be afraid to look at me when we talk."


    "Kalena bit her lips and stared at her feet. When the boy put his arm around her, she felt that she couldn''t control the tears coming into his eyes and she covered the face when she noticed that he was looking at her slightly embarrassed.


    "That''s fine. You had a rough day, I understand. I don''t feel well either."


    Before they hit the road, she finished eating potatoes. She was clutching an empty package and looking at Galaspiael from time to time, but as soon as he noticed, she looked away immediately.


    He covered her with his coat when it got colder and they rode in absolute silence. She fell asleep for a moment. finally, the carriage stopped and the boy told her to get out and follow him.


    She noticed that his house was very close to the wall surrounding the part of the city where aristocrats lived. They went through a wooden gate and then through a garden, much larger than the one Kalena had previously looked after.


    "It''s a beautiful house," she whispered as they reached the front door.


    "I''m glad you like it," Galaspiael murmured. "It was a long day. You deserve a rest."


    "You are so kind." Kalena wanted to bow but just lowered her head. "Thank you."


    Galaspiael just smiled at her and gestured to her to come inside. She noticed that he had a long rope with him, which he almost immediately removed from the bundle and tossed it behind the cabinet.


    "Take your shoes off here," he said and glanced at her bare feet. "Sorry. Come with me."


    He led her into an almost completely dark corridor and into a room with a small bed. When Kalena realized that he was going to lie on it, she began to quietly grunt, and when he sat next to her, she covered her face with her hands.


    She heard him sigh softly.


    "I know what it''s like to miss home. I understand you. I would even like to give you back to your lord, but I suspect he would sell you to someone else anyway."


    "Is this a problem that I''m here?" She groaned.


    "No. Just your appearance here is a big surprise for me. But since you are already, maybe it was supposed to be this way. Try falling asleep. We''ll have a big breakfast tomorrow."


    He patted her head and left the room. Everything seemed like he wasn''t going to come back. She turned to the other side, wrapped in a blanket and sighed deeply.


    *


    The entire life of the Grand Duke Washar of the Huangjin Dynasty seemed to be perfect. Many people said that the gods gave him a special blessing.


    He was the eighth descendant of the Madegaldian emperor Xiansherim and the last child of his first wife. From early childhood, he realized that there was literally no chance of taking the throne, so when he grew up, he did not even think about fighting for power with his three oldest brothers. Even Shao Tien, the third son, doubted his chances.


    According to tradition, the emperor''s crown was to be taken over by the oldest descendant, but nothing was certain. The emperor had the final word on this matter.


    As years passed, older brothers began to hate each other more and more. Washar left the court immediately after entering adulthood and since then has heard many times that he would be the most suitable emperor. Because he spent a lot of time outside the walls of the palace, he began to be perceived as a sort of liaison. He often interceded for his subjects and thus gained their love. He lived peacefully, news of court intrigues always reached him, but he was never personally involved.


    There was a treasury in the Sworn house and Madegald''s greatest secret in it. Washar was the guardian of the golden box in which the secret of the power of the empire was kept ¨C the instruction, how to prepare dynamite. Every several years it had to be refreshed so that no word would die over time.


    A man with a completely shaven head came out of the room. He has just completed the last task of his life; made a new copy of the recipe. He held out his hands in which he held a new roll of parchment, carefully rolled up. He seemed calm and reconciled to fate.


    "Your Majesty could I¡­" he began quickly, but with each word he spoke slower and quieter.


    "Yes?"


    "Could I do it myself?"


    Washar was surprised him with this unusual wish. His predecessor begged for mercy, which was why the prince was sure that again this time he would have to be assisted in killing by another guard.


    "Of course."


    All the time the prince held the dagger hidden behind his back. He slowly handed it to the young man standing in front of him. The man took a few steps back and gave a deep bow.


    "It was an honor for me to be able to serve the Empire," he said quietly. The blade flashed silver as he raised it above his head and then stuck it in the stomach with all his might.


    Washar twisted the scroll in his fingers for a moment before putting it in the chest. The scarlet stain on the floor began to increase.


    "They should take old men," said Naimoor. The second brother brought this unfortunate inside and also watched his death "If I became emperor, I would change this law. He had his whole life ahead of him."


    "Do you think they''d better start a family that could later mourn them later?" Washar asked coldly. "Could they faithfully serve the Emperor, knowing that they are like animals waiting for slaughter?"


    Naimoor looked at him in consternation. He was always surprised how directly and sharply Washar could speak of death.


    "Don''t you feel sorry for these people, brother?"


    "Every day someone dies. I''ve killed a lot of people since I was elected for the guard here. I only mourn my relatives. I don''t care about anyone else."

 2 Chapter 2

    Kalena woke up hearing two muffled male voices talking to each other. At first, she was convinced that this is just a part of her unpleasant dream, but eventually, she realized that she had been awake for several minutes.


    For the first moment, she couldn''t remember where she was. She lay on the low, but amazingly soft and comfortable bed and listened to the sounds of the surroundings. She had not felt so rested for a long time. When she propped herself up on the elbows, she saw a beautifully carved, small, table with a large bowl of water and a towel, and a little further food. Galaspiael didn''t lie when he talked about the big breakfast. The dish was not very tasty, but she ate anyway to not offend her new host.


    After the meal, Kalena sat back on the bed. She looked around and wondered what to do. She didn''t have any duties yet, and she couldn''t find one herself.


    Suddenly she heard footsteps in the corridor and froze. Two people stopped near that she could hear their conversation.


    "...that''s all." She recognized Galaspiael''s voice. "I will try to deliver the missing papers by the messenger when I find them."


    "Your Majesty is irreplaceable! I thought the last copy was lost in the Forbidden Zone. Thank you!" Said the stranger.


    "I don''t deserve these thanks. I hope you enjoyed your tea, my friend. Safe trip!"


    Kalena needed a few moments to understand, what she had just heard. This man called Galaspiael Your Highness.


    Her new lord must have been the prince of Kagolania!


    She supposed that he could not be an ordinary man, otherwise, he could not afford an apartment in such a large house, but she did not expect it at all.


    The stranger left and Galaspiael knocked on her bedroom door.


    "Are you awake? May I come in?"


    Her heart started racing fast. She jumped up and opened the door, untangling her hand from the chain attached to the collar. As soon as Galaspiael entered, she took a few steps back.


    "You look a lot better now. You''ve been sleeping almost all day!"


    "I''m sorry," Kalena whispered and stepped away from him. From the beginning, she felt intimidated, and now, knowing who he was, she just felt ashamed.


    "No, that''s fine" Galaspiael crouched down beside her so that she could look him in the eyes without raising her head. "Please, don''t treat me like your owner. I am against slavery with all my heart. I don''t want you to feel like you are my property. From now on you are a free person.


    She froze for a moment. She needed a while to understand what the prince had just said to her. The last two words were still ringing in her mind. She is free. What now? What was she supposed?


    "But why?" The longer she thought about it, the more scared she felt about a free life. "Please, don''t throw me away, I have nowhere to go!"


    "I didn''t say you have to leave!" The prince caressed her shoulder soothingly. "If you want, you can stay here, I will be very pleased. I will help you take this ugly thing off."


    Kalena immediately touched her collar.


    "Do you have to?"


    "Come on! No free person wears chains."


    "I''ve already got used to it."


    "You''ll get used to it missing," he said.


    She let him lead her to another room, which turned out to be his bedroom. She slowly looked around. Tools of unknown purpose lay on all shelves and the floor. She sat down in and her eyes stopped for a moment on wooden boxes of various sizes. Suddenly she heard the clang of metal. The clamp was broken and a leather collar fell to her knees.


    "Much better, right?" Galaspiael asked after a moment.


    "Yes. Thank you" she whispered.


    "Don''t feel like my debtor," he replied and looked her up and down. "I have to buy neater clothes for you. And some shoes. Those are the most important. That''s right, go ahead, I see you want to" he added, seeing her glancing at the large book resting on his desk. "Can you read it?"


    She shook her head.


    "I don''t understand what is written here, but I could handle the text in our language."


    "Really?" Galaspiael looked at her with admiration. "It''s amazing! Who taught you?"


    "Some woman. But quite later I had to work and did not have time to learn anymore. That''s why I have trouble recognizing some signs, but I can understand them. But writing is terribly hard."


    "If you practice, you can master it."


    Kalena continued to admire the carefully written lines of text.


    "It must be a beautiful language," she said. "Why are you writing this?"


    "I''m rewriting. Conspiracy of the Righteous wanted to burn the original. In fact, they almost succeeded.


    The girl became serious in an instant.


    If the Righteous wanted to burn this book, you should leave it."


    "Why?"


    "My former lord said they want to destroy dangerous knowledge. When people get too wise, things like wars and keeping slaves come to their minds."


    Galaspiael snorted angrily.


    "It''s exactly the opposite. Smart people don''t keep slaves!"


    "I mean ..." She completely didn''t know what to say to that. "I thought so once, but¡­"


    "Besides, knowledge is never bad!" He continued. "I''ll explain. Imagine that you''re given a knife and you can do whatever with it. You could go to the garden and collect fruit, or carve a wooden figurine. But you could also stab me in the heart. Do you think, I should deprive you of the tool so that you do not hurt anyone, or can teach you how to use it to do something useful?"


    "I think you should teach me..."


    "So why not save this book?" Galaspiael paused, seeing her face. "I''m sorry, I''m really talkative, especially if someone doesn''t interrupt me."


    "But it''s very interesting," she assured, "and it makes more sense than what the members of the Conspiracy say."


    "Have you ever met anyone from the Righteous Conspiracy?"


    When Galaspiael asked that question Kalena felt cold spikes in her stomach. She bit her lips.


    "Yes. Some time ago strange people came to our home. They said they were in the Conspiracy, but something happened..."


    "They didn''t finish the training," he suggested.


    "Yes... they stayed with us, "she whispered,"I don''t want to talk about it."


    "Did they hurt you somehow?"


    She thought about what to say for a long time, and finally just nodded.


    "I feel sorry for you," he replied.


    "I don''t want to talk about it."


    Galaspiael stayed silent for a moment.


    "So would you like to go for a walk? Take a look around the corridors. You don''t know the house yet."


    "And you...?" Kalena at the last moment refrained from adding "my lord".


    "I have some work. I like to invent new things and build them. I hope you won''t feel lonely here because I''m not very sociable and talking to me is listening to what I have to say."


    *


    When Kalena went outside, she noticed that the house was not as big as it looked at first. Garden looked like a neglected composition of plants, but very harmonious in its disarray. She spent two hours there, enjoying the absolute silence. Kalena noticed that Galaspiael tried to grow vegetables, but the patch was completely overgrown with weeds.


    She wondered what the prince was working on and if she could help him somehow, but she did not want to disturb him, so she did not look into his room. As the sun hid behind the clouds, she returned inside.


    She wasn''t used to staying alone in her bedroom for such a long time. In her old house, two rooms were designated for slaves, separately for men and women. Nearly always someone was sitting there. There was no privacy at all.


    Here, however, she could do anything.


    Kalena started looking everywhere as if she was looking for something. She carefully watched every corner of the bedroom and focused on the workplace. The girl opened a wooden cabinet and found a box similar to the one in Galaspiael''s room.


    She wondered if it''s right to open it. In the end, her curiosity won. Kalena removed the lid and discovered a few sheets of paper and Lik - a calligraphy tool.


    Galaspiael must have forgotten that he left these things there. There was some ink inside Lik. It wasn''t dry, which means someone wrote with it recently.


    The girl held the wooden tool in the hand and was already certain that she was not doing it properly. She tried to draw a few lines, but they came out crookedly. Drawing beautiful, even signs that she saw in that book seemed like a superhuman skill.


    Kalena made a note in her mind to ask Galaspiael once to write something in her presence and abandoned all the stuff.


    *


    In the evening Galaspiael and Kalena ate dinner together


    "Take some more if you like it" he encouraged. "Feel free to eat as much as you want."


    "Everything is delicious. You have real talent, "she said. The prince smiled and shook his head.


    "That was prepared by the cook. I can''t do it at all"


    Kalena stared at him in surprise.


    "Anyone else lives here? I hadn''t seen anyone but you."


    "He is responsible for the palace kitchen... and protecting me from starving to death. Sometimes he brings me food if he''s proud of what he has prepared."


    "I can cook if you like," she offered. "I can make some tasty dishes."


    "You don''t have to, but I won''t stop you either. Of course, if you want to stay here." He added. "I won''t be offended if you say you would rather live somewhere else."


    "I will be pleased to live with Your Highness," she assured.


    The boy narrowed his eyes cheerfully.


    "I''m glad, but please don''t ever call me that"


    "So how should I call you," she asked.


    "By name" he replied. "You know my name, right?"


    "But it''s so... strange. Inappropriate." she corrected. "I understand that you don''t want to be called lord but you are a prince, I have to honor you somehow."


    "Oh for the Great Ancestors, you don''t have to. I prefer to hear my name much more."


    Kalena nodded and there was a long silence in the room.


    "Why the Great Ancestors? Do you believe in Kaita?"


    Galaspiael laughed softly.


    "To be honest, I don''t. It is not right for a prince to say such things about official religion, but in my opinion, it doesn''t make sense. Why should I redeem the sins of people who were born before me for all my life? It''s an interesting set of traditions, nothing else. But I must admit that of all the temples I''ve seen in my life, ours are the most beautiful."


    "Will you show me someday?" she asked.


    "For sure. Soon we will go for a walk and show you the whole capital city."


    *


    After the meal, they both went to her room. Suddenly Kalena remembered the writing set still lying on the table.


    Fear filled her heart. Many times at home she heard how valuable paper was, and the sheets she wrote on seemed very expensive. Before she could say anything, Galaspiael overtook her and entered her room.


    "You found my Lik!" He exclaimed happily, then picked up the paper and studied it for a moment. "I thought someone took it but it was here all the time! Looks like you''ve searched all the corners here!"


    "I''m so sorry¡­"


    "It''s good that you can read. It''s easier to learn how to write text if you understand it. But you made a mistake here." He pointed to her second attempt. "You need to pull the line to the end, otherwise a completely different sign comes out."


    "You''re not angry? I wasted the paper."


    "You didn''t waste it, just spent it on studying. There is nothing wrong with it, on the contrary, it is a commendable attitude. Tomorrow I can practice with you... because you want to learn to write, am I right?"


    Kalena shrugged her shoulders.


    "I could be useful then. I could write letters or something else."


    "Oh, and you haven''t thought about a more ambitious job?" When Kalena shook her head, Galaspiael continued. "The Righteous Conspiracy destroys and conceals all books they find dangerous. In this way, they limit access to knowledge for ordinary people. Old paper is not durable, but look at this." He lightly crumpled the edge of the paper in his hands. "There is a special technique for making paper that is resistant to everything. Only two people can tear it, it is easy to bend and straighten it, and in the fire, it does not burn only turns brown, so that the text remains mostly readable. If you could write, you could save the work of our ancestors."


    "By rewriting books?" Kalena guessed. "Like you?"


    "That''s right"


    "It''s probably very difficult" she shook her head quickly. "I can''t do it!"


    "But it''s simple! The most important thing is to write characters legibly and not make mistakes." Galaspiael smiled slightly. "In my opinion cooking is much harder and you said you can do it."

 3 Chapter 3

    Washar never needed the light on the night watch.


    He trusted his ears as much as his eyes. At that moment, the longer he listened, the more confident he was that the burglar was in the building with him. Someone was running down the hall.


    He snorted softly, cursing the inattention of the other guards and stood up. The intruder suddenly stopped, and then carefully moved forward. He wasn''t close yet, but with every step, Washar could sense him more and more.


    Bright rays, cast by a small candle, appeared in the corridor. Undoubtedly, this was someone from the Scribe''s Association. When an ordinary thief tried to break into the treasury, he was most often rendered harmless by external guards or got lost in the maze of corridors.


    The prince took a deep breath and focused on the burglar walking around, who had not yet noticed that he was not alone and probably wondered how to open the last door.


    The burglar was so close that Washar could hear his rapid breath. Energy began to accumulate around the prince. All he had to do was send it in the right direction.


    He created almost a lethal wave. A pleasant shiver swept over him. He hadn''t had the opportunity to use his special ability for a long time.


    A loud and undoubtedly female scream pulled him out of deep concentration. He came out of hiding and quickly removed the mask from the face of the terrified Sekanian girl staring at him.


    "The Scribe''s Association ... you pathetic thieves," he said and snorted softly. "I hope that I will live long enough to witness the times when your activities will be punished by death."


    "Knowledge has the right to reach people!" She shouted and wanted to say something else, but failed. A black streak hung over the now limp body and surrounded it. It was over. Washar took a deep breath, letting the energy dissipate back. Only then did he feel how much strength it had cost him.


    Prince Washar couldn''t remember exactly when he discovered his unusual abilities. Probably he was born with them. His nanny made him promise that he would never use these abilities when she found out. As he grew up, he realized that she did it for his safety.


    Washar later found the books from which he learned that after the Great War, the art he was using was strictly forbidden by the Righteous Swearing. After some time, it was completely forgotten. However, even when it was still widespread, only a few people managed to use the energy of death.


    Washar took a dagger from his back pocket and stabbed now dead girl in the heart. He had to make sure everything looked as if he had defeated her in a normal fight before he went down the same corridor which she came. A second guard was at his post, sleeping. Hearing the prince, he nudged himself to his feet and bowed crookedly.


    "Your Highness, I am begging for forgiveness! It was only a few minutes, everything was under control."


    "Oh really?" Washar grabbed the man by the shoulders, pulled forward and kicked as hard as he could. "Does this woke you up?"


    "Yes, Your Highness," he groaned, "it won''t happen again, I swear."


    "We had a burglary. Clean up, this way you will not fall asleep so quickly. My deputy should arrive soon."


    "Are you not going to wait for him, Prince?"


    "No, I''m not. When you were sleeping, I fought with the thief. I''m exhausted, I can be hurt. Think of it as an act of grace. If by his arrival you manage to take care of everything and not fall asleep, you will miss execution and your approach to duties will be our little secret."


    Washar then went outside and took a deep breath. He was very tired. At some point, he staggered and would almost fall, if someone did not support his hand.


    "Alissa!" He looked at his wife, surprised. "What are you doing here?"


    "I couldn''t sleep! I had such a bad feeling, I had to come here!" The woman helped him stand.  "What''s wrong? Did you fight someone?"


    "I have to fight someone every day." He turned his head a little too violently, which almost made him fell again. "I''m very tired, but nothing happened to me."


    "I don''t see any wounds in this light," she said, watching him carefully. Washar shook his head but couldn''t help smiling. He was eager to tell her his secret, but at the same time he was afraid that she would end up reluctant towards him and he would not bear it. He loved her because she wasn''t reluctant.


    "Let''s go back home. I need to rest."


    *


    "Can I ask you something?" Kalena once again filled Lik with ink. "How did you meet my former lord? He talked about you during our trip to the market. He was very unpleasant."


    Galaspiael gently began to lead her hand on the paper.


    "I''m not surprised. He owed me money. Not only me to be honest, but he''s also known by many merchants and they don''t have a good opinion about him. Whenever he appears, he borrows money from someone, so together with a few people, we decided to teach him a lesson. I started to pretend to be the son of a wealthy merchant and he asked me for help in his business. When it was time to pay back and he delayed, I sent my guards after him. From what I''ve heard, he was terrified. He decided to give you because probably he didn''t have anything valuable to pay off the last part of the loan."


    "So you didn''t get your money back," she said, "because since you gave me my freedom..."


    "Money doesn''t matter to me. Bend your finger, because you won''t get a straight line. Now try it yourself."


    When Galaspiael let go of her hand, she slowly began to repeat everything he had just shown her. With each passing moment, she was more and more angry with herself. The more carefully she tried to put signs, the worse it turned out. One line was crooked, the other too far from the first, the third to connect them resembled a curved ridge.


    "Man!" She moaned despairingly at the effect of her work. "I give up!"


    "Oh for the Great Ancestors, why are you screaming!


    "Look how terrible it is!" She leaned her elbows on the table. "How is it that you write so beautifully?"


    "Don''t compare us, I have been exercising for over ten years and you are on your first day." He brushed a strand of hair away from her face. "Everything is difficult at the beginning. I admire that you managed to learn how to read while being a slave".


    "And what about it? I will never write like you!"


    "You''re right. Over time, you will develop your handwriting, that would be different. Try once again!"


    Kalena was amazed at how much time he could spend with her. As a prince, he certainly had to take care of his subjects and deal with important matters, while in the meantime he taught to write a liberated slave for several hours. He acted as if she were someone extremely important and close to him.


    When Galaspiael sensed that it was getting harder for her to focus, he offered a break.


    "We did a lot for the first day. However, a few more lessons will be useful."


    "A few hundred, I think," she replied.


    "I meant the lessons with me until you can practice alone." He looked at her with a slight smile. "A few hundred? It would be great. It takes several thousand written pages to shape good, legible writing."


    "Several thousand pages?" Kalena moaned and clutched her head. "I haven''t even finished that one small card!"


    "You''ve done half. You will finish the second half tomorrow. In a few weeks, you will write one page a day, and in a few months long, complicated texts will not be a problem for you." Galaspiael suddenly hit himself in the head. "I totally forgot! I have new clothes for you."


    "These are fine." The girl stroked her dress. "You did not have to."


    "To be honest this is the ugliest piece of clothing I''ve ever seen in my entire life. I''ll be happy if you let me throw it into the trash"


    Kalena insisted that her dress was comfortable and practical until she saw a new one. It was intensely red, made of soft, shiny material and had long sleeves. The girl thought that Galaspiael chose it probably as a symbol of her liberation. Slaves could not wear clothing covering the brand unless they were wearing a collar. And she no longer wore a collar.


    For the first time in her life, she put on a dress that reached almost to the ground, so at first, it was difficult to move without getting her foot on the edge of the fabric. Galaspiael also got her trousers, shirt, and black shoes.


    "I plan to go on a secret mission tonight," Prince changed the subject and gave her a mysterious smile. "Do you want to come with me?"


    "Where?"


    "Outside the city walls. We will take the shortest way. Do you want?"


    *


    She wanted very much, so when evening came, they both left the house. Galaspiael moved very quickly and after several minutes Kalena got breathless, trying to keep up with him. He led her along a route until they finally left for the lowest circle of the city. There she caught his hand, afraid that they would part in the crowd.


    There was no indication in the lower circle that night was approaching. There were as many people walking the lantern-lit streets as during the day. Kalena wanted to stop at least for a moment and see what was the reason why the crowd gathered in that place, but the prince disagreed.


    "We''ll be back tomorrow," he promised, "everyone is busy preparing for the festival. Come on!"


    The road they entered was completely empty. They left the city and suddenly it became very quiet and Kalena felt a familiar twinge of anxiety.


    "Hide behind a tree," he pointed to her hideout. "They should come soon." Unless they go somewhere else today ...


    "Who?" She asked in a whisper.


    "You will see."


    After a while, a group of men in dirty and torn robes appeared. They all carried bundles with them, some smaller, some bigger.


    "They look weird," Kalena whispered, "who are they?"


    "This group was once the seekers, but they did not manage to earn too much money. So they decided to do something different on behalf of the Righteous Conspiracy" he explained.


    "What will your mission be about?"


    Galaspiael looked her straight in the eye.


    "Take a look." When he said that, one of the men grabbed a huge book, from which he began to tear cards.


    "I want to save the books they make a bonfire from." he continued "At least some of them. They usually don''t wait for the fire to digest everything... Kalena, wait, where are you going? Wait! They have a weapon, don''t do it! Come back!"


    His words were in vain because the girl ran up to three men and took three books from the pile they were guarding. It was clear that they would notice her, but she didn''t care. She ran away as fast as her legs allowed. Suddenly a strong blow to the ribs knocked her to the ground. Patiently, she bore the hits and kicks, pressing the stolen treasure closer.


    "Hey!" She heard Galaspiael''s voice above her. "Let her go, you savages!"


    "The little one is stealing," said one of them in broken Kagolanian. His foreign accent, combined with a speech impediment, caused that one had to listen hard to understand what he was saying. "Why should I stop if the one steals? There will be a lot of money for it."


    "I can pay you for it," he offered. Kalena quickly got up and hid behind him. "I''m telling you the truth, I''ll bring you so much money that you''ll be able to buy a house in town."


    Nine men surrounded Galaspiael, and only then did Kalena understand how dangerous this situation was. Surely, the prince also carried a weapon, but at that moment she doubted that he would cope with all of them, way stronger and taller than him.


    "There will be no money," said the other, "you lie."


    He swung a long sword at him, and the girl crouched behind and clenched her eyelids, uttering a cry of absolute terror. She heard the clang of metal above her and staggered, feeling Galaspiael drag her by his back. He pushed one of the attackers away.


    She held her breath and was relieved to find that the boy was able to defend himself and it was great. He gave her a signal to run away. He did not kill anyone, but knocked them all down to the ground and ran to join her. When they were away at a safe distance, he murmured several curses towards the seekers.


    "What were you thinking? You''re the craziest woman I know!" He said after a while. "I will now be afraid to live with you under one roof."


    Hearing this, Kalena stared at the road paved with stones and wiped her cheeks still wet with tears.


    "I''m really sorry. I just wanted to help you."


    Galaspiael sighed deeply and adjusted his belt case.


    "Okay, just be more... controlled the next time. If you just waited, I wouldn''t have to fight them. They will never come back here for sure. But the most important thing is that you took something, the effort was not wasted. Don''t cry anymore, I''m not mad at you! Hey!" He stopped and took the girl in his arms, seeing that she was still wiping her eyes.


    "I''m sorry!" She repeated. "I was stupid. I''m afraid now that something will happen to us."


    " And what can they do to us? We are already far away. The guards won''t let them into the city. Let''s go back home, we deserve dinner."


    *


    Before Kalena went to her bedroom, Galaspiael asked her to show the books. He watched them for a long time, also glancing at her once in a while.


    "Nice," he finally said. "And quite interesting. I will give you rewrite them as a reward."


    "You probably wanted to say ''for punishment''?" Kalena began to imagine how long and arduous this work would be. "It will take forever since today I have been writing these few words with you for so long."


    It was you who took them, so they are yours. It is your task now to copy them onto fresh paper. It will be an enriching exercise and you will see how great results it''ll give." He arranged the books in an even pile on the table. "One day I will tell you about my more difficult missions. If you could fight, I could take you to the Righteous Alliance headquarters in Madegald. There you can find real treasures, so precious that no one had the courage to destroy them!"

 4 Chapter 4

    Kalena ate breakfast in the kitchen and sat down relaxed, leaning against the wall.


    Galaspiael wanted to continue her lessons only in the afternoon. He woke her up early in the morning and said he was going to the palace to do some important things. Then the girl fell asleep again for three hours, and when she got up to eat breakfast, he was still gone.


    At one point, Kalena''s mind created a vision, in which Galaspiael was attacked by people he had fought the previous day. She wondered what she should do if he won''t come home. Someone would definitely come here to look for him, and then she would be among the people suspected of murdering the prince. She put together the first words of defensive speech to be used in a possible trial and she began to cry. Then the boy entered the kitchen.


    "Oh for the Great Ancestors, Kalena, what is happening?" He asked, putting a small package on the table and squatted beside her.


    The girl shook her head and wiped her tears quickly. She did not want to tell him that this reaction was due to the imagination of his death.


    "You''ve been gone for a long time. I thought something bad happened," she whispered.


    The prince smiled, hearing her shy confession and opened the package he had brought.


    "Important guests came to our regent, I needed to greet them. Try it!" He encouraged, putting a handful of candy on the table. "This is the tastiest chocolate I''ve ever eaten. A messenger from Sekania always brings it with it."


    Kalena had never eaten chocolate before. She uncertainly unpacked the brown candy and put it carefully in her mouth, convinced that she would spit out soon, but the taste turned out to be surprising.


    "Delicious," she admitted.


    Galaspiael sat down in front of her.


    "I would like to take you for a walk today. I promised to show you the city," he reminded.


    "Don''t you have to work today, my lord?"


    "Do you want to offend me?" he reminded, and his face took on a harsh expression for a moment. "Remember to call me by my name, please. I have done everything I have planned for today, and a short break won''t hurt you either. You''ve just arrived here and you probably still feel lost."


    He hit the point and she didn''t even have to admit it. Although she felt much more comfortable than at the beginning, still, if she went out alone somewhere, it was only to the garden. The huge, Kagolanian capital was overwhelming and frightening.


    Galaspiael led her along the same route they had taken the previous day. Suddenly, he turned into one of the side streets, and then one more and the next. Kalena tried to remember the route, but after a while, she realized that she would not be able to come home by herself.


    "We''re going there." Galaspiael pointed at a wooden, painted red and carefully finished with gold ornaments gate. It led to a building, Kalena couldn''t see fully through the trees.


    "This is my family temple. It will sound selfish, but in my opinion, the Namanya dynasty has the most beautiful temples in all Kagolania. Few people know about it, because no one has the right to enter it without my permission."


    When they were at the last step, a menace-looking guard stood before the door. Seeing him, Kalena hid behind Galaspiael.


    "Good morning!" The boy smiled at him as if they were old friends. "My friend would like to visit the temple today."


    When he said it, and the guard looked at her, she wanted to explain that she did not want to go in and escape from there as soon as possible.


    "Of course, Your Majesty," he finally answered. "Should I summon here more guards?"


    "There''s no need." He nodded and opened the door slightly. "Come in, Kalena."


    It was dim inside. A bit of dust and smell of incense in the air. Kalena stopped halfway and held her breath, admiring the golden decorations on the walls.


    The temple was very spacious inside. Various chests, armor, and other relics were laid out in different places, but most were in the central part, somewhat reminiscent of an altar. The collection was large, but the way everything was arranged made absolute order and harmony prevail everywhere.


    "In Kagolania, every family has a temple," he said, "the more affluent, the more magnificent their temples are." Each family and dynasty has someone who started it, often a god or hero. For example, my dynasty supposedly originated from a deity that brought people to this land a long time ago. Here you can sit down and indulge in meditation." He pointed to the place practically in the middle. "People do it for example when they need to make an extremely important decision."


    "And when they sit like that they''re asking ancestor for advice?"


    Galaspiael snorted softly.


    "Yes, it''s kind of like that. Apparently, when a thought comes to your mind during meditation, these are the promptings of your ancestors who decided to give you their favors... by the way, afterlife it must be terrible since the only job is watching what is happening on earth. It''s a bit illogical that the reward for a lawful life is eternal boredom."


    "So that''s not true?" the girl shook her head. "No, it must be true. Someone who doubts needs to just enter here to see that it is true."


    "The more I know about the world, the more I get the feeling that this religion is all lies" he confessed. "But it''s needed. Such a legend helps build authority. Many generals have in their families some brave deity that has gained fame by defeating evil. This gives people courage because god won''t let his great-grandson fail, so he''ll help him. Surely someone who founded the Namanya dynasty lived for real. He could even actually bring people here and build a settlement, but he got old and died like everyone else. I''m sure he wasn''t a god. You can look around a little, if you want, just please don''t touch anything. When I was little, I broke a vase here and it stank for several months.


    Kalena got up and began to watch all the artifacts, slowly moving to another world.


    She was called by Galaspiael after a few minutes.


    "There''s another interesting place nearby," he said when they went outside. "Some streets are very narrow here, but one is just silly!"


    The street he led her to was so tiny that the girl felt uncomfortable. It was possible to walk from one to the other building in only three, not big steps.


    "It''s dangerous," she said, "if a fire breaks out, it will pass from one house to another very quickly."


    "You''re right. In the history of this city, there have been several big fires. I think most of them could be prevented by building houses a bit further apart. But Kagolanians probably just like such a tightness.


    "Why even build two houses this way? Why not one but bigger? It would be the same."


    Galaspiael leaned his back against the wall of one building and propped himself up against the other, opposite. This way he began to climb and did quite well.


    "Look at this!" He laughed. "Can you do that?"


    "You better come down."


    "Oh hell no, I''m going to beat my life record today! I''ll climb to the roof!"


    When the prince said that, the shutter opened and an older woman hit him with a broom. He did not expect this attack and fell.


    "Are you all right?!" Kalena helped him to his feet. He laughed so that he couldn''t say anything for a moment.


    "Get out of here brat!" The woman had an extremely sharp voice as if she had screamed all her life. "Your family will pay me for the damage!"


    "I didn''t destroy anything," Galaspiael ducked from the egg she threw towards him. "You''re wasting food and littering the streets!"


    The old woman turned pale with rage.


    "Oh just wait!" although she disappeared deep into the house, she could still be heard. "You should get a whipping of your life! Cheeky jerk! I''ll talk to your father soon!"


    Kalena did not hear the rest of the threats, because Galaspiael pulled her hand and they ran towards the lower circle of the city.


    They stopped on the very wide main street. Kalena gasped for air.


    "She didn''t know who you are¡­"


    "Nobody here knows who I really am. To be specific, only a few people know," he corrected himself. "If they knew that the prince lives among them, they would not leave me alone. I would have to put a guard in front of the house and let the servants in. It would not be my home anymore, only a smaller palace."


    "Aren''t you afraid that someone will break in?"


    "They can break into all other homes. I can defend myself very well, you''ve seen it before. I don''t like to brag, but I doubt that a burglar would have a chance with me."


    "You didn''t have a good time defending yourself against this woman," she said. Galaspiael laughed again.


    "Even with the guards by my side, I would get hit with that broom. Only then she would be later punished. I don''t need this while I''m still a prince. I want to enjoy my freedom and get to know my subjects better. A ruler who lives in palaces all his life, detached from reality, will never succeed." He paused and glanced at her. "I talk a lot, don''t you think?"


    "You speak very interestingly," Kalena assured. She found herself smiling at the same moment as him.


    "And you can listen very carefully. However, please, let me know if I''m talking too much. I should learn to control it."


    *


    Later Kalena got to know Galaspiael''s favorite Kagolanian tradition. They went into the food district. Along the street, rows of stalls and prams offered a variety of dishes and snacks.


    "Here you can buy anything you could dream of. Today there are extremely many sellers because soon the Festival of Light will begin," he explained.


    "We have nothing to exchange," she said quietly.


    "I have¡­" Galaspiael began to look into his pocket, "three hundred Sekanian''s Saar." But it''s better not to flaunt it too much, " he added when Kalena looked at him with wide eyes.


    "We can buy this whole street!"


    "We don''t have to limit ourselves in any way. If you''ll find something tasty, I''ll take a second portion. Just don''t be too careless. It''s better not to reveal how much money you have in the crowd."


    They bought two portions of smoked salmon wrapped in paper and sat down in a completely different place.


    "May nobody notice," Galaspiael looked around. "They don''t like it when you bring food bought somewhere. Wow, you eat really fast!" He shook his head when Kalena choked on an unusually large piece. "Oh for the Great Ancestors, nobody will take it away from you!"


    "It''s delicious!" She said in a voice full of delight and fell silent for a moment. "Tell me, do you really want to ban slavery in the future?"


    "Well, it''s my big dream," he confessed, somewhat surprised by the sudden change of subject. "I freed all the slaves in the palace, but freeing everyone in the country is something else. Some people think that I shouldn''t do that."


    "Why?"


    "Because we can''t be sure whether this plan will succeed. Nobody has tried to do it yet, no ruler introduced such a ban in their country."


    "But you''ll be the first?" She asked hopefully. The prince put his arm around her and narrowed his eyes.


    "I will," he promised.


    Kalena finished her meal and sighed deeply. She smiled when she met Galaspiael''s eyes.


    "Do you want to see the Festival of Light?" He asked after a moment of silence. "It has probably already started in the lower circle."


    "And what is it?"


    "This is not a big holiday, although quite interesting. Apparently, on this day, light conquered the darkness, after the battle that lasted ten thousand years, at the beginning of the world." He smiled, seeing her eyes glisten. "Celebrations last the longest in the lowest circle. And in the palace, it is the most boring and the celebration takes only a few hours. When I lived in the city, I was surprised to see how people can have fun. I like this festival. The performances are quite monothematic but beautiful."


    "They are what?"


    They are all about the same plot. Good fights evil, heroes fight demons, light conquer darkness. The battle scenes are very spectacular, it''s worth to see them."


    Kalena felt a slight twinge of embarrassment.


    "The scenes are what?"


    "They are nice," he corrected himself. "How often you don''t understand me?"


    "Sometimes. You know many difficult words. But It''s fine, I was afraid I wouldn''t understand you at all! At the market, you spoke in a completely different language."


    "In Sekanese," he finished. - The largest merchant guilds are in Sekania and it has been accepted that if you want to succeed in trade, you need to know that language."


    "I thought you were going to be angry, I didn''t understand you and you would start beating me," she confessed.


    - Even if you didn''t speak my language at all, I know Velikanish and Madegaldian as well. Slaves are not imported from other countries, and if you were an exception, I would try to communicate with you somehow. Sit down!" He pointed to her place in the last row, on the only last free wooden bench. "We should see everything unless some giant suddenly would sit before us. Should I bring you something else to eat?"


    "Later," Kalena grabbed his arm. "Don''t leave me alone."


    "If they won''t sell out all the goods, they will spread them during the performance. In higher circles of the city, you have to sit stiffly and watch the whole play. Here you can eat, talk and go out whenever you want."


    "It begins!" The girl raised her head to see better what was happening on stage. Galaspiael patiently explained everything to her.


    "Don''t be scared now," he warned, and after a moment a huge wave of fire appeared. Kalena didn''t move. Hypnotized, she stared at the dancer and the flames around him.


    "You don''t like it?" She asked, seeing the calmness on his face.


    "I''ve seen this play several times," he explained.


    "Several times?!" The fire flashed again on the stage and the girl almost choked with delight. "How I envy you! How agile they are! How many years does it take to learn something like this?"


    - Training takes a long time, but they master the choreography in a few months. The crew starts rehearsing just after the previous festival."


    "Can we see the whole thing?"


    "We''ll stay as long as you like. I''ll show you other places later."


    ***


    "Najana, what are you doing here?" Washar put down his sword slowly, seeing who the uninvited guest was. "You shouldn''t come unannounced."


    "You shouldn''t be surprised by seeing me. An assassin was sent to the treasury! I knew that your brothers would eventually get you in their conflicts!"


    "Not the assassin," he corrected her, "just an ordinary spy. From the Scribe''s Association.


    "Scribe''s Association¡­ And what about it? I would like to live to see the times when my countrymen will stop looking for the reasons for all the woes in this organization!" she snapped. "I know some Scribes and I could convince one to go to the treasury and choose a recipe, killing you by the way." It''s not difficult to talk like them. You say that you care about transferring important knowledge to other people and for sure someone will come with you."


    "And kill me?" Washar suddenly silenced her with a gesture and listened. Nothing moved in the bedroom. His wife was still asleep and didn''t hear them. "As long as they exist, they will try to break in. You can''t suspect the imperial family if you have no evidence!"


    "I know people well In my opinion, they are planning something and you are either their goal or a tool to serve them."


    "And to me," he interrupted her, "you''re just looking for a reason to get close to me. And you exaggerate."


    Hatred flashed in her brown eyes. Not to him, to these words. To how he said them.


    Believe me, I''d rather not come here. I don''t want to destroy your family, I want to protect it."


    "That''s really nice of you, but I can handle it myself. You also have a dangerous profession and somehow I never came over to your home to share my suspicions. What can you do?" He leaned closer to her and pursed his lips, waiting for her to answer. "Will you follow me like a guard? You can''t help me, Najana, you don''t even have to. Since the spy appeared, I have increased my alertness, but it looks like it was just some lone desperate. And affairs in the palace mean nothing. Every day someone conspires there and probably many times planned to include me in some of his plans. As you can see, it failed. I promise I''ll be more careful, "he added, mentally asking her to leave before Alissa wakes up. "And if I need help, you are the first person I would ask."


    Najana was silent for a long time.


    "He still doesn''t show any abilities?" she changed the subject.


    "Who?"


    "Your son."


    "He does. He''s great with a sword. He''ll be a great warrior."


    She smiled.


    "Let it stay that way. Norina, unfortunately, was not so lucky. It appeared recently. He has the power to use water, just like me."


    "You have a strong personality, which is why you inherited the power and color of your skin. She doesn''t resemble your husband in any way. If my child were not so similar to me, I would suspect Alissa of having an affair¡­ If we were married, Jaishin would also become like that."


    The only thing in which Washar''s wife was better Najana was her ordinariness. Alissa had no power. She was half-blood Kagolanian, much paler than the rest of the people in Empire, but in many respects average. Many people were surprised that Prince Washar broke for her the engagement with Najana - a dark-skinned noblewoman from the south, extremely gusty, but also deadly beautiful and talented. To someone who did not know about their shared secret, she seemed like the perfect wife to the prince.


    "A palace is a rotten place," he said after a moment of silence. "That''s why I avoid it. I advise you the same. Stop listening to gossip there, you will sleep better at night."


    "Do you think Vishimon won''t be the victim of any conspiracy?" She asked, sliding the scarf over her shoulders."


    "Gods would have to protect him day and night. Naimoor and Shao Tien hate each other, but they can join forces for a moment to remove the biggest rival in the queue to the throne. After that, they will continue to slay themselves in peace, without the specter of their older brother before them. Vishimon is fifty-six years old. He is not as energetic as before and he probably prays for the death of the old emperor every day." Washar smiled. "And where is the place for me in all of this? They have had enough problems."


    ***


    Galaspiael lit a torch next to the entrance. It filled up the whole room with warm orange flames. He encouraged Kalena to go inside. She made the first few steps uncertain.


    "We should start with the house before exploring the city, but we''ll do the opposite. Later I will show you where the keys lie and which one opens this basement. Sometimes you will need to look here. Go down carefully, stairs may be wet.


    They went down the steep steps to the bottom, where another door was waiting. The air got colder and had a different smell.


    "I don''t see anything!" Kalena felt her curiosity grow with every second. She began to look over Galaspiael''s shoulder, trying to see what''s inside the secret chamber.


    "Come in," the prince held the door for her, then started lighting the lamps. Each one stood in a different place, but their arrangement allowed lighting of the entire room.


    Inside, the air was not cold and moist. There was a slight chill, but everything looked as if the room was upstairs, not underground.


    The walls were covered by huge shelves that bent under the weight of books of all sizes. In the center, various tools were placed on a huge table alongside several wooden boxes, similar to those in his room. Nearby stood a cabinet with a brass padlock. Kalena guessed that the most valuable items were hidden in there.


    "It''s one of the Scribe''s Association libraries," he explained to her. "I have made this room available to all members so that they can safely hide valuable books. It will survive everything, even if the house was demolished."


    "What is this association?" Kalena gazed at everything, not knowing where to stop. Galaspiael leaned against one of the shelves.


    "I am not the only man who opposes the Righteous Conspiracy. There are many of us. We want to restore the civilization of enlightened people, which existed there many years ago. Seemingly we only deal with science and books, but our skills go far beyond this area.


    Kalena started looking at his sword.


    "This is Shen. A Scribe''s weapon. It is lighter and more precise than an ordinary sword" he explained seeing her intense gaze. "Do you want to see?"


    "I''m scared."


    "There''s nothing to be scared of," he said and unfastened the case. "Grasp the handle and pull it towards you."


    The girl did not expect the weight of the sword. When she grabbed it with both hands, she almost raised it to an upright position, but after a moment the blade hit the ground.


    "Nice." Galaspiael didn''t even notice that she might have damaged his sword. "But you have to get stronger. You''re too skinny right now."


    When he said that, Kalena realized how miserable she must''ve looked in his eyes. At home, she ate one, sometimes two meals a day, and this affected her figure very much. She wasn''t ugly, but she looked mediocre. Dark brown, thin hair did not want to become blond curls she had dreamed of since childhood. Her black eyes were painfully ordinary. Sickly thinness did not allow feminine shapes to flourish. She was malnourished all her life and it showed on her complexion. Together it all gave a rather pathetic picture.


    "I have something for you." The prince went to the center and took a book from one of the boxes. Kalena took her hand and discovered that the cards were completely clean.


    "Is that for my lessons?"


    "Practice makes perfect. You can translate the collection of fairy tales I read to you."


    "But it''s in Madegaldian," she protested, "I don''t know the language."


    "That''s why I''ll help you. You will try to rewrite one page every day. There are a few more pages than in the original, but it''s okay. Five hundred if I remember correctly."


    "You must be joking!"


    "When you finish it, you''ll write as if you were born with Lik in your hand." The prince looked her deep in the eyes and fell silent for a moment. "I would like you to join us and become Scribe. I would introduce you to the Association and become your teacher. Of course, if you want."


    She doubted her strength as soon as she heard his offer.


    "Do you think I can do it?"


    "After what I saw yesterday? I think you''ll be fantastic!"


    *


    That night Kalena fell asleep quickly and slept so deeply that even her screams could not wake up from a nightmare.


    She opened her eyes only when Galaspiael shook her hard and realized that her cheeks were wet with tears. She looked around the room with panic. The dream was beginning to blur."


    "It''s all right. You''re safe," he whispered, sitting down beside her on the bed. "All good."


    The girl choked on her tears and began brushing the hair stuck from her face. When Galaspiael wanted to hug her, she jumped away from him quickly.


    "Please don''t!" She groaned. Her voice was stuck in her throat. She lay back down, trying to control her emotions.


    "Did I do something wrong today?"


    He seemed so surprised and hurt by her escape that she felt guilty for her reaction.


    "No! It''s not because of you." She took his hand gently as he slid to the floor. "Excuse me. I like you a lot. But don''t touch me now."


    The boy sighed. He looked at her with a strange pain in the eyes.


    "Try to sleep," he encouraged her, "think of something joyful. Maybe the nightmare won''t come back."

 5 Chapter 5

    "Washar, I''m glad to see you here." Naimoor greeted his brother as soon as he crossed the threshold of the palace. The others only gave him an indifferent look and nodded casually.


    Almost every Madegaldian prince arrived in the huge audience hall, still filled with the smell of the feast from the previous day. Naimoor, Sujin, Seishin, and Misheril. Only the oldest and the third were missing. The youngest prince was also gone, but he left Madegald a few months ago, so no one was surprised by his absence.


    "I arrived as soon as I found someone to replace me. What happened? Where is Shao Tien?"


    "We met to find out," prince Seishin muttered, and looked at prince Naimoor. "Oh gods, I wonder why he disappeared without a word so suddenly!"


    "I''d like to know it myself," Naimoor replied, ignoring the perfectly sensible provocation.


    "I suspect our father must have said something about who is first in line for the throne. For example, that after Vishimon''s possible death he is more inclined to transfer the crown to Shao Tien. It''s logical. If someone wants to get into the fight for the crown, he would have to get rid of Shao Tien first, and then take care of Vishimon."


    Naimoor smirked.


    "If I were you, I would not try to accuse anyone too soon. You have no evidence for your thesis yet. And even if you''re right, it means that the conspirator is among us. He hears what you say and may remember you. By the way, it''s a shame Vishimon isn''t here with us. Don''t you think, brothers, that the future emperor should first take care of the imperial family before he sits down to write documents that could be done later?


    "He''ll help later in the search for sure," said Sujin. "Now, let''s think about where to look. I suggest you ask your loved ones first, and then servants. We don''t know if he left alone or if he was kidnapped, but he couldn''t evaporate. Someone must have seen him carrying horse saddle, running away or fighting. Take anyone who can help!"


    Washar offered to question the other guards in the treasury and headed there. The other brothers also returned to their duties.


    Everyone saw Prince Shao Tien, but long before his disappearance, so their testimony was not helpful. Washar was fed up with listening so, he took a walk to the most guarded part of the building filled with valuables, where an old copy of the dynamite recipe that had to be burned lied in the black, crystal-studded box.


    Or rather it supposed to be there.


    It was not there. It disappeared. Washar incredulously checked the crate, and after a while poured its contents on the floor. The pearl necklace ripped apart and bright beads spilled all over the room. The coins rattled while falling, and the silver bracelets echoed them.


    Fear pierced the prince to the bone. Once again, he searched all the places carefully, trying to not give up to panic. After that, he went to the place where the new, rewritten copy of the recipe was stored, deluding himself that maybe by accident he also hid old parchment with it.


    When he did not find it there, he was sure that he failed as the guardian.


    The treasury was robbed.


    And the thief knew exactly what was the most precious thing there.


    *


    The sun was going down when Kalena noticed someone entering the garden.


    Together with Galaspiael, they decided to take advantage of the charm of an exceptionally warm day and work outside. In addition to learning calligraphy, the prince showed her the basics of Shen fighting.


    That day, she wrote eight pages of her fairy tale translation. Thus, she has already completed the second of a hundred stories.


    "We were supposed to rewrite just one a day," he reminded when she asked him to translate the content of the following pages. "You don''t want to finish the whole book today do you?"


    "Thanks to this we can rest tomorrow," she said. Galaspiael laughed softly.


    "Little one, you''ll also have to rewrite one page tomorrow," he responded, "just because you worked more today doesn''t mean tomorrow you won''t."


    "But ..." She paused noticing the mysterious stranger who had entered the garden and was heading towards them. "Who is this?"


    Galaspiael leaned out.


    "Ah, it''s Zarkin. Rikken probably sent him with a message."


    Hearing these foreign-sounding names, the girl began to look intensely at the stranger. So far, she hasn''t met anyone from the Scribe''s Association, except of course Galaspiael.


    Zarkin turned out to be a young boy, probably her age, or a little younger. He was thin, and by his movements, it could be concluded that he was also extremely agile. He had fair, blonde hair and a calm look, but when his eyes met Kalena''s, the girl shuddered. If it wasn''t for a modest dress, one would get the impression that he was also a prince.


    He bowed respectfully to Galaspiael and handed him the tube with a letter hidden inside.


    "Kalena, take a break and come here," he asked. "This is Zarkin, the future apprentice of my friend Rikken. Zarkin, this is Kalena. She will be the apprentice of mine."


    She shivered awkwardly, intimidated by this official introduction, and smiled nervously, not knowing what to say. The boy nodded politely and replied with a smile.


    "It''s a pleasure to meet you. I see you have already started learning." He pointed to her notes. "Can you write?"


    In an instant, Kalena was overcome with incredible embarrassment. She quickly slammed the book shut.


    "I''m just practicing," she replied nervously, "it''s nothing sensational. Actually, I write tragically, I make mistakes all the time. And I can''t read fast and fluently yet."


    "I can''t do it at all," Zarkin admitted and looked at her with undisguised admiration. Galaspiael stood up.


    "Don''t be so hard on yourself, you are getting better every day." He looked at Zarkin. "You are the first student from the Association that Kalena meets. I wanted you two to meet because you have a lot in common. I hope you''ll like each other."


    "It will certainly be so, master," said the blonde boy.


    Galaspiael winked at Kalena and, disregarding her obvious embarrassment, he left her with this boy. Not knowing what to do with her hands, she unraveled the braid and began to style the dark hair in the most careful bun she had ever made. Zarkin''s expression immediately changed.


    "Do you know that he''s rich enough to buy the whole Scribe headquarters if he wants to? Even the Madegaldian emperor himself does not have so much gold, because he had to build palaces for all his sons. When he gets the crown, he will be the second wealthiest ruler in the world. But nobody knows it because he keeps everything hidden in his treasury. I am not surprised that he is so self-confident!" he murmured and glanced at her briefly. "You''re not from the royal family, are you? You seem fine."


    "Of course not! I am... I was a slave," she corrected. The prince gave me freedom. And you?" She asked, seeing his reaction. Zarkin began to stare at her so intensely that she had to look away.


    "I was a slave too," he confessed, "I''m glad you''re going to enter the Association. We should stick together and support each other. If other students would find out that we are liberated slaves, they will not let us live."


    "You think so?"


    Zarkin narrowed his eyes slightly.


    "Does he treat you well?"


    "Yes," she said without hesitation, "like a little sister."


    "So you''re lucky. For me, free people are completely different. Everyone expects gratitude as if they liberated me only temporarily and could enslave me again. They consider themselves better, but they are not better than us. Imagine how those rich kids will behave in Yagn-Sho when they learn that they have to treat us equally."


    Fear overwhelmed Kalena''s whole body. She shuddered, feeling the cold that penetrated her inside.


    "I didn''t think about it," she admitted. The seed of doubt germinated quickly. Zarkin nodded.


    ''It''s good that you''re already learning to write. The man who is to teach us calligraphy will be the master of Princess Jin-Si from Velikania. I have already met her and there''s no one in the world I hate more than her. Because of her stupid ideas, I almost earned a whipping, and that was after my liberation. We must try to outdo all the free kids because they will not play clean against us. But once the masters see our skills, free brats won''t be able to do anything. If the prince or anyone else would do you any harm, you can always tell me. I''m not saying that everyone we''ll meet will treat us badly, but it''s better to be prepared."


    When he said goodbye and left, Kalena felt that she wanted to cry. She returned home visibly upset and sighed heavily. Galaspiael noticed her mood change immediately.


    "So there''s no chance for a friendship?"


    "I don''t know," the girl sighed. "One conversation isn''t enough to tell if someone is your friend."


    "But enough to make an opinion about someone."


    "Not always the accurate opinion," she responded. "Zarkin is nice." A bit strange but nice. He doesn''t like aristocrats. And probably all the people who were born free."


    "So why you in such a mood?"


    "He told me that we need to stick together because other students will try to bully us. Even the masters... until we prove our skills, they will not treat us well because we''re liberated slaves. And I... "She gave him a look of despair. "I don''t know if I should go with you, I''m so scared."


    "Little one," he began, and Kalena smiled involuntarily. She liked it when he addressed her this way. "You have nothing to fear. You will go with me to the Scribe''s Association and give your best. I will help you as I can. Many people have finished this training, you can handle it too. And it doesn''t matter you were a slave.

 6 Chapter 6

    Last week before the year-long training, Galaspiael went to the market with Kalena and Zarkin to buy some necessary things.


    They needed mostly clothes and shoes, but also bought bundles of various sizes, a leather bag, a pouch, a flat box for not important notes, and everything they thought could be useful during the time in Scribe''s headquarters named Yagn-Sho.


    Zarkin got some money from Master Rikken and a shortlist of things he was supposed to get. He shopped, bargaining the lowest price everywhere, and saved the rest of the money for himself, asking Kalena not to mention it to his master.


    When they returned, the prince explained what would study in Yagn-Sho look like and tried to tell them about the principles of the Association in an accessible way. He was happy being able to speak so much, especially since his apprentice was a really good listener. Zarkin a little less, but he didn''t show that he was bored.


    "Scribe''s Association wants to protect and share knowledge because we believe that is how things should be. We want our civilization to prosper like it was before the Great War. Well, at least, we''d love people to see us that way. After a few years, you''ll find that each organization has its flaws. There are ten places in the world where potential new members of the Association are taught. Potential, because not all adepts finish the training.


    "And then what happens to them?"


    "Nothing. They follow their path. We all keep in secret our membership in Association, and a new student can be introduced only by a master with at least two years'' of experience. Also, one master can train up to three people throughout their lifetime." Galaspiael ran his fingers through his hair. "So as you can see that is all about openly sharing knowledge with all people. I don''t like it but unfortunately, we need this for security. During the first months, students are not allowed to go outside the headquarters. Although they don''t even have much time to leave, learning takes most of the day... What are you looking at?" He asked, seeing that Zarkin had been staring at him intensively for some time.


    "I wonder," he began without taking his eyes off his shen, "will I be allowed to kill someone?" Kalena and Galaspiael looked at each other in awkward silence.


    "Who would you want to kill?" asked the prince.


    "No one yet," the blonde boy replied.


    "Yet?"


    "I''ll have a weapon. Can I REALLY use it? Or maybe shen is only for decoration and some show fights?" Zarkin looked at them coldly and that gave Kalena an unpleasant shiver.


    "It''s not just for decoration," Galaspiael began, "Shen is a real weapon. And of course, it''s impossible to avoid the fight. The very fact that you will be armed will drive some people to attack you. You can kill someone by defending yourself, just like by attacking. I just hope it won''t happen too often - he added, seeing how Zarkin''s eyes glowed. "A warrior is not a murderer."


    Zarkin rolled his eyes.


    "I haven''t murdered anyone. I just want to make sure you won''t send me to execution me when I use my sword..."


    "For defense," Galaspiael finished for him. "And if you commit a crime, it''s better for you to end the case at the home of some local Okiani. Palace trials are for the worst criminals."


    "Of course, master."


    "As for now I think I''ve already told you everything about the training... it lasts a year, although in my case it was two years. During that time you acquire all the skills that are needed to get the title of master, but a Scribe learns his whole life. In the beginning, you only have fighting and calligraphy lessons. These are the two most important subjects, without which you can''t master the rest. Besides each student also has separate lessons with their master.


    "Tell me again," Kalena began uncertainly, "what are the punishments? And for what?"


    "You haven''t been accepted into the Association yet, are you tempted to break the rules?"


    "I want to know what awaits me if I do something wrong."


    "No one can punish a student for a mistake or for not knowing something. We don''t have a list of offenses and a matching list of penalties. When someone breaks the rules, we treat their case individually. When you get the task to learn the rules of the Association, take it seriously and you will know everything."


    "Have you ever been punished for something?"


    Galaspiael snorted, remembering his school years.


    "I don''t think I should tell you that. The master should be a role model... Mostly for lateness, quarrels with my master, escapes, arson, destruction of someone else''s possessions. I even trapped a friend in the basement once. I think I broke all the rules that exist... What can I say, I wasn''t a calm student."


    Hearing this, Zarkin smiled slightly. Kalena tried to imagine the younger version of Galaspiael starting a fire.


    "You also need to know that nobody expects you to be perfect in everything," the prince continued. "It''s normal to have one specific subject in which you''ll be an expert and getting mere results in the other fields."


    "And the free ones won''t bully us for it?" Zarkin asked.


    "I don''t understand why you still describe them this way," said the prince. "You are also free people yourself."


    "They''re born free," he corrected.


    "For me, there is no difference," Galaspiael replied. "During the training, you are closed to the outside world. Only skills count, not where who comes from."


    *


    Finally, the long-awaited day came.


    Kalena regretted that she had to leave Galaspiael''s house - the place she had already started treating, like her own home. When they were ready to go, she felt like crying. The Scribe''s quarters terrified her with its size and inaccessibility. It was located between two hills, and from the outside world protected with a huge gate, now opened to guests entering.


    Yagn-Sho consisted of several buildings. The largest, to which a long pavilion led, served as a home for students and masters. Next to it was a training hall, connected to a small room for storing weapons, and several smaller buildings located around a small courtyard. They were all painted in warm colors.


    "I thought there would be more a lot more students." Kalena immediately began to look for Zarkin, when they arrived.


    "As far as I know, there are only fifteen people. There''s no need to form groups. It will be the weakest year in history... And here comes Tessale!" Galaspiael suddenly pulled Kalena by the hand in a completely different direction.


    "Who is this?"


    "My old friend."


    Kalena saw Princess Jin-Si next to Master Tessale. It could be recognized from afar that she was much wealthier than the rest of the students.


    The blue dress she was wearing was interwoven with small crystals that glistened with the slightest movement. Her blonde hair was pinned up in an intricate bun, which also had small shiny decorations. She was stunning.


    "Oh, what are you doing here?" She asked, coming up to Galaspiael. "You have no idea how surprised I was when Master Tessale told me that you''re a member of the Association, too. Why didn''t you say anything?"


    "Because if I''ve done, you would have sent me a thousand letters asking for training. Just like you''ve done to Tessale. I hope you realize that this is not a holiday. You''re not a princess here. You''re a student." He replied calmly and passed her by. "Nice to see you again, my friend. Has Rikken lost his way to the quarters?"


    "You know he is never in a hurry," Tessale glanced at Kalena. "Is this your apprentice?"


    "As you can see. Kalena, this is master Tessale. He will teach you calligraphy and history."


    A young man, a head taller than the prince and looking like his peer, restrained a burst of laughter.


    "I can''t believe we''re together here again. I remember when you stole fruit from the pantry and then dropped the pulp on our heads. Someone like you must not be allowed to be a teacher!"


    "Who was preparing this pulp for me?" Galaspiael nudged his friend. "Don''t ruin my authority."


    Kalena said nothing. The sound of a dozen or so human voices mixed together dumbfounded her. Jin-Si completely ignored her presence. It seemed like the contrary to what Zarkin said. Aristocratic students won''t bully them. They''ll simply ignore the existence of liberated slaves. It was much better.


    "Your sister came too?" Finally, Galaspiael paid attention to Jin-Si.


    "Sadly no. But don''t worry she should visit you in the palace soon. You must miss her? After all, it''s your fianc¨¦e..."


    A fianc¨¦e?


    It was like a kick in the stomach. Galaspiael could not be engaged. He lived alone and no one visited him at all. Not once did he mention anyone, and he devoted all his attention to Kalena. Her lips tightened. This small twinge of jealousy made her realize that the affection for the prince began to turn into something more than just friendship.


    She no longer heard what he replied, because of the sound of the gong, which meant that the ceremony would begin soon.


    They were led to a large room filled with the smell of wood and something that Kalena smelled for the first time in her life. Everyone was silent, which significantly affected the atmosphere. The girl turned away when she heard a loud squeak of the hinges. The gate has been closed. There was no turning back. She felt Galaspiael''s hand on the shoulder.


    "We''re heading there," he pointed to the center, where a circle on the floor was drawn white circle. "First the masters. You must line up and approach us in turn. It''s easy. Just observe what others are doing"


    "How will I know when it''s my turn?" she whispered, feeling panic overwhelming her.


    "Your name will be read. You just take a few steps forward towards me. Don''t worry!" He winked at her and went into the line with the other masters.


    Tessale stood between them. Gong pealed again and this time was so loud that Kalena felt a slight vibration in her stomach. She glanced at Galaspiael and he smiled slightly. It calmed her down.


    "Dear friends!" Tessale began. "For several years, the opportunity to meet in Yagn-Sho did not want to come. I know that there are those students who have been waiting for admission to the Association for several years because we have not been able to form a minimum group for a long time. Some are convinced that our school is slowly dying. In its history, however, Yagn-Sho struggled with more problems than empty corridors. We are carefully choosing our students and that''s fine. The year spent training often turns out to be the most important in their lives. Not every master can take this responsibility and not every student should take this challenge. However, I am sure that these young people you have brought with you, selected from among many, will work hard and do their best. Now I am asking everyone for special attention, I will read the names of those who will begin their training today." After those words, he took a decorative sheet of parchment from the tube and unfolded it. "Mian Mizar and master Okiani Mian Aymon," he read the first pair. "Sei Li and master Okiani Sun Tahi."


    Kalena noticed the two students come out of the line and smile at each other. They must have met before. Most of these people seemed to know each other well.


    "Mamina, Nemina, and mistress Bimala," Tessale continued. Two twin sisters holding hands approached a woman with a friendly, motherly face. "Seth and master Hosh, Umi and mistress Asanala."


    Kalena suddenly began to get very nervous. She imagined that she would not be read at all and everyone would look at her standing alone. She closed her eyes, silently asking Tessale not to miss her.


    "Dasir and master Zai Saial, Zarkin and Master Rikken, Kirni and master Okiani Seng Samin, now replaced by master Hosh. Insha Kete and master Lao!" Tessale paused for a moment and took a deep breath. "Kalena and His Royal Highness Galaspiael, the sixth from the Namanya dynasty, endowed with the grace by his ancestors, prince of Kagolania." He read and looked towards his friend. A whisper of murmurs ran through the room. The boy gave him a furious look, and when Kalena came closer he laughed.


    "Did you hear what he said? ''His Royal Highness, the prince.''" Galaspiael handed Kalena an oblong, flat box made of dark wood. "It''s for you. Inside you have Lik and a small surprise to start with. But don''t open it here."


    "This is the end?" Kalena felt a slight disappointment when Tessale read a few more names from the list and everyone began to diverge. "Really? I thought I''d get my Shen today."


    "Before Shen, we would have to take the measure off your shoulder first. And it would be good to teach you at least the basics of fencing so you don''t hurt yourself. Yes, that''s all for today. Welcome to the Scribe''s Association, Kalena!"


    The ceremony was over and they both head to the living area, where the rooms were ready for them.


    "It''s so nice here" she praised, entering their room.


    "I chose this one because I wanted to live far away from the main corridors. Silence helps to focus. It was also my room during the training. I hope you don''t mind it."


    "Will... we live together?"


    "Is it something wrong that we are together in one room? We have separate beds." Galaspiael looked at her closely. "Are you afraid that I''ll hurt you somehow?"


    "No!" Kalena realized she said it too loudly and lowered her voice "Of course not, I just..."


    "Tell me," he encouraged.


    "I''m afraid that some people may talk about it in the wrong way."


    "I told you I don''t care about other people''s opinions."


    "But you didn''t tell me you''re engaged!"


    The boy looked at her surprised by this sharp attack. Kalena pursed her lips and stepped back.


    "I didn''t say anything, but not to hide it. It''s an exhausting and annoying topic for me. But if you want to talk about it, then I''ll tell you the truth." He sat on the bed across hers. "Princess Lin-Si is not my chosen one. No one will think that you being close to me is something inappropriate. She would even be happy about it. I have to marry her, but only so that Kagolania can form a closer alliance with her country. This marriage was planned by my father when I was three years old. I am glad that she is almost my peer, I would not like my wife to be decades older than me. But we don''t have feelings for each other, and to be honest, I would prefer to throw myself off the roof rather than marrying such a woman."


    "So if you don''t love her, can''t you choose another bride?"


    "I know it''s hard for you to understand, but I can''t. All my decisions, even about private life, I have to make based on the consequences they will have for my subjects. Zarkin annoys me with the way he talks about aristocrats. It seems to him that life is simple when you are born in a palace, and this is not true at all. You can''t imagine how much I envy you your freedom. I can''t even be out of the house for too long. Sometimes you will be alone in the quarters for a few days because I will be called to the palace." He smiled weakly. "Isn''t it absurd that I gave you the freedom and I don''t have it myself?"


    "Is that why you don''t like Jin-Si so much? This fianc¨¦e of yours... it''s her sister, I heard right?"


    "Yes. And it''s not true that I don''t like her. I''ve been avoiding her lately, but it''s because she went crazy for Tessale. For a long time, she had asked him to take her as an apprentice. If she had found out that I was also in the Association, I would probably not have freed myself from her for a long time. But you know little one, I think we should stop wasting time talking about my problems and unpack as soon as possible. Tomorrow you are starting your first day."


    "Talking about your problems is not a waste of time," she said. Her heart trembled with joy as he smiled gratefully and hugged her.


    *


    In the evening, in front of the majestic, closed entrance gate, Kalena played Kajrengo with Zarkin, Umi, Jin-si and several other people. The game was quite complex, and at first, the rules were a little incomprehensible, but Zarkin explained everything to her.


    Shortly after the third round, Jin-si stated that the game was stupid and primitive, and started offending everyone. The gameplay, however, continued and would end late at night, if not for the intervention of master Rikken, who quite bluntly gave everyone a lesson about a curfew in Yang-Sho.

 7 Chapter 7

    At night, Kalena didn''t sleep well. The nightmares came back, this time stronger than ever.


    The fear of failure and loneliness was overwhelming. Although Galaspiael promised to leave the quarters only when it was absolutely necessary and said he''ll make sure that his apprentice is ready to stay alone for a couple of days, his words could not calm her down. She tried to hide her anxiety but eventually, it came back in the form of the most unpleasant dream she ever had.


    Yagn-Sho was definitely bigger than Galaspiael''s house, but it turned out to be amazingly cozy. Students walked from the residential part to the schoolyard with a long pavilion. In the free time, they could go out into the garden, connected to a small courtyard.


    Early in the morning first fighting classes took place. Master Rikken immediately proved himself to be an extremely strict and demanding teacher. When he noticed that Zarkin was looking at Kalena almost all the time and trying to quietly talk with her, he grabbed his by the arm and dragged him to a place where the boy could not see her. The whole group stayed silent after witnessing that.


    He was a stern-looking, tall man with blue eyes that seemed to notice every tiniest weakness in his students.


    "Listen!" He said to them after greeting. "You must understand that places like this one are forbidden for people like you. You will arouse fear and resentment, and sometimes you will even meet with open hostility. If someone expects from me this hypocrisy, called by some empathy, they will also be disappointed. Outside these walls, a world awaits you. This world has just been revived from the ashes. It will not care for your feelings and I have no intention either. Unless you prove to me that you should be respected, I will not."


    Kalena responded to these words only with a slight smile. He didn''t try to discourage them, he knew what he was talking about. But she felt sorry for Zarkin, such a strict teacher.


    After the warm-up, which was as exhausting as regular training, they were supposed to get used to "school swords". They were long, wooden, polished sticks, much heavier and harder to control than ordinary Shen. All the time they had to move them from one hand to the other while watching to maintain the correct posture, that is, the left knee bent and the right foot firmly on the ground. No one was able to do it correctly, and Rikken roughly criticized their every mistake.


    "I hate him!" Jin-si exclaimed as they finally took a break. "How can someone be such a monster! We are students, not his servants! Deprived of human feelings sick man!"


    "Yeah now shut up," Zarkin muttered.


    "I have a right to be mad at him! No one knows how to fight yet and your master should understand this. If that''s how his classes look like, he will not see me again!"


    "Please, cut it out!" Umi stood up and changed places to be as far as possible from the princess. "He wasn''t even rough for you. In my opinion, he purposely treats you and all the rich kids better and it''ll stay that way. So he''ll have more time to turn our life into hell."


    "Peasants always let themselves be pushed," said Kete.


    "Oh look, the nobleman just spoke!" Zarkin said mockingly, but he clenched his fists in anger. Kalena watched the whole situation with cautious interest, but she did not see the spectacular fight she was secretly waiting for. Galaspiael came to lead them to their next lesson, signaling that their free time was over. He was chosen for the guide of all students because thanks to his youthful pranks he knew Yagn-Sho from the inside out.


    "You look tired," he said quietly as Kalena stepped out to the front of the group to walk beside him.


    "I feel like I was scrubbing floors all day. It''s noon yet, and I''m already sleepy."


    "Don''t worry, it''ll pass over time. With Rikken you can quickly get yourself in shape.


    "¡­Or die."


    "You''re exaggerating, it couldn''t have been that bad. For sure he realizes that you all are beginners. What were you doing?"


    "This," Kalena picked up a stick from the ground and started to swing it vigorously. "And before that, we were running and doing some exercises for an hour. The fighting lessons are meaningless."


    "You think so?"


    "Yes. Why would I even need that? At least, calligraphy is useful, but these lessons are probably only meant to finish us off. And after the warm-up, it got boring. He only screamed ''bend your knees and raise the stick as high as possible''! This is stupid!"


    "I feel you because I had my fighting lessons with Rikken and I know what kind of a teacher he is. Come on." Galaspiael opened the door and let the rest of the group in. "But please don''t get discouraged just now. I promise, if you train more, you''ll like Rikken''s way of teaching... Good luck now. You will certainly do better, we have already practiced that."


    Indeed, at the very beginning, Kalena was praised by master Tessale for being able to legibly write her name, as well as a few sentences he dictated to check her. The rest of the lesson was mostly a lecture about how their education would look like. After the training, everyone decided that it was the best thing that happened to them on that day.


    *


    "Why are you back so early?" asked Galaspiael when Kalena entered the room. "You don''t have to come here right after dinner. The curfew is in four hours."


    "I know," she said, sitting down on her bed. "I wanted to rest."


    "I don''t believe this training was so exhausting," he said, putting the book back on the table. "Since you are so reluctant to make new friends heat the water, we''ll make some tea." He handed her two flints. The girl came to a small stove, on which stood a kettle. She looked at the dry wood and a few coals and hit the stones hard against each other. The flame almost leaped out from under her fingers. Galaspiael shook his head in disbelief.


    "You must teach me this someday."


    "Teach you what?"


    "Your way to kindle the fire. You do it so fast that this is beyond my understanding. Would you also succeed with wet flints?"


    "It doesn''t matter if they are wet or dry," she said, "I''ve always known how to do that. I can try to show you how, but no one I taught has managed to do it correctly."


    "This will be useful to you during your kitchen shift," he said. "But they''ll start a later so don''t worry about the now. During the first month, you should focus only on learning. For me, calligraphy lessons were the worst because they can last for a few hours."


    Kalena wanted to say something, but a knock on the door interrupted her. Her master went to open them.


    "Hello Zarkin, come in," he said, stepping back to let the boy inside.


    "Good evening." The blonde boy smiled casually. "I came to ask if Kalena would like to take a walk around the quarters."


    "Master Rikken gave you some free time?"


    "He got angry at me and said he doesn''t want to see me around," he confessed.


    "Well," Kalena glanced at Galaspiael. "We were supposed to drink tea."


    "Oh, go with him If you want," he encouraged. "The water hasn''t boiled yet. Just please, try to come back before dark. And don''t eat from our pantry supplies, and if any doors are locked please, don''t try to open it.


    "There''s still some food left in the dining room," he said as they stepped out into the corridor. " People still eat what they took from home, so some of them skipped dinner."


    "Galaspiael said not to eat."


    "From the pantry," he reminded, "and this food is already out of it. If we don''t eat, it''ll go to waste."


    "Do you know the way to the dining room? I would get lost if I''d get to go there by myself."


    Zarkin led the way. They walked in silence, looking at each other from time to time.


    He knew inside his heart that Kalena began to fancy the prince. He saw the way she looked at him, the way she smiled when he looked away. And he found it funny but decided to say nothing about it.


    *


    "Hello, prince Washar." The voice of the master pulled the prince out of his thoughts, as in the old days. "You haven''t visited me for a long time. Please come in. What brings you here?"


    Washar uncertainly crossed the threshold of the room and found that since the last time he was there, only the smell changed - earlier the scent of herbal ointment for muscle pain has not been so noticeable. Besides, everything was as he remembered from his school years. Master Kisho said that even blindfolded, he would find the smallest needle in his room.


    "I need your help," he said at once. "I think someone stole the dynamite recipe from the vault."


    "You think?" He picked up.


    "Someone definitely had stolen it." Washar corrected. "It''s my fault, I should burn it as soon as possible... I have no idea why I didn''t! You are the first person to talk about it, so please keep it a secret." Washar clenched his fists. "We had a burglary a few days before. I killed the thief and I was able to recognize that she was from the Scribe''s Association."


    "Do you suspect them?"


    "I don''t know. Maybe she was only a bait, and they sent her to discover when I was going to make a copy. The copying process is a great opportunity to steal old parchment. An experienced Scribe would have no problem with that. And I made their task even easier because of my stupidity! I should follow the procedure right away." He nodded vigorously. "Yes, it was some Scribe for sure. Who else could do it? The man who made the copy did not leave the treasury alive."


    "Who else was there that day?" asked Kisho.


    "Nobody else!" Washar growled impatiently. "The Scribe Association has declared a war on the Madegaldian Empire!"


    "Who brought in the copyist?" the old teacher remained calm. "Did he found a way himself?"


    "My brother came with him... No, you won''t tell me that you suspect Naimoor! You know him well, you taught him before you taught me!"


    "That''s why I suspect him."


    Washar thought deeply. He recalled the day of copying and tried to remember every, even the least important detail.


    "But he did not enter the treasury with copyist," he said finally. "He was standing behind the door with me. My brother did many things but he can''t be accused of stealing the imperial secret. This would forever destroy his hopes of taking the throne."


    "Or this would help him to get rid of prince Vishimon. Then he would be first in line. Shao Tien is missing and there is no indication that he will be found quickly. Sujin cares only about Princess Min-Si. If they get married he would have a good chance for the throne in Velikania. And Seishin is too young to fight for the crown."


    "It doesn''t make sense! If that were the case, why didn''t he persuade Vishimon to come to the treasury himself? Then it would be easy to accuse him of stealing it."


    "Getting Vishimon there would be too obvious. Emperor Xiansherim knows that now all attacks are directed at the eldest son. Imagine Naimoor sending Vishimon to you and then accusing him of stealing the recipe. It would be clear to the emperor that Vishimon was a victim to the intrigue. In my opinion, he is planning something else. Something that would plunge Vishimon enough to make your father doubt in him. I don''t know what the dynamite recipe is for, but it certainly is part of the plan."


    "And I''m a pawn in his game," Washar finished. "Should I warn Vishimon?"


    "When we have complete certainty. If you suspect the Scribes, I will send some people to the Yagn-Sho, let them overhear what is being discussed there now. The old copy was old and falling apart, even if it got into stranger''s hands, it will certainly get destroyed, but it''s better to make sure. Until then, my dear student, take care of yourself."

 8 Chapter 8

    That day was cold and cloudy.


    If you would go outside the Yagn-Sho, it could turn out that the weather was perfect, but the wind, blowing in a small valley, between the two hills, effectively cooled no matter how strong the sun was shining.


    Rikken let the students train in the hall, but the chill was still felt there. Everyone crouched against the walls, waiting for the end of classes or for being called to step forward. For several days they had practiced fighting in pairs.


    That day Kalena had to fight Mizar.


    He was a tall boy with light brown hair and gray eyes. His mouth was almost always tight twisted in a malicious smile. From the beginning, he showed resentment towards her and all the other students who at the ceremony were read without a family name. Of course, it was impossible to determine whether such a person was a slave, servant or peasant, but Mizar and his colleagues looked at them with contempt anyway.


    He had a very strange attack strategy. He preferred to start quickly and aggressively, wanting to knock down his opponent right away. However, if someone managed to withstand the first few blows, they could easily tire Mizar and defeat him, which Rikken constantly reminded him. Unfortunately, Kalena, seeing his hand above her, clenched her eyelids tightly and curled up, wanting to avoid being hit. When he saw this reflex, he used it every time, and she couldn''t help it.


    She raised the wooden imitation of shen, wishing to repel the attack, but released it from her hand as soon as she felt the pain begin. Before she realized it, she was lying on the ground, covering her face with her hands and hearing malicious whispers from the group watching her.


    "This is a disgrace!" Rikken grabbed her arm and set her back to an upright position. "How many times do we have to repeat it before you learn? Explain how you want to survive in a real fight?! Will you cry and beg for mercy?"


    "Maybe Kalena will develop the turtle style?" Mizar took off his vest and lay down in the same position. "When she would have to fight, she''ll just cover her armor and wait for the danger to pass."


    His voice was drowned out by the laughter of other students. Kalena wanted to escape from the room, but she did not know exactly where to go.


    "Yeah, laugh. She will also laugh when you''ll come back beaten up. Maybe I will try this great martial art¡­ I mean the art of cowardice."


    "Go back," whispered Rikken. "Your master, Prince Galaspiael, was the best student I''ve ever had. You disgrace him! I didn''t have high expectations, but you could at least pretend to try. These are basic moves and everyone, except you, is already doing great with them."


    Kalena could not stand it. Pain, humiliation, and anger at Rikken''s words completely broke her. The master gave her a disapproving look when she cried loudly.


    "Okay, sit down. You''re truly hopeless."


    It hurt. Kalena had never felt so stripped of dignity before. However, in despair, malicious satisfaction sparked in her heart.


    Intuition did not disappoint her. She felt well that she couldn''t make it in Yagn-Sho.


    *


    During the break, Kalena sat in the shade of a tree, away from the rest of the students. They didn''t notice her absence. Only during the first days, she aroused interest, because her guardian was the prince. Some hoped that he would start telling them about a passionate affair with the master, and because they had no affair, interest quickly diminished.


    The bitterness of defeat filled her mind. Again she felt like crying with anger, but she refrained because she knew that it would only cause a series of malicious comments she already heard too much that day.


    "What are you doing?" someone came close and asked. She twitched hearing the voice and cursed herself for not noticing when Mizar came so close.


    "I''m resting," she replied shortly, hoping that the boy would leave.


    "Are you mad at me?"


    "You beat me fairly."


    "But I can see that you don''t like my company..."


    "Do you think I should? I know what you think about me."


    "Wow. You''re an extremely unpleasant person. I am surprised that anyone likes you at all."


    "So go away. Nobody forces you to sit here with me," she said, standing up and quickly turned away from him, but he managed to grab her hand. "What? Hey, that hurts!"


    "What do you have there? Show me!"


    "I don''t know what you talking about, let me go!"


    Mizar looked at her and smiled victoriously. Kalena froze in terror. She tried to push him away, but he grabbed her tightly by the other hand and pulled to himself, that she couldn''t break free.


    "If you hurt me, I''ll tell Galaspiael about it," she threatened, but he didn''t respond. His hand went to her right shoulder. That shoulder on which she had a burned mark.


    "I see. So that''s why you always run to your room if you need to change clothes. Why didn''t I notice it before? I thought you were some peasant or servant, but you... "he twisted his lips in disgust. "You are a slave."


    "I was," she corrected him, "the prince liberated me."


    "Liberated? Don''t make me laugh!" When Mizar released her, she immediately covered the humiliating mark. "Do you think I don''t know what liberating is? My father once rewarded a slave this way. He removed his collar, then took out a knife and cut his arm, like this!" The boy demonstrated by drawing an invisible cross on his shoulder. "You still have a clear mark, and that means he considers you his property. Besides. what kind of symbol is that? I have never seen a slave marked with such."


    Kalena didn''t answer. She shook her head several times, as if trying to throw some thought out, then stepped away from him. She ran as fast as she could to the small sunny square, where other students were resting. Only to be around someone else, not with Mizar.


    She knew the Yagn-Sho rules by heart and was aware of the consequences that awaited her, but she decided not to go to the next lesson with others. She went the opposite way to the residential part of the quarters.


    What if Mizar told her the truth? The prince could certainly afford to keep a slave for entertainment. Before that, however, he wanted her to learn so that she would be able to converse on any subject and share his views.


    Kalena was not sad. No, it wasn''t sadness anymore. She was as angry as she had ever been in her life. She was mad at Galaspiael, but also at herself and Mizar. At the whole world.


    "How could you do this! You are such a liar!" She screamed at the top of her lungs when she noticed Galaspiael coming towards her. She was surprised that she had such a strong and loud voice.


    "What? Kalena, calm down right away, I don''t want you to yell at me!" He answered in the same harsh tone as the girl did, which managed to tame the huge wave of sorrow that she was about to spill over him.


    "I''m still your slave, right? Act like a man and tell me the truth! Why are we here? To train me, like a circus animal?"


    "I asked you not to yell at me!"


    "Maybe I should?!" All her anger suddenly turned into tears of powerlessness.


    Galaspiael did not know what to do. He sighed deeply and took Kalena''s hand in his.


    "Maybe you should, but I still don''t understand what I did wrong. Come with me. Explain everything, just calmly." They entered the nearest room, the dining room and he began again: "Why do you think that you are still my slave?"


    "Mizar said so. He saw my mark and apparently a slave is liberated only when the mark has been cut. And I still have it."


    "Oh for the Great Ancestors!" The boy sighed heavily and closed the door. "How unbelievably annoying this boy is. What a malicious, unscrupulous kid! I understand that you may not be familiar with the Kagolanian law, but Mizar knows it perfectly."


    "What law?"


    "About liberating the slaves. I have much greater privileges than most people. I could meet you on the street while you were still owned by another man and set you free just like that. I didn''t cut your arm because I didn''t want to give you more pain. Do you remember how frightened you were during the first few days? If you want the scar to remain forever and visible, you need to cut the skin very deeply, and I had no heart to do it to you, that''s all. And later I just forgot about it because as I said ¨C I''ve never had to do this while liberating a slave. Do you still have any doubts?"


    Kalena stepped back embarrassed. She didn''t have to see her cheeks to know that they turned very red.


    "Then... why did Mizar say that? If he knows that such a rule exists?"


    "Maybe he just wanted to make fun of you? I can see that he succeeded. You shouldn''t believe everything that people say."


    "I''m sorry," she moaned, "I don''t know what made me shout at you like that. I''m horrible!"


    "This is fine. But I must admit, I don''t know what made you either. Did Mizar upset you so much, or is it something else?"


    Kalena stared at the ground and let her dark hair fall and cover her face.


    "Today I lost the duel again. With Mizar. And Rikken told me that I bring you disgrace! I am the worst student in Yagn-Sho''s history. You should kick me out while I still have some dignity left. I will never fight well because I''m always covering myself from blows. And I''ll never write as beautifully as you!"


    "Kalena," Galaspiael started slowly, "the beginnings are always hard, don''t give up yet. And don''t worry about Mizar. We can throw ink on his head if you want."


    "I don''t want to take revenge on him," she replied. "Let me leave the Association! They''ll add more lessons soon, and I can''t do it anymore. I was right I''m too stupid for being a Scribe!"


    "I can''t stop you here by force," he whispered, hugging her. "You are a free woman, so you can make life decisions yourself. But if you leave, I will have to return to the palace for good."


    "What?!"


    "Well, I must admit that I am here only because of you. If you leave, I can''t stay here just for the sake of staying. I promised the regent that after you''ll graduate, I will focus completely on preparing to rule Kagolania. And to be honest I don''t feel like it. You will do what you want, but please, if it''s not for yourself, try to extend your stay in Yagn-Sho for me. This is the last year when I can live outside the palace like a normal person, I don''t want to spend it learning to dance and puffing over documents."


    "So what? Do I have to wait for them to throw me out? I''d rather leave now. There will be less shame."


    She pursed her lips seeing the sadness that appeared in his eyes.


    "I will accept any decision. The last word belongs to you when it comes to staying here." The prince smiled. "I''m proud of you, no matter what your results are. I would not want an apprentice who would be great at everything. I admire that you keep trying despite the difficulties. Give yourself one more chance. I will try to work out with you whenever I can."


    Kalena smiled back. Galaspiael quickly managed to comfort her.


    "I will go to Master Tessale and apologize for my escape," she said.


    "No! If you''ve already managed to run from class, remember not to come back the same day. He''ll give you a punishment anyway, but now you have at least gained a few hours for yourself.


    *


    In the middle of the night, Kalena''s cry woke her up.


    The girl sat on the bed, sighed heavily and realized that Galaspiael was also awake. She spoke when she was certain that her voice would not tremble.


    "What a horrible person I am. I scream at you during the day and at night I don''t let you sleep, "she said quietly. The nightmares made her a really troublesome roommate and she knew it well.


    "I couldn''t sleep anyway," he replied calmly. Indeed, he seemed to have got out of bed a long time ago. He stared at something outside the window, but after a while came and sat down next to her. "Those nightmares are probably more than just anxiety caused by changing your place of residence." I thought they would pass by now."


    "I''m glad they appear less often." Kalena lay down on her back and let the boy''s fingers wander in her hair. "What are you worried about?"


    "Do I look worried?"


    "You look like all the worries of this world have fallen upon you."


    He smiled sourly and was silent for a long moment, then gently slipped a hand out of her hair.


    "You see... Recently, I began to think about my duties more seriously. When I was younger, I believed that all the decisions I make will have positive effects. But really, I haven''t found myself in a very serious situation that would allow me to prove myself. I don''t know if I could behave properly if faced with a serious problem. I wonder what would happen if one day I''ll make a huge mistake? In other countries, rulers are much older than me and have a richer experience. The prince from Sekania is my age, and at night he escapes through the window of his chamber and returns drunk in the morning. He is a completely irresponsible man. Now imagine what his father''s face looks like when he talks about politics with me. I feel that it''s hard for him to take me seriously."


    "Well, I think you''ll be a very good king," she assured him. "Age doesn''t matter, you can handle everything."


    Galaspiael rubbed his face and lay down next to Kalena. She felt slightly embarrassed, although they had once lay side by side when he read her sometimes. But then he was more focused on the book. Now however he looked at her almost all the time. Kalena noticed that he had dark eyes up close. Similar to hers.


    "My subjects also think this way, but I feel that I am most suitable for an adviser. I could be someone else''s right hand and not have to bear consequences for my actions. Yes, that would be the perfect solution for me. I dream of doing great things as a king, but I feel overwhelmed by the fact that some people put their all hopes in me and expect a lot, while others constantly doubt me. That''s why I stopped believing in myself. I don''t know how to explain it to you. I should not be the heir to the throne, it is not the life for me."


    "So if you feel you can''t make it, quit... you can do it?"


    "I''d like, Kalena. You can''t even imagine how I would like to. In some matters, you have more freedom than I do and I envy you so much."


    He couldn''t marry whoever he wanted, he couldn''t quit. She wondered how many more things Galaspiael could not do.


    They used the two hours of sleep they had left, though it wasn''t easy for the girl to fall asleep so close to him. She once developed a "security scale" that determined how close to a man she could sit to be able to escape from him. And although she truly loved and trusted Galaspiael, she couldn''t stop thinking that she was at a critical level on her scale.


    *


    Kalena had to spend the next morning standing alone in the middle of the detention room.


    It was not severe punishment for her, except for the fact that she lost the opportunity to eat breakfast, and the smells from the kitchen were very intense in this room. When Galaspiael returning from the dining room smuggled for her some pies richly smeared with fruit pulp, but Rikken noticed him and quickly deprived her of the possibility of eating them.


    Fortunately, soon after, the first lesson began, which for a change was calligraphy, not fighting. When the girl entered the room, cold eyes greeted her. Tessale just glanced at her briefly but did not break the silence. She had to approach him.


    "I am so sorry for my escape yesterday," she said, bowing in the ''new way'' the prince had taught her, not as servile as before but still with respect.


    "Sit down Kalena. May I ask what was the reason for your absence?"


    "I had to... ask my master about something very important."


    "And then he told you not to come back," he finished for her. "The next time you need to talk to him, remember that you can meet during the break. You don''t have to run away."


    When she took her place, the attention of others was no longer focused on her, but on the obscene drawing by Mizar, which was passed from hand to hand. Kalena pretended not to notice the paper circling the classroom at all, and when it reached her bench, she brushed it off like a fly.


    "He punished you for running away and he would do nothing to him!" Zarkin picked up the drawing from the floor, crumpled it, and threw it so accurately that it hit straight on Mizar''s head. The boy turned around and gave them a contemptuous look. "It''s a waste of expensive material. He should stand in this room all day!"


    "Gal... Master Galaspiael once told me that you can''t punish a student for something he can''t do. So don''t blame Mizar for his not intelligent jokes, maybe he can''t create anything better. There is nothing to laugh at here, you have to be compassionate because ''mental disability is a serious disadvantage in today''s world.''"


    "Kalena, may I ask you not to quote your master''s words if they are not related to the lesson?" Tessale interrupted their conversation. "Zarkin, come show me your work!"


    The boy stood up and reluctantly handed him an ink-stained, crumpled piece of paper. He knew he should not expect praise, but he still kept the good humor caused by Kalena''s words.


    "What is this?"


    "My text¡­ master."


    "What language are you writing in?"


    "In Kagolanian¡­ master."


    "Really? Interesting, because it doesn''t look like Kagolanian to me at all. Maybe instead of wasting your time, you would focus on studying?"


    "I will¡­ master."


    A muffled giggle could be heard in the room. Zarkin intentionally emphasized the word "master", which in combination with his huge smile looked hilarious.


    "Take it seriously. Tessale handed him the paper. "I know you prefer fighting lessons, but even the best warrior must be able to write and read. Go back to your place and try to improve it as much as you can before the end of the lesson. Kalena, show me what you have done so far."


    Once, Namia told her that if someone wanted badly enough, they would find a reason to hate Kalena, and if he couldn''t, the universe would help him. Then, over the next years of her life, Kalena admitted her right.


    Passing by Umi and Mizar, she stumbled and bumped into their table. A slight twitch was enough to turn the inkwell over and pour its contents onto Umi''s work, and on her dress.


    "Watch out! Look what you did!" Umi crumpled stained pages in rage and threw them to Kalena''s.


    "I didn''t mean to," she tried to explain herself. "I can help you rewrite it..."


    "No offense, but your handwriting is not very legible," Mizar put his arm around Umi. "Don''t worry about someone capable of such barbaric acts out of jealousy."


    "What jealousy you moron? Zarkin interjected. "She didn''t do it on purpose! And besides, these are only two pages."


    "It may be only two pages, but I will have to rewrite the same text all night!" Umi stood in tears. "Do you know how long it took me to rewrite it?"


    "Maybe I''ll bring you something to eat, it''s not proper to have a chat on an empty stomach!" Tessale finally reacted. "Umi, sit somewhere else, and you, Kalena, clean up here when the others come out for a break."


    The rest of the lessons were silent. Zarkin tried to comfort Kalena. He said that Umi would calm down and forgive quickly, but she knew it would not be.


    When everyone was out, Kalena took care of wiping off the dried ink. Muted sounds of conversation reached her from the corridor. She was sure they were talking about her. Mizar could finally show what he can do.


    Someone opened the door and went inside. She didn''t turn her head, convinced that it was Tessale.


    "I will help you." Zarkin''s voice sounded in the room. "You have to make it to the next lesson." Master Rikken will not give you a reduced fare.


    "I can do it myself, go back for a break."


    "Together we will finish faster. Where did you get the cloth?"


    "They are there," Kalena pointed in an unspecified direction. "Tell me what it looks like right now?"


    "You have a talent for removing stains."


    "I know that. Tell me more about my talent for gaining enemies."


    "As I walked to you, Mizar sat next to Seth and told him how you threw his Lik to the floor to make the stains. Disgusting liar, you''ll show him where his place is!"


    "I''ll tell Galaspiael about it," she said after a moment of silence. "I think he could talk to Mizar''s master?"


    "I wouldn''t advise you to provoke Aymon. I have heard that Madegaldi''s lessons will start soon, and he will teach..."


    "Then this is the last moment to do something!" Kalena stepped back and looked at the effect of her work. "Do you think it will be enough?"


    "This floor has never been so clean. I said that the two of us would do it faster. And besides, Umi was asking for it. Master Tessale had told her many times not to keep the inkwell on the edge of the table.


    "Zarkinie, if they" Kalena''s voice began to tremble under the influence of emotions. "If they would try to hurt you, then you don''t have to defend me. I will not take offense at you if one day you decide that we should stay away from each other."


    "I''m not afraid of them," he muttered. "And you can be sure that I will stay as close to you as possible. We were to support each other."


    *


    Kalena opened the door, but it turned out that her master was not in the room. She decided to take a few moments of loneliness to sleep, which after an exhausting day she was lacking. However, as soon as she put her head on the pillow, Galaspiael returned.


    "Did something happen?" He asked, looking at her with concern.


    "I am resting."


    "Are you all right?" He asked again but didn''t wait for Kalena to answer. "Do you know what a fantastic day I had today? Everything is great! For a moment it seemed like a dream because nothing can go so perfectly. But it does!"


    "Is that something you were worried about last night?"


    "Not really but this was partly the reason for my wave of worries. Although, to be honest, I have seen everything in black for some time. But I won''t burden you with my problems. I''d rather ask you to tell me something about yours. What did you do today?"


    He saw everything in black, yet he acted as if he had no worries in life and still found the strength to help her. Kalena no longer wanted to complain to him. Since he, struggling with his more serious problems, did not show for so long that something might be wrong, she had no right to worry him more. She knew that talking about her troubles would spoil his mood. No, she definitely couldn''t. She loved him.


    "I wanted to ask," she began uncertainly, "could I occupy another room?"


    "Of course," the prince answered. "Do you want to move?"


    "No. I would like to do extra training there. I feel like I need to work harder if I want to keep up with the group This room is not large enough to practice fighting.


    "That''s interesting," he said, smiling, trying to hide the pride he felt about his apprentice. "I''ll try to find you the right place."


    "Thank you."


    "Could I accompany you in these trainings sometimes? Actually, when are you going to do them?"


    "In the evenings and when I''ll get a day off." The girl shrugged. "Whenever I''ll find strength and time. I am glad that you want to help because I was afraid that you would mind."


    "Why? I am proud of you, my dear. Thank you for deciding to stay. And since tomorrow is a day off, we will start looking for a room to study today."


    Kalena looked at him in surprise.


    "You''re wrong... Tomorrow is a normal day."


    "Nobody has told you? There will be a master''s meeting tomorrow, so students can rest. I''ll go ask Rikken about this room!"


    The enthusiasm with which he adopted her idea slightly dazed her, but at the same time, she was really happy about it.


    She slid off the bed and sat on the ground with eyes closed. She thought how wonderful it would be to come here someday with all the good news. When she finally would defeat Mizar. When she would no longer be afraid when someone lifts a wooden stick above her head. When tessale praises her writing in front of everyone.


    She began to dream about the day when she would finish training and leave Yagn-Sho as a young warrior. And then?


    There was another desire that she quickly put away, but it left a mark in her consciousness. A desire related to Galaspiael.

 9 Chapter 9 part 1

    Galaspiael returned after two hours, holding the key that hung on the red string.


    "The room is one floor below ours. It seemed the most suitable, but you have to check it yourself. Here." He put the key on her lap. "As long as you study, it''s your property. Just be careful not to lose it."


    Kalena took his words very seriously and, not wanting to lose the key, she put it around her neck like a pendant. It looked like made from gold, although the prince said it was certainly only cheap metal imitating gold. Despite that, Kalena liked it very much.


    They both decided that it would be wise to fall asleep a little earlier than usual, to have more energy the next day. Kalena did not take off the key in the evening, which turned out to be a big mistake. She woke up at night this time not because of a nightmare, but a rather sharp jerk felt in the area of the arteries. She accidentally hooked a string around her hand and tangled it so that it twisted around her neck like a collar. She took it off and hid under the pillow and was about to fall asleep again, but Galaspiael sighed in the sleep, thus focusing all her attention.


    She liked to watch him while he was sleeping or not looking at her, and now she had another chance. Their beds were close to the window, so they were clearly visible thanks to the moonlight shining through the thick glass. Kalena, sure that the boy was sleeping deeply, got up and leaned slightly over him. For the first time, she managed to get so close. She didn''t think she could wake him up, because she was always very quiet.


    Suddenly he opened his eyes, grabbed her waist and threw her brutally onto the bed. Before she realized what was happening, she felt the cold blade of the dagger on her neck. She almost fainted from terror, didn''t even dare to whisper a word, but fortunately, he recognized her almost immediately.


    "Great Ancestors!" He stepped back and put the weapon back under his pillow. "You scared me! What''s wrong?"


    "I was looking for something to drink," she lied.


    "Why here?" Galaspiael shook his head. "There is a jug of water on your table, take it and hand to me."


    Kalena complied with his request, feeling her arms and legs still shaking. She saw this dagger in his hands for the first time. He had it hidden under his pillow, which meant that for some reason he was worried for his life.


    She poured water into two cups and sighed deeply, trying to calm down.


    He was incredibly fast. If someone had actually broken in here, she probably wouldn''t have even heard a thing.


    "Here" she whispered, handing him the cup. Galaspiael drank with a few large sips, put it down and suddenly hid his face behind the hands. Seeing this, she froze for a moment.


    "What happened? Hey! Are you crying?" She gently took his hand in her, smaller palms. Galaspiael didn''t cry, but his face was full of despair. The girl sat next to him and put her arms around the boy, thinking of the words of consolation, but then he returned her hug. Her hear beaten faster when she felt Galaspiael gentle kiss on the head.


    "What''s wrong?" She asked again. "Did someone hurt you? Are you sick?"


    "Don''t worry. I''m fine, I only had a bad dream" he explained and forced himself to smile. "Go back to bed, we were to train tomorrow, remember?"


    "Can I help you?"


    "No, I don''t think you can," he said quietly and stepped back. "You don''t have to worry about that. Go to sleep."


    *


    The next day, when Galaspiael woke her up, Kalena jumped to her feet, sure that she had overslept her morning classes. She almost didn''t recognize him. He looked peculiar in an ordinary, slightly too long shirt and brown trousers with a hole on his knee. She had never seen him in such a simple outfit before.


    "Are you ready?" He asked, smiling cheerfully. Regardless of how he acted at night, now there was no worry and sadness visible in his eyes. He seemed to be a normal nineteen-year-old whose biggest problem is that hole in his pants. Kalena wanted to ask him about last night but eventually dropped the idea. She changed her clothes and went downstairs.


    "I must warn you that I''m really bad," she said, taking the key from under her shirt. "Please, don''t yell at me as Rikken yells at Zarkin."


    "Today Rikken told me that Zarkin began to make progress. Calligraphy is still troublesome for him, but he fights fairly well. Rikken doesn''t show feelings very often, but he likes and appreciates him. Although he has a problem appreciating you. Today he mentioned that you should leave the Association.


    Kalena winced. These words would not hurt so much if she heard them earlier when she wanted to give up herself.


    "Do you agree with him?"


    "Of course not! You came up with the idea of extra training yourself, which in my opinion is proof you want to learn. I have no right to deprive you of this possibility. By the way, all my friends who nearly got kicked out from here have grown into great warriors. I think you''re on the right track."


    They went down the stone stairs and headed in the same direction that they would have been going to their bedroom if they were one floor above. Indeed, the room was exactly under their floor.


    "Open," he said to her, "will it be good?"


    Kalena looked around. The room was certainly the same size as their bedroom, but because there was no furniture at all, it seemed larger. The floor covered with a light layer of dust did not look as old and damaged as in other parts of the quarter. The girl left her belongings in the corner and quickly wiped it. Galaspiael wanted to help her, but she disagreed.


    "It''s perfect," she whispered. "Let''s start."


    The boy nodded and sat down in the middle of the room.


    "I talked to Rikken and Tessale a little about what is most difficult for you," he began as she sat next to him. "Calligraphy is a subject in which you only need patience. Tessale will prepare additional materials for you. The more you''ll write, the better. As for the fight, I have an idea. Usually, students are first trained in mastering shen, but this is only for the sake of our tradition. It was simply accepted that every Scribe should be able to use it. They can then choose a different weapon. But I feel that if you don''t get along well with shen you can be completely discouraged from fighting, and that would be a big mistake. However, before we start looking for your weapon of choice, you need to get rid of your escape reflex. And this is what we will do today and in the days to come. Do you like this plan?"


    "Yes. As for this weapon, I wanted to ask if there is such a thing as asen? Master Rikken once said that I would be better with asen."


    "Am-shen," he corrected her, "is a double blade. Two thinner and shorter versions of shen. I will watch you on the use of this weapon. But for now, we must focus on your greatest weakness. Take it seriously, because without beating it we can''t move on."


    The girl looked at the floor. She realized that it was not a good idea to involve Galaspiael in everything. She started to be afraid of letting him down again.


    "What should I do to stop being afraid of blows?"


    "We need to change your mindset. You still think you are a victim who has no way or even the right to attack people who hurt you. But you already have the opportunity. When someone raises a hand at you, you can break it or cut it off. You have a weapon.


    "I don''t."


    "You''ll have it soon. We will take the measure off your shoulder and I''ll give it to the palace smith. He''ll have time to do your swords for the final exam.


    "So I won''t have any weapon until the exam."


    "But what do you need it for now? You don''t know how to use it anyway" Galaspiael tried to keep his face serious, but he did it only for a short while. He stood up and took the wooden imitation of shens from the things he brought. "Come closer!" He motioned her over. "You have to get used to someone wanting to hit you, but this time you can''t associate it with giving up. Don''t be afraid to hurt your attacker, no one will punish you for it."


    "No, it''s not like that. I''m not afraid to hurt someone! I move away so that nothing happens to me!"


    "Your opponent''s job is to hurt you," Galaspiael said calmly, "if you remain passive, he''ll do it for sure. When you use self-defense, no one will take you for a tyrant or murderer. You are a free person and you have the right to fight with your oppressors. Get ready now! I will raise the stick above your head and lower it, slowly and later a bit faster. Your task is to just look and at the right moment grab my hand or that stalk."


    Kalena laughed at the word. Apparently, her master didn''t like school swords either.


    The first time he did it slowly, so she managed to grab him by the wrist. Then, not knowing why, she began to get terribly nervous, and at the fourth attempt, she asked for a short break, explaining herself with tired legs.


    "You were doing pretty well," Galaspiael tried to comfort her when he noticed her sudden change of mood.


    "At first. Then I started to be afraid again, although I kept telling myself that you wouldn''t hurt me."


    "You didn''t listen carefully. Don''t tell yourself I won''t hurt you because I will definitely hit you someday, even by accident. Fighting lessons are usually painful. Don''t be shy, it''s okay that you stopped. Fear is the worst opponent and fighting him is the most exhausting of fights. Go get yourself something to drink. We''ll practice a little more."


    *


    After training with Kalena, Galaspiael decided to go to the capital and use a few free hours to do some stuff.


    Due to recent storms, an extremely cold and gusty wind was blowing from the ocean. It was not felt anywhere else, because the trees growing in the Forbidden Zone were a kind of natural barrier, but in Yagn-Sho, located at a high altitude, it always blew. The boy did not want to go back to the room for the coat, knowing that he would have to take it off immediately after going down a few meters. In order not to freeze, he did not go out into the garden through the first exit, but passed almost all the quarters, wanting to leave through the last door, from which it was only a few steps to the main gate.


    Unfortunately, he did not foresee that he would face Aymon face to face.


    Galaspiael didn''t want to admit that he had started obsessively avoiding him. Mizar''s master, and at the same time one of the most influential Okiani in Kagolania, was not happy to see the prince during the entrance ceremony. Since then, he has been trying to persuade the boy to leave and focus all his attention on coronation issues. He did it both by talking directly to him and by spreading rumors that Galaspiael was inappropriately using "shamefully low" age difference between himself and Kalena. The prince wondered how to end them, without arousing suspicion that anything could be true.


    "I agree with Rikken," Aymon had a strange habit of taking on the subject that had been discussed earlier when he thought about what to say. People he talked to often had to recall for a long time what they had said earlier.


    "Kalena should think carefully about her sense of being here. Maybe if she realized that all Kagolania pays for her training, it would motivate her to work harder."


    "The fate of my apprentice is a very crucial matter to you," Galaspiael choked his urge to tell Aymon straight in the eyes the extremely sophisticated curse that came to his mind. "I''m worried that Mizar may feel neglected. I suggest that we continue to follow our ancestors'' rule that one master can look after only one student."


    "Since His Highness knows the rules of the Association so well, he probably knows about the one saying that when the master commits shameful neglect and cannot teach, he can be removed from his duties."


    "And what is this shameful neglect that I have done, in your opinion?"


    "Kalena is the weakest in her group from the very beginning and nothing has changed so far. Just this matter alone should give you food for thought. I would like to know the real reason why you believe so much that this girl will ever finish training. Although in my opinion, you don''t care about that. The association is only an opportunity for you to escape your duties. But maybe you will make her life quietly easier, after all, every great gentleman is trying to improve the existence of his favorites."


    "Once you refer to me as ''Your Highness'', and a moment later as if we were almost equal. I do not understand this."


    "That''s strange because I once heard that in the Association everyone is equal. That we pay attention to man, not his social status. Apparently, representatives of royal families are not included in this. By the way, I feel embarrassed by this smart bypassing of the uncomfortable topic. I feel terrified when I think that soon such an irresponsible man like you will be our king. You make a circus from Yagn-Sho, bringing in a completely untalented child. I wonder if you can silence everyone at the next meeting?"


    "Forgive me, I''d like to talk to you longer, but my time is too precious. But if you want to touch difficult topics during meetings so much, we can raise the issue of nepotism in the Association," the prince smiled with superiority seeing his reaction. "Aymon, why are you looking at me like that? After all, you teach your brother. You and Mizar have a common mother. Me and mine, as you described it, favorite will not be separated, I assure you. You are different since you have hidden this fact openly from others. If you want to have an enemy in me so badly, remember you can pay for it. And now I''m sorry, I''m really in a hurry."


    Galaspiael passed him and walked quickly forward. This time he managed to get out, but he knew that he would still have to face similar charges more than once. Aymon was terribly memorable.


    *


    At that time, Kalena also argued, but with Zarkin. When he heard how much her master was engaged in the idea of additional training, he snorted with contempt and called him a spoiled prince, who looks everywhere for an opportunity to shine. It irritated her tremendously.


    "You hate him for no reason!"


    "I just think rationally. Why didn''t he come up with the idea of extra training earlier?!"


    "Apparently because I came up with it! Maybe he didn''t want to force me to do anything? He waited until I felt goo quarters. You didn''t think about that?"


    "In my opinion, he forgot that he should do something at all, and since you reminded him now he will be playing a caring master. We were supposed to support each other and you still stand by his side!"


    "I can''t listen to this anymore," Kalena turned abruptly as if she wanted to leave as soon as possible. "There are no SIDES! You are... unbelievably stupid!"


    "And you are a naive peasant who loved the first nice person she met!" Zarkin knew well that he would hurt Kalena with his words, but he continued. "He''s not like us! When will you understand? He''s good for you because of the manners. Even for people who mean nothing to him, he is nice. I don''t get what you see in him, you know she has a fianc¨¦e. He felt sorry for you, and you fell in love with him right away! What? Do you think I don''t know? Everyone knows! Just look at yourself! You pushed everyone away and just keep sitting with him in your stupid room. I wonder what are you doing there? Do you even know what Mizar is talking about you?"


    Kalena wanted to answer, but because of anger, she ran out of words. Finally frustrated with the whole situation, she hit Zarkin in the face using all her strength. The boy staggered and looked at her terrified. She took a few very deep breaths.


    "I don''t care what you think about me. Or what Mizar thinks." All the rage had gone from her a moment ago, so she spoke very calmly. "I know the prince better and I know your talk, it''s just jealousy." You''re pathetic." After saying that, she turned away and left.

 10 Chapter 9 part 2

    Kalena wandered for a few minutes, not knowing what to do. Finally, she decided to go back to her room. Zarkin was right, she pushed everyone away. Except for him and Galaspiael, she had no other friend in Yagn-Sho.


    As the girl walked past the slightly ajar door, she felt a strange but very pleasant smell. She could not determine what it was. Certainly not something to eat, although at first, she thought of it. Driven by curiosity, she entered that room, remembering that during her walk with Zarkin, they wanted to come in. But then the door was tightly locked.


    She barely glanced at the interior of the room and immediately recognized things belonging to Galaspiael.


    On the table in the central part of the chamber, piles of empty and written pages, parchments, books so old that she was afraid to touch them, fearing that they would fall apart and a few small vials, piled up. It was from them that this wonderful fragrance rose. Next to them stood a wooden structure of unknown purpose, which Kalena had already seen. Her master had to bring with him everything needed for his further work.


    Finally, the girl''s eyes stopped on a book so tiny that it was possible to put it in the pocket. It was lying on the floor, probably thrown off the table by accident. Kalena picked it up and fanned it out, immediately recognizing Galaspiael''s slightly sloping, decorative handwriting. That assured her this room must be used by her master.


    She looked carefully at the first page. The text was undoubtedly his authorship, although the way it was written was different from what she had seen before. He did not write as carefully and legibly as usual. It was like a letter, but without no refers to the addressee.


    She finally understood. It was his diary! He made this little book for himself so that he could write in it everything important to him. Kalena looked again at the inconspicuous brown cover. Curiosity almost devoured her from the inside. The girl knew that she should not read it, but the temptation was stronger.


    "I don''t do it to get his secret and hurt him later. I won''t tell anyone about it, and if he suddenly comes in and catches me, I will apologize to him. " She thought and opened the diary, more or less in the middle.


    "The seventh day in Sekania.


    I knew Darmeon was a complete moron, but today he has already gone by himself. We can''t leave, because last night, together with their company, they broke our wheels in three carriages! And he will still tell me that it was by accident. Sure, I believe your Folly. I will break your legs and arms, also by accident.


    If I was the father of this empty head, I would probably disown him. Today I asked him if he could read, and he replied FORTUNATELY NO. Yeah, fortunately!


    He can''t do anything at all. Just because he builds reasonably correct sentences and when he wants to eat, he calls the maid has to be regarded as the peak of his intellect. And he can''t do anything at all. He doesn''t write, he doesn''t read, he has no clue how to use a sword... and he stares at me constantly. I wonder what he was thinking. Or maybe he didn''t think anything?


    He returned after midnight, confused his room with mine and vomited into a maid. Drama. I don''t understand how to drink as much as he can and have such a weak head. And sectarian wine has as much power as sugar water.


    I think he likes Lin-Si. But he said nineteen years old is far too little to think about marriage. I was supposed to laugh or cry?


    There are more slave traders in this city than people throughout Kagolania, I swear.


    We''re back! Finally!


    I gave Darmeon better Lik. He broke it. In the morning a letter from Lin came. As expected.


    I decided to do it when I get home.


    I should burn the diary before I die, but I don''t think I care about what people think about me anymore. Even now I don''t care.


    I do not care.


    I would like to have siblings because then I could abdicate and go hang myself peacefully.


    If I''m not mistaken recently the blue sky day, or some other stupid holiday took place there. In any case, my debtor should already have money. Before Kagolania we will hit another market, because I really want to end this one more case.


    A thousand sekanian Saar... I must admit that I am generous. It is a pity that Samin does not agree to make our currency in Kagolania.


    I found something interesting. I do not know how to describe it. Why do I still buy some rubbish? What I''m going to do with it? Put this in my grave. Terribly loud here, I can''t think. Why the hell did I come here?


    (Galaspiael, you mustn''t complain, you have taxes thanks to fairs and thanks to taxes you have something to eat)


    I hope they will have a long and strong cord. Throwing from the roof is not an option. It''s a shitty and no effective way.


    Same day.


    A very pretty girl is sleeping in my house.


    I can''t even kill myself when I want!


    But I couldn''t tell her to go away. What would she do here alone?


    She is skinny, dirty and scared, but pretty in some way. She has beautiful eyes.


    I didn''t think he would give me a slave. He really surprised me. I wanted to have him nailed. And I still want to be honest. If I live to the coronation, then I will use all possibilities to lead to his execution. And then declare the war on Sekania and personally cut off the empty head of Darmeon.


    Kagolania... War¡­ On Sekania...


    I''m an idiot.


    She can read! I think her owner, this fucking moron, didn''t even know about it.


    Curious of the world, but still afraid. Rikken said he''s coming back to Yagn-Sho this year and asked if I would like to. They have a lot of free places like never before. I refused, but I''m thinking about it now because of her and... maybe? I teach her to write. She is fascinated by such stupid things... She is happy when she eats something tasty when we go for a walk when I buy her new clothes.


    I need to get her some documents, she can''t go to Yagn-Sho without anything. I wonder if Samin would be very angry when I go?


    Let it be! After all, I will be the king, not this old lout. I''m not his fucking slave I can do what I like.


    I''m terrible.


    Kalena gained a little weight. That''s good because her skinniness scared me.


    I saw Lin''s sister today. Such a small squeaky dumpling in a dress. I wish I could transfer some of her fat onto Kalena.


    Tessale hardly changes at all.


    HE has a student! Someone will refer to HIM as a "master". I want to laugh. We stole honey from the kitchen yesterday. When did these years pass?


    I can''t believe we''re so old."


    Kalena didn''t know Galaspiael this way. Malicious, bored with life, using coarse language and considering himself an awful person. Was it really the man she fell in love with?


    Words about his planned suicide had left a mark on her mind.


    She did not know how to pick up that she was called "a very pretty girl". On the one hand, she liked it, and on the other, she had the impression that the prince seen her as a small child. She must have looked pathetic when they saw each other for the first time.


    She looked for some mention of herself, but there was nothing there that could attract her attention.


    Not wanting to read the previous entries, full of thoughts about how and when he would have had a good opportunity to kill himself, she was about to put the journal back in place when her eyes rested on the last page, about Lin-Si:


    "The problem with Lin is that she hates me.


    I hate her too, but I think she hated me first. I will never love her. And I don''t want to love her. I just want to tolerate her. My mother didn''t love her father either, but as far as I remember it was quite good. And they even made me, though it was probably more of wanting to have a child than of love.


    I know that she will not be a faithful wife and I understand her completely. I am not going to be a faithful husband myself. We both devote ourselves to our countries and "we are not peasants to treat marriage paper as shackles." She said that to me.


    We also deserve a bit of life and I completely support it. Sometimes I can get along with her. But only sometimes.


    If she wasn''t so mean to me, I would even pity her that she had to marry me. Her father, this idiot, sees no problem at all. I don''t know if he is aware of the situation. But he has a lot of reservations about my private life."


    Kalena had already heard that in aristocratic circles marriage is simply a transaction and the only thing that connects wife and husband are two signatures on one piece of paper. Earlier she was sure that Galaspiael just had some conflict with his fianc¨¦e, which threatens to completely break the engagement, and thus war, but they will reconcile soon and eventually end up happily married. It turned out that he genuinely hates her and, there is no chance that they will ever love each other. It would be a good excuse for Kalena to break the engagement, but apparently, Galaspiael couldn''t do it.


    She stepped out into the corridor and closed the door so that there was no indication that anyone could be inside. The waves of joy quickly drowned out the voice of her conscience.


    The prince hated his bride so another woman still had a chance to win his heart! Kalena began to wonder how Galaspiael would react if she confessed to him her feelings. She imagined it and joy flooded her thoughts. Earlier she was sure that no matter what he would reject her anyway.


    When Kalena finally entered her bedroom, she felt how tiring the extra training was. A wild euphoria, when it turned out that she had a chance to make her dreams come true, had already passed, and in its place, a terrible weariness came.


    She didn''t have the strength or the desire to take a bath. Following the old ways, she only rinsed her face and hands in the water and then went to bed immediately.


    *


    In the middle of the night, Kalena was awakened by the sound of something heavy falling to the floor.


    She rolled over with a groan, wondering if her rest would ever be disturbed by nightmares or strange noises.


    "What are you doing?" the girl asked, seeing Galaspiael raise the chair and move it back into place. "Let me sleep!"


    "Sorry, I didn''t notice that there is something here," he explained. "I will try to be quiet."


    You ... You just got back?


    "I''m glad I came back today!" He sighed heavily. "I was not supposed to do that anymore."


    "To do what?"


    "When I get to work, I would like to do everything right away without taking a break. No matter how complicated is the task I face, I want the effect immediately. But over time, your strength runs out. Man must sleep and eat. Can you imagine that sometimes I forget about this?"


    Kalena yawned and sat on the bed. Galaspiael smiled apologetically.


    "I need to tell you something very important," she said and gave him a serious look. She decided to tell him everything and then wait for his reaction. Unfortunately, at this crucial moment, the flaws in her plan became visible.


    After all, there was a risk that Galaspiael would widen the distance between them so that no scandal would occur. Or he will simply reject her, saying that he doesn''t feel this way about her. Or he will tell her to stop thinking about nonsense. You can''t force someone to fall in love when they don''t want to. Or he will answer nicely, and the next day she will be able to read a malicious entry about herself in his diary.


    There must have been a lot of girls like her in his life. Why would he choose her? What a stupid idea that the prince and a slave... Maybe if she was pretty but¡­


    "I ..." the girl paused, feeling her cheeks burning with shame. No, it was too risky.


    "Go on" He looked her straight in the eye and smiled. This smile already confirmed her belief that she would not say anything.


    "I''ve punched Zarkin in the face today."


    The corners of his mouth began to rose slightly. He had to make a great effort not to laugh.


    "You did? But why?"


    "Because he''s stupid¡­ gorilla!" Kalena had never seen a gorilla in her life, but at the moment it seemed the most appropriate comparison.


    "Good," the prince knew that this is not the way a master should behave, but he was too tired. "Tomorrow I will talk to Rikken and find out in what condition Zarkin is... But you didn''t break his jaw, did you?"


    "Probably not. But I think I chipped his tooth. Something cracked... Or maybe it was the sound of my bones?"


    "Oh. That''s good. Tomorrow, tell everyone that as a punishment you had to stand still for six hours, and also you were forced to hear my argument about breaking the rules and the consequences. And I condemned your barbaric behavior. Now let''s go to sleep. Good night."


    "Yes, good night," she answered almost silently.

 11 Chapter 10 part 1

    Shortly after Kalena''s first additional training, the whole group started learning the Sekanian language, and less than three days later another one, this time for Madegaldish. Despite these difficulties, the girl did not abandon her idea and trained almost every evening. She even made a special exercise plan, which she followed until the end of her studies.


    Then the maths lessons began, which were passionately hated by everyone but Zarkin. He quickly surpassed everyone and was proud of it.


    Mizar, the fighting prodigy, could not catch up with him at all and it frustrated him immensely. He once tried to solve the task that Mistress Asanala had assigned to Zarkin, but couldn''t get its complexity.


    Mizar was increasingly worried about his position in the class. Everything seemed to indicate that the liberated slave had more and more chances to outdo him. An unhealthy rivalry arose between them and later evolved into open resentment.


    When Mizar made a mistake during math classes, Zarkin maliciously pointed out everything, thus avenging himself for offenses taken in other lessons. Because of this, solving tasks on a large wooden board became very stressful for Mizar. Master Asanala tried to help him, but in most cases to no avail.


    "If you can''t imagine numbers, imagine something else," she advised. "You have four bowls and a cauldron of soup in the kitchen. One bowl can be filled with three ladles. Master looked at him." So how many soup ladles will enter four bowls?


    "Six," he answered without thinking and glanced at his fingers. "No, actually eight... wait, no!"


    Zarkin laughed and put the hand over his mouth. Mizar''s cheeks turned red.


    "I preferred adding," he excused himself.


    "So add it. One bowl is three ladles, the other is the same. Six in total. And you have four bowls, which gives you?"


    "Which gives me... ten!"


    "What an idiot!"


    A subdued giggle could be heard in the room. Mizar turned to Zarkin furiously.


    "What did you say about me, you slave scum?"


    The blond boy stared at him for a while and smirked.


    "I said you''re an idiot. Emperor of idiots. You can''t add such simple numbers. And you can''t even guess.


    Asanala did not allow this argument to go further, but later during the break, Mizar and Zarkin fought.


    Kalena told Galaspiael about it during the afternoon break, when they sat in the courtyard, by the fountain carved in black stone. For some time they were studying in that place, wanting to take advantage of the last warm days of this year.


    "Tell me," her master changed the subject after a moment of silence. "What would you do if you found out that I am doing something illegal?"


    Kalena filled her Lik with ink and shrugged.


    "Depends on what you mean," she said and glanced at the text she was reading. "No, I''m done! I won''t remember that. Tessale may even whip me if he wants, but I can''t learn it."


    "What is this?"


    "History of the Association."


    "Why is this difficult for you? Wait until he shows you the Era of Warring Dynasties! I couldn''t learn it for eight years, even with the help of royal teachers. But answer my question!" He returned to the previous topic. "How would you react to something illegal?"


    "I would have to know first what exactly you are doing. What do you mean by illegal? Are you sneaking out of here at night to cut some innocent man''s throat?"


    Galaspiael shook his head. Mischievous sparks appeared in his dark brown eyes.


    "No, but the Association would condemn me for not sharing this knowledge with everyone. To be honest I was going to do it only later¡­ A few weeks before my last trip to Sekania I bought a crate and inside it found instructions on how to prepare dynamite. It is hard for me to understand Old Madegadish, but this is definitely THE recipe. Probably it''s an original copy from the imperial treasury. I have no idea how it got to the Sekanian market. Until now, only in Madegald was dynamite produced, and the preparation was a state secret. Now imagine that someone outside the Empire can recreate dynamite. Do you know what would happen?"


    "Not really¡­"


    "Kagolania would become twice as powerful as it is now in a few years!" The glare in his eyes became even more visible, then suddenly went out. "The problem is, the parchment is very old. Some fell apart due to my carelessness. To make matters worse, Old Madegaldish is not my strong point." The prince glanced at two identical-looking girls heading towards them. "Some friends are coming to you."


    Kalena got up sluggishly and went out to meet them.


    The girls named Mamina and Nemina were twins. Their mistress, a middle-aged woman, was called Bimiala and taught Sekanian. They were the third time in history when one master had two students under their care. Only Nemina was to join the Association, but her sister followed her. She said they wanted to pretend to be one person, but eventually got caught.


    They both looked identical. Oval faces, brown hair cut to the shoulders and large dark brown eyes, but not as large and as dark as Galaspiael''s.


    When Kalena came closer, they smiled almost simultaneously.


    "Hi!" one of them greeted her cheerfully. "Oh dear, look what a pretty dress she has!"


    Her sister touched Kalena''s sleeve with the finger.


    "Silk," she said. "When we become mistresses, we''ll also wear silk... the prince is right there, right?"


    "It must be him! I am Mamina, and this is Nemina," the girl said to Kalena in an undertone. "But I won''t be offended if you say otherwise. Many people confuse us."


    "It''s a pleasure"


    "Yeah, we know. I mean¡­ for us too." Mamina chuckled. "You did beat up Zarkin, right? You must be strong."


    "Stupid, of course, she is. Otherwise, he wouldn''t train her... Wow, he''s so handsome! Shall we come closer?"


    "You''re crazy! You can''t just approach him! What would you say? ''Hi, prince, can I look at you?'' This is not a circus animal!"


    Hearing it, Galaspiael laughed. Both girls blushed, and Nemina pulled Kalena a little further.


    "We just wanted to tell you that we don''t believe these rumors that Mizar is telling about you. We know what he is like. Until you beat him up solidly, he will not leave you alone."


    Kalena winced at the mention of Mizar.


    "I''m glad," she finally answered. "It''s good to know that there is someone who wants to hang out with me."


    "It''s a pity these rumors about you are not true," Nemina said. "You know in the history of the Association, you can find some stories about the affairs of students and masters. It''s really romantic!"


    "Exactly," Mamina eagerly agreed.


    "But I have no affair with the prince," Kalena cut off sharply. "Mizar is talking nonsense."


    "Don''t worry about, he can''t even lie convincingly. But we didn''t come here to talk about Mizar. Have you seen the list?"


    "Sure she didn''t! Today, master Rikken hung a wooden frame in the hall in which our names are ordered from who fights best to the worst."


    "And by the worst you mean me?" Kalena did not have to see this list to know that she was last. "I heard he planned to do it. Apparently, this is to motivate us."


    "Thanks to this we will know who to fight at the next training. Get ready for the princess''s tears!"


    "Exactly. If you don''t beat her, she''ll cry because no one takes her seriously here and she doesn''t need a reduced fare at all, and if you win, she''ll say you cheated. And that you have to give her a reduced fare sometimes. If it goes on like this, Mizar will start to bully her instead of you. I don''t think anyone likes her at all, except for this weirdo Seth. But I don''t feel sorry for her. I cried at first lessons too, but I finally got myself together. Even you seem tougher. And she is even worse dumpling than she was!"


    Kalena smiled a little hearing the word.


    "Who''s the dumpling? Galaspiael approached them unnoticed. The sisters looked at him in embarrassment."


    "We didn''t say that... you had to hear something wrong, master."


    "You are sinking us. Come on now!" Mamina pulled her hand and waved goodbye to Kalena. "See you soon!"


    "You scare everyone away from me, that''s why I don''t have friends." She whispered jokingly to Galaspiael, but he didn''t answer. Someone she had never seen before was coming towards them. The man certainly wasn''t from Yagn-Sho, but he seemed to belong to the Association because he was allowed inside.


    "Do you know him?" She asked, noticing the prince''s expression changed. "Who is this?"


    "A messenger," he replied through gritted teeth. "Looks like my fiancee has arrived."


    The stranger came to them and knelt before Galaspiael.


    "Good afternoon my lord." His voice was clear but he didn''t speak loudly. "Her Highness has arrived and is waiting for you in the palace."


    "Stand up," Galaspiael replied. "is it serious or just an ordinary visit?"


    "My lady told me that she wants to discuss with you my lord something extremely urgent. You set the date of the meeting for today as it was the most appropriate time for you."


    It was only then that Kalena noticed how stupid it sounds to repeat "my lord" all the time. She remembered well that she had once put this word into everything she said.


    "I arranged the meeting for today?" The boy hit himself in the forehead. "Great ancestors, I did! I completely forgot! You''re coming with me!" It sounded more like an order than a request. She was surprised that he was speaking to her in such a tone. "You haven''t been in the inner circle yet."


    "Well, I haven''t¡­"


    "Thank you for the information," Galaspiael said back to the messenger. "You can leave. We will arrive soon, we have to saddle the horses. But it won''t take long," he added, seeing that this man did not like the idea of passing on unsatisfactory messages to the princess.


    *


    Since Kalena had never ridden a horse in her life, Galaspiael advised that they would both ride on one.


    She was sitting back, embracing him with her arms. Deep down, she didn''t want to go to the palace. She didn''t know how Galaspiael had justified her absence from class, but apparently, he was convincing enough that Rikken agreed to her departure.


    "Is the palace is very big?" the girl asked, moving closer. "I don''t want to get lost."


    "Well, it''s bigger than Yagn-Sho, but even if you get lost, you can quickly come across someone and ask for directions. When we stay there, you''ll forget what the world looks like."


    "I don''t understand..."


    "Kagolania was rebuilt after the war. The whole kingdom was involved in this process. You can easily discover cities built after the war because they have circles. Higher circle, for the ruler and aristocrats and lower for... well for the rest of the people. This was to prevent the spread of disease and fulfilled its function quite well, but this solution also has drawbacks. You are closed all the time. The walls block your view, and when you cannot see the lower circles, you can forget that poverty exists at all."


    "What is this serious matter she wants to talk to you about?"


    "Probably a list of dishes for a wedding. Or she will start complaining that the ballroom is too small. But maybe she told her father about my plan..."


    Unfortunately, Kalena did not find out what plan, because Galaspiael bucked the horse and they headed towards the city.


    The lower circle, intended for ordinary people, was exactly as Kalena remembered. Some houses were owned by wealthier people. Like Galaspiael''s house. He was rich, yet he lived in the lower circle.


    It was only when the gates of the main circle were opened to them that Kalena realized that she had never really seen real wealth in her life.


    The palace, located in the middle of the circle, was visible from almost anywhere. Six floors high, and so wide that it was impossible to see its end. Each floor had its decorative roof covered with ceramics. The light reflected off the white walls, forcing the girl to close her eyes. She suddenly felt very small and null. Radiating dignity and majesty of this place intimidated her.


    The guards opened a huge gate in which even five riders at once could fit. When they entered the courtyard, the prince jumped off his horse and glanced at Kalena briefly.


    "Quite impressive, right?"


    The girl just nodded for a few moments, not knowing what to say.


    "I''ve never seen a building so big! An amazingly beautiful place."


    "That''s why it''s so dangerous to stay here for a long time. You get the impression that the whole world is clean and beautiful, and all roads are paved with marble... Now listen carefully. Samin is a Scribe, so we don''t have to hide from him that you are my student. But don''t mention it to anyone else, do you understand?!"


    "I do." The sudden sharp tone, for the second time, surprised her. "I can hold my tongue."


    Samin was waiting outside. He smiled, but his eyes were strict and serious. He looked very young, but as it turned out later, he was ten years older than Galaspiael. Tall blond with light blue eyes, at which even the prince looked average, impressed Kalena.


    "Do I have to tell you how late you are?" He asked, shaking his head in disapproval.


    "I know," Galaspiael replied, helping Kalena get off the horse. "I was supposed to arrive in the morning. I forgot. Where''s Lin?"


    "In the guest-chamber," he replied. "She''s waiting for an hour. I don''t ask you to fall in love with her, but with this behavior, you show her explicit disregard. She is your bride and future queen! This could be treated as an international scandal!"


    "But it won''t be" The prince pulled Kalen slightly to his side. "Get to know each other. Samin, this is the talented apprentice of mine I wrote to you about, Kalena. Kalena, this handsome man is Samin, our great regent. He replaces my father in governing the country and raising me."


    "At least in the first case I manage to succeed because if I ruled the same way as I am raising you, we would have been under the Sekanian occupation for a long time. On all your ancestors, you''re already nineteen, behave like a grown man!"

 12 Chapter 10 part 2

    "Hello my lady," said Galaspiael, entering the hall and bowing to his fiancee. "Forgive me for making you wait."


    The princess gave him a reluctant look.


    "Where have you been? Coronation is in a few months and you are wandering somewhere as if you didn''t care!"


    "Is that what you want to talk about today?


    "Not really." She looked at the maid. "Tell someone to bring a letter, I left it in one of my chambers."


    The red-haired girl who always followed her like a shadow gave her a silver tube.


    "I took it with me, my lady."


    Galaspiael quickly unsealed the message and went through the text. With each passing second, he got angrier. He stopped reading halfway, feeling his blood boil.


    "What a dumb old prick!" He shouted and tore the letter in half.


    "You just figured it out? If so, you''re not as smart as you think you are. Since he treats his daughter like a messenger, it is obvious that he is not a man of volatile minds."


    "'' You can''t make such a radical change right away, because the consequences would be too severe...'' I wrote you, old ass, I''m going to make that change it gradually!" Gradually! I''m guessing he didn''t read anything at all!"


    "Why are you so mad?" his fianc¨¦e threw back her blonde curls on her back and propped her head with her hands. "You got caught up on these slaves, why are they disturbing you so much? It pays off."


    "In what way exactly? The tax paid by slave traders is silly compared to what we could get if slaves stayed in their countries and worked as free people."


    "Slave traders in Velikania pay high taxes with."


    "In Kagolania they are ridiculously low." He sat down in front of her. "I will raise the sum three times right after the coronation. Now prices at slave markets are a joke. Even a beggar can afford to buy a few slaves. You can get a healthy young girl for old shoes. I understand that the slavery ban cannot be implemented overnight, because it would do more harm than good. But if you gradually reduced the privileges of the owners and traders, it would be possible to tame people with the thought that one day we will eliminate slavery. Besides, soon we can have a replacement product."


    "Like what?" She asked though she didn''t care.


    "I can''t tell you until I''m sure I can get it. But it is so valuable that, thanks to it, it''s possible to even create colonies overseas."


    "Yes, yes," she nodded, "maybe focus on your country first, then think about colonies."


    Galaspiael pursed his lips, trying to control the growing rage.


    "You can tell your father that I will do what I like. If he doesn''t want to help me, I will limit my field of activity only to Kagolania, but I will not give up what I decided... it would be even better because everyone would arrive here in search of freedom."


    "And how do you plan to feed so many people? Will you send them to to your colonies?" She mocked.


    "I plan a third circle in the capital, and if necessary, we can build a fourth. Besides, I will convince Sekia, Port, and Madegald to incorporate the Forbidden Zone into Kagolania. I am ready to make serious concessions, I think that even the Righteous Conspiracy will be satisfied. Such a large area, with access to the ocean, is worth every price."


    Lin-Si muttered something incomprehensible and fell silent.


    That''s what every attempt to talk to her looked like. Galaspiael sighed with resignation. He knew that he could not count on her help.


    "Don''t go back to Velikania yet," he asked. "Give me time and I will work out a decree, a copy of which you will provide to your father. I think that when he reads it, he will understand that what I want to achieve is possible."


    "You have two days. Without my maids, I will soon die of boredom!"


    *


    Kalena walked along the corridors of the palace in the company of Samin.


    They got along very quickly. He reminded her of Galaspiael, only more mature. He was extremely friendly but much more serious than her master. He truly cared about Kagolania


    Samin showed Kalena a ballroom, with huge columns decorated with gold, a memorial room in which various souvenirs of Galaspiael''s ancestors were located, but also ordinary places, such as the kitchen or living quarters for servants.


    They came across Lin-Si when she left the guest room. Kalena held her breath, admiring the beauty of the princess in silent admiration. Lin-Si''s bright, exceptionally long hair was pinned up in an intricate waterfall-like hairstyle. The strands formed a fancy bun on their heads and fell freely, reaching almost to the waist. A simple blood-red dress emphasized her full, feminine shapes. Galaspiael''s fianc¨¦e looked just perfect. For Kalena, she was like the most beautiful woman in the world.


    Their eyes met for a moment, but the princess almost immediately looked away, as if she had not noticed Kalena at all.


    "How beautiful she is!" Kalena whispered. "I didn''t know..."


    "Oh, yes, she is beautiful," Samin confirmed reluctantly and glanced at Galaspiael. "How are you, my friend?"


    The prince slammed the door behind him and forced a smile.


    "Have someone prepare a room for Kalena. We will stay a few days."


    "A few days?" She repeated his words. "I can''t leave Yagn-Sho for so long! I must learn."


    "You can''t leave the quarters without my knowledge, it''s different if you leave with me. Think of coming here as a lesson. Getting to know the palace and manners could be useful for you in the future. You work really hard, so catching up should not be a problem for you. Not once have we had private lessons that I should do as a master. If all these hours were put together, it would just be a few days."


    "Any serious matter?" Samin looked at Galaspiael uncertainly. "Or have you decided to just keep your queen company?"


    "I would have to die and be born again to stay here for that reason. Lin is right to be angry at how her father treats her. Everyone thinks that in the end, probably in a magical way, we will fall into each other''s arms and start making love. I only learned that the king of Velikania completely ignores what I say to him. Nothing new, this old prick is not used to thinking."


    "He just said he wants to teach you good manners," the blonde man whispered, winking at the Kalena. "Looks like he needs a few lessons himself... Where do you wish to place her?" This question was directed to the prince.


    "Next to my chamber is another bedroom, which can be accessed through the small door... Please, keep your comments to yourself!"


    "I didn''t say a word," he grunted, pretending to be offended. "Kalena, if you''d feel lonely when His Majesty would work to make the world a better place, you might tease Kirni a little. He could use the company, especially now during training."


    "You have an apprentice, master? If so, why don''t you live in quarters?"


    "He gets sick very often. He cannot change the environment or exercise too heavily. I have to give him medicine every day... but he''s getting better."


    "The boy will be all healthy sooner than you expect. If you were able to pull someone out of the arms of death, such a small cold will not bother you." The smile that appeared on Galaspiael''s face made Kalena sure he was talking about his suicide attempt.


    "You overestimate me, Your Highness." Samin bowed too lowly for him to be taken seriously and left them alone a moment later.


    The prince went in the opposite direction and headed outside. Kalena wanted to follow him but told her to stay.


    He thought that loneliness would calm his mind, but it was completely different. As soon as silence occurred, his thoughts became unbearably loud. He sat in his favorite place in the courtyard.


    In the position he assumed, he looked like an unfortunate child, but he did not care that someone might notice him.


    The plan he devised carefully for many months and of which he was extremely proud, in the eyes of the Velikan king did not even deserve interest. As if all the work he put into it did not matter.


    At one point he realized that someone''s hand was gently touching his shoulder. Kalena followed him. In fact, he was glad she hadn''t listened to him.


    "When you become a king, will you live here?" She asked, breaking the unbearable silence.


    "Yes. I will have to behave differently. More mature. It is not fitting for a king to live in a small house, without guard or service. Although Lin would like to stay in Velikania."


    "So what? You will be here."


    "I already discussed it with her." Galaspiael shrugged. "It won''t matter to me whether she lives here or with me, or prefers to stay there. I left her a choice in this matter. Only from time to time, we will have to meet to silence the people."


    "Maybe it would be better to tell them that you hate each other right away?"


    "Nobody would take us seriously. This is a sign of extreme immaturity and people would sooner laugh at us than try to understand. Arranging marriages is something natural, although it may seem strange to you. Only the poorest do not do this. If you were born a noblewoman, your mother would already start taking you to meetings with potential brides. The best company would be chosen for you because parents would like to secure your bright future. In most cases, it works well. The family will not give you to someone who is evil or has a tarnished opinion, and sometimes even takes into account your preferences. I didn''t have that luck and in my case, it was the good of the country that turned out to be more important. Lin-Si is a princess, she is beautiful, young, sophisticated. This is the perfect material for a wife for the future king."


    "But you don''t love her."


    "I must submit to my father''s will, even after his death."


    "That''s not fair," she said, "you''re unhappy with it."


    "Only sometimes," he lied. She would know he''s lying it even if she didn''t read his journal. "Don''t worry about me, Kalena, it doesn''t matter."


    "It matters to me! I... if I could, I would take you away from here so you could live the way you want." She moved closer to him. "I would really do. You deserve to be happy like anyone else in the world."


    She only got enough. She knew that she could not confess anything more, but she hoped that after that Galaspiael would begin to guess something. Her heart skipped a beat as he turned his head and their noses almost touched.


    "How nice of you to say it."


    They looked into each other''s eyes and the girl felt the first drops of rain, which quickly turned into a downpour, forcing them to return to the palace.


    When Kalena walked down the corridor next to Galaspiael, all the people they passed by stopped to bow to him. Not only servants but also the ones who look quite wealthy. Some looked at her and sent cordial smiles, most likely thinking that she was a distant relative of the prince or the daughter of a senior citizen.


    When the girl saw the bedroom, the size of four interconnected bedrooms from Yang-Sho, she was almost afraid to go inside, as if she were about to cross the threshold of the temple.


    "It''s beautiful here," she whispered. "I don''t think I''ll be able to fall asleep. I will stay up all night admiring this room."


    "If you really don''t want to sleep, come to me. Together, we can think about translating the dynamite recipe" Galaspiael walked to the door leading to his bedroom. "I have no idea who connected the two rooms and for what purpose. As if one room was not enough for me."

 13 Chapter 10 part 3

    The rain has finally stopped late in the evening.


    Samin took Kalena to the dining room. Galaspiael followed the old habit of bringing a meal to the chamber so he didn''t have to stop working.


    He focused all the attention on restoring the damaged dynamite recipe. First, he rewrote what he already had on blank parchment, then tied to read blurred and stained sentences. Work absorbed him so much that he lost track of time. He didn''t feel tired at all, and he took the first break only when he heard the laughter of Kalena and Kirni, who had met during dinner. And managed to get along well since they came back together.


    Galaspiael pursed his lips and looked at the closed door realizing that he wants this boy to go away and leave her alone. There was no need to be jealous. Kirni could never compare himself to the prince. He shook his head and tried to get back to his work, but now he couldn''t concentrate.


    What exactly happened in the courtyard? He thought back about Kalena''s tender words and suddenly realized how much he desires to have her only to himself. He wanted to awake the confidence in her, take care of her and help free her from painful memories. If Kalena trusted him a little more, he could get her.


    Laughter outside the door grew louder, then faded again.


    Galaspiael didn''t even consider that the girl might not want him. He has never experienced heartbreak or the bitterness of rejection. He left several broken hearts on his path because due to his position, he did not have to solicit women''s favors. Of course, he should explain to Kalena that they would never be able to reveal their relationship. But she would certainly understand that she will never become a queen.


    At this moment, Kalena was telling Kirni about life in Yagn-Sho.


    The boy was in the quarters only once, during the entrance ceremony, so he listened to her every word carefully. The disease that kept him permanently in the palace caused him to lose control over his body. Once in a while, he fell on the floor, completely unconscious, however quickly rose as if nothing special was happening. The girl witnessed one of these attacks and thought they looked terrifyingly painful, but Kirni assured that he did not feel anything at all, only sometimes her back hurt if she falls straight on them.


    "I was afraid that Master Samin would send me home after he discovered it," said Kirni. "For several weeks I told him that I was only tripping. I tried to lean on something stable all the time, and to sit on the floor, whenever I could. Finally, he noticed that something was wrong with me. Where I come from, people said I was possessed. No big deal, if not for the fact that my family suffered too. That''s why I left."


    "It''s probably not so dangerous that you can''t live with us in Yagn-Sho?"


    "This is not a deadly disease, and the medicine that Master Samin gives me begins to work. Only... there would be no training possible. A girl who is too weak to fight is no big deal, but a boy? They would laugh at me. Besides, I have to be careful not to hit my head on anything."


    Kalena wanted to tell him that a girl who was too weak to fight certainly is a "big deal" in Yagn-Sho, but in the end, she just rolled her eyes ostentatiously. Kirni had a strange charm that made it impossible to resent him.


    *


    At night Kalena once again was not able to sleep peacefully.


    As usual, she also awakened Galaspiael with her scream. When she saw him standing in the doorway and yawning, she murmured a casual apology and asked him to go back to sleep.


    "I won''t leave you," he replied firmly. "Kalena, I will understand if you refuse, but could you tell me a little about your nightmares?"


    The girl turned pale, hearing his request. She rolled the covers back and sat on the edge of the bed.


    "What would you like to know?"


    - Anything you want to share. I want to understand it and at least try to help you somehow. I feel guilty when you suffer almost every night and I don''t do anything about it. Since when do you have those nightmares? What are they about?" He suggested as she wondered where to begin.


    "I''ve had them for a long time." She replied quietly and curled up. "When I was a little girl some strange people visited my lord. I told you about it before. I could hardly remember any details, except that one of them was named Igari. In the evening my Lord told me to go to their room and serve dinner. But when I wanted to leave, they blocked my way, and..." She closed her eyes. "You can probably guess the rest, right? Do I have to tell you what happened?"


    "There''s no need." Galaspiael gently took her hands. "And this is what you dream about? That they''re coming back?"


    She shook her head. Her throat tightened as she wanted to speak. She was silent for a long time.


    "No. In these nightmares, there are only hands. I feel terribly cold hands all over my body. They are everywhere and they are constantly coming. They are choking me. When I feel them, I know it''s one of those dreams, but I can''t wake up. When I scream, it''s not because..." Kalena started crying. "It''s not because I''m scared, but because I can''t wake up. I am afraid that someday this dream will draw me in and I will never wake up from it."


    She heard him sigh softly.


    "I would like to hug you now, but I don''t know if I should."


    "You''re disgusted with me, I know," she snapped. "I''m disgusted with myself too."


    "Of course I''m not!" Without hesitation, he embraced the girl. "I don''t know how yet, but I swear I''ll find a way to make these nightmares disappear!"


    They sat in absolute silence for a while, then Kalena said she wanted to walk around the palace. Alone. The prince concealed his surprise but allowed her to do so and only asked to take care of herself and return soon.


    However, finding the way back to the bedroom, turned out to be quite a problem. The palace was like a maze.


    Kalena has quickly regretted that she had put on a nightgown in the evening. It was amazingly comfortable, but if she slept in her clothes, she wouldn''t have to worry about her appearance now. And she looked really funny, running with loose hair, in a flowing dress, looking around the huge corridors. She snorted in irritation, cursing herself for not remembering how Galaspiael had led her the day before. She quickly regretted her idea of a walk.


    Finally, Kalena realized that she was neither on the right floor nor in the right place. Nobody went through that part of the palace. She didn''t even hear any conversations. The floor, although well-kept, was covered with a thin, but noticeable layer of dust. It seemed like no one has walked on it for a very long time.


    With each second, the girl became more and more convinced that she should not be there. Further away, the corridor became different. The beauty of the decorations became cold, the warm red color of the walls was more and more reminiscent of a shade of freshly dried blood. At the very end, there was a passage to a completely dark room. Kalena decided to enter, promising herself that after that, she would focus on looking the way back to the prince''s chamber.


    The strange room was a landfill for things that didn''t seem valuable at first glance. It reminded her a little of the underground library at Galaspiael''s house. Only that in the library everything was neatly arranged and here it was just stuffed chaotically.


    Kalena froze when suddenly she noticed someone''s face at the corner. She took a few steps back, finally realizing that the person standing there had already noticed her and was probably slowly approaching the door now to see who had discovered them.


    "I can fight. Better or worse, but I will definitely defend myself." She said to herself and clenched her fists back in there, ready to start with her opponent. Looking a little closer, she realized that she didn''t have to be afraid of him. It wasn''t an enemy. He wasn''t even a living man. She got scared of the picture.


    The man looking at her from the portrait reminiscent Galaspiael. At least from a distance, because the closer the girl came, the more differences she began to notice. The painted prince seemed older than the living one. He also had sharper face features and longer, neat hair. His dark eyes showed royal pride and contempt for the rest of the world. He was a completely different person and although physically almost identical to the original, his personality got reflected in his appearance.


    When Kalena pushed back the black fabric covering most of the picture, she noticed that the broken frame and the canvas cut through with something sharp. Who hated Galaspiael so much as to destroy his portrait?


    The floor behind the girl creaked softly. She quickly turned around, giving a deafening punch, but she got blocked. Kalena moaned quietly as the opponent twisted her hand.


    "What are you doing here?" it was Samin. "Forgive me, I didn''t recognize you in this... outfit."


    When he released her wrist, she began to massage it vigorously.


    "I got lost," she replied, smiling apologetically. "I apologize for this attack master."


    "You really got lost! Your room is in a completely different part of the palace. Do you like this picture?" He asked, glancing at her briefly.


    "It''s beautiful, but very..." Kalena paused, searching for the most appropriate word. "Unrealistic. Galaspiael doesn''t look like this."


    "Ah," Samin nodded. "It''s not the Galaspiael you think about. This man is Galaspiael the third, the one who is responsible for the outbreak of war. And our prince is sixth of his name. This king ruled a truly powerful, well-developed country, even larger than Madegald. But it wasn''t large enough for him. He didn''t want any other man to have power equal to his. That''s why he attacked the Madegaldish emperor."


    "And the war he lost broke out," she finished.


    "And then he was killed in his sleep. There is even a legend that says his concubine did it to save him from shameful execution. But I don''t think that''s true." Samin paused for a moment. "You''ve probably noticed that our prince Galaspiael doesn''t like much when he is being reminded of his origin. Probably when you met him, he asked you not to title him in any way, right? Do you understand now why? He is ashamed of his ancestors and does everything he can to pay off the debt of his dynasty."


    Kalena clenched her fists angrily.


    "He didn''t choose his family! Anyone who demands from him that debt repayment is disgusting! If I meet someone like that... I will break all his bones!"


    "Your blow was quite decent, so I will take this threat seriously. But fortunately, there are only a few such people. The history of the Namanya dynasty is tangled up. That is why I am asking you not to tell anyone about it. Under no circumstances, you shouldn''t share with anyone what you have learned here."


    Kalena put her right hand on her heart and nodded.


    "I''ll keep it a secret."


    "Good. Come with me, you don''t want to miss breakfast."


    *


    When she finally returned, Galaspiael suggested that she may take a bath before breakfast. He also gave her a special oil with a very intense smell which was supposed to have relaxing properties.


    The girl splashed in the water for a long time, inhaling a pleasant herbal scent Finally a maid who introduced herself as Ilea came in and said the breakfast is almost ready. All the time she called Kalena "miss", which the girl found amusing.


    "His Highness wishes to see you in this," she said, handing over a small package that contained the clothes for today. Himi - a special tunic that was worn directly on the body, blue Fukigo the outer garment, and dark green very long and wide belt.


    "What?" Kalena swam closer. "He''s crazy, I won''t put it on. I do not know how! I will be afraid to move in this."


    "I''ll help you, miss. Don''t worry, Fukigo is very comfortable and this..." She stroked the silk sleeve "you won''t even feel anything on your body".


    Kalena wiped herself with a towel and allowed Ilea to put on Himi.


    "I can go like that," she said, watching her reflection in the mirror. A simple, well-cut robe lay perfectly on her.


    "You would be a sensation, miss! You might as well go naked. Any self-respecting lady does not allow a strange man to see her Himi, or parts hidden under it."


    "Ah yes." Kalena tried hard not to show how much these words had hurt her. "I hope it won''t be too warm today. Two layers of material! I''ll drown in my sweat!"


    "This outfit only looks heavy, however, it''s airy. You look really good miss."


    To not destroy Fukigo, Kalena had to wear high platform shoes. At first, she could not take a step in them, also, tightly wrapped material significantly limited her movements. But every time they passed the mirror, the girl couldn''t help but look at herself. For the first time in her life, she could admit that she looked pretty.


    Galaspiael was sitting in the dining room with Lin-Si and her maid, who, as usual, stood behind her. All the time she was staring at the princess expectantly as if the sense of her life was to obey orders. She did not sit down, she did not even move. As if she was made of stone.


    When the prince saw Kalena, he greeted her with a slight smile and encouraged her to sit next to him.


    "You look beautiful," he whispered, "this outfit is made just for you."


    "And how comfortable it is!" She hissed maliciously. "You could dress two people with the belt alone. I used to think that the more material is used to sew a garment, the more comfortable it is, but now I see it''s not like that at all."


    "Because it isn''t. Help yourself. What do you wish to eat today?"


    Kalena glanced at the table. There was so much food that all the students from Yagn-Sho could eat it for a week. She was afraid to take anything into her hand, not wanting to soil the refined, golden tableware. Finally, she reached for the nearest bowl filled with apples. She chose three and set down. Lin-Si laughed loudly, and Galaspiael gave the girl a surprised look.


    "Is that enough for you?"


    "Maybe you would teach her how to use cutlery first?" The princess smiled maliciously. "You hang out with the peasants and don''t know anything about them anyway. She won''t take anything else because she has no idea how to eat it."


    Kalena felt her cheeks begin to burn. She didn''t have to see her face to know that she blushed with shame. Galaspiael may disguise her as a lady, but he couldn''t hide her lack of etiquette.


    "I will teach her, don''t worry about it," he responded venomously, "even you still have some problems with it."


    "How dare you!"


    "You shouldn''t gossip in the company unless you are a street vendor. Besides," the boy did not pay attention to Lin-Si''s outrage "some dishes taste better when you eat them with your fingers. Pancakes for example. Do you want some Kalena?" He put two on her plate without waiting for an answer. "For some unknown reason, there was a time when I used to eat only pancakes. I couldn''t get enough of them for six months."


    "And then you started throwing knives at people," Lin-Si interjected.


    "Not at people, but in their direction. Funny, but some are afraid of it. They undermine my abilities."


    "You never hurt anyone?" Kalena asked.


    "Only on purpose. But most often all accidents are the fault of the other person. When they move, it''s harder for me to avoid them." He paused briefly. "Maybe you want to try?"


    A sinister flash suddenly appeared in Lin-Si''s eyes. She smiled mysteriously, but not a single word came from her mouth. The red-haired girl only sighed quietly, with relief that this time it was not her chosen for the macabre fun.


    "No, I don''t want to," Kalena replied and leaned over breakfast.


    "My dear," the prince looked at her. "You don''t trust me?"


    "I want to finish my food," she murmured, hoping that after the meal she would somehow get out of it. She didn''t like this idea. Galaspiael behaved differently than usual and she didn''t know what to think about it. He was in his palace, and Kalena was just a guest here. That''s why he could dress her up as he wanted and get her into this game. He had control over her.


    When she finished, she raised her head a little too abruptly. An unnamed force, like a wind, pushed her aside. At the last moment, she felt someone stop her from hitting her head on the table.


    "Where did you get drunk so early?" Lin-Si asked and began to laugh loudly. "My dear, you had a good idea to bring her here, I haven''t seen such a silly person in a long time."


    "You''ve been overworking yourself lately and so are the effects." He said dryly.


    With the last of her strength, Kalena refrained from pushing him away. If they were alone, she would throw something in his face. She did not want to be a fool for his fianc¨¦e, and everything seemed to indicate that she involuntarily became.


    "I want to leave," she said.


    "Okay, we''ll leave right now. Together. It''s rude to go while others are still eating. Do you want milk? You also stay Lin, we need to talk." He added, seeing that his fianc¨¦e was lazily rising from her seat.


    "Am I allowed to stretch my legs?" She snapped at him. "There aren''t any interesting places here anyway. Relax, I won''t run away from you. I want to see how you present your skills."


    Galaspiael did not answer. The rest of the breakfast was relatively peaceful, though Kalena was irritated by the presence of Lin-Si and the fact that the princess laughed at almost everything.


    Then Galaspiael asked again if she would serve as a living target. She didn''t feel like it at all, but eventually, she gave in to him. Several times he repeated that there was nothing to be afraid of, that it was only fun and it was not intended to harm the girl in any way.


    He set Kalena against one of the walls, which seemed more modestly decorated than all the others. When the girl came closer, she saw several small holes, probably made earlier. The wall was intended for this game.


    "It''s difficult, but try not to move. If this view scares you, just close your eyes. I will throw combat knives, not those from the table, so calm down."


    "Can I ask you something?"


    "Sure."


    "What is this for? I don''t understand what your purpose is"


    "None," he cut. "It''s a game, like Kajrengo. You also have no purpose when you play it, you just want to entertain yourself. We''ll try it once, and if you don''t like it, I won''t ask you again. Kalena, you take everything too much to yourself." Galaspiael stroked her cheek and smiled slightly. "I wouldn''t ask for it someone I don''t trust."


    He took a few steps back. The girl watched his movement carefully. The prince took a small leather case out of his pocket. Four combat knives. The boy took one out and turned it in his fingers. Then he looked straight at his apprentice and smiled. She closed her eyes and almost a second later she heard a whistling sound right next to her ear. Immediately afterward another blade cut through the air and was dangerously close to her neck. If she started... better not to think about it.


    "Put your hand to the wall," he advised. "And spread your fingers."


    Only then did Kalena dare to look. She straightened her hand and touched the strange structure which, although the palace was built of stone, certainly wasn''t it.


    "You realize that if you hit her, she won''t be able to write or fight, right?" Lin-Si leaned on the table, almost sitting on it.


    The prince laughed merrily and flipped one knife to his left hand. He threw two of them at once.


    One got stuck between Kalena''s thumb and forefinger, and the other between the middle and ring finger.


    "I told you I won''t hit her."

 14 Chapter 11

    "Why did you pay a visit to our old master? Would you like to become a teacher yourself?"


    "I asked if he could help me enroll someone into Conspiracy. Son of a man who had once done me a favor desperately wants to join." Washar lied without batting an eye. He was eager to ask Naimoor about an old copy of the dynamite recipe, but he refrained because then it would be obvious that he had not managed to protect it. His brother could take advantage of this fact. "I liked my school years, however, I don''t feel like becoming a mentor. Students now... From my point of view, some of them don''t see the point in following the rules of the organization."


    "I''m not surprised by them. Young souls are defiant. It is not easy to suppress their curiosity." Naimoor smiled. "To be honest, I understand them. I also see certain things in the Conspiracy, that we should have changed a long time ago. We stick to the rules because people older than us invented them... and we believe that since those people were born a few years earlier than us, they must know and can do more than us. However, this is not always true."


    "What do you mean?" Washar asked carefully. Suddenly he wanted to leave the palace and never return.


    "For example the secret archive. A monument of unreliability and deception, built by traitors who preferred to hide forbidden knowledge instead of destroying it. You and I could''ve punished by death every member of the Conspiracy, but we cannot go there without the supervision of any of them. Is this not absurd?"


    "Would you like to destroy the secret archive, then? To burn the books and scrolls that were once saved from the flames?"


    "I''m not going to commit such a barbaric act. I dream of making use of the knowledge stored there. But not by sneaking in there like a criminal. In daylight. In front of everyone."


    "You sound like a Scribe."


    "You should sometimes listen to what they say. Brother, don''t leave!" Naimoor called as Washar turned his back on him. "I didn''t tell anyone your secret, isn''t that a sign that I''m trustworthy and respectful? I know that twenty years ago, you broke into the archives yourself and explored the ancient art of enchanting... which you taught Najana."


    The younger prince froze for a moment.


    "How do you¡­"


    "Don''t be afraid. I also followed you and discovered the power within me. Since then, I stopped being afraid of knowledge, and I began to desire it." Naimoor''s eyes brightened with excitement. "Think how much good you could do to the world if you could use your power explicitly! How many villains and bandits live, seemingly invincible, oppressing widows and orphans whom your brother could do justice! The Righteous Conspiracy teaches us to kill people like us. It is not life wisdom that guides them, but fear of the unknown and stupidity."


    "You said you''re enchanter." Washar''s fingers gripped the saber hilt. "Prove it!"


    As soon as he said the last word, the marble tiles under their feet began to crack one by one.


    "I enchant the element of earth and all the minerals that come out of it. Do you understand why I care so much about taking the throne after our father''s death? Vishimon has everything a good emperor should have, but he lacks one. He lacks power! Help me, brother, and you''ll never have to hide again! You will be able to go back to the woman you truly loved years ago, without fear that she will give birth to an enchanting child. I have a vision of a world in which the Righteous and Scribes work together to fix the mistakes of previous generations. I can make it real... with your help."


    "Do you really think we should work with Scribes?"


    "And you do not? Don''t you mind being forced to hide like a rat?"


    "But it''s not about me or you! The conspiracy banned enchantment so that no man will ever play God again! So that a second monster like the Kagolanian emperor would not be born!"


    "Emperor Gyeul was a genius. A visionary with a truly enlightened mind!"


    "He was a monster killing innocents!" Washar exclaimed, and his throat began to scratch. "Besides, I have already expressed my opinion about palace intrigues. I want to live in peace, I''m fed up with my problems!"


    After these words, he left and Naimoor snorted softly.


    "Indeed, Emperor Gyeul was a genius." You''ll find out about it yet.


    *


    Galaspiael, Lin-Si, and Samin took up writing the new law, which was the first part of the plan to ban slavery.


    "... From now on, killing a slave, no matter what the circumstances are, is treated as a murder. A free man who takes his slave''s life becomes a murderer and is to be punished by public stigmatization with the Anh sign. This law applies to all residents of Kagolania, as well as representatives of other nations residing in the kingdom." The princess read aloud and nodded.


    "Samin, what do you think?" Galaspiael tilted his head slightly and began to play with Lik which he used to write the initial draft of the new law.


    "Too short. Remember that you create a principle that people don''t like very much. You have to try because when they break it, they will forcefully look for a hole. You wrote about a man who takes his slave''s life, but there is nothing about the women. They still can kill?


    "I can change it for ''slave owners'' alone. Will it be fine?"


    " Lin-Si sighed.


    "In some cases, death is salvation for these people. Owners may start to mutilate slaves instead of killing them."


    "It makes no sense, they will not be able to work and there will be no profit from them. Would the owner risk the loss of money to be able to mutilate a disobedient slave?"


    "Well, in my opinion, all this right makes no sense!" Lin-Si waved her fan intensely. "Banning slavery is like banning shirts. It won''t work, people will riot, you''ll see. We can forbid to kill them, but... they have always been around! They were even before the war. A world without slaves is an idea that only a madman could think of!"


    "It certainly won''t be easy, but if the king carefully introduces this law and listens to Okiani, people won''t feel the change too painfully." Samin rubbed his face with his hand and looked at Galaspiael. "You would have to add a tip where you mention the advantages of this treatment. You forbid something, so you must also show the people what they will have from obeying your orders."


    "All I know is that if they don''t obey, they''ll have a pattern on their shoulder," Galaspiael looked at his adviser disapprovingly. "Should I encourage people to listen to me? You may have to, but when I take power, it''s going to change!"


    "You behave like a child!: Lin-Si interrupted.


    "I said the truth."


    "But Her Highness is right to call you to order. You should start paying more attention to your words. You are soon to be a king." Samin looked around. "I suggest taking a short break, we''ve been sitting here for over an hour."


    "So you don''t overwork yourself."


    "Relax, you don''t have to worry about us," he responded maliciously. "I advise you to rather focus your attention on your apprentice and how frightening this morning game could be for her. Because you don''t think she was pleased, do you?"


    Lin-Si glanced at Galaspiael, expecting him to start an argument with Samin, but her fianc¨¦ only pursed his lips and walked quickly toward the door. She felt strange satisfaction that someone had finally criticized him openly, although she did not consider that playing with Kalena was something wrong. She didn''t care how it affected her. But it was when Galaspiael did something wrong or had to bear the consequences of his non-compliance. It was pleasant to hear the harsh words thrown at him. She secretly hoped that banning slavery would also have terrible consequences for the prince."


    *


    "Are you mad at me?"


    Kalena lazily looked at Galaspiael and rubbed her eyes. It was hard to read in poor light, no matter how clearly something was written. Despite her sincere intentions, she couldn''t say much about the dynamite recipe that they had both been studying for a few hours. The boy was also tired, but he didn''t want to rest.


    "No," she said, but it didn''t sound convincing.


    "And everyone tells me that you are."


    "Everyone?" There was no reply. "It was just for fun, you said it yourself."


    "Because it was. I wanted... let''s say to impress you. I thought that if I''ll manage to not hit you once you will start to admire me. But that was stupid." He laughed softly at the surprise in her eyes. "Although I helped you forget about the nightmare."


    "Yes, you did it." Suddenly she clapped her hands in joy. "I get it! Look, here is the swirl identical to the one at the top." She pointed to the beginning of the text and the first missing sentence. "There is written ''done during the reign of the Great Emperor Ahimesh the Second.'' The ''second'' is spelled similarly to ''two''. So we have two spoons... of something."


    "Are you sure it''s about two spoons?" Galaspiael grabbed a clean piece of parchment and drew some very similar signs. "This is Old Madegaldian, so it can be anything. There may also be a ''double spoon'' meaning one, but bigger."


    "It doesn''t matter."


    "Spoons from Madegald are a little different than ours. They have a flat bottom, like miniature dishes... I will have to go to Sekania for spoons from Madegald. It makes no sense" he murmured a few biting curses he had certainly learned in the fairs. "What kind of country is it to even produce spoons different than everyone else? You can see that something is wrong with them."


    The girl lifted her head from the yellowed piece of parchment, only then realizing how tiring this position was for her neck.


    "Go rest," Galaspiael said after a long silence. "You fall asleep sitting and you won''t help me more anyway. Even for me, it is difficult to read, and I have been studying Madegaldian language for several years."


    "If only I were studying more..."


    "... You would die due to overwork," he finished. "In the morning you almost fainted, it shows that I did the right thing to take you for a forced break. I can''t get you. First, you give up everything and then you do your work as if your life depended on it!"


    She protested quietly for a few minutes but finally went to her room. Immediately after closing the door, she began to free herself from uncomfortable clothing.


    Undressing was even harder than putting them on. Kalena understood then why it was an outfit reserved only for aristocrats ¨C it was nearly impossible to dress up without the help of a maid. She sighed with relief and lay down on the bed only in Himi.


    Suddenly she heard a burst of laughter and a moment later Galaspiael went inside.


    "Kalena! You won''t believe it, but..." When he looked up at her, the smile disappeared from his face.


    "What?" The girl looked at herself, wanting to know the reason for his unusual reaction.


    "Your back ..." he whispered. Then she realized that a large mirror was standing behind her. Himi was not fully covering her back, so even in low light, a few scars could be seen.


    "Ah. I thought you had noticed before, "she whispered, wrapping her arms around.


    Did he do this to you? For what?"


    "There has always been a reason," she said, remembering the past. Her owner was a man who derived some strange kind of pleasure from inflicting pain. Each, even the smallest offense could be the reason for punishment.


    "Can I see them?"


    She nodded and lay down on her stomach. Galaspiael gently pushed the fabric away, revealing her entire back. She felt as exposed as never before.


    "I always thought they are more... merciful to women" He gently ran his fingers over the most visible scar.


    "Only for the virgins. If they don''t have spoiled skin, you can get a lot of money on the market. But after they... When I became worthless, my lord didn''t have to spare me anymore. I was not a useful slave. I can''t sing or dance, and to make matters worse, I''m ugly and thin. My lord..."


    "Listen, I don''t want you to call this carcass ''your lord'' in my presence! And you are not worthless!" Galaspiael leaned closer and kissed her forehead. Please, don''t say that about yourself."


    Kalena felt him slip her Himi back on. He did not betray her trust. At this moment Kalena wanted to turn around, wrap her arms around the prince and say how much she loved him.


    However, she was still afraid.

 15 Chapter 12

    Zarkin kicked the small rock away, using all his strength and walked quietly under the windows of the residential part of Yagn-Sho.


    Kalena came back after a few days of absence. She gave the masters some secret message and for some reason avoided punishment for leaving the quarters. She spent several days in the palace with Galaspiael, but finally, the prince intended to stay in the city much longer than he had previously planned.


    She talked about the wonderful riches palace treasures, the incredible weapons and jewels she saw, the mysterious passages, much more numerous than in Yagn-Sho and Okiani - representatives of the king in Kagolania''s provinces. They came to the capital city, thus stopping her master.


    Zarkin listened to this and felt his frustration growing. Galaspiael could dress Kalena in an elegant outfit, he could express sympathy after seeing her scars, but he did not make her a princess. The very fact she visited the royal palace did not make her any better from others, yet she behaved differently and started pretending to be an aristocrat to whom she was not even close.


    Later a letter came. For Kalena. She took it with her everywhere, tenderly touching the paper, and cherishing it but she did not share the content with anyone. It annoyed Mizar and Kete. Together with Zarkin, they set a trap for her and, as she entered the pavilion, threw a mixture of ink and used oil on her head. The next day, during a combat lesson, Kalena challenged them to a duel and defeated all three. Master Rikken praised her for how much progress she made thanks to her additional training and stated that she is a great example of perseverance and self-discipline. However at that moment, most of the students were tired of her attitude, and this overt revenge only made it worse. Kalena was called Her Lowest Highness, and by the end of the class, this nickname stuck to her for good.


    At the same time, someone started a rumor that Zarkin owed his uncommon archery talent to the fact that his left hand was longer than his right. This was ridiculous, because he had both hands the same length, but it was able to irritate him for long.


    He spent a sleepless night because virtually every room smelled atrocious. It turned out that Kalena decided to burn a strange, previously prepared substance and categorically refused to put it out. The next day, exhausted and angry boy couldn''t focus completely on his lessons. He did not pass the test of new moves, during calligraphy lesson his Lik suddenly broke down, and then everyone blamed him for falling asleep instead of going to the kitchen for his shift.


    In the evening, the frustrated boy went outside the quarters. It was strictly forbidden, but he did not care. He had to rest. He felt that he might go crazy if he decides to stay in Yagn-Sho for any longer. This school was supposed to be a pass to freedom, and became another trap, to make matters worse, it was full of reluctant people.


    Beside the main gate, there were two other ways to get outside; the path of a thousand steps on the west, and "the road of spies" which could be entered from the garden. It was used by people coming to the quarters after they have complete a secret mission or obtained important information. Also, when an ally sought by the enemies came to Yagn-Sho, they used this passage.


    It was important to keep in secret the identity of these unique Scribes, so this passage was built especially for them. In its heyday, it was packed with traps, but now none of them worked anymore. After the war, this place was forgotten and even some Yagn-Sho masters did not know about its existence. Zarkin found the plan of the quarters in one of the old books. He noticed the secret path and from this time he came there when he felt like spending some time alone.


    If he walked along this path, he would probably reach the Forbidden Zone, but he wasn''t ready for such a long trip. The air already started getting chilly. The boy sat on a cracked step and closed his eyes, listening to the sound of the wind. The tears on his cheeks quickly became cold, so he occasionally wiped them with his sleeve.


    He made a terrible mistake pushing everyone away because in moments like this he would give a lot just to have someone close around. The more he thought about it, the more it occurred to him that there wasn''t a single person in the world that truly loved him. Master Rikken was only interested in his training progress. He instilled in him an unhealthy ambition, which, although it was a great motivation for hard work, caused difficulty in dealing with defeats.


    Zarkin took a deep breath and realized his not likely to return. In Yagn-Sho he still felt like a slave, so he began to think of an escape plan. He could go to the Forbidden Zone, join the Searchers, and then sell what he would find there and then go somewhere far away.


    Suddenly his thoughts were interrupted by the muffled sound of conversation.


    The boy quickly hid among the branches of a tree that was easiest to jump onto and listened closely. He knew for sure that he wasn''t alone. Someone was talking in the distance, or actually, some people were shouting at each other, but they didn''t seem to be heading towards him. The sounds kept coming from one place.


    Zarkin got down as silent as he could and then walked the completely wild path. The route was really difficult, but whoever was on it struggled with the same obstacles as he did.


    For several months he had the habit of taking a small dagger with him wherever he went. At that time, it turned out to be extremely useful for tearing through dense thickets.


    Finally, the boy saw a few people and almost felt his knees almost under him. Four young members of the Righteous Conspiracy stood a few steps away.


    They were probably his age. He looked closely at their shaved heads and their characteristic orange robes. They were students, just like him.


    "But why so is this school so high... oh?" stammered the tallest, probably the leader in their group. Zarkin was surprised to find that they were using his mother''s tongue. He expected to hear Madegaldian or some other language he was completely unfamiliar with. He did not know the rules of recruitment for the Conspiracy, but until now he was convinced that they only accept candidates from their country.


    "It has to be high," said another. "Do you remember what the master said? They are not stupid, so they did not build their fortress on a small hill. Tomorrow we will come closer and you will see how everything looks. Pass the bottle!"


    "But it''s empty! Mei, bring something to drink!"


    Another person appeared. The slave handed a fanciful bottle, reminiscent of a snake to one of them.


    Zarkin snorted softly. It wasn''t necessary to keep listening anymore because he already knew these people were exceptionally susceptible students of the master-spy who for some reason wasn''t with them now.


    The camp was skillfully set up, it was impossible to see it from the viewpoints of the quarter. The spies could observe for several days.


    The boy pushed his blond hair back and tightened his fingers on the dagger. All he needed was the right moment to attack. Then one of the spies stood up and stretched. Zarkin slowly approached him until he was finally in the perfect place. Then he slipped out from behind and stuck a dagger into the heart of his first victim. Others realized what had happened when it was too late.


    "Run! He''s a Scribe! Run, it''s the Scribe!" One of them got up abruptly, staggered and fell.


    "Are you crazy ?! Fight him if you have any honor!"


    "Fight yourself, I don''t want to die!"


    Steel glowed in the shade of the trees. Zarkin jumped on a large boulder, which was a much more stable ground, and immediately regretted not having taken a shen or bow with him. He didn''t feel very confident, but his dagger had to be enough.


    "What do you dogs know about honor?" He hissed. "You are to defend the camp and you can barely stand. Fight me!"


    As expected, the young Conspirators did not even form. They had an overwhelming numerical advantage over him, and they didn''t even think about using it. They rubbed chaotically, without a thoughtful plan, did not combine the blow they now inflicted with the one they will inflict in a moment.


    It was a child''s play.


    "You are a disgrace to your master. I will kill you because you only deserve to die," Zarkin added calmly, which frightened them even more.


    The lowest student jumped to escape. Zarkin threw his only weapon at him and immediately regretted it. Another opponent knocked him over. Fear of death unleashed extra strength in him, so they struggled for a long time. In the end, he managed to crush Zarkin to the ground and grab him firmly by the throat.


    Zarkin cursed himself in his mind for this ill-considered attack. It seemed like he would not be able to defend himself. Panic was beginning to grow in him. He fought with himself not to lose consciousness, but he knew that he could not resist for long. Suddenly the boy felt someone slip a large stone in his hand. He couldn''t wait for another chance. He gathered all his strength and hit the opponent straight into the temple.


    It wasn''t until the embrace on his neck eased and the attacker''s hand fell limp to the ground that Zarkin realized he had just murdered three people.


    *


    "Rikken, just where do you think we''re going?!"


    "Shut up!"


    "How dare you! You don''t have the right to speak to me like that, in the presence of my student!" The dark-haired woman pointed to Umi following them. "I don''t understand why you insisted on looking here. You can see that no one has passed this way for a long time. Zarkin certainly wasn''t there."


    Rikken catches a few branches and stopped.


    "Look at them. What is the possibility that they break so evenly? None. They were cut off by someone''s blade. We can''t be sure it was Zarkin''s blade. You may not see it or pretend not to see it. After all, it was only my apprentice who disappeared, not yours. I don''t know why I didn''t ask someone else for help. You have always been like that. Even when we were students, you..." He paused, seeing a boy approaching them whom he didn''t recognize at first.


    "It''s me, master," Zarkin stepped closer. His hair was stained with a mixture of soil and blood, and his clothes were dirty and torn. "I found the scumbags... I mean the Righteous Spies and killed them."


    "On your own?" Umi''s eyes lit up.


    "Of course," he confirmed, "it wasn''t easy, but I managed."


    "Zarkin, but how did you kill them?!" asked mistress Asanala "Everyone? How many were there?"


    "Four One or two can still be saved." The boy sighed and said good-bye with a polite smile. They followed him with their eyes.


    "Four for one... If Zarkin were a little more punishable, I''d recommend him to the king of Sekania as the court killer," Asanala stated.


    "Stop it!" Rikken said indignantly.


    "What? This boy has talent. All the Sekanian assassins are young liberated slaves. They are the best for this job."

 16 Chapter 13

    Kalena with a heavy heart had entered the room where students spent their free time. Everyone greeted her with cool eyes and whispered a few comments.


    "Welcome to you, the most common of the common," said Kete, and Mizar added right after him.


    "The kindest Kalena honored us with her presence! Oh lady, how grateful we are for that! And now I am humbly asking you to leave. After all, we do not deserve to be with such a noble person...


    "No," she interrupted calmly, "the truth is that I don''t deserve to be with you. I know that my behavior has been terrible lately, but it is because the prince entrusted me with a very important task. I was to test his invention, the details of which must remain secret for now."


    "He once let you test his kite during a free day, and somehow you behaved normally."


    "I know, and therefore," she gave a deep bow "I''m sorry."


    There was a long silence. Finally, Seth sitting at the very end of the long, low table pushed some of his things away and invited the girl to sit down.


    Kalena rarely spoke to him before. He was the only Madegald student, so he naturally faced many hardships, including espionage charges for the Righteous Conspiracy. However, he didn''t seem bad, or at least his face wasn''t the face of a bad man. He often smiled and always kept a good mood.


    He was a student of Hosh - a mysterious and inaccessible man who spent little time in the quarters and did not care too much about his apprentice, although, Seth didn''t require to be constantly taken care of. It was known that he came from a very rich family, but, contrary to other children from such homes, he was very independent and able to deal with hardships. Just like most people from Madegald, he had a complexion slightly darker than the rest of the students. The thing that made him stood out exceptionally was his height. He was the tallest student in Yagn-Sho and was still growing, though not as much as a few years ago.


    "You know, I wanted to talk to you before," Kalena admitted, "but I was afraid you wouldn''t understand me."


    "really?" He asked surprised. "I don''t know why people assume that. I speak fluent Kagolanian. At the beginning it was difficult, but now I understand almost everything.


    "You must feel lonely here."


    "Not really. I knew what it means to live abroad when I decided to leave the house. The people of Madegald don''t travel often, so I was aware that I would rarely hear my native language." He paused for a moment and reached for the inkwell. "It''s good for me. I started life again as a different person. Hardly anyone gets such a chance from the gods."


    "Could I ask... why did you leave? Were you mistreated at home?"


    "No, I would even say I was treated too well." Seth''s eyes suddenly went absent. "I''ve always felt that I should be somewhere else. I wanted to escape from Madegald since I can remember and I am glad that I was able to fulfill my dream. And you?"


    "I''m from Port," she said. "I grew up there, but I don''t know where my parents came from. I don''t feel connected with any country... Maybe with Kagolania."


    Seth smiled again and they both fell into learning. Kalena began the first math task when Zarkin entered the room and told them that the enemies of the Association had arrived.


    *


    At the same time, the masters held an extraordinary meeting.


    "I have to admit openly that your apprentice saved all our lives." This was the first sentence Tessale uttered, thus breaking the silence that lasted a few minutes. "You should be proud of him, Rikken."


    "The prisoners claim they were sent to investigate if anyone from Yagn-Sho had recently stolen from the imperial treasury," Asanala confessed.


    "They should talk to the Searchers," said Aymon. "We''re not interested in tinsel."


    "They know it," Bimala interrupted. "Something that the Scribes could be interested in must have disappeared from the treasury. The Sekanian Scribe''s Association made several attempts to steal the dynamite recipe, but I think they stopped because everybody condemned it."


    "Then we should tell them this and let them report in Madegald," Rikken said. "When the emperor reaches suspicion that the thief may be hiding in Kagolania, we might face an open conflict. Galaspiael will soon take the throne, let there be peace in the country for the first years."


    "Speaking of him, does anybody know where His Majesty is and why he is so openly showing his contempt to us?" Aymon snorted in anger.


    "Some state affairs," Rikken cut short. "Forgive him, I''m sure he didn''t predict it himself."


    The man nodded in response.


    "I think you''re right. We have to let the captives go. I don''t know who broke into the imperial vault, but let''s make it clear to the Emperor that we have nothing to do with them."


    *


    In the evening, Zarkin again went beyond the walls of the quarters to check whether he had noticed the first signs of madness, or perhaps unusual intuition. Throughout the day he had the impression that someone is watching him and, as it turned out he was right. The boy stood still for a moment, and quickly another shadow appeared next to his. Clearly, the person who cast it did not want to be noticed.


    Zarkin quickly turned and pushed the stranger against the wall. He recognized her immediately.


    "Oh, you little viper! Did you come to finish the work?" He hissed furiously. The slave girl who had previously been in the spy camp decided to return. "Is this how you repaying me for sparing your life?"


    "No! I don''t want to hurt you!" She assured quickly, terrified by the sudden attack.


    "Sure! You don''t want to do and that''s why you keep following me!" The boy propped her against the wall even more and pressed his elbow to her neck so that she began to choke. "I know your people want to kill me! The Righteous scum was defeated and dishonored, and all thanks to me. You have the right to hate me, but I will not give up easily!"


    "I don''t want to hurt you, my lord... really," she croaked in a weakening voice. Zarkin loosened his grip and took a step back. For the first time in his life, he was called "my lord" by someone and it took a moment for this fact to come to him. He took a deep breath and clenched his fists several times. The girl dropped to her knees and looked at him fearfully, probably thinking that he was about to hit her.


    "So what do you want?"


    "First to thank you for killing them. You have no idea how much it means to me..."


    "I didn''t do it for you," he interrupted her firmly.


    "I know, but I''m grateful anyway. I came here because of one thing. Transfer of ownership, which means..."


    "I know," Zarkin interrupted her and smiled. "By law, I could take you over now because I killed your owner."


    "Exactly," she said and smiled back at him. Zarkin''s face quickly turned into a grimace of rage.


    "You''ve got to be kidding. You came here because you want to be a slave? Do you think I''m so naive to believe you? No man would do that unless he had some hidden intentions! Go away while I let you."


    "But I don''t have any!" She moaned, while tears welling up in her eyes. "I can''t live on my own. Please..."


    "I want nothing more than to bring another mouth for feeding."


    "I''m useful! I will earn my meal if necessary. I will find something to do, I know a lot of things," she answered calmly. "If I do something wrong, you can sell me or punish me."


    And you don''t have anywhere to sleep or how to get back to Madegald," he growled, irritated more by his lack of assertiveness than by her stubbornness. "We don''t usually let strangers here, but I''ll ask Master Rikken."


    "Thank you, my lord."


    "But remember! If you make one wrong move, you give me one reason to suspect, I will throw you out of the third-floor window and watch your body hit the ground," he threatened. "I won''t give you a single opportunity to hurt us, you..."


    "My name is Mei, my lord."


    Zarkin did not answer. He noticed her collar and chain, which she tucked under her shirt. He grabbed it and led her to Rikken''s room.


    "Can I go in?" he asked, opening the door. His master looked up from the big book and glanced at the girl.


    "Who is this?"


    "She was a slave to the people I attacked. She came here and says I can take her."


    "What do you mean by that?" Rikken stood up and looked at Mei. "Did he killed your previous owner?"


    "There is no rule that prohibits students from keeping slaves." Zarkin has already considered everything and started to appreciate this idea. "I''m sure there have been such cases in history. The prince certainly took several from the palace."


    "You''re wrong, he didn''t have any," Rikken thought deeply. In fact, there was no provision to regulate the slave issue. "Fine, she can stay. I will tell at the meeting that we still want to question you" he turned to her and then looked at his student. "But I don''t want to see lashes, torture or any torment here!"


    *


    Kalena opened her eyes and hissed furiously at the black stain on her blue shirt.


    The late-night was beginning to change into the early morning. The flame went out in the fireplace, and the wick of the candle was completely burned out.


    She didn''t remember her taking a nap at all. She must''ve fallen asleep unintentionally and tilted the inkwell with her hand so that the ink leaked and stained her clothes, but thankfully the notes she was working on were saved.


    The biggest drawback in getting up early was the chilling cold that prevailed everywhere at this time. She yawned and, after quickly cleaning up the desk, began to look for warmer clothes.


    In the evening, she talked to Seth for a long time. All the students were touched by the fact of the spies, but he did not show much interest in them, which led to false suspicions. He accepted them fairly calmly, explaining that he was already used to it.


    She lit another candle and looked at the table. She knew she would have to correct her cleaning oversight later.


    Seth. For some reason, she couldn''t forget about this boy. She couldn''t trust him completely, though he seemed nice and she didn''t understand what scared her away. Other students probably had the same feeling, which is why they were so reluctant towards him


    There was something strange about him that could not be defined. He wasn''t conceited or dry, but he certainly considered himself more important than the rest of the group, though he tried not to show it openly. No rumor could move him. He didn''t talk too much about others either, as if he were above all of this.


    Kalena stretched out on the bed and sighed loudly. She didn''t want to sleep, but at the same time, she was too tired to go back to studying. She closed her eyes and listened to the silence. Murmurs, the whistling of the wind, sounds of rain... Or hushed conversations and steps on the roof.


    Her imagination went crazy. All because of spies.


    *


    "You sleep here," Zarkin pointed at a straw mat by his bed. "Now lie down and raise your hands."


    "Are you going to tie me up?"


    The boy smiled triumphantly.


    "Thought you would go easy with me, huh? That I would let you into the quarters, you''ll act obediently for a few hours, and after all cut our throats at night? Unfortunately, you hit a heavy opponent and you will have to make more effort."


    The girl suddenly rose to a sitting position.


    "My lord, believe me, I won''t do you harm," she began.


    "Either you let me tie you up now, or I do it myself, so tightly that you won''t move. And I''ll also gag you," he added, smirking. "What? Suddenly you don''t want to be a slave anymore? I told you only a fool would voluntarily decide to do it."


    Mei looked deep into his eyes, and for a moment he thought she would want to break free, but the girl lay back on the floor.


    "So I''m stupid," she hissed.


    "You are," he said dispassionately, busy binding her hands. "Don''t think that tomorrow, when I''m in class, you''ll be able to slip away. The gate is closed."


    "How many nights will I have to spend this way to assure you I''m not sent by Righteous Conspiracy?"


    "I''ll think about it," he replied, lying on the bed. "Good night."

 17 Chapter 14 part 1

    When additional training in the Forbidden Zone was announced, everyone was skeptical, however, the prospect of leaving the Yagn-Sho for a moment was tempting, so everyone decided to go.


    Galaspiael returned and immediately boasted to Kalena what progress he had made in deciphering the dynamite recipe. In the letter he sent, he asked for performing a "small" experiment, through which the girl destroyed a major part of the secret room in which he kept his belongings.


    "Oh for the Great Ancestors, what a horrible smell!" He exclaimed, going inside to see the results of her work. "It''s impossible to breathe here"


    "We try to ventilate this room every day and it''s better than earlier. I tried to be careful, I promise! I followed your instructions strictly, there can be no mistake. I wanted to help."


    Galaspiael sat on the floor with resignation.


    "I had to mix something up. Maybe it''s about proportions? No, I probably misread the name of some ingredient. Couldn''t you write and warn?!" He shouted, venting his irritation.


    "You told me not to write back under any circumstances," she reminded him. "Because the risk of someone intercepting the message is negligible, but it still exists, remember?"


    "Did I say something like that?" Galaspiael rubbed his face and nodded. "Yes, I remember. Anyway, never mind. Get ready, you have a busy day ahead. I must ask you for a favor once again. I want you to look for the water nephrite in the Forbidden Zone."


    "What? Are you sure?"


    "Absolutely," the prince threw the notes he brought to the table and looked at them briefly. He chose one card and then quickly ripped it. "Have you ever heard this name?"


    "Yes... in this fairy tale book you gave me. I didn''t think such a thing exists.''


    "According to our brothers from Madegald, it does. I also thought that this "water nephrite" must be some form of metaphor. Finally, I began to think that the whole recipe is written in a code that only a few can understand. By the way, it''s amazing that you managed to remember such a small detail. If you made several copies of the same book, you could even sell the original, everything would still be in your head."


    "Sell books?" Kalena remembered the self-proclaimed Searchers he had once shown her. "Who''s going to buy them?"


    "Rich Sekanian merchants often have their bookcases. Their daughters and girls from noble families treat decorated and elegantly written books as an ornament."


    "They don''t read? What are they doing then?"


    "Most of them can read, although educated women are feared in Sekania. That''s why they hide that fact."


    They both went out into the corridor, and Galaspiael locked the door. He grabbed the door handle and checked whether it was impossible to get inside by force.


    "It''s an interesting country," Kalena said after a moment of silence. "Why an educated woman causes fear but a man not?


    "You know, I''ve always wondered. I also think it''s an interesting country. We should go there someday."


    *


    In the Forbidden Zone, young Scribes were primarily to practice agility and perceptiveness. The training was a field game in which they could get points for finding and delivering something to a certain place as soon as possible. Everyone had been instructed exactly what to look for. Almost everyone had to focus on herbs, only Nemina had to find the spring and draw water from it.


    This day was special because the students for the first time could bring weapons with them. It was not their own yet, because they were to receive it after the official exam, but the mere fact of having shen with themselves caused a sense of pride.


    On all maps, students saw the Forbidden Zone was marked as an area completely covered with dense forest. However, in reality, the forest was only the surface. It surrounded the heart of this place - the ruins of the capital of the former empire. Although the seekers took a lot of things from there, you could still find something, if you only knew how to search.


    First, everyone helped set up the camp in a clearing. There was a small lake in the middle of it, but Rikken forbade the students to swim in it after Mizar tried to throw Zarkin into the water.


    Galaspiael took Kalena aside and discreetly handed her a small box.


    "I won''t blame you if you don''t find anything. I''m going to look myself, but on the other side of the valley, but to be honest, I don''t think we''ll find anything. It''s said that water nephrite was in common use here before the war, but chances are small that the Searchers left anything. The most important is for you to complete the task and return safely. Good luck, little one."


    "I''ll do my best to find what you asked for," Kalena bowed in a typical manner in which students bowed to their masters, and then joined the group gathered around Master Rikken.


    "Listen!" he began. "You got a weapon, you will soon start cutting your fingers with it, so we need a lot of Teneurin leaves. Four people are looking for them. I advise you to divide it into groups so that we don''t have to stay here for several weeks and look for each other." He took a short break. "Remember, we''re guests here. If you see somewhere a path too decent to be considered trodden by animals, don''t try to follow it. When somebody collects everything on their list, they can come back. Oh and I don''t accept stories about some other students stealing from you. You have to watch and care for your treasures."


    "And we don''t have to play clean?" Seth asked quietly. Zarkin turned to him contemptuously and snorted angrily.


    "Nobody will play clean against you in a real fight," he murmured.


    "Only this is not a fight," Kalena interjected, "it''s just a game."


    "Field lessons are an obligatory stage of training. According to you, the final exam would not be important, because it''ll last for only a few hours?" Zarkin nodded at Mei and turned ostentatiously. "Good luck! You''ll need a lot of it with this attitude."


    No one had ever guessed that the girl Zarkin had taken with him was his slave, and he wasn''t going to brag about it.


    "Hold it!" he commanded, handing Mei his set. "Let''s see if you can be useful. Only idiots walk in a group, it is better to act alone."


    "But ..." Mei began quietly. "We are together. I will help. So how is it ''alone''?"


    "Because you''re not a student, that''s why you don''t matter".


    Mei looked at him as if she wanted to say something wouldn''t like, but in the end, she stifled it.


    "I understand. I will try not to disappoint your expectations, my lord. But I have to warn you, I run very slowly and I can''t hide or fight."


    "And what about it? Zarkin pulled Mei a few steps further when he saw Jin-Si walking toward them. "You will concentrate on searching and I will defend you. If Mizar would want to steal, it''s logical that he''ll attack me."


    "Because the searching it''s your job, right? He will think that you are watching over what you found."


    "Exactly," the boy grew serious. "Just don''t think you''ll be able to escape. I keep an eye on you!"


    *


    "This place gives me creeps!" after a short walk, Seth regained his good mood again. "You know, the Searchers'' guild is operating in Madegald. They think that treasures from Kagolanian Forbidden Zone have special value. If you''ll find something, you can go and sell it there. You''ll get a fortune.


    They kept walking and their peers'' voices grew quieter until they stopped hearing them at all.


    At first, Jin-Si hanged around Kete and Li, but when she came across Kalena and Seth, she decided to join them.


    No one was in a hurry to complete the task and return to the camp. The new unknown place tempted with its mystery. All groups sooner or later took a break and left the main route.


    "What are you suppose to collect?" Jin-si asked when Kalena kneeled on the ground for several minutes, carefully selecting white leaves growing in the lowest layer of litter.


    "This is one of the ingredients for paper pulp. Galaspiael promised to show me how to prepare our paper."


    "I''d like to know what the Scribes add to make their paper so indestructible," Seth responded. "Some time ago I fell into the water by accident. My notes got wet but after drying it was impossible to recognize that something had happened. My master hast found about it so far. He took a card from his box that he hadn''t even looked at before. "Oh Gods, why do I picked something so hard?! I''ll never complete this task. Is there such a thing as a blood lily at all?


    "Yes," Jin-Si replied sleepily. "It''s a common weed, growing in wet places. This flower is neither fragrant nor useful in any way."


    "It is not the flowers that are the most valuable, but the leaves." Kalena thought about her days as a slave. "I can make blood lily soup."


    As she said that, something strange happened. The strong wing rose and almost blew them off the ground. They could barely stand on their feet. The strangest thing, however, was that the top of the trees remained still, even though young Scribes felt a huge mass of air rushing.


    The unusual phenomenon stopped after a few seconds and became silent again. Then they began to feel something even more peculiar.


    "I feel-" Jin-Si got up and pulled a few leaves from her hair. "I don''t know. I don''t like this! I have the impression that we shouldn''t be here. Let''s go!"


    "I can feel it too," Kalena clenched her fists. "It''s unpleasant. We should leave this place!"


    "What? Why? Stop!" Seth protested when he saw the girls are about to walk away into the forest. "What happened to you? Let''s focus on the search, and try not to lose your mind."


    "But I feel this place is dangerous. What if somebody attacks us?" Jin-Si began looking around nervously.


    "Oh gods, and even if so, then what? We are Scribes. Finally, all these fight lessons will be useful for something."


    His words didn''t sound convincing, but in the end, curiosity and willingness to complete the task won over fear. They moved forward, and after a while, the strange feeling of disturbance has left them.


    After a while, they found themselves in a place where the trees no longer grew so densely. Here and there sun rays illuminated large tracts of land. At one point they noticed that they were on a paved path.


    "Who walks on this? Animals or people?" Seth''s eyes lit up with an unhealthy glow. "We should investigate this!"


    "Definitely it was people," Kalena answered and stepped forward. "Probably the Searchers."


    "For sure!" Jin-Si nodded. "That makes sense. Who else could have walked here?"


    "Monsters who reside in the Zone?" Seth took out his am-shen and turned one blade several times. "I''d like to meet one and find out what it is."


    Kalena stepped forward and stared at the boy.


    "At the end of this road should be the heart of the Forbidden Zone. The most dangerous place. An abandoned capital."


    "Shall we go there?" He asked, glancing at her.


    "I don''t think so," she murmured, "but maybe we''ll be okay"


    "Are you both crazy?" Jin-Si interrupted "Why do you think we call this place the ''Forbidden Zone''?"


    "The point is, we don''t know why," Seth responded fiercely. "Nobody knows. In Madegald, I''ve heard about five different legends about this place. What if half of what is being told about it is all lies? Maybe we are unnecessarily afraid?"


    "If there was something to discover here, someone wiser would do it long ago." Jin-si argued, "If anyone finds out that you''ve been there..."


    "Nobody will know unless you tell someone," Seth interrupted her firmly. - After all, the masters take us here themselves. They had to take into account that a student would go too far and eventually discover the ruins. That means basic training is enough to defend yourself here. We''re from the Scribes'' Association, who would threaten us? We''ll have something to talk about when we get back home."


    "All in all, you''re right," Jin-Si admitted, "but Lin probably won''t believe me."


    They moved on. Gradually, the forest began to thin, and they found themselves in the area covered with only low plants. The abandoned city was in a valley. Kalena saw the remains of the watchtower. It was built in an ideal place, everyone who entered the city from that side was already visible from a distance.


    Seth bravely stepped forward and they entered the city in absolute silence. Kalena noticed huge halls in the walls of the first houses they came across. The grass a lied lid from an old chest, probably destroyed by people who plundered the city. They went through what might once have been the equivalent of a wall protecting the outer city circle.


    "In Madegald, people say the evil ruler gave the soldiers a new, dangerous weapon that got out of hand," said Seth when Jin-Si touched his arm. "And here it is told that the emperor released the mysterious beasts that revolted. So what''s the truth?"


    "I guess we''ll never know." The conspiracy destroyed everything that was related to the battle that took place here," Kalena murmured. "There are no chronicles or books, only legends."


    "In Madegald we have our libraries and books," he replied, "but I don''t know anyone who had ever been there. The door is sealed, and behind them, the corridors were filled with liquid metal. But this knowledge is still there and if the Scribes found the way, they could recover it."


    Kalena did not manage to answer him, because suddenly they lost control of their bodies, and before them appeared a tall figure dressed in long trailing robes, reminiscent of the clothing they saw in the engravings in the historical books.


    It was more of a ghost than a man. They all had the impression that this character reminds them of someone. He lifted them above the ground and looked at each one in the eyes, then walked around and tilted his head. Long black hair fell over his shoulder.


    A hand emerged from under the folds of silk. Pale hand, with unnaturally long fingers. He made some gestures.


    And then the deep darkness approached them.

 18 Chapter 14 part 2

    Kalena woke up and realized she was lying on the grass.


    Jin-si grabbed her by the shoulders and pulled somewhere. Slowly, very slowly everything became transparent again. They were in the woods. Seth sat leaning against a tree, deadly pale, he seemed unconscious. His face was slightly soiled on the left side as if he had fallen on damp ground.


    "Never again!" shouted the princess, the most woke among them. "I will never come here again. I can''t believe they took us here on a trip!"


    "What was it?" Kalena rose to a sitting position. "He reminded me of someone, but now I have a hollow mind."


    "Whoever it was, he knows about the art we can''t master," Seth finally said. "These gusts and our strange feelings, then paralysis. May the gods protect us! This thing can do a lot and it is definitely not human."


    So what is it then?"


    "I think... it''s a ghost. Or a demon." The boy got up and rocked. "I just don''t understand why he didn''t balance his forces. I still feel the effects, and on Jin, it has hardly worked at all."


    "You didn''t pass out?" Kalena asked, helping Seth stay upright.


    "I stood a little further. I saw him reaching out to you and then you collapsed. I was so scared, I thought he killed you! And when I woke up, he was gone and you were still lying on the grass. I don''t know what I would do if it turned out that you''re dead, I don''t think I would cry myself to death!"


    "Let''s go back now. I feel terrible. Masters probably already looking for us."


    Seth was wrong because in the meeting place there was only Zarkin Mei and Mamina. Others were still busy doing their tasks, or they had already finished and wandered among the trees."


    "Hey!" Galaspiael noticed them and went to greet Kalena. "I knew you would do it quickly. Mistress Asanala has prepared the food, you can help yourself..." He paused, seeing that Jin-Si and Seth were staring at him intensely. "If you don''t want to, there''s no need, but she''s not a bad cook."


    Kalena understood why they looked at him this way. She finally realized who the mysterious creature reminded her of. Not Galaspiael, but his ancestor, whose portrait she saw when she visited the palace. This was who they saw.


    *


    In the evening, when everyone was getting ready to go back, Galaspiael took Kalena for a walk. After her meeting with the ghost, she no longer wanted to continue exploring the Forbidden Zone. Fortunately, they did not venture deep into the forest, but only moved away from the camp enough to be able to talk without worrying that someone would overhear them.


    "I''m sorry I couldn''t find you water nephrite," she began.


    "Don''t worry," the boy replied and forced a smile. After spending some time with him, Kalena could recognize his sincere smile. She could also see the emotions he was trying to hide.


    "I will help you with something else when we arrive at the quarters. I''m glad we''re finally coming back."


    "why?" He picked up. "You didn''t like his training?"


    "The training was fine, but this place is awfully scary." Kalena wanted to tell him everything, but she was afraid of how he would react and whether she would believe at all. "Since it''s so dangerous that people can''t come here, why are we training here?"


    "Because the Forbidden Zone will not be forever abandoned. We will find a way to settle it and we have to get used to this place. People often twist what they hear, so it''s best to come here and see for yourself what is going on."


    "Have you ever been there? In the heart of the Zone?"


    "Maybe once? A large part of the abandoned city was destroyed during the war. It can''t be said how large it could have been, so I don''t know if I''ve ever crossed its borders."


    "I''ve heard about it in class," she said, "you know what the weapon the emperor used that it destroyed the city so much?"


    "I have no idea. The Scribe Association failed to save this story, and the Righteous Conspiracy found this knowledge so dangerous that even their most important people were not worthy of having it. All the scrolls were burned. I only know what it was supposedly, the emperor had somehow influenced his army. He took away their free will and failed to restore it. Legends say that he stayed here with his most faithful servants. Although they died, they cannot go beyond. Their souls are still under the control of the master."


    When he said that, she felt cold sweat pouring over her. She knew for sure that she had experienced something real.


    "This man is yours..." Kalena fell silent. Samin asked her not to attack Galaspiael with questions about it.


    No grandfather, not even great grandfather." He knew what she meant. "But I can''t deny that I''m related to him. You have no idea how embarrassed I feel. My subjects see my powerful ancestors, and I can only see the cursed dynasty. I hate my ancestors since I learned their story. One day I would like to wake up as someone else without this burden. I am afraid that one day I will become like him."


    So that was the reason he despised life so much. Kalena was already beginning to understand everything.


    "I don''t know what I have to tell you."


    "Tell me something about your family," he changed the subject. "I could help you find your real parents if you want to."


    "I don''t remember my father, and I was separated from my mother when I was a child. I don''t even remember her name. I asked Namia but she never wanted to tell me anything."


    "Maybe that''s good. Sometimes it''s better not to know."


    Kalena thought for a moment if she should ask the next question.


    "I''m sorry, but how did your parents die? It''s a little unusual that they both passed away at the same time. Was there a plague in Kagolania?"


    "No," he said and shook his head. "In the year I started training, the winter was extremely cold. To be able to warm up faster, at night they moved from the royal bedrooms, which as you saw are very large, to a smaller chamber with a fireplace. The next day they were dead."


    "How?"


    "Many people wanted to sort it out. All I know is that nobody poisoned them for sure. Also, no one slipped into the room at night. There was no fight inside. The guards said they felt a strong smell of smoke that night, but the bodies did not burn. I experimented with a specially built model and... I think they were suffocated. The chimney had to be clogged and the smoke did not come out but went back to the chamber. That means father unwittingly saved my life by throwing me out of the palace that year."


    "That''s terrible. If you were there..."


    "They would have taken me with them to this chamber and we would all die," he finished. "The older I get, the more I miss them. Especially my father. I used to hate him for the way he treated me and his constant bits of advice. Now I would give everything for even one. I wish... " Galaspiael turned his head for a moment. "I wish I could learn from him. This is different than learning from books. Maybe this way I could become a good king."


    They both drowned in silence. Once again a strong wind blew, but this time it felt purely natural.


    Kalena reached out and took his hand in hers, slightly smaller and smiled.


    "You will become a great king," she assured. "I know you will. Your parents would be proud of you."

 19 Chapter 15 part 1

    Time passed quickly and more students began talking about the upcoming exam more and more. Soon half of the training was about to pass and they had to work harder to present the skills acquired throughout the year.


    To pass the test, the basics were enough, but Kalena knew that she should not stop there. She needed a few more years of training for her skills to flourish.


    No one expected the news that one rainy day reached Yagn-Sho. The Overseas Scribes'' Association invited the five best students from Yagn-Sho to their quarters for further training. Everyone reacted to this news with great enthusiasm. The Scribes of At''insha got paid for their work, and their activities were completely public. Therefore, they were very reluctant to accept novices, and the lucky ones knew that dozens of others were waiting to take their place. The trip there was a life chance.


    "It''s far away," said Umi when everyone met in the evening hall. "But in At''insha they speak a language that is very much like Kagolanian in. Besides, since they earn money, after some time you could bring a family there.


    "Isn''t it better to start a new family there?" Mizar growled, and after a moment added with a cynical smile: "There is only one problem, even a blind man wouldn''t want you. Ever since you started pretending to be a boy you''ve become awfully ugly..."


    "I''m a better boy than you''ll ever be," Umi said.


    Mizar just snorted and turned ostentatiously. He didn''t talk to her anymore.


    *


    After classes, the students had little free time left, so that they could only use it to study or sleep. No games or entertainment, at least for the next few months before the exam.


    Kalena couldn''t wait to tell Galaspiael that she was going to do everything to get to the lucky five. The thought of studying in a foreign country consumed her completely. She expected the prince to wholeheartedly support these intentions. His reaction, however, was completely different and hurt her exceptionally.


    Galaspiael greeted her with a smile that disappeared from his face, replaced by an expression of complete surprise and disappointment as soon as she shared her idea.


    "I don''t believe," he said finally, "I thought that you wouldn''t believe in this At''insha lie. Must you be so naive?"


    All her enthusiasm disappeared immediately. At first, she had no idea how to respond, so she just shrugged.


    "I want to keep learning. Is there anything wrong with that?"


    "Then learn at Yagn-Sho. Do you think that living in a foreign country is easy?"


    "Well I realize it will be hard, but if I had to give up just because I would never have started training in the first place," she replied quickly, wanting to defend her decision.


    "And even if you''d go to At''insha, then what?" Galaspiael attacked. "Do you have a place to live, the money to spend? You don''t think that novices get money straight away, don''t you? What if something suddenly happens to you and you won''t be able to work for several weeks? Do you even know ANYTHING about this place?"


    "I thought you were going to help me..." Kalena realized too late that it was better not to say it. Her master smiled ironically.


    "How typical. I could have expected that."


    "Expect what? You''re acting as I offended you somehow!" She frowned and smirked. "I understand. You''re scared by how far I can go. You are afraid that I''ll become better than you because you could not go to At''insha yourself.


    Galaspiael laughed and lay down on his bed, propping up on his elbows so that he could see the girl.


    "Sorry, but it''s just pathetic. If you want to know, I could go, but I gave up. In At''insha you will not share knowledge but store it. You will always be from this worse part of the world. If you want something like that, you can go to Madegald. The Righteous Conspiracy will welcome you with open arms." He turned sideways. "Leave me alone. I have more important things on my mind than dealing with you. It''s too much!"


    "You are horrible!" She exclaimed with anger and left the room. Tears ran down her cheeks. Galaspiael never behaved in this way towards her.


    The girl carefully analyzed all previous week, wondering if she had said or done something that could offend him, but nothing she could remember. It wasn''t her fault. He just reacted to her. Suddenly she felt an incredible rage that intensified with each passing moment. She wanted to go back and shout in her face everything she thought about him now. She had already turned back, but Seth interrupted her.


    "You seem angry," he began quietly. "What happened?"


    "Congratulations on your perceptiveness!" Kalena banged furiously at him but soon realized that she was being busted with an innocent person just like her master. "Sorry"


    "That''s okay. Can you tell me what happened? Maybe I can help?"


    Kalena stopped and clenched her fists tightly.


    "If you want, you can try to convince Galaspiael to stop acting like a grumpy prince." She responded calmly, though there was still irritation in her voice.


    "Did he hurt you?"


    "No, he just..." She swallowed hard, hoping the tightening in her throat would subside. "He said I shouldn''t even try to go to At''insha. He thinks I can''t make it, I''ll always be worse and I shouldn''t try at all. What do you think about that?"


    Seth stepped back in confusion and shook his head several times to indicate that he didn''t want to get involved. Kalena, however, perceived his reaction quite differently.


    "Well, go on! Say it! I have already heard a lot today, it won''t make a difference to me!"


    "Gods! I don''t want to argue with you" Seth assured, "but you should think about whether you are asking your master to express his ideas or to support yours."


    "I didn''t ask him for an opinion." Kalena knew that this statement was not entirely true, so she added: "I wanted support, not evaluation. What master behaves like this towards a student anyway?!"


    "The master should not applaud everything that the student wants to do. Maybe he has a reason to act like that?"


    "He kept telling me before, that I am free and I could do what I like. And when I made my own decision for the first time, it turns out that freedom is not about it."


    Kalena turned and walked quickly, but after a while, she realized that Seth was following her.


    "What do you want?"


    "I can help you feel better," he said with a mysterious smile. "Come with me. I have an idea, but we need to gather a few more people to succeed."


    *


    In the evening a group consisting of Seth, Kalena, Zarkin, Mizar, and Jin-Si discussed the plan to visit the Forbidden Zone on their own.


    Seth came up with this idea as soon as they returned from training. He couldn''t stop thinking about the mysterious ghost, and the temptation to return to the abandoned city grew stronger day by day. In his dreams, he saw the creature walking in front of him and turning away from time to time as if to check if the boy would follow.


    Finally, he began to persuade others to come back with him.


    "In such a large group nothing will happen to us" he assured "if I wanted to go alone, it is different. Maybe we will find something valuable. Don''t you think that would be fascinating?"


    Some students disagreed with him, but a few agreed with this idea. Those willing to go on the trip appeared at midnight, in front of the training room, which was a meeting place.


    "Did somebody see you?" Zarkin looked at everyone and, without waiting for an answer, handed them over the lantern. "We don''t want more trouble than it''s all worth."


    "Masters have been sleeping for a long time, nobody noticed us. I can''t see your pet anywhere, won''t she come with us?" Mizar asked.


    "I didn''t know you have any pet," Kalena asked. "What?"


    "You don''t know? Zarkin has a slave named Mei." After these words, Mizar turned his face towards the blonde boy. "I am not surprised that you did not tell her, I heard that His Highness is about to completely ban slavery."


    Kalena froze. One word buzzed in her ears all the time.


    "This new girl is your slave? Don''t tell me you..."


    "What?" He picked up. "Almost everyone has a slave. The law does not prohibit it, at least for now. And by the time it is introduced, I will be able to move to Sekania, or even further."


    "You probably forgot that you were a slave recently! You condemn her to such a fate¡­"Kalena felt a desire to hit him. "You are heartless!"


    "If you want to know, she decided to stay with me. Actually, her presence is distracting, but if she wants, I can''t help it."


    "Do you think I''ll believe you?"


    "Believe what you want, you asked me and I answered you."


    "Okay! We don''t have much time, it''s better not to waste it for brief talking." Seth waved a hand at them. "you can discuss it on the way."


    "Really?" She shook her head incredulously. "You don''t care about this girl''s fate?"


    "Gods, am I to judge someone''s behavior? I saw Mei several times and she looked fine. Don''t worry, I bet Master Rikken is watching over everything."


    "I''m surprised he doesn''t see anything wrong with holding a slave."


    "Because there is nothing wrong with that," Zarkin said, letting him know he was still present. "Only your prince is looking for problems where they are not."


    "Galaspiael does not care about slaves, but about problems they may cause," said Mizar. "I heard that everyone at home liked the new law very much. We don''t kill people, even useless ones, and yet they behave as if he saved them from something."


    "And what about it?" asked Zarkin.


    "Think a little! They are the most problematic subjects. There are a lot of them, and they see him as their savior than if they were to consider him as another lord... and where you all going? The exits are on the other side!"


    "We''ll go down the stairs and then I''ll show you the path I found." Zarkin smiled. "It leads straight to the Forbidden Zone. This path is shorter than the one that the masters led us."


    "Of course!" Jin-Si snorted angrily. "They do everything to make us tired. Why didn''t they lead us this way?"


    "Let us not be tempted to go back there." Zarkin smiled. "This trail is much more¡­ dangerous. A lot of things can approach us."


    "Don''t scare her," Kalena reminded him.


    "But it''s true. Further, it gets steep and is not far from the heart of the Forbidden Zone."


    "You didn''t tell me we''re going to the HEARTH! I thought we were going to only mess in the woods." The princess stepped back. "I do not want to go!"


    "Stop it! Nothing will happen to us, calm down," Seth growled.


    "I''m not going anywhere with you, you''re crazy. You lead them to death! I don''t want to take part in it!" after these words, Jin-Si turned back. Seth wanted to chase her, but Kalena grabbed his arm.


    "Stop. If she doesn''t want to go, it''s fine."


    "She agreed earlier," he drawled. "If she comes back, she''s going to tell on us and come back here with her master!


    "Jin is not like that. She''ll be afraid to say a word about it. You have nothing to worry about." The moment Kalena said that she also felt the urge to turn back, but she did not openly admit it. "We were supposed to have fun, remember?"


    Seth stepped back and looked at Zarkin and Mizar. They stood in absolute silence. The atmosphere was thickening.


    "Let''s go quickly," he said finally. "We don''t have much time."

 20 Chapter 15 part 2

    They reached the Forbidden Zone in the middle of the night. Kalena began to regret not taking warmer clothes with her, and Zarkin was angry that he took an extremely unlucky lantern that burned out the fastest. Everyone had scratches from the branches through which they had to break, but the mood improved slightly.


    When the group saw the abandoned city they were shocked. The closer they came, the more they could see. It wasn''t dark there at all. Streets were lit by large lanterns. The houses no longer looked abandoned and damaged. From time to time, there was a shadow here and there, as if someone had just left the house and was in a hurry. In the distance an imperial palace could be seen, larger and much more majestic than the palace in the new capital of Kagolania.


    "How beautiful is this place!" Kalena sighed softly. "It''s like we''re going back in time."


    "I thought it was abandoned. And yet there are some people!" Mizar moved quickly, but then stopped and turned to the rest, seeing that they had formed a tight group. "What are you waiting for?"


    "We shouldn''t go in there. At least not this way, they will see us right away!"


    "Kalena is afraid, again!" For a moment a malicious smile appeared on the boy''s face, which soon disappeared under the mask of cordiality. "Don''t you wonder what they are doing in an abandoned city?"


    "Sure," Zarkin interjected, "whenever I see suspicious people where they shouldn''t be, I want to come and meet them. She is not afraid, she is just sensible."


    Seth didn''t wait for them, just walked on. Without waiting, they followed him.


    "Wait a minute!" Kalena suddenly wanted to stop him, but he pushed her away.


    "Leave me alone. Go back if you want!" he growled.


    A shiver went through her entire body. Kalena looked at her friend with fear. He did not behave naturally.


    "That ghost! He told you to come here and now he draws you to him!"


    "What? No, not at all!" He replied, this time gently. "Don''t worry about me, I''m fine. I want to go there, and I''m nervous because I keep thinking if I missed something along the way. By all gods, I''m really worried! I don''t want you to get into trouble because of my inattention. It would only ignite rumors about me."


    Kalena said nothing. He didn''t sound convincing, but after all, she decided to say nothing and followed him.


    "Maybe the seekers turned those lights on?" Zarkin tried to find a logical explanation of what they saw. "It would not be surprising, after all, they come here for sure..." He paused, seeing that from the opposite two men of indefinite age were coming towards them.


    "Who are you?! You shouldn''t be here!" Mizar called after them.


    "We also shouldn''t be here!" Kalena whispered to him.


    The strangers apparently did not understand. They looked at each other and glanced back at him several times.


    "Don''t bother," a clear male voice sounded nearby. "Your language is different from the one they know."


    The man speaking to them emerged from the shadows and smiled. The first thing they noticed was the striking resemblance to Galaspiael.


    "It''s him!" Kalena whispered to Zarkin. "He followed us! He knew we would come."


    "What are you talking about?" The boy stepped back and looked at her carefully. "Who is this?"


    "This is the ghost I saw earlier when I came here with Seth and Jin-Si. The one who almost killed us!"


    "Oh, my lady." The mysterious figure approached Kalena and looked deep into her eyes. "I assure you that you are not in any danger. None of you are in danger at this moment. I invite you to come with me, the night is still young. We have a lot of time before the day comes up."


    "You are the one who used this terrible weapon, am I right sir?" Seth spoke for the first time "You were the cursed emperor?"


    Everyone froze. Kalena was sure that the mysterious man would tear Seth apart. Instinctively she backed away, ready to run at any moment.


    "Doesn''t lantern light seem so friendly to you? It is warm, it does not make you squint, unlike the rays of the sun. Let''s go I haven''t had guests in a long time, please give me this pleasure."


    Everything looked so normal that after a while they forgot where they were. For Kalena, it seemed like they were walking around the ordinary city at night. The old capital was very similar to the one she had already met. Only the people passing them seemed suspicious. They behaved as if they did not see them or their ruler at all. They didn''t talk to each other. They were almost like dolls.


    They went into the second alley, and on the way, they did not hear anyone say a word.


    "The Scribes'' Association has changed a lot since I last saw the newcomers from Yagn-Sho. Or just your clothes look different from what I am used to."


    "Has any Scribe been here yet?" Kalena asked and immediately began to imagine what fate must have happened to this unfortunate person.


    "Oh, I haven''t seen a human here in a long time. Well, unless you''re talking about those thieves who come here during the day. But when I meet them, I usually don''t have time to even look at their faces. There is no point if I kill them anyway."


    "You like it?" Zarkin tilted his head slightly. "Do you like to kill them?"


    "That''s an interesting question. I never thought about whether I like it or not. For me, it''s one of those things you shouldn''t think about in these categories... Do you fancy a cup of tea? It will be great to warm up."


    His pale hand came out from under the folds of his robe. He opened the door in front of them and invited the group inside."


    "Excuse me..." Seth broke the silence. His voice was extremely quiet, barely audible.


    "Oh, what terrible behavior on my part! Call me Gyeul, young friend. What did you want to ask?"


    "I don''t quite understand how it''s possible that we''re here and talking to each other?"


    A woman came inside and without even glancing at them began to make tea.


    "Don''t mind her. She may behave quieter if she bothers you."


    "I won''t get an answer to my question?"


    "Forgive me," Gyeul smiled, and for a moment Kalena had the impression as if she was sitting next to Galaspiael. "but I don''t know how to answer. I am here because this place is my home and you are here because you visited me. Was that your answer?"


    "Excuse me." Seth shook his head. "I can''t speak the language as accurately as I would like."


    "We never heard of a man to live so many years." Kalena decided to finish his thought. "This is an extremely puzzling phenomenon."


    "You are right, it is puzzling. Even I could not fully discover everything, and yet I had a lot of time... And then these rats destroyed my work."


    "The Righteous Conspiracy?"


    "Yes. They completely eradicated art, perfected for thousands of generations... they were afraid of its limitless possibilities. They were afraid that someone could use it to achieve a power similar to mine and deprive another creature of will and soul."


    "Deprive of the soul?" Zarkin picked up. "So all these people here... your subjects..."


    "They are ghosts who can''t leave this place unless I order them."


    "It''s cruel," said Kalena.


    "You''re wrong, my dear. You know too little to lecture me!"


    "I wouldn''t dare!" For a moment the girl''s heart leaped into her throat. "Maybe, I don''t know what the art was about, but I know you didn''t win the war anyway. And now Galaspiael suffers because of such a burden."


    "Finish it now," Mizar whispered.


    The atmosphere concentrated. Gyeul stood up and gave them a contemptuous look.


    "I know what you think. A terrible weapon... cursed emperor. That''s what people call me now. This generation would like to cut the past, as a sick piece of the body is cut out. But in reality, all of this is deeply hidden in every human being, including you. Dormant power, waiting to be released. The strength that lies in people can amaze the gods. Suffering... He didn''t even fully understand the word. Oh, you can''t even imagine how much I''d like to leave and regain my divine form again. Instead, I''m stuck, neither alive nor dead, in a world where I have only a piece of land at my disposal. Until he suffers enough, I''ll be here forever!"


    He said it and just sat back next to them. The maid set the teacups on the table and left.


    Kalena quickly understood. The more Galaspiael suffered, the closer Gyeul was to leave the Forbidden Zone. It was obvious that he had already tried to influence her master''s life somehow to harm him. Even this strange death of the royal couple could have been caused by him. Seth and Zarkin began to talk about something, but she did not listen to them at all.


    What else could this specter do? How much could he influence someone''s life?


    She jerked as he handed her a box full of stones with a strange light blue color. She recognized water nephrite.


    "You''re looking for it, right? Last ingredient. Take it, I hope it will be useful, to harm Madegal''s tribute is always pleasant. Just keep it away from the fire. I am looking forward to the results of your experiments.


    She chose three stones and thanked. At the same time, Zarkin nudged the already doomed Mizar.


    "We have to go. I''m also sleepy, and he clearly hopes that we will stay here, and when the day comes up, he will kill us all."


    "It was a great honor for us." Seth got up and bowed. "Thank you for your hospitality."


    "You''re all fascinating," he said and took a sip of his tea. "Goodbye"


    The boy opened the door and froze. Rays of the rising sun burst into the room. There was no one outside, and the building in which they were sitting began to collapse.


    "Run!" Kalena pushed him outside and jumped out. She didn''t look back. They were taught that during the pursuit they should split up because they would increase their chances of survival. At the moment, she wasn''t even worried about the others, it was only important to leave this place as soon as possible.


    The ground beneath her feet shook, and a powerful gust of wind almost knocked her feet, and then someone jerked her into one of the side streets, then hit in the face."


    "If you want to die so badly, you had to hang yourself instead of sticking here!" it was Galaspiael. "I thought you were smarter."


    "We thought..."


    "What did you think? That this is a good place for a picnic? You''ve exposed all Yagn-Sho! A bunch of idiots, and to think you''re the best students!" He tugged her arm and ran away a little further. "Hide here dumb girl"


    Kalena ran a little further until suddenly she heard a scream behind her. She turned back. The prince was now busy fighting Gyeul.


    The ghost did not use power, but ordinary weapons, but it still had a crushing advantage. His am-shen were incredibly long and all covered with a black, matte substance. Despite the strange size, he kept them stable.


    "You finally got the courage to come here! You filthy bastard!" Gyeul''s voice was like the worst nightmare. He crushed Galaspiael against the wall and moved two crossed blades close to his throat, intending to use them as giant scissors. Rikken and Tessale came running across the street. They tried to distract him, but he didn''t let them come too close.


    Kalena reacted, throwing water nephrite at the spirit. A deafening bang nearly made them all faint and the ghost turned into clouds of suffocating smoke. She didn''t kill him, at most, she enraged him. Just like her master, which surprised her greatly. He came up to her holding his bleeding arm.


    "Do you even think?!" He shouted, trying to hit her again.


    "I just wanted to help!"


    Rikken signaled to someone standing a little further and threw Galaspiael a piece of cloth to wrap his arm. They started running towards the forest.


    "I don''t know why I thought to teach a slave, especially stupid one, is a good idea!" said the prince when they left a safe distance.


    "You have your longed-for family! Come back there, maybe he''ll teach you how to rule!" She snapped at him. "You could have left me to death if I disturb you so much."


    "I felt like it!"


    "You should not have brought me with you! You could have given me back to my owner!"


    "I will sell you back if I want!"


    The girl almost choked in fury. In an instant, hatred like never before had risen in her.


    "So go on! What are you waiting for! May you not be at peace after death like your predecessor! I hope that people will never forget whose ancestor you are!"


    "Shut up! You stupid, ungrateful girl, shut up! I hate you!"


    "I hate you too!" Kalena trembled with anger. Galaspiael pursed his lips, turned away, and said nothing.

 21 Chapter 16

    There were no lessons at Yang-Sho that day.


    The four students who had visited the Forbidden Zone the previous night were now locked in one room. Because Jin-Si turned back, she was treated better, but Master Tessale announced that she would be punished for covering them. The previous day, Seth confessed that the whole idea was his. He wanted to take full responsibility, but that was impossible.


    The trial, aimed at determining the penalties, took place in a hall the masters normally used for their meetings. Some students had no idea about their trip present there. They sat concentrated against one wall and watched everything from the very beginning, whispering from time to time. Kalena wondered if they feel sorry for them or if they''re in horror, similar to the one she felt when the owner told her to watch another slave being punished.


    They lined up in an even row and sat down with their legs bent. Seth glanced at her and tried to smile comfortingly, but instead, a nervous twitch came over his face.


    "We''re in an unusual situation," Rikken began, "when there is a court judgment on the students, they must first be proved guilty. In your case, the guilt is obvious."


    "So we''ll go straight to the punishment," Galaspiael looked at Kalena. He wasn''t going to let go easily.


    "Do you realize that we should throw you out?" Hosh interjected. "Your vice was outrageous. You have failed the trust and hopes placed in you. I was wrong about you, Seth. I thought you were mature, but you showed extreme irresponsibility."


    "I know, master," the boy replied quietly and lowered his head contrite. "I''m very sorry."


    The man''s face softened for a moment, but then he took on a severe look again and began to speak in a low voice with Galaspiael.


    "The rules that students are to follow have not been invented to humiliate you. If something is forbidden, there is always a reason for it," Rikken looked at Zarkin, expecting him to say something too. Blonde boy, however, remained silent. Deadly pale, with clenched fists he stared at the floor all the time, looking as if he were thinking about an extremely painful matter.


    "Seth, unfortunately, your confession cannot be taken as a mitigating circumstance in this case," Hosh said again. "I think you understand. When we decide on physical punishment, you will also have to undergo it."


    "Physical punishment? You can do it?" Jin-Si was close to tears.


    "Of course." Galaspiael smiled venomously and looked at Kalena. "Flogging is allowed for exceptional offenses, which can certainly include entering the Forbidden Zone without permission... and what my student did."


    So, he was going to do it. She hit his weakest point, and he repaid her. Kalena was glad that they were allowed to sit down because she probably wouldn''t be able to stand up straight.


    "All of you will be taken away from your current scoreboard positions," Rikken said. "You start from the beginning. You won''t be able to make up the loss for the exam."


    "I want to ask something," Kalena paused. She took a deep breath and tried to calm down and not to pay attention to disapproving looks she received.


    "What''s the matter?"


    "The penalty will only apply to students, right? If someone would now leave the Association..."


    "Stop it!" Zarkin grabbed her hand and pulled her hard. "What are you even thinking about?! Do you want to give up all that you have worked for so hard because you are afraid of punishment?"


    Galaspiael laughed aloud, drawing everyone''s attention.


    "I don''t see any obstacles for you to leave if you have the wish. Just pay me back for my time and the money I have wasted on you and you can go wherever you want."


    "Are you kidding me?" The girl was on the verge of hysteria.


    "I wanted to ask you the same question," the prince came to her and squatted so that their faces were at the same height. "Can''t stand ten whips? It''s not scary, you''ll find that our methods are much milder than those you met before."


    "So then whipping?" Aymon asked. Decide Your Majesty, don''t tease her.


    "Please don''t!" Kalena curled up on the ground and began to cry. "I''m sorry! Please forgive me! I apologize for what I said! Please, don''t do this to me!"


    She couldn''t calm down, so she was led out of the room. The sentence came quickly. Jin-Si would only get three strokes, Mizar and Zarkin five, Seth seven. Kalena ten.


    They were led to a room where they were to spend the night awaiting punishment.


    It was a detention that was supposed to give them remorse and fear. A classic method that Kalena knew well because she was used often in her home, especially against female slaves. The girl has experienced this many times and finally, the moments of waiting became quite pleasant. She learned to control her emotions to hurt herself more.


    Kalena began to wonder if life with Galaspiael would look like this until the end. They will only think about how to harm each other, and then he will become a king and will make her life even more difficult. He can even end them, all he has to do is accuse her of some crime and give her a verdict. She once read about a ruler who tortured forced convicts to sign testimonies. Galaspiael surely knew his story too.


    *


    "It''s not fair!" said Seth. "He insisted on beating just to break you. He wanted us to be punished in this way because he knows you''re afraid!"


    "I also knew how to hurt him and I used it. If you want to look at it from this perspective, there is nothing unfair about his behavior."


    "He takes revenge on you. As a master, he should not allow himself to act this way. Did you really think about leaving?"


    "I''m still thinking about it." The girl sat down next to her friend and let him embrace her. "But I don''t know where could I run. He won''t leave me alone, he''s really angry. This punishment will be just the beginning."


    "I know!" Seth''s face beamed. "If you want to leave, then run to Madegald. It''s best to go to Yagn-Mao first, and once you''re there, ask about Washar. He will help you."


    "I have to ask the Righteous Conspiracy to hide me?


    "No. Washar is one of my brothers. He is a talented warrior, but he often helps others. I got along with him well and he truly understood the reason for my departure. He would help you get to Madegald and start a new life, especially if you assure him you knew me. The prince''s power does not reach that far."


    Kalena lay down on her back.


    "I won''t go anywhere today. I would have to prepare, take even the most necessary things. I won''t miss punishment anyway."


    "Does it hurt a lot?"


    "What, beatings?"


    "Nobody ever hit me, not even by accident. I was always treated as gently as possible," he explained. "I have less than you, and I''m afraid I won''t take it. And I''m worried about Jin-Si. I don''t know how to comfort her."


    "It''s usually very painful, but it depends on many things." When I was a slave, my owner beat me often, but if he calmed down before, he had a slightly lighter hand. The tool also plays a big role," Kalena paused seeing that her words did not help. "You are a strong man, you can bear it."


    Seth wanted to say something more, but Mizar, Jin-Si, and Mei entered the room. He quickly walked over to the shaky princess and began to talk to her in a whisper.


    "Why didn''t Zarkin come? He''s that slow with eating?" asked Kalena.


    "Where should he hurry?" Mizar sat, leaning back against the wall. Rikken probably wanted to talk to him alone.


    Zarkin came back a little later. Without a word, he lay down on the sleeping mat in the corner. He chose the one on the edge so that he could turn around and see no one. Mei sat down behind him and began to whisper something, but he didn''t respond to her words.


    He did not eat anything. Rikken wanted to keep him until he finishes his meal but finally allowed the boy to protest like this. He understood that Zarkin wanted to manifest his anger this way. He knew that this punishment had a different meaning for him and in his heart, he considered it too harsh. However, he could not change it because everyone decided that the students would be punished in the same way.


    It was a decision Galaspiael also regretted.


    He returned to the empty room and wanted to write something to take his thoughts. He began to develop his new plan; large granaries for rice and wheat. He remembered the great hunger that took place when he was seven years old. The prince had not much more memories from those times, but he remembered his father repeating that he would like to have extra food for the people. That was Galaspiael''s goal.


    The prince knew how difficult this task would be. The design of durable, suitable for several years to store granaries is one thing, but he also had to think about how to fill them with something later. Unfortunately, after writing the project, he ran out of paper, so he decided to borrow some from Kalena and accidentally found the cards on which she practiced calligraphy before she joined Yagn-Sho. Between them, she put a carefully smoothed paper in which the chocolate he had once offered him was wrapped.


    The fact that she had kept them for so long has awakened a wave of remorse inside Galaspiael. All thoughts that accumulated in his head; that Kalena had betrayed him, that he should punish her for her lack of gratitude, they suddenly disappeared with all the desire for revenge.


    He pushed aside the pages and buried his face in his hands.


    "No¡­ What have I done!" He choked out. "What was I thinking¡­"


    He wanted to beg his ancestors to turn back time, but he knew it was impossible. No one would turn back time for him.


    *


    Someone''s feet drowned out the night silence. Muted warm light filled the room. Mei put down a large mug filled with liquid with strange but pleasant smell; and touched Zarkin''s bare shoulder.


    "My lord, please wake up. I brought you something."


    The boy stretched and turned his head reluctantly.


    "I told you I wouldn''t eat anything!"


    "I respect your decision and I don''t intend to force you to eat. This is a drink."


    He hesitated, but the smell finally tempted him and reached for his cup.


    "I know the taste," he said. "I think it''s called the Ao-meng potion. It is given to very weak or sick people because it quickly can bring you strength." He glanced and smiled at the embarrassment on her face. "Are you afraid I''ll starve to death?"


    "After one day without food, you wouldn''t die. I wanted you to gain strength."


    "We''re not slaves, they can''t be too brutal. They certainly can beat without shedding blood."


    "Maybe something else can be done? I could talk to your master..."


    "Don''t do it," he interrupted her, "I want to keep what I have left from my honor. If I can, I would only like to ask you for one thing."


    "I''ll do whatever you want, my lord."


    Zarkin sat down so that he could look her in the eyes.


    "Rikken will definitely want to notify my parents. He will write a letter and deliver it to their owner. Please, don''t let this happen."


    "Your parents are slaves?"


    Zarkin clenched his fists so hard it started to hurt.


    "They are," he drawled after a moment''s silence. "And I was also, as you guessed. To be honest, I''m not interested in what my mother thinks of me, but I don''t want my father to find out. I am here thanks to him. He introduced me to Rikken and insisted that he take me there. He taught me to fight, although he knew our owner was against it. If Rikken tells him everything... I don''t even want to think about it."


    "I noticed a mark on your arm," she admitted, "but I didn''t think it would ever be a stigma."


    The boy rolled up his sleeve.


    "In Velikania it''s a sign of those born in captivity," he murmured, running his finger across the scar. "My mother did this to me when I was five years old."


    "So I understand why you''re talking about her so dryly."


    "No," he replied, "that can be justified. She was ordered, she had no choice. However, there was a situation when she could choose. When that bastard started beating me, then he gave her the rod and left. She could stop then and nobody would know." Zarkin broke off and closed his eyes. "Despite that, she finished this punishment, so hard that earlier strokes seemed to be caress. She will always be my mother, whatever she does, but I will never forgive her." He paused and glanced at Mei. She''s been watching him for a few moments, with a look of complete shock on her face. "What do you think about it?"


    "I feel very sorry for you. I have no idea how but I will try my best to intercept this message," she promised and moved closer to hug him. "And after all, I hope you will continue to be my lord."


    "Thank you," he whispered, resting head on her shoulder.


    "For what?"


    "For staying with me."

 22 Chapter 17

    It wasn''t until the next day that Kalena became terrified.


    She followed Galaspiael feeling her heart pounding and legs slowly becoming soft. She didn''t dare to say a word.


    They entered a second, smaller room and the girl turned pale when he saw Galaspiael take a long rod. When he noticed her reaction, he froze in place for a moment, then turned around with some strange glow in his eyes and wanted to say something, but at this very moment, Aymon entered the room.


    "You started already?" He asked, closing the door. "Well, the sooner the better. Do it, she is already more terrified than it''s necessary. Do not prolong."


    "Turn around, Kalena." Galaspiael barely moved his lips. "And kneel."


    She obeyed, not being able to stop crying. Until this moment, she was hoping, that the prince would have mercy on her. Until he told her to kneel, she was sure she would be spared.


    The boy glanced at the rod for a long time and looked at Aymon reproachfully. The man just raised his eyebrows and remain silent.


    The sound of the first two strokes and Kalena''s scream. It was more caused by fear than pain because Galaspiael''s blows could be borne. She moved so that he hit the middle of her back, where the pain was the slightest. After the eighth blow, Aymon got up and took the rod.


    "What is this show? Have you agreed between yourself that you will pretend to hit and that it hurts her? You could have given five strokes, like everyone else, but I guess you just really wanted to show your power... and when it came to that, you can''t handle it."


    "Should I beat her to death?!" Galaspiael drawled, clenching his fists. Aymon looked at him pityingly.


    "It''s just a rod, and it''s even softer than an ordinary stick. It doesn''t even cut the skin, your girl could take thirty strokes with it." He stared at the boy. "How will you manage punishing people with death? Do you want executioner to tap the convict on the neck with an ax to preserve appearances? Is this how your infallibility as a ruler would look like? Somehow I can''t imagine that."


    Kalena was released. She ran out into the corridor, and Galaspiael stayed inside. She didn''t turn back to look at him.


    Zarkin agreed to let her sleep in his room, but in the end, Jin-Si took her. They spent the afternoon in the company of Seth, who talked about the methods of punishing rich children in Madegald.


    In the evening Kalena caught a terrible fever, but fortunately, Samin came to Yagn-Sho at that time. He went to the quarters in person to report on Kirni''s progress, and the prince asked him to take care of Kalena.


    "I regret telling everything," he began, stirring the medicine vigorously. "I should know it would end up like this. Galaspiael has a difficult character. He tries to play calm but he has no spiritual balance. Situations like this clearly show that it would be best to wait for the coronation for a few more years."


    "What I should do now?" The girl watched as he prepared her medicine. "Should I go?"


    "Where?" Samin asked without looking up from the mug.


    "Leave the Association," she explained. "Galaspiael hates me now, I have no reason to stay."


    "I think you should try to reconcile with him. He devoted you a lot of time, which he should spend on something else, show some gratitude. Soon the coronation would take place and instead of preparing he''s here with you and returns to the palace when he''s forced to."


    The girl sighed and looked away.


    "I''ll always be tied to him. A slave never becomes a free person, they can be at most a liberated slave. Even if I want to run away, he will find a way to keep me."


    "He wants to keep you with you because you are precious to him."


    "I''m a free person, right?!"


    "Kalena, he''s afraid of losing anyone. He would like to have control over when people appear and disappear from his life. Put yourself in his place sometimes." Samin handed her a clay mug with a warm thick paste. "I think I''ll need more water. Is it bearable?"


    "It tastes good."


    "I can''t stay here too long, but I hope it helps. I will prepare another portion if I leave it and leave it to Galaspiael. Try to fall asleep now. Tomorrow you will think about what to do."


    *


    The mixture worked and in the morning Kalena felt much better. She was still weak, but she suspected it was only because of the now-gone fever.


    For a long time, she walked aimlessly around Yagn-Sho. She avoided entering the residential part to not run into Galaspiael, but she met him anyway. She wasn''t prepared to meet him so soon.


    The girl stopped, waiting for his reaction. Although she had a fever last night, she looked better than her master. At first, she thought that Galaspiael also was ill. He was pale with dark circles under the eyes. A gentle smile that was always visible on his face now disappeared.


    "How do you feel?" he asked finally.


    "It''s all right," she said, trying to avoid his gaze. She wondered who should start talking first. In the end, he saved her from this dilemma.


    "I regret what happened¡­ I had no right to do this to you. I chose this punishment deliberately. I would like to justify myself, but I cannot find any explanation for my actions." Galaspiael knelt after these words, which caused her quite a shock. "I didn''t act like a master or a friend. I am asking you for forgiveness, although I realize that I have seriously disappointed your trust. But if you give me a chance anyway, I''ll try to fix what I destroyed.


    It was harder than Kalena thought. She smiled, though she felt regret squeezing her throat. She hugged him despite wanting to push him away. She did not expect that he had hurt her so deeply. By beating her, even slightly, he broke the unwritten agreement that was in force between them.


    "I''m sorry too. I shouldn''t say those words." At that moment she couldn''t do anything more. At least not now, when the wounds were still fresh.


    "I swear I''ll never hit you again. You have my word. And if I broke it, you have the right to hate me for the rest of my life!"


    *


    That evening, Kalena returned with the master to their room. He apologized a few times more and assured that such a situation would never happen between them again, but in his heart, he also felt that time could not be turned back. Something in their friendship had ended, and the apology could not completely heal the wounds.


    The next day, the sun had not yet risen when Galaspiael discovered that the girl had fallen ill. The previous day she felt good, she only claimed to be weakened after a fever, and in the morning she lay almost unconscious and pale, not able to even sit on the bed. Her breath was shallow and wheezing, her lips were pale and her forehead was glistening with sweat beads. When Galaspiael said something to her, she started crying.


    Tessale was angry that his sleep was interrupted, but when he saw the condition of the girl, he understood why Galaspiael woke him up so early.


    "She was weak and she got sick," he said, "you said yourself she was overworking lately."


    "It hit her so suddenly? She has been working for a long time."


    "Kalena had a pretty hard time lately. After the punishment, she later also had a slight fever. Are you watching her eat?


    "I don''t have to, Kalena always eats full meals." The boy crouched by the bed on which she lay. "It''s because of me! It''s all my fault!"


    "In my opinion, her emotions hurt her more than that flogging. I will give her a Misitin syrup, I still have some. It should break the fever, and later let her drink the Ao-meng potion. If that doesn''t work, take her from Yagn-Sho. It could be mountain flu. It would hold tight, tire her, but let go eventually. Don''t worry, she''ll survive," Tessale added, seeing the look on Galaspiael''s face. "You have to break a fever. Samin''s mixture worked great before."


    "There is nothing to wait for," Galaspiael decided, "give her medicine, and then I''ll take her home."


    "Not to the palace? This house of yours..."


    "It''s quiet and small, unlike the palace."


    Without a word, Tessale went for medicine. Galaspiael packed a small bundle.


    Recently, he devoted extremely little attention to his apprentice. He was a master only by name, he didn''t care about Kalena at all. It wasn''t due to laziness, but he still felt guilty.


    Only after an hour did Kalena regain full consciousness, but she looked like a ghost.


    "Are we going somewhere?" She asked, seeing that Galaspiael was preparing for the trip. "There will be a math test soon. I have to stay," she said and coughed heavily. "This tea was not good, it scratches my throat."


    "You''re sick, I''ll take you to rest," he replied. "We don''t leave forever, at most for a week. As soon as you feel better, we''ll be back. I have good conditions to learn and recover. You will spend a moment there and you will gain strength.


    The girl rubbed her eyes.


    "I''m weak... I think I will pass out."


    "Don''t get up. You feel so after the medicine, it will pass."


    He guessed that Tessale hadn''t told him the truth and that in reality, Kalena''s state is much worse, but he did not allow this thought for too long. Galaspiael knew he couldn''t show anger or sadness because she would start to be suspicious.


    Halfway to the city, they got caught by a downpour. Galaspiael cursed the ghosts of rain in his mind, being sure that chilling weather would worsen Kalena''s health.


    When they got home and quickly started taking off wet clothes from the girl. He wrapped her in a blanket and sat her by the fireplace.


    "I''ll light the fire and you''ll feel better soon," he assured, rubbing the flints nervously. For the first time, he sincerely regretted not having a servant at home. He had to take care of everything, which took a very long time.


    "Maybe I''ll do it?" She offered.


    "If you want. I will look for another blanket for you, maybe there will be a thick shirt in the wardrobe..." Galaspiael went silent when he heard the crackling of flames licking a dry wooden bale. "Should I prepare you a warm bath too?"


    "I''m fine here," she assured him.


    As soon as he wrapped her in an extra blanket, he prepared another portion of the medicine. The house got warm, so he moved the girl to her former bedroom.


    "How''s your back?" He asked when Kalena was sitting on the bed drinking the medicine.


    "It''s okay," she replied, sipping her drink slowly. "It hardly hurt anymore. If it comforts you, you didn''t hit hard. I used to get hit by a whip and a bamboo stick and it hurt. This rod is nothing."


    "But you cried," he noted.


    "I cry very often, you should not pay attention to it. I wonder now, could this Gyeul have something to do with it?"


    "Who?"


    "The ghost of the Forbidden Zone has introduced itself this way. From what he said clearly, he could control human behavior. Maybe he put a spell on you?"


    "Do you believe in that?"


    "And you don''t believe he could have such power?"


    "What you are saying sounds to me like the worst possible attempt to justify what I did. It doesn''t matter whether it exists or not, I and only I am responsible for my actions."


    "He feeds on your suffering," Kalena lowered her voice to a whisper. "He wants to leave and can''t until you have suffered enough. Others have heard it too, you can ask them. You fought him yourself, you still don''t think he''s real?"


    "Still. It can be a collection of human fears that somehow took on such a form. Or I just wish he was fake and that''s why I say it... I don''t know."


    "Have you ever tried to do something with water nephrite?" Suddenly she remembered that she didn''t give it to Galaspiael. "I have one stone left. It''s in my pants pocket."


    The boy sat down on the bed again and touched her cheek.


    "When you recover, we''ll take care of it together. But now, you really should rest."


    There was eternal silence in this house. Someone who did not like quiet places would feel uncomfortable there, but Kalena liked it.


    Yagn-Sho was also a quiet place however Galaspiael''s home was completely peaceful. Sitting alone in a quarters'' garden gazebo or strolling along a long corridor, could calm down, but there was always someone''s voice, footsteps, knocking, the rustling of paper heard in the distance. The Scribe''s quarters were lively and its life could be heard everywhere.


    But here it was just quiet. Pure, undisturbed like silence.


    Galaspiael made sure that Kalena did not worry about her disease. However, the girl began to feel how severe her sickness really was. It was no need to tell her directly, she felt herself weakening with each passing moment.


    Kalena wasn''t afraid of death. she was more afraid of the pain of dying than death itself, which was liberation from all pain.


    During the evening in the penalty room, she talked to Zarkin. He was not afraid of death or killing. What terrified him was humiliation and shame. When she told him that Galaspiael had hit her in the face, he replied that she perfectly understood why she wanted to leave. He stated that if Rikken had done this to him, he would have killed him in revenge.


    *


    The prince could not fall asleep again.


    He tried to tell himself that Kalena''s disease could not be a consequence of punishment. Still, he couldn''t get rid of the guilt that bothered him as much as her back pain. Finally, the sleep came almost in the early morning, but Galaspiael was quickly woken up by a loud knock.


    Someone really wanted to see him because the intrusive sound was getting louder. The annoyed prince rushed toward the main door and opened it vigorously.


    "What?" He shouted and suddenly froze. Lin-Si turned out to be an uninvited guest. She glanced down the corridor and winced in disgust.


    "How do you even stand living here?"


    "Nice to see you too, my lady," he didn''t even try to sound convincing. "Will you come in, or are these walls too vile for you?"


    "Don''t worry, I won''t take you much time. Do you have something to eat, I''m starving?"


    "I arrived only yesterday, so the pantry is empty," he answered yawning.


    The princess looked at him disapprovingly.


    "You would die without being fed. I will order someone to bring something from the palace. But to the point! I came because I''m worried about my sister. I have heard how it is treated in your school!" She threw a letter from Jin-Si almost in his face. Galaspiael sighed heavily and headed for the small tea room. Every time someone visited him, he led him there.


    They sat opposite each other.


    "I don''t understand why you blame me, my dear," he said calmly, looking her straight in the eye. "I''m not a master of Jin."


    "I know you had a decisive vote in choosing this punishment. Tell Tessale that if he dares to raise his hand on the Velikanian princess again, I will personally make sure he hangs or rots in the dungeon! And let this student of yours keep a distance because she''s annoying lately! I don''t like that they do anything together.


    The boy snorted. He tried to hide his amusement, but after a while, he couldn''t stand it and laughed out loud.


    "She''s what? As far as I remember correctly, no one forced your sister to join the Association. She chose herself, fully aware of what she was taking on. I have not talked to Tessale for anything. She simply broke the rules and was punished in the same way as everyone else."


    A long silence fell between them.


    "Yours too?" Lin-Si picked up after a moment.


    "Why do you care?"


    "I wish I could see it," she giggled. "I can imagine how much joy you must have by hurting her."


    "Shut up," Galaspiael rose, "I''m not like that anymore. You don''t know anything about me."


    "Am I irritating you?"


    "Terribly. The way you talk and what you talk about is simply disgusting. Your very presence is irritating."


    "Did you talk to her this way?" The princess ran her hand over his back. "Have you lost your temper so? I''ve always liked it. Now since you here, why don''t you come and visit me? I rather won''t come back. I will write to Jin to stay away from this dirty girl. You know that their friendship would not make sense... Just like yours.


    *


    Mei slipped into the room. Rikken sat behind the desk, writing something and ignored her at first.


    "Has Zarkin forgot something?" He finally asked when the girl started looking around.


    "No, I lost something: she replied smiling.


    "Next time, when he tells you to bring something, please don''t agree. It''s his fault that he''s giddy, let him fly from the other end of the house.


    "But that''s not a problem for me," she assured, "I like to be on the move and I''m happy to be of useful. Zarkin certainly knows that he must be more attentive. And he is. I saw him fight and admit that he has a talent for martial arts. I did not expect a person with such a technique to turn out to be a student, I honestly thought that my rescuer was an exceptionally young master."


    "In my opinion, the people which you came here with was not too demanding. He was very lucky and that saved him, if they were a bit more trained, I don''t think he would get away. It would be better if his parents did not know that he was fighting with Madegaldian spies."


    Letter. Her target was just lying on the table. Mei knew she had to do it well because she wouldn''t get another chance.


    "Isn''t it strange that his parents are still slaves?"


    ''Did he tell you they are?" Rikken snorted but then smiled. "He sees them so. His family is formally free, they live in the house of the man who was their owner before, as his servants. According to Zarkin, they did not get freedom because they are still dependent."


    Mei sat on the floor and picked up the book next to the bed. She pretended to read until Rikken had finished writing. She was very careful not to show her nervousness.


    "No more wax left? I brought it, I''m sure." He stood up and looked at the things on the table.


    "I can go bring some," she offered.


    "No need, I''ll go myself."


    It was the chance she was waiting for. As soon as he left, she grabbed the pen, unfolded the letter and began to carefully rewrite it on blank paper, changing the parts about Zarkin. She wrote about the fact that he achieved a high rank in the fighting chart and has a unique talent for archery and maths. She worked quickly but was aware that it''s still too long. The pain in her hand radiated up to the shoulder. A little more... the ending, signature and copy was ready. She rolled the original card and put it in her pocket.


    She did it.

 23 Chapter 18

    Even though Galaspiael meticulously gave Kalena all the medicines, they did not seem to work. With each passing moment, her state was getting worse, as if she was being consumed from the inside by the fire, which cannot be extinguished.


    Samin told Galaspiael that the girl would likely not survive the night. He offered to stay to keep him company, but the prince refused. He decided to watch over her without anyone''s help.


    He stayed awake all night listening to her shallow wheezing.


    "Don''t be afraid," he whispered when Kalena suddenly woke up and flinched.


    "No¡­" Her pale lips barely moved. "I''m not afraid... thanks to you... I''m not afraid of anything."


    These words hit straight in the heart. Galaspiael couldn''t even look Kalena in the eyes.


    "I didn''t want to do that. If only Aymon wasn''t there... I tried to make it less painful, but I know it''s impossible."


    "It''s means nothing compared to all you''ve done for me." Kalena took his hand and sighed heavily. "I don''t want to die now. So many things I haven''t done. I would like to be present at your coronation and pass the exam to become the Scribe. When you''ll take the throne, some interesting era will begin. I studied so long and finally I won''t even take my exam... a pity."


    "Don''t say it!" The boy had no more strength to hold back tears. He cried like a small child. "You won''t die! Not now! You will live, you will pass exams, and I will give you a place of honor at the coronation ceremony!"


    "You know, I wanted to confess something for a long time." Kalena wiped the tears running down his cheek. "You are a wonderful man and you should never think otherwise. It doesn''t matter if your ancestor is this monster or if you had someone worse in your family. You sacrificed so much to change my life, despite you didn''t have to. You could have just made me your maid, and that would be a special grace. I am grateful for everything. I..." She coughed several times.


    "Should I bring you water?" He asked, seeing that she was looking for a cup.


    "If you can."


    He had just left the room and an unprecedented chill swept over him. It was almost freezing in the house. Galaspiael stopped, feeling growing rage and terror rising in him. Gyeul, the ghostly king of the Forbidden Zone, appeared nearby. Clear and amazingly vivid for a ghost.


    The boy immediately regretted leaving the shen behind. The weapon lay in his bedroom, he had to run to get it. However, he never thought that he would be attacked in his own home.


    "Go away!" He ordered. In the hidden pocket of the trousers he had a tiny blade hidden, which was a miserable help, but at the moment he had nothing else. Galaspiael threw the knife at the figure, which faded into a streak of black smoke. Without hesitation, the prince reached the door of his bedroom. He walked inside and turned around. Gyeul was standing over him, holing his huge am-shen.


    "Do you still think I don''t exist?" He asked coldly. "When this girl dies, maybe you''ll believe in me then?"


    "She won''t die!" The boy attacked. They both clashed, but it was pointless, the fight with the demon could not end well for a mortal. The wraith pushed Galaspiael away like a rag doll. He barely saved himself from breaking a few ribs. For a moment he saw only darkness before his eyes. Gyeul then pushed him again onto a thin sliding door that broke under pressure.


    "How pathetic... my great-grandson fighting like a slave," hissed the ghost. His blade clicked crisscrossing with Galaspiael''s shen''s. "You are weak. It was even easier to take over you than this Madegaldian boy. I could pour into your heart hatred for this girl, I could even tell you to kill her. I control your whole life. Do you think you have something to say? You just have to suffer. Redeem my sins, that''s what you exist for. I will take her and fill you with your pain."


    "I have more to say than you think," Galaspiael said firmly. "I am the legitimate successor to the Kagolanian throne! Your times are over!"


    "I imagine how much our dynasty''s blood must have been spoiled, that finally a bastard like you was born. You don''t understand anything. You are not even a substitute of the god you descended from."


    Galaspiael froze in shock when he saw the damage they caused during the fight. He couldn''t take it for long, he had to come up with something quickly.


    The prince thought of Kalena, realizing that Gyeul would kill her if he wouldn''t stop him. The anger took control of his thoughts. He released all his rage, no longer paying attention if he caused any wounds, he didn''t care at all about the cleanliness of the blows. He just wanted to destroy and then something occurred.


    Galaspiael reached out his free hand to Gyeul and closed his eyes. He didn''t know if the idea would work, he didn''t even believe that he would achieve anything, but Kaitan priests sometimes performed similar rituals and claimed to have results. He concentrated on pushing the ghost back into the Forbidden Zone.


    "I order you to leave and never come back! You are not allowed in this house!"


    It did not work. Gyeul was still there and quickly took advantage of this moment of inaction by knocking Galaspiael down.


    The boy tried again, this time putting in the incantation all his rage he felt right now. The room was filled with light, which focused on his hand and hit the wraith.


    It didn''t destroy the creature. But it hurt it badly. Unfortunately, it also cost the prince a lot of strength. He slumped to the floor, and his eyelids became so heavy that he couldn''t fight exhaustion anymore.


    *


    He woke up next to Kalena.


    She was alive, breathed calmly and the color returned to her face. She was sleeping as if nothing had happened. He began to doubt that he was fighting someone at all. It seemed that it was all a dream.


    Galaspiael got up quietly and went to see the rest of the house. Everything was fine. The door without any scratches, all, furniture in its place, no signs of struggle, only greasy stains from a broken oil vial, and the floor full of spilled ink.


    He looked at it and was sure that the fight happened. He touched his back. It didn''t hurt as much as he expected.


    Gyeul did not clean up in the prince''s bedroom. The remains of the fight were still clearly visible there, the room was almost ruined. Kalena entered the room after her master and gasped.


    "You didn''t hear anything yesterday?" He asked seeing her reaction.


    "Not at all," she admitted. "What happened here? I had to sleep deeply."


    "You were weak," he admitted. "You better get back to bed and I''ll clean up here. Try to get some sleep and then we''ll have breakfast, okay?"


    "I will help," she offered, but Galaspiael firmly refused.


    "No. Just rest. You seem better, but you can''t use all the strength you just regained. I will get it over with quickly."

 24 Chapter 19 part 1

    For the first time in two days, Kalena felt enough strength to get out of bed.


    She was glad Galaspiael let her stay in the house for long. She felt good there ¨C it was the only place she could define as her home.


    In the early afternoon, she entered the prince''s room.


    Many things were changed. Galaspiael transformed the destroyed room into a place for work. The dynamite project was in full swing. Vials with different contents were stacked everywhere, and on the table, placed exactly in the middle, there was a larger vessel for mixing ingredients. Near lied a large pile of books and scrolls, which the prince sorted according to suitability.


    He worked hard and had a good chance of achieving his goal. The recipe for the Kagolanian dynamite has already been recreated and rewritten many times on the special, indestructible paper of the Scribes'' Association. Galaspiael wrote several copies with invisible ink, others with a cipher. He also made several false recipes, which he intended to bury in places that he thought were most likely to be found by someone.


    His version of dynamite was not to be based on gunpowder like Madegaldian one. Instead, he worked on creating a liquid explosive.


    "How do you like it?" the boy asked, raising his head from behind the pile of books. "I''ve made a lot of progress."


    "Your mind''s abilities are shocking," she said, slowly looking around the room. "What''s in these bottles?"


    "In these? The different substances that have one thing in common. They work with fire. This one is a special oil. Long ago in Sekania, murderers were punished by splashing with it and setting on fire. They were fried like a duck. That green one is also from Sekania. It was used in naval battles. It floats on water and forms one dense stain. When you set it on fire, the uninitiated have the impression that the water is burning."


    "I heard about it," she admitted, "In my previous home lived a man who was a slave on a pirate-attacked ship and saw this. At the time I thought it was magic."


    "Many people try to explain this way phenomena that they do not understand," Galaspiael said, writing something and drawing quick sketches. "The truth is, there is always a logical explanation for all magic. For this thing in the Forbidden Zone too!"


    Kalena leaned against the wall and silently watched his work. Her master opened the cabinet, from which he took out two vials, supported by a special tripod and placed them on the table. He constructed it for experiments with hazardous substances. Using the knob, the vial could be positioned higher and lower, and at the right angles and nobody had to hold it while mixing the ingredients.


    Unfortunately, Galaspiael didn''t place one of the bottles evenly. Kalena touched the knob and tried to move it but to no avail. As she put more strength into it, the vessel tilted too much, and the yellowish liquid spilled into the other, placed below it.


    She hissed and clenched her fists. Fortunately, the yellow liquid formed the layer, so she could scrape it back. However, Galaspiael took out the vial, stoppered it and began to shook vigorously."


    "Wait, I ..." she began quietly, not quite knowing how to tell him what had just happened.


    "If a precipitate forms, I will lose an important ingredient. Inside is the powder I made of water-nephrite..." he stopped and looked anxiously at the vial. He put it down and took a few steps back.


    The liquid inside foamed strongly, and after a while, there was a sound of the cork hitting the window. Now in the glass pane appeared a small hole, around which a crack resembled a cobweb.


    Kalena pursed her lips and froze for a moment waiting for his reaction. The boy straightened up slowly and went to the window. A triumphant smile immediately appeared on his face. With a wild cry of joy, he took her in his arms.


    "We did it!"


    "What happened? It just boiled over!"


    "And that''s exactly what it was about!" he explained, "I am as close to Kagolanian dynamite as never before!"


    *


    A few days later, the girl felt healthy and wanted to return to Yagn-Sho.


    Unfortunately, since her accidental discovery, Galaspiael was completely absorbed by work and did not think to stop it. At first, he tried to persuade Kalena to give him another day or two to move the lab, but in the end, they both agreed that there was nothing to wait for. Everything seemed to indicate that she would have to return alone to the Scribes'' quarters.


    Just before her departure, Lin-Si visited them for some unknown reason. Kalena felt uncomfortable with her, but she was not much disturbed by the presence of the princess.


    Since the conflict with the prince, she felt that something had changed, but she couldn''t tell what it was, and finally realized that the change was in the way she loves Galaspiael. Or rather the lack of love. She still considered him her closest friend, but she no longer loved him. She even wondered if she had ever really felt something for him at all. Now it looked more like deep fascination.


    Still, she tried to avoid the presence of the future queen. They only had one opportunity to talk to each other as she prepared to leave. Lin-Si used it perfectly.


    "What did you do when you were a slave?" those were the first words she said. Kalena, slightly surprised that the princess paid attention to her, did not know at first what to answer.


    "I was doing housework." It was the simplest way to describe her former duties.


    "Yep I can see," Lin-Si said, curving her lips in a strange grimace for a moment. "You wouldn''t be good for anything else."


    One day Kalena would ignore such an accusation, mainly out of fear. She didn''t feel too hurt, but she decided to nibble anyway.


    "Since you can see the past of man in his eyes, Your Highness, why ask unnecessary questions?


    She heard a soft snort.


    "I see he has already taught you insolence. Like master, like a student, great! I hope it doesn''t work the other way around, because if you instilled your coarse customs into him, I won''t be able to hide my disgust."


    "I think the prince knows best which customs will suit him." Kalena barely suppressed the growing anger.


    "He''s fixable. My sisted worse. I feel ashamed by her lack of taste when it comes to choosing the company."


    "And did I ask her to hang out with me?"


    Hearing this, Lin-Si came over and hit Kalena in the face.


    "Hanging out with you... I don''t see anything pleasing in it. How dare you speak to me like that! Do you think we''re equal? We are not!"


    The princess grabbed Kalena''s hair and pulled her back. The girl raised her fist vigorously but hesitated for a moment. She was eager to hit her, but she knew she would suffer the consequences.


    "Come on, do it!" The princess hit her again. "Do it and he will have to personally sign a death sentence on you!"


    She raised her hand for another blow, but this time Galaspiael stopped her. They didn''t even notice when he came in. He grabbed Lin-Si''s wrist and pulled her back.


    "Stop it now!" He shouted so loudly that Kalena was shivering. The princess hissed in pain as he squeezed her hand.


    "Let me go!"


    "Leave it!" Kalena grabbed his arm. "Don''t fight because of me."


    "Let him try!" Lin-Si broke free and pushed Galaspiael away. "My father will hear about this!"


    Kalena took advantage of the moment when they both did not pay her attention and quickly slipped out of the room. She was afraid that Galaspiael would get into trouble because of her.


    When she was about to leave, he came to say goodbye. Kalena carefully looked for Lin-Si but she didn''t show up.


    "Ready to go? You can take my horse."


    "I thought I''ll walk," she confessed.


    "Do you know how hard the route is on foot? You would arrive in the middle of the night!" he broke off and touched her red cheek. "I''m sorry for her. I didn''t want it to happen."


    "You can''t control what other people do," she replied. Galaspiael shook his head.


    "Think about this walk, it may be beyond your strength. Even a healthy, strong man would be exhausted after the whole day of marching."


    "I think well when I walk. I wanted to reflect on some things that have been going on lately."


    "It sounds alarming."


    "When someone manages to escape death, they begin to see different things differently. I feel great, don''t worry"


    "Oh yes! I also feel great when someone slaps my face. Please, don''t go on foot. I will be calmer."


    *


    Kalena listened to Galaspiael''s advice, although she still did not feel confident on the horse, despite a dozen or so lessons.


    There were many ways to reach Yagn-Sho. The most interesting road, full of unexplored places, was extremely tempting. The path led far into the mountains, but if you turned at the right moment, you could find the Scribes'' quarters, and maybe come across a secret from years ago.


    Galaspiael showed her this way on the map, one evening at the Yagn-Sho. Since then, she wanted to go there with him or alone. However, it was a much more difficult route and it would certainly take more than a day of the journey.


    In the city, the preparations for some holiday were taking place. Kagolanian calendar consisted of many holidays, especially religious ones. Worshipers of ancestors, elemental deities, and even spirits enchanted in trees and stones lived side by side, and the customs of all religions mixed. Only the cults that showed overt hostility towards others were forbidden.


    Most of the beliefs made up Kaita, the official state religion, whose follower, at least in theory, was also Galaspiael.


    Great respect for ancestors was associated with cultivating the memory of them. Every inhabitant of Kagolania knew what family he came from, which Kalena envied them very much. She couldn''t remember anyone of her family. The stigma could say about the slave and once she tried to start from it. Unfortunately, the mark she had burned on her shoulder did not resemble anything that was known in Kagolania, Sekania, Velikanii, Port and even Madegald.


    Someone offered Kalena a salty cookie. She accepted them, slightly confused, not knowing if she would have to pay for it, but the man quickly left without waiting for anything in return. She walked slowly, looking around from time to time. In the outer circle, people were also preparing for the coming holiday. When she left the city, she didn''t meet anyone for a long time.


    During the walk, she heard many flattering things about Galaspiael. Only a few people referred to him as "His Highness," more often the phrase "our prince" was used. He managed to remain anonymous, people did not know that he was living among them for a long time. His passion for experimenting and constructing various things was well known, as well as his extraordinary skills in wielding the sword.


    About halfway to Yang-Sho, she took a break for a meal.


    Galaspiael packed her an extra portion of food, but she would be more grateful for a little more water instead. She quickly felt full so she stuffed the leftovers into the cotton muffler and continued her journey.

 25 Chapter 19 part 2

    During Kalena''s absence, lessons at Yagn-Sho continued and life returned to normal. Zarkin was caught trying to break into the pantry and was to be punished by work in the kitchen. Rikken, however, gave up the idea when he noticed that his student was fascinated by books on poisonous plants.


    Everyone worked hard to get the best on the upcoming exams. After Rikken took the top five of their current positions, the competition became even more fierce. The outcome of the exam decided whether they would be considered true Scribes. After a year of training, their knowledge and fighting skills were beyond average, but no one wanted to finish their journey so quickly. That''s why they fell into a trance and devoted every spare moment to training or learning. They spent a lot of time together, and they were all tired and nervous. Sooner or later conflicts would have to start rising.


    First, Mizar began to loudly question whether having a slave in Yagn-Sho is allowed. Zarkin replied that it certainly was more appropriate than forcing on the master to allow almost weekly permission to go out, supposedly home. Then Mizar declared that what was happening at his house was his business and no one should interfere.


    "Oh, that''s a good one!" Zarkin said so loudly that everyone in the training room could hear it even without pretending that they were watching the whole situation only by accident. "I''m not to interfere in your life, but you can in mine? What is it that you have to be present? Or rather, is this such a shameful thing? Why don''t you want to share it?"


    "Who said I don''t want to?" Mizar quickly defended himself. "I''d love to tell my friends about it, you don''t belong to them."


    "Or maybe you go meet the hookers?" The blonde boy came up to him. "If you haven''t figured it out yet, you started this by teasing me and Mei. I don''t care what you do and with whom. I don''t care about your family either, but if you want so much to have an enemy in me, I''ll show you where you belong."


    "How protective you are!" Mizar stepped forward so that they were almost touching their foreheads. "It used to be the ''stupid slave'', early on and now she has a name! You think you''re an aristocrat because you have a maid?!"


    Zarkin snorted maliciously and pushed him with all his strength. Mizar quickly responded to the attack. He grabbed the boy by the shirt, and he knocked him over. The fight began. This argument was not a direct reason, it simply shed a cup of bitterness. They both managed to strike several times until finally Mizar jerked away and walked unsteadily.


    "Coward!" Zarkin shouted after him. "What, are you afraid to finish me?"


    "You''re not worth it. Is this an official duel?"


    "Is this what''s stopping you? Okay, then I challenge you to an official duel tomorrow night at this place. Only you and me, no seconds or helpers."


    Mizar heard these words and turned with mad anger in his eyes.


    "What do you think, dirty slave, that once I spared you I''ll keep doing it forever?" He clenched and loosened his fists a few times. "You''ll regret even thinking about challenging me. If I win, you have to give Mei to me! I''ll take this dear slave of yours!"


    The hall was filled with a murmur of muffled whispers. Zarkin bit his lower lip for a moment and gave Mizar a look of hatred.


    "The deal is up," he said quietly.


    *


    "Gods, look who has honored us," Seth exclaimed cheerfully when he saw Kalena climbing up the steps, ''Her Lowest Highness!''"


    "I will break your legs in a moment and we will see who is the ''lowest highness''." The girl paused and stopped next to him. They both said it in a playful tone, so she hugged her friend, then lightly slapped his head. "This time I wasn''t in the palace."


    "Wherever you have been, you missed many things. Luckily you''ll be able to see the duel."


    Kalena did not understand what was going on, so the boy briefly explained the entire afternoon incident when they entered the main pavilion.


    "I can''t believe they are wasting their time," she said. "Exams will be soon, and they behave as if we were to spend a few more years here!"


    "I wouldn''t worry about Mizar and Zarkin''s exam result. They have everything under control. The first year is just the basics, nothing to worry about."


    "But a lot depends on it. It doesn''t matter if it''s basics, if you don''t pass the test, you can say goodbye to Yagn-Sho and learning in general."


    "You''re exaggerating!" He grabbed her around the waist and tried to lift her, but she broke free. "You talk like Master Aymon."


    They stopped in front of Kalena''s room. She asked Seth to come in and sit with her, even though she was tired of the journey.


    "Take this as a lesson," he continued, "watching someone''s fight, you can look at some interesting moves and then use them. Or remember their weak points and then beat them."


    He didn''t ask about the reason for her absence, and she wasn''t going to tell anyone about her illness. He would start treating her differently, spare her. Kalena didn''t want a reduced fare from anyone, not even a friend.


    In the bedroom, everything was as she had left it. Seth looked at her notes and nodded. She had a lot of backlogs, he didn''t have to tell her that.


    "I''ll make some tea unless Galaspiael and I haven''t drunk everything lately," Kalena finally remembered, it was rude not to give a guest anything and began to search the cupboard.


    "Prince must like it very much? You''ve probably tried all the teas in the world here!"


    That was true, her master was very fond of tea and often imported various types from afar. He offered her some, so she also liked the drink herself.


    "It''s tasty. Perfect on cold nights."


    Seth smiled.


    "Gods! Some people think your teacher is indulgent but he always keeps you up so late. Sometimes I am asleep for a long time, and in your room, the light is still on. Then I think I should work harder. What are you doing?"


    Kalena froze. She couldn''t tell him that at night she had helped Galaspiael prepare the dynamite. Seth was from Madegald. She had to think of something quickly.


    "Dynasties," she lied, "we started with Namanya because it''s the story of his family. Then we reworked Si, Kaisei, and Laigan, and now he teaches me about the imperial family Huangjin, but we will probably limit ourselves to the last five hundred years."


    *


    Seth came again the next evening, to take Kalena to the training room where the duel was to take place. He brought, which he offered to every person he met.


    "Nobody should notice us, the light will be dim," he said. "All students will probably come."


    When they arrived, it turned out he was right. Only Umi and Li were absent, but the rest of the students were present


    "You come¡­" Zarkin laughed nervously. "And this brat''s not here yet!


    The boy constantly walked from corner to corner, looking at each coming person, waiting for his rival who did not appear for a long time. His face was pale and unruffled, his fists clenched tightly.


    When Mizar finally arrived, he carefully scrutinized everyone and stopped at Zarkin.


    "Are you ready?" He asked calmly.


    "For a long time."


    A dark smile appeared on the brunet''s face. He had already planned everything and was sure of victory.


    "Remember our deal! If I win..."


    "Win first," he replied.


    "Will you use real blades?" Kalena asked anxiously. They were both known for their fury and this could end badly for the losing side.


    "No", Zarkin replied. "I would love to, but it is to be a melee. No weapons and no cheating."


    The audience took places around the area, where students usually trained in pairs and both opponents stood facing each other. Zarkin looked at Mei and let out the air loudly. He felt his heart clench at the thought of giving her to anyone.


    Mizar attacked, with incredible violence. Zarkin had to jump away to avoid getting kicked in the stomach.


    They both fought great but had different styles. Zarkin did not keep the focus on the very beginning, so he devoted more time to defense, but he put a lot of strength into the attack. His movements were well thought out. Mizar has virtually forgotten about any techniques for using his opponent''s strength. He focused mainly on finding a weak point to hit. At first, he unloaded his emotions, only after a few minutes did he realize that this was not a good idea, through which he could immediately lose all energy. He made this mistake from the very beginning of the training.


    The fight looked quite similar to normal exercise for the first few minutes. Later, however, they allowed themselves more and more tricks normally unacceptable. At one point, Zarkin gained the upper hand. He grabbed Mizar by the wrist, turned, and made a fantastic move. Mizar cut him and quickly stood up, but for a moment he could not straighten up. Students gathered around responded with shouts of approval and applause.


    "What do you think?" Seth had already eaten his fruit and was now turning the empty package rolled into a ball in his fingers.


    "They make a lot of mistakes," Kalena said. "I didn''t pay attention to that before."


    "What an idiot! He should accept the punch and knock him down later!" Jin-Si vividly commented on every move. It was not known who she was actually supporting, it was up to whose victory was expected at the moment.


    The tension grew with every minute. Everyone became excited when Mizar managed to punch Zarkin with a fist in the face.


    "I can''t believe it," Kalena shook her head. "From so many good moves, he chose to whack him like in a market. It''s just silly!"


    "You did the same thing once," said Nemina.


    "It was something else. I didn''t duel with him."


    From this one blow, the shawl slowly began to move in favor of Mizar, who wanted to end the duel as soon as possible. He attacked with great fierceness, and finally knocked Zarkin down and grabbed him by the neck.


    The fair-haired boy slipped out of the embrace and hit his opponent in the head with all his strength. He staggered, fell and lost his orientation for a moment. Zarkin did not wait for another chance and twisted his hand tightly. He held on tight despite Mizar struggling wildly. Finally, the dark-haired boy groaned loudly and patted the floor a few times with his other hand. The duel was over.


    They both lay side by side panting for a moment.


    Mei approached her master. She helped him to a sitting position and embraced him.


    "Congratulations," she whispered, handing him a cup of water.


    "Come on," he replied and drank everything with a few quick sips. "It wasn''t a good fight. I could have done better."


    "I''m so glad you won! I knew you will, but I thought something would happen and you would have to give me back. I was afraid..."


    Zarkin turned to Mizar.


    "You hear that bastard? You scared my slave. Now you have to apologize!"


    The boy gave him a hateful look. He didn''t want to make any move for a long time, but finally, he bent his left knee and looked at Mei.


    "I apologize for my earlier words about you and you are..." he stopped and glanced at the blonde. "about him. Forgive me for frightening you with what I said."


    Without waiting for her answer, he stood up, leaned on Kete''s shoulder, and walked away quickly.

 26 Chapter 20

    The Sekanian Scribes'' Association invited students from Yagn-Sho to train together. The information came just a week before Confession Day, which was almost tangible proof for the young apprentices that destiny forces them to take a step forward in their lives.


    Confession Day took place three months before the final exam and was an opportunity for people to settle various matters among themselves or get free from an embarrassing secret. It was believed that everything would end well if someone decided to confess that day because the good ghosts would help solve the matter successfully.


    Kalena had nothing to confess anymore. Her affection towards Galaspiael was much weaker than before. She began to doubt if she had ever really loved him. She still liked him a lot and considered a best friend. The girl tried to forget about the incident between them, but she thought all love was an illusion. The dream of a never-loved child who had experienced kindness for the first time.


    Galaspiael grew silent and thoughtful day by day. He constantly mentioned the impending coronation.


    "I''ll have to leave you soon," he said as his student poured boiling water over the tea and put two cups on the table. "I''m sorry."


    "I will be alright," she replied, "I won''t let you down, rest assured."


    "I know," he replied, "but remember that if something goes wrong, nothing will happen either. The exam is not fair. Luck and self-control are more important than knowledge and skills.


    The girl looked at him with undisguised surprise.


    "What do you mean?"


    "There will be only one task for each subject. You might forget about one of your most-needed moves or words, but you''ll remember all the others. It wouldn''t matter. But do not worry. Remember, I''ve been here for two years." He nudged her and smiled.


    She smiled back, and Galaspiael began to play with the crumpled piece of paper. He folded it, trying to get some shape, but it did not go well.


    "I''d like to offer you a job," he added suddenly. "I need more people for my Silver Guard."


    "Me?" She asked incredulously.


    "You would be good. You could grow, improving your skills under the eye of the best warriors in Kagolania. You will remain close to Yagn-Sho, so you keep in touch with the Association. The Silver Guard is a squad only on my orders, so sometimes I would entrust you with a task when I am locked in a golden cage.


    "It would be an honor, but I don''t think I am fit for the palace," she answered after a moment''s thought. "Are there any free slaves in the Silver Guard?"


    "These people are my loyal friends. Some of them served my father. They are talented warriors. Believe me, no one dares ask my guards about their origin... what is this?" Galaspiael paused because the book slid off her bed to the floor. He tolerated the mess in her room, so many things lay on the bed or under it. Kalena smiled and handed him the book.


    "I finished recently. Herbs lexicon and instructions for their use. I think about giving it to Zarkin as a gift, he has recently become very interested in such things."


    "Very legible," he said, watching her work with interest. "You managed to do it, although you have so many classes. Amazing. You can give it to him if he''ll find it useful."


    Kalena finished her tea and began rewriting her essays for Sekanian and Madegaldian. She took the key from the training room and set it on the desk. Galaspiael sat on his bed and re-opened the book he had read.


    "We must test dynamite before the coronation. I just wonder where this could be done."


    "Maybe in the Forbidden Zone?" she proposed, imagining how they finally take revenge on Gyeul and destroy his city.


    "No. He would kill us if we entered his area with a weapon that caused him to lost the war. But maybe during the training in Sekania? Would you be able to disappear for a few hours?"


    "There should be an opportunity to slip away." Kalena glanced at her master. "What?"


    "Nothing. ''To sneak out'', Great Ancestors, how will I miss it!"


    *


    Before visiting Zarkin, Kalena had to finish rewriting the essays. She carefully drew signs in Madegal, wondering if on her page was any that even the emperor did not know. This was possible because the Madegaldian language was complicated. A man wasn''t able to learn all the signs, even for a hundred years. Even Seth (who, although he had the opportunity, did not give up learning his native language) sometimes experienced problems with understanding the texts that Master Aymon gave them, although he still achieved the best results among the whole group. Mizar was good, but Jin-Si completely outdoes him in writing. She had an amazing memory that everyone envied her.


    Later Kalena decided that she would quickly revise the new phrases for Sekanian lessons. Finally, after that, she decided to take a break and went to Zarkin.


    She found him busy with the task of bills, but he quickly abandoned them when he learned what she came with.


    "Will it be useful for you?" Kalena asked, seeing that reading completely absorbed the boy. He didn''t look up at her until he finished the page.


    "It''s interesting," he admitted, "I like poisonous herbs, but also ordinary ones. For now, I only deal with easily available ingredients."


    "I won''t eat anything when you''re on a call in the kitchen."


    "That''s bad. Poisoning food and drinks is old-fashioned. I''m heading toward poisoning arrowheads." He smiled mysteriously.


    "Oh." Kalena glanced at the arch leaning against the wall. "I understand. Have you made any mixture yet?"


    "I tried," Zarkin took a bottle from his pocket and handed it to her. "Not exactly what I wanted, but still good. When it gets into the wound, it hurts so much that you wouldn''t stand it. If I had it during the duel with Mizar, it would have gone much faster."


    "You couldn''t have a weapon," she reminded.


    "I wouldn''t necessarily need to have a weapon to hurt him."


    Kalena smiled, but more out of politeness than honestly. She felt sorry for Mizar and his humiliating defeat, but couldn''t say it openly at Zarkin''s presence. She preferred to wait for their conflict to end. Seeing that the boy was completely absorbed in reading, she said goodbye.


    "Fight with me at the next training," he asked. "You are good. I need to check how good."


    "You''ve got one fight stuck."


    Immediately after Kalena left the room, Mei came inside. Fatigue was visible on her face, she hadn''t slept well lately. Zarkin even began to give her a self-sleeping sleep remedy. She claimed that she felt better after it, but as soon as she stopped taking it, insomnia returned.


    "Do you have an order for me?" She asked quietly. "If it''s not a problem, I''d like to go to bed a little earlier."


    "You can go now," Zarkin answered. "I don''t need anything from you."


    Mei sighed with relief and stretched out on the bed. The boy glanced at her briefly. He remembered that he had to finish the task from the bills, but the new book was, however, too interesting.


    "How is your Confession Day, master?"


    "It''s all right," he muttered, "nobody confessed to me. I don''t celebrate such holidays."


    "And if someone decided to confess to you, would you care?"


    "You wanted to sleep a while ago." He slipped a piece of nutshell into the book and set it aside. - I don''t understand why people had to create a holiday to deal with important matters among themselves. As if it couldn''t be done on a normal day."


    "Well¡­"


    "What?"


    "Someone may not have the courage to confess on a normal day," she explained, "and this holiday may give an excuse to do that. In my opinion, it''s quite an interesting festival. There is no such thing in Madegald."


    "Madegaldians are wise. If someone is a coward, he will not become brave overnight, it is ridiculous."


    The girl closed her eyes and turned aside.


    "Maybe it''s true? Do you still have that sleeping potion master?"


    "You should not drink it too often. Try to sleep without the potion."


    *


    Galaspiael came back in a great mood. He hugged Kalena tightly, as if they had not seen each other for a long time, and sat down next to her, waiting for the girl to ask about the reason for his unusual joy.


    "I found something I need!" He finally explained. "It can help us get rid of Gyeul from the Forbidden Zone. I didn''t know a book like this still existed. Too bad it is still in possession of the Righteous Conspiracy and we will have to think about how to get it, but I''m already working on it. I also want to implement another project for which I will need a good architect. I don''t know if what I have in my plans is possible to build, but if so, I will reward this man generously."


    "When do you want to get this book from the Oath?" Kalena already started planning their secret, dangerous mission and was very excited.


    "I don''t know yet. First I want to finish everything with dynamite, and then... I don''t think I have enough time."


    "I can do it for you. If you wouldn''t make it to the coronation, you can send me."


    "We''ll think about it. Maybe I would go with you. But if you don''t, you will have to be very, very careful, do you understand? This is a priceless book, it took a long time to locate it."


    When Kalena nodded, Galaspiael looked for something in his pockets. Finally, he took out a small bundle and hesitated a long time before slipping it into her hand.


    "It''s a present for you."


    "What is it?" Kalena tried to open the package carefully, to not destroy it, but it was impossible, so eventually, she ripped the paper. "How beautiful!" She picked up the silver necklace that had fallen from the package. "That''s so nice, thank you."


    "Put it on," he asked. "I want to see how it will look like on you."


    A pendant with a green eye on a silver chain. Kalena liked it very much. She wasn''t worried that she would have to pull it off during training because it wasn''t too long.


    "It''s jade," Galaspiael tapped his finger on the green stone. "I didn''t know if you''d like it, some women don''t."


    "It''s beautiful," she admitted, "why are you giving this to me?"


    "Because today is Confession Day, and I have something important to say." Galaspiael took a deep breath. "You have no idea how happy I am to have you in my life. This training here, watching you change... has helped me a lot. I am eternally grateful to you."


    "Ah," Kalena thought back to his journal. "We''re both helping each other."


    "Exactly." He leaned closer and put his arm around her. "Besides, I love spending time with you. You build me. No matter how exhausted or angry I am, I regain strength and peace whenever I''m with you. I feel that we were created for each other and our meeting wasn''t accidental." He smiled, thinking she had guessed his intentions. Indeed, she knew what he was up to, but something told her that she may be wrong.


    "You are also a very good friend. The best I''ve ever had."


    "I''d like to be more than just a friend to you," he said, taking her face in his hands. "I love you, I really love you Kalena."


    She froze when he wanted to kiss her. It was a completely different feeling than she had expected. And she knew why.


    "Stop it!" the girl put her hand between them. "Please don''t do that."


    "I won''t hurt you."


    "It''s not that... I just don''t feel the same to you anymore," she confessed.


    This time he moved away from her.


    "Anymore... You mean, you felt before?" Galaspiael looked at her questioningly.


    "After what happened... believe me, I asked myself why it is so, but I can''t find the answer. I don''t understand my feelings.


    As if he got punched in the face. He stared at her for a moment, completely stunned, then snorted softly and fixed his eyes on the floor.


    "You mean, you haven''t forgiven me yet? To this day?"


    "I have! Of course, I have forgiven, it''s just that feeling has expired. I do not know why It doesn''t mean that I stopped liking or respecting you, I just... I''m sorry!" She choked out seeing his expression. She slipped the necklace back into his hand. "I shouldn''t take it."


    "I wanted to give it to you anyway," he replied, putting it back on her bed and sat on his own. "It''s yours, don''t feel obliged to me because of that. But why you didn''t tell me before?"


    "Because this love was ridiculous. I was afraid of your reaction. I was sure you would laugh or reject me right away. Prince and slave... what is this idea? Remember when I told you one night that I hit Zarkin? I wanted to confess something else then."


    "For so long?" Galaspiael laughed in extortion. "And I didn''t notice. I''m an idiot."


    Before she could say anything, he jumped up.


    "I''m ashamed," he said quietly, "I''ve ruined your mood with that confession. I''ll go for a walk."


    "Stop it..."


    "Should I bring you something from the kitchen?" He smiled sourly. "Please, let''s pretend it never happened. Forgive me, I did wrong. And I need to be alone now."


    "But don''t do anything¡­" she paused, "anything stupid. You are my master and friend. I need you."


    He winced slightly at her last words.


    "Don''t worry. I promise I''ll be back in a better mood."

 27 Chapter 21

    A week later students of Yagn-Sho were heading to Sekania.


    To keep the journey secret, the group was split up. More than thirty people would attract too much attention, so the masters have decided that they would leave the quarters at regular intervals in pairs. They were to spend three weeks in Sekania, intensively learning and exchanging experience with the female Scribes'' Association. Swimming lessons were also planned. They could not be carried out in Yagn-Sho due to the location of the quarters.


    Kalena and Galaspiael were to ride practically in the middle of the night. The trip was their last chance to spend time together before the coronation, and they hoped to try out a new invention. Sekanian beach was a great place for this.


    They focused completely on the journey. Galaspiael did not mention what they''ve talked about during Confession Day, although the girl saw that he was still hurt by rejection.


    "It''s good that this year we are going there. When I was a student, they came to us," he said. "They were everywhere. At that moment I didn''t feel sorry for them that they had such strict husbands and fathers. I prayed that they would leave as soon as possible."


    "Was it that bad?"


    "When you are the best in fighting lessons and suddenly you fall almost to the bottom because some Sekanian girl beat you with her luck, yes it is. It was a time when I wanted to be a good student, at least in terms of results. My master stubbornly believed that I would succeed someday and I wanted to prove that he had not been wrong."


    "What happened to him? Why isn''t he teaching now?"


    "As soon as I finished training, he left Kagolania. After some time, Tessale''s master also disappeared somewhere, and later a few more" Galaspiael broke off, sighed, then smiled. "I hope they''re okay. Perhaps they started working in a different school."


    Slowly they headed for the isthmus and sekanian forest. From that point, the road to the capital city - Suei - took about a day. This was not their destination today, although Galaspiael talked a lot about sekanian capital. He promised Kalena that they would go there someday, but the girl sincerely doubted that there would ever be an opportunity for it.


    "Can you fall asleep while riding a horse?" She asked, seeing that the boy closes his eyes from time to time. It was almost dawn, they spent all night on the road.


    "No," he replied and yawned, "but you can try. If you won''t fall asleep, you can skip your first lessons."


    "I''m afraid to fall."


    The prince fixed the bundles. Meanwhile, two men came up from the opposite direction. When Kalena wanted to pass them by, they blocked her way.


    "What is going on?!" She snapped in confusion.


    "Let us go," Galaspiael asked. "We want to get to Sekania safely and not to cause any trouble


    "The Righteous Conspiracy demands your luggage. Give it now!" One of the men said.


    The prince nodded.


    "Look, Kalena. Righteous Conspiracy. That''s amazing."


    "Yes," the other man said eagerly. "We''re from the Conspiracy! Absolutely!"


    Kalena pursed her lips nervously. There was no help, the last couple was supposed to get there after a few hours. She hoped that they wouldn''t have to fight. Her heart began to pound when she saw Galaspiael and the three other men dismounted.


    "Come what are you waiting for?"


    The girl was stunned when Galaspiael turned to her. She didn''t want to fight these people. She usually believed in her skills, but not now.


    Her master calmly waited for the attack. Finally, one of the enemies shouted furiously and attacked. He thought that he would break the boy''s defense with a strong blow, but the prince answered confidently. Rarely did people regard him as an experienced swordsman, which he often used in combat.


    Kalena could not look passively. She attacked without thinking about the consequences. The opponent was taller than her and much stronger, so she had to be careful. Two blades gave only an apparent advantage if they could not be used properly.


    "Calm down!" Galaspiael advised while kicking his opponent. "Nothing is happening. It''s just training."


    Hearing his voice, she felt more confident and attacked again, this time with greater calmness. Unfortunately, her opponent set the pace until she could do nothing but defend herself. Galaspiael noticed this and quickly ran to help her.


    Suddenly she felt unspeakable relief, but at the same time shame. She devoted so much time learning to fight, just so that when she had the unique opportunity to prove herself, he would have to save her.


    "What will we do with them?" She asked uncertainly.


    "I think you should kill them," Galaspiael replied, and her blood chilled.


    "No!" The man who fought with him tried to get up but fell to the ground again. "Have mercy, please."


    "Or let''s beat them even harder, then they will learn not to attack travelers." The boy laughed. "You''re not from the Conspiracy, are you?"


    "Don''t kill us, dear sir," the other joined. "We''re not in this Oath, but you understand that you have to live for something, right? We did not mean harm, maybe damage a little and take something, but only that."


    "If you impersonate the Conspiracy members, you won''t enjoy life for a long time," Galaspiael said, tucking the shen into a leather case. "They''d better not find out about you.


    He signaled Kalena to get back on the horse."


    "They won''t find out, calm head," he whispered, so they couldn''t hear him anymore. "Now we will say that we are from the Scribes'' Association."


    *


    "I feel ashamed," Kalena said quietly when they left.


    Galaspiael looked at her in surprise.


    "What are you ashamed of? You stood up to fight."


    "I can hardly call it a fight! Zarkin and Mizar could arrange a duel in which they gave their best and fought bravely, and I?" She looked away. "I was afraid to take out my weapons."


    "I got scared myself when they suddenly jumped at us like that. You had to fight the more agile one and you did well! Everyone would think that he would crush you."


    "He would have crushed me if not for your help."


    "I only helped because you distracted him and I could deal with others. I''m tired, I couldn''t beat them alone after a sleepless night... even after sleeping, I couldn''t do it. It is not a bad thing that you were afraid." he added emphatically, seeing that her mood still did not improve. "Do you think Mizar, Zarkin and all of them would not be scared? I remember my first serious fight, I was terrified. At one point I stood completely still! I wanted to run away."


    He made it up, she could bet. Galaspiael was a great swordsman. He had real talent.


    After several dozen minutes of quiet riding, she was overwhelmed with fatigue. Fortunately, they arrived in the city just an hour later. The first lessons have already begun, but only a few students from Yagn-Sho participated in them.


    Zarkin arrived in Astinia much earlier, so he took part in them. He stood in the courtyard, walled on four sides, among fifty people spaced at equal intervals. There was enough space between them to be able to exercise freely.


    Sekanian combat teacher Raivara showed them new mover, kicks and punches, which they trained repeated several times. Later they practiced fighting in pairs. Zarkin was upset by his partner, whose movements were stiff and completely ill-considered.


    The rest from physical exercise was calligraphy, history, and math classes. They were held in the main hall of the building belonging to the Sekanian Association. Everyone got a dozen clean exercise cards and texts to exchange. Zarkin was to rewrite a letter in which someone told about successful harvesting. Certainly, however, he was not a farmer, because the language he used was unnatural and Zarkin found it irritating. The author compared his field to the golden ocean for a long time.


    *


    The atmosphere was different here than in Yagn-Sho. All students sat at wide, oblong tables, higher than those in Kagolania. They could walk around the room and whisper if they wanted to.


    "Mei!" Zarkin noticed the girl and gestured to her. "Bring me something to eat, I''m starving."


    "Come with me," she asked, "why didn''t you take anything from the dining room?"


    "There was no time, and the break is in a few hours," he explained. "Where is the dining room here?"


    "Shall I show you?" Without waiting for an answer, she took his hand gently, but he broke free from her. Nobody paid any attention to them as they went out into the corridor.


    "You realized it quickly," he admitted. "Have you ever been here?"


    "It''s easy to orientate in a sekanian house." Mei opened the door for him. He smiled to himself, smelling roasted meat.


    "Did you live in a sectarian house?" Zarkin continued to ask. He saw that she didn''t want to talk about it, and it boosted his curiosity


    "A few years ago. Sorry, I don''t like to talk about it."


    "And when will I order you?"


    The rest of the smile disappeared from her face. She looked into Zarkin''s eyes sadly and shook her head.


    "Forgive me, my lord, but I will not follow this order. You can punish me for it in every possible way you can think of, but I just can''t tell you."


    She surprised him. He kicked back the chair and sat on it, snorting angrily.


    "And at the same time, you demand me to trust you?"


    "I''m not demanding anything, please don''t make me do it. I would like to never go back to the past."


    "Then get out of my sight until you want to reveal your secret," he drawled. "You don''t want to talk to me, so good."


    The girl, hearing it with horror, sank to her knees, Zarkin, however, ignored her and turned away ostentatiously.


    "My lord, why are you like this?"


    "Why don''t you want to tell me? You are no longer living in your past, what will happen if you come back to it for a moment?"


    "I don''t want you to think about me badly."


    "I''ll be if you are going to have some secrets for me!"


    "Good," she sighed. "It all has to do with my first owner who came from Sekania. That''s when I lived in a sekanian home if you want to know. A few months after being sold into captivity, I rebelled a lot and... one day I did terrible harm to him. I''ve hurt my lord!"


    The boy sighed deeply and rubbed his eyes.


    "And that''s it? This is your painful secret?"


    "You don''t understand, I almost killed him... my owner!"


    "What''s wrong with that?" Zarkin asked quite seriously. "I would do the same if I were in your place. The Sekanians treat their wives like the rest of the world treats slaves, so I understand you. I''m surprised you haven''t tried to kill me yet."


    "I wouldn''t dare raise my hand with you!" Mei exclaimed.


    "Interesting." The blonde boy smiled. "What''s so bad about fighting for your freedom?"


    Mei was stunned.


    "Don''t you understand? This man took me in, feed me kept me..."


    "When I turned ten, I began to poison the people I hated," he confessed, "most often my owner and his wife. I dreamed that they would die, but unfortunately, my mother noticed it and told me to stop. He also kept me in his home. But at the same time, he also beat, starved and humiliated me. I don''t think I did anything wrong." Zarkin paused and stroked her cheek. "You also didn''t."

 28 Chapter 22

    The days in Sekania has passed according to the schedule so filled up that students rarely could rest. The opportunity to try dynamite wasn''t showing up for a long time, but Galaspiael didn''t want to do it alone, so they were still waiting.


    A large part of the Sekanian quarters was located underground, but like the room hidden in the prince''s house, they were not cold and damp basements. Kalena, like most guests, lived in a specially rented house but saw underground rooms during sightseeing. Apart from the lack of windows, there was no difference from normal rooms, but could hardly imagine living in such a place. Sekanian apprentice explained to her that usually, they spend free time somewhere else. Underground they only keep their personal belongings and sleep. Education always took place upstairs.


    The first swimming lessons could not take place on time, due to a sudden change in the weather, so the students got a few hours off. It was the chance Kalena and Galaspiael were waiting for.


    For the first time then Kalena had the opportunity to see the city and the worldwide famous Astinian lookout tower. Climbing to the top was arduous and the girl had the impression that the winding staircase would never end, but as she later admitted, the view was worth it.


    The Astinian lookout tower, the greatest achievement of the Sekanian architecture, was, in fact, a great lighthouse. People said that its light could be seen standing on the other side of the ocean on a cloudless night, but Galaspiael told Kalena not to believe it.


    From the last floor, not only the whole city could be seen, but also the isthmus and the mountains behind which Yagn-Sho was hidden. When they stood there, it seemed that everything was nearby and you could get there in a few minutes.


    "The secret is the big beams you saw as we climbed the stairs. The whole building is held on a special skeleton, thanks to which they could build it so high. It has always impressed me, although I have been here one time in a row," Galaspiael admitted, looking at the reaction of his student, who was walking from window to window in a trance, soaking up the view.


    "It''s beautiful," she said finally.


    "Someday maybe I will take you with me to the palace of King Sekania. There are probably ten towers, but they are not as high as this one. I hope the guards would let you see them."


    "Why would they want to stop me?" The girl asked with undisguised surprise. "Look at the people! How tiny they are!"


    "Because Sekanian girls are forbidden to enter here. To be clear they''re forbidden to enter any tower. This place is known for being a favorite destination of unhappy brides and wives who have had enough of their lives. A jump from here is certain death." Galaspiael leaned on the windowsill and leaned out. "You can see people there? Great ancestors, I didn''t think I have such broken eyes."


    "You really can''t see?" Kalena pointed her finger. "Here they are! Right there. The blue coat."


    "I don''t see very clearly," he admitted, "is this a coat? For me, it''s just a blue spot." Galaspiael smiled when she looked at him anxiously. "Well, knowledge has its price. I don''t know a Scribe who can see well in old age. I suspect that someday I may lose my sight completely."


    "How can you talk about it so relaxed, it''s terrible!"


    "Maybe if I was an archer, it could be difficult," he nodded. "But I will have other senses. I would not see the beautiful view anymore, but I will feel the wind on my face, hear the sound of the sea... Something that you do not pay attention to when you have healthy eyes."


    "You won''t be able to fight..."


    "I won''t?" Galaspiael repeated in surprise. "Haven''t you heard that the greatest Scribes-warriors were blind?"


    "I heard," she admitted, "but they are legends."


    "So it''s not true?"


    "No, I just..."


    "You just never met someone like that," he finished. "And I met and I know it is possible. Take a look and come down. A storm is coming, it''s a good time to blow something up."


    Before they went to the beach, they had to go down the steep and winding stairs, which was as hard as the way up. When they went outside, the rain began to sprinkle.


    "You have to save yourself," Kalena went on again. "Light up a second candle or don''t work so much in the dark at all."


    "I will," he said in the tone of the child, who nods to his mother before leaving the house so that she would let go faster. He wasn''t going to listen to her at all, at least until he could see the letters clearly on paper "Come faster! I am excited. Today is high tide, so all the traces will be taken by the sea. Water spirits favor us."


    It was not far from the beach. Kalena saw the sea from the tower for the first time, but when she came closer she seemed quite different. Bigger. She trembled with excitement thinking about trying a new invention.


    "I made a mechanism that starts the whole thing," said Galaspiael, putting the bag on the ground and taking out a long black tube. "Here you break and remove the lock so that the two liquids mix. And now..." He ripped the string from the bottom end.


    "Is it supposed to be this way?"


    "This requires some fixes. Give me the next one!"


    She complied quickly. Galaspiael cursed under his breath, seeing that this sample was faulty.


    "I have to change something," he muttered.


    Kalena at that time took another tube, shook it hard and threw it forward. There was a bang, of an unexpected loudness. The sand hit them, ejected at dizzying speed.


    "Works exactly as it should." The boy grimaced and rubbed his ear. "I just don''t like the shaking part. It takes too much time and the attack is not smooth. I suspect that if there was a box full of it there could be a chain reaction, so it''s still good. But on the battlefield, you rarely have time to put up a few pieces."


    "Even Madegaldian dynamite does not work immediately."


    "True. It takes a few seconds for the fire to get inside." The prince looked at the slightly thicker tube in his hand. "However I wanted Kagolanian dynamite to be better. I thought for a long time about how to replace water nephrite and I think I found such an ingredient. This is my unique dynamite, although made based on a recipe from the Empire. I need an even longer thread... preferably elastic. Give me the next tube, please.


    There was no explosion this time because one of the parts broke and all the liquid spilled out. Kalena silently waited for Galaspiael to fix everything. She was afraid to speak because she saw that he was upset by so many failures.


    "We don''t think we realize how lucky we were," her master murmured and smiled sourly. "The bag is wet inside, a spark would be enough for me to burn alive."


    They only managed to test successfully two more samples. With each flaw, they discovered Galaspiael was more and more discouraged. He noted down all the mistakes he had made, but he seemed not to enjoy the fact that he had achieved the goal. He still wanted this Kagolanian dynamite to be better than any other.


    They came back soaking wet, occasionally plugging and closing their ears because of the strange squeak they both heard. Galaspiael said he would prepare ear protectors for the next time.


    They arrived in the city quickly. The girl sighed when they were home


    "How do you like it here? the boy asked. "A little different than at our place right?"


    "Much different. I don''t like the way these houses are built¡­ Can the neighbors peep at someone, for example in the bath?"


    "No, but they can eavesdrop. The walls here are quite thin. If you say something in the evening, be sure the next morning your neighbor will ask what was going on. Keeping members of the Association secret is a real challenge here, but women have found the way. They use a cipher. It sounds like a conversation between two housewives to a stranger. They also add the right gestures, so it''s hard to understand the real message. They learn the code as a separate language."


    The white walls of houses slightly grayed under the influence of rain. The wide street was completely deserted. Finally, they reached their temporary accommodation; a small room that was rented to travelers.


    In the middle of it there was a place to cook, and in the corner were laid two mats to serve as bedding. Everything was perfectly ordered and clean, only their personal belongings spoiled the whole order.


    "I''m glad I bought food." Galaspiael nodded. "I''ll try to cook something. Do you want?"


    "Stupid question, I''m starving!" Kalena took a dry shirt and pants from her bundle. "Turn around."


    "I look at the pot all the time," he replied. "Now you can go back to study calmly since we have accomplished our goal. It''s good that I pulled it to the end. I was afraid that I would not make it before the coronation."


    Kalena looked at him.


    "It''s coming soon, right?"


    "Yes. When we come back I will have to complete some formalities related to the wedding. My twentieth birthday falls in two months. I regret that I survived to this day"


    "Stop! Don''t say such things!"


    "Oh ..." He wanted to say something else, but looked into the pot and laughed. "It''s already burning. I don''t know if I will be a good king, but I would be a terrible chef definitely!"

 29 Chapter 23

    Astinia was very similar to the rest of the Sekinian port settlements, which have over the years grown large enough to give them the status of cities.


    Everything a man could imagine could''ve been bought on the Astinian market. Galaspiael and Kalena went there, for a few hours of respite. There was no time to waste, so they quickly ran through the crowd in search of something interesting.


    "My dear apprentice, today you will learn the secret art of bargaining," he said. "It''s simple. The most important thing is to show how you don''t care about anything, even if you have to buy it. Always behave as if you''re passing by, just to see if prices are better than on the stall next door."


    "How could I pretend I don''t want all this? Look, they sell chocolate there! I need to buy it!" Kalena admired everything she saw, completely ignoring his words. Galaspiael gave her some money, so she could buy a souvenir.


    The sun came out from behind the clouds and Kalena had to close her eyes. For a moment she lost Galaspiael because the people gathered very close to her. Someone was still pushing and nudging her.


    "What''s going on, why they all running so fast?!"


    "Slave traders have arrived," Galaspiael responded grimly. "Come on, we''ll find some quiet place."


    The girl started looking around looking for these traders. By the old custom, she also glanced briefly at the bare shoulders of the slaves they passed, looking for someone with a burned mark, similar to the one she had. As usual, she didn''t notice anyone like that.


    Suddenly Kalena stopped. She seemed to hear a leather whip and someone''s scream. Galaspiael found some books and started bargaining. At the moment someone else was purchasing a slave. Some man heard how much his life was worth.


    The girl stood motionless and wondered if her master would ever manage to ban slavery. She knew that he had such a plan, they talked about it many times. However, at that moment she couldn''t imagine it. He was the only person who did not accept slavery at all. Kalena did not know anyone with such radical views yet. More enlightened people opposed to the cruelty of owners. Zarkin never hit Mei, Tessale didn''t kill or sell old slaves.


    And Galaspiael was completely against slavery. Moreover, he believed that his way of thinking was right and fascinated Kalena with his ideas in which she doubted, seeing how quickly the crowd rushed to the traders.


    *


    A little further, Mei watched as Zarkin chose a new dagger.


    Earlier, the boy bought her an arm bracelet to wear instead of a collar. The merchant wanted to persuade him to also buy a leather whip. Zarkin disagreed


    After a few minutes, he paid three hundred Sekanian Saaras for his chosen dagger with a leather-trimmed handle and a slightly curved blade.


    "Now I will have two," he explained. "Or will give you the old one? In case somebody attacks you and I''m not around."


    "But why do you need a dagger since you chose the bow as your weapon, my lord?" she asked.


    "If someone would jump at me from around the corner, without a dagger I could not cope, Shen is completely bulky for me. In Conspiracy they also have such blades, right?"


    "Only some of them," Mei replied, "those who don''t learn to fight. They use them only for defense."


    "How do they know how to defend themselves if they are not taught to fight?"


    Mei could not answer, because suddenly someone covered her mouth with a hand and pulled to the other side. Zarkin turned in surprise at her muffled scream. The girl began to struggle and bit her assailant''s finger. Zarkin then tried to push him away. The man responded to his attack by releasing a girl who took the opportunity to kick him hard. He reached for the weapon, but Zarkin was faster and stabbed the enemy with a dagger.


    Warm blood ran between boy''s fingers and for some reason felt dizzy. Someone''s hand pulled his arm.


    "We have to run!" Mei dragged her lord with her.


    "Wait... who was that? Why did he attack you?" Zarkin whispered, feeling panic approach.


    "A spy from Righteous Conspiracy." She explained, looking sideways. "He probably thought I was a Scribe. Other spies probably are near, we have to get off the main street, otherwise, they will follow us and eventually get us!"


    Zarkin thought they would leave the market, but Mei led him even deeper into the crowd. They walked quickly, occasionally nudging passers-by. He could hear murmurs of discontent and curses behind him. He stared at the ground, careful not to stumble. Suddenly they turned and Mei continued to pull his hand. The boy felt strange anger rising in him. He still was holding the bloody dagger. He was afraid of himself.


    "Climb the roof," she commanded. Without hesitation, Zarkin obeyed, and at that time she attacked another identically dressed assailant.


    The first thing that caught his eye was that his slave fought amazingly well, even without any weapons. He held his breath for a moment as she jumped on the spy. He was sure that the assailant''s neck would break, but he managed to throw the girl off himself. During the fight, Mei used her legs very often. Her fighting style was completely different from what he saw in Yagn-Sho. Once again, she hit her opponent on the head so that he collapsed to the ground unconscious.


    "There is no time," she said, climbing over wooden boxes to the low roof of the backyard cell. "We have to hide."


    "That''s why we went on the roof?! I want to go home, let me go!"


    Mei didn''t answer, she just grabbed his hand again. They jumped down to the backyard.


    "Listen to me," she said and grabbed his shirt. "I know you''re scared, but you have to trust me." The girl went silent and started looking for a hiding place. "Come there!" She pushed him towards the tool cell. "I don''t know why they are chasing us, but we can''t go back to the quarters with the tail," she froze, seeing that three men had climbed onto the roof and revealed a small window.


    "Will they notice us?" Zarkin asked quietly.


    "They shouldn''t." Mei glanced at him and raised her eyebrows questioningly. "They''re at a spot, why don''t you shoot from the window?"


    "I don''t have anything," he explained and pursed his lips nervously, feeling her scolding look on him. "I didn''t take my arrows, how could I know I would need them?"


    "My lord, please tell me what is the point of carrying a bow with you if you don''t have any arrows?!" The girl sighed. "Well, we just have to wait. Under the cover of night, it will be easier to confuse them and maybe by then they''ll give up." She paused and glanced at her owner, seeing that he hadn''t listened "My lord, what''s bothering you?"


    "Why did you lie to me that you can''t fight?" He asked, looking up.


    "I did not lie. I can''t fight. I''m agile and that''s all."


    "Agile," Zarkin repeated and laughed nervously. "You kicked him in the face."


    "I was protecting my lord," she sat next to him and ran her fingers through his hair. "It''s alright now. We will try to lose them."


    *


    Kalena and Galaspiael returned just before the afternoon classes. They bought a lot of books, but never once did they see a typical bookstall. The newer ones were sold in where the rich Sekanians went, and the poorer merchants traded the old stained and sometimes impossible to read. They did not understand the value of this commodity, and although they sometimes demanded very high sums, Galaspiael stated that the books were worth several times more.


    It turned out that Kalena bought only food and no souvenirs. Mostly chocolate, but also a few very salty snacks. She offered her master and they quickly got thirsty. However, they had used up all their water the previous day, so they went to a well nearby, and Rikken found them there.


    "Do you don''t know why Zarkin isn''t back yet?" He asked, looking around in search of his apprentice. "I haven''t seen him since morning."


    "I didn''t see him today, master," Kalena responded, "yesterday he injured his hand during training, I thought he stayed home because of that."


    "I''m worried something might have happened. Mei is also nowhere to be found."


    "We can help find them," Galaspiael offered, "has he any family or friends here?"


    "No. He doesn''t know anyone in this city. I don''t know where he could go!"


    "I suggest we ask someone else for help. Tessale will agree. Don''t worry, they probably just stayed somewhere longer and thought that no one would notice their disappearance. We''ll find him quickly for sure."


    *


    The temple of the strange Sekanian sect, with a name impossible to pronounce, had its monasteries far away and rarely anyone visited this place for a purpose other than to pray. One guard always sat in front of the main door bored, because even thieves bypassed this place from afar, convinced that they would find nothing useful.


    This is where Zarkin and Mei hid.


    Convinced that the spies had lost their trail, they left their previous hideout and quickly headed towards the quarters of the Sekanian Scribes'' Association. Unfortunately, the persecutors quickly cut off their path, so they had to flee again.


    "I''m not sure if we would come back today," said Mei. "We can try to get out and split up. If they''re looking for two people, maybe it''ll fool them somehow." She sighed heavily hearing no response from him. "My Lord, I know you''re tired, but I won''t lead us home safely without your help." She came over and sat down next to him. "What are you thinking about?"


    "He asked you for the password," he murmured. "The guard out there. And you knew it. Whence?"


    "One of my previous owners had a wife who often came to a temple similar to this to pray and I accompanied her. This password somehow stuck in my mind, but to be honest, I didn''t think the guard would let us in. As far as I know, they change their password once every few years."


    "My owner''s wife was also very religious. And you... do you believe in something?"


    "I am looking for my faith, but I do not like this cult at all. How about you, my lord?


    Zarkin smiled crookedly.


    "I don''t know if I should tell you this, people react differently. There is a state religion in Velikania that centers around some god of life and several other deities. There is also the god of death that everyone is afraid of. I chose him."


    "It''s quite... odd indeed," she replied. "All people are afraid of the god of death."


    "Life is unfair, but in the end, everyone will have the same fate. You will not avoid death just because you are rich and born free. Everyone is equal to death and I like it. You never really felt the need to believe in something?"


    "Really. What is it my lord, do you want to convert me?"


    "You could just stop calling me ''lord''." Zarkin stretched his bent legs and stared at the floor. "I don''t deserve to be titled like that after what happened today. I didn''t act like a man at all. I put all the responsibility on you and started to panic. I didn''t even take my arrows. I''m really ashamed."


    "About the arrows..." Mei went to one of the side altars from which she took a quiver full of arrows ending with decorative red ribbons.


    "Can we take them?"


    "Yes and no. We''ll only take a little, so nobody will notice. They should use them during summer processions. Recently, however, a decree has passed throughout the entire Sekania prohibiting religious holidays in the form of processions. I don''t think anyone would notice that they disappeared."


    Zarkin sighed deeply and clenched his fists.


    "Let''s go!"


    The area in front of the temple was lit by two very large lanterns hung on metal poles. Zarkin and Mei quickly left the circle of light the lanterns created and dived into the darkness. The girl stopped.


    "They were waiting for us. There is somebody there." She pointed ahead. Indeed, there was a figure in the middle of the empty road. After a few seconds, Zarkin noticed the indistinct shadow of a man quickly moving towards them.


    "We have the advantage," he said and aimed the bow. "He doesn''t know we noticed him."


    The arrow flew with a whistle straight into the spy''s shoulder, but it didn''t manage to harm him much. Zarkin quickly reached for another, wondering if it would be better to prepare for an open fight.


    The second arrow turned out to be off-target. There was no more chance, Mei ran out and attacked first, giving Zarkin a few more moments.


    He had nothing up his sleeve except two daggers, but he thought they should be enough. Unlike the previous two, this opponent was much more efficient. Mei couldn''t handle him. When he saw Zarkin coming, he threw a small blade at the boy. The boy ducked slightly. He signaled her to move a safe distance and leap, wanting to force the dagger into the enemy''s back with all his might. The man quickly turned and kicked him in the stomach.


    Zarkin focused not to lose his weapon, so he did not pay attention to proper fall protection, which was a mistake. He groaned when he felt his back hit the protruding and quite sharp stone. Immediately afterward, the piercing pain dissipated him for a moment. He saw a small, sharp metal object in his right thigh. He tried to get up to strain his leg as little as possible, and at that time Mei attacked once more. She was knocked over again, and then she grabbed one of the knives and rolled under the opponent''s feet. She quickly ran the blade under his right knee.


    "What do you want from us?!" She asked in Madegaldian.


    The spy was surprised to hear his language. He looked at her furiously, then glanced at Zarkin.


    "Thieves! This recipe should stay in the vault!"


    "What''s he talking about?" The boy narrowed his eyes in pain. "What recipe? I don''t like this language!"


    "I don''t understand anything either. I think he mistook us for someone else."


    "You lie, thief! You can kill me !" He said when Zarkin aimed at him. "But justice will do you anyway."


    "Leave it!" asked Mei "We''ve spilled enough blood today."


    "I can''t let him go!"


    "Why not? Let''s not get into a conflict that does not involve us!"


    He didn''t want to admit her right. He couldn''t leave the spy, so he stunned him with something on the head.


    They escaped as fast as Zarkin''s injured leg would allow. On the main street, they ran into Kalena and Galaspiael. At first, the boy did not recognize familiar faces and wanted to turn back. After a full day of escaping, he saw assassin in everyone.


    "Where have you been?! Are you alright?" Kalena examined them for wounds.


    "The Righteous Conspiracy tried to kill us!" Zarkin explained.


    "We don''t even know why," Mei added. "They followed us all day! And there lies the last one who attacked us."


    "Master Rikken was very worried about you," Galaspiael said. "Relax, you''re safe now. Kalena will lead you away."

 30 Chapter 24

    The next day, Galaspiael woke Kalena early in the morning. The girl protested, but he pulled her hard and finally she had to get up.


    "We''re leaving," he said, "pack up!"


    "What?" She asked rubbing her eyes. "Why?"


    "Those people who were chasing Zarkin and Mei yesterday... they looked for us." Although Galaspiael was nervous, he sat down next to Kalena and began to calmly explain. "They were ordered to look for a young man and a woman whom they had previously seen with a weapon they should not have access to."


    "They spotted us on the beach." It was obvious. He didn''t have to confirm, she read it from his eyes.


    "It''s my fault. I should have foreseen that the Righteous Conspiracy will have their people here. I exposed the entire Association!"


    "What should we do now?"


    "You''ll go with Rikken and I''m going to join you later. It will be better this way" he added, seeing that the girl wants to protest. "Our presence is a threat to others. There may be more spies; we don''t know how many people are looking for us, it is better not to think that this time they will also mistake us for someone else."


    "I want to go with you! So many dangerous people are hiding in these mountains if something happens to you..."


    "If something happens to me," he interrupted, "then you will save what we were working on. And when we would go together and die, all is lost. You have no idea how much this invention is worth. Much more than one man''s life, even mine." He hugged Kalena soothingly. "But this won''t happen. For sure we will both safely reach Kagolania. I won''t be alone, I''ll get my escort."


    Kalena walked outside the house shaking both from cold and nervousness. She didn''t want to sleep anymore, even though the sun had not risen yet.


    She felt bad about such responsibility. If she had known earlier that his experiments would bring such results, she would never have agreed to help them. She was holding her bundle of things and wondering if she had taken everything she needed. Rikken, Tessale, Aymon and two unknown Sekanians were waiting for them. Kalena also noticed Mizar, who came running late and winced at seeing the master scold him.


    "I could guess who you got into it," Tessale was brisk and smiling as if he didn''t feel nervous or tired. "Do you have your bombs or that something you were supposed to take?"


    "There are several prototypes left. Kalena knows how to use them, so if the need arises... ?The prince fell silent, seeing a boundless confusion in her eyes. "But it''s not said she''ll have to."


    "We can do it," one of the Sekanian women replied. "I would prefer to go different road and not drive through the valley."


    "It''s better to get to Kagolania as soon as possible," Galaspiael mounted his horse. "I''m worried about those thug bands in the mountains, but I hope we''ll get some of them on ourselves."


    *


    After leaving Astinia, they went into a trot and did not stop at all for a long time. Kalena was constantly thinking about Galaspiael''s words.


    If something happens, then you will save everything we have worked on. This black scenario seemed completely impossible. Although she accompanied him from the very beginning, she never did anything on her own. She could not recreate dynamite.


    The clouds cleared up. Other students were preparing for the next day of hard work. Kalena envied them a lot. She''d rather go to class than back to Yagn-Sho, paralyzed by fear for herself and her master.


    They slowed their pace, and her escort was still silent. The silence became overwhelming. They rode and rode as if this road would never end.


    Suddenly something slammed past Kalena''s ear. An arrow. Four riders rushed after them. They were robbers, but better organized than those she and Galaspiael had encountered before. The woman who escorted her responded to the attack. Instinctively, Kalena reached into the bag of dynamite but stopped. Using this weapon could give another signal to the Conspiracy. She should only do it when necessary.


    Aymon and Mizar attacked from the other side. For the first time in her life, Kalena was genuinely happy to see her all-time rival. She drove closer to help the fighters, but then the boy came to meet her.


    "Turn back!" He commanded.


    "We have to help them," Kalena protested, trying to get through, but Mizar didn''t let her.


    "They''ll manage to do it. They will cut off their path and we will run away. You have a task to do", he reminded. "This should be the most important for you."


    Mizar was right, but it was still hard for Kalena to go on. She turned her head back, even when the fighters were out of sight. The feel of guilt only diminished when Aymon caught up with them and said that nothing serious had happened and the robbers were defeated.


    After entering the forest, they stopped for a short break. Mizar took out his lunch and sat down next to Kalena.


    "Have you nothing to eat?" He asked with his mouth full, which sounded funny.


    "I think I lost my food while escaping," she confessed. "It must not have been secured well."


    "You must have a curse on yourself I swear! You should wear an amulet."


    Kalena replied with a weak half-smile and began nervously shuffling her shoes against the ground.


    "If nothing happened, why have they not arrived yet?"


    "They captured the people who attacked you and returned you to Astinia," Aymon replied. "This wasn''t the first attack of this group. The Sekanian Scribes know a few men who would be happy to help bring these bandits to trial."


    They rested a bit and started on their journey. Mizar was exceptionally kind to Kalena all the time. She didn''t hear a single word from him. On the contrary, he even praised her several times.


    They arrived in Yagn-Sho late at night. Kalena looked at the familiar building and sighed. Here her escort was to leave her.


    "I wish I could stay in Sekania longer," she confessed.


    "Each of us must perform our duties," Mizar replied. "Yours is not learning in the Sekania, but helping the prince in his work. But look, you''ll have all the quarters just for yourself! You can do whatever you want, go into the pantry and even look into our bedrooms. I envy you. I would love to stay with you; I don''t want to come back."


    "I will spend my time studying so I can finally beat you."


    "It was hard to get back to the first position and now I have difficulties to keep it." Mizar nodded at her. "Training with you is one of the hardest. I didn''t like you because I thought Galaspiael would make your training easier, no matter how poor your abilities are. I was wrong. I admire how hard you work."


    "Still, I wouldn''t be able to get here today without your and master Aymon''s help."


    "After all, you weren''t attacked by some no-names, only the best mountain robbers! If you could beat them alone, I would be really scared of you." Mizar put a hand on her shoulder. "See you soon! And don''t worry, Galaspiael will arrive here in a few hours."


    *


    Finally, the last day of student exchange in Sekania has passed.


    Special precautions were taken after Kalena and Galaspiael''s departure. The rest of the training went smoothly. No spies and no fights other than in classes.


    Zarkin rubbed his face with the hands and lied on the bed. He struggled with himself not to close his eyes because he knew that he would fall asleep immediately. He was exhausted and desperately wanted to return to Kagolania. To the quarters he knew, where there was no risk of attack by masked killers. He and Mei were allowed to stay until the end, but he couldn''t go out into the city or move too far.


    Everything was ready for return. The bundles were packed, Mei even prepared food.


    The boy glanced at the carefully tied, smallest package and wanted to open it at least for a moment to look at his prey; almost fifty sheets of paper rolled into cramped balls, on which he wrote down recipes for various mixtures. Not only poisons, but he also got a recipe for a sleeping pill.


    "Mei..." Zarkin began but immediately realized that the girl is not around. When he entered the house, he heard a splash of water in the bathroom. She took a long bath.


    On the floor lay her dirty clothes, which were previously his clothes. In addition to the dress in which he saw her for the first time, she had two shirts and two pairs of pants. Not much, but she never complained. He had not yet rewarded her for saving his life.


    Suddenly the door opened. Mei came in with wet hair, almost naked, only partly covered with a towel. She jumped when she saw him.


    "My lord! I forgot you would come back so soon!" She exclaimed. Holding the towel with one hand, she began to put on a clean shirt with the other. Zarkin took a deep breath and sat down on the bed. He felt a pleasant shiver when he saw her body.


    "Classes usually ended at this time. If you lived alone, would you walk without clothes all the time?"


    "Forgive me, I should wrap it around..."


    Zarkin laughed at her embarrassment.


    "Am I forbidding you something? It does not bother me¡­" he stopped, because the towel fell, revealing her right breast. "Is this a stigma? Why in such a strange place?"


    "Ah." Mei quickly buttoned the shirt and put on her pants. "Why do you think this is a strange place?"


    "The stigma should be visible," he explained, "that''s why they burn them. People want to see that they are dealing with a slave. You must wear a collar or have a visible stigma, preferably both. Women probably reveal their arms more often than breasts?"


    "When the trader tried to burn me a stigma, I struggled so much that finally the man entrusted with this task got angry and marked me in this way. Later I had problems at the slave market, due to the lack of a mark on my arm. Someone even considered burning another one. And it would have been done if not for the fact that I barely survived the first stigma. My first owner said it could stay like this but I have to wear a collar."


    The boy looked at her, tilting his head like a curious child. He ran a hand over her face with his fingers. He once saw Galaspiael do this to Kalena and this gesture stuck in his mind.


    "Why did you stop rebelling?"


    "I don''t know, my lord." Mei smiled extortion. "I accepted the slave''s life and I will tell you that I am good with it."


    "Really?" Zarkin shook his head incredulously and looked at her. "I wonder who managed to break you like this and how. Even if you capture an animal and lock it in a cage, it wants to get out of it, and you want to tell me that man can accept slavery?


    "I will make tea, okay my lord?" the girl tried to change the subject, but Zarkin persisted. When she got up, he followed her and sat down in the chair.


    "Take me as an example. I was born a slave. I didn''t know another life, and yet from the beginning, my only dream was freedom. The older I got, the worse I rebelled, until the free people my family served, began to fear me. And you were born free, you were sold and... you don''t mind slavery. I can''t understand it."


    "It''s something else," she said calmly, "there''s a difference between me and you. It is obvious you wanted freedom. It is only natural for me that you could not be a slave."


    "And you?"


    - And I couldn''t be a free person. I don''t deserve it. And I am good to be someone else.


    "You''re weird," he said. She did not answer, only in silence put a few tea leaves into two cups. "I don''t understand why you think so badly about yourself. You help me, yet you don''t have to do anything more than what I command you. You saved my life lately. In my opinion, a bad and worthless person would not do such a thing."


    It got so quiet that they both heard the bubbling of boiling water. Mei froze for a moment.


    "Thank you, my lord," she responded softly. "It means a lot to me that you think I''m a good person."


    "You have to start thinking about it yourself." Zarkin came over and took her by the shoulders, turning toward him. "If you won''t start noticing your value, no one will see it in you. Don''t cry," he added, seeing tears gather in her eyes and hugged her tightly.


    They sat over tea for a long time. She managed to drink hers and almost nothing left his cup.


    When Mei noticed it, she switched chairs to be next to her owner and this time she began to ask.


    "What''s going on my lord? Are you nervous?"


    "Me? No, I''m glad we''re finally coming back." Zarkin raised his head, but quickly lowered it. "I will start preparing for the exam in Yagn-Sho. Everyone is far ahead, I have to try hard to overtake them."


    "In my opinion, most students have to try to overtake you," she smiled, meeting his gaze. "You trained long and hard, it has to give some results."


    "I don''t think I trained enough¡­ and this presentation! I have not come up with anything, and some students have prepared the whole thing already!" Zarkin meant Mizar, and they both knew it.


    "Maybe I can help you relax somehow? She asked tilting her head so that she could look him in the eye, but she looked away.


    "No," he said gently, "probably not now."


    "I don''t like when you''re upset."


    "You''ve already helped save me. If it wasn''t for you... thanks for the tea, by the way. It''s tastier when you brew it. He paused for a moment. "Would you like to sleep on my bed today? You don''t have to sit on the ground at night."


    "It will be a great honor for me, sir," she said.


    "It''s just an uncomfortable bed. No honor," he murmured, "but it''s cold at night and you have wet hair. I don''t want you to catch flu."


    "Nice of you," said the girl, watching as he pulled off his T-shirt, and when he glanced at her, she pretended to be interested in the empty mug.


    "Are you going?"


    Mei nodded and quickly lay down next to him. Zarkin closed his eyes but immediately stated that he would not fall asleep easily. Having her so close effectively drove his sleep away and the warmth of her body triggered another wave of unknown feelings.


    She lay on her back, also with her eyes open, and looked straight ahead. He slowly ran his fingers over her cheeks and lips. He felt her parting them gently and leaned on his elbows to look at her.


    In the dim light of the candle and from such a close distance, the girl looked different than during the day. There was a glow in her eyes that Zarkin hadn''t been able to see before. She was beautiful.


    He smiled and she smiled back. As he moved closer, he began to see more and more: how slowly she breathed, how her eyes narrowed when his finger was close to the eyelid.


    Zarkin held his breath as she raised her head to kiss him. She quickly lied back and looked uncertainly watching his reaction, but he moved her back to him.


    "I love you, my lord," she whispered, "do you know?"


    "Let''s not tell Rikken about anything"


    He bit his lip when she laughed softly and glanced at her uncertainly.


    "I won''t tell anyone."

 31 Chapter 25

    "Washar!" Sujin''s harsh voice could be heard even from across the street.


    Alissa approached the window cautiously and then immediately headed for her husband''s room.


    "I don''t know why he came here, but I don''t like it," she whispered as Washar descended to the ground floor.


    "Maybe it''s about Shao Tien," Washar replied, trying to remain calm, but when he was about to leave he pursed his lips. "Maybe he was found dead and I was the last person to see him. They would take me to interrogation."


    "Again?"


    "Last one time," he assured, "stay inside. I''ll handle it quickly."


    He went outside and carefully looked at his brother and guard, then let the breath out loudly and smiled.


    "What happened? Is it serious?"


    "Very much serious. Someone stole your recipe."


    In one second, the younger prince felt cold sweat pouring over him.


    "That''s impossible," he replied quietly.


    "I''d like it to be impossible too. However, we have recently received information that unidentified explosions have occurred on the Sekanian beach, which no one from the Righteous Conspiracy caused."


    "Someone could just steal a piece of dynamite, not a recipe," Washar defended himself. His brother gave him a cold, emotionless look.


    "Dynamite from Sekania is not a copy of ours, but it was undoubtedly made on its basis. The council agreed that this would not be possible, without having explicit instructions. The thief had to get a recipe from somewhere."


    "We can go to the vault now. A fresh roll of parchment with the recipe written on it rests securely in the crate. If the Sekanians have dynamite, this is their invention, and I have nothing to do with it."


    "And what about the old one?"


    "What?"


    "An old copy," Sujin repeated emphatically. "Where is it? Brother, how can I understand your silence?!"


    "The old copy fell apart."


    "You were supposed to destroy it as soon as you made a new copy. Have you done it?"


    "Yes," he lied, "How can you be so sure that it is my fault!"


    "You would tell our father everything and he will decide if you are guilty or not. But in my opinion, you are," Sujin added with a sadistic smile. "Your task was to watch over the recipes, if it fell into foreign hands, you are responsible for it."


    "Even if someone found a single stick of dynamite and based on it created his version?" Washar asked, but didn''t get an answer. He followed Sujin, guarded like a criminal, dreaming to use his power. To kill. Right now. His brother was an easy target, but Washar doubted that he would have enough strength to fight the guards. The prince did not know how strong he was. He suspected that if he had the right conditions and could train regularly, the power could increase. All his life, however, he had limited the use of it.


    The road blurred before his eyes. He had the impression that the high wall, the gate in which four carts could fit going side by side, the palace guard, gold-plated corridors and everything on which he stopped his eyes would be a figment of his imagination.


    At one point, he couldn''t quite determine if he was awake or if it was a nightmare of a dream he would wake up from.


    The emperor was waiting in the golden throne room. He gave Washar an angry look and motioned for everyone to go out into the corridor. They were alone.


    "There is no excuse for such a serious oversight," he began. "You have covered yourself in eternal shame and you will never be able to clear your name again."


    "Father¡­"


    "Silence! Because of you, the nation has lost its heritage! You are responsible for this, as the leader of the imperial guards!" The emperor stood up and Washar sank to his knees. He looked at his father''s unshakable statuesque face, though he knew that it was forbidden to do so.


    "I know what your problem is. I''ve always been against the idea of you starting a family, it''s stupid. Love is distracting, my son. You can''t focus on the work entrusted to you because you are still thinking about your wife and child."


    "You also had children, father," Washar defended himself, "and two wives."


    "How dare you lecture me? Having children was my duty! And yours was to guard the recipe. Only because everyone knew their duty, the Huangjin family survived the Great War and ruled Madegald for five thousand years! You will have to get rid of the people who led you to fail."


    "Well! As you wish, Your Majesty," Washar said with a heavy heart. "I will send Alissa and our child as soon as I get home."


    "I''ve already had the right people to take care of it. This girl has to die, only then can you be able to focus on work again."


    Washar felt a particle of his soul die.


    "Father no!" He jumped up abruptly. "Please, don''t punish Alissa for my mistakes! Let''s just send her back! Only I am guilty of this! Give me a penalty..."


    "That''s what I''m doing," Emperor replied. "Go away and don''t come back until I call you. When they would clean the ashes, move to the palace, I forbid you to go back to that street. Learn to live for one purpose and don''t try to question it again!"


    It was like a nightmare. As in a trance, the prince came to the big window and looked through the glass. From behind the walls separating the palace from the city, clouds of black smoke could be seen rising from the place where his house had once been. Washar leaned his head helplessly against the glass, and hot tears ran down his cheeks.


    "I didn''t even say goodbye to them..." he said quietly and turned toward the throne decorated with precious stones. His face was grimaced with wild hatred. "You didn''t let me say goodbye to them!"


    Before he realized what he was doing, the wave of rage and regret he felt turned into dark energy. For the first time in his life, he saw his father fall back in terror. The emperor called for the guards, but it was too late. Darkness filled the entire throne room and there was so much of death inside that it could successfully kill all the people present in the palace. Instead, Washar focused on one goal.


    "May the demons in hell rip your miserable soul to shreds!" He hissed and let the darkness take control.


    *


    "Yes! I have it!" Kalena''s voice echoed in the Yagn-Sho corridors as she ran into her room. She vigorously opened the door and jumped onto the bed next to Galaspiael. "They are finally here!" saying this, she handed him the documents confirming her preparation for the calligraphy, math, and Sekanian exam.


    "A brilliant result!" Galaspiael praised. "But you have probably forgotten something?"


    "I didn''t forget. I came to change and immediately go to Rikken."


    "What about Aymon?"


    "I don''t want to," she said, looking for comfortable workout pants. "When you told me that only one language is enough to pass the exam, I completely gave up on Madegaldian. I would not pass the preparation test."


    "Why don''t you try? I can imagine how Aymon would have enjoyed not allowing you to take the exam... or how annoyed he would be if he''d have to allow you to go" Galaspiael seized Kalena in his arms with joy and gave her a big hug. "I''m so proud of you that you can''t even imagine! I knew you could do it."


    "I yet have to find out how the others did."


    "For sure they did well."


    "Li had some problems. He didn''t pass the Sekanian test.


    "But nothing is lost!


    "I told him the same thing," Kalena glanced at his things, carefully folded and packed. "When do you plan to leave?"


    "In the afternoon. Coronation is scheduled two days after your exam, so I have no time. Samin thinks I''ve been here too long. But even if the palace would collapse without me, I will come here for your presentation."


    "What about experiments?"


    "We''re done," he replied and handed her a large metal key. "We successfully managed to create Kagolanian dynamite. I will teach you the recipe and production method soon. And please, take care of the house well. I trust you won''t blow it up."


    The girl was stunned. She glanced at the key, then back at Galaspiael.


    "You can''t give me your house!"


    "What else should I do with it? I will not be able to live there anymore and I cannot sell it because of what is under it. I need someone trusted and you must have your place after training. I hope that once you become a famous and respected Scribe, will you sometimes invite your old master for tea?"


    "I don''t have to invite you to your own home. You will come alone if you feel like it."


    "But you won''t encourage me to come?" He finished playfully.


    Kalena helped him pack the rest of the stuff. There were many more than they brought. Galaspiael took all signs of his presence from Yagn-Sho


    "You can''t carry it alone," she said.


    "The servants should come in the evening." The boy pursed his lips, but then he smiled. "All members of the silver guard should be present at the coronation. You must leave immediately after the exam."


    "Ah," she nodded. "I''ll be there."


    "Great. Oh, dear ancestors don''t let me do anything stupid! I have everything under control and I think that I will do well, but I''m worried anyway. This wedding... I don''t even want to think about it."


    Kalena completely forgot that Galaspiael''s wedding with Lin-Si was also planned on the day of the coronation.


    She had already forgotten that this moment would come.


    *


    The prince left much earlier than he announced.


    When Kalena got alone, she craved for the company of her peers.


    She spoke to all those who took preparatory tests that day. They shared their experience and supported each other like never before.


    Kalena talked with Li for a long time. He wasn''t her close friend, but she felt something was wrong with him. He was extremely stressed by the exam because although he was admitted, his result was mediocre. His parents, extremely respected in the Association, placed great hopes on their son, which he, unfortunately, could not meet. He was not very capable, neither in science, nor in combat, nor any other subject. Compared to the rest of the group, he did very poorly. He stopped talking to Mizar and Kete when he learned that they had excellently passed all exams.


    When Kalena told him that her master - the prince had been trained for two years, Li only replied that he did not believe her. They both began practicing their presentations, which were to be part of the test. In the evening Li said goodbye to her and seemed to be much more uplifted. He asked not to follow him. He thanked Kalena for her time and said that he was going to take a long walk.


    In the morning he was found dead.


    Mizar noticed him first when he went to morning training. He ran for help as quickly as he could and the first person he came across was Zarkin.


    The rope tied to the metal corner of the roof broke when shot with an arrow. Li''s body fell to the ground with a deafening thump. Mizar ran over and began to cut the loop tightened around Li''s neck.


    "You know what to do, right?" He asked, looking at Zarkin pleadingly. "Give him some potion!"


    "It won''t do anything."


    "Please, it''s my friend!"


    "He''s been dead for several hours!" Shouted the blonde boy. "Stay here and I''ll go tell the masters."


    The news spread quickly across Yagn-Sho and also reached to Kalena.


    An investigation has been started. While searching the Li''s room the masters came across a letter he had received from his mother. The message was overwhelmed with grief because of his poor results, and the last paragraph was about the exam and what would happen if the boy didn''t pass it. It was pointed as a reason for his suicide.


    The death of one of the students shocked everyone, but it was Li''s master who was affected by it the most. He handed Li this message and blamed himself for not checking it earlier.


    Kalena wanted to contact Galaspiael very much, but Rikken strongly advised her against this idea.


    "You shouldn''t disturb him now," he argued, "he has just left, he has a lot of his worries. I know you are used to always having him for yourself, but it''s over."


    "I know," she murmured and reluctantly crumpled the letter she had with her. "But I don''t know who else I can talk to."


    "You were the last person to talk to Li before it happened."


    "I didn''t know him well. But... He was here all the time. I''ve never exchanged more than a few sentences with him, but... " She shook her head. "He was here yesterday and now he''s dead."


    "Before my exam, we had four suicides. I remember feeling as desperate and helpless as you. It is not bad here anyway. This is much more common in the Conspiracy."


    The girl turned and stood up.


    "Is Zarkin in his room?"


    "He left with Mei to prepare the presentation. You will find them in the training room."

 32 Chapter 26

    Naimoor thought Washar was drunk when he first saw him.


    He bumped into his brother as he left the palace. One look at him was enough to guess that some tragedy had taken place. Washar looked around with madness in his wide and empty eyes.


    "What happened?" Naimoor asked quietly, though, in reality, he knew everything, just like every other citizen.


    Washar stopped for a moment and a barely noticeable grimace run across his face.


    "I killed our father," he confessed as calmly as if he were talking about daily activities. "The guards have seen it. I tried to catch them, but I ran out of strength and... they told everyone. Now people know that I''m an enchanter." He gave his brother a hateful glance. "It''s all you fault. You pulled me and my family into your intrigue. You''ll regret it!"


    "If you had agreed to help me, it wouldn''t have happened," Naimoor replied calmly. "It''s your fault that you didn''t listen to me. However, I offer you another deal and you better accept it. Everyone knows about your interesting gift and believe me that this message will quickly reach the Righteous Conspiracy. And when they set a reward for your head, how much our subjects loved you would not matter anymore. They''ll be begging me for your public execution."


    "I can too report you to the Conspiracy" Washar threatened.


    "Oh, yes do it," Naimoor encouraged, "they will ask you for evidence and what will you tell them? That you saw me enchanting? You''re a killer, nobody will believe you until I use my power and I''m not going to do it unless you attack me. However, attacking the heir to the throne when there are guards around will not end up good for you."


    "I''m not afraid of you or your power," Washar shouted and began to gather dark energy around him. Lots of energy. He noticed that the leaves on the trees turned black and the branches were getting dry and dead. He could barely see, but he didn''t care about getting hurt. He wanted to make sure Naimoor would not survive.


    "Your emperor orders you to stop!" When his brother said the words, the prince felt all the energy he had gathered eluding him and escaping. He froze when Naimoor put a hand on his shoulder. At that moment he felt something breaking into his mind. He wanted to step back, but the mysterious force also forbade him. He felt completely deprived of his will and did not want to experience it any longer.


    "How do you do that?" Washar drawled through his teeth. "Get out! Get out of my head!"


    "I didn''t kill your wife," said Naimoor calmly. "Nor did I tell anyone to get rid of Shao Tien. Of course, you are right, I stole the old copy of the recipe, but the fact that it went to Sekania is just a coincidence. You should focus your hatred on the inventor who created the second dynamite on its basis. But even if you fail to take revenge on him, I think we can reverse these few unfortunate events to make things better. Help me kill Vishimon and I will not hand you over to the Righteous Conspiracy in return. I do not support the murder of those endowed with power. I will send you to a place where I practiced my force. And you''ll never try to come back and kill me because you can''t do it. Not after I studied the cursed Kagolanian emperor book. I will always be one step ahead of you. Remember, however, that we are a family. If you follow all my orders, everything will work out."


    *


    "Why did you cry?" asked Galaspiael, noticing Lin-Si left the room with red and swollen eyes. Hearing his question, she flinched and snorted maliciously.


    "Who told you I was crying?"


    "I noticed it myself."


    "The new powder irritates my skin," she stated, "I washed my face with water, and now I''m going to ventilate."


    "Great idea! I will accompany you." The prince nodded at the maid, who stepped away nervously. "Leave us alone. I can take care of my wife myself."


    For the first time, he called her so without a hint of malice. They went out into the courtyard and then she jerked away.


    "Get yourself your girl to tease!" She snapped. "I''m not interested in spending time with you!"


    "I guess you''re not. Are you worried about that?"


    The grimace on her face had changed cautious uncertainty.


    "I can bare my wedding night somehow."


    "I''m not going to force you to do anything," he said seriously. "Unless you want to, but I doubt it."


    "You give me a choice?"


    "Are you surprised? We should not make our lives harder than necessary." Galaspiael sat down on the well and began tapping his knees. He managed to surprise her. Finally, the princess grabbed his sleeve and forced him to rise.


    "In Velikania they treat this tradition very seriously..."


    "Lin," he interrupted, "I know all traditions perfectly, and you know well what I think of most of them. You would never give yourself to me voluntarily, I understand that. Nobody will eavesdrop on us, let alone watch. When I put the guard under the chamber, no one dares even go down the hall."


    Her lips twitched as if she were holding back a smile. Galaspiael looked around and glanced disapprovingly at the red-haired servant who, despite his order, followed them.


    "I did not expect this from you."


    "We''ll spend a lot of time together. We need to change our attitude towards each other, otherwise, we will go crazy." He looked at her and smiled. "You''re not red anymore. This powder wasn''t so bad."


    *


    In the evening, all the way from the main Yagn-Sho pavilion to the training room was lit by decorative lanterns, specially bought for the occasion. All students headed to the exam that way.


    All fourteen ate their last meal together, and later there was only waiting, fear, uncertainty and silent repetition of all the formulas and words they tried to remember.


    Galaspiael kept his word and was present in the hall to watch the presentation of his student. Master Rikken mentioned it, thinking it would calm her down, but Kalena became even more nervous.


    She crossed the road quickly, praying to her ancestors, deities, spirits and all beings who could hear her so that she would not have to spell "invented" in Sekanian. She couldn''t remember this word.


    Kalena stopped in front of the entrance gate to the training hall. She saw the dim blue light inside. Zarkin once explained to her how to get it, but she forgot.


    What if she would be asked about this?


    A particularly unpleasant feeling swept over her. She clutched her stomach and jumped involuntarily, feeling someone''s hand on her shoulder.


    "Are you ready?"


    "I''m not sure, master."


    Rikken patted her comfortingly on the back.


    "So that means you''re ready. When you enter, you have to bow. From experience I will tell you that this is the most stressful moment, then it gets better. You must also kneel for a moment before Galaspiael."


    "For a long or short moment?"


    "Count to three and then get up. You won''t notice when it''s over."Rikken smiled and gently pushed her forward. Kalena took a deep breath and plunged into the blue light.


    It was warmer inside that room than before. The girl couldn''t see the faces of the people gathered there, but she knew they all were looking straight at her. Among them were not only Scribes from Kagolania but also Sekania, Velikania and even a few from Madegald.


    Galaspiael sat in a special place, slightly higher than the others. Kalena saw him well, even before entering the round platform. The coronation was yet to take place, but the Scribes from the Silver Guard came with him. There were only three of them. The guard was supposed to have more people, but most probably the rest were not from the Association, so they could not enter Yagn-Sho.


    When Kalena stood in the middle, surrounded by people, the same fear seized her again, but this time it was much more intense. Something gripped her throat. The light did not reach all places in the training room. Impenetrable darkness hung from the ceiling, into which all air escaped. In the end, it got so stuffy that Kalena felt as if she was about to faint.


    She looked at her master and knelt. She tried unsuccessfully to control her legs shaking. Then she stood up after three seconds and noticed that he smiled at her and immediately put two strongly clenched fists to his lips.


    "Kalena," mistress Bimala called out, "come over here, you have everything set up."


    The first task was a test of the Sekanian language. She got a text in Kagolanian, which she had to immediately translate into a second language.


    It would not be difficult at all, if not for the fact that it was not to be written on a piece of paper, but on a specially prepared black wooden board. Kalena was sure that even Galaspiael could see from his seat how her hand was shaking. Up close everything looked fairly legible, but when the girl took a few steps back to look at her work, she thought that even if she passed the Sekanian test, she would fail calligraphy for sure. Fortunately, attention was paid only to the correctness of sentences, not to the aesthetics of writing. After that, she had the calligraphy test next. She was given one Kagolanian text and two sheets of paper. Another student was called inside at that time. After finishing the task Kalena stood in front of the blackboard again, this time to pass the Madegalese test.


    She did not think that she could convince Master Aymon to admit her to the exam. She only went there because of Galaspiael and now she regretted it. Failure to pass one language could have crossed her entire exam result.


    With every minute she manages to breathe more easily and better. It was not that bad. After some time she got through the last test before the presentation.


    During the math test, she turned to Galaspiael several times. He shook his head once and began to show something on his fingers, but she couldn''t see what. When she looked at her calculations, she couldn''t tell where she had made the mistake.


    Finally, it was time to show off her fighting skills; the last and the most difficult stage of the exam, which students had to prepare themselves.


    They had at their disposal all the props they could find in Yagn-Sho and a maximum of five people who could pretend to be opponents. The techniques and choreography were up to them.


    Kalena asked Mei to help by playing the flute. They had previously prepared the right melody. She decided to make a dance show for her presentation. The girl acquired the script used by the actors who starred in the Light Festival performances. Kalena intended to play the last scene of the performance she had once watched with Galaspiael.


    When she heard the song begins, she stiffly walked toward the stairs leading to the stage. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Mei tapped the metal shield, signaling the performance begins. Even without that, Kalena would notice the change in melody, but she told her to do it, fearing that she could forget when to move out of stress.


    Kalena turned and slowly took out the am-shen. Her legs were not trembling anymore. The melody became more and more disturbing. They especially chose this instrument to get the right mood. Kalena swung her right hand hard, slamming the air. She didn''t know if the people watching her could hear it at all, but she tried to make it whistle to the rhythm.


    She made all the moves calmly, then switched to more energetic ones. She imagined that she was a wild animal hunting a prey hiding in the dark. The audience reacted spontaneously as her movements began to become more complicated. She ran, bent her legs slightly, and jump up with all her strength. Salto practiced twisting in the air for a long time and finally managed to it them stably.


    Choosing these dozens of moves and learning them in the right order was not too much trouble. It was worse with a smooth transition from one to the other to get the effect of dancing or at least fighting with shadows, not a dry show. Kalena made a mistake a few times but was comforted by the fact that the audience didn''t know her choreography.


    The last move was the hardest and she couldn''t master it for a long time. She ran to the edge of the landing and tossed her am-shen as hard as she could. Then she knelt and bent forward. The blades dropped with a sinister flash. She grabbed both handles at the same time and straightened up. She heard muffled screams of fear, then applause.


    Her master got up from his seat. She rose slowly, and with her face turned toward him, she bowed, folding her weapon.


    *


    As soon as Kalena entered the crowd, one of the prince''s guards approached her and told her that Galaspiael requests to see her.


    She entered the guardsmen circle uncertainly and sat on the floor. Galaspiael greeted her with a smile and took her hand. He looked dazzling in elegant robes and with carefully combed hair.


    "You scared me!" He said sharply, but then he smiled cheerfully. "I thought these swords got stuck in your neck! A very ingenious presentation. You did everything right.:


    "I got one math task it wrong, I know for sure." Kalena lowered her head sadly as if she were telling him she didn''t pass the exam. "And this task from Madegaldese was simply unfair! I recognized a few old signs that are no longer in any books. If I didn''t help you with the recipe, I wouldn''t pass it. I''m also a bit afraid of the presentation. I''ve seen the rehearsals of the other students and you won''t believe what they are going to do here!"


    "Sometimes simple solutions can make the biggest impression. They would have to be blind to fail you. Do you want something to drink?"


    "I don''t know if I''ll be able to swallow anything until I get my result." Kalena stood up, but he stopped her with a gesture.


    "Stay, someone else will go. It''s your big day, enjoy it in peace."


    It was Zarkin''s turn next. His presentation gave everyone an accelerated heartbeat. Even without the burning arrows, he would have managed to complete the whole. His skills were no joke, everyone knew that in a few years this boy would become an extremely capable archer.


    Galaspiael no longer devoted as much attention to anyone as his student. During the last show, he was clearly bored and suggestively glanced toward the exit.


    At the graduation ceremony, Kalena and Galaspiael attracted most of the attention. To be specific - he attracted because everyone thought that Kalena would be alone.


    From that moment, all the students became full members of the Scribes'' Association. Kalena was smiling all the time, and Galaspiael couldn''t keep a serious expression on either.


    "Will you stay long?" these were the first words he said to her as they went to the solemn reception on the occasion of passing the exam.


    Kalena shrugged her shoulders.


    "It depends on how much time do I have."


    "I don''t want to rush you. However, if you are late, you will have to go to the palace alone. But don''t feel pressured."


    "I''ll just go to congratulate others and we can go," Kalena decided."


    *


    "Congratulations on your presentation my lord"


    Zarkin sighed heavily. He didn''t notice when Mei approached him.


    "Where were you?" He muttered.


    "In the bedroom. Why do you ask my lord, did you miss me?"


    "I was dying of longing."


    "I had to give Nemina the flute back because I would probably lose it," she explained. "I could also help you somehow."


    "Music wouldn''t suit me. I would have to change everything." He pointed ahead. "Take yourself something to eat and sit here."


    Mei leaned over him carefully.


    "You''re drunk," she noticed.


    "Oh really?" Zarkin snorted with a stupid smile, but immediately grabbed the girl by the shoulders and hugged her. "I won''t drink anymore."


    Jin-Si brought with herself a very powerful Velikanian herbal drink that she offered to everyone. Zarkin drank two glasses and immediately knew that after the next one he would lose consciousness. Although the drink was not on alcohol, the boy felt dizzy. And he wanted to laugh at everything. He had an exceptionally good mood.


    Mei sat down next to her and began to stroke his head.


    "Lady Kalena will become a member of the Silver Guard."


    "It is obvious she will."


    "Why don''t you too? In my opinion, you would be perfect."


    "I don''t want to. I''ll never serve anyone again. I don''t need a master or a king," Zarkin stood up and staggered slightly. He grabbed Mei''s wrists and then pulled toward him violently. "Don''t you think Kagolanian parties are boring? You just sit, eat and drink. We do not have such good food and nice decorations, but people have fun, they do not look at the walls."


    He put one hand on his shoulder and smiled. They danced slowly with each other. Without music and any rhythm. He laughed when she almost fell and then hugged her tightly.


    "Promise you won''t leave me," he said suddenly quite seriously. "Never leave me!"


    "I promise, my lord," Mei whispered. "Whatever you decide to do, I''ll stay by your side."

 33 Chapter 27 part 1

    Before the coronation, Galaspiael had to spend several hours in his dynasty''s temple, meditating and asking his ancestors for a blessing.


    According to the rules, he should be alone but decided to take Kalena with him. However, she could not touch him or approach him less than ten steps. Nor could she speak unless he asked her something first.


    Earlier that day Kalena was accepted into the Silver Guard, so she was officially present there to protect the prince.


    The girl found it funny because she knew how well Galaspiael could fight and she was sure that he could defeat all his guardians alone. For now, she only met three other: Captain Jun, Luko, his deputy, and Zei - the archer. Captain Jun was accepted in the guard when he was about the same age as her. He attacked Kalena when she was introduced to him. The surprised girl barely managed to defend herself, but Jun seemed to like her. He praised her and promised to continue her training.


    "How much left?" Galaspiael asked with hope.


    "Almost half the time," Kalena responded and sat down, embracing her knees with her arms. "Have you felt anything magical yet?"


    "My leg hurts. And I''m hungry."


    "From what I''ve heard, the feast will be great."


    Galaspiael smiled. He sat turned back to her and could not change the position until the end of meditation. To see Kalena he looked at the mirror where she reflected.


    "I hope so. You can go home now, you need some rest. Luko will replace you and you will come back for the ceremony."


    Kalena hasn''t got used to the fact that Galaspiael''s house is now her home. She moved back to the room she had occupied before. Prince''s bedroom was cleaned and all personal belongings were moved to the palace. However, the girl decided not to make any changes in this room. It belonged only to him.


    When she was about to leave the temple, she suddenly turned back remembering something important. It took her a moment to realize that she couldn''t say anything to Galaspiael.


    She had to wait.


    *


    "What smells so bad?" Mei asked, gently cutting Zarkin''s hair. "Is there a fire somewhere?"


    "I got a message from the palace," Zarkin replied calmly. "I set it on fire in Rikken''s bedroom. Probably it''s burning out."


    "Why did you do that? What was this message?"


    ''It wasn''t important. Galaspiael would like to put me in the shackles of the Silver Guard, no more, no less. However, when I burned this card, I started to add others. My old calligraphy assignments, some unnecessary notes. I have a lot of this. If you want, we can go outside and make a fire. Will you help me?"


    "His Highness accepted you into his guard?" The girl clapped her hands and hugged him in joy. "That''s wonderful, my lord! You should enjoy such a great distinction."


    "I''m not interested in it," he muttered, breaking free from her embrace. "I told you. I''ve been fighting for freedom all my life. After all, I''m independent why should I give it to serve in the guard? I have other plans for my future."


    "Can I ask what plans my lord has?"


    Zarkin opened his mouth abruptly but closed it immediately and stood up, gently tilting his head from side to side.


    "There are a lot of people who would gladly hire someone to take care of their enemies. They pay a lot for it, " he said and brushed the hair from his forehead. "Cut more in front."


    Mei dipped her fingers into his hair and chose a strand falling to the center of her forehead. She moved her thumb and forefinger halfway.


    "How much?"


    "Cut more, they will grow back in a few days. Okay, that''s good."


    She worked carefully and combed his hair for a long time, gently massaging the scalp.


    "You have such beautiful hair, my lord," she said finally, "you should grow them, you would look like a king."


    "Having long hair is uncomfortable. The king also has the short hair," Zarkin noted, "maybe not like mine, but tradition requires that he not cut them, and he does it often."


    "With all due respect, but lord Galaspiael has nothing to brag about. Everyone here has such dark hair like him¡­ If you agreed to join the guard, maybe some high-born lady would fall in love with you?"


    "Another one? I don''t need."


    "Why ''another''?" Mei picked up.


    "I''m talking about you. You have a surname, Mei Thiro, you must be from a noble family. The fact that you were sold into slavery does not change that."


    "My family was not very wealthy," she replied calmly. "Well, they often gave loans to various people, so they got rich quickly. But they were never invited to the palace."


    "Either way, it must be weird for you to serve a former slave."


    "Not at all, I feel very good. Once you marry some rich Okianesa, will there be a spare corner for me in your beautiful home?"


    "I won''t have a wife," Zarkin replied immediately, "you are enough for me. Once I become the best archer in the world, I''ll plan to work as a contract assassin. I intend to travel the world offering my services. Will you be my companion?"


    "I''ll go with you wherever you want, my lord. But are you really so reluctant to work in a palace? I heard that some velikanian maids will come with the queen, and they are said to be the most beautiful ladies. And in the guard, you would have many opportunities to practice archery."


    "Why do you want me to go there so badly?"


    "`Because I think you can be happy there. You are the best lord I''ve ever had, you deserve a good life."


    The boy refrains from smiling brightly. He turned for a moment to look Mei in the eye.


    "You''re making up!"


    "No, I am completely honest. You are a very good man. You have never whipped me or punished me in any other way."


    Zarkin brushed away hair from his forehead.


    "So I''m a good man because I''m not beating you?"


    Not only because of this. You mean a lot to me, " Mei pulled away and looked at her work. "Can it stay like this?"


    "Yes," Zarkin got up and hesitated for a moment "thank you."


    "Maybe I will clean that hearth now?"


    "As you wish." He threw up his arms. "And I will wait with the guard. I just didn''t like the fact that they wrote to me like a job offer for a bollard. I want Galaspiael to ask me personally, then I will know that he cares. He could also offer a little more money, he can afford to pay me more. He came over and embraced her waist. "Whatever I decide will be for my sake and yours." You know that, right?


    *


    "What took you so long?" Luko nudged Kalena in the shoulder as she came running out of breath. "Don''t stand here like stupid there is no time!"


    She mumbled an apology and followed him into the coronation room. Halfway down the long corridor, they came across the Silver Guard captain, Jun. He gave them a sharp look and snorted angrily.


    "If we were in Madegald, you would be beheaded for such lateness! What an example of useless guards! The king would have been killed four times before you even arrived."


    "I could be here earlier" Luko defended himself, "but you made me wait for her."


    "Come on! Jun shouted, ignoring his words. "Be late once again and I swear I will lock you in the dungeon for a month!"


    They went inside the coronation hall, located on the top floor of the palace. Large windows stood out of the others, decorated with ornaments depicting a fire-breathing dragon and a serpent, that is, the coats of arms of Kagolania and Velikania. The ballroom wasn''t very big, and It was decorated more modestly.


    The view from there was great, but Kalena did not pay much attention to it. She followed Captain Jun closely, with seriousness and concentration, and stared at the Okiani whom she could not even look in the eye in the past.


    They looked at her curiously, and some even smiled. The Silver Guards in festive black and red costumes were impressive. There were mirrors in the corridor, and Kalena admired her reflection in them. For the first time in forever, she found herself pretty.


    The wedding ceremony of the royal couple took place earlier, according to the Kaitan tradition, which did not allow witnesses. At one point the door opened and everyone in the room held their breaths, then bowed deeply and stiffly. The guards immediately formed an array around the king and queen.


    Lin-Si was one step behind Galaspiael. She no longer looked as confident as before. She was beautiful, but her expression revealed that she was completely lost and depressed, although she tried to mask it under a smile.


    Samin came forward and greeted them with a gesture. Then he turned to face the gathered crowd. In an instant, there was such a complete and deep silence that Kalena felt a shiver running across her spine.


    "After the death of His Majesty Kanmael the fifth, I was responsible for fulfilling his oath. The long-awaited day came when his son entered adulthood. His ancestors gave him special favors and he is ready to take over." Samin paused and took a deep breath. "It is time for his rightful heir to sit on the throne of Kagolania."


    After these words, Samin took the crown and put it on Galaspiael''s head. It was only then that Kalena noticed how tense and nervous her master was, but if someone didn''t know him well, it was practically impossible to notice. Then Lin-Si received her, smaller and more feminine tiara. She glanced at Galaspiael, and he said something in a whisper, which she smiled weakly.


    "Long live His Royal Highness Galaspiael, of Namanya dynasty, the sixth of his name, endowed with power by his ancestors, King of Kagolania! Long live Her Royal Highness queen Lin from the great house Si" Jun exclaimed, and the whole hall followed him. Then everyone knelt, and Kalena felt someone kicking her hard under her right knee. She completely forgot when to change a position and noticed how Galaspiael''s lips tightened when he refrained himself from laughing."


    "Stand up, my friends," he said "forgive me that I will not celebrate with you long, but I have my reasons for this. Following my father''s will, I did not spend my youth in the palace, but among the subjects. At first, I did not understand this decision, but now I can see how much I''ve learned about the people I''ll govern. I know what to do to restore Kagolania to its former glory, but I can''t do it alone, that''s why I count on your loyalty and help..."


    The girl listened intently to him when she suddenly felt Luko poking her again.


    "Can you stop? It hurts!" she whispered


    "Jun told me to wake you up because we are going to the terrace in a moment. You will need to focus all your attention on what is happening around. It will be up to you to look after everything that the king will drink tonight. If anyone from the outside would like to give him a drink, react firmly."


    "Jun behaves as if everyone around would want to kill Gal... the king."


    Luko nodded.


    "The captain is always like this, you have to get used to it. But he will teach you to fight better than anyone. If you spend enough time with him, you''ll also start looking at everyone as a potential killer or poisoner."


    "Speaking of poisoners, do you know if Zarkin has not been accepted into the guard?"


    "I don''t know who you are talking about, you should rather ask the captain. However, don''t do it now because he''ll shout at you for wasting his time. You''d better wait until everything calms down." Luko wanted to leave but stopped and turned back. "Wait, you mean this archer? Do you know that he is a liberated slave?" He snorted contemptuously. "There is already an archer in the guard. A poison specialist too. We don''t need someone like that here."


    So he didn''t know. Galaspiael hid her descent from everyone. Nobody asked about anything because she was close to him and they did not guess what the story was behind their friendship. Only a stigma could expose Kalena, but she promised herself that she would do her best to hide it.


    *


    The king went down into the courtyard, surrounded by guards.


    The huge gate opened slowly and Kalena froze seeing the crowd that gathered in front of the palace. She had a lot of trouble concentrating, and if someone tried to attack them, for example, throw something on the terrace, she would not notice it fast enough.


    A gong sounded and everyone knelt in an instant. Galaspiael looked calmly, with a slight smile. He no longer seemed as upset as before. He caught Kalena''s eye as they returned.


    "You look beautiful in this outfit," he praised. "I hope I can slip away, we must discuss something important."


    "What is it, my lord?" Kalena barely managed to pronounce the last two words. They used to be so obvious, and now they sounded just unnatural to her. But she knew she couldn''t address him as before. She could even be punished for that.


    "You won''t stay here too long. I have an important task for you. Choose yourself the most trusted people and when everything calms down, I will send you away."


    "Your Highness," Lin-si turned and took his hand. Galaspiael smiled and nodded at her, but quickly turned to Kalena.


    "We''ll talk later," he whispered, "it''s really important."

 34 Chapter 27 part 2

    Every person who wanted to become influential in the court tried to approach Galaspiael. Kalena watched everyone who he talked to.


    The constant focus was the most exhausting in this job. She couldn''t concentrate as well as the other guards yet, and she didn''t know when to pay less attention and when more.


    At the feast, Kalena indeed had to guard the area close to the king, though not as close as she thought. The table at which Galaspiael, the queen and the most important Okiani sat, was set on a small platform, slightly above all the others. She was sitting on the steps, ready to quickly attack a potential killer if needed before he could approach the royal table.


    The huge dining room was cut in half, and the other part was arranged like a ballroom. Sumptuous balls were a typical Velikan custom, not so popular in Kagolania. In the palace, there was a small ballroom, not comparable with those from Lin-Si''s motherland. Galaspiael, however, wanted everything at the wedding party to be as his wife had wished.


    "Kalena!" suddenly someone called from an unspecified place in the room "Oh, there she is! I told you she would be in the silver guard!" it was Nemina.


    "Behave!" Her sister came over and nudged her shoulder. "You should bow first."


    "What? To her?!"


    "No, to him." Mamina curtsied gracefully, and Galaspiael nodded in reply, trying to remain serious.


    "Have you seen Jin-si anywhere? We lost her somewhere because she went looking for Seth. And he was gone a few hours ago, it makes no sense to look for him."


    "In our opinion, he returned to Madegald because he got bored. But she insisted. Are you going to Velikania today? Who''s going to be with you?"


    "Why would I go there?" Kalena frowned.


    "Master Galaspiael... I mean, His Majesty''s going to send you there. Jin said you would be a guest at her palace. But this is a secret and nobody is supposed to know it, that''s why she only told us and Seth."


    "It''s a secret indeed. It wasn''t until now that I learned that I would go somewhere. It''s hard for me to say who I should take with me. I thought about Zarkin, but I doubt he''d agree"


    "You still have time. If anyone asks, we didn''t tell you anything!"


    *


    At the time Kalena talked to them, Galaspiael got bored. He ate some dessert and finally stood up and stretched out his hand to Lin-Si.


    "Will my queen honor me with dance today?"


    He nearly burst out laughing when she pulled away from him as if he were saying something very shocking.


    "Since when you dance?" Lin-Si finally asked, seeing that he wasn''t joking.


    "I don''t like dancing, but I can, so I won''t embarrass you." The corners of his mouth twitched slightly. "What''s wrong?"


    She sighed deeply as if he just interrupted her and stood up.


    "If you insist so."


    "We''ll set a good example," Galaspiael said quietly. "It''s not proper to sit stiffly all the time at your wedding."


    He wasn''t lying, he could dance well indeed. At the previous celebrations, he never moved, so she never knew his skills.


    "You''re different today," Lin-Si said finally, "I don''t know what you''re up to."


    "Speak quieter or don''t," he admonished her, "or else your father will say I badly influence you."


    "He told you to make such a mess?"


    "Nobody told me to. Would you prefer me to be a tyrant? We will spend a nice couple of years together, we were not to make our lives difficult, that''s what I''m trying to do. However, if it doesn''t suit you so much, I''ll stop. I''ll fulfill all your wishes, my lady."


    She snorted angrily but came closer as if she wanted to embrace him.


    "Do what you want to do now, but you''re not coming near me tonight," she whispered.


    "I promised you that. I will put my guard in front of the chamber, even if your daddy tells someone to eavesdrop, no one will not go through the corridor in one piece. Also, do you think I''m going to sleep tonight? Soon I will present to the architects a project that I haven''t even finished in half. I''ve wasted enough time, and tomorrow the same will happen. As if one day for the celebrations was not enough!"


    For the first time, when she heard his complaint, she smiled.


    "Galaspiael, as I knew him, finally returned."


    *


    When Lin-Si told him she wanted to drink something, Galaspiael began to look for Kalena. He noticed her quickly. She talked to Seth for a while, then said goodbye to him and came over, stumbling over someone''s trailing robe.


    "I hope you didn''t eat anything suspicious, Your Highness."


    "I am still alive as you see. Don''t talk to me like that when we''re just two, okay?" Galaspiael asked. "Come on, we need to talk. There are a lot of things to do."


    He led her into the main corridor, then into a smaller one, went down the steep stairs, and went into the chamber, which, like the prince''s bedroom, was connected to another one, only much smaller.


    "Remember the way here, because this is a secret entrance to a basement in your house," he said, opening another door behind which there was a long and dark tunnel. "I''ll come by sometimes, so leave the door open."


    "What is the important thing you wanted to talk about?"


    Galaspiael became serious.


    "There is a man in Velikania who has something I want. A book that my friend once told me about. This is probably the only copy in the world, getting it is very important to us. Thanks to this book, we can get rid of Gyeul, or at least force him to obey us."


    "How?"


    "There is a fighting technique that can hurt him and it has been thoroughly described there. I honestly admit that I didn''t believe it until I accidentally used it myself. However, I need instructions on how to master it. I was slowly losing hope that I could find anything, but I succeeded. If Kagolania gained access to the ocean, I could realize all my plans. You must not disappoint Kalena. You must get this book, even if you would have to kill the owner. Take Zarkin with you, say I will reward him generously. The boy can become the best archer in Kagolania, it''s a pity that he would waste his ability to be a thug for rent."


    Kalena smiled sourly.


    "I should take him so he would kill, not me?"


    "I didn''t say you have to kill. This is the last resort if the success of the mission will be threatened. Zarkin has proved once that he has no resistance to kill. You haven''t take anyone''s life yet. Zarkin will be your insurance."


    "I will not let you down!" She exclaimed. "I will carry out every order, if necessary..."


    "You are not sure," he interrupted her, "and even if you could never kill anyone, there is nothing wrong with that. You can get the book in various ways, this is just one of many."


    "I''ll get it," Kalena said, placing her hand on her heart. Galaspiael looked over her shoulder.


    "We have to go back, otherwise someone will notice that we are gone."


    Kalena rubbed her eyes and walked lazily to the exit. She didn''t want to go back to the loud and stuffy room. The boy stopped suddenly. When she looked up at him questioningly, he smiled.


    "Maybe this is not a good time for such confessions, but I want to tell you that I still love you very much and I still hope that someday you will be able to forget what I did."


    "I don''t think anything has changed in my heart, I''m sorry." Kalena replied, trying not to make it sound like a cold rejection "Don''t hope for the change, you will only hurt yourself unnecessarily."


    "I know. But still, let me love you at least a little bit."

 35 Chapter 28

    The warm day seemed perfect for a long trip to Velikania.


    From time to time Kalena turned around and looked at the palace which as they moved forward was getting smaller and smaller. Although she had a difficult task ahead of her, she tried not to think about it too much and enjoy the beautiful landscape.


    "Are we going to the capital?" From time to time, Mei tried to carefully ask her and Zarkin about the destination and the mission. For some reason, she was very reluctant to ho, even than Zarkin, who was finally convinced after determining the amount of money he would get. She tried to get away, asked several times if she would be needed, explaining that she did not want to be unnecessary ballast since the mission is important and secret. However, she did not want to reveal the reason for her behavior, which is why Zarkin forced her to go with them without even listening to the girl''s requests.


    Kalena took out a map. She handed her leaning back and at the same time holding the reins with one hand.


    "We will stop for a while in the capital city, but this is not our final goal. We''re heading to Epag, it''s almost at the border with Madegald."


    "Will we be there long?"


    "Yes for long!" Zarkin paused and gave her a malicious smile. "Why don''t you tell me why you don''t like this country so much?"


    "Maybe she''s afraid of Jin-si?" Kalena winked at him teasingly.


    "Jin-Si is not dangerous if you don''t drink with. She won''t be queen here until her father dies, right?"


    "Probably not. There is a third, eldest sister and she will become the queen. Galaspiael told me that she rarely leaves the palace. She is getting ready to take the crown and doesn''t get along well with her younger sisters."


    "She really isn''t going anywhere, since I haven''t heard of her before." The blond boy smiled coldly. "Maybe she is sick and ashamed to show people?"


    "She is a princess," Kalena said. "Why leave the palace if she has everything she needs?"


    *


    After returning from Yagn-Sho, Jin-Si often allowed her peers to live in the palace. Seth came by right after Galaspiael''s coronation party and stayed until their arrival.


    They met after her training. Kalena felt a sudden surge of nostalgia, although they''ve left Yagn-Sho quite recently, she started to miss that place.


    "It must have been an extremely tiring journey, right? You look terrible," asked the princess.


    "We look just like you," Zarkin growled, "the trip was quite bearable."


    "Only once we were able to stay in the inn, we spent the other two nights in the open air," Kalena explained. "Zarkin took some of his map, on which some shorter route was marked. It turned out that we spent the whole day wandering into a dead end."


    "You have a nice place here" the boy pretended he didn''t hear anything.


    The Velikan palace was very beautiful. In Kagolania, the full majesty of the royal residence could only be seen in the highest circle. Velikanian capital was not divided into circles by high walls. It did not have to, because only the richest lived here. Poor people would have a hard time making ends meet in the capital.


    It was always bright in the palace because in almost every chamber had at least one glazed window. The whole place radiated wealth and splendor, but Kalena noticed that it was also cold and ¨C ironically - much more inaccessible than Galaspiael''s palace hidden behind the walls.


    Jin-si came with only one guard she had previously practiced fighting with.


    "I have to change as soon as possible because if my father sees me like that, he''ll get mad," she said to herself, leading them down a long corridor. "He doesn''t like it when I practice."


    "Does he even know we''re here?" Zarkin ran a finger over a long porcelain vase that tipped dangerously but managed to catch it at the last minute.


    "Why should he know? Every day someone comes and they discuss something. I don''t think he is interested in my guests at all. Wait!" Jin-Si pulled them into an empty room. "His servants can''t see me, either."


    "Why don''t they let you fight?" Asked Kalena.


    "They claim that she won''t give birth to healthy children," replied the guard who had followed them silently.


    "Only Darmeon thinks so," the princess interrupted. "I have to marry him, so he''s bossing around. According to him, what I do is too masculine and I won''t be... good enough to be a mother. All Sekanians are crazy over this matter."


    "I have repeatedly told His Majesty that a fit and durable woman has a better chance of a healthy and safe delivery... sorry" the guard stopped when Jin-si looked at him with undisguised irritation.


    "I think they have already left, come on!"


    "I understand now why Galaspiael doesn''t like this Darmeon so much." Before Kalena realized that she should not speak loudly what she once read in his diary, it was too late. "He is indeed stupid.


    "Stop it. I like him very much¡­ well, I don''t like him enough for a husband candidate, but I can''t help it. My father wants another alliance, and since there is a young prince in Sekania, it seems the simplest solution.


    Seth was already inside the chamber they entered. He smiled warmly and stood up to greet each of them individually.


    Their bedrooms were actually small rooms for servants who were supposed to sleep there to be as close to the princess as possible and be able to arrive quickly at her call. Kalena asked for such a place not to attract anyone''s attention.


    *


    Zarkin and Mei had their first warm meal in a few days. Later, he tried to convince her to tell him about the reason for which she hated Velikania so much. The girl, as usual, resisted at first, but he knew that sooner or later he would break her.


    "My family lives here," she finally admitted. "I told you about them once, my lord."


    "Those people who sold you because you were a cursed child?"


    "Yes."


    "I understand why you don''t want to be here. I don''t like going home, either. I guess someday I''ll get out for good and never come back."


    When she heard about the house, her eyes glazed. She couldn''t control her tears.


    "No," she interrupted him quietly, "it''s completely wrong. I am not angry with them, I would even like to apologize. I would like to ask for forgiveness so badly!"


    Zarkin grabbed her wrists and forced her to sit on the bed next to her.


    "Is this a problem? If you want, we will go there and do it."


    "If it were that easy, I''d do it long ago! Even if I dare, they won''t listen to me if the High Priest tells them to."


    "Who?" He asked, but Mei went silent for a long time again. This time he did not press, he waited until he calmed down. When she wiped the swollen tears and red eyes and sighed deeply, she began to speak a few times.


    "I didn''t tell you why I was sold specifically, sir." My family worships Zatofar, a deity that hardly anyone heard of. I was raised with this cult, and so did my brothers. I was the fourth child in a row and you must know that for the followers of this religion it is the most damn number. The high priest told my parents to get rid of me, but they refused. They promised that they would devote extra attention to me and I would become a good woman. Everything was fine, but finally, I began to feel that I was not treated right. There was still someone watching me, waiting for the slightest stumble, and I think this was the reason for my corruption. I lied for the first time when I was nine. They asked me if I went to the temple and I wasn''t there. I was warned about lying, just like against every other sin, and I avoided it like fire until I saw how much it could make life easier. Then I began to lie and break the rules more and more every day."


    "All right," he interrupted, "and do you want to apologize to your family for that?"


    "You see, sir, one day I talked my brothers to lie with me, but we got exposed. All my earlier sins have come to light. My family did not want to defend me anymore. They gave us to priests and we were marked as liars. The brothers decided to sell me to cleanse my family name."


    When Mei finished, Zarkin began to sympathize with her as never before. He understood everything she was trying to hide. It was now clear to him why she accepted slavery so quickly. At the same time, he wanted to shake her hard and shout to make her come to her senses.


    "Don''t worry," he murmured, "from what you say, I don''t think you should blame yourself so much." I have done a lot worse in my life and I was my firstborn son. I''ve killed several times already, and this is much worse than lying to any priest. And once I read in history books that a Kagolan king was the ninth child. To take the throne, he knocked out his older siblings. Which one you are in does not affect what you will be in the future.


    "But High Priest..."


    "Why do you care about him, let him talk what he wants. You should try to fight for yourself. I can help you."


    *


    The next day, Kalena wondered where Zarkin was.


    He didn''t tell her where he was going and she began to worry, and at the same time, she was angry at him for leaving her alone. She wanted to wait or start looking for him, or just continue the mission alone.


    Jin-Si asked the guards. They told her that Zarkin and Mei had left recently, but no one could tell exactly where they went. The answer "somewhere towards the city" did not say much. Kalena promised herself that she would wait one more day and then go to Epag herself. Fortunately, Zarkin returned late in the evening.


    He entered her room without knocking. He slammed the door and threw himself on the bed, making a strangled cry full of frustration. His lips were contorted all the time in a grimace of absolute rage. Kalena also saw his left cheek was swollen and red.


    "Where have you been?" She began cautiously. "What happened?"


    "I want to get rid of her," he finally said firmly, "free or give away to someone. I''m sick of her."


    "Why?"


    The boy snorted softly.


    "I went with her to her family and you know what happened? Her brother came. Complete fools, I could hardly believe they''re siblings. Anyway, he didn''t even want to hear about the reunion. And their mother seemed afraid of him because she was even willing before. But that''s nothing. This moron girl thinks it''s because of me. Because I made her go there, you understand?" He showed the mark on his cheek. "I won''t forgive her. I never want to see her again."


    "I don''t understand it," Kalena admitted, and he sighed heavily and told her the whole story of Mei, devoting a lot of time to describing their quarrel when they returned to the palace.


    "... that''s why I can''t be with her anymore ... I can''t... I can''t stand her!" He finished.


    "Did you gave her back when she hit you?"


    "Of course! What was I supposed to do?" He shook his head. "She hurt me a lot. I would expect it from everyone, but not her."


    "I also hit you once, but you forgive me," she reminded, "think about this decision, you love each other..."


    "What?!" Zarkin frowned. "What a stupid idea! Mei is my slave!"


    "There were many cases when the master fell in love with a slave."


    "I don''t love her," he replied calmly, "and after she humiliated me like that, I know that she didn''t love me either. The end. I don''t want to see her again."


    "If you''d sell it, you might regret it later." Kalena no longer knew how to convince him to abandon the idea that was born in his head. "It''s just one argument. Let her return home. You will think about it during our trip to Epag." she advised. "You''ll manage to calm down during this time."


    "When will we leave?"


    "Yesterday, if you hadn''t left me," she snorted and gave him the message, "read it. Okiani Takiwa is already waiting for us. We can leave tonight."


    Zarkin said there was nothing to wait for and they should leave before midnight. Mei stayed, at her master''s order.


    It was not a happy goodbye. None of them managed to reach out to the other. Deep down, Mei realized that this was the end, and that thought was breaking her heart. She was angry at Zarkin because meeting her brother and mother had finally crossed out the slightest chances of reconciliation. But she also did not want to part with her master. For several months spent together, he became a family for her.


    Kalena told her not to worry about Zarkin''s behavior. She told her how at the beginning of her studies at Yagn-Sho he was also deadly offended and it took several months for their relationships to improve. However, Mei did not believe that this time it would be the same.

 36 EXTRA Chapter 28,5

    Disclaimer: This is a special chapter although I didn''t put it in the auxiliary volume. You can read it to understand Zarkin''s conflict with Mei better, or skip directly to the next chapter.


    ~~~~


    Early in the morning, Zarkin and Mei left the palace, heading for the part of the city where the girl once lived. She was still reluctant, but Zarkin convinced her to go. Deep down, he believed that the family would forgive their daughter they had not seen for several years.


    Mei often tended to exaggerate her guilt, so Zarkin thought the situation wasn''t all that bad. He still didn''t understand why she should apologize, since it was they who decided to sell her into slavery.


    "It''s here." She pointed to one house that stood out from the others with its lush red walls. Houses in Velikania were usually white or light yellow, depending on the stone it was built from. Nobody thought of painting them.


    "Don''t be afraid," Zarkin muttered. "The most important thing is that you try. If you won''t make it, it''s okay, but I won''t let you give up without a fight. I got your back, no need to be afraid."


    She didn''t answer. When they got closer, a woman in a red dress came out of the house, wrapped in an even more red scarf.


    "What''s with this color?!" Zarkin dismounted and looked at the house again. "I think I would go crazy from living here!"


    The woman came closer, watching the newcomers carefully. Finally, she removed her headscarf and ran to Mei.


    "You came back! I can''t believe it''s you!" She exclaimed, embracing the girl tightly. Immediately, however, she pulled away and began to quickly shake off clothing, as if she touched something dirty.


    "My daughter is back, glory to Zatofar! And this young man is¡­"


    "This is Zarkin, my lord," Mei replied. He was surprised that she told the truth. He blinked several times and smiled stiffly, wondering how the mother would react to her daughter''s owner of, and did not expect anything nice. To his surprise, he was invited inside with her.


    The house inside was even redder because the paint did not fade there too quickly. Zarkin tried to imagine living there, but he couldn''t. This color was everywhere and gave a heavy atmosphere. In Kagolania some buildings also walls, but there they were much more subdued.


    "Where are your brothers?" He asked quietly.


    "They probably still work. They should be back soon," Mei replied calmly.


    "It''s a terrible place. I admire that you lasted a few years."


    The smile did not leave Mei''s mother''s face. Her expression seemed unnatural and forced after a while. She invited them to the table and began to stare intensely at Zarkin until making him uncomfortable.


    "You were lucky to find such a nice young man," she finally said, still looking straight at him. "I knew it would be so, the High Priest would certainly not spend you in perdition."


    "Mei has been with me for a short time," he corrected. "Before, she belonged to a Madegaldian spy. And before that to someone else as far as I know."


    The smile disappeared from her face when she heard the news. For a moment she didn''t know what to say.


    "You can talk for a long time about where I was and what I did, but it won''t change anything," Mei began "I survived, I don''t want to talk about the details"


    "Behave!" he admonished, angry that she hadn''t got to the point so far "You haven''t been home for a few years and you don''t want to tell what happened to you? I am very curious, after all, you never told me about it. Although I understand why. It wasn''t a lucky time, right?


    "Lord, please ..." she cut him off, but she couldn''t finish because of the loud creaking of the door. A young, tall man entered. He put a quiver with arrows in the corner and stepped back, surprised by the presence of guests. When he looked at his sister, his face contorted with disgust.


    "She¡­ What is she doing here?" He asked dryly. "She''s been excluded, you shouldn''t talk to her."


    Mei jumped up sharply and approached him, but quickly widened the distance stepping back.


    "Please, hear me! I came here to tell you that I am very sorry and I am ready to fix everything. I''ve changed!"


    "The High Priest should decide whether this is the case."


    "Tahi!" their mother interrupted, "don''t you think we should hear her? I want to get my daughter back!"


    "I hope you didn''t touch those strangers?"


    "No way, she didn''t," Zarkin intervened in the discussion for the first time. He was positively surprised by the mother''s mother, who greeted her daughter, which she hadn''t seen for several years as if she had returned from a few-day trip, but now he understood why she was trying to avoid physical contact. He felt uncomfortable already so he went outside, wanting to give the family a moment of privacy. Immediately he heard the back door open. Mei and her brother entered the garden behind him.


    "What exactly do you want from us?" He asked. "Speak quickly, the rest will come back and they won''t tolerate you here."


    The girl was already shaken, and such a party from her brother did not help. He saw an intruder in her, and nothing seemed to change that.


    - Believe me, I''m a different person now! If you don''t want me here, if my presence would put the family in trouble, I won''t come back. However, I can''t live with the thought that the people closest to me hate me. Especially you. Please forgive me and let me talk to my father and Zan."


    Her speech did not affect him, however. In Tahi''s eyes, the same ice could still be seen.


    "I will never forgive you," he hissed. "How dare you even come back and ask for anything? You came here to plunge us completely! Your mother believed you, but I won''t be fooled!"


    When he raised his hand, trying to hit her, Zarkin knew there was nothing to wait for. He shot.


    Tahi screamed. Mei ran away in panic, wanting to hide somewhere, but the backyard garden consisted only of small dry bushes. She could only run outside the gate, but then she saw her lord holding a bow, ready for another shot


    "You are screaming surprisingly loudly for someone who is supposedly better than the cursed fourth sister," he mocked. "Now pray."


    "You... she brought you to kill us!" Tahi grunted, trying to cover his wounded hand while bypassing the embedded arrow.


    "Pray to your god," Zarkin repeated, "let him come here and protect you. Tell him that you sold him a sister for slavery is a great sacrifice! I attack his faithful servant, let him punish me!"


    "You''re crazy!"


    "Shut up, or I''ll shoot again. This time I will hit the eye!"


    "Lord, leave him alone, I am begging you!" Mei tried to put in a word for her brother, but the boy pushed her aside "Don''t hurt him anymore!"


    "I will tell everything to my father and the High Priest! Tahi tried to get up, but stumbled, causing himself more pain"


    "Sooner my god will take you out of this world than yours will do anything," Zarkin jerked hard and threw the arrow to the ground, "It''s yours." You will tell this priest that you shot yourself in the hand. He will certainly believe. If you believe in something hard enough, no matter how stupid it is, eventually it becomes true. Let''s go, Mei!" You were right, you have nothing to look for here."

 37 Chapter 29

    In the middle of the night, Najana was woken by a loud knock on the door. It was raining heavily, so she opened it carefully, making sure the water did not get inside. She almost didn''t recognize Washar.


    "What happened?" She grabbed his hand and led him inside. The prince''s mouth curved in a painful grimace.


    "Haven''t you heard anything?"


    "Only rumors," she admitted, "but if it''s true, you have no idea how sorry I feel for you."


    Washar sank heavily into a small chair in the hallway. When Najna crouched beside him, he hid his face.


    "I''m a fool! You were right! If I had listened to you, maybe my family would survive..."


    "You couldn''t predict it."


    "You did. You warned me."


    "It was Naimoor, right?" When Washar didn''t answer, she narrowed her eyes angrily. "Of course it was him. Tell me the truth and I will go to the palace and drown him in his blood!"


    "No! Don''t go there unless someone gives you an order," he warned "and if you would be there, avoid Naimoor at all costs... it would be best for you to escape the capital. My youngest brother knew what he was doing when he set off on his journey! It''s good that he doesn''t know anything." Washar looked back at her. "Don''t let him touch you, no matter what he promises you. Don''t look him in the eyes. He is terrifyingly powerful. It''s like he has the power of two people in one body."


    Tears glistened in Najana''s eyes. She embraced Washar and kissed his forehead just like she did when they were young and learned how to enchant.


    "Wherever you go now, can I visit you there?"


    "Of course. It''s just that I... I won''t be able to leave. They''ll send me to our gold mine. I have to leave after my father''s funeral."


    "To the mine?! She repeated and quickly wiped her tears with her sleeve. - My heart breaks when I see you surrender."


    "There''s nothing I can do..."


    "You can! Let''s kill Naimoor! What prevents us from joining forces? Then we will have two powers too!"


    The prince pulled away from her when he heard the offer.


    "Now probably the whole city knows that I murdered my father. They consider me a monster who sold his soul to demons. Naimoor is controlling me. I can''t hurt him, and to make matters worse, I''m afraid he could make me hurt you. You are the last living person in this world that I love. I don''t want you to become his puppet. I don''t want him to take away your humanity, just as he did with me! " after these words he stood up. "Be careful. When you would have some spare time, ask people about this damned inventor from the Sekania. Come to when you''ll learn something... if you won''t find anything, come too. And, please, avoid Naimoor. At all costs."


    *


    Epag was a small city, officially Velikanian, but it was difficult to do the simplest things there for people who didn''t speak Madegaldian.


    When Galaspiael told Kalena that she and Zarkin would stay with ex-Okiani, the girl thought they would live in an elegant home. So she was surprised to see that it was an ordinary tenement house, good for the average townsman.


    The host came to greet them personally.


    "When His Majesty sent me a letter, I almost died of fear," he began after casual greetings. "I thought he''s dead, and that''s a funeral call. Is he good?"


    "He was perfectly well when we left," Kalena replied.


    Okiani, who renounced their duties, for example in favor of children, could live outside of Kagolania. They did not lose their titles until the end of their lives, and they had to appear in their homeland only for the funeral of the king. Takiwa was such an Okiani.


    Inside the house smelled like roast duck. It was dim inside. Only windows in the rooms, lanterns lit the kitchen and corridor.


    "How long have you been married? He asked as they climbed the floor. Kalena and Zarkin exchanged smiles.


    "We''re not married!" The boy quickly denied. "We just travel together to perform the task entrusted to us by the king."


    "Ah, your task. I think I can help with it. I will tell you everything at dinner. There is only one problem because I was convinced that you would be a husband and wife, that''s why I prepared only one bedroom."


    "That''s not a problem," said Kalena, "someone will simply sleep on the floor."


    On the first floor, the smell of roast duck was replaced with the smell of dust and antiquities. The bedroom they were supposed to sleep in was really small, but that wasn''t a problem. They didn''t come to sit at home.


    They ate late dinner. In Velikania dinner was normally held much later than in Kagolania.


    "It will be easy for you," said Takiwa, "he doesn''t live far, you''ll cross two streets and be there. This man is named Gesha. He''s from the Righteous Conspiracy."


    Zarkin tilted his head back and began to swing in the chair.


    "How will we know what book is it without a title?"


    "This man has only one book," said Okiani, "that''s why he didn''t want to sell it. He was supposed to destroy it, but he kept it himself and tried to learn. However, he failed to gain any special abilities."


    "What is it about?"


    "I''m not entirely sure myself," Takiwa admitted, "but in my opinion, it''s a description of plays that can only be mastered by a king or emperor." No wonder such an ordinary Affiliate failed. His Majesty will certainly go much better.


    Immediately after dinner, they went to the place indicated by Takiwa. A large tree was growing next to Gesha''s house and they decided to climb and wait for the right moment. After a few minutes, someone left and quickly headed for the market. They didn''t know if it was a host, but they slipped quickly through the open window.


    "What a smell!" Zarkin winced as he accidentally smoothed incense smoldering on the window. Kalena silenced him with a gesture.


    "Someone might be here! You''re not sure he lives alone, "she whispered. "Search! Take all the dressers and cabinets on the other side, I''ll start with this one. If we don''t find anything, we''ll move somewhere else."


    The room they entered served for a small armory. There were blades of all kinds, some hung on the walls as trophies, others standing on special bases, and others in cupboards and shelves. From finger-sized knives to huge am-shen, very similar to those used by Gyeul.


    "Nobody could hold them, right?" Zarkin pointed at the two largest swords. "They have to be only a decoration?"


    "They are old," she said, "but they were hardly created to serve as an ornament. Look at the hilt, it''s worn more than on my swords. Someone used them often."


    "Some giant with exceptionally long arms?" He joked but became serious when she didn''t laugh. "How old are they?"


    "I think... those blades were made before the great war. He had similar then, remember? When he attacked Galaspiael."


    "I was too busy saving my life to watch the fight of the ghost and your master," Zarkin hissed ironically.


    "I would like to learn someday how to fight with them. For now, it is inconceivable to me, but since I chose this weapon and I should learn about its different types."


    "Well, unfortunately, I can''t help you with this. If it were a very big bow, I would know what it is about. We''re going, or do you want to take one?"


    She shuddered at the suggestion.


    "We can''t take them!"


    "In my opinion, we should take as many things as possible. If we steal weapons and money, people would think that the owner had been attacked by robbers and killed defending the belongings. If only the book disappears, suspicion will fall only on those previously interested in it," he explained. "That means the Scribes'' Association or Okiani Takiwa."


    Kalena winced. She stepped out into the corridor behind Zarkin and, although she had done nothing yet, felt a growing sense of guilt.


    "How is it?" She asked, patting him on the shoulder.


    "what?"


    "How is it to kill someone?"


    "It''s normal." The boy shrugged. "Nothing is exciting about it. I have never killed for pleasure or fun. It was always in self-defense."


    "Have you feel any terror afterward? Self-loathing?"


    "Not at all," Zarkin pushed his arm on the door and entered with a bow ready to shoot, but there was no one in the other room either. He gestured for her to follow him. "Everyone kills, Kalena. Death is everywhere. Animals kill each other to get food and protect themselves from danger. If they can''t do it, they die. People, like animals, have an instinctive need to live. They don''t want to die, that''s why they kill. You have the choice: it''s either you or him. There is nothing unfair about it, he has the same choice and, like you, will choose himself. He won''t spare you if you attack him and lose. Besides, was it your idea to come here? No, it''s just Galaspiael''s obsession with a book, and you just follow the order."


    "What if Galaspiael gave me the order to kill you?" She asked and pursed her lips, suppressing internal anger caused by his earlier words. "Would you take it so lightly too?"


    "If Galaspiael had sentenced me to death, you would have to follow his order, like this one," he answered calmly. "That''s normal since Silver Guardians are his most loyal servants, right? It''s also not surprising that I would not make it easy for you. I would fight with you for my life and our friendship would no longer matter." He paused because he came across a wardrobe with clothes. "Oh, maybe he has a belt studded with precious stones? I have to get one if I have to work in a palace."


    Kalena hissed when someone opened the front door.


    "It''s him! He''s back!"


    "Come on!" The boy grabbed her hand.


    "Where are you going?! He will get us like on a plate!" She protested, and he sighed softly.


    "So? I''ll shoot him faster. Maybe we''ll find out something interesting."


    The first floor had a lot of places where they could hide. They hid opposite each other, Kalena behind the high wardrobe, Zarkin in the passage leading to the second corridor. Suddenly they heard a conversation from the ground floor.


    "Please come in," Gesha said to the visitor in pure Madegaldian. "I''ll bring both swords in a minute. When can I expect them retuned?"


    "Why don''t you trust me?" Asked the guest. "Relax, nothing will happen to your collection. I hope that they prove useful and I can win all the duels with them. I don''t like to make up the road when going to Sekania."


    "Maybe some small treat before the journey?"


    The man asking for the swords said something in a low voice. To overhear the conversation, Kalena and Zarkin had to move a little closer. The men, as if sensing that someone eavesdrop on them, began to speak to each other almost in a whisper.


    "After the emperor''s death, this is not the same palace. Since these purges began, I am afraid to go to the capital."


    "Maybe you''re right. Washar might accidentally kill you" there was a soft snort. "I breathed a sigh of relief when he was banished. He always seemed strange, but what he did... I have no words to describe how frightening it was. Demons drool at the thought of devouring his soul when it reaches hell."


    "He won''t be released from the mine to battle?"


    "And why not? Such madmen will be useful in war."


    Kalena and Zarkin looked at each other.


    "I never liked Madegaldian language," he confessed, "I don''t understand anything, especially when they speak so quietly and quickly. He said something about the war, did I hear right?"


    "He said," she nodded, "about the war, the purges, and the death of the emperor. We have to write to Galaspiael, something bad is coming up."


    Prince Washar. Kalena repeated the name in her mind several times to remember it well. Zarkin suddenly slapped her shoulder.


    "Stay here and watch! I have an idea where this book might be."


    "Where?"


    "Remember what Takiwa said? Gesha is trying to learn from the book. I think it might be somewhere in his bedroom. When he will go upstairs, give me a sign, I will leave and we will fight him," he added, trying to calm her down. Kalena nodded and crouched near the stairs. She was already getting ready for the confrontation. She was sure that they would not be able to leave Gesha''s house unnoticed. When both men said goodbye and the host directed his footsteps upstairs, she had her am-shen pulled out and ready.


    Gesha quickly noticed that he was not alone. He turned to Kalena, an expression of absolute rage mixed with surprise on his face. However, before the girl could make any move, she heard a whistling just above her ear. She screamed when he fell to the floor.


    "No offense, but I''ve seen turtles react faster than you," said Zarkin.


    "Is he dead?" the girl stammered.


    "He''s alive. I just poisoned him. You better look at what was in his bedroom!" He handed her the book and took off his quiver so that she could look inside. Half of it was filled by carefully packed gold jewelry. "I also took a dagger because it has a nice handle." He threw the quiver on his back and headed for the exit. "Are you going or do you prefer waiting for him to wake up?"


    *


    On the same day, Kalena wrote a long letter to Galaspiael, in which she told everything and asked for further instructions. She wanted to go back to Kagolania, but she felt that it would not be possible. She expected that the news about the war that would ignite his curiosity, and she would be sent even further, maybe even to Madegald.


    Zarkin was pleased with the spoils he brought with him. He planned to sell them as soon as possible and was not happy that the trip could be extended.


    "Maybe let''s not wait for an answer?" He suggested. "After all, the king wouldn''t send you for a book if he didn''t want to read it quickly."


    "Until we receive a clear order, we can''t leave!" The girl suddenly jumped up nervously. "Don''t you think we should go back there? I''m afraid someone noticed us when we left!"


    Zarkin laughed and looked at her pityingly.


    "You''re so innocent it''s cute. Where should we go back? Today we didn''t leave the house, we weren''t at Gesha''s. Do you remember when I told you to cover your face? Even when someone notices two people coming out of there, there is a small chance that they will associate them with us."


    "I hope so."


    Zarkin fell silent for a long moment.


    "When we were traveling here, I saw a very beautiful place," he confessed, "it was on the hill. "A big white tree."


    "White?" She repeated, somewhat distracted by such a fast change of subject. "For sure?"


    "With white leaves. I mean, they were so light that they seemed white. I would like to live there with Mei someday."


    "You mean¡­ on the tree?"


    "Oh, not on him!" He shouted with irritation. "Just nearby."


    The girl had the impression that it was a completely different Zarkin than the one who claimed that there was nothing wrong with killing. He allowed the boy inside him, he wanted to forget about to show up. She smiled and sat down next to him.


    "If you care about her, go to the palace tomorrow."


    "I don''t want to."


    "Zarkin, you wanted to punish her and all you do is punish yourself! I know she regrets what happened, but he is afraid to ask you for forgiveness. Though to be honest, she shouldn''t be the one apologizing!" Kalena added sharply. "We''ll get a reply from Galaspiael in a few days, you''ll be back in time."


    She expected to his protest, but instead, Zarkin just nodded.


    "I acted like a brat. I will go there tomorrow and fix everything."

 38 Chapter 30

    Zarkin left early in the morning.


    To make the time pass faster, Kalena asked people about the war in Madegald, but they only repeated what she heard at Gesha''s house, or they knew even less. For now, the actions of the new emperor remained secret.


    After two days, the boy returned. Alone.


    "She disappeared!" He shouted. "She just left a letter and gone!"


    "Maybe she came home?" the girl tried to comfort him. "Can I see this letter?"


    He nodded and handed her a crumpled note without a word. Kalena developed it and began reading.


    Zarkin, I''m so sorry.


    I had no right to raise my hand on you. I did it under the influence of nerves and now I regret it. I know you had good intentions when trying to help me reconcile with my family. And it''s not your fault that it failed.


    I don''t want to be a burden that you want to get rid of as soon as possible. I know that after the words that fell between us, I cannot count on your forgiveness. Also, loneliness opened my eyes to a few things related to my life. It would be best if I leave before you come back and sell me at the slave market.


    Mei


    It was hard to read to the end because the last paragraphs were written very carelessly, as if in a hurry. Kalena looked at Zarkin, then at the message again.


    "You have to look for her! She couldn''t dissolve in the air."


    "You know what¡­?" The boy rubbed his face with his hand.


    "What?" She asked impatiently.


    "Let it go. Let''s not look for her."


    "You''re acting like an offended child again! She loved you!"


    "And what about it?" He asked and smirked. "Galaspiael loved you too."


    "Don''t change the subject! You said yourself that our relationship would not make sense. And by the way, it''s a completely different situation!"


    Zarkin leaned against the wall and sighed heavily.


    "Is it? I see no difference."


    "You have to be blind not to see it!"


    "Maybe I''m blind," he said. "I feel I''ve always been blind to feelings. My mother once told me that I am an empty shell that would never be able to love anyone. She was right. All of this is too much, it suddenly blows at you, although you don''t need it. It annoys me that I don''t know what to think."


    "Then go and look for her," she said, "Galaspiael will probably be able to organize a replacement if I have to go on."


    In response, he pursed his lips and turned his back on her.


    "How many times should I tell you that I will not look for her?! She left me, it''s her decision... by the way, do you know how much more we have to sit here?" changed the subject."


    "No news from Kagolania has come so far."


    "And isn''t this Okiani getting angry that he must still host us?"


    "Not at all."


    Zarkin fell silent and followed Kalena reluctantly. He did not want to go back to the quiet room, where his thoughts would only revolve around Mei''s farewell letter, so Kalena walked with him aimlessly, until they finally stopped, and he sniffed and looked towards the building, from which the smell of sweet alcohol came from.


    "Do you want some broken heart medicine?" She picked up.


    "I don''t have a broken heart."


    "But don''t pretend you don''t have a heart at all. Let''s go. We haven''t even spent half of what Galaspiael gave us."


    "If we would still get money for being here... why not?"


    In this place a lot of drinks were sold ¨C both alcoholic and also soft ones, perfect just for quenching thirst. Kalena was completely ignorant, but Zarkin seemed to be well versed in everything.


    "Do you have Nirimu?" He asked, glancing at the man arranging the various bottles in one straight line.


    "Children are not allowed to drink Nirimu," the man grunted.


    "I am fifteen years old, I am an adult for long. Do you have it or not?"


    "It''s gone."


    "So Jiujing. One bottle and two cups. Do you accept Kagolanian coins?"


    "I don''t think I have a choice, Mr adult?" The man put the bottle and cups on the counter. They took them and sat at a smaller table. Zarkin poured a little and sniffed, then dipped the tip of his tongue.


    "It seems fine," he said, "you can drink."


    "I''ve never heard of it," Kalena admitted. "Is it strong?"


    "It has quite a power, but Nirimu is better. How many cups do you need to get drunk?"


    "I never drink," Kalena confessed, smiling wryly. She had once tasted alcohol by accident when she was a small child. Later there was no chance.


    "Give it to me." The boy took the glass from her hand and poured half the contents back into the bottle. "That''s enough for you. Let''s see how you will feel, if after that you start to feel dizzy, you better stop."


    "When did you get so used to drinking?"


    "At home, I was a boy to bring things, so when guests came, and this often happened, I had my hands full. The man who was my owner knew this very well. A few weeks and you would also learn, especially since at the beginning when I did not yet distinguish these names and brought the wrong thing, he slapped me in the head. Of course, when I was older, I was given less and less work."


    "Did you drink yourself?"


    "I did, but it wasn''t a problem. I poisoned those drinks. When someone got on my nerves, I could take revenge. Sometimes I added something strong to my lord''s cup when he wanted to be sober, and sometimes I poisoned his guests. Nirimu is not bitter, his power is hidden. You can''t drink it when you haven''t eaten anything. And combined with any sweet juice makes you so nauseous that you would beg for death. It was great fun, but later my mother ruined everything. I got the worst flogging then. After that, I was not allowed to touch anything that came in contact with the lord''s mouth. She took care of it herself. She was afraid I would kill him. According to her, it will bring me bad luck, because fate will turn against me."


    "But you don''t believe it? I mean... if you worship the god of death, then is killing good for you?"


    Zarkin began to draw with his finger on the dusty windowsill at which their table was set. Hearing the question, he gave Kalena a nonchalant look and wondered for a long time what to say.


    "Maybe not something good, but it''s not something bad either. Taking someone''s life on purpose is a mistake but not a crime. That is why the followers of the god of death arouse such emotions. My whole family is on the opposite side."


    "The god of life," she guessed, and he nodded.


    "That cult never fascinated me. You must accept life as it was given to you and you cannot do anything to change it, because jealousy of someone else''s life is a sin. It''s not fair. I was born a slave and someone else a prince. His life is theoretically better than mine, but he won''t escape death anyway. Wealth and love of subjects will not help, there is no escape from it. The god of death is terrible, it''s a fact. But at least fair. One day I will show you our temple, I hope you don''t get scared. Even the Righteous are afraid to enter it. It was the only place my owner was afraid to enter, so whenever there was a punishment I would run away and hide there.


    Zarkin paused and drank from his glass. Kalena''s thoughts flew away and strayed far away. Some memory about the Righteous Conspiracy rang on the back of the head and kept on ringing. Suddenly she hit her forehead with her hand, causing Zarkin to flinch in surprise.


    "I can''t believe it! I completely forgot!"


    "Forgot about what?"


    "In Gesha''s house, that man mentioned something about the Madegaldian prince, Washar. I''ve heard of him once! The night before our punishment in Yagn-Sho, Seth advised me to ask him for help if I would try to run away from Galaspiael."


    "Oh, so he''s a great friend! He would send you to some murderer."


    "He told me Washar was one of his brothers," she added, looking him straight in the eye. Zarkin froze for a moment until he seemed to stop breathing.


    "So Seth is... the prince of Madegald?" And a member of Righteous Conspiracy?!" He said it with such disgust as if he were talking about some extremely unpleasant illness. "All his brothers joined the Righteous Conspiracy, so he probably had too! I always knew he was either a traitor or a spy!"


    "I''m not sure. He''s at the age when kids from the Conspiracy are still at training. But when we get back, we''ll have to investigate and warn Jin."


    *


    Despite drinking four cups, Zarkin remained remarkably sober. Kalena barely got through one and a half glasses.


    After that they walked around the city again, vividly talking about how much they dislike it. Kalena in her heart did not consider Epag as such a disgusting place as Zarkin, but she didn''t want to argue.


    When they returned, Okiani gave them a letter from Galaspiael. There was nothing about continuing the mission in Madegald. They were to return as soon as possible, because as he explained, now they will be much more useful in the palace.


    "So what?" Kalena asked when they were ready to go. "Will you join the Silver Guard?"


    "Yes," Zarkin replied, "but not forever. I will work in the palace, save some money and someday build a house under the white tree that I saw when we were traveling here."


    "White?" She asked.


    "I told you about it!" He growled. "You don''t remember because you''re still drunk."


    Mei''s topic disappeared very quickly. When Kalena tried to talk about her again, the boy went silent, so she gave up. He put a mask of indifference on his face, but the pain in his eyes remained visible.


    "We could have been on the road for several hours," he murmured, "since he called us, something important must be happening, right?"


    "We''ll find out," she replied and smiled at him. "You know, I don''t think it is wasted time, after all. I learned a lot about you. You are always secretive, I didn''t think you could open so much."


    He turned his head slowly and looked down at the ground.


    "Well, not really. I didn''t tell you anything personal."

 35 EXTRA Chapter 28,5

    Disclaimer: This is a special chapter although I didn''t put it in the auxiliary volume. You can read it to understand Zarkin''s conflict with Mei better, or skip directly to the next chapter.


    ~~~~


    Early in the morning, Zarkin and Mei left the palace, heading for the part of the city where the girl once lived. She was still reluctant, but Zarkin convinced her to go. Deep down, he believed that the family would forgive their daughter they had not seen for several years.


    Mei often tended to exaggerate her guilt, so Zarkin thought the situation wasn''t all that bad. He still didn''t understand why she should apologize, since it was they who decided to sell her into slavery.


    "It''s here." She pointed to one house that stood out from the others with its lush red walls. Houses in Velikania were usually white or light yellow, depending on the stone it was built from. Nobody thought of painting them.


    "Don''t be afraid," Zarkin muttered. "The most important thing is that you try. If you won''t make it, it''s okay, but I won''t let you give up without a fight. I got your back, no need to be afraid."


    She didn''t answer. When they got closer, a woman in a red dress came out of the house, wrapped in an even more red scarf.


    "What''s with this color?!" Zarkin dismounted and looked at the house again. "I think I would go crazy from living here!"


    The woman came closer, watching the newcomers carefully. Finally, she removed her headscarf and ran to Mei.


    "You came back! I can''t believe it''s you!" She exclaimed, embracing the girl tightly. Immediately, however, she pulled away and began to quickly shake off clothing, as if she touched something dirty.


    "My daughter is back, glory to Zatofar! And this young man is¡­"


    "This is Zarkin, my lord," Mei replied. He was surprised that she told the truth. He blinked several times and smiled stiffly, wondering how the mother would react to her daughter''s owner of, and did not expect anything nice. To his surprise, he was invited inside with her.


    The house inside was even redder because the paint did not fade there too quickly. Zarkin tried to imagine living there, but he couldn''t. This color was everywhere and gave a heavy atmosphere. In Kagolania some buildings also walls, but there they were much more subdued.


    "Where are your brothers?" He asked quietly.


    "They probably still work. They should be back soon," Mei replied calmly.


    "It''s a terrible place. I admire that you lasted a few years."


    The smile did not leave Mei''s mother''s face. Her expression seemed unnatural and forced after a while. She invited them to the table and began to stare intensely at Zarkin until making him uncomfortable.


    "You were lucky to find such a nice young man," she finally said, still looking straight at him. "I knew it would be so, the High Priest would certainly not spend you in perdition."


    "Mei has been with me for a short time," he corrected. "Before, she belonged to a Madegaldian spy. And before that to someone else as far as I know."


    The smile disappeared from her face when she heard the news. For a moment she didn''t know what to say.


    "You can talk for a long time about where I was and what I did, but it won''t change anything," Mei began "I survived, I don''t want to talk about the details"


    "Behave!" he admonished, angry that she hadn''t got to the point so far "You haven''t been home for a few years and you don''t want to tell what happened to you? I am very curious, after all, you never told me about it. Although I understand why. It wasn''t a lucky time, right?


    "Lord, please ..." she cut him off, but she couldn''t finish because of the loud creaking of the door. A young, tall man entered. He put a quiver with arrows in the corner and stepped back, surprised by the presence of guests. When he looked at his sister, his face contorted with disgust.


    "She¡­ What is she doing here?" He asked dryly. "She''s been excluded, you shouldn''t talk to her."


    Mei jumped up sharply and approached him, but quickly widened the distance stepping back.


    "Please, hear me! I came here to tell you that I am very sorry and I am ready to fix everything. I''ve changed!"


    "The High Priest should decide whether this is the case."


    "Tahi!" their mother interrupted, "don''t you think we should hear her? I want to get my daughter back!"


    "I hope you didn''t touch those strangers?"


    "No way, she didn''t," Zarkin intervened in the discussion for the first time. He was positively surprised by the mother''s mother, who greeted her daughter, which she hadn''t seen for several years as if she had returned from a few-day trip, but now he understood why she was trying to avoid physical contact. He felt uncomfortable already so he went outside, wanting to give the family a moment of privacy. Immediately he heard the back door open. Mei and her brother entered the garden behind him.


    "What exactly do you want from us?" He asked. "Speak quickly, the rest will come back and they won''t tolerate you here."


    The girl was already shaken, and such a party from her brother did not help. He saw an intruder in her, and nothing seemed to change that.


    - Believe me, I''m a different person now! If you don''t want me here, if my presence would put the family in trouble, I won''t come back. However, I can''t live with the thought that the people closest to me hate me. Especially you. Please forgive me and let me talk to my father and Zan."


    Her speech did not affect him, however. In Tahi''s eyes, the same ice could still be seen.


    "I will never forgive you," he hissed. "How dare you even come back and ask for anything? You came here to plunge us completely! Your mother believed you, but I won''t be fooled!"


    When he raised his hand, trying to hit her, Zarkin knew there was nothing to wait for. He shot.


    Tahi screamed. Mei ran away in panic, wanting to hide somewhere, but the backyard garden consisted only of small dry bushes. She could only run outside the gate, but then she saw her lord holding a bow, ready for another shot


    "You are screaming surprisingly loudly for someone who is supposedly better than the cursed fourth sister," he mocked. "Now pray."


    "You... she brought you to kill us!" Tahi grunted, trying to cover his wounded hand while bypassing the embedded arrow.


    "Pray to your god," Zarkin repeated, "let him come here and protect you. Tell him that you sold him a sister for slavery is a great sacrifice! I attack his faithful servant, let him punish me!"


    "You''re crazy!"


    "Shut up, or I''ll shoot again. This time I will hit the eye!"


    "Lord, leave him alone, I am begging you!" Mei tried to put in a word for her brother, but the boy pushed her aside "Don''t hurt him anymore!"


    "I will tell everything to my father and the High Priest! Tahi tried to get up, but stumbled, causing himself more pain"


    "Sooner my god will take you out of this world than yours will do anything," Zarkin jerked hard and threw the arrow to the ground, "It''s yours." You will tell this priest that you shot yourself in the hand. He will certainly believe. If you believe in something hard enough, no matter how stupid it is, eventually it becomes true. Let''s go, Mei!" You were right, you have nothing to look for here."

 37 Chapter 30

    Zarkin left early in the morning.


    To make the time pass faster, Kalena asked people about the war in Madegald, but they only repeated what she heard at Gesha''s house, or they knew even less. For now, the actions of the new emperor remained secret.


    After two days, the boy returned. Alone.


    "She disappeared!" He shouted. "She just left a letter and gone!"


    "Maybe she came home?" the girl tried to comfort him. "Can I see this letter?"


    He nodded and handed her a crumpled note without a word. Kalena developed it and began reading.


    Zarkin, I''m so sorry.


    I had no right to raise my hand on you. I did it under the influence of nerves and now I regret it. I know you had good intentions when trying to help me reconcile with my family. And it''s not your fault that it failed.


    I don''t want to be a burden that you want to get rid of as soon as possible. I know that after the words that fell between us, I cannot count on your forgiveness. Also, loneliness opened my eyes to a few things related to my life. It would be best if I leave before you come back and sell me at the slave market.


    Mei


    It was hard to read to the end because the last paragraphs were written very carelessly, as if in a hurry. Kalena looked at Zarkin, then at the message again.


    "You have to look for her! She couldn''t dissolve in the air."


    "You know what¡­?" The boy rubbed his face with his hand.


    "What?" She asked impatiently.


    "Let it go. Let''s not look for her."


    "You''re acting like an offended child again! She loved you!"


    "And what about it?" He asked and smirked. "Galaspiael loved you too."


    "Don''t change the subject! You said yourself that our relationship would not make sense. And by the way, it''s a completely different situation!"


    Zarkin leaned against the wall and sighed heavily.


    "Is it? I see no difference."


    "You have to be blind not to see it!"


    "Maybe I''m blind," he said. "I feel I''ve always been blind to feelings. My mother once told me that I am an empty shell that would never be able to love anyone. She was right. All of this is too much, it suddenly blows at you, although you don''t need it. It annoys me that I don''t know what to think."


    "Then go and look for her," she said, "Galaspiael will probably be able to organize a replacement if I have to go on."


    In response, he pursed his lips and turned his back on her.


    "How many times should I tell you that I will not look for her?! She left me, it''s her decision... by the way, do you know how much more we have to sit here?" changed the subject."


    "No news from Kagolania has come so far."


    "And isn''t this Okiani getting angry that he must still host us?"


    "Not at all."


    Zarkin fell silent and followed Kalena reluctantly. He did not want to go back to the quiet room, where his thoughts would only revolve around Mei''s farewell letter, so Kalena walked with him aimlessly, until they finally stopped, and he sniffed and looked towards the building, from which the smell of sweet alcohol came from.


    "Do you want some broken heart medicine?" She picked up.


    "I don''t have a broken heart."


    "But don''t pretend you don''t have a heart at all. Let''s go. We haven''t even spent half of what Galaspiael gave us."


    "If we would still get money for being here... why not?"


    In this place a lot of drinks were sold ¨C both alcoholic and also soft ones, perfect just for quenching thirst. Kalena was completely ignorant, but Zarkin seemed to be well versed in everything.


    "Do you have Nirimu?" He asked, glancing at the man arranging the various bottles in one straight line.


    "Children are not allowed to drink Nirimu," the man grunted.


    "I am fifteen years old, I am an adult for long. Do you have it or not?"


    "It''s gone."


    "So Jiujing. One bottle and two cups. Do you accept Kagolanian coins?"


    "I don''t think I have a choice, Mr adult?" The man put the bottle and cups on the counter. They took them and sat at a smaller table. Zarkin poured a little and sniffed, then dipped the tip of his tongue.


    "It seems fine," he said, "you can drink."


    "I''ve never heard of it," Kalena admitted. "Is it strong?"


    "It has quite a power, but Nirimu is better. How many cups do you need to get drunk?"


    "I never drink," Kalena confessed, smiling wryly. She had once tasted alcohol by accident when she was a small child. Later there was no chance.


    "Give it to me." The boy took the glass from her hand and poured half the contents back into the bottle. "That''s enough for you. Let''s see how you will feel, if after that you start to feel dizzy, you better stop."


    "When did you get so used to drinking?"


    "At home, I was a boy to bring things, so when guests came, and this often happened, I had my hands full. The man who was my owner knew this very well. A few weeks and you would also learn, especially since at the beginning when I did not yet distinguish these names and brought the wrong thing, he slapped me in the head. Of course, when I was older, I was given less and less work."


    "Did you drink yourself?"


    "I did, but it wasn''t a problem. I poisoned those drinks. When someone got on my nerves, I could take revenge. Sometimes I added something strong to my lord''s cup when he wanted to be sober, and sometimes I poisoned his guests. Nirimu is not bitter, his power is hidden. You can''t drink it when you haven''t eaten anything. And combined with any sweet juice makes you so nauseous that you would beg for death. It was great fun, but later my mother ruined everything. I got the worst flogging then. After that, I was not allowed to touch anything that came in contact with the lord''s mouth. She took care of it herself. She was afraid I would kill him. According to her, it will bring me bad luck, because fate will turn against me."


    "But you don''t believe it? I mean... if you worship the god of death, then is killing good for you?"


    Zarkin began to draw with his finger on the dusty windowsill at which their table was set. Hearing the question, he gave Kalena a nonchalant look and wondered for a long time what to say.


    "Maybe not something good, but it''s not something bad either. Taking someone''s life on purpose is a mistake but not a crime. That is why the followers of the god of death arouse such emotions. My whole family is on the opposite side."


    "The god of life," she guessed, and he nodded.


    "That cult never fascinated me. You must accept life as it was given to you and you cannot do anything to change it, because jealousy of someone else''s life is a sin. It''s not fair. I was born a slave and someone else a prince. His life is theoretically better than mine, but he won''t escape death anyway. Wealth and love of subjects will not help, there is no escape from it. The god of death is terrible, it''s a fact. But at least fair. One day I will show you our temple, I hope you don''t get scared. Even the Righteous are afraid to enter it. It was the only place my owner was afraid to enter, so whenever there was a punishment I would run away and hide there.


    Zarkin paused and drank from his glass. Kalena''s thoughts flew away and strayed far away. Some memory about the Righteous Conspiracy rang on the back of the head and kept on ringing. Suddenly she hit her forehead with her hand, causing Zarkin to flinch in surprise.


    "I can''t believe it! I completely forgot!"


    "Forgot about what?"


    "In Gesha''s house, that man mentioned something about the Madegaldian prince, Washar. I''ve heard of him once! The night before our punishment in Yagn-Sho, Seth advised me to ask him for help if I would try to run away from Galaspiael."


    "Oh, so he''s a great friend! He would send you to some murderer."


    "He told me Washar was one of his brothers," she added, looking him straight in the eye. Zarkin froze for a moment until he seemed to stop breathing.


    "So Seth is... the prince of Madegald?" And a member of Righteous Conspiracy?!" He said it with such disgust as if he were talking about some extremely unpleasant illness. "All his brothers joined the Righteous Conspiracy, so he probably had too! I always knew he was either a traitor or a spy!"


    "I''m not sure. He''s at the age when kids from the Conspiracy are still at training. But when we get back, we''ll have to investigate and warn Jin."


    *


    Despite drinking four cups, Zarkin remained remarkably sober. Kalena barely got through one and a half glasses.


    After that they walked around the city again, vividly talking about how much they dislike it. Kalena in her heart did not consider Epag as such a disgusting place as Zarkin, but she didn''t want to argue.


    When they returned, Okiani gave them a letter from Galaspiael. There was nothing about continuing the mission in Madegald. They were to return as soon as possible, because as he explained, now they will be much more useful in the palace.


    "So what?" Kalena asked when they were ready to go. "Will you join the Silver Guard?"


    "Yes," Zarkin replied, "but not forever. I will work in the palace, save some money and someday build a house under the white tree that I saw when we were traveling here."


    "White?" She asked.


    "I told you about it!" He growled. "You don''t remember because you''re still drunk."


    Mei''s topic disappeared very quickly. When Kalena tried to talk about her again, the boy went silent, so she gave up. He put a mask of indifference on his face, but the pain in his eyes remained visible.


    "We could have been on the road for several hours," he murmured, "since he called us, something important must be happening, right?"


    "We''ll find out," she replied and smiled at him. "You know, I don''t think it is wasted time, after all. I learned a lot about you. You are always secretive, I didn''t think you could open so much."


    He turned his head slowly and looked down at the ground.


    "Well, not really. I didn''t tell you anything personal."

 39 Chapter 31

    Captain Jun greeted them coldly and ordered the report to be presented to the king as soon as possible. Zarkin went to the office, where he took the promised money and went to the market. Kalena went to look for Galaspiael.


    She did not find him in the studio or the bedroom chamber but on the highest terrace. He was resting for the first time from the coronation. Seeing Kalena, he greeted her with a smile and she knelt. Two guards had accompanied him, so she had to keep the manners.


    "Stand up," he said, "nice to see you again. I missed you. Show me what you brought!"


    She handed him the book without saying a word. He flipped through it quickly and the smile disappeared slowly from his face.


    "Whose comments are these?"


    "Mine. There were many mistakes in the chapter about the history of Kagolania. I had to do something about it. It''s not too much, I didn''t have time on the way."


    "I know very well the history of Kagolania."


    "You once told me that mistakes should be corrected for future generations. I''m sorry," she added, seeing his scolding look. "I could not resist."


    Galaspiael sent two guards away and asked her to sit next to him. He grew serious at one moment, it was obvious that he had something extremely urgent to tell her.


    "Since you know what this book is about, I''m not going to hide anything from you," he said, pouring her a cup of tea. "What do you think?"


    "I didn''t read much and understood even less. Did Zarkin almost killed a man for some fairy tale?"


    Kalena took up reading on the way. All she read was the introduction and the first few chapters. The author showed complete ignorance of history, he even had trouble writing down the names of some countries, but he quite accurately described the flow of energy through the human body and the various ways of using it, which he called the enchanting techniques. The whole book seemed like complete fiction. The girl felt a huge disappointment that she was sent after - in her opinion - something worthless.


    "Don''t you believe that once there were people with such powers?"


    "And do you believe in it?"


    "I have reasons for that," he admitted. "When you were sick, I managed to unleash such power, although I still don''t understand how. However, thanks to this I could beat Gyeul. I don''t know yet how it works, but enchanting is the only way he can treat us seriously. Perhaps, thanks to this, it will be possible to incorporate at least part of the Forbidden Zone back into Kagolania."


    "Do Righteous Conspiracy know how to use this technique?"


    "No," he replied, delving back into his reading. "Someone once said that this knowledge was only made available to the emperor and his children, but only a few were able to learn it. We''re gonna try together, okay?"


    "If you want to." Kalena shrugged. She was still quite skeptical of the whole idea. "Have you done something interesting when I was away?"


    "I have a new law ready to present to Okiani, but it is still not a total ban on slavery. I just allowed slaves to have their own money. They will be able to buy themselves out of slavery, so I must have a place where they can settle down. That''s why I want to limit Gyeul''s territory. What?" He asked seeing her face. "Is it a bad idea?"


    "No need to rush. If someone is a slave since birth, even if they''re rich, they will not come up with the idea of buying themselves out of slavery." Kalena drank her tea with a few large sips and continued speaking. "I can tell you how it is from my personal experience. You''ve been dreaming of freedom all your life, and when you get it, it scares you and you don''t know what to do with yourself. Most of them later work as a servant because they can''t decide for themselves without you. It is their children who are born free, who manage to fight for their life."


    "Sooner or later you''ll need the area," Galaspiael replied. "I''ve got a bit worried because of what you wrote about Madegald. I doubt that the Empire is indeed preparing for war, but we must check it. I will send someone there when the situation in the palace will be calmed down."


    "What situation?"


    "I thought I told you? Okiani is coming. We have a small religious holiday that is an opportunity to discuss various matters. Tomorrow all the festivities will take place. The Silver Guard is to appear too."


    "Tomorrow¡­" she repeated "so now we have a break. Wonderful, I''ll finally bathe and sleep!"


    They said goodbye. She came back home through the secret passage she saw during the coronation, happy to finally be able to rest.


    Zarkin spent almost all the money he earned on the food and ingredients for the poison he intended to make. They were mainly venom of scorpions and snakes, but also greenish syrups with pieces of plants floating inside. All this could be obtained at the Kagolanian market if you knew where to look.


    Kalena told him to take the most disgusting things out of the kitchen and not bring them there anymore. He promised that he stuffed everything in the old workroom, which he intended to transform into his own and quickly took everything away.


    *


    "I don''t have good manners." Blonde boy looked uncertainly around the large corridor and glanced suspiciously at the elegantly dressed man. "How should I behave towards them?"


    "You don''t have to pay attention to them at all," Kalena replied calmly, "unless one of them would attack Galaspiael. We are to ensure safety and not bow or entertain them."


    Luko nodded a greeting.


    "Go to the throne room, there has been a small change in plans, we are to accompany His Majesty on the way to the feast."


    "I''m getting nervous. I can still quit, right?" Zarkin whispered softly.


    Jun approached them unnoticed.


    "Why are you still standing there?! On your positions, there is no time!"


    Galaspiael came out with four Okiani accompanying him. The guards quickly formed two ranks around them on opposite sides. Kalena and Zarkin were to close the procession.


    "Hey!" Suddenly Kalena nudged him and pointed at the tall man with an olive complexion. "I just remembered something. Can you see him? His name is Han Thiro!"


    "What about it?" Zarkin tried to stay calm, but she noticed that he clenched his teeth at the name.


    "They''re a family! Maybe he knows something about Mei? Ask him!"


    "I told you I wouldn''t look for her! I''m fed up already with her family! A bunch of twisted fanatics, with her at the forefront!"


    The girl didn''t answer. Galaspiael didn''t say a word on the way, listening to one of the advisers and nodding from time to time. She wondered if he was so absorbed or whether he had turned his attention off for a moment.


    It was hard to watch over the safety of such a large chamber with dozens of people inside, but Jun found away. Earlier he ordered the guards to divide the room in their minds to small parts so that everyone would take care only of their area. Zarkin had the one at the door, which as if by the twist of fate was also guarded by Han.


    "You must be new here, am I right? How do you like it in the Silver Guard?" He tried to talk to him when he noticed that the boy persistently stared at him.


    "You have a nice life here," Zarkin admitted, "you can travel the whole world. I have recently returned from a mission."


    "Do you like traveling? I have heard that the king plans to send someone to Madegald for a very long time. I can recommend you."


    "Me? Where in the Madegald exactly?"


    "Far. To Enila. Have you heard about this city?"


    "Never. What is the king looking for there?"


    "Information. The letter from your friend was quite disturbing, you have to see if there is anything to be afraid of. It would also be nice to sow some fools from the Righteous Association."


    "You mean the Righteous Conspiracy," Zarkin corrected him. "There are two organizations, the Righteous Conspiracy and the Scribes'' Association.


    "For me, they''re all the same," Han replied.


    "Can I ask you something?" Zarkin interrupted abruptly.


    "I''ve waited for it. You looked like you were going to ask me a question, my friend," he admitted, "what is worrying you?"


    "Your surname is Thiro, just like my... friend''s Mei. We''ve had a lot of arguments lately, and she''s fled somewhere. I wonder if you don''t know where it is. If she is your relative, she could have asked for help or..."


    Han smiled in a way that Zarkin didn''t like at all. He instinctively sensed that Mei had already told him her version of the story.


    "Indeed, my distant cousin visited me a few days ago, which was quite surprising. I don''t keep in touch with that part of the family. She was determined to travel far, so I advised her to go to Sekania because from there it is easiest to get away somewhere."


    The boy groaned.


    "I''ll never find her again!"


    "Relax, Sekania is just a stop. If she could go somewhere, I''d bet on Madegald. She would have to make a fortune to go overseas. Traveling to At''insha is expensive and the farther you want to go, the more you have to pay. Unless she got to work on the ship, but I doubt anyone would decide to let her."


    "I understand. Thank you anyway." Zarkin bowed and moved away to return to his post. "I feel more calm knowing that she was here and is safe."


    *


    Kalena was getting a little bored.


    She was alone on the other side of the room, watching over what was happening to Galaspiael and the Okiani closest to him. The problem is that nothing happened at all. According to her, the coronation party was much more interesting. She struggled to keep from yawning all the time.


    The wives who decided to come to the capital talked to each other at another table, where Lin-Si was also sitting. Only men could sit at the royal table.


    There were not many people, at least not as many as she expected. A smaller room could be allocated for this feast, but Galaspiael said that such important guests should always dine in the largest. This room, the most elegant and richly decorated, was suitable for the great lords of Kagolania.


    Kalena stood still, almost falling asleep until suddenly someone fell on her. Cold water poured over her sleeve and leg.


    "I am so sorry, my lady!" The servant curtsied nervously. "don''t worry, it will dry out. It''s only water!"


    "All right," Kalena murmured in response. The accident woke her up a bit. She wondered if anyone would notice if she slipped away for a moment to change clothes, but decided to stay on position.


    The stain was not a serious enough reason to leave the room. She glanced at her left hand and hissed, seeing the bright red material became absolutely black. As if someone had spilled ink, not water on it.


    Kalena noticed with horror that Galaspiael had just raised the cup to his mouth. She ran as fast as she could and pry it out of his hand.


    "Don''t drink it!" She shouted. All eyes gathered at her.


    "Why not?"


    "It''s poisoned!" Kalena showed him her sleeve. "It spilled on me just a moment ago!"


    Galaspiael turned pale and moved away from the table, looking at her in horror.


    "I took a sip," he whispered, "I didn''t feel anything suspicious."


    "Who else drank this water ?! She asked loudly, but no one answered. Lin-Si got up and covered her mouth. Galaspiael approached her quickly.


    "Will I die?" She asked. "Please do something, I don''t want to die! I don''t want to!"


    Jun acted very quickly. The royal couple was led to another room. Zarkin ran after them and caught Kalena on the stairs.


    "What was that? Do you know" She asked, seeing the boy watched her stained clothes with curiosity.


    "Wait a minute, let me check." He took a small bottle from under his shirt and poured the contents onto the black material. "That''s okay. For sure it is not an acid. Fortunately. I think they can drink water and it will be good. Just in case I would give my antidote."


    "Do you need anything?" Samin asked, and Zarkin looked at him with undisguised irritation.


    "Water, I just said that. Make them drink a lot of clean water, they must dilute what they have swallowed. Does it sting you, itch it or anything?"


    "Not at all." Galaspiael sighed heavily, trying to calm himself down. "Will we be all right?"


    "I will do my best to keep you alive, Your Majesty."


    The servants quickly arrived with the water, but Lin-Si did not want to drink. She demanded that someone try first, even though the water had already been tested. Galaspiael agreed to do so, suppressing growing anger.


    "I have to go back and tell them I''m alive," he said finally.


    "I think it would be better to go to rest somewhere safely." Kalena lowered her voice. "There may be a poisoner still in the palace."


    "Do you suspect Okiani?"


    "I''m not sure," she said, "but if someone in the palace wanted to kill you, they''d had many opportunities before. Yet they decided to wait until Okiani''s arrival? I doubt it. It has to be one of them."


    "She is right. You''re not going anywhere, " the queen said firmly.


    "It will be viewed as a lack of respect..."


    "They tried to poison us, isn''t that a lack of respect?" Lin-Si looked at Zarkin. "Are you sure that water is enough?"


    "Absolutely," he assured, "whoever it was, they''re not a good poisoner. Even if Kalena didn''t react so quickly, I believe that it would end only in diarrhea, which, however, you would survive. This mix should not be diluted so much."


    Galaspiael straightened up and staggered slightly. He was too tired to argue with Jun and Lin-Si. He allowed to lead him to the chamber. Five guardians stayed near, to protect the king. The rest, together with the palace guards, began an investigation.


    Even if the circle of suspects narrowed to Okiani, it was not easy to identify the perpetrator. Their servants were not willing to cooperate.


    Silver Guards began by asking a servant who had accidentally spilled poisoned water on Kalena. The boy, terrified by the whole situation, had difficulty expressing his thoughts clearly, but in the end, he confessed that he had seen one of the queen''s maids revolve in the kitchen. Asked to point her out, he did so very reluctantly.


    She was found dead in the chamber she had occupied earlier. She drank the same poison she used.


    *


    "Wake up!" Someone whispered nervously, shaking Galaspiael. It took a moment before he realized it was Lin-Si.


    "What happened?" He muttered.


    "I''m suffocating! The water they gave us was also poisoned! I can''t breathe!" She stammered. Galaspiael sat on the bed and lid a new candle from the end of the previous one.


    "You''re fine," he said calmly. "Water has been checked thoroughly."


    "I''ve been poisoned, I can feel it!"


    "You''re panicking!" He said, grabbing her by the shoulders. "You are completely healthy and safe. Lie down, close your eyes, and breathe calmly."


    "How can I be calm if there is a killer in the palace? What if he comes here and slits our throats? Or start a fire when we fall asleep?" She asked, looking deep into his eyes, waiting for her to subdue her fears once again.


    "My guards are outside. They won''t let anyone in, and if there really would be a fire, they''ll let us know and evacuate us with the shortest route."


    He managed to calm her for a moment, but then he heard her sob quietly again. For the first time, Galaspiael began to feel sorry for her. He didn''t even notice when she lost her old confidence and insolence.


    "Would you like a cup of tea?" He asked, not knowing how to start the conversation. She shook her head and wiped her eyes. She began to remove the hair clips, but she couldn''t quite do it.


    Galaspoael dipped his hand in her blond hair and slowly began to untangle the ornaments. She slept in them, so it was hard. When he finished, he hugged her and was surprised that she didn''t protest. Last time she let him do it when they were both seven years old. Running in a long dress, she fell and hurt her leg, and Galaspiael comforted her.


    She changed position to a bit more comfortable and sighed heavily.


    "What''s the matter with me lately?"


    "I don''t understand what you mean."


    "I shouldn''t get hysterical," she explained. "That''s not how the queen behaves. Tell me how you do that you are not afraid at all? Someone tried to kill you and you are so calm..."


    "I don''t show it, but that doesn''t mean I''m not afraid. When I realized that I had drunk the poison, I was terrified like never before in my life. I am afraid of death, but I try to think that we managed to survive and I''m happy about it." He smiled when Lin-Si looked at him. "Don''t worry, as long as I have the strength to hold the sword in my hand, I won''t let anyone hurt my wife."

 40 Chapter 32

    After hearing the captain of the Silver Guard, Galaspiael got clearly worried, although everyone thought that knowing the identity of the attacker would calm him down.


    "As far as I know, this girl was very close to Lin," he said, "because it was this redhead, right?"


    "That''s right, Your Highness."


    "She always seemed very loyal, sometimes too much. She did not leave her side without a clear order."


    "She was bribed." Kalena tapped the crumpled paper lying on the table. "Or blackmailed, depending on how you interpret it. She had money attached to the last letter, for which she bought the poison, much cheaper and less effective than it should, but still lethal if you drank more of it. From what we were able to read, she had known Okiani Nawarin for a year."


    "So it was an Okiani?" the king narrowed his eyes furiously and twisted his lips. "I didn''t want to believe it. I even suspected that some enemy had sent someone against me."


    "What are you going to do, Your Majesty?" Luko asked.


    "And what do you think I can do in this situation?"


    The question remained unanswered, but in her heart, Kalena had already guessed everything and suspected that others did too.


    Galaspiael ordered everyone to appear in the throne room and let the guards bring by force those who would refuse to go voluntarily. As they gathered, he looked at everyone closely.


    "Forgive me for the last indisposition," he began, "it is a miracle that I managed to survive last night. Our queen, unfortunately, is still in deep shock and cannot accompany us today."


    "We hope that Her Highness will find calmness. Is her state serious?." Aymon was the first to dare to speak.


    "She is perfectly healthy but aware that her life was in danger and frightened because of that. She suffered a lot and I would lie if I said that it did not affect me."


    Galaspiael''s every word was filled with rage. Kalena stood next to him, almost paralyzed with fear. She couldn''t look into his eyes, as in the past, she couldn''t look up at her owner in terror.


    "As far as I know, your Silver Guard quickly tracked down the culprit," Samin broke the thick silence.


    "Indeed. I am sorry to say that the person who committed this crime is one of you. Okiani, who once swore absolute obedience." Galaspiael closed his eyes for a moment. "Nawarin, please come forward."


    The tall, swarthy man stepped back at his name. He wanted to escape, but Jun and Tashi held him down and dragged him to the center of the room.


    "Okiani Nawarin, you are accused of trying to poison the king and his wife," Samin stepped forward. "You now have time to prepare for the trial."


    "It won''t be necessary," Galaspiael interrupted him and stood up. "The Silver Guard has collected all evidence. Personally, you did not pour the poison into my cup, but you used an innocent girl! You wrapped her in and manipulated because you didn''t dare to kill me! Could I at least know the reason why you became a traitor?"


    The accused remained silent. Kalena pursed her lips and stared at him intensely. She jumped violently when Galaspiael shouted.


    "Answer me! Serving foreign masters does not free you from the etiquette!"


    "Forgive me, Your Majesty," he croaked, falling to his knees. "I can''t tell you."


    "You will tell everything here or during the torture," the king said coldly.


    "Kill me if you want, I won''t tell you anything."


    Galaspiael narrowed his eyes. Kalena glanced at him but quickly turned away. She wanted to leave as soon as possible.


    "I see. No repentance... I wanted to show grace, but you give me no choice. Therefore, I condemn you to death for treason. You''ll be beheaded once the celebrations are over."


    Death penalty. For the first time in his life, he issued such a sentence. Kalena saw that it cost him a lot, he seemed devastated by the fact that he was forced to make such a decision. Okiani Nawarin was led out. He did not scream, he did not struggle, he seemed reconciled with fate.


    "Do any of you think this is an unjust punishment?" Galaspiael turned to the others. No one objected.


    "There is no excuse for such an act," Aymon responded firmly, "you have done the right thing, Your Majesty. I think you should now thank the man who saved your life yesterday. It will certainly be a rewarding moment when the king now mentions them to everyone."


    "Yes," Galaspiael looked away for and sighed, letting the rest of his emotions leave him. "I wouldn''t be here today if it wasn''t for Kalena''s quick intervention yesterday." He looked at the girl near him. "I am grateful to both you and Zarkin. If there is anything I can do for you to repay you, don''t hesitate to ask."


    She had no idea what to say, so she just shrugged. She thought about asking for dismissal on that day, preferring not to watch the execution. Everyone stared at her to the point it got uncomfortable.


    "It seems that, like me, you also did not sleep well today," he added, understanding that the girl would rather not speak. "You''re terribly pale. Eat something sweet, it should give you strength. Gentlemen, '''' he turned to Okiani, "yesterday, before the poisoning, I was about to tell you something I had recently come up with. I thought about it for a long time and I think it is possible to do it."


    "What is it, Your Majesty?" Asked the short Okiani, whom Kalena had not noticed earlier.


    "Don''t you think that the Scribe Association should share the resources it has? The organization, which was created so that everyone has equal access to knowledge, completely closed itself to the outside world. Until someone joins this group, they don''t get access to anything. I know that many of you, as well as many of your family members, could get an education, but they did not want or could not associate with this organization. It''s understandable, it''s hard to find a master who would devote a year of his life to you and introduce you to the Association. The Righteous Conspiracy doesn''t allow too many foreigners¡­" He paused and took a deep breath. "I would like to propose a different solution, which is a primary school. So far only for the children of aristocrats, but the plans are much bigger. Three or four years of free learning. No matter what views we have regarding the acquisition of knowledge, you must admit that everyone should write and read at a decent level, especially the ones who will deal with the affairs of the kingdom in the future. I am sure that a few hours of study a day will not be a big difficulty for your children."


    "What organization will this school be under?" Samin asked.


    "I told you under none," said the king.


    "However, the way it works is very similar to the Righteous Conspiracy. Maybe let''s make an academy for future Madegaldian spies!"


    "Samin, it''s not polite to shout, we''re not in the market," Aymon remarked. The fair-haired man flushed with rage, but when he turned around, a calmness settled on his face.


    "Excuse me. My fears arise only from concern for the good of Kagolania."


    "I understand you, but the Academy will only be modeled on the functioning of the Oath. Hardly anyone can withstand the intensity of training at the Scribes'' Association, which is why I prefer to extend my studies, but allow a larger group to complete it."


    "Maybe we can just hire Scribes for this?" Someone asked. Galaspiael looked at him.


    "Hire them for what?"


    "For reading and writing. They can finally do something useful."


    "The Association is an international organization, even I don''t have the power to change its rules. Please, think about my idea, I will be happy to hear your opinions. I can assure, I will take full responsibility for the claims of both organizations if they occur."


    Kalena listened intently until she realized that Samin stood behind her.


    "Use your position well. Only a few have this chance you just got."


    "Excuse me?"


    "It''s obvious the king likes you a lot," he explained, and for a moment he contorted his lips in a strange grimace. "I also saved his life once and yet he never mentioned me at an audience."


    *


    In the evening the palace garden was empty. Everyone wanted to witness the execution of the traitor Okiani. Zarkin wandered aimlessly around the large garden, not feeling the need to do anything useful at all.


    At one point, he heard someone''s voice, so similar to Mei''s, that he jumped. He did not see anyone until entering the cherry alley. Then he saw Nailan for the first time.


    She sat among several other servants, completely outshining them. When she noticed Zarkin, she waved merrily, as if they had known each other for a long time. Encouraged by this gesture, he came closer.


    "Are you lost?" She asked.


    "I was just resting. I deserve after all this."


    "It''s Zarkin from Silver Guard," said the petite blonde maid. "The one who poisons people."


    "Not only poisons, sometimes saves," he corrected. "I saved the king."


    "Lord Zarkin, who poisons and sometimes saves people. Nice to meet you, I''m Fan Nailan."


    "I wonder why I haven''t met you before. Where did I have my eyes?"


    The girl looked at him pityingly.


    "Have you not yet noticed that Her Highness''s servants are separate from you? We came from Velikania recently, we haven''t mastered Kagolanian language yet."


    "Velikanian and Kagolanian are very similar" he fluently switched to her native language, to which she responded by nodding appreciatively. "Kagolania and Velikania were one back in the old days."


    "I know. It will be nice to talk to someone in our language. But later, we now have to get back to work."


    "Of course. The queen probably does not have such a great person by the side." Zarkin bowed. "Goodbye Nailan."


    He followed her with his eyes until she disappeared at the entrance gate. Then he sat down in the place where she could still smell her perfume and sighed deeply.


    *


    The execution took place in the evening. Kalena had to be present.


    Later she was supposed to go home, however, an inner feeling made her go to the palace garden. She wandered there a long time until finally, she found a small gazebo, surrounded by wild rose bushes. It was there that she came across Galaspiael.


    He sat all alone inside, staring at a flat, polished stone, resembling a tombstone, placed in the center. He didn''t notice that she came over. Kalena sat next to him and put her hand on his shoulder. He didn''t even turn his head toward her.


    "Do you think I''m a murderer?"


    "No," she replied, "of course not."


    "I saw your expression," he murmured, "back then."


    "I saw the beheading for the first time in my life and I must admit that it is not something pleasant to watch, but I still think you did the right thing. Ask who you want, they will tell you the same thing."


    "I don''t think I did the right thing and I''m afraid the opinion of others won''t change that." He sighed heavily. "Thousands of years ago people fought monsters. I envy them. It is much easier to kill a monster than a human... There should be better solutions."


    "He tried to poison you," she reminded, "if you let him live, he would probably try again. Or he would turn someone else against you."


    Galaspiael sighed again and fixed his eyes on the smooth stone.


    "Whose grave is this?" Kalena asked, wanting to keep the conversation going.


    "My slave''s. Her name was Yumi," he answered. "She lived in a palace when I was eleven. She tried to make friends with me." He blinked to stop tears. "That''s the only thing she wanted. To spend time with me because I was the only person her age."


    "And what happened to her?"


    "One day I got angry and killed her."


    "Why you did that?" Kalena asked carefully, seeing that the boy was already on the verge of endurance.


    "Because I was a child. Or rather a little monster who lived in the belief that he was allowed everything." He grimaced in disgust at his old self. "Not so long, because my father was very concerned that I murdered an innocent girl for fun. It happened that my master was outside and told father what to do. I was to go to Yagn-Sho for training, and after returning to live among the subjects and learn to respect them."


    Kalena tried her best to hide the shock caused by his confession. She knew he wasn''t lying, but at the same time couldn''t imagine Galaspiael killing anyone as a child. Something like that just didn''t suit him.


    "I always thought you did it of your own free will."


    "When I could come back, I decided not to. Everyone here... remembered how I was. Everything in the palace that reminds me of the past. About ancestors, I should be ashamed of... and about the soulless monster inside me."


    "There''s no monster inside you! The case with Nawarin is different, don''t compare it to Yumi. And don''t compare yourself to that kid you were! You''re not like that anymore You''ve grown up and I''m sure Yumi is proud of you." She took his hand. "I think wherever she is now she has forgiven you."


    *


    Kalena managed to persuade Galaspiael to return to the palace, but he did not want to rest. They began to make a copy of the book stolen by her.


    "Every man can enchant something different, but in most cases, the power is over one of the five elements." Kalena carefully wrote each word and continued. "This art was abandoned after the great war and banned in the Great Empire of Madegald, Sekania and also Kagolania..." She stopped reading aloud and looked at Galaspiael.


    "Gyeul''s Great-grandson gave the last scrolls to the Righteous Conspiracy." He nodded. "What''s next there?"


    "Just stupid things I told you about earlier. The author made a mistake about five hundred years of the history of Kagolania.


    "You can skip history chapters, that''s not what we mean. This is not the original version of this work anyway. The second sentence you read was a comment from the Conspiracy. The real pre-war version probably lies in some archive, if it survived to this time."


    "You said once that you can''t skip any words."


    "You had to learn how to write, that''s why I said it. Give it to me!" He reached out. He opened the book on the page, where there were no more Kalena''s comments.


    "Both men and women can master this art. We don''t know exactly what determines what a person will be able to enchant, but it has been proved that representatives of dynasties have the most powerful powers... see? It''s exactly what I thought. There are no divine ancestors, the people who came here a few thousand years ago simply had a highly developed enchantment talent. Ordinary subjects did not understand what was happening and began to worship them. And years later, when everyone had learned to enchant, the legend remained. There is a logical explanation for everything, there is no magic in this world."


    "Read on," she urged him, "I''ve already written everything down."


    "For enchanting, the human being uses the life energy from its body. This energy can connect with the energy outside. That''s when the outside can then be imposed by one''s will. Over time, the body gets used to regularly straining, but you can still feel weak."


    "It doesn''t make sense," she said.


    "I understand. I told you that I used my power once, although I was not fully aware of it at the time. It''s exactly as written here. I sent a strong wave that hurt Gyeul, but knocked me down too."


    "How did you know what to do and what you enchant?"


    "I had no idea what I was doing, it was an act of despair," he admitted, "it just came to my mind suddenly. Before we start learning it, we still need to figure out what you can enchant with your energy."


    "I don''t want to discourage you, but as far as you remember I was a slave." Kalena smiled crookedly. "I don''t think I have any power. For sure it''s hereditary, you have more chances with your powerful ancestors. I will help you develop your talent."


    "But it would be much more fun to study it together. To have our own secrets from the whole world... You don''t want to?"


    "Even if I could enchant something, I will soon start training with Jun, I will continue to deal with Kagolanian dynamite and work in the guard. What life energy should I use when I come home in the middle of the night and I''m exhausted? And what energy will you use?" She paused for a moment, realizing, she was yelling at him. "Now this case with Nawarin, the academy, the ban on slavery, and I know that at dinner you told Okiani about something else. You will die from overworking!"


    They sat in silence for a long time, until she wanted to apologize at some point though she didn''t think her words were offensive.


    "Forgive me. When you want to rest, just tell me," he said calmly. "I won''t be angry about it, and I can even talk to Jun to give you more time off."


    "Why don''t you rest yourself? You''ve imposed so many duties after the coronation that you''ll soon get lost in everything. Get one thing to the end, then realize other ideas. You have time."


    "I know," he interrupted, "I''ll take a break soon. Do not compare what was before the coronation, it is completely different."


    "And what has changed since then?" Kalena changed closer to him. "Why do you have to work almost to death now?"


    "You won''t understand this."


    "How can you be so sure? Tell me what''s wrong with you. Without any big words."


    Galaspiael clenched his teeth.


    "You never had the whole country to care about. You have no idea what it is like."


    "Right, I have no idea," said Kalena calmly, "and I can''t help you with that. But something bad has been happening to you for a long time. I wish I could at least comfort you, but I can''t if you close yourself to me."


    There was a long silence.


    "I''m afraid," he confessed after a moment. "I''m afraid that eventually people will open their eyes and see that I am not fit to be king. I want to meet their expectations at least a bit, but I know that one day they will see that I can''t. Today I proved that I can''t handle it. I''m glad no one noticed except you."

 41 Chapter 34

    "Girl, you''re hopeless!" Captain Jun screamed above Kalena''s head. "Stand up, how long would I wait?!"


    The first training was not the easiest, but she wasn''t discouraged. She quickly jumped up from the ground and attacked once again.


    "I will show you the hopeless, you old man!"


    "Slowly! Listen to your body!" Jun repulsed her attack, almost knocking her down. "You are tired, and the opponent still has strength, you should conclude from this. What are you doing wrong?"


    "I''m doing everything right. That''s my strategy."


    "What is your strategy? Reply!" He shouted, attacking so hard that she couldn''t fight back. He paused, sparing her painful defeat.


    "I thought if I tired of you first, you would give up sooner."


    "So the same system as with Luko, Han, Zarkin and all your fights I''ve seen. Having a favorite strategy is a good thing, but it can''t be that stiff."


    Kalena attacked again, trying to save the rest of her strength, but Jun defeated her anyway. She lay on her back for a moment, breathing hard and not paying attention to his annoyance.


    "We have to work on your endurance. You''re good, but not as good as a Silver Guard member should be. Come here!" Jun gestured to her and sat on the ground, crossing his legs. "After each fight, even the smallest one, you need to find a moment to take care of your body. You may not even feel some of the bumps, but after a while, it turns out that they caused serious damage."


    "My right side hurts," she said, "and that''s it."


    "It hurts you because you have been pulling this stupid jacket all the time instead of focusing on defense! After the break, you have to take it off."


    Kalena felt a shiver running down her spine. She chose the long-sleeved outfit on purpose, wanting to cover her mark this way. She made sure that nobody knew her past. She did not want to repeat the similar situation she had experienced in Yagn-Sho when Mizar saw her bare arm.


    "I will change and it should be fine," she replied, but the captain jerked at the material, pulling it down. She caught at the last minute.


    "I won''t eat you," he muttered calmly and pulled again, much harder this time. She jumped back, but grabbed her arm and ran a finger over the mark burned in on him. She felt ashamed as if she were completely exposed.


    "Ah yes." He nodded. "I should guess."


    "The king knows about it, you can ask him," she whispered, "he wanted me in the guard."


    Without a word, he pulled up his sleeve and showed her left arm. He had it all scarred, and one of them scares, in the same place as her stigma, certainly he did not get in any fight. Her eyes widened in surprise.


    "You too?"


    "I thought you know?"


    "I knew someone from the guard was also a liberated slave, but I didn''t know it could be you. Who set you free?"


    "Our king''s father. I was enslaved with the whole family because of the debts that my parents owed to one of Okiani. It was a huge blow for us. I was lucky to be in the right place at the right time." Jun put his arm around Kalena and patted her comfortingly. "Some people, even friends from the Guard, will not have respect for us, but the opinion of others is not the most important thing. I have understood that for people to respect me, I have to determine how much I am worth. Don''t be ashamed of this stigma. If it bothers you, you can ask His Majesty to remove it."


    "I was supposed to ask him, but I forgot," she admitted.


    "And who should remember about it?! Me? People know that the ruler has additional rights, but it is difficult to prove that you have been liberated by the king. I''m sure he will do it for you, you can see at first glance that he loves you very much. Whenever you are close, he has a better mood and looks at you when you look away. You made a mistake rejecting him."


    Kalena stood up and stepped away from him.


    "Sorry, but it''s not your business, Captain."


    "Okay, I get it" Jun raised his hand in a conciliatory gesture. "I only shared my thoughts. I have to tell the king to try to hide his attachment to you more. There are people in the palace who could use this against him.


    *


    Galaspiael searched Lin-Si for a long time. He didn''t find her in her chamber, or anywhere else she normally spent her time. One of her maids directed him into the garden.


    He had seen the large gardens from the windows of the palace since childhood, but he spent so little time there that it felt like a strange place. Despite the king''s lack of interest, the royal gardeners kept it in good condition. They had their own invention, they did not need special orders. Galaspiael, moreover, did not know what to suggest to them, since he could not cope with several vegetables in the home garden.


    "If I was worried about my life, I wouldn''t leave the palace without protection," he said calmly. There was only one person with his wife and not even a guard, just a simple maid.


    Lin-Si turned abruptly, surprised that he came so close, and made room for him on the bench.


    "I wonder if I want to go home. I don''t know where I will feel worse."


    "I don''t mind you go away for a few days if you need it," he said, and the queen snorted in irritation.


    "Father wouldn''t be happy about my return. He would reproach you."


    "Then stay." He threw up his arms. "Here you can rest. You said yourself that it is harder to find a quieter, more boring place."


    "Full of traitors," he hissed, "I understand now why you were running away."


    "She wasn''t unfaithful from the beginning. Perhaps she had some feelings for you until the end. Nawarin deceived her."


    When he said these words, Lin-Si jumped up, like stabbed with a pin.


    "You know?!"


    "I figured you were more than just a friendship between the queen and the court," he answered calmly. "Your father had gently suggested that he would like me to... bring you to the right path."


    "He wanted to exchange all my maids for eunuchs, but he didn''t make it before my departure. When he got rid of me, he breathed a sigh of relief that I was your problem now. My father was very afraid that he would have to watch the shameful execution of his daughter." She turned to face her husband. "Is that why you didn''t force me on your wedding night?"


    "Not only that, but it was one of the reasons."


    "In a few years, people will start to suspect something if we won''t get a child. There will be rumors about us."


    "I am aware of that," Galaspiael replied calmly, "but for now we are young, we have a lot of time before they press us. Maybe some solution will be found by then. You can tell them that at night instead of being in your room I spend time in the studio. You will find many witnesses who will confirm this. Speaking of work, I should deal with a pile of documents that have already accumulated... " He glanced at her. "Unless I have to stay with you?"


    "Go. But I would prefer you to rest more. You don''t look so good. You have dark circles under your eyes, you should make tea leaf compresses."


    He just nodded with a smile and headed for the studio. He knew he couldn''t focus on documents for long. The book obtained by Kalena tempted and upset him, because although he tried, he could not draw anything from the teaching contained therein.


    Galaspiael''s stomach hurt from frustration when he had to spend time meditating instead of working, but that was obligatory to learn enchantment. Also, he couldn''t focus because he was still thinking about Lin-Si. Everything was fine, but he was worried about her.


    The king closed all the doors behind him and sat down in the middle of the room. He promised himself that he would devote a week to it. Only a week, and if he can''t do anything, he''ll do other things.

 41 Chapter 33

    "Girl, you''re hopeless!" Captain Jun screamed above Kalena''s head. "Stand up, how long would I wait?!"


    The first training was not the easiest, but she wasn''t discouraged. She quickly jumped up from the ground and attacked once again.


    "I will show you the hopeless, you old man!"


    "Slowly! Listen to your body!" Jun repulsed her attack, almost knocking her down. "You are tired, and the opponent still has strength, you should conclude from this. What are you doing wrong?"


    "I''m doing everything right. That''s my strategy."


    "What is your strategy? Reply!" He shouted, attacking so hard that she couldn''t fight back. He paused, sparing her painful defeat.


    "I thought if I tired of you first, you would give up sooner."


    "So the same system as with Luko, Han, Zarkin and all your fights I''ve seen. Having a favorite strategy is a good thing, but it can''t be that stiff."


    Kalena attacked again, trying to save the rest of her strength, but Jun defeated her anyway. She lay on her back for a moment, breathing hard and not paying attention to his annoyance.


    "We have to work on your endurance. You''re good, but not as good as a Silver Guard member should be. Come here!" Jun gestured to her and sat on the ground, crossing his legs. "After each fight, even the smallest one, you need to find a moment to take care of your body. You may not even feel some of the bumps, but after a while, it turns out that they caused serious damage."


    "My right side hurts," she said, "and that''s it."


    "It hurts you because you have been pulling this stupid jacket all the time instead of focusing on defense! After the break, you have to take it off."


    Kalena felt a shiver running down her spine. She chose the long-sleeved outfit on purpose, wanting to cover her mark this way. She made sure that nobody knew her past. She did not want to repeat the similar situation she had experienced in Yagn-Sho when Mizar saw her bare arm.


    "I will change and it should be fine," she replied, but the captain jerked at the material, pulling it down. She caught at the last minute.


    "I won''t eat you," he muttered calmly and pulled again, much harder this time. She jumped back, but grabbed her arm and ran a finger over the mark burned in on him. She felt ashamed as if she were completely exposed.


    "Ah yes." He nodded. "I should guess."


    "The king knows about it, you can ask him," she whispered, "he wanted me in the guard."


    Without a word, he pulled up his sleeve and showed her left arm. He had it all scarred, and one of them scares, in the same place as her stigma, certainly he did not get in any fight. Her eyes widened in surprise.


    "You too?"


    "I thought you know?"


    "I knew someone from the guard was also a liberated slave, but I didn''t know it could be you. Who set you free?"


    "Our king''s father. I was enslaved with the whole family because of the debts that my parents owed to one of Okiani. It was a huge blow for us. I was lucky to be in the right place at the right time." Jun put his arm around Kalena and patted her comfortingly. "Some people, even friends from the Guard, will not have respect for us, but the opinion of others is not the most important thing. I have understood that for people to respect me, I have to determine how much I am worth. Don''t be ashamed of this stigma. If it bothers you, you can ask His Majesty to remove it."


    "I was supposed to ask him, but I forgot," she admitted.


    "And who should remember about it?! Me? People know that the ruler has additional rights, but it is difficult to prove that you have been liberated by the king. I''m sure he will do it for you, you can see at first glance that he loves you very much. Whenever you are close, he has a better mood and looks at you when you look away. You made a mistake rejecting him."


    Kalena stood up and stepped away from him.


    "Sorry, but it''s not your business, Captain."


    "Okay, I get it" Jun raised his hand in a conciliatory gesture. "I only shared my thoughts. I have to tell the king to try to hide his attachment to you more. There are people in the palace who could use this against him.


    *


    Galaspiael searched Lin-Si for a long time. He didn''t find her in her chamber, or anywhere else she normally spent her time. One of her maids directed him into the garden.


    He had seen the large gardens from the windows of the palace since childhood, but he spent so little time there that it felt like a strange place. Despite the king''s lack of interest, the royal gardeners kept it in good condition. They had their own invention, they did not need special orders. Galaspiael, moreover, did not know what to suggest to them, since he could not cope with several vegetables in the home garden.


    "If I was worried about my life, I wouldn''t leave the palace without protection," he said calmly. There was only one person with his wife and not even a guard, just a simple maid.


    Lin-Si turned abruptly, surprised that he came so close, and made room for him on the bench.


    "I wonder if I want to go home. I don''t know where I will feel worse."


    "I don''t mind you go away for a few days if you need it," he said, and the queen snorted in irritation.


    "Father wouldn''t be happy about my return. He would reproach you."


    "Then stay." He threw up his arms. "Here you can rest. You said yourself that it is harder to find a quieter, more boring place."


    "Full of traitors," he hissed, "I understand now why you were running away."


    "She wasn''t unfaithful from the beginning. Perhaps she had some feelings for you until the end. Nawarin deceived her."


    When he said these words, Lin-Si jumped up, like stabbed with a pin.


    "You know?!"


    "I figured you were more than just a friendship between the queen and the court," he answered calmly. "Your father had gently suggested that he would like me to... bring you to the right path."


    "He wanted to exchange all my maids for eunuchs, but he didn''t make it before my departure. When he got rid of me, he breathed a sigh of relief that I was your problem now. My father was very afraid that he would have to watch the shameful execution of his daughter." She turned to face her husband. "Is that why you didn''t force me on your wedding night?"


    "Not only that, but it was one of the reasons."


    "In a few years, people will start to suspect something if we won''t get a child. There will be rumors about us."


    "I am aware of that," Galaspiael replied calmly, "but for now we are young, we have a lot of time before they press us. Maybe some solution will be found by then. You can tell them that at night instead of being in your room I spend time in the studio. You will find many witnesses who will confirm this. Speaking of work, I should deal with a pile of documents that have already accumulated... " He glanced at her. "Unless I have to stay with you?"


    "Go. But I would prefer you to rest more. You don''t look so good. You have dark circles under your eyes, you should make tea leaf compresses."


    He just nodded with a smile and headed for the studio. He knew he couldn''t focus on documents for long. The book obtained by Kalena tempted and upset him, because although he tried, he could not draw anything from the teaching contained therein.


    Galaspiael''s stomach hurt from frustration when he had to spend time meditating instead of working, but that was obligatory to learn enchantment. Also, he couldn''t focus because he was still thinking about Lin-Si. Everything was fine, but he was worried about her.


    The king closed all the doors behind him and sat down in the middle of the room. He promised himself that he would devote a week to it. Only a week, and if he can''t do anything, he''ll do other things.

 42 Chapter 34

    Enila wasn''t as far as Zarkin thought it''ll be.


    The city was built on a hill and, due to the exceptionally high wall surrounding it, gave the impression of an inaccessible fortress. After a week spent there, the boy felt almost like he had traveled to a completely unknown land. Residents were completely cut off from any news from outside other than that permitted by the governor who was a member of the Righteous Conspiracy. Zarkin wanted to see him, but couldn''t


    It so happened, however, that shortly after his arrival he had the opportunity to get to know another member of Conspiracy, named Raian. He didn''t reveal that he is a Scribe, although he didn''t try to hide that he knew more than the average traveler either.


    They met in a rather peculiar way. Zarkin was informed by the owner of the house in which he rented the room that he should pay double or move out after a week''s stay. Raian then offered to take him to the inn run by his parents. Zarkin agreed after prolonged persuasion, but with some caution.


    Raian had just begun studying in the Righteous Conspiracy and was very curious about the world. Therefore, he spent almost all his free time talking to Zarkin. He did not mind language difficulties at all. Raian wasn''t bad at strangers, he shared his knowledge like a young Scribe and was very jealous of his guest''s travel opportunities. He even promised to take Zarkin to Yagn-Mao, but later he seemed to have forgotten it.


    Zarkin''s main task was to gather information about the upcoming war, which he intended to do when he became certain that a new friend already trusted him sufficiently. However, he didn''t expect Raian would want to share information so quickly. He returned home and immediately knocked on the guest room.


    "His Imperial Majesty Naimoor will take power soon. There will be many festivities in his honor, even here. Will you stay to see them?"


    "Wasn''t he crowned already?" Zarkin answered the question with a question.


    The boy nodded, perplexed.


    "His Imperial Highness will now gain full power. During the coronation, he only gets some of the rights, and then, after the soul of the old emperor enters the afterlife and lives in the house of the Huangjin dynasty, the ceremony ends."


    "These rules are terribly strange," said Zarkin, "and what will he do after he is fully emperor?"


    "Probably what he planned for long. He will make contact with At''insha. That''s what masters said today.


    "Ah," Zarkin tried to look indifferent as much as he could. "Will he conquer Sekania before to gain access to the sea?"


    "How did you know?" Raian smiled brightly.


    "How else will you get to At''insha? With the wind? Well, Galaspiael reportedly once had plans to create a machine that would allow a man to fly. Maybe the emperor could convince him to cooperate if he gave Kagolania a few nice cities."


    "Who is Galaspiael?"


    Zarkin began to tell him about Galaspiael, Jin-Si, and almost all his peers from Yagn-Sho with undisguised superiority. He mentioned the Forbidden Zone, an encounter with Gyeul, Astinia, and a few other places, still hiding the fact that he was from the Scribes'' Association. Raian absorbed his words dreamily but did not interrupt even once.


    "Have you ever met this ghost?"


    "Fortunately not."


    "I would like to live like you," he confessed, "and someday I will! I will also travel across the whole world! If you still want to, I can take you to school tomorrow, but you have to change your clothes. I will bring you a student robe."


    "Suddenly you''re not afraid to take me with you anymore?"


    "I couldn''t then," he wriggled. "I want to repay you for telling me so much. You will see that Yagn-Mao is a beautiful place."


    *


    Early in the morning, they both slipped away, dressed in yellow robes with orange stitching. Zarkin refused to shave his head, so Raian told him to put on a hat.


    Classes started a little later than at Yagn-Sho and lasted shorter. However, students always came as soon as possible to be able to repeat the material. Only those outside the city slept in the quarters, the rest could go home at night.


    Yagn-Mao differed from Yagn-Sho mainly in how tightly it was closed. The youngest apprentices like Raian had only two rooms to study. The bedrooms were divided by five, maximum of ten people. The whole was planned to keep them on the smallest possible surface. It wasn''t until later in their education that they gained privileges that allowed them to enter parts of the building intended for older students.


    One master could look after a group of students, not just one. Future warriors, spies, and assassins were trained separately and were not taught to read or write. They could talk to students outside their group, but most of them preferred not to do this.


    Zarkin could not tame his curiosity and began to ask Raian to try to enter the forbidden for first-year students part after classes, but he categorically refused to go with him. The boy managed to slip away alone when there was a small confusion with the attendance list.


    He slipped to the section for older students without a problem. Someone left the key in the lock on the grille separating the corridor. That part of the building was contained rooms of older students, now empty because all of them went to classes.


    Unfortunately, when Zarkin wanted to move further, he couldn''t go to another part without a key. He thought he could wait for someone to open or if he could examine the students'' section more thoroughly. He did not want to give up easily, since he dreamed of entering the most guarded part of the Conspiracy headquarters and learning its secrets, for a long time but he knew he shouldn''t risk that much.


    Zarkin''s thoughts were suddenly disturbed by a cheerful conversation. Several student warriors just returned from the training, talking quite loudly about who had beaten whom. He didn''t have time to hide before they got to where he stood.


    "Hey, you!" The tallest boy saw him first and caught the attention of the whole group. "Shouldn''t you be in class now?"


    "I ..." Zarkin frantically wondered what he would come up with a lie. "I''m free now."


    "I don''t think you should be here anyway."


    "You know, I thought that since I will be allowed to enter this part soon, I will visit it sometimes."


    His response only caused malicious snorts.


    "I can see that you are still fresh," said the shorter boy with a slightly lighter complexion. "If you want to go sightseeing, come with us. We usually don''t take younger ones, but since you came here you need to have something more than regular Papyri."


    "Who?"


    "He''s really fresh!" The Conspiracy boy smiled at colleagues. "You don''t know? You are the Papyri. Those who are still in books and do not move any muscle at all. Where do you come from?


    "You said something about sightseeing ..." Zarkin suggested.


    "Oh yes! We want to go to the masters'' part. Do you know what this means or do I have to explain to you?"


    "I guess," he grunted a little irritated. "Do you have a key?"


    "We took it from our master yesterday evening. We, that is Zao, Bosu, Kai" he pointed out in turn "and Ceshi, that is me. So, are you going or are you scared?"


    "Stupid question, of course, I want to go, that''s why I''m here! Open!"


    The boy squatted by the small lock, but after a moment of hesitation gave Zarkin the key.


    "The walls are soaked in poison that senses human fear. If you go inside and your heart kicks you a little harder, the walls will know that you shouldn''t be here and you will get lost forever in the underground maze. We prefer not to risk taking a coward."


    "What nonsense!" Zarkin quickly opened the lock and went inside. "There is no such poison. It would be completely impractical, what if a master hurried up and entered the corridor after a little run? Would it drag him into the maze, too?


    "I have never met such a brave Papirus." Bosu nodded approvingly. Let''s go!


    In the dark corridor, all the doors they encountered were closed. Zarkin did his best to make the boys believe that he was one of them. He answered the questions casually, trying to mimic Raian''s Madegdalian accent.


    He was angry that at such a moment there was a closed-door everywhere on the road, but at the same time, he was happy to be the only Scribe there. He was looking for something small that he could easily put in his pocket and take as a souvenir when suddenly someone strongly poked him.


    "What do you have here?" Zao grabbed his knife and pulled it out. "Papyri must not have such, it is too big."


    "Give it back!"


    The boy shook his head and tried to stab Zarkin. He had no choice but to defend himself. He dodged and snatched his weapon back.


    Only then did he realize that he had no chance. There were four of them, and he was one, all around the Righteous Conspiracy members they could easily call for help. Mei would no longer slip a stone into his hand at the critical moment. He was alone.


    "I knew you'' re not an ordinary student! You can fight. I don''t know who is training you, but he will be interested in this information."


    "Okay! You got me!" Zarkin stepped back and reached out in a conciliatory gesture. I used to be an apprentice but in a different profession. It wasn''t here, I was training in other quarters," he added quickly "please don''t tell anyone about it. I can shoot a bow well if you want I can show you some tricks."


    The boys looked at each other and nodded.


    "Let it be. Come to the courtyard tonight and don''t be late, we''ll be waiting for you. Maybe by that time, we can find at least one key to this door. I heard masters has a kitchen, two times bigger than ours!"


    *


    "Are you sure you want this?"


    "I am."


    Galaspiael stepped back in his chair and stood up slowly. He opened the chamber door from the and beckoned to the servant who was walking down the hall


    "Please bring me a clean bandage."


    "Did something happened your majesty?"


    "Not yet, but it''s better to be insured," he said evasively, "hurry up!"


    He went back inside and took a small, flat bottle from the cabinet. He raised his head and looked around, his eyes fixed on the cabinet next to the bed.


    "I have some spirit left from experiments with dynamite. Hand me the dagger, it''s there," he pointed in an indefinite direction.


    "What is the spirit for?" She asked worriedly. "As far as I know, you need to just cut the scar."


    "Do not be afraid. I don''t know how it works, but do it whenever you have to cut your skin. You can get sick from injury, but if you do it this way, it''s practically impossible. After these words, he carefully wiped the blade with a soaked handkerchief. "We also have to wipe your arm."


    Kalena winced when she smelled alcohol. Galaspiael thoroughly washed her arm and suddenly, to her surprise, he slid the dagger into her hand.


    "It is ready. Now get to work!


    "What? No, I can''t!" She protested as if he urged her to profane some sanctity. "You should..."


    He smiled and shook his head no.


    "Am I your lord, Kalena?"


    "Yes." She put the dagger down. "You are the king and..."


    "No, wait," he paused and looked deep into her eyes. "Do you consider yourself my slave?"


    "No..."


    "You have been a free woman for a long time. You can decide about yourself and your body. You want to remove the mark, so do it."


    She looked doubtfully at her shoulder. A lord burned stigma and only a lord should remove it. She heard it many times. Each slave treated this mark as a document that you could be ashamed of, you could want to cover, but you could not violate it in any way. She didn''t know why it was like that, she just had it coded since childhood.


    Slowly, very slowly she put the blade to her shoulder and pressed lightly. She immediately felt a burning pain. The dagger was very sharp. Clenching her eyelids, she cut a little deeper. The other scar turned out to be much more painful until her tears came to her eyes.


    Kalena finished and looked at her work, from which pain still pulsed all over her hand. She had to wait for the wound to heal. The stigma was still visible but lost its status as a document. The pattern became indistinct, and nothing could be read from it.


    "We could draw the symbol on the paper before," Galaspiael leaned forward. "It was very complicated, I don''t know if I can do it now."


    "Don''t draw," she said.


    "You used to be curious about your ancestry," he reminded, "this is the only thing that could lead you to any trace.


    "It doesn''t matter to me anymore," she paused and shrugged. "I''m from Kagolania now."


    There was a long silence. Galaspiael bared his teeth in a smile.


    "How can I not love you? You saved my life, " he added when she looked at him in surprise. "You could get anything you want as a reward. And you only chose to remove the stigma."


    "Because I didn''t know what to ask for," Zarkin advised me to ask for more money, but I think what I have is enough.


    The servant with the bandage returned.


    "Put on a handkerchief first," Galaspiael unrolled the white fabric and laughed. "Look, Kalena, it''s enough to have all your arm and both legs covered."


    He pretended. Kalena could already see when he played cheerful and calm. She wondered if other people could see that the king was not as happy as he was trying to play before them. From what she saw, however, they did not perceive his behavior as she did.

 43 Chapter 35

    "Why are you awake?" Lin-Si entered the studio so quietly that Galaspiael didn''t notice her. "What''s going on with you? Go to bed! We were waiting for you, why didn''t you come to eat dinner?"


    "I ate," he muttered, writing something and sometimes sketching on a second page.


    "You ate last night. And it must have been your last meal."


    "I told the servant to bring me lunch."


    "I see." She glanced at the plate, which was left almost full. "Leave it, that''s enough! I order you to rest!"


    Galaspiael laughed and shook his head. When Lin-Si pulled the armchair, he almost fell to the floor. She helped him stand steadily and began to pull into the chamber. With each passing moment, he resisted less and less. He no longer had the strength to struggle, so he let her lead him.


    "You don''t have to work so much why don''t you use Okiani?"


    "They''re not for sitting here with me." Galaspiael rubbed his face with his hand. "Sometimes they advise me, they are hardworking."


    "My father doesn''t do that. The king should not overwork himself like a slave. He has people who think for him and present their ideas. And he only rejects them or sometimes approves if they''re good."


    "Any Okiani can tell me what he came up with if he wants. Sometimes they come with really good ideas. But I can''t rely on them, your father also shouldn''t. They think short-sightedly, their plans are not applicable throughout the country."


    Lin-Si snorted.


    "As always, you act like you know everything best. I worry about you," she confessed, "you hardly eat at all, you have been sleeping here lately. I don''t want to be a widow too soon, but it seems that I will if you would go on like that."


    "I''ll rest when I''m done."


    "When you finish one thing, you start doing something different. It''s always like that!" the queen took his hand and put him on her bed. He sat staring blankly at the floor and fighting the wave of exhaustion he didn''t feel when he was in the studio.


    Lin-Si sat on a leather chair and told her to comb her hair. Two servants took care of it quickly. They carefully removed decorations and cufflinks from her thick, wispy strands. After a few minutes, she began tapping impatiently on the edge of the decorated cabinet, now transformed into one of the dressing tables.


    "Go out!" She commanded when they finished. "And close the door!"


    When the servants'' steps stopped in the corridor, Galaspiael felt even more sleepy. He lay down on the bed and closed his eyes. Almost immediately, he felt like he''s floating away.


    "Sleep," she said when he suddenly raised his head. "Unless you want to eat something. But I won''t let you work."


    "I wouldn''t despise a snack."


    "Here you go." She handed him a fruit platter. "Tomorrow I''ll order to bring a fresh batch."


    "Good idea."


    "I''ll also order your guard to look after you with this job," she said firmly. "You won''t be finishing off yourself anymore."


    "I won''t," he nodded. "If I don''t listen, will you make them lock me in the dungeon?"


    "If you don''t listen, I''ll find out and I take care of it myself. Eat everything and rest. You have to sleep until noon. Then go to Kalena, but to relax without any sword fights or experiments."


    "For a good and loving wife, it''s far too easy for you to persuade me to go to her," he mocked. "I feel like a traitor, and I haven''t even done anything yet."


    "It won''t take you long. Kalena is a simple girl who is easily intimidated. Say that you love her, that she is more valuable to you than the crown, give some trinket as a gift and she will be yours."


    "It''s not that easy."


    "What''s so hard about it? Trust me, I have experience with the girls like her."


    Galaspiael sat on the bed.


    "Tell me, has anyone ever... has anyone ever rejected you after you told them your feelings?"


    Lin-Si shook her head and laughed softly.


    "Silly, of course not. I am a queen." She looked into his eyes and laughed again when she understood what he was trying to say. "No way! Galaspiael, don''t say that she¡­ How did this happen?"


    "I don''t know. I wanted to make her fall in love with me, and before I realized myself I was already in love with her. Complete stupidity."


    "The slave rejected the king who liberated her! Is she aware of what she has done? As a royal concubine, she would have a much better life than in the guard!"


    "Lin, she won''t be interested until she''s in love with me. And when I last checked, she wasn''t." Galaspiael laid back and closed his eyes. "I just have to accept it."


    *


    "Where did you learn to shoot so well?" Bosu patted Zarkin firmly on the shoulder. "You are invincible!"


    "I''ve always been able to hit my target, not only from the bow," he said, "no one can surpass me." Neither Scribe nor Righteous"


    "Have you trained with Scribes?" Zao raised one eyebrow. "It must have been interesting."


    "I didn''t train, I just tried them, like you now," he lied, ?they shoot well, but not one could do it like me."


    "It never works out for me," Ceshi admitted. "I look at the point where I want to hit and I hit somewhere else."


    Zarkin smiled. He liked to be treated as an expert and being admired. He felt good in the company of young Righteous Conspiracy members.


    "Because you don''t just shoot with your eyes," he revealed. "What the body does is equally important. You need to aim the arrow where you want it to go, not just look in that direction."


    "You should apply to the Imperial Guard," Ceshi said, and the rest nodded approvingly. "A few years of training and you could protect the throne room. Or become a captain."


    Zarkin almost laughed.


    "I don''t think I could. Only citizens of Madegald can enroll in the Imperial Guard. I have what they call... suspicious origin. Do you want to see anything else, or can I go now?"


    He was glad that they watched his performances with such admiration, but training tired him. They declared that they would escort him to his home, so they returned together. Raian was surprised to see such a large group, but he gladly invited them inside.


    They sat in the living room until late at night talking about what was going on in the capital. Preparations for the war had not yet begun, but everyone knew that the emperor was going to invade Sekania. His new friends were very happy and couldn''t wait to join the imperial army. No one showed fear, even if he was afraid. It would be unmanly and could be perceived as disloyalty. After all, they parted in seemingly good moods.


    At night, Zarkin did not sleep well. It felt like ice steel tearing his guts.


    He felt terrible, so far away from home, all alone, in Madegald. From day to day he learned more and more terrible things. He was struck for the first time by how lonely he was.


    At one point, he agreed with Raian. Once, during a conversation, or rather a long Zarkin''s monologue about the mistakes of the Conspiracy, when he asked Raian about the restriction of access to knowledge, he quietly answered him in one sentence:


    "Sometimes it''s not good to know too much."


    It was the truth. As a Scribe, he couldn''t think like that, but he knew the Conspirators were right about it. The knowledge about the coming war was like heavy baggage. Zarkin fell asleep for a moment, although he thought he was awake. He dreamed of the room he was in. Outside the window, it was red from proudly waving war banners. When he looked out, he saw an army walking in an even procession. The end or beginning of this march could not be seen. It looked like an endless river.


    He woke up sweaty and did not fall asleep that night.


    THE END OF BOOK 1 PART 1

 44 Chapter 36

    Book 1 part 2


    This year, the summer in Kagolania was extremely hot and stormy.


    Kalena waited for Jun for a long time. They had to train together, but something stopped him. She was glad that she could have a long break and think about irrelevant things.


    Galaspiael needed three years to implement the project of granaries with stock. The first was already built and filled, and the next ones, in further parts of the country, were just being built.


    The royal academy also began to function, but Kalena was not much interested in what was happening in king''s school. She only knew that the first students were accepted and began their learning.


    Also, the king regulated taxes and tightened the law on the possession of slaves. People knew that in a few years he would ban slavery completely. Opinions were divided, some Okiani hated this idea, others talked about the increasing number of liberated slaves. Galaspiael still pursued his goal relentlessly.


    Using the suggestion of his wife, he tried to get closer to Kalena, but it quickly became clear that before trying to get the favor of the girl he should first deal with the demons tormenting him. And every month there seemed to be more and more of them.


    The crown changed him a lot. He devoted less and less time to the things he once enjoyed. He continued to work on new inventions, made plans that he quickly implemented, but his actions lacked passion. He did it because he had to. Because if he stopped, people would say he is sick or too weak to continue being king.


    Despite that, their friendship became even more intense, and Kalena always supported him whenever he needed it. And, when he had to issue death sentences that could not be avoided in any way. In addition to Okiani Nawarin, there were two more such cases.


    Zarkin returned after almost a year and hardly anyone could recognize him. During the journey, he grew up and changed, both inside and out. Information meticulously collected and sent by him, as well as other members of the guard, which Galaspiael passed on, contributed to strengthening the alliance with Sekania.


    After the return, Zarkin began studying poisons and made the queen''s court fall in love with himself. He tried very hard to prove that he had forgotten about his former beloved. Kalena didn''t like it, but she knew there was nothing she could do about it. Sometimes, when they were alone, she joked saying that there was not a single woman left in the palace who had no romance with Zarkin. Finally Nailan, who had caught his attention earlier, managed to keep his attention for longer.


    Someone came and covered the sun for a moment. Kalena opened one eye, thinking it was the captain and she would have to start training soon.


    "I thought you fell asleep," it was Galaspiael. He leaned over and helped her up. "Jun won''t come, you can go home."


    "Did something happen? He always takes the schedule very seriously."


    "It''s partly my fault. I will accompany you. I need to borrow a sketchbook with large pages. I know you had one, and it would be very useful to me now."


    "What are you planning to do?"


    "Nothing important. I need some practice on my architecture skills."


    Kalena smiled and shook her head.


    "You recently talked about a new trade agreement with Velikania..."


    "I know," he groaned, "but I need a break. By doing two things at the same time, I''m more focused.


    It would be hard without the secret passage leading to her house. Much less privacy, much more likely for someone to discover the secret experiments they both conducted. Dynamite remained the greatest secret that few people still knew. Even Zarkin did not guess what was hidden in the heart of this seemingly peaceful place.


    Whenever Galaspiael came, she made tea. This time, however, he asked her to sit down next to him. He tapped his sketchbook and gathered himself to say something.


    "Recently, a letter from the Sekania came," he said, staring the walls and avoiding the girl''s eyes.


    "What was this letter?"


    "I am afraid to admit it to myself," he whispered, "but we probably won''t avoid war. I didn''t tell you about the negotiations, because I didn''t want to worry you, but now I think you should know. You are the first person in the country to find out about this, so please be discreet."


    Kalena stared at him for a moment, standing motionless, not able to say a word. She felt no fear, perhaps because she did not yet know the concept of war well. She read about it, in Yagn-Sho, and knew it was bad, but nothing more. She had the impression that the threat was strangely remote, so her mind still did not take everything seriously. But Galaspiael was worried. She couldn''t ignore that.


    "We''ll make it," she said and smiled comfortingly. "I will practice and go with you."


    "What? No, you won''t go anywhere. You stay here."


    In a surprise, she almost jumped in her chair.


    "Why?!"


    "Stay here. I will take dynamite, it will be necessary to train people on how to use it. You can find someone to help me and produce as much as possible for me. I will provide you with all materials as soon as possible."


    "Why wouldn''t you let me go?! Who will go?!"


    "War is not a place for you!" Galaspiael said sternly.


    "Because I''m a woman? I can fight better than most men! I will dress up so that nobody will recognize me. I swore to protect you, and now I am to stay?!"


    "Yes! You swore, so you are to stay now. You don''t understand how difficult it would be for me on the battlefield if I had to fight and worry about you at the same time?"


    "I can take care of myself. I''m much better than any soldier!" Kalena snorted loudly. "You worry about me, but since I am in your guard I was training with Jun every day. And you have not had a sword in your hand for several months! You don''t exercise anymore. Order to organize a duel. I will beat Jun, you, and any man!"


    "Stronger than you have already fought in a war and died. Don''t you understand why I''m telling you to stay? You are not just an ordinary woman, you are Scribe! You''ll be needed here. Come on!" He hugged her as when she was a student. "Madegald does not have a large army. United, we have a good chance of winning."


    "But you said that you are frightened by the vision of war."


    "Even the smallest conflict is a test for the ruler," he answered calmly. "Please, don''t bring me worries I have yet to tell Lin, and it will be hard. Kalena, are you crying?" Galaspiael looked at her concerned.


    "I''m not crying," she said calmly and sniffed."Do you know when it will start?"


    "I''ll find out soon enough. I don''t think we have too much time. A month, maybe two? Three if the ancestors would be kind. We must be ready when the King of Sekania calls for reinforcements."


    *


    After all, Galaspiael regretted that he said it the way he did, but he knew if Kalena found out by herself, it would not affect her well, and then he would not be able to stop her from joining the army.


    Although Lin-Si was already aware of the situation, Madegald was far away and their mountains separated them from Sekania. It was easy for her to forget that something was happening.


    He decided to wait a moment and not tell her everything at once, which he regretted during dinner. When they both finished, someone entered the chamber and bowed low.


    "A message has come to Her Highness, Queen Lin-Si," the man announced, holding out both hands in which he held the letter.


    "From home? Did something happened to Jin?"


    "No, my lady. The message is from Sekania."


    Lin-Si looked at the decorated tube in surprise and slowly opened it. She took out the letter and focused for a moment on the evenly written text. She raised her head, staring at something in front of her.


    "What''s happening?" Galaspiael was concerned about her reaction. He looked hatefully at the innocent messenger, who took a few steps back, feeling the king''s gaze.


    "It''s from Anilana," she replied, "I''m surprised. She never liked me, though I never knew why. When she became a queen, she did not speak to me once. I heard her husband forbade her to do so."


    "What does she wants now?"


    "She asks if we have started preparations for the war." Lin-Si looked at Galaspiael. "What war? Why don''t I know anything about this?"


    Galaspiael stifled a curse that hit his lips.


    "I wanted to tell you about it right now," he lied, "Madegald refused to step down and broke the Sekanian border once again. I think that soon the Sekanians will ask us to fulfill the contract."


    "Will you go?" She asked and pursed her lips tightly. "Do you have to go there? Can''t you just send some people?"


    "They''ll think I''m sending them to death and that''s why I''m not going. If I stay, they get the impression that I''m scared and avoid fighting. And then I will lose my honor and chance of an alliance with anyone. Sekania will consider me a traitor, Madegald, and Velikania a coward!" He paused when Lin-Si unexpectedly stood up and grabbed the decorated plate. At the last moment he managed to dodge when she threw it.


    "I hate you!" She screamed, "How dare you leave me and run away! You think that if once or twice I have replaced you, I can handle the kingdom all alone?"


    "Calm down, I won''t leave you with anything!" He tried to defend himself against the orange flying towards him, but this time she hit. "Stop it right now, it''s not funny!"


    "I don''t care about all the honor talk, you have to stay here! The country needs you alive, not dead with honor." Lin-Si wanted to approach him, but she almost fell in high boots and a long dress. "I need you! You may not even leave your studio, but stay here! Don''t go to any war."


    "Lin, please..."


    "I knew it would be like this! You will leave the whole country on my head and run away. I knew it was better not to trust you, better to treat you like air¡­"


    "You''re exaggerating. I don''t have control over conflicts or war customs. And I''m not going there to make you angry, it''s completely ridiculous! Stop acting like a little girl, you know how it annoys me!"


    The queen paled with rage.


    "How dare you speak to me like that! If you go to Sekania, I''ll run away and you''ll never see me again!"


    Galaspiael took a deep breath and walked over to her, with some caution, but fortunately she didn''t throw anything at him.


    "Do you think it''s my fault? You should know best that sometimes we can''t decide for ourselves. I''d rather never leave Kagolania. I want to spend my life the way I chose, but apparently, it can''t be done. You have to accept it."


    "Have you ever fought in a war?!"


    "I didn''t, but the Madegaldian emperor either. Please, don''t act like you already know I won''t come back, Lin!"


    She silently left the room. It was a very short but tiring conversation and Galaspiael knew it would stay like that now. He became a messenger of bad news.


    The Kagolanian tradition was that the ruler fought side by side with his subjects unless he was old and could not cope on the battlefield. Galaspiael knew this and thought his wife should understand it too. He was sure that Kalena would cry and persuade him to stay, while id turned to be the opposite - Kalena wanted to go with him.


    His mind and soul protested at the mere thought of it, but deep down Galaspiael was grateful for the tremendous loyalty she had shown.


    *


    For the first time in two months, Kalena had a guest.


    Mizar came to Yagn-Sho for a while and devoted one day to visit her. She was surprised seeing him because they never had close relations, and after leaving the quarters he did not write to her once, but she was happy to see him.


    The boy has changed over the years. He grew taller and became more subdued in his behavior. He came to hide in Yagn-Sho some books, which he obtained during the journey.


    "It''s nothing special," he said as Kalena watched his prey. "I found the one on the sidewalk in a Madegaldian city."


    "Have you been to Madegald?"


    "A few months ago. It had to fall out.??


    "I like it. I''ve noticed Madegaldian people like fairy tales very much. It reminds me of the one where I studied calligraphy."


    "I will give it to the library, as an exercise material for students. I would prefer to find something that would have a practical application and not be dusted on the shelf. I remember you rewriting the herb lexicon that you later gave to Zarkin. Does he use it?"


    "Sometimes he still looks there, but now it''s not enough for him. He could write his own, only about mixtures and their use." Kalena said looking at the next books. "These look new, did you buy them?"


    "I stole them from one Righteous guy. He didn''t even notice that they were gone. For some time, I had the opportunity to be near their quarters. They were very appalled when news of the royal academy reached them. They hate His Majesty because of it."


    "I am surprised by the system in the Academy. I thought the students would spend the whole day there as we did. And they return home after a few hours! At this rate, it will take them several years to master anything."


    Mizar smiled.


    "His Majesty''s way of teaching was modeled on the Righteous Conspiracy program, not on Yagn-Sho. But it is good. The Royal Academy will never threaten the Association. After graduation, people will still be joining us if they want something more. We''ll have to try harder."


    "What do you mean?"


    "I think if students would already know how to read and write, we could allow them to continue their education by going straight to more advanced arts. I would like to find a student and move back to Yagn-Sho, and you?"


    "I don''t know," she replied with a shrug. "I haven''t met anyone suitable yet. I don''t want to force someone, just to go back to school. Besides, I have a lot of work in the palace lately. I help Galaspiael in his work, and he is inventing something new every day, it is impossible to keep up with him. I don''t plan to come back yet."


    Mizar did not want to stay too long at Kalena''s, mainly because of Zarkin. Admittedly, they had ceased to be open-hearted, but their relations remained cold. In their case, time did not heal the wounds, and if they stayed together a little longer, the old conflict could flare up again. Kalena knew that there was no point in interfering with it.

 45 Chapter 37

    Waiting was the worst.


    Subsequent news from the Sekania came rarely and each was more disturbing than the previous one. Nailan didn''t seem to care. It was not the forced coldness of Lin-Si which deep down, but authentic ignorance, sometimes even boredom. If she had fear of Zarkin somewhere, it was extremely well hidden.


    Kalena wasn''t happy with the fact that Zarkin''s lover lived in their home, but she did not talk with him about it. As long as Nailan stayed away from the workroom, basement, and several other private rooms, she tolerated her presence.


    Kalena had rarely stayed home anyway. After the news of the war, she spent almost every spare moment in the palace. She pretended to accept Galaspiael''s order but wanted to secure a place in the military ranks. She tried to convince Jun to take her with him, but he refused. And Miella - the only woman in the Silver Guard besides Kalena categorically did not agree to the idea of ??substitution.


    The Silver Guard was the only unit that accepted women in its ranks. If Kalena wanted to get into a regular army, she would have to dress up as a man, which she planned to do. She already got men''s clothes and planned to cut her hair later, so that Galaspiael would not become suspicious.


    Because the king purposely canceled her training, she spent most of the day with him now. He returned to studying a book about enchantment which he abandoned a long time ago, hoping that this time he would master this forgotten art.


    Kalena even let him exercise on herself. She wondered what the enchantment of life energy would look like. She expected pain, the impression of something breaking into her body, but felt nothing like that. When Galaspiael put his hands on her shoulders, she felt as if waking from an unusually long sleep. After each such attempt, she was rested and happy.


    "I don''t understand. It looked different," he said, reaching for a jug of clean water. "I felt that I had hurt Gyeul a lot."


    "Well, for me it''s very nice," she replied with a smile, stretching and laying on the floor. "I think if you did it every evening, I wouldn''t have to sleep at all. I feel so... calmed."


    "And I feel exhausted," Galaspiael breathed heavily. "I guess I''m just transferring my energy to you. Some progress in the end, but why so tiny?"


    "What did you want to do?"


    "To feel your energy and tie it with mine, and then make it flow. I didn''t try to send you power."


    "Maybe it''s because I''m alive? When you connected with Gyeul and sent your energy to him, he was dead."


    As soon as she said these words, it got really cold even though it was still sunny outside. Kalena almost screamed in fear as the wooden shutter opened loudly and hit the walls. Galaspiael froze with the cup in his hand.


    "He has become bolder than usual for several days," the king confessed. "He comes here to scare me. Sometimes he haunts me in the dreams, but I can defend myself. He wants to feast on my fear. When I''m alone, it''s easy to get my thoughts astray."


    "He shouldn''t be allowed here! Why isn''t he staying in the Forbidden Zone?"


    "He stays. However, he can move to any place using his powers. Don''t think of him as a man, because he has ceased to be a long time ago. Fortunately outside the Zone, his abilities are limited, but he''s still powerful."


    The most difficult task the king undertook was to get rid of the demon inhabiting the Forbidden Zone. Galaspiael wanted to do it with enchantment, but even if he would have mastered it, he had no idea how to achieve this goal. He kept putting it off for other plans because his terrible ancestor was extremely calm. Recently, however, Gyeul has again reminded everyone of his existence.


    "Maybe we have to look for advice somewhere?" She suggested. "We often think that the Conspiracy destroyed the entire culture before the war, but from time to time we find a scroll or book from ancient times."


    "Even if something like that had survived, we don''t know where to look for it," Galaspiael replied sadly "


    Mastering the enchanting to be able to match with Gyeul will take at least a dozen years, judging by what we''ve achieved so far... and to think that in the past these skills were common. The minds of our ancestors were much more receptive and open than ours. Gyeul was the greatest man of his times and you can''t forget that. Even then the people were afraid of how much knowledge he had."


    "Maybe before getting rid of him, we should force him to share the secret of eternal life?"


    "Life?" Galaspiael repeated, and the corners of his mouth trembled slightly. "This is not life. He pretends to be alive and knows it well, which is why he is so desperate to leave the earth. And to be honest I doubt anyone persuades him to reveal this secret.


    *


    Zarkin wondered why Jun had told him to come to the Guardsmen training room so late at night.


    Although the boy had access to it for a long time, he rarely trained there. If he didn''t prepare any poisons, he practiced archery in the garden near Kalena''s house.


    "You''re still running away, but I finally caught you." The captain smiled triumphantly as Zarkin crossed the threshold and entered the room. "You are always staying quiet, doing something on your own, you do not draw attention and I forgot about you."


    "I am not quiet at all, you just keep on training others instead of me."


    "The king told me to pay special attention to preparing the guardsmen for war. Everyone should be in the best shape because now you will perform much more dangerous tasks than before."


    "I understand why you spend so much time here now. But I don''t need to know how to fight with a sword, I''m an archer."


    "I''m not going to teach you fencing. We will focus on increasing your accuracy. When you shoot, aiming takes you a long time."


    "What''s wrong about that?" Zarkin snorted. "It''s not easy to aim well. I don''t like shooting fast, it''s a waste of arrows."


    "Fast doesn''t have to mean shoot blindly. Your skills are good. However, the trained and more experienced archer needs less time to aim than you. But, it''s normal, you''re not doing well, you''re just getting started."


    "Are you trying to insult me? I''ve been practicing for several years and I''m doing much better than I did at the beginning," Zarkin fell silent, seeing that Jun was pleased seeing how he managed to upset him. "But if you want to help me, I am grateful."


    "Perfect. Show me what you can do and I will assess if there is a need to involve Zei in it or maybe I can handle it myself."


    "What?! Is he supposed to teach me?" The boy rolled his eyes. From the beginning, he considered the second guard archer to be his rival, although he never openly admitted it.


    "He''s better than you."


    "In what way better? He''s old and can''t see on one eye. He won''t stand the hour training, I will learn more on my own than with him."


    "So prove it and stop snapping your tongue!" Demanded the captain. Zarkin took an arrow from his quiver and aimed it. He wanted to do it faster than before, but he didn''t hit the center of the shield. He pursed his lips and looked at Jun.


    "It was just a warm-up."


    "Shoot like always."


    "You said I was supposed to learn how to shoot faster."


    "Yes." Jun nodded. "Nobody will be waiting for you on the battlefield. But show me what you''ve mastered so far, don''t try anything new."


    This time Zarkin hit right in the middle, but he aimed much longer. He tried to get the right spot, and the presence of Jun, looking at his hands, was distracting. Encouraged, he set a new goal, beyond the shield. Another arrow flew out with a whistle and stuck between two spears standing against the opposite wall.


    "You''ve heard praise about your skills many times, I don''t like to repeat myself," the captain muttered as the boy looked at him expectantly.


    "Even the king admired me. Her Majesty''s courts often ask me to show off" he admitted immodestly. "I''ve already got used to the fact that it impresses people. They are shocked at how easily I can kill."


    "Oh?" Jun mocked. "In that case, we don''t need to teach you anything. I have noticed before that you have no respect for life, if you become better than you are now, you might get crazy."


    "To be honest, I don''t think shooting faster would be useful, but I don''t lose anything by agreeing to this training. I might get crazy, but you''ll have a good archer. At most, I will die in the war and a new one will be found."


    Jun laughed but then turned serious and looked Zarkin in the eye.


    "You talk too lightly about death, young friend. You will get her attention very quickly."


    "I''m not afraid of death," he replied equally seriously. "I''m not afraid to watch others die or kill. Nor am I afraid to die because when you die, everything becomes indifferent."


    "And to think that I''ve always had you as such a gentle young man! You have more to do with Zei than you think. You''ll like him if you stop seeing him as just a rival who needs to be defeated."


    *


    Preparations for war were underway throughout Kagolania. Galaspiael said that even when official mobilization letters were sent, the Sekanians once again tried to take diplomatic action, but with no results. It couldn''t be delayed any longer.


    Kagolanian dynamite was no longer a secret. The production was moved from Kalena''s house to another place, which quickly turned into a real factory.


    It was supposed to be an ordinary, easy battle, but the king was preparing for it as if he were not to return. The tasks he entrusted to his guards were like the last will. He gave Kalena some of his projects, asking if she could find time to try to finish them. Then he completely lost interest in anything not related to the war and mentioned it almost every time.


    He also entrusted Kalena with a small task in Velikania and arranged everything so that she had to leave just on the day the army marched out of the capital. Kalena knew that he had done it on purpose so that she would have no way to get into the army.


    They set off together, but later she was supposed to turn south. The king and the retinue were to go to the sekanian-madegaldian border. Along the way, troops from other cities were to join, so the army was constantly increasing in numbers.


    They reached the first stop. When Galaspiael told his men to stop and he rode aside, Kalena knew it was time to say goodbye.


    "Your path leads that way," he said quietly, pointing to the path on his right. "When you pass the message to the king, you can come back and... don''t think about it. At least try not to torment yourself. Maybe go to Yagn-Sho or..."


    "I''ll be home," she said, "it can''t stay empty when Zarkin leaves. I will wait there for you"


    "I know you will."


    Kalena''s eyes filled with tears. She wanted to embrace him, but she knew she couldn''t. The official gesture of farewell seemed cold and inappropriate, but it was the only thing they could do


    "Please, take care of yourself," she whispered, and her voice broke.


    "Please, don''t mourn me as if I were already dead."


    "Don''t worry Kalena." Jun approached them. "I promise you that the Silver Guard will not allow anything to happen to His Highness."


    Galaspiael smiled and touched her necklace.


    "I remember when I gave it to you. Confession Day in Yagn-Sho. It''s nice that you still have it."


    It was hard for her not to cry, but she managed. She did not believe when Galaspiael said he was not afraid or reassured his subjects and repeated how easy the battle would be. She had the impression that it would not be like that... From what she remembered, no battle was easy. There were always some losses.


    War has never been easy.


    Moving towards Velikanian capital Kalena felt so bad that at some point she had to stop. She had the irresistible impression that she had made a terrible mistake and soon something terrible would happen and she should be in a completely different place.


    She should not go to Velikania... or Madegald should not declare the war on Sekania. Or she should turn back and fight with all her might to follow Galaspiael. The awful feeling intensified and made her sick. Her intuition screamed.


    The last three years have passed almost carefree. She knew what was going on in the world, Zarkin told her about what he had seen in Madegald but in Kagolania everything remained calm. The war was like a scary story, repeated from mouth to mouth. Everyone was afraid of it, but it wasn''t real.


    And suddenly everything became real so painfully.


    Kalena did not want to move on, so her trip to Velikania was extended by a whole day.


    Jin-Si was not forewarned of her arrival, servants reported it to her. She stopped Kalena after she gave the message to the royal adviser and headed for the exit gate.


    "I''m so glad you are here! I hate him!" She shouted and wiped her swollen eyes.


    "Who do you hate?"


    "Seth! He left me alone and went to this stupid war. I hope he won''t come back! No man has humiliated me so much! I thought he loved me and he was lying all the time! It wasn''t until yesterday that he said who he really was."


    "You have known for a long time that he is a Madegaldian prince," Kalena stepped away. "I wrote to you about that, remember? Haven''t you talked to him about it since then?"


    "No. I wanted him to confess and waited a long time. I told myself that maybe he had a reason, that he is ashamed or afraid, and he... at the last moment before his departure!" The princess took a deep breath and pursed her lips into a narrow line. "He''ll help his brothers who think he''s a traitor. And he promised he would never leave me! He said he would fight with prince Darmeon for my hand and I stupidly believed him... but not anymore."


    Kalena tried her best to remain calm.


    "Well, if he is a prince, he could compete with him when he returns."


    "Oh, you don''t understand, do you? He may even be an emperor, I don''t care. We are over! Not only did he keep his secret until the end, now he is going to fight against Galaspiael. When the war is over, he won''t be able to show up here or in Kagolania anymore!" she broke off, seeing that Kalena was worried. "Will you stay?"


    "I should probably come back," she replied. "Zarkin will be leaving soon, and I will stay at home alone, I feel terrible about it."


    "I get you. I would like to go and fight too, but I''m a little scared. Wouldn''t you be afraid if you were to go?"


    "I''m much more afraid of sitting idle. If I could take part, I wouldn''t worry so." Kalena snorted. "The king asked me to join a group of people whose task was to save his life, and when I was most needed, he told me to stay at home. What stupidity! Why was I in this guard?!


    They said goodbye quickly. Kalena was in a hurry, but she wondered what she would do after the return. The easiest way would be to rebel and go alone to Sekania, but she knew that she would also be needed in Kagolania.


    She had to go home and think things through.

 46 Chapter 38

    Galaspiael tried to ignore a pain in his stomach for several hours.


    A war council gathered at the very morning. After a thorough discussion of the strategy, two stages of the battle was decided. The Sekanians were to take the first blow. Then the Kagolanian troops advancing from the opposite side would surround the fighters with a ring that they could not break through.


    Earlier, the king had warned that Madegald had much more deadly weapons than swords and arrows, but assure that Kagolanian has something similar. For the first time, he demonstrated the dynamite to a larger group. When he saw a new hope rise in his subjects, he felt self-satisfaction for the first time in a few years.


    "Reserve is being prepared in Kagolania. I ordered the non-stop production," said Galaspiael, resting his feet firmly on the ground and leaning slightly in the chair. He felt a bit better in this position.


    "Is this paper?" The Silver Guard captain looked at the invention distrustfully. "I have the impression that it will fall apart in my hands. What if the mixture spills on our people?"


    "The explosive mix is ??stored in packaging made of paper-like material, but much more durable than the one you know. Nothing leaked during the last tests," the king assured. "We made the first prototypes in glass vials, but this material would be too expensive in the long run."


    "It is better not to disclose immediately what we have. They will send us troops that are not as well equipped as those closer to the border. Sekanians will draw them into our ambush." General Kien moved the wooden pieces on the map, thus illustrating the plan of the attack. "His Highness, along with the rest of the ride, will stun them."


    "I want to go to their camp after the battle. There may be dynamite reserves there, they will be useful later."


    "An outstanding plan," Samin said maliciously. "His Majesty is such a great strategist, if we only knew about it earlier, we could declare a war on Madegald instead of wasting time defending Sekania!"


    He fell silent as everyone''s attention focused on him.


    "I didn''t create this strategy myself," said the king calmly. "May I ask why you are so snappy my friend?"


    "When did you discuss these plans?"


    Something was wrong. Galaspiael was surprised by the accusing tone in which Samin spoke to him. He choked up the urge to yell, knowing they didn''t have time to argue.


    "We started last night," said General Rina. "You were not present Samin."


    "Ah yes? Well, it''s definitely my fault I couldn''t show up."


    "I don''t know why you were absent, but you can''t expect us to wait for you forever ?!" Galaspiael almost shouted. "We''re at war, we can''t waste time! Do you understand?"


    They both looked at each other for a moment. Finally Samin turned his head first.


    "Yes, Your Majesty, I understand that," he replied with a smile. "Next time I''ll make sure to get there on time."


    "If you want to add something now, go on."


    "Now?" Samin shook his head. "No, this strategy seems to be fine. There''s no need to add anything."


    "Let''s not waste more time arguing with each other. We need to prepare for the battle!"


    *


    "Why you''re not in Sekania yet?" Nailan greeted Zarkin with these words. He was surprised that she had spoken at all. They argued roughly for several days.


    "I''m going there soon," he replied coldly, "I had to buy a second quiver."


    "Don''t take too many things."


    "I won''t" He clenched his fists angry at the way she spoke to him. "Only weapons, provisions, replacement clothes, and that''s it."


    The girl sat down and stretched lazily. She followed his actions and sighed from time to time.


    "The king will be with the ride, is that so?"


    "Exactly. How do you know?"


    "Her Highness told me that. Apparently everyone should be in place today. Since you''re in the Silver Guard, he probably realized you''re not there by now."


    "First of all, I don''t have Kagolian citizenship, so he should be grateful for the very fact I decided to go to this war. And secondly, I don''t even belong to the ride, I''m an archer!" He shouted annoyed. "Haven''t you noticed it yet?"


    "Why are you yelling at me, not everyone needs to know!"


    A malicious smile appeared on his face.


    "You certainly don''t have to. After all, your funny washer wanted to run from the troop like a coward, right?"


    "How dare you!"


    "You thought I didn''t know? I saw you going to him several times. Why are you still with me? For living here? You can be in the palace all day. Weren''t you ashamed to pretend to love like that?"


    "To love? You made something up, "she murmured. "Why would I even want to be with you? I never gave you one reason to believe it. You should distinguish love from sleeping with someone."


    Zarkin took a step back. He tried not to show how angry or shocked her words were, but he couldn''t. Nailan understood after a moment. She took his hand, but he broke free.


    "I thought you knew it wasn''t really a relationship!"


    "What do high-born ladies like you call it?" He drawled coldly.


    "It was just ... some fun. At least for me. I really didn''t know you were taking everything seriously. Why didn''t you say?


    Zarkin looked at her with contempt and snorted softly.


    "Don''t act more stupid that you already are. For so long I ran after you like a dog and gave everything you asked for. I took you here and I didn''t take any other girls. Still, you thought I didn''t have serious intentions? You better admit that you are ashamed of what I have on my shoulder. You don''t want to be with the ex-slave because the other courts are laughing at you. That would sound much more credible." He tied the bundle vigorously and threw him on his back. "I wish I had listened to Kalena when she told me she had doubts about you." Leave this house before she comes back. Goodbye Nailan."

 47 Chapter 39

    It was still quiet on the battlefield, only from time to time a whistling gust of wind could be heard. The battle was about to begin and Galaspiael once again calmly analyzed the whole plan. Everything seemed clear on the map, but when he found himself among people he could barely focus, although he could see more from his position than others.


    Madegaldian commanders did not give a signal to attack for a long time. Finally, the Sekanian ride came first. Galaspiael restrained himself for a long time, waiting for the right moment, but eventually, he realized that he could not delay.


    He was surprised by how loud the battle can be. Naturally, he expected noise, especially since dynamite was making an extremely unpleasant bang, but after the first minutes, he found it unbearable. Wild chaos and tumult reigned everywhere. The fire quickly began to digest Madegaldian launchers lined up in one compact row. Fortunately, it did not spread to dynamite, placed behind them.


    For the first minutes, Galaspiael was praying silently for the fastest possible end. It doesn''t matter if it was the end of the battle or his life. Quickly he scolded himself in thoughts for this attitude. Something hit his shoulder hard, so he almost dropped the shen.


    Suddenly there was a deafening bang. The horse jerked in horror, even though it had protectors on his ears. Fortunately, nothing happened. The heavy armor was uncomfortable, but it provided excellent protection against shrapnel.


    When the Kagolanian army used dynamite, the Madegaldian soldiers were overwhelmed by panic, which further compounded the chaos that was already prevailing. They didn''t know what was going on or who was attacking. Some, convinced that there was treason, began to murder their kinsmen. Galaspiael couldn''t say he wasn''t happy. He knew how important it was to gain an advantage. The joy continued until he heard another explosion very close to his position.


    A terrifying scream caught his attention. He slowed, breaking from the formation he had previously created. Less than two meters from him lay two people. He felt an icy spike pierce his heart as he recognized the piece of the Silver Guard uniform. He had no idea who it was. The explosion must have been close to the head. Another man lay next to him, still alive. Without legs. Blood splattered around.


    Galaspiael wanted to look away, but the body refused to obey. He felt as if someone had caught him in a snare. He knew that he should do something, at least defend himself, otherwise he would die, but at that moment he couldn''t. Death surrounded him and clenched the fighters in an invisible trap.


    "Your Majesty!" Jun took on himself the blow of a Madegaldian rider who was about to attack Galaspiael. "Are you all right?"


    "Yes," he answered and shook his head several times. He felt like he was out of the trance.


    "Are you hurt?"


    "No. I''m fine." He tapped his helmet. "I got stunned a bit."


    They couldn''t stand still in the middle of the battle. He had to stick to the plan. People trusted that he know what he was doing. That he is not as lost and scared as they are.


    Everything was going well. They won. It wasn''t over, however, and Galaspiael knew it. Before using the dynamite reserve, the Madegaldian troops broke the attack for a moment and pretended to retreat to draw their enemies closer and lure them into an ambush. So it went quieter for a moment, but it didn''t help to focus his thoughts.


    Galaspiael couldn''t tell how many people he stunned, how many injured, and how many he killed. He knew, however, that he had killed many people by his invention.


    And it still wasn''t over.


    General Tien smiled gratefully when the king saved his life, and in a moment he was almost killed again.


    It has lasted too long.


    With each passing moment, Galaspiael realized that he preferred when something exploded. The silence made the noise in his head unbearable. Frightening images stood before his eyes. Faces of people he killed. Blood. Everywhere a terrible stench of blood and screams. Galaspiael wondered how close he was to losing his mind.


    Finally, there was the sound of a Sekanian horn that was like deliverance. It was over.


    *


    Galaspiael found out later that the battle lasted six hours. It surprised him. He thought it was six years. Or six minutes.


    He had been lying in the royal tent for a long time, but the tiredness did not go away. What he been through during the fight did not want to leave his mind. He had the feeling that every death was caused because of his dynamite. The invention he created with Kalena, additionally blaming her conscience.


    "Your Majesty, how do you feel?" Rikken, came closer seeing that no one was there. "How are you?"


    "I''m not hurt," he replied. "Someone scratched my hand. Maybe I got deafened, but nothing happened to me."


    "You hid here so quickly that His Majesty Selain began to worry. I was convinced that the commanders of the victorious armies are much happier celebrating winning the battle..."


    "Maybe I can''t celebrate?" The king smiled and shook his head. "No, I don''t want to celebrate. At least not now."


    "Your Majesty, you have achieved great success, and the King of Sekania is forever grateful to you. Your invention has saved many people."


    "How can you even say that it SAVED anyone?!" Galaspiael asked angrily and rose to a sitting position. "I have created a weapon so deadly that it can match with what the emperor did during the Great War." My successors will redeem my guilt for millennia!"


    "Ah, so that''s it," Rikken smiled. "I don''t know the rules of your religion in detail, but I remember that the culprit can correct the sin by a good deed. This weapon took many lives, but it saved as much. Imagine the losses we would experience having only swords and arrows. I think it alleviates your guilt. The emperor simply killed not only enemies but also his subjects. Please, don''t compare yourself to him."


    "I can''t be blind to all the similarities between me and him. I wonder if Samin can see them too. That would explain everything."


    "I do not understand what you mean."


    "Have you seen how he behaved at the meeting?! He attacked me as if I were some enemy. Hatred gushed out of his eyes."


    "I couldn''t get in there, Your Highness. This meeting was only for generals and Okiani." Rikken paused. Galaspiael looked at him in surprise, then looked away.


    "Go rest, master. It''s not over yet."


    *


    Zarkin arrived at the archers'' camp late in the evening, when the celebration of victory was in full swing. Of all the units, the archers were playing the loudest, so it was easy to find them.


    He knew a few, but they were strangers. Some greeted him with a nod so he answered mechanically without even wondering who he was.


    "Are there a lot of you on your way to us?" Asked the man next to whom Zarkin sat down.


    "Not really," he replied, glancing at him briefly. "I didn''t see anyone on the way."


    "It doesn''t matter, we''ll crush them anyway! His Highness should build something else, we would be invincible! For example, for us, some shooting machine."


    "If he was an archer, he would do it right away," someone answered.


    "Hey! You are the guard, aren''t you? Maybe you would take care of us ?! You are closest to him."


    The boy sighed heavily and without saying anything sat a little further. He thought it would be good to write to Kalena and tell her how well the battle went on, but then he realized there was no one to deliver the message. The second archer of the Silver Guard had his post falcon, but he demanded payment for help in delivering letters.


    His attention was caught by shouts of joy that suddenly became much louder than before. Galaspiael went to the next meeting. Only Jun was with him, there was no other guard.


    It surprised him strongly. He didn''t know what they were doing and why were everyone present. When he asked someone about it, he only received murmurs of impatience.


    The camp was set up on a slight hill. It was easy to see the smoke rising from the valley on the east side. Zarkin, driven by curiosity, came over there. When he broke free from the crowd, which was not easy, a wall of fire appeared in his eyes. It took a moment before he realized what was going on there.


    Funeral pyres were burning nearby. They were so numerous that they merged into one great pillar of fire from afar. He noticed gathered people dressed in the characteristic bright robes of the guardsmen and then understood everything. Someone from the Guard had to die in battle, and Galaspiael dismissed the rest from service so that they could attend the cremation ceremony.


    An unpleasant wave of cold energy went all over the boy''s body, penetrating to the bone. He turned his face once and for all. Only he looked at the piles.


    *


    Two days later, they set out to oust the Madegald forces even further towards the border.


    Galaspiael didn''t know how, but in some wonderful way, he could focus. It felt as if someone had installed protective armor around his head. He managed to maneuver in chaos, smoke, and fire no longer annoyed him. Even the screams seemed quieter, and he didn''t want to vomit from the smell of blood.


    The noise in his head turned to total emptiness. It seemed as someone else was controlling his body, and he was sitting somewhere on the side, seemingly present, but not entirely. He stopped paying attention to unimportant details, stopped counting victims. He just fought.


    This time the opponents were more numerous and much better prepared. They could not be ambushed. It was a longer, much bloodier fight. Special formations of the Righteous Conspiracy have also joined the Madegaldian troops. They quickly realized that the Kagolanian side had dynamite. There was no surprise point anymore.


    Suddenly, Galaspiael noticed someone was watching him. The mysterious figure slides unnoticed between the fighters, without any armor or weapons. Now and then black fog hung around it. The king did not see this person''s eyes because their face was hidden behind the mask, but he was convinced that they were looking straight at him and with each passing moment it became more and more onerous.


    Even when he managed to lose him for a moment, he was coming out and looking again. The Madegald men managed to break up the silver guard. He was alone. No one to help.


    Bang. So loud that Galaspiael almost passed out. The horse, already nervous before, now panicked. Before the king knew it, he was lying on the ground, and the man in the mask was only a few steps away from him.


    It was very bad. Heavy armor made it difficult for him to move, and smoke made it unable to see anything. Galaspiael backed away as the grass under his feet turned black. The leaves on the tree began to wrinkle and fall. The masked figure reached out. Galaspiael understood. They were not dry or burned. They were dead.


    The warrior in black robes was enchanting death. Therefore, he did not need a weapon, he had enough in this place.


    Galaspiael quickly gathered his energy and sent a lightning-like stream to him. He knocked the opponent off his feet, but he lost almost all his strength. He knew that he would not attack this way again. He had to run quickly. He turned and then another explosion occurred.


    Only a dozen or so meters away from him was Zarkin, who had been watching him for a few good moments.


    He didn''t stay behind with other archers. He gradually moved forward until he finally entered the forest. He chose one tall tree with branchy branches and set up a shooting point there.


    Although he took a lot of arrows with him, he used almost all of them. He did not shoot blindly, hoping that he would hit someone, but was accurately locating his target. He could follow the target for a good few minutes before getting into a position convenient for him. He saw that Galaspiael was followed by someone, so he was waiting for a good moment.


    However, just as he was about to shoot and save him, he heard someone''s breath disturbingly close. Zarkin sat on a tree so the leaves covered him well, but he knew that from some places he could be visible anyway. He turned quickly and aimed. Seeing Raian he froze in an instant. The boy also recognized him and stopped, hanging on one branch, completely defenseless, because in this position he had no way to reach for the sword. He was at the mercy of Zarkin and was well aware of this.


    Zarkin would shoot right away if Raian didn''t look him in the eye all the time. He knew that his gaze would haunt him, as would the funeral pyres. Raian didn''t say anything, he didn''t beg for mercy, he didn''t try to move. He just watched and waited.


    Zarkin moved imperceptibly and released the arrow. He only saw the dark-haired boy grab his arm and lose his balance. He quickly turned and cursed loudly when he didn''t see Galaspiael again.

 48 Chapter 40

    "Has anyone seen the king?" Jun asked everyone who returned to the camp and with each denial, he was getting more and more nervous. "I don''t get it, he should be back a long time ago. Something must have happened!"


    "As far as I know, Prince Darmeon''s body has been found," replied Rikken, "but no one has ever seen Galaspiael."


    "You have to gather the Silver Guard and set off to look," Aymon decided, "there''s nothing to wait for."


    "Zarkin!" The captain ran up to the boy with hope. "You sat in the tree all the time, you had to see..."


    "I saved you," he reminded. When Jun was attacked by four Madegaldian soldiers, he shot them.


    "Galaspiael," Jun quickly returned to the subject. "You must''ve seen him for sure. Do you know what happened?"


    "I only saw him once. Someone was following him and I thought he moved somewhere further to lose them." Zarkin quickly glanced toward the royal tent. "Did he not come back yet?"


    Jun backed away angrily, and all hope previously clearly visible in his eyes disappeared somewhere.


    "Everyone who can walk, come with us! His Majesty is missing, we must find him as soon as possible!"


    "Maybe he''s in the tent for the wounded?" Zarkin followed Jun. "Did you look there?"


    "If he would''ve been found in the wounded section, we''ll be notified immediately!" He shouted. "Be useful for something or stop bothering me!"


    The boy raised his hands slightly in a defensive gesture.


    "Don''t worry, Captain, he''ll probably be here soon." I''ll go to the place I shot from. From there, you can see a large area of ??the battlefield."


    They started searching and with time more and more people joined. All places where Galaspiael could have been were thoroughly watched. After three hours, Jun lost hope and ordered everyone to look carefully at the bodies of the fallen, but among them, the king was not found either.


    After the sunset, the search continued. The group headed by Aymon entered the forest, lighting their way with lanterns and torches. Even when the sun rose, they were not allowed to rest. The atmosphere was thickening.


    "Captain," Aymon came over, breaking through the thickets. "We have to come back. In my opinion, we have already gone far too far. If Galaspiael got wounded so hard to be unable to return to the camp, he certainly would not have traveled such a distance."


    "So what happened in your opinion? He deserted?!"


    "I didn''t say that. I think it''s good that we didn''t find anything. Think about it, if he died, someone would have come across the body already. We can assume that he is still alive. I don''t know where he is, maybe he went on some lonely mission to get something important for his research..."


    "In the middle of a battle? It doesn''t make sense!"


    "He''s not here anyway," Aymon shrugged. "We won''t know where and why he disappeared until we ask him when he comes back." I think someone should be sent to a Madegaldian camp. We haven''t been looking there yet, and since we''re going on such long routes, why not check them out?"


    "Its all my fault! I promised to guard him and I was more busy guarding my own life! Do you think they could have caught him?" Capitan Jun asked in a whisper.


    "Everything is possible. Before visiting them, I would ask the Sekanians for help. He could likely go to their funeral of Prince Darmeon. And if we don''t find him there, at least we''ll ask for help in searching. Even two additional pairs of eyes will be good. Our soldiers want to rest and celebrate their deceased companions."


    "Let''s organize a replacement, then," Jun nodded. "But we have to keep looking!"


    *


    When Galaspiael woke up, his right shoulder hurt terribly, but it was nothing compared to a headache. He felt that something was blasting him from the inside and he could barely open his eyes.


    He stared numbly at the brown material above him, and when he wanted to move a hand, he was horrified to find that he had been shackled. This discovery quickly sobered him up. Fighting with the pain, he rose to a semi-sitting position and looked around. The chain was long enough to allow for standing up, but nothing more. It was attached to a thick wooden pole on which the tent scaffolding was based.


    Galaspiael began to look at his shackles, looking for the latch in them, but could not see it anywhere. There was a space for a round key on the link between the two bracelets. He guessed that it was releasing the mechanism.


    Galaspiael didn''t have the key, and he wouldn''t be able to find it, but he knew that the lock could be opened the other way. He pulled the buckle out of his shoe and tried to bend it to fit. He was trying to free at least one hand but to no avail. The shackles were made especially for him. It was impossible to remove them.


    When someone entered the tent, Galaspiael did not even notice at first. He turned around looking for a more comfortable place and then almost screamed seeing the opponent with whom he was stunned by the explosion. Up close he still looked terrible, but at least it was obvious that he was an ordinary man, not something like Gyeul.


    He stared at him for a moment, then snorted softly. His voice was muffled by the mask, and sometimes hearing what he was saying was a problem.


    "It''s unbelievable who I was able to bring! Nice to see you here, Prince of Kagolania," the mysterious man said and laughed maliciously.


    "Not a prince. Now a king," he replied coldly. "As far as I remember, even during wars, certain agreements apply. For example about keeping prisoners of war. Now I know that our opponents are people with no honor. You have no idea what consequences you''ll face for treating me like that!"


    "I don''t think they''ll be severe considering I''m in my area, surrounded by my subjects, and you are chained up" He grabbed Galaspiael''s chain and jerked violently. "It''s for your safety. People like to attack the camp and they would take you away."


    "They''ll take me sooner than you think. Everyone is looking for me, for sure someone has already found a trail," Galaspiael dodged when a metal rod dangled above his head. "How dare you!"


    "They''ll find you... or maybe they won''t?" The man crouched beside him. "I heard about you, Your Majesty. The Righteous Conspiracy curses you to this day for your Academy. They would be very grateful to me if I led you to them."


    "Your stupid Conspiracies could not even look after a piece of parchment in the heart of the country, you can''t handle me! Everyone knows that you have a fortress in the capital in which the dynamite recipe was hidden. It has no legs and somehow managed to get out! Untie me and fight like a man!"


    The man in the mask stood still and slowly turned his head.


    "It''s you..."


    "What?"


    "You brat, I finally found you. You thief, I can finally look you in the eye!"


    "I don''t know what you mean," Galaspiael lied quickly and cursed his thoughts. "Everyone knows this story."


    "Do they? I think you have something to do with it." Suddenly this man threw back the bar and laughed. "I can make someone tell the truth. You''ll see"


    *


    The seekers have been closely followed for some time. In the darkness a spy was hiding, who after a long moment retreated cautiously and ran into the thickets, where a hidden horse waited. The dark figure quickly climbed on it, then galloped toward the Madegaldian camp.


    When she arrived, she took off the black mask and the two sentries moved aside, making her way. The woman let her hair down and almost ran to the commanders'' quarters. Someone was already sitting at the long wooden table. As soon as he saw her, he stood up.


    "It is already dark, Washar. You can remove the mask, I think the light of lanterns and torches will not harm your eyes. You should go out more often during the day, then you would be used to it."


    "Why would I do that? Soon I will have to come back underground anyway." The man stopped when she pulled the mask off his face. "What news you bring, Najana?"


    "This is a perfect moment to present our conditions to them. They begin to suspect that we could have captured him and they will send a message here soon."


    "I understand," Washar said slowly, "unfortunately I had to change my plan. I''m not going to give them any prisoners, even for direct access to the ocean right now. I need to find out what he is hiding!" He added quickly, seeing her silent protests. "I''ve heard rumors about the Kagolanian king, and now I''m sure there is a grain of truth in them. He was the one who created the second dynamite from our recipe! I know it! Najano, I promise I will leave sooner! I won''t endanger you, but please help me get revenge on him!"


    "You can''t hurt him, he''s a king! If something happens to him, we will all be doomed, have you not heard the legends?"


    "I heard and believed in them until I stood up to fight him. Believe it or not, he was alone. No deity helped him, so even if it exists, it had to renounce him. No unknown force defended him, now it will certainly be the same."


    "Don''t you think he might be useful to you?" Najana attacked again. "With such a valuable prisoner you can turn the tide of war! Your brother will surely show you grace when he finds out that you were the one who gave the empire an advantage. We could do something together!"


    "I don''t care about this war." Washar looked out the window to the place where Galaspiael was imprisoned and narrowed his eyes. "And I don''t want Naimoor''s mercy. Because of him, my life is in ruins. You will not understand this, your husband is alive, the child is safe. After all, you will come back home and enjoy the sunrise every morning. I don''t have a home to return to anymore."


    "But it wasn''t the Kagolanian king who murdered your family and banished you," she reminded.


    "So what?! This rat almost confessed his sins! He laughed in my face, saying how easily the dynamite recipe left Madegald!" Washar paused and took a deep breath. "I''ll do the guard duty for the last time. Maybe if I do well with him, the gods will also give me a chance to take revenge on Naimoor."


    Najana listened to his words with tears in her eyes. It wasn''t until that time that she saw how drastically Washar changed by living in the mine. She no longer saw in him any of the men he was before.


    "Do what you want," she said resignedly. "But keep in mind that until they find the body, they won''t stop looking."


    The man pursed his lips angrily and raised his hand as if to hit the table with it. However, he left her laughing triumphantly.


    "We''ll give them a body then. I just need to look for someone suitable."


    *


    "When we were younger, he always said he felt like a prisoner here. I understand him now."


    Lin-Si did not mention Galaspiael often, and if so she did it only in the company of the most trusted court. Kalena had not belonged to them before, but recently her relations with the queen have improved significantly.


    Both the courtyard and the garden were isolated from the outside world by thick walls, but they were really large. It was easy to get lost in the garden, and on the courtyard, a large crowd could gather so Lin-Si found it difficult to understand why Galaspiael felt trapped in the open space.


    "I feel like I''m in prison too. I should go there with them," Kalena said quietly, "I''m not happy that I stayed, I want to help."


    "Do you have your army? If not, you wouldn''t help much. One person more or less on the battlefield means nothing."


    "I don''t agree with you, lady. I read a lot about the war and it was always one person on the battlefield who proved to be the most important hero who made kings win. There has always been someone like that!"


    Lin-Si laughed at Kalena''s high words.


    "I understand that you are our hero?" She smiled but suddenly became serious. "You have no idea what war is. This is not a task that you are used to."


    "So what was all this for? Kalena turned her back angrily. "Why I undergo all this teaching at Yagn-Sho and then here? I don''t want to sit idly like a helpless child!"


    "What do you want to do? Galaspiael wrote that they did very well, you have nothing to worry about. Two or three battles more and Sekania will win."


    The news of the war spread slowly. It was only the previous day that information about the victorious first battle arrived in the palace. It calmed Lin-Si, but Kalena was still worried. She has read the message several times, trying to find comfort in the written words, but she could not.


    "I can''t do it!" She drawled through her teeth.


    "Oh, do what you want, but if you have a clear order, why oppose it? Are you uncomfortable here? Wait a little longer. Galaspiael will be back soon and everything will be as it was before. Who will defend the palace when you go? Didn''t you think that maybe this one special person will be needed right here?"

 49 Chapter 41

    A bucket of ice water poured over Galaspiael''s head woke him up.


    "Stand up, Your Highness!" Washar put down the bucket and took the key from his pocket. "It''s time to stretch your legs a little."


    "You will regret it!" Galaspiael croaked.


    "This must be your favorite thing to say. This is the third time I''ve heard it, and still nothing happens."


    He did not remove his shackles, but undid the chain. Galaspiael wrapped it around his right hand twice and almost fell on his face when he was jerked violently. Slowly, he got up from his knees, put his fingers into the metal links and pulled hard.


    He was able to surprise Washar. He didn''t want to wait for another chance. He pushed him, pulled the key and ran out of the tent.


    "Grab him!" He heard the screams behind his back. "Don''t let him escape!"


    Galaspiael didn''t waste a moment. He almost shouted with joy when he managed to unbind the shackles. He easily overpowered the man who ran out to block his path and took his weapon. With each passing moment more and more people ran to him, but he wasn''t going to give up. He attacked like crazy, wanting to clear his way as soon as possible. In the distance, freedom was waiting. The urge to break free gave him incredible strength.


    He felt someone grab his shoulders. He threw him off and then Washar blocked his way. He attacked with a force he would not have suspected of himself at that moment. He did not think about dark energy but about getting out of the camp as soon as possible.


    Washar had to admit that he was hit by a difficult opponent. Galaspiael, although weakened, was quick and had great reflex. At one point, Washar simply defended himself instead of attacking. The precious prisoner was close to escaping, but Najana joined the fight at the last moment. Galaspiael did not manage to push her away and she knocked him down. Immediately several soldiers helped immobilize him completely.


    "I''ll show you how the revolts end, you Kagolanian dog!" Saying this, Washar leaned over and took out his dagger. He forced Galaspiael to open the right hand.


    "Pathetic. You can''t fight like a man?" Suddenly a voice stuck in king''s throat, and a terrible pain radiated to his shoulder. He couldn''t help shouting. A piece of his finger was cut off.


    It was a huge loss. He knew that he would no longer be able to hold the sword as precisely as before, but he did not think about it at that moment. He took advantage of the opportunity and spat on Washar, for which he was punched in the face three times.


    Washar used the dagger once again. This time Galaspiael thought he would lose consciousness. He tried his best not to shout, but it was impossible. Washar cut off his whole finger. Slowly, joint by joint, so that the pain was even greater. When someone burned his wound, Galaspiael thought, he''ll lose his mind.


    "Does it hurt?" Washar hissed at him. "You think so now. You haven''t yet figured out what real pain is!"


    "You''ll pay for that!" Galaspiael replied quietly. His voice sounded miserably weak. He heard muffled laughter above his head.


    Washar pulled away, gave him a look of contempt.


    "I think everyone has looked at you enough, there is no need for you to stay here. Take him! but tie his arms and legs this time! Have you found someone yet?"


    "No, sir," someone replied, "I mean... there is one, but now I realized that he doesn''t look like him."


    "Useless carcasses, you can''t do anything right! Look at him closely then find me someone similar! I will probably have to start looking myself. Ah!" When they wanted to drag Galaspiael back to the tent, he stopped. "You can give him some food, he didn''t get anything yesterday. It would be too easy, just let this thief die, no one was merciful for me."


    Four men quickly managed to bend Galaspiael back. He was already too weak to resist. However, they did not comply with the second order. They just left him alone.


    Galaspiael''s throat was dry, like never before, and he would kill for even a little drop water. He really wanted to ask someone to bring him some, but he refrained. He thought he''d rather die of thirst than ask these people for anything.


    His hand still ached mercilessly, and the bandage, had already completely soaked in blood. He had only four fingers on his right hand. He couldn''t look at it without wanting to vomit.


    It was an extremely severe punishment, but it couldn''t break his soul, and Washar knew it. He also knew that the search would not end until the king was found, alive or dead.


    He didn''t need to have Galaspiael with him to recreate his face in his mind. He compared him with several people and realized that finding someone even a little similar would be a challenge. It was mainly about the color of the skin. Galaspiael, like most aristocrats, had a very fair complexion. People of the Empire, were quite naturally darker than Kagolanians, and the majority of them could not avoid the sun because of work they did.


    "The skin can be whitened," said Najana. "There are special balms and powders that women use to brighten their faces. The problem is that they can be washed away, but I don''t think anyone would dare touch his body during a funeral. We can prepare everything so that they do not have to do anything. We can say that we did this to pay him last tribute or something. It''s important to just find someone similar. The same height, similar facial features. I will take care of the rest."


    "One of our generals looks very similar. If we don''t find anyone, I don''t mind..."


    "If you are already to shed blood, let it be a common soldier, not an important person. Do you care about discretion or not?!"


    Washar did not answer. In fact, he didn''t care. He only wanted revenge and the thought of it drowned out everything else that appeared in his head.


    *


    After a while, the silence turned out to be worse than the pain. Galaspiael was alone with his own thoughts and could not stand it.


    He was guarded by two soldiers, who either received such an order or decided themselves to keep him in silence. They didn''t let anyone in until late at night. He was completely alone, at their mercy, terribly hungry, thirsty and exhausted.


    Miraculously he managed to fall asleep and dreamed of Kalena. Younger version of Kalena than the one he parted with. When she saw him, she started crying. He wanted to tell her to run away, to get help, to pass the guards somehow, but his voice stuck in his throat. Something was blocking him and he couldn''t even moan. He woke up and everything came back; pain, fear, Madegaldian camp, and in addition a feeling of complete loneliness.


    He listened to the sounds from outside and realized that they woke him up. A dark figure entered the tent. She came closer and lit a candle, then he saw that she was a dark-skinned woman he had seen in the camp once. Without a word, she handed him a cup of water and a dry cake.


    "How''s your hand?" She asked in a whisper.


    "It hurts, but it''s probably normal?" He replied coldly and cleared his throat as his stomach grunted. "I''ll be fine. Is it still night?"


    "It''s dawn ... My name is Najana," she said, sitting down next to him. "Do you remember me?"


    "And why should I..." he paused and looked at her closely. "I think I remember, have we met before?"


    " Today. And during your training at the Scribes'' Association."


    "Ah yes ... I know now," he smiled sourly, remembering those years. "You are the girl from the Sekania who made me fall from the first place in our fight ranking. And now you''ve buried my hope of getting out of here. How did it happen that you came to Madegald?"


    "If I was a Sekanian, then I could not fight in the war or be here. I trained in Sekania, but Madegald is my homeland. Women have a little harder in the Conspiracy, that''s why I didn''t choose that organisation."


    "Tell me," he interrupted, lowering his voice to a barely audible whisper. "What will you do with me? What is happening now? You have to know it! Please tell me!"


    Najana looked at him sympathetically.


    "Washar has already found the body."


    "What body?"


    "He knows that otherwise the search for you will continue. He intends to prepare a double and give it to the messenger who came here."


    "What about me?" He asked, genuinely terrified. "What will happen to me?"


    "I don''t know. He''s mad at you and wants to take revenge because you used this stolen dynamite recipe. Because it was you, right?" The woman snorted softly. "Did you have to tell him? Washar was the guardian of the recipe. The most important person who was responsible for keeping her secret. When you created your dynamite, information about it reached the Lilac City. When he tugged you here, he hoped to give you to the emperor so, he would ease his punishment, but when he learned that you had something to do with dynamite, he was furious..."


    "But I didn''t steal it! I bought it at the Sekanian market, it was inside a trunk. Old, damaged papers which I intended to throw away at the first moment when I noticed them there," he explained.


    "He knows that. The person who stole the recipe is his brother, who recently became emperor. He managed to plot a plot against the oldest, Prince Vishimon. Washar served as part of the puzzle, an insignificant pawn. He can''t take revenge on the emperor, so he takes revenge on you. After you used dynamite in the Sekania, his family was murdered."


    "It doesn''t make sense. You will not succeed! Even if they take this double, someone will recognize that it''s a farce and will come back for me! And I will make sure that nobody goes unpunished! He paused when she pulled away from him. There was a long silence.


    "Your people have betrayed you," she revealed.


    "What are you talking about?"


    "They came for you. Not the army, the messengers. One betrayed you."


    Galaspiael didn''t want to believe.


    "What did he look like? Have you seen the face?"


    "Fair hair, tall. I think older than you."


    "Samin?" He shook his head. "No, you''re lying. Samin couldn''t do it. He was forced to do it, Washar had to blackmail him somehow!"


    "They talked about dynamite. That''s all I heard. This man said you didn''t steal but¡­" She paused, searching for a word.


    "But what?" he switched to Madegal.


    "He said the same thing you told me," Najana glanced at the entrance in panic. She jumped up and slid out nimbly the other side of the tent. It wasn''t a while when Washar and Samin came in.


    "Oh look, our king is not sleeping! Do you confirm his identity?"


    Galaspiael felt weak at the sound of that voice. Washar smirked, and Samin stared at him without emotion on his face.


    "Yes. Can I be absolutely sure that everything will go as planned?"


    "All you have to do is carry out the funeral ceremony. And convince everyone that you are the right material for a successor, of course, but I think that since you can conduct such outstanding negotiations, you won''t have a problem with that, my friend."


    "What''s that supposed to mean?" Galaspiael pursed his lips for a moment. "You dog. You treacherous, lying dog!"


    "You loser, you couldn''t even throw yourself off the roof well when you had the opportunity!" See how you end up, does the king look like this? I deserve this crown more than you! Treacherous? You are treacherous and lying! I sacrificed everything for this country and how did you repay me? When I stopped being useful, you started treating me like an ordinary Okiani!"


    "You are ordinary Okiani".


    Samin''s bright blue eyes flashed with wild fury.


    "I am the king that Kagolania needed when you were away! I was always there whenever you showed everyone that you can''t rule and I didn''t get anything for it!"


    "You got as much as your work was worth. I thought you knew the role of the regent."


    "I waited three years for even one thank you. I endured all insults quietly and patiently, but it can''t be done any longer! Believe me, I''m not the only one who wanted to get rid of you as soon as possible."


    "Yes, there was also Nawarin, right? What did you promise him to stand by your side?"


    "He sold himself easily and cheaply, but after deeper thinking I come to the conclusion that it would be better to invest more on a more skillful man."


    "Samin, stop right there!" Galaspiael shouted after him as he turned to face the exit. "Don''t you dare turn your back on me, you coward!"


    The man snorted softly.


    "I don''t want to look at you because I loathe you. Here he is, a great descendant of the gods, bound like a piglet for slaughter. But it probably doesn''t bother you, after all, you''ve been dealing with vermin all your life. And then you came back to the palace like a savior and everyone treated you like that. What did you really achieve? A few inventions that nobody really needs?"


    "Pathetic little man, you won''t be a king!" He said, laughing extortion. "Miserable Okiani of doubtful origin cannot bear this burden, history has confirmed it several times. I guarantee you that I will come back and throw you from the throne!"


    "I''d like to see it," Washar mocked.


    "You will see. Come on, hit me," he hissed, seeing a black stone in his hands. "You can beat me, torture me, do whatever you want. As for you," he turned to Samin "You can dress up as a king and pretend you have even a little honor. But I will still be the king of Kagolania."


    Washar laughed out loud.


    "Let it be! You can consider yourself whoever you want. Enjoy that we decided to make you a war hero. Nobody will know how you really died, it''s too much grace."

 50 Chapter 42

    "Have you found anything?" asked Rikken.


    "Nothing master," Zarkin replied, "but I know that Samin went to the Madegaldian camp and has not returned yet. I think that if he did not find anything, he would already return and rest his lazy ass."


    His words drowned in a silence.


    "What are you talking about?"


    "He lacked determination from the beginning," the boy confessed "he didn''t want to get tired. I feel if he didn''t find anything, he would return to the camp and send a second group, then go to sleep. All aristocrats are like that!


    "Don''t say that. Samin is as worried as we are. Although I hope you are right and he actually came across a clue or even found Galaspiael."


    They intended to go to a village nearby, but someone came to inform them that everyone had to return to the camp as soon as possible.


    From a distance they saw a black Madegaldian coffin surrounded by several members of the Silver Guard who were trying to keep the onlookers at bay. Rikken suddenly dimmed, hung his head and said nothing. Zarkin realized after a moment.


    "Impossible," he whispered.


    When they arrived, Samin nodded and sighed heavily.


    "We suffered a great loss in this battle. His Majesty¡­ is dead... they were about to send a message to us soon."


    "They killed him ?!" Shouted Jun.


    "From what I could understand, he chased someone and approached the unit guarding the camp. They attacked him and only after a while they realized who he was, so they informed their leaders."


    Rikken narrowed his eyes suspiciously.


    - I don''t believe it. I knew him well. Galaspiael would never have acted so carelessly."


    "Perhaps this is not entirely true," Okiani admitted sadly. "You must notify the king of Sekania. Madegald is ready for a ceasefire for several months. They know that Prince Darmeon was also killed in this battle and they want to give us time to honor the fallen."


    "It''s very honorable of them," said Zarkin and thought of Kalena. He didn''t even want to think about how she would react to such a devastating message. He himself felt no sadness, but a profound, penetrating shock. He was sure that king would be found, maybe a little injured, but alive.


    Zarkin never valued being a member of the Silver Guard, but he felt a collective guilt that everyone else felt. He accepted the guards invitation to their tent and spent the rest of the day there. He didn''t think that the news of the king''s death would affect him so much.


    In the evening Rikken came in and sat down next to him.


    "They told me you were here. The unit that is to remain has already gone to the Sekanian camp. Let''s go back home."


    *


    Every breath caused pain


    Galaspiael lay on the ground, unable to move a single step. He wanted to scream, cry, break free, fight, but he was too weak for that. His body refused to obey, even when trying to make the simplest movements.


    Early in the morning Washar dragged him to the center of a large square and encouraged everyone to stop by to see what he was going to do. He tied Galaspiael to a large pole, but left enough chain for him to fall to his knees if he fainted. Galaspiael guessed the hidden intention and tried his best not to faint. He could not see with what he was beaten, but he never felt such severe pain in his life. At some point, he failed. He lost consciousness only for a moment, but when he awoke he could not get up again.


    When he opened his eyes, he saw thick black fog above him. Death surrounded his body. He begged Washar for mercy and then for death. It wasn''t just his body that ached, but his soul too. Darkness burst deep into him and began to wreak havoc on his mind.


    For the Madegaldian soldiers their prince was a rehabilitated hero. They were not afraid of his power. They regarded Galaspiael as a cruel villain, and each time he showed how much he suffered, they reacted with sadistic joy.


    He wasn''t led back to the tent. They made him stay outside in a large cage meant to protect him from attacks, but also depriving of any privacy. To make matters worse, it began to rain.


    Washar threatened that any attempt to help the prisoner was forbidden, but even without his words, no one intended to help Galaspiael. No one approached the cage for any other purpose than to spit, call him names or throw a stone.


    Despite the pain that slowly took away his ability to think rationally, Galaspiael has not completely surrendered yet. He still hoped to see someone eventually. That they would find out the scheme and come back for him. He desperately wanted to see familiar faces for a moment.


    At that time, he was even ready to give Samin the crown voluntarily to be able to return home. He wanted nothing more.


    The rain at first was like a blessing, but eventually it began irritate. Water slowly cooled Galaspiael''s body so after a while he felt chilled to the bone. He knew it was also because of the fever he probably got from the wounds and in reality it wasn''t really that cold.


    He doesn''t know that Najana was observing him and by all means tried to persuade Washar to agree to help the prisoner.


    "This mine changed you. You were not so..."


    "Not so...?" He asked. The woman pressed her lips together tightly.


    "You will draw the anger of beings about whom we know almost nothing!"


    "Beings who have renounced him."


    "You can''t be sure about that, don''t risk it!"


    "I also have powerful ancestors who can defend me, Najana," Washar reminded. "Huangjin dynasty is older than his. Besides, I don''t think you looked at what I was doing to him."


    "Believe me, tortures are not a pleasant thing to watch. What happened except that at the end you lost your temper and wanted to kill him?"


    "And that''s the point! I couldn''t kill him! I enchanted, as usual, and my power didn''t kill him!" Washar got up and walked over to her. "He is immune to my energy, I didn''t even know it''s possible! So maybe there is a way to become immune to my brother''s power! For the first time in a long time I feel that I have a goal. He will be punished, and thanks to him I will find a way to defeat Naimoor. I just have to think about how to do it, and in the mine I will have a lot of time and try all the methods."


    *


    It was an extremely gloomy day.


    Normally at this time of year, the capital would be full of Sekanian traders. Now, because of the war, only a few came.


    Kalena wandered around the city looking for something for dinner. She also wanted to buy something to celebrate the day that was special to her. Four years have passed since she was sold to Galaspiael by her former owner.


    A year in Yagn-Sho and then almost three years in the palace. She didn''t count last month. She was now a nineteen-year-old free woman with a mysterious past.


    The queen asked her to show up only in the evening, so she had almost all day to herself. She decided to spend it at home.


    When Kalena returned, she came across Zarkin in front of the entrance. The boy saw her and quickly looked away but came over.


    "Why are you back?" She hugged him. "I''m so happy!"


    "Nice to see you too" he replied forcing a smile "We better go home."


    "Where''s Galaspiael? Is he back yet?"


    "Kalena," Zarkin interrupted emphatically and cleared his throat. "I will explain everything, just come!"


    She followed him feeling the worry grow in her soul. He came alone. It was strange She thought he''d brought a message, perhaps information about the next task she was about to complete.


    "I have no idea how to say it," he began, "I''ve never been too gentle, and I know I will hurt you anyway. I came faster to prepare you."


    "Prepare me for what?"


    Zarkin''s eyes closed for a moment.


    "A funeral convoy will be here in an hour. Galaspiael was killed. I wanted to warn you so that it wouldn''t be such a big shock for you. I''m really sorry, nobody knows how it actually happened."


    Kalena froze for a moment. Her eyes widened in horror as the meaning of the words he uttered reached her.


    "Galaspiael... died?"


    "I can''t believe it myself." Zarkin carefully watched the girl. She didn''t react as emotionally as he expected. Her face muscles tightened. She sat stiffly in the chair, all the time staring at something in front of her.


    "When they would arrive you said?" Her voice didn''t break, but she spoke softly and hoarsely.


    "In an hour," he repeated, "or a little faster. Do you want to go to the palace?"


    "Yes. I have to." She nodded. "I have to go because I can''t believe you."


    It was one of the very long hours. Zarkin wanted to go with Kalena, but she told him to rest and went alone. With him, it seemed as if the news of Galaspiael''s death did not take her too much. In fact, although she wanted very much, she couldn''t cry. This news shook her deeply. She couldn''t release everything she felt, too much emotion was tugging her mind.


    It broke when she entered a secret library from which one could get into the palace through a secret tunnel. She was crying so hard that she was out of breath. Everything there reminded of Galaspiael. One of the worst places she could find herself at that moment. She didn''t hide her regret, but she didn''t feel better. Only it hurt more.


    There was terrifying silence in the palace. Even servants who could not know anything were behaving differently. Kalena understood why when she came to the window.


    The funeral procession has already entered the higher city circle. The girl recognized Jun and Aymon from a distance.


    Galaspiael''s casket was black. Clearly Madegaldian and very mismatched, but they didn''t change it.


    Lin-Si was already waiting in the courtyard, surrounded by her servants. She stood upright, not moving at all. From the outside it resembled a cool statue, but there was immense despair in her eyes.


    At that moment the pain won, and the fact that Galaspiael had died reached Kalena''s mind. She no longer had the strength to stand up straight and watch it all. She fell to her knees and covered her face with her hands. Her whole world collapsed. Galaspiael was dead. She no longer had anyone in the world.


    "Kalena," Jun approached her. "Go back home. Nothing can be done anymore."


    "I was supposed to tell him so many important things..." She forced herself to look at the casket again. "I promised myself that when he came back I would talk to him."


    "Many of us wanted to talk to the king again." The captain helped her up. "Go now. I''m so sorry."


    Kalena obeyed him. She had nothing to look for in the palace anymore. This place seemed terribly quiet and strange. Along the way, she noticed how people hurriedly pull off lanterns and decorations. This year the moon festival was not to take place.


    Kagolania was mourning the king.


    *


    "Your Majesty, please accept my deepest condolences," said Samin.


    Lin-Si calmly looked into his eyes. He didn''t have to explain anything. The courts looked at her carefully, ready to help if she started to cry or fainted.


    "I knew the Queen of Sekania had lost her son. I thought it would end on him. Why we were not informed for so long?


    "It took some time before we found the body. Until the end we wanted to hope that His Majesty survived, "answered Aymon," so we refrained from sending messages about his death, hoping that he would be alive."


    "Liar, he promised me that he would come back!"


    "It wasn''t his fault. He was lured into a trap by the enemy."


    The queen took a deep breath, wanting to regain control of her voice.


    "We''re not likely to know whose fault it was anymore. You must organize a funeral and quickly appoint a successor. It will be difficult, as you know, we didn''t have any children. I think you should get Okiani as soon as possible and pick someone together. We can''t stay without a king. Can I count on your help?"


    "Of course, Your Majesty. We will deal with this immediately." Samin smiled and touched the queen''s hand. She shuddered, surprised by this bold gesture.


    "After the funeral we will open the granaries," she decided "this year''s harvest will not be successful and Sekania must defend itself. We cannot be hungry because hunger will weaken us, and now weakness means death. I will discuss this with Okiani. I apologize to you now, I really don''t feel well."


    She turned without a word and quickly went to one of her chambers.


    "Bring hot water," she told one of the servants "And you bring me herbs. And you... leave and don''t come back until I tell you. I want to be alone."


    She only had a few minutes. She couldn''t afford to show in public how much it all depressed and frightened her. She saw Kalena cry and felt like crying, but she knew she must be strong, especially now. She was a queen.


    When she was younger, she hated Galaspiael so much that she openly wished him death. She hoped that if he had died before their wedding, her parents would arrange her marriage with for someone else. She remembered her nannies always reprimanding her. They told her that she must be a good and loving wife, which caused her even greater wave of internal rebellion.


    They grew up virtually separated, and over the years he turned more and more reserved and cold. Lin-Si remembered him as a spoiled prince, and then he finished Yagn-Sho and they have become complete strangers.


    He never returned to the palace unless he had to. Every time she came, she was told to wait for him to appear. It annoyed her tremendously. She no longer understood his behavior. When they were children Galaspiael hated low-born people, after returning from Yagn-Sho he started living among them.


    The more she thought about it, the more she realized that she didn''t know him at all.

 51 Chapter 43

    Kalena woke up in her bed, barely able to move. She was too weak to do anything, even too weak to feel sadness. The last thing she remembered was the tea Zarkin had given her.


    Fighting with unnaturally strong sleepiness, the girl got up and rubbed her eyes. She slept for several hours, judging by how the sun moved. She left the room and saw Zarkin on the way to the kitchen. He gave her a cautious look, not knowing whether to apologize or comfort.


    "Are you okay?" He asked quietly.


    "I once asked you not to give me any of your mixtures without my permission ?!" She snapped.


    "I wanted to help," he excused himself. He followed her all the time, seeing that the mixture was still working. "You don''t have to go to the funeral, he would understand."


    "When is the funeral?" Kalena asked turning her head slowly.


    "Tomorrow morning."


    Galaspiael''s funeral. It sounded scary and unreal. These words did not go together. They did not connect in her mind.


    "I''ll go," she decided. "I should be with him so many times, and instead I dealt with other matters that I cannot miss this last meeting. I need to take a walk. Alone. Please, let me I can''t stand being here anymore!"


    Zarkin pursed his lips and shook his head, but he knew his silent protest would be useless.


    "Don''t do anything stupid. And come back soon, please."


    "I know that I look terrible now because I was crying in my sleep, but believe me, I feel really good" she forced a smile and reached for the brush to get her hair done before leaving.


    "I just want this mixture to stop working. I''m afraid you might faint somewhere along the way."


    Kalena''s eyelids were still heavy, but she assured him she could handle it.


    Leaving home did not make her feel better. She wanted to find a place that she would not associate with Galaspiael and try to calm down there. But literally, every street and every house in the city reminded of him. They walked everywhere together and when he could not leave the palace without protection he asked her to go places for him. She thought that she would have to go back to Port to find a place somehow not connected to Galaspiael.


    Kalena went down to the lowest city circle and then a thought occurred to her.


    There were places Galaspiael did not visit. She had never seen him drunk. He avoided all inns, and during the palace ceremonies, he was always sober, to be able to go to the studio later on, instead of falling asleep immediately.


    *


    "In the olden days, someone from the guard was buried with the ruler to defend him even after death.


    Jun turned to Samin and nodded hearing these words. In his mind, he cursed himself for not noticing him before. Once again the captain had had proof of his inefficiency.


    "Indeed. If we were to perform this ritual now, I would volunteer. Although... I didn''t manage to protect him in this world, would I manage in the afterlife? I doubt it."


    Jun wanted to tell Samin that he should take a few steps back but refrained himself. He also should not come to the king''s family temple without permission. But Samin was extremely confident, so he thought maybe Galaspiael had agreed earlier.


    "Captain, when I''ll be elected as a successor, I''m not going to punish you," Samin began again, "I think the Silver Guard was doing its job perfectly, and even if you haven''t seen anything, we have no evidence. I know that pain after loss is terrible, I am still in deep shock myself."


    "How do you manage to hide it so well?"


    "I think of the queen and all the subjects I need to look after now, and that helps me. I''ve always been able to hide my suffering well."


    "You are a really strong man Samin. You would be a great ruler...," Jun said without looking up. "Do you know already what we will do next?"


    "Peace is only temporary. However, I do not think that we will return to the war. And if, it won''t be on the Sekanian side. This alliance is not beneficial for us, I think it is better to look for other allies.


    And to betray?!"


    "If there is no other way to save your own country, then yes. I do not intend to sacrifice my subjects as if their lives didn''t matter. Where was Sekania during famine fifteen years ago? They also thought about themselves in the first place, and we should do the same. The king must put the well-being of his subjects in the first place, not blindly follow contracts that exist only on paper. People care above all about living the coming years in peace and expect that we will provide them with the best conditions for this. They don''t care about alliances, honors, or politics."


    *


    The next day there were no clouds or rain. The sun came out, and everything seemed lively as if spring began. The life energy permeated everything. Even Kalena felt it, although from the very morning she felt that her head was bursting from the inside.


    In the evening, Okiani, who had already arrived in the capital, began to debate the choice of a new king. There was no procedure that they could follow because they never actually had to choose a successor because he was determined by the order of birth.


    Officially, each Okiani was to decide according to his conscience, and all votes were equal. However, those who lived closer to the capital decided that the votes would be converted with different weights depending on how influential Okiani was. For example, owners of larger properties, who inevitably had more responsibilities, were entitled to cast two votes or one, counted as two. It was decided that this would be the fairest and the official meeting was adjourned until the funeral ceremony was over.


    Kalena slowly got used to the pain. The whole situation has already managed to reach her and the girl seemed reconciled with reality. Pale and calm, she stared at the half-exposed casket.


    Because the king died in the war, the body was to be burned, as was traditionally handled with fallen warriors. Earlier, however, a farewell ceremony was planned according to the traditional Kaitian rite. Crowds gathered under the palace, on the streets, and near the family temple of the Namanya dynasty. Numerous subjects came to say goodbye to the young king. It seemed that his mourning would last longer than after the previous ruler and his wife.


    Although Kalena wasn''t a follower of Kaitan''s beliefs and knew about Galaspiael''s religion only what he told her, she was present with all the guards and pretended to pray quietly. She stared at the body in the casket, at one point, even forgetting to move her lips. She stopped blinking for so long that when she looked away for a moment, her eyes filled with tears.


    Kalena rubbed them and after that, she had the impression that something was wrong. At first, she couldn''t say what exactly it was, but the longer she looked at Galaspiael, the more uncomfortable she felt as if one element did not match the whole picture.


    She looked around at the guards who surrounded the casket in a semi-circle, but no one returned her gaze. Then she looked at her body again, trying to figure out what caught her eye.


    The ceremony was very quiet, so the girl''s thoughts roared, causing an even worse headache. She wondered if Gyeul knew what had happened and whether he would come out today or in a few days.


    Gyeul ... Kalena thought back to his portrait, which she once noticed in the palace and reminded herself how unnatural it seemed for her. The man painted on it resembled Galaspiael but in reality...


    ... it wasn''t him.


    It was not him! She felt as if someone had removed the blindfold from her eyes. It wasn''t him, and the one in the casket wasn''t Galaspiael either.


    Everything slowly became clear. Nose way too big, whitened face and neck, rough hands with thick fingers and olive, sunburned skin, the shade of which was visible even despite the whitening procedure.


    Kalena remembered her master''s hands in every detail. It was the first thing she noticed about his appearance when they first met. She knew what they looked like; they were well-groomed, pale with extremely long and slender fingers. These, however, looked like the hands of someone who had never done writing in his life, and what''s more, he worked hard in the sun.


    "Wait! Stop! This is not Galaspiael!" Kalena shouted out loud, attracting the attention of everyone gathered in the temple. "Are you blind or what? Look carefully!"


    "Stop it!" Zarkin grabbed her hand, but she broke free.


    "I''m telling the truth, this man is not him!" Kalena looked at Samin. "I don''t know how it happened, but it looks like you brought the wrong body. The real Galaspiael may still be in the Sekania! We have to look for him, I''m sure he''s still alive!"


    A murmur of conversations and the sound of muffled sighs ran through the temple. Samin looked Kalena sternly and shook his head.


    "Let me congratulate you. You just destroyed the funeral ceremony of your king and master. Go ahead, enjoy well-deserved fame, just tell me, is it worth the price?"


    "I didn''t destroy anything because it is not him! A real king can still live, he must be found as soon as possible! Your Majesty, look carefully, I''m sure you remember what your husband looked like!"


    Lin-Si first looked at Kalena with hope, but seeing the eyes of others, she took a step back and shook her head.


    "I don''t know. I''m not sure."


    "This girl''s behavior is unthinkable. We shouldn''t let her in here at all!" Samin nodded to the guards who came over to Kalena.


    "Bastard, what will you get from it?" she asked, with eyes full of tears. "You won''t be king anyway, you can''t bribe all Okiani!"


    "Enough!" He shouted incredibly loudly. "I can''t listen to it anymore, how dare you disturb such an important celebration?! How dare you speak to the queen, causing her more suffering! You will not return him his life this way!"


    "This is not Galaspiael! Kalena tried to break free from the guard''s hold, and a terrible scream escaped her throat. "You have to believe me! I am begging you, just look carefully! Look at him, you idiots, you''ve seen the king so many times! I''m telling you the truth! This is not him!" Her voice broke when she was hit in the stomach.


    "She lost her mind in despair. It happens."


    "He is lying! I am not crazy! You know that he lies only afraid to admit it! This is not a king! Samin, you vile liar I will kill you, I swear I will kill you!" Kalena jerked desperately when she was overpowered, but she couldn''t do anything. She was led out of the temple by force.


    Even if one planted a seed of doubt in one''s heart, no one showed it.


    *


    When the guard was about to leave the temple, Zarkin broke free from the crowd and quickly ran to Jun''s house. The captain had been gone since the morning, and someone else was replacing him during the ceremony. When the boy arrived, the servants told him that Jun was dead. He killed himself by sticking a dagger in his heart.


    Zarkin turned back, deciding to ask Rikken for help after getting Kalena out from the cell. He ran to Kalena''s house as fast as he could. He knew something about a secret passage to the palace and wanted to look for it.


    At first, he did not notice the difference between the body in the temple and Galaspiael he remembered in his mind. He was sure that all the minor changes resulted from the way the body was handled, but something told him that Kalena might be right. He knew her and knew that if Galaspiael''s body were there, she would never have arranged such a scene.


    It happened so fast that he didn''t feel nervous yet.


    As soon as he crossed the threshold, five people surrounded him. He stopped in surprise and frowned.


    "Who are you?"


    "Are you a member of the Silver Guard?" A boy very similar to him, holding a bow ready to shoot, answered the question with a question.


    "I am, so what?"


    "His Majesty ordered you all gone by sunset."


    "What Majesty?" The moment Zarkin spoke, he felt a burning sensation in his left arm. Furious, he drew an arrow and stabbed one of the attackers in the neck with it. However, he failed to puncture the artery, because he suddenly fell to the ground paralyzed. He raised his head slowly, feeling he would pass out.


    "So it''s true? Is there a conspiracy... Kalena was right¡­"


    "Only King Samin knows this," he heard a muffled voice, as if from afar. It became dark before his eyes. "But I think she is right."


    It was the last thing he heard before his mind was consumed by nothingness.

 52 Chapter 44

    Kalena was locked up in a cell located at the very end of the dungeon, from where you could hear the footsteps of everyone who entered the corridor. Before the guards opened the heavy door, the girl was ready, and as soon as Samin crossed the threshold of the cell, she attacked him intending to twist his neck or cause some other serious damage. She quickly changed plans, seeing that the door was not closed. Kalena ran outside fast as an arrow, and by the time Samin and the guards realized, she was already running across the corridor.


    "Take her!" She heard his scream behind her back. "Bring her to me immediately!"


    Kalena looked around, feeling panic seize her. She didn''t know which way to go. Over the years of service in the Silver Guard, she managed to get to know the palace a little, but she was in the dungeons only once and she had no idea how to get out of them. She decided to run ahead, but she took the wrong turn and by the time she realized she was surrounded, it was too late.


    "Don''t you like walking in the cell? I will have you tied up and shackle!" Samin came over and punched her in the face."


    "How could you do such a thing?! Galaspiael considered you a friend!?


    "Galaspiael considered me a friend?" He mocked her. "I also considered him mine and I was here when people needed me and when he needed me the most. Always on his side, no matter how stupid things he would do. And even to you, a dirty slave, he was more grateful than to me for years of faithful service. I prayed to my ancestors that they would give me the opportunity and suddenly it came. I will make Kagolania as it was before he began to destroy the order."


    "I hate you!" She moaned desperately, trying to break free.


    "I''m not interested in what vermin like you think about me." You won''t understand the pain I felt."


    Kalena stopped struggling for a moment.


    "It''s hard for me to understand," she admitted, "but I realize you may have felt bad when Galaspiael took power after you ruled for so many years. Indeed, he should show some gratitude, you are absolutely right." She pierced him with a pleading look. "Become a king. Everyone thinks Galaspiael is dead anyway. But please, let me find and save him. Believe me, if he had a choice, he would never go back to the palace. He never wanted that crown..."


    "Do you think I''ll believe you?" Samin walked over to Kalena and tugged at her hair, pulling it back. "I''ll let you leave and you will come back with the old, beloved king. You will organize a revolution and then he will remain forever grateful. Since he had already written the act of appointing you as Okianesa, he could have joined the royal family after such a heroic deed! Is that what you came up with?"


    "I don''t mean any titles! I didn''t even know it! I mean Galaspiael and only him!"


    In the light-blue eyes of the man, she noticed a note of surprise. He released her and wiped his hand ostentatiously.


    "He didn''t say anything because he knew that the other Okiani would not agree. I''m sick when I think you could sit at one table with the most important people in the country. I can assure you that I am not going to tolerate the presence of people like you in my palace. Your dirty friend has returned to his place, and when I''m done with you, I have to clean every corner in this cell. I''m not such a tyrant to force anyone to be in the room in which you previously been"


    Kalena tried to break free when three men nailed her to the wall, but she couldn''t. The metal shackles tightened around her wrists. She was not released until they were sure she was powerless.


    *


    A strong blow to the back of the head wake Galaspiael up and the smell of blood and mud convinced him that he was still alive and still in the Madegaldian camp.


    "Get up!" He heard a voice above him. "We have a lot of work and you need to be prepared."


    He didn''t want to get up, he didn''t even have the strength to do it. He wondered what would happen if he will lie still. It couldn''t be bad, he would be beaten again. One step closer to death.


    "Are you deaf?!" Washar hit Galaspiael in the ribs with a thick stick. "I said get up!"


    White light flashed, giving an illusory sense of peace. Galaspiael quickly regretted trying to defend himself at all by using enchanting. He did not hurt Washar much and weakened himself even more.


    "I see you rested? Since you have the strength for something like this, you can walk on your own without problems. Don''t worry, I''m not going to beat you today, no one is enjoying it anymore. You are weak, you lose consciousness too often, we might as well be beating a corpse. But that doesn''t mean you don''t have to be afraid" Washar added when he heard Galaspiael''s soft sigh of relief.


    Galaspiael was led outside, and later into a small tent in which a place was already prepared for him. He let himself be shackled and chained, wondering why he must be immobilized in this way. They could see how weak he was, even if there were half the number of people around him, he wouldn''t be able to run away. Even if they left him untied, he doubted he would have the strength to go far.


    Someone tilted his head back and put a gag in his mouth. He didn''t know why since Washar said they were not going to beat him. It was only when his right sleeve was rolled up that he understood.


    They were going to burn a slave mark on his arm.


    Washar came in holding a metal seal, warmed at the end to redness. Galaspiael could feel the heat from it, even when the metal had not yet touched his body. He gathered himself and prepared for what pain he would feel. However, the mark on his shoulder was not burned.


    Washar signaled someone to hold Galaspiael by the head and put a seal on his cheek.


    Torture, beatings, loss of fingers, and everything he has gone through so far have been nothing compared to this pain. It felt like metal had burned his skin to the bone. At one point he didn''t even have the strength to scream. Everything was blurred, only this pain remained. He was sure that he couldn''t make it, that he would die soon, and that was when he was released. He wanted to lose consciousness very much, but they made sure that he was aware of what was going on all the time.


    When that shameful sign appeared on his face, he felt something in him was dying forever. Not only did he no longer have the strength to fight, but he also lost the will to do so.


    It was the first time he thought that he should give up.


    *


    Only ten days after the funeral, Samin''s coronation took place.


    The decision was made by Okiani and most of the subjects understood that it was dictated by concern for the balance of the country. However the decision to arrange a grand party, when people still mourned the previous king, no one tried to understand or justify, but no one admonished the new ruler.


    The ceremony was public and everyone could enter the higher circle for a moment. But when it was time to speak, Samin left. He returned to the palace surrounded by the Golden Guard, actually named only to indicate its superiority over previous guardsmen who disappeared suddenly. After the captain''s honor suicide, Luko and Zei were found who decided to do the same. The rest just vanished.


    Lin-Si avoided meeting Samin for as long as she could. She spent her time only in her part of the palace, surrounded by the most trusted maidens, which for some time began to carry weapons attached to the belts.


    The king surprised her one afternoon in one of her chambers. She knew that she would have to ask him about some important matters, but she was not ready for it at the moment. They exchanged casual smiles and he finally spoke.


    "My lady, I wanted to ask you to come to dinner tonight. Very important guests will come, you should be present."


    She nodded.


    "I will appear for sure. Would you mind telling me what will happen with Kalena? We can''t keep her in the dungeon for the rest of her life, you have to make a decision."


    "Ah ..." Samin''s expression changed slightly when she said Kalena''s name. "It''s really sad. I visited her recently and it''s even worse than before. I asked a trusted person for help and thanks to that I understood what could have happened. However, I don''t know if I should share this with you."


    "This girl acted outrageously, but I know that Galaspiael would like to bring this matter to an end as soon as possible. She was close to him and served faithfully in the Silver Guard for a long time."


    "Do you realize how close they were?" He picked up.


    Lin-Si pursed her lips briefly.


    "Not really, but I know he loved her."


    "He loved her very much. I suspect he still loves her. His spirit could haunt her and that''s the reason for her madness."


    "Then she should be released immediately! If Kalena is still in contact with Galaspiael..."


    "I''m afraid that even if you''re right, she wouldn''t tell us anything," he interrupted firmly. "She tried to kill me the last time I was there. Please, don''t go there for your own safety. She stopped recognizing anyone."


    The queen gave him a doubtful look.


    "And this is happening because of Galaspiael''s spirit?"


    "Yes. I think he is trying to take her with him to the world of the dead. The problem is that her body is still alive and therefore her soul cannot leave it. Perhaps she had agreed to the procedure herself, but she was not aware that something like this would happen, and Galaspiael, although powerful, could not kill her. So she''s torn between two worlds."


    "It''s terrible, my lord," Lin-Si replied, "I''ve always been frightened by these Kaitan ghost stories, and now when you say one of them is taking place right before our eyes, I feel deeply moved. Can we help this poor girl somehow?"


    "We have two solutions. We could drive Galaspiael''s spirit away from her by performing a special ritual. However, there is no guarantee that it will restore her clarity of mind, and we could make him angry. Another way is to kill her. Then she could enter the underworld with him. Forgive me, I know how unpleasant it must be for a wife to hear something like that."


    "I personally advised him how to win her heart. I understand that he loves her even after death.


    "That''s why she didn''t recognize him at the funeral. All she saw was a body that the spirit had already left. She was somehow right, it was no longer Galaspiael. I don''t want to torture or publicly humiliate her. I will choose the least painful and fastest method. My queen, if there was the slightest chance that I would be able to help her, without interfering with spiritual matters, I would not hesitate. I have devoted my whole life learning about body and diseases and I can cure many of them. I must admit, however, that I don''t have much religious knowledge, but even the priests I consulted were powerless. Probably Kalena had to give him access to her soul herself. I don''t know what went wrong, but now this girl is suffering a lot."


    "When are you going to kill her?"


    "I certainly can''t make it today, and I''m not going to ask for it someone unprepared who could only make things worse. Tomorrow I will end this case."


    "Well." She nodded. "Thank you for taking a moment to explain this to me."


    "I''m not going to hide anything from you, lady."


    Without a word, Lin-Si sat down at the dressing table and started choosing jewelry for the evening. When she stopped hearing footsteps in the corridor she asked Nailan to come inside.


    "Go to Yagn-Sho immediately! Tell Aymon and Rikken that they must come to the palace as soon as possible and save Kalena."


    The girl looked at her in surprise.


    "Your Highness... are you sure?"


    "There is a lot to be said about Galaspiael. She smiled weakly. "But I know that he would never, even after his death, do such harm to a person he sincerely loved. Samin is lying."

 53 Chapter 45

    "Dirty girl, I''m just waiting for the order!" The guard has threatened Kalena since Samin announced that she would be executed. "The previous king was sick in his mind when he decided to bring a slave to a higher circle. But soon it will be over! Only you remained and the Silver Guard is over. You are no real guard! Do you even know what ranks are in the palace guard?"


    Kalena did not answer to any provocation. She sat with her back to the door as far as the chains allowed, and pretended to hear nothing.


    She could do nothing at all in the cell. The escape was impossible. So she decided to go back to the meditation exercises, which she and Galaspiael began, and then abandoned when he went to war. She had a lot of time for this because her peace was disturbed only by a tray of food, inserted through a narrow hole between the door and the floor.


    Kalena still didn''t know if she could enchant something, but she felt her internal energy increase. She wasn''t afraid of death. She didn''t even think about the execution ahead of her, she just concentrated on herself and what surrounded her.


    She was able to examine the entire room and part of the corridor in her mind. Everyone, even the smallest detail could not escape her. She heard the voice of the man guarding her, but also how he got up and walked down the hall, sighed heavily, and sometimes yawned. She noticed how calmly he breathed and how his breath went faster when someone approached. And then she focused on what she felt around.


    The stone floor was hard and the metal keys cold and inaccessible. The water she got to drink was completely out of harmony with her energy. She could only breathe with air.


    She didn''t feel the connection, with anything she noticed during the day. It just seemed like she couldn''t do it. She scolded herself thinking about how pathetically she decided to waste her last moments.


    However, during the evening shift, Kalena noticed something else that she had not paid attention to before. A warm light blinked on the piece of wall visible through the tiny window in the door. The new guard brought himself a candle.


    Kalena couldn''t see the flame, but she could feel it. It trembled under the breath of man sitting outside. She focused even more and felt the bond.


    The flame just fit. It formed a unity with her so closely that she had the impression that the part of herself was outside. She focused on it and felt a surge of excitement when she managed to keep the fire tongue straight, despite the guard still breathing. This art required a great deal of concentration and was very engaging, so she couldn''t do it for too long.


    Suddenly someone came in. The steps were heading towards her cell. Kalena had no idea that Aymon was on the other side, but she wondered why the guard won''t say anything. He would say hello to the other guard and make any stranger stop. She listened carefully.


    "You can leave," said the newcomer calmly. When the guard didn''t move, there was a sound of a shen sword pulled off the case. "I''m not used to murdering compatriots, go away man."


    "I received the order..."


    "And now you''re getting another. Give me the key." Aymon fell silent as if waiting for something.


    Kalena didn''t need to listen anymore. She bonded with the flame again and forced it to move. Up, down and then sideways, straight to the face of the guard who covered himself screaming from pain and picked up the alarm bell with the other hand.


    "He attacked me! Help! He came to free her, somebody help me!" He shouted really loudly. "Traitor! Traitor!"


    "I haven''t done anything to you yet!" Aymon impatiently stunned the guard and reached the barred window. "Kalena?"


    "Master Aymon!" The girl smiled, recognizing his face. "Nice to see you!"


    "Nice to see you too. I felt like you would end up in the dungeon someday, but I didn''t think it would happen so soon! Don''t you know where they keep the keys?"


    "I think the second guard took them during the morning shift.


    "I have the keys! Someone shouted far too loudly. We need to hurry, soon half of the Golden Guard will be here."


    "Golden?" Kalena repeated


    "Long story" Aymon began to tinker at the lock and after a moment opened the door. "They treated you like the most dangerous criminal in history!" He added, seeing how she was tied.


    "Wait! Do you believe me?" She asked when he tried to free her from the shackles. "Do you believe that I''m not crazy, and all this is all Samin''s plan to take over Kagolania?


    "Well, we hope you haven''t lost your mind, but we can''t be sure, can we?"


    "The queen trusts you and you are a declared opponent of his self-appointed rule," Aymon said. "Now such people are valuable."


    "Lin-Si told you to save me?"


    "We''ll talk later, now let''s get out of here." Rikken came out of the cell first, followed by Aymon and Kalena. "We''ll tell you everything in the quarters."


    "Are we going to Yagn-Sho?"


    "We can''t stay in the capital city anymore. The escort is waiting at the back gate."


    At the end of the corridor, they met with five guards ready to attack. They ignored Aymon and Rikken and focused only on Kalena.


    It was hard to pay attention to the move, but she managed to combine her energy with the energy of the lantern against the wall and burn them. She was overwhelmed with fatigue. Also, someone hit her elbow, because focusing on the fire, she forgot to dodge. Aymon stared at her not even trying to hide his shock.


    "How do you do this?" He asked, but she could not answer him. A hand pulled her in the opposite direction that they were heading to.


    "Nailan, what are you...?"


    "Quiet!" The girl poked her hard. "Nobody can see me!"


    "Where are you going, the exit is on the other side!" Rikken and Aymon caught up with them, followed closely by four courts, which Kalena recognized immediately.


    "Her Highness changed her plan. Horses are waiting at the main gate."


    "Main?" Aymon pushed Kalena to stand next to Nailan. "It''s suicide!"


    "Lea, Hama, stay here and cover us. Put the masks on! Don''t worry, everything is already planned" she turned to Aymon. "The Golden Guards are waiting at the back exit. We gave them a false lead."


    They ran out to the small courtyard where Kalena had not been before, then proceed straight to the main gate. Contrary to Nailan''s assurances, ten armed guards were waiting there.


    "I''ll go get the rest and distract them. We will go to Kalena''s house. You''ll only have a moment, so try to drive fast. With a bit of luck, we''ll all meet at Yagn-Sho."


    "You don''t know where they put my am-shen?" Kalena stopped her. " I got them from Galaspiael..."


    "I would like to help, but it''s really not the time or place to think about such a thing!"


    They waited briefly, but this moment seemed to last forever. Finally, three masked people left, heading for the main street of the upper circle.


    Kalena felt a painful prick in her heart. She knew Samin would have her house looted when the guards start looking for her. She lost the only place on earth that she considered her own. She touched her necklace with a jade eye that she had hidden in her inner pants pocket and felt Rikken pushing her forward.


    "There''s no time for sentiments, we''ll find you some other weapon! Move!"


    Kalena ran, but she felt she was running out of strength. She got on the horse last but managed to catch up with her saviors. They galloped off to Yagn-Sho, which was to be the only safe hideout.


    *


    "Now let''s start from the beginning," Kalena spoke, as soon as they sat at the table to talk. "What happened when I was locked up in this cell?"


    "Quite a lot," Aymon replied. "Immediately after your arrest, Jun''s body was found. And a letter to other members of the guard, in which he ordered to pay back for the dishonor they had let allowing the king to remain unprotected. These are fake suicides, although this one looks surprisingly true. I knew the captain very well and I suspect he might have been forced to do so. He was not the type of person who would do such a thing, though honor was his highest value. And then there were fake elections for the new king."


    "Everyone from the Silver Guard is dead?" She asked quietly. "Zarkin¡­?"


    "We haven''t found his body so he might''ve survived," Rikken replied. "I suspect that Samin will now want to liquidate the royal academy. I know that he plans to close it, although he says it is only for a while, I don''t believe it. Mizar left some books there and had to ask for a return, but we advised him to hide far from the capital."


    "They''ll reach him anyway, if they start looking for me," Aymon went on again, "but I think they''ll focus on the city first. Some people resent His Majesty for openly disregarding the time of mourning, and I noticed that he does not like criticizing his decisions."


    "He doesn''t like people who criticize his decisions," finished Bimala, and Kalena responded with a slight smile. Nailan, who didn''t say a word, let out a loud breath.


    "It''s not funny," she said. "I don''t know what you''re going to do, Kalena, but you''d better not go back to Kagolania. Samin will probably announce the prize for your head soon."


    "Because he is afraid of me! He knows I could save Galaspiael and bring him back. And then public execution is the only thing that could happen to this traitor."


    "If you could bring him alive," Bimala interjected. "Galaspiael is most likely in Madegaldian captivity. In my opinion, the chances that he survives are small."


    "So there''s no time!" The girl jumped up abruptly. "We must leave as soon as possible! Every minute is precious!"


    A long and awkward silence followed her words. Nobody wanted to speak to break it. Kalena looked at everyone and an expression of unspeakable surprise began to appear on her face.


    "I can''t go with you," Nailan finally said. "I should get back to the palace quickly so that I won''t be suspected of anything. Samin can''t stop trusting the queen because she is the only person who favors us and is so close to him."


    "We planned to organize a resistance thanks to which Aymon would take power. If Okiani had not been bribed and threatened, he would have been elected. He is more closely related to Galaspiael." Rikken paused, seeing Kalena''s expression. "I know what it sounds like, but try to understand. We must save Kagolania. There is a war on, we are weak and rely only on ourselves. The Emperor of Madegald is certainly aware that we are weakened now. What if Galaspiael is already dead? We will have neither a king nor a kingdom!"


    "I can''t believe it... you gave up on him!" She drawled through her teeth. "You want to leave him to die!"


    "We have not given up, we are just trying to protect the country which he could return to." Aymon got up. "If Galaspiael would come back, I will personally help him regain power, but we must prepare, otherwise we will achieve nothing, whether he comes back or not. He believed that Kagolania was more important than his life. I''m sure if he were here, he would make us do it. Besides, my brother may be in danger! Each of us has something here that tries to protect, we can''t go on such a risky mission."


    "All right. So I''ll go myself!" She decided and clenched her fists tightly. "And I don''t need your help at all! I think you should be ashamed. None of you were in the Silver Guard, but that doesn''t mean you don''t have certain responsibilities to the king. And I think that trying to save his life is one of them!"


    *


    Zarkin woke up in a completely unknown place, feeling as if he would die in a second. He could see absolutely nothing around him. He blinked several times but still couldn''t see the outlines of anything.


    "Someone... help" he croaked and his voice broke off. He began gropingly looking for something to support and stand up.


    "Zarkin?" Suddenly he heard a woman''s voice above him. "How are you?"


    "Who are you? Light a candle, I can''t see anything!"


    Zarkin found her hand. She helped him rise to a sitting position and he felt that she sat down next to him.


    "Can''t you see? It''s midday," she said calmly, and he got paralyzed by fear. "The room we''re in is on the sunny side of the house. Sun rays are coming through the window. You really can''t see anything? Absolutely nothing?"


    A terrifying truth began to reach Zarkin. He was completely defenseless, at her mercy. He blinked his eyes several times and put a hand to his face. He didn''t even notice the outline of his fingers.


    "No..." he admitted and wiped tears with his sleeve. He hissed in pain as the rough material touched his arm.


    "Don''t touch it. Let it heal. We have to wait, if I cut right now, the wound wouldn''t heal well. I will explain everything, just, don''t be nervous. You are safe."


    "Do you know me? Who are you?" He repeated the question and there was a long silence, broken only by her trembling breath.


    "Have you forgotten my voice, lord?"


    "Mei! Mei, it''s you! Is it really you!" Zarkin realized that he was squeezing her hand tightly, so he relaxed his fingers a little. He couldn''t control his tears. "Mei I''m so sorry! Forgive me, please, forgive me" he broke off as she gently put her fingers on his lips.


    "I have forgiven you a long time ago," she said, "you have no idea how glad I am you finally woke up!"


    "And Kalena? Is she here?"


    "No. I asked about her, but she stayed in the capital. I found you at the slave market."


    "What?!" The joy he had felt was replaced by a pang of anxiety as he slowly began to remember all the events of the king''s funeral. "I was attacked at Kalena''s house," he confessed, "someone shot me with a poison arrow."


    "I suspect they''ve shot you more than once. When I found you, you were still under the influence of the mixture. I asked for help from various people, but they couldn''t help. Yesterday I gave you your antidote, which you one gifted me. I didn''t know if it would work, after a few years..."


    At the mention of the antidote, Zarkin felt something tight his throat again.


    "You still had it?" He whispered incredulously. "I threw everything away... Anything that reminded me of you."


    "That''s okay."


    "I stopped collecting money for a house under a white tree," he continued as if he hadn''t heard her. "You know, in Velikania, on the road to Epag, there is such a beautiful, big tree with white leaves. When I joined the guard, I swore to myself that in a few years I would be rich enough to come back and build a house."


    "Then we must go there someday," she said. "It would be hard to search the entire Velikania for one tree, but since you remember that it is growing along the road to Epag, I think I will be able to lead us there."


    "Those were childish dreams," he interrupted her. "I couldn''t build a house anyway. Without sight I am nothing! I can''t even look at you! I can''t look into your eyes and apologize. I was punished, adequate to the sins committed!"


    Mei sat down again and put her arms around him.


    "You can regain your seeing. We''ll find someone to help you."

 54 Chapter 46 part 1

    "I don''t know if these would be enough for you," said Rikken when Kalena examined the swords from Yagn-sho. "This is the best am-shen I''ve found here, but I don''t think they can match those created only for you in the royal forge."


    "The skills testify about the warrior, not where his sword was forged," she replied calmly, looking for the weapon most similar to the previous one.


    "But a good sword is also useful. If you''ll wait a few days, I could bring some better ones."


    "I don''t have a few days. If Galaspiael is in captivity in Madegald, I have to hurry," she responded firmly. Rikken leaned against the wall and shook his head.


    "I misjudged you during the training. I could not see at that time what a wonderful person you would grow up. You embarrass us all with your courage and loyalty. What kind of subjects are we, if no one dared to go with you to save the king?"


    Kalena stopped in a half step and sighed heavily.


    "I don''t risk anything anymore," she replied quietly, "it''s easy for me. You have homes, families, loved ones here. I already lost my home, and he was the only family for me. Until we return, gather allies. I am sure the king will be grateful to you for this as much as me for saving him."


    "Mistress Bimala has packed you a copy of the maps from our library. Will you go straight to the Sekania?"


    "I wanted to go to the Forbidden Zone first." The girl looked out the window, staring at the forest. "Gyeul doesn''t like Galaspiael, but rather realizes that the king has no descendant. If the last person of the Namanya dynasty dies, then no one would repay his sins. He will be imprisoned in the living world forever, and I bet this is something he doesn''t want to."


    "Be careful. Maybe go during the night."


    "I have a plan. If everything goes well, I''ll be fine."


    "When in Sekania, also be careful," Rikken continued, "Aymon would love you to come back alive. Your power would be useful here."


    "I''ll be back with Galaspiael."


    "From what I''ve heard, the fate of war prisoners is unknown. Madegald officials state they did not take them at all this time. If they really captured a king, they are certainly hiding him well. It will be difficult for you to find him."


    She nodded.


    "I know. That''s why I have to try to talk to this spirit. Each, even the smallest hint is crucial." She swung the blades. They cut the air with a whistle. "These will be good."


    The Am-shen Kalena chose were no match to her previous ones. Although they were quite decent, she knew it would be some time before he got used to them.


    She left Yagn-Sho saying goodbye only to Rikken.


    She was still too close to the capital, so she had to take the forest road to the Forbidden Zone. She didn''t find Gyeul or anyone else in the ruined city. Everywhere was empty and quiet.


    Kalena walked all the way calling him in her thoughts and whispering his name, but nothing happened. No falls, no unnatural gusts of wind. Nothing at all.


    "Gyeul! I know you''re here! Show up!" She shouted. Echo repeated her voice quite too fast that normally. The atmosphere quickly concentrated. Gyeul came and listened.


    "I would like to talk to you, Your Majesty." The girl spoke again.


    This time he reacted. He appeared before her, but much taller and more terrifying than she remembered. He wanted to intimidate her.


    "What are you looking for here, little lover of my successor? Shouldn''t you run away? The searchers haven''t found any treasures here recently, and a great amount of money has been promised for your head. A group of them is entering the forest right now, I can bring them here."


    "I''d like to ask you something important," she began calmly.


    "Ask then," the ghost replied, slightly annoyed that he hadn''t managed to scare her.


    "I need to know if Galaspiael is still alive"


    The being standing in front of her blurred into a black mist and materialized back behind her. Although Kalena was wearing a thick layer of material, she felt his cold fingers on her shoulders.


    "Do you want a confirmation that you haven''t gone crazy yet? You were told it so long that you finally began to doubt yourself if you''re right? I totally understand. Many people considered me crazy when I was still alive. But whatever I answer now, will it change anything? Will you start to perceive yourself differently?"


    "Tell me where he is and I''ll go look for him. You want it too, right?"


    She heard a soft sigh and the sound of leaves.


    "To be honest, no I don''t. If you found him too quickly, you would go back to the palace and would not let anyone hurt him. I can''t let you do that. Since he got captured, I can enter the underworld much easier and stay there longer than before. Know my grace, he is alive and in captivity in Madegald. I want him to stay there for a long time. I won''t tell you anything more."


    "We''ll see." Kalena took out her weapon, but then Gyeul dissolved again. She screamed furiously and held out both hands. She wanted to get some energy out of her body and turn it into the fire. Lots of fire. To burn the entire Forbidden Zone. She could see it in flames with her imagination.


    "Come back here! Come back immediately!" She shouted, but it did not affect. Despair and a sense of complete helplessness took over the girl. Not knowing too much what she was doing, she began to recall fire energy.


    "Don''t you like living in ruins? You will live in the ashes! I order you to come back here and answer my question! You are no longer the only person who has power!"


    Unexpectedly he came back. No longer in embodied form, but as a frightening apparition with a white head and four lizard tails. He picked up Kalena like a rag doll and threw her a few meters away. She moaned loudly trying to get up when he landed next to her


    "Who do you think you are? A goddess? Do you want to create flames with your hands? You are as far away from the goddess as possible. You don''t realize the full potential of the art of controlling fire, you don''t deserve it." Gyeul crushed her to the ground with a strong gust of air. "I don''t understand why this has not disappeared in subsequent generations. You bastards are no longer worthy of power!"


    "I won''t let Galaspiael die," she groaned, "I''ll find him whether you help me or not. You know it."


    "I know," he replied. "You''ll find him. But if you were to do it too soon, I''d see it and kill you now. It won''t happen without my help. I see your future, slave. You can''t hurt me. You are a small, insignificant mistake in my plan."


    After these words, he disappeared and did not show up again.


    *


    In the afternoon Mei brought Zarkin dinner.


    The boy felt a little better. The fever was gone and he was recovering slowly, though he still couldn''t see. Some of his memories returned, but he thought it was better to remember nothing.


    Only the sounds and sensations returned. A new mark on the arm and burning pain. The slave trader''s laughter when he learned that Zarkin was a liberated slave. He told Zarkin that he was glad that the boy had come back to his place, and then he wondered aloud if he should not kill him when it turned out that he''s blind. He called Zarkin a damaged item, and that''s how Zarkin felt.


    "I see you''re getting to know your bedroom?" Mei joked, straightening the rug he had tripped over.


    "Laugh," he hissed. "You are enjoying my misfortune, are you?"


    "Why do you say that you know I don''t," she replied seriously. "I just wanted to comfort you. You must finally get to your feet. I will help you as much as I can, but you cannot let despair engulf you."


    "Despair engulfed me anyway," he admitted sadly. "I want to kill myself. Why it has to be eyes? Anything but not the eyes! I lost the most important sense, how should I continue living?"


    "We''ll find a way..." she began.


    "Don''t lie." Zarkin put his left hand on the table, and with his right hand started searching for the plate and the spoon. He couldn''t stop tears when he thought about his blindness. Along with his sight, he also lost his accuracy, almost legendary and heavily practiced since the beginning of his studies at the Scribes'' Association.


    "For now, you need to rest. You haven''t regained your full strength yet, no medic will treat your eyes now." Mei lifted his head as if he could see her face. "We''ll get through this. I will never leave you again."


    "You should," he murmured. "You should leave me, especially now. Forgive me for yelling at you for no reason."


    "Yell if you are feeling better after that. Tomorrow I will take you for a walk, you can''t spend all your life at home. It will help you."


    "Certainly not to regain my sight."


    "Not to regain sight, but peace of mind. Nemina also gave me a letter from Mistress Bimala. Kalena is alive."


    "Where is she?" Zarkin asked calmly, though he shuddered inside hearing her name.


    "She is coming to Yagn-Sho soon. The letter was written a few days ago, so she''s probably already there. Samin sentenced her to death, but someone notified Aymon and Rikken at the last minute."


    "I would like to help her, but when my eyes are broken it''s impossible." Zarkin moved to a more comfortable place. "Where are we exactly? I didn''t ask you where this house is located."


    "We''re in Kagolania, but it''s safe here. Miena is the largest city in this part of a kingdom and it''s about two hours away. I found you on the market there. The capital city is far away and you have traveled all the way completely poisoned. They were afraid of you, they probably knew you could defend yourself."


    The boy was silent until he finished eating. Mei sat patiently beside him, wondering what else she could say.


    "Is it true what Kalena said at the funeral? Is Galaspiael alive?"


    "Have you heard about it?"


    "My cousin wrote about it in the last letter and then stopped answering my messages. Well, do you think that''s true?"


    "I don''t know." He threw up his arms. "But since she believed it so much, I think it''s true. I think she would want to save him. She may go to Madegald after him."


    *

 55 Chapter 46 part 2

    All the way to Sekania, Kalena was furious at herself thinking how much time she had lost.


    When she was about to leave the Forbidden Zone, Gyeul attacked her again and made her unconscious for a few hours. She awoke in the morning the next day. She lost the whole night.


    The girl looked with fear at every man passing by. She tried to comfort herself, with a thought that she was getting further away from the palace and Samin, but it couldn''t stop her fear. Finally, she managed to cross the border, with almost a day delay.


    For safety, she decided not to sleep in any village. She did not know how far the power of the new king could reach, but she was sure that Samin was looking for her and knew where she went. She didn''t want to admit to herself that she was afraid. Not of fighting but of loneliness that began to surround her from all sides.


    Kalena thought that once she knew where Galaspiael was being held, she would slip away early in the morning, not at night, as she had told Rikken before. She lay in a makeshift hut, not even able to squint, though the night was extremely warm. She felt a terrible emptiness in her heart thinking about her home. Kalena didn''t even want to imagine what would happen there.


    She left everything there. Almost every happy moment in her life was associated with either Yagn-Sho or that house. She was extremely grateful to Galaspiael that he decided to give it to her.


    Suddenly a terrible thought appeared in the back of her mind. What will happen if she fails? Where will she go? In Kagolania, Kalena was considered insane, who raised her hand to the new king and destroyed the funeral ceremony. She had nothing to look for there, and the rest of the world was terribly foreign.


    She didn''t want to go back to Yagn-Sho without Galaspiael. She would never forgive herself for this failure.


    The more she thought about it, the more the dream did not want to come, and her thoughts became more obtrusive. It was just the beginning, and she had had enough. She desperately needed someone who would ignite her slowly dying enthusiasm. She was alone, with her fear and doubts, and there was no indication that this was about to change.


    *


    "How does it feel?" Mei asked, washing Zarkin''s eyes with a decoction of intensely fragrant herbs.


    "No change," he said grimly.


    "Don''t worry, my lord, give this mixture more time."


    "Stop! Don''t call me that!" He wanted to grab her hand but missed. "Now I should call you my lady."


    "I want to show you respect in this way."


    "Very undeserved respect. This title makes a distance. I have a name just like you. I just feel bad when you call me that."


    "So I''ll stop," she promised, "but I want you to know that you deserve it, even now."


    "You don''t understand."


    "I know, archery requires perfect eyesight, and you are not sure if you will get it back at all. You''ve lost a lot and you feel bad about yourself."


    Zarkin didn''t have to answer, she knew him well.


    "I have plenty of time to think about my life now," he confessed, "because when you are gone, it is completely quiet here. I''m terrified to see what kind of person I have become. I don''t know how to feel about myself. I never wanted to be this way."


    "What do you mean by that?" Mei asked.


    "I never wanted to be so hopeless. My life was shallow. If I were to die, I wouldn''t even have people who would wear mourning costumes for more than two days. I am not a lord, I am a lost kid who has grown into a completely worthless man. I don''t understand your love for me."


    "I love you all, not just your eyes." Mei took his hand. "When we first met, I didn''t know anything about your talent. You didn''t have a bow with you when you defeated the Conspiracy spies, and I already felt that I wanted to be with you. I managed to love you much earlier than I would like and I love you much longer than I thought I was capable of. I really don''t have a clue why this is so, but I''m sure it doesn''t matter if you ever see it again or not."


    She watched carefully as Zarkin walked around the room, ready at all times to help him if he stumbled. She smiled seeing how well he managed to found the way. Slowly, he found the door and turned the handle.


    "I remembered the whole room," he said after a moment of silence. "If everything stays in place, I should be fine. Have you received another message? What''s going on at Yagn-Sho now?"


    "Yagn-Sho is safe. The capital and the palace is worse. The captain of the Ruby Guard, the one protecting the queen, had been interrogated about the disappearance of Kalena."


    "Did the queen have any guard?"


    "The queen has manors and servants, but each of them is trained in the battle to defend her if needed."


    "And who is this captain?"


    "Her name is Nailan."


    "I knew her. Was she attacked?"


    "Yes. They wanted her to reveal where Kalena was hidden, but she stubbornly remained silent. Officially, the Golden Guard cannot kill anyone without an explicit order, especially since Nailan is a maid of Her Majesty. So they released her and later caught and beat up, pretending to be someone else. Was she someone close to you?" She asked seeing his reaction.


    "Yes. For some time. We broke up before I went to war."


    "I''m sorry. She behaved heroically, she did not reveal any of our secrets."


    "I would like to go there. When we are sitting here the most important things happen in the capital. But now I would be completely useless."


    "We can go if you feel up to it. You will be able to do something. Maybe in Yagn-Sho, we will find a way to help you?"


    *


    Galaspiael got awoke by an extremely painful kick in the ribs.


    "Stand up, Your Highness!" Washar leaned over him. "We need to talk. I had serious problems because of your little friend."


    He would not have felt such terror even if he had been tortured again. He rose to a sitting position and saw am-shen swords, broken in half, lying on the ground.


    Am-shen that once belonged to Kalena.


    "His Majesty Samin asked me to show you this. Those were nice." Washar grabbed the hilt of one of the broken swords. "She must have been nice too?"


    "She knew nothing!" Galaspiael croaked. "I swear it! She knew nothing about the dynamite."


    "Oh yes!" A mocking smile appeared on Washar''s face. "She certainly knew nothing, and that''s why two hundred sticks of dynamite and some failed samples were found in her house!"


    "It was my workplace! I couldn''t do it in the palace, she just lent me a place. She didn''t know what was going on there!"


    "I will whip for these lies! Do you think I''m stupid? I know who she was to you! I know what you did together!"


    Then Galaspiael cried for the first time. Earlier, no matter what they did to him or how painful it was, he didn''t shed a single tear. He couldn''t stop his despair now.


    "Kagolania is the country of idiots since one girl has caused so much confusion. The slave girl¡­" he frowned significantly "I feel sick when I think about touching something like this. After all, did anyone call you an aristocrat? You were drawn to vermin because you are a worm yourself, I understand that."


    Galaspiael did not answer. He was kneeling curled up, covering his face with his hands.


    "Get ready for the trip. We are going to Madegald soon. I already have a special place for you in my mine. Not at work, of course, you are still a king, as you said earlier. There will be a place, very cramped, very dark. You will sit there until you die. And I will make sure you die very, very long. Really long. You would go crazy with despair, and I will come every day to see how you become less and less human. Nobody will find you. You will never see a face other than mine."


    Out of the corner of his eye, he saw that Galaspiael took a decorative red stone from one handle. He forcibly pulled it out of his hand.


    "Please ..." he groaned as his fingers were forced open. "Please don''t take this from me¡­"


    "Nobody left me a souvenir from my home," Washar replied, tossing the stone outside. "Cry as much as you want, your tears are a joy for me. There is some justice in the world at last."


    He left and quickly headed to his quarters. Najana was waiting there. She came to say goodbye because she also planned to return home earlier.


    "I wish he had written more about this girl. More information."


    "You can tell him that his royal guards were wiped out," she murmured, reading a long letter from Samin. As always, you''re lucky. But I have no idea how she managed to recognize the double."


    "She must have known the original very well. Often see up close, touch. Even be closer than his wife."


    "I''m afraid she could raise doubts among people." Najana clenched her teeth and hit the table several times with nervousness. "I should get it out of your mind before!" This plan was too risky from the beginning!


    "You have nothing to fear. It was only one girl who is probably dead now, and if she miraculously survived, she would soon die. When I leave, nobody will find me."


    "But she could..."


    "Why would anyone in Kagolania believe her?" Washar smiled at her and shook his head. "They''ve already got their king and given him a great funeral. It makes no sense to keep thinking about this matter. Imagine discovering the great war hero is actually a slave, with a sign of shame burned on his face. It is much more convenient for everyone to accept what happened and to not search for answers."

 56 Chapter 47

    Kalena stared at the hastily extinguished hearth, not knowing what to do.


    She deluded herself that maybe it was a coincidence, that maybe only one unit had been ordered to return, and Galaspiael was with another somewhere in the Sekania. Intuition, however, suggested her to follow the traits and Najana''s attack made it clear she was right.


    Najana attacked her suddenly, completely surprising. The black outfit made her almost invisible at night. Kalena wanted to use enchanting in a panic, but nothing could cast fire energy. She pulled out am-shen and shielded herself from a blow to the head. She was angry at herself for being caught up in such a senseless fight and could waste time again.


    She pushed Najana to the ground, and quickly got on the horse and followed the footsteps. She realized, however, that her opponent was not going to give up easily. She tried to lose her, but she couldn''t.


    "Leave me alone!" The girl shouted, stopping on the road. "I don''t want to fight you!"


    The woman only adjusted the black scarf covering her face and surreptitiously pulled out a small arrow, which she quickly hid on the inside of her hand. Kalena noticed this seemingly insignificant move. The blade must have been soaked in poison. She was going to engage Kalena in close combat to hurt and escape in a good time.


    Both dismounted. Kalena regretted very much that there was no fire somewhere nearby. She wanted to finish it as soon as possible and move her way.


    She held the opponent at arm''s length and made sure not to get closer. She wanted Najana to make the first move. She was surprised that a woman could be so strong. She was fast, but she managed to get used to fast opponents, while training with Jun.


    Kalena tried to bring her down, knock and possibly break a bone. She didn''t want to kill. She felt no need. Suddenly she noticed that someone was passing nearby, carrying a source of light. The flame almost immediately moved toward her hands, then left and right. She surrounded the attacker and burned her.


    After that, she immediately ran away without looking back. She had to escape as soon as possible and cover her tracks. After an hour''s drive, she came across another Madegaldian camp and came as close as possible. She managed to hide and overhear the conversation of two guards.


    "... If they hadn''t been ordered, they would have stayed," argued the elder one "why are you delving into the subject?"


    "What is more important than guarding the occupied area against the enemy?"


    "As far as I know, only Prince Washar''s unit has left. The rest is still there as we are. Everyone who stays close to the palace has a better life than ordinary people, it has always been this way. Maybe Washar wants to repay his sins? He led a captive."


    "Just one?"


    "Maybe there was more, but he dragged the other personally behind him" Certainly, he was a Sekanian general or someone important. He drove quickly because he probably wants to make it on time for the next military meeting. He hopes to give the prisoner to the emperor and to get allowed to come back.


    "He should not come back. It was because of Washar that so many of us died. If it wasn''t for him, these dogs from Kagolania would have no way to defend themselves."


    "The emperor will decide."


    Washar. It was not the first time Kalena heard of this Madegaldian prince. She needed nothing more, she already had her purpose. She quickly moved on, heading steadily toward Madegald. Galaspiael, however, was not on his way to the imperial palace.


    Some clarity of mind returned. He still felt like dying, but it was better compared to yesterday. He felt good enough to fully understand where it is led and in what position he is.


    He knew that he would not return from the mine and would never see the world again. The prospect of a long life at Washar''s grace scared him. Also, the news of Kalena''s death, which he could not constantly forget, caused in his heart a pain worse than wounds on his body.


    Because he had no strength to go on foot, he was allowed to ride on the cart with the wounded, because there were only a few of them. They stayed on one side and looked at him with hateful eyes. When the meal was distributed, one of them took Galaspiael''s portion bread and water.


    After an hour of careful gouging, he managed to untangle the chain and lean out on the edge of the carriage. He waited patiently for them to reach the hard ground. He had everything planned. When Galaspiael noticed a large protruding stone, he jumped out to hit his head. He had no other idea, and he might not get another opportunity.


    Someone grabbed him and held him tight for a moment, but finally, let go. Galaspiael did not expect this and hit his head harder than he thought. Darkness covered him entirely.


    *


    Mei and Zarkin arrived in Yagn-Sho a few days later than planned, because on the way the girl had to deliver some package, which she did not want to tell too much about. Later she explained to Zarkin that this is her job.


    "I had to make a living somehow when I left you. It''s quite a risky job, but if you''re good, you can even be hired by sekanian courtiers. I smuggled before I left for At''insha."


    "Have you been to At''insha?" He asked. "How is it there?"


    "It''s hard to describe this country, you would have to go there with me to understand my delight. It''s wonderful. Really wonderful. I wanted to stay, but I missed you, so I returned to Kagolania, and I won this house in a bet with one man. I had no fewer adventures than you, my dear."


    When they arrived, Zarkin had a rather unpleasant surprise. Someone found his old bow and brought it to the quarters. The boy acknowledged the gift with a soft sigh and dropped it on the floor.


    "Now that we''re here, maybe we can find a way for you to regain your sight," Mei raised her bow and leaned against the wall. "I remember how you looked after it, don''t destroy it now."


    "What do I need a bow for?" He asked bitterly. "I won''t be able to shoot anyway. If I could see, I would follow Kalena and help her save the king. Or I would stay here and help you."


    "As always, he complains about something," Rikken entered and closed the door behind him. "You won''t even say hello to your master?"


    "Good morning," he muttered, without even tilting his head toward him. Mei bowed and smiled.


    "Nice to see you again, Master Rikken."


    "You too. And it''s nice to see you too, my student, "he added, which caused Zarkin to be irritable. "Don''t worry, it''s not the end of the world."


    "We''ll find a way to help you," she added.


    "But it will take time," Zarkin snorted. "And until you find the way, I''ll be sitting here at your mercy."


    "Oh, you won''t be bored You can''t see it, but you probably remember how to make some of your mixtures? They will be useful."


    "I may remember," he grunted, "but I''ll need help anyway."


    "I have one more task for you," Rikken handed Mei a crumpled piece of paper. "We were able to save it from Kalena''s house. Lin-Si knew that a passage from the palace led to it and sent someone for a dynamite recipe. If you can produce it according to the recipe, we will be one step ahead."


    "In which language is this?" Mei straightened the paper. "I''ve never seen such an alphabet in my life."


    "It''s not an alphabet. Galaspiael wrote it with signs he had invented himself. Apparently, after reading some of the ingredients will be incorrect, but Kalena revealed which one before leaving."


    "Cleverly played."


    "His Highness thought through everything. If anyone wanted to read the recipe, they would have to find the two of them. The emperor had a treasury and people trained to protect it. He probably didn''t think they would ever fail, so he didn''t care about other safeguards."


    Zarkin stretched and stood up.


    "Probably the king knew both parts of the code, only Kalena didn''t know his." He knew that what they were doing was dangerous and he did not want to expose her to danger." Zarkin sighed "Mei can handle reading and preparing it alone."


    "She''ll have to. But I know that when it comes to poisoning people, you have much more experience." You will give her orders, as in the good old days. I will give you the key to the prince''s studio, you can use it."


    Mei wanted to sit next to Zarkin and tell him something, but Rikken gestured to her. They left the room and headed for the exit door in case the boy wanted to eavesdrop.


    "Something happened?" She asked slightly worried.


    "Please don''t tell him he''ll regain his sight again." He looked at her sternly. "Have you seen his eyes? They cannot be restored to their former condition and he must accept it. Stop giving him false hopes and he endures this situation so badly."


    "I don''t want him to completely lose hope that he will get better one day," Mei replied calmly. "It would break him now. When he accepts it more, I''ll tell him the truth. I really love Zarkin."


    "I know. Me too. That is why I am afraid that he may suffer unnecessarily. You do what you want, but please don''t lie to him. Let him get used to it."

 57 Chapter 48

    Kalena was drowning.


    Najana attacked her again. She pushed Kalena into the river and then it turned out that she was able to enchant water. She quickly created a deadly trap out of it. Every time the girl floated to the surface, a huge wave covered her, preventing from taking air in.


    With the last strength, Kalena reached out, trying to get some fire energy from the only source she had seen, the setting sun. It wasn''t much, but it gave her the power to jump out and burn her opponent''s face.


    She knelt for a moment, coughing and gasping for air. The woman next to her was moaning in pain, holding her right cheek. It annoyed Kalena that she couldn''t hurt Najana, though she put all her strength into the fight. She managed to escape with her life, but also her enemy. Because of this, search for Galaspiael turned into an escape from Najana.


    At least, however, she knew she was going in the right direction.


    She ran away, sure that this time she had lost the woman following her. She hid inside a dead tree and promised herself that she would fall asleep only for a moment, and then feed the horse and hit the road again.


    At night Kalena jumped to her feet, hearing someone slowly approaching her. She had not regained her strength yet and was afraid that this time she would lose the fight. She got up and squatted out of her hiding place. There was no one outside. The girl could have sworn she had almost felt someone''s presence a moment ago.


    She clipped the am-shen cases to her belt and went out. Didn''t need too much time to realize that she was missing a horse.


    Someone stole it. Probably Najana, but it could as well be anyone who just passed by. Although Kalena made sure that it was virtually impossible to find a hideout, the thief succeeded. She stifled the curse and went back to the tree. If she was to walk, which seemed like the only option then, she wanted to be rested.


    Kalena managed to fall asleep, but later she regretted not leaving immediately. She left taking only that part of the things she could carry. She began to wade through the dense forest on her way to Madegald, feeling only self-rage. She had to get a second horse.


    In the evening, after hours of wandering the girl got lost. She had no idea if Velikania was waiting for her outside the forest, or would it be Kagolania or if maybe she would find herself back in Sekania. She quietly apologized to Galaspiael for stupidly heading on an almost suicidal mission that had no chance to be successful. From the beginning, she acted too impulsively, without thinking about her decisions, and she played a heroine that she did not even feel.


    "I should hide my horse better," she muttered to herself. "I knew she was following me! What was I hoping that she would be waiting for me to wake up? How stupid I am! Terribly stupid!"


    "Oh, why be so strict with yourself? Why learning from your mistakes trigger self-hatred in you?" Someone asked in Kagolanian. Kalena heard her native language for the first time since embarking on a journey. She jumped to her feet and put out am-shen, ready to attack.


    "What do you want?!" She shouted furiously.


    The man looked at her closely. He seemed young, but there was something in his eyes that made Kalena think he was a lot older than his appearance would suggest.


    "You are lost," he said finally. "I can see that you are completely lost, just look at you."


    With a slight hesitation she left the am-shen and put them back.


    "Tell me something I don''t know."


    "It''ll do you good if you rest a few days."


    "I don''t have time to rest! Besides, I ran out of money yesterday," she lied. In fact, she had some money with her, but she barely could afford food with it. She hid the second purse by the saddle, ironically thinking that it would protect it from theft.


    "Oh, I don''t need money. Don''t be afraid. You have your swords, you can attack me If I would try to hurt you.


    "Or you can murder me when I fall asleep. Who are you anyway?"


    "My name is Wan-Shi and I live nearby. Even if you don''t want to stay, consider coming with me. You can see the area better from above."


    The girl sighed and looked around resignedly.


    "I''m Kalena. How far is your home?"


    "An hour away from here."


    Although Kalena still did not trust the stranger, she agreed to go with him, but all the time closely watched all his movements.


    "Tell me," he said, after a long silence. "What made you travel so far? The times we live in are not safe for lonely adventurers, especially for women."


    "I''m looking for someone," she said. "Friend. I can''t go back home without him. This is important and I''ve already wasted a lot of time."


    "You wasted? You didn''t waste it at all, because you came here. Wasted time is when you do nothing."


    "I should be somewhere else."


    "You''re right, this place is not your destination but one of the stages of your journey. Travelling is not just constantly getting closer to your destination. This is how it looks for someone who has never taken a step. When you wander, you turn, turn back, try different ways."


    "But I really should be somewhere else! I have to find him!" She interrupted impatiently, irritated by the way this man was speaking.


    "How can you find anyone if you don''t even know where you are?" Wan-Shi''s voice was muffled by thunder. "See, it was a wise decision to go with me."


    They arrived faster than she had expected. Just then a small rain began to change into a real downpour. The house looked ordinary from the outside, but Kalena felt a little uncomfortable there. She shuddered at the sculptures of little monsters outside the front door. They were made surprisingly realistic, she had the impression that one was trying to jump on her.


    Wan-Shi led her to the attic, where she was to spend the night.


    "This is not the peak of dreams, but it''s probably better to sleep here than outside, especially in such weather?"


    "It''s very good." Kalena turned to him and nodded. "Thank you."


    When he left, Kalena threw all things into the corner and looked around. The room was modest. Although not used, it looked cared for. There was no dust anywhere, someone had to clean regularly. She was lucky to have a roof over her head.


    A sleeping mat lay on one wall, and a small table stood just below the window, reminiscent of the one at which she practiced calligraphy at Yagn-Sho. She sat down and looked at it.


    She hadn''t written anything for a long time, but she had her Lik with her. However, there was no ink or paper anywhere. So Kalena settled on her mat, thinking of Galaspiael all the time.


    *


    In the morning she heard a knock on the door. The host came in and gave her a plate with a fragrant, well-baked pancake.


    "It''s still early. You have time to prepare for travel."


    "I thought I slept for a very long time."


    "Oh, not as long as you think." Wan Shi reached out and pulled something invisible with his fingers. Kalena felt energy flow out of her own hands. She shuddered and looked shocked at her host. He clicked, lighting the candle he had brought with him.


    "Now that I''ve got your thoughts on the right track, tell me one thing." He sat down in front of her.


    How are you going to beat Washar?"


    A bite stuck in her throat and she almost choked.


    "How are you... I didn''t say anything about Washar! Like... can you enchant a fire?"


    "You can, and I''ve only made use of it. I am very sorry, maybe I should warn you. I can enchant other people''s energy and when I do it I often learn interesting facts about them. I know you want to save the Kagolanian king. However, you have no idea that you will face a very dangerous opponent."


    "I''m not afraid of this man," she said coldly. "I don''t know how much you learned about me, but the person who stole my horse was a woman who could enchant water. She tried to kill me, but I managed to escape her."


    "And you think it will be the same with him? Haven''t you heard about the prince Washar and his skills?"


    "Should I?"


    "You should, since you know you will fight him." I know him and I will tell you that if you met him now, you would not leave this duel alive."


    Under the influence of his words, the remnant of hope that smoldered deep inside her suddenly disappeared.


    "Wonderful," she snorted, "I don''t need to know about him anymore. What''s the use if I have no chance?"


    "You''re not listening at all. I said you had no chance if you''d face him now. But I want to offer you a deal that will give you a pretty big advantage. Remember that he does not know who he will fight and until you stand before him, he will treat you like an ordinary opponent."


    "What deal?" She picked up. "Why are you helping me? Are you a friend of Galaspiael?"


    "I know who he is, but I didn''t meet him personally. He also has an interesting gift that would be useful to me," Wan Shi stopped, seeing that she understood. "Yes. I didn''t bring you here for nothing. You have a lot of extraordinary energy that I would like for myself. I will tell you everything you should know, teach you how to use the power you have and in return you will give it to me if you manage to save Galaspiael. What do you think?"

 58 Chapter 49

    "Is it possible to give someone your power?" Kalena felt inner protest inside, but she knew that she could not refuse this offer.


    "Yes," he replied calmly.


    "But... this is my life energy! I will die when you take it away from me."


    "You won''t die, though you will feel a bit different. The energy you are talking about can be compared to water in a vessel. When you pour too much, a thin layer protrudes beyond the walls. Enchanters are people who have too much energy in their body, so it flows out and connects to what is outside. I would only take this part. It would not affect your life span in any way, you only won''t be able to echant anymore.


    The voice stuck in her throat for a moment. She did not want to agree to this condition. If it were any other matter, she would not agree, but she knew that she had no choice.


    "Good," she said with a heavy heart. "Since that''s the only way to save him, I agree. Galaspiael''s life is more valuable than my gift."


    Wan-Shi suddenly seemed much taller than before. And older. Like immortal being. She even wanted to ask him if he knew Gyeul personally or if he was such a creature himself, but she refrained.


    "Come with me. This is not a good place for exercise, it is full of distractions, and you will need extremely strong focus. What have you learned about Washar so far?


    "Not much. He is the prince of Madegald. I know his brother, Seth."


    They entered the room from which they could go out onto the terrace in front of the house. Bright rays of sunlight fell in through thin curtains. Kalena sat down slightly narrowing her eyes.


    "Washar was an extremely ruthless man from the beginning, but you will easily understand why." Wan-Shi stood upright above her. "His abilities allow him to enchant something that even ancient people could not control. This something is nothingness."


    Kalena could not remain serious and laughed loudly.


    "So he controls... nothing? He''s not so dangerous as he seems?"


    "You didn''t understand me. He controls nothingness. He can enchant the lack of any energy, death in itself. Unlike you and Galaspiael, he is fully aware of his power and has used it many times."


    The smile quickly disappeared from her face. She clenched her fists, feeling the growing desire to move on as soon as possible.


    "So he can kill Galaspiael anytime..."


    "Well, no. He probably already felt the extreme difficulty in killing the king and was angry that he couldn''t do it. You said you met a woman who could enchant water. You probably couldn''t beat her, nor could she beat you. Opposites can fight each other, but they will never win. Washar can hurt him, even very much. But kill no."


    "And Galaspiael can''t beat Washar," she finished.


    "Exactly. Galaspiael has the ability to enchant a clean life energy. The creation. Their energies are opposite and equal. Same with energy of fire and water. However, these are not the only things people could enchant. Galaspiael the third, called Gyeul, was born with the gift of enchanting the wind."


    "Are there people who can still enchant something else?"


    "There were some, that''s for sure."


    "Can you learn how to enchant several things at once?" she asked "For example, fire and wind? I would beat Washar without a problem."


    "Galaspiael called Gyeul developed a technique by which one can induce a second force, which was usually much more powerful than the first. This method was explored by His Imperial Highness Naimoor." He paused and nodded. "This is not the right way, Kalena. One emperor has already paid the highest price for his curiosity, and the other is yet to pay. Such power will destroy everyone, even those with the purest and most noble heart. You can beat Washar without it. You have even more chances than if you had, like Galaspiael, a very powerful but opposing power."


    "Let''s get started." She clapped her hands and took a deep breath. "I will learn it quickly and move on."


    "Be patient or you will be lost again," he admonished. "Handle fire carefully."


    Kalena watched carefully as Wan Shi stood up and opened a long cabinet from which he took out a well-known weapon.


    "I don''t have to tell you what it is."


    "Am-shen," she said immediately, "only the longer ones. Different kind."


    Wan-Shi sighed heavily. She began to get the impression that he was annoyed by her ignorance. He smoothed his dark hair and went on;


    "No different kind, just real pre-war am-shen. Weapon of the Scribes'' Association, the organization established to develop and guard the art of enchantment. Before the war, another, similar to Scribes group was working on a more precise use of power. They wanted to save as much energy as possible. Their work led to the invention of this art. You may have noticed that even when you send a stream with your hands, it disperses very quickly and it costs you a lot of strength. These people have discovered how to counteract this. Shen allowed to aim more precisely."


    "I understand! That''s why the hilt of the one I once saw was so worn! So these swords from Velikania were used to fight. He also had them..."


    "Gyeul," he finished for her. "Yes Many people after the war wanted to find his am-shen. There were even special groups that earned money this way. They called themselves Searchers, and sold to the Righteous Conspiracy every relic of the past, reminiscent of how great Kagolania was. The emperor''s weapon was made according to his design, from metal that fell from the sky. Many Searchers would give their lives for such treasure."


    "How do you know about things that are secret even for the best-educated Scribes?"


    "I''ll tell you later. Anyway, I''ll try to teach you that. If you master the technique of fighting by enchanting, you will be one step ahead with am-shen. Washar has not learned from anyone, he does not know this method."


    "I wish Galaspiael knew it." The girl suddenly realized something. "I won''t be able to curse when I find him, but to pass on what I have learned, I think?"


    "If you want to. First, however, I would advise you to focus on mastering what you will later pass on to someone. All enchantments is nothing more than the flow of energy from body to body. Shen gives you the ability to direct the stream in a certain direction and increase its power. However, to use the sword as an energy channel, you must ensure that the energy in your body flows smoothly. Have you ever learned to meditate?"


    "Galaspiael taught me, but I didn''t pay much attention to it." We were too busy to..." Kalena paused. She wanted to say ''waste time'' and Wan-Shi guessed it."


    "You have to start. The more you want to speed up this process, the longer it will take, so give yourself as much time as your body deems necessary. Focus on energy. Accumulate it and steer it up and down. When you encounter a blockage, we will work to remove it."


    *


    "I don''t understand this recipe," said Zarkin when Mei read aloud the fragment she had managed to decipher. "Why didn''t the king write the proportion of the ingredients?"


    "Is that so important?"


    "It''s the half of success. Poisons, are easier to prepare. Here, one mistake is enough and you can fly into the air. Galaspiael must have fallen on his head if he brought it to Yagn-Sho."


    "He didn''t bring it here. Only paper capsules were made here, the rest he did in his home." The girl put the paper on the desk. "His Highness probably underestimated his life that he undertook such dangerous experiments himself."


    "Certainly His Highness had the money to undertake this experiments."


    "Maybe we''ll look for some cheaper substitutes for your poison?" She suggested seeing how tired he was of the problem that arose when they were ready to work. "They certainly exist."


    "With what will you replace the golden scorpion venom? Flour? Zarkin shook his head." I don''t know another, more effective ingredient, and even if it exists, we won''t find it here. We can find other ingredients, by trials and errors, but it will be even more expensive than buying this venom already. Remember that it is to be poisoned for soaking the arrows. A drop should be enough to knock down an adult man. We don''t need the mixture, which will work the same way, but only when you inject the contents of the entire bottle into your opponent."


    "I remember you sent me to get poison ingredients before your Scribe exam and it wasn''t that expensive at the time ..."


    "Because there wasn''t a war in the Sekania at the time," he sighed. "Anyway, until we get the money or catch the scorpion, we won''t do anything. Unless you will decipher dynamite recipe."


    Mei slipped into his arms.


    ""I''m funny. Did I really think I could recreate something that the king himself was working on? He''s so smart, and I''m... I''m not even Scribe."


    "Don''t worry, I am a Scribe and I don''t understand this recipe either. You won''t be able to recreate it right away, but it''s good that you are trying. Many people wouldn''t even try."


    "What if I fail? If I can''t build even one stick of dynamite and you don''t have the money for the poison ingredients?"


    "Then we''ll worry. But Rikken said that Aymon is gathering allies. The conspiration is not yet set, we are not going to fight now."


    Girl winced.


    "I don''t like calling us conspirators. We are not plotting. We want the real king to regain the crown, we act in the name of justice."


    "We''re plotting against Samin."


    "So let the Golden Guard call us that. According to them, we are bad, but we should have a better opinion about ourselves."


    Zarkin straightened up and pushed her away from him, wanting to get up.


    "So what do you want to call us?"


    "How about Warriors from Kagolania?" she asked. "That sounds better."

 59 Chapter 50

    Over time, the days began to lengthen, and Kalena couldn''t get rid of the feeling that she''s been wasting time.


    She devoted all her days to practicing new skills, but the effects were almost nonexistent. She tried her best but felt increasing pressure. Wan-Shi told her to focus only on meditation, but she couldn''t resist checking from time to time if her power increased. Unfortunately, she could still enchant only with her hands, because the more she sank into herself, the more she felt the blockage, which she could not get rid of. And time passed relentlessly.


    "I think I need some advice," she said to her host one day. "I can''t imagine how possibly should I connect with am-shen. This is still impossible! How can I make energy flow through it it''s no channel but a sword. I don''t have such a bond with metal as with fire.


    "Why are you doing this now?" He asked calmly. "I''ve already told you that until you get rid of your inner blockages, you won''t be able to use this technique. You just get unnecessarily nervous and it weakens you."


    "It''s been three weeks!" Kalena waved her hand and the candle flames rose and swapped places. "Everything is good, I enchant better and better! But no matter how long I try to use shen, I fail."


    "Maybe something annoys you and you push it away?" He suggested.


    "Now? Yes, it annoys me that I''m wasting my time and nothing is happening. I''m afraid that Galaspiael would die and I won''t save him because I''m stuck here!"


    Wan-Shi nodded and fell silent, but she snorted in exasperation. Whenever he talked to her, he took long breaks that irritated her tremendously.


    "Kalena, I know it might seem impossible to you now, but you must stop thinking about it."


    "Only I can stop thinking about it," she explained "I can focus on myself and distance myself from my mission. And still, nothing is happening!"


    "And how are you dealing with the past?"


    The girl shrugged. The first thing that came to her mind was the time spent with Galaspiael. The study time in Yagn-Sho, and then three wonderful years spent in the guard. Only then did the memories of slavery come back.


    "Galaspiael has helped me deal with it a long time ago."


    "I don''t mean your painful past. You won''t be able to get rid of the blockage by looking back." Wan-Shi looked at her and smiled. "What''s your problem now?"


    "I would not like to forget the joyful moments in my life," she confessed.


    "Do not forget. But think about whether you went to save the king or your memories of him?"


    *


    During the break, Kalena returned to her room and discovered that a book was lying on the table.


    She suspected Wan-Shi had left it there and felt a surge of gratitude. She wasn''t afraid of losing her reading skills, but she felt that she needed to take her thoughts away from training for a moment.


    She glanced at the title. "History of Madegald and neighboring countries," but although most of the book was about the Empire, it was in Velikanian. It must have been a translation did by some Scribe.


    The girl held her breath when she saw the first card, written in a plain and extremely legible text. The book had to be very old and rewritten several times. The first chapters were about so ancient times that in history lessons in Yagn-Sho they were called legendary. Later, a great slave rebellion, which was initiated by Fan Saifeng, was described, the era of great dynasties and finally the war of the emperors.


    The silhouettes of all rulers were marked with carefully emphasized information about enchantments. Some have been enriched with portraits, but most have blurred.


    Kalena smiled to herself when she read the note about Zaimael, Gyeul''s eighth, great-great-grandfather Gyeul, who possessed the power over fire. In addition to him, she also found two Madegallian emperors with this skill. Death was enchanted only by Prince Rumanir - ruler of Sekania.


    "Tell me, what weapon did they have?" She asked when Wan Shi came to her.


    "Who???


    "Righteous Conspiracy. Enchantment is our culture. It was a heritage passed down from generation to generation. All these dynasties, the entire Scribes'' Association and probably a lot of ordinary people used these skills daily. They perfected them for years. Certainly, there were books, songs, and poems that were written, paintings were painted... how did they manage to erase it all to such an extent that even in Yagn-Sho, learning of history begins from the era of warring dynasties,? Earlier, the world looked completely different, and nobody knows it. We don''t remember half of our history!"


    "The swearing of the Righteous created dynamite," he replied calmly. "Only strong masters of fire could defend themselves against strong explosions, and only when it was not a surprise attack. The era of hunting lasted fifty years, it''s a lot of time to find and get rid of many people."


    "But they didn''t kill everyone! Even in my family, there must have been someone gifted, otherwise power would not have come upon me."


    "You are right, they did not kill everyone, but many masters of the Enchanter''s Association fell. The organization collapsed. People understood that they had to hide. You can''t accuse someone of having power until they explicitly use it. Moreover, if a person remains unaware of his gift all his life, it will not develop. They will remain an ordinary person with one interesting ability."


    "Like me and my ability to start a fire," she finished.


    "Exactly. Do not think that the enchanters surrendered, on the contrary, many of them fought for their heritage. That is why the Scribes'' Association, of which you are a member, was born. However, the Conspiracy changed its strategy then. Since they could not kill people only for talent, they decided to limit their access to any knowledge. That even if the last book on enchantment remains, there would be no one who can read it." he took a short break. "This is a very interesting book, right? For Galaspiael it would be a real treasure. Unfortunately, I can''t give it to you."


    *


    In the evening, Kalena came outside again carrying a lantern and a few candles. She left the garden and went to places where damage was unlikely.


    She lit the candles. The fire passed from one wick to another very quickly. She arranged them in a circle to be surrounded and sat down inside.


    She stared at the paper lantern for a long time, until she finally reached out. Orange, delicate paper caught fire.


    Kalena then took out her am-shen. Angrily dug the blades into the ground and closed her eyes. The flames rose suddenly and became brighter.


    "Come on," she whispered, "come on!"


    With her right hand, she took out the sword and pointed it at the dying shreds of the lantern. Something twitched, the flame touched the blade. And that''s all. It wasn''t easier for her to enchant in this way, though she was a little less tired. However, she preferred to use her hands much more.


    After a few tries, she came back home.


    "I wanted to check something," she admitted when Wan-Shi came out to meet her. "I once saw Gyeul enchanting the air. But it looked different than my powers."


    "It means?"


    "It gave a much better effect. I thought he controlled the entire Forbidden Zone. Not just over the air. All that area. The storms he caused were so strong that it is hard to imagine."


    "You shouldn''t take his enchanting as an example," Wan Shi replied. "Gyeul is in control of something else, so it''s normal for his way of fighting to be different from yours."


    "He also enchanted the energy of other people." She looked at him. "He could control two things at once. With these swords!"


    "Kalena," he interrupted. "I know what you''re going at, but comparing fire to air doesn''t make sense. You only waste time, and you want to learn it quickly."


    *


    "What is this?" asked Mei when Rikken put two strange-looking parchment rolls on the table.


    "Galaspiael coronation documents. They were sent from the castle. There should be six," he replied calmly.


    "Where is the rest?" Zarkin touched the rollers with his hand and tapped his fingers on the counter.


    "Samin ordered to destroy them. The queen realized at the last moment and called us to take what survived."


    Mei gently took one tube in her hands.


    "Samin... wants people to forget they had a king?"


    "He won''t erase a memory about Galaspiael from his subjects'' minds," Rikken replied. "But I suspect he wants them to treat him like a prince again. If he had not been crowned, taking over the power by the former regent would have been much more justified."


    "It makes no sense," said Zarkin, "everyone was at the coronation. Will he say that we all dreamed the same dream?"


    "I don''t know what he''ll say. Mei, could you go to town with Mizar tomorrow? I and Aymon shouldn''t show up there since Kalena''s release, and now they''ll probably declare us crown enemies."


    "Wait a minute!" The boy jumped up as if he suddenly regained his sight. "With Mizar?"


    "I know you don''t like each other, but..."


    "Mei will not go anywhere with Mizar," he said.


    "Zarkin..." The girl touched his arm gently, but he pulled away.


    I said no! If Samin wanted to burn those papers, he already did. We don''t have to go to the capital again."


    "It''s not about documents anymore." Rikken tried to remain calm. "We need a lot of information to carry out the assassination. For the first time in the history of Kagolania, regicide will take place. This may end badly if it is not planned carefully."


    "But why with Mizar?!" He protested.


    "And why not? He teased you four years ago, but now he has changed and he wants to help us. You were not very kind to him yourself, and he no longer resents you. Stop acting like a child, you got worse than when I was teaching you!"


    Mei hugged him and brought her face close to his face so that he felt her warm breath on his cheek.


    "I won''t go if you don''t want to. But if I were present there, I could tell you in detail. If I stay, someone else will go and then we will both find out nothing."


    "It''s worth recruiting some Okiani," Zarkin changed the subject. "Surely Samin could not get everyone to his side."


    "Slow down. Before talking to Okiani, we need to know where we stand. That''s why you have to go to the capital again. The only thing we have now are several strategic points imposed on the city map. Samin would make fun of us if he found out." Rikken stood up. "The documents have to be hidden somewhere. They will be useful when Galaspiael returns here."


    "If she comes back." Zarkin remained in the grim mood. His master shook his head sadly.


    "I thought you would believe in your friend."


    "I believe Kalena will succeed, but I also try to think rationally. How many weeks passed since she left? If not the enemy''s soldiers, then the time spent in captivity will kill Galaspiael. They don''t have to try hard, torture and lack of food are enough, and he will die alone and we won''t be able to prove anything."

 60 Chapter 51

    Every move, every breath, and every thought of Kalena was devoted to finding Galaspiael.


    Sometimes she cried when she was alone. But immediately after that she got up and continued to exercise, or went back to meditation. She worked harder than at Yagn-Sho, harder than at guard. She did not suspect herself of such endurance. The goal of the mission was still in her thoughts, it began to appear in dreams.


    The fire finally began to listen to her again, though it took more time than she thought. In the end, however, during one evening workout with Wan-Shi, when she swung her shen extremely vigorously, she felt some part of her energy enter the sword and connect with the flame.


    From that time it was only better. She regained full control and, most importantly, enchantment did not cost her as much strength as before. She was even ready for a long fight using this technique.


    When she told Wan-Shi that she was ready to move on, he led her to the armory, where he prepared am-shen, very similar to her first weapon.


    "They once belonged to a person with the same abilities as yours. They have been shortened, but they are used to fire. I offer you an exchange for your old one."


    "Are you sure you want to exchange? These are much better than mine." Kalena examined the new swords carefully. "I spent a lot of time with you, but I hope it wasn''t a waste."


    "Remember our contract. If you find and save Galaspiael¡­"


    "I know," she interrupted, "but how do I find you? Should I come back here?"


    "I''ll find you myself. You mustn''t run away from me. I think you are so honorable that it won''t even cross your mind."


    "As soon as I save him," she promised, "thank you for everything."


    Wan-Shi said goodbye to her with a small smile.


    "Good luck, Kalena. Remember to practice what you have learned. Without it, you''ll quickly forget new skills."


    "I won''t let that happen. I will exercise whenever I find an opportunity."


    "If you want to find Washar quickly, head towards the capital. Be careful. The king has powerful allies in the afterlife, so the spirits will certainly guide you when the time comes."


    *


    After a week, Kalena arrived where she was about to start her search.


    The Lilac City, the capital of Madegald, was the largest city she has visited so far. It was strangely Kagolanian and radically different from other imperial cities. However, the cleanliness was amazing, even in the less-rich neighborhoods. Marble sidewalks were thoroughly cleaned everywhere. Even when you have not entered the outer circle yet, you could spot the two tallest buildings, the Righteous Association Headquarters and the Imperial Palace from afar.


    Kalena thanked Galaspiael for making her learn the Madegaldian language every time she had to talk to people. In the capital, the purest type of Madegaldian was used, with no admixtures. She didn''t manage to cover up the accent completely, but by interweaving the ancient phrases she learned while translating the recipe, she gained trust. People were convinced that the girl was simply from another part of the country. Because of this, they wanted to help her more.


    Kalena did not expect to see Seth. She was sure he was in the Sekania, and yet they ran into each other almost as soon as she got a pass to a higher circle.


    "Kalena, what are you doing here?" He asked after they exchanged casual greetings. "I hope you''re not a prisoner of war?"


    "I think prisoners are not allowed to walk freely in the city?" Kalena shook her head. "Galaspiael didn''t let me go to battle."


    "You''d be surprised how well they are treated. And I think Galaspiael had his reasons to forbid you to go. He was worried about you."


    "Tell me but so honestly," she suddenly interrupted, "what is usually done in Madegald with important prisoners?"


    The boy became serious.


    "We follow the protocol. Different rules apply to generals, others to the aristocracy. Who exactly do you mean?"


    "King. What do you do when the king is captured?"


    Seth looked at her in surprise and shrugged.


    "I think it''s similar in all countries. The immunity treaty also applies to Kagolania. A message is sent and the conditions for the transfer of the prisoner are agreed. Why do you ask, did the King of Sekania get captured?"


    "I don''t mean King of Sekania." Kalena looked into his eyes. "I mean Galaspiael. I know he was captured after the second battle."


    "You''re wrong. If that were the case, the message would reach the emperor''s palace."


    "Do not interrupt me! Your people wanted to convince us that Galaspiael is dead. They sent a double that I recognized only during the funeral. And Samin made me crazy and sentenced me to death, even though I asked him to just let me just Kagolania and go in search. I suspect that, apart from the war, there is some plot going on."


    "I''m sorry but that''s just ridiculous." Seth snorted and twisted his mouth in anger. "If the body was given back, it means he''s dead and you really may have gone mad with despair! Who, in your opinion, would risk the honor of the whole empire to keep one prisoner?"


    "Specifically, it''s Washar, your brother."


    She felt less and less confident with each passing moment. Seth was already incredibly angry, and when she mentioned Washar''s name she was sure he would attack her.


    "Washar has avoided taking part in court conspiracies all his life and has recently fallen victim to one. Everything was taken from him, why would he do such a thing?"


    "You just answered the question for yourself. Think about it. Would you care for the honor of the country if you lost everything? Galaspiael took over the lost dynamite recipe and used it so that Kagolania gained a new weapon. If Washar gave him to the emperor, I doubt he would regain his old life. But at least now he can take revenge."


    "Gods! Indeed you are crazy. You heard something here and there and put together a fairy tale that does not reflect reality at all. If this interests you so much, I visited my brother after the second battle because I was instructed to provide the troops stationed in the Sekania with the necessary materials. I assure you that there were no prisoners in the camp, and I certainly didn''t see your master there."


    He turned to leave, but Kalena got in his way.


    "Do you think that if he tried so hard to keep it all secret, would he show him to you? I know it''s hard to believe, but these are the facts. Washar broke all contracts that had been in force for several hundred years."


    "For you, it''s Prince Washar! You have no right to refer to him as a minor servant, you..."


    "Come on!" She clenched her fists. "Say it out loud!" Because he was silent, she continued. "I will not show respect to someone who insults my king, even if it''s your brother! I am the captain of the Silver Guard and my job is to defend Galaspiael, no matter what the price."


    Seth nodded.


    "So you came to kill him?"


    "I want to save His Highness, and if by doing that the justice would be served..." Kalena noticed at the last moment that Seth was carrying a shen sword and was clenching his fingers for a few moments. She didn''t want to fight him. Talking openly about wanting to kill his brother was not a good idea. She was sure he would attack her, but he didn''t. He turned and said nothing for a long time.


    "Go," he murmured, "look for someone to lead you to him. Surely someone like this will be found this country is full of people like you who wish my family bad luck. Next time we meet, don''t expect me to have mercy or understanding since you don''t have it for my brother. For the sake of our friendship, I won''t do anything to you now, but you better pray that we will never meet again!"


    It had to be this way. She knew she couldn''t help it. She couldn''t give up her mission, and apologize to Seth. They both knew it would be just empty words. Besides, no matter what evidence she presented, he was convinced that Washar was the victim.


    "The next time I meet you, I will treat you as a guard, should treat the enemies of the crown. And this will not change until you and your brothers have apologized to Galaspiael for all the insults he has suffered from you."


    "First find him and prove that we have something to apologize for. For now, we only have your words that are worth nothing."


    *


    Seth returned home dreary. He did not want to talk to anyone, he answered the servants'' questions with reluctant grunts. Finally, he ordered paper and ink.


    He wondered for a long time what to write, and for a long time, no word wanted to appear on the paper.


    "Find me, someone, who will deliver a letter to the Velikanian palace," he said to the servant as soon as he entered his chamber.


    "As you wish, Prince," said the servant, bowing. "Do you need anything else?


    "On all gods, yes, I want peace! I am not mute when I want something else, I will call you. Let no one come in here!"


    Deaf silence boomed in his ears. He began to write slowly, carefully, as in a calligraphy lesson. When he finished, he crumpled the paper, threw it out, and took out a new one.


    The letter was ready after two hours.


    "Dear Jin-Si


    I realize how unlikely you are to read it. As far as I remember, you ordered to remove all traces of my presence from the palace and probably you''ll severely punish the unfortunate who will deliver this message. Please, however, if you broke the seal and reached this point, do not tear the paper and read to the end.


    These things should be dealt with in person, but if I came, you''d probably get me thrown away. I am writing to you a few days after returning home. When I left you, I said I was going to fight, but when I had the opportunity, I didn''t. You can call me a coward, I am to some extent a coward. However, I could not help that on the other side of the battlefield I saw no enemies, only people who could be brothers, cousins, fathers, and friends of all my dear from Scribes'' Association.


    My brother gave me a job that suited me best and did not risk being disgraced. I am not telling you this now to show how merciful or heroic I was. I feel torn between Madegald and the rest of the world. I love my home, but at the same time, I will never forget the hospitality and warmth that everyone in Yagn-Sho showed me just when I needed it the most. I don''t know if this year spent there changed me so much, did you change me... or did this meeting with Kalena tear my heart out because I saw her today, although it would be better if I didn''t see her.


    Kalena is chasing one of my brothers and I could neither kill her nor help her. I don''t understand what''s happening to me. I am both Scribe and a Righteous, which means I am neither.


    I still love you very much. There is no hour when I would not have thought of you. I am not asking for forgiveness. Please, stop thinking that I''m a bad man. When I had you on my side, it was easier for me to live, and now I don''t know who I am anymore.


    I would like to go to Yagn-Sho again. Everything was simpler there.


    Seth"


    *


    When the letter arrived in Velikania, Lin-Si was there.


    Seth''s words about Kalena was too important for the princess to keep the message to herself. So she showed it to her older sister, also wanting to ask for advice on Seth.


    Lin-Si slowly read everything.


    "You have to write to Rikken," she said seriously. "There has been no news from Kalena since she left. Seth shared very important information. I just wonder why it took her so long to get to Madegald. Apparently, she encountered some problems along the way."


    - Do you think I should write back? What would you do in my place?" Jin-Si asked. Her sister smiled and sat next to her on the big bed.


    "What would I do? I would send him dung balls and order my servants to throw them at his house. But I don''t think this solution would be good for you. You''ve never been so hot, it doesn''t even suit you. Is he close to you?"


    "He was." Replied the younger princess. "I waited a long time for him to trust me enough to say who he was. I didn''t want to bring up the subject myself and pretended I didn''t know anything. And he decided to remain silent to the end as if I was not worthy to know the truth. And he left me under the pretext of this stupid war!"


    "After reading what he wrote, I conclude that he is completely lost."


    "He could stay with me and tell the truth!"


    "Would you do that in his place too?"


    Jin-Si gritted her teeth furiously and shook her head.


    "Yes. I would know that you can''t leave the people you love. And I''m not talking about myself here now! He would not moan in this letter if he had not escaped from Madegald in search of a new life. If he were sitting in one place, I wouldn''t have to be nervous now, because I wouldn''t know him at all!"


    Lin-Si laughed and shook her head.


    "Tell me honestly, do you still love him?"


    "Yes. But I''m so angry... I want to hate him. With all my heart! In my mind sometimes I call him the worst words I know. But it doesn''t work, because if he came here I would be happy. I love him and I can''t help it! She paused when her sister bent over her with a mysterious smile."


    "Then go there!"


    "What?"


    "Go to him," she repeated, "go to Madegald tomorrow!"


    "On my own?! There''s a war going on! Father will never agree!"


    "There is no war on our border. Stop sitting here and watch your life flow through your fingers, because you''ll end up like Min-Si, locked in a chamber, without access to anyone, cursing yourself that you did nothing when you had the opportunity. I know you train with guards, you are much better prepared for such things than I am. Nothing will happen to you."


    "But father..."


    - I''m also leaving tomorrow. We will tell him that you are coming with me because after my husband''s death I began to miss my loved ones. He has his audiences and deliberations with aristocrats, I guarantee you that he will not check it. Do you have someone you trust, or you want some of my guardsmen to keep you company?"


    "I''ll find someone." Jin-Si smiled, feeling a thrill of excitement. "Let''s do it!"

 61 Chapter 52

    After Kalena left the capital of Madegald, she did not meet anyone familiar. She slowly began to get used to strange faces.


    Along the way she passed many places that captivated her with their beauty. The girl rarely slept under the roof, but the hidings she chose were warm and cozy. However, no matter where she was and how much she liked it there, she felt as if she no longer had a homeland to which she could return.


    The fact that she was anonymous in every place and visits it probably once in her life caused her a sense of impunity. She gained money by stealing and discovered that she has incredible skills to do this. After several successful attempts, she became addicted to this. Thanks to it, she could break away from the uniformity of travel, even for a moment.


    She hid the necklace from Galaspiael and looked at it only when she was alone. Once, when she wanted to buy food, she heard that she could get a lot of money for the necklace, but she never wanted to sell it, although it was very tempting. Sometimes she barely resisted to not give it away. She swore, however, that as long as she could manage, she would not. It was one of the few things that reminded of the purpose of the mission before her. She had memories that seemed so distant, as if decades had passed, but they still gave her strength.


    Kalena has been visiting villages so small that they could not be seen on the map. When she asked people about Washar, those who decided to speak mentioned that he had been sent very far. However, no one was able to point her exact direction until one day.


    It was wet everywhere, and Kalena planned to leave quickly so as not to meet Najana, who would certainly fight well in such a weather. Along the way, she met a young Righteous Conspiracy member whose carriage was stuck in the mud. She helped him and managed to gain his trust enough to make him talk.


    "The prince has returned to his new home, underground," he explained to her.


    "What does it mean?" she asked. "Where is he imprisoned?"


    "He is not formally a prisoner, but he can''t really leave the mine. Washar was the guardian of the dynamite recipe."


    "Did someone stole the recipe?


    The boy narrowed his eyes and shook his head.


    "Yes, but that was not the reason for his exile. Emperor Xiansherim decided to punish him, and then Washar attacked and killed him. It''s a freak. An enchanter. Apparently he had contact with the Scribes'' Association and there he gained forbidden knowledge. Everyone thought that Emperor Naimoor, his brother, would kill him, but only decided to banish him."


    Kalena felt a shiver go down when the boy mentioned enchantment.


    "Where did he banish him? Do you know where this mine is?"


    "No. Only a few people know this. The gold mine is the second most guarded place in the country, right after the treasury. Apparently, the people working there are only slaves and never leave the underground. Only the chosen ones can transport gold and transfer it."


    "No wonder why, thieves would probably go a long way to get there." Kalena walked away two steps and turned her head assessing her work. "You should get home with it."


    He murmured some brief thanks and Kalena started looking in a completely different direction. She blinked her eyes several times, unable to believe that just a few dozen steps ahead of her stood Namia. . She looked at her former guardian carefully, thinking that maybe she was just a very similar-looking woman. But it really was her.


    "Kalena? Kalena, is it really you?" Namia asked, embracing her. "The gods are watching over us! How you matured I can''t believe I see you, what are you doing here?"


    "And you?" Kalena she returned the hug. "How''s things at home?"


    "There''s no home anymore! A few days after you left, Igari came with his people. They argued and killed our master in a duel, and separated us."


    Igari. Kalena trembled at the name. It chilled her to the bone when she realized that if she hadn''t been sold to Galaspiael, she would have met her rapist again. Once again, she would be completely defenseless. She would become his property. She couldn''t think about it."


    "Kalena..."


    "Is he here?" There was a threat in her voice.


    "He is, but please, don''t hurt him! He feeds us, we will starve without him!"


    "Lead me to him," the girl demanded.


    "Where will we go when you take your revenge, have you thought about it?" Namia stepped back but Kalena looked deep into her eyes.


    "This man destroyed my life," she said calmly. "I want to stand before him again, this time as a free person. I won''t hurt him, I promise. I just want to see him."


    "Listen, I know what you went through..."


    "You have no idea what I went through" she drawled. "You have no idea what it''s like to feel dirty all your life, have nightmares every night. You don''t know what it''s like to love someone and be afraid to approach them. Namia, please! I think we both know you owe me!"


    Every trace of joy disappeared from the woman''s face.


    "I was a slave, just like you. You know I had no choice! Do you think I don''t regret that I didn''t hide you from them then?" She looked away. "If you go to the village, you''ll find him. He does business at the market there.


    Kalena turned and almost ran down the road. The village was not far away, and the market was in reality four stalls on a small square, so Kalena easily recognized which of the men was Igari. In fact, ihe hasn''t changed at all. He turned old and had more wrinkles on his face, but he still reminded himself of years ago.


    When he left, she followed him. He didn''t pay attention to her for a few moments, but eventually the feeling of being followed began to be too bothersome. Then he stopped pretending he couldn''t see her and turned around, taking out a short knife.


    "Who are you?" He asked. His voice was sharp and rough. "What do you want from me?"


    "You do not remember me?"


    The man narrowed his eyes and stared at her.


    "You don''t remind me of anyone I know."


    "Oh really?" Kalena took out her am-shen. "You met me quite well eight years ago." When he wanted to leave she cut him off and he fell. "Do you remember what you said then? That we will definitely meet again. You are probably a prophet!"


    "Wait, I remember now! You are that girl..."


    "Exactly," she murmured, slowly moving the blade toward his throat. "The one you and your friends had fun with for three days, and then you left barely alive."


    "Three days for which I paid with years of fear and shame." Kalena pointed the second blade at the hot snack stall. Fire came to her very quickly. First it settled on the sword, and then the flames began to dance in the air. Igari stepped back on all fours.


    "I have changed! I am a different person now than I was then. If I knew you could do it, we would never touch you. That''s her! It''s the old woman who gave you back, it''s her fault!"


    Kalena''s fingers tightened on the hilt of the shen and swung with all her might. The blade dropped whistling just above the man''s head. Flames fell around his face, not leaving even a slight burn.


    She planned to kill him. She had it in her mind, despite the promise made to Namia. At the last moment she came to her senses. She was already in Madegald, that is where she should be. She couldn''t afford to repeat the mistake from the Forbidden Zone. Galaspiael needed help.


    "You haven''t changed at all," Kalena said calmly, "but you''re not as terrible as I thought all these years." She snorted softly. "To think I had nightmares because of you, and you actually look so pathetic. I don''t have time to waste it on you, but believe me that someday I''ll come back here and take my revenge."


    After these words, she turned and walked away. Namia was slowly starting to walk toward her.


    "He told you something," she said more than she asked. "What were you talking about?"


    "He didn''t tell me anything I didn''t know," she murmured.


    "I really had no choice¡­" Namia began again, but the girl did not let her finish.


    "I know," she admitted, "I will never forgive him. But I can forgive you."


    "Won''t you stay here?"


    "I have an important mission to accomplish. I have to go on, but I promise I''ll see you again."


    *


    When Kalena saddled her horse again, the stranger stood in her way.


    "Is it true that you are looking for a gold mine?" He asked when she turned towards him.


    "News spreads fast here," she snorted."I told this to only one person. What, do you know where it is?"


    "I do not. But my brother came back from there."


    "Could he show me the way?" She asked hopefully. "I would be grateful."


    The man whom Kalena spoke to looked much older than her, but she suspected that he was only about ten years old. Hard work was visible at his face. He began to nibble at the skin on his finger and it was obvious that he regrets more and more that he decided to talk to her.


    "He doesn''t like to talk about this place, but maybe he''ll give some tips."


    The girl sighed.


    "Better this than nothing. I wouldn''t know where to go anyway."


    "He wouldn''t lead you even if he was in better shape. You can''t persuade anyone to go back there. Very few people escaped, it is almost impossible. Do you want to save someone?"


    "Yes."


    "You probably wouldn''t go there otherwise. Come with me."


    "Actually, why do you want to help me?" Kalena asked, staring at him suspiciously. - Do you expect something in return? I only have what you see, I can''t give you anything.


    He did not answer. She could either stay or follow him. She decided to go, but remained suspicious. This man did not inspire trust and somehow she did not believe that he offered her help selflessly.


    In front of the small house sat a younger boy, terribly emaciated, with big eyes. When he saw his brother in the company of Kalena, he quickly stood up and ran inside, slamming the door behind him.


    "She always reacts that way, it''s nothing," he said before she could even ask the question. "I forgot to introduce myself, my name is Shiga and my brother is Shimo. Come in, please."


    In the middle of the only room the hearth smoldered and Kalena immediately felt safer. She came up to the boy who was sitting in the corner with his legs tucked up and crouched beside him.


    "I''m not going to hurt you, don''t have to be afraid of me. Shiga said you were in a mine and escaped from there. I want to ask you for help because I have to get there in the shortest possible time." She took the crumpled map from her pocket. "Look, there''s Sekania up there. Here is the capital and we are somewhere here."


    "I''ve never used the map," Shimo said for the first time. "I don''t know what the world drawn here looks like."


    The girl sighed with resignation.


    "What place is this mine?"


    "It smells of corpses there."


    "Washar lives there?" She asked, but Shimo said nothing more.


    "He was once different. Much happier. He liked talking to people." Shiga managed a faint smile. "He was convicted wrongly. When he returned, he was no longer the same man."


    She clenched her teeth feeling something grab her by the throat. Shimo looked up at her. They stared into each other''s eyes for a moment and she couldn''t help thinking about Galaspiael. If he was still alive, how much did his captivity affect him? The thought of it made her heart ache.


    "Where are you from?" He asked quietly.


    "Kagolania," she confessed.


    "I figured it you''re a foreigner. We don''t travel, we don''t know the directions."


    "Tell me where it is! You must remember since you were there. Where should I go? In the mountains?"


    "There is only one mountain, but it is not the highest. Almost empty inside and it smells so badly with corpses... Terrible stench. It always smelled with corpses there. Drive straight ahead all the time, don''t look back. Take the road you was on. Straight ahead. Ghosts will lead you. Talk to ghosts only. They will show you the way."

 62 Chapter 53

    "It doesn''t make sense." Kalena more and more often found herself mumbling, but she did not stop. "What am I doing? I will never find Galaspiael. What day is it to ride this damn road? Even if I get to this mine, will Galaspiael still be there? How do I force Washar to show me the place where he hid him? I think I really went crazy!"


    She began to draw a plan of her journey on a large, flat, black stone. The area was becoming more and more mountainous and with time she stopped seeing people at all. At night she found herself a cave, looking very unnatural. She wondered if anyone had attempted to carve the palace here, or maybe the place was remnant of a fight between two people cursing the earth. Anyway, it didn''t look like something nature created.


    "Tell me yourself," she said to the horse, who was calmly finishing up the rest of the supplies. "We will have to find something soon because I''m also running out of food." She turned and went to write something on the stone. "On the other hand, why would Washar hide Galaspiael elsewhere? He specially conspired to avoid giving it to the emperor. If he doesn''t want to give him back, he keeps it with him, and since he is still in the mine... then Galaspiael must also be there. Just how am I supposed to find this damn place? What did he mean by talking only to ghosts? What ghosts? This man has lost his mind, and I am now wondering what he could have meant!"


    Kalena waved her hand at the flame, and it immediately became brighter. The smell of roast meat reached her and she realized how hungry she was. It was hard to get food away from human settlements, and the supplies she bought in two small nameless villages were slowly running out.


    "What ghosts should I contact?" She asked herself. "Maybe there is something like a Forbidden Zone in Madegald. To talk to ghosts, I''d have to find it. As if searching for one place wasn''t a challenge enough!"


    Thinking about it she realized how badly she missed Galaspiael. It was pleasant to imagine for a moment that he was sitting next to her and listening patiently. A trip to Madegald to investigate whether there is an equivalent of the Forbidden Zone there would be wonderful. Galaspiael had told her many times that he dreamed of adventures and dangerous journeys when he was younger. Unfortunately, because he was the heir to the throne, all the journeys he made were diplomatic expeditions to allied countries. Or an unfortunate war expedition that cost him his freedom and crown.


    *


    "My Lord!" The servant came in, knocking Seth out of his almost meditative concentration.


    "What''s happening?"


    "Her Highness, Princess Jin-Si from Velikania has arrived."


    Not knowing why, instead of joy, the boy felt something twisting him inside. Jin-Si surprised him with her unannounced arrival. He jumped up and glanced at his reflection in the mirror. It wasn''t bad, though if he knew Jin-Si would be visiting him, he would have put on something more elegant.


    He stepped out into the corridor with a heart beating so fast that almost jumped into his throat when he noticed her. He ran over and took her in his arms, not paying attention to the fact that he was acting completely against the label.


    "What are you doing here? You have no idea how happy I am! Did something happened?"


    "I received your message," she explained, "and my sister talked me into coming."


    "Let all the gods of the world look after her!" Seth broke off, because for unknown reasons he wanted to cry. Jin-Si then met his eyes and took a deep breath.


    "I came because I hope that despite the war going on right now, we can be at peace," she said calmly, looking into his eyes. "You wrote that you felt torn between the world and your country, so I decided to make your life easier. You don''t have to choose between Madegald and me anymore. I''ll give you a chance."


    "Will you stay here?"


    "Until you drove me away. I want to see if your departure was due to this dilemma, or maybe your feelings to me just got weaker."


    "I didn''t even dream about getting this chance. Please, organize a feast for our guests" he ordered


    "How was your trip?"


    "I chose the safest route possible," said the guard who accompanied the princess. "There were no problems, Your Highness."


    Jin-Si came with him up the small steps to the alcove that served as the guest room.


    "Have you seen Kalena?" She asked as they sat down. "Is she really looking for Galaspiael? Lin-Si didn''t want to explain anything to me. First, I got information that he had died, and suddenly it turns out that he only went somewhere and Kalena is now looking for him... is that correct?"


    Seth pursed his lips into a narrow line.


    "I don''t know. I don''t get it and I don''t think I want to talk about it."


    "But I want."


    "The thing is, I can''t explain anything to you because I don''t understand it myself. I really went to Washar''s then. I saw him for the first time after his exile, I would not miss this opportunity. And you have to believe me that Galaspiael was not in his camp. Washar didn''t say a word about the capture of an important Kagolanian prisoner. He would surely share such an achievement. He was closest to me from the whole family and I know that after what happened, participation in any plot is the last thing he wanted. And Kalena behaved like this... she was sure Washar was a monster. That he imprisoned Galaspiael somewhere and dropped a double into Kagolania. I still can''t get over the fact that my former friend wants to kill my brother. You understand that I couldn''t help her, right?"


    "I understand," she replied calmly, "but you did help a little because there was no news from her for a long time."


    "She has changed a lot," he continued, "she looked like... I don''t know how to say it in your language."


    "Say it your way," she encouraged, switching to Madegald.


    "I can''t find the right word in any of the languages ??I know. I was scared of Kalena. She looked a lot more mature than I when had last seen her, but also somehow foreign. As if it wasn''t the same person I met in Yagn-Sho. And it was not due to the purpose of her mission, at first I did not know why she came to Madegald. I don''t know what happened before, but it changed her a lot. You would have to see her to understand what I mean. But please, let''s not talk about Kalena anymore. I''m glad you want to stay with me, you can stay here as long as you want. My house is your house."


    *


    Kalena continued her search. She came to the city of Hino because it was the only place nearby marked on her map.


    She did not tell anyone that she needed to contact the spirits, because she knew that people would consider her at least less than reason. Besides, Madegaldian people did not appear to have contact with anything supernatural.


    She came across the temple of fire by accident. Returning to the place where she left the horse, she got lost and went out on a completely different street. Curious, she decided to go inside for a moment.


    The entire building of the temple was decorated with faded flame paintings. Kalena touched the walls, admiring the intricate carvings that looked like real flames.


    There was no one inside, but as soon as she crossed the threshold, she sensed fire energy everywhere. On the central place stood a life-size statue of a woman who enchanted fire.


    She looked very alive. She just had to be the first enchantment that got there and people worshiped her.


    Suddenly Kalena''s attention was caught by the woman''s face. Although her body froze in an extremely dynamic pose, her expression was calm. The sculpture was carved perfectly, and the longer you looked, the more you felt that you were standing in front of a living person.


    The girl glanced at the hands of the goddess. A way of arranging the fingers indicated that once the monument had to be held in the hands of am-shen.


    Kalena stared intensely and began to get the impression that the woman''s expression was changing. She looked away for a moment and when she looked again the sculpture disappeared from the pedestal.


    Feeling someone''s breath on her back, Kalena instinctively reached for her weapon and screamed as she was heavily tugged on her arm. For a moment she felt like the floor under is about to collapse and it disappeared.


    She floated in the air above an unknown place. The woman from the monument looked at her sternly and pointed her finger down, but Kalena could not tell where she was.


    "Hey! You! Wake up! A voice snatched her away and brought her back. She was in the temple of fire again, and the monument stood in its place."


    "What... what was this"


    "What? Have you seen anything?" a man dressed in red robes, most likely a temple priest crouched beside her.


    Kalena rose, trying to control the shaking of her whole body. The remnants of the vision continued to flash in front of her eyes.


    "I ..." she wondered, "kinda."


    "Hinonna rarely shows anything to strangers. What was that?"


    "I saw the forest. A forest full of white trees."


    "Forest of Silence?"


    "I don''t know!" She paused and glanced at the monument. "Who ordered the swords removed? Conspiracy?"


    "Yes. A very long time ago. How do you know about swords?" The monk glanced at her am-shen. "I think I understand. Are you blessed?"


    "You could say."


    "I did not think that I would ever see with my own eyes how the art of fire enchanting is reborn."


    "For now, you only saw me." Kalena was silent about the contract with Wan-Shi. "Could you tell me more about this whole forest? Maybe this is the place I am looking for. One man told me to reach my destination I had to talk to ghosts. I don''t know if this... Hinoonna can be counted as one, but so far she is the only creature in the immaterial world who wanted to have some contact with me."


    "It''s hard to say anything about forest to a person who has never been there. Ghosts sometimes kidnap people there. We stay away from it and usually I advise everyone the same. But if you have to contact the spirits, then you really should go there. It''s not far from here. You have to go straight all the time, you will know that you are already there."


    *


    Indeed, the said Forest of Silence was quite close to the city of Hino. It was a strange place and at first, reminded of the Kagolanian Forbidden Zone. However, the aura there was significantly different from the one Gyeul created around his home.


    The further Kalena went, the silence became more and more intense. Although the gentle wind did not stop for a moment, the leaves buzzed almost silently, and the birds did not sing at that place.


    Her horse did not feel worried as she rode through this secluded place. She thought it was a good sign and decided not to change the road until the evening.


    When she wanted to light a fire she discovered that she couldn''t enchant there. She did everything as always, she felt how her energy bonded with fire, but the flames would not listen to her.


    "How should one talk to ghosts at all?" She asked herself. "I called Gyeul before, but I have no idea who can live here."


    Kalena yawned. She no longer wanted to think about ghosts and how to contact them. The steady road turned out to be extremely tiring. She promised herself that she would think about it tomorrow morning. She became more and more drowsy with each passing moment. The girl lay down on a bed of dry branches and saw above her a lot of colorful, flying creatures that took her to dance.


    "Kalena! How good to see you!"


    "We wanted to see you!"


    "Stay here!"


    "Stay with us forever!"


    *


    Jin-Si did not mention Seth that her sister intended to use her as a source of information about what was happening in Madegald. Her guard reluctantly agreed to the role of messenger. He argued that he would prefer not to leave the girl in a foreign country completely alone, but she was adamant and followed the queen''s plan exactly.


    When Seth was gone, she was wandering around his house. If he came, she would say that she admired the differences between Madegaldian and Velikanian style of interior design. Fortunately, he never caught her once.


    A war council was to be organized in the Lilac City. Although a large number of the Madegaldian generals and aristocrats were already there, the emperor told them to wait until everyone appeared.


    Seth went to the palace every day, but he had not yet told anyone about Jin-Si''s arrival, although he mentioned that he would like to introduce her to his family one day.


    "But I already know one of your brothers," she reminded her. "Sujin is to marry my eldest sister."


    "Do you really have this sister? Was it not a joke?"


    "You thought I was joking when I said Sujin came to an engagement party with Min-Si?"


    "Yes," he admitted, "I thought you imagined her. I lived in your palace for almost two years and never saw her."


    "I told you why," she reminded, "and I even mentioned several times that he was here again. I wanted to confront you with him, openly admit that you are his brother."


    Seth only smiled.


    "Probably, even if you asked him directly, he wouldn''t admit we have anything in common. Sujin was one of the reasons I wanted to leave Madegald. From all of all brothers, I had the worst relationship with him. I didn''t like Vishimon either, but he was over forty years older than me and too busy fighting for the throne to build a brotherly bond."


    "So the wedding will be interesting."


    "For sure. But tell me, does she ever leave the room? A person can''t live like that."


    "She can because she somehow lives all the time. For as long as I can remember, she was isolated from us. You know, the future queen still had some duties. She closed herself completely ten years ago and no one knows why."


    "How does she... handle her needs? She had her food being slide inside through the hole in the door, as the prisoners?"


    "No!" Jin-Si laughed. "She lets servants in, but when they''re inside she sits down on the bed and unfolds the curtain. She doesn''t allow anyone to look at her. And she rarely speaks, except in a whisper. The last time she talked to me when I came to say goodbye to her before leaving. She asked if I could bring her a cake."


    "I can''t imagine that. I wonder if the future husband saw her. Maybe I''ll ask him tomorrow. I think we are waiting just one more day and the council will finally begin."


    "His Imperial Highness must have very important matters to discuss since he wants to wait so long for everyone?"


    "After the last time, the generals could not reach an agreement for a long time," he explained, "precisely because many of them were absent. And now there are many more issues to be discussed, and this alliance with Kagolania will need to be rethought."


    "Do you want an alliance with Kagolania?"


    "No, they want to. A rebellion broke out there and I think they will ask for help in suppressing it..." Seth stopped abruptly. "Why are you asking me that?"


    "Because ..." she began to search for an explanation. "Lin-Si didn''t say anything to me, and I''m curious what''s going on. Kagolania had an alliance with Sekania. Does Samin suddenly want to ally with the emperor? Weird."

 63 Chapter 54 part 1

    "I have to wake up." Kalena kept repeating, but the ghosts surrounded her even tighter, that she couldn''t see her body. "Let me go. I just wanted to know where the mine is."


    The spirits reacted to these words with a loud protest and carried her away even further.


    "Why do you want to leave us?"


    "Stay!"


    "Isn''t it nice here?"


    "The mine is terrible, don''t go there! Stay with us."


    Creatures of various shapes and sizes captivated with their beauty. Kalena felt the urge to wake up less tempting. She looked at the colorful faces, tails, and feathers of the strange flying creatures and did not want to return to reality.


    She couldn''t even remember how she found them. They came to her on their own, and when she asked about the mine, they said something, but she didn''t know what. She didn''t care anymore.


    Kalena curiously turned her head as another figure, surprisingly human-like, appeared in front of her and grabbed her wrist. She looked at him.


    "Kalena, please save my son," asked the ghost. "He doesn''t have much time left."


    Galaspiael! How could she forget about him! Kalena felt her cheeks burning with shame mixed with extraordinary anger at herself. She couldn''t meet the eyes of the apparition. She closed her eyes not wanting to burst out crying.


    "Forgive me! I don''t know where he is¡­ I won''t be able to save him," she confessed, "those ghosts didn''t tell me anything."


    "If you won''t help him, no one will."


    "I can''t," she choked, "I will fail. For sure."


    "No. Just try. I''ll show you the way."


    Before she said anything, he dove into the air and tugged hard on her hand. Kalena woke up to a painful tug. Her heart pounded furiously, and for a moment she couldn''t catch her breath.


    Was she talking to Galaspiael''s father or was she just dreaming about it? She didn''t have time to think about it at the moment. She was still in the Forest of Silence and she couldn''t stay there any longer. For some reason, Kalena knew where to go, as if the road to the mine had appeared in her mind by itself. She touched her wrist where she still felt a slight tingling sensation. She quickly picked up her stuff and was ready to go. As soon as she got out of the forest, Najana leaped at her like a furious animal.


    "I won''t let you hurt him!" She roared, attacking furiously. "Go back where you came from! I won''t let you!"


    The wall of water washed Kalena off the horse''s back. The girl quickly took two flints from her pocket, which she had bought earlier in Hino. She quickly hit the stones against herself several times before releasing sparks that could be used for her fight.


    "I will not let you!" Tears welled up in her eyes.


    "I don''t want to hurt Washar, I''m not a murderer. I just want to save the king! If you care so much for his wellbeing, then go with me and convince him to let Galaspiael go and I won''t hurt him." Kalena knew she probably won''t agree but she tried nevertheless.


    "He has the right to take revenge for what happened! Revenge is all that''s left for him!" Najana replied sternly. "I may die in this fight, but I will not let you enter the mine!"


    "You won''t die," said Kalena, "and neither will I. Our elements are opposites of each other. We can try, but it will be an endless fight."


    "Then let''s use normal weapons!"


    "Have you listened to what I''ve said before? We don''t have to fight! It doesn''t have to end this way, both Washar and Galaspiael can survive! I don''t want to hurt you or him. I just want to save my friend. If you could help me persuade him¡­ "Kalena stopped because Najana attacked again. She had to fight it off with her left hand. At the last moment resisted the temptation to use fire. It had been a long time since she had practiced swordsmanship and felt the painful consequences when she nearly avoided having her hand chopped off. She hissed feeling the burning pain on her forearm.


    The tiny glimmer of hope that she might be able to avoid the bloodshed was gone.


    They were not very different from each other. They both lost someone. They both loved someone. They believed they were doing the right thing. Kalena realized it and the fight became even harder. Kalena so harder. In the end, she injured Najana''s leg so badly that she was sure it would have great difficulty chasing her. However, Najana did not want to give up the fight


    "Can you stop? I don''t want to kill you!" Kalena screamed at her.


    "I''ll avenge him! Rest assured, even if you make it out of the mine, I will find you and avenge Washar! You will watch your loved one die and you will feel my pain!" Najana screamed so loud and desperate that Kalena took a step back. She ran away quickly, not looking back. On the way, she cried and tensed her horse to concentrate on riding. The fight shook her more than she had expected.


    The road became more difficult and the horse was getting tired. In the end, the girl decided to build a small camp and hide it well, and go on foot.


    She covered herself tightly with the cloak. The higher she climbed, the wind more blew. Suddenly Kalena noticed a road with two lanes exceptionally clearly marked. She immediately imagined a large gold haulage vehicle and knew it was on the right track.


    The route ran downwards and ended in front of a large crescent-shaped gate. The entrance and a part of the corridor looked like a small mound from the outside.


    Kalena waited patiently for the iron door to open, but hours passed without the mighty gate moving. However, if the mine was operational, it had to open the gate from time to time to remove the gold or to replenish food supplies. The girl waited quietly. She decided to persevere, even if she had to stay there for weeks.


    It wasn''t until late in the evening that she heard a creak, and the large door swung open enough to let the wagon slide. It was harnessed by two horses and covered with a black cloth. Kalena leaned over to see what she was carrying and it chilled her when she saw a stiff, pale hand protruding from under the cloth. A pile of bodies was taken out of the mine. The two guards went outside and stood a little further away so that no one could see them. Kalena knew she wouldn''t get a second chance. With her heart beating fast, she ran inside, not looking back.


    It was dark inside. The girl walked down the corridor, guided by the light of a larger wall torch further away.


    She pulled the flame towards her and sent it down a long corridor. It took a while for her eyes to adjust to the darkness. She touched the cold stone and turned away. Behind her, she saw only a small, bright dot. The tunnel was huge.


    Eventually, she hit a fork in the road. Then one more and another. The mine was like a maze. She was walking blindly, constantly wondering where she would have ended if she had chosen a different turn.


    Muffled sounds of tapping, footsteps, moans, and screams began to reach her, becoming clearer with each passing moment. At the next bifurcation, she involuntarily chose this tunnel from which she could hear the noise a little less. She ended up in the workers'' room.


    It reminded her of the shared common bedroom the slaves had in her first house. At first, she was surprised that the entrance to it was not closed or secured in any way. To get outside, all you had to do was go up and you would eventually find your way. Only later, when the flame flared a little brighter, did she notice that there were chains attached to the walls.


    Kalena walked on, into another, empty room carved in stone. From there, she heard the knocking again. She wondered how she would blend in when looking for Galaspiael among the workers. No matter if she was moving the am-shen onto her back or strapped it on her belt or held it in her hands, they were still clearly visible. There was no way someone wouldn''t notice that she''s carrying a weapon.


    She walked down the little steps and wondered how many people had to sacrifice their lives to create this monument of suffering and pain. This place was frightening in the worst possible way. Worse than captivity, even worse than the flogging punishment Kalena had considered the most terrible so far. Then she understood what the poor man who had miraculously escaped from wanted to tell her. It smelled death there. Not dead bodies, but death. It was everywhere, on the walls, by the chains in the group bedroom. It was floating in the air. It was rubbing against her legs.


    Did Washar change the mine like that? Or maybe it had been like that before, and when he showed up, his power might have unfolded?


    Kalena went to where the knocking was coming from and discovered that the slaves weren''t doing any gold mining at all. The largest room a girl had seen in her life was being built underground. She supposed it would be twice the size of the throne room in the Kagolanian palace. There were loads of stones that had been chipped off while working. She managed to crouch beneath one pile, and that was the first time she saw Washar.


    He stood still and supervised the work. His face was much paler than most of the people of Madegald, but Kalena guessed that he must have looked normal once. He hadn''t seen the sunlight in a long time.


    Kalena breathed a sigh of relief as she realized he hadn''t noticed her. Suddenly she heard the clash of steel chains and a man, with his head completely shaved, rushed to run desperately. Washar slowly stretched his hand out and waited. A black mist surrounded the would-be fugitive. There was a loud scream that quickly faded.


    When the fog disappeared, the slave was dead.


    The others gathered in small groups and stood with their heads bowed, fearing that one of them would be the next victim, but Washar gave them one last look, called another guard, and rushed somewhere.


    Kalena leaned out to see that he was climbing the stone steps on the opposite side. She immediately followed him. The stairs led to what appeared to be a small house suspended above the ground. Like everything else, it was carved into the rock and supported by special columns. The door was a rectangular hatch on the floor, and the stairs looked old and worn up close as if many people had already entered this way.


    Kalena looked around. Two people stopped working and stared at her. Then it crossed her mind that she might already have seen Galaspiael in that room. They all looked similar, finding one man in this crowd was almost impossible. But she immediately realized that for Washar, Galaspiael was no ordinary prisoner. He certainly wouldn''t make him work, maybe just to humiliate him. But then he would certainly have an eye on him to enjoy his victory.


    She thought about it and felt her hatred for the man welling up inside her. Only a wooden hatch separated them, it was easy to imagine what she would do to as soon as he steps outside. However, until she knew where Galaspiael was, she could not implement these plans.


    Washar finally left, and she had no hiding place nearby. She withdrew into the darkness, praying he wouldn''t notice her. Her heart leaped in her throat as the man looked around suspiciously. She focused and felt several sources of fire close to her.


    Because he was holding something with both hands, he didn''t close the hatch closed behind him. Kalena felt a glimpse of hope. As fast as she could, she ran up the stairs, grabbed the metal handle, pushed hard, and barely held back tears.


    Inside was the most simply furnished bedroom in the world. A room as normal as the underground conditions allowed. No chains, no whips, no sign of anyone but the host who had apparently been visiting the place, wanting to forget about the reality around him. No Galaspiael.


    She went downstairs, trying with all her strength not to cry. The thought that Galaspiael might have been dead for a long time was still at the back of her head, and now it pushed in and took over her entire mind.


    Washar suddenly returned to the same place. After a while he stopped, this time sure he was not alone. He looked around and very slowly moved his steps towards the stone arch, beyond which Kalena could see only a dark tunnel.


    He suddenly disappeared into the darkness, and she paused uncertainly for a moment. She almost fainted with terror when the desperate scream of a tortured man rang in the corridor. It made her realize that there was nowhere to hide. When Washar leaves, she will have to attack him, there is no stone left to hide behind.


    She crouched down with am-shen ready to attack. The flames of the five candles began to move unnaturally towards her. She was ready to attract them at any moment. She listened for the sounds of beatings, breaking bones, or another scream, but she heard no more. Only soft murmurs now and then. Washar was talking to some unfortunate man, but he didn''t answer him.


    She heard footsteps and froze. She was afraid that when she saw the man''s face, her body would refuse to obey her and would simply slide to the ground. She took a deep breath and tried to control the trembling of her hand. The footsteps moved away until she finally stopped hearing them. She pulled herself together and, with a few flames hovering around her, started down the tunnel.


    It had a second entrance. Washar was gone. She breathed softly and at the same moment heard a long moan.


    Right next to it was the entrance to a small cell-like room. The black fog was so thick there it looked like a shroud. There was no torch burning inside, but someone who was there all the time whined softly as if he could see her through that impenetrable blackness.


    Fighting with herself, she stepped inside with closed eyes. She winced at the sickening smell of blood and human excrement, and when she opened her eyes she almost screamed.


    The cell was bigger than it first appeared. A man inside was staring at something above him, looking as if he was about to die anytime. His arms and legs were chained to the floor, he had a metal collar around his neck and a terribly disfiguring mark on his face. A wrong mark. It was a symbol of a slave without citizenship, born into slavery. They didn''t burn him Kagolanian mark on purpose to disgrace him more.


    It was Galaspiael.

 64 Chapter 54 part 2

    Kalena burst into tears and ran to him, but he sprang to his feet and pulled away as far as the chains would allow. His eyesight was wild with terror. He looked like a living corpse, emaciated, dirty, with dried blood behind his ear. His facial features were sharper and more elongated than she remembered, but it really was Galaspiael.


    "Don''t be afraid!" Kalena said softly, and a few warm tears ran down her cheeks again. "It''s me! You don''t recognize me? It''s me, Kalena!"


    He propped himself up on his left arm, but lost his balance and hit the floor with his shoulder. When she came over to help him, he started moving his lips to say something.


    "Galaspiael, I''ll get you out of here. Can you hear me? I came for you, do you understand what I''m saying?"


    "He understands." A voice behind her made her almost jump. She cursed silently as she realized Washar had lured her into the trap. "I tried to speak to him in Kagolanian and he just pretends to not get anything."


    "What did you do to him?!" She shouted, clenching her fingers on the hilt of am-shen.


    "Me? Nothing. Before even putting his foot in that place, and he hit his head and lost memory." Washar replied, nonchalantly leaning against the wall. "Believe me, I also was disappointed. It was so much fun to humiliate him when he remembered that he was once a king. But now that he has no clue what his name is, that''s fine too."


    Galaspiael huddled behind Kalena as he heard Washar''s footsteps heading towards them.


    "But I must honestly admit that I am disappointed," he continued, "because how much more beautiful your greeting would have been if he had remembered! Just like in the play I watched as a child, but there it was a brave warrior who saved the princess." He kicked the clay pot, and Galaspiael jumped. "I stopped believing that anyone would come, and yet here is the savior who traveled the world in search of her king. If only you had come four months earlier so that I could torture you in front of him! He would cry out of despair." He smiled to himself. "Now I can only lock you up here together. I will have you chained so that you can look at each other, but not touch each other... or why not, maybe His Majesty misses female warmth?"


    "I won''t let you hurt him any longer," she said stiffly. "You will be punished for breaking the codex of war and raising your hand to the Kagolanian king."


    The man laughed.


    "Oh! You almost scared me!"


    He held out his hand, and Kalena felt her body slowly failing to obey her. She quickly pulled one of the flames against her and sent a thin tongue of fire towards Washar, which struck him like a whip. He jumped back, wincing in pain and looked at her in surprise, but then smiled triumphantly.


    "So Kagolania has its warriors! Where were you when that dog attacked me with its childlike enchanting skills? Why didn''t you share your knowledge with your king?"


    "I found the master very recently," she replied, "I''m learning fast!"


    Flames entered the tunnel and formed a wall of fire. Washar had no way to dodge, he only managed to turn his back and cover his face. He attacked physically. His sabers were much wider than her am-shen. Fighting with them took a lot of strength, as well as resisting blows.


    She had to lure him out of the cell. Galaspiael, handcuffed, and vulnerable, was a weak point. She leaped to Washar, risking a blow so strong that he almost broke her arm and managed to run towards the door. With each step, she sensed another source of the fire but also felt an impenetrable emptiness behind her. Fortunately, Washar decided to focus on her first and not involve Galaspiael in the fight.


    After a while, with horror and anger, she realized that she was lost in the tunnel. She had no idea how it had happened, apparently, it must''ve had a third way out that she missed. When she turned back, she ran into Washar, who this time came close to breaking her defense. Furious that he hadn''t defeated her as fast as he planned, he hit harder.


    Suddenly, with one blow, he knocked the sword out of her left hand. Kalena had to duck to avoid hitting the head. Instead of attacking, she began to defend herself, and after exiting the tunnel, she was already fighting for her life. She desperately clung to each flame, but Washar, although he did not know the technique she used, still had an advantage.


    "It always ends like this," he paused for a moment and wiped the sweat from his brow. "First you pretend to be heroes and then you die and nobody remembers you."


    "I''m not dead yet! Kalena repelled another blow with one hand and used her free hand to attract the flames. It was hard to control the flow of power, but in the end, the fire obeyed. She gained a moment to get to the second shen. Just then, another guard attacked her. When he tried to knock her down, she pushed him away. The man slumped to the ground and stared blankly at the ceiling above him.


    Kalena froze. She didn''t push hard enough to kill him, Washar must have done it by accident.


    "I won''t let you get him out of here!" She heard from a distance. "Only after he dies, will he be free from these chains! Nobody leaves this place without permission!"


    She hid but knew it would be useless. The black fog gradually absorbed more and more areas. Washar certainly couldn''t see her anymore, so he planned to surround her, thus cutting off access to the fire. Kalena took some energy from the last source she sensed. But instead of releasing the flame, she tried to absorb it. Immediately she felt incredible heat radiating from her hand to the whole body. She felt so much power within her that she wasn''t able to hold it for long, because it felt like it was about to burst her from the inside. She squeezed her eyes shut and took a step into the darkness. She felt as if time stood still. She moved slowly, as if in water. The more she tried to move, the more she got stuck. She paused and slowly moved her body in the direction she wanted to go.


    When she opened her eyes, she saw Washar''s furious and startled face in front of her. Even as a thin layer of black mist separated them, she slowly reached out to grab his throat. She stood on the ground and released the rest of the fire she had left.


    There was a terrifying scream. The man fell to the ground and gasped, grunting loudly. He couldn''t concentrate on enchanting anymore, so the terrifying phenomenon stopped. Kalena ran back into the tunnel as quickly as she could.


    Galaspiael almost panicked when she forced him to lay his head on the ground to cut the chain.


    "Don''t be afraid. I''ll explain everything, but we have to get out of here," Kalena said after she had freed him. "Can you get up?"


    He did not answer. She didn''t even know if he understood her. When she wanted to grab his hand, he jerked away. Then she noticed his horribly scarred hands. He has three fingers left on his left hand and only two on the right. The one wound had not yet healed.


    "Get up," she said softly, "I promise we''ll get away from here. I won''t let anyone hurt you."


    Galaspiael got up slowly, but he couldn''t walk without her help. Kalena was afraid that he would faint on the way and she would have to carry him. Even though he had lost a lot of weight during the months of his captivity, he was still a head taller than her and much heavier than she had expected.


    When he stopped, she started to pull him. She knew that doing this wouldn''t help him gain trust, but at that point, she didn''t care a bit. The most important thing was to get out of the mine as quickly as possible.


    Along the way, she must have burned almost to death several guards and several prisoners, who begged her to release them as well. She didn''t want to. But they blocked their path and caused Galaspiael to panic again.


    As they passed through the group room, they saw another cloud of dark energy.


    "Stop it," the girl picked him up quickly as Galaspiael huddled on the floor. "Looks like Washar is still alive. Get up, we have to get out of here!"


    Kalena fully understood Galaspiael''s reaction. She also began to fear this unnatural phenomenon in front of her. The awareness that Washar was still alive and that if they met him, would kill them both, it additionally influenced their imaginations, which started to play tricks on both of them. Each shadow appeared to be human in shape. The labyrinth of tunnels was even longer than when she entered it.


    They reached the locked gate and hid behind the huge mechanism that opened it. Galaspiael''s breathing grew shallow. When he closed his eyes and dropped his head limp on her lap, she wondered what she would do if he died in a moment.


    "Hang on," she whispered, realizing that she wouldn''t have had the strength to get out of the mine alone. "Just a little more. One moment more, I promise. Just give me a second!"


    She began to look around, trying to understand how to open the gate, while hugging Galaspiael against her. He regained consciousness and stared at her intensely. She wanted to believe that maybe some memories had revived somewhere in his mind. It was easier to survive thinking about that.


    They both froze hearing heavy footsteps. Washar knew where to find them. Seeing no one, he just looked around and sat down waiting for anyone coming out of the tunnel. He pulled the lever that opened the left wing of the gate. He wanted to lure them.


    Galaspiael gritted his teeth and looked at her pleadingly. She was afraid that he would scream in fear or groan and reveal their hiding place. She was close to doing it herself. Washar waited patiently, peering from time to time towards the tunnel. Wounds from the fight weakened him, but he was still dangerous.


    They couldn''t wait any longer, and Kalena was painfully aware of it. Galaspiael needed immediate help. And her opponent was not going to give up, even if it meant sitting under the tunnel for several days.


    She was about to leave when she suddenly hesitated. Even the weakened Washar was terrifying. Even though she had the desire to fight, she couldn''t shake off one intrusive thought - what if she lost? What was this man capable of? Would he kill them right away, or would he torture them? As she looked at Galaspiael, she doubted their deaths would be quick.


    He looked at her utterly terrified. She thought about how much he must have endured, how terrified and lonely he felt out there in the dark. The fear of pain, death, disgrace, and the dark emptiness persisted. And Kalena knew it would not relent. She couldn''t wait to stop being afraid.


    She went out.


    Washar noticed her immediately and prepared to attack. Physically, not by enchanting. Kalena lunged quickly and blocked his blow. Then another. And one more. However, she did not notice that she had been trapped. Washar held out his hand, and then she felt the cold overwhelming her. She saw his triumphant smile as she fell involuntarily to her knees. And the look of complete surprise in his eyes as she pierced his heart with the last of her strength.


    As life returned to her body, she felt a euphoria she did not want to feel. She looked at Washar, knowing that the sight would remain in her memory for a long time. Very long.


    It was dawn outside. An unexpected joy appeared in the prince''s fading eyes. A joy that she would not expect from a dying man. He stretched out his hand and began to whisper something in Madegaldian. His hoarse voice was barely audible. In the end, he only moved his lips, and after a while, he was completely silent.


    Kalena walked over to Galaspiael, wanting to help him get up, and then she felt some unknown force block her, then cut her as deep as if she were cutting something out of her body. Galaspiael cringed and stared at her, paralyzed with fear. She bit her lip to keep from screaming and attracting the attention of the other guards. After a while, everything stopped. She quickly realized what she had just experienced.


    Wan-Shi made sure she kept her promise. He took away her power to enchant fire.


    "Listen," she moaned, "you have to get out of here. I can''t, I don''t have the strength. Go straight all the time and follow the road that leads to the mountains."


    Their eyes met for a moment. Galaspiael turned quickly and then looked at the girl again. He needed her help. He couldn''t do it alone, she had to get up. Even though she felt as weak as never before in her life, she couldn''t give up if they wanted a chance to survive.

 65 Chapter 55

    Kalena cried all the way.


    She felt so numb like never before. She couldn''t enchant fire. Her power disappeared just like that Deep down, she felt used. Gyeul, Wan-Shi, and other supernatural forces that she had never known existed used her and Galaspiael for their purposes. And now they had taken her power. She felt incredible exhaustion that she had never experienced before. After the fight, from which she barely escaped with her life, she was completely out of strength, and despite that, she had to almost carry Galaspiael to her camp.


    Once they were there, even though she was thirsty herself, she gave him all her water. He drank it down and took a deep breath. And she just lay down to rest for a while.


    Another problem arose in a few hours. Galaspiael''s eyes, which had been in complete darkness for several months, were unable to cope with daytime vision. The girl quickly made him a blindfold, wondering what their way back would look like. They could get used to sunlight in a few days but she was terrified of traveling with the blind Galaspiael through Madegald.


    "Don''t worry about that for now," she said as he touched a piece of material around his eyes. "We''ll figure something out."


    In reality, however, Kalena had no idea how they would handle it. She wanted his memory to come back so that he would take the initiative. Losing the gift of enchantment hurt as if a limb had been cut off. As if something had been torn from her body. She couldn''t think of anything else.


    While treating Galaspiael''s wounds, she could see how many were there. Not only terribly scarred hands but also a lot of scars on the shoulders, back, stomach, a broken several times nose. There was a fresh mark on his head after being hit by some tool.


    He didn''t say a word. He was sitting in one place, communicating with her only with glances. The easiest thing was to convince him to start looking at her. As soon as he got used to the idea that Kalena wasn''t going to punish him for it, he watched her constantly, which was irritating at one point.


    She told him about everything that came to her mind. About Kagolania, the Scribes'' Association, dynamite, the Silver Guard, his favorite holidays in which she also participated in. He listened to it all, and there were flashes in his eyes that she mistook for recollections. But there was nothing of the old Galaspiael about this man. And even if something smoldered deeply, she couldn''t get it out.


    "Everyone thinks that you''ll return and regain power." It was untrue, according to plan, if Galaspiael had not returned, Aymon would have led the Kagolanian uprising. After all, Kalena couldn''t imagine anyone other than Galaspiael on the throne. By "everyone" she meant mostly herself. She looked at him, waiting for a reaction. As usual, he didn''t answer but blinked a few times.


    She sighed.


    He shook his head vigorously.


    "No," he croaked, "speak ... speak as before."


    When he spoke, Kalena was overwhelmed with inexpressible joy and sadness at the same time. Joy - because he finally said something. Sadness - because of his voice. Hoarse, filled with pain, resembling the voice of a sick old man, not of a man under thirty years of age.


    In her mind''s eye, she saw him in a dark cell, tortured in some bestial way. She could almost hear the scream, which slowly caught in his throat until it finally died away and turned into a hoarse rattle.


    She was trying to be strong to make him feel safe. She could not show herself that she was hungry, thirsty, and as tired as ever. The food question worried her more and more. There was very little of it left, and she gave most of her portions to Galaspiael. One day she felt the consequences painfully. She was dizzy all day. She moved carefully, propping herself against something, certain that she was about to pass out.


    "It''s nothing, don''t worry," she said as he looked at her questioningly. "Could you take our these cups and put them outside?"


    From the expression on his face, she guessed that he was still afraid to leave the hideout.


    "The sun is going down. It''s gray, it shouldn''t hurt you," she said calmly. "You have to get used to the light anyway."


    He left. And he came back quickly. The chains on his arms and legs rattled at the slightest movement. Kalena knew she had to find someone who could take them off as soon as possible. She tried to pick at his shackles, but he only lasted a few minutes at most, and panic began to seize him. He never let his hands be touched.


    He looked at her curiously as she took her jade-eyed necklace from her pocket.


    "You gave it to me," she explained, "remember?"


    With the two fingers of his right hand, he grasped the green stone and looked at it closely. He seemed as if he wanted to say something, but then he pulled away and shook his head vigorously.


    "Too bad," she muttered somberly, then smiled immediately. "Lie down and sleep."


    Galaspiael shook his head and sat down next to her. For the first time, he did not treat the suggestion to lie down as an order that had to be carried out as quickly as possible. She realized that he wanted to stay awake, so she would rest.


    "What did they do to you?" She asked softly. She didn''t count on an answer.


    *


    The longer they walked, the more the girl began to doubt her sense of orientation. She asked Galaspiael if he remembered where he had come here, but he remained silent. As the city loomed on the horizon, she was sure they had lost their way.


    "I thought we''ll go through the Forest of Silence. I don''t recognize this place." She looked helplessly at the map. "If we hadn''t lost the first one, it would have been much easier."


    Galaspiael curled his shoulders.


    "Let''s keep moving forward. How could I get the route so wrong ?! It seems we went in quite the opposite direction than we should have gone. We have to stop there and ask someone for directions. You know, I was never really good at finding my way back. Once I got lost in your palace!" The girl smiled, hoping that she amused him a little, but remained unmoved.


    The town they came to was unlike Hino or any other town Kalena had come to during her journey through Madegalda. They were lucky and they found a blacksmith who had finished his work and was about to go home, but his son agreed to help release the chains. But then another problem arose. When Galaspiael saw the tools, he clasped his hands tightly against him, and it was a challenge to get him to eject them.


    "Laspie" Kalena felt incredibly embarrassed every time she said that diminutive. She invented it on the spot was silly, but they had to stick to this version until the end. His full name sounded too aristocratic. "It''s okay, we won''t hurt you."


    "Could you calm down man, she''s worried about you!" The boy added impatiently. "What prison did you help him get out of and what did he do to get him there?"


    "He escaped from captivity," she said sternly, "and he didn''t get there because he was a bad man. We just want to go home. We''ve just arrived and we don''t have any money." She broke off, realizing that he might take it as an attempt to arouse pity. "Is there any place we can rest?"


    "It is, but they don''t like travelers who don''t have money. You can sleep in our shed, but you have to leave in the morning. My father must not see you. I don''t know if you can be trusted, you are strangers."


    Kalena smiled gratefully.


    "Thank you. We''ll be gone by dawn, I promise."


    The boy said his name was Tangmin and told them to follow him. He and his father lived one street from the workshop. Kalena thanked him a few more times for his help, promising that he would pay him back one day.


    Galaspiael lay down on the straw and fell asleep almost immediately. They only had one horse, so they took turns riding it. Kalena was tired too, but she hardly squinted. She turned from side to side for a long time, and finally, resigned, decided to get up. She stretched and walked around the room.


    She couldn''t understand how she once found the strength to train at night. Now she could barely move.


    Galaspiael suddenly opened his eyes and looked at her.


    "It''s warm in here," he said finally.


    "It''s nicer than our cave, isn''t it?" She asked, sitting down beside him. He threw up his arms.


    - The cave was fine too. But it''s better here. Much warmer."


    "Then sleep. We must go soon."


    He settled back down and as she sat down beside him he rolled over on his back.


    "I thought you''d cut my fingers off. Thank you for not doing this."


    *


    In the morning, they continued their journey, again taking turns on one horse. Kalena fantasized about robbing the first man they could find or at least taking his carriage. She told Galaspiael about it.


    "I thought that I took so much money that it will last me a long time. But a woman who enchanted water stole it from me," she explained, not paying attention to whether he was even listening. "I have an idea of where to get the money and it''s not theft. But we have to get to some city."


    In the afternoon, they reached Hino. Kalena did not want to go to the temple of fire. Now the gate was closed, and there was no one to open it anywhere. As if the spirit of Hinoona, residing in the statue, sensed that the girl is no longer worthy to enter.


    She found a jewelry store in the richest district of the city. She took out her pendant and squeezed it tightly in her hands, then raised it at eye level.


    "Do you remember?" She asked as Galaspiael glanced briefly.


    "You showed it before," he replied.


    "I know, I mean, do you remember it from before the mine?" She broke off. "It''s silver. We would get a lot more for gold, but maybe that''s enough for a second horse. I don''t want to give it away, but it''s probably the only option."


    "Don''t give it away," he advised.


    "I kept it because I wanted something to remind me of you when you went to war," she explained, "but since we''ve found each other, I don''t need that. We need money."


    "You''ve had it for so long, you shouldn''t give it away if you don''t want to."


    She looked at him seriously.


    "It''s about you. You must have good conditions when traveling. Better than I had."


    Galaspiael looked sad.


    "It''s all my fault," he whispered, staring at the ground.


    "It''s not. It takes a long time to recover. I want to give you more time. I could try to steal something as well, although in my heart I don''t want to."


    She turned and felt Galaspiael grab her by the fabric of her T-shirt. She looked into his eyes questioningly.


    "He''s behind me," he whispered. "I''m afraid if I look away I''ll see him."


    "Nobody is behind you," she said, "and certainly not him."


    "I can feel him!"


    "Believe me, you are safe!" she assured. "He''s not coming back. Even so, I won''t let you hurt you. I''m with you and I''m not going to leave. I will not leave you."


    "And who are you?"


    The question almost knocked her off her feet.


    "You do not remember?" For one terrible moment, she imagined that he was losing his memory again. It would drive her to despair.


    "No." He narrowed his eyes. "I just think I remembered something. I think I''ve had a similar experience before. Such a walk with you... has already taken place. There was some other life before mine."


    "Do you really remember or are you just talking about what I told you?"


    "I just think I''ve lived it. But nothing more."


    *


    Kalena had demanded a lot more money for the necklace than it was really worth, but thanks to that, she made a deal for a lot more than she thought she would be able to. It was not even half of the amount she had proposed earlier, but still quite a lot. So much so that they could spend the next night at the inn.


    "It''s amazing how much happiness such a simple thing as a warm bath can bring," she would say when Galaspiael was in bed. She was sitting close to him, sipping tea at the table. "The water was almost black, it is unbelievable how neglected my hygiene."


    She lit a candle. She had planned to leave her there all night because Galaspiael was terribly afraid of the dark. While looking for matches, she accidentally found sheets of paper, which pleased her immensely.


    The black stylus she had with her to mark the points on the map was not entirely suitable for calligraphy. Even so, she began to write down any words that came to her mind. Then she tried to draw a new map from memory, and Galaspiael flinched and breathed loudly. He probably fell asleep for a moment and had a nightmare again. He had terrible nightmares, far more powerful than any she had ever herself.


    "Remember when you got interested in enchanting?" She asked to distract his thoughts from the unpleasant dream. "You wanted to use it to get rid of Gyeul from the Forbidden Zone."


    "Who is this?"


    "You don''t want to remember him. Enchantment is an art that I used to get us out of the mine. Have you seen some?"


    "It''s with fire?"


    "Yes."


    "You have great power," he said, "you are more powerful than he is."


    "I was. I lost that power. It makes me so... so tired. I''m very tired. I didn''t think I would miss it so much. She quickly smiled at him and added, "But I must be strong for you."


    She focused on the candle flame, and Galaspiael held his breath for a moment. Of course, as she thought, nothing special happened. The flame flickered slightly as she moved her hand. That''s all.


    "Could I do that too?"


    "You could enchant what you called life energy. When you went to war, you could do it better than me. Back then I didn''t even know that I could do something too." She came up and sat on the bed "I had a teacher, and you reached your level using only one book by a dubious author. You had great abilities... and you still have them. He may have weakened you, but he has hardly been able to take that power away."


    The mere mention of Washar made Galaspiael shudder.


    "It''s getting dark again."


    "Because the night is coming. We''ll eat dinner soon."


    "When it''s dark, I have the impression that he is sitting here in the room," he whispered, "or is standing over me. Sometimes I wake up and don''t open my eyes. I hear his breathing."


    "You hear my breathing," she replied.


    "He''s coming to take me back!"


    "It''s just an illusion," Kalena touched his face. "Look at me."


    He looked. With the same beautiful, dark eyes that once completely captivated her. Only now there was not a single spark of joy in them. Only fear and sadness.


    "I killed Washar." It sounded more like admitting guilt to an executioner than trying to calm someone down. "I stuck the blade in his stomach, right over here." Galaspiael backed away. "It went up and it must have reached the heart. Nobody would survive with such a wound."

 66 Chapter 56

    "Get up! Wake up!" The voice sounded distant. Kalena realized that she wasn''t dreaming until Galaspiael pulled the covers off her.


    "What do you mean?" She muttered.


    "Someone is here and they want to kill us!"


    "No one is here. Go back to sleep!" she replied, "It was just a dream."


    "No!" He stared at her. "We have to run! Please!"


    It seemed he wasn''t going to let go. Kalena, still convinced that he imagined it, sighed heavily.


    He grabbed her hand for the first time. His three fingers tightened around her wrist. His whole body was trembling.


    "I don''t want to go back there," he whispered and began to repeat it like in a trance. Kalena quickly packed their things into two bundles and put on her shoes. Then she heard heavy footsteps upstairs.


    "I didn''t imagine this!" Galaspiael stepped close to her and huddled. "I didn''t imagine it!"


    "I believe you. Follow me," she instructed, "as quickly and as quietly as possible."


    With her heart pounding hard, Kalena opened the door and went out into the dark corridor. Galaspiael followed her, leaning against the wall from time to time.


    "How can you be sure that they are looking for us?" She whispered to him when they were on the first floor. "Did they say anything about the mine?"


    He nodded, and then a door slammed upstairs and she heard a few Madegaldian curses.


    "They''re the guards," he whispered.


    "Someone must have led them after us. Quickly!"


    Kalena thought about Nana and felt overwhelming terror. She hoped they wouldn''t meet her. Now, without power, she wouldn''t have had the slightest chance in combat.


    They managed to go outside, and just then they heard the guards scream behind them.


    "Hold on tight!" She ordered after Galaspiael got on his horse. "Follow me all the time. I will try to lose them, but I don''t want to risk separation."


    They moved on. The Galaspiael was surprisingly good at riding, even as fast as Kalena. She kept turning around, trying to make the most complicated route possible. Unsuccessfully. The guards kept following them until one of them almost caught up with her. She heard the whistle of a saber close to her head. She took out a shen and cut the clothesline that hung between the two houses. They gained a few seconds of advantage, and as they passed the temple of fire, their chasers turned into the wrong alley.


    They drove out of town, and after two hours, they stopped to take a rest. However then moved on quickly, because Kalena feared the guards might find them and Galaspiael couldn''t sleep anyway.


    "If I''m not wrong, the village where Shiga and Shimo live is right in front of us," she said when the sun starting to rise "These are the people who helped me when I got lost. Shimo got out of the mine just like you."


    "He wouldn''t let anyone out," Galaspiael replied softly.


    "I don''t want to. I''m afraid that he will beat me," he confessed, "everyone in the mine..."


    "But you''re not in the mine anymore," she interrupted, "and he''s harmless."


    Galaspiael didn''t answer.


    When they arrived Kalena couldn''t find the house where Shiga had led her despite looking carefully.


    "Impossible. I got lost again! What other skill did Wan-Shi take from me apart from enchanting?!" She broke off as Galaspiael cringed and nodded.


    "We have to ask someone, people will guide us for sure. I think the directions just got it wrong. The house should be on the other side of the village."


    She dismounted when she noticed an older man walking towards them. When he saw her, he slowly turned around, but she caught up with him.


    "Excuse me, do you know where Shiga and Shimo live?"


    At first, the hostile face of the old man brightened as she spoke the two names.


    "I knew, of course, I did. When they were kids, we played almost every day."


    "No," she interrupted, "I meant where they were." Where is their home? She repeated louder.


    "Shimo was always the smallest, he did not grow at all." He paused and pushed the gray hair out of his face. "Why are you asking about them?"


    "I need to ask them for help, where do they live?"


    "They are dead," the man replied calmly. "They''ve both been dead for seventy-five years. There is no home either. It has burned down, with them inside."


    It has burned out. At first, she didn''t want to believe it. She has spoken to ghosts many times, but she would not have imagined that the two brothers would turn out to be ghosts as well. They were too real, and so was their home. She remembered perfectly well what it looked like, remembered the smell inside, and the wooden door.


    She jumped suddenly as the caller grabbed her hand. She looked deep into his pale blue eyes, not knowing what to say. But he was the first to speak:


    "Please, if you''ve seen them, get out of here. Leave them alone."


    *


    "Aymon, don''t change your plans now. The revolution starts soon, you must be ready," argued Mizar.


    This silence is concerning. You didn''t notice? Even the Golden Guard is not following us lately. They used to chase anyone who crossed the city gates and looked a little suspicious, but now?" Aymon nodded. "Samin does it on purpose. He discovered the plot but refuses to attack Yagn-Sho directly. He will set a snare into which we will enter ourselves."


    I''m glad that everything is going well. It is a sign that our ancestors are in favor of us and also demand justice."


    "But now there are hardly any difficulties," he explained, "at all! I could enter the palace courtyard without weapons, and they would open the gates for me! I won''t be surprised if everything collapses in the middle of a revolution!"


    "What could go wrong? Samin is completely alone, locked in the palace. The Madegaldian army is busy conquering Sekania. You were supposed to ask Her Majesty if Samin is still planning an alliance with the Emperor, have you done that?"


    "I didn''t get a reply."


    "Maybe there is no one to pass it on to?" Mizar remained positive. "Or your letter didn''t reach her?"


    "That''s why I think we should check it out! I should if I want to be king. I can''t endanger people and sit here alone."


    "Of course you can! These will be your subjects. Brother, if you want information about Samin''s actions, I''ll get it," he offered, seeing Aymon''s disapproving look. "If you think this silence should worry us, you shouldn''t take any chances. You are the only person worthy of the crown, without you, this whole plan will make no sense."


    "Kalena still hasn''t given any sign?" He suddenly changed the subject.


    "Since Seth mentioned her in his letter to Jin-Si, nothing is known. Do you hope Galaspiael will return after all?


    "It''s a shame to say, but I hope she won''t succeed," he confessed, "I don''t want him to come back, and that''s the reason I didn''t go looking for him. I know what you think about me now, I think about myself the same way. I hope that in the afterlife I will be able to ask His Majesty for forgiveness ..."


    "I''ll take my friends and we''ll leave today," Mizar promised. "Where we should go to? To the palace or a higher circle?"


    "Go to the palace, but don''t be fooled. Be more vigilant than usual and take at most two people. Larger groups attract attention easily. First of all, check if the queen is safe and make sure she knows about our actions."


    "Of course." The boy got up and started to leave, but suddenly turned away. "I''m not going to judge you. I don''t know if Kalena would go to save him if she had a chance to become queen. I don''t know if I would have... probably not."


    Aymon didn''t answer. Mizar started towards the pavilion leading to the stables and the exit gate. In the hallway, he immediately ran into Zarkin.


    "I''d come with you if I could see," he said before Mizar could approach him.


    "Have you been standing here for a long time?" He asked, looking reluctantly at the blind boy.


    "I''m waiting for Mei to come back with the ingredients I told her to get," he replied calmly. "I can''t help that my senses sharpened. If I wanted to eavesdrop, I''d stand in front of the door, and I didn''t. I just hear a lot more now."


    "If you also saw, I would start to be afraid of you. Now it''s more like¡­ "Mizar reached out to pat Zarkin on the head. The blonde grabbed her quickly.


    "I can still poison you, so stop it. Good luck to you, Prince Mizar. May you come back safe from your mission. The laxative will be ready soon, and I need to test it on someone."


    "You can test it yourself." Mizar smiled. "I''d like to lose my eyesight too if I got a woman like Mei in return. If we could exchange..."


    "If there was such a possibility..." Zarkin shook his head, "I certainly wouldn''t agree."

 67 Chapter 57

    "How beautiful is this place!" Galaspiael whispered as they admired the landscape of the Forest of Silence. Kalena smiled at the delight in his voice. She was sure he would like it there after a long time locked up. She made special arrangements for them to come there. They admired the whole area.


    "It''s a really strange place. When I was here, I lost my control over fire. This is probably some remnant of an ancient war. After all, this place looks very unnatural. Normal cliffs are not that smooth."


    Galaspiael didn''t answer. He closed his eyes as he felt the wind on his face and took a deep breath.


    "Can we stop here for the night?"


    "I''d rather go a little lower. Someone may notice us here, and I cannot enchant fire here."


    "You can''t do it at all," he reminded him. Kalena laughed. He hit the point.


    "Aren''t you afraid of those guardsmen from the mine? What if they find us?"


    This convinced him and he agreed to walk a little further, but Kalena could see that he was still staring at the cliff.


    The night was warm and pleasant. Great for a long, restorative sleep. Despite this, Kalena woke up after a few hours, touched by some strange feeling. It was still dark and the fire was still smoldering.


    Galaspiael was sitting on the hill they had admired in the evening. He sat quietly, ignoring the darkness around him. He rested his hands on the stone and kept his eyes on the distance.


    Kalena stared at him from a distance, feeling that this place was showing its power once again. For a moment she thought the Galaspiael might be an illusion. It was only when he turned and smiled to her that she cried like a baby and ran to hug him. She didn''t know if it was a dream or a ghost or something else. Galaspiael was there like before, and that was the most important thing now. There was no sign of several months of captivity on his face. He hugged her tightly and did not let go of his arms for a long time.


    "You''re still alive right?" she had to make sure. "Tell me, are you alive?"


    "Yes, Kalena, I am alive and so are you," he said calmly and pointed to the place where they slept. The girl noticed two bodies lying next to each other.


    "How¡­?"


    "Honestly, I have no idea, but I like it. But since you said you couldn''t enchant fire here, I suspect any energy can circulate freely in this place. Nothing stops it, which is why there are so many ghosts here, and that is why our souls have separated from our bodies."


    "So what I experienced here before was not a dream?"


    "I don''t know what you''ve experienced, but probably not... Kalena, why are you still crying?"


    "I missed you," she confessed, looking deep into his eyes. "This version of you. You are completely different now."


    "But that''s still me."


    "My gratitude cannot be expressed. You may not consider yourself a heroine, but that won''t change the fact that you saved my life,'' he said, still looking into her eyes. "I owe you quite a debt. You were extremely strong and brave."


    She looked away. Galaspiael moved closer to her, and even though it was not cold, he covered her with his long robe.


    "I wasn''t brave," she said softly, "and I''ll never be. I''m still scared. While fighting Washar, I was afraid like never before, and now I lost my power and I''m afraid even more."


    Galaspiael cupped her face in his hands as if to kiss her.


    "I said you were brave, not that you felt no fear. Everyone is afraid of something, this is a normal feeling like joy or sadness. But brave people take action despite fear. You are the bravest. You were brave even before when we went to Yagn-Sho."


    Kalena sighed and hugged him tighter.


    "Will we stay here a moment longer?"


    "Yes. We''ll stay as long as you like."


    *


    She woke up with Galaspiael, the very moment he awoke. They stared at each other for a moment, and when she wanted to speak, tears streamed from his eyes. He hid his face in the crook of his elbow and began to cry as much as ever


    "He told me you were dead!" He shouted, his voice breaking.


    "Who?" Kalena asked, completely taken aback by his strange reaction


    "He. He told me that when we were still in Sekania."


    Kalena felt her throat tighten.


    "Do you remember what happened in Sekania?" She stuttered.


    "I remember," he replied, "Kalena, I missed you so terribly!"


    She hugged him so tightly she was sure the grip would damage his ribs.


    "I missed you too. You can''t even imagine how!"


    He pulled away and blinked back tears. He slowly calmed down.


    "I''m not sure I remembered everything," he began slowly and stared at the ground. "I remember you, the palace, and the war in Sekania. From the beginning, when I saw you, I thought I knew you from somewhere, but now I know for sure. You are Kalena. You were my apprentice at the Scribes'' Association. My¡­ " he didn''t finish.


    "Maybe by the time we get to Kagolania you will remember everything?" She asked hopefully. "When I was leaving, a conspiracy against Samin began to be organized. We will help you regain your throne."


    Galaspiael turned serious in a second. He pressed his lips tight and looked away.


    "I''m very happy," he whispered, but his behavior showed otherwise.


    *


    "I met Mizar on the way," said Mei, slicing a root of a plant with such a difficult name that, although Zarkin repeated it several times, she still couldn''t pronounce it.


    "Me too. And I talked to him. It turned out that our biggest thing is that everything is going too easy. Even in the absence of problems, they can make a problem."


    "What''s going easy?" She asked with genuine surprise. "It may seem this way if someone spends all days in the quarters and does not see what is happening in the city. On the way back, I had to fight the guards! Even going for a walk is not easy now."


    "When did you fight the guards?" he picked up. "Are you okay? Why didn''t you tell me anything?!"


    "Oh, because it was not a big fight. I ran away from them immediately and they lost their way chasing me around the market. I''m not hurt, so I didn''t want to worry you. But don''t let him tell you it''s going easy! So far, we don''t have any general on our side."


    "That could change soon." Zarkin took a small bottle from his pocket. "I made you the antidote again. It''s better to have it on hand, especially since we''re making poisons in the kitchen."


    "I''m done with the last one," she said, dropping the last pieces of root into the cauldron. "It went fast." After these words, she hugged and kissed him. Zarkin moved closer and lifted her slightly so she could sit on the table. He kissed her back and his heart pounded more and more.


    "You smell good," he said softly, "I never really paid attention to it."


    The girl sighed deeply.


    "We don''t have the opportunity. I swear, while your master was watching over us, we had a lot more privacy than we do now!"


    "I think he is watching over me even now. In fact, not only him." The boy nodded. "Someone''s coming here."


    "Let''s go somewhere else."


    "Wait!" Zarkin walked over to the door. "I don''t recognize these steps, it''s a stranger."


    Mei jumped to the floor.


    "Maybe Okiani?"


    "We do not let Okiani in, even for negotiations they are taken somewhere else. Only people from the Association should be here."


    "So maybe a master you don''t know has come," she said, shrugging her shoulders. "Don''t jump up every time you hear a strange noise. Many people walk here every day."


    "Take a look at the corridor, just be careful!" He instructed.


    The girl rolled her eyes but looked outside.


    "Indeed, I can hear him now."


    "He''s going back and forth!" Zarkin said it as if he were talking about committing a crime. "This is not how a master who came here with good intentions would behave. Even if he hadn''t been trained in this quarter, he might ask someone for directions, not wander alone."


    Mei pulled Zarkin quickly on the door as the man from the hall turned towards the kitchen.


    "It''s a Righteous! I recognize the robes!"


    "I knew it! I really didn''t recognize these steps. Do you have a weapon?"


    "I have your knife."


    "You need to notify someone quickly, but first take care of him. Now he seems to be trying to enter the king''s former room... although I don''t know if the door to it was nearby."


    "Let''s not waste any time," Mei moved forward, gripping the knife. She turned to Zarkin and found he kept pace with her with ease.


    "He''ll be right out," he muttered.


    Indeed, a second later an exceptionally tall and thin boy stood in front of them and jumped when he noticed that he was not alone.


    "Stop!" Mei shouted at him as he started to run. "Who are you and what do you want?!"


    The young man raised both hands in surrender.


    "I don''t want to do anything wrong."


    "Then why are you lurking like this?" Zarkin asked.


    "I''m not lurking... I didn''t see anyone, so I decided to go in!"


    "It''s strange that no one has seen you. And we just talked about how it''s all too easy. Mizar wanted something disturbing so here it is! A critical problem with security!"


    Zarkin grimaced in disgust.


    "Madegaldian rubbish managed to get so far unnoticed. We have to strengthen the security, otherwise, anyone can come in here and kill us."


    "I didn''t come here to kill anyone!" The intruder continued to defend himself. "I was a Righteous Conspiracy member, but I ran away. I am begging you, help me!"


    *


    "I have no idea how you got here, the gates of Yagn-Sho are closed." Aymon looked intently at the young Madegaldian standing quietly against the wall. "Where did you even get the idea to come here alone?"


    The boy took a deep breath and looked around at everyone before he spoke.


    "I''m... I was a student at Yagn-Mao. I chose a profession where no blood is shed. However, recently even we, students for whom knowledge of combat was forbidden, were ordered to join the ranks of the army. But I cannot. I refuse to kill" he stated emphatically. "I''m just asking for shelter. I''m not going to steal your secrets, I''m on the run from war."


    "Right for another war." Rikken smiled wryly. "What''s your name, my friend?"


    "Noko, my lord. Nokomin Mishiro."


    "Are you from the capital?"


    "Exactly."


    " You''ll tell us now how you got here. We should think about strengthening security."


    "If I may ask," said Zarkin, "why are you so hesitant to fight? Are you so afraid for your life?"


    "Not mine. I cannot kill any living thing. I have made my vows and intend to serve in the temple of the god of life when I return home."


    The boy snorted softly and moved closer to Mei.


    "I don''t like him anymore. It''s my family''s cult it is twisted."


    "Should I remind you of my brother?" Mei whispered back to him.


    He smirked and wrapped his arms around her waist.


    "Your brother is nothing with my mother. You''ll see when you get to know her."


    "You can stay in your quarters," Rikken decided, "but you mustn''t leave. And try not to go anywhere alone. Ideally, you should stay close to the main hall or kitchen so that as many people as possible can see you."


    "Not the kitchen, he''ll eat supplies," Zarkin muttered, "let him sit here."


    "I will," he promised, "I won''t go anywhere, I swear! But please, just let me stay!"


    "I don''t understand, you had Velikania and Port on your way, couldn''t you stay there?" Mei asked. "A revolution is about to begin in Kagolania. You did not choose the right moment to come here.


    *


    "Are you asleep again?" Kalena asked Galaspiael after eating breakfast when he decided to return to the room they were renting at an inn. "We were supposed to move on. We''ll be home soon."


    "The woman who chased you," he began softly, "Najana, right?"


    "Did you know her?"


    "Is she dead?"


    "I don''t know," she admitted, "I fought with her in the Forest of Silence, but I don''t know if I killed her. I didn''t see the body on the way back, so she probably survived. I was afraid she would start chasing us, but since she didn''t find us so far, we rather lost her for good."


    "Can we stay here a few more days?" He asked after a moment. "We better make sure she didn''t chase us. I don''t have the strength to go."


    "Wouldn''t it be better to go home soon? There you will rest as much as you want, and Najana will not reach us."


    "I''m tired," he repeated.


    The girl sighed heavily and turned away from him. She rested her head on the edge of the bed and stared at the wooden ceiling.


    "What''s going on with you?" She finally asked. "Tell me! Why are you so reluctant to return to Kagolania?"


    "I''m not"


    "Yes, you are! Since you regained your memory, it''s hard to even talk to you about it." She looked at Galaspiael and turned his head towards her. "I''m with you. No matter what you think about now or what is happening, I want to be able to support you. But if you keep pushing me away, I can''t help you."


    "Only a few more days," he asked, "we could go back to Hino. Maybe their goddess is your ancestor"


    "If we went back to Hino, the journey would have been extended by a few weeks!" Kalena shook her head. "Is it about Samin? "Is it him that you are afraid of? We''ll go back to Yagn-Sho, not the palace. Friends are waiting for us."


    Galaspiael sighed deeply.


    "Kalena," he interrupted, "I know how horribly this will sound, but would you mind not telling anyone that I have regained my memory?"


    The girl did not know what to answer to that request. She watched him in shock in complete silence. He got up and wiped his tears, and as she wanted to hug him, he pulled away.


    "Why shouldn''t I tell anyone?"


    "I still don''t remember a lot of things."


    "You''re regaining your memory very quickly," she tried to comfort him, but he shook his head.


    "Look at me! Do you see what I''ve become? Look at my hands, look what''s on my face. I''m no longer fit to be king. I was never the right choice. The thought of going back scares me as much as the thought of going back to the mine. Everything scares me. I don''t remember what it''s like not to be afraid."


    "It won''t be like before. I''ll help you! We will all help you," she promised.


    "If you get angry now and leave me here, I''ll understand. You''ve traveled half the world to save me, and I... well. I have failed you, and in Kagolania I will fail all who await my return."


    "I''m not going back without you," she said firmly, but in her heart, she knew he was right. He couldn''t rule anymore. He has become weak and dependent. During the trip, he only talked to her, avoided other people. He cried a lot, had terrible nightmares that woke him up practically every night. He must have had a cup of water and a lit candle by the bed, otherwise he would not be able to sleep. When they were among other people, he was ashamed and hide the mark on his face. It was hard to persuade him to take any independent action.


    Galaspiael was back, but only partially. He was no longer the same man as before. He was still taciturn, though he spoke a lot more than at the very beginning. Kalena suspected that this would not change.


    She wanted him to tell about what he had experienced in the mine. Many times she told him that if he felt the need to do so, he could tell her anything. Each time she encountered a wall of silence. Galaspiael just shook his head and squeezed his eyes shut tightly as if to wipe out an extremely unpleasant image from his mind. He kept her from getting to know his secrets, so she didn''t push. She remembered well how hard it was for her to talk about the times of captivity.


    Among all this Kalena was feeling better herself. The days went by, and over time it became apparent that it was possible to come back to life without enchantment. It was necessary. Time moved on, and she lived and went with it. She managed to live.


    "I won''t tell anyone you''ve regained your memory," she promised, "but today we must move on." There is still a long way to go and we should get home as quickly as possible. Don''t worry. Until you decide for yourself that you want to confess the truth, I will remain silent."


    He just looked at her gratefully and said nothing.

 68 Chapter 58 part 1

    "Good morning!" Noko jumped up, seeing Mei entering the kitchen. "I got permission to come here because I was really hungry. Mr. Rikken let me get something."


    "Master Rikken," she corrected him, "you address your teachers in the same way, it''s easy to remember. Eat, don''t mind me."


    "We don''t have it. We don''t have kitchens at our quarters," he added, "everyone has to get their own food. Most often they bring it from home."


    "I know," she replied, "In Yagn-Sho, during the training, every student has to work in the kitchen from time to time. I remember Zarkin used to hate it. When he learned to make the first poisons, he got an exemption from the kitchen shift."


    The boy swallowed loudly a bite of the apple.


    "I would prefer if the Righteous Conspiracy would work this way. You are alone, close to the outside world, you create a community of masters and students. It''s better."


    "Do you know if anything sweet has been delivered recently?" Mei sighed. "Our restocking system is failing. Everyone here is presumed dead or traitors in Kagolania. If it weren''t for the garden, we wouldn''t have half of the vegetables. We used to eat three meals a day, now everyone gets only two."


    "There''s a lot of food in the pantry, it had to be brought in recently."


    "Zarkin loves sweets, but unfortunately we can''t get any."


    "May I ask... is he blind or am I imagining it?"


    "You''re not imagining," replied Mei, "he is blind. But I believe he will manage to regain his sight. When the war is over, I''m going to take him to At''insha. This country is even bigger than Madegald and is ruled by the Association. They will surely be able to help him."


    "It''s great. You are a really good wife to care for him so much."


    Mei was stunned at this statement.


    "I''m not his wife," she replied, "I''m his friend. And his eyes. Who told you we were married?"


    "I thought you may be," Noko replied calmly. "It''s obvious that you two are more than just friends. If he asked you to marry, would you agree?"


    "What kind of question is that?!" Mei nearly shouted, indignant at his inquisitiveness. "Zarkin will never want to marry me. I''m not fit for this. Besides, there is a war out there, and a revolution is about to break. We can''t waste time on such things."


    "Since there''s a war, the more you have to take care of such things," Noko smiled. "Love is a cure-all and it makes people do things that they wouldn''t normally be able to do."


    "I''m sorry," she interrupted, "but these are my business and I don''t intend to share it with anyone. Especially with you, because I don''t even know you! Have you finished? I want to close the kitchen."


    "Master Rikken will be here soon. Don''t worry." Noko got up and bowed. "Forgive my inquisitiveness. This is a flaw that I have been fighting for a long time and I cannot deal with it."


    "I don''t understand any of this," he muttered, "it''s your fault, you ruined everything. I have to ask someone who can understand me better."


    "But I can come to the kitchen?"


    Zarkin snorted irritably.


    "Twice a day. And you''d better not take too much food."


    *


    "Mizar!" Kalena waved to the two young men who had been watching her closely for several minutes. "Are you going to Yagn-Sho too?"


    One of them moved forward a bit.


    "I can''t believe it. Kalena, is that you?"


    "You can see it''s her." Kete nodded in greeting. "I haven''t seen you longer than he did, but I already knew from a distance that it was you. It''s nice to see you again."


    "You too."


    "Everyone will think we left to greet you!" Mizar glanced over her shoulder. "To greet you both. Welcome home, Your Majesty."


    "Is this really our king?" Kete whispered. "What have they done to him?"


    "He''s lost his memory," Kalena replied, feeling the words almost get stuck in her throat. She pursed her lips and looked at Mizar.


    "Unbelievable! Madegald will pay for it. It''s a scandal, I hope we''ll break all contracts with them."


    "It probably won''t matter to them, they are an empire," replied Kete.


    "The world needs to know about this. We must not allow such people to be the first to cooperate with At''insha. My father has high-ranking relatives there if they find out what a primitive man the emperor is..."


    "But the Emperor didn''t do it," Kalena interrupted. "It was Prince Washar, his younger brother. He arranged everything so that even his immediate family would not know that he was holding Galaspiael. He was responsible for everything."


    "Aymon needs to know you''re back. I was supposed to give him a message from his father, but he probably won''t even glance at it."


    Galaspiael looked at Kalena meaningfully. She nodded imperceptibly.


    "I was gone for a long time," she continued. "Is Yagn-Sho still the conspirators'' quarters?"


    "Mostly Scribes. We try not to let strangers in, and if we do, we keep them in the guest rooms. Mei is an exception, she is in the quarters at Zarkin''s risk, but everyone trusts her as if she was a scribe. As far as I know, almost three hundred people are to go with us to the capital, and Aymon can freely dispose of soldiers from our father''s city. We will have a good chance."


    The girl''s eyes narrowed suspiciously.


    "Samin is waiting so patiently for us to come to him?"


    "He is not waiting idly, he is also preparing. But people haven''t forgotten Galaspiael yet, it''s only been six months. And where Aymon''s arguments did not work, Zarkin persuaded the people of his steadfast faith that you would return. Kalena, there''s some chance he''ll get his memory back, right?" Mizar asked in a low voice.


    "I have no idea. I hope that when he sees Yagn-Sho, some of his memories will come back. I tried to tell him a little on the way, but I don''t know if it worked. He doesn''t want to talk about what was happening in Sekania at all. I don''t know what they did to him, they might even torture him... they certainly tortured him."


    "I hope some of their princes will be our captive someday so that we can revenge."


    "And the one who is responsible for it?" Kete asked.


    "I beat him. Dead."


    When they reached Yagn-Sho, Galaspiael dared to remove his hood for a moment. He pulled on his sleeves to hide the scars from the handcuffs. He stared at the buildings of the quarters for a moment, with as much admiration as at the open space in the Forest of Silence.


    "I forgot what it looks like," he whispered to Kalena as Mizar and Kete left. "I didn''t think I''d ever come back here."


    "I''ve already forgotten a bit. I would like them to put us in our old room, how about that?" Kalena offered.


    Rikken went out to meet them. Seeing Kalena, he blinked several times to make sure he was not dreaming. Mizar smiled, pleased that he had managed to surprise him.


    "The ancestors are kind to us, and yours value you very much," he said in greeting.


    "They are more of His Majesty''s ancestors," she replied.


    "Welcome home," he said to Galaspiael, "come in, come in."


    "Who is this? he asked. Kalena couldn''t tell if she was faking it or really not remembering. "Who is this?"


    "Master Rikken," she answered calmly, "he taught me and you to fight."


    The man looked at them again. Happiness disappeared from his eyes. She didn''t have to explain, he understood.


    - How will he lead a revolution if he doesn''t remember anything?


    The question was silent. The girl took a deep breath. She had repeatedly mentally repeated in her mind what was supposed to answer this kind of question before.


    - It will not. When I was leaving to look for him, Aymon would come to power should I fail.


    "Yes, but it was about a situation where Galaspaiel would have died before you found him." Since he is alive, Aymon cannot sit on the throne in his place. He would become as self-proclaimed as Samin.


    "What if Galaspiael officially abdicates?"


    "Let''s wait a little longer before making a decision," said Mizar, "you are already in Kagolania, surrounded by people he knew and the places where he was every day. Maybe it will help regain its memory?"


    "We don''t have much time, I don''t know if anyone will want to wait. He came home and that''s what matters. You saved him from a cruel fate. As subjects, we owed him that, and only you did that. You''re probably very tired, so take a break before Aymon comes back and inundates you with questions."


    "Is my room free?" She asked immediately.


    "I guess so. Only there will be trouble with the mats. Bimala recently discovered that we had a mouse nest here. Almost all mats and mattresses have holes in them. Had Zarkin not acted on the poison in time, they would have defeated us before Samin even had a chance to try."


    "Quiet, Master, or someone will tell him about it and he might use the mice in the fight against us," Mizar smiled. "Kalena, I can give you my mattress if you want. There will surely be another one for His Majesty."


    "I dream of a bath, but the stoves are probably not hot yet, aren''t they?"


    "They will be tonight. It''s not time to splash yet, it''s just noon." Rikken handed her the key. "It''s really... good to have you two back."


    Only inside did Galaspiael breathe out and hug Kalena.


    "Thank you," he whispered, "I was afraid you''d tell them after all."


    "Even if I told them the truth, I guess you''d be abdicating soon anyway," she replied, "if you want to, you''ll tell them yourself, right?"


    "Yes," he promised and looked at the open window. She knew what he was thinking.


    "There is one more battle left, but you don''t have to fight," she assured.


    "Are you going to fight?"


    "I think so."


    "Then I won''t leave you," he decided.