63.

The sound of the wind disappears. Arlon’s feet stop walking, hand quickly grabbing a hold of Nerys’ wrist before she can walk any further.
“What are you doing?” He can see right through her. He can sense the betrayal.
“Hm?”
“What are you trying to do?”
“Ha! It is remarkable how much you resemble Eryx.” The remark makes Arlon flinch. He hates hearing that. He doesn’t want to be like that man.
He really doesn’t.
“So skeptical and tense all the time. What I offer you is out of my believe that Lyle is destined to be destroyed. I have no intentions of hurting you or.. your loved ones.” Nerys is good at sensing things, too, though. She dusts off the growing suspicion with ease.
Arlon squints his eyes, hand tightening around her wrist. “And what is your reason?” Arlon allows the queen to pull her wrist away from him. Her smile disappears.
“I can’t tell you that.”
“Then I won’t accept your offer.”
“Wh- king Arlon, I am sorry if I offended you but.. alliances are important to have in a war and-“
“I will not accept your offer.”
Arlon’s answer is final, Nerys knows that. So why does she feel such a need to try it once more? “It is foolish of you to think you can take this war on your own. What if Lyle connects with Taharahi? What if their army grows? What will you do then, king Arlon?” His answer angers her. She wants to watch her old kingdom turn to dust. She wants to hear their screams and cries for help. She wants her brother to perish, and all that he has left behind, too. But Arlon can’t know that. Not now, not ever. This alliance has to come out of peace and help. Not revenge.
“Will you sit back on that throne of yours? Will you watch your people die without meaning?”
“I will fight. That is what I will do.” Arlon walks away with his hands turning into fists.
“My offer still stands!” Nerys allows him to walk away with anger growing in the pit of her stomach. She thought it would be easier to persuade him. She’s done being impartial. She is done pretending like she doesn’t care. She wants to watch her brother fail. She will just have to try a little harder to get king Arlon to work with her, because the boy is a bite more stubborn than she had expected him to be.

Arlon frowns at Elai, both of them enjoying a meal at the closest tavern they could find. The wooden table creaks with every movement, Elai’s nails picking at the material. “But Nymeria is dead, right?” The news his lover had given him was surprising. Elai claims that Nerys is his aunt, who had disappeared years ago. It could be possible with the right kind of spell, but it would mean that Nerys is making blood sacrifices. Human blood sacrifices; something that is feared in all the eight kingdoms. It gives Arlon the shivers.
“She must’ve faked it.”
“But then everyone would recognize her.”
“She has used nameless magic.” Chay’s voice is soft, eyes still looking down at his soup. The two lovers had forgotten that the alchemist was there, both of their cheeks burning red. It feels rude to admit it, but they were caught up in each other this whole time.
“Isn’t that as rare as green magic?” Arlon is the first to question this theory. Nameless magic is just as deadly as green magic. It is dangerous and vile. It is more common to be practiced than green magic, though. Nameless magic is believed to be created to control, unlike green magic.
“Almost. But the only way she could be hiding her true identity, is by using the human sacrifices that nameless magic requires. There is no other magic that allows such spells to manifest.” Chay talks about it with ease, and it still mesmerizes Elai. He knows so many things about something Elai has never actively thought of, has so many secrets behind those eyes that Elai never desired to know.
Arlon notices it, a low grunt coming from his mouth as he leans back in his chair, the tavern loud and busy around them.
Chay hums. “So that’d mean she’s up to no good.”
“What? Why?” Elai doesn’t want to talk wrongly about his aunt. Nerys was, after all, the only family member who had actively tried to love him. Up until the day she ran away from Lyle, the young Elai had his aunt to rely on.
“Human sacrifices speak for themselves, Elai.” Arlon is the one to answer this time, eyes looking up from his mug. “You don’t do human sacrifices for the greater good.”
“We’re just speculating things.”
“Elai, I told you that the only way she could be hiding her identity-“
“I know, Chay.” Elai doesn’t want to believe a word they’re saying. Not about the human sacrifices, but about her intentions.
The trio becomes silent for a while, Elai’s hands pressing against his head. His eyes are staring at the table, wondering if even Nerys is a bad person. It seems as if the entire Amias bloodline is cursed, as if it isn’t just the youngest prince.
“There we are!” Connie’s voice is loud as he sits beside Elai. Cesilia drops right next to her brother with a greeting smile on her face.
“Finally. I was waiting for you two.” Arlon sits up straight; he’s ready to tell about the conversation. He needed Cesilia and Connie to be there when he opens up about Nerys’ offer. They’re his strongest warriors. They know the talk of war like no other.
“Nerys offered me an alliance.” He doesn’t travel through his entire conversation with Nerys, doesn’t tell the details or what was said. He simply drops the big news.
Elai’s jaw drops as the entire table becomes silent. Smiles begin to appear here and there, pride crossing over the chests of the warriors.
Connie is the first to respond. “That is great!”
“I rejected it.” Arlon shuts his friend’s excitement down with the simple magic of three words. He’s not ashamed of his choice, especially not after Elai told him her real identity. There can’t be any good intentions behind the eyes of an Amias-blooded princess.
“Eh? Eh?!” Connie raises his eyebrows, and he’s lucky Elai presses his hand against his thigh just in time. He was about to lose his temper and yell at his best friend. Again.
“She is the queen of the land we fight on! It is the best possible alliance you could ever have!” Connie only nods at the waitress, the big mug of ale pressing against his lips immediately.