After leaving the dungeon, Kael went to the gardens. He sat there quietly, looking up at the moon for several minutes, lost in thought.
Then he heard footsteps behind him.
He tilted his head and saw Seraphina standing there.
She must have come after me, he thought.
"What are you doing out here alone at night?" she asked as she sat beside him.
"I'm not alone," Kael said, glancing toward the guards standing a short distance away, watching the area as they patrolled. "They're around."
"They don't count," Seraphina replied.
She lay down on the grass and gestured for Kael to do the same.
After a moment, Kael lay down beside her. He looked at her briefly and saw that her eyes were fixed on the moon, so he turned his gaze back to the sky as well.
They lay there together, watching the stars and the full moon in silence.
After a while, Seraphina spoke.
"Who was he?" she asked softly. It was clear she didn't know who the traitor was yet.
"What? Why did he betray you?" she said.
"That's the story," Kael replied. "Falling in love. Could not protect that love. Because of that, regret, Then betray because of that regret and regret after betraying. People always make mistakes, but there are mistakes that could not be forgiven. He did that kind of mistake, and he died because of that," he continued.
"Can you tell me from beginning to end?" she said.
"It is not that long, but sure," he answered her and started telling Master Jorah's story to her.
______
In the room shared by Selara and Darian, Selara's fury burned uncontrollably. Someone had tried to kill her son and had nearly succeeded.
There had been attempts before. Those were stopped early, and Selara had personally ensured that both the attackers and those who ordered them were dealt with properly. This time, however, was different.
If the elves had succeeded in killing Kael, it could have ignited a war. And she, in turn, could have started that same war by killing the elf princess.
But demons and demonic beasts were growing stronger with each passing day. After losing one hand, Darian was already struggling to protect their territory. Selara could not afford to destroy the duchy's future or Kael's because of her rash decision driven by rage.
So when she learned who had ordered the assassination attempt, she rushed her room. To plan a counter against the elves one that would not plunge them into war.
"Selara, calm down and breathe," Darian said.
"They tried to kill my son—no, our son! Aren't you furious?" she snapped.
"I am furious too," Darian replied. "But we can't start a war over this. There are two countries between us and the elves. By the time we get there, we'd be exhausted. Just calm down and let's think about how to turn this to our advantage. I'm sure they don't want a war with humans either."
Selara slowly calmed and sat on the bed, staring at Darian in the chair near the window. "So… do you have a plan?" she asked.
"Yes," he said. "In one week, we'll send the captured elves to Duskhelm. Their representative will come here to take them. I'll pressure them to pay compensation to get their people back. If they refuse, we'll release the elves near the dwarven kingdom border and let them find their way home."
"They'll just be captured again the moment our soldiers leave," Selara said sharply. "That border is crawling with bandits and slave traders."
"Exactly," Darian said calmly. "If they don't pay, their people will become slaves. And we'll stop searching for illegal slave owners in our territory. We'll only seize slaves who are openly displayed. If they hide them well, we turn a blind eye."
"That's acceptable… for now. But I'll make sure to take proper revenge in the future," she said firmly.
"Yes, dear. Once Kael masters his A-rank skills, our duchy will be the strongest in the empire after the royal family. Then we'll revisit this matter until you're satisfied. For now… don't make it obvious in front of the children," Darian warned.
"You're right," Selara said. "But I must send a gift to the Silverbloom family, addressed to Princess Nyssara. To show we received their gift and will return one in kind. Mine will be first."
Darian sighed. "Do as you wish, dear. Just… don't overdo it."
"You trust me, Darian, don't you?" Selara asked with a smile. That smile… was never a good sign.
"Yes, yes, I trust you," he said, sweating, glancing nervously toward the window. He was afraid of this version of his wife. Then his eyes caught Kael lying in the garden with Seraphina.
"Look… Kael is there," he muttered. "He must have seen Jorah. I never thought he'd betray our family… but Kael lost his friend in the process."
Selara moved closer to the window. "It's true. Jorah was very close to Kael. But Seraphina is his friend too. And Jorah… he's an old man, probably your age, Darian. He couldn't truly be a friend to a ten-year-old. Still… he was the closest thing Kael had to one."
Darian's voice went flat. "Do you think I'm old?"
Selara looked at his hair, streaked with white, and his growing beard, flecked with silver. She said nothing. Her gaze alone said enough.
______
In the garden, Kael and Seraphina continued their conversation.
"So… he betrayed your family because of his daughter?" she asked, lying back and looking at Kael. Her voice was soft, but her mind raced. His life is so tragic… will my and Kael's life be like this too in the future?
No. I won't let it be, she thought firmly. I'll make sure both of us are happy together. But to do that, I need to be strong enough to protect Kael. No… first, I need to be strong enough to protect myself properly. Clinging to Kael, running after him in my current state… it would only slow him down. She remembered the moment she had lost herself back then. I don't want to feel that weakness again.
"Yes," Kael said, resting his hands behind his head, gazing at the night sky, stars scattered across the darkness.
"And stop thinking about this," he said, turning to Seraphina. "When are you coming back here?"
In his mind, he guessed she would return in a couple of months, her staying in the capital would increase political tension. The Empress did not like her even slightly, and her eldest sister only wanted to humiliate her there.
Seraphina fell silent for a few seconds, lost in thought. Then she turned toward Kael, who was also watching her.
"The truth is, Kael… I don't plan to come back here," she said.
"Huh?" Kael replied with confusion.
He clearly did not expect this.