Shadows and Summons

The heavy wooden doors of the queen’s chambers clicked shut. They sealed the room off from the rest of the Crown Palace and the prying eyes of the royal court. The moment the iron latch fell into place, Tessa’s legs gave out. She dropped to her knees on the thick woven rug. Her breaths came in sharp, jagged gasps. She wrapped her arms around her stomach. The adrenaline from her brush with death bled out of her system, leaving behind a profound, bone-deep terror.

Kaida rushed across the room. She dropped to the floor beside the trembling maidservant. She reached out and grasped Tessa by the shoulders, lifting her upright. She pulled the younger woman into a tight, grounding embrace. Tessa buried her face in Kaida’s shoulder. Tears soaked through the fine silk of the queen's gown.

"Thank you," Tessa choked out. Her voice cracked under the weight of her fear. "I thought I would not see the next sunrise. The king looked right through me. Even when I cried, I felt his suspicion."

Kaida rubbed circles into Tessa’s back. She felt the fierce tremors wracking the girl's frame. She pulled back and cupped Tessa’s face. Using her thumbs, she wiped the steady stream of tears from her cheeks. Behind the red veil, Kaida’s eyes softened with a fierce, protective loyalty.

"I am sorry you had to go through that," Kaida whispered. Her voice carried the weight of genuine regret.

Tessa shook her head. She sniffled and wiped her nose with the back of her hand. "No. It is my responsibility to help you with your missions. I knew the risks when I swore to serve you. Getting discovered is a situation I must prepare myself for. I am not sure I can avoid it for the rest of my life."

Kaida squeezed her hands. "We only have each other inside the walls of this palace. We will guard each other's backs." Her tone was a steel anchor cutting through the lingering chaos. "As long as I draw breath, I will not let you fall. We will survive this place together."

Meanwhile, across the sprawling palace grounds, King Darius paced the length of his private study. His boots thudded against the stone floor. He gripped the burned scroll in one hand. He was far from convinced of Tessa’s sudden innocence. Her tears had seemed genuine, but calling her presence in the courtyard a mere coincidence sat wrong in his gut.

Still, he lacked solid, actionable evidence. Without proof, executing the queen's personal maidservant based on a hunch would spark unnecessary outrage among the nobles. He needed to catch her in the act. He stopped pacing and glanced toward the shadowed corner of the room.

"Keep an invisible watch on the queen's head maidservant," Darius commanded the empty air. A faint rustle of fabric answered him. His elite shadows were always listening. "If she does something suspicious, do not call her attention yet. Let her be caught red-handed in treason. The queen must not know of this surveillance."

Satisfied with his orders, Darius turned his attention to the fallout of the morning's revelations. Minister Voss was ruined. The king had exiled the corrupt man. He stripped Voss of all wealth, titles, and lands. The disgraced minister was already on a carriage bound for the desolate outskirts of the kingdom. The illegal weapons Voss had hoarded were confiscated, though the fire had rendered most of them unusable.

Seeking a brief moment of peace from the relentless political maneuvering, Darius walked the winding paths to the Dawn Palace. Royal Concubine Daphne waited for him in her sunlit parlor.

"I heard of the queen's actions this morning," Daphne murmured. She poured him a cup of warm tea and handed him the delicate porcelain. "It seems she indeed treasures her maidservant."

Darius took a slow sip. He could not disagree. He had expected the proud, haughty woman from the wedding ceremony to discard a lowly servant without a second thought. But Kaida had knelt. She had begged. It was a crack in her arrogant facade that puzzled him.

"That appears to be the case," Darius conceded. He set the cup down and took Daphne’s hand. "But putting that aside, I am assigning a skilled personal guard to look after you."

Daphne blinked. Surprise flashed in her gentle eyes. "A guard?"

"The elusive spy from the storage house remains uncaught," Darius explained. His grip tightened on her fingers. "I will not risk you becoming a target. A guard will secure your safety at all times."

Daphne smiled and stepped closer. She rested her free hand against his chest. As she was pulled closer to him, she tilted her head. "I do not want to be protected all the time. I, too, want to be of help to you, my king."

Darius shook his head. He did not welcome her inside the palace to get caught in the middle of these dangerous issues. It was his duty to keep her from trouble. He wanted her to only enjoy the luxury the palace could offer. He leaned down and pressed a soft kiss to the top of her head.

"Your presence is enough for me," Darius responded. "I do not want you to get in trouble."

Their tender, quiet moment of solace shattered. The parlor doors swung open. Prime Minister Magnus stepped into the room. His face was a mask of polite urgency. He offered a crisp bow before stating his reason for the interruption.

"I apologize for interrupting, Your Majesty," Magnus said. "But something urgent is needed to be addressed."

Darius suppressed a sigh. He kissed Daphne's forehead one last time before turning his back on the sunlit parlor. He followed Magnus through the echoing corridors toward the Sovereign Court. The atmosphere in the grand hall was thick with political tension. The ministers stood in stiff, uneasy clusters. They lowered their heads as the king strode past them and ascended the steps to his throne.

Darius settled into the high-backed chair. His amber eyes swept over the room. He gave Magnus the permission to let the ministers report the situation.

A minister stepped forward. His hands clasped in front of him. "There was a violent armed uprising at the western borders, Your Majesty. The rebels were armed as they tried to enter the inner gates. The local garrison is struggling to maintain the perimeter."

"The Minister of War headed to the border just a moment ago to stabilize the situation," Magnus added. His tone was smooth and practiced.

Darius frowned. He shifted his gaze to the Minister of Finance, who stood quietly on his post with his head hanging low. It looked as if the man knew something was up, but the ministers were keeping it from the throne. A rebellion did not spark from thin air.

"What are their reasons for revolting?" Darius asked. He did not look away from the trembling minister. "A peaceful border does not erupt into bloodshed overnight."

Magnus noticed the king's piercing gaze, but he maintained his deliberately blank face. He faced the king and replied, "They are complaining about their labor. They think that the kingdom is asking them too much. A poor harvest combined with standard taxation has caused unrest among the farmhands."

Darius grinned upon hearing the answer. It was a cold, sharp expression. He recognized the blatant lie hidden behind Magnus's bureaucratic excuses. Armed uprisings did not stem from minor labor disputes. Farmhands did not possess military-grade weaponry. They did not orchestrate coordinated attacks on fortified gates. Magnus was spinning a web of deceit right in front of the throne.

Darius stood up from his throne. He walked down the center aisle, heading straight for the exit. His boots clicked against the polished marble floor. He stopped in the center of the hall, surrounded by the men meant to serve his kingdom.

"Minister Voss left this capital penniless," Darius said. His tone was a deadly warning. "And I will not hesitate to send out more ministers to suffer outside the capital if each one of you continuously fails to serve me truthfully. Do not test my patience."

He tried to look at each of them straight in the eyes. Aside from Magnus, no one was brave enough to meet his gaze. Since no one was speaking, he knew none of them was willing to suggest a real solution. Turning his back on them, he left the Sovereign Court.

Unable to leave the volatile capital himself due to the brewing internal threats, Darius headed to the Vanguards' Hall. The spy was not yet caught. There was a strong possibility that another attack would happen in his absence. He dispatched an elite Vanguard team comprising five members to ride west. Their orders were simple: bypass the Minister of War, uncover the actual truth of the rebellion, and report back.

Meanwhile, confined within the Crown Palace, Kaida paced the length of her lavish bedroom. Her soft slippers made no sound against the rugs. She crossed her arms, rubbing her elbows in mounting frustration.

She chafed under the newly tightened security protocols. Guards patrolled the corridors at shorter intervals. Shadows lingered near the windows. She was trapped. After the huge incident, she needed to lie low. If she acted now, she would be caught in no time. But lying low was not her nature.

She clicked her tongue in deep annoyance. Darius’s untimely visit to the Dusk Palace yesterday had ruined her plans. If he had not shown up, she could have stolen the documents from the archives. She would not have been forced to torch the storage house. She would not be under this suffocating lockdown.

"Your Highness," Tessa’s voice called from the other side of the door. "His Majesty is here."

Kaida stopped pacing. Before she could even grant permission, the double doors slid open. Darius stepped into the room.

Kaida smoothed her skirts. She fixed the red veil concealing her face and offered a shallow curtsy. "May I ask why His Majesty visited?" she asked.

Darius did not wait for an invitation. He made himself comfortable and sat across from the queen on the velvet chaise lounge. He crossed his legs and stared at her. The impenetrable red silk annoyed him. He could not tell what she was thinking. He wanted to tear the fabric away, to see the face of the woman hiding behind it.

He clamped down on that urge. If he did not resolve the matter of her isolating herself from the outside world, the foolish ministers would come barking at him endlessly. He needed to fix things before that annoying scenario played out.

"I have heard that you were locking yourself up because I give too little attention to you," Darius began, leaning back against the cushions. "The court whispers that the new queen sits alone in her chambers, weeping for her husband."

"The court has a vivid imagination, Your Majesty," Kaida replied.

"Do let me know, Kaida. Are you trying to earn the sympathy of the ministers just so they could force me into your bed? Is this your grand strategy to secure your position?"

He was sure of his theory. He was trying to test the queen to see if she would be honest or feign ignorance.

Kaida stood frozen. She stared at him through the red fabric. She was outraged by his sheer audacity. His ego was a towering fortress. He actually thought she wanted him. He thought her desire for privacy was a desperate ploy for his affection.

Anger flared hot in her chest. She took a step forward, firmly stepping on his pride.

"I wish that were the case. It would make my life much simpler," Kaida replied coldly. Her voice dripped with ice. "However, I was driven by my emotions the other day. I needed space from the chaos of this court. Worry not, Your Majesty, for I have no desire to share the same bed with you. You are safe from my supposed schemes."

She could not bear his illusion of her being desperate for him. She wanted to step on his ego so he would stop thinking she married him for the benefits of being queen.

Darius blinked. He did not know how to react. He was puzzled. Should he be happy to hear the truth, or offended that his wife had viciously rejected him?

"Your Majesty, do you still have something to discuss with me?" Kaida asked after a few minutes of heavy silence.

"I would be staying here for the night," Darius stated.

"No," Kaida disagreed with a firm voice.

Darius raised his eyebrow. "Are you hiding something from me?"

"No, Your Majesty, that is not my concern," Kaida replied. She folded her hands in front of her. "As you decided to never lift this veil of mine, it would be hard for me to sleep while wearing it. I am afraid that I would suffocate to death. So it is only possible for you to sleep with me if you finally come to a decision to lift my veil. Please, do understand, Your Majesty. Leave my presence immediately unless you intend to do so."

Darius shook his head to think straight. The conversation was deviating from the subject. The sting of her repeated rejections bruised his pride. He was a king, yet this woman dismissed him as if he were a nuisance.

He aggressively pivoted, changing his strategy. "That aside, I would like to make a deal with you, Kaida. Tell me anything that Prime Minister Magnus is planning. Reveal his hidden political plans, and in return, I will grant you any wish you desire."

Kaida maintained her stoic posture. "I would tell you if he told me something. However, as of the moment, there is nothing to be said. I claim total ignorance of my father's schemes."

Darius scoffed. He felt like she was lying. Talking with a woman who had no intention of cooperating was a waste of his time. He was embarrassed to be rejected twice in a row. As a man, it damaged his pride. However, he was unwilling to push the matter further. He refused to lift the veil and betray Daphne's delicate feelings. He turned on his heel and departed the room.

Upon his arrival back at the Dawn Palace, Daphne was eagerly waiting for him. He noticed some of her clothes were being packed into trunks by the servants.

"What is the matter?" Darius asked.

Daphne greeted him with a hug and a soft kiss on the cheek. Her eyes gleamed with excitement. "Your schedule the day after tomorrow is not as packed as the other days. My king, it is not good for your health if you continue to overwork yourself. Thus, I want us to go to the Crown Villa of Hot Springs. You need to recuperate."

Darius found the trip to be unnecessary. The palace required his attention. But if he rejected her kind offer, it would make his concubine feel bad. He did not want that.

"I guess I could take a break once in a while," Darius responded. The agreement delighted Daphne.

News of the impending royal departure spread like wildfire through the servant networks. It ignited rumors within the corridors. The news quickly trickled down to Kaida's ears later that afternoon.

She sat at her vanity, drumming her fingers against the polished wood. "Guh, they are such a handful," she muttered to herself.

Leaving the capital now was a foolish, reckless move. Kaida was fully aware that the king's physical absence from the heavily guarded palace would serve as a prime, open invitation for enemy assassins to strike on the open road. The hot springs villa was remote. The journey was long. His enemies were likely watching the gates, waiting for this exact opportunity.

Kaida rubbed her temples. She wanted to go with them in secret to guard the king, but she could not just leave the palace. If she abandoned her post, the capital would be unguarded. Magnus and the remaining corrupt ministers would tear the inner courts apart. She had to stay behind to manage the chaos within the walls.

She pulled a blank sheet of parchment from her drawer. She dipped a quill in ink and penned an urgent, encrypted missive. She used the secret cipher of her clan. The message was a direct request to the Umbra headquarters. She needed elite backup to protect the vulnerable king on the dangerous road to the hot springs. It was the only way she could ensure his survival while securing the palace.

The hours dragged on until the clock struck midnight. The palace settled into an eerie quiet. The guard patrols shifted, leaving a brief window of vulnerability near the western wing.

A soft scrape sounded against the stone sill. A disguised Tessa slipped through the chamber window. She dropped onto the floor, landing without a sound. She was clad in dark, form-fitting combat apparel. A black mask covered the lower half of her face, leaving only her eyes visible.

Kaida stood up from her chair and walked over to her. She held out the sealed missive.

"Give this to the Umbra," Kaida instructed. Her voice held grave seriousness. "Be careful not to get hurt and caught. Give the letter and return at once."

Tessa took the letter and tucked it securely into the inner pocket of her leather vest. She gave a sharp nod, understanding the gravity of the mission. She stepped back onto the window ledge. The cold night wind caught the edges of her dark clothing.

Standing in the shadows of her room, Kaida watched intently. Tessa crouched low, then vaulted out into the night. She moved with fluid grace, scaling the adjacent wall. Within seconds, the maidservant vanished into the consuming dark. Kaida remained by the window, staring into the blackness, setting the stage for the perilous trip that awaited them all.