You said Kenric wouldn't die!

So I did. And so he won't. I knew that long before i even started writing these last chapters.

And where is the King during all of this?

Well, General Aleyn, being the control freak he really is, quite effectively locked King Duane in his chambers. Well, maybe he didn't physically lock the poor fool in, but he threatened him into staying calm and remaining in there, with reassurances that he would take care of it all. But even in your own room, there's no way not to be able to learn that your castle is under seige. So, similar to what that noble did in Daine's 'Wolf speaker" book, he poisons himself. I think i included this little summary somewhere. Or maybe that was in the previous draft that ended up being deleted. Hm.

Author's Note: Eh... yeah, college is taking up a lot of my time right now. More so than i even imagined. I'm hoping that once i get into the rhythm of things, i'll be able to set aside some good quality writing time. It's a good thing for you readers that i already had this chapter written for awhile. Otherwise, who knows when i would have been able to update. Enjoy. Or not.

32. And Then He Sleeps

Nobles' Bane: Chapter 30

Axe

Those around him laughed and joked with one another, patting one another wearily on the back and passing along congratulations at the victory.

Miraculously, these commoners had broken through the castle defenses. Those who had tried to defend it were now prisoners.

Axe, too, wanted to celebrate the event. But worry weighed heavily on his heart.

Oh, what a moment this would have been, had Danel been here.

And Vistra. Was she still alive? Where?

It was as if the gods were listening to his thoughts. But gods often prove fickle, and answer a mortal's prayer in the way they least expect. And desire.

For Axe suddenly heard a scream.

From an almost unconscious part of his mind, he recognized the voice of the one who screamed.

It was almost obscene. Why would he hesitate at the sound of this scream and not countless others?

He would, because there was naught else that he would ever do. He could never ignore that voice.

Especially if it were screaming.

Vistra.

Where was she?

Looking back at the moment in the future, he would never be able to explain what caused him to look up. Intuition? Luck? But look up, he did.

To see two figures hurtling through the air towards the ground.

What in Mithros' name...?!

He heard someone murmur a similar curse aloud beside him. The Lord Provost, Lauryn's brother.

He pointed into the air at one of the figures. "Kenric," he exclaimed with some shock, growing pale. "And his father."

~*~*~

Lauryn

She stepped into a splatter of her own blood and nearly flung herself headfirst down the tower steps. Shaking, she righted herself, and set off again, throwing caution to the wind and moving at the same speed, if not faster, than she had been traveling just before she had nearly slipped.

If she thought the trip up was long, the one down only seemed longer. With every step, the sob that had been building in her chest struggled up higher to her throat.

Please, Kenric! Don't be dead!

She threw herself down the final last steps, ignoring the pain that continued to grow from her wounds, and headed around to the northern part of the tower.

People were already gathered. She jumped into the throng, pushing past with trembling hands. People, strangers, most if not all, seemed to recognize her, and made way.

At the center, she found Kenric laying utterly still on his side. She saw General Aleyn too, but didn't spare the horrible man even a half a glance before kneeling by Kenric's side. Blood seeped from his lip and both wrists lay askew. She wasn't brave enough to check for any other injuries, and instead bent her head over his chest.

And cried out when she saw the ever slow rise and fall of his ribs.

"He's breathing! He's breathing!" She sounded hysterical; she knew it for a fact. But she didn't care. "Someone, please fetch Lord Athaniel! Hurry!"

Glancing up, she suddenly noticed her brother sitting across from her. And he was sitting beside an unconscious Axe, as if guarding him from any who might mean harm.

"Wha– Is he going to be all right?"

Those blue eyes she had always loved gazed at her with such weariness and pain that she wondered if someone looking into her own eyes saw the same thing.

"Using his Gift one more time completely sapped all the energy he had left in him. He should be fine, after good food and a comfortable bed," Travis said quietly.

"Using... his Gift?"

"He seemed to realize that Kenric was our ally, unlike his father. He threw everything he had into trying to slow his fall."

So. That was why Kenric was still alive. Still breathing. Axe was to thank for it.

She slowly lowered her gaze, wanting to hide her tears from any who might spot them.

But Travis was her brother. And he knew that something was wrong. He stood up, leaving Axe's side, and joined her, pulling her into as gentle a hug as he could offer, not wanting to further her own injuries.

And she finally cried, quietly, on Travis' shoulder.

~*~*~

Someone must have slipped something into her drink to make her sleep. For, when she awoke, she found that she had slept a day and a night away.

Travis smiled tiredly at her. "No, I don't think so. You were just that tired."

And then she suddenly sat up in her bed, and her shifting nearly caused a collision, for Travis' head was much closer to her than she had thought.

"Where's Kenric?" she demanded once they recovered. "Is he doing well?"

Travis just looked at her, any trace of his smile gone from his face.

"Is... is he still alive?"

Her brother nodded grimly. She prayed that she would never have to see such an expression ever again.

He started to stand. "When you're ready, I'll take you to him–"

"I'm ready now," she said quickly.

He considered her for a long, silent moment. Then he nodded. "Very well."

It was a struggle to get onto her feet, but once she was, she felt stronger for the effort. Her leg ached where it had been slashed, but that was the worst of the pain. She was even able to walk unassisted, albeit slowly.

She recognized the way to Kenric's room. After all, he himself had led her to his rooms, once upon a time.

There were guards by the door. She briefly wondered who they were before being shuffled into the chamber.

She blinked in surprise when she saw Nathan inside. She was about to ask him when he had arrived, when her eyes wandered to the bed. And then she lost any ability to speak.

He was so still, it was as if he was dead.

But he was still breathing.

She sighed with relief. "Still alive," she murmured.

Nathan stirred from beside the bed. He glanced at her with tired, lined eyes. "Is he?"

She stared at him hard. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"The healers. They suspect that the fall severely injured his head, if not the rest of his body."

"They... suspect?"

"Lauryn," Travis came up to her and squeezed her hand. "The healers were able to start healing his basic physical injuries, the broken limbs, the cracked ribs. But they won't know the extent of his other injuries unless he awakes."

"What do you maen... unless he awakes?" Even to her, her voice sounded strained.

Her brother spoke to her quietly. "They don't know when he'll come out of this unconscious state. Or if he will at all."

~*~*~

It wasn't supposed to happen this way.

Was it really worth it?

It was selfish of her to ask herself that question as many times as she did.

Of course it was. General Aleyn is dead. The king he controlled gone to the realm of the dead also, by his own hand. Things are going to change in Tortall. For the better.

But she wanted to be selfish. Just this once.

She wanted to close her eyes and fervently pretend that she had never ventured into Corus. Never ventured on this foolhardy crusade.

Because, that way, Danel would still be alive. And Kenric...

She huddled there in the darkness, on the corner of the small bed with her legs drawn up towards her chest. The cold from outside leaked heavily into the room, but she didn't know where else to go for a bit of space to herself.

She tensed when she heard a noise drifting through the open window.

What's... that? Someone... singing?

A quiet voice was whispering into the night.

"Sleep, my child

Sleep, my babe

I will protect you

And keep the nightmares away…"

She prayed that she would be left alone, but the voice only strayed closer.

"Dawn may seem far

And the night an endless cloak,

But I will always be here

And safety… will always be near."

And then the singing stopped. Right outside the window.

"Darling, why don't you just come in now? Axe will murder me if I let you catch a chill."

"I already am 'in'. And how'd you know I was here?" she muttered querulously.

Travis leaned in against the window sill. "You didn't expect to be hiding out in the servants' quarters without the servants knowing, did you?"

"They told?" For a moment, she felt a child's naive betrayal.

"Lauryn," Travis said with disapproval. "They were worried about you. We all are."

"Well, your concern is misplaced," she said stiffly. "There are others more deserving of it."

He considered it. "Perhaps." He then stared straight down at her. "But then again, perhaps not."

She sighed. "Just go away, Travis."

"So you can continue wallowing? I think not." He paused. "Lauryn, I understand that you're hurting. And it hurts me to see you that way. But please, grieve by a fire where it's warm, and don't neglect food and rest as if they were your enemy. I think there's been pain enough that we don't need to inflict any on ourselves."

"I think the choice of wallowing is up to me," she retorted.

He shrugged. "Very well. But I'll offer you a warning first. Axe says that if you don't return back into the castle within the hour, he'll come out and force you there. From which he will tie you to your bed and hand feed you some food, since you've refused to eat."

She snorted.

"I wasn't finished. He also added that if you continued to behave like a spoiled child, he would turn you over his knee and spank you."

She blinked. "What?"

Travis smiled brilliantly at her, obviously pleased.

"You're lying," she said flatly.

He gave her a big, jaunty shrug. "Perhaps. Perhaps not."

"Travis, you're being foolish–"

"Just so you know," he interrupted her, "Axe told me that three quarters of an hour ago. You have fifteen minutes left before you lose all remaining dignity."

She stared at him, trying to figure out whether or not he was merely speaking lies. It was strange, seeing this mischievous, young man with lovely, glittering blue eyes, and remembering the harsh featured, cold man he had been a month or so ago. Strange indeed.

She got to her feet and glared at him, who was laughing at her just through the window. "Well, come on then. Do your sister a favor and inform Axe that his devious measures are unnecessary; I'm on my way."