Chapter 3

"Rial, why do you insist on asking me all these questions when I am here that you are perfectly capable of taking care of yourself when I am gone?" the Lirin Queen asked as she stormed into the throne room of the Lirin court. "The Lirin were able to get on fine without any monarch for centuries. Now that you have one, it seems you have forgotten how you were able to function without."

"I am sorry Your Majesty, but I would think that you would want to oversee what is happening in your country," Rial responded.

"Of course I am interested in what is happening here, but I am no diplomat. Even after all of these years as your Queen and Lady of the Cymrian counsel, I am still just a poor farm girl. I thought that it was understood that this position as Lirin Queen is ceremonial only. I am only a figure head, I have no real power. So why do you come to me pretending I do?"

Rial remained silent, which really was for the better. Rhapsody had been very edgy since she came. He had taken it as the loss of her husband, but really, many things were playing a part in her gloomy mood.

Doubts seemed to be the biggest factor. She would catch herself wishing she were back in Ylorc with Achmed and would have to berate herself for it. Every now and then a situation would come up and she would wonder how angry Achmed would be with her if she chose a certain way. Little things like this had been plaguing her mind since she had left.

Even though she knew that this relationship was a long time in coming and one that she knew she had needed, she could not help but think that it may not be good for her people. As ready to save the world as Achmed was, he still did not always want or even care about what was best for the Lirin or Cymrians.

Shaking herself, Rhapsody pushed these thought aside to focus on her job at hand. She needed to finish up here with the Lirin before moving on the Cymrians. There was still much to prepare for the moot coming up and she needed to be able to think clearly on the good of her people rather than her personal life. She gave an inward sigh as she wrapped up her thoughts. It was tough being in charge of two different peoples and having a life of your own.

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Achmed stepped out onto his ledge, like he did every evening at this time, lowered his veils, and searched to wind for her heart. This was a ritual that he had started a long time ago because the sound and feel of Rhapsody's heart had always had a soothing effect on his senses and to reassure himself that she was still alright.

It was this ritual that had allowed him to know that she was in trouble a few months ago. Thanks to this warning, he and Gwydion Navarne were able to rush to her aid and save her from the evil F'dor. It was this act of saving that had set the ball in motion, so to speak, on their relationship.

Faintly he was able to hear her heart in the distance. He slowed his heart and allowed his own pulse to match with her's. As their pulses aligned, a feeling of calm and ease washed over him. She was where she should be and everything was alright. He heaved a sigh and prepared to break his connection.

But something wasn't right. It wasn't with Rhapsody. No, she was fine. It was something closer to him. There was a presence nearby that should not be there. He remained still, as if he had sensed nothing, but in reality he was slowly reaching for his dagger and preparing for an attack.

Releasing Rhapsody completely, he stood for a minute more as he gauged where this unwanted presence was located.

Just as he had a solid fix on the spot, the attacker suddenly rushed Achmed. Of course, he was now prepared for the onslaught and was able to take the attacker by surprise, rather than being taken by surprise.

It was all over before it even began. Agilely sidestepping the attack, Achmed buried his dagger deep between the man's ribs. As Achmed had planned, he did not stab the man's heart, leaving the man still alive, but in a lot of pain. The man looked down at the dagger that was lost in his rib cage and then looked back up to the king.

"Now, how about you tell me who sent you, hmm?" Achmed said as he shoved the man into a kneeling position.

The man just continued to look stupidly at the knife in his chest. Achmed reached down and viciously yanked the dagger out smiling at the cry of pain that the action elicited.

The man looked up to the king with a blank, confused expression. He didn't seem to know what was happening. Achmed couldn't tell if it was an act or the man couldn't understand why he failed. Or maybe, he really didn't know what was happening.

Achmed stared back down at the man with a merciless scowl. Suddenly the man seemed to convulse as he rose to his feet, looking Achmed squarely in his mismatched eyes. "Your days here are numbered. I'll be seeing you again soon," The man said. And with that he reeled around before Achmed could react and ran off the edge of the cliff.

Achmed ran after him and watched as the man plummeted to the jagged rocks below, crushing and killing the only source of information the king had in figuring out who wanted him dead. But what worried the king the most was the last comment that the man had made. It seemed self explanatory, the man was sure that Achmed would soon be joining him in the afterlife. But there seemed to be something more to the statement than the Dhracian was able to grasp.

He stood staring down at the body for a moment longer before turning and walking back into the Cauldron. Something was not right. How is it that man managed to infiltrate his kingdom and get so close to the king? And who was trying to have him killed?

This was not the first time that an attempt had been made on his life, but nothing like this had happened to him a very long time. A peace had been ruling over the nations and had not yet showed any signs of ending soon. This may be the first sign of troubles to come.

By now, Achmed had reached the throne room once again where Grunthor was still lounging by the fire, using a wicked looking dagger to pick the dirt from under his claw-like nails.

"Wha'choo doin' back 'ere? I thought you'd retired fir da night," the giant asked.

"We have a problem. At the bottom of the cliff you'll find the body of a man that was trying to kill me," Achmed replied simply.

Grunthor looked up at the king and sat his dagger down on the table. "Now 'ow did that 'appen?"

"I don't know. But I don't want it happening again. If a man is able to get that close to me, there's no telling how far the next will be able to penetrate."

Quickly standing, Grunthor strode out of the room and down the hall to the king's chambers. Achmed followed him, knowing exactly where they were heading. It had been his intention all along to check on the Earth Child with Grunthor anyway.

The two carefully undid the locks and traps that were still in place without any evidence of tampering before descending to the Loritorium. The gentle flicker of light from the fire well in the back softly illuminated the slumbering earth child. She slept on in peace, completely undisturbed.

"Well, it seems that she's still alright," The giant sighed.

Achmed looked down at the child's face for a moment longer, lost in thought. "Yes," he finally said. "Nothing has disturbed her. The attack may have been meant solely for me." Taking one final glance at the sleeping child's face, he turned and began walking back up the tunnel entrance with Grunthor following behind him.

After the two companions were once again in Achmed's chambers with the tunnel again sealed behind them, the king turned to his friend saying, "It seems that there is more than one reason to have doubled up security for this moot. If an assassin was able to get this close to me now, then it will be even easier for another when these mountains are crawling with strangers in another two months."

"Oi'm sure that oo ever tried this will 'ave thought o' that too."