Claudia regretted her life's choices. She was sitting on a cot, tapping her feet against the cell's floor while Soren paced up and down in front of her. They had been waiting for hours.
Outside and down the hall, they could still hear the annoyed complaints of the Durian Captain, demanding them to be released to his `care`.
Then, he grew suspiciously quiet.
Both the mage and her brother looked up at the sudden stillness. Steps were now approaching quickly and into their view stepped a tired looking girl, about 13, dressed in smooth, uncomplicated gold and white regalia. Behind her walked the watch captain and the mage commander.
"I am Aanya, Queen of Duren", the girl said.
Soren bowed, Claudia curtsied.
"I understand you are personal friends of… prince… Callum?"
"You saw his letter, highness?", Claudia asked, meekly, "He's very worried about his family."
Aanya nodded, looking as though she was close to tears for a second before her composure returned. "I understand. There's a message already prepared for him as to the state of the Katolin house of Royals. We will know whether you're telling the truth about your association in a moment. Get them out", she commanded and the mage commander unlocked their cell.
A few moments later, Claudia was standing on the battlements of the border checkpoint, awkwardly holding a bow and arrow.
"We need you to send him a message", Aanya explained, "You must fire the arrow and think of him, speak his name."
"Oh", Claudia said, sadly, "I really would've liked to send my own message, too. We're very worried about him, you know?"
Aanya regarded her for a moment. There was no harm in adding a small note to the hawk's head, as long as its current contents wouldn't be exposed.
"You may write it in the guard office", she said, waving the Katolin mage to follow her.
"Uh. No, I don't need to write it. I already have it here. Since you already have a letter about the House of Katolis, I don't have to change it."
Aanya extended a hand. "I'll have to read it before allowing you to add it to the arrow."
The mage frowned, but haltingly acquiesced.
Soren was waiting impatiently. He didn't like the suspicious glares from all the guards.
Aanya handed the letter back, a little smirk tugging at her mouth, and Claudia added her message, clasping the hawk arrow shut. She was flustered. Her brother rolled his eyes, already knowing the contents of her note.
"You want me to shoot?", Soren asked, his hands outstretched.
"Sure. You know him just as well as I do, but you know how to use a bow", his sister said with a tepid snicker.
"I don't know him as well as you do", Soren said, a little weirded out, "I never tried to k-"
"Soren!"
"Fine. Gimme."
She handed him the instruments and he easily wound up to loosen it. "Prince Callum!", he shouted, imagining the boy's face as he was struck by a wooden blade.
The arrow shot quickly eastward, seemingly picking up speed as it went.
"Well then!", Amaya said, satisfied, "I think that's proof enough. However, if I recall correctly, your father is High Mage Viren, yes?"
"Yes. We have nothing to do with him anymore", Clauda said, firmly but with clear upset.
Aanya's investigative gaze prompted her to add to this.
"We saw him a while ago in his cell in Katolis. He'd told us to go after the princes to get the egg back and my brother was supposed to kill them if we found them alive. Needless to say, we didn't do it and came back without the dragon prince. He was not happy. That's the last time we spoke to him. We were searching for our mother in Del Bar."
Aanya sighed, then nodded. "You're welcome to stay here. I hate to abuse you as messengers, but we have no-one else."
"No, I'll do it", Soren said, with an expectant glance at his sister.
Claudia shook her head. "I… I want to go after them. Be there for hi-, uh, them."
"Uh-huh", Soren said, frowning, "Look, Clauds, they're what, a month and a bit away now? We won't catch up to them any sooner than that. We also don't have all the stuff you need to run around a foreign country for that long."
The mage sighed heavily, kneading her hands. He was right, going after him was a bit pointless.
"Do we know when they'll be back?", she asked, smally.
Nobody really had an answer for her and she decided to move on.
"Alright. I guess we'll stay here."
Aanya clasped her hands together. "Excellent. I'll have someone fill you in about all the details you'll need to know."
Opeli was pacing a hole in her office's floor. How would she explain this to him and survive?
Her chambers' door unlocked, opened, closed. After a few moments, Viren strode into her study, looking smug and grey-faced as ever. In his hand, he was turning a smooth, gold coin.
"Viren", she said, resolving to be blunt, probably risking her life, "I wasn't able to convince the other councillors. They think the order is fake."
Viren's mouth, open for a greeting, closed into an annoyed frown. After a moment, he said, "Surely, you showed them the book of seals? Surely, you had them review the reports of spies about Astilliar? Surely, they can't be so incredibly dense?!"
Opeli scoffed. "The seal could be a forgery. You're a gifted mage, this should be easy for you."
"No! The seal is imbued with a moon dragon's magic! It shimmers and gleams like no other ink, showing the colors of the rainbow when tilted!"
"I'm aware. You and I might understand this, but they do not. After I pointed it out, they said it was a parlor trick."
"Then what of Astilliar?"
"He's unable to respond to our queries since he's very slightly dead.", she said with a sardonic smile.
Viren groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Why are you letting them walk all over us? We know the truth! We know we're right!"
Opeli leaned back, onto her desk, in an attempt to seem relaxed. "I know part of the truth and I don't know if I'm right. I'm not like you, feeling right about my choices does not come as the default! Plus, I no longer have the authority to overrule them, that privilege was taken from me by a lawfully crowned King."
"You mustn't follow his harebrained edicts, councilor!", Viren shouted.
The councilwoman felt renewed fear creep into her at his outburst, but she replied with the trained composure of a seasoned politician, "No matter who wrote them into power, they are law! I refuse to become your accomplice in crime! Now, unless you have anything else I could show as proof of Xadian intent, you will leave and never show your face to me again!"
Viren nodded, limply. "I see how foolish I was to trust you. I will take this to the people, themselves! They are just as apt at leading as you lot!"
With that, he once more approached her window.
"I told them", she said and Viren stopped in his tracks, "I told them that you killed our King. Had them send ravens to the other kingdoms and our strongholds. That makes three royals on your conscience, does it not?"
The high mage pensively twiddled the gold coin for a moment, then said, "That maybe so, Opeli. It's still better than the blood of thousands on yours if Xadia decides they've waited long enough."
Opeli scoffed. "At least we'll be able to stop looking now and start the mourning process."
Viren shrugged. "Waste time with your childish rituals if you must. I don't think them necessary."
With that he jumped and was soon gone from view.
Tears immediately welled into her eyes, relief and fear battling each other. She was all too aware that he had more or less unhindered access to her, no matter where she was in the castle. The fact that he had simply left without any personal threats gave her a small glimmer of hope.
A small noise disturbed her reverie.
Falling off the windowsill, a smooth, featureless gold coin came to a tinkling rest on the ground.