Chapter 7: Stirring Within

Song: N/A

Isolde stood before the castle that would be her new home for at least the next two months. In her hands she clutched her only suitcase, as she'd learned a long time ago how to travel light. She possessed only a few changes of clothing and night clothes, and the rest were variations of her uniform. She currently wore her primary uniform, which was a bit different from what she wore during her days as a sentry. It was certainly more pliable since she was often moving and active.

Her black work pants were form-fitting, with the bottom of each pant leg nestled somewhere in her black platform boots, lined with some gold trim. Wrapped around her waist and fastened to each thigh, she wore strapped and snapped holsters containing small weapons and magical items. Her hands and upper arms were coated with black leather gloves, matching the holsters. Her top was a form-fitting teal long-sleeved corset-like shirt-vest with gold piping and trimmings, the front center formed into an upside down "V" while the top of the shirt possessed a black collar, folded open. Around her neck, she wore a black corset-style choker with a gold pendant dangling just underneath it. Gold hoop earrings were barely visible through her long ebony hair, which was down in waves, brushing her legs each time she moved. Lastly, she wore a large black hat (Steampunk style), trimmed in gold and aquamarine gems embossed in the front center. Perhaps the outfit to some was a bit outlandish, but it matched her role perfectly, highlighting her magical nature and showing onlookers that she was visible for a reason.

The former sentry straightened a bit when a man approached her, and she shifted the suitcase to her left hand as she held out her right one. "Emile?"

"Ms. Isolde, how do you do?" Emile greeted with a warm smile as he gently shook her hand. "We have been awaiting your arrival. King Eirik has ordered your quarters to be set up just across the hallway from his rooms. Can I help you with that?" He pointed at the suitcase.

"It's all right. It's not heavy. But I would appreciate it if you can show me to my quarters so I can unpack and get to work."

The man chuckled. "Malango said you were diligent, and I can see why you came so highly recommended. Come along."

After her suitcase was unpacked and items were stored away in her modest quarters, Isolde found Emile and followed him to the throne room, where she laid eyes on the King of Venburg for the first time. At first glance, she was a bit conflicted by his appearance. Although he was said to be 45 years old, he didn't look like it. He looked younger somehow, maybe in his early thirties or so, yet he was grasping a tall staff with a lamp screwed to the top of it as if his life depended on it. So, a 45 year old man with the visual appearance of a 30 year old and the possible physical capacity of an 80 year old… She could see the pain in his face, even if he tried to hide it. Could be because she was used to hiding pain herself—just not the physical kind.

"Your Majesty," Emile began with the usual flair of formalities when around others in the court, adhering to royal protocol, "allow me to introduce Isolde, a private magister regent from Master Qiqiang's Royal Private Magistrates Headquarters."

"Nice hat," Eirik remarked, smiling as Isolde seemed to be taken aback by the random comment.

"Um, thank you, Your Majesty…" Of all the things a king could have told her, based on the debriefing she'd received, that wasn't what she'd been expecting.

"No, no, just call me Eirik. I'm sure we're going to spend a lot of time together, so I'd prefer to be on a more casual basis, if that's all right with you."

She nodded. "As you wish, Eirik."

The king lifted his hand, waving to everyone except Emile and Isolde. "Give us some time. Reconvene within the hour. In the meantime, take a break." He chuckled as the throne room cleared out faster than he'd ever seen before. "Works wonders, doesn't it, Emile?"

Laughing, the other man grabbed a spare chair and brought it over to Isolde, gesturing for her to sit, which she did. "Always. I'll give you two some time to talk privately. I'll be in the kitchen if you need me."

"Careful. We both know you can't resist those cookies." Eirik grinned as Emile scoffed before leaving the room. He smiled down toward Isolde, noticing her uncertain expression. "This wasn't what you were expecting, I gather."

"Well, no offense, Eirik, but… You're a relatively young guy. I mean, I know what I've been told, but… I guess I'm just trying to figure out how I can help you. What exactly do you need from me?"

"Honestly, protection. See, in the last five years, I've seen a steady decline in my health, especially physically speaking. I can't walk without this staff most days, and even then that's not always easy. I'm a known 'softie' when it comes to ruling as well, so my advisors and subjects are afraid that enemies will take advantage of the situation and attack our kingdom."

She nodded, folding her arms over her abdomen. "Well, yeah, I can definitely understand that concern. You don't want to be a sitting duck for your enemies. Don't worry, Eirik. I've been hired to protect you, and I'll do just that. I have some pretty powerful magic that I can use when and if needed, and I am very strategic in the way I guard things and people. I'll do everything in my power to keep you safe."

"Thank you, Isolde. May I escort you to your room? I'm sure you've seen it already, but I know you've had a long trip, and I know you could use some rest."

"Sure, if you'd like." While they walked together (slowly, due to his limitations), she brought up a topic that was probably obvious, but she just wanted some clarity. "So, I know most royalty tend to room upstairs. I'm guessing you are on the ground floor because of…" She indicated his staff, nodding as he hummed in acknowledgement. "I see. I hate that this whole health thing has taken away your ability to live a normal life."

He smiled somewhat sullenly. "Me too, Isolde. Me too…"

When they arrived at the door to her quarters, Isolde smiled lightly, tucking some of her hair behind her ear. "I appreciate you leading me here, but you don't have to do that every time. I'm just grateful for your hospitality."

"I'm grateful that you've agreed to take on this role." Seeing the hair she'd just tucked behind her ear falling forward a bit and over her shoulder, he reached out and brushed it back, chuckling as she blinked up at him in surprise. He lowered his hand, grasping the staff instead. "Join me for dinner in a few hours?"

Isolde simply nodded, responding, "I'd like that, Eirik…"

Three weeks passed, and Eirik and Isolde spent quite a lot of time together, both on the clock and off. They ate most of their meals together, went on short walks through the garden, played chess together, and talked for hours. Of course, this was interspersed with some actual royal duties the king had to tend to on a daily basis, but it was a nice change of pace from what he'd been doing for over two decades. However, word had gotten around about Isolde's role as the king's 'magical bodyguard,' and more rumors spread about him, which now included her.

She's a gold digging opportunity taker, and she's using him for his money. She's a spy sent by the enemy camps! She's his long-lost cousin from Avalor!

That last one was probably the oddest, especially since Eirik only knew of two surviving cousins (Amber and James in Enchancia), and there were literally no similarities either physically or ancestrally between them. Thankfully, they both brushed it off, ignoring the gossip.

However, one evening when Isolde was preparing to retire to bed, she overheard some whispers in the corridor closest to her room. She could tell something was off, especially with the negative magical presence she could sense around her. Someone else here had magic? She'd met Mingo and Atsa during the first week of her arrival, and their presence was far lighter than this. This was…malicious. She wasn't sure what it was, and when she approached the corridor to inspect the situation, the voices had stopped, and no one was even there.

Perplexed, the former sentry moved down the hallway to Eirik's room, intending to warn him of this feeling she had. She raised her hand and knocked on the door, and a blush immediately formed on her cheeks when the door opened, revealing Eirik. "Um, I…"

Eirik was standing there in his white pajama pants and a matching robe, which was untied and open, revealing a well-defined chest. His staff was barely grasped in his hand, but it was there as always. He seemed like he had just been woken up, but seeing her there startled him into more alertness. "Isolde? Everything okay?"

Gathering her nerve, Isolde shook her head, pushing him into the room and closing the door behind her. She made sure to lock it before staring up at the king. "I think we may have a problem."

"I don't know if I'd call this a problem," he teased lightly, chuckling as she blushed a little darker. "I'm just kidding, Isolde. What's going on?" He pulled his robe taut, tying it in place, before guiding her to the bed so they could sit down together, which they did.

"I have a bad feeling. I thought I could hear some whispers in the corridor close to my quarters, but no one was there. And I know I felt some very negative energy… Magical energy, I think."

"Mingo said something similar not long before you started working here, you know… He told me his father had a vision about me being in danger. That's a big part of the reason you're here."

She nodded. "Yeah, but I think this is bigger than both of us, Eirik. We're going to need more than just me, if my instincts are right on this. I'm sure you're aware of light magic and dark magic."

He shrugged. "Somewhat."

"It's self-explanatory. What I sense is muted, but it's definitely darker than most magic. It's reserved now, but I get the feeling it could be more dangerous if given the opportunity."

"I'll call the guards." Eirik stood, using the staff to push himself upwards.

"It's a start, but we're going to need someone stronger than—"

They were interrupted in their discussion when Eirik's door suddenly went flying off its hinges, clattering to the ground in a smoking heap. Someone had literally blasted his door down. To their surprise, Eirik's own advisors, minus Emile, filed into the room and lunged at him and Isolde, tying them up individually and then together, and Isolde's hands were tied behind her back for security.

"What's the meaning of this?!" Eirik demanded, glaring at his advisors. "You traitors! I'll have you hanged for treason! When I get my hands on you—"

"Oh, pipe down, you pipsqueak," the gruffest of the advisors, named Bayles, grumbled. "You know full well you're in no condition to do such a thing. You've been a thorn in our side the moment you became the king. You're nothing like your uncle. He ruled with grace and consideration. You rule with flippancy and aloofness. It's a wonder our beautiful kingdom hasn't fallen to ruin because of you."

Conflicted. That was an understatement to describe how Eirik felt, but it was a start. "Bayles, you can't be serious. You have been loyal to our family for years—"

"To your uncle and aunt, Eirik, not to you. You're no king." With that, he grabbed the crown Eirik wore during formal gatherings and passed it to another advisor, folding his arms afterwards. "You and your little guardian here will be imprisoned on Darktide Isle, with no outside contact."

"Why?" Isolde demanded, her voice sharp as she tried to loosen her bonds while still talking. "Why are you doing this? Who's responsible for this?"

Another man called Bertie (short for Hubert) laughed. "There's a secret magic wielder in this castle. He's guiding us every step of the way, and if we listen to him, we'll be powerful and rich. No one knows what he looks like or who he is, but he's been very convincing, and everything he's said and done so far has been legitimate."

The private magister regent scoffed, her fingers still working on her bonds. "Why would you be dumb enough to follow someone you've never seen, and when you are risking putting yourselves in danger?"

"We've been threatened with our lives and families' lives," the third advisor, Guiles, admitted, holding onto the king's crown. "If we go against him, he'll kill us and our loved ones. Apologies to you, King Eirik, and to your lady friend, but we're not about to put everything we care about in the line of danger for someone who's not suited to run Venburg."

Though his words stung a bit, Eirik latched onto something Bayles had said earlier. "Darktide Isle… What is that? And why?"

Bertie shrugged. "We were told it's an isolated island that resists all magic."

"And is set to be destroyed by the worst storm of the century in less than a week," Bayles added, smirking. "And guess who's going to be on that island when it hits, Your Majesty?"

Isolde finally managed to loosen her restraints, and she grabbed a small dagger from one of her holsters and sliced through the rest of her restraints before pointing the dagger at the three men. "Okay, which one of you gets to die first?"

Bertie hid behind Bayles and Guiles, pushing them forward. "I'm allergic to dying! Take one of them!"

Bayles rolled his eyes before swiftly snatching the dagger from Isolde's hand before she could react, then backhanding her across the face, knocking her into Eirik and causing them to tumble to the ground in a tangled heap. He sheathed the dagger. "I'll hang onto this."

"Isolde, are you all right?" Eirik asked in concern as he tried to maneuver a bit to see her. Noticing the expression on her face, he glared up at his advisors. "You'll be sorry you ever messed with her."

"I can appreciate your desire to stand up for the magic woman, Eirik, but now is not the time. Guiles."

Guiles jerked Isolde to her feet, retying her arms and body with some stronger rope, and then tying her to Eirik's side once more. He grimaced at the bit of blood on the side of her mouth, but he didn't make any move to remove it. He didn't want Bayles saying anything. "Done."

"Good. Now then…" Bayles smirked, folding his arms. "We're losing time. The underground passage is our best bet. We'll be there before dawn."

Isolde and Eirik exchanged glances as they were forcefully shoved out of his quarters and down a secret corridor that even Eirik didn't know existed. All they knew now was that they were in trouble, and no one likely had any idea about this situation.

Or so they thought…

To be continued…

Next Chapter: Split Decision