The room Raven had given the group was cluttered with suitcases, cloaks, and weapons. The morning sun stread through the angled windows, casting golden beams across the wooden floor, illuminating dust motes dancing in the air. The sll of leather and blade oil perated the room, mingled with the rhythmic sound of Kael folding clothes and adjusting buckles.
He knelt next to the bed, going through his travel bag for the third ti. His discipline bordered on the military—every item had its proper place, from the spare change of clothes to the dicinal herbs stored in small bags. His sword rested against the wall, polished and ready.
Behind him, Sylphie watched silently, sitting on the edge of the bed, her legs dangling. Alia, anwhile, leaned against the doorfra, arms crossed, her expression disinterested but attentive. Irelia, impatient as ever, sharpened her short sword with brisk movents, the air clinking with each scrape of the stone against the blade.
Kael broke the silence first.
"During this trip… I want you to maintain discretion." He closed his backpack with a click of the buckle and raised his amber gaze to them. "No titles. No royal blood. No glorious stories."
Irelia snorted, tilting the blade and assessing the cut. "You sound like we're going around announcing who we are."
Kael arched an eyebrow. "You almost shouted 'Ainsworth' when you argued with Sazhara last week."
She blushed slightly and turned her face away, feigning concentration on her sword. "That was… different. She provoked ."
Alia gave a short laugh. "He's right, Irelia. You lose your temper too easily."
"Shut up, Alia," she snapped irritably.
Sylphie sighed and raised her hands, trying to calm the mood. "What he ans is that we need to be careful. I know it's hard for you, Irelia, but… I need to hold back too." Her violet eyes flashed for a mont. "If anyone realizes I'm from the elven royal family, not only us, but the princess we're escorting will be in danger."
Kael nodded. "Exactly. We can't give any breaks."
Alia uncrossed her arms, her shoulders relaxing. "In my case, I see no reason to hide anything." Her voice was natural, without pride or resentnt. "My family is involved in the managent of the Empire, but… no one knows my na. Not even the nobles. To them, I'm just… Alia."
She smiled slightly, as if she didn't care.
Kael stared at her in silence for a few seconds before answering. "It's not about being famous or not. It's about what the na carries." You may think it ans nothing, but to the right people, any connection to the Empire can be used against you. Or against us.
Alia opened her mouth to retort, but closed it imdiately. The seriousness in Kael's tone left no room for irony. She sighed, defeated. "Okay, okay. No nas. Just Alia."
Kael went back to organizing so smaller knives inside his belt. anwhile, his voice sounded lower, but firm:
"Besides… I'm pretty sure this princess isn't from the Empire."
The three of them stared at him imdiately.
Irelia frowned. "What makes you think that?"
Kael adjusted the buckle on his sword before answering. "Raven didn't speak directly, but she hesitated for a mont when I asked. And the tribunal would hardly ask for help… for us." He emphasized the last words. "If it were an Imperial matter, they'd have their own troops. It smacks of politics between neighboring nations." Sylphie tilted her head thoughtfully. "So maybe it's soone from Thalandor? Or Varenn?"
"Possible," Kael replied. "But it doesn't matter where it cos from. What matters is that any slip-up on our part could cost us the mission. And I don't intend to fail."
Silence reigned again for a few monts. The sound of Irelia's sharpener and the rustle of Kael's cloak were the only sounds in the room.
It was Sylphie who broke the pause.
"We understand... that we need to hide who we are." Her violet eyes fixed on Kael seriously. "But... what about you?"
Kael stopped fiddling with his backpack. His body stiffened for a second. He didn't look up imdiately, just continued adjusting a leather strap as if the question hadn't affected him.
Alia arched an eyebrow curiously. Irelia also looked up, intrigued.
"What about ?" he asked finally, his voice neutral.
Sylphie didn't look away. "Who are you going to introduce yourself as?"
The silence that followed felt heavy. Kael sighed deeply, leaning back on the edge of the bed. His amber eyes glowed in the dim light.
"I'll always be just Kael. No last na."
Irelia frowned. "That's it?"
He nodded slowly. "That's it."
Alia leaned forward, curiosity evident on her face. "Are you afraid of revealing sothing?"
For a mont, Kael's gaze darkened. He closed his eyes, taking a deep breath, before speaking firmly:
"Revealing that I am the prince of witches would be the worst thing that could happen."
The words fell like a blade in the room.
Sylphie held her breath. Irelia froze mid-motion of passing the stone over the blade. Alia opened her eyes in surprise, but remained silent.
Kael opened his eyes again, his seriousness almost suffocating. "If this cos to light, the mission is over. The trust is gone. We beco enemies before we even take the first step."
There was weight in those words. A weight that was not just political, but personal.
Irelia finally broke the silence, her voice thick with disbelief. "You speak of this as if... as if I were a monster."
Kael looked away to the window, where golden sunlight stread through the curtains. "Am I not?"
The three of them stared at him, but none of them dared to respond.
He continued, more quietly, almost whispering:
"The blood that runs through is the sa that devastated entire kingdoms. The sa that raised curses that even centuries could not erase." His amber eyes reflected the light, hard as steel. "If anyone finds out about this... it doesn't matter who we are. We will be hunted."
Alia, for the first ti, seed speechless. Sylphie lowered her gaze, her fingers clasped nervously. Irelia, however, gripped her sword tightly, as if disagreeing with reality itself.
"So..." Kael closed his backpack and stood imposingly. "Outside, I am not a prince, I am not heir to anything." I'm just Kael. The swordsman traveling with you. Nothing more.
He turned to reach for the cloak hanging on the chair.
Sylphie took a deep breath and lifted her head, her voice soft but firm. "Just Kael, then."
Kael paused for a mont. He didn't look at her, but the corner of his mouth curved into a tired smile. "Just Kael."
Irelia snorted, but there was sothing relieved in her tone. "For the best. I'd have enough trouble getting used to calling you 'Your Highness.'"
Alia laughed softly. " too."
The atmosphere, for a few seconds, seed lighter. But the tension beneath remained—like a shadow that refused to go away.
Kael threw the cloak over his shoulders and adjusted the tal clasp that held it. He turned to the three of them, now with the leadership posture he rarely assud.
"We'll leave at dawn." Three days until the eting. I want you ready. Sharp weapons, light provisions. And, most importantly…" His gaze swept over each of them, serious. "Discretion."
Sylphie nodded decisively. Irelia rolled her eyes but didn't object. Alia shrugged, but her smile said she agreed.
Kael blew out the candle on the table. The room was plunged into shadows, except for the morning light growing through the window.
The mission began even before the princess appeared.
…
Kael pulled on his backpack and slung it over his shoulder, descending the wooden steps that creaked under the weight of his boots. The sll of fresh bread and spices filled the downstairs, mingled with the aroma of cheap wine that perated Raven's tavern.
The room was still quiet—too early for the usual patrons. Only Raven was there, behind the counter, wiping a mug with the worn cloth that seed inseparable from her.
She looked up when she noticed Kael. A wry smile, laced with irony, played across her lips.
"Already awake and ready?" she said, her voice low but firm. "You take this mission thing too seriously."
Kael pulled out a chair and sat facing the counter, resting his elbows on the wood. "And you take it too little."
Raven let out a short laugh, tossing her mug onto the counter with a thud. "If I didn't take anything seriously, you and the girls wouldn't have a room, a temporary job, and certainly not this mission."
Kael tilted his head slightly. "Speaking of which…" His amber eyes narrowed. "I need to know. Is this mission just what you said? Or is there sothing hidden that I should be worried about?"
Raven crossed her arms, leaning against the counter, and regarded him with that shrewd way that seed to peel away layers of a person. "You're always suspicious, aren't you?"
"It usually keeps alive." — Kael's answer ca dryly, without hesitation.
Raven was silent for a few monts, her eyes assessing him. Then she sighed, running a hand through her red hair, tied in a ssy bun.
"The mission is simple." She spoke slowly, as if testing every word. "You're escorting a princess. Nothing more, nothing less."
"'Simple'?" Kael raised his eyebrow. "There's nothing simple when it cos to royal blood."
Raven gave a thin, almost amused smile. "That's why I'm sending you."
Kael didn't answer right away. His fingers drumd thoughtfully on the counter. "This princess... is from outside the Empire, isn't she?"
Raven neither denied nor confird. She simply leaned forward, resting her chin on her hand. "Let's just say she's not soone who can show up here without causing rumors."
Kael took a deep breath. Exactly as he'd imagined.
"Then I can't rest easy," he concluded.
Raven chuckled softly. "With you, I don't imagine I ever will."
He looked at her seriously. "I want to know if there's anything that needs extra attention. Sworn enemies? Factions involved? Traitors within the entourage?"
For a mont, Raven's gaze grew more serious. "I don't know everything. But I know she carries more than the title of princess." Her voice dropped to a grave tone. "And that you're not the only ones interested in this trip."
Kael kept his gaze fixed on her, analyzing every word, every pause. Then he nodded slowly. "Then it's exactly as I thought."
"What did you think?" Raven arched an eyebrow.
"That it won't just be an escort. It'll be a ga of masquerade." He unfolded his arms and rested his hand on the table. "And gas like that always cost a lot."
Raven smiled, satisfied, as if he'd just proven sothing she already knew. "And yet you're going to accept."
Kael didn't say anything for a few seconds. He just exhaled slowly, before leaning back in his chair. "I have no choice. I'm already in."
Raven watched him carefully, as if searching for so crack in the man who always seed unshakable. "Then do what you do best, Kael. Keep everyone alive. And don't let them see beyond what you show."
Kael narrowed his eyes, but a faint smile curved his lips. "Always just Kael, isn't it?"
"Always just Kael," Raven repeated, a hint of irony in her voice. "That's how you survive."
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