Risha turned her eyes away from the ghastly sight and looked instead at Merees. The Princess' face had turned a pale hue and she was shaking, her claws digging into her forearms. From the corner of her eyes, tears streamed down her cheeks.
The Lynx-girl began to cry as well. Not for the King, whom she had barely known, but out of empathy for her friend.
"How did this happen?" Risha heard her mother ask of their father.
"I don't know", came Jeraddin's answer as he sadly shook his head.
I do, she thought and glanced at the cake, which stood there, abandoned. What I don't understand is how.
She was not the only one looking at Bureno's masterpiece, Leorin was also staring at it, eyes wide-open as did Keron, who studied the cake with an inquisitive look in his eyes.
Suddenly, the sound of a door opening could be heard in the distance. It was followed by a voice, which caused Merees, who had thrown herself at the floor, weeping over her father's body, to look up.
"What's happening here?" The voice asked.
"Its the Crown Princess" someone said.
"Its terrible Your Highness", another voice said. "Look for yourself."
The Guests stepped out of the way, allowing Argath a view of the remains of her father and brother.
"Who", she asked, after a moment of silence, the righteous anger in her voice, causing a few of the guests to involuntarily shudder. "Is responsible for this horrible, horrible crime?"
You are, Your Highness, Risha thought bitterly and bit her tongue, to prevent herself from uttering these damning words.
Behind a veil of tears, Merees stared at her sister with a look of unbridled hatred. Yet, she too, kept silent.
"It must have been the cake, dear sister" said Keron in a dry voice. "I see no other explanation."
"How is that possible, your Highness?" Jeraddin asked. "Many of the guests ate of the cake and none of them have died."
"Yes, that is strange", Keron agreed, nodding his head.
Argath turned towards her half-brother.
"You don't seem very upset over the death of our sire, nor that of our sibling, oldest brother" she remarked.
Keron shrugged.
"Everyone shows their grief in different ways", he said. "You should know by now that open displays of emotion has never been my thing. Besides, I doubt that many here are weeping over the fate of poor Thekros."
"You are probably right on that account", the Princess muttered and then turned her attention to the kitchen staff, which stood huddled in a corner.
"Arrest them", she ordered the guards.
"Wait!" One member of the kitchen-staff, a meerkat with a droopy eye, called out.
"What is it?" Argath demanded to know.
The meerkat threw himself at her feet.
"Your Highness", he began. "Me and my colleagues are innocent of any wrongdoings. Master Bureno gave strict orders that we were only supposed to fetch some of the ingredients, not assist him in the actual creation of the cake."
"Is this true?" Argath asked Bureno.
The head of the kitchen sweating profusely, with an unsteady hand, he wiped a bead of sweat from his forehead.
"Its true, your highness", he admitted, "but I swear that I would never harm His Majesty, or any member of the Royal Family. I have no idea how this happened."
"Well, since you're so sure of your innocence, you won't mind if the guards search your quarters. Just to be on the safe side."
"Of course not", Bureno answered, he was feeling a bit calmer now. After all, these accusations against him were ridiculous. A search of his quarters, would prove that beyond the shadow of doubt.
"Good", Argath said and nodded to the captain of the guard. The Captain saluted her and ordered two of his men to come with him. The the three of them marched out of the dining hall, with Bureno in tow.
Argath then ordered the bodies to be put on ice somewhere. Once that was done, she turned to the assembled guests:
"This", she began in a hoarse voice, raising her arms dramatically. "Is truly a day which will live in infamy. Not only have my siblings and I lost both our father and our brother, but worse, our nation has lost its ruler."
You are, Your Highness, Risha thought bitterly and bit her tongue, to prevent herself from uttering these damning words.
Behind a veil of tears, Merees stared at her sister with a look of unbridled hatred. Yet, she too, kept silent.
"It must have been the cake, dear sister" said Keron in a dry voice. "I see no other explanation."
"How is that possible, your Highness?" Jeraddin asked. "Many of the guests ate of the cake and none of them have died."
"Yes, that is strange", Keron agreed, nodding his head.
Argath turned towards her half-brother.
"You don't seem very upset over the death of our sire, nor that of our sibling, oldest brother" she remarked.
Keron shrugged.
"Everyone shows their grief in different ways", he said. "You should know by now that open displays of emotion has never been my thing. Besides, I doubt that many here are weeping over the fate of poor Thekros."
"You are probably right on that account", the Princess muttered and then turned her attention to the kitchen staff, which stood huddled in a corner.
"Arrest them", she ordered the guards.
"Wait!" One member of the kitchen-staff, a meerkat with a droopy eye, called out.
"What is it?" Argath demanded to know.
The meerkat threw himself at her feet.
"Your Highness", he began. "Me and my colleagues are innocent of any wrongdoings. Master Bureno gave strict orders that we were only supposed to fetch some of the ingredients, not assist him in the actual creation of the cake."
"Is this true?" Argath asked Bureno.
The head of the kitchen sweating profusely, with an unsteady hand, he wiped a bead of sweat from his forehead.
"Its true, your highness", he admitted, "but I swear that I would never harm His Majesty, or any member of the Royal Family. I have no idea how this happened."
"Well, since you're so sure of your innocence, you won't mind if the guards search your quarters. Just to be on the safe side."
"Of course not", Bureno answered, he was feeling a bit calmer now. After all, these accusations against him were ridiculous. A search of his quarters, would prove that beyond the shadow of doubt.
"Good", Argath said and nodded to the captain of the guard. The Captain saluted her and ordered two of his men to come with him. The the three of them marched out of the dining hall, with Bureno in tow.
Argath then ordered the bodies to be put on ice somewhere. Once that was done, she turned to the assembled guests:
"This", she began in a hoarse voice, raising her arms dramatically. "Is truly a day which will live in infamy. Not only have my siblings and I lost both our father and our brother, but worse, our nation has lost its ruler."
She paused, to wipe away something in the corner of her eye.
"However", she continued, "I promise you that the ones responsible for this heinous crime will not get away with their foul deed. They may think themselves safe, but mark my words, the eyes of justice are upon them. There is no place where they will be able to hide!"
Argath's speech was met with a resounding cheer from the crowd, as well as cries of "we're with you, Your Highness!" "Death to all traitors!" and other utterances in the same vein.
Standing next to her husband, Nasari watched all this with a sinking feeling in her stomach. The crowd's anger and sorrow were understandable. After all, the loss that their nation had suffered was a severe one. Still, the sheer hatred which seemed to fill the room, a hatred whose flames were being fanned by the late Monarch's daughter, made the female cat feel ill at ease and she couldn't wonder what manner of future Vinoli and its citizens would face. Somehow, she doubted that it would be a bright one.
*****
Later, having retired to his quarters, Keron sat in his study, pondering the events of the evening. After her speech, Argath had thanked the guests, telling them that their support was appreciated. However, she had also given orders that no-one was to leave the palace grounds, until more light was shed on this affair. Some of the guests, insulted that their fealty would be questioned, had raised their voices in protest, but the protests had been half-hearted. Others were still in chock, or co-operated, being secure in their innocence. The guests were currently housed in one of the palace's wings and to ensure that no-one would try to leave, guards had been posted in the corridors as well as the garden. As he went over all of this in his head, Keron became more and more certain that the whole thing was awfully suspicious.
There was no doubt in the prince's mind that Bureno's cake was what had killed his father and half-brother. So far, so good. What puzzled him was the fact that others had eaten of the cake as well, including general Jeraddin, his wife and the Barsovian ambassador and none of them had perished. The only explanation would be a poison that only affected dragons, though Keron could not recall having heard of such a thing.
His thoughts were interrupted by the approach of his servant, Kashmir.
"What is it?" Keron asked.
"Beg pardon, Your Highness", the ram answered, "but Princess Merees wishes to speak to you."
"Oh?" Keron said. "Show her in, then you may retire for the night. You look as if you could use some rest."
Kashmir went out and a moment returned, with Merees following behind him. Keron looked at his sister, her face was pale and her eyes red.
She's been crying, Keron thought. Not that I blame her. She's the youngest and must have taken this harder than any of us.
"What can I do for you, sister?" He asked and motioned to an armchair, reserved for any guests.
Merees did not answer immediately. Instead she took out a handkerchief, turned around and blew her nose audibly. She then turned around and looked at her brother.
"I really need to speak to you, Keron" she said. "It has to do with.." she paused and swallowed.
"...Our father's death."
"Oh?" Keron leaned forward, gripping the armrests of his chair. "Do you know something?"
Merees nodded, her face was grave.
"Yes", she said. "I know who killed him."
Among King Sharan's children, Keron was the one who tended to be the most stoic and levelheaded. As such he listened intently to his sister's narrative of the events and the only sign that could be used to gauge his reaction to these news, was that his right eye twitched slightly.
"That's all of it, brother", Merees said when she was finished. "I know it sounds fantastic, but its the truth."
Keron made a roof with his fingers and looked at his sister.
"You know, Merees", he began. "If I were more cynical person, I'd perhaps think that you were the behind this regicide and that by telling me, you'd hope to avoid being suspected.
Fortunately", he continued, before Merees could begin to protest. "I said 'if I were a more cynical person'. I've known you since you were born, I saw the tears you shed at the dining hall and if those tears weren't real, than you're a much greater actor than I've ever given you credit for."
"So, you believe me?"
"I do. Still, it doesn't change the fact that your story, as you yourself said, sounds fantastic. Why would Argath want to kill any of us? Well, Thekros, I can understand, from a certain point of view: The two of them never saw eye to eye and Thekros always envied our sister's place as our father's favorite and would have done anything to see her fall. But father? He had already made Argath his successor. All she had to do was wait and eventually the throne would be hers. Why would she kill him?"
There was no doubt in the prince's mind that Bureno's cake was what had killed his father and half-brother. So far, so good. What puzzled him was the fact that others had eaten of the cake as well, including general Jeraddin, his wife and the Barsovian ambassador and none of them had perished. The only explanation would be a poison that only affected dragons, though Keron could not recall having heard of such a thing.
His thoughts were interrupted by the approach of his servant, Kashmir.
"What is it?" Keron asked.
"Beg pardon, Your Highness", the ram answered, "but Princess Merees wishes to speak to you."
"Oh?" Keron said. "Show her in, then you may retire for the night. You look as if you could use some rest."
Kashmir went out and a moment returned, with Merees following behind him. Keron looked at his sister, her face was pale and her eyes red.
She's been crying, Keron thought. Not that I blame her. She's the youngest and must have taken this harder than any of us.
"What can I do for you, sister?" He asked and motioned to an armchair, reserved for any guests.
Merees did not answer immediately. Instead she took out a handkerchief, turned around and blew her nose audibly. She then turned around and looked at her brother.
"I really need to speak to you, Keron" she said. "It has to do with.." she paused and swallowed.
"...Our father's death."
"Oh?" Keron leaned forward, gripping the armrests of his chair. "Do you know something?"
Merees nodded, her face was grave.
"Yes", she said. "I know who killed him."
Among King Sharan's children, Keron was the one who tended to be the most stoic and levelheaded. As such he listened intently to his sister's narrative of the events and the only sign that could be used to gauge his reaction to these news, was that his right eye twitched slightly.
"That's all of it, brother", Merees said when she was finished. "I know it sounds fantastic, but its the truth."
Keron made a roof with his fingers and looked at his sister.
"You know, Merees", he began. "If I were more cynical person, I'd perhaps think that you were the behind this regicide and that by telling me, you'd hope to avoid being suspected.
Fortunately", he continued, before Merees could begin to protest. "I said 'if I were a more cynical person'. I've known you since you were born, I saw the tears you shed at the dining hall and if those tears weren't real, than you're a much greater actor than I've ever given you credit for."
"So, you believe me?"
"I do. Still, it doesn't change the fact that your story, as you yourself said, sounds fantastic. Why would Argath want to kill any of us? Well, Thekros, I can understand, from a certain point of view: The two of them never saw eye to eye and Thekros always envied our sister's place as our father's favorite and would have done anything to see her fall. But father? He had already made Argath his successor. All she had to do was wait and eventually the throne would be hers. Why would she kill him?"
"Perhaps she grew impatient? Or perhaps, she didn't do it for the throne?"
Keron stared at his sister.
"Of course" he said. "How come I didn't think of him immediately?"
"Who are you talking about?"
"A person from the distant past. A member of our family who died, long before you were born. His name was Argeron. He was Argath's brother. Observe that I said brother, not half-brother, as I am to you."
If she had suddenly been struck by lightning, Merees could not have looked more stunned. For a moment, all she could do was stare at Keron, while being shamelessly aware that her jaw had somehow ended up in her lap.
"You...you mean they had the same mother?" She asked, once she had regained her composure.
"Exactly."
Merees' mind was spinning. She was aware of her kind's ancient story, that back in the early days of the World's history, the ancient dragons, noticing that their numbers were dwindling, had used magic to alter themselves, so that they could mate with the other races. The dragons currently inhabiting the World, including Vinoli's royal family, were all descended from these hybrids.
The magic the ancient dragons had used, magic which was imprinted in the very genes of their descendants, made sure that the fetus would invariably turn out to be a dragon, regardless of what species the other parent belonged to. Said spell had also been powerful enough to make sure that members of all sentient species could reproduce with one another.
However, it was exceedingly rare for a dragon, male or female, to have more than one child with the same spouse. Though no-one had been able to discern the reason for this, multiple theories abound, one being that an unfortunate side-effect of the magic rendered the mother incapable of carrying more children. The only other example of a pair of dragon siblings having both the same mother and father, happened long before any of the ones we've met in this tale, had even been born.
"Shall I go on?" Keron asked.
Merees nodded, still trying to take this in.
"Please do", she said.
"Very well, in order for you to fully understand this story we must start with the beginning, with the arrival of Sawari."
"Sawari? Who is that?"
If she had suddenly been struck by lightning, Merees could not have looked more stunned. For a moment, all she could do was stare at Keron, while being shamelessly aware that her jaw had somehow ended up in her lap.
"You...you mean they had the same mother?" She asked, once she had regained her composure.
"Exactly."
Merees' mind was spinning. She was aware of her kind's ancient story, that back in the early days of the World's history, the ancient dragons, noticing that their numbers were dwindling, had used magic to alter themselves, so that they could mate with the other races. The dragons currently inhabiting the World, including Vinoli's royal family, were all descended from these hybrids.
The magic the ancient dragons had used, magic which was imprinted in the very genes of their descendants, made sure that the fetus would invariably turn out to be a dragon, regardless of what species the other parent belonged to. Said spell had also been powerful enough to make sure that members of all sentient species could reproduce with one another.
However, it was exceedingly rare for a dragon, male or female, to have more than one child with the same spouse. Though no-one had been able to discern the reason for this, multiple theories abound, one being that an unfortunate side-effect of the magic rendered the mother incapable of carrying more children. The only other example of a pair of dragon siblings having both the same mother and father, happened long before any of the ones we've met in this tale, had even been born.
"Shall I go on?" Keron asked.
Merees nodded, still trying to take this in.
"Please do", she said.
"Very well, in order for you to fully understand this story we must start with the beginning, with the arrival of Sawari."
"Sawari? Who is that?"
"A young woman, a gazelle who came to Vinoli from a distant land. She gained an audience with the King and immediately charmed him, as well as the rest of us, with her beauty and her warm personality. Eventually, the two of them were married with great celebration and a year afterwards, the new Queen gave birth to a son, who was given the name Argeron.
Years went by and as the new Prince grew up, it soon became obvious to everyone that he had inherited the best qualities of both his parents, it therefore did not come as a surprise, when an announcement was made that he would inherit the throne one day."
"I see, so what happened?"
"I'll get to that in a moment. First, I should mention that Sawari did not age like other members of her race, leading some to suspect that she was either a sorceress who had found a way to slow down her aging process by magic, or was not a gazelle at all, but had merely assumed the guise of one. Anyway, when her son had reached his eightieth birthday, she got pregnant with her second child. Unfortunately, she must not have been a strong as she seemed, there were complications during the birth and though the child was saved, the mother was not. I was not present at the time, but I was told that Sawari whispered the name of her daughter, before she passed away."
"Argath" Merees said, in a small voice.
"Precisely. Anyway, following the death of his favorite wife, our father fell into a heavy depression and for some time, he could barely look at his new daughter. As such, Argeron took it upon himself to serve as his sister's protector and guardian. This lead to a deep bond developing between the two siblings over the years. However, soon an ugly rumor began to surface: A rumor that the relationship between them was too close."
"Sibling revelry?" Merees said, staring incredulously at Keron. "But Argath..."
"Does not like men" her brother finished. "None of us knew that at the time though. I don't think Argath herself knew and besides, if there ever was a man who would be the exception to her rule, Argeron would probably be it; she practically worshiped the ground he walked on. In any case, it didn't take long for the rumors to reach the King."
"What did our father do?" Merees asked. "He didn't..." She gasped, putting one hand over her mouth.
"No. Normally, such a relationship would be punished, especially if one half of it happened to be a minor, as Argath, by our measurements, was at the time. However, since there were no concrete proof, father decided that the siblings should spend some time apart, until the rumors either died down or the truth of the matter revealed itself. Thus, Argeron was sent on a diplomatic voyage to the lands on the other side of the Great Ocean. Sadly, he never arrived at his destination, his ship was attacked..."
"By pirates?"
"Worse, by a kraken; a member of an ancient race of monsters who sleeps at the deepest parts of the ocean floor and rarely awakens. By a miracle, one member of the crew was able to survive the massacre, he was picked up by a merchant-ship and taken back to Vinoli, where he told us about what happened. I remember that when she heard of her brother's death, Argath was inconsolable. She locked herself in her quarters and didn't come out until the funeral."
"The rumor, who spread it?"
"We never found out. Though personally, I suspect Thekros had something to do with it. He was always jealous of his younger half-brother's popularity and the fact that Argeron had been chosen to inherit the crown, instead of him."
"During the funeral, did Argath act in a way that seemed, well, strange to you?"
"Come to think of it, she acted very composed and dignified during the ceremony. All of us excepted her to be overcome with grief; tearing her clothes and throwing herself on the ground,but no such thing happened. I suppose she did all that during her isolation. I do remember her telling our father that she did not blame him for what had happened."
"Except she clearly did."
"Yes, to her, we were all responsible for her brother's death; Thekros for likely having spread the rumor, the king for sending Argenon away and myself, for not speaking up in his defense. As for you..."
"I had to die too, just in case."
As she sat there, a terrible thought began to grow in Merees' mind. She remembered the times when Argath had shown her kindness. Had those moments, which she up until now had cherished, merely been a way for her half-sister to ease her guilt over what was to come?
At that point, Merees felt that if Argath had been present in the room, she would have killed her, even if it would have meant the loss of her own life. Never before had the princess felt such hatred against another living being and it was not just Argath's murder of her father, which had given birth to this feeling. No, it was Argath's betrayal of her, the fact that all the smiles and kind words had been nothing but lies. Merees dug her claws into her palms, until blood trickled out, as she breathed, smoke emitted from her nostrils. Keron watched his sister and after a moment of hesitation, reached out and grabbed her hand.
"How are you doing?" He asked.
Merees did not answer immediately. Instead, she shut her eyes and let out a deep sigh.
"To be honest; not well, not well at all."
"I understand. Let me ask you a question, what do you plan to do now?"
The princess opened her eyes and stared at the palm of her hands.
"What can I do? I had hoped to thwart Argath before her plan could be carried out, but you saw how well that went."
"What about killing her? Surely, the thought must have crossed your mind.
"I did tell Risha that I would do that, if necessary, but now, I'm not sure if I could go through with it. Until today, I had never seen someone die before, I don't think I want to be responsible for that happening again, even if the person deserves it. Does that make me weak, Keron?"
"Precisely. Anyway, following the death of his favorite wife, our father fell into a heavy depression and for some time, he could barely look at his new daughter. As such, Argeron took it upon himself to serve as his sister's protector and guardian. This lead to a deep bond developing between the two siblings over the years. However, soon an ugly rumor began to surface: A rumor that the relationship between them was too close."
"Sibling revelry?" Merees said, staring incredulously at Keron. "But Argath..."
"Does not like men" her brother finished. "None of us knew that at the time though. I don't think Argath herself knew and besides, if there ever was a man who would be the exception to her rule, Argeron would probably be it; she practically worshiped the ground he walked on. In any case, it didn't take long for the rumors to reach the King."
"What did our father do?" Merees asked. "He didn't..." She gasped, putting one hand over her mouth.
"No. Normally, such a relationship would be punished, especially if one half of it happened to be a minor, as Argath, by our measurements, was at the time. However, since there were no concrete proof, father decided that the siblings should spend some time apart, until the rumors either died down or the truth of the matter revealed itself. Thus, Argeron was sent on a diplomatic voyage to the lands on the other side of the Great Ocean. Sadly, he never arrived at his destination, his ship was attacked..."
"By pirates?"
"Worse, by a kraken; a member of an ancient race of monsters who sleeps at the deepest parts of the ocean floor and rarely awakens. By a miracle, one member of the crew was able to survive the massacre, he was picked up by a merchant-ship and taken back to Vinoli, where he told us about what happened. I remember that when she heard of her brother's death, Argath was inconsolable. She locked herself in her quarters and didn't come out until the funeral."
"The rumor, who spread it?"
"We never found out. Though personally, I suspect Thekros had something to do with it. He was always jealous of his younger half-brother's popularity and the fact that Argeron had been chosen to inherit the crown, instead of him."
"During the funeral, did Argath act in a way that seemed, well, strange to you?"
"Come to think of it, she acted very composed and dignified during the ceremony. All of us excepted her to be overcome with grief; tearing her clothes and throwing herself on the ground,but no such thing happened. I suppose she did all that during her isolation. I do remember her telling our father that she did not blame him for what had happened."
"Except she clearly did."
"Yes, to her, we were all responsible for her brother's death; Thekros for likely having spread the rumor, the king for sending Argenon away and myself, for not speaking up in his defense. As for you..."
"I had to die too, just in case."
As she sat there, a terrible thought began to grow in Merees' mind. She remembered the times when Argath had shown her kindness. Had those moments, which she up until now had cherished, merely been a way for her half-sister to ease her guilt over what was to come?
At that point, Merees felt that if Argath had been present in the room, she would have killed her, even if it would have meant the loss of her own life. Never before had the princess felt such hatred against another living being and it was not just Argath's murder of her father, which had given birth to this feeling. No, it was Argath's betrayal of her, the fact that all the smiles and kind words had been nothing but lies. Merees dug her claws into her palms, until blood trickled out, as she breathed, smoke emitted from her nostrils. Keron watched his sister and after a moment of hesitation, reached out and grabbed her hand.
"How are you doing?" He asked.
Merees did not answer immediately. Instead, she shut her eyes and let out a deep sigh.
"To be honest; not well, not well at all."
"I understand. Let me ask you a question, what do you plan to do now?"
The princess opened her eyes and stared at the palm of her hands.
"What can I do? I had hoped to thwart Argath before her plan could be carried out, but you saw how well that went."
"What about killing her? Surely, the thought must have crossed your mind.
"I did tell Risha that I would do that, if necessary, but now, I'm not sure if I could go through with it. Until today, I had never seen someone die before, I don't think I want to be responsible for that happening again, even if the person deserves it. Does that make me weak, Keron?"
Keron shook his head.
"On the contrary, I'd say it does you a credit. However, there's another reason for why killing Argath is not an action I'd recommend at this point."
Merees thought for a moment and than, it hit her.
"People would think I was behind the other deaths as well, wouldn't they?"
"Precisely and could you blame them? First, the King and the younger of his remaining sons die, with a trusted servant being implicated in the murder. Soon after, the king's favored child and presumed heir meets the same fate. Who's left? A sickly cripple with no designs on the throne and a younger daughter, one who perhaps felt overshadowed by her sister, to the point that her jealousy would lead her to commit murder? I'm afraid that no matter what, you'd be branded a regicide and kin slayer, with the people rising up against you."
"So, then, what are my options? Should I just run away?"
"Exactly. Flee to some place far from Vinoli, forge alliances with the people who live there and bide your time."
Merees nodded to herself. What her brother said made sense and then, something occurred to her.
"Aren't you coming with me, Keron?"
"I'm sorry, but no, I'm not."
"I don't understand. Why not? After all, your life is in danger too."
"That's true, but you see, it doesn't matter..."
"How can it not matter?" Merees asked, shaking her head in bafflement. "Its your life, how can you talk about it carelessly?"
Keron sighed.
"I'm afraid it doesn't matter, because..." He paused, searching for the right words, words which would make the news easier to swallow, but for once, all of Keron's learning failed him. He let out an exasperated sigh and lowered his head.
"...Because I'm dying", he finished the sentence.
For the third time that day, Merees felt as if someone had punched her in the gut, repeatedly, while wearing brass knuckles. Once again, the tears were welling up and she found herself powerless to prevent their flow. She bent down her head so that her brother wouldn't see her cry.
"When", she asked, her voice thick. "Were you going to tell us?"
Keron did not answer, choosing instead to focus his eyes on the spines of the books in a nearby bookcase. However, his silence said more to Merees than words ever could.
"You bastard", she said, spitting out the words through gritted teeth. "You..."
Overcome by her emotions, the younger dragon stood up, looking for something to break, but couldn't find anything. Instead, she let out a loud roar and then collapsed on her knees in front of Keron, grabbing his collar and staining his shirt with her tears.
"Forgive me, sister", Keron said, "but I have never been very good at saying goodbye."
Merees' mumbled something, which made Keron's ear perk up.
"I'm sorry, what did you say?"
Merees raised her head and looked at her brother.
"What", she asked quietly, "is killing you?"
"I won't bore you with the details. Rest assured though, its nothing contagious. My body has simply decided to give up, that is all."
"How can you talk about your own death so calmly?" Merees asked. "Aren't you afraid?"
"Well, when I first learned that my time was almost up, I sank into the blackest despair. Soon, the despair was replaced with rage; I cursed my frail body, which had put me in this situation. After that came the denial part of the process. 'No', I said to myself, 'I won't die, not like this', but even as I repeated these words to myself, I realized deep down, that they were nothing but lies. Then, I had an epiphany: I realized that I came from a race that's incredibly long lived. My own father had celebrated his three-hundredth birthday and unless something unforeseen occurred, would most likely live another two centuries, maybe more. I myself, have lived well past my two-hundredth birthday, which is far more than any of our subjects get. Furthermore, my life, up until now, has not been wasted; have I not written several books, all of which will survive long after I'm gone? Finally, I would die in my own home in relative comfort, not on a blood-stained battlefield, or in the darkness of the ocean, like my poor brother. When I took all of those things in account, I realized that I didn't have much to complain about."
Merees was about to answer her brother, when Kashmir appeared in the door.
"What is it?" Keron asked. "I thought you had gone to bed?"
"I heard a scream, Your Highness", the servant replied. "Is everything well?"
"Yes, thank you. However, since you are up, would you be so kind as to fetch the package that sits in the nightstand?"
"At once, your highness."
"What's in the package?" Merees asked when Kashmir had left.
"Its your birthday present, I would've given it to you at the day in question, but under these circumstances..."
"Oh."
Merees suddenly remembered that her birthday was a mere three weeks away. She remembered how she had planned out the whole thing, who she should invite and what theme the party should have, etc. How pointless all of that seemed right now.
At that moment, Kashmir returned, carrying a small package tied with a green ribbon. After having handed it to Keron, he excused himself and went back to bed.
"Happy birthday", Keron said, giving the package to his sister.
"Thank you."
Merees looked at the package and a lump formed in her throat. This is the last birthday present I'm going to get from my brother, she thought, or any member of my own family for that matter. And, I'm never again going to give anything to them either. Those happy days are gone, forever.
"Well?" Keron asked. "Are you not going to open it?"
"Of course, just give me a moment."
With unsteady hands, Merees' untied the ribbon and unwrapped the package to get to its content. Despite all her sorrows, she could not help but let out a gasp of delight as she laid eyes upon her gift: A necklace with a blue gemstone, shaped like a raindrop.
"Keron, its beautiful, thank you." Then, Merees realized something. "I'm sorry", she said. "I don't have anything to give you."
"Don't be ridiculous, my birthday's already come and gone, or did you forget that? Now, why don't you put the necklace on? I'd like to see you wear it at least once."
Merees stood up and put the necklace around her neck.
"It looks fantastic on you", Keron said, leaning forward in his wheelchair and craning his head, to get a better look. "Now, much as it pains me to say this, I don't think its wise for you to stay here any longer. In other words, the time has come for us to bid each other farewell."
The Princess had no wish to say goodbye, yet she knew that Keron was right. She knelt down in front of her half-brother and the two of them embraced each other.
"Farewell, little sister", Keron said. "When I meet our father and brother, is there anything you wish me to tell them?"
"Tell our father that I loved him", Merees answered as she clutched the gemstone. "Tell him and Thekros who their murderer was and that I shall find a way to bring her to justice, no matter how long it takes."
Keron nodded.
"I shall when I see them again, you have my word."
Merees took one last look at the only family member she had left (well, the only one she cared to acknowledge) and left Keron's quarters. She was not going to leave the palace alone, though; there were two persons who had to come with her.
"On the contrary, I'd say it does you a credit. However, there's another reason for why killing Argath is not an action I'd recommend at this point."
Merees thought for a moment and than, it hit her.
"People would think I was behind the other deaths as well, wouldn't they?"
"Precisely and could you blame them? First, the King and the younger of his remaining sons die, with a trusted servant being implicated in the murder. Soon after, the king's favored child and presumed heir meets the same fate. Who's left? A sickly cripple with no designs on the throne and a younger daughter, one who perhaps felt overshadowed by her sister, to the point that her jealousy would lead her to commit murder? I'm afraid that no matter what, you'd be branded a regicide and kin slayer, with the people rising up against you."
"So, then, what are my options? Should I just run away?"
"Exactly. Flee to some place far from Vinoli, forge alliances with the people who live there and bide your time."
Merees nodded to herself. What her brother said made sense and then, something occurred to her.
"Aren't you coming with me, Keron?"
"I'm sorry, but no, I'm not."
"I don't understand. Why not? After all, your life is in danger too."
"That's true, but you see, it doesn't matter..."
"How can it not matter?" Merees asked, shaking her head in bafflement. "Its your life, how can you talk about it carelessly?"
Keron sighed.
"I'm afraid it doesn't matter, because..." He paused, searching for the right words, words which would make the news easier to swallow, but for once, all of Keron's learning failed him. He let out an exasperated sigh and lowered his head.
"...Because I'm dying", he finished the sentence.
For the third time that day, Merees felt as if someone had punched her in the gut, repeatedly, while wearing brass knuckles. Once again, the tears were welling up and she found herself powerless to prevent their flow. She bent down her head so that her brother wouldn't see her cry.
"When", she asked, her voice thick. "Were you going to tell us?"
Keron did not answer, choosing instead to focus his eyes on the spines of the books in a nearby bookcase. However, his silence said more to Merees than words ever could.
"You bastard", she said, spitting out the words through gritted teeth. "You..."
Overcome by her emotions, the younger dragon stood up, looking for something to break, but couldn't find anything. Instead, she let out a loud roar and then collapsed on her knees in front of Keron, grabbing his collar and staining his shirt with her tears.
"Forgive me, sister", Keron said, "but I have never been very good at saying goodbye."
Merees' mumbled something, which made Keron's ear perk up.
"I'm sorry, what did you say?"
Merees raised her head and looked at her brother.
"What", she asked quietly, "is killing you?"
"I won't bore you with the details. Rest assured though, its nothing contagious. My body has simply decided to give up, that is all."
"How can you talk about your own death so calmly?" Merees asked. "Aren't you afraid?"
"Well, when I first learned that my time was almost up, I sank into the blackest despair. Soon, the despair was replaced with rage; I cursed my frail body, which had put me in this situation. After that came the denial part of the process. 'No', I said to myself, 'I won't die, not like this', but even as I repeated these words to myself, I realized deep down, that they were nothing but lies. Then, I had an epiphany: I realized that I came from a race that's incredibly long lived. My own father had celebrated his three-hundredth birthday and unless something unforeseen occurred, would most likely live another two centuries, maybe more. I myself, have lived well past my two-hundredth birthday, which is far more than any of our subjects get. Furthermore, my life, up until now, has not been wasted; have I not written several books, all of which will survive long after I'm gone? Finally, I would die in my own home in relative comfort, not on a blood-stained battlefield, or in the darkness of the ocean, like my poor brother. When I took all of those things in account, I realized that I didn't have much to complain about."
Merees was about to answer her brother, when Kashmir appeared in the door.
"What is it?" Keron asked. "I thought you had gone to bed?"
"I heard a scream, Your Highness", the servant replied. "Is everything well?"
"Yes, thank you. However, since you are up, would you be so kind as to fetch the package that sits in the nightstand?"
"At once, your highness."
"What's in the package?" Merees asked when Kashmir had left.
"Its your birthday present, I would've given it to you at the day in question, but under these circumstances..."
"Oh."
Merees suddenly remembered that her birthday was a mere three weeks away. She remembered how she had planned out the whole thing, who she should invite and what theme the party should have, etc. How pointless all of that seemed right now.
At that moment, Kashmir returned, carrying a small package tied with a green ribbon. After having handed it to Keron, he excused himself and went back to bed.
"Happy birthday", Keron said, giving the package to his sister.
"Thank you."
Merees looked at the package and a lump formed in her throat. This is the last birthday present I'm going to get from my brother, she thought, or any member of my own family for that matter. And, I'm never again going to give anything to them either. Those happy days are gone, forever.
"Well?" Keron asked. "Are you not going to open it?"
"Of course, just give me a moment."
With unsteady hands, Merees' untied the ribbon and unwrapped the package to get to its content. Despite all her sorrows, she could not help but let out a gasp of delight as she laid eyes upon her gift: A necklace with a blue gemstone, shaped like a raindrop.
"Keron, its beautiful, thank you." Then, Merees realized something. "I'm sorry", she said. "I don't have anything to give you."
"Don't be ridiculous, my birthday's already come and gone, or did you forget that? Now, why don't you put the necklace on? I'd like to see you wear it at least once."
Merees stood up and put the necklace around her neck.
"It looks fantastic on you", Keron said, leaning forward in his wheelchair and craning his head, to get a better look. "Now, much as it pains me to say this, I don't think its wise for you to stay here any longer. In other words, the time has come for us to bid each other farewell."
The Princess had no wish to say goodbye, yet she knew that Keron was right. She knelt down in front of her half-brother and the two of them embraced each other.
"Farewell, little sister", Keron said. "When I meet our father and brother, is there anything you wish me to tell them?"
"Tell our father that I loved him", Merees answered as she clutched the gemstone. "Tell him and Thekros who their murderer was and that I shall find a way to bring her to justice, no matter how long it takes."
Keron nodded.
"I shall when I see them again, you have my word."
Merees took one last look at the only family member she had left (well, the only one she cared to acknowledge) and left Keron's quarters. She was not going to leave the palace alone, though; there were two persons who had to come with her.
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