Chapter 63
Chapter
Sixty-Three
Elias undid the straps holding him and the king in place.
“Father, what happened?” Konrad asked. When the king didn’t respond, Konrad frowned and looked at Elias.
“There was an attack.” Elias climbed down from Gerard’s back. “Your father was injured.” He held out his hand to the king.
The king took it and descended. He still did not speak.
A servant brought a robe that fit the king properly. Senta removed Elias’s ill-fitting coat and replaced it with the robe. The grand healer stepped towards King Alaric and gazed into his face.
“He was hit by … strange magic, and he fell from the sky,” Elias said.
“Strange magic?” Konrad asked. “What strange magic?”
The grand healer touched the king’s cheeks, gazing into his eyes. Senta removed the harness from Gerard, who immediately shifted.
“It was like a pale light. I’ve never seen anything like it before,” Elias explained.
A servant handed Gerard a robe, which he tugged on. Konrad, Gerard, Senta, and Luther crowded around the grand healer as she examined the king.
The grand healer glanced at them. “Please, Your Highnesses, will you give me space so I can attend to him properly.”
They stepped back whilst continuing to watch the grand healer at work.
Elias glanced around, searching the crowd. But he couldn’t see the one person he was looking for. “Has anyone seen Colette?” He remembered passing her empty room. His fingers clenched. Where was she?
“She’s fine, Elias. You don’t have to worry about her,” Senta said.
“Really?”
Senta nodded. “It’s thanks to her I’m alive.”
“What?”
“I ran into her as I headed towards our rooms. We went in together,” Senta said. “It was clearly meant to be an ambush. But when they attacked me, she unleashed a massive lightning storm.” She laughed. “Together, we were able to take out our assailants.”
“What?” Elias looked around. “But where is she now?”
“Resting. She overdid it a bit.” Senta studied Elias. “She is a lot more powerful than I was led to believe.”
Elias didn’t respond to that. “But is she okay?”
“She is. A healer saw her, and now she is in bed, sleeping. Juniper is watching over her.” Senta’s lips quirked. “Colette hit me a little with the lightning. But just a bit. She killed all those she was actually aiming for.”
Elias let out a breath. Actually, it was lucky that Colette had not accidentally killed herself and Senta.
“Prince Elias.”
Elias turned towards the voice. The grand monk and grand shield walked towards him.
“I am sorry to bother you after what it appears was a great ordeal.” The grand monk’s grey brows drew together. “But can you please explain what happened. Provide as much detail as you can.”
The grand shield took Elias’s arm in a gentle but firm grip. She guided Elias away to a less chaotic part of the courtyard.
Elias wanted to protest. He wanted to remain with Gerard, his siblings, and the king. But obviously somebody had to tell the grand monk what had occurred. And he supposed it made sense for that person to be him.
He launched into his tale, trying not to leave out any details. He kept glancing at Gerard as he spoke. But Gerard didn’t look back; he was too focused on his father. A few others gathered to hear Elias talk, including Lord Barrett Morton and Prince Ash Rosewood.
“Queen Consort Adelina is still at the tower now. We shackled her to a pole. Someone will need to go and retrieve her.” Elias paused. “She needs to be questioned. She knows vital information that may assist in understanding what has occurred.”
“I will lead the warrior doves to capture her and bring her back.” The grand shield wrapped her fingers around the hilt of her sword.
“I’ll accompany you.” Lord Barrett Morton stepped forward.
The grand shield smiled thinly. “Thank you, but that will not be necessary, Your Lordship.”
“Unfortunately I think it is. Despite her crimes, she is still, at least for the moment, the queen consort of Draconia. Someone from Draconia should see to her capture and ensure she is treated as her rank demands.” He glanced at the king and his older children.
“And I do not believe anyone else is available.”
The grand shield exhaled but nodded. Apparently, she did not wish to be the cause of a political incident.
“And others will need to collect the bodies from where the battle occurred,” Elias said to the grand monk. “There were three figures, dressed in grey robes and wearing black masks. I believe their identities are extremely important to uncovering all those involved in the plot.”
The grand monk inclined his head. “I will organise their collection.”
“Please inform me as soon as they are brought back. I would like to examine them,” Elias said.
“Of course, Your Highness,” the grand monk said.
“There may also be soldiers and sorcerers alive,” Elias said. “I would take individuals ready to fight.”
The grand shield and grand monk nodded.
Elias wished he could go with them. He wanted to see the bodies as soon as possible. But there was still so much to do here.
He glanced at Gerard, who was with his father and siblings. The king now sat on a stool as the grand healer examined him.
“And, Prince Elias, you mentioned that you fought tonight.” The grand monk steepled his fingers. “It was my understanding that you did not have that ability.”
Elias straightened. “I am a lightning archmage. As you no doubt are aware, we keep our identities secret.”
The people gathered around began to murmur. And with that, Elias’s identity was no longer a secret. He did not know how he felt about that.
“I see.” The grand monk paused for a moment. “It must have been quite a shock for your enemies to realise what a powerful sorcerer you were. It thwarted everyone’s plans.”
Elias nodded but kept glancing at Gerard, who still did not look at Elias. He wasn’t necessarily avoiding Elias. He was just busy with his father.
But now that the fighting had passed, Elias wondered where they stood. They’d come together to stand and fight against a mutual enemy. But what now?
Maybe all Gerard’s doubts and hurts regarding Elias had returned now that the adrenaline and threat of imminent death had disappeared. He’d not wanted anything to do with Elias earlier. Did he still feel that way?