There was a loud knock on the door. A gruff voice from the other side said, “Come on out, holy sister. You’re not welcome here anymore.”
Sophia called back, “Coming! Give us just a moment!” Kaine looked at her like she had just lost her mind. “Time to go,” she said in a whisper. “We’re done here.” Before Kaine could ask for clarification, Sophia answered the door.
“Look,” Sophia said. “We don’t want any trouble. We just want to leave. Quietly. Peacefully. Without that mob outside noticing. Can you help us?
The innkeeper was a large man, but he was no fool. He took one look at Kaine, Runt, and Nightshade, and knew the odds were stacked against him. So he nodded enthusiastically. “Please don’t hurt me. Here. I’ll show you.”
He led them to a corner room on the opposite side of the inn. “It’s an escape route,” he said. “I always knew trouble would come to Calymnia, and The Solitary Keg would be its first stop.”
He unlocked the door to an empty room. Once inside, he pulled a cord that hung next to the window, and a secret staircase lowered from the ceiling.
“There’s another cord next to the attic window that opens a path to the roof. Once you’re on the roof, look for the building with the blue roof. Jump to it, and climb down the chimney. At the bottom of the chimney is an empty common room of an old, forgotten inn. Take the stairs down to the cellar, and then exit through the delivery doors. You’ll be safely away from the crowd.”
“Thank you, good sir,” Kaine said. “Here is some coin for your trouble.”
They left him then and followed his instructions. Kaine was certain it was a trap, but it wasn’t. In just a few moments, they were exiting the cellar and dusting themselves off in a deserted alley. Only then did Kaine recognize Mirena.
Mirena took a moment to hand Trick over to Sophia, and then looked into Kaine’s eyes. Kaine and Mirena rushed into each other’s arms, and kissed deeply. Their lips parted, but they continued holding each other tightly, and Kaine brought his hands up to caress her face softly.
“I thought you were dead,” she said through her tears.
“I am,” he said. “I’m only alive to take revenge on Ceres. I never thought I would see you again.”
“But how? How are you alive?” she asked, completely ignoring his statement.
“I don’t know,” he said. “For all this time, I assumed it was some fell magic. A curse. But now? I’m not so sure. Finding out about Sophia, then finding Amaris a few weeks ago, and finding you, now…I must admit. It feels more like fate or the hand of the Light.”
“Sophia? The healer? What of her?”
“She’s an angel. Like, literally an angel.”
“She told you that, and you believed her? Don’t be stupid, Khalis. There are no more angels in this world, or the next.”
“I am the last of my kind,” Sophia said, as she began to heal Trick’s wounds. Mirena gasped in astonishment as the light flowed from Sophia’s hands, and the wounds on the cat slowly began to disappear.
“How are you here?” Kaine asked. “When Nightshade told us what she had done, we assumed that you were out living your best life, enjoying your freedom.” Kaine said that last word with a look of guilt and sadness, a look she noticed.
Mirena reached up and touched the side of his face. “Oh, Khalis. It wasn’t you. It was never you. I was happy in our marriage. I was happy to be your wife, and Amaris’ mom. But the throne. I was ill-suited to be a queen, my love. The duties chaffed me, and the walls of the castle imprisoned me. And when Nightshade came, speaking of freedom and adventure, it burrowed into my mind and overtook my senses.”
Shooting a glare of pure hatred towards Nightshade, she continued. “If I had known she planned on killing you and framing me for the murder, I wouldn’t have been so easily swayed.”
Kaine stroked her face and hair softly, and turned her gaze back to himself. “Try not to judge her too harshly. After all, you wanted your freedom, and she gave it to you. You might not like what she did after, but she did give you what you wanted, and she didn’t have to. She’s an assassin, through and through. She could have killed you in the escape tunnels, and none would be the wiser. The fact that she didn’t means that she truly liked you, and considered you a friend.”
Mirena sighed, and kissed him again before saying, “I guess you’re right. I’ve been holding on to that hate for so long, though. It’s going to take a while to release it.”
“I know, my love,” Kaine said. “But you still haven’t answered my question. How did you come to be here?”
“After Nightshade put me on that boat, I was free. I spent twenty years traveling the world, exploring, learning, growing, having fun. It was glorious! Of course, I heard about your murder, and I grieved your loss, but I was free, and I loved it.”
“That’s great!” said Kaine. “But then, why come back here? What happened?”
“Amaris. I missed Amaris. I spent twenty years away, all the time believing that he was safe, and that Ceres was taking care of him, raising him as his own. It never even crossed my mind that things might be otherwise. But after so long, I knew that Amaris had grown into an adult. Foolishly, I had hoped that he was sitting beside Ceres as the crown prince, and that maybe I could count on Ceres’ love for his nephew to overcome his hatred of me. I thought that if I formally renounced any claim I had to the Lion Throne, I might be forgiven and allowed to live as an honored guest in the palace. The irony is not lost on me.”
Kaine let her finish, then gently said, “Amaris is hurt, my love. He thinks you abandoned him. He’s been carrying that hurt around for over forty years now. He has the appearance of a man, but a part of him is still that wounded child. When you get a chance to talk with him, keep that in mind. Be gentle with him.”
Mirena looked over at her son, then released Kaine and went over to hug Amaris. “I know,” she said through tears. “Gods, do I ever know. I was gone for twenty years, but I’ve been here for twenty, now, too. Ceres is a monster. I don’t know how you survived, or why you aren’t a monster, too.”
“Well,” the Sergeant said, “As it turns out, I’m your son after all. I ran away, too.”
Mirena laughed, despite her tears. “Aye. I guess you are,” she said.
Mother and son held each other for a few moments, and then Kaine broke the silence. “Wait. You’ve been here for twenty years? Finish the story, love.”
“As I said, I came back for Amaris. I had no idea of the monster that Ceres had become, so in all innocence, I passed through the barrier and into Calymnia. I started asking people about the crown prince and was met with confusion and blank stares. I asked about the king, and was told stories of his bravery, just rule, and kindness. Over and over, I heard about what a great king he was, and how everyone loved him. So, I went to the palace, seeking an audience.”
“Oh no…” Kaine said.
“Yeah. He had me arrested on the spot and thrown in the dungeon. I was there until your friend over there rescued me last night. Ceres tortured me, asking for your whereabouts, and Amaris’ too. I am glad that I didn’t know anything, Khalis. I would have told him long ago if I did.”
The tears burst out of Mirena then, and Kaine held her tightly. Seeking to reassure her, he said, “It’s alright, my love. No one can withstand torture for very long. Even the strongest people melt under the heat of pain eventually. You have no cause for shame. Indeed, I am proud of you for not dying. Lesser people give up the will to live.”
“Let’s go finish this,” Nightshade said.
Mirena looked over at Trick, still in cat form and sleepings peacefully and said, “We don’t have to. Your friend tore out Ceres’ throat. It’s over.”
Kaine looked at her in disbelief, then looked over to Sophia. “If the curse is broken, why am I still alive?”
Sophia looked back at Kaine, shrugged her shoulders, and said “I don’t know. Maybe you have to actually reclaim the throne.”
“I don’t want the throne,” Kaine said.
“Nor do I,” said Mirena.
“I do,” said Amaris.
Both of them looked surprised, and then nodded approvingly. Sophia closed her eyes, and concentrated intently. After a few moments, she opened them and said, “Yes. This is acceptable. Amaris will take the throne, and Kaine, you will continue helping the rest of us fix the world.”
“There’s just one problem,” Amaris said. “The people here have only known me as the Sergeant. If I try to take the throne, it’ll appear like a military coup. The people will never accept it.”
Just then, warning bells started tolling all around the city.
“Shit,” said Mirena. “I guess they’ve found the king.”
Amaris stood up. “Well, I’m still the Sergeant,” he said. “I better get out there and start leading. You all get out of here. Use the confusion as cover. Do what you have to do, then come back here. Oh, and take Finnbjorn and Jorvar with you. I’ll be alright without them for a while. Maybe by the time you get back, I’ll have a plan.”
Kaine hugged his son, then Mirena did. Amaris put on his helmet, and ran out into the streets. Once he was gone, the five companions, plus Mirena, crept out of the city and into the breaking dawn.