Creative Heavens

Rin was face down on her bed. She was tired... Really tired. She practically didn’t get any sleep the previous night. The King was sick with fever, so she was called in to see what she could do. She was after all, the Court Magi. A fever wouldn’t have been a problem. The problem was, that wasn’t fever. In fact, she didn’t know what it was.

The symptoms were mostly fever-like, but there were some... Unique symptoms. Total paralysis from the waist down, insomnia, and hallucinations to name a few. She’d been up all night trying to figure out what was the cause. Obviously it wasn’t a natural cause. Could it be some form of magic? Its possible... But one would need direct contact with the King for something of this magnitude. If that were the case, there would be many suspects. The maids, the escorts, the guards... Too many. She needed to narrow it down. Then, the last person to see the King. The last person was.... She shook her head. She doubted it, but it still was a possibility. The last person was... Kael. Kael Baon.

Someone burst through her door, stopping her train of thought. She shifted her gaze to the disturbance, it was someone dressed in chain mail with a blue cloth bearing the Eamonian insignia draped over his right shoulder, a palace guard.

“S-sorry to interrupt you Miss...” stuttered the guard, out of breath.

“Its Kael... He’s at the gate, and wounded. Badly.” He breathed.

Rin’s eyes widened. She didn’t say anything, and quickly proceeded to the main gate in long strides. She prayed the culprit wasn’t him. They were childhood friends... All those years of memories.

“It better not be you.” She muttered under her breath as she turned a corner, walking down the spiral staircase from her quarters. The guard was following behind her, and another one was barely keeping up.

Kael finally reached the palace gates. It was only a few hours, but his face was pale. Blood was flowing down his left arm like a half-secured water tap. The burning sensation was getting too much to bear. Kael bit his lip while he dismounted, and slowly stumbled through the main gate.

The stone gate stood towering above him. A magnificent structure, the pride of his nation. The Eamonian flag fluttering in the wind. The palace entrance was just up ahead, a mere hundred metres away. Kael took heavy steps over the wooden bridge. He was barely holding up, he had lost too much blood… He may be suffering from anaemia.

As he was dragging himself towards the entrance, he heard sets of heavy metal footsteps approaching him. He could barely tilt his head up to see who they were. There were three figures. He could make out two palace guards on both sides. The figure in the middle was familiar, but his brain wasn’t working up to speed.

He started to collapse as he took another laboured step. He tried to stay conscious, but his knees, and weakness finally gave in. He felt being pulled up from both sides as he fell. The guards probably caught him.

“Kael? What happened? Where are the rest?” said a female voice.

He was being bombarded with questions, but he paid no heed to them. He was having difficulty suppressing the pain and breathing now.

“Her Highness....” he managed to mutter.

“Yes? Go on...” urged the voice.

“Ambushed...” he groaned, as he finally gave in.

Kael opened his eyes. His eyes met a dimly lit ceiling. It seemed that night had fallen, as the shadows danced on the ceiling, illuminated by the candlelight. He began to sat up, and shook his head, as if to shake himself awake. Having regained his senses, he studied the room he was in. He was in a bed, in what seemed to be an infirmary. The Palace. He thought to himself. Yes, the palace infirmary.

Then he remembered what he was supposed to do. He was supposed to report to the King what had happened. And the immense pain that was on his shoulder. Only, the pain wasn’t there anymore. He immediately flexed his left arm, which he regretted immediately. It stung when me moved his entire arm, but it wasn’t bleeding anymore, and the pain wasn’t as immense as it used to be. It was treated with a new set of bandages, and there were blue symbols on the bandages. They were glowing faintly.

Kael got out of the bed, he realized now that he was dressed in plain overalls, and it was actually pretty cold. I suppose I better get some clothes from my quarters first... He mumbled to himself, biting the chill, before making a move on to his quarters.

Kael felt a lot more secure wearing his armour, even though it was heavy. He didn’t have a weapon, but that didn’t matter, he was in the palace after all. He had to see the King first anyway. The princess had been kidnapped, and he had no time to just sit around and get well.

“And where do you think you’re going?” asked a familiar voice, as he closed the door to his room.

"Rin?” he managed to say before being knocked on the head.

“That was for leaving without saying goodbye.” She said crossly.

“Ow... Okay... Maybe I do deserve that... “ Kael replied as he messaged his head. “That aside, I need an audience with his Majesty immediately. Its about her Highness Millia...” he continued, with a more serious tone.

“I already know what happened, her Highness was kidnapped by two of the Einherjar, and they wiped out everyone but you.” she said with a bored tone, like it was already old news.

“Wha? How did you kno-“ Kael couldn’t finish, as he got cut off by Rin.

“You’ve been asleep for two days Kael. We’ve already sent out search parties, who have already found the place where you were attacked, and.... We’re at war with Iais.” She sounded concerned.

Kael took a deep breath. He didn’t know what else to say, he’d been out for two whole days, and that much had already developed.

“Wait... How did you know who attacked us? You couldn’t tell that much just by looking...” he thought out loud.

“We found a group of bandits, who were strangely helpful. One of them claimed to have saved you, though I didn’t buy it at first... But when he mentioned your name and how the whole group were wiped out...” Rin explained.

“You’ve met Reyva? Then... That would explain it...” said Kael... “In any case... May I see his Majesty?” he requested solemnly. He wanted to apologize, for losing the princess.

Rin nodded, and led him to his Majesty’s bed chamber.

The King lay in bed, he looked like he had already left this world. The only give away was his chest movements, his breathing. According to Rin, the King was in a coma, and no one was allowed in but her, and the Advisor. With the King’s absence, the Advisor ruled in his place.

“Your Majesty...” Kael whispered as he knelt down beside the King.

“I’m sorry... About the Princess... Your only daughter.”

“I know she will ascend the throne as your heir when the time comes. But now... I know how much you must hate me for this. For letting her get kidnapped, and starting a war. I know how you strive for peace between the nations, but all that was broken within days...” Kael continued to whisper sadly, as tears started to flow.

“But I promise you this your Majesty. I will bring her back, and stop this war. Whatever it takes.” Kael finished, his voice filled with conviction.

Rin stood behind him silently throughout the whole thing. She was sure now that Kael wasn’t responsible for the King’s illness. It had to be someone else. Then, she noticed something different on the King’s bedside table, where the medicines were.

She pushed past Kael and immediately started to check on the contents. A variety of herbs were mixed on the spot to make a medicinal drink for the King. But... There was an extra ingredient there. She took a pinch of it and rubbed it between her fingers. She immediately gave a shout as she quickly dipped her hands into a goblet of water nearby.

“It was poison...” She whispered. “How could I not notice this was happening!?” she shouted at herself.

“His Majesty’s condition was getting worse... Because of this...” she continued.

“Then... Who put it there?” asked Kael. “Who else had access to this room?”

Then it struck them both at once.

“Maelin. The advisor.” They both said at the same time.

Just then, a loud boom echoed through the room, the door had been broken down. A platoon of palace guards stormed the room.

“There they are!” Shouted a voice. “Rin Nalris, the one who tried to assassinate the King, and her conspirator!”

Kael grabbed Rin by the arm, and dragged her off to the other side of the room. They had been set up. They had been framed, and now, they needed to escape.