"Let me ask you again. Do you know where the King's Will is?" General Brodrick asked.

"I will reiterate: I do not know, and if I did, I wouldn't tell you."

General Brodrick glared at Leon, and Leon knew that as soon as the general secured the will, the entire royal family would be dead.

General Brodrick's plan of taking the throne hinged on one thing: the King's Will.

According to Springwood laws, in the event of the king's and his direct heir's deaths, the person in the King's Will takes over the throne. The King's Will contains three names in order, in case of the first's death, the next takes the throne.

If all the names in the King's Will are undisposed, only then does the next relative of the king take the throne.

That particular law had been enacted around seven generations ago, when the next of kin to the sitting King and his heir had staged a coup against the king, killing him and his son. It had prompted a civil war, and the kingdom and its people had suffered for decades in consequence.

Over the centuries, several people had tried to abolish the law of the King's Will. However, it had held. Not only because of the antecedent that had birthed the law, but also because oftentimes, people with a distant claim to the throne weren't raised to rule.

Through the Will, the king ensured that the person who took the throne after his and his direct heirs' deaths would be apt to rule.

In Victor's case, the King's Will held Lord Bastian's name as a first candidate. Lord Bastian was a direct descendant of a well-known Blessed Bloodline, so the older generations who believed in the Blessed Blood Theory wouldn't argue with his appointment. He was also a level-headed, intelligent, and altruistic person. The region he ruled over was among the most prosperous in the kingdom.

General Brodrick's claim to the throne would be considered null in the presence of the Will. The fact that he was asking Leon about it meant Victor was unavailable. Leon fought the curl of fear in his guts. If something happened to his brother...

A knock rocked the door before it flew open by a guard. "Sir. The king is awake."

Relief loosened Leon's guts. Victor was still alive.

The general's eyes sparkled. He marched to the door, then paused and pointed at Leon and his mother.

"Bring those two. We might need more leverage if the king doesn't cooperate."

Two of the guards escorted his mother, and three approached Leon, looking apprehensive. They cut off the rope tying him to the chair, but his wrists and arms were still bound. He could have knocked them aside without using his arms, but there were more of them, and his mother was there to use as a hostage. Since the general had gone this far already, he wouldn't have any qualms about hurting her. So Leon went along. They made their way toward his brother's office.

One of the guards came running down the hallway toward them.

"Sir!"

"Later," Brodrick barked. "I don't have time-"

"The prisoners are gone!"

The general froze, slowly turned, and glowered at the guard. Leon looked over his shoulder at the man, whose forehead was slicked with sweat.

"What prisoners?" the general asked.

The guard gulped. "Prince Leon's Guards. Ida and Al. They came looking for his highness, but we caught them and tied them. Since you told us not to kill anyone unless you said-"

"And they escaped?!" the general hissed. "They are going to sound the alarm, you imbecile!"

"They haven't left the quarters, sir! I checked with the guards at the door!"

A vein pulsed in the general's temple. "Then find them! Find them before they cause an issue!"

"Yes, sir!"

General Brodrick whirled around and stalked down the hallway to his brother's office. Leon's mind churned. Al and Ida were here. But why? More importantly, had they left Summer behind? Unless...

Hope rekindled in Leon's heart. Ari was safe. Al and Ida were free. And since Summer was the only person with the ability to make them go unnoticed, he could only assume Summer was also here.

Those three would find a way to help. Except Al and Ida wouldn't trust anyone once they realized the General had turned this many Guards to his side.

In the office, Victor sat unbound, holding a piece of cloth to his bloody brow. Queen Serene sat in a nearby armchair, bound as Leon had been.

Leon assessed the room. Ten guards in total, other than the general, including the man with the red earring. Leon's eyes skirted along the wall, and he did a double-take. There, in the shadow of the window's curtain, darkness stirred. Another man.

Leon could have easily missed him. Perhaps the only way Leon had noticed was because he was used to Summer, so he knew exactly where to look.

The man wasn't dressed as a guard, and Leon didn't recognize him. Long pale hair. Clear eyes. Lean and spare. Leon would bet his left arm he was with the Northerners.

"King Victor," the general said, clasping his hands behind him. "I see you are finally conscious. You had us worried for a moment there. We were afraid you would not wake at all."

Victor removed the cloth and stared down at the general. "I'm sure that would've served your agenda quite well, General."

The general smiled. "Not necessarily. First, would you be kind enough to share where the King's Will is? Your secretary, Mr. Pennings, didn't know its location. Either that, or he was brave enough to defend it at the cost of his safety. Foolish loyalty had cost him his life, unfortunately."

"And why would I share that with you?" Victor glanced around. "You're missing a direct heir, I'm afraid, General. Even if you put your name in the Will, the throne will not be yours."

That wiped the smile right off the general's face. "The child will be found very soon."

Victor leaned back. "Is this what you've become, Brodrick? A traitor to your own kingdom?"

The general paced back and forth. "Treason is a subjective matter, Victor. The throne could've easily been mine had my grandfather not died. It is mine, by order of the firstborn and by strength of the blood. The King's Will is a law that had to be eliminated decades ago."

Brodrick stopped and clapped his hands once. "No matter. The Will, King, or we will start making the Royal family smaller."

He snapped his finger, and the guards flashed their swords. The cold bite of metal touched Leon's throat.

Victor only smiled. "You have never been smart enough, general. You will kill all of us in the end, so why would I give you the keys to my kingdom? I would much rather die knowing you will never get your hands on the throne."

The general's features twisted. "Do you? Even if we start torturing your dear wife? Your mother and your brother?"

Victor leaned back in his seat, his shoulder relaxed. "Go ahead. I'm the King. The well-being of my kingdom precedes everything else, including mine and my family's. We are nothing but the guardians of this land. If you do not understand that, then you have confirmed my decision not to make you the beneficiary of the Will."

Was Victor bluffing? Leon knew his brother, and he could read the truth of his words in his eyes. Even if the general tortured and murdered them all, Victor wouldn't give away the keys to the kingdom.

Leon didn't know if he should admire him as a king or feel disappointed. It was what a king should do, of course. Yet a twinge of disappointment crept through Leon's chest.

The general smiled. "I could very well test to see if you're bluffing. Unfortunately, we're tight on time. So we will do things another way."

He nodded at the man in the shadows. The Northerner strolled closer, appearing almost as if he were floating.

"Hold your end of the deal," the general said, took the artifact out of his pocket and offered it to the Northerner.

The man smiled, a quick flash of teeth. He slipped a knife out of his pocket and slashed across his palm. Dark blood pooled and dripped on the carpet. He held his palm over the artifact and let his blood trickle until it drenched the white gem and streaked through the crevices of the ruins carved into the artifact's metal.

Everyone watched with varying degrees of doubt. The average Springwooder believed the Blessed Blood Theory to be nothing but that, a theory. And that the Artifact was nothing but a relic of historical importance to the Kingdom.

However, Leon had witnessed firsthand the artifact's powers. So he wasn't as shocked as the rest of the room when the artifact's gemstone began glowing a deep russet color.

The guards broke into murmurs. Brodrick's eyes gleamed with satisfaction. The Northerner tilted his head aside, squinting at the artifact, as if he could hear something the rest couldn't. He frowned and approached Victor.

Leon tensed, his body coiled to spring. Ida and Al had better come with help, and soon, or Leon would have to take matters into his own hands. Because, unlike his brother, he couldn't watch someone he cared about be tortured or worse, no matter the consequences.

Victor's expression didn't falter. He just regarded the other man coolly.

"Your hand, king," the shadow said.

When the king didn't offer his hand, General Brodrick nodded at the guards behind him. They forcibly stretched Victor's hand toward the Northerner. He put the artifact on Victor's palm and covered it with his, closing his eyes. What in the world was he trying to do?

Leon held his breath, the silence in the room stifling as everyone focused on the curious happenings. Even through the gap between their palms, Leon could see the reddish glow growing brighter.

Leon didn't know what made him look that way. It was pure instinct. In the bookshelves, one of the books was missing from the arrangement. And through the gap, darkness yawned, and something glinted inside.

Leon's mind went back to the maze in the castle walls. Ari's habit of sneaking out without anyone the wiser. Ari's escape and Ida and Al's disappearance without the guards on the door noticing.

They hadn't gone through the door.

Leon's heart drummed faster as something glinted in the dark space in the bookshelf again. They were there. He could feel it. Now they just needed an opportunity to act. There were too many guards in the room right now. If he could get some of them to leave-

The Northerner pulled his hand back with a vicious snarl. He whipped around and regarded the general like a striking snake.

"You let someone else use it," he said, a threat underlying his voice.

"What in the world are you talking about?!" General Brodrick snapped, pointing a finger at the Northerner. "You assured me you can make him do your bidding if you have the artifact! If this is some ploy to renege on your end of -"

"It is not! The Artifact has imprinted on another person. No one can use it until the person releases it."

Leon's heart stuttered. Summer. Whatever had happened when Summer used the artifact, it seemed no one else could use it but her now.

General Brodrick whirled around to face Leon. "You knew where the artifact was. Is it you? Did you use it?"

Leon simply raised his brow. "You believe in that nonsense, General? I thought you wiser than that."

A vein pulsed in the general's temple. He turned and stalked toward the queen's chair. Serene had been true to her name this entire time, not flinching once. Now, she watched the general approach with an expression almost as flat as her husband's.

The general's sword left its scabbard with a hiss. He pointed the sharp end at the queen. Except for a slight tightening of his lips, Victor remained calm.

"Where's the Will?" the general asked.

Victor did not speak. Everyone held their breath. Brodrick sneered and raised the sword. The metal glinted in the lanterns' light.

Now.

Leon threw himself forward, ripping himself from his guards' hands by sheer force. He hit the General's side. They hit the floor. And chaos erupted. Cries. Screams of surprise. Pain. Anger.

Leon felt a sting in his shoulder, but there was no time to dwell on the pain. General Brodrick tried to knock him off him. Leon broadened his stance the best he could with his hands bound behind him and planted himself on top of the other man to immobilize him.

Leon glanced over his shoulder. The bookshelf was a gaping entryway. Ida, Al, Summer, and three guards erupted from the darkness and spilled into the room. The element of surprise, coupled with the distraction of Leon's attack, managed to shock the enemy guards in the room. It only lasted long enough for Al and Ida to dispose of two before the inevitable altercation broke out.

The general might be older and slightly smaller than Leon, but he had been in more battles and had enough strength to make Leon struggle to keep him in place.

The sound of fighting would draw more guards in here. Leon felt a shadow of a touch against his hands before his wrists were free. He slammed his fist on the general's hand holding the sword, and another to his face. Brodrick's hand spasmed and opened. Leon grabbed the sword.

"Leon! Watch out!"

Summer's warning had him rolling away. The guard's sword almost landed on the general. Leon kicked, dropping the guard, and shot to his feet.

"Stop! Stop, or I will kill her!"

Everyone froze. One of the enemy Guards held Queen Serene in front of him, his dagger to her neck.

Leon glanced around. Two enemies were down. Ida and Al were engaged in fights that paused. Leon's mother was sitting on one guard's back, her hands free and holding a sword to his neck. The three guards Ida and Al brought with them stood around the king in a guarding formation. Victor's eyes were on Serene.

"Drop that weapon, Guard," Victor ordered.

The guard swallowed. The general struggled to his feet. A blooming bruise on his right eye, blood dripping out of a cut on his upper eyelid and his nose

"Drop your swords!" the general barked, grabbing a sword from a nearby underling. "Drop your swords or the queen's life is forfeit!"

Ida and Al looked at Leon. He hesitated.

"Holding people hostage is not very nice."

Summer's words fell like a hammer, quieting the room. He couldn't see her, but he saw the glint of a blade on the guard's throat. She stood behind him, her small frame barely visible.

The guard gulped and dropped his weapon. And the clink of the blade on the floor spurred the action in the room once more.

Leon swirled, successfully catching the general's sword with his. Another guard joined the general, and Leon was fighting two at once.

The sound of clashing swords and fighting would soon bring in more guards from the castle to investigate. The general couldn't have won over all the guards. It was only a matter of time before things ended. How was the question.

The guard fighting beside Brodrick suddenly dropped, a dagger sticking out of the side of his neck. Leon chanced a glance around now that he didn't have to worry about two opponents.

They were winning. A savage grin split his face, and he intensified his attacks, pushing back the general. The guards out in the hallway were trying to break through the door. Someone must have locked it. Seven of the guards were down, the remaining three were quickly being overrun by Ida, Al, and a blur of shadow; Summer.

Shadow... Leon flitted his gaze around.

"There's another man!" Leon called out.

***

Summer heard Leon's words. She had already noticed the Northerner fading into the shadows in the corner, trying to make his way to... the maze in the wall.

No. Summer's heart dropped. Ari was there. Summer had told him to hide somewhere safe, but the boy was stubborn, and he could still be nearby.

Summer stabbed the guard fighting Ida in the back, yanked out her dagger, and sent it sailing toward the Northerner. He stopped a second before it hit him, and the blade struck the stone wall and fell with a clatter.

The Northerner looked at her and sneered. Summer jumped over the bodies and headed toward him. He was holding the artifact. The reason for this entire damn mess. She would be damned if she let him have it back after all they'd gone through.

The Northerner slipped out a dagger. His hand flashed. Good. No sword. That would make it easier. Summer brandished her own blade and attacked, driving him back from the maze's opening.

The fighting behind them was growing less intense, but the door gave a sudden crack and splintered, pouring in enemy guards that had been outside. Damn it. The fighting picked up again. The plan was to get the queens and the king out of the place through the maze as soon as possible, but things never went according to plan when one wanted them to.

Summer ducked and swung the dagger in her hand. The Northerner jumped out of reach. His limbs were so much longer than hers that he might as well be fighting with a sword. He drove Summer back, slashing and striking. One of his kicks connected to her ribs, paralyzing her lungs.

He was good. Better than good. Summer had never fought someone who moved so much like her, his movements a blur and his body impossible to read.

The exhaustion and the blood loss from the earlier injury slowed Summer's movements. She dodged his attack, but didn't see the other dagger until it was embedded in her thigh. Summer's leg crashed. She stumbled and fell to the ground. The Northerner came upon her, the light at his back shadowing his face but not the glittering, lethal intent in his eyes.

The drive of his blade came down too fast. She shifted, her hand bumping into something on the ground. Instinct had her clutching it. The Northerner froze, staring with wide eyes. Summer glanced at her hand. The Artifact. She'd gone invisible.

Summer rolled away and kicked the Northerner's legs from under him. He dropped. Summer aimed for his chest, but it was like he knew where she was. He moved back, but not far enough. The knife struck his side. He lashed out with his dagger, Summer ducked, and gave a sharp kick to the man's head. His head hit the wall, his eyes rolled back, and he fell fully on his back, losing consciousness. Finally.

Summer turned to the fighting. More enemy guards had spilled into the room. The three ally guards, Ida and Al were guarding the king and the two queens. And across the room, Leon fought alone, charging more than half the enemy forces. A dagger stuck out of his shoulder, and blood dripped down his neck and head. The sight made the pain in Summer's leg fade into the background. She scrambled to her feet.

The tides turned in their favor under the assault of Summer's invisible attacks and the viciousness of Leon's. The king found a sword and joined in.

"The general is down!" someone cried out. Some of the enemy guards made a run for it. Others stared, frozen and lost now that the reason they were doing this was gone.

Summer glanced around. The general was lying on his face in a pool of blood. The remaining enemy guards surrendered.

It was over. Summer's limbs shook, her sight growing dim, and her breath loud to her ears.

"Summer?" Leon asked, heaving, blood dripping down his brow. Summer stepped over the general's body and went closer, her hand spasming around the burning artifact. She set the damn thing in her pocket, and Leon's eyes locked onto her. He breathed out and gave a nod.

"Get the king and the queens into safety," Leon ordered, taking command of the room. His voice sounded faint under the beat of Summer's heart.

Al walked through the dead and unconscious bodies, gathering weapons and ending anyone whose injuries were lethal.

"Ari?" Leon asked.

"He's the one who showed us the way," Summer replied. As if summoned by their words, Ari peeked out from the maze wall.

Summer grumbled, "I told you to stay hidden."

The boy stubbornly raised his chin. She knew he wouldn't listen.

Ari stepped inside the room, looking at all the dead bodies as if they were an everyday occurrence. Summer dropped to the floor, leaning against the wall. She felt woozy, her blood sloshed in her ears at the lazy drum of her heart. Leon barked orders left and right, his voice fading to the background. It seemed like more new guards had spilled inside the king's wing. Allies. But with the general's death, enemies wouldn't reveal themselves.

Ari made his way towards her. She wanted to tell him to stay put, but her tongue felt like wet wool in her mouth. All she wanted to do was to sleep.

A glint behind Ari snapped her right out of her tired daze. The general. He wasn't dead. She opened her mouth. A warning. She had to get a warning out. "Watch out!"

The sword stabbed clean through Ari's chest. Half the blade stuck out, glistening with blood.

Summer moved. At least, she tried to, but the world tilted sideways and faded to black.

*** **** ***

Hey guys! New chapter! 

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M.B.