Noel and Jules walked with Edmund’s group, showing them streets that Paul had intentionally avoided. It was bad enough that the cleric kept ranting about Danuville’s poverty. Seeing the impoverished people up close made it even worse. Despite that, the people here seemed more welcoming than the angry shop owners on the other side of town. In fact, the two knew many of them, and they introduced the group to a few friends. The children seemed oddly kind and cheerful. Edmund spoke with them, and with the adults too, eager to learn more about their lives.

  Serena lingered a few paces away. Watching from a distance, she felt both strange and quietly delighted by how the prince interacted with the locals. She saw children taking turns showing off their tricks. Whistling, cartwheels, even a proudly displayed missing tooth. The adults were just as engaging, sharing their stories and asking Edmund what he thought of the town, the people, the food. Here, he wasn’t a prince. He was just… Edmund.

  Even with how casually he treated Aurelith’s citizens and the palace staff, he was still always His Highness, the Prince. That would never change. People would smile in front of him, laugh with him, echo his opinions. But who truly liked him, and who didn’t?

  Her mind drifted back to Edmund’s coming-of-age celebration, remembering how every noble and ambassador bowed to him, greeted him, and offered wishes for his health and prosperity. She wouldn’t have thought, back then, that at least half of them might have wanted to see the prince dead.

  Noel noticed her unusual silence. She never talked much, that he knew, but this was different. He approached her, keeping a respectful distance despite himself.

  “Never seen people in this condition before?” he asked.

  Serena shook her head. “No, it’s… not that. It’s just… the place we’re from… it wasn’t like this.”

  “Must be a nice place,” Noel said, resting his arms behind his head. “I’ve lived here all my life, so this is just a common sight for us.”

  “It really is,” Serena replied, eyes still on Edmund and the locals. “But this town isn’t bad either.”

  “Really?” Noel’s brows lifted. “What makes you say that?”

  “The people here… they’re honest,” Serena said. “When they’re happy, angry, when they like you or not, they don’t shy away from showing it. I’d like to live in a place… where I know I can trust the people around me.”

  “They’re also honest when they feel like stealing your things,” Noel said. “So you might want to keep an eye on that, too.”

  Somehow, that made Serena giggle, and Noel smiled too. With her tension eased, if only slightly, he tried to keep the conversation going, hoping they could get to know each other better. Serena, for her part, kept most truths tucked away to protect their cover, offering only a few, like the fact that she’d been adopted. She didn’t know her true parents, or even where she was from.

  Noel’s mood shifted, his earlier cheer replaced by something more somber. Serena had just said the people of Danuville were honest, and now she’d shared something personal, too. He wanted to connect with her, genuinely. He pondered what to say.

  Keep the story that he, Jules, and Marc were brothers? That would be lying.

  Tell the truth—that he was orphaned too, and only friends with the two? That would confuse her… and reveal they’d already lied.

  He went for the safer choice instead. “Thank you for helping us get our family heirloom back.”

  That, of course, sent Serena’s thoughts drifting elsewhere again. She had been meaning to ask him about her vision, about Laurent. Even now, his anger, his hatred… it reverberated in her bones. Not simply because of his rage itself, but because of who it had been directed at. She hesitated, then willed herself to speak without spooking Noel.

  “Noel, can I ask you something?” she said.

  “Sure. What is it?”

  “Do you know anyone named Laurent?”

  “A few,” Noel admitted. “Can you tell me more about him?”

  “His father’s name is Bertrand, and…” Serena pressed her lips, her eyes lowered, but her hood hid her expression from Noel. “That’s all I know.”

  Noel tilted his head, thinking. “Sorry. I don’t know any Laurent with a father named Bertrand.” His eyes narrowed slightly. “Why do you ask?”

  “We… um, passed by him… here,” Serena said. “I thought… you might know him.”

  A girl then approached Serena and complimented her eyes, telling her how beautiful they looked. Another followed, and before long, Serena found herself the new center of attention, sparing her from further explaining herself to Noel.

  The group spent the afternoon getting to know more about the townsfolk before continuing on to explore the neighborhood. Eventually, they reached the marketplace. Nothing unusual. Shopkeepers shouting their wares, buyers haggling over price. Somewhere along the way, they came across a boy pacing back and forth, glancing around as if he were lost. He had messy ginger hair, brown eyes, and a black cape.

  Jules approached him first. “Hello there. Do you need help?”

  The boy turned and greeted him.

  “Hi,” the boy said cheerfully. “Just looking for the right stall for this root crop my boss wants.” He unfolded a piece of paper and showed a sketch of the crop, along with its name written below.

  Noel took a look, and luckily for the boy, he was familiar with every stall in the place. “Turnips, huh? We can walk you there if you want.”

  “Oh, you would? Much thanks!” the boy said. “The name’s Kleitos.”

  “Kleitos… That’s an unusual name,” Jules remarked. “You a foreigner?”

  “Yup,” Kleitos said. “I came from the east. My boss is a traveling merchant.”

  “You don’t say. These guys too,” Noel said, jabbing his thumb at Edmund’s group. He then introduced Serena, Leif, Edward, and the rest of his men. He guided them all to the stall and showed Kleitos the root crop he was looking for. The boy picked it up and inspected it, then turned and bowed to the group. “This is exactly it!”

  “Thanks again,” he added. “You really helped me a lot.”

  “No problem,” Noel said. “Glad we’re able to help.”

  The group bid him farewell and resumed their stroll. Kleitos offered them goodbye, waving a hand. “Nice to meet you all. Peace!”

  Leif had only taken a few steps when he stopped in his tracks and turned, eyeing Kleitos while he bagged the root crops. Edmund noticed and paused beside him. “Is something wrong?” the prince asked.

  Leif took a while, watching as Kleitos paid and walked away. “No—no, nothing’s wrong,” he finally said. “I just thought he sounded familiar.”

  “Must be someone we’ve passed by here,” Edmund suggested.

  “Yeah,” Leif muttered. “Could be.”

  The group circled around, then headed back to the inn.

  “That’s it for today, I guess,” Noel said. “How long are you guys staying in town, by the way?”

  “Two more days,” Edmund replied. “Then we’ll head back… erm, I mean keep traveling. We want to move before the snow begins to fall.”

  “Oh,” Noel said, slightly disappointed. “Well, maybe we’ll see you again in those two days… before you leave.”

  “Stop by here anytime,” Edmund said.

  “We appreciate your company, Noel,” Serena added.

  Noel’s face flushed pink, but before he could say anything that might embarrass him, Jules cut in. “See you around. Let’s go, Noel!”

  He tugged Noel by the sleeve. The latter seemed to agree it was time to go home. Once they were gone, Edmund and his companions headed to his room, with Aristide’s group arriving shortly after.

  “So, what have we found out so far?” Edmund asked.

  “For one, the opinion of our king—Aurelith… is unanimously bad,” Aristide began. “No one seems to have a good opinion of the kingdom here.”

  “Opening their borders to allow trade was leaning toward a sharp ‘No’,” Gualter added, “that is, until the name Archambault is mentioned.”

  “Right,” Edmund agreed. “Same with us. The moment they hear that it’s Count Nicolas’s plan, their opinion seems to turn positive. Not all, but a lot of them do.”

  The group concluded that the people of Danuville hated two things: anything Aurelith, and their own governor. From what they’d gathered, it would appear that he wasn’t even from among the state’s few ‘prestigious’ families. He was a well-off textiles trader, but nothing more. The group realized that he relied solely on good faith to get re-elected due to his lack of resources and connections. How he even won the election in the first place, and why the wealthier families seemed to not mind, was another matter, but they set that aside.

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  Aristide cupped his chin, eyes drifting on the floorboard. “Nearly everyone is looking forward to voting him out in the next election. Unless they see things get better for them. Better food, homes, clothes…”

  “And the only way, at least for now, for him to do that is to accept Nicolas’s proposal,” Edmund added.

  “Once the border is open, every merchant coming from the south will take the shorter route here to conduct business with us up north, and likewise. Even the kingdoms to our east as well. And with all those caravans passing by and paying tolls…”

  Aristide’s eyes widened and he snapped his fingers crisply. “So that’s how Count Nicolas convinced Governor Pascal to open Danuville for trade. If the governor can improve the economy before the next election and uplift his citizens even just slightly, then he could certainly win their votes.”

  “That sounds like a good plan,” Leif said, speaking up at last.

  “He could help those poor children get food,” Serena said.

  “Unless the Count has other plans in mind after this,” Aristide said. “I suppose I don’t see any harm in accepting his proposal. What about you, brother?”

  Edmund leaned back against the chair, fingers steepled for a moment as he replayed the day in his mind: Paul’s fury, the children and elderly begging in the streets, the way the people’s faces hardened the moment Aurelith was mentioned. He exhaled.

  “Same here,” he said at last. “If it can help Danuville, and perhaps in time the rest of Calyssia, move out of poverty, then I’ll accept it too.”

  “It’s decided then,” Aristide said, giving a single nod. “We’ll share what we learned here with Father once we’ve returned to the kingdom.”

  “Right.” Edmund’s eyes moved to the others—Damien, Gualter, the knights—men who’d held their faces steady all day while being called thieves. “For now, let’s all relax. We’ll spend the next day exploring a bit more, then we’re heading back home.”

  A quiet murmur of agreement went around the room. Chairs scraped. The men were dismissed and filed out, heading back to their rooms, some still wearing tight expressions they hadn’t managed to shake. When the door finally closed, the room felt smaller and calmer all at once.

  Edmund crossed to Serena’s bed and sat beside it, lowering his voice without thinking. After a moment, he eased back and lay down, arms folded behind his head, staring at the ceiling beams.

  “This has been quite the trip, isn’t it?” he asked.

  “It is,” Serena said. “I’ve learned so much since coming here.”

  “Me too,” Edmund admitted. “I never understood how much the people here hate us—not fully. Hearing their thoughts, their history… seeing what they live through… I see much better now why.”

  He turned his head slightly toward her, his tone quieter than before.

  “We ruined their home,” the prince continued. “Their memories. Even the names of those they honored…”

  Serena’s gaze stayed on him, thoughtful. She didn’t interrupt. Once the prince had finished, she spoke, voice tender. “If only they could see you for who you are,” she said, “and not what your ancestors did… I’m sure they’d like you. And maybe, eventually… they’d like Aurelith, too.”

  Edmund didn’t answer right away. He looked at her as if he wasn’t sure whether to believe in something that hopeful, then gave a quiet nod, more gratitude than certainty. They spoke of dull things for a bit to ease the mind, then the prince pushed himself upright.

  “I’ve kept you from sleeping long enough, I think,” he said, already lowering his voice again out of habit. “Good night, Serena.”

  “Good night… Edward,” she replied, a slight chuckle in her voice, and the prince smiled back.

  Serena watched as Edmund went and lay down on his bed, turning his back to her. She kept her gaze on him, pondering. She still hadn’t told him about her vision. It came after she touched the seal, yet Noel claimed to have no knowledge of who Laurent was. The symbol on the banner, his father, Bertrand, the men speaking of a failed rebellion, and the fact Bertrand was thought to have died in prison…

  Serena couldn’t sleep, her mind floating between that vision and her first, that of Hugh and Aldana. She remembered how Aristide spoke of House Rohan.

  And, how the last documented member of the family was thought to have died in prison after a failed rebellion.

  “Aristide said…” Serena whispered to herself, turning her back and raising her blanket to her mouth.

  Her breath hitched as realization came. “If that was Laurent’s father… he was a member of House Rohan. The image on the seal was the rebellion’s flag.”

  “And... if Noel and his brothers’ heirloom has the same symbol… and they got it from their ancestor… does that mean…”

  Meanwhile, back at the trio’s house.

  “We’re home,” Noel announced, but no one responded. “Marc’s still out?”

  “Maybe he went to meet some friends and got to drinking,” Jules replied.

  “Maybe,” Noel echoed. “Well, he knows what he’s doing. I’m going to bed.”

  “Already, again?” Jules asked. “What’s up with this early bedtime?”

  “Nothing. Just changing my routine to something… healthier,” he responded. “Sleeping early’s good for you.”

  After Noel had retreated into his room, a knock came at the door. Jules opened it and nearly jumped when he saw the person cloaked in black on the other side. The figure wore a black mask, and only his eyes were visible. Jules tried to close the door slowly.

  “I’m sorry… I think—”

  The masked man stopped him with one hand, then slid the other into his sleeve. Jules began to sweat and stepped back, thinking the man was about to draw a weapon. When the man pulled his hand out and pointed an object at him, Jules threw his arms up to shield himself.

  Nothing happened.

  He opened his eyes and lowered his arms again to find the man holding out a folded paper. “Take it.”

  “What—what’s this?” Jules asked.

  The man simply stared at him. When Jules still didn’t grab the paper, the man inched it closer. “Take it,” he repeated.

  It was clear the man wouldn’t leave unless Jules took it. And if this stranger meant to hurt him, he’d have done it already. Jules reached out and grabbed the paper. The masked man turned and walked away without another word. Jules stepped outside and watched until he disappeared into the dark alley, then shut the door and set the paper on the table. He stared at it, mind racing, sweat still beading along his brow.

  “I’ll wait to read it with Noel tomorrow,” he whispered to himself. “I should… get some sleep too.”

  The next day, Edmund and his companions were preparing for their last tour of the town. They decided to explore further south, where most of the artisans and guild halls were located. While preparing, Serena approached Aristide. Edmund had gone out to check on his men, leaving her with the chance to ask the younger prince.

  “Aries,” Serena called. “May I ask a question?”

  “Sure,” Aristide responded. “What is it about?”

  “I—um—I saw this beautiful symbol… at an… antique shop we passed by,” she stammered. “Can you… um, tell me, in case you know, where it came from?”

  “Describe it to me. If I’m familiar with it, I might be able to help.”

  Serena hesitated. Laurent’s hatred was toward the Aureliens. Her vision concerned Aristide as much as it did Edmund. The former was fixing the strap on his boots, still waiting for Serena to speak. She mustered the will to finally describe it to him.

  “Two doves… facing each other, wings raised.”

  Aristide stopped what he was doing, frozen for a heartbeat in place. He lowered his arms, stood straight, and looked Serena straight in the eye. There was no hint of jest on the prince’s face.

  “Can you—can you repeat that?”

  Serena did, and Aristide’s eyes widened, a look that was a combination of both shock and excitement.

  “Do you know what it means?” Serena asked.

  “That was… the flag of Aldana,” Aristide murmured quietly. “And… the heraldry of House Rohan.”

  Serena lowered her eyes to the floorboard, fighting to steady the tremble in her lips. Her mind raced. It was clear to her now who Laurent was. But one more thing remained. Before she could think further, Aristide leaned closer, his hands grasping her shoulders lightly.

  “Can you tell me where you saw it?!” Aristide asked excitedly. “Please! I want to see it too!”

  Although she didn’t want to disappoint the prince, Serena had to lie, feigning poor memory. She claimed she’d forgotten exactly where it was, only that it was somewhere in the east, among the shops they’d passed. Aristide’s eyes were practically sparkling with enthusiasm. He hurriedly finished changing, thanked Serena, then stormed out of the room. From outside, Serena and Leif could hear him demanding to take some men with him east.

  Hopefully he finds something, Serena thought, or at least something close to it.

  Edmund came in afterward, asking what had gotten into his brother. Serena gave the same excuse: she’d found a relic that might be related to House Rohan. Even Edmund, someone who wasn’t particularly interested in history, looked surprised and amused at the same time.

  “No wonder he was jumping outside,” he murmured. “That’s a valuable find.”

  “Should I feel bad about telling him?” Serena asked, bashful. “I couldn’t even point him to where he can find it.”

  “That’s alright,” Edmund said. “I think letting him explore the town to find it is part of the fun.”

  The prince asked her if she was ready to go. Serena instead wondered if she could stay at the inn, saying she wasn’t feeling well. Edmund’s mood suddenly shifted, from amused to concerned. He stepped closer and placed his palm on her forehead. Serena’s cheeks and ears suddenly tinged red, which, if anything, only helped convince the prince she was unwell.

  “What’s wrong?” Edmund asked. “Does anything hurt? Are you feeling sick?”

  “I… um… I’m… feeling dizzy,” Serena responded, unable to meet the prince’s eyes.

  Edmund guided her back to bed and helped her sit. Leif stood nearby.

  “She must be tired,” he said. “We’ve been exploring the town nonstop, not to mention that disgusting monster you had to fight.”

  Edmund agreed and allowed Serena to stay. Leif volunteered to stay as well to look after her. More than her condition, he was concerned that leaving her with Filandra was an… unappealing thought. The prince accepted the suggestion. He carefully guided Serena back to bed, pulled her blanket over her, and then held her hand just lightly.

  “Rest well. I’ll see you when we return.”

  Serena nodded without saying a word. The prince stood, bid Leif farewell, then went to join his men as they finished their preparations. With the door shut, Leif sat beside her and spoke.

  “Are you actually feeling dizzy?” he asked.

  Serena didn’t respond right away. She tilted her head toward the door, listening, waiting until everyone had gone. With the last footstep vanishing down the stairs, she finally answered.

  “I’m not,” she said, shaking her head. “I… lied.”

  Leif asked why she would lie about her condition and make the prince worry. Serena was reluctant to say anything at first, unsure what Leif might think if he learned. But he pressed, and she eventually gave in. She spoke about her vision once again, and about what she’d learned so far, and how it connected to the present.

  When she finished, Leif’s gaze dropped to the floor.

  “That means… Noel and his brothers…” Leif stammered. “They’re members of House Rohan?”

  Serena nodded. “I don’t know how to tell the prince. I tried to ask Noel if he knew anything about Laurent, but he had no idea.”

  Leif suggested they leave the matter alone, or else things might become more complicated than they already were. But Laurent’s hatred, his vow… they echoed in her mind.

  This rebellion isn’t over…

  Until you pay for his death in blood, Aurelien…

  “Do you think we can ask them… one more time?” Serena asked. “I just want to make sure…”

  “I guess we can,” Leif said. “But we’ll have to look for their house.”

  “We can ask the townsfolk,” Serena said. “A lot of people know them.”

  Leif agreed, and the two got changed. They stepped out quietly, careful not to alert Filandra as she tidied the knights’ room. Outside, they looked around to make sure neither the prince nor his men were nearby. With the coast clear, they headed out.

  They went to the three old men first, who, unsurprisingly, were seated on the same spot. Thankfully, they were familiar with Noel. But when asked by Serena where the brothers lived, the old men looked at each other, seemingly confused.

  “Brothers?” Karl repeated. “Runts ain’t brothers.”

  Serena narrowed her eyes and tilted her head. “We thought… someone said they were.”

  “They live together, aye,” the second old man said. “But they ain’t related in blood.”

  A cold chill swept down Leif and Serena’s backs. Leif, unsettled, asked next, “What about their parents? We helped them get something that was stolen from them. They said it’s from their parents.”

  The third old man shook his head. “Lad, I’ve known those ruffians since they’d been tots. All three met right here on these roads. Orphans, all three of ’em, but not from the same parents.”

  “No idea what you young’uns helped ’em with,” Karl said.

  Leif and Serena looked at each other, brows knit. Without saying a word, they turned to the old men again.

  “Do you know where they live?” Serena asked.

  “Aye,” Karl responded, somehow feeling the growing severity of the scenario.

  “Please,” Serena said, her tone grimmer. “Tell us where to find them.”