14

  “Fuck off!” a voice screamed out from inside the capital after Magnus knocked again. Omar shrugged his shoulders and the two waited patiently to be allowed in. They hoped whoever was inside would appear at door, eager to greet them. With the sound of it, this fantasy would not play out the way the men had hoped. They both shrugged at one another sarcastically and tried knocking once more. “Will you fuck off?! Stupid fucking peasants, just die!” a man roared.

  “Must be Little Hyvin,” Omar whispered.

  Magnus laughed, walking away. “He’s useless. Let’s see to the other daughter then. Amy was it?” Omar nodded in agreement.

  They descended a spiral staircase, passing a squadron of guards storming towards the entrance to the capital, ready to bust through the rioters outside. Omar stared out the window and saw protesters tearing down the metal fence that surrounded the royal fortress. Citizens began throwing weapons at the palace guards, who were unable to take on the large swarm of angry rioters.

  “Amy Archer. I have heard that name before.” Omar winced as the crowd of madness continued to cause chaos outside.

  Magnus returned to Omar, examining the hall . “She was noted to have some incident at a tavern a few years ago. Now, the King doesn’t permit her to leave this castle. Ever.”

  Magnus paused for a moment before speaking again. “If you ask me. This King doesn’t know how to rule or be a father. I wasn’t prepared for what you told me, Omar. Racist. Narcissistic. Vial. All those evil things are trapped inside that broken shell the King holds out.”

  When they turned a corner of the hallway, the carpet changed to a golden fabric with a new intricate pattern. The two walked towards a large prismatic window that blocked the outside from view completely.

  “He is…” Omar stumbled on his words, seeing a painted picture of Luna with three other women. One girl had brunette hair with a silver tip on the end of her ponytail. The other was a frail blonde girl hiding behind her, while a masculine red-haired woman sat behind a throne chair. Sitting in the throne is a well-built man, not resembling Hyvin in the slightest. The painter captured this well-toned physique very well…or was forced to.

  “…All of those horrid things,” Omar finished staring deeply at the painting.

  “I thought only three children lived?” Magnus asked. He crossed his arms and stared at the painting alongside Omar.

  Omar nodded. “Well, only three that are known to the public eye. But there’s the cruel tale of the Silva, Phizer, and Archer family.” He briefly explained, “The King took with him three women twenty-five years ago when his reign began. Each of his children took on the last name of either Silva, his first wife, Archer his second wife, or Phizer, his mistress during both of his marriages.”

  “Interesting,” Magnus scoffed. “Do all Eastman have multiple wives?”

  “Not at all. Marriage is till death, unlike Viking tradition. My mother and father were hateful towards each other as they still are but are bound till death. Even though they both committed adultery, bringing other children into our family.” Omar thought of Maeve and the other brother he had never met. He shut his eyes and ridded himself of the negative thoughts with a deep sigh. “Doesn’t matter. They are not like Hyvin Archer.”

  Omar rubbed his fingers along the soft strokes of the painting. “Aege Silva and Archer Silva were twins and the King's first children. They died in their youth, after the siege with Sakaria. He blamed his wife and had her executed. Then, he had two silver-haired children with a woman in his court. His second wife questioned his loyalty, so he had his guards rape her. She ended up taking her own life after. His daughter Rhea left the capital some time ago… and his only son Damian, well, we were outside his door earlier. He takes after the King now.” Omar shook his head in disappointment.

  “By the gods…” Magnus looked away in astonishment. “An utter madman.” He backed away to the railing that led towards another staircase.

  “Yes,” Omar agreed. “After having his second wife murdered , he took the life of the bastard's mother to tie up loose ends. The second wife's children, Amy and Luna, were motherless from a young age. All they have known was the love of a terrible father, who treats them like vermin, which is why I want to save them from this life.”

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  Magnus nearly puked from the story, his face a miserable pale. “How do you know all of this?”

  Omar hesitated and looked at the painting once more with a soft smile. His eyes sparkled when seeing the painting again.

  “Because he comes here to see my sister… frequently I might add.” a voice from across the corridor responded. The honeyed voice soothed the ears of them both, as they turned towards the staircase.

  A woman crossed her arms beside the window with a graceful smile. Her cheeks filled with a red blush. “Hey, Omar.” She smiled, fixing her silk golden dress. Her hair matched the color of her dress and flowed down her back gently.

  Omar laughed. “Just who we were looking for.” He turned towards the woman, and her vibrant green eyes stared into his onyx ones. “Amy.”

  Amy came from the window and hugged Omar. “I didn’t know you were here until Luna ran off with her face all red,” she laughed.

  “You’re close with the royal family?” Magnus questioned his friend from afar. His eyebrow raised in judgement. “That information would have served greatly in this endeavor.”

  Omar hesitated to turn to Magnus. Feeling guilty, he nodded to Amy. “Yes. And no… It is complicated. I started coming here after Gamba to talk to the King. But he never would see me in court. His daughter did. Luna. And after a couple of visits, she and I eventually–”

  “A cute secret,” Amy muttered to Omar.

  “Oh?” Magnus looked at Omar for confirmation.

  Omar shuts his eyes and could only smile at the slight comment. Magnus walked to his friend and patted his shoulder. Magnus could only laugh at Omar’s embarrassment. Omar could feel the terrible father jokes coming.

  “Prince Omar, is it?” Magnus playfully hit Omar’s chest.

  “Shut up.” Omar laughed. “I'm sorry I didn’t tell you.”

  Magnus shook his head. “Who you bed is your secret. But it would be nice to know before I go and meet them next time.”

  “Don’t believe there will be a next time.” Omar looked to the floor. “I hope there isn’t.”

  Amy showed agreement with Omar by giving him a smile. Magnus held out his hand towards the young lady. “Magnus Kelly, clan leader of the Vikings from the North. You must be Amy.”

  Amy took a few steps back, her shoulders shaking like two mountains about to collapse. She froze and held herself as best as she could, but still winced at Magnus. She avoided eye contact with the Viking and stared at her shoes instead.

  Omar cleared his throat. “Amy is not one with crowds... The event at the tavern was with her sisters. Even then, her heart nearly popped out of her chest from what she told me. Took her half a year to even talk to me.”

  Magnus nodded. “Ah, apologies, my lady. I shall be more mindful next time.” He backed away.

  Omar turned to Amy. “Magnus is a great man. Trust me. May we talk somewhere in private?”

  “Everything okay?” Amy looked at him in fear. She placed her hand on her chest and took a deep breath.

  “Perfectly fine,” Omar addressed in a calming tone. The three walked away to her chambers, which were filled with nothing but books and old tales of adventurers of the past. Omar and Magnus went on to tell her about her father and the situation with the academy. Omar spoke most of the time, while Magnus chimed in occasionally on the situation.

  Omar opened his coat and revealed a small envelope to her. The name “Amy Archer” was printed on the flaming lion symbol representing the Belkos Champion Academy. “Here. I came to give you this,” he explained.

  She opened the letter, feeling a tad overwhelmed by the two men staring at her. She began to read out loud:

  “Dear Ms. Amy Archer,

  My name is Overseer Cassiel at the Champion Academy of Belkos. We are pleased to send you this by courier or eagle-bearer to inform you we would like you to join us in the coming semester as a student at our academy. Belkos is currently opening its borders to bring in more students to become cadets at our school during this time of need. Students must be between the ages of sixteen to twenty to enroll as first years at our four-year academy.

  Belkos is designed to create strong champions of the next generation, allowing its students to explore opportunities destined for an adventurer or warrior of the nation. We strive to protect each realm we serve and its people, the same as any royal family would. Right here in the heart of Edindale is where we are located and are fully ready to bring you in, to teach you the ways of the warrior through magical studies, combat-oriented practices, and a variety of other practices.

  Depending on how you receive this letter, either answer to your courier or send an eagle-bearer back to us. We hope you consider us during these hard times and choose to begin your journey with us. Aim high and elevate to the next level.

  Thank you, Headmaster Cassiel.”

  “Are you serious?” she asked Omar, staring at him with a puzzled look on her face.

  “Very.” he nodded. He pointed to Magnus and himself. “We are both professors at this academy now. Many good people are coming here to make a difference in this world since your father or the royal family of Sakaria will not. We need you. We need you and Luna both,” he begged.

  Magnus heard the riot erupting in the streets and looked out the window. Omar asked again, “Are you in? To leave?”

  Amy nodded, saying yes. The two men smiled widely. Magnus’s smile quickly fell as pointed at something through the window and shouted, “Omar! Luna is heading into the riot unguarded!”