Kastali Dun

Reyr took a seat upon the sofa opposite King Talon, who appeared to be brooding, as usual. Darkness had already fallen and the evening meal had long passed. A fire had been drawn in King Talon's large fireplace; it crackled in the grate, casting long shadows about the room. The other Shields had not yet arrived, so he took advantage of their time to ask, "How did your meal go? Did Claire behave herself? Did you?"

After time invested coaching Talon, he was eager to hear the verdict, but he refrained from asking until now. He had hoped to hear news from Claire, but she had been silent on the matter. In fact, he had not heard from her all day, which was rather unusual, leading him to believe that perhaps the meal had not gone well.

"It could have gone better," Talon mused, without removing his gaze from the flames.

"Ah-ha. That is the reason for your dour mood. What happened, exactly?"

Talon gave an audible tut before shrugging.

"Did she like your gift?"

"She did—or at least I thought she did."

Reyr raised an eyebrow to inquire.

"She left it behind, so I cannot be sure."

"I see. Was that because you said something to upset her?"

"I did my best! Everything went well at first—better than I could have imagined. We..." Talon paused. Meanwhile, his features moved through several emotions before settling into a frown. "We had another argument. She insulted me, regretted it immediately, then stormed out."

Pride flared up in Reyr's chest. Claire was the only person, besides himself, with enough gall to insult King Talon. Despite feeling pity for Talon's unlucky run-in with her, he silently cheered Claire's boldness. The king needed someone to challenge him; Claire was that person.

"Are you smiling because you think I deserved her insult?"

"Forgive me, Your Grace. I was. But come now, it could not have been so bad. What did she say?"

Talon sighed before leaning his head back and shutting his eyes. When he next spoke, his voice was flat. "She said that because I am not accustomed to taking orders from women, it is a good thing I failed to find a queen." Lines of grief appeared on Talon's features, pairing themselves with his scars. Had his eyes been open, his sadness would have been reflected in them. Even though Talon had found peace, his failure still plagued him. Claire's reminder hardly helped.

"I am certain she did not mean it—" Talon's tower door opened, cutting off the remainder of his statement. Bedelth, Jovari, Koldis, and Verath filed into the room. Reyr glanced back at Talon to see that he had smoothed his features and tucked away his feelings. He appeared as if the conversation had never happened.

The others took their seats none the wiser. When Talon failed to acknowledge anyone, keeping his head back and eyes closed, Reyr took charge. "Shall we get started?" he asked when they were all settled. King Talon did not answer. The others gave their consent. He took charge, running through updates he had received from the North.

They had only just begun when the king's tower door burst open. It was flung hard enough to slam into the wall. The loud bang silenced the room. Even King Talon lifted his head and opened his eyes.

Desaree rushed into the chamber looking frantic; the door guards followed after with worried expressions. Desaree's entry had an immediate effect on Verath, who jumped from his chair. The others stayed seated in confusion.

Verath rushed to Desaree, which left Reyr suspicious. "What is the matter?" he asked. His voice was hushed as he took one of Desaree's hands in his. Reyr studied their suspicious behavior through narrowed eyes.

"She's not here!" Desaree whispered. Her eyes darted around the chamber. "I thought she would be here..." Judging by Desaree's behavior, it appeared as if she expected to find someone in the king's tower.

"She?" Verath asked.

It took a single instant for everything in Reyr's mind to click into place.

"I'm looking for Claire!" Desaree cried. "Where is she?" At these words, the remainder of the room's occupants, Reyr included, jumped to their feet and gathered around her.

"She's missing?" Talon asked. "Has she not been with you this whole time?" Evident worry flashed across his features.

"Not since this morning, Your Grace. She left to come here and never returned."

"I do not recall seeing her at dinner," Jovari added.

"And you are sure she is missing?" King Talon's scars were pulled tight; his soot-black eyebrows knitted together.

"Of course I am sure! I looked everywhere. Do you think I am frantic for nothing?"

"Be calm, Desaree. No one is accusing you of negligence." Verath's whispers were like gentle caresses. Reyr was certain now that something more was going on between these two. Verath never behaved this way towards women. Not unless...

"You never told me you were fond of Desaree." Reyr sent the silent thought to Verath.

"I did not tell you because it is my business."

"Fair enough." He pushed the thoughts from his mind. There were more important matters at hand.

"Well, Claire cannot have left the keep," Koldis said with more certainty than Reyr felt. "The guards would never permit it."

"Not to mention," King Talon said, "she is well aware of my rules on the matter. She knows not to disobey me."

"I am not so sure she takes your rules as seriously as she ought to, Your Grace," Reyr said. He was beginning to panic. "Claire!" he called telepathically. There was no answer. He hadn't expected one. Yet, he called out to her several more times, only to fail.

The king took charge of the situation as he began issuing orders. "Jovari, Bedelth, have the keep searched at once."

"Wait!" Desaree cried. Everyone froze. For a moment there was silence. "The postern door—the door in the garden—Claire knows about it."

"The...what?"

"The door that Tess uses to sneak out to the market," Desaree said. "Claire saw Tess use it once when we were working in the garden. She knows about it. The door is not guarded. Claire might have..." Desaree's face went pale. "Gods above!" she gasped. "What if Claire is wandering around the city at this very moment?!"

"You are certain that Claire would do something so reckless?" Koldis asked. Reyr already had a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach. Yes, Claire would definitely do something that reckless if her mood warranted it. She was impulsive in that way.

"I think we ought to trust Desaree," Verath warned. "She knows Claire better than the rest of us."

"Claire is impulsive, Your Grace," Reyr found himself saying. "If the two of you had an argument and she was upset, she might have done it..."

"Damn her!" Talon cried. He had gone quite pale at the idea of Claire leaving the keep. He ran a hand through his untamed hair. Reyr had only seen him like this once: the day Claire risked her life by jumping from the king's tower balcony to protect the Dragon Stones. Bedelth's news had reached them in Lincastle, leaving Talon frantic and powerless. This time, however, Talon was not powerless.

"Change of plans," Talon said. "Jovari, Koldis, put out a castle-wide search. Speak with everyone if necessary. Find out if anyone has seen Claire since this afternoon. Make sure the Castle's guards are on full alert. Bedelth, Verath, go to the city guard. Alert them of the situation. Organize a search of the city's streets. Reyr, you're with me. We will fly to the fort immediately. Desaree, thank you for your information."

Everyone jumped into action until Reyr and Talon were left alone in the room. They went to the tower's balcony where they could transform and take flight. The two of them launched into the sky simultaneously, flying the short distance from the keep to the fort.

Fort Kastali's leaders, Karanth and Eva, were more than accommodating. They organized search teams for the wilderness beyond the city just in case Claire had somehow slipped out of the city gates. When Karanth first suggested the possibility of it, Reyr did not miss Talon's groan of despair. The thought of Claire getting as far as the wilderness beyond the city terrified them all.

"This is my fault for keeping her against her will," Talon muttered loud enough for Reyr to hear. "I knew this would happen sooner or later. She hates me. She would jump at any opportunity to get away from me, from here, and return home."

"I do not think so," Reyr said, trying to contradict him. "Perhaps once, but not now."

As Karanth divvied out orders, Eva made sure Talon's wineglass remained full. After the delegation finished, Reyr and Talon departed to search the city.

They flew low over each of the districts, often times doubling back when they saw something suspicious. As they flew, they scrutinized the streets. Bedelth and Verath had done a good job: The city's watch had been roused and the streets were alight with torchlight. For hours they flew in circles. They received regular updates as news flowed in—but none of it was good news. It appeared that Claire was nowhere to be found.

As the night wore on, Talon grew more frantic. He demanded that all buildings in the city be searched, including all dwellings, shop fronts, inns, taverns, storage facilities, and the like. "Search the ships at the docks and those at anchor too," he instructed as they circled the city high above.

Even though Reyr agreed that every building in the city should be searched, he was forced to squash the king's demands. Because they had no warrants as of yet, they could do no such thing. The city's inhabitants were entitled to their privacy. Furthermore, warrants would not be issued without just cause—unless King Talon had reliable proof that Claire was within a building, the political system would not allow for a search. As unfortunate as it was, they had no solid leads on her location.

"What good is my title of king if I cannot take advantage of it!" Talon roared when Reyr put an end to his ranting.

"Just because you are the king, does not make you above the law. I want her found as badly as you, but we both know what it will do to your reputation if you break your own laws. We cannot risk it—not yet anyway."

"TO HELL WITH THE LAWS!" Talon's voice was a painful blast to his mind. "I will not have her injured, or worse. I will not have it!"

"Reyr is right," Verath was always the voice of reason. He swooped in, joining them in the air over the city with his red, sparkling scales. "I do not think she has left the city, Your Grace. The guards have been informed—no one is to exit the city gates without a thorough search. We will find her."

They continued long into the early hours of the morning, double and triple checking. When at last dawn began to peep from the horizon, Reyr insisted that they return to the keep with Talon, regroup, and discuss an alternative plan of action. "Let us not forget," he added, "that Saffra has the ability to Scry. We will see if she can find Claire's location."

"Bah!" was all Talon had to say to that.

Reyr had the Shields escort King Talon back to the keep while he completed several check-ins with the various search parties. The updates remained the same. There was no sign of Claire. It was as if she had simply disappeared without a trace.

No matter how many times he called out to her telepathically, she gave no response. He had never missed her voice in his mind like he did now. She had never been quiet for this long. That did not sit well with him, but he refused to jump to conclusions. She was alive—he could tell. If he pushed his mind far enough, her presence was there like a faint whisper, but that was not entirely reassuring.

When dawn light was spilling onto the city, Reyr returned to the keep. The various search parties would continue in his absence. The moment had come to speak to King Talon about something he had avoided for weeks.

Reyr found Bedelth, Jovari, Koldis, and Verath, posted up in the Hall of Kings just outside the tower's door. He was about to open the door when Verath said, "King Talon wishes to be alone." This gave Reyr pause. "Do you wish to know why?" Verath added.

The others snickered.

"I would have assumed it would be obvious," Reyr answered. "Judging by your laughter, I must have missed something."

"Oh yes, you missed something all right." Jovari could hardly keep the laughter from his voice, which was rather odd given the circumstances.

"Just tell him, Jovari." Verath sounded impatient.

"All right, all right," Jovari said. "When we returned, Lady Caterina came by and insisted upon comforting her king in his time of need."

Reyr sighed and shook his head. "I bet Talon loved that," he muttered, removing his hand from the doorknob. "I assume she is gone now?"

"Oh yes." Jovari's smile was wide. "She scurried away as quickly as she came. Talon nearly burned her to a crisp, I can tell you that much. I do not think I have ever seen him behave so discourteously to anyone."

"I can hardly blame him for it," Reyr said. "Her comfort couldn't have come at a worse time. Now, if that is all, I think I shall take my chances."

The others shrugged but otherwise offered no further warning.

Reyr entered the tower alone. He found Talon brooding on his main-floor balcony. Talon's back was to him, but his body was hunched in defeat, bathed in the dawn's soft light. Reyr stood motionless for nearly a minute, watching his king, hesitant to approach. When he saw Talon's body shake with a silent sob, the severity of his king's feelings were uncovered.

Reyr had wondered when this would happen—he had wondered when his king would finally succumb to an emotional breakdown. The burdens Talon faced each and every day were more than any single person should, human or not. He summoned up the courage to speak: "The entire city is out searching, Talon. We will find her. We will."

Talon turned to reveal a face full of emotion; his eyes glittered. Reyr could not remember a time when Talon had cried—perhaps he never had. Talon spoke: "I can feel it inside, Reyr, like a sickly feeling, clawing at me. I am afraid for her. What's worse, this is my fault."

"How can you blame yourself, Talon? You did not send her through that door."

"Don't you see? I should have gone after her when she fled! I allowed her to leave. I was so..." Talon covered his eyes with his hand. "I was so upset by her insult," he whispered. "I let her go. I should have run after her. I let her go..."

"Anyone would have done the same."

"But I am the king! I am not merely anyone."

Reyr sighed. What could he say to ease his king's grief? Talon would blame himself no matter what; that's how he was.

"How could I have let this happen, Reyr? Am I really such a terrible king? I continue to fail—again and again! If she is dead..."

"If she is dead, then what?"

"Then..." Talon pulled on his hair and glanced about, trying to come up with a solution. "If she is dead, then I will jump from this balcony."

Reyr felt the side of his mouth twitch. "And what? Sprout your wings? Fly away?" It probably wasn't the best time for humor.

Talon sighed in defeat; his shoulders sagged. "I suppose. Given what I am, jumping from anything would be useless."

"You are no coward, Talon. You are our king."

"Sometimes I wish I were a coward. Sometimes I wish I was coward enough to run from it—from my duties—from her. Dragonwall deserves a better king."

Reyr covered the remaining distance between them and grasped Talon's shoulder, giving his king a rough shake. "She is not dead, Talon. You are a great king—the best king Dragonwall has ever seen. You must stop considering yourself a failure. No king could do what you have done, given the circumstances."

"If I am so great," Talon said, his voice turning into an anguished whisper, "then why do I feel this way?"

"You feel this way because the woman you love is missing and you blame yourself." His statement may have been bold, but Reyr knew it was true. He knew so because Talon's feelings mirrored his own. That alone was worrying; it meant he too loved Claire.

"I do not love her," Talon answered far too quickly before scowling.

"Then you are lying to yourself." In that moment, Reyr realized his words were meant for both of them. His heart sank. How could he have let this happen? How could he have allowed himself to fall in love with the first woman his king had ever loved? Shame washed over him when he thought of how she had come between them. He should have seen it coming.

Was it really a surprise? It was too easy. The way Claire reminded him of Gemma in both personality and appearance. It left his heart aching. All the time they had spent alone together. The secret they shared from the world. The way Claire's voice sounded in his mind when she spoke to him.

Talon loved Claire. Reyr loved them both. In his heart, there was only room for one. "Talon, there is something I must tell you."

"Can it not wait?"

"No. It cannot."

"Then what?"

"I have not been entirely forthcoming with you."

The look Talon paid Reyr made it evident that Talon was merely humoring him when he said, "Explain."

"Claire and I have been hiding something from you." Reyr felt his shame acutely as it pulled at his heart. The weight was crushing. If he spoke now, if he said what he was about to say, then Claire's trust would be lost to him. But she could never truly be his, even if Talon felt nothing for her, because he had already failed in his oath. His failure proved one thing: he could not afford to love when it forced him to forsake his oath and put someone before his king. It was time to put things right.

"Claire possesses a secret ability. She hears the telepathic conversations of every single Drengr in existence." Before Talon had time to be shocked, Reyr went into detail, explaining exactly what Claire's ability meant. "I promised that I would never lie to you. But I also promised her that it would go unmentioned unless you asked."

Talon was overcome first with shock, and then with disbelief. As much as he tried to disguise it, his eyes were too telling. "She...she hid this ability from me?"

"That surprises you?" Reyr's brow furrowed.

"Why didn't she tell me?"

"Because she is terrified of you, Talon, or at least, she was. She feared that you would be angry with her, that you would resort to your previous treatment of her."

"I already apologized to her for that!" Talon roared.

"I know. I know." Reyr held up his hands in submission.

"All this time...she heard everything? And what of the others? She hears all of them? All of us?"

"Yes. Everything. Everyone. I helped her understand how to block the voices when they become overwhelming, but for the most part, her abilities are involuntary. Until recently, she had no control over them. That was the reason for her headaches."

"I assume you have already tried to use this telepathic ability to find her?"

Reyr nodded. "When Desaree first came to us, I tried to call out to her. I had hoped she would answer. Thus far, no answer has come..."

"And you are sure that her silence does not indicate death?"

"I am certain that she is alive."

Talon nodded before saying, "All this time and you never told me? ...I have said so many things about her...No wonder she thinks I am a monster." Talon looked aghast.

Reyr hung his head in shame—in defeat. "There is no excuse I can give for such behavior, Your Grace."

"Help me to understand, Reyr. Is your oath so easily forgotten?"

"I allowed Claire to come before my duty," Reyr said, his voice low. "My feelings for her clouded my judgement. I justified it by agreeing to myself that if you ever asked, I would tell you the truth. Hiding secrets is no better. I see the fault in my ways, Your Grace."

"Your actions are conniving, Reyr, and you know it."

"Aye. I must live with my shame."

"You love her then?" Talon's gaze was calculating.

"I will never love her more than I love you, Your Grace. You are my king—my brother in all but bl—"

"Yet...you love her."

"Something fierce." Reyr shook his head. "I will turn my feelings off. I will squash them. I was stupid and reckless. I allowed it to happen before realizing it. Now that I know of my shortcomings, I will make the necessary arrangements to eliminate my regard for her."

"What sort of arrangements? What can you mean?"

"I am needed in the North. My brother requests my presence to assist with war preparations. When this mess is over—when Claire is brought to safety—I will travel to Fort Squall. Distance will be the best thing for me."

The king was silent for a moment. When he answered at last, he sounded uncertain. "I am not sure I like the idea. My need is just as great, if not greater than your brother's."

Reyr's heart tightened. "I beg this of you, my king: give me a leave of absence. I can no longer hide what I feel for her. I love her, just as you do. I must go."

Talon appeared to consider the request. At last he sighed. "I have always trusted your judgement, Reyr, more than anyone. However, if you must go, then it will be when I am ready for your departure. I have several affairs to put in order first."

Reyr gave Talon a curious look, prompting Talon to say, "I must take the Dragon Stones to the Gable Forest. Claire has demanded it of me."

"I see."

"Let us depart together then. We will fly north, but only once Claire is brought to safety. In the meantime, I need your assistance with that. Are these terms agreeable?"

The terms were entirely fair. Reyr bowed his head. "I accept. Thank you, my king."

Talon nodded, then retreated to the balcony parapet, his back set upon Reyr once more.

Reyr's chest fell. "Talon..." he hesitated.

Talon turned to regard him over his shoulder.

"I do not believe that I am entitled to ask for your forgiveness. I am sorry for what I have done. I hope that someday you might give it."

"You are forgiven."

Reyr's brow furrowed. He did not deserve Talon's quick forgiveness and was surprised to receive it. Still, his heart wept to see Talon's disappointment of him. His king's sorrowful gaze returned to the sea.

He went up to Talon and stood beside him for several painfully long moments. At last he said, "We will find her, Talon. I swear to you that we will."

"I know..." came Talon's response. "I both long for it and fear it. Once we find her, I will gain her and lose you. It is an outcome I am struggling to accept."

Reyr's breath fled his chest. "Your loss of me will not be forever," he murmured.

"I should hope not, my friend. I should hope not..."

It took everything Reyr possessed to hold himself together. He stood with clenched muscles, trying not to let his body gasp with grief. It was too much. The truth was out. He had done what he came to do. He could no longer bear Talon's emotions. With a final apologetic look directed at his king, he took his leave.

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