As Felix tossed the most beautiful sword in the five kingdoms into the ship, King Ariel joined his side. The current of the Left Twin was always strong, the vile wind making it stronger still. The King blew a wet lock of hair from his face and stretched his bow.

Fox held his breath when the arrow soared through the sky and plunged into the water with a sharp plunk. Next to him, Fawn gasped. She snagged Fox's hand, as if to hold it, but he pulled it back. Her hand had been wet and cold, and they weren't friends.

In the distance mumbled a deep voice, "And he's our King?"

Meanwhile, one of the guards had hastened to the King with another burning arrow. He snatched it from the man's hands and aimed at the rapidly floating ship.

He fired again; a hasty, sloppy shot that flew into the river, missing its target by mere inches.

From all corners of the courtyard came moans, groans, and an occasional panicky prayer. The old lady behind him whispered loudly, "It's that Grandmaster, Ewe. She's using her magic to make His Majesty fail on purpose—to make him look like a bad King."

Would she really?

Hawk was watching the ceremony from the top of the granite stairs, her arms behind her back. There was hardly any emotion on her face, but this was Hawk. She was always meddling with affairs that weren't her business.

Felix was visibly growing restless as King Ariel put a third burning arrow on the nock and stretched his bow. The little prince alternated between looking up to his father curling his fingers over the bowstring and the ship that was slowly heading towards the tunnel underneath the castle.

"I can't watch this." Fawn pressed her forehead against his arm. This time he let her. "If the King misses again, the ship will be too far away. Princess Panthera will never be allowed in the heavenly halls of our Gods. She'll be doomed for all eternity."

Weird. In Laneby, the dead were either burnt on a pyre or buried in the forest. The families had the last saying, though a lot depended on the weather too. Vanya had been burnt because the ground had been too frozen to dig a grave. Besides, the Gods welcomed any man who wasn't wicked in their homes, didn't they?

But if the Gods in Silvermark were different from those in The Greenlands, then he had to do something for the Princess. She shouldn't suffer in the seven hells for all eternity.

He painted a picture of a burning arrow in his head. It flew in a wide arc and pierced the ship's broadside, where the simple blaze turned the wooden construction into a burning inferno with smoke rising higher than the roof of Mage Tower.

When the King shot the arrow, he had nocked it up so high that it was bound to miss its target again. With a subtle twitch of his fingers, Fox forced it back onto the right course. His eyes followed every inch of the arrow's path until it bore straight into Panthera's thigh, her red dress catching fire instantly.

He smiled. Not perfect, but he had saved the day and the Princess' eternal soul.   

The two women behind him were complaining that magic must have been used, but their nagging was compared to the massive wave of relief that washed over the courtyard and the royal family. Many of the children jumped up and down, with a few of them clapping. Their cheering died as a strong scent of burning flesh swept over their heads. The smell of pine wood and the snowdrop flowers was too faint to mask it. Everywhere, people held their sleeve or a handkerchief in front of their mouths.

Fox pinched his nose, his memories transporting him right back to the ruins of Laneby. Roasted, sour meat. This was what his village had smelled like too. Only then, it had been Katla's doing and hundreds of people had died that day.

Had it been wrong to help the King of Silvermark, the one who had given the order to kill every last one of the Lanebyers? 

A numbness settled in the pit of his stomach. What was a virtue, what a sin—he couldn't tell anymore.

When the last of the white flowers had disappeared into the water, Fawn pulled at his arm. "Let's go back, Fox. I'm thirsty."

He followed Fawn, but not without watching the procession retreat into the castle. King Ariel had not wanted him to stay in Silvermark at first, but then he had changed his mind. Why? What was so special about him?

Katla pulled him close as soon as they rejoined the adults. He ran his fingers along Fox's hood, his touch unnecessary and plain annoying because it was still raining and he was getting wet. "I had an inkling it was you." Katla's hot breath whispered into his ear. "Who taught you Air Magic?"

Fox jerked away, his eyes set on a loose cobblestone that was far more interesting than anything his master would have to say. "I did it myself. You weren't around to teach me."

"So you had no help?"

"Falcon helped me a little, but only at first."

"That's... impressive. I'm proud of you, son."

"You don't have to be, Katla. It's just Air Magic."

"But I wanna try ale, Badger." Fawn's whining was a welcome gift. He didn't want to talk to Katla.

"Phoe, can you take Badger and Fawn to The Antler?" Doe handed the keys from her belt. "There's fresh soup on the stove that only needs to be reheated, and I've stocked special almond milk for the occasion—it's better for the younglings than ale."

"Sure. Wanna help me out today, Fawn?" Phoe asked her. "No banquet for us, but serving drinks in the best tavern of Silvermark ain't no punishment either, right?"

"It's better than lame banquets!" Fawn yelled. "We'll be team Phoe-Fawn, serving food and drinks faster than lightning bolts."

Fox shoved the tip of his shoe in the crack between the cobblestones. "Why is The Antler even open when there's free food in the stalls?"

"Because the frying pans and barrels will soon be empty, and then people will flock to the taverns for more. I'd be a Foambrain if I kept The Antler closed this afternoon. I'll earn more now than all moons of winter combined."

Fox gave a quick nod. The group split into two, with Phoe, Badger, and Fawn going to the tavern and him, Katla, Doe climbing the same stairs that the royal family had been on before. At the top, they were halted by a greying guard who scratched their names from a foot-long parchment, using an entirely bronze feather. 

From there, they were escorted by the young guard Fox had seen the day he had met Princess Panthera. The man gazed over their heads, his eyes dim and colourless, until Doe patted his arm. "I've heard that she really loved you, Bear. The Gods play cruel games."

"Not as cruel as the human who did this to her." He clenched his fist around his lance so hard that his knuckles turned white and growled, "I'll get him and torture him until he tells me why!"

"Unless it's a woman," Fox said nonchalantly. "I've heard someone say that it could have been Grandmaster Hawk."

Katla snorted, "Don't believe everything you hear on the streets, son. People assume too many things. She's capable of many things, but murder—I don't think so. I've seen the way Hawk tried to save Felix. She's innocent."

"If you had allowed me to come, I would have seen it too."

Katla shook his head. "Get over it already."

Fox couldn't. Bear guided them until they were at a large, rectangular hall that had one giant fireplace that covered half of the northern wall. It gave off so much heat that Fox instantly felt dryer and warmer. Numerous people were already sitting in groups of six or twelve at many of the oaken tables. Closest to the door sat Leo and Wolf. The bastard Prince was showing off his scariest face by twisting his lips and crossing his eyes, which made Leo laugh.

Right at the middle of that table, King Ariel was sitting, his arm around Queen Cobra, who had taken off her veil, her porcelain face marked by red scrapes of grief. On her lap sat Prince Felix. She was slowly rocking the boy who was visibly shaking.

The King raised his cup towards them. He beckoned a serving girl, clad in a silver apron, to come near. After some gesticulating, she approached them and bowed. "His Majesty has asked me to bring you to your table."

They got a seat close to the royal family, at a table reserved for twelve people. He recognised some faces from the Mage Council meeting, but knew hardly anyone by name. Apart from Hawk, with whom Doe and Katla struck an interesting conversation about Bear.

Fox stuck his finger in the candle, poking it to make the flame grow in size and intensity. He caught the bastard Prince staring at him as he honoured his nickname by wolfing down the food that a serving girl had placed in front of him. Fox wrapped his hand around the flame, appearing as though he had caught it. Wolf stopped licking his plate and gawked at him. 

He let go of the candle and ignited the flame, as though nothing had happened before. Wolf sniggered, tapping Leo's arm, but the tall warrior was too deeply involved with an old lady wearing a bright red diamond around her neck to notice the little boy.

When Fox got his own plate of roasted sheep with baked potatoes and tiny carrots, Wolf was ogling Felix's portion that was growing cold because he had refused to eat any of it. All the royal adults ignored him. In the end, it was a serving girl who went into discussion with the Queen and gave the plate to the bastard Prince. 

After dinner, most of the royals scattered around the hall, leaving Wolf alone on his side of the table. Leo joined them, squeezing himself onto the bench, in between Katla and him. He gave Katla a smack on the back. "Thanks for your help the other day. It's really appreciated by anyone."

Fox zoned out of their conversation, too painful to get reminded that he hadn't been allowed to help. Queen Cobra hadn't gotten up from her seat. Prince Felix was still glued to her lap, his head resting against her shoulder. She was caressing his cheek and whispering to him.

Mother always did the same when he wasn't feeling well. He touched the drawing of her that he always kept folded in his pocket. As his fingers touched the paper, he didn't miss her quite as much as before.

"That's because you were one scary nanny, Doe." Leo guffawed.

"I had to be. You boys were a complete pain in my backside," Doe mused. "Ariel and Caracal. Pretty faces, but such filthy mouths. You made everything worse when you came over to visit your cousins. The terror of Moonstone Castle."

"Someone had to show the young ones how it was done." Leo was still laughing when he bumped his elbow into Fox's ribs. "Speaking of boys—there are a few of the lordlings' sons over there."

A few tables away from the fire sat a group of loud boys who were arm-wrestling each other. Their woodpecker-like laughter and the way they twisted each other's arms was everything but inviting.

"Come on, son. Don't be shy. Go and say 'hello' to them." Katla smiled. "Apart from Fawn, you don't have any friends your age."

"I'm not friends with her," Fox mumbled.

Those boys seemed to have the right amount of fun without him disturbing their game. On the other side of the hall, Wolf was running around the serving girl who had given him Felix's plate. He was roaring with laughter as she played tag with him.

"Why don't you try it? It's not that hard to make friends, darling," Doe suggested.

"I know." Fox got up from his seat. If there was one person in the room in desperate need of a friend, it was Prince Felix. 

His heart hammered in his chest, but he wasn't scared as he marched up to the table of the royal family. They were just people; people who had lost someone they lost. He knew what that was like.

"H-Hi." Fox bowed as he stood in front of the Queen and Prince. "Your Majesties."

Felix briefly glanced up, but it was Queen Cobra who spoke up, her voice soft and sweet. "Hi, who are you?"

Nerves pulsed through his body as he rocked back and forth on the edges of his shoes. He had to catch a few breaths before muttering, "Fox."

"Hey, Fe. Don't you think it would be nice to say hi to Fox?" The Queen tried, but Felix murmured disapprovingly. "He's Katla's apprentice."

"Yeah, I know. Father told me."

"Did he?" The Queen cocked her head. She shook her head briefly, then she smiled at him. "I have to apologise, young Fire Master. Prince Felix doesn't feel like playing right now. Maybe you can come to the castle in a few weeks when he's better?"

"Sure. I understand. I'll ask Katla." He lingered for a bit, unsure if he should go already. "I lost my big sister too. We fought a lot, and I often prayed to the Gods that she would disappear from my life forever. But I miss her, and I wish she wasn't dead."

Felix looked straight at him. "Was she killed by an evil man too?"

"Erm..." 

The Prince's words cut at his throat. He found himself unable to respond, to breathe even. He turned around and found Katla talking to the King and Hawk, alone in a corner—the three of them. King Ariel was gesticulating wildly, threatening Katla. Hawk was the one trying to calm them. And she was failing, by the angry looks on their faces.

What was good or evil? Who was a friend and who an enemy? Katla had been his friend, but he had killed so many people to please his King, or had he been pleasing Hawk all along? That woman who had kissed Katla when he hadn't wanted to, who had turned him into a monster in Mage Tower all those moons ago. Today he had been defending her—why?

"I-I gotta go." Fox stammered. But he didn't know where. He didn't want to run up to Katla, nor did he want to see Doe or Leo. It had been Leo who had stolen him from Alex, who had violently bound him to that horse.

Were they really his friends? Or had he been a Foambrain to trust them?

He rushed out of the hall, into the corridor where Bear was talking to a man in an exquisite robe. "I was there in Sundale when Half-Ear officially announced his new heir. I take Felix any day. The kid's a feisty little fighter compared to that flour bag. According to my daughter, Prince Sebastian cries for his dead daddy every single night."

Sebastian. Prince Sebastian.

It was a key that unlocked his memories, the treasure all the details of his first encounter with King Ariel and Grandmaster Hawk. The cold reaction of the King when Katla had told him about Lord Brandon's death. He and Seb had had to die so he could steal the throne. Killing all the other Lanebyers had been a decoy to fool the Greenlander King.

Fox ran, confused by his own thoughts and conclusions. Seb had gotten away. He was a Prince. That meant that he had all the means to come and rescue him, but hadn't. 

His friend had forgotten him too.

He didn't stop running until he was standing with both feet in the freezing cold waters of the Right Twin, near the spot where he had caught most of the rats he had sold to Falcon. He picked up a rock the size of his fist and threw it into the water, the ripples in the water growing along with his confusion.

King Ariel could have killed him, allowed him to join his parents and sister in the heavenly halls, but he hadn't done that.  Why?

A rustling sound made him leap up, a flame as large as an entire candle hovering above his hand. It was Mallard. The marble merchant. He nodded a greeting and lowered his flame, then blew it out.

"Impressive. Can I sit here with you?" the man asked. "Seems like the only quiet spot left in this city. I usually don't mind busy streets—they're good for business—but I've seen too many drunkards for a while."

"As long as you aren't too quiet." Fox threw another stone into the water, embracing the God of Wrath. "If you are, the rats will come. Not that I won't be able to kill them."

"I've heard you're good. Nobody brought more rats to Falcon than you."

"Yeah, one day I'll be the best magician warrior in the world."

"That's ambitious." Mallard chuckled. "How are you gonna prove that you're the best?"

"I'll... I dunno. Everyone will just know that I'm the best." Fox spun his hand, a stone flying into his hand. He threw it up, using the wind to make it fly up. The stone came back down. Both he and Mallard were soaking wet when it landed into the water.

"I'm not sure I like this game, Fox. You seem tense. Why don't you show me how to kill a rat?"

"Good idea." He got out of the water and laid down in his spot, right behind the rusty wheelbarrow under which the rats often sought shelter. "Now you have to be quiet," he told Mallard.

The marble merchant didn't say anything.

Fox closed his eyes to focus on the sounds that non-magicians wouldn't be able to pick up. There was a heavy thumping of footsteps, but it sounded so distant that he doubted it would scare off rats. Closer was the natural soothing sound of water flowing. He searched his surroundings for a tremble underground or a shrill peep from under the nearby ferns.

Katla should have told that Seb was a Prince. He's a liar, a murderer, and no longer my friend. 

There was so much hate bubbling inside him that he could obliterate the King of rats if the creature let out of the wrong squeak at the wrong time.

Then he heard something, metal against leather. That was odd. When he shot his eyes open and turned to his side, there was no rat there, but Mallard with a silver dagger shining in his hand. He was grinning, "It's not your fault—I'm doing it for the gold."

"What do you mean? What's going on?"

"King Thomas doesn't want you taking his throne, kid." The man jumped on him, slamming him with his back against the ground. He bared his teeth. "Finally got his permission to do this. I've been waiting all winter."

Fox struggled loose, kicking and screaming, trying to remember every move that Leo had taught him, but none of them sprung to mind. He didn't have a sword—why hadn't he saved for his Fox-shaped sword?

Because he was a magician and didn't need it. 

He clawed at the man's throat. Everybody's an enemy. Nobody cares about me. When the dagger was inches from his heart, a green beam of fire erupted from his hand, into Mallard's neck.

The marble merchant uttered a short yet excruciating scream as he collapsed onto him, the weight of the falling man thrusting the dagger into Fox's upper chest.

An indescribable pain soared through him, cutting his vocal cords. Burning flesh penetrated his nose, the fumes clouding his mind. He was unable to lift a muscle, unable to think as a hot liquid poured all over him, soiling his clothes and leaving him more drenched than he already was.

He had killed the marble merchant. No rat, but a man of flesh and blood.

He felt light in the head, and incredibly cold, colder than he had been all winter. Tears were flooding down his cheeks as he groaned, "Mother. I want my mother."

The world around him grew fuzzy. He heard nothing but the sound of his fading heartbeat. All he felt was the all-consuming agony that dominated every single vein in his body. 

Then there came a quick bright light, followed by a mind-numbing darkness that forced his eyes shut. 

It brought relief from all pain.