Seconds seemed to stretch into days as they continued their silent trek through the shadowed passage. Thankfully, the path eventually angled uphill. Kain could have laughed in relief under different circumstances. Mentally tracking the twists, turns, and dips of the hall had been difficult, but the change told him it was probable that their location was near to the end depicted in the blueprints.

Probably.

Several minutes later, just as doubts began to bubble in his thoughts, a stone wall became visible on the edge of the witchlight. The closer their group grew, the more certain Kain became that they'd reached their destination. Dread settled on his spine like ice, however, as he realized their folly.

There were no levers, buttons, or even misplaced sconces decorating the plain stone. Shouldn't leaving a secret passage be easier than entering it?

His mind swept through what little he knew of secret passages. Artemios had repeatedly instructed Kain of every secret hidden in the Cieonian palace to the point he might be able to recite them in his sleep. Each method of activation slipped through his thoughts, leaving his eyes skimming the walls. But, in the end, there was nothing of merit.

It was just a wall.

In the baffled silence that seemed to overtake them all, Kain stepped forward, deciding to search for an indentation they couldn't see. It was unlikely to be trapped--the lack of security in the rest of the passage had eased any thoughts of danger from his mind--but he still didn't want to risk one of the others' safety if he were wrong.

His wariness flicked to surprise, however, as he was forced to pause when Rhode pushed past him without a word. Awed recognition flickered across her shadowed face. Her hands ghosted over the dusty stone.

"I remember this."

The siren's whisper hung on the edge of audible. She settled her palm over a stone that appeared no different than the others and--predictably--nothing happened.

"Rhode--" Kain began.

"Quiet."

The fierce instruction in that single word held all the authority of the queen she'd once been, and all the tension that came with her fallen position. It stole any thoughts of arguing from his mind, leaving a sole realization in their place.

Whatever their current situation, the countless dark, heavy emotions shifting across her face spoke volumes about how heavy every step they took deeper into Eolisan secrets was. For Rhode, this wasn't just a passage, and that wall wasn't just a stopping point.

It was her history.

"He...I don't remember his face. Or his voice," she whispered after a moment. "I have no memory of my time here, or of any secret passages. It's all just...blank darkness. Muffled emotions. A knowledge of something I should be able to reach, but cannot.

"But, this--the wall, the stones--I--I remember it. A hand over mine. A--"

Rhode cut off and seized an arrow from her quiver. Before anyone could stop her, she slashed the tip over her palm. Isidor cursed and the light cut out behind them. Darkness overtook Kain's senses, before the muffled slap of Rhode's palm against the stone echoed through the hall.

Then, impossibly, the stones seemed to shift on their own. They peeled back, illuminating the passage in glimmering moonlight. It seemed to embrace Rhode as she stepped away from the rest of them, her back to the open gardens before them. A glow encased her blank curls.

Rhode's eyes glimmered with invisible tears.

"The magic shouldn't recognize me," she told them. She didn't budge, even as Kain urged his own feet closer. "But, Akaikos...I think--the magic..."

"It feels like Taisol," Isidor surmised.

Rhode nodded. Her expression, and voice, echoed an impossible degree of numbness. "Taisol has always favored Eol's monarchy. I've read in the past...in books from the island, that the palace was built in her favor. Just as the Cieonian monarchy are akin to the merfolk in being called children of the moon, the kings of Eol have always been children of the sun."

Someone swore behind him--Callias, perhaps?--but Kain couldn't pull his eyes from the bitterness overtaking her expression.

"So, she blessed the palace. Many places within it became encased in her magic. The exact ways the deepest of secrets known only to the monarchy themselves.

"This must have been one of those places."

Suddenly, Kain realized why the act of the passage responding to her seemed to have sent Rhode from darkness into a state of shock.

There had been no levers because those who weren't recognized by Taisol likely weren't allowed to traverse the shadows. It was a passage meant to permit the royal family and trap those who might lurk in the shadows with ill intentions.

And yet, it recognized Rhode. No--it recognized Asha.

She must have been in shock. Even if the entire kingdom had condemned her. Even if her brother-in-law had thrown her into the depths of the Eolisan prison to be forgotten...

Taisol had never removed her blessing.

"We have to keep moving," Kain urged her, despite wishing he could allow her to pause and soak it all in. "If we stop..."

Rhode drew in a deep breath, before nodding. As important as the information was, it would do them no good if they lingered and were discovered by the guard. So, they paused just long enough for Isidor to run glowing fingers over her wound, before plunging into the night.

Heavy shadows crept around the corners of the gardens accented by glimmering moonlight. Kain's senses shifted into overdrive as energy as the moon's blessing flooded his exhausted frame. He could feel the soft click of Natia's nails against the stone beneath their feet. The heavy thump of Rhode's complicated, racing heart. The labored rasp that hung under each breath Mara drew.

The low scrap of metal in the distance.

It slowed his feet, eyes skimming the shadows. Rhode caught his arm, her senses a step behind his.

Armor clacked against the ground. A sword flashed in the moonlight as a handful of guards crept out of the shadows, weapons readied. The front was a recognizable face--the guard captain who had once shoved them into the dungeons at Kyril's order.

"If you drop your weapons, we'll take you in without harm," the man ordered.

Several tense seconds trickled by. Kain knew the answer he had to give, but it hung in his throat with impossible strength.

The moment he refused, they would truly become enemies of the state.

But, in the end, the second they fled with Mara between them they'd already picked a side.

"Rhode."

The captain tensed, his mouth opening to bark an order that would no doubt send the men at his back lunging towards them. Before he could speak, a low voice hummed through the air. It put Kain's hair on end despite the charm that hung around his neck.

The captain's eyes grew heavy. "You--"

He staggered forward, before slouching to the ground. Amour clattered as the majority of his men collapsed near simultaneously. Aware that relaxing would be foolhardy, Kain drew his sword. He met the eyes of the remaining three enemies with a hard stare.

"Can you fight us while defending your own?" he asked.

There was a pause. The tip of the forward-most guard's sword dipped the faintest degree. Before Kain could feel relieved, however, she pushed back her shoulders. Her blade swept into a ready position. It gave him a clear view of the gleaming cufflinks decorating the sleeve of her uniform. Information gained from their week in Sol flashed through his mind.

The woman was a knight.

Honor would keep her sword steady even if she wished to run. "It would be treason to ignore you, Your Highness."

Their blades met with a crash of steel.

Fighting broke out around him, but Kain couldn't afford to check on the others. He focused on the slip of his sword against hers, on the hair-raising screech of metal, and their smooth steps as they danced around the other's guard. The style felt familiar. The knight was likely someone he'd traded friendly blows with throughout the week. Regret mixed with satisfaction as Kain weighed their skills and found her lacking.

It felt wrong standing on this side of her sword. But, he couldn't hesitate.

Ten steps, a dodge, and the upward arc of his blade was all it took to place steel against the crook of her neck.

"If it is treason to fall back for their lives..." he began. "What of your own?"

His words echoed through the garden and within the minute he could hear the fights around him finding their end as well. He didn't spare them a glance--trusting that whomever of his companions had faced the others could handle this much.

The knight he held at swordpoint narrowed her eyes, seeming to weigh the circumstances. Then, reluctantly, she dropped her weapon. She didn't bother to answer him, but the implication behind her actions was enough. Kain's mind spun through their next steps.

Information, he decided. They needed information.

"Is the annex guarded?" Kain questioned.

The woman scowled. Something brushed against his leg, stealing his attention for the barest of seconds. Natia leaned her flank against him. Her wolfish, violet eyes met his gaze, before focusing on the knight. Her muzzle was brushed with blood, sending a shiver down Kain's spine as she bared her teeth in a growl.

The knight paled, but held her tongue. Taking advantage of Natia's assistance, Kain turned his attention to the others.

Rhode's voice still hummed through the garden, which was likely the reason her bow was drawn, but aimed at the ground rather than a guard. Like Kain, Callias' sword had found its own neck to threaten. His enemy had tripped, leaving her sprawled on the ground with no weapon in sight. The bloody, punctured state of her visible ankle when added to Natia's state told Kain exactly how that had happened.

Melitta's opponent had an arrow burrowed in their shoulder, and a bowstring across their throat. As Kain watched, Isidor pressed a glowing hand to the center of the guard's forehead and, after a moment, they collapsed in Melitta's grasp. Sleeping magic.

"Take care of the others," Kain told Isidor. "I doubt they'll tell us anything."

His mind went back to their current path. The knight's reluctance to answer did provide some information in itself, as minor as the detail was.

Even if the annex was secured and watched, there must have been some way to break in without being noticed. Otherwise, the knight could have just lied and said it was unguarded. They would have ended up facing a dead end and getting cornered before they retraced their steps to the training grounds. Of course, it made the opposite possible--that there wasn't a way in and attempting so would also leave them cornered--but following that line of thought would create endless worries. Being decisive was the only way to move forward.

Whatever happened, the end would be on his shoulders, but so would being caught because he was hesitant to bear that responsibility.

"It might be better if we change routes," Kain said as he lowered his sword.

Smartly, the knight didn't budge, her gaze stuck on Natia. Kain turned to face Rhode. The siren let her song fall away. Kain stayed silent for a moment, waiting for the guard captain to stir, before relaxing as none of the enchanted men reacted.

"You think we should try the annex?" she asked.

He nodded as the others--excluding Isidor and Natia--rejoined him. "Given what just happened, the training grounds are too much of a risk. We'll end up surrounded with knights on all sides."

Something complicated crossed Rhode's face. Her eyes slipped to Melitta, who looked away. Confusion gripped Kain'd mind, but before he could question it, the siren's attention had returned to him.

"I disagree," she said. Melitta winced. "If we detour through the annex, we lose the moon. I'm not sure Callias would be able to resist my song without it."

Kain looked to the merfolk in question, who until that second had been holding his palm against his temple. At their attention, however, he dropped it.

"I'm fine."

He obviously wasn't.

"Is there another way?" Mara ventured.

Kain shook his head. "Any other path and we risk running into the guard or wandering nobility."

"Then, I think we should do as you wish. I trust you to make the right call."

The sound of the last guard collapsing touched Kain's ears, followed by Isidor's loud sigh.

"I vote for the shorter path." The training grounds.

"I already voiced my opinion," Rhode said.

Natia yipped and pressed closer to Isidor. Was she saying she would follow whatever he wanted? Kain's attention cut to Callias, who was watching Melitta with a small frown in place. It was more emotion that he usually saw on the stoic merman. Seeming to feel Kain's gaze on him, Callias' eyes flicked up.

"I will follow Melitta."

She bit her lip, drawing Kain's attention despite everything. Her eyes seemed to meet his for an impossibly extended moment, before searching Rhode, then tilting back to the moon.

"I, too, want to trust Kain's judgment."

"Mel--" Rhode began.

"Let's go," Melitta cut in. "We don't have much time."

She was right.

So, instead of questioning what was going on, Kain decided to trust her in turn. Whatever it was, he could ask her when this was all over.

"Four to three. The annex it is."

┈♔◦𓇣◦☽◦❤◦☾◦𓇣◦♔┈

The short path between the gardens and the annex was mostly deserted. They ran into one more group of guards, but they were as simply dispatched as the first. The ease of their path grated on Kain's nerves like thorns.

'There should be more people.'

With the exclusion of the captain and the singular knight they'd encountered, every soldier they'd come across had been simple guardsmen. However, from his time spent with the guard, Kain knew the castle boasted at least a full order of knights at all times. Where were they?

"That's the door we want," Rhode murmured.

Kain pulled his attention from his suspicions, instead focusing on the annex's gated entrance. Excessive worrying would get them nowhere. For now, he needed to focus.

The wall encircling it was shorter than the outer walls, but still tall enough to discourage an attempt at boasting themselves over. He wasn't all that surprised to discover it unguarded. It'd been over two decades since Asha was condemned and stripped of her titles, afterall, and rumor said the annex had been locked the day everything fell apart.

Now, only those with appropriate positions were allowed through its gates'. Trespassing was said to be more of a risk than it was worth given the end result of imprisonment or worse.

Melitta stepped forward as Kain examined the door. She grimaced at his questioning look and offered a shake of her head.

"It is a more complicated lock than I can pick. And I think it may be magic'd."

Kain's mind spun. He had anticipated as much, but it still left them in a bind. It was the reason he'd initially thought the training grounds would be better--even if it was a heavier risk. Should they just kick it in? Would the noise be worth it?

Before he could settle his thoughts, Isidor sighed and shouldered his way between them. He cracked his knuckles, before shoving his palm against the door. A familiar golden glow overtook his hand, before lighting his irises in a way Kain had seldom seen in a witch. He glanced over his shoulder at them, a heavy scowl on his lips.

"You're lucky I'm as talented as I am. Next time you decide to take a killer and flee, think of a better plan that doesn't require skills no one has. Such as listening to my suggestions."

Kain bit back a retort--because, obviously Isidor did have the skills, he'd just chosen not to share the information--in an effort to keep from irritating the witch further. Isidor's frown deepened, before he let out yet another sigh.

"Being subtle will take too long. I'm just going to shatter it. Cover your eyes."

Caught off guard, Kain took a step forward. "You're going to wh--"

Threads sprung across the door in a blinding flash of gold that stung his eyes. The second he blinked away the glaring light, Kain found the heavy, iron-reinforced door crumbled to pieces before them. Isidor flexed his shoulders, before stepping over the mess and continuing into the annex.

"Well? Are you coming or not?"

Seeing no other option after coming this far, Kain drew in a deep breath and strode inside. "Let's go."

The palace beyond the towering walls was more simple than he had expected.

The decorations were far from the extravagant tastes of the main building. The inner garden--still alive, despite the passage of time--was overgrown, but beautiful. A sitting area could be spied off in the distance, not that they had time to examine it.

Kain strode directly to the front entrance of the building, breathing a sigh of relief as the door came open within his grasp. Akaikos must have viewed the outer door as a good enough dissuasion for most would-be thieves and trespassers. It was odd, given how meticulous the man had been about material things, but lucky for them. It allowed the group to cut through the main halls without pausing.

Despite his haste, Kain couldn't help but notice the unusual state of their surroundings.

Countless paintings, statues, busts, and other mediums of art decorated the building in a careless, crowded fashion.

He didn't have to think long about the reasons behind it all. Akaikos had forbidden anything that displayed Asha. And while Kain had assumed that even the art in the palace would have been destroyed, it appeared it'd been abandoned instead.

Why?

The answer--obvious once he connected the pieces--came to Kain in an unexpected way.

Standing in the back of a dark hall, her eyes focused on a towering portrait, was an elegant figure. Her body was decked in the finest jewels, causing the skirt of her ballgown to glimmer in the moonlight. Blonde hair tumbled down her back in tightly style curls. Even if he hadn't known her identity, her appearance would have left no doubt about the height of the woman's title.

Kain stopped breathing. "Kostantia."

She didn't turn to face them, but the way her all-too-thin, elderly shoulders tensed told Kain he had heard her approach.

"I thought it might come to this," the queen mother murmured.

Her hand reached towards the perfect depiction of a large, Eolisan man painted before her. Akaikos?

"When I shared that story...I thought we might end here. As much as I dreaded it, I also...might have wished for it, to some degree."

Her quiet voice penetrated the dark halls like a blade, leaving no doubt about the pain that laid behind each word. It left Kain's thoughts tumbling, unable to settle on whether--in this second--she was an enemy or an ally.

"Alekos was always a greedy, envious child. I gave him everything, as you do for your adorable youngest, but he always demanded more. Akaikos, however...my Akaikos. My Akai. He had the softest of hearts."

She turned to face them, face dry of tears despite her tone. The unshed emotions glimmered in her heavy, impossibly dark blue eyes. The hand that reached up to tuck back her curls looked frailer than Kain remembered seeing it.

How had he not noticed how her age weighed down her shoulders before that moment?

"Forgive me if I don't offer proper greetings," Kostantia said, eyes skimming over them, before settling the longest on Mara, then Rhode.

"...but tell me. How did my son die?"