“My father should have been the one to defend our kingdoms against the Majis. He was a true leader, one who could unite people and carry out the kind of plan that no one else can even conceive of.” Gareth sighed. “I am doing my best, but there is so much I cannot see.”
“How can I help you carry the weight, my king?”
Gareth looked up. The hope in his eyes made him appear even younger than he was. “You have such a keen knowledge of battle. If you could focus on the Majis, I could devote my attention to uniting the kingdoms.”
Erich nodded, as though considering the king’s offer. “Are not the Five Kingdoms already united?”
Gareth took a moment before answering. “There are... some complications that make it more difficult than it appears.”
“And what about General Gautho? Is he not the most skilled and knowledgeable for this task?”
Erich’s main goal was to get out of this situation with his life and he would continue to ask any question that came to mind.
“General Gautho will command the front line, of course. He is certainly the most competent in that area. But you’ve seen how stretched thin he is. He cannot be both here with me and on the coast. You could fulfill one of those roles, taking a weight off the good general and myself.”
“But why me?”
“Do you want this or not?” For a moment, Gareth seemed to lose his patience.
“Of course, I want it badly!” Erich quickly placated the king. “It is an opportunity my father would never have given me. I’m just... I’m humbled by your trust, my lord.”
Gareth smiled. “Then it is settled. Come.”
“For now,” Erich thought. “At least until I can find out where they’ve taken Aizel and get us both out of here.”
Chapter 37
As the iron grate of the dungeon clanged shut behind her, Aizel heard a new finality in the ugly sound.
This time she really was stuck.
She had assumed she’d eventually end up here but only after Celesta was free. She hadn’t even managed to accomplish that.
Then there was Erich, with his cold, distant face as he stormed into the room. He was a Quotidian soldier, what had she expected? That he would actually do something for someone else’s gain?
She sank to the floor of the small, dim cell. The rough stone was cold and wet, but she didn’t even register the water as it soaked through her thin dress.
She had failed.
It was over.
Celesta was gone, forever.
Her stomach turned as she thought about what would happen to her younger sister. She leaned over as her body attempted to heave the contents of her empty stomach, almost happy for the physical pain to distract her from her thoughts.
“Are you alright?” a raspy voice asked from her left.
“No,”she answered honestly, but no sound came out. She shook her head, not even caring to look up and find the source of the voice. It sounded like an old man. A weak, old man.
“I guess that is a rather stupid question to ask someone in a dungeon cell.” He chuckled at his own humor, but the laugh turned into a dry, racking cough.
The cough lasted for what felt like an eternity and Aizel listened in alarm, afraid the ancient one would expire before he was able to draw another breath.
Finally, the painful sound ceased and was replaced by a slow wheeze.
As her eyes adjusted to the dim light, she saw the old man in the cell next to hers. Only an iron grill separated them.
He sat with his back to the one stone wall of his cell. His hand clutched one of the iron bars between them, as though he was using it to steady himself through the coughs.
