Page 92 of The Last Syphon

Drat. Of course, that made sense. As the fucking Heir to the Arelian Crown, Prince Walder was different. He needed a constant guard, unlike a lot of the other royals. How…fucking…annoying. This was the one time in her life when Inara really regretted winning a competition.

Prince Walder sat on Inara’s other side, eating quietly and not engaging in conversation. Although she had promised not to annoy him if he agreed to eat in the dining hall, Inara couldn’t help but feel rude, not including him.

She turned to him and figured now was as good a time as any to ask about what was bothering her. “What’s going on with the animals?”

He frowned. “What do you mean?”

“Those reports from the farmers about the animals and creatures disappearing. It’s strange, isn’t it?”

Na-Ri gasped. “So it’s true?”

Inara snapped to her. “You know about it?”

“My parents mentioned it to me on their last visit. We…” Her words trailed off as her gaze flicked to the prince. Uncertainty flashed across her face.

She could put two and two together. The woman feared talking about this subject in front of the Crowned Prince. Inara was not sure if it was actually against the law to hunt on Arelian soil, so she didn’t blame her for being careful.

“We noticed it too,” Inara cut in so Na-Ri would not have to say it. “We’ve been forced to hunt deeper and deeper into the forest each year.”

Prince Walder’s stare could have burnt a hole in the side of her face. “You have been entering Arelia to hunt?”

Inara simply smiled.

He grunted, looked down at his plate briefly, and then back at her. “How long has it been going on?”

“What? The animals disappearing, or Borderlanders sneaking into Arelia to hunt for food?”

“The first. The second…Well”—one lift of his shoulder in a small shrug—“while frowned upon, there is no active law that forbids hunting in the forest from the Borderlands. If it were from the Roylans or Pregonans, that is another matter entirely.”

“Let me guess,” Inara sang, leaning back in her seat. “The Borderlanders are not a big enough threat to care about them sneaking onto your land.”

“I didn’t say that.”

“And yet, it’s true, right?”

Another shrug.

Inara didn’t care. He was probably right in his assumptions. While littered with hundreds of tiny villages, there was no order in the Borderlands. Every village fended for itself. There was no governing body. No organisation. Everyone just did whatever they wanted. If one village suddenly wanted to take on the Crown, there was no way any of the others would join them.

Prince Walder sat forward, elbows resting on the table as he clasped his hands. “So? How long has this been going on?”

Thinking on it for a moment, Inara pursed her lips. “I first noticed it about two years ago. It started small. Just a few extra metres every now and then. Nothing that concerned me at first. Then, the distance started to get greater. Now, we have to pass several Arelian villages before being able to find game, and that’s dangerous. The farmers never like us hunting on their grounds.”

Concern flickered in his eyes. “I see.”

“Do you know? What it means?”

“No. The matter was first presented to the High Council a few weeks ago, but they remain unbothered. They think it is nothing to be concerned about.”

Inara’s head tilted to the side. “But you don’t agree?”

“Animals are intelligent creatures, and they possess an amazing ability to sense things that we humans sometimes cannot. Something sent them running and⁠—”

“Inara!”

She recognised that voice instantly. Prince Walder slammed his mouth shut at the interruption, a confused and slightly angry look on his face. She didn’t think it had to do with being interrupted, though.

Her best friend dramatically dropped into the empty chair beside Na-Ri, blowing out a breath. “Guess what I just found out.” His gaze swept to Prince Walder, and he inclined his head. “Your Eminence. Pleasure as always.” It slid to Na-Ri next. “I do not believe we have had the pleasure of being introduced. I’m Felix.”