Chapter Four

I don't know how long we had stood together in that room with the candles gently singing to us. But when I finally looked into Zosime's face again I knew that she was understanding to the best of her ability what this was like for me.

"I'm always here for you, Anana."

"I know Zosime, that's why your my best friend."

"I know I am," she said as she went over to the table to put out the candles with a smirk on her face. "Now what do you say we go clean you up? You have to be all clean so that you can practice your fighting later and get covered in mud."

"Alright, let's go." She led me back to her room while the servants of the house were drawing the bath.

And now in better light she said,"You look terrible I don't think even I can fix this."

"Thanks for the support best friend."

"Don't whine about the truth. You were the one who dreamed about seeking the truth of the world when you were younger."

"I didn't need to find the truth about how terrible I look. And that was in the past and the past is different from now."

"You used to have such an inquisitive little mind."

"Weren't you trying to help me?"

"Yes yes I was. I am."

"By telling me that I look terrible?"

"No. I was going to tell you a story."

"Oh please do there's nothing I'd rather do more," I said as I rolled my eyes and her voice became melodic.

"Well then where shall we start? Once upon a time is always a good way to start a story! Once upon a time a princess fell in love. She loved him and he loved her. But one of her brothers thought that the princess's lover wasn't good enough for his sister. He was very observant and when a war came he joined the other side if they promised that the union between his sister and her lover would never happen but that his sister would not be harmed. His sister's lover was killed but not before he became a father. The kingdom was left with his blood in the royal family. The traitorous prince found this unacceptable and he persuaded his allies to continue the war until the bloodline was dead as well and any trace of him was wiped from the planet. His words were like venom that tainted the land with death. He climbed the ranks and was a political overlord in his allies' country. The princess died of illness and her daughter was forced onto the throne. But the war continued. And to this day he still hunts for them, intent on wiping out every remaining being that shares his blood."

"How does that story supposed to help?"

"Well, it is the story of your mother and father, and I wouldn't call myself a friend if I didn't remind you of the danger you are walking into. Not to mention who you might see. And despite all of this your mother got up again and again which is why this is important." She looked like she was going to say more but a servant knocked on the door just then.

She opened it and carefully put her head through the door saying, "Herus Anana, your bath is ready for you."

"I'll be there in a moment, thank you," I said as I turned toward the door. She nodded and then ducked out of the room closing the door behind her. "Well I guess that I had better go or they'll bring the bath in here," I sighed.

"Right and we can't afford to put another bathtub in and throw the old one away."

"You would be the one to know that." So with that I stood up, turned, and left the room. Zosime's room was one of the nearer rooms to mine. It was placed in an adjoining section of the castle to my own, which was comprised of me and my brothers' rooms and rooms for their mates should they decide to live in the castle.

The door to my room was a pale blue at the bottom that faded into a yellow at the top. A symbol of who lived in this room. It was painted like this in accordance to my eyes, which were blue and an almost yellow-like amber. My left eye was blue while the one on the right was yellow. Over the yellow and blue paint were paintings of hunts. Elk hunts, moose hunts, fish hunts, rabbit hunts and so on.

I turned the handle, which came out and then to the left. It was shaped like a wolf's tail.

Inside the room there was the smell of a dozen types of flowers mixed together into a honey-like sensation that reminded me of Spring.

***

"Spymaster Dona I need to talk to you." I said as a stood outside her quarters.

"What is it that you need Herus?" She said as she opened the door and motioned for me to come in.

I waited for her to close the door before saying,"I believe we have a spy in our midst."

"What makes you suspicious and do you have any clue as to who it is?"

"Our enemies know that Sawyer was my mate. This information was kept hidden from the majority of people. I believe they also knew that Cordell was the only one who had a mate." Now I was pacing across the room frantically while Dona had the face of clay clarity.

"Have you thought about it being a coincidence?"

"It's not a coincidence Dona. They knew. Why else would they have specifically mentioned them when so many of our soldiers were captured."

"Alright, Herus. I'll look into it."

"Thank you Dona," I said as I turned to leave.

"And Herus." She said as I felt a tug at my shoulder.

"Yes?"

"Make sure you come back alive."

"Of course." I said with a somber smile.

***

"You need to be faster than that," said the silhouette against the sun.

The metallic taste on my tongue was blood. My blood. The swords were for training but they were still sharper than a cougar's claws. A rough, calloused hand was extended towards were I lay on the ground.

"Well maybe I shouldn't be practicing with the fastest guard on the continent."

"The commander told me to train you but he never mentioned how whiney you are. I don't know how my brother ever stood you."

"Well he wasn't trying to kill me."

"Well what's your excuse right now?"

"Your pointing a sword at me, I would call you threatening enough."

"But I have never lost a match yet and I don't intend to start losing now."

"Well Kersten I think it's about time we remedy that."

"Guard Kersten. And no it's not time for me to lose even if it is by a higher up's paws."

I got back up again. "Well let's see how you fare against me this time."

"Well I beat you las-" He didn't get to finish that sentence because I had knocked his feet out from under him.

"You lose."