Chapter 6: Mysterious Circumstances

Liam walked through the castle halls with his betrothed solely on his mind. He couldn't tell what was worse, the fact that he must've been going insane or how right his mother was though she wasn't here to see the fruits of her prayers.

He wished she could've seen that herself.

Thinking of his mother brought his mind to wondering about what he'd overheard. What did Baron Julius mean by "not an accident"? Kalani died from childbirth. What else could've happened?

As thoughts raced through his head faster than his summers with Isla, he passed the Library. He remembered that Baron Julius had asked to speak with him there. He wondered if Julius was already there, or if he'd been waiting on him to notify him, or something which sent a pang of guilt to his conscience. Overall, he wasn't sure.

He decided to take a peek into the Library, maybe if Julius was inside he'd see him. Just as he wondered, there he was. Julius was searching the "Silvestrian History" shelf for a book. Liam knew that shelf all too well, there wasn't a book on that shelf he hadn't read. Julius pulled out a book and swiftly began flipping through the pages. Secrets Of Silvestria by Sir Fergus Kirin. One of Liam's personal favorites. But why would Julius be interested in that book? They were making peace with Silvestria, not going to war with Silvestria.

Liam walked inside and approached Julius without Julius's notice.

"It's a good book." Liam said quietly with his eyes on the page Julius was on.

Julius practically jumped at the sound of Liam's voice. "Prince Liam! You scared me."

"Sorry. But I thought grown men don't get 'scared'." Liam meant it as a tease, but instantly felt guilty for it. He sounded rude. "Sorry. I didn't mean to.."

".. No, It's quite okay. You sound like your betrothed, Lady Isla. She's got quite the opinionated tongue." Julius attempted to kid, but still looked as nervous as ever.

Liam smiled, "You notice?" He said as if he knew all about that.

"Yes, I can also hear some of your interactions with her. I'd say she's rubbed off on you. It's a good change. You seem much more confident now, than when you were younger."

"Um… thanks?"

Julius nodded, knowing he still needed to speak with him about this. "Come with me." He walked deeper into the Library as Liam followed close behind.

"Prince Liam, I need you to listen to me and listen carefully." His tone was much lower, and more serious than it was a moment ago. "Things are not as they seem. Your mother's death was not of childbirth. And my wife's was no mystery. Someone murdered both of them to keep them quiet. Be mindful of the words 'mysterious circumstances'. That's what they call the deaths that cannot be explained without unanswered questions. Anyone else who may die will be labeled with those exact words."

Liam furrowed his eyebrows with confusion. "Wait. That doesn't make sense. Keep them quiet about what? I don't understand." He spoke in his regular tone of voice.

"Shhhhhhh!" Julius placed his hand over Liam's mouth.

Liam's expression dulled. No one even entered the library. No one except Isla and himself and - now that he noticed - Julius. He gripped the hand and pulled it off from over his mouth. He spoke in a whisper. "What are you talking about? What would my mom know that would get her killed? Who could kill her? Who would kill her? How would someone even get into the castle?" The questions spilled from his lips.

Julius shook his head. "The truth behind all of this. Whoever killed your mother, as well as my wife, they must already work in the castle. She-"

"-- Hey, Dad!" Leo interrupted Julius to inform him of the Guard Report.

"Leo!" Julius spouted angrily. "Can't you see I'm in a very important discussion?!"

Leo jerked his head back in surprise. "Sorry, Dad. I just- wanted to update you on the Evening report. The castle surroundings are clear. No sign of trouble." He said in a low tone of voice.

"Oh." Julius sighed in realization. No, I apologize, Leo. Good job! For the night patrol, make sure they double check everything."

Leo relaxed, "Yes, Sir. I'll give you the reports myself, first thing at Midnight." And with the confidant agreement, he marched off to resume his duties.

Liam looked up and saw Phoeb, the palace pet, flying about. He waved and he came flying to perch on Liam's arm as Liam pulled some seeds from his jacket pocket and let Phoeb feast from his hand. Julius turned back to Liam and petted Phoeb, still looking wary of his surroundings. Julius must've been serious about this. The concern he held over this caused the creases on his forehead to multiply.

"You're serious about this. Who do you think it is? The truth about all of what?" Liam knew why Julius couldn't tell any other adult. No one believed him. He'd been witness to his Aunt turning the idea down.

Julius still searched the Library cautiously, "It's hard to be sure, but until I find proof …" He muttered.

"Baron Julius, who do you think killed my mom?" Liam pressed. "You wanted to talk to me. I'm listening to you."

Julius sighed dejectedly. "She-"

"Liam!" A young voice called out with a baby accent so it sounded like "WIAM"

Jonathan.

Liam looked to Julius with an urgent look before Jonathan could be seen. Julius put a dismissive hand up. "I need proof, but she-"

"Thewe you awe!" Jonathan appeared and ran to grab Liam's hand. "Dinnew's Weady!"

Virne nodded in approved dismissal and let Liam be dragged away.

~~*~~

Liam had a servant take Jonathan to the Dining Hall. Liam had to change into his dinner garments, and he'd meet him there.

The load of information Julius poured out on him was definitely a lot to think about. He wasn't sure who exactly he should've been trusting. Luckily he rarely interacted with many people about anything. It wouldn't be hard to avoid talking with other people. He couldn't understand what made Julius believe any of this, but something told him there actually might've been something going on.

He just wasn't sure what and who was to blame. At least, for now he could just focus on eating his dinner, if he could manage to ingest anything. He could really only avoid getting a headache.

He got dressed and rushed to the Dining Hall. He made it there with a slightly awkward entrance, but nonetheless arrived. As usual, he sat beside Isla. At least, he knew he could trust her. If he couldn't trust her, he couldn't trust anyone.

Maybe it was ridiculous that he put so much trust in someone he bickered with, but he didn't care; He knew he could trust her.

He glanced at her, but his glance became a gaze. She was so beautiful. She'd put her hair in a messy high bun, which was how he figured she'd styled it. It tended to be messy when she did it up herself.

But her eyes seemed different. They were dimmer. Coming to think of it, her eyes had been somewhat dim when they spoke at his mother's memorial statue. She had seemed upset about something. But now, her eyes seemed to have lost their light entirely.

It was a guess that she was upset, he'd never seen her really emotionally hurt before. Yet, still she was beautiful. Kudos. He knew he didn't look that pretty when upset about something. She was staring at her food, not seeming all that ready to ingest it. Or maybe she just wasn't sure it'd stay down in her system long enough to digest.

Then she turned to face him, as if noticing his eyes.

Liam jerked his head back, startled, "Oh! Um.. Hi. How are you?" He greeted louder than intended because of his startled feeling. Everyone at the dining table turned to look at him and for a second he wanted to hide. "Sorry." He said sheepishly.

Isla raised an unimpressed eyebrow, quiet enough for only him to hear her, "Fine. Do I normally not notice your starin'?" She questioned strangely, almost cold about it.

Liam's eyebrows furrowed further. "No, but you look upset." His cheeks turned pink at her question.

Isla avoided his gaze, and stared blankly into space, "Do you know what I look like when I'm upset?"

Liam's expression firmed, "No. But if I were to guess, I'd say you stick out your bottom lip, you dig your nail into your hand, you clench your teeth, blink about 16 times a minute, and your ears tilt down." He explained assertively.

Then Isla's eyebrows creased in frustration, "Well, you're wrong. This is my 'fine face'." She briefly faked a smile.

"Well, then I guess you're wrong, because if you were fine, your eyes would be a deep ruby, the tips of your ears would be at least 6 inches from the tip of your head, you'd blink only twice per minute, you wouldn't have a nail mark near your right thumb, and your lips wouldn't be pouting." Liam pointed out plainly.

Isla sat quietly as if trying to figure out how to reply. She didn't have a comeback or retort, this time. On the other hand, there weren't any monarch officials, so she could excuse herself from the table. "I'm fine." She spoke up, "Excuse me, but my appetite isn't with me at the moment. May I be excused to my bedroom?" She asked as cordially as she could without letting her voice break.

Henry glanced at Liam in anticipation of a good reason, but Liam didn't even notice. Henry nodded in allowance and Isla stood and walked away without as much as a glance.

Liam then gave Henry a pleading look, and Henry excused him as well. Besides, the closer they got, the better for the kingdom.

Liam ran through the halls and into the adjoined bedroom they shared. When he walked into her part of the room, he looked at the centered king-sized bed. and he found a lump on her bed under the blankets. Then he saw a spasm-like movement under all the blankets. Was she okay?

He sat at the end of her bed. "Isla, Are you okay?" He heard a sniffle before a response.

"Go away! I told you I'm fine." Her voice sounded broken as if she'd been sobbing which didn't help her case. The blankets were tightly pulled over her in an attempt to hide herself.

Liam brought his hand to the lump where he could reach. He didn't think to wonder where exactly he was touching but that didn't even occur to him. "Are you crying?"

"No! Now, go away!" Isla sniffled.

"Isla, I can hear it in your voice. What's wrong?"

"I'm fine. Nothin's wrong. I'm not cryin'." Isla argued as a sob escaped her lips.

"Yes, you are!"

"No, I'm not." God! She was getting tired of arguing with him. Hopefully he'd get tired of it, too, and leave her alone.

"Yes, you are. It's in your voice, breathing, and nose. You're sniffling."

"I'm not." Isla denied.

"This is kinda childish. I can tell, I'm just gonna sit here and argue with you, until you admit it and come out." Liam informed, seriously.

"No, you're not."

"And how are you gonna make sure of that?"

Isla was silent. Then she sat up quickly letting the blankets fall to her lap. Her eyes were red and already puffy from the crying but she looked ticked off. "You- you- you're so—— annoyin'!" She grumbled as tears continued to stream down her cheeks. She stifled back sobs. She couldn't even be angry long enough without breaking down.

They sat in silence as Isla looked into Liam's green eyes. Liam didn't say a word. He wrapped his arms around her and she immediately fell apart, crumbling to pieces the moment Liam held her. Her angry facade melted and she wept into his chest.

After a little while, Isla slightly pulled away. "They're gone. They're never comin' back." She grieved.

Liam pacified, "Isl, who isn't coming back? Look at me. Coming back from where?"

"My parents. They're gone, Liam. Somethin' killed them." Isla sniveled.

Liam moved his hands to Isla's shoulders, "Oh, Isla, I'm so sorry. I'm sure they would've come back if they could."

Then for a brief moment, Isla stopped. She sat without a sound.

"Isl?" Liam called in soft whispers.

"No… They left. What if they weren't comin' back. I don't even know if they wanted to- if they wanted me." She seemed to look past his shoulder without an intended object.

Liam's hands brought her chin up to face him, looking him in the eyes, "Hey, hey, no. I'm sure they loved you. There's no reason they couldn't. What happened to them?"

Isla's eyes still flooded, "I don't know. Uncle Levi… didn't know either. They were said to have died under mysterious events." She shook her head unknowingly and curled further into Liam's embrace.

As time passed, seconds became minutes and minutes became a half hour. Isla's crying slowed and it became a reassuring silence, neither of them wanted to end.

Isla pulled back and whispered, staring into the beautiful chasms of Liam's green eyes, "Liam, can you not tell Levi about this?"

Liam wasn't sure why she wouldn't want her Uncle to know she'd been crying. It was just grief over her parents' death. He'd probably grieved as well, with as much emotion as Liam believed was possible for Isla's Uncle Levi. Nonetheless, he should understand. "Yeah, sure." He said softly, then let his curiosity get the best of him. "Why don't you want to tell your Uncle? I'm just curious."

Isla didn't know how to tell him. His family, culture, and laws were so different from hers. Would he even understand? Her eyes focused on his chest as she began to explain herself, "Because,... well, because Moon Elves aren't supposed to show weakness. We're warriors. Any fear, sadness, or pain is somethin' that should be foreign. Unknown. We don't show it. If we do, we're weak and expendable. If he knows about this, he'll think I'm weak and useless."

To Liam this was rubbish, "Isla, you're not weak. Those are natural emotions. You can't ignore them. You should be able to express your emotions. Just because Lord Levi is highly emotionally unable doesn't mean you have to be. You should be able to be who you are, not the same cut cookie as everyone else…"

Liam paused when he noticed the look on Isla's face. She looked confused.

"Cut cookie?" She questioned.

It, at least, sounded better when Isla said it. Liam chuckled, "It's a saying. It just means you don't have to be everyone's equal. Be who you are not who everyone else is. How do you even end up getting it out if you don't express those emotions?"

Isla stifled an empty chuckle, "I don't. Levi says that a warrior doesn't show weakness. A weakness shows vulnerability, and vulnerability is something someone can easily take advantage of. I suck it up and move on."

"Listen to me. I know my laws are different, but showing any emotion is normal. It's natural. Bottling it will only hurt you further. You're not weak to show how you feel. Unless that makes me weak."

Isla gave a small smile, "No, you're not. But still, I don't want Levi to know."

"Consider him unaware we were even here….. as long as you promise to, at least come to me if you're ever upset or scared or whatever." Liam agreed.

Isla ever-so-slightly giggled, "Deal." Her eyes were misty and all around red, but Liam managed to make her feel better. Liam held her for a little while longer, and they talked a little about her hurt and grief.

~*~

It was weird to ask, maybe even a little wrong, but he was the first person to be there for her, and really cared about how she felt. It felt good knowing he was here for her. His holding her was the most comfort she'd felt at all in her entire lifetime. Would it be wrong to wish he would spend the night with her? Probably.

When it was time for bed, Liam stood to walk to his bed, but he turned to look at her. He noticed from the look in her eyes that she wanted him to stay. The tips of her ears were red, and they tilted down and jumped up then repeated. She didn't want to be rude, and she looked a little embarrassed by it.

Henry was gonna kill him for not waiting, but he looked around and back to her. What the heck! They weren't gonna do anything they weren't supposed to, besides sleep in the same room. They wouldn't even be in close proximity.

Besides, for all Henry knew he'd be sleeping in his own room. He would just wake up early and go to his bed. Henry wouldn't even know.

"Would you like me to stay?"

Isla bit her bottom lip, contemplating if she should agree.

Liam smiled, noticing it.

Isla knew she probably shouldn't agree. Levi would disapprove, but maybe she didn't have to listen to that in particular. "Yeah,.. Well, no, I mean, only if you want to."

Liam cracked an amused grin. "I'll stay. I'll go get my blankets and pil-"

"No!... I mean, the floor would be uncomfortable… if you want - I- I don't take much of the bed. If I were to sleep on the right side, you could sleep on the left and we would be pretty separate. You'd be more comfortable." Isla blurted, interrupting him and fiddling with a corner of the blankets.

Liam couldn't tell whether his hearing improved or his heartbeat was really beating that loud and fast. His face burned at a thousand degrees as he rubbed the back of his neck. letting the idea set in and roll in strangely pleasant thoughts and possibilities.

Rubbing his neck was a nervous tick of his. Isla was sure she'd overstepped. God, she was stupid! "Oh, no, not like- You know what? It's fine. F-forget I said anythin' at all." She avoided his eyes, and began to tuck herself under her blankets, trying to just leave it be. He wasn't comfortable with that.

"Okay, we can do that."

Isla's eyes shot towards him. "Really? Are you sure?"

"Yeah." Liam nodded once, smiling wide.

Isla moved to the right side of the bed and let Liam lay on the other side. They got under the blankets and lay their heads on the pillows face to face.

Liam almost wanted to take one of Isla's pillows and swap it with one of his. Her pillows smelled amazing. They smelled just like her. He'd never noticed how intoxicating she smelled, not until he'd hugged her a few years ago, and even then he didn't think much of it.

They lay there gazing into one another's eyes once more, until sleep befell one of them.

Liam was first to fall into slumber. Isla still lay facing him gazing at him. Why did he have to look so handsome even when sleeping?

She knew it was stupid to think like that, but he was. He'd always been cute to her, but as time passed he startled looking seriously hot. It was hard to just look at him anymore, not without staring which would've looked wrong with her attitude towards him if she wasn't so lucky that no one noticed.

It was really sweet of Liam to want to be there for her, even if it started out as annoying. But it meant a lot to her, how determined he was in making her feel better. He was really gentle with her. No one else was.

She knew she no longer disliked him. She'd known that since the year he came to SilverLight. But now, she wasn't sure how to feel about him. She liked him. She knew that. But something felt more. She wasn't sure she just liked him either.

Trapped in her thoughts, it didn't take long before she fell asleep as well.

~*~

The following morning, their "separate" positions looked completely different.

Jonathan rushed in looking for Liam in his part of the adjoined bedroom. When he searched with no success, he came to Isla's division of the room. There he found Liam's hair bopping out of the blankets. Just as he spotted Liam, he found Isla as well. She was cuddled up next to him with her head rested on Liam's chest and her hand in his hair. Liam was lying right next to her, cuddling her with his arms wrapped around her.

Of course, to little 7 year old Jonathan this looked odd at most. He stood on the end of the bed and jumped with his baby Lizard-Folk companion, Tobias, in his arms. "Wake Up! Wake up! Wiam, wake up!"

Both Liam and Isla slowly woke up to his calling… somewhat.

"What is it, Jon?" Liam groggily groaned, his eyes still shut without promise to open or realize where he was.

"Daddy says thewe's a new guest!" Jonathan shouted in excitement. But Liam had already fallen back asleep.

Isla was trying to piece together why Liam's voice was so close, and why her bed smelled so good.

"Iswa! Mistew Wefi says he can't find you."

Isla's eyes shot open. "Levi? Is he comin' here?"

Jonathan nodded, "Yeah, he sounded angwy. Wiammm!"

Boy, was she doomed! Whyever Levi was mad at her, she was doomed.

Maybe she was just tired, but she'd swear her right hand was in her hair. But her hand was too far away to be in her own hair. What, in Silvestria, was she touching?

She tried to sit up, but something held her grounded to the bed. No. She couldn't do this. If she didn't get out of bed, she wouldn't live to see the full moon again. She struggled against a strong grip and finally managed to break free.

Isla sat up and realized everything.

Her "missing" hand was in Liam's hair. She'd been asleep on Liam's chest which was why her bed smelled so fantastic. That was why Liam sounded so close. She'd been running her fingers through his hair… not that it was terrible. His hair was nice and thick and as she ran them through, Liam smiled contently.

She wasn't sure how possible it was for someone to smile in their sleep, but Liam certainly was. He had to be the most handsome sleeper. Levi certainly didn't look handsome in his sleep, nor did Everett. Thoughts of comparisons brought her head back to the fact that she was being looked for.

Isla removed her hand from Liam's hair, before Liam would notice it was even in there.

But just as she removed her hand, Liam groaned unhappily. "Why'd you stop?"

Isla's eyes widened. "You're awake?"

His only response was, "Mmmh."

Isla looked to Jonathan, "Can you go tell Uncle Levi that I'm comin'? But do not tell him about where I was. Tell him we were with Leo. You and I were with Leo."

"Okay. But why? You'we in bed." Jonathan asked curiously.

"Well, just because it happened, it doesn't mean he has to know." Isla explained as she looked to Liam who looked too content for his own good.

But as soon as Isla finished her thought, a voice pulled her from it, "Doesn't mean who needs to know what? And is that really so?" Levi interrogated, standing in the doorway to Liam's division of the adjoined room.