The tale of heartbreaks

Marcus rushed inside, and despite myself I followed him. In the healing chambers the king lay in worse condition than I had expected. He had been stabbed multiple times in the back and his arm seemed a little out of place. Yet, he still talked to his advisors who fretted about increasing security immediately.

"Myer! Oh dear Lord," Marcus spoke as he ran towards someone seated on the far chair.

It was the prince. He looked like he was slightly injured too.

"You have blood on you," Myer pointed out.

"Just a road side robbery," Marcus said.

Cozbi raised her eyebrows, "On the royal caravan? Are they selling audacity for free in the marketplace?"

"No, we exchanged vans, it had some fault," Marcus corrected.

I was so tired I hadn't noticed.

"What happened?" Marcus inquired, serious again.

"𝘗𝘩á𝘱𝘢 and I sat in his lounge when someone attacked him from the back. When I realized the attacker was running away. I tried catching him but..." Myer pointed at the scratch on his face.

"The guards couldn't locate him?" Marcus asked.

Myer shook his head, "It was someone that knew the palace well. Very well."

My eyes couldn't help but land on Cozbi.

𝘕𝘰, 𝘸𝘩𝘺 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘴𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘢𝘤𝘬𝘦𝘥. 𝘔𝘺𝘦𝘳 𝘸𝘢𝘴𝘯'𝘵 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘯𝘦, 𝘪𝘯 𝘧𝘢𝘤𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘯'𝘵 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯 𝘮𝘢𝘳𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘥 𝘺𝘦𝘵.

In the midst of this, my mind trailed to Tynan.

* * * * *

"Where were you?" Tynan asked as I came for lessons that night. I couldn't see his expression. He had his back to me, looking preoccupied with something. "No lessons last night."

"I decided to sleep in," I murmured.

"You don't get to decide that. Cozbi wouldn't like it."

"I know, I'm sorry."

After some silence, he turned to me, smiling, "Look at this."

I looked at the object in awe. It was a dagger like no other. Its steel seemed to absorb light and its smooth handle looked like it was coated with clear water. As I held it to examine it closer, I was surprised by the weight the delicate looking dagger held.

"Give it a name. How about Assie?" Tynan joked.

I slapped his arm and giggled. I had told him about Cozbi's nickname for me and he never let it go.

After a moment, he spoke again, "This is for you."

"For me? But why?"

"You got in trouble today, which could've been worse. Now all we need is to teach you the basics of its use."

"You knew?"

"I'm a spy remember?"

That made me think about how many times he's right there without anyone knowing.

"The king got attacked too."

"I know."

"Did you see anything? Were you there when it happened?"

Tynan shook his head. "I only came when I heard you were back".

There was silence.

"The assassin ran away with ease. No guards even saw him," I muttered.

Tynan looked at me, moving closer, "Are you suspecting me?"

I shook my head vigorously, "No, no..."

"Asra, Cozbi would never want something like that. She's clever and all but only to protect her image and keep conspirators at bay."

I nodded, only half listening. "What is the worst thing she has made you do?" I asked, gulping.

Tynan straightened up.

After a minute, I sensed his unease. "You don't have to-"

"The country was at war with the 𝘮𝘢𝘪𝘳𝘯é𝘢𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘩 for decades." Tynan started.

𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘢𝘪𝘭𝘰𝘳𝘴, people of the small island near our kingdom.

"That is where Cozbi is from. Years ago, the land of 𝘦𝘪𝘴𝘪𝘢𝘤𝘩 was said to be put under a protection spell by the priests and all, one that could only be broken by love. Crazy, right? Whatever that meant, it finished the concept of any sort of heart bound relations between the people. Marriages between royals took place in the name of politics or for producing heirs. That changed after the eldest prince, Cian declared his love for his now wife, Sentia, a peasant. Nothing horrible happened, the people were relieved. Something as cherishable as love had returned in the streets of this place with no price like suspected. After all, it was just a stupid superstition. "

"With this, the marriage between Myer and Cozbi was announced, a celebration and a call for peace. Cozbi was devastated all this time. She mourned the change brought by superstitions and her one and only lover putting an end to it, by declaring his love for a peasant girl. Then imagine getting married to his younger brother. She was salty about it but she's okay now." Tynan told me.

"So you've attempted murder on Sentia?"

"Only to make her extremely sick. The plan failed and Cozbi changed her mind. They get along well now."

I sat in silence, confused. "Cian and Cozbi were lovers?"

"Hm. But at the time rivals, too, bad fate. Then Cian and Sentia happened and when the war calmed down, Myer was the only option. A great tale involving a bunch of heartbreaks." He said, seeming fascinated. "I'd never let her order you something like that," Tynan added suddenly. "I remember the weight of it. I know she felt it, too. She has changed now, Asra."

I nodded and we got back to learning basics of using a dagger.

* * * * *

"When did it happen?" I asked Tynan one day as we practiced using the dagger. "All that you told me a few days back. The tale of heartbreaks."

"All the background... I don't know. I started working for Cozbi about six years ago. At the time Cian was in the game. The Sentia entrance, about... two and a half years ago."

"Us locals really don't know anything. All I heard was that the land was now safe, no spell or spell breaker was mentioned. How old are you?"

Tynan made his way to me with his dagger pointed at my throat, "What is your guess."

"Not much older than me," I said barely dodging his attack.

"Correct. I'm 21."

"You were fifteen?"

He nodded.

Before I could ask him more about his past or his family, he announced it was time for dinner and that I should make my way to the dining hall.

𝘔𝘢𝘺𝘣𝘦 𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘰𝘦𝘴𝘯'𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘰𝘱𝘦𝘯 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘱𝘢𝘴𝘵, I thought as I went back to my room and then to dinner.