A Royal Obligation
Chapter 184: A Lead, Finally (1)

Chapter 184: A Lead, Finally (1)

Kaelix tightened the saddle straps on his horse, his fingers moving with a precision born of routine but marred by exhaustion. Every muscle in his body felt taut, like a bowstring stretched to its limit, fraying at the edges. Days had blended into nights, stretching into weeks of fruitless searching, but he refused to surrender. Eirik was somewhere out there, and Kaelix’s only purpose was to find him.

Drystan stood beside him, his steady presence a rare comfort. They shared few words, but Kaelix felt the weight of Drystan’s silent support. The palace, too, had grown accustomed to Kaelix’s single-minded focus, his relentless, almost desperate drive to uncover any hint of Eirik’s whereabouts, no matter how obscure or distant. He’d follow even the faintest whisper, if it meant bringing his consort home.

Just as he lifted his foot to the stirrup, a sudden movement caught his eye. Down the main path, a rider on a messenger horse tore toward them, the thunder of hooves breaking the morning calm, kicking up clouds of dust. Kaelix’s hand instinctively went to the hilt of his sword as he dropped back to the ground, his gaze narrowing as the rider pulled to a sharp halt.

The messenger dismounted with practiced speed and dropped to one knee before Kaelix, breathless but respectful. "Your Highness." His voice came out in a rushed whisper as he offered a swift bow.

Kaelix’s impatience simmered beneath his cold exterior. " What’s this about?," he asked, voice clipped and commanding.

"A message from Valeidio, my prince." The messenger held out a sealed letter, its edges adorned with the unmistakable royal seal of Valeidio.

Kaelix took it, his eyes lingering on the seal. Valeidio... They had been so silent, so withdrawn. He’d assumed they were as in the dark as he was about Eirik’s whereabout, or maybe disappointed in Zephyros. But a message now? Why now?

With a curt nod to dismiss the messenger, he cast a quick look at Drystan, who watched him with a shadow of worry in his eyes. But Kaelix brushed it off, steeling himself as he turned and walked back toward the palace. Every step felt heavier, burdened by the ever-growing weight of worry and sleepless nights. Yet none of it mattered if this message contained even the smallest clue about Eirik.

He needed to find his father; a message from Valeidio was likely meant for him.

Reaching the main hall, he scanned the throne room, but his father was nowhere to be seen. Realizing the king would likely be in his study, he made his way there with quick strides, his pulse picking up.

An undercurrent of hope thread through his thoughts. Perhaps Eirik’s family has finally found something. It doesn’t matter who finds Eirik first. He doesn’t care if his in-laws see him as incompetent, he just want his consort back.

He rapped on the door and waited, hearing his father’s calm voice call, "Come in."

Pushing open the door, he stepped inside. The king looked up from his desk, surprise flickering across his face. "I thought you had already set off."

"A letter came from Valeidio," Kaelix replied, holding the letter out to his father.

The king took it, examining the seal for a brief moment before breaking it. Kaelix watched as his father unfolded the letter, eyes scanning over the parchment. He caught the slight widening of his father’s gaze, and his heart skipped, the embers of hope fanning into a full flame. This was it. It had to be.

"What is it, Father?" he asked, unable to contain his eagerness. He moved a step closer, hands clenching as he waited for any sign, any word, that Valeidio had news of Eirik.

A soft, unexpected smile broke over his father’s face. "Your mother... she’s awake."

Kaelix’s mind stuttered, torn between relief and the gnawing emptiness that still lingered. His mother’s awakening was a miracle, a moment he had once yearned for with all his heart. But now, all he could feel was a hollow ache. Eirik was still missing, and nothing else could fill that void.

His father’s gaze didn’t miss the hesitation in his son’s reaction. A sigh escaped the king as he placed a hand on Kaelix’s shoulder, a gesture both comforting and heavy with understanding. "We’ll find him, Kaelix. We’ll bring him back. This palace isn’t the same without him, and neither are we."

Kaelix could only nod, a heaviness pressing down on him that he couldn’t shake. His father reached out, resting a firm hand on his shoulder, a reassuring weight that should have given him comfort. But even his father’s words were a distant echo, unable to reach the part of him that felt frozen and hollow.

Suddenly, the door crashed open, slamming against the wall with a loud bang. Both men turned sharply, alarmed. Drystan stood in the doorway, his normally composed expression twisted with urgency.

His disheveled appearance and labored breathing told Kaelix that something was very, very wrong.

"Drystan," the king snapped, his tone laden with reprimand. "What is the meaning of this interruption?"

Drystan bowed, his voice shaking as he spoke. "Forgive me, Your Majesty, but I had to come immediately." He crossed the room, his gaze fixed on Kaelix, and held out a crumpled letter. "One of the guards received this just moments ago."

Kaelix took it, his fingers feeling strangely numb as he unfolded the paper. "Who sent this?" he demanded, eyes scanning the scrawled handwriting, stark and desperate on the page.

"A child handed it to one of the guards, saying it was urgent," Drystan replied, his voice taut. "The letter is from... Sadiki."

Kaelix’s heart stopped. Sadiki. The name alone was a wound, a betrayal that had left scars on his soul. The room felt colder, the walls pressing in as he read the hastily scrawled words. His vision blurred, the ink swimming as he forced himself to absorb each line.

"Eirik," he whispered, the name filled with both agony and hope. He looked up at Drystan, his voice steadier, but laced with fury. "We finally find a lead, We know where he is."

His father straightened, eyes sharp and focused. "Then go, Kaelix. Do not waste another moment."

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