Walking in a long dark corridor, Lucian could only hear the sounds of his own steps. There was hesitation in his walk, and his eyes did not detach from the one door of the Palace that belonged to him. The corridor was lit by lightning and silence was replaced by a high thunderstorm that shook the windows of that palace. The flash of lightning illuminated the crack in the door that should be closed, and there Lucian felt his heart accelerate even more.
Against his taste, he reached out his hand as he approached the crack. Lucian pushed the door that barked announcing his arrival. In the chair, a figure was sitting elegantly while straightening some furry animal that Lucian could not distinguish right. The mouth of that person moved saying something that Lucian did not understand, however, had some effect on his body.
He turned on his heels and ran out feeling his heart pounding in his chest. The despair to survive seemed to scream even more than usual. Lucian tripped on the carpet and leaned against the wall and pushed himself, forcing his own body to continue its marathon to get somewhere. Looking over his shoulder, he kept seeing the door ajar and that person sitting in the chair staring at him as they found the grace of a thirsty clown to escape from the circus of horrors.
"I am going to die".
It was the only thing he thought as he ran for some exit, that seemed to distance himself with every step he took.
Sitting in bed suddenly, Lucian woke up from another nightmare.
The chest burned again with his panting breath, and his hair stuck to his sweaty face. The long, long fingers trembled when he heard knocks on the door. The same ranger he heard in that nightmare echoed through his room showing the figure of Argus.
"Good morning, Your Highness, I see you are awake."
Passing his fingers over the forehead, Lucian took a deep breath calming down.
It was a dream. It was the second time he had dreamed of something so desperate, and he still did not want to think deeply about it.
"Something happened, Your Highness? You're pale..."
"Bring me water, please" asked the prince with his husky voice.
The servant went away worried and served a glass of water to his master. Handing over the glass, he watched Lucian drink large sips and calm down until he recovers.
"Is everything all right, Your Highness? In the last few days it seems that sleep has been restless."
"It's nothing to worry about, Argus. Help me prepare for the day."
"As you wish, Your Highness."
Following his routine of showering, dressing appropriately and having breakfast, Lucian did not feel anything strange. While he tasted a cup of tea relaxing for his nerves, his gaze was lost in the view from the window and his mind went beyond the mountains.
Why was he dreaming about the eighth prince's death? Did his own conscience warn him that he should not waste time in seeking the answers he so longs for?
Placing the cup silently on the table, Lucian crossed his legs and sighed low massaging his temple.
"Have we received anything, Argus?"
"Just this morning's paper, Your Highness."
Lucian just extended his hand to the servant to deliver the newspaper. The story on the first page did not catch his attention, much less the columns of gossip that insisted on cursing the noble families and exposing various lies that the high society loved to tell in order to get bigger. Turning the pages, absolutely nothing held his attention.
At least not until he read a little news.
"My... what a brutal murder."
Argus looked over his master's shoulder and also read the column.
"Ah, it seems they haven't finished investigating this case yet" Argus commented occasionally, just enough for Lucian to look at him curiously "Two days ago this mass murder took place. They say it was a fight for territory between mercenaries."
Returning to face the newspaper in hand, Lucian read the matter with extreme attention.
"Hm... this happened outside the city gates. There is no reason for rebels to try to conquer that region, since those who live there are commoners."
"Your Highness, you know that the mercenaries and rebels are practically infiltrating the capital through the plebeian neighborhoods. Probably they must have fought some escape route or something."
Hearing that made Lucian realize a detail. Lowering the newspaper, the prince turned in the chair to face his servant.
"When did we visit the guild?"
"It's been a week, Your Highness. Why?"
Staring at the newspaper again, Lucian sighed.
"It seems that I was right. Keep an eye out for that woman to contact me. Let me know immediately if she comes here."
"All right, Your Highness, but... what were you right about?"
"You will soon understand, my good Argus. Now... what do I need to do?"
"Your Highness needs to prove your ceremonial costume for the wedding. The Emperor's messenger has sent a warning that the temple is already beginning preparations, and that it awaits Your Highness in one week for the ritual of purification and..."
Argus continued to quote every commitment and warning that Lucian needed to remember. His day after the engagement was hectic, since the Emperor now suffered pressure from nobles and other shameless that suddenly appeared claiming to have also slept with the Grand Duke.
Well, this was a problem that Magnus would have to solve, no one told him to be a hottie who attracts everyone. Lucian was very happy not to be the target of such gossip, no one would dare!
In the midst of his hectic day of trying clothes and writing the invitation template for the noble guests, Argus soon gave him the news that he most expected.
"She is in the visitation room, Your Highness."
"Very well" Lucian left his pen on the table and stood up following his butler down the hall "Prepare a tea and some snacks, please, Argus."
"As you wish, Your Highness."
Following separate paths, Lucian headed to the drawing room where he met the woman with a tense countenance. If what he was thinking was right, then that conversation would be delicate.
"I'm surprised you came, Ethera."
The woman raised her head to the prince without showing any joy as of the other times. On the contrary, Ethera stood with her arms crossed and even frowned as she watched Lucian sit in the chair in front of her.
"I'll get right to the point. Are you behind this?"
"Behind what, exactly?"
"What happened to my men at the entrance of the city."
"I told you that I don't have enough power to threaten people. Why do you think I'm behind such a cold and brutal act?"
"You told me that "dream" babble" Ethera squeezed her fingers until her knots turned white "It was a threat, wasn't it? You practically threatened me to agree with you..."
"Are you telling me that what the newspaper announced as a territorial fight of mercenaries, in fact they were your men?"
"Your Highness..."
Lucian raised his hand, silencing the woman. Although he was polite and kind, it did not mean that Lucian would let people treat him below his social status. For the eighth prince who lost his life for lack of positioning, Lucian would show everyone how to treat him with due respect.
"Please, Ethera. What would I gain by killing your men? Your favor? If you do not want to accept my proposal, I just look for another guild. I'm working with you because I am getting a positive response. I hired you and got my request, simple as that. Any other guild can do it."
Ethera seemed to hesitate at the distant positioning of the prince. Not surprisingly, Lucian was right in his words. Any other guild could make a list of the names of the influential people of the underworld, as long as they won the gold coin jackpot that Lucian was willing to pay. The difference in his negotiation with Ethera, is that he proposed something more.
Rubbing her fingertips on the forehead, the woman sighed heavily before facing the prince again.
"It was as Your Highness said. A brutality so cold that it came to be amazing. While my men were trying to get an artifact for a client, they were ambushed by mercenaries on the way out of town. It was such... perfect, that I can only think that this was a trap."
Indeed, it seemed a trap. Lucian took his hand to the chin as he remembered that the Nightshade guild had its own escape route, winding paths that kept their men out of anyone's trail. This requires not only a good knowledge of each corner of Roveaven, but also skilled people working on your behalf.
Someone ambushed him on an escape route, and even more so that he was now exposed to the world... it was a trap. To make matters worse, Ethera seemed too dejected at the death of those people. They probably treated each other like a big family, and she as a leader felt the burden of failing to protect them.
"I still do not believe that Your Highness is someone with... supernatural power, but I cannot turn a blind eye when I was warned about it. You said that dark times would come to my people, and they did."
Light banging on the door heralded the arrival of Argus with appetizers. Ethera stared at Argus for some time and again she frowned.
"Your servant mentioned about such "vision", by chance is this recurring?"
Argus hesitated and raised his head to the woman, then faced the eighth prince. Lucian just smiled sweetly at the beta.
"In a way. What would you like to know?"
"Permission to question your servant at another time, Your Highness. I want to find a way to make sure that only true words come out of your mouth."
"As you like. Is there anything else you want?"
"I want your word that you can get us into high society."
Ah... there was her despair again. The loss of her companions and her reputation being tarnished because of the searches and seizures made by Cadec in search of the rebels have left Ethera cornered. At least it was a sign that his offer was tempting enough to make her ponder.
"If you want, we can sign some kind of contract. I am willing to show my sincerity."
"Before making any decision, I want to confirm things with your servant at another time. But I also want to know how Your Highness intends to give what I want."
Lucian remembered the documents about the underground market that he read some time ago. It seems that spending hours reading those stupidly boring documents yielded a good advantage, since they could give you new information ensuring your survival.
"A nobleman went bankrupt after falling for the coup of a rebel. Apparently, his goods will be auctioned. I will give you money to go to this auction and buy the mansion of this noble."
"Only the mansion will not be enough. People will suspect if no one without a title lives in it."
"Exactly. That's why I also want someone from your staff to become a new nobleman and be the front of the Nightshade guild."