Mark of the Banished Read online

  Caspian stared him down for a couple of seconds, his expression defiant. Then, it crumbled, revealing the scarred young man underneath. “What do you want?” he asked tiredly, rubbing his face as if he had been sleeping.

  Ryland got straight to business. “What happened the night your father was murdered?”

  The prince seemed to deflate, and he hunched over, his eyes on the floor. One of his feet softly kicked the fallen table. Ryland waited. It was at these points, when Caspian looked vulnerable and sad, that he felt bad for all the anger and frustration he felt toward the prince. But Ryland had to remember that the sudden mood swings proved the prince was emotionally unstable. He had to remain strong for the boy and the entire kingdom.

  “The maid, Tally, had just handed me the tray to give to my father.” The prince sniffed, and a single tear wound its way down his face.

  Ryland frowned at the prince’s fragility. Maybe it would be easier for him to deal with his father’s death if he didn’t have the pressure of ruling a kingdom looming over him. Perhaps that pressure, along with grief, was what made the prince so fitful and weak.

  “It was a special treat for him. He didn’t get many because the doctors said it might make him more ill.” The prince wiped his nose with his sleeve. “I knew he would be so happy, and I wanted to see that. He hasn’t been happy much these past few weeks.” Caspian went totally still, the only movement he made the slight rising and falling of his chest as he breathed.

  “I walked into the room, telling my father the good news about his treat.” The prince’s jaw clenched. “But then I saw he was dead. His face . . .”

  The prince glanced at his hands, then raised them up to show Ryland. They were shaking noticeably. “My hands shook so much that I dropped the tray. I rushed to his side and grabbed his hand; I so desperately wanted him to wake up.”

  Caspian broke down crying, and Ryland knew he would get no more information from the prince now. He stood and made his way to the boy’s side, placing his hand on the prince’s shoulder. Caspian stilled.

  “That will be all,” Ryland said to him. “Thank you, Your Majesty.” Ryland strode out of the room and nodded to Prince Caspian’s two servants who stood by the door.

  “Is His Majesty okay?” Caspian’s valet ventured to ask, stepping away from the wall and looking at Ryland expectantly.

  Ryland shook his head. “I don’t think so.”

  The two servants glanced at each other. They hadn’t needed Ryland to tell them something was wrong with the prince. They knew as well as anybody that he was falling apart.

  “See to him.” Leaving the duo, Ryland walked through the castle to the stables, thinking.

  The prince’s story matched the one the maid had told to every detail. Nothing was off. If Ryland hadn’t temporarily sent the maid home to her family in Northern Algar for a break and had Caspian watched by the two manservants every moment since the king’s death, he might have suspected Caspian and the maid of conspiring to make sure their stories matched. But match they did, and Ryland believed it.

  Almost in a daze, Ryland saddled his own horse and rode out of the stables toward home for the first time in days. Fayre, as King Richard’s ward, normally lived at the castle, but she was staying with his parents now while Ryland lived at the castle in order to stay close to the prince. Fayre’s own parents, Mr. and Mrs. Ingland, minor nobles of Algar, had died when she was young, leaving her with no living relatives. Fayre would’ve gone to an orphanage if not for the generosity of King Richard, who had taken her on as his ward and passed her off to his staff for nurturing. Fayre had lived in the castle for years before she one day became lost while exploring on her horse. Somehow, she had ended up wandering onto the Lykes’ property, and when Lady Lyke found her, she had invited her over for dinner.

  Ryland remembered the first time he had seen the young girl, all bedraggled from her long ride, her red hair tousled. He had known even then from the way she smirked and tossed her hair that they would be friends forever, but he never guessed they would eventually fall in love.

  He’d hoped to marry her within three months, but now their union would have to be postponed until Ryland uncovered the murderer and ensured Prince Caspian had the kingdom well in hand.

  Ryland shook off the memories as they wouldn’t help him figure out who had murdered the king. All his longing for Fayre did was distract him from his quest. Still, he needed to see her today.

  Ryland arrived at his parents’ manor and allowed the stable boy to put away his horse, though he normally preferred to do it himself. He had too much to discuss with his parents and Fayre for such things.

  Walking into the dining room, he saw his parents and Fayre laughing at the table. Ryland leaned against the wall for a moment, watching them, a half-smile on his face. He was so fortunate for his lovely family, and—his gaze lingered on Fayre—his even lovelier future family.

  Fayre noticed him first, and she turned to him, her eyes dancing. “Well, look who decided to show up.”

  She was joking, he knew, but underneath was a deep worry. They had probably been waiting all day for him to report back, but thanks to Caspian, he was very late. Both of his parents looked toward him while he sat down at the table next to Fayre. He grabbed her hand and kissed it, then put it back on the table.

  “I’m sorry. The prince decided he didn’t need to show up for our meeting on time.” He rubbed a hand over his face. He was so tired. He had hardly slept these past three days because he had been up worrying about the state of the kingdom and what would happen if he didn’t catch the murderer.

  Ryland’s father shook his head. “From what you’ve told us and the stories I’ve heard circling around the kingdom, that boy has gone completely crazy.”

  Fayre spoke, her voice soft, “His father just died, and he has a whole kingdom to rule. Go easy on him.”

  Ryland’s mother nodded. “I’m sure he’ll recover with time.”

  Ryland slapped his hand on the table, and everyone winced at the sound it made. “But what if he doesn’t? What if he remains like this? Algar will fall into ruins, and our people will be destroyed!” His voice came out harsher than he meant it to, and Fayre and his mother stared down at the table. He softened his tone. “Besides, if this is how he reacts to a crisis, then perhaps he isn’t the best person to be on the throne anyway.”

  “And that, my dear cousin, is exactly why you should take the throne.”

  Everyone whirled to see Devin standing behind Ryland.

  Ryland’s brow furrowed, and the three others at the table yelled out simultaneously, “What?”

  Devin nodded and smiled at the foursome. “Think about it. You are of royal blood as well, and you have remained calm in the situation. Everyone knows and likes you while everyone is worried about him.” He gestured in the direction of the castle. “Besides, everyone believes you are more qualified. At twenty-one, you are already a man, while he is merely seventeen. A child.”

  Ryland glanced at his father to confirm. His father had been out among the people and would know what they were saying.

  Maddox nodded sadly at his son. “Ryland, if you were to step up and lay a claim to the throne, a lot of people would support you,” he admitted.

  “But you’re the next in line,” Ryland protested.

  His father ran a hand through his graying hair. “Indeed I am, but the people don’t want someone old like me to rule. They want someone young, someone who can take care of them for a long time. I am not that someone.”

  Ryland considered the idea for a moment. Perhaps the idea did have some merit. The prince was not fit to rule, and Ryland did have the necessary training. But taking the kingdom would feel like stealing. Besides, he wanted to get married and settle down, not saddle himself with the responsibility of ruling a kingdom for the rest of his life.

  Devin took a step forward. “You don’t have to take the throne forever, Cousin,” Devin explained as if reading his mind. “If the prince r
eturns to his senses, you could give it back to him. In fact, you could teach the prince how to be, well, a prince.” Devin grinned suddenly. “Perhaps all he needs is a strong male figure in his life to show him the way.”

  Ryland rubbed his arm as he surveyed the faces of those around him. Devin’s was encouraging while the rest were wary. Whatever he chose, he knew they would all support him.

  “Son, I have been thinking about this since King Richard’s death.” Ryland’s father rubbed his head sheepishly. “What if you do just stand by, and the kingdom goes to ruin because of the prince?” Maddox paused, staring at Ryland, who glanced down at the table. “You would feel awful, and we’d all be responsible,” he concluded. “Algar is full of people, and it’s our duty to protect them.”

  Ryland bit his lip and glanced at Devin. His face was happy and—triumphant? Why would he feel triumph about something like this? Ryland quickly dismissed those thoughts, knowing he must have misread his cousin’s expression.

  Ryland’s chest was heavy as he went through his options one last time. The fate of the entire kingdom rested in his hands, for good or bad. He had to be certain.

  Ryland gazed at the floor for a long moment before finally nodding and coming to a decision. “I’ll do it. What do I need to do?”

  Caspian stared at his shaking hands, trying to calm himself by taking deep breaths. Instead, he began sobbing so hard he almost couldn’t breathe. He curled up slowly onto his side, trying to hold himself together.

  He knew, somewhere deep inside, he needed to snap out of it. His people were counting on him, and his father and mother would want him to stand tall and rule Algar with pride. But everything he saw, touched, or smelled reminded him of them. And every time he was reminded of them, the chasm in his soul grew steadily wider until it became large enough to swallow him whole.

  Am I going insane? he asked himself for the hundredth time. He couldn’t seem to control his emotions or his actions. He had meant to go early to the meeting with Lord Ryland so he could help the man get on with his investigations, but instead, he had fallen asleep. He had only awakened after being dragged several steps down the corridor by his valet and another servant.

  His sobs slowed somewhat, and he had a moment of clarity. I’ve got this, he told himself. I can do it. He struggled to sit himself up, only to be hit by a wall of fatigue and tangible sadness. I have to prove I can do it. I have to.

  Scrunching up his face, he rolled onto his side again, his breathing stuttered. It didn’t feel as if he was going to be able to prove anything. It didn’t feel like anything would ever be fine again. The medicine he had just taken felt like a weight in his stomach, and he gagged, coughing violently. His limbs felt like lead, and his eyes fluttered shut without his consent.

  At least I have Ryland. The thought calmed him further. He didn’t know the Lykes personally, but his father had trusted them. They were honorable. Ryland will stand by my side until I am ready.

  Then came the thought haunted his every waking moment. But what if I’m never ready? Caspian struggled to fight it off before he sank even lower into the mire of his depression.

  Next week, he decided, I’ll give a speech. Surely by then everything will be okay.

  With that thought in mind, Prince Caspian fell asleep.

  Devin retreated from Ryland’s house, going on foot this time instead of teleporting. Walking helped him think, and he had a lot to think about.

  He had been unsure how to convince Ryland to assume the throne because he was such an honorable man, but the behavior of the prince gave Ryland the perfect reason to take over. Devin had had no idea how flawlessly Caspian would react to his father’s death without Devin having to do a thing. It was simply too evil, the prince causing his own demise.

  Devin smiled, mulling over the rest of his plan. He had everything prepared. He was ready for every possibility. As long as Ryland did everything Devin told him to do, his plan should work.

  Soon, Devin thought, I will be the one in charge, and they will all realize what fools they have been! His eyes narrowed as he thought through his plan once again.

  Next week, phase three shall commence.

  Chapter Four

  One week after his decision to lay claim to the throne, Ryland fidgeted with his fancy new clothes on the balcony of the palace that overlooked the courtyard currently filled with thousands of people. Fayre and his mother had gone shopping for him earlier in the week and had dressed him in this elaborate tunic, hose, and cloak. Now, Ryland was unsure if the clothes were such a good idea. All they did was make him feel uncomfortable and fake. He didn’t think people should want to follow someone dressed up so ridiculously.

  “Appearance is everything,” his mother had said.

  “Yes, people will be more likely to accept you as their new king if you dress the part,” Fayre had added.

  This particular balcony had been specially designed so the king could give long speeches or declarations to many people at the same time. The balustrade was impressive, carved into shapes and lined with gold, while the courtyard below was nothing but gray stone. The reasoning behind this was if the floor below was beautiful, people would be more prone to look at it than the person speaking. Ryland had to admit the balcony was impressive, but it seemed too much, bordering on gaudy.

  Like his own get-up.

  He sighed and looked at Prince Caspian. Though Ryland planned to use this gathering for his own purpose, the prince himself had been the one to call his people to the courtyard. Yet he hadn’t told anyone the subject of the speech he intended to give or the reason for the gathering. Ryland wondered why so many people had come if they didn’t know what the prince was going to speak to them about. It might very well be a speech about the merits of turnips, and still they had turned out in great numbers.

  Regardless, the appearance of the people was a good thing because Ryland planned on declaring his intentions to claim the throne at this assembly. It had been Devin’s idea to make use of the gathered crowd, and he had to admit it was a good one. Devin had worried that Caspian might try to conceal Ryland’s claims so no one would know of his intentions. This way, a lot of people would hear what Ryland had to say, and no one would be able to stop the news from spreading.

  However, Ryland thought, glancing over at Caspian, who looked dazed, I don’t think he will have the presence of mind to do much about it. It was a sad thought as the prince’s father had been one of the sharpest minds in the kingdom.

  As Ryland stared at the prince, the boy shook his head and seemed to come to himself. He stood and walked to the edge of the balcony, looking down at the multitude.

  Please let it be a good speech. Please let it be a good speech, Ryland begged in his head. If the prince gave a good speech, it would prove that Ryland didn’t need to take over the throne, and everything in Ryland’s life could go on as normal.

  The prince stood motionless until all was silent, and still he hesitated, his face pale and his wide gaze fixed on the crowd. He licked his lips slowly, and Ryland could see the sweat beading on his forehead.

  Come on, start already, Ryland thought. You’re only scaring yourself.

  “I—” Caspian began but paused immediately. He took a deep breath and let it out before his shoulders straightened and his eyes filled with fire.

  Ryland relaxed. Prince Caspian looked confident now, which was good. If the prince spoke with conviction, the people would be more likely to listen. The confidence also showed that the prince might have come back to himself, snapping out of his strange attitude.

  “My father was killed in his bed, and we haven’t caught the killer yet,” Caspian started.

  Ryland winced. That was not the best way to start, but maybe the speech would get better . . .

  “And I’m starting to doubt we ever will.”

  Ryland took a step forward, ready to pull the prince away from the edge so he would stop talking, but he restrained himself. Caspian could still pull himself together a
nd make a good stand. Ryland could wait a few seconds more.

  The prince glanced at the people, who murmured to each other. Someone called out, “Is the kingdom safe?”

  The prince raised his hands to calm them, and they all went quiet. “I don’t know, but I doubt it.”

  This started another uproar, and Ryland smacked himself on the forehead. Caspian had just made a bad situation worse. The people were already afraid—they didn’t need anyone else telling them to be even more afraid.

  Ryland motioned to the guards on either side of the balcony to pull Caspian away and started forward himself to help.

  “I am a kingship for good of people the.” The prince’s eyes widened and darted back and forth rapidly as the group below started to argue amongst themselves and ignore him. He was so frazzled he was mixing up his words again. “Listen me to words—”

  Ryland grabbed his arm and pulled him away from the balcony edge. “You’re done here,” he growled at the confused and panicked prince.

  The guards grabbed Caspian’s arms and hauled him away. He started screaming again, total nonsense coming from his mouth. Ryland waited until he was out of earshot before stepping up to the balcony edge. He glanced down at the crowd of people again, and his heart lodged itself in his throat.

  That’s a lot of people, he thought.

  Taking a deep breath, Ryland pictured his mother, father, Devin, and Fayre all smiling at him. They, and the rest of the kingdom, were counting on him. I’ve got this, he reassured himself. I know how to do this. He could practically hear his speech instructor’s words echoing in his ears as he pondered what he was going to say.

  He took one last deep breath, then slammed his hands down on the banister and yelled, “QUIET!”

  All noise stopped, and their eyes fixed on him.

  “Do not be afraid, and do not panic. We will find the murderer and bring them to justice.” He swept the crowd with his gaze. He knew he looked sure of himself. He had practiced the face many times in the mirror, and it wasn’t hard to call it up at this time because he truly was confident about this topic.