It was night time now and the streets were clear and most windows in the alley were closed. Obran peered down over the edge of the roof.
"I'll climb outside their window and see what I can hear. Stay back," Obran said.
"Just whistle if you need me," Mara said.
Obran climbed down to the inn wall, past the fourth floor window—no noise there—and to the third floor; he placed his large ear against the wooden window and listened.
“Please be reasonable, my dear,” Gaius said.
Obran remembered the prince's voice from the ball but now it had a pleading tone to it.
“It is the best thing for you, for both of us,” Gaius said.
”Us?” Tori said.
Tori sounded upset as if she had been crying.
“Elissa, I’ve tried everything. I’ve said more than I should have ever said. I’ve placed my dignity, my heart, and my honor at your feet but I see now how things stand.”
Elissa? Obran had never called Tory by her middle name and he wondered why Gaius did. Did she prefer it?
“Even if I agree, I need to meet him one more time,” Tori said.
“The gremlin? You can’t be serious,” Gaius said.
“Obran is my friend. Let me talk to him and at least explain,” Tori said.
“Where would we even find that thing—in the sewers?” the prince said.
“Don’t talk about him that way,” Tori said.
“Elissa, I’m still not convinced he didn’t have a role in poisoning my father,” Gaius said. “Besides, I saw the way he looked at you?”
“I said don’t talk about him that way,” Tori said.
Obran didn’t hear anyone else in the room and the conversation certainly sounded private. Mara flew to his side.
"There are still two men downstairs with Zico and Tomas. They are both armed," Mara whispered.
"Okay, hang back," Obran said.
It would be the best time to incapacitate Gaius before dealing with the men downstairs. Obran looked at the crack between the window doors. There was only a small metal hook keeping the window closed. He might be able to use his long nails to raise the hook. He tried to use his pinky nail but it was too thick so he quickly filed it down with his teeth until he was able to quietly fit his nail between the window doors and unhook the latch.
“I don’t understand why you care about him so much,” Gaius said.
“No, I don’t suppose you could,” Tori said.
“By Jove, has he tried to take advantage of you?” Gaius said.
Obran heard what sounded like an angry human female growl and then a struggle.
“Stop it. Elissa, stop it,” he said.
Obran couldn’t wait any longer. He pulled the window open and jumped into the room, drawing his blade in one hand and a dagger in another. Tori and Gaius both turned and looked at him with shock. The prince was holding Tori by her arms but it looked as if she had been attacking him and he had only been trying to hold her back.
“Obran,” Tori said.
Tori pulled away from the prince and stepped back away from him.
“Elissa, get behind me,” Gaius said and drew his own blade but Tori did not move.
Obran quickly glanced around. The door was fastened, perhaps so they would not be disturbed or so that Tori could not flee. Good, that would slow down the other Romans if they had heard him enter. But more importantly, only one candle lit the room. Obran was about to throw his dagger to put out the candle and attack in the darkness—a method he often used—but Tori guessed his plan and moved in front of Gaius as the prince held up his gladius.
“Obran, don’t hurt him,” Tori said “Both of you stop it.”
The prince and Obran both stared at her, confused.
“Please,” Tori said. “Lower your blades, both of you.”
Obran stared at Gaius until the prince slowly lowered his blade and Obran did likewise. Luckily, Obran didn't hear anyone coming up so he still had the advantage and outside in the dark he saw Mara on the opposite roof, waiting, holding a small dagger. Backup...he thought.
“Good evening your highness,” Obran said. “Sorry if I interrupted you two. But how may we be of service?”
“Are you trying to be funny, gremlin?” Gaius said.
The prince wore casual clothes and a cloak, no uniform. Up close he looked young, about the same age as Tomas; he had a strong jaw and hazel eyes and short dark hair which was cut in military style.
“Obran,” Tori said. “Gaius is here to help...to help us both. Gaius, isn’t that true? So please let’s figure a way out of this together.”
“I will do anything to keep you safe but you can’t expect me to trust this gremlin who absconded off with you,” Gaius said.
“I told you it was your father’s idea,” Tori said. “Consul Collatinus and general Armenus can attest to that, Gaius.”
“I’ll deal with them later but my father is still ill and may not recover. So we have to decide what is best for you and me, Elissa,” Gaius said.
“Tori speaks the truth. It’s what the King wanted your highness," Obran said. "He gave me the strict order to escort Tori north.”
“Tori will come back with me, under my protection as I already told her. We will prove her innocence and find out who is responsible for my father’s poisoning. Elissa, we have to trust Roman justice,” Gaius said.
Obran wondered what Tori had told him? By the way she looked at Gaius, Obran wasn’t sure. But maybe it was time to get it all out in the open; still he knew he had to be careful.
“We both know in a trial she will likely be found guilty. Whoever poisoned your father knew that,” Obran said.
“Running away makes her look guilty too gremlin,” Gaius said.
“What choice did she have. And I’ve seen Roman justice, towns and innocent people crucified for even suspicion of collaborating with Carthagio.”
“That won’t happen with me by her side,” Gaius said.
“Oh…really?” Obran said.
Tori sat on the bed; she looked both frustrated and annoyed now.
“You know it’s not nice having others talk about you and make decisions for you. I had to endure that from my father and my brothers but I won’t endure it from anyone else,” Tori said.
“Sorry...” Gaius said.
“Sorry...” Obran muttered.
“Gaius from what you told me your brother Drusus and his praetorians won't stop hunting me and I doubt the elves will stop too. I am not safe here,” Tori said. “It’s better I just go back to Carthagio. It’s what your father wanted—what he ordered—and I want to go home too. It’s where I belong now.”
“But you can’t place all your trust in this gremlin or in that dwarf Armenus, no matter what my father believed. I don’t know how you convinced my father you’d be safer with them than with me,” Gaius said.
“We all have our fates to fill, Gaius,” Tori said. “Mine is with my people.”
“Has your father’s health improved at all, your highness?” Obran said.
“No, when I left he was still unconscious. My brother asked me to stay with him and manage the court with Collatinus but I defied him and came after Elissa, hoping to find her before anyone else did. I thank you and your friends for saving her against those elves but I think I know the best way to handle this from now on,” Gaius said.
“What happened after we left your highness?” Obran said.
“Nothing good, gremlin,” Gaius said. “That night my father took ill, his surgeon immediately suspected poison and later rumors spread that you had absconded with her. Some came to the monstrous conclusion that you two both plotted to kill my father so you could escape together. I knew how ridiculous that is but Elissa has never been popular at court as she is with the people and when she befriended a gremlin, brought him to my father’s birthday celebration, some spoke of dark magic, debaucheries, or some unnatural union, and that my father was involved too and was being punished by the gods, and I that I was a nothing but weak cuckold fool.”
“That’s ridiculous, no sane person would believe that,” Tori said.
“Sometimes the more ridiculous and salacious the lie the more some are willing to believe it. But Elissa, if we all go back, follow my plan, it will end all of this,” Gaius said.
Whoever planned all this had played it well, Obran thought: a young prince shamed by his future bride, a King near death, and a gremlin and a foreign princess to blame. Could the crown survive? Tori and him were doomed unless they could prove their innocence but would anyone even want to hear the truth? Surely if the King died someone would have to be blamed.
“So what is your solution, your highness?” Obran said.
Tori looked at him as if she didn’t want to hear Gaius' answer.
“And you would help me gremlin, no matter the cost?” Gaius said.
“If it helps Tori, then yes,” Obran said.
“Obran…” Tori sighed.
“I told Tori we should marry as soon as possible, that I would be willing to face my brother’s wrath since in the end I know he trusts me and loves me. Our marriage would show the whole kingdom that any rumors of her guilt are false.”
Obran stared at Gaius. Part of him wanted to strike him but he also knew he might be right. If Tori returned—married Gaius—and set everything straight then he and Erkin, as well as the others would be safe again. Something he couldn’t be sure of if Tori left and the King died. With Tori gone, the Romans might settle to punish him or the rest of them—Erkin, Tomas, Zico and Mara. None of them might be safe.
“And what about what I want,” Tori said. “Gaius, don’t talk as if I am just an object to be traded or saved.”
“So you would rather run with him?” Gaius said. “Always be known as the princess who tried to kill our King to be with her gremlin lover.”
“Shut up,” Tori said.
“He might be right, Tori,” Obran said.
“What!?” Tori said.
“It might be your best hope.”248Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWThM0AsDhP
