Lone Blind Star - Chapter 4: Fire of Determination
The king sends out a search party while the cowboy and the princess make a stop in a nearby village.
Sunlight streamed through the windows of the war room, illuminating the faces of those gathered. King Titan of Walden stormed in from the Hall of Glass, pounding his fist on the map table and sending reverberations through the tense room as his attendants shifted nervously.
"Absolutely unacceptable!" the king roared, his voice thundering through the room like a storm. He looked straight at the knight captain and said, "Your failure to recover my daughter is an embarrassment to your standing."
Knight Captain Ezra Moore's jaw tightened but his voice remained steady as he replied, "Apologies, Your Majesty. I take full responsibility for what happened last night."
"And what did happen last night? What do you call it when palace knights open fire on the crown princess?"
"Again, my apologies. The young knights were very—"
"Oh, I've heard enough out of you." The king turned to the two Rose Knights present, Ser Anjali and Ser Claude. "You two—I ought to strip you both of your ranks! Did neither of you check in to see her these past couple days?"
Duke Julian, the king's younger brother, cleared his throat and attempted to diffuse the situation. "Your Majesty, surely there is a more productive course of action than standing around talking about what should have been done? We must focus on finding Princess Stella-Cecilia and capturing the thief who absconded with her."
"Indeed," Knight Captain Ezra chimed in, determination burning in his heart. "Please, allow me to coordinate the search party, Your Majesty. We will scour Walden until we find her."
Before the king could reply, a new voice cut through the room. "Your Majesty, I came as soon as I heard." Lord Leon Harrington stood in the doorway, his steel blue eyes fixed on the assembly gathered.
"Lord Harrington," the king greeted. "You need not be present for this. We can talk later."
"Actually, Your Majesty, may I suggest something?" Leon strode in and confidently stood next to the king—an appalling gesture.
King Titan's face twisted into something resembling a smile. "What are you proposing?"
"Given my experience tracking down criminals in the border region, I believe I am best suited to lead the search party, Your Majesty." Leon paused, choosing his next words carefully. "And, as the princess' fiancé, is it not my duty to claim her?"
Duty. The king's favorite word. Duke Kolle, the king's older brother, and Duke Julian exchanged glances, their disdain for Leon's choice of words evident. Though they disliked how Leon went about things, they couldn't argue with his experience. As the second son of Margrave Harrington, Leon was trained to lead their military, specializing in tracking down criminals and investigating illegal border crossings. Despite his competence in such endeavors, it was rumored the man had long desired to play the game of national politics. It seems he played it rather well, considering he landed the coveted position of future king consort.
The king's expression brightened for the first time that day. "What a good idea," he said smugly, as if he had come up with it himself. He turned to the others in the room and declared, "Lord Leon Harrington will lead the retrieval of the crown princess, as well as the manhunt for that thief. That's all. You people can go." He waved his hands at them dismissively, shooing them away as if they were bugs.
Knight Captain Ezra narrowed his eyes at the table, the murmurs of those around him dissolving into white noise. Something about Lord Harrington made him uneasy. Before they could leave, he reached out to the two Rose Knights in the room.
"Ser Anjali, Ser Claude," he called, pulling them aside, his voice low and urgent. "I need your help."
The Rose Knights, surprised Knight Captain Ezra would ask for help, gave their full attention. "What can we do?" Ser Anjali asked.
"Will you be aiding in the search for the crown princess?" he asked.
"It is likely," Ser Anjali replied.
"Could you keep an eye on Lord Harrington?"
The two Rose Knights shared a glance. "Knight Captain—" Ser Anjali began but Knight Captain Ezra cut her off with a gesture.
"Please, you may call me Ezra. Do we not have the same title?"
A little shy, Ser Anjali said, "We do, but as a palace knight you are higher in rank."
"And yet I have come to the two of you for aid."
Ser Anjali didn't know how to respond so Ser Claude took the lead. "Knight Captain Ezra, what do you suspect Lord Harrington of? If it is his rise to prominence that alerts you, then it should be no matter. He is simply good at playing the game, as any noble ideally should."
"Have you heard of the creatures attacking people along the city's side roads?"
"Of course," Ser Anjali replied. "The city guard are doing all they can just to keep the Imperial Highway safe."
"We have taken to calling them chimeras. Apt, considering how they look."
"What does this have to do with Lord Harrington?" Ser Claude asked.
Knight Captain Ezra's face became very grim, his bushy brows knitting tightly together. "Our scouts have determined the chimeras come from the direction of the Harrington march. Considering that information, do you two remember when we first started getting sightings of these things?"
"Your scouts? It wasn't the Harringtons?" Ser Anjali wondered aloud.
"No. We received reports of deaths, sightings of those creatures, and sent our best scouts to see where they originated. Even now, the Harringtons do not cooperate with us on the investigation."
"Why didn't they report about them sooner?" Ser Anjali wondered aloud.
"Ah, that is the question, is it not? You see why I am wary of our crown princess' fiancé—and, by extension, my request to watch him. I understand what I ask is risky. To spy on someone with as high a station as him could cost you much. Even so, will you do it?"
Ser Anjali and Ser Claude shared a look of grim determination. Their loyalty to the crown princess outweighed any fear.
"Understood," Ser Anjali replied, her voice strong. "We will do it."
Ingram parked the car in front of the village clinic, tapping the steering wheel with his thumb. "Let's get you checked out," he said.
They had set out early that morning with the intention of stopping in the next town and seeing a doctor. After asking some villagers, they were pointed in the direction of the town doctor. The clinic was located by the village plaza and shrouded in lush greenery, covered in life. Curious village children watched as the pair exited their bright red car and headed for the front door.
"I keep telling you I'm fine," Cecilia said.
"I ain't believin' you until I hear it from the doc's mouth." He held the door open for her and urged her inside.
A man who was sitting behind the counter immediately stood upon their entrance, a little surprised by their visit. He looked to be in his late thirties, with curly brown hair and a tinge of grey playing at his temples. "Good morning," he greeted. "How can I be of assistance?"
"Her arm," Ingram said, gesturing to the princess. "She hurt it pretty bad last night and I want you to see it. Discreetly. We'll pay whatever extra."
"Uhh, sure?" The doctor stammered a bit, clearly caught off guard by the thief's stern tone. "Right this way, Miss...?"
"No names," Ingram ordered.
The doctor dipped his head in acknowledgement. "Will you be joining us in the examination room?" he asked, noticing Ingram hadn't moved.
"No. What goes on between doctor and patient is private." He looked toward the princess. "I'll wait for you out there." She nodded.
Ingram stepped outside and saw the village children crawling all over the car. He watched one slide off the hood and tumble on top of another kid who was looking at the headlights. With a sigh, he hurried over to shoo them away.
Inside the sunlit examination room, the doctor carefully unraveled the makeshift bandage on Cecilia's arm. As he peeled away the last layer, a crude, cauterized scar along her forearm revealed itself. He frowned, his brow creasing in disapproval.
"Did you do this yourself?" he asked, eyeing the sloppy cauterization with concern.
Cecilia hesitated before nodding, her golden eyes downcast. "I didn't really have a choice."
The doctor sighed and shook his head. "If left alone, this is going to leave a nasty scar. It might even cost you some movement in your wrist due to all the scar tissue—you see how it's already bubbling?" he warned. Rising from his chair, he began rummaging through the cabinet lining the wall. "We don't have a healer here in the village but, as an experienced apothecary, I can offer you something to help with your recovery." He returned to her side, holding out a small jar filled with dried leaves. "One of the big leaves, two small ones, and a clove of garlic. Create a poultice with honey and apply once per day until the jar is empty. Should help reduce scarring and inflammation."
Cecilia's face lit up as she received the herbs. "Can you prepare another jar?" she asked.
The doctor eyed her curiously. "What for?"
"The guy outside has an injured side that isn't healing well."
"Perhaps I should take a look before giving him anything," the doctor suggested, but Cecilia shook her head.
"He definitely wouldn't want that," she replied, knowing Ingram's stubbornness. "It's the same as mine, anyway. Just bigger, and a couple days older."
"Very well," the doctor relented.
As they stepped outside the clinic, Cecilia couldn't help but smile at the sight before her. Ingram was playing with the village children, chasing them around the car and lifting them up. He grabbed one child and spun them in circles, their laughter filling the air. She almost regretted interrupting them.
"Sunshine," Ingram called out when he spotted her, concern lacing his voice. "You all right?" His expression was a complete 180 from the when he was with the kids and she missed it already.
The doctor answered for her: "Her arm is in bad shape, but with time and proper care, it'll heal just fine."
Relief washed over Ingram's face, the worry that had been etched on his features melting away.
Cecilia held up the two jars of herbs. "Look, I got some for you, too," she said, grinning.
"For me?" he repeated, taking a jar and inspecting its contents.
She grabbed it back when he started to shake it and said, "I didn't think you'd want to be looked at so it's the same thing as me. I'll make them both together tonight. Will we be sleeping in the car again?"
"You know, we don't have a proper inn," the doctor began, "but I've got some empty patient beds. And a spare room in the back. Why don't you two stay the night before going on your way?"
Ingram opened his mouth to decline but Cecilia cut him off, her voice bright and hopeful. "That sounds lovely, thank you."
"Excellent!" The doctor smiled, revealing crows feet, and disappeared into his clinic to prepare the space.
"We can't stay in the valley, Sunshine," he said, his tone low and urgent. "The knights could be hot on our heels and we've barely made any progress."
Cecilia met his gaze with a slight smile before reaching over and tapping his injured side, eliciting a wince from him. "This extra day of rest is for you," she chided playfully. "I may be down one arm, but I can still perform magic. You, on the other hand, need your full range of movement to be useful. What if we encountered another creature?"
She didn't catch the flash of hurt across his face. He knew she had a point but it stung to have it said to him aloud. He was about to protest further but the doctor's voice interrupted him.
"Come see!" the doctor called.
"Coming!" Cecilia replied and headed inside, leaving Ingram to stand outside alone.
The village's small pub enveloped Ingram and Cecilia in a warm glow as they sat with elderly villagers whose faces were etched with lines. The air was thick with stories, laughter, and the scent of ale as the old men and women regaled them with tales of the village's once-thriving past.
"This place was booming fifty years ago," one woman reminisced, her voice laden with nostalgia. "We're quite isolated here in the Valley. After the railroad was built, people didn't have a reason to stay."
"Then there was the Imperial Highway some time ago," an old man chimed in. "Brought some business back 'cause of all the lodgers, but now those old buildings're crumblin' away, too."
Ingram quietly observed the villagers as he sipped his drink. He couldn't help but notice how their eyes seemed to dim a little whenever the conversation concerned the present. "Tell me," he said, leaning forward and addressing the group, "have any of you encountered a monster with four heads?"
A sudden hush fell over the pub, tension creeping into the room like an unwelcome guest. The elders exchanged nervous glances, their eyes darting around as if the topic were taboo.
The barmaid finally spoke up, her voice cutting through the silence. "Two people have died from that thing already," she said. "One was a local woodcutter, the other a traveling merchant. No one knows much about it except that it just appeared one day out of nowhere. And it dislikes fire—that's how we've been keeping it away 'til now."
Cecilia furrowed her brow, her golden eyes reflecting the flickering candlelight. She felt a surge of protectiveness for these people, an innate sense of duty stirring within her. As the future queen, she felt it was her responsibility to her subjects to safeguard them. It didn't matter that they didn't know who she was—she knew who she was. Her gaze drifted over to Ingram, pleading with her eyes. He caught her expression and slowly shook his head, knowing the conversation they would be having later.
The moon cast a silver glow through the windows of the doctor's clinic. "This is it," the doctor said and gave Cecilia a candle lantern before opening the door to the back room. "Apologies for the sparseness," he added, bobbing his head in apology. "I moved two bed into the room for you both, and your things are over here in the corner. Have a good night."
After the doctor left, the Ingram and Cecilia peered into the room where their beds had been set up closely beside each other. Clearly, the doctor was under the impression that Ingram and Cecilia were a couple. Ingram frowned.
"You can have the room," Ingram said. "I'll take one of the patient beds out here." He turned to leave but she yanked on his sleeve, pulling him back. He sighed and looked back at her. He'd hoped to avoid this conversation. "Alright, Sunshine. I know what'chu wanna say. Let's get this over with."
"Sit there," she said, pointing to the closest patient bed. "We can talk while I make our poultices." She brought out the jars of herbs and started crushing them up.
"Shit reeks," Ingram hissed.
"I want to help the village. I want to kill that creature"
"I know you do," he replied. "But we ain't got the time. Can't afford to play heroes."
"I was thinking... if it dislikes fire so much, maybe we can trap it and burn it up?"
"How d'you know that'll even work? We got no idea what it even is."
"Pull up your shirt," she directed. She started to apply the poultice to Ingram's side and he flinched, his jaw tightening. "Sorry," she said.
"S'okay," he said. "It's just cold."
She sat next to him on the cot, pulling her leg up so she could face him as she smoothed the mixture over his torso. Their eyes met when she was done and it was the first time he saw her look so determined. "They're good people," she said. "They deserve to be helped and as their future queen I'm obligated to try."
"Is that what this is all about? Your title as crown princess? You wanna be worshiped by them or somethin'?" Ingram didn't know why he felt so offended, so hurt.
"No, of course not!" she rebuked. "But... they need help, Ingram. If their future queen were to turn a blind eye, who else is there?" She paused, her voice growing quiet. "Will you help?"
Ingram sighed, exasperated, but he couldn't help but feel admiration in his heart as he looked at the woman before him. "Fine," he relented. "But once this is over, we get back on the road and head straight for Lighthouse Peak. No more distractions."
"Deal," Cecilia replied, the weight of her decision settling on her shoulders and the fire of determination burning within her.