Caryn laid in bed looking up into the darkness of the night, the only bits of light in the room was the moon from her large windows and some warm light coming from the outside corridor through the crack in her door. Some weeks back Jasper was upset about him getting left out of something that Caryn and Lana were doing and he took his all-too-sharp children’s training sword to the unfortunate door. The door had yet to be replaced since the deaths happened so soon after that occurrence.

Suddenly Caryn’s ears flooded with chatter from outside her very door. She listened intently; the voice of Duke Saber came to recognition immediately. Caryn climbed out of her bed quietly and slinked over to her door to look out the small crack. It was indeed John Saber and he was speaking with Seth Quinwellion.

“He doesn’t seem to understand, Aramis is pressing and he knows how unstable Cartanin is. This pirate king wants to be King of all Cartanin,” the Duke ranted to Seth.

“And what makes you think him capable of such a task?” Seth questioned.

“His fleet is growing tremendously; he is forcing men to join his army. He already has 5,000 men behind him according to my last reports,” Duke Saber replied.

“How is he growing such an army?” Seth inquired curiously.

“He is attacking villages on the mainland and taking every able-bodied man he can get, I am telling you good sir he is a gathering storm to be reckoned with.”

Caryn couldn’t believe what she was hearing, there was someone wanting to challenge Marcus, Cartanin was on the brink of war without even knowing it. She knew something like this was possible, many noble families were disgruntled with the idea of Marcus being the new King especially being so young; he was notorious for his sulky attitude and debauchery in Garhanna. That reputation had spread wide throughout all of Cartanin. But for the threat to come from not a noble family, but someone unknown was something totally unexpected according to Caryn.

“I will be sending you correspondence, but I would like to speak in a place more private than this about the plan moving forward,” Seth continued.

“There is no one around here,” Duke Saber said looking about.

“There are ears everywhere in this castle,” Seth responded.

“Very well, before I set sail in the morning I shall come to you and we can speak on it, I have already paid for the transaction so there really are no changes to be made.”

“I told you to wait!” Seth whispered angrily.

“There is no waiting with these kinds of men.”

“Fine, but if you have pushed your hand too soon it is your own fault, I will not take the fall for this Saber.”

“Failure is not an option to them, you know this.”

Seth nodded in agreement. Footsteps suddenly were heard coming down the corridor and that was when the Duke and Seth left as if they had never really been there, but what they didn’t know was that the princess had heard enough to become very suspicious of them and their plan.

Caryn lit a candle quickly and got dressed in her cloak immediately. She snuck out of her room and slinked down the corridor; sneaking into every crack and crevice she could to remain hidden. Seth and the Duke had gone their separate ways for now, but she knew they would be meeting in the morning and Caryn had to know what they were planning before something dreadful happened. She feared the worst out of these two men, a plot to kill the King. No matter how much she disliked Marcus, he was still her brother. She had to warn Marcus before it was too late.

As Caryn passed the corridor by the planning room, she noticed the light from underneath the door; Marcus must have still been up. Instead of heading to his chambers, she decided going there would be a better choice. The guards were drunk from the banquet most likely and nowhere to be seen, so Caryn walked straight in.

“Caryn, what is the meaning of this?” Marcus questioned rising from his map table in protest. Seth stood up beside him.

Caryn looked at Seth, trying her best not to show displeasure at him being there. How was she to warn Marcus now?

“I need to speak with you…in private,” Caryn explained in a small voice.

“Princess, we have very important matters to attend to right now,” Seth interjected.

“Let me speak with her Seth, please leave us,” Marcus instructed.

Seth gave a nod and then left the room, giving Caryn a suspecting glare on the way out. Those eyes of his made it seem like he had looked right into her soul to find out what she was about to tell Marcus. It worried her that he might know, but not enough to stop her from warning her brother.

“This better not be about your marriage again, I apologize for getting so angry with you before, but it has been a stressful time lately,” Marcus explained with a sad sigh.

“I am still unhappy with your decision, but it is not about that,” Caryn replied.

“Good, out with it then,” he insisted.

“I fear there is a plot against you.”

“What?”

“I overheard Seth and Duke Saber speaking about what I believe to be a plot against you,” Caryn whispered.

“Are you certain?” Marcus asked.

“Yes, they said they had a plan and they had made a transaction,” Caryn explained.

Marcus began laughing, “oh dear sister, you speak of what you do not know,” he said with a grin.

“What do you mean?”

“I appreciate you coming to me with your worry, but it is misplaced Caryn.”

“They are not plotting against you?”

“Of course not Caryn, they are planning to buy a new ship for me, I wish to have a progress throughout the entire Kingdom and I would love to go by water instead of land,” Marcus explained.

“Oh, I see I apologize for me slandering them in such a way; I realize that could have gotten them in grave trouble. I just cannot bear to have another loss in our family Marcus,” Caryn replied.

“Come here,” Marcus said extending his arms to Caryn.

Caryn walked over to her older brother and he hugged her, this was the sweetest Caryn could ever remember him being.

“I love you Caryn and I want you to know that, I only want what is best for you and for our Kingdom,” Marcus comforted her.

“I understand, I must retire now, there’s been plenty of excitement for me tonight,” Caryn said, she let go of her brother and walked out.

Seth returned after she left, he was shaking his head and chuckling as he walked in. Marcus chuckled along with him.

“A plot against you; I have no idea how she got that idea my King,” Seth reassured.

“She has a wild imagination, anything can turn into every other thing with that girl,” Marcus replied with a chuckle.

Caryn returned to her room knowing full well something was still amiss. She could feel it in the pit of her stomach and she knew there would be no rest until she proved that Seth and Duke Saber were plotting against her brother.