“Lana, wake up!” Caryn whispered urgently, shaking her half-sister at the same time.

Caryn had entered into Lana’s chambers after speaking with Marcus about his potential endangerment caused by Duke Saber and Seth Quinwellion.

Lana began to stir, “what is a matter?” She asked in a small, hoarse voice from just awaking.

“It’s an emergency Lana,” Caryn explained.

“Tell me,” Lana insisted after sitting up.

“I believe there to be a plot against Marcus, a plot to kill him,” Caryn said breathlessly.

Lana was confused at first and then her face changed quickly to that of worry, “by whom?” She questioned.

“Duke Saber and Marcus’ advisor; I heard them speaking about it outside my door this very night. I went to Marcus, but he didn’t believe me.”

“Why didn’t he believe you, he knows the pain Duke Saber has put our family through.”

“He says they are planning to purchase a ship for Marcus’ future progress through Cartanin, but I swear to you Lana, something is amiss here.”

Lana nodded, “I believe you.”

“What shall we do?”

“We must prove it somehow, we have to show Marcus that there is a plot against him,” Lana explained.

Caryn and Lana decided to enlist the help of their younger and much stealthier brother, Jasper. He was more than happy to help; spying after all was his specialty. He was very good at it and at his young age of twelve no one took him too seriously, so no one would assume he was doing the bidding of his older sisters.

“Just go and hear what they have to say in Quinwellion’s chambers and report back to us immediately, Marcus’ life depends on it,” Caryn explained to him.

Jasper nodded and went on his way; he headed down towards the eastern wing, where Quinwellion and any guests would stay in the castle. Being invisible was a true science that Jasper had perfected. All the courtiers and guards completely ignored the young prince as he walked through the halls.

He finally made it to Quinwellion’s chambers, as he arrived upon it, the door was being opened. Jasper quickly jumped up into a window seal with immaculate stealth to hide himself before being spotted.

“What should we do about the young prince?” Seth’s voice ringed, Jasper knew Seth was speaking about him.

“Pray he abdicates like I predict, if not we must make arrangements for him,” Duke Saber replied with a light chuckle.

“Good enough for now I suppose, I will be in touch Duke Saber,” Quinwellion reassured.

“As will I,” Duke Saber replied, “I must be on my way now, my ship and my men are waiting for me and my wife and son are waiting for me in the Islands.”

Jasper had heard enough, he went back to Lana and Caryn with this grave news once the coast was clear.

“They are indeed planning to kill Marcus and if they are successful they will have me killed too if I chose to become King, I believe their plan is for Saber to be King as Harmony’s husband,” Jasper reported.

In Cartanin the law permitted the selection of a new King to be by marriage if there was no clear male heir to the throne. After Jasper the only male in the Dimmock family that was still living was the King's older brother, Jack Dimmock, who had abdicated years before making Henry the king of Cartanin.  

“I knew it!” Caryn exclaimed.

“Yes, we must go and convince Marcus of this immediately,” Lana replied.

“He will not listen to me Lana.”

Caryn and Lana both looked to Jasper. He raised his hands in the air and backed away from them with a smile.

“You think our brother will listen to me about this?” Jasper questioned with a laugh.

“He is right, I must speak with him,” Lana insisted.

“Okay, go to him then,” Caryn encouraged.

Lana nodded. She prepared herself and left Caryn’s chambers to go and see him. Marcus had a routine that everyone in the castle knew well, from the servants to the courtiers. At this time in the early morning, Marcus had just awoken and he would be enjoying a morning ride before breakfast with his family. Because Lana was not a true princess, her freedom was certainly more unlimited than that of Caryn’s. It was easy for her to get around with any ladies in waiting tagging along and slowing her down.

“Stable boy, prepare my horse for me,” Lana said in her usual friendly tone.

The young boy grabbed Lana’s white stallion and saddled it for her. She rode out of the royal stable letting her light green cloak fly into the wind. She knew she wouldn’t have much time to catch up with Marcus before his ride was done. As she rode out on Marcus’ usual trail, she met him on his way back.

“Lana, what a pleasant surprise,” Marcus said to her, his breath clearly pronounced in the cold morning’s air.

“I have to speak with you Marcus,” Lana told him.

Marcus sighed, “I have heard this statement too many times in the past few days.”

“I know Marcus, but it is very important.”

“Okay, go on.”

“Duke Saber and Seth are plotting against you Marcus, Duke Saber wants to be King.”

“Not this again,” Marcus scoffed angrily.

“Jasper overheard them this morning, it is the truth Marcus, I beg of you to take this seriously.”

Before Marcus could respond, a bit of noise came from the trees around the trail that the two were on. Lana and Marcus looked around them and then back to each other.

“What was that, an animal?” Lana whispered.

“Who is there?” Marcus shouted to the trees around them.

The trail they were on was a private trail, used only for the royal family. It sat on the outskirts of Garhanna far from the city and any people. The possibility of animals was indeed plausible, but the quietness around them was strange. No birds sang, no leaves rustled. It was like the wind had stopped and all life around them had paused for this moment. 

Lana looked around, her breathing getting heavier with every passing second of silence. “Marcus, we need to get out of here,” she said slowly turning back to him.

“Lana…” Marcus said hoarsely as blood gushed out of his mouth, “help me.”

“Marcus!” Lana screamed in horror.

The young king toppled off his horse with four arrows in his back, he fell to the ground with a thud and was not moving. Lana jumped from her horse and ran to him, but the stillness of death had already reached her brother.