Chapter 22: The Last Laugh

                                    

                                          
Although my thoughts seemed intent on drifting back to my father's words, and although it felt nearly like a happy ending, I knew that nothing was close to over yet. And thus, I was returned carefully to my beautiful second-in-command, Lydia Everhart, to be brought up to date of the plans Empyrea would be carrying out.
                          
Battered and bruised from battle, Lydia was exhausted, boneless and wrecked from taking my spot. But as soon as she saw us, she knocked the breath from my lungs with a hug and directed a professional nod towards my father.
                          
Through this all and more only ended up with me back at the Icarian castle, hidden from above on a beam in the throne room. 
                          
"You ready?" 
                          
"Will I ever truly be?" I ask back beneath my breath, and Lydia smiles tiredly, but knowingly. 
                          
In a few moments, our plan will fall into place. As it does, the results will either be in or not in our favor, but whatever the outcome, I was positive that we'd done our best. The only question was if our best would fall short. 
                          
With my growing history of failures, I was practically praying on my knees for a change of course in my luck.
                          
"I do not care how difficult it is," King Cassandar was yelling at Delphine, his pale knuckles turning whiter from clenching his fists so hard. "You will take my child back, and I will not take no for an answer. Marigold was the first child I lost, and I will ensure that she is the last."
                          
"There are about 3,000 other soldiers dressed exactly like them," Delphine retorted, but I caught a waver in her usually composed voice. "It is as good as impossible!" 
                          
The slap of hand against skin made both Lydia and I cringe, my fingers clutching tighter at the white beam we balanced on. I saw Delphine stumble back in my half-blocked view, a hand raised to her cheek. 
                          
"Get them," Cassandar hissed, his voice filled with menace, "or so help me, dear God, I will personally make sure you never live to see the next morning. So I highly suggest you not do your best, but do it, unless you don't value your life." 
                          
Blinking tears from her eyes, Delphine nodded, hand still cupping her bruised cheek tenderly. "Yes, Your Majesty. I apologize for any confusion." 
                          
Something above us rustled, and my heart skipped a beat, straining my head to see. A flash of dark hair and amber eyes, locking with mine, and I grinned. Val winked at me, reaching for another beam and swinging on like a monkey. He was carrying what appeared to be a small, leather brown bag in his hand. 
                          
He disappeared for a moment, and I searched the beams worriedly before feeling a light weight drop to my left. 
                          
"Hey," he whispered, a hesitant laugh bubbling in his voice as I pulled him into a tight embrace. His hands lingered gingerly near my shoulder blades before sliding down the plane of my back. "I'm fine, don't worry." Val smiled at me to show his sincerity. 
                          
Lydia tugged my arm firmly, turning my attention back to King Cassandar and Delphine. "What were you doing up there?" I asked in a low voice. 
                          
He brandished the leather pouch of gunpowder. "An old trick a friend taught me," he replied with a wink. "Just in case. There are more soldiers up there still- who's that?" 
                          
"What?"
                          
 Lydia and I followed his wide gaze to Delphine, making energetic, nervous gestures with her delicate hands. "What?" Lydia repeated dumbly. "She's just Delphine." 
                          
Val was shaking, his breathing erratic. I studied his face for some sort of understanding, and then it seemed to click. The note. The royal council meeting. This reaction was why Delphine didn't want him making an appearance there. She was hiding from him.