Days ago on the Flying Fish, Dylan had said Kyle was the only person he trusted among us. Now he sat in the prince's chair.
“
Well, I think that covers it for now. Unless you have anything to add.” Kyle turned to his bodyguard.
The construct turned his head to look at
Kyle and then back at us. “I've heard all of the points you've made. Know that your ruler will deliberate a course of action that will benefit each of you and inspire the Northern Kingdom to greater success. You are relieved from this audience, and, as always, remain vigilant.”
Kyle laughed.
“This guy. The greatest invention I've ever met. You know, I think it's about time you were given a name. We can't all call you Prince Varion or the bodyguard forever. Let’s see... how about Trevor? No. Let's make it... Wick. That sounds like it'd fit you.”
Kyle always named machines. I was surprised it had taken him this long to name a sentient one.
General Deasun rocked back in his chair. “He already has a name your Highness.”
“
Oh. What is it?”
The construct responded for himself.
“My name is Wick.”
Kyle's eyes widened.
“Yeah, I just told you it was.”
“
My name has always been Wick.” Using one arm, he reached to his shoulder plate and slid a panel down. Emblazoned in gold were four capital letters:
WICK
Tired as he seemed, Kyle had been holding up well until now. It was like someone had dropped him into a vat of ice water. His mouth worked without words and he stared. “I–I...” He looked back at us like he was horribly confused, and embarrassed about it. Instead of addressing the matter, he rushed past it. “Well, General. You know what to do. Send someone to gather the people of the displaced towns. Organize the force that will go west and report to me. Dylan, we'll need to go over our outpost's construction with you. Choose the best defensive location that won't upset the locals.”
“
Yes, sir.” Dylan nodded. He was on surprisingly good behavior. Was this the potential Brendon had seen in him?
“
Rune, I'd like you to join us. As a former soldier of Raserion's your input is vital. We need to be ready for him.”
“
Sir,” Rune echoed, returning to his feet. As an afterthought, two words followed. “Thank you.”
Kyle looked at him curiously.
“Thank you for giving us a second chance.”
“
That's exactly what the children we rescued said to you,” Kyle mused. “As much as I'd like to return to the Flying Fish and crawl into the engine room for a short eternity, I have a million things I need to familiarize myself with. Someday–
someday
, I'll get some sleep. You may all go. I'll call upon you soon. Vance, your ceremony is tomorrow. I'd like you all to be there. Don't forget.”
“
How could I?” Deasun grumbled, but I could see that he wasn't entirely upset by the prospect.
We all got up to leave, and Hussar Prie reopened the doors for us. All I wanted to do was have a nice hot bath and settle into a quiet corner with Rune.
I wanted to forget about wars and princes, if only for a moment.
“
Not you, Kat,” Kyle said, stopping me before I could escape. “We need to talk. In private.”
Chapter 48: The Honest Truth
All of our company, even Deasun and Prie, abandoned the room at
Kyle's request. The only two who remained beside Kyle and myself were Wick and Sadie. Being as both were at least partially machine, neither of them seemed to mind witnessing a private conversation. Sadie trailed after Kyle when he left his post at the head of the table, and Wick remained in his chair, unmoving.
Kyle
walked around the edge of the table, shortening most of the distance between us. “Are you okay?”
“
Why wouldn't I be?” I didn't mean to sound so short.
“
You're acting strange,” he said, slowly letting his hands fall into his pockets. So, even his royal regalia sewed them in. It didn't seem like a habit that befitted a Prince.
“
I'm
acting strange?” I could almost laugh. “I'm adapting.”
“
So am I.”
“
You speak to General Deasun on a first name basis...”
He interrupted me to explain.
“The guy's been leading me around since he showed up. I can't keep calling him General.”
“
And Wick?”
The robotic construct looked up at
the mention of his name.
“
I–I didn't know that was his name. Honestly, I thought I made it up on the spot. It was the first thing that popped into my head. This isn't easy for me. I'm so sorry.”
“
You don't owe me an apology.”
“
Actually, I do.” He paced in a circle wringing his hands and Sadie trotted along. “This is hard for me to admit.”
“
You're Varion and you knew. Is that it?” Anger sprouted within me. I didn't want to think about it or consider that it might be true. A betrayal that deep would ruin me. Kyle had been one of my two closest friends for most of my life. I wasn't sure I could survive such a cruel deception. The hurt crushed my lungs, but that didn't stop me from speaking. “Is that why we're friends? If you knew I had the Pull when we were children, you could use me to get out. Is that what happened?”
“
No, no. It's not like that. I swear. I'm not like Dylan. I would
never
use you.” He looked at me and took a deep breath. “I think some part of me understood that I needed to be here.
Subconsciously
. The day you woke up all bandaged and told me and Ruby where you'd gone, I didn't believe what you said could be true. But I would have done anything to get you to show me. Why? I had everything I wanted there. But I was hooked. The idea poked at the back of my mind every day.
“
I knew that eventually you'd go back out. People don't make discoveries like that and walk away clean. The day the radio tower came down, Eddie Elm said things that alarmed me. None of it made sense, but I knew I had to follow you. If I'd known what I was getting Ruby and Sterling into, I wouldn't have gone. Gravity, if I'd known what would happen, I wouldn't have risked
myself
. If I could do anything, I'd go back in time and erase that day.”
His words left me with conflicting sentiments. If the day the tower fell never happened, I wouldn't have reunited with Rune, but Sterling would be alive.
And if you hadn't returned to the Outside, Rune would have died in Cape Hill.
“
You've always told me that there's no sense in regret,” I said.
“
I'd still like to believe that, but I'm not so sure anymore.”
Invisible walls had shot up between us
. I could almost feel them. “So you're him then?” I wanted to hear him say it. Prince Varion was known as a monster, guilty of killing his father and driving his kingdom to war with merciless conviction.
“
I–I don't know. I'm
me
. I'm the same person, Kat. I just don't know how to deny all of the things that have happened.” His eyes grew blurry and red. “When I left Haven, I thought it'd be fun. I felt like we could handle anything. Then the dreams began, and the longer we stayed Outside, the more real they felt. On the Flying Fish, when you and Dylan went to Cape Hill with the Margrave, I asked Sterling to help me remember. He saw what we all did when Wick played back that recording, but he felt it too. The same way I feel it every time I dream. It was real. Sterling's oath to protect his family honor kept him from telling anyone what he experienced.” His voice wavered and he frowned as a tear slipped from his eyelash. “Neither of us quite believed it, but we couldn't deny it either. Sterling knew that I might be Prince Varion: the murderous warlord who killed that Empty man who is
still
sitting on the Old Throne– his own
father!
Gravity, Kat, Sterling
knew
what I didn't have the courage to tell anyone! It didn't matter that people said Varion was immortal. I believed I was going to die the way I did in those dreams. And do you know what? When I was too terrified to set foot in Cape Hill, Sterling called me a coward. He said it more than once. 'Life is empty without the people who matter.' That's what he told me. He was right.”
“
A real man finishes what he starts,” I said, quoting Sterling. “And that's why you were acting so strangely when we set off from the Gold Palace to free Paperglass.”
He nodded and sniffed, blinking his eyes as clear as he could.
“Yeah. I thought I'd die that morning– but it was Sterling instead. I should have been the one that... I was a coward. All I could think about was the pain I'd feel if they thought I was Varion and killed me. I almost let you go off on your own. Sterling was a better person than me... he should have been the prince.”
I stood by watching him
ward off genuine tears, trembling in his finery, not knowing how to feel.
Lifting his head and steadying his shoulders
, he looked at me like he was facing his own firing squad. “I'll understand if you hate me. I hate myself for the both of us.”
“
Gravity, Kyle, shut up,” I whined. If ever there was proof that my friend was the same person at his core, it was this. “You're acting stupid again.”
He laughed and snorted despite himself.
“Now you're speaking my language.”
“
Sterling was a good guy. But so are you. Comparing yourself to others is...”
“
It's what dumb people do. I know, I've said that enough, haven't I?”
Breaking through the walls between us, I planted my hands on his shoulders and looked at him directly.
“We've known each other a long time and you've never been a coward. Aloof, stubborn, infuriatingly logical– those are more the types of words I'd associate with you. The nightmare is over.”
“
That's debatable,” he said, looking down at his feet. “They want me to be their prince.”
I let my arms drop back to my sides and we both collapsed into the nearest chairs. My other questions about Varion and the war evaporated. This was only Kyle, tangled in a web of impossibility, struggling with his fate. I couldn't conduct an interrogation as long as I sympathized with him.
“Is that what you're going to do?”
“
What other choice do we have?”
My fingers grazed the cool metal chain that looped from my belt to the pocket of my corset coat. I couldn't risk leaving it anywhere, so I continued to wear it. Somewhere, away in the West, Raserion waited for me to trace that symbol and cast the medallion down at his brother's feet. He'd have to wait a whole lot longer. I made a vow with myself at that moment to destroy the trinket. I would never betray Kyle Kiteman.
“No matter what happens, Kat, no matter what I need to say or do, I'm always on your side. Remember that.”
Chapter 49:
The Ceremony
The rain had let up in time for General Deasun's
ceremony, and Caraway was shining. The keep huddled directly atop an entire district, held up by multi-story buildings that acted as pillars of support. The wood, brownstone and brick of every structure were slick with moisture. Rainwater piped from the rooftop gutters and trailed down buttresses like threads of spider silk. Dusk was young, and a soft blush crept up the western edge of the cold, clear sky.
We were at the heart of Caraway: the vast ground-level courtyard at the center of the keep. And so was everyone else. The square was coursing with citizens and soldiers, all easily differentiated by the shade of their clothes. Mechanical lifts raised nobles and soldiers up to the keep's long wrap-around balconies. High above
, they leaned over thick bronze-and-stone rails and watched through binocular goggles. The entire city had come to witness the ceremony. A curtain of shadows had fallen over the square lawn, cast by the towering bulk of the keep and the retreating sun, but light was everywhere. Colored lanterns bobbed across the field on rotating tracks, held up by flag posts that rippled with vivid strips of cloth.
Mid-courtyard, a wooden stage
shaped like a layered cake served as a platform for a skilled orchestra. I could only hear the music faintly beneath the murmur of thousands of people.
We stood with the prince's entourage atop a two-story stone balcony that attached to the keep by tunneling stairways and mechanical lifts, and to the ground by curving ramps.
On the right end of the balcony were Carmine and Rune, with me in the middle, and a whole slew of soldiers behind us. General Deasun's extended family took up the left side, looking a little more ecstatic than proud. I doubted that class elevations like this were a common occurrence. When Deasun was elevated to Lord, his entire family was granted nobility. Hussar Prie was among them, smiling and sneaking sips from her flask.
I wore a bronze gown with skirts that were layered enough to keep me warm. At least the surrounding keep and lower city blocked out most of the coastal wind. Down below, there were enough bodies packed into the large space to generate a little heat
, despite the winter. My hair was pulled half back, and my ears were becoming too cold for comfort. I had to stop myself from covering them with my gloved hands. The tip of my nose was beginning to feel numb.
Being propped up on a pedestal before so many people was overwhelming, frightening, and exciting to me, in that precise order. It was a new experience, and if I'd learned anything about myself in the past two years, it was that I thrived on new experiences. Seeing the crowd was a lot like seeing the ocean for the first time. It was a moving medley of skin tones, hair color, and clothes of every shade. Children sat atop their parents
’ shoulders, grandparents stood with their arms linked. In such an aggressive world, it was refreshing to see an absence of violence for a change. It almost reminded me of Haven, but not quite. There was an edge, a readiness that Haven had never known. Perhaps the peace in the courtyard was due in part to the heavy presence of the army.
Between Deasun's family and us, was the General-turned-Lord, and Prince Kyle, suited up in Varion's sentient armor. I wondered how Kyle was doing beneath that closed helm. He was expected to speak after Deasun. Sadie remained just behind him, patiently awaiting her next command. She wasn't the only monster at the ceremony. A pair of huge mechanical cats sat at the top of each ramp, facing the crowd. Their bronze bodies glowed from within, and churned with rotating parts. I doubted anyone would attempt to ascend our platform with them standing by.
“I am an honest man.” Deasun's voice rang out, projected by radio speakers throughout the courtyard and the city. “It is true that I was born with common blood running through my veins. Unlike our fair nobles of this great city and many others, my ancestors were not among the soldiers of our Prince's first army centuries ago.”
A murmur moved through the sea of people watching us.
“But I, Vance Deasun, enlisted at sixteen years of age. I studied, struggled, fought, climbed and earned my place in Prince Varion Argent's army... two hundred years ago. Many of you know me. Your families have known me, and so have your very ancestors. When I was struck down in battle at the age of forty-eight, my name was not written on the wall of my family's home. The number of my many conquests was not writ beside it. It is no secret that I died that day. Prince Varion saw fit to use his mighty Abilities to revive me. I have lived, worked, and served this kingdom then and now. I might have been born a common man, but our prince has given me the opportunity to be something greater. I thank him for that, and I thank you for accepting me as the new Lord of Caraway.”
For one tense moment, I wondered whether anyone would support him, but soon enough, the crowd roared with applause. Kyle stepped forward holding a bound scroll in one hand and a regal blue cloak in the other. He handed Deasun the
scroll first, and when the general knelt, Kyle placed the cloak over his shoulders. The orchestra struck up an inspired tune and onlookers cast handfuls of streamers down on the courtyard.
And not one mention of Headly. Do these people have no curiosity at all?
“Rune,” I whispered, leaning toward him as Deasun resumed speaking. “Where's Dylan? I thought he was going to be here.”
Rune stiffened and would not turn to look at me.
“Did he leave with the ships to Breakwater last night? I haven't seen him.”
Still no response.
Irritated, I elbowed him in the side. That got his attention, and he looked sharply down at me.
“
We're not supposed to be speaking. This is an official ceremony!” he whispered back.
“
But don't you think it's a little strange? If he left, I would have thought he'd say goodbye.”
By his expression, I could tell that Rune was not at all pleased with me for continuing to talk to him.
“Axton does as he pleases. You know that.”
I clasped my hands together, tapping my fingers lightly. Using the Pull wouldn't do me any good. I'd find myself tugged in a certain direction, but my handy Ability didn't describe an end location. I'd be pointed in the direction of the clearest path with no idea how long it would take to get there. Dylan could be in the keep, or hundreds of miles away
, for all I knew.
Carmine looked over at me.
“Were you talking about Dylan?”
I nodded.
Rune looked up at the citrus sky like it was taking all of his willpower not to pretend he didn't know us.
Our pilot was dressed in a gown the same color as mine, but with slight alterations. Though we were nearly
matching, I felt underdressed beside her. “I know it may not seem out of the ordinary,” she said in hushed tones. “But he was acting strangely when I saw him last. Maybe it's nothing.”
“
He might be resting,” I thought aloud. “He wasn't completely recovered.”
When Kyle stepped forward to speak, all other thoughts left my mind. If he trembled within his armor, it didn't show. All I saw was a giant, larger than life, convincingly lifelike and yet not quite human. I saw a prince.
“I...” Wick's deep voice coated Kyle's words. “I stand before you, people of Caraway...” He trailed off, and the resounding silence of so many people was impressive. “To offer you a better era. A brighter future.” He stopped again, looking slowly from one end of the population to the other. “I don't need to tell you how ruthless our enemy is. I don't need to explain the daily atrocities they commit or the extent of their determination to strike us down.” He cast his eyes down as though he was reading from a script. It was probably fastened to some part of Wick's inner armor. “In an effort to confuse the West, I have shielded my identity behind a mask. It is a tradition that I intend to bring to an end... today.”
Is he really going to do it?
“I almost can't believe it,” Carmine said with mist in the corners of her eyes.
I couldn't believe it either. We might have been able to steal away and flee before now. Sure, the odds would have been against us with so many guards patrolling the keep, but we could have tried. Kyle was about to lock himself into a role that he knew nothing about. It was a mystery that had not been solved, and here he was, committing to it.
Wick's helm split and rotated backwards, and his chest panels lifted and swung open to reveal Kyle's head and torso. He wore a white pressed shirt, a brilliant vest of blue and gold-thread brocade, and a heavy, navy coat with a thick, folded collar that swirled with embroidered embellishments. In such fine regalia, he didn't only look like a prince– he looked like a king.
I marveled at him, impressed by his resurgence of courage. His speech could have been delivered more smoothly, but all things considered, he'd presented it fantastically. Upon showing himself, the sea of Caraway's citizens, cheered. Three syllables spread like a ripple through the crowd until all voices carried the chant.
“Va-ri-on!”
“
Va-ri-on!”
“
Va-ri-on!”
It was a genderless roar, inspired, powerful, like the rhythmic sound of the tide crashing against Breakwater Keep.
With Wick's helm removed, Kyle's own tenor fed into the microphone through the many speakers and across outreaching radio waves. He raised his great mechanical arms, holding his palms up to quiet the crowd. “You've seen my face, and I've seen yours. Lord Deasun, myself, and all of you are not just brothers-and-sisters-in-arms. We are not strangers who ignore one another in our city's streets. People of Caraway, we
are
family and our ties run deeper than blood. Tonight, we not only celebrate General Deasun's lordhood– we unite in the common goal to end this war and to give our family the future that it deserves.” Cheering swelled and Kyle allowed a lengthy pause before adding, “I will see to it that you know peace. Thank you.”
Kyle didn't know these people. They really were strangers to him. Still, what he said sounded genuine. He turned
to look at me from his seat in the bulk of Wick's armor. His smile was hopeful, vulnerable, and meant for me. I nodded to him, knowing without spoken words that he wondered if I'd thought he'd done okay.
You did better than I would have.
The sunset was the color of rosy water lilies on a darkening pond. Flocks of birds soared overhead, returning to their nighttime sanctuaries. Just as I'd taken in a deep breath, savoring the relative success of our task, the booming sound of cannon-fire nearly stopped my heart. I jumped visibly, and in the corner of my vision, I saw that Kyle did too. Rune reached out to touch my wrist. He didn't seem at all concerned.
“
It's only the fireworks.” He was clearly amused with my reaction.
“
Fire works?
” I was confused but I didn't need to wait long for an explanation. There was an explosion of light overhead, and before me or Kyle could flee from the perceived attack, a bloom of sparkling red light showered down from the sky and disappeared. Another set of cannon-fire shots deafened my ears, and bursts of glittering blue and gold light rained down. I'd never seen anything like it.
Carmine took one look at Kyle's wide-eyed wonder and began to chuckle under her breath. I almost laughed, myself. It sounded scary but it was perfectly safe. No one else seemed rattled by the display.
Another pop, and I winced at the sound. A web of green light crackled over us, and it was so large I thought it would land on our heads for certain. It dissolved in a flurry of golden fireflies.
The orchestra played an uplifting song, and people in the crowd had begun to dance.
“Gravity, it's beautiful!” I said, barely able to pry my eyes away from the lights in the sky. “And so loud!”
Rune's grin showed his white teeth, and his eyes creased at the corners. He was laughing at me! I pushed myself up onto my toes, tugging him down low enough so that I could kiss that infuriatingly perfect dimple of his.
“What?” I said, struggling to compete with the volume of the celebration. “Don't tell me I can't kiss you after the ceremony. This is the North. They do that sort of thing here!”
“
I'm not complaining.” He waited for another burst to pass before speaking. “If you like these now, you should see them in the dead of night.”
“
I'd like to,” I said dreamily, staring up at the fireworks. Boom, pop, shower. Boom, pop, shower. Boom, boom, boom, pop, shower. Boom. Boom. Boom, pop, shower.
While I studied the show, I noticed that the pattern had changed, and became less predictable. With so many booms, there should have been more to see.
“I think some of them are defective.”
Rune's smile faded away as he noted the rhythm. I could see dim flashes of light beyond one end of the Keep. The cannons were firing, but some of the fireworks were missing. I saw the wind escape his lungs as he reached some kind of conclusion in his mind. He suddenly plunged past me, dodged Carmine and rushed for Kyle and Deasun.