Lorian's patience finally snapped, "Aah, enough with the suspense! Tell me what is actually on your mind!"
"Forgive me, brother, but there are loose ends I must tie from my side as well. We have been talking long enough for prying eyes to notice; I cannot risk the Shroud questioning my 'loyalty.'" Lyssian made a move to rejoin the party inside the hall, leaving Lorian alone in the moonlit garden.
"But remember this," Lyssian added, pausing at the threshold, "The whole continent has been dancing to a tune set by the Shroud. Everything was progressing exactly as they planned- smoothly, perfectly. But then, two anomalies occurred. First, you suddenly came to your senses. Second, the assassination of Lord Elmsworth. My father's death was the third anomaly, but it was merely a reaction to the first two."
Lorian didn't reply, watching him with a suspicious gaze.
"Just remember, brother," Lyssian warned, "a fly can break a few strands of a web, but once it is truly caught, its demise is certain. Veridia, and the whole continent, is already entangled. They have already adjusted their plans; they have tightened their grip. You may not know it yet, but you might already be playing by their rules. Take care."
Lorian watched him walk away, "Once a bully, always a bully," he smirked. Then, he glanced at a nearby thicket, "You can come out now."
At his command, a solid shadow detached itself from the bushes, it's golden eyes were glowing like burning coal in the dark, "My Lord!"
"Whose idea was this?" Lorian rested a hand on Jax's shoulder, "Let me guess... Selena?"
"Indeed, my Lord," Jax bowed.
"And where is she?" Lorian asked, a hint of irritation crept into his voice.
Jax sensed the shift and kept his head low, "By the pillar, my Lord."
"Call her over, then go enjoy yourself. Tonight, your only duty is to celebrate," Lorian ordered. Jax tried to protest, but Lorian silenced him with a look, sending him inside.
As instructed, Selena approached Lorian with a shy, uncertain smile.
"What was that?" Lorian asked as she drew near, "Did you really think Lyssian would harm me?"
"Are you angry at me?" Selena asked, startled, "Do you think that I would suspect your own brother of such a thing?"
"First, he's my cousin. Technically 'brother,' but I have no affection for him," Lorian spoke sternly, "Second, it disturbs me that you didn't trust my judgment. Do you really think that if there were a possibility of him bringing me harm, I wouldn't have taken my own precautions?"
Selena's spirit seemed to get dampened a bit. She replied in a slow, soft voice, "I requested Jax be there... but not for your safety, Lorian. For Lyssian's."
"Pardon?" Lorian was genuinely surprised, "You mean to say you thought I would hurt him?"
"Noooo!" Selena sounded desperate, "I was afraid that while you two were alone, the enemy might try to assassinate him. It would make you the prime suspect, eroding your stature and destroying your image on your very first day as Lord. It would have created fresh unrest in the city!"
"Hmm. A sharp perspective," Lorian admitted, appreciating the cold logic, "It would have been a perfect opportunity for them."
"Exactly. A knife in his back, he dies in your arms, and the guests rush out to find you standing over his corpse with blood on your hands," Selena spoke coldly, "If I were them, I would never have passed up that chance."
"Well," Lorian winked, "aren't you just a little psycho?"
Selena's face instantly darkened. She recoiled as if he had struck her, whispering a broken, "You too?"
Before Lorian realized what had happened, she turned to flee. He caught her hand, pulling her back, "Hey, what is it? What happened?"
Selena stopped but wouldn't look at him, keeping her head bowed. Lorian reached out and gently held her chin, tilting her face up. In the moonlight, he could see her eyes were glistening with unshed tears.
"What happened?" he asked earnestly, "Did I say something wrong?"
She remained silent for a long moment before whispering, "I am sorry for overreacting. But back in Valoria as well, people called me 'Psycho' to cast me out. It is why I had to leave my own land, my own palace... to hide here. And now, you've called me the same."
Lorian gave her a comforting, gentle smile, "If that word hurt you, then you didn't hear how I said it, silly. I didn't mean you are broken, Selena. I meant you're terrifying."
He held her hands, locking his gaze onto hers, "Listen to me. Most people think in straight lines. They see a wall and they try to climb it, or they kick it until their feet bleed. But not you. You see a wall and you've already calculated the exact point of pressure to make the whole thing collapse without breaking a sweat." He squeezed her hands, "It's a bit 'mad,' yeah. But it's my kind of madness. It's the kind of madness that wins wars before the first sword is even drawn."
He grinned and tapped his temple, "Sane people are boring. They're predictable. They're the ones who get outplayed because they're too afraid to think the things you think. If your mind goes to places others are too scared to visit, that doesn't make you a monster. It makes you a genius with a 'psycho' edge."
His voice turned warmer, "I don't know what they taught you in Valoria, but to me, it's the most impressive thing about you. So keep being a 'psycho.' Because you are my kind of psycho. My psycho."
Suddenly, Selena lunged forward and hugged him tight. He could feel her trembling against him. He patted her back gently, "Don't let a world of boring hypocrites dull your shine. You are what you are- wear it like a badge of honor. No one else can be you."
She muffled a sob against his chest, murmuring, "They really do tell the truth about you... you really are an idiot. The Idiot Prince."
"Watch your tongue, girl," Lorian feigned offense. "I am a King now."
"Whatever," Selena mocked, finally pulling away and wiping her eyes. She quickly collected herself, her strategist's mind clicking back into place, "As I was saying... since they didn't make an attempt on Lyssian, it means they aren't as predictable as we hoped; or, they have a different plan for you. I suspect the latter, which means..."
"...Whatever plan they have, I am the lead actor, although I don't have the damn script!" Lorian finished. He remembered Lyssian had also told him the same, "You may not know it yet, but you might already be playing by their rules."
He considered telling her about his conversation with Lyssian, but he withheld the information. Though his heart had softened toward her, he wasn't ready to trust her completely- not until he knew the full truth of why Valoria feared her. He made a mental note to instruct Grisel Gabon to dig into her past.
He also decided to double the security around Lyssian. If the 'Web' was tightening, his cousin was a high-value target. Lorian felt like he was still swinging his sword in the dark. Azgar Zorat was the key to the Shroud, but he was currently untouchable.
Then suddenly, Lorian remembered the secret letter from Indoris tucked away in his chambers. He had to read it tonight. It could be the key to opening locks he didn't even know existed.