It did not take long for him to decide. Levan scanned the reports one last time, absorbing every morsel of information with the precision of a dagger slicing through silk. And his deductions were made before he could waste another thought.
He rose from his chair, the scattered papers shifting with a whisper beneath his hand. His movements were calm as always, yet authority radiated from him like heat from a forge.
As if sensing a heartbeat in an unexpected circumstances, his eyes flicked toward the corner of the room, narrowing. "Leroy," he said, steady yet sharp enough to make the air vibrate.
From the far corner came a rustle. A pair of bright blue eyes peeked nervously from behind a stack of parchment. "Y-your Highness!" the boy stammered, raising his hands in surrender, knowing all too well that he could never bypass the prince's keen eyes.
His shoulders slumped, and a sheepish grin tugged at his lips when he was met with Levan's frown. "I—I was just...uh...preparing myself, sir. Making sure I knew the reports...inside and out. Definitely not eavesdropping, hehe..."
Levan did not move, only let his gaze linger like a predator considering its prey. "Do you think you can hide in my chambers?" His voice was fluid and solemn, but laced with sinister amusement.
Leroy shuffled forward, shifting from one foot to the other, trying to make his excuses sound plausible. "Yes, sir—I m-mean, no! Of course not! I'm only here to serve you! Totally professional, nothing sneaky!"
Levan studied him silently for a moment, making the boy jittery. This kid had always had a tendency to sneak where he did not belong. Although it was a vice that could bring trouble, that was exactly why Levan had brought him in as his eyes and ears. He spoke, "I have no use for loiterers in my chambers. But since you're here, I have a job for you."
At that, Leroy's chest puffed up like he had swallowed a balloon. "Ah-ha! I knew you would need me—I could feel it in my bones! Truly, I am always ready for the call!" He spun on his heel, dark tunic hugging him as he gestured grandly, like a performer on stage.
Levan watched as he trotted out from the shadows, wearing a smile far too cheeky for the moment. For someone with lethal experience in assassination, he hardly looked the part. But then again, his unshakable loyalty had always been as clear as day. Among Levan's most trusted informants, Leroy treated every lead like a competition. He was always eager to stay ahead of the others; always desperate to prove his worth to him.
"I was asleep when I had this instinct that—oh! Prince Levan has a job for me!—and guess who's right again?" He stepped closer with a dashing smile, chiming his way in, his gaze briefly sweeping to the handmaiden near the corner of the table as he approached the prince.
Then his grin faltered. His eyes went wide in sheer fright. "M–Melyn?!" His voice cracked like a poorly tuned bell. He blinked once, then twice, scanning her from head to toe as though he had seen the devil herself, pulling an immediate scowl on the handmaiden's lips.
"W–what...? You—you look...how?!" He pressed a hand to his chest, visibly rattled by the sight of the woman who had once been his superior. "The gown doesn't suit you..."
"What did you say?" Melyn's sneer was enough, that alone sent him stumbling back a step, tripping over nothing before recovering with shaky resolve.
"I mean—you look good, I just—I'm not used to it," he splutterd, shaking his head, causing Melyn to clench her fist and rolled her eyes in annoyance.
"Cut the theatrics." Levan's voice sliced through the room, and Leroy hastily straightened, snapping into a salute.
"Yes, sir! Ready as ever!" he blurted.
Levan let the silence hang for a heartbeat, his voice cutting through it at last. "Since you've been eavesdropping, I assume you already grasp the severity of the situation."
Colour rushed to Leroy's cheeks like he had been caught with his hand in the royal treasury. He fidgeted, scratched the back of his neck, then puffed his chest out again to salvage his dignity from scraps. "W–well, yes, sir! Of course, sir. Every single word. Crystal clear." He nodded so earnestly it bordered on comical, the tips of his ears still burning.
The prince ignored his charming smile.
"I want you to relay this carefully. Send word to the soldiers in the eastern and northern provinces, Captain Ragnall and Captain Harken. Pull them back from the frontlines to prevent unnecessary casualties, and have the magically-restrained units patrol the affected areas. They are to observe only from a safe distance." Levan watched Leroy's expression, gauging whether the order sank in.
When the boy's face remained a touch too blank for comfort, he continued, voice cool but incisive. "Inform the governors to organize refugees, separate the afflicted from the rest, and hold village leaders accountable for reporting any anomalies at once. We cannot risk the cities falling to chaos. Understood?"
"Understood!" Leroy squared his shoulders, his voice cracking with eagerness. Then, more hesitantly, he asked, "How about the victims, Your Highness?"
Levan nodded. "House Dorovian and House Stormlow will assist with the evacuations. The Caelwyn healers stationed here will be dispatched at once. Expect them before evening. I'll send word across the border. The Queen of Caelwyn will be informed of the scale of this outbreak, but we will not wait for her leave to act."
The boy's head bobbed quickly, though unease lingered. "And the southern borders? That's still the worst hit. You haven't assign anything concerning the region," he asked worriedly.
"I'll have someone else take command there," Levan replied, calm and absolute, the kind of assurance that left no room for doubt. His composure carried the weight of inevitability, and Leroy knew the orders would be carried out strictly because they came from him.
Leroy exhaled, his shoulders eased as he gave a final nod, fully trusting the prince's judgement. "Yes, Your Highness. I will not disappoint you."
The prince turned to Melyn. His gaze was cold and unreadable that if he felt anything about the matter at all, then he gave no sign. He could have been annoyed, angry, or indifferent, and his countenance still betrayed nothing.
"Is she hurt?" The question carried no softness, only the weight of a demand for facts.
Melyn's mind flicked to the bandage on the princess' scraped hand. "Not by the shadows. I think she injured herself out of fear...but I've already tended to it."
He gave a single curt nod. "Then stay vigilant. You already know what to do."
Melyn slowed her breath, weighing her words before she decided to ask them away. It was not the matter of whether or not she will do her job properly. "Will you see her, then?"
"No."
Melyn's brows furrowed at the immediate answer. "She's your wife."
"And because she is, I can't afford to bend for her fears. She'll endure," he said, almost negligently. "I have to see the King and tie some loose ends with the military Houses. If I have the time, I'll visit."
Whenever Levan gave his word, it was as good as law, something he would see through no matter the cost. But when he spoke with conditions, she knew his words were nothing more than smoke, and smoke always slipped away. Unfortunately, that would mean he will not visit her.
Melyn could only breath a sigh before bowing her head, though the gesture was half-hearted at best. The prince did not linger on her hesitation, she was dismissed right after the order was given. Both Melyn and Leroy stepped out into the corridor, the heavy doors closing behind them with a weight that seemed to cut them off from the world inside.
Silence stretched between the two old subordinates as they unknowingly walked in the same direction, if it were not for the boy deciding to trail her from behind. With a clear of his throat, Leroy leaned closer with a crooked grin, clearly unable to contain himself.
"So," he began, lowering his voice as if he was sharing some scandal, "the infamous Melyn Rosenborne...reduced to carrying hairpins and fluffing pillows. Never thought I'd live to see the day."
Melyn did not bother sparing him a glance. "Should I congratulate you? Congratulations."
He clutched his chest with a theatrical groan. "Ouch. Still the same sharp tongue. I half-expected you to soften after trading daggers for ribbons." He opened one eye, expecting pity.
"Some of us learn restraint," she replied dryly instead, finally flicking her eyes at him, judging him up and down. "Unlike a certain boy who thinks hiding behind stacks of parchment makes them invisible."
Leroy flushed, then immediately tried to cover it up with another grin. "Hey, I was testing His Highness' awareness! Making sure he still had his edge."
"Testing him?" She scoffed. "You nearly got skewered by his glare. Hiding in the prince's chamber takes guts. If he hadn't recognized you, you'e be dead before you could blink."
That shut him up for a beat, though his grin soon crept back, cheekier than before. "Fair, but he wouldn't actually kill me."
"Did he tell you that?"
"No, but—" Leroy shrugged. "You know, His Highness is just...like that. Always brooding and glaring, making it look like he wants to strangle everyone in the room," he scrunched his nose playfully. "Doesn't mean he actually hates me."
Melyn gave him a flat look. "Or maybe you're just too dense to notice," she retorted smoothly, striding ahead without slowing.
"Still terrifying..." Leroy muttered under his breath, the corner of his lips pulling up into a boyish smile as he jogged to keep up. When he was beside her again, he leaned his head toward her, lowering his voice like a conspirator. "Sooo...what's the deal with His Highness and the princess, huh?"
Melyn stopped mid-step, giving him a sidelong glare, causing the other guy to take a step back and instinctively raise his hands in mock surrender. "You really haven't changed, have you? Always poking your nose where it doesn't belong."
He grinned wider, practically bouncing on his feet as he clasped his hands, trying to look polite. "Come on, I was in there! I saw his face when you mentioned her, tight as a bowstring! Don't tell me nothing's going on."
Her silence was telling, and that only fueled him further. "I knew it. Trouble in paradise!" he exclaimed, eyes gleaming like a child with stolen sweets. "Is he cold to her? Distant? Or maybe—" he gasped dramatically, clutching his chest, "—the princess is secretly in love with someone else?"
Melyn rolled her eyes skyward, resuming her walk. "You sound like an old crone spinning gossip at the market."
"Better a gossip than blind," Leroy shot back, leaning closer, eager to know. "So? Tell me how bad is it from a scale of one to ten."
Her lips thinned. "If you want to live, stop asking."
But Leroy only clicked his tongue and kept walking beside her, muttering half to himself, half to her. "Tch, figures. Still...it does make sense. Even someone as stonecold as him would break if the princess turned her back on him."
His eyes lit up as if recalling the memory, and his voice grew more ostentatious with every word. "I saw her during the wedding, right. That veil lifted and then bam! The hall went blind. Hair like spun silver, eyes that could drown a man in one look. She walked past and I swear my knees nearly gave out, and I wasn't even the groom!"
He threw his hands up as if overcome by the memory. "If she's half as breathtaking up close as she was that day? Of course His Highness would fall hard," he stomped his foot for emphasis, then whirled toward Melyn with exaggerated flair.
"Bet he's suffering in silence. Can't show it 'cause he's all about duty and command and scary glares, but deep inside?" He whispered, "He was crushed, completely wrecked."
Melyn abruptly stopped walking, fixing him with a stare sharp enough to cut glass.
Leroy blinked at her, faltering. "...What? Did I say something wrong?"
Melyn's stare lingered a beat longer before she finally looked away, speaking monotonely. "Focus on the task His Highness gave you. The provinces won't save themselves."
"Ah, right..." he trailed off, that sly smile creeping back onto his face. Tilting his head, his eyes glinted with mischief, as if he were letting her in on some private joke.
"See you then. By the way, I missed you too, ma'am, but try not to miss me too much."
"When did I say—" Before she could snap back, the air around him shimmered faintly. A wisp of shadow curled, and in the blink of an eye, he was gone.
Melyn exhaled slowly, more annoyed than impressed. It does not matter, she needed to return to the princess' chamber immediately.