The taxi pulled to a stop in the palace courtyard just beyond the sweeping perron that led up to the front doors. Thanking the driver for the ride, Jacob climbed out of the backseat and made his way up the steps. Since he was supposed to be inspecting the seventh tower on the border, the king wasn’t expecting him to return this early—last time he’d checked, it was still midafternoon—but Atlas rarely left the confines of his bedroom since the memorial had taken place. Chances were, that was exactly where he would find the mourning father today as well.
At least this time, I’m bringing him good news, he mused as the security officers by the entrance allowed him inside. The way the monarch had reacted when he’d brought word that Caspian was dead was seared permanently into his memory. He looked forward to informing him that their sources were wrong and that the prince was back inside the safety of the capital, where he belonged. Of course, he would also have to confess that he’d barely been alive at the time the soldiers had found him and that he was currently in the hospital undergoing extensive surgery, but at least it was still better news than “your son is gone.”
With a subtle shake of his head, the guard continued to navigate the halls inside the palace, climbing stairs until he reached King Atlas’s bedroom. Rapping his knuckles on the heavy oak doors, he called out, “You Majesty, I have something to tell you. May I come in?”
As usual, a brief silence followed before he heard the shuffling of feet on the other side of the panel. The handle was jostled, and a maid appeared on the other side, beckoning him to step inside. He nodded to her politely and entered the room, turning habitually toward the bed, where his ruler was laying down. At the sight of him, Jacob bowed deeply from the waist and straightened his posture again as the weary king grumbled, “More trouble with those underqualified fools in the seventh tower?”
“Actually, no, Your Majesty,” he replied. “I come bearing good news.”
“Oh?” Atlas brightened ever so slightly. Before he’d thought his son was dead, he used to leap at good news, but now, he barely stirred. It was like the life had been drained from him, which only encouraged Jacob to relay his discovery.
“It’s about Prince Caspian… He’s alive,” he announced, getting straight to the point.
At first, Atlas said nothing. His brows jumped upward, and he stared at the guard as if he was having a hard time processing what he’d just said. However, after a moment, he managed to speak. “What…?” he breathed, forcing himself to sit up on his bed. “How? Are you certain?”
“Absolutely,” Jacob confirmed. “I was there when he was found. While I was inspecting tower seven, he appeared at the border in the company of a young woman. I brought him into the capital, so I know for sure that it was him.”
“My son… Caspian is alive,” Atlas echoed distantly. For a moment, he fell quiet again and then pushed his duvet aside to get out of his bed. “Where is he? I must see him.”
Jacob startled and took a step closer to the bed, holding up his hands. “You can soon, Your Majesty, just… not yet.” He cringed as he prepare himself to deliver the bad part of the news. “Prince Caspian is at the hospital. He showed up with multiple severe injuries that required immediate medical attention. He’s going to be fine, but right now, he’s undergoing surgery to treat the wounds.”
“Injuries?” Atlas scowled. “How did that happen?”
“I’m not entirely sure yet because he was in poor shape when he arrived,” Jacob admitted. “But it seems more than likely that they were caused by the enemies who abducted him. We’ll find out more when he wakes up after his operation.”
The king clenched his jaw, “And what about the other individual he was with? A woman, you said? Was she one of them?”
“Potentially,” Jacob replied, shifting his weight uncomfortably. “I recognized her as the same girl who lured him into the forest and had her arrested upon arrival. She’s currently in a holding cell at the penitentiary.”
“Perfect,” Atlas growled. “Have her executed at once.”
The guard blanched. “Sire, if I may be so bold,” he cleared his throat. “She may be useful to us if we question her first. We know she’s associated in some way with the uprising, so we could use what she knows to finish off our enemies for good. She may have just handed us the key to our victory by showing up here.” That, and he suspected that Caspian would be livid if he came out of surgery and discovered that they had executed the person he’d deemed his savior. For the sake of not ruining the relationship between father and son, and for allowing the prince the chance to explain why she was carrying him to the city while there was a warrant out for her arrest, he had to dig in his heels against the order to kill her right away.
“We’ve questioned quite a few prisoners recently,” the king reminded him jadedly. “What difference would it make to interrogate one more?”
“I can’t be certain that it would make a difference,” Jacob replied honestly. “But there’s no harm in trying. If she has anything useful to give us, we’ll learn it. If not, we’ve lost nothing in prodding at her thoughts.”
Atlas chewed on his lower lip in thought. “I suppose you’re right,” he sighed. “Very well then. Tell the interrogators to do what they will. I just want this godforsaken war to end.”
“Right away, Your Majesty,” Jacob bowed again. “I’ve also asked the doctors involved in Prince Caspian’s surgery to alert me as soon as his operation is over. If you’d like, I can relay the word to you when I hear from them.”
“Please do,” Atlas nodded, reclining on the bed again. “In fact, I’m going to visit him when he’s awake.”
“Of course, Your Majesty,” Jacob said before he politely excused himself from the room to call the warden back. He’d delayed the girl’s execution for now, but she was still a traitor to the crown, so she would be treated as such until Caspian could explain more about what had happened since he’d disappeared. Turning on his com device, he tapped into the frequency and spoke crisply into the receiver, “Warden Walker? This is Curry. Have the interrogation room prepared for our new prisoner.”