Tale of Four

”It will rest on more than hiding.” Tristan repeated the words to himself and smiled, shaking his head, ”Maybe, but at the same time, it is very easy for you to say that, Princess.” Mabel raised an eyebrow and leaned closer.

”And why is that?” Mabel said with a sharp tone. Tristan took a deep breath and chuckled.

”Permission to speak freely?” Resting a hand on his chest, he flashed his white smile. Mabel tapped the table with her index finger, a habit picked up from her father. After a few seconds, she nodded, ”You are second in line for the throne after Prince Elias. Sure, Prince Matthew should take precedence, but even I can see that the court will not accept the boy as king. You have the most powerful man in the realm as your father, who also happens to be king, and can have a pick of nearly anybody inside and outside the realm as your husband, without it being a disadvantageous marriage.”

Mabel stopped tapping the table and half smiled, ”Anything else?”

”Princess, I am a nameless Princeling without parents, let alone support. A normal lord could kill me, and nothing could happen, let alone a Great lord. My coming out of the shadows, as you put it, puts a target on my back that I have painstakingly worked to avoid.” Raising his hand, he lifted two fingers, ”Secondly, what if I pick the wrong side. Neutrality in itself is not bad.”

”Are you saying, even sat before me, there is another side you can pick. Cousin Tristan.” Her final words were said slowly. Tristan didn’t flinch at the provocation, instead leaning forward, resting his chin on his hands, and sweetly smiling.

”All hypothetical, of course.” Tristan thinly closed his eyes, peeking out through them, the two sharing fake smiles. The silence was tense, only broken by the distant sounds of the city.

”You cannot stay neutral, Tristan. You are smart enough to realise this.” Mabel said, her voice getting colder and sharper. Tristan shook his head.

”Maybe not neutral but equally useful. Once again, all hypothetical. Of course, there is always a third option.” Mabel’s glare turned murderous at Tristan’s words as she inched closer.

”And what is that?” Her words came out like a low growl, as her smile grew wider, desperately but failing to hide her true feelings. Tristan could tell he was pushing the boundaries a little too much and tilted his head, shrugging.

”Running away, of course.” Opening his narrowed eyes slightly, his deep black pupils shone through as he watched Mabel calm down instantly, ”Don’t tell me you thought I had such treasonous thoughts, Princess. I have made it clear, I am a survivor, and the throne is one big target.”

”Of course not, I simply couldn’t believe the cowardice of the suggestion,” Mabel playfully said. ”Run away then. If you won’t pick the correct side, Tristan. Run away. Becuase it would be such a shame for someone like you to end up like your parents.” Mabel pushed herself up and turned her back. Turning to face the city, he took a deep breath.

”Princess.” Calling out, he turned around and met her eyes, ”You may be right about needing to come out of the shadows, and I am inclined to pick the right side. But right now, it is too early to choose. After all.” His eyes hardened, ”I have learnt no one is free from tragedy at a young age.”

Mabel’s grip tightened around the door handle. From her body, violet smoke rose. Tristan held his breath, able to feel a primal aggression from the smoke coming from her body, ”Cousin. Words are very dangerous things.” Looking back into his eyes, the two shared an equally cold gaze, ”because if such a tragedy you speak of did come to pass in the coming days, you would die, even if you had no part.”

”Princess, hasn’t everything I’ve said all been hypothetical?” Tristan said with a nervous smile, the pressure of Mabel’s summoning crushing him.

”Such an excuse wouldn’t save you.” Mabel coldly warned before stepping back indoors. When no one was around, Tristan leaned back into his chair and looked over the city, letting out all the air he had trapped in his lungs, sighing in relief. Looking at the back of his head, he saw his hair stood whilst his back was covered in sweat.

He knew what he was doing was dangerous, incredibly so. But pretending to be completely humble and subservient could only get him so far. He needed to show some confidence as well as competence. Mabel needed to be enticed to come back to him so she could get closer to him. He had already set his sights on joining Anton’s side, unless soemthing drastic happened, but he couldn’t make that too obvious. A man who had lived on the sidelines his entire life, suddenly choosing a side would be more suspicious.

Wrapping his hands around the end of the armrest, he let out another deep sigh and watched the city, trying to see the everyday life of the Commonfolk, even if he couldn’t see any of them.

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”Princess.” The maid who had been with Mabel the entire time called out to her, her arms resting behind her back. Looking back to the patio door and seeing Tristan through the glass, she narrowed her gaze, her perfectly manufactured smile cracking slightly. ”What shall be done with him?”

”Nothing,” Mabel said as soon as the question finished.

”But Princess...” Before she could continue her complaints, Mabel raised her hand to stop the maid.

”As my cousin said. Everything was hypothetical. You’re all dismissed.” The maids around bowed and walked out of the room. Soon after Mabel left being followed by a guard. Grabbing her chin, she felt her lips curl up. After her anger had washed away, all that remained was interest. She had seen instantly that Tristan’s humility was all an act to minimise his presence, but just now she had gotten a peek of what was underneath.

Someone bold enough to suggest her father could die, but smart enough not to say the words outright. Even Mabel knew it was a chance. A slim, almost impossible one, but she knew that tomorrow her father could vanish and her newfound power gone with it.

’To be so bold and suggest that.’ Thinking of Tristan and everything he had done and said, she chuckled to herself, ’He wanted me to approach him in the training grounds.’ It had only just clicked for her. A relative whom she had never seen on those grounds suddenly felt like training the sword again, after the new Prince and Princess were made.

’He already picked a side.’ With a shake of the head, she sighed and felt like an idiot for not releasing it quicker. Sure, it could have been a massive coincidence, but she discarded that thought; Tristan had already proven more cunning than needed. And after so many years, he would have known how to hide himself whilst he trains so she couldn’t spot him.

’This could be a chance.’ Her father’s reign wasn’t secure, and he needed every possible advantage. A princeling discarded and hidden in the background could be the perfect card she could play. ’Although if I spend more time with him, people will eventually notice and question why I am. I can’t cause a scandal for father at the moment.’

Thinking to herself, she wondered where to go from her current position, trying to think of a way to keep Tristan close. ’Maybe I need Elias help for this one. Two men meeting won’t be questioned unless it is at the dead of night.’