The sun was finally up. Cerdic still had Aldric on his back as he made his way out from the Moonshade grove. They were drenched in the rain. Cerdic took a few heavy breaths. He saw the dirt road leading to the capital. The same way he returned to the warmth of his home just days ago. He was tired. His legs were aching. His whole body trembling. He needed to sit down.
"Aldric..." he called. "Can you walk?"
But there was no response.
"Aldric..." Cerdic asked again. There was only a groan.
Cerdic crouched down and placed Aldric down from his back. Cerdic was relieved that he was just unconscious. But he was also shivering. Cerdic checked Aldric's temperature with the back of his hand. The young boy's skin was burning under his clothes. He was trembling and was taking heavy breaths through his mouth.
"He has a fever," Cerdic muttered. It wasn't surprising. Last night's events completely worn him out. Let alone Aldric, who was just a child.
"I need to take him to the physician." Cerdic forgot about his exhaustion and picked Aldric up into his arms again. Cerdic wasn't sure where to take Aldric to. But he knew staying in the estate or anywhere around it wasn't safe. He started walking. He remembered there were villages scattered here and there between Brightmoon estate and the capital. But the nearest one was still quite a walk. He soon realised he can't make it.
"What will I do?" Cerdic panted. He looked at his little brother. His mother, aunt and cousins were gone. His father and uncle—there was no news about them. Aldric was probably the only one he had left. Cerdic didn't want to lose him too. But by the intensity of the fever and the symptoms he was showing, if Aldric wasn't treated, his life would be in danger. Cerdic could feel that Aldric was having trouble breathing.
Cerdic looked around in desperation. He had to find a solution. He was looking for a distant house, a merchant caravan or at least another living human being. But there was nobody around. Cerdic's heart pounded. Aldric's condition was worsening. He couldn't give up now.
As he continued to walk, his body started to give in. Despair filled him. His legs trembled. His eyes blurred. He only remembered the world spinning around him and falling on the ground with Aldric. Then everything went dark.
***
In the Evernight mansion, Lucien was barking orders at some fearful servants. They were cleaning the courtyard off bloodstains. The dead bodies were already disposed of. Beatrice also stood nearby, covering her nose with a handkerchief in discomfort. The royal knights were still present in the vicinity, indicating Prince Darius was yet to leave.
Meanwhile inside the Mansion, Darius sat on a chair facing Everard. Everard observed Darius with caution.
"So, you don't need any of the Brightmoon family's wealth?" Everard asked looking uncertain.
"We are the royal family; we own the country," Darius said disdainfully. "What's the point in gaining a chunk of Brightmoon family's wealth?"
"So, you only want us to take the blame..."
"Exactly. You destroyed the Brightmoon family; we are not involved in any way," Darius nodded. "Don't let anything about our royal knights leak outside. Especially not towards the Dawn sect."
Everard smirked.
"So, my thoughts were was right," he said. "The Dawn sect doesn't know you have those superhuman knights."
"True, they don't," Darius said. "They are fake cultivators born out of our experiments."
"And I am guessing it's a forbidden practice," Everard said smiling. "Dawn sect won't be happy if they find out."
"Don't get any ideas, Lord Everard." Darius warned.
"I have no intention of using that information to threaten you," Everard said. "Nor do we have any intention of going against the Ironvale royal family. You are worried for no reason,"
"Worried?" Darius laughed. "Lord Everard, aren't you overestimating yourself?"
"Am I?" Everard grinned. "Not as long as we have Vivienne."
"Vivienne could pose a threat to us, probably two decades later." Darius didn't flinch. "Right now, she is nothing. Cultivator or whatever."
Everard's eyes narrowed. "I really wonder what gives you this confidence, your highness,"
"Strength", Darius replied. "That's what gives us this confidence. If you sell us out to the Dawn sect, Evernight family will go extinct even faster than Brightmoon family did."
There was a clear threat in his voice. Everard stared at Darius, right into his eyes. The staring contest continued for a few moments. Then Everard smiled.
"There's no need for enmity between us," he said. "We have no desire to rule."
"If so, it's for the best," Darius said calmly. "Then we can continue to co-operate."
Everard nodded. "By the way," he asked. "Are you sure that the rest of the Brightmoon family is also dead?"
"I am almost certain," Darius said confidently. "The assassins I sent may be far inherior to the royal knights. But they are still way stronger than ordinary people. They won't fail, even if they're outnumbered ten to one."
"I hope you are right," Everard muttered. He could still remember Regulus' words.
"One day one of my sons will drive a sword down your heart too," He only treated it as a dying man's last words, born out of resentment. But he was feeling a bit uneasy, for some reason.
"Anyway, I will inform my father that everything went smoothly," Darius said as he stood up. "You got your revenge. We removed a thorn from the royal family's path. This deal had been good for both of us."
Everard took a deep breath and nodded.
"In that case thank you your highness, I will visit the capital soon, to request a meeting with his majesty,"
"Very well then, I will take my leave."
Everard accompanied Darius outside. Lucien had already finished cleaning up the courtyard. He also bowed as Darius walked out. Darius turned towards his royal knights.
"Let's leave. Our job here is done," he said. Soon, Everard and Lucien were sending off the royal entorage. Everard stood near the gates, deep in thought.
"What are you thinking of, father?" Lucien asked.
"I was just thinking, that they literally used us," Everard said. "The Brightmoon family had grown too strong that they were threatening the royal family. The king should have been planning to destroy them even before Vivienne's awakening."
"I see," Lucien muttered. "But does it matter? We wanted the Brightmoon family destroyed anyway."
"Yeah," Everard sighed. "But we are a threat too, in their eyes."
"Do you think they will target us?" Lucien asked.
"Not when we have Vivienne, no," Everard said. "But that's if we don't do something that directly threatens their existence."
Everard took a deep breath. When Vivienne became a cultivator, he thought Evernight family was going to be without opponents. Who would have thought the Ironvale royal family's roots were this deep.
'We need to wait, at least until Vivienne has a strong foothold in the Dawn sect," Everard said as he walked back to the mansion. "Until then, let's let them keep their supremacy"