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their fathers before them. But Everard was
different. Even those who knew little of the incredible power that
flowed through the prince knew he was special.
    Ever had always been different.
Though his father had missed the prince’s birth, as he’d been off
on a campaign against one of the border lords, Garin had been
there. The queen’s labor had been difficult and long. Garin had
done his best to keep the Fortress servants productive, though that
was difficult with Louise’s screams echoing down the stone
halls.
    One moment, everything had been
normal, but the moment the queen’s wails had stopped, a strange
sensation had filled the air. The Fortress hadn’t felt like this on
the day of Rodrigue’s birth, Garin recalled. In fact, Garin had not
felt anything like this in a long, long time.
    “ What are you up to?” he’d
muttered to the Fortress as he made his way to the queen’s
chambers, squeezing between the serving girls as they ran to and
fro with clean blankets and whatever else the midwife ordered.
There had been no words in response, only an even stronger tugging
at his heart, one that bid him to walk more quickly.
    As soon as he stood outside her
door, a chambermaid scurried out, nearly running right into him.
“Begging your pardon, Master Garin,” she curtsied, “but I was just
sent to find you. They think you should see this.”
    Garin followed her into the room,
the privacy curtains now closing the queen’s bed off from his view.
The midwife had already expertly cleaned the child, and was
swaddling him as Garin approached. No words had needed to be said.
Garin nearly gasped as he’d drawn closer.
    Inside each of the child’s eyes
was a bright ring of blue fire against the gray irises, encircling
the pupil. No monarch that Garin had seen, had ever been born with
the strength of the Fortress so evident. Not like this.
    What made it even more surprising
was the weak fire Ever’s father, grandfather, and great-grandfather
had all held. And the queen had no fire at all. Garin had known
immediately that this child had a purpose, one that the Fortress
hadn’t given to a king in generations. He had also known it was his
job to help the boy find that purpose, for Rodrigue, as passionate
as he was, would be too blinded by his own agenda to value what
truly set the child apart.
    In the week that followed
Rodrigue’s death, Garin’s fears had been rekindled, his concern
that the king’s myopic focus would have disastrous consequences in
one as powerful and sensitive to the world as Ever. With each day
that the prince came closer to being crowned the king he was meant
to be, he had seemed closer to losing himself. Each day, he had
trained harder and eaten less than the one before, and each night
he had nightmares that made him cry out. Each night, he had called
out about the girl.
    Garin wasn’t the only one
concerned for the prince. The other servants, though less familiar
with the ways of the Fortress than he, had become increasingly
unnerved by the prince’s erratic behavior as well. And now, when
the prince could not be found an hour before his coronation, Garin
had a sick feeling that it was going to all come crashing down that
night.
    “ You sent for me, sir?” Solomon
hastened to the steward’s side.
    “ Yes, I did. Do you know where the
prince is?” The man grimaced a bit.
    “ Forgive me, sir, but I am not
supposed to tell you.” Ah, so Ever was going to play that game, was
he?
    Garin huffed impatiently. “Well
then, why don’t you tell me where he isn’t ?”
    Solomon relaxed a bit. Glancing up
at the king’s study, he said quietly, “The prince is not in his
chambers or with his guests.” He paused before adding, “He is
also not drinking wine .”
    Garin sighed and nodded as he
headed up one of the spiraling staircases, away from the bustle of
the grand entrance, where guests were still being
received.
    “ Your Highness,” he cracked the
ornate wooden door, “you’ve never