I almost burst out ughing.

  Sir Alvar was certainly not alive, he had died in front of my own two eyes.

  I thanked the darkness that Cato couldn't see my face. I didn’t know exactly what I found so funny about it. Maybe just the absurdity of the situation.

  “Why do you think that?” I asked, trying to control my voice.

  “I need someone to talk to about this, Ria,” he whispered. “That thing the head waitress was talking about, well I told my mum about it.”

  “I told you not to tell anyone!” I smacked his arm.

  He was stunned for a second, then he continued.

  “I had to, she’s my mum. Anyway, she was really weird about it, I don’t know why. She also didn’t want to punish the waitress at all.”

  “So she must have kissed him!” I whispered excitedly.

  “No, that can’t be it!” he snapped.

  Then he calmed down a little.

  “Sorry, but there has to be another expnation. You don’t know my parents, they would never do something like that to each other.”

  “Fine,” I said. “But why do you think Alvar is alive anyway?”

  “Well that’s the thing. When I was talking to my mum, apparently Sir Sigisbert, one of the pace guards, he overheard us. He came up to me after. He told me not to worry, because he knew Sir Alvar was far away from here. I wanted to ask him more about it, but he told me he would only tell me in secret. I’m going to meet him now.”

  “I… I mean thank you for bringing me, but why are you bringing me?”

  “Well, I like you,” he said hesitating. “And I think you’re a trustworthy person…”

  “And…” I felt that there was more to it.

  “And I don’t know who else I could investigate this with. We might uncover some sensitive information, and I don’t know what the other people in my life would do with it. Maybe it would change their views on the people involved. I know you’re very interested in this, but I don’t think you’re a gossip, and I know you don’t have any skin in the game. I expect you to stay on my side during this whole investigation.”

  No skin in the game… right…

  “Right of course, Cato. I’m on your side,” hopefully this wouldn’t have to be a lie.

  “Ok let’s go,” he said. “I got a saddle for two for the horse. Do you need help getting on it?”

  I hadn’t realized that I would have to go on the horse.

  It stood towering over us. It’s shoulder was about the same height as me, and with it’s head it was even taller than Cato. It was pretty scary to me, a person who had never seen an animal taller than a donkey before I was twenty-two.

  “Could we walk?” I asked, already knowing the answer.

  Cato burst out ughing.

  “Stop ughing, fine I’ll get on the horse!” I chastised him.

  “You’re scared. You’ll hit the crown prince of your country without hesitation, but you’re scared to get on a horse.”

  “I’ve never been on one before. Maybe I’m not very good at it.”

  “It’s fine, I’ll help you.”

  First he tried to help me mount the horse using the stirrup. It didn’t work, I kept faltering and falling into his arms. We ended up leading the horse to a big rock on the roadside and I mounted it from there. He ughed the whole time and I just kept getting more frustrated.

  Then he jumped up on the horse with ease and off we went.

  He had picked out a saddle for two people. He sat in front, and I held him from the back. The huge horse galloped faster than I had ever gone. Terrified, I clutched Cato from the back, holding on to his muscur chest like a drowning man holds on to a lifebuoy. He tapped his hand on mine.

  “Not so hard, you’ll squeeze the air out of me.”

  “Sorry,” I yelped into his ear.

  Finally we arrived at an alleyway near the castle. It was a bit lighter around, but the alleyway itself was very dark.

  “You can stay on the horse,” he said. “I’ll go talk to him quickly.”

  “I do not want to stay on the horse alone,” I whimpered. “You have to help me down.”

  He ughed, but obliged.

  First he went off the horse, gracefully as anything, and tied it to a fence. Then I awkwardly fell into his arms and he put me on the ground like a child pying with an oversized doll.

  “Thank you,” I mumbled.

  “All right, so stay here. I’m going to go talk to this guy.”

  I nodded but didn’t know if he could see it.

  As he walked in to the shadowy alleyway I slowly sidled in after him. I really wanted to hear what they were going to say.

  The voice in the shadows started speaking in the High Tongue. The man sounded middle aged and nervous. They exchanged a few sentences. Then Cato said something in a nguage I had not heard in a long time.

  “Look, I’m pretty sure she hasn’t been lying about not knowing the High Tongue, but if you want to be sure she won’t understand us we can also speak Haverish.”

  “Yeah, that would be better,” the guard said.

  It was my lucky evening.

  “All right, so how do you know that he’s alive?”

  “A few months ago, one of the castle guards was on a diplomatic mission to the Southern Continent with the Duke of Talmora. I don’t know if you know him, Sir Hallio?”

  “Yes, I know him.”

  “Well they stopped on this isnd in the Midway Isnds. It was called after some sort of nut. He said he saw Alvar there, in the harbour.”

  “Is he sure?”

  “He was very sure. Alvar was a distinctive looking man, I’m sure there’s not another one that looks like that in the Midway Isnds. Whatever you may think happened between him and your mum, it doesn’t matter now. He’s far away, and I don’t think he’ll ever come back.”

  “Nothing happened between him and my mum!” Cato snapped.

  “Of course not, Your Highness.”

  “But thank you very much for the information Sir Sigisbert.”

  “Of course, Your Highness,” he replied. “And I must tell you this is a secret. When Sir Hallio first came, he told a few of us guards. Later he came and told us that he had spoken to the higher-ups and it’s actually cssified information. He made us promise not to tell, but since you’re the crown prince, I thought you had a right to know.”

  “So my father knows as well?”

  “I would assume so.”

  “Well thank you again, I will remember this favour.”

  Cato came back to where I was standing.

  “Did you hear that?” he asked.

  “Yes, you were speaking some weird nguage. Was it the High Tongue?” I asked. “It didn’t sound like it.”

  “It was Haverish, my mother’s native tongue.”

  “Interesting,” I said.

  Then I realized that if I really hadn’t understood what they were saying I would probably be very curious about it.

  “Well, what did he say?” I asked.

  He told me all the things I already knew, while I mulled over the information I had learned. The fact that Alvar was alive on Coconut Isnd some months ago was not news to me, but this was fascinating information about who could have put Sir Titius on his trail. That would be a clue as to where I could eventually find Sir Titus.

  “You should ask him what other guards know where Alvar was!” I said quickly.

  It was too te, Sir Sigisbert was already gone.

  “I don’t know if that’s very important,” Cato replied.

  I pouted, but he didn’t see it in the darkness.

  “But you’re from the Midway Isnds,” he replied. “Have you heard about Nut Isnd?”

  Now I would have to lie, the only question was how much.

  “Yes, I guess he means Coconut Isnd,” I tried to sound casual. “I’ve never been there though. I’m from Moon Isnd.”

  Moon Isnd was the second rgest of the Midway Isnds. I knew enough about it to be able to pretend to be from there.

  “What is it like?” he asked.

  “It’s very small,” I expined. “It’s one of the northernmost isnds of the archipego. They call it Coconut Isnd because travellers often stop there on their travels from the Northern Continent and pick up a bunch of coconuts to drink and eat as they travel further south.”

  “Right,” he said thoughtfully. “And what’s a coconut?”

  I ughed.

  “It’s a round thing, about this big,” I showed him the size by balling my hands around an imaginary coconut. “It has nutritious flesh and a tasty drink inside. I’m surprised you don’t have them here. They’re very easy to transport.”

  “Yeah, well I guess I can try one when we go to the Midway Isnds.”

  I was stunned.

  “You’re going to the Midway Isnds, just for this?”

  “Yes of course! This guy is a criminal, we should catch him!”

  “But clearly your father knew he was there and didn’t decide to catch him.”

  “Well but aren’t you also curious about this guy? Don’t you want to meet him?” he asked excitedly.

  If he only knew that there was nothing I wanted more than to see him again.

  “I think it would be pointless to go,” I said. “Anyway, I have a job here, I can’ t just leave.”

  “I’d pay you to be my guide.”

  “Thank you, but I don’t want to go back to the Midway Isnds,” I said dismissively.

  “Fine,” he mumbled. “But I’m going!”

  ***

  I sat on the back of the horse, holding Cato. He was going much slower than he had on the way in to the city.

  “Oh, and I shouldn’t forget,” he said. “Jarion has been begging me to tell him where you work. Can I please do it? He’s driving me crazy.”

  “No!” I said firmly.

  “He’s getting really annoying about it,” Cato whined.

  “Well I don’t want him to annoy me at work,” I retorted.

  “Or do you want me to tell everyone what you told me about your retionship, and then you wouldn’t be next in line to be king any more?” I asked pyfully.

  “What?” he said confused.

  “You said you were… you know, and he’s older than you so…”

  “Yes, but dad was never married to his mother the duchess. If people find out – I mean if people think that he’s not the son of the duke he loses everything. Some guy called Regen would get everything he has, and he and his children would have nothing.”

  “Oh,” I said guiltily.

  “So don’t ever tell anyone I said that, not even Jarion!” he said firmly.

  “But Cato,” I said carefully. “You say your mother would never be with anyone but your father, but clearly your dad…”

  “Ria, your audacity will never cease to amaze me,” he chuckled. “Yes, my father was with other women before he got married, but after he got married there was only ever my mother. They’re perfect for each other.”

  “Oh, I see.”

  “Now can I please tell Jarion you’ll see him again soon?”

  “Fine,” I mumbled. “I guess I could meet him around lunchtime on my next day off. I always have the st day of the week off. I can meet him at our room at the Candlemaker Inn.”

  “He’ll be very happy to hear it. You know he really likes you. He can’t stop talking about you.”

  “Hmm,” I murmured.

  “And next time make sure to set up your next date when you’re with him!” Cato said cheerfully. “Maybe I’ll already be gone to the Midway Isnds!”

  ***

  Author’s note:

  Thank you for reading this far! If you’re this far in you must think the story is at least OK, so a little like or comment as a sign of appreciation would be great!

  If you really want to make my day a good review would be wonderful <3