Page 37 of Gilded Crown

The second returned since the barn was free from murderers. Both flew away together at that point. The owner had disappeared inside, and they exited the house after a few moments to head to the barn. Jari was pretty sure it looked like a woman.

Once she finished in the barn and headed back inside, Aurelius waited for another half hour before he said they could go.

Hopefully, they’d be safe for a night since two guards had checked this property. Not that they’d both take the risk to goto sleep at the same time. Jari wondered if this might have been a far better idea than going all night. The enemy would expect them to put as much distance as possible between themselves and the Palace, and they’d spread further out to search.

When they continued, they’d still have to be careful.

Aurelius said he’d had a pack set and ready with some things in case he ever had to leave on a moment’s notice. It included a tiny crystal lantern, dried meat which was bearable, and lentil squares which were the worst thing ever in Jari’s opinion. It was food that wouldn’t go bad for a long time, so he’d suck it up and deal.

Three horses were in the barn. Two were placid and probably for plowing and farm activity. The other, a fine grey charger, had probably been bought for town rides and leisure. Perhaps it’d be sold at a higher price to someone.

He eyed them suspiciously and looked ready to kick up a fuss. If the person in the house heard anything…

Jari calmed it down, found a bag of dried apples, and gave him a couple. Crisis averted, he forked fresh hay into an empty stall. Aurelius took care of Galahad and told him that he was the best ever. Never mind that Jari had also risked his life to get them away.

Plenty of hay filled the loft, and there was feed for the horses, including oats. Aurelius found a small sack and filled it with oats for them to take with them later since a horse needs more to eat than grass. Two water barrels had smaller buckets for filling the horse’s trough. Since Aurelius had thought to keep a small tin cup in his pack, they didn’t have to drink with their hands.

Aurelius told Jari to go in the loft and keep his eyes elsewhere if he liked having his nose straight and unbroken. Jari had his own turn to wash up with the water barrels afterward, and he finally collapsed in the hay pile with the Prince who’d spread out their cloaks.

“I can’t believe I made that jump. Muscles that I didn’t even know existed are sore.”

“Me neither.” Aurelius, with his hair tied back in a messy, damp ponytail, pushed over the small bag that contained their food. “I’m not mad about my Father. So if that’s bothering you too, stop.”

Because he could stop feelings with a word. Or pack them away, never to be seen again.

Jari grunted, grabbed a lentil cake, and dipped it in the water cup to soften it. “I didn’t enjoy it.”

“I didn’t think you would. I knew he had to die, but it’s still…was it quick?”

Jari hesitated. “Erm, he lasted long enough to tell me things. I think being so close to the end pushed everything away. His eyes were completely blue again.”

He explained everything the King had said right up until his last breath. Aurelius, with a forgotten piece of dried meat in his hand, fiddled with it for several moments.

“This is…news to me. I thought the key gave me the Golden Touch. I’m the only one that’s ever used it as far as I knew.”

“That’s why Zylem’s asked you gild things. If they knew what they could do, they probably would have gilded you by now. They both think it’s just you, so they haven’t even attempted. Whatever they feel in their head concerning greed or the urge, they probably think it’s normal because they didn’t have an item, and since you were all screwed to some degree since birth, they don’t know anything else. You’re the main heir, and Mammon would prefer to be entirely in you so you end up like Eurig. The cycle will continue if you have children, and Mammon will cling to this fake, partial life or whatever you want to call it.”

Aurelius lay back in the hay and made a face. “I don’t ever want children.”

“I think after a while, that thing will make you think you do.”

They’d kept the lantern low, and Jari could barely make out the Prince’s face as he thought and muttered the facts.

“The key unlocks the path so Mammon can find another host. If you touch the items, it still works, but the key is the worst. John taking it from the lion statue is what truly fucked him over since you can't recover from the key. That means you can touch the other things, and you’re not fucked for life if you don’t keep using them. John committed suicide. That’s a possibility, but it’s not confirmed.”

“What’s the official reason?” asked Jari.

“Technically, it’s food poisoning because he was vomiting, and he couldn’t keep water in. Oh, and he kept having convulsions. He’d eaten shrimp, and they think that because he was mad, he didn’t notice a funny taste or smell. That’s what I read in some records, but I think he might have had enough wits to poison himself in an effort to cut things off. He never had children. His older brother took over as planned, and he was normal. Unfortunately, my Grandfather fucked up John’s idea because he wanted a diamond. Now, the crown gives control over others.”

“That’s another form of greed,” added Jari. “Many want power.”

“Mhm. The hand allows the Golden Touch from afar. And the fourth is a mystery. John must have found the crown and the fourth item on Ash Island together.”

“And, now it’s in a guard,” said Jari. “Unless Eurig misspoke. The item must be small, so perhaps it was sewn into someone?”

“That’s why I checked the sword,” said Aurelius. “Those two swords were owned by close friends of Grandfather in his youth before the shit started. They died in an accident. I thought maybe the item was a sword since you did mention that, and he could have replaced one to hide it in plain sight.”

“That’s not in a guard.”

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