Zandria Reclaim: Sundan & Dregin on Aquine

Back in Falshire, Sundan made his point to enter the private imperial palace to speak with Dregin. The recess was small behind the throne's assembly hall. Once inside, he found himself meeting a very morose man sitting at his desk staring at the window. One leg crossed over the knee seemingly relaxed, but every part of his expression was far from that. He was tensed, though sober. "Dreg." The Emperor turned around. "Brother. When did you come in? I didn't hear you." "There is disturbing news from my daughter. The Lady of Tare has gone missing for a year, as you well know. But now, the exiled nomads have embarked on a exodus from the southlands. I find that discomforting." "Did you find out why she went missing?" "It has something to do with the Crown Prince, I believe." "Now, what would have him drive her away?" "To be frank, he's even colder now than he was before. Something wrong has happened. It cannot be good." "There's still time. The Empress promised to keep Solaren fertile." Sundan remained askance, unsure to speak. His younger brother had traded away his age to this immortality that seemed too much to forebear. There hadn't been a real smile on that face for so many years. The question lingered on his mind. "You are free to speak around me, you know," Dregin remarked looking up with those ever glowing yellowy amber eyes. His brassy hair had a dull sheen to its blondness, like burnished gold. "Why did you name Sky Fall Regent of Solstarshire?" "Who better to hold the dukedom than he?" "Just exactly what happened out there with our nephew?" "Ah, the real question." Dregin got up, walking to the window, holding his fist on his spine. "He confronted me about his birthright." "Is that all? Seems he's too sensible of a Knight of Tarenne to come challenge you." "If I say it's true, would you believe me?" "No. I think you're covering up for White Mane's yet another murder." Dregin's other hand came up into a square fist as he hit the window pane. "I wish you hadn't said that." "Why? Will I suffer the same fate?" "I never said that. You make me sad, Brother." "So... was Aquine really Guneth's begetting with that woman of Niele?" "Yes." "How---- Why did you acknowledge him?" "Because he offered up his life to ask for my son's name. My unborn son." "What?" His tone was skeptical. "Yes.... He knew about my son with White Mane. The one aborted at the hands of Sidora." "Anyone could have told him that." "Maybe. Except... he was skulking around the secret archives....investigating Guneth's death," Dregin said, turning around. "Now why would an imposter need to do that?" "I don't know. Corroborate the story, maybe?" "I've seen him in battle. He has the combined Elements of mine and White Mane on top of that druid blood. And yet he restrained himself.... Damn." "He restrained himself?" Sundan repeated dryly. "What the hell happened?" "We were in a heated argument. He pushed all of our tempers. We fought and he restrained himself." Cold chuckle. "That's what he did, Sundan. He let us...." Sundan was taken aback by this revelation. "Gentle Goddess...! You make it like he's the reincarnation of-of...of...." "That's what had been perplexing my thoughts. I don't understand...." "Maybe you should consult some oracle or something." "I've tried. The Goddess has shunned me and White Mane both. The irony." "Regardless, we have pressing matters with the Niele resurrecting their Gorran army." "We kill them every year. They are waning in numbers." Dregin went back to his chair rest his elbows on the desk to prop up his forehead. He sighed tiredly. "Secrets...secrets...."