The Whisper in the Empty Court

Ben's shoulders eased slightly as the silence settled deeper. The grand court, moments ago filled with voices and movement, now stood hollow—haunted by the faint echo of power that once filled it. The torches along the marble walls hissed quietly, their light casting long shadows that seemed to stretch and breathe with the room itself.

He turned toward the throne again. The pile of documents lay beside it, edges curled from long hours of handling—reports, trade ledgers, orders from distant divisions, sealed letters yet to be sent. Each page carried the pulse of a kingdom shifting beneath his feet. Slowly. Quietly. Dangerously.

He reached out, fingers brushing over the top sheet. The parchment was cool, smooth, but heavy in meaning. For a moment, he simply stood there, staring at the inked signatures and figures that filled the page.

Then, in a voice that barely rose above a whisper, he asked the emptiness,

"Rafi… do you also think this act of treason is being bred within our own court?"

His voice echoed faintly across the marble floor, traveling upward toward the vaulted ceiling before dissolving into the hollow air. There was no answer—only the low hum of torchlight and the faint whisper of wind slipping through the upper arches.

Ben exhaled through his nose, a soft sigh more of weariness than frustration. His gaze drifted down the steps of the dais where the throne rested.

And then—just as he was about to turn away—the air before him shimmered.

Like a veil being drawn aside, the space at the base of the stairs rippled. A figure emerged soundlessly from the distortion—clad entirely in black. Cloak, gloves, mask, every inch of him swallowed by shadow. Only his steady breath betrayed that he was human.

He dropped to one knee, head bowed low. His voice, calm and unwavering, carried through the quiet.

"Sire… I believe what you believe."

Ben's eyes narrowed slightly. "And what is it that I believe, Rafi?"

"That someone within our own walls," the man replied, his tone low and clear, "has a hand in this. The movements we've seen—the missing funds, the altered ledgers, the strange push for martial law—it reeks of design, not coincidence."

Ben studied him for a moment, the faint glow of the torches catching the silver lining of his cloak's edge. His trusted shadow, Rafi. His personal bodyguard, his unseen blade, and in many ways—the only man in this palace who spoke to him without fear.

He stepped closer, his expression unreadable but his eyes softening slightly.

"You always appear when I least expect it," he said quietly. "I should've known you were here, listening as always."

Rafi's head remained bowed. "You trained me to be unseen, my lord. It would be an insult if I couldn't live up to that."

Ben's lips twitched faintly—half a smile, half exhaustion. "And yet, even invisible, you never lie to me."

"Never," Rafi said simply.

Silence settled again. The faint sound of the torches burning filled the background like a heartbeat.

Ben turned, slowly descending the steps, his robe whispering against the stone. He stopped before Rafi and looked down at him. "If someone inside this court truly dares such treachery, it means one thing—they've grown too comfortable. Too close."

Rafi raised his head just enough for his eyes to catch the light. His voice was calm, but edged with restrained anger. "Comfort breeds arrogance. Arrogance invites mistakes. They will make one soon, my lord."

Ben looked at him for a long moment, then nodded slightly. "And when they do?"

"Then I'll be there."

Something faint flickered in Ben's eyes—relief, pride, maybe even guilt. He turned away, pacing slowly toward the center of the room. The click of his boots echoed in rhythmic contrast to the torch's soft hiss.

"You've been with me since the old campaigns," Ben said after a pause. "Through the border wars, the famine uprisings, even the first strike from the Moon Eagle tribe. You've seen this kingdom bleed more than anyone."

Rafi rose silently to his feet, his movements fluid, disciplined. "And I've seen it heal under your hand, my lord. That's why I'll follow whatever path you choose next."

Ben stopped, back still to him. "Even if that path is darker than what we've faced before?"

"I don't serve the light or the dark," Rafi said. "I serve you."

The words landed quietly, but they carried weight.

Ben's jaw tightened. He turned his head slightly, his profile outlined by torchlight. "Then tell me something, Rafi."

Rafi inclined his head. "Anything, sire."

Ben's voice dropped, almost a murmur. "What would you do, if you stood where I stand now? With a commander asking to raise martial law in my capital."

Rafi didn't respond right away. The pause between them felt long, deliberate. He seemed to be considering not just what to say—but what truth to risk speaking aloud.

Ben turned fully toward him, eyes meeting his through the mask's dark slit. His tone softened but remained edged with quiet fatigue.

"Tell me, Rafi… what should I do with this request from Commander Varen?"

The question hung in the air like a blade suspended mid-fall.

Rafi's silence wasn't hesitation—it was thought. Calculation. The kind that came not from fear, but from the weight of loyalty. He stood unmoving, the torchlight flickering against the black of his cloak, his shadow stretching long across the floor toward Ben's feet.

Ben watched him closely, searching his stillness for an answer. The firelight caught in his eyes, reflecting something sharp, almost mournful.

Outside, somewhere far beyond the walls of the palace, the bells of the capital began to toll softly—signaling the coming night.

The sound rolled through the halls like distant thunder.

Ben lowered his gaze, exhaling a slow, weary breath.

"Tell me, Rafi…" he repeated quietly, more to the emptiness than to the man before him, "what am I to do now?"

Rafi remained silent, his figure unmoving beneath the shifting light.

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