Biryn sat up and swung his legs over the side of his bed. Grasping his head with both hands, he tried to stand but felt wobbly. “What is wrong with me?” he muttered.

His personal aide rushed to his side. “Your Majesty, you are not well. Your physician advises rest.”

“Get away from me, fool.” Biryn managed to stand, pulled his nightshirt off over his head, then looked at Raollin. “Who are you? What do you want? Leave me be. I need to attend to a serious matter.”

“Majesty, you cannot—”

Ignoring Raollin’s babbling and attempts to restrain him, Biryn left his room, marched out of his quarters, and headed to the throne room. It hung somewhere in his mind that he needed to attend a meeting, an important meeting, but he couldn’t remember what. He hardly noticed the guards discreetly gazing at the floor as he entered.

“Biryn!”

“Who are you? Why are you here?” Biryn asked the man who had rushed to his side. The man quickly removed his cloak and draped it around Biryn’s shoulders.

“Biryn, it is me, Brenn.”

His mind cleared a little. Clapping Brenn on the back, he said, “Brenn, my friend. You are here to beat me at battle theft. I remember now.”

“Your Majesty, I am not here to play the game. Let me take you back to your quarters.” Brenn gently tried to urge Biryn back to the doors.

“Why? Let the game begin. Guards, bring the game!”

“Biryn, you are naked,” Brenn told him softly.

“Naked?”

“You are not wearing any clothes.”

“Clothes? Oh. Who are those strange women? Why are there females present for our game?”

“Ciara and Erica. We are here for the hearing, Biryn, but let me take you to your quarters so you can get dressed,” Brenn said, managing to guide him toward the doors while holding the cloak in place around him. Taking him by the arm, Brenn was able to direct him back to his quarters.

Raollin had already laid out Biryn’s clothes and stepped forward to assist him. “General, the physician said the king needs to rest. He is not well.”

“That much is obvious. Biryn, how about you rest a while longer? We can postpone the hearing.”

Biryn felt completely confused. What was Brenn talking about? What hearing?

Brenn steered him to his bed and waited until he lay down. “We’ll talk about it later, after you rest. Try to sleep, Biryn. You’ll feel better when you wake.”

Biryn saw the woman behind Brenn and tried to sit, but something heavy weighed him down. He fought the drowsiness that suddenly attacked him, but it was no use. The dizziness dissipated, and he felt himself falling into a deep, dark pit.