Death of a King Read online

  She knew he was aware of the content and smiled. He liked the sound of her voice, “It has begun my angelia,” she answered.

  A soldier entered, “My lord the imperial palace is under attack.”

  On cue, Dorian thought. “Take two legions to fortify the imperial palace with haste,” he ordered. When the soldier left them, Dorian addressed his wife. With a steady tone he spoke, “Keep our grandchildren and Anyilia out of harm’s way.” The immediate affairs played in his mind. The coming events unfolded differently with every altered thought and action, giving him many possible outcomes. He has ensured his son’s life for the moment. Now he must prepare for his final act before the curtain draws.

  “Of course,” she realized his meaning, “Are the children in danger?” she knew the answer but felt the need to ask.

  The Duke looked at her expressionless and hid his struggle. Lying was an act he never considered with his wife, “Perhaps,” he confessed. There was no place they could hide. All paths led to a horrific death, but one. He must sacrifice his family in order to save them.

  House U’nahruge planned to stage an incident to make the empress appear weak before the empire. For centuries, he evaded these events. With every passing year, it grew more challenging to save his son. Three centuries manipulating events to ensure his line. The opportunity presented itself. He must allow his family’s death for house Von’Negrous to survive.

  Amethysia glanced over her shoulder and looked at his book. Since they married, he has not closed it. He told her once, after a century of marriage, to close the book will seal the empire’s fate. His response sparked an age-old question she feared asking. The Duchess didn’t know why, but she needed to ask, “Will you close your book, my love?” Amethysia feared his answer.

  He absorbed everything from his wife and studied her lovely face as if for the last time. The many visions and countless avenues of everyone he’s watched and events about to take place. “Soon love,” he replied solemnly, “Soon.”

  Fear struck her core and cursed herself for asking. Perhaps it was better if she didn’t know. For so many years she has seen the book lying open, and now he will soon close it and bring it to an end. “I will stand beside you upon its’ closure,” she said sternly.

  The imperial clergy considered his wife weak for committing her position and wealth to him. In his eyes, she was the strongest female in the empire. She didn’t have to prove to anyone regarding her inner strength, which is why he fell in love with her. “Of course,” he smiled.

  Chapter 8

  I often wondered what possessed my friend to endure us, humans. He absorbs much, and yet does little to defend himself against verbal attacks. I fear one day the damn barring his fury will fracture. I can see the harsh words chipping away. Even a diamond will shatter under such stress.

  Lost footnotes of Tuke Flaring, beloved priest.

  “Who the hell killed Wil!” Gunthar shouted. He looked at the council’s stunned faces. His sudden outburst didn’t affect the mages, “It has been three weeks, and we are no closer to solving this than we started!” he bellowed.

  The magistrate stood, “My lord Gunthar, we exhausted all means at our…” he started.

  The Curator interrupted, “The Lord Knight is correct,” he responded, the hall fell silent. “I suspect magic was used. Had not the princess come to his rescue, lord Dregous may have been killed. The Ayrian princess would hold us accountable. And, since she is the first to have come, there is no doubt in my mind Princess Tatiana would have left and not look back.”

  “But he has nothing to do with her…” started a guild smith with little conviction in his tone.

  “You forget,” Gunthar started, then looked at all the faces in the hall, “Has everyone forgotten her attachment to the Dark Elf prince?”

  “Yes… no… of course not,” he shook his face slightly, “but her action is unjustifiable,” stuttered another guild representative.

  The curator looked at the man, “Tell me, were our actions imprisoning him justified?”

  He looked stupid and Confused to the Curator, “Of course we were…” the guild representative started with a clear display of uncertainty.

  The Curator interrupted, “Were what…, afraid?” he retorted. “…let us not forget all he has done for our people. Our citizens had already accepted him. It was our fears that dictated the course taken,” the Curator looked them over.

  “But…” another guild member started.

  He continued, “Was it justifiable in hunting her people down, solely for having an Ayrian in your possession? Alive or dead!” he said loudly, scowling at the man, then the council members.

  “Curator…” They shouted back, “the Ayrians had nothing to do with the Drouwen.”

  “Of course it does! It matters little if it happened yesterday or ten thousand yesterdays! That was unjustified, as we were with the prince.”

  They fell silent, “If we are to proceed, we leave the past in the past, and judge with calm heads, on current merits,” the Curator stated. The hall resonated with a silence few had experienced. With cooler heads, they proceeded with the facts on hand. Some still opposed the Prince but within the confines of the evidence.

  As the proceedings continued, Lord Gunthar replayed the events in his mind, how Wil approached him, his concerns, his fears, and fear of discovery. Then realized no one spoke of its beginnings.

  The lord knight stood, “Is there a point you wish to attend Lord Gunthar?” asked Ceron.

  Gunthar tried to keep fresh what he wanted to say, “Wil…,” he paused, then changed his original thought. “Excuse me,” the knight gathered his things and exited the hall.

  Members of the council were confused with Gunthar’s behavior. The old high priest leaned towards Ceron. “What do you suppose that was about?”

  The magistrate shrugged his shoulders gently with a slight head shake, “I am unsure,” he confessed. An excellent question, he thought. And wondered if the old knight arrived at a conclusion regarding Wil.

  ***

  Dregous recuperated under the care of his friends and the princess. His appearance improved dramatically. As the days passed, he noted Rem’s behavior. Something changed. His inability to decipher it troubled the prince.

  He made a mental note to give Tuke his gratitude for erranding books from the academy to occupy his time during his recovery. The priest was more than willing to further aid in his recuperation.

  Tatiana informed Dregous she met a human combatant called Uric, who is interested in joining the group. The others had met him. She felt it a good idea he’d join them on a future campaign. Dregous accepted her suggestion so long she was certain.

  The prince experienced sleeplessness from his sleep vision. He spent his nights studying the books they took from the horde outpost.

  The hour was late when he heard a soft sigh beside him. The princess stretched with a gentle grin. He wished she was his and felt a tender pull from a heartstring. He was almost certain she had feelings for him. But his current experience left him extremely doubtful whether he recalled anything regarding her accurately.

  Dregous turned back to his studies and noticed the words blur. He gave in to his fatigue, placed a ribbon marker and set it aside.

  Movement awoke Tatiana. Her heart skipped when she saw Dregous’s study chair empty. The princess’s eyes darted about the room, fearful of what she may find when she found him sleeping on a large couch. Tatiana expelled a deep sigh of relief, “I should wake you with a bop on your head, lord hardhead!” she whispered, pushed the covers off and she tiptoed to him. Stray locks draped over his sharp features. Tatiana crouched beside him, brushed them from his face and smiled warmly, wondering why he didn’t join her. She recalled, he always treated her with respect and courtesy.

  ***

  Dregous awoke with a start, scanning for an enemy. He looked confused wondering when he spotted the princess sleeping. It all came to him, the mountain, the battle, the academy
. The sight of her reminded him how alone he felt. He missed his family and wondered when he would see them again.

  Drain but not sleepy he walked towards the window. He touched the curtain and recalled the last time he gazed at the night sky. Fear swelled within as he withdrew, “Is this a dream?” he whispered and closed his eyes as he turned. When he opened them, he saw the princess in peaceful slumber then sighed with relief. Dregous reached for the curtain again, his last nightmare replayed in his mind. He refused to allow fear to dominate him. Instead, he was pleasantly surprised all looked well. The moon reached its final phase when he heard someone whisper, “Dregouc?”

  He arced a brow out the window and heard it again. “Dregouc my love,” it was his wife’s voice.

  He faced Tatiana, hoping it was her, “Angel?” he gently called. She was sound asleep, “Gods no….”

  “Dregouc my love, why have you not returned… the children miss you… as do I,” said the voice.

  “Eff’adeh feg anyilia” Dregous asked, wondering if he really did hear his wife.

  “Teg tey fa angia” she replied with a soft smile.

  He looked out again, “Eff’cadahah dreum feg heneh,” the Ducal prince looked to the darkened sky and spotted her as though she were standing in the air before the moon. She instantly zoomed closer with a pleasant smile. A long dagger appeared from nowhere along with its wielder. Shocked, Dregous saw himself behind her with the blade to the side of her slender neck.

  His doppelganger smiled wickedly as he thrust the dagger. Anyilia winced with no outcry.

  “No!” Dregous shouted, grief-stricken as his clone grinned. He tried to stop his duplicate but couldn’t move. His outcries fell silent, no sound. The foundation of his life was cracking. His world was falling apart and didn’t know how to prevent it.

  He shared little with his wife over their fifty years of marriage and now she was taken quickly and easily. Tears streamed down his cheeks and regretted shunning her. He vowed revenge for those responsible. But it was his fault she died.

  As though his clone read his thoughts, “You must leave the princess to save your family.”

  He couldn’t believe what he heard. To leave the one person he searched for was mind-numbing. Dregous shouted profanities at his doppelganger and wondered why he had to leave his Angel to save his family. His copy changed into the princess. She released his wife to fall as she stepped away. Another clone of himself emerged with a sword and slashed the princess’s neck. “No!” Dregous shouted as he fought against the force holding him.

  Everything about shook with tremendous force. He thought his head would rip off. A blinding light pierced his eyes, and he heard a distant feminine voice.

  ***

  “Not again,” she kicked off the covers and rushed beside him, “Dregous my sweet?” she breathed. His twitching awoke her.

  She debated whether to wake him. He hasn’t slept well in days. Tatiana watched him as a gentle smile graced her. Stray locks draped his cheek and pushed them aside. I should have tied you beside me, she thought. He started panting and rolled his head, “Ukko, no,” she prayed. “Dregous, sweetie wake up,” she shook his shoulders.

  Dregous saw the look on her face, “Angel?” he sounded surprised.

  She touched his chest, “Are you well?” she felt his heart race, while hers ached.

  He closed his eyes with a sigh, trying to forget his dream, “Bad sleep vision,” and forced himself to look away. A moment of silence prompted him to recount his haunting dream. He referred to his wife as a family member.

  “Bless Ukko it was only a dream,” she said with widened eyes.

  “Agreed,” he felt his sleep vision was more a warning than just random images.

  Tatiana stepped to the opposite of the bedchamber to dress. With her back to him, she removed the night robe. Her heart skipped at the thought of him seeing the nude back. Modesty was something she had little of, but when it came to Dregous, she shied away at every turn.

  Dregous had very little covering him. A glance at the princess made his heart stop. Without another thought, he dressed while reciting formulas and theories to prevent arousal.

  He fastened his tights and tunic as he turned towards her. She, in turn, faced him as she latched her padding. She wrestled against her breast to close off the top, leaving the center of her chest exposed. She gave him a blushing smile as she finished. The prince aided Tatiana with her armor, when completed they went downstairs to break their fast. The servants had their meals prepared in the morning room.

  “They are not here,” Tatiana felt self-conscious others knew she shared a room with him.

  As soon as Dregous sat, he paused, “Someone is here Ang…,” there was a knock at the door, “…Tatiana.”

  A servant rushed for the door. Tatiana looked between the prince and the doorway of the morning room, “What is the matter?” She knew better than to ask. Then realized, he was about to address her as Angel.

  “Nothing, why?”

  “Well, it sounded as though you were about to address me differently.”

  “Formality is a must in the company of others,” he reached for a napkin and took a hot roll from the basket. “It is only proper.”

  A few moments later a petite servant walked in, “My lady.”

  “Jenfer?” Tatiana replied without taking her eyes off of Dregous.

  “Remmenton, and the priest…” she started.

  “She knows who we are,” Rem announced with a matter of fact tone as he stepped by.

  “Your manners,” Tuke scolded gently as he passed the servant. He leaned slightly towards her, “Please forgive him, my dear. I believe he was raised in a barn,” Tuke teased.

  “Rem?” Tatiana added.

  “What?” the Half-Elf took a seat. Dregous studied him. Tuke noticed his reaction.

  Tatiana arced a brow, “Manners please.”

  “I meant no disrespect,” Rem took a hot roll and bounced it between his hands till it cooled enough to bite into.

  She raised a brow, “I know… your tone please.” With that, Rem took a seat at the table and gave an apologetic shrug.

  “So, how are you feeling?” Tuke also claimed a seat.

  “Well, due to you,” Dregous replied.

  “Entertaining yourself with more reading I see?” Tuke inquired with a hint of teasing.

  The Dark Elf mage reached for his tea and gently blew, scattering the light steam, then sipped, “I reviewed the excommunicated knight.”

  The servant bowed then discretely exited the morning room, “What have you learned my friend?” he poured himself some warm milk.

  The word friend was still odd to him, “Nothing new dear Tuke …,” Dregous’s father echoed in his mind. ‘Reveal not all you know!’ “…nothing new,” he said. What he did learn was minor clarification of what they already knew.

  “Pity,” the priest said.

  “Please Tuke, help yourself,” Tatiana offered. Rem poured some milk.

  “My gratitude your highness.”

  They broke their fast when the doorknocker sounded. They continued to eat and chat. Tuke noticed the mage’s silence. Dregous appeared to focus on his meal. He concentrated on seeing who was at the door. Angelique’s house cloak shrouded her.

  Seeker was escorted in, “Angelique comes,” Dregous said.

  “How do you know?” Rem chimed.

  “You should know better,” Tuke whispered with a smirk.

  The princess stood to greet Seeker, “Good morning Angelique.” The others greeted her except Dregous. He merely glanced, smiled, then signed his greeting.

  “Greetings,” her Drouwen accent clear.

  “Join us?” Tatiana offered.

  “My gratitude,” she took a seat beside Dregous across from Tuke, Rem to her right. They discussed their next move.

  Dregous recounted what he learned. He didn’t reveal new information. Rem mentioned the mountain and the wealth left behind. Seeker cited the knights’ keep.<
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  Tuke suggested finding the Knight, because the fallen needed repentance. They agreed, “The Knight’s keep it is,” Tatiana confirmed.

  “We require supplies,” Dregous added.

  “I will tend the supplies,” Tuke volunteered.

  Rem finished the last of his milk while grabbing a roll, “And I the horses,” with a mouth full, set down the mug and left.

  “We have no rides, remember,” Seeker reminded.

  “Then I will buy fresh ones,” he replied.

  “Do not forget saddlebags, sacks… and belt pouches,” Tatiana added.

  “I require components,” Dregous glanced at Seeker, “Accompany me?”

  The princess’s heart pinged jealously and wondered why he didn’t ask her. “Dregous, maybe I should come along….” He needed to protect himself from her; protect her. “Well…” there was something different about the mage. “You are well,” she lacked the courage to address him endearingly. Dregous nodded with a knowing smile.

  They spent the morning gathering supplies and gear. Rem bought an extra horse. He also bought extra sacks and packs. His last experience was a well-taught lesson.

  The location of the Knight’s keep was cryptic at best. Dregous made out from the notes it laid two days out eastward.

  Tuke recalled the inferno and shuddered at the thought. He was astonished they survived at all. The experience prompted him in the marketplace to purchase extra rations, water, and wine. He organized his purchases and waited for Rem and the mounts.

  The princess packed the blankets when Tuke and Rem joined her. Moments later Dregous and Seeker joined them. Tatiana greeted her Dark angel with a gentle smile, “Are we ready,” Dregous asked, the princess nodded.

  “It is high time, my bones are starting to creak,” Rem teased.

  “Good heavens, Rem are you that old?” Tuke giggled.

  The party prepared their gear and readied to depart this chilly morning. The clear blue sky with a wispy cloud seemed to invite Tatiana to take flight. She glanced up as birds flew by and decided to fly later.