Princess of Darkness Read online

  Valerius was suddenly by her side. He produced a sack in his hand and threw it over the girl’s head, blinding her.

  The Princess screamed as she was tugged off her horse. “What are you doing?”

  Valerius' heavy boots hit the floor, branches and leaves crunching under the weight of him. Adelaide couldn't see anything, yet she could sense he was close. Valerius lifted her to her feet and hauled her over his shoulder like she weighed nothing. In all her blindness, the Princess kicked at him in a desperate attempt at an attack. Valerius only laughed at her and swayed the girl from side to side, teasing her. Moments later he threw the Princess over his horse and mounted it himself. Clicking his tongue twice, he urged his horse forward. Adelaide’s stomach lurched as the horse ran, yet she forced herself to keep the contents of it from being retched out. Without leaving herself time to think, she rolled off the horse. Breath escaped her faster than she could take it back in and she ripped the sack off her head in a desperate search for fresh air.

  Valerius turned his attention to her and smiled. There was nothing kind or endearing about the gesture. “You can't run from me, Adelaide.” he got off his horse so calmly it infuriated the Princess and he approached her again.

  Adelaide shuffled back, hissing in pain as she felt the prick of fresh wounds against her palms; stones digging into her skin as she continued to crawl back. Long branches grew down from the trees and they wrapped around her wrists and ankles. The Princess screamed as they held her down and she struggled in vain to free herself.

  Valerius approached her still, smiling as he did. His eyes gleamed with a certain hunger - hunger for her. Adelaide continued to twist and turn but, the branches only seemed to have tightened around her. She wailed in fear. Valerius immediately stopped and his body shifted, changed completely. Grey fur broke through his skin and he dropped to all fours, roaring loudly. His nails turned to claws and his body took the form of a Greyforxe.

  The Princess screamed again as Valerius ran towards her, his warm saliva dripping down onto her face. He bared his teeth and roared at her again. She closed her eyes and braced herself for what was certain death. There wasn’t any dignity in this death - it wasn’t fair! It wasn’t – fair!

  *****

  Adelaide woke up just as Valerius went to attack. She sat up in bed screaming and shaking the imaginary Greyforxe off her. Her breath caught in her throat and she began to splutter. Adelaide inhaled deeply and then exhaled, her cheeks wet from tears. She wiped them away with the back of her hand.

  The door to the Princesses room swung open and to her surprise, Dallius walked in. His face was creased with worry, yet he walked over to the girl with a sense of calm. Dallius held a candle in one hand and he stood by the end of the bed. “You had a nightmare?” he asked.

  Adelaide nodded. “About greyforxes.” she replied.

  “Are you afraid of them, my Lady?” Dallius asked and sat on the edge of the bed.

  Adelaide nodded again. “Very. I've never faced one before, thank the gods. Still, I know what they look like.” she said in a quiet, trembling voice.

  Dallius smiled weakly and placed his candle down on the bedside table, turning to face the Princess, he spoke again. “Then how do you know what they look like?”

  “The forests show me, sometimes,” she began and then paused, contemplating what she was to say next. “Sometimes I can see what the trees see, they see everything, if I focus hard enough I can easily slip into the trees skin – like accessing a person’s memory – and that's how I see them. Imagine being ripped apart by one of them.” Adelaide stopped and wiped her eyes with the back of her hand.

  A ray of light seeped through the curtains within the room and she couldn't help but squint when she shifted her gaze to it. “It's morning already?” the Princess asked.

  Dallius moved his gaze to the window and nodded.

  Adelaide threw her covers back and got out of the bed, her nightgown trailing off the edge as she walked. “Well I’m awake now and I have no intentions of going back to bed. Could you show me around the castle?” she asked him. “Captain?”

  Dallius gave her a warm smile, perhaps the first genuine one Adelaide had seen in the castle so far (since the time her brother had visited). The captain bowed down low. “As you wish, your Majesty.” he replied.

  Adelaide couldn't contain a smile. The Captain was a charming man indeed.

  *****

  Dallius waited for the Princess in the grand hall.

  It was still early and the sun had only risen over Faradwyn a while ago. However, Adelaide had insisted she couldn’t sleep any longer after her nightmare. At least it was warm, kind of, Dallius thought a little miserably. It was as though winter rarely left Faradwyn. A strong and sudden snow shower had come from Arcanta, just east from Faradwyn itself, not even two days ago. A thick blanket of snow, white and fluffy like marshmallows, rested peacefully on the ground; and children from the village ran around excitedly, wanting their footsteps to be some of the first in the snow.

  Adelaide had dressed warmly for the cold day. The first layer of her dress was simple and black and the second a silky plum material, with tight sleeves that opened at the wrists and trailed further down the dress; a complex pattern of ribbons held the dress together at the chest and it finished with a small bow at the waist. For extra warmth, hidden underneath her dress were dainty silver-black boots that had been made of greyforxe fur (not that Dallius had told the Princess of it).

  Adelaide had thrown on a thick black cape too, as the wind outside proved to be more bitter than she had expected, and the hood and edges of the sleeves were lined with the same silver-black fur as her boots. “Winter was never my favourite season.” she muttered to herself as she fixed up her best attempt at a ponytail. “If it even is winter.” she slipped on a pair of leather gloves and deemed herself ready to go.

  Dallius led the way through the castle, explaining everything he knew about it, from the portraits on the walls to the polished coat of arms that guarded the silent hallways; and the Princess listened with great interest as she followed the young Captain up to a balcony not even three layers high.

  A blanket of snow had long ago settled on the edges of the balcony and the whole village looked like a winter wonderland, the sun only made the castle appear brighter and at times both Captain and Princess had to squint as the sun's rays of light beamed brightly at them.

  Dallius led Adelaide towards a stone bench, untouched still by the snow, and he waited until she found her seat before he took his own. He kept his gaze on her for a moment, and then he turned to look ahead.

  “How old are you?” the question slipped out of Adelaide’s unguarded mouth. Her gaze had also been on the village ahead but, soon enough she lost interest in the scenery entirely as she looked at the Captain. “You don't mind me asking, do you?”

  Dallius laughed quietly. “I'm twenty four.” he replied.

  “When did you become Captain?” Adelaide continued.

  Dallius thought for a moment, fiddling with the hilt of his sword as he did, then he cleared his throat. “I was eighteen. It feels like such a long time since. My father was mighty proud of me, more than happy to see me go.” he shrugged as he spoke.

  Six years ago. Is that how long he had been away from his father? the Princess wondered. He seemed bothered by my question, bothered even by his response. Perhaps he misses his father - all men do, surely? Adelaide didn’t put her thoughts into practise. It wasn’t her place to know, and she didn’t really want to find out. Neither one of them spoke. Whilst the Princess huddled into her cape, Dallius fixed up his leather gloves. But still, neither of them spoke again.

  Dominika

  The Empress of Iradas decided now would be a perfect time to write a letter to her father; seeing as she wasn’t needed anywhere else at the moment. She had sent her slave girls away for some time alone. Straightening out the pieces of paper she had laying out in front of her on the desk, Dominika retrieved a golden pen fro
m its ink pot and began to write:

  To my dearest father,

  I am writing to tell you I am well here in Aarengoth. My husband, as you had expected, is a fine man indeed and I consider myself very fortunate to be living in such a wonderful city. Since my arrival at the Fort I have heard words whispered against a certain Valenti family, nonstop. With the recent and unexpected news of the Emperor of Iradas’ brutal murder, it seems The Allied Kingdoms have only been thrown into further chaos.

  Baba, I think my husband may have a chance at victory against this wretched Valenti family but, what I see he needs right now is an ally he can truly rely on. If you would be willing to send reinforcements, should my husband need it, I would be forever grateful on his behalf – just as I know he would be honoured to fight alongside an army as fine as yours. Please, Baba, what was this marriage for – if not to join one Empire with another?

  I know this may sound absurd but, I think this Marcus Valenti may eventually grow too bold and try to expand his own dominance over The Allied Kingdoms; and then further on towards The Divided Kingdoms. You have your own enemies to fight, I know that. I am simply asking for the sake of my husband, will you send the Redbanes aid if they truly needed it?

  With love,

  Dominika

  The Empress put her pen back into the ink pot and looked down at her letter. As she allowed it time to dry properly, she wondered how her father would respond to her rather desperate letter. She hadn’t been in Aarengoth long but, the tension within the city was near impossible to miss.

  “I can only hope my father will be so kind.” Dominika told herself. She folded the letter accordingly and sealed it shut with hot wax. The letter couldn’t get into the wrong hands and Dominika planned to say nothing to Viktor, not until she knew it had not been misplaced by a messenger or opened by prying eyes. No, she’d send Tohji to deliver it; the Empress trusted him the most to carry out a task of great importance like this.

  The Empress clutched the freshly written letter against her chest, as though fearing she would lose it somehow without having even moved. As she called for her loyal companion and waited, Dominika began to wonder what this Marcus Valenti looked like. She had heard rumours of his brutality and his resentment against half of the population of Iradas, it seemed like, and it was descriptions and rumours like these which made her fear foreign enemies the most.

  Yet, if Viktor was to face him on in this war and bring victory home for his family, then Dominika didn’t want to leave him to face such a task alone. He had his brother and his sister - whom the Empress was eager to get to know but, what her husband really needed was someone to love him on a more intimate level; to reassure him late at night if he woke from a bad dream with fever and trembling, that everything was going to be alright. “I will give the Emperor a son.” Dominika said to Tohji, as her loyal companion knocked on her door and entered. She looked up from the letter in her hands and watched as her advisor approached her, tugging at his braided beard a little. It was a habit of his which Dominika had never quite understood.

  “That I’m sure you will, Empress but, don’t think you need to pressure yourself into being rushed with such a responsibility. Your father will understand, I’m sure.” Tohji replied.

  Dominika handed him the letter, and he took it with an eager stare. “A letter to your father?” he asked.

  The Empress nodded her head once and folded her hands over her womb. “Yes. I need you to take it to him personally, deliver it straight into his hands. I know you won’t fail me with this task.” she said quietly, for one thing she knew didn’t change in any castle or fort were the prying eyes and ears of servants on duty. Dominika didn’t doubt a servant was likely standing with their ear pressed against the door now, hoping to report anything worth sharing to the Emperor. Oh, these westerners really didn’t like her! Not all of them did, at least.

  Tohji dropped to his knees, pressed his forehead against the floor, and then found his feet again. “I will see to it, Empress. Now, whilst I am gone,” he took her hand in his and gave it a squeeze. “I wish you and your husband the best of luck in your efforts.”

  Dominika knew exactly what he meant, and she sent him off with a playful shove and a smile. She may have only had one friend in the fort so far but, she was certain that as soon as Adelaide Redbane returned, her life in Aarengoth would become more interesting and her part in this war would only become more crucial. That was a task she was willing to take on.

  Adelaide

  A light knock on the door caused Adelaide to put her book down and rise from her seat by the fire in her room. Not wanting to lose her place, she flipped the book over, steadied it on the table and went to open the door. Adelaide was greeted by the Captain. Dallius stood there for a moment and he struggled to think of what he should say to her. It seemed he felt that their conversation earlier on wasn't entirely finished

  Adelaide smiled at him. “May I help you, Captain?” she asked.

  Dallius nodded. “Forgive me, I seem to have forgotten what I wanted to say.” he began and shook his head lightly. “I feel our conversation earlier on was too brief. Perhaps you'd like to walk with me?”

  Adelaide smiled again. As she went to speak, a servant walked up to them and bowed down low. “Pardon me. Captain, your Majesty, would you care to follow me to the dining room, a meal has been prepared.”

  Dallius went to ask for just another minute, only Adelaide was already off with the servant before he could even open his mouth. He simply sighed and followed after them.

  The dining room was small yet cosy, as this particular hall was intended for the royal family or those of high status only, and it was dimly lit with but a few candles on the large oak dining table. Four chairs sat on either side of the table along with one at each head of the table. King Athon sat at the head of the table and on one side Adelaide’s three Guardians were seated, their gazes on her as she entered with Dallius.

  A meal of smoked salmon with mint and potatoes had been laid out on the plates and everyone helped themselves once seated. Adelaide hadn't seen the King around much, not since she first arrived at Faradwyn Castle. Yet she wasn’t too bothered about his presence, she cared not where the man slithered around. No one spoke. Only the sound of cutlery clinking and the sipping of wine filled what would have been complete silence in the hall.

  It was only until King Athon spoke that the glorious sound of silence was broken. “How has your stay been so far, Princess Adelaide?” he asked, taking a bite of salmon straight after.

  Adelaide took a sip of wine. “It's been fine.” she replied and then added in quietly, “Thank you.”

  King Athon raised his eyebrows at her. “And how was the wedding? I hear the Princess of Illia is a beauty, although not as near as lovely as you.” he asked, apparently wildly amused by Adelaide’s very simple response. He was mocking her - as though that would make their relationship any better!

  Adelaide stopped eating and shifted her gaze to the King, who had also paused with his food. But she didn’t dare say anything. She knew Athon liked Saff, respected him even, and not just because he had to. Saff was a man, and that was reason enough for Athon to like him, he considered the young Prince more competent. She couldn’t ruin the King’s relationship with her entire family over a feud which was strictly between them both. The Princess was hardly in the mood to talk to anyone. She already had too much on her mind. She had to rendezvous with her brothers again and report back the situation regarding Faradwyn’s part in the war and eventually find her so-called sister; whom her father had so kindly given away. All whilst avoiding the Valentis for as long as possible; no doubt they would come after her soon. Adelaide picked up her chalice and went to take a sip, afraid that she'd break the glass with how hard she was holding it.

  King Athon brought his own chalice to his lips and scoffed quietly. “You seem angry. Was it something I said? Or is my castle not of a high enough standard for the Princess of Iradas?” he asked flatly.
<
br />   Adelaide had had enough - she clenched her glass chalice tightly, and it cracked under the pressure; splitting apart in her hand, still clenched. Her hand was wet from the wine, as well as her own blood, and shards of glass bit into her palm. She swore under her breath and looked at the King. “Your castle is magnificent, your Majesty, as well as the people within it. I'm very grateful for your hospitality and I couldn't have asked for more.” Adelaide replied with sarcastic sweetness. A servant nearby rushed towards her with a cloth. She waved him away. Standing up, she very carefully, very slowly removed a large piece of glass from her palm, wincing as she did. Dropping the shard down onto the table, the Princess turned on her heels and left the dining hall without a single glance back.

  *****

  “Why did you do that?” Myron asked the Princess as he finished cleaning her palm.

  Adelaide shook her head. “I'm sick and tired of people seeing me as a spoilt Princess who sticks her nose up at everything.” she replied.

  Myron nodded and carefully began to bandage her hand; he had his head down when he spoke. “King Athon needs to know where his loyalties lie. You are the Princess of Iradas, he has no reason or right to treat you like that and he knows it – he just thinks you can't stand up for yourself.” Myron said. He finished his work and took a step back. “I still remember how you fought us outside our hideout. If only the King could see what you’re really capable of, then maybe he'd treat you with more respect.”

  Adelaide could just about see his smile and she watched in silence as he turned and left the castle infirmary. She thought about what Myron had just said and the longer Adelaide thought about it, the more she began to like it.

  *****

  Adelaide Redbane was willing to prove herself to King Athon, that she was a young and independent woman. If it earned his respect, then she figured she had nothing to lose. The Princess strolled into the grand hall the next morning, confident she was doing the right thing, and stopped in front of the King. There was no time for gowns today, Adelaide wore a dark navy tunic and black trousers instead and she had switched her usual silk slippers to black boots. Her curly brown had hair been scrunched into a ponytail and hung down to her waist.