Princess of Darkness Read online

“I have something to show you.” Valerius said, as though it had never happened. Secretly, he was mighty pleased with himself. He clicked his tongue twice and his horse trudged towards the secret garden, stopping just before the hedged archway leading into the garden.

  Valerius swung himself off his horse and then helped Serendipity down. Slipping his hand over hers, he led her past the hedges and further into the garden. It was beautiful. A thick-branched tree sat at the far end of the secret garden, a swing attached to it by a rope, and half a dozen rose bushes had been planted around the garden by the hedges. A heavenly scent lingered in the air; so delicately sweet.

  Valerius gently pulled Serendipity to a section of the hedges and let go of her hand. He tugged at the hedge once, then twice, and it finally came loose. Yet, instead of it falling from his hands in a collection of leaves and branches, it pulled away with a groan. It wasn’t a hedge after all but, a secret door. Valerius only opened it the slightest, enough for Serendipity to peer through.

  The Princess’ eyes widened at the sight she saw. It was a way out. An open field behind the garden lay before her, untouched and unguarded. Serendipity pulled away and looked up at Valerius. “Why are you showing me this?” she asked him. She was genuinely surprised.

  Valerius blushed. “So that when the time is right,” he began quietly. “You’ll know exactly where to go.”

  Serendipity knew well what he meant. She watched as he closed the secret door again and then turned to face her. Leaning closer until she was able to touch her nose against his, Serendipity smiled at him. She wanted to cry, not out of sadness or fear but, out of joy. Valerius could be trusted, she knew that now. Serendipity drew a shaky breath and whispered with another smile, “Thank you.”

  Adelaide

  After having to literally drag her out of the Castle that following morning, Saff led his sister outside to their horses. He had already planned to go to Bordennia and he wanted to her come with him, so he had the stable hand prepare their horses in advance. The beasts seemed eager to head off as they stood stomping their hooves. Impatient things.

  Adelaide had changed before they left, into a simple navy dress made of cotton and just brushing past her knees, to save her being looked down upon too much for the fact she wore armour. Anyone with common sense would not travel without armour either. For that reason, the Princess wore a thin layer of mithril underneath her gown, and she slung on a black short cape as she followed her brother outside.

  The Princess had been scolded many times by the local Anderithian women about her choice of clothing, yet unless they expected her to fight in a full length dress, she had suggested they held their tongues. As though the local women had agreed with the idea of a Princess fighting either. It was not as though Adelaide rode off into battle with her brothers; self-defence was a wise skill to learn and, in fact, Viktor and Saff – even her father, when he was alive – had encouraged it.

  They travelled south to Bordennia, the young Prince and his sister. Saff had explained that the journey there would take near enough a day, if their horses were up for the challenge, and that would be excluding any breaks on the way. They travelled swiftly past the Ordathian Camp and the barracks which Adelaide had passed before on her way to Faradwyn for the first time. The borders of the forests nearby weren’t safe and it was better to avoid them. Even if that meant having to go a longer route.

  Fifty other pairs of hooves came rumbling across the ground, after the two Redbanes. The men whom Saff had taken with him on his journey to find his sister were more than enough for the trip, seeing as they would eventually be crossing into allied territory (as by now Dominicus and Hathor had already agreed to proceed with the marriage between their son and daughter).

  Hours passed by with hardly any rest. The horses were fed and watered twice and the men had had the opportunity to eat and relieve themselves; even walking around and stretching out their legs had been a blessing. Adelaide in particular was nervous to set foot in the Bordennian Castle, where she knew her fiancé would be there to stare at her. She would likely end up doing the same thing.

  “We're in Bordennia now.” Saff said. Those were the few words the Princess had been waiting to hear, after travelling for hours on end.

  Adelaide wanted to let out a sigh of relief, but once she crossed that border she didn’t know what to expect. Would the Mouridieus’ be disappointed with what they saw? Would they insist the Princess stay with them even before the marriage took place? Despite all of her nervous thoughts, Bordennia was still beautiful, especially during spring and summer when nature was at its best. The grass was the deepest shade of green she had ever seen and the trees grew as tall as some buildings in both Anderaith and Aarengoth. The scenery was breath taking and the air so cool and fresh; with the scent of grass and daffodils, rather than smoke or the melting metal from a blacksmiths shop. Even the sun! It seemed so much brighter out in the open. It shone through the trees and caught against the edges of the leaves, creating a mesmerising display of light.

  “What kind of trouble do you think the Valentis are causing?” Adelaide asked her brother after some time.

  Saff raised a brow in her direction, as though it was a silly question to ask. It didn’t matter so much what kind of trouble the family were causing but, the fact that they just were causing trouble – nothing out of the ordinary for Marcus Valenti and his wretched family. “The first thing that comes to mind, for me, is murder.” he said.

  Adelaide blinked hard at him. “Why? Do you think the Valentis had something to do with the murders in Bordennia? Surely, if they did, they would have gone straight for the royal family, not some innocent, insignificant people.”

  Saff had turned serious by now, no thoughts of silliness in mind. “Because the Valentis are those types of people who love to see others suffer, as a way of keeping themselves entertained.” he replied.

  Adelaide nodded in agreement. She could see what he meant.

  The young Prince turned to look at her and cleared his throat. “Why, what did you have in mind?” he asked.

  Adelaide laughed in turn. “I don’t really know. Maybe,” before she could finish an arrow shot past her shoulder and she swept her horse to one side, just dodging it.

  The young Prince swore under his breath and brought his horse closer as their guards swarmed around them, their shields up and spears at the ready. “Are you alright?” Saff asked her.

  The Princess nodded quickly, although her heart was still pounding hard in her chest. It had meant to be a warning arrow, whoever had shot it had not intended to kill her. “We're surrounded.” she whispered.

  They most definitely were. A rustling sound caught the attention of the Redbane guards, and then another. The men looked around and found a group of horsemen emerging from the bushes; clad in the uniform of the Mouridieus family. That was evident by the large M.D. etched into the shields which the soldiers carried. The armour was standard, made up of a silver breast plate, navy chain mail and an aventail helmet. Some men had swords attached to their belts, a few carried a morning star and at least a dozen others had a longbow and quiver of plentiful arrows each.

  “Who goes there? State your name and business.” a powerful voice instructed from outside the shield wall, built up tightly by the Redbane guards.

  Saff placed a hand onto his sister’s arm and she understood that he was to do the talking. “I am Saff Redbane, Prince of Iradas and son of your recently deceased Emperor. You owe us your allegiance, Mouridieus’.” he called back.

  Adelaide waited in silence along with the others. Finally, there came the snorting of a horse and armour shaking as men moved out of the way for a hidden figure to emerge. “Reveal yourself, Prince of Iradas.” the same voice said.

  By Saff’s order, the Redbane guards dropped their shield wall and allowed a full view of the Mouridieus army which had taken them by surprise.

  Saff’s reaction was not one the Princess had been expecting, as he smiled broadly and even swore u
nder his breath. “I don’t believe it. Fandrell Mouridieus, Captain of the Bordennian army, in the flesh. It’s a pleasure to meet you.” he said.

  The captain was far older than Adelaide had expected but, he was the father of Dominicus Mouridieus after all. What took the Princess by surprise the most was that he was smiling back, such a warm and welcoming gesture. When he grinned, the wrinkles around his eyes and mouth grew deeper and he even let out a laugh.

  “Welcome, welcome my young Prince! I believe the pleasure is mine. Excuse my men and I, we were out patrolling the area – after these recent reports of murders within Bordennia, we cannot let our guard down.” Fandrell explained. His gaze swept to the side until he sat staring at Adelaide. The Captain’s smile returned, only it grew wider with each passing second, and he gave the young girl a respectful bow of his head. “Princess Adelaide. So we finally meet, I’ve heard so many wonderful things about you. Nicademius will be overjoyed with you, I’m sure.”

  Adelaide blushed. Unsure of how she should reply, she remained quiet instead. It seemed the pink in her cheeks was enough for Fandrell to know his compliment had been noted.

  “Come,” the Captain began again. “You should go and meet the King and Queen of Bordennia, as their allies; and soon as their family, too.”

  *****

  The Bordennian Castle resembled nothing of the Gothic architectural design of either Fort Wieldhorne or Fort Windspeed. It was quite clear that here, in Bordennia, colour was appreciated far more than in the two greatest cities of Iradas. The castle itself was made of a light, creamy coloured stone, and the door of solid oak. Just like the wooden gate, it was polished and it shone in the sunlight, almost appearing welcoming rather than frightening, like Adelaide had expected.

  The steps were carved from white marble with beautiful gold patterns etched into the sides. Two guards stood at their posts in the front of the entrance, looking stern and proud as they watched their Captain and his unexpected guests approach them.

  Before they even made it to the steps, the doors were opened and the guards extended a bow to the newcomers. It was pleasantly warm in the hall, compared to the icy winds outside, and it was crowded slightly with a mixture of both servants and other Castle inhabitants.

  At the end of the hall three thrones were situated on a raised platform and on them sat a man, perhaps in his late forties, a woman, perhaps a couple years younger Adelaide guessed, and finally a young man. He himself looked no older, if any older, than the Princess.

  The King of Bordennia rose to greet his father accordingly. “What news? Have the wretched Valentis and their damned assassins left anymore bodies for us to clean up?” the man on the throne asked.

  Fandrell cleared his throat. Removing the gloves he wore, he handed them over to a guard nearby, who took it silently. “I believe we have more pressing matters to handle at the moment.” he replied, to the annoyance of his son.

  “More important than a family wreaking havoc in my lands, who had nearly murdered my son in his own home?” he dared to ask with a raised voice. King or not, he still respected his father enough to not let his anger get the better of him.

  Fandrell stepped to the side and looked to where his Redbane guests stood. “It’s my pleasure to introduce Prince Saff Redbane,” he paused to turn his attention to the young Prince of Bordennia, his beloved grandson. “And his sister, Princess Adelaide.”

  There came a strained silence. It was only awkward for the King because he had failed to even realise who now stood before him; he didn’t know what to say. So his wife spoke in his stead. “Adelaide.” Nynae began. “The rumours were right, for once, you are as beautiful as everyone says you are. You must have all the men chasing after you.” she beamed.

  The Queen of Bordennia’s voice was sweet but, powerful and almost frightening all at the same time. Adelaide didn’t know what to make of it. Her blonde hair had been swept back into a tight bun, giving her crown something to sit against.

  Adelaide didn’t seem to have heard the Queen as she addressed her. Her gaze was fixed on the Prince sitting atop his splendid throne. He wasn’t what she had expected. His tight brown curls must have been inherited from his father but, his pale skin from his mother’s side, most definitely.

  “Princess Adelaide?” Nynae tried again.

  Nicademius rose from his throne. He seemed as enticed by the Princess as she did him, and he hid his smile well as Adelaide began to approach him too. They both met halfway, and the Prince looked down at the young girl he was to call his future wife. To her own embarrassment, Adelaide felt the heat rise to her cheeks as their gazes remained locked a little longer. She eventually looked away a moment.

  Nicademius, remembering his manners, gave the Princess a bow and even took her hand to kiss it. “It’s an honour to meet you, truly. Mother is right, you’re beautiful beyond words. I apologise for my rude silence.”

  Adelaide curtseyed in return, yet she could not give him a compliment for she brought her hand to her mouth, hiding a bashful smile.

  “If I may ask, how old are you?” the Prince was being very polite.

  “Sixteen.” Adelaide replied after a while.

  Dominicus raised his eyebrows in amusement. “Sixteen. You're very young. A perfect age to be getting married, don't you think Adelaide?” he asked.

  The Princess shook her head. “No, your Majesty, I don't think it is.”

  Dominicus didn't reply, instead he just burst out laughing. Nynae joined in and soon the whole hall was laughing with them; except for Saff, Nicademius and of course – the Princess of Iradas herself. Adelaide looked down at her feet to avoid Dominicus' gaze.

  “My dear child, the reason you are still alive is to have sons, to carry on your family. Sixteen is the ideal age, believe me.” Dominicus continued to laugh. “I am honoured that your father had chosen my son to be your betrothed. Nicademius will make a fine husband for you.” he spoke about his son as though he could not speak for himself.

  “Where are you both heading off to? It’s getting quite late, surely you’ve been travelling all day?” the crowned prince asked, diverting the topic of his engagement to Adelaide as far away as possible.

  Neither Adelaide nor Saff answered for a moment. However, thinking the family at least ought to know where they were travelling on their land, the Princess finally replied, “Bloodwell Covenant, to investigate these murders plaguing your land.”

  Valerius

  A message had been delivered to the castle that Lord Baleon Valenti, Marcus’ younger brother, was to supposed be arriving within the next day or two.

  Valerius was becoming increasingly worried about what his uncle was going to say when he found out that Aderico was to marry Serendipity.

  Yet even Marcus was surprised when his brother came early, a whole day in fact, and was greeted with an explanation of how Baleon had simply left earlier to avoid any troubles whilst travelling. Apparently there had already been a case of wildfire by Valkenn forest almost a week back and it had only died away recently, making certain routes dangerous to travel by.

  Nonetheless, Marcus still greeted his little brother with a smile and a hard slap on the back. Baleon was only two years younger than his brother but, it made all the difference. Unlike Marcus, he tended to follow what his brother did and never made any decisions without consulting him first. Marcus, on the other hand, was not Grand Lord for no reason and it was not unusual for him to do things without telling Baleon at times.

  Aderico, with a wide grin and gleaming eyes, gave his father his own slap on the back whilst sharing a quick and private joke between the both of them. He eventually stepped aside to allow Soraya to run into their father’s arms.

  Baleon squeezed his daughter tightly and kissed her on her head. “I beg your pardon for any inconveniences that may have delayed my arrival. It’s late – I’m hungry and in need of some rest, not before we have a small family reunion first, of course.” he said and laughed loudly afterwards. His gaze ran arou
nd the room for a moment before resting on his nephew. “Valerius! You've grown so quickly, you're all man now. Come to me.” he cheered and gestured for him to come forward.

  The young Lord grasped Baleon’s hand in greeting. “It's good to see you, Uncle, we should welcome you properly. Allow us to take you for a drink, I'm sure we have much to discuss.”

  Baleon nodded his head slowly, the corners of his mouth tipping up as he did, and he gave Marcus a rather amused look. Marcus, in turn, nodded and looked at his son in pride as he took control and led the group away to a private room; whilst Soraya was sent off to leave the men to their own matters. Valerius led the others through to a smaller meeting room just opposite to his father’s study and ushered everyone in, closing the door firmly behind him once everyone had settled in and wine had been served. They all took their seats around an old oak table.

  Baleon smiled at the small family reunion and reached over the dimly lit table to pour himself a drink. He offered the jug to the others and took a long swig of his wine, before clearing his throat. “We do have much to discuss, come and fill me in on what I have missed.”

  A smile crept onto Aderico's face, yet he remained silent. A part of him almost felt embarrassed about his engagement to Serendipity. He knew it would give his father an excuse to lecture him about what he did with other women whilst he had the Princess to call his own. The door creaked open slightly and a servant boy rushed in bearing a tray of forks and assorted meats. He placed it onto the table and refilled his Lords cups.

  “Your son is going to get married.” Marcus announced as he went to take a slice of salted pork.

  Baleon’s eyebrows rose high on his forehead and he looked at Aderico. “Is this true?” he asked, surprised yet pleased. Aderico nodded. “To whom, and why wasn’t I the one to decide?” Baleon laughed.

  “Princess Serendipity Redbane.” Aderico replied.

  Baleon thought hard for a moment, rubbing his chin as he did, and then he spoke. “Hathor only had one daughter, no?” he asked.