Greeting all
Adrian felt his twin looking at him and he caught her eye. While they had never been very close, they did share a womb at the start of their existence, and that had a lasting impression on them. He didn’t need to know what she was thinking to know where her mind was.
“Well then, Your Majesty.” He said softly. “Do you want to tell them or should I?”
“I keep thinking, what would Mother do?” She whispered.
“She isn’t here, you are, and you are the future monarch. The Lifedrinker is making a claim to us, and your champion is refuting it. However, we both know what crawls beneath our skin.”
She felt the heat in her belly at the challenge her brother had issued. While he hadn’t said it in so many words, she knew he knew, what she needed to say. If she didn’t say it, he surely would. She released her sword and turned to Mortis.
“Put your sword away, Mortis.” She said.
“He means to use you.” Snapped the undead knight. “Do you want to go through everything we fought so hard to prevent? To call those things back?”
“They never left Mortis.” Said Magna sadly.
That got everyone’s attention, especially the Blaze knights. Mortis fixed the princess with his balefire eyes and knew she spoke the truth. He had hoped against hope that something hadn't lodged within her and her brother’s souls, but it had been something that Adiran had warned him about.
The old gods of fire and darkness had left a doorstop to re-enter this world by lodging their essence within the twins. It was only a matter of time. The old king felt frustration like he had never felt before. He wanted to throw his sword in dismay that he was unable to protect the blood of his sister from a terrible fate. He felt ready to scream at the heavens, but instead, he clutched his sword tighter.
“No, there has to be another way!”
“If there was, don’t you think Uncle would have found it?” asked Adrian softly.
“With enough time, perhaps.” Continued Magna. “But right now, you cannot deny the changes you have seen in me. You may not have noticed it in my brother, but I have. I know I have changed and don’t say it’s because I had to grow up quickly. I feel molten fury from the moment I open my eyes to when I rest. I’m not curbing Sebastian’s anger, he’s curbing mine.”
Mortis lowered his blade to point to the destruction he had created, still looking at the girl who was acting far wiser than he.
“We should at least hear Lucien out.” Said Adrian. “Yes, there is a chance that the old ones will feel their hooks being removed. Yes, there’s a chance they may retaliate. However, isn’t that worth the risk to ensure that we are truly free?”
Finally, Mortis admitted, “I don’t know if I can protect you a second time if we do this.”
Leo stepped forward and puffed his chest out, “I will assist. My devotion will strengthen your resolve.”
He’s right.
The voice echoed in Mortis’s head, and he rubbed at his forehead. He had had enough of this spirit invading his desiccated form. He wanted it gone but had no idea how to combat the spirit. He truly felt useless at this moment. He had failed as a protector.
“I, as the future Queen, hear your claim, Lucien.” Said Magna as she pointed to him. “And I refute it!”
Her last sentence was said so loudly that her brother jumped. Lucien fixed her with a cold stare but allowed her to continue.
“From what I have been told, you came to my mother and offered to help. You brought your armies to assist. No one asked you to drive your people to their deaths. No one is responsible for that but you.”
Lucien frowned, knowing she was right. There had been no call to arms that he had answered. He had volunteered his people. The girl was every bit as shrewd as her uncle and mother.
“However, you didn’t flee until the battle was over. That is commendable, but I have to wonder why you truly came to our aid. I am starting to believe that you were looking for something, something that has to do with the creature that is in the forest.”
This time, Lucien slipped, and his mask fell away to reveal the shock that he felt. What had the girl gleamed? Surely she couldn’t have discovered what he was seeking.
“I don’t know if you found what you were looking for while we were all distracted, or if my uncle protected it, but that is not important now.” Magna lowered her arm. “Now we need to rest, and you need to explain what it is that you promised to the creature down there.”
She spun round to look at Mortis who wanted to argue, “And we will all listen.”
The revenant snapped his jaw closed with the sound of creaking leather. Magna turned her attention back to Lucien, “No more secrets. I’m sick of secrets. They are making everything worse. They make me angry, and I don’t want the Firey One to find his way back to me. This is what we will do. We will go to the cache, we will eat, sleep, and then talk. No more lying, no more secrets. Am I clear?”
Everyone was silent, the only movement was heads nodding.
“Good.” Said Magna.
Mortis took a deep breath, only to release a sigh, before saying, “Since we are on the topic of secrets. There is something I must add.”
Ball's back in your court bud! Have fun.
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