by Ivy Clyde
His words startled me. His mesmerizing purple-hued eyes were sincere as he spoke to me. “I love Cain and Adal more than my brothers. You couldn’t have chosen better men to give your heart to.”
I was glad it was getting dark or Norvin would’ve seen me blushing like a new bride on her wedding night. His words were like a balm to my heart. My exhaustion vanished and I felt energy surging through my veins.
“Let’s get this done.”
He nodded determinedly. In the blink of an eye, Norvin’s shape dissolved. He disappeared but my pet snake stared up at me from the ground.
“Naya!” I cried out excitedly, picking him. “I missed you so much.” I kissed the little horns on his head while he stared at me with wide eyes. “I know it’s still you, Norvin, but I missed my snake so much.” I chuckled at the look of incredulity in his large purple-hued eyes. “All right, then,” I said, clearing my throat. “Let’s go see the princess.”
I held him to my shoulder until he climbed over it. His small limbs grabbed onto my tunic and he was stuck to me like a lizard against a wall. Even as I ran, he remained attached to my clothes.
As the cottages surrounding the village square came to view, I lightly leaped over a branch of a tall oak tree. Using the boughs, I climbed higher. When it was high enough, I jumped onto the roof of the closest hut.
The height gave me the advantage of aerial view over the square. Some blocks away, I could make out the walls surrounding the tallest building in Carran. It looked like the village head’s house. It was easy to guess that’s where Helena was staying. She may have been given a courtyard for her and her servants’ use.
Silent as a shadow, I lightly leaped over the roofs until I was close to the walls. There were no guards at the entrance gate which made it easy enough to slip inside. Lanterns had not been lighted yet, leaving the area dark in the dusky evening. A couple of beggars hung around the gates but they didn’t enter the courtyard. Perhaps, they already knew they won’t be getting any charity there with the added risk of getting beaten to death if caught.
Climbing down the building, I melted into the shadows stretching over the wall. The beggars didn’t notice me as I stealthily moved alongside it until reaching the open entrance. Quietly, I slipped in.
Naya licked my neck. “Don’t do that!” I chided, rubbing the stickiness away from my skin.
I hid behind the trunk of a peach tree in the front yard. Two maids passed by, holding lanterns in their hands. In the glow of the bright flame, the crimson of their clothes appeared even deeper.
“Let’s follow them,” I whispered. Norvin as Naya licked me in the neck again. “Cut it out!” I hissed. His large purple eyes glittered with mirth as he stuck out his tongue at me. His playfulness made me laugh. “We’ve got to focus. Let’s get inside Helena’s chambers and search for the cure. Okay? Be good.” I patted his tiny horns before facing the way the maids disappeared.
Skirting the side of the building, I reached the back courtyard where a number of small houses were lined in a single row. Only two of them had light shining through the curtains at the window. Two dark shapes appeared at one of them. Taking the clue, I sneaked inside the empty building.
At once, I knew the place belonged to Helena. It was lavishly decorated with painted walls and expensive pottery. Golden lanterns were placed on every open surface while the air smelled of perfumes and scented oils.
Walking further inside, I came upon a room with a number of racks lining the walls. Tomes and scrolls filled the rows of these wooden racks. The walls were bare and other than a window on the farthest wall, there was nothing else there. Only a single stick of candle burned on the ground.
“Let’s look in here,” I whispered, moving towards one of the walls.
The books and scrolls looked untouched from the thick coat of dust gathered on them. Ignoring it, I moved to the adjacent row. The scrolls looked haphazardly placed there. No dust either. I began opening the scrolls one by one, hoping I would find something that could point us towards a cure.
Naya slithered down my body, scarpered off the ground and climbed onto the rack.
“Can you read in this form?”
His eyes narrowed at me. Guess he could…
He began sniffing at the scrolls and tomes. I continued my own search as well, steadily getting frustrated from finding nothing. They were all related to taxes and financial documenting of the grains brought in and sent away.
Naya hissed at me. He was sitting atop a thick tome and staring at me with wide eyes.
“Did you find something?”
He leaped off the book and onto my arm, climbing on top of my shoulders to perch there. Picking up the thick tome, I found a red feather sticking out of between its pages. Opening it there, I found a white parchment containing a list of ingredients. It looked new compared to the yellowing parchment of the book. A quick look was enough to tell me it was a potion but I had no idea whether it was the one we were looking for.
Footsteps approached from behind me. Naya slithered off my shoulders to perch on breast, effectively hiding from whoever was at my back. Quickly grabbing the page, I shoved the book back onto the shelf. I crumpled it into a ball in my hand before slowly turning around.
Helena stood before me. Her coal-black eyes were cold as they stared at me. I could feel Naya on my back.
“What are you doing here?” she asked, taking a step towards me.
“I believed it to be His Highness’s quarters. Please forgive me if I have trespassed into the wrong place.” Keeping my head bowed, I looked up at her through my lashes. Helena’s lips were curved in a knowing smile.
“Do you keep the prince company?” she asked, stepping in front of me.
I nodded. “When he wishes so.”
She took my hand in hers. “Your skin is really smooth.” She caressed my palm and wrist as if testing the quality of it.
I clutched onto the page still in the grasp of my other hand. A slight tug on it made me aware of Naya pulling at it. Perhaps, it was for the best.
“Princess Helena, you’re so beautiful yourself,” I said, loosening the hold on the piece of parchment. Naya snatched it up at once. Helena cast her gaze on me, effectively giving Naya the opportunity to slip out unnoticed.
21
“It is only natural that I’m beautiful,” said Helena with a smug grin. “I am a princess and my father rules over the four kingdoms. You on the other hand…” She grasped my chin hard, her nails digging into my skin.
I stared into her bottomless, dark eyes and didn’t flinch.
“You’re used to pain, little lady,” she whispered, her face hovering close to mine. “That’s good. You’ll be fun to play with.” Helena stepped away and slowly walked towards the window. “First, I want to ask a few questions.”
“Ask me, Your Highness.” I could have killed her right there as she stupidly kept her back open to me while staring out of the window. However, if I could glean some information from her, my patience would be worth it.
“Is it only the prince’s bed you warm? Or do his two men take their turns with you as well?”
I wish. A low sigh escaped me.
Helena turned around at once, her eyes flashing with rage. Coming towards me, she slapped my face hard. My skin burned but I kept on the mask of indifference firmly in place. It enraged her further as she struck me again. Blood coated the inside of my mouth from a cut in my inner cheek. Spitting it out, I looked back at her.
“You’re a dirty whore,” she screamed. “How dare you malign the man I’ll marry?”
I shrugged. “I heard Prince Cain has a whole harem full of women. I am sure his virginity was maligned a long time ago.” A grin spread through my lips at her sour expression. It was painful to smile but I couldn’t help it as I cocked a brow. “Will you be treating them the same? Not sure the prince will like it much, you know?”
Helena suddenly grinned. “I’ll tell you a secret.” She leaned close until her breath tickle
d my ear. “I am going to kill them all.” She chuckled happily. “They won’t even know what happened! I can be the only woman by Cain’s side. No one will stand in my way.”
“Won’t you be punished for killing them?” I asked, keeping my voice neutral. A third person might even assume we were talking about the possibility of adding pork mince to beef mince for a steamed meatball recipe.
“They’ll never know,” she whispered, putting a finger to her lips. “I have killed hundreds of men. No one will ever know.”
“You’re using the plague, huh?”
Her eyes widened. “What did you say?”
“You only work in these remote villages, don’t you? There are no healers or doctors here. You tell them it’s a plague and they believe you blindly. After all, you’re the healing saintess.”
Her face paled. “How…how did you know?”
It was good to see her squirming. Her façade of a calm, pretty princess was cracking, revealing the cold murderer within.
With a sudden move, she grasped my braid in her hand. Pulling on it hard, she made me follow her out of the room. “Geena! Karen! Come in here right now!”
Two maids appeared at once.
“Get the men. This bitch needs to be buried immediately.” While the two women scarpered off, Helena turned her attention back to me. She was fuming but a wary look had come over her. “Why aren’t you begging for your life?”
“You beg for things you can’t have.”
“Your life is in my hands now. Beg!”
I chuckled at her.
“Are you mad?” she shouted, slapping me again.
“Is Prince Cain nearby?” I asked, spitting more blood out. “Do you want him to see this side of yours?”
She hesitated. Ahhh…he must be close then.
“Why don’t you run?” she asked. “The men aren’t here yet. Why don't you simply run?” Her voice wavered. Helena was slowly becoming aware how little control she had over me.
“A wolf won’t run away from a lamb.”
“What?” She took a step back.
Smiling through my hurting cheeks, I stepped forward. “I am going to rip off that mask, saintess,” I said in a low voice. “You’ll never hurt Cain. Or anyone else for that matter.”
Her hands balled into tight fists. Half a dozen men entered the room with her maids hanging behind them, looking scared. Helena looked more confident now. “You won’t leave this place alive.” She glanced back at the thugs blocking the entrance. “Get her.”
They came forward at once, leaving the exit unguarded. They probably thought I was a regular maid, too weak to even fight against one man.
One of the men extended his arm to grab me but I evaded him easily, kicking another’s shin. As the man went down with a cry of pain, I slipped from between them and ran out into the courtyard.
I stopped, giving the men a chance to catch me again. It wouldn’t be fun if they gave up too easily, thinking I was a hard target. I wanted to take the fight into the village square where people would see the men sent by Helena. Once they were seen and captured, they would blurt every tiny detail. Once the evidence was secured, Cain would be able to bring her into submission.
“What are you doing?” shouted Helena. “Get her!”
The men were at the threshold when a different voice boomed throughout the courtyard.
“What’s happening here?”
We all looked towards the house beside Helena’s. Cain stood at the threshold, his eyes staring between me and the men.
“Your maid attacked me, Prince Cain,” said Helena at once. “I am getting these men to capture her.”
“Attacked you?” scoffed Cain. “Then why are you unharmed and she’s the one who looks like she took a beating?”
“That maid has bewitched you, Your Highness. She’s evil. Trust me, my prince.” She glanced at the men. “What are you still waiting for? Get her!”
They advanced towards me while I backed away.
I broke into a run as they got closer, pushing past the maids who tried to block my path. Rushing through the way I came in, I reached the gateway leading into the streets. The beggars I'd seen loitering earlier were still there.
“The saintess is going to kill me,” I shouted, drawing attention towards me. “She’s sending men to kill me. Help! Help!”
Even though darkness had fallen over the village, there were still plenty of people on the streets. I ran towards the main square, drawing Helena’s men into a more populated area. By now, a number of men had gathered around us, all groaning about the saintess who gave them cursed elixirs.
“Call for Prince Cain,” someone shouted from the crowd. “He’s here among us. Let him hold justice for us!” The man’s cries were taken up by the mob. Several torches were lit up.
Helena’s goons glanced at each other, unsure of what to do. The people in the crowd stayed away from them, too fearful of getting beaten. Their shouts and protests were helping though. The mob was growing larger in size.
Cain appeared on the scene with Helena close on his heels.
“She’s the one who attacked me,” screamed Helena. “Don’t you wish to be cured? If she kills me, you’ll all die!”
“She is lying,” I shouted back. “She has been poisoning you. You will live and die on her whim.”
“She is lying!” Helena shrieked. “That woman is evil!”
“Daria is not evil!” It was Cain’s thunderous voice. A hush fell over the square as he drew closer.
“Do you have any idea what you’re doing, Your Highness?” asked Helena. “What proof do you have to accuse me of lying?”
Cain looked at me. He had no idea about the things I, Adal and Norvin had found out about her. I gave him a nod. “I have proof.” Looking around at the people gathered around me, I took a deep breath before continuing. “If one of you can hand me the elixir, I can prove it’s poisoned.”
An old lady stepped forward. “Prove your word, girl,” she said in a croaky voice. “This thing has taken my granddaughter’s life. Tell me she didn’t die because of her sins.” Handing me a glass vial, she stepped back among the crowd.
“This is a silver needle,” I said loudly, procuring one from my inner sleeve. A shaft of moonlight fell on it, making the needle glint in the dark. “Watch me as I dip it into the elixir.”
I left the needle for a whole minute while everyone watched with bated breath.
When I took it out, a portion of it came out blackened. “Take it and see, old mother,” I said, holding out the needle to the old woman. “It is black. The saintess mixed a common but potent poison into it. She has the cure but she will only hand it out to whoever she likes. She has been making a name for herself on the sacrifice of innocents like you.”
“It is black!” the woman’s thin voice spoke into the silence.
The crowd muttered, everyone passing the needle among themselves as they all inspected it in the light of their flaming torches.
“Kill her right now!” shrieked Helena, pointing towards me. “Silence her immediately!”
I backed away as the men raised their swords at me. Cain shouted for them to stop but they weren’t under his command. They came at me, intent on attacking me at once.
I leaped backward, filling the space between my fingers with poisoned needles. Taking aim, I shot at two of the closest assailants. They fell moments after they were hit but his companions didn’t stay back. I ducked, avoiding the slash of a sword, kicking at another man as he came from the side.
Engaged in open fighting with more attackers than I could handle, I began to look for a way out.
Just as I fell two men, four more charged at me. Weren’t there only six men before? More armed assailants came my way, not giving me enough space to use my darts. The crowd had backed away but not enough for me to take the fight in a more concealed area. They formed a solid wall and I was stuck battling Helena’s mercenaries in that enclosed place.
Out of breath, I backe
d away, only to find five men advancing from behind me.
For a moment, I wondered if I would be defeated by a bunch of mercenaries. I was sent by Elga to slay a dragon and I couldn’t even get past these men with cheap swords.
Something flashed by the corner of my eyes.
Next moment, the men behind me were caught in a roaring blaze. The crowd scattered further away, their surprised gasps drowned by the agonized screams of the burning men.
“Get them.” Cain was beside me. My gaze flicked over to where Helena stood. Her face was white, making the red of her lips look like a bloody gash. Dark eyes burned with rage as she stared at me with pure loathing.
The corner of my lips lifted in a cold smile. Time to show the saintess who she was playing with.
Closing my eyes, I conjured the power of air and fire. My hands swirled around, mimicking the movement of the elements around me. Using the flames cast by Cain and the light breeze blowing by, I channeled the blaze towards us until we were both surrounded by a wall of flames.
The men surrounding us looked scared now. Opening my eyes, I used my inner powers to mold the flames into dragon heads. Each of them had their maws wide open, ready for attack.
“Burn them all!” I hissed, sending the many-headed fiery blaze towards the goons.
Screams shattered the silence of the night as a dozen men roared out in pain, their bodies ablaze. Helena watched them, the glow of the flames mirrored in her glassy, black eyes.
“Daria.” Cain’s voice was low in my ear. “It’s all right now.”
The flames died down, leaving the night a lot darker than before. As my mind grew more aware of the surroundings, I noticed people on their knees, chanting something in a strange language.
“What are they saying?”
“It’s a prayer to the dragon gods in the old tongue. What you just did now…it goes beyond the powers of a dragon. Dragons can conjure fire but they could never make the elements dance to their whim. You’re absolutely amazing, Daria. You know that, right?” His arm came around my shoulder, pulling me against his chest as I stared up at him.
