Shadow of the Crown

by Amber Morant

  Mestre's eyes widened. "Your Grace, are you certain?"

  Kalio didn't vocalize her answer but Mestre could see in Kalio's eyes the look of certainty that only her queen could muster. She stood from her chair and stepped up to Kalio. She knelt and lifted her hair to show the nape of her neck. There was a large mark of an infinity knot, small enough to be confused for a birthmark, but for those in the keres, it was their only sign of loyalty.

  Kalio placed her outstretched hand onto the mark and took a deep breath. She focused her will onto the mark and felt the warmth seep through her fingertips and onto the mark. The infinity knot rose from Mestre's neck and formed into a real knot, floating in the air above Kalio's hand. Kalio could see Mestre shiver from the mark being ripped from her body but chose to ignore it. Pain was the price one paid for loyalty.

  Kalio grasped the knot and signaled for Mestre to stand. She handed it over, looking Mestre in the eyes. "If you find yourself needing aide, cut the knot and I will feel our bond break. I will come with fire and destruction on those people. Once your mission is complete, return here. If I find you have betrayed me, this rope will know, and it will kill you instantly."

  Mestre nodded in silence. She took this as her leave and placed the rope inside of her satchel. In an instant, her hair changed to a fiery red with electric blue eyes and a younger appearance. From now until she returned, this would be her persona out in the world with no connection to the queen or the kingdom.

  The others sat still in their chairs, waiting for what they would be told to do now that Mestre was gone. Kalio stayed silent, listening to Mestre walking out of the room and toward the entrance of the castle. There would be guards at the entrance that would try to kill Mestre, seeing someone who was not a keres exiting the castle. There was no doubt that Mestre would manage to kill the guards once they showed any sign of aggression toward her. She put a note in the back of her mind that she would need to make sure her guards were replenished with the deaths soon to come.

  Kalio looked over to Azrael. "The cait shidhe in the desert haven’t made their due payments as of late. Do you deny this?"

  Azrael shook his head. "Since being sold to you, none have spoken to me. I couldn't say."

  Her eyes narrowed in distrust. It was true she had forbidden him from communicating with his people, but to not know even of their misdeeds did not bode well for her. "I see..." She looked over to Persius, her face returning to its relaxed state. "What of you? The skin walkers have been quiet as of late. Are they truly preparing for hibernation this early in the year?"

  Persius nodded. "There has been word that the southern winds will be far harsher this year than most. They're preparing their dens for the long nights, as should I soon."

  "You know perfectly well I have forbidden your slumbers. I require your strength throughout the entire year, not just half of the year."

  "By Your Grace, I do recall this statement, but I had also mentioned during the long nights that my strength will dwindle to nothing and I will be useless throughout the cold seasons."

  Kalio slammed her hands down on the table again. "Both of you defy me with your very being today! I have seen your eyes and I have heard your thoughts. You all question my own sanity. Question my very authority even!" She stood up and pulled out her sword, pointing it at Persius. The two stood up as well, preparing their own blades for a fight with Azrael having a curved blade at his own waist and Persius owning a naginata. "Defy me again or attempt to use your blades against me and I will kill you instantly."

  The two sat back down, knowing her threats were not empty and even standing now was a sign of defying her rule. Persius’s face turned far paler than it had been before. Kalio could see the fear in their eyes and relaxed just enough to sheath her sword once more.

  "You both are dismissed. Get out of my castle. If you dare to come back in here for anything outside of my own command, I will have you killed instantly. Do not doubt my strength or my orders. Azrael, you will see where my shipments are and Persius, you are not permitted to slumber. Even at your weakest state, I will find use of you." She lifted her hand in the air to indicate for them to stand back up.

  The two stood and bowed, never allowing their eyes to sever connection between themselves and her. Once they rose back to standing, they stepped away from the table and walked out of the room, leaving Kalio in silence. She cursed to herself, wondering if her grasp even on the keres was dwindling, which would lead to her demise. She shook the thought out of her head, refusing to acknowledge any weaknesses in her command.

  Four

  It was quiet compared to within the castle. Far more than Anjuu had expected it to be. The people were either still hiding behind the walls or refusing to travel. With the rebellions, it was dangerous for anyone to go alone. Citizens had to wait until group of soldiers passed by their village so they could join them. She was relieved that she would be able to have time alone. Dealing with other people was just going to be too troublesome.

  Despite there being no travelers, the stable was still occupied by different caregivers. The sale of horses and donkeys had dropped significantly during the non-peak days. Yet the stable hands still worked tirelessly to make sure all the animals were properly cared for. With the rebellions reaching close to the castle, many had sold off their animals or purchased new ones in search of new havens.

  Anjuu didn’t know how far she would have to travel to her next destination so she had to find some form of transportation. If people were selling animals to the stables, it was just as likely that she would find a vehicle of some sort here as well that someone had disposed of so they could afford to live in the capital. Depending on where you lived, almost all of your accommodations could be obtained within walking distance or through public transportation.

  A young boy around the age of eight walked out from the stable. He wrung his hands, staring up at Anjuu. “Milady, do you need assistance?”

  Anjuu looked down at the small boy. She could count every bone in his body that the clothes didn’t hide. He was so innocent compared to how she had been so many years ago. She faked a smile, hoping it provided comfort for the boy. “Yes, I need a bike. Do you have one for sale?”

  The boy’s face lit up when he saw her smile. She was glad he believed it. “Well…um… we have one. But if you’re in a hurry to leave, it might be best to take to train—”

  “Where is it?”

  The boy turned around and pointed beyond the stable where multiple cars and trucks sat. Most of them looked like they would fall apart as soon as she touched them. She could only imagine if any of them worked. Whatever bike they had for sale was probably just as distressed as the other vehicles.

  “Take me over there.”

  The boy nodded and led the way down to the filled lot. The two walked in silence, with only the sound of their footsteps and the song of metal clacking against her waste from the multitude of weapons at Anjuu’s sides. He twisted between a few of the cars before stopping in front of a large tarp. He turned to look back at her, verifying she was still behind him then around at the surrounding area.

  “Well?” Anjuu lifted an eyebrow, confused on why he paused for so long.

  “My father said to make sure no one was watching when I showed this.”

  “Then show it already,” she growled, growing impatient as the boy continued to scan the area. She had already noted no one was around save for a singular man back in the stables she assumed was the boy’s father.

  The boy pulled the tarp away revealing a motorbike that was jet black. Near the handles was a small screen. One of the sides had small thin green swirls going across. Compared to the cars around them, it was fit for even the queen. Anjuu smiled and stepped up to the bike. It was much newer than she had believed. Her hand brushed against the metal, imagining herself riding on the bike and hearing it purr underneath her. It was larger than the ones she had been trained to ride before as it could fit up to two people, but that was easy enough to get used
to.

  Anjuu turned to the boy. “How much?”

  “My father said it is fifty drakes per month.”

  She frowned. She didn’t find interest in letting someone track her with a monthly payment. “How much total?”

  The boy shrugged. “I don’t do math, milady. So, I guess about three thousand drakes?”

  Anjuu nodded her head and pulled a bank slip out of her side bag. Each slip went up to a hundred drakes. She counted them out, smiling to herself as she saw each of the queen’s signatures saying Anjuu was authorized to use the crown’s money.

  “Take this then, that should suffice for your father. Tell him if he needs more, to approach the crown.”

  The boy stared wide-eyed at the pieces of paper before shoving it into his pocket. Within an instant, he disappeared and returned with a set of gloves that matched the pattern of the motorbike. A lot of the newer bikes were operated through gloves activating them, so it was impressive to see the boy’s father had come across such a model while buying used vehicles. She wondered who had previously owned the bike to sell it off so easily now and where they were in the capital.

  Anjuu pulled the gloves on and felt them shrink to merge with her hands. They had said scholars had imbued each of the models with the ability to form to the driver’s hands and were only removeable by the rider, but seeing it was impressive. There was no slack on either one so even the boy’s thin fingers couldn’t grip them. Anjuu hiked one of her legs over the bike, feeling the balance below her and placed her hands on the handlebars. The screen lit up with a small humanoid glowing figure form on the screen. Anjuu smiled, turned her glasses on, and drove off around the old cars and back onto the roads. She waved farewell to the boy, wondering if he would survive the rebellion or if they would die in the coming battles.

  The nearest village was a half day’s travel at the very least. Wherever the rebels that she was tasked to hunt down, the villagers would have far more information than those hiding behind stone walls. Even she had become blind to how society had grown, only hearing what guards and select shadows passed on to her. If she could reach it, there was a possibility she could blend in with the people and succeed without anyone having known her existence, a true shadow once again. The feeling was exhilarating.

  Anjuu watched as the sun continued to rise into the sky, her shadow fading underneath her motorbike. The countryside was filled with fields of grass that slowly turned into crops. The outskirts of the fields were burnt from raiders, leaving only a fraction of what would keep the kingdom fed. Her feelings for the rebels had been neutral up until now, as they had not truly done harm, only caused ruckus to the people. But now, they were starving the innocent. The same people the rebels claimed to fight for, yet their tactics were becoming more aggressive.

  Anjuu twisted her hand, injecting the engine with more fuel. She sped down the roads, hoping the village was still around and not burned like most of the crops had been. If the people were still around, she needed to let the queen know about the damages. The rebels had never resorted to burning down the food supply before and this needed to be reported to the Crown immediately.

  The first sign of buildings lined the sides of the roads. Most were burned like the rest of the crops. Anjuu grimaced and pulled off to the building. The shadow climbed off her bike and turned it off. She was still in her shadow uniform but if she planned to engage with the people, she needed to dress more appropriately for the environment.

  The first piece to come off was her armor. Going into town as if she was entering battle would immediately attract unnecessary attention. Next, she placed a few pieces of her equipment like her ropes and headscarf into the sack as well. She felt naked without most of it on, but an average citizen didn’t find need of such things, and neither would she for the time being.

  All that was left for Anjuu was her daggers at her side and the small belt of knives. Most would question a woman travelling alone. A quick reveal of metal would deter that thought from most men, including thieves on the streets.

  She lifted her hood farther over her head to darken her eyes from view. If she was going to walk without much of her disguise, she was going to at least attempt to hide her face in some fashion. If she did get suspected of her true intents, then at least not being fully identifiable would be perfect.

  Anjuu was thankful most villages were still built close to the capital. They held a countryside aesthetic about them, yet there were moments of affluence within the villages due to trade with larger cities. Even some nobles had opted for this lifestyle and had built manors that shadowed the other homes. They were symbols of protection for a village to maintain upkeep as the nobles wished for nice views. Those villages that had not accepted the wealthy into their sphere lived in more dilapidated homes. Many of those who lived in the village worked for the wealthy with the rest of the family working in some form of trade, such as farming. To Anjuu, it was an efficient survival method versus those who lived behind brick walls and sought only selfish gains.

  Anjuu found herself in front of a small bar with a hotel above it. She parked her bike in front of the building and walked inside. There were a few patrons inside, eating their midafternoon meal. She pulled her cloak closer to her body, trying to avoid as much attention to herself as possible. Few of them seemed to notice as their focus was too much on their food, as if it were their last meal. After the recent attack, Anjuu didn't blame them for fearing for their lives. It could, in fact, be their last meal. Not if she could help it though.

  She stepped up to the counter and looked onward, toward the barkeep. He had pale skin and much shorter ears than she did. It was a surprise to see an elf owning any businesses. It was also a small village and potentially made of mostly elves versus drow. Something Anjuu needed to keep in mind with her lack of privilege within the village. Elves were known to be disrespectful to her race, even though the queen herself was also a drow. If any did choose to toe the line too much, she still had her daggers to show them their true place beneath her and her people.

  "Whaddya want?" the innkeeper muttered, focusing on the singular glass he had opted to wipe with hyper focus.

  "Need to rent out a room for the night or so."

  "Ain't rentin' it out."

  Anjuu lifted an eyebrow in amusement. Even she could see now that the innkeeper was trying to get her out of his building as soon as possible. She looked out of the corner of her eye and saw the elves that were sitting at nearby tables were all looking at her as well.

  She let out a sigh. "You would think when your queen is a drow that your constant need to look at drow as inferior would be removed. But apparently it's so ingrained into your DNA that you all want to remain racist little twats."

  "What did you call us, you fuckin' cave-walker?" One of the patrons grabbed Anjuu's shoulder in an attempt to turn her around. She could smell the alcohol clinging to his sweat-stained clothes. She needed to keep calm. If they continued, Anjuu knew they would regret their decisions. She began to count to keep calm.

  1…

  "I asked you a question. There ain't a queen here you ain't safe."

  2…

  A few other patrons got up and looked at Anjuu, as though awaiting her response.

  3…

  "You don't want to answer do ya? Then go back to your precious castle. No one wants your kind here."

  4…

  "Fine. Don't want to talk? Then let me use my fist to open your damn mouth."

  5…

  Anjuu saw the man lift his hand and clench his fist. Her body reacted before her mind could and grabbed his arm and he moved to punch her. He fell to the ground within an instant. His eyes widened as she dug her fingers into his arm. Every instinct and lesson in her body ordered her to kill him right there while he was powerless. She only needed to break his neck and in an instant, he would be gone, and the others would leave her alone.

  6…

  "Now, let’s start our conversation over. I'm here to get a room. I'
m not here to fight. I'm not here to just leave. So, since you were so nice to offer, perhaps I should just take yours off your hands and you can stay in the shed in my stead?"

  7…

  The man winced and placed his free hand up in the air. "OK, I got it. No harm done. Please just let go. I ain't going to get my hands dirty from killing a drow anyways. Heard your diseases travel in your veins. Don't need any of that traveling to us normal folk."

  8…

  Anjuu's anger was slowly dwindling away. Despite the constant insults even when he was pinned down, Anjuu knew she needed to go back into that emotionless state of being. "The keys." She held her free hand out to the owner. "You heard him, I can have his room so please give me his key."

  9…

  Her hand that had been holding onto the drunkard loosened as she got up and went back to the counter. She could hear him behind her scuffling back to his table with the others close behind. The unearthly silence that now filled the dining area bothered her, but she knew all eyes were on her and fear was shaking through them all on if she would turn and kill them all instead of just going away.

  10…

  The owner handed her the small card with the inn symbol on it. He winced when her fingers brushed up against his own but remained silent. On the card was the number 137, her room number. She let out a soft sigh and then looked up at everyone.

  "Thank you all for having me here despite the difficult start. Please enjoy your evening."

  The room remained in silence until Anjuu turned the corner down the hall. The dining room now erupted in talk and celebrations again. She could hear a few making fun of the man she had dominated, which made her smile.

  Anjuu followed the signs to her room. The place was bigger than it looked from the outside. If there were a lot of people staying here, it was likely at least one would have knowledge of the rebels. She could simply listen in on every room, but with how long that would take she would either get caught or waste more time listening than searching herself.