Queen of Blood

No one’s tongue slipped away the rumors about Arline and Merrick’s hunting trip. But soldiers were saying how their relationship had somehow taken a turn and the King of Reiska and the Heir of Depths were closer than before.

For some people, too close.

Lara knew something was out of character for Arline. Never before she had been so focused on her training and could see how blood thirsty she was becoming as the days passed.

“How is it possible to have such aim?” Margaret asked Michaela as they watched Arline take a shot and the arrow landed perfectly on the eye of the practice mannequin.

“Arline was born with it, and worked hard to the point of not having to look at the target.” Michaela said it as if she was talking about a legendary warrior.

“Liar,” Arline stepped into the conversation. “Michaela taught me everything and my power helps with my focus.” She admitted for the young girl.

“Not to mention they make you severely dangerous.” Aidan’s voice came from behind Michaela.

Arline was happy to see him and rolled her eyes with a smile at his statement. “Only if the situation requires it, Aidan.” She added, remembering their first encounter back to when she went in the voyage with Merrick.

The Frontlord of the King laughed and began scanning her with tender eyes, almost as if he was calculating her measures. In front of the entire Order. Michaela noticed and sent the twins back to train as quickly as she could, trying not to raise any suspicions.

“Really? You should be more discreet.” Arline slapped his shoulder lightly and said with gritted teeth.

“About what?” Lara made her presence clear with a not so friendly face and the King behind her. “You should go back to train.” She directed her command at Arline, to which she complied to and went back to the group, with Merrick’s eyes following her. “I have not a single clue as to why Arline has been acting this way.” The Head of the Huntresses turned her frame back to her old friends, searching for answers they clearly had but didn’t want to share.

“The way she used to?” Merrick asked without caring much and grabbed a sword.

“Do not play smart with me, Merrick. I know something happened back in the forest between you two and you are not telling me.”

“Exactly Lara,” Merrick agreed. “I am not telling you a thing.” He said and left with a smile to practice with the sword, and with Lara wanting to slap that smile out of his face. But took a deep breath and went back to her hoard.

“Gather around Huntresses,” Lara ordered and every girl came to meet their leader. “We will have dueling practice, and will be in company of the greatest swordsman in the Kingdom, no other than his Majesty.” Lara tried to make her words to come as respectful as she could. It didn’t matter if she was confused or angry at him, she would never forget what Merrick’s position signified for everybody present.

“You are being kind, my friend.” The King stood by her side and said humbly with a smile.

“You can pick whoever you please, except for Michaela who will be paired with the King and Arline who will practice with me.” Those pairings took everyone by surprise, especially Michaela who had been Lara’s partner since she had first arrived in the Order.

Arline felt a mix of relief of not having to face him and relive the feeling of their magical evening, and absolute fear of going against Lara, who had been inquiring too much about her reformed relationship with the Lord of the Shadows.

The clash of iron was the music for the evening in the compound. The wind was starting to strike with more force as the temperatures were lower every day that passed. It was an indication that the execution was near.

“Focus.” Lara threw her sword at Arline’s arm, close enough to make a superficial cut.

“I am.” Arline blocked it with speed and ease.

As they continued to throw and block slashes and attack, Arline realized Lara wasn’t going to give her an easy fight. In fact, the Head of the Huntresses was managing to make Arline break a sweat for the first time in a while.

“You are different.” Lara admitted after lowering her sword and accepting the fact that Arline was going back to her old ways of unreachable perfectionism. But she didn’t respond, making her suspicions to settle. “What happened in the forest?” Lara didn’t sound like Michaela.

She wasn’t excited about her fixing her relationship with Merrick and was concerned about how she handled her training. Because the more she practiced, the more the spirit of the Queen consumed her thoughts and body.

“I went on a hunting trip, Lara.” Arline excluded the part were she and the King confessed their love for each other.

“Merrick!” Lara yelled in the King’s direction, who was agitated and having his fun with Michaela. “You wanted a duel? You will fight Arline.”

“What?! Why?” Arline reacted to the sour tone in which she yelled out the words, not to the challenge.

“My pleasure.” Merrick said approaching their side, looking at Arline and already having a slight smile forming on his face, to which Arline rolled her eyes. “Scared of the outcome?” He teased her.

“Prepare your sword, your Majesty.” Arline recognized his cocky tone on his voice immediately and left to the other side of the surging round.

Arline knew instantly why Lara did it. If Arline lost against Merrick it would mean their relationship was beyond an alliance by now. But Merrick wasn’t going to let her win easily, at the end of the day she was going against the Dark Prince. He didn’t care how much he loved her or how powerful she was, a duel was a duel. And there was no person more competitive than Merrick Dortamus, except maybe Arline Cole.

Once again, they were facing each other. This time, he wasn’t teaching her anything and it was going to be their first duel in a long time.

Both of them crashed swords at the same time and tried taking each other down, but it wasn’t easy for either of them. In the past, Merrick would have been able to predict Arline’s moves, even stop her. But the training she had received made her one of the greatest duelers behind him and Lara.

Arline believed Merrick to be stupidly humble regarding his current abilities with the sword. He was as polished as the first time she saw him lifting one.

Everyone was watching as the crowd grew around them. In a desperate attempt to win, both had the same idea. Disarming each other. And they made it, causing both of them to send their swords to the other side of the round.

Arline had learnt almost every combat trick from the Huntresses, except a few others from Merrick. Such as pulling out a dagger from your boot.

The duel was difficult. It was intimate but no amount of affection was going to stop them. They wanted to win the practice duel just to prove their ability.

Their knowledge regarding each other was so vast, it was impossible for them to beat the other.

When she first started learning about dueling with a sword, the first rule that they taught her was not to care about who your opponent was. To her, the man standing in front of her was Merrick Dortamus, no one else. Which allowed her to slash his arm once or twice, an action he copied.

“Don’t kill me.” Merrick whispered to her with a shaky breath. Something that she didn’t understand at first, until it was too late. He remembered her blind spot and put her down to the ground from her wrist, placing his weight on top of her.

Arline didn’t move a muscle, she was out of breath and exhausted. “You just signed my exile to the mountains.” She said as he helped her get up.

When they looked around, the crowd was going back to train, sneaking a few glances towards them and gossiping as they headed to their stations, but Lara motioned them to follow her.

“You need to work on your blind spot.” Merrick suggested for her.

“I know.” Arline confessed before getting inside the War Room. The reality was Arline hadn’t pick a sword since the battle in Mount Suvlic, and she wasn’t eager to do it. She had been avoiding any chance she had of clashing swords with anyone. “What did I get myself into?” Arline thought when she saw Lara standing in front of the leather maps, with her arms crossed, ready to curse her out of the Order.

“Just a hunting trip?” Lara looked at her with fire burning in her eyes. “No one ever beats you in a duel and I put him to fight you and suddenly you turn into a beginner.” The Head of the Huntresses slapped her palm against the table so hard it made Arline flinch.

Arline stepped in front to try to excuse herself with a shaky voice. “He remembered my blind spot and I know its not an excuse, just don’t kick me out of the Order, please.”

“I would never kick you out of the Order,” Lara seemed shocked at such stupid idea that came into her mind. “But your bloodlust has increased significantly since the trip.” And then Lara looked at Merrick. “If I learn about any ritual-”

“I didn’t make her do any ritual. She hunted to keep her calm until the execution.” Merrick cut her off and referred to the spirit, making Arline’s stomach to turn at the image of her hand lifting the sword that was going to end Larsin and Merlina’s lives.

“Two months ago you would have killed her in a duel like this.” Lara was now arguing with Merrick.

“People change, Lara, even me.” Lara wasn’t stupid. She knew something in their relationship was out of the ordinary, she just never imagined love was going to be the piece out of place.

“Since when do you hold back your slashes?” She turned back to her Huntress.

“He is the King.” Was the quickest excuse Arline could come up with.

“He is Merrick.” Arline understood why she felt pressed about her losing a duel, because in war, a duel was the string between life and death. Arline knew that from first-hand experience.“You have explained the bloodlust, explain the sudden change of character.”

“Do not pretend to not notice,” Merrick simply said. He was going to protect Arline as much as he could and wouldn’t compromise her.

But she couldn’t look at Lara directly. Not because she was embarrassed of her feelings towards Merrick, but because she was scared to see how her superior could react to them.

“You know how I feel towards her,” Merrick said to Lara, standing in front of Arline. If it were for him, Merrick would have yelled it out to the mountains for everyone to know. But the dangers that came just from their alliance would look like a children’s game compared to if they came together as a unity.

“I know the love you feel towards my greatest soldier, that by the way I care for as is she was my own sister,” Lara was increasing her tone. “And I also know that you are aware of the cursed prophecy presented to you a few weeks before she appeared in the kingdom.” Merrick stayed silent and quickly glanced at Arline protectively.

“What prophecy?” The young Huntress approached. Her voice issued confusion but curiosity. Arline knew most prophecies didn’t tend to predict happiness or prosperity.

“Do you love him?” Lara asked her. “And be honest.”

“Of course I do, Lara, why is that important?” Arline said without a sign of doubt in her voice.

“Congratulations Merrick, you are officially at war with the High Council.” Lara spat and left the room, leaving Arline with a heavy conscience and Merrick wondering around the room to distract himself.

“What prophecy?” Arline asked again, approaching his side.

“Nothing for you to worry about yet.” Merrick said to her sweetly.

“But I will have to worry about it in the future.” Arline expressed her concerns and he wanted to fight back. “Tell me,” She insisted.

“You have to see it yourself,” He explained. “And if I could tell you, I wouldn’t do it.” Arline looked at him confused. “It is why Larsin is waiting to get his head cut. It showed you and the Crown of the King of Reiska”

“In which point did Larsin think it referred to him?” Arline rolled her eyes.

“It doesn’t matter anymore, the prophecy has been fulfilled.” Merrick tried to ease her mind and avoid the subject completely.

“Larsin was blinded by his need of power and hatred,” Aidan explained to her to give her some clarity. “And let’s be fair, you are not exactly unpleasant to stare at.”

“Watch your mouth,” Merrick warned him.

“Where can I see it?”Arline asked him. “Don’t try to hide it from me because I will find a way, you know I will.”

“I know.” He waited a few seconds. “Meet me in the forest at midnight, right by the lake.” Merrick proposed and she nodded, he reached for her before she left. “I am sorry about the duel.”

“Since when are you sorry about winning?” Arline giggled and Merrick kissed her forehead softly. “I will see you tonight.”