Queen of Blood

Arline was getting ready the morning after. “I am tired of being brought back to life.” She complained. “Thank you.” She said while looking at the nurses who had taken care of her during the night.

“Next time, try not to do something as stupid as that.” Lara advised her in a playful tone while Calix laughed by their side.“You will make sure she doesn’t overworks herself, Lohs.” To which Calix only nodded with a smile.

“I don’t need a matron.” Arline said out loud but Lara had already left, and Calix chuckled behind her.

“How are you feeling?” Her friend asked her, scanning Arline in case he caught something that slipped the medics’ eyes.

“It’s the best sleep I’ve ever gotten in my entire life.” She laughed. “It was awful.” Arline had to confess that part, remembering the pain she felt the night before sent shivers down her spine.

“Not more than the training session Michaela has for you today.” Calix laughed as they walked out of the door.

As soon as they stepped a foot on the training grounds, the entire hoard of Huntresses rushed to Arline’s encounter and to check on her, especially Michaela, who let out a sigh of relief when she saw how Arline’s skin color was coming back to normal.

“I will not go easy on you, no matter what Lara said.” Michaela warned her friend with a smile, handing her a sword. Arline only smiled back at her and they began to train, spending hours clashing swords and aiming arrows.

On the Council Room, the King was attending boring but extremely important topics regarding his kingdom. “The grain market will not be enough to handle winter this year, as…” Cadel seemed to be speaking to a statue. Merrick had his gaze settled on the view from the windows and seemed unfazed about what was being exposed to him. When Cadel noticed, he gave Aidan a look to wake the King from his daydream and the Frontlord slapped the King’s arm, earning him an unsurprised side eye.

“Pay attention.” His father advised before focusing back on the parchment to continue.

“I can’t when you read to me about grain and meat.” Merrick looked at Cadel. “Winter will be cruel this year.” The King sighed.

“What have you thought of doing?” The former King knew his son well enough to understand Merrick already had everything planned regarding this matter, he just needed him to focus.

“Princess Valerya will come to settle things straight regarding provisions for this winter.” Aidan let Cadel know. “She is fine and spent all day training, Merrick.” His best friend eased his mind on that subject.

Cadel frowned in confusion “Who?” He asked.

“Arline Cole.” Merrick tried to sound indistinct as he said her name.

Cadel knew the truth about Arline leaving his son, and couldn’t blame her. He wanted to see her and ask her how she was, but to Merrick that could count as treason on his Council. So he went back to his notes and numbers.

Merrick paced around the room until he met the balcony. “No sign?” He asked, looking at the mountains.

“You can not possibly keep looking for that stubborn lizard, can you?” His father sounded irritated and Aidan only denied with his head.

Since Larsin had lost the battle and got imprisoned, Vatra, his dragon the color of the night sky, flew away and never returned, losing her body in the rocky mountains.

The reason for Merrick’s worrying came to the bowing of the creature. If Vatra chose to obey him, the same way Aska had done, that would mean he was going to have two powerful dragons protecting his kingdom and he was going to become one of the most fearful monarchs across the earth.

“I need his dragon back.” The King simply responded.

“What would be the use? You have sacrificed enough men for this plan of yours.” Cadel reminded him of the amount of soldiers that went to explore the mountains to search for the dragon and never returned.

“I protect the kingdom and no one stupid enough would dare to disturb the peace.” Merrick quickly answered. “My peace, the only person allowed to disturb it, is clashing swords on the training compound.” He corrected himself in his thoughts, but his father already went back to what the kingdom would need to pass the winter.

Her energy and spirits were back to where they used to be. Her voracity to be the best was still intact and how she was handling training showed it. Arline was gleaming in happiness as she fought for air while going against Michaela on a sword fight, and the newest additions to the Order, the twins Lila and Margaret. Who took Arline by surprise with their extraordinary ability with their blades.

But Arline didn’t find it as a tough challenge. She enjoyed having her breath cut short, breaking a sweat, her muscles aching, and because everything made her happy she considered it easy to disarm each of her opponents.

“How?” Michaela spat on the ground and sat down. The younglings dropped their bodies to the ground, absolutely exhausted.

“You are impossible to beat, Arline.” Lila said slowly, trying to catch her breath.

“Both of you are absolutely fantastic, I am in a very good mood.” Arline said helping her sisters up.

Margaret was certainly the quieter one out of the two, and it showed how shy she grew when she saw the King staring from afar and immediately went for cover with Michaela when he began approaching. Arline was ready to fly away from there when Lara held her tight by her arm, ordering her to stay, as if she knew Merrick was going to call for both of them.

“I need both of you in the War Room, immediately.” The King ordered them and both Huntresses followed him.

Arline’s health might have been back at its peak but her fear for the King was the same as always. She didn’t know if the process of healing might have affected her perception of her own feelings but Arline couldn’t bear to be near Merrick. Because it reminded her of how she felt towards him.

Once in the room covered with maps and that smelled like ink, Merrick didn’t waste time. “I need your consent for an expedition to the mountains.” He directed his voice to Lara.

“What for?” Lara found it more than strange that he, out of all people, needed her consent for an expedition. But the mountains where the most dangerous terrain across Reiska, filled with monsters and spirits of those who were unlucky enough to find their final days in between the rocks.

“Finding Vatra.” He said it heavily. At that, the Head of the Order switched her eyes between Merrick and Arline a few times before realizing why he wanted both of them there.

“No,” She said sharply. “I just have her back in full form and you want to send her to the mountains? I refuse.” Lara protested. She thought apparently it wasn’t enough for him that Arline was under torture every single day, now he wanted her to be at risk too in a place where she couldn’t help her.

“I do not enjoy the idea either, but she is the only one that can do it.”

“Your ambition will kill us all, Merrick.”

Until then, Arline hadn’t said a single word and was just attentively listening to what they were discussing. He wanted to send her to the mountains. “Oh, he really wants me dead.” Was everything she could think of as they argued back and forth.

“Arline,” the King called for her and completely ignored Lara, and the Heir took a step front. “Find Vatra and I will consider freeing you.” His Majesty bargained, earning himself a look of disbelief from his favorite person.

“You are despicable.” Lara said for the King’s entertainment, who only let out a side smile, but never looked away from Arline.

“Why do you want Vatra back?” Arline inquired, and he explained to her how the dragon had flown away, how the creature didn’t trust his brother. She stayed silent for a few seconds, analyzing the challenge presented to her. “How do you know I can bring her back?”

“She liked you and you have Zeydar.” Merrick responded with a soft tone. “Bring her back and I take the necklace off.” He stopped bargaining and just dropped his offer on the table for her to take.

“Maybe I don’t mind the necklace.” Arline said and his expression dropped in surprise, and he sent Lara out of the room to speak to her alone. She was satisfied with herself at how her words could still annoy him if she wanted to.

“I missed your ruthlessness, I have to be honest.” After those words, his tone hardened. “I am not asking you, I am commanding you, Arline.”

“Good General, you should have commanded me before.” Arline responded, accepting her fate. A mission in the mountains. “Just kill me, it would be easier.” She thought for herself.

“Do not do that.” His gaze didn’t move from her. “Do not speak with a hatred that doesn’t exist.”

“You hate me, why can’t I-” She was close to making a point when he cut her short.

“I don’t hate you, I am incredibly angry at you.” Merrick confessed. “And despite my best tries, I can not bring myself to hate you.” Arline didn’t speak and the silence settled between them. “Give me a valid reason as to why you left, Arline.” He sounded wounded. Not even his mother’s betrayal had stung him the way Arline’s abandonment did.

“I couldn’t stay.” It was the first time she could put her guard down, but even like that, she couldn’t look at him. “He-” Arline wasn’t able to form a single thought that made sense in her mind, and made herself stop before a knot formed on her throat.

“I could have helped you, the way I have always done since I met you.” He wanted her to know he somehow was at her service the entire time. “Arline, I only wanted you…at peace.”

“He threatened to begin a purge if I stayed.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?” His voice wasn’t filled with anger or annoyance. It was overflown by sadness as he imagined her in her chambers every night, waking up to the image of Pelagius trying to make her go mad.

“You were setting a kingdom straight after a battle, I wasn’t going to interfere with that.”

“He feels to be on his right to torment you and you are scared a couple of men will get angry at you for pulling me out of my duties that I would gladly skip for you.” Merrick said not referring to Aidan nor Cadel, but to the Elders of his Council who were not very fond of Arline’s presence, but accepted her as his ally.

Arline was heading to the door. “I will do it.” But he grabbed her gently by her arm but with enough force to make her stop. “Let me go and I promise you, I will bring back Vatra and you won’t have to free me.” He dared to look directly into her eyes one more time and Merrick had to let her go, feeling how his muscles weakened at the sight of her. And she left the room with quick steps back to train.

“Do not let people find out your greatest weakness is such a powerful woman, Dark Prince.” Aidan had heard every single word discussed in that room and no one had seen him. The Frontlord had to mock his friend to remind him about his feelings towards the Heir of Pelagius.