I had assigned a few people over the past days to get down customs of the tribes from the barbarians, but all claimed they found it hard to understand the accents of the barbarians, so that led to lots of mistakes. Whether it was a lie to avoid dealing with the barbarians, I couldn't tell. I didn't have the time to do it myself, didn't want to, so I sent for Vojnka.
The approaching footsteps I heard weren't hers. And when the door opened, it confirmed it. Erik.
I had left word that if he returned, he should come to me. So I wasn't disappointed. I needed to see him.
Few days ago a witch sent me a message —said there was a curse on Erik. She said killing him was the best solution, or risk thousands of lives. It wasn't hard to say no, even after I confirmed about the witch from Helene. Not when there's another way. Erik was one of the few I could really trust, and he is very capable. I needed him to owe me one.
"I greet your majesty" he saluted.
I looked at him for a moment, allowing the silence to stretch for dramatic effect. His face was a mask, unreadable, but his shoulders were braced, as if he knew exactly what was coming.
"I am being convinced to have you killed to save lives." I finally said. "What do you think?"
"I believe your majesty knows best" he replied, his tone flat, like he has prepared himself for this.
"I believe I do" I said, leaving my seat. I round the desk, and then leaned on it, facing him. "It is not in me to reward loyalty with death, no matter the circumstances"
He looked at me like he was waiting for the 'but', but there was no 'but', and that seemed to confuse him.
"What have you learnt so far about the attack on the kingdom?"
"Nothing concrete" he said, his posture easing slightly.
"I'm not asking for anything concrete" I said.
I heard the sound of Vojnka's feet, but it stopped, so they must have told her I'm in another meeting.
"Let her come in" I called out, then faced Erik.
"I think something massive is coming" Erik began, the doors opening to let Vojnka in. "They are planning, and probably have been planning for a long time, and that we are noticing now is not a lapse in their judgment but because they are already moving.
I scratched an itch in arm and almost immediately Erik did his. What he said makes sense but is near common knowledge to me so far. What I don't know is who is doing the planning, what they want, and who has been compromised. With the reports from those training in Draqia forest, Thalia's father seems implicated in all these, but how much? Was Ulric's also part of his plans? Makes no sense. Drakoria seems like Ulric's singular purpose, and he sacrificed his life to stop me from destroying almost half of it. From what I've heard about the guy so far, what he wants is total destruction. No way he let's his pawn stop even a little bit of it. Or perhaps it was too early too soon? Then why attack? Maybe all they wanted was to seize control of Drakoria? A small, insignificant, dying kingdom?
I looked up. I realized I've been in my head too long, and the two were only looking at me. There seems to be a little bit tension between them.
"How well can you write?" I asked Vojnka.
She shook her head.
"You can't write at all?" I asked, a bit surprised.
She simply replied yes.
I guess I shouldn't be that surprised. She is a barbarian after all. Her accent was a bit clearer than the others that I thought she might have been a bit exposed. Enough to be able to at least write.
"So there's no one in your people that can write?" I asked.
She hesitated.
"Bring her to me" I added, not giving her time to think.
Vojnka lingered a moment, then turned and left, her boots scuffing the floor. I don't know how much of her that I can ignore. I need to test her some more to see if i can at least count on her, or whether she has become all around useless.
"I need you to go deeper and see what you can find" I said to Erik and he nodded. "I expect real information at least every two days. I don't care how you do it, get me something "
He bowed and I watched him leave. If they can get to Vojnka, they can get to him. They will either kill him, or they will give him crumbs to keep me entertained. Either case is fine, it now seems more dangerous to just wait.
I need those crumbs.
I hate that feeling of the noose on me, and I can tell that it is back on. Or maybe it never left.
┌─────── ♕ ───────┐
Mogens was in the garden, where the barbarians have been spreading out their washed clothings across exotic plants and flowers to dry. He was spreading his and didn't hear someone sneaking up on him until they hugged him tight from behind, scaring him.
He almost immediately recognized the swell of Marit's belly on his back as she hunched down to rest her head on his shoulders, hugging him. He waited for a few moments before trying to release her arms, but she held on.
"Are you ever going to forgive me" she said, her voice gentle and sad.
"There's nothing to forgive," he said. "I just need time to get use to it"
"There's nothing to get use to" she replied. "I can always crush you like a mudslip"
He laughed at the joke. "Yes" he said, trying again and this time she let go. He turned to face her, holding her hands and looking deep into her eyes. "But I never had need to fear"
Tears welled in Marit's eyes. "I'm sorry," she whispered, voice breaking.
He smiled, warm and understanding, but almost immediately they heard someone approaching. Marit snatched her hands out and turned away to hide tears.
It was Vojnka. She looked at her elder sister turning away, confused, but didn't want to intrude.
"I need to talk to you" she said, addressing Mogens.
Mogens took a second to get his emotions in control before asking what's happening.
Vojnka told him about the king asking for a barbarian that can write and how she couldn't say no.
"And you think there's a problem?" her sister asked, now in control.
Vojnka said no, and turned back to Mogens and said, "I can understand if you don't want to"
"It's not like we have a choice" he said. "I will get my things"
They watch him leave. "He is so tired of me he is willing to run away into a beast cave" Marit said, jokingly, but she couldn't take the sadness from it.
Vojnka paused, then said, "I think it's time we leave here"
Her sister looked at her. "You are a knight, Mogens said you can never leave" she said, but she couldn't add that 'besides the village loves it here'. She didn't want to put that pressure on her.
"I know" she said. "I meant the village"
"And where would we go?"
"I don't know..." Vojnka said, her voice drifting.
"There's something too big happening here" she finally added, as if she has been holding on for too long. "Something I can't understand, and I think they got to the king too"
Her sister looked at her, not trying to force information out. "Are you caught up in the middle?" she asked.
"I don't know" Vojnka said, her voice small. "I don't know think I matter"
"Then you are fine" her sister said, looking away.
"The one who should be worried is the king."
┌─────── ♕ ───────┐
Two Nattkrypers were told to wait around the king's castle for the king to show up by midnight. Far enough not to be detected by anyone. Mhaduk was quick to offer two of his best for this. Most didn't know why he was suddenly so reasonable again, nor did they think much about it. Vyrnmont thought his visit to the Shadows cave had yielded results.
How would he have known. Everybody that have interacted with the dark elf has been silently killed almost immediately. Few have seen shadows, and even fewer their faces or true number. Other than whoever the king has told, the only people that knows are him and his right hand, so when he insisted no one leaves the hills until they see the king coming they had no reason to think that it was anything other than extra caution. The witches thought it unnecessary, but they didn't insist and waved it off as lack of faith. They know how much shadows meant to him, and he has lost too many in the quest of the king so the skepticism was not far fetched.
And so, the shadows waited.
While they waited, the king just rose up from his bed. The dark elf was surprised. He had just gone to bed after complaining of been too tired. He always talk to her like they have conversations, even though she seldomly ever replied. She listen though, she had to, and she had believed him when he said he was tired because he didn't try to fuck anybody.
"I need to be alone" he said, getting off the bed, but the dark elf just stared at him, confused. "That's an order" he added, more forceful.
The dark elf just stared. Something wasn't right but alot of things about the king wasn't right and confuses her.
"Why?" she asked.
The king too became confused on why he asked his personal guard to leave, but the rage of been questioned by a subordinate overshadowed it.
"You are my slave!" he bellowed. "I say do something, you jump on to it. I owe you no whys! Get out!"
This time she was certain something was wrong. The king never shouts. If he truly wanted her out and she refused, all it will take was a flick of a wrist.
She waited for it, and it didn't come. He stood there, frustrated, like he was powerless against her.
"I will have your head for this!" he roared, lunging toward the open window.
In a blur of motion, the dark elf sprang.
Her arm shot out, hooking the king's ankle with insane precision, sending him crashing to the floor. Before he could react, she was upon him, her knees pinning his chest, her single hand a bind around his wrists, restraining him with ruthless efficiency. Her fingers, quick and measured, jabbed into the pressure points along his neck. His eyes fluttered, then closed, his body slumping into unconsciousness.
She lingered, straddling him, her gaze fixed on the window. The wind had brought in the scent of a shadow, but it was faint and fading. She recognized it as old, like the man from before.
It wasn't Mhaduk. Mhaduk's shadows were still waiting for the king. This shadow was the one shadow out of his control. The one that belongs to Rowena. Jakob AlKurd.