"You must be Vasile..."
I looked at him properly for the first time. He was not as ill-favored as I had first thought. Was it the lamplight? Or had I simply not been paying attention? His hair was the color of summer wheat, deep and golden, falling in waves across his brow. His eyes were the shade of warm oak—brown with flecks of amber that caught the torchlight. His jaw was strong, his lips pale, almost colorless.
Why was I even noticing this? He was a dark creature. A heartless monster. They were all the same.
"No," he said, his voice flat as stone. "Only the dominus calls me Vasile. You must put a title. DOMINUS VASILE."
"SO I MUST!"
"Yes. Now leave the armamentarium. I wish to lock it."
So rude. So arrogant. I would not move an inch. What would he do? Beat me? Let him try.
"Forgive me, Lord Vasile," Luna said, smiling nervously as she grabbed my hand. "We shall be leaving now."
I pulled my hand free.
"I will stay," I said, stepping forward, my chin high, my eyes locked on his.
"What did you say?" He came closer, his eyes wide with disbelief.
"I. Will. Stay." I held his gaze, refusing to blink. "What are you? A slave who thinks he has authority over me? No one does. Even Tenebrarum Mortifer is nothing to me."
His eyes narrowed. His jaw tightened. "You talk too much, pouring spittle around like you are somebody. Who do you think you are? In one swift motion, I could send you to the Underworld."
"Send me?" I grabbed a gladius from the rack, raising it to his neck. "Let us try."
I had done this before. With Titus. And I had won.
I would win again.
His oak-colored eyes flickered. A muscle in his jaw twitched. He was not expecting this.
"You are a fool," he said softly, his voice barely above a whisper. "And you will learn what happens to fools who raise blades against those who serve the Crown Prince."
"Then teach me," I whispered back.
He did not move. Neither did I.
The blade trembled in my hand—just slightly. My arm ached from the weight. But I did not lower the sword.
Luna stood frozen at the door, her mouth half open, her eyes wide with terror.
---
"Fine!" he snapped.
Before I could react, he twisted my ankle. My leg gave way. He caught the sword mid-fall, grabbed my shoulder, and placed the blade right on my neck—on my bandaged neck!
"Now," he breathed, his voice cold as ice, "say those words you said again."
"You are skilled with a sword," I snarled, pushing his hand off my neck. "But perhaps not with other weapons."
"Really..." He pushed me closer to the weapons rack, his body pressing against mine. "Show me what you have got."
I almost fell. But I caught myself, steadying my balance. I went straight ahead to what I knew I could handle.
Bow and arrows.
---
My father. He had always prepared me to fight. I could remember it clearly.
"Father, what of arrows? My hand feels broken if I use too much swords."
"You are too weak. Just admit it, Aurelia," Flavia laughed from the corner, her legs crossed, a book in her hand as always.
"Do not mind Flavia. You know she is a queen. Let me teach—"
"No, Father. She is the queen. I am going to be a soldier just like you. That means she has a higher title than me."
"Food is ready! Mother said come for the midday meal!" Carla screamed from the house.
"You are my warrior, Aurelia," my father said, his voice dropping to a whisper so Flavia could not hear. "And that is more than a queen."
"I am going, Father. I am hungry." Flavia ran inside.
"Father, may I start the lessons?"
"Yes, my daughter. I will be back."
He moved to speak with a friend who had just arrived—a soldier, injured and weak. He told him about the war. He said it would be dangerous, but our dear king commanded.
His friend left after a while.
"Father, do not go! I cannot live without you. Unless you take me to the battle..."
"My baby," he said, his voice soft, his hand cupping my cheek. "Who would take care of this home when I am gone? You are my successor. I still have two weeks to train you before I go to war. I will be back, I promise." He smiled.
I wish he had never left.
Because he never came back.
---
"Are you scared of picking something?" Vasile laughed too loud.
"No... I will pick the bow."
I held the filled quiver and passed the bow to him.
"Make the first shot," I said, handing it to him.
"I would gladly..." He collected it, pointing it toward the target. "Watch and see."
I was watching, of course. Based on the placement, the arrow would not reach the center.
He released it.
Thud!
The arrow hit the board—close, but not enough.
"It was a slight mistake..." he said, his voice dripping with pride. "But I bet you will not be as close as me."
He laughed.
What did he think? That I would forget this? This was the very last thing my father taught me. If I forgot, I would personally string my head with a rope until my eyes closed.
I took the arrow.
Remember speed. Placement and target. And the arrow will fly faster than legs.
Those were my father exact words.
I released the arrow.
Thud!
It hit the board directly in the middle.
Thud!
I released another that split the first one.
Thud!
Another perfect shot at the middle.
"Ok, that is enough!" he snapped. "My hand shifted. That is why I made a mistake."
He quickly collected the bow and the quiver.
Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud!
He made eight shots. None reached the center. Each one was worse than the last.
"My lord, perhaps you are not skilled at it..." Luna whimpered from the doorway.
"Those were all mistakes!" He threw the bow and everything on the floor. The clatter echoed through the armory.
"You lack speed, placement, and target," I said calmly.
"What does that even mean?" he spat.
I smiled.
Only I would understand.
---
"Fine. Since you won—which I agree—I owe you something."
Something? Of what use are you?
But yes. I wanted to know more about Tenebrarum.
"You indeed owe me... let us be friends, perhaps. My name is Aurelia."
"No, I mean more." He stepped closer. "Close your eyes."
"I can n—"
"Trust me. Luna is here if something would go wrong."
You think I trust anyone? Not Luna. Not you. Not anyone.
I closed my eyes only when my finger touched a sword close by.
"Ouch!" I screamed, my eyes flying open when he tore the bandage from my neck. I tried to escape, but his arm held me tight.
"I told you to trust me!" His teeth bit into my neck. Painful. I tried moving, but he was too strong. He was drinking my blood!
Why!?
"Ahhhhhh! Let me go!" I finally gathered enough strength to push him away.
"I WILL END YOU..." I grabbed the gladius, pointing it at his belly. I would kill him.
"I have never met a girl like you," he said, his voice calm, almost admiring. "Check your neck. It is smooth."
My hand flew to my neck. I touched the skin. No scars.
He's a healer?
"Ohhhh, I did not know." I stepped back stylishly, cleaning the sweat from my forehead.
"No thank you? No 'I am grateful'?" He moved closer, his hand grabbing me before I could go.
"I did not ask you to do it."
"Really?" His eyes looked at me for a long time. Why was he staring at me like that? I first thought he was looking at my breasts, but his attention was on my face.
"My goodness. Is this the beginning of a love story?" Luna smiled from the doorway.
"No!" our voices rang together.
"I will leave... you are not like the other girls. You may go far in this world." He turned to walk away.
I grabbed him back, pulling him toward me. "You can help me with something..."
"My dominus Tenebrarum would have called by now. I need to be with him at all times."
"I want to learn how to be better with a sword. You could help."
"I am always extremely busy... and my midnights are still always occupied."
Occupied? From his eyes I understood what he meant immediately.
"Occupied..." I smiled. "I will prepare someone who would occupy your midnights too. She is really nice."
Just then, I remembered Clara. To me, that was the only good she was made for.
"Fine. Midnights it is." He removed his hand from my grip, rushing out fast.
---
"Aurelia..." Luna said my name slowly. "Occupy his nights? I would love to... I have dreamt of him for an eternity... but I would not trade my sleep for anything."
"I was not going to choose you."
"Who else? Who else is in your mind? Cornelia? She would not stoop so low as to be taken by a slave."
"It does not matter who I choose. I am going to choose my sister. Carla."
"You have a sister here?" Her face fell.
"I am going..." I left the door. She followed immediately.
"Yes... I just remembered there is a person that looks like you. People claim she is from the great human whore."
"That is not my mother. My mother died years ago!" I increased my steps ten times.
"Why are you walking so fast!"
"Show me where Carla is."
---
To be continued...