Combat Healer Ch. 41 (Patreon)

June 10, 2023

NOTE: Things are only going to get more exciting from here.

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- CHAPTER 41: Alarmed -

Present Day

A mature elf woman, with black hair and purple eyes, slowly undressed out of her black silk dress, even though it was still the middle of the day, feeling sincerely exhausted after several sleepless nights.

Nights spend skimming through tome after tome, page after page, looking for any clues about the abomination they faced, as well as their origins.

Lesser Eldritch.

For, if the lesser version was such a powerful threat, then how much more of a threat would a Greater Eldritch be?

She didn’t know.

But in this moment, she was willing to let the thought slip away, so she could get some much needed rest.

Thankfully, she had nothing else to attend to today, and should be able to sleep without interruption.

Slipping on a short silver nightgown, she stepped back out into her main chambers, smiling when she again saw her good friend and lover, sitting on the bed with her knees up as she slowly flipped the pages one by one of a very old book, a light crystal dimly lit in the otherwise dark room.

She too was dressed for bed despite the hour, only wearing a bright blue silk bodice and matching shorts, her blonde hair falling on her smooth delicate shoulders. However, unlike the Queen, the blonde elf probably wouldn’t snuggle and fall asleep for another few hours. Not until she could no longer keep her icy blue eyes open.

She was present though, in order to keep the Queen company.

To be there for her when she woke up.

Especially if from a nightmare.

Yawning as she climbed into bed, her black hair falling forward from her shift in position, she crawled close enough to give her blonde lover a kiss, the tall elf turning her head to meet the Queen’s lips, before getting underneath the blankets and sighing heavily as she nuzzled her face closer to her lover’s hip.

“I love you,” Eliza whispered.

“I love you, my Queen,” Sylvia replied tenderly, but keeping her eyes on the tome as she slowly turned the page.

“I worry,” she admitted.

“I know,” the blonde replied gently, not feeling the need to point out that there probably wasn’t anything to worry about. That her beloved, the human healer she’d been searching for all this time, would likely return perfectly fine. Certainly, Sylvia knew that the Queen wasn’t worried about her beloved mishandling the situation. And if he did somehow mishandle it, then they’d just have to fix it the best they could.

It wasn’t really anything to be too worried about.

But…worry wasn’t always logical.

They both knew that.

Sylvia spoke up again as she flipped another page. “I’m glad he was able to heal you,” she admitted quietly. “That you accepted his healing.”

Eliza simply sighed heavily in response, turning her face more into the bedding. Slowly, she then slipped her arm through the opening between her lover’s rear and bare feet, gently resting her hand on her other silk-covered hip.

Sylvia flipped another page, knowing the Queen wouldn’t acknowledge that comment. For she had been prepared to endure the worst, and while the Queen certainly was relieved to not have to endure the worst, she would never admit it out loud. Not to anyone.

“I love you,” Eliza repeated again, sounding like she was already drifting off to sleep.

“And I love you, my Queen,” Sylvia replied sincerely, flipping another page.

They both fell silent again.

Eliza tightened her hand slightly on Sylvia’s hip.

Sighing heavily, the blonde elf set the book down beside her, and then carefully scooted down, even as the Queen pulled her arm away briefly, only for the two women to embrace, their arms and legs intertwined tightly as their lips met in a long intimate kiss.

It was a spontaneous embrace.

A spontaneous kiss.

And the Queen was very tired, so it remained as that, occasionally touching tongues, but not otherwise deepening the intimacy. After a few long minutes, Eliza having relaxed fully, Sylvia pulled away to look at her Queen’s peaceful expression for a bit. She then closed the gap to give her one last peck on the lips, before carefully pulling away.

Sitting up next to Eliza’s head, Sylvia grabbed her tome and rested it on her knees once again.

She was tired, but not to her limit yet.

And she felt like she owed it to the kingdom, and to her Queen, to push herself as hard as she could until she found the answers they were looking for. In this case, until she discovered any information at all about their enemy.

The blonde elf turned the page.

Her icy eyes abruptly narrowed, beginning to scan back and forth more intently as she read the words before her. Words about an ancient race of beings called the Eldfrae that together sought out immortality…

And achieved a form of it.

A way to resurrect over and over again, after their current mortal flesh had perished, for all of eternity, so long as certain criteria could be met each time, but also a method that essentially turned them into monsters.

Intelligent monsters, but still monsters.

Sylvia’s icy blue eyes widened more and more as she read, realizing this must truly be what they were dealing with, the details sounding exactly the same, and that was without even taking into consideration that they were called the Eldfrae. A word that was similar to Eldritch.

Because it was the eyes!

Those large red eyes!

Those were the key!

Two immortal eyes from each individual, the pair drawn to each other, the Eldritch monster resurrecting when they existed within the same body. Transforming the body they resided within into a copy of their former likeness.

But how could they still exist after so many years? Especially since these eyes were so easily destroyed, so long as they were targeted successfully.

That was what Sylvia truly desired to know.

Because this was a legend from perhaps over five-thousand years ago. One that had all but been forgotten. And in all this time, these Lesser Eldritch had basically gone unnoticed, no doubt in part because there were so few of them left.

Or at least, far fewer than they initially assumed living within the capital walls.

And how were these abominations connected to the Dungeons, if at all?

Frowning now, her brow tense, she read the page over and over again, trying to decipher more, trying to ensure she hadn’t missed something, trying to comprehend what wasn’t written. She then flipped the page, skimmed that one, flipped to the next, not finding anything more. Only to check the binding to ensure a page wasn’t missing, followed by going back to the one with this rare information.

The Eldfrae. An ancient race.

Lesser Eldridge. A horrifying monster in the present day.

Her brow furrowed even more as she considered even the most ridiculous possibilities that popped into her head…

Until unexpectedly…

Her icy blue eyes widened in horror.

A terrifying thought occurring to her, one that made her heart jump into her throat.

She was wide awake now.

She grabbed the Queen’s arm without hesitation, rousing her awake, speaking at full volume.

“My Queen!”

Eliza was immediately woken, her purple eyes intense as she pushed herself up. “What’s wrong? What’s happened?”

“Get dressed immediately. For I fear we are all in grave danger.”

The Queen’s purple eyes widened in shock…

Only for her to jump out of bed to do just that.

They were both dressed within a minute.

Both rushing out of the Queen’s chambers as Sylvia explained along the way.

A likely reason…

For why the Eldritch were still a grave threat.

Even to this day.

* * *

Lord Cassian stood at the entrance to the bathing room, with me only in my leather pants, staring at me in disbelief at what he clearly hadn’t anticipated me doing – disguising the princess as a concubine to sneak her out of the castle.

“Are you fucking insane?!” he repeated loudly in a hiss.

I was completely calm.

I knew I had a solid plan.

“What are you talking about?”

His eyes widened in shock, looking back at the girls. “Wait.” He paused. “Is that not her?”

“Did you even look at her?” I asked seriously, suspecting that the pale skin was what gave Jasmine away.

His eyes widened. “Well, no, but…” He hesitated. “Fuck. Then who is the other girl?”

I held his gaze for a long few seconds.

“Her name is Jasmine. The king gave her to me. They are a gift.”

His brow furrowed heavily. “When did he give you a second one?”

My tone was even. “He gave them to me at the same time.”

His eyes narrowed very briefly…

Only for them to nearly bug out of his head.

“It is her!” he hissed. “Fucking bastard, it is her!”

My tone was hard as I spoke in a rush. “She is the last in line for the throne, and I just found her on her deathbed. She is not safe here, and if we don’t sneak her out right this minute, then she will absolutely meet her end in this palace.”

He looked bewildered. “And how are you going to sneak her out?” he demanded.

“Did you know it was her?” I asked seriously.

He froze at that.

I continued. “You had no idea, did you? Just now, I so easily convinced you it was a different girl. Now imagine if you originally thought I had two?”

He didn’t respond, visibly pensive now as his brow furrowed.

“Go look at her face,” I suggested. “See if you recognize her.”

He looked shocked by that, only to immediately turn toward her…

Followed by abruptly stopping when he focused on her exposed nudity.

His tone was embarrassed. “Umm, p-princess can you–”

“There is no princess here,” I said firmly. “Only my concubines. Jasmine and Blake.”

He hesitated at that, only to speak to her again. “Can you please cover yourselves?”

Neither of them budged.

But then, with their gazes lowered, their eyes hidden, both turned their heads toward me. Even Jasmine didn’t so much as move her arms, aside from turning her head.

I waited a few seconds to enjoy Cassian’s visible confusion, before finally speaking up.

“Go ahead and cover yourselves briefly, while he looks at your faces.”

They both did, moving to pull the silk over their torsos.

The man looked distressed, but didn’t comment, instead approaching them now, knowing which one would be her, given that one clearly had fairer skin.

Lifting up her silk hood, I watched as he stared at her in shock, his eyes urgently looking over her face.

“Wait…this is her, right?” he said seriously.

“You tell me.”

He looked back at me in disbelief, only to focus on her again. “Say something,” he demanded. “I’ll know your voice.”

She didn’t respond, simply looking at him.

He focused on me again. “Is something wrong with her?”

I scoffed. “There is nothing wrong with her. The girl before you is Jasmine. She is my concubine, and I am her master. She will only speak if her master asks her to speak. I was given two concubines, which you will help confirm, referring to them singularly as ‘a gift from the king.’ We will meet with Commander Demetri, and you will also inform him of this fact. I will share with him the important news I have come to deliver. And, to offer evidence for this news, we will need to go to the front gate to retrieve an item from one of the crates with us. It is at that time that I will offer my comrades the opportunity to enjoy half of my gift, since I have more than plenty to share.”

Anger flashed across his expression. “Absolutely not.”

I scoffed. “Oh, how lowly you must think of the elves. They will know who she is, before we leave her with them. And I can promise you that not a single one would dare lay a finger on her. The Queen would have their heads, if they did. Furthermore, my comrades know me well. The very fact that I have brought concubines with me will alert them to the situation. Or at least cause them to realize something is going on.”

He looked stunned. “You mean?”

My tone was sarcastic. “What? That they might find it odd that I’d accept a potentially unwilling woman to take to bed? That I might put myself in a position where I owed the king any favors for offering such a gift?” I scoffed. “Had it not been my concern for their well-being and safety, should I have declined, then I never would have accepted a woman from the king. But I also wasn’t going to let the girl be fucking stabbed to death.”

He grimaced at that, glancing at Blake briefly, not responding as he looked down at the floor.

I spoke up again, this time to them. “Put your arms down.”

They both did, again exposing themselves.

He focused on them in surprise, only to take a step back, and then turn to focus on me in disbelief.

I shrugged. “If you have a better plan, I’m all ears. Otherwise, this is what we are doing. Hiding her in plain sight. With any luck, she will be safe within the hour.”

“Fuck,” he hissed, gritting his teeth.

My tone was instantly hard. “Do you want her to fucking die?”

“Of course not,” he hissed.

“She is going to die if she stays here. Maybe as soon as tomorrow, after it’s been discovered that she’s been healed.”

“Fuck,” he hissed. “Okay, fine. But this feels way too risky. We need to think of something else.”

“No, it’s not risky,” I said seriously. “Why would it be risky? I have my concubines with me, Blake and Jasmine. It is a gift from the king. You will confirm this. You don’t even have to say ‘them.’ If someone asks about it, you say ‘a gift from the king.’ Those are the facts. Believe them, and let’s get this done. She’ll be safe within the hour.”

His tone was hard. “You’ll be killed if this is discovered.”

I laughed, my voice dark. “They can try.”

He gave me a bizarre look.

I continued. “The princess is in her room. I’ve never met her. These are the facts. And in the meantime, you need to find a young woman who has met an unfortunate end prematurely. People are dying all the time, and I can almost guarantee that you will be able to find one within the next week. Secure a body and make it look like the princess has died. Slaughter a pig in her bed, and use the leeches to further make it look like it is her.” I paused. “With any luck, this ruse won’t be discovered, and no one will be punished for her loss.”

He grimaced at that, before finally nodding.

I continued. “Now, I assume it’s time to meet with Commander Demetri? And you will inform him that I’ve been given a gift by the king? You will explain that his majesty offered for me to take them home with me?” My tone became hard again. “And when I offer one of my concubines to be enjoyed by my comrades, you will not fucking react, correct? Because you shouldn’t give a fuck. Correct?”

His jaw was tense as he stared at me, and then as he focused on them.

He then bit the inside of his cheek and ground his teeth, before abruptly closing his eyes and taking a deep breath.

“Why are you doing this?” he unexpectedly demanded.

My tone was hard. “To protect the interests of my Queen, and by extension, the interests of the Delanor Kingdom. The Queen respects the rights of the humans to rule their own lands, but we shall have AN ADULT on the throne, not a childish boy who is complicit in the murder of his entire fucking family. Now let’s stop wasting what little time we have, and get this done.”

He finally nodded at that and stood straighter, squaring his shoulders.

His tone became more formal sounding. “Very well. Ambassador Rosengard, if you will please accompany me, Commander Demetri is ready to see you.”

I nodded, holding out my arms as a gesture to my bare torso. “I need a moment to dress, and then I will be ready. As a display of the king’s kindness, my gift will be accompanying us.”

The moment I said ‘dress,’ Blake immediately looked up more fully at me, only for her face to flush at my muscled chest and immediately look back down.

Lord Cassian didn’t notice or otherwise respond, simply turning toward the door and walking over to stand by it, but staying within the overall chambers.

Given his reaction and overall reluctance to free the princess this way, I suspected there was more at play here than what he was letting on. Because I was sure he truly did want to save her, but perhaps not in a way that made him look guilty of treason, lest he and his entire family be slaughtered for his crimes.

However, by trying to save himself, he neglected his duty to the Ryfle kingdom.

To the royal family.

And now, there was only one innocent left, out of all of them.

And I was now committed to this task.

One way or another, the princess would be saved, no matter how many dead bodies had to pile up to make it happen. It was not ideal for me to slaughter openly, nor was it ideal for me to kill using curses when my presence here was known.

However…

If I really had to, I could use Decay.

And if I really had to…

I could slaughter and slaughter until there were no witnesses, aside from those who would keep my secrets.

Neither option was ideal.

But so help me, this girl would live long enough to ascend to the throne.

Once I was dressed, I beckoned my concubines, and they proceeded to follow me as we exited the main room into the hallway. The two knights from earlier had clearly been dismissed, and the hallway was empty at the moment. Probably a good thing. Since, while we weren’t yelling, we also hadn’t always been talking the quietest.

The main doors had been closed, and humans didn’t normally have overly sensitive hearing, but still. Best they weren’t potential witnesses to our conversation.

Of course, I had no idea where I might be meeting the Commander of the main force of the Ryfle army, second in authority only to the king himself, so I was surprised when we exited out into the main front courtyard, the closed main gate within sight, Lord Cassian heading directly for it.

To the far right, there appeared to be a Guard Station where such meetings might be held, but the guy wasn’t even remotely pointed in that direction.

I decided to mention it.

“Where are we going?” I asked quietly.

He glanced back at me, his blue eyes sharp. “You informed me that you had something to show Commander Demetri. I thought it a wise use of his time, for you to retrieve it prior to meeting with him.”

I frowned as I considered that, unsure that was the best course of action, despite it superficially seeming like a wise choice.

I cleared my throat. “When the Commander is present, are the knights on their best behavior?”

He abruptly slowed down at that, clearly getting my point.

That the men would stand at attention in the presence of the Commander, but would probably act more casual around the young Lord.

He didn’t respond, so I continued. “And if they were to question ‘the gift’ I was given, would you be able to convince them to drop the subject?”

He stopped completely, causing me and my concubines to stop as well.

He definitely understood now.

Superficially, he was aiming for the fastest way to get the princess to safety.

It seemed like a good decision. Less risk this way.

But the problem was, the other men didn’t respect him enough to stand at attention, mind their manners, and avoid asking unnecessary questions. Whereas I suspected a single word from the Commander would shut them up, were they to ask about the concubines.

Which meant, the safest path was to actually convince the Commander first.

More than likely, he would believe Cassian’s story.

And then, we would let Demetri protect the princess without realizing it.

Of course, there was also the option to inform the Commander of the truth, but I didn’t technically know if he could be trusted or not. For all I knew, he might only be pretending to be an ally of the Queen, and might actually have been plotting against the deceased princesses the whole time. Or he might not be aware of the current danger the last princess was in, and view it as a kidnapping.

Truthfully, I had no idea who knew, and who didn’t.

Shit, the man might not even know that princess Marta was dead!

That kind of lack of knowledge shouldn’t be possible, but the royal family also shouldn’t be dropping dead like flies either.

Cassian spoke up again, resuming his steps but changing his direction now, heading for the Guard Station to the far right. “Apologies. This way.”

We followed after him.

A knight was just walking out as we approached, pausing to stare at the girls, but then focused on Lord Cassian, only to resume his departure without comment.

Stepping into the long stone building that ran along the massive stone wall, we went down a hallway with open doorways to multiple rooms, only to stop at the very end, the only closed doorway, with Lord Cassian knocking on it before opening to peek inside.

It was clearly lit brightly within, though the light seemed to flicker and move, as if from an actual flame. Or perhaps multiple flames from numerous candles or oil lamps.

“Commander Demetri, I have arrived with Ambassador Allister Rosengard,” he announced, opening the door wider.

The man was about what I expected, given his position.

Short sandpaper hair, a sturdy jaw, huge shoulders and an impressive height.

He was shorter than me, but only barely.

Definitely would have been a bit taller if I’d been my old height.

However, as our eyes met, his gaze quickly shifted beyond me to my companions.

“What the hell is this?” he snapped right away.

Lord Cassian immediately stood at attention. “A gift from the king, sir. His majesty has given the Ambassador permission to take them home when he leaves.”

“And is he leaving right now?” Demetri demanded in a hard tone.

“N-No, sir. B-But…”

“They can stand in the hall!” he snapped. “Fucking harlots won’t be privy to these discussions!”

I decided to speak up, realizing a lie was needed to try to resolve this. “Forgive me, Commander. But the king requested I keep his gift at my side, as a show of his good favor and generosity.”

“Of course he fucking did,” Demetri grumbled under his breath. “Probably knew exactly how I’d react to that nonsense. Damn little shithead.”

I raised my eyebrows at that, and the Commander looked up to me briefly, only to abruptly glare at me, as if he was only now realizing what he’d just said and was challenging me to try blackmailing him with it.

“Just get them fucking in here,” he snapped. “I swear, if they didn’t probably already know what we have to discuss, then I’d never allow such absurdity. But the king can’t keep his royal mouth shut, and probably his entire brothel knows.”

I didn’t respond right away, walking more fully into the room, and then gesturing toward the corner for my concubines to go stand, ensuring my arm was low enough that they didn’t have to look up to see what I wanted them to do.

Both obeyed without question and turned to stand facing the rest of us.

“Lovely,” Demetri snarled. “Ornamental harlots in the corner. Now we just need some ale, and it’ll be a lovely goddamn party.” He glared at me. “I would have thought the Queen’s Ambassador would be a man of dignity. Not a damn boy.”

I gave him a polite smile. “The Queen’s Ambassador is a man wise enough to not refuse a generous gift offered by a king whose favor he wishes to be in, lest that Ambassador be unable to have such meetings with one as esteemed as yourself.” I paused when he grumbled at that, only for me to shrug as I continued. “Besides, if they are only mere harlots, then they know well enough to keep their mouths shut. No such woman would gain anything, other than severe punishment, from repeating words that reached their lowly ears while performing their duties.”

He scoffed. “Enough of this prattle. Let’s not waste any more time. Most important topics first.” He paused. “Princess Marta has fallen ill with an unknown ailment and subsequently perished.”

My expression was hard.

I knew I had to pretend like I was hearing this for the first time, and react accordingly.

My jaw was set as I spoke through my teeth. “And how has this not reached our ears prior to this moment?”

“Because I didn’t fucking know!” he snapped, clearly aggravated.

I could feel it with my Empath skill.

Aggravated and somewhat helpless, but not as angry as I would expect.

Which made me wonder if he truly meant it when he said, ‘an unknown ailment.’ Surely he would be more pissed if he knew it was an assassination.

“When was the last time you saw her?”

He scoffed. “Not in months. The king and his advisor have all of them locked up in their rooms. For their protection,” he spat. “There were several assassination attempts, and the king’s Select Knights have been guarding them at all hours of the day ever since. No one else is permitted to see them, not even me.”

Given that the Commander was responsible for the majority of their forces, as opposed to being a part of the Royal Guard tasked specifically with protecting the royal family, I could see how that would be possible. And how he wouldn’t question it.

However, what that meant was he probably didn’t know the others were dead too.

It also meant that, should the last princess be discovered, he would probably try to stop me, and he likely wouldn’t believe me if I told him the truth. That she was the last one alive. That she’d been actively dying when I was brought to her.

Of course, I could tell from Cassian’s extremely stiff posture that he feared me speaking the truth. From what I could tell, this young lord was a trusted friend of the king, or at least had been prior to the childish bastard revealing how sinister he could be. And more than likely, Cassian had viewed it best to try to remain in the king’s good graces as an insider. Although, why he wouldn’t have informed Demetri of the truth, I couldn’t fathom.

I suspected he had a good reason, perhaps his family held hostage somewhere, their safety only promised with conditions.

Either way, I didn’t have time to find out the reason, or to even worry about them.

All I needed to know was that this man wasn’t aware, and would absolutely become a threat if he discovered the truth.

I cleared my throat. “Well, if we are delivering the worst news first, then I should share the primary reason why I’ve come on such short notice. However, I am not confident you would even believe what I have to say, without showing you the truth.”

He straightened up at that. “Given your lack of reaction to what I just shared, I assume this must be especially harrowing.”

“Far worse than you can probably even imagine. Again, you may not be convinced without proof, which we have brought. It is in a crate carried by my convoy. It would be best if you see with your own eyes, before I explain the details.”

He scoffed. “Impossible. The gates are not to be opened again until your departure tomorrow morning.”

I was shocked to hear that.

Cassian tensed as well, clearly not having known.

The young man spoke up now. “What is the meaning of this Lord Demetri? We can’t keep the Queen’s Ambassador prisoner within the palace, even for a single night!”

“King’s orders. Our guest may leave tomorrow morning. The gates will remain closed until then.” He scoffed, gesturing to my concubines. “It’s not like he won’t have entertainment.”

I crossed my arms, causing the man to straighten up more fully again, truly assessing my bulging form for the first time, even putting his hand on the hilt of his sword. My voice was hard. “The news I must deliver is regarding a new monster we have discovered. One that is extremely lethal…and can perfectly mimic a person.”

“Absurd!” he scoffed in disbelief. “What nonsense is this?”

“Exactly why I must show you,” I said seriously. “For, had I not witnessed one myself, I never would have believed it. It’s called a Lesser Eldritch,” I added, noticing Blake tense in the corner of my eye.

No one else noticed her reaction.

Commander Demetri’s expression was reserved now. “A Lesser Eldritch?” he repeated, his eyes narrowing, suddenly much more serious. “And who exactly came upon this knowledge?”

Fuck, I’d used my healing on my concubines, but I technically hadn’t tested Cassian or this man.

They could be monsters, for all I knew.

I did so quickly, preparing to defend myself if needed.

‘Greater Healing, Greater Healing’

Both noticed, lifting up their hand as they focused down on themselves, clearly not being anything other than the people they were.

“What was that?” Cassian said in surprise.

Demetri must have been more familiar with the sensation, because he focused on me with a hard expression. “Silent Cast,” he said simply, identifying the skill I’d clearly used.

Cassian was looking between us, seeming confused.

Demetri eyes were hard. “Want to explain why you felt the need to waste a spell, healer?”

“You asked who came upon this knowledge. I did. Because these abominations I speak of reveal themselves when exposed to Greater Healing.”

He held my gaze, frowning for a long minute, before nodding. “It would be a great offense for the Queen to send a man here to share such a ridiculous tale, were it not true. However, the gates will not be opened until tomorrow morning. You can show me this proof you have then, and share what information you have now, with words alone.”

I frowned. “I think you may be underestimating the seriousness of the situation. We’ve found over fifteen of these abominations just within our Guilds, and–”

He cut me off, unexpectedly yelling loudly out of nowhere.

“What is underestimated is the seriousness of the king’s orders!” he shouted. “You may be permitted to show me tomorrow morning!”

I frowned at that.

His outburst was clearly heard outside the room, because someone was coming down the hall now. I stepped out of the way when a rather short fat man burst into the room, slamming the door shut behind him and crossing his arms, staring at Commander Demetri as if about to chastise a child.

“There a problem here?” he snapped.

Demetri scoffed, looking annoyed but surprisingly subdued. “I was just explaining to Ambassador Rosengard that the gate would remain closed until tomorrow morning.”

The short fat man immediately focused up at me, as if he was the one in charge here. “Is there a reason you would reject the king’s hospitality and request to leave prematurely?”

My eyes narrowed, my tone flat. “Apologies, but the answer to that question involves very sensitive information. May I ask who you are?”

The man literally spat at my feet, before glaring up at me. “Lord Edgard. The Commander of the king’s Select Knights. Everything that happens in the palace goes through me. I am second only to Lord Grimaldi within these walls.”

My brow furrowed at that, suddenly a little anxious.

Clearly the king’s supposed Select Knights were the one’s guarding all the dead princesses, which basically told me that this man was someone who both knew what was truly going on and was likely on high alert, specifically because he wanted to ensure the princess wasn’t rescued. Likely orders from Lord Grimaldi.

Fuck, of all the people to run into!

I should have asked more information from Cassian first.

Should have asked him who to watch out for, and asked him why he felt like it was so risky to sneak the princess out. Had I realized there was a high chance of this man being here, then I would have tried to figure something else out!

Though clearly Cassian’s plan wouldn’t have worked either!

Not if the knights had been instructed to keep the gate locked until tomorrow!

Shit, clearly, they were actively trying to ensure that she never escaped!

Their measures were far more proactive than I gave them credit for!

Dammit!

I had to think fast.

The man hadn’t noticed the concubines yet, the two girls in the corner behind him.

I bowed my head, holding my arm across my chest, my tone apologetic. “Please forgive me, Lord Edgard. I had heard great things of you from the king, but did not realize who he spoke of until now.”

The short man puffed out his chest. “Flattery will do you no good. Now, answer my question,” he demanded.

“I am not requesting to leave prematurely,” I said sincerely, trying to be flattering, despite what he said, without over doing it. “I only wish to show Commander Demetri an object we brought with us. But I can simply show him tomorrow morning. It is of no consequence. I was simply surprised to learn the gates were to remain closed for the rest of the day.”

“And what is this object?” he asked firmly.

“It is difficult to describe, Lord Edgard. It is the reason why I found it best to have Commander Demetri look upon it himself.”

He scoffed, a sort of wheezing noise escaping his throat. “Nonsense. You will describe it,” he snapped.

Dammit, I’d have to be somewhat honest.

“It’s a part of a monster. Again, difficult to describe.”

His eyes narrowed at that, before he finally scoffed again, shifting his gaze to Commander Demetri. “Tomorrow morning, I better be there too,” he nearly spat. “I will lay eyes upon it myself.”

And with that, the man began turning around…

The other way.

Before I could even react to get his attention again, his body was already stiffening in response to the sight before him.

“What the fuck is this?!” he shouted.

Cassian immediately spoke up. “A gift from the king,” he said perhaps too urgently. “You can ask him yourself,” he quickly added. “I was there when he offered this gift. He’s even allowing the Ambassador to keep them.”

The short fat man looked up at him in complete disbelief, the skepticism obvious. “Absurd!” he retorted. “Do you really expect me to believe such nonsense! The king would never give anyone such a gift! Certainly not to keep!”

“Well, perhaps the king will request them back then!” Cassian yelled in response. “But I was there when he spoke those words! Ask him yourself!”

“I will do just that!” Lord Edgard snapped. “And I’ll take these two with me when I do it. Right now! If what you say is true, then I’ll deliver them back to the Ambassador this evening. Perhaps tomorrow morning, when it’s time for the Ambassador to leave.”

I instantly was ice cold.

Knowing full well why he wanted to return them tomorrow morning…

Well now…

That…just wouldn’t do…would it?

Commander Demetri finally spoke up, his tone reserved. “Cassian is not one to share false tales about the king’s deeds. If he has truly given such a gift, then it implies that you taking advantage of that gift might place you out of his good graces.”

Thus far, the only reason why this short robust man hadn’t approached my concubines was because Cassian was solidly blocking his way. Something the man finally noticed.

Edgard scoffed. “There is little I could possibly do to upset the king,” he retorted, focusing on the taller blonde guy in front of him. “Out of the way, boy. If what you say is true, then this man will have his whores. Tomorrow.”

The robust man didn’t wait for him to move, instead shoving him with surprising force against the table, even as he marched over to the two girls standing stiffly in the corner, hoods down, but visibly distressed.

This…just wouldn’t do.

The only question was…

Which as worse?

Showing my strength?

Or revealing my spells?

One…

Would provoke alarm…

The other…

Paralyzing horror…

Perhaps BOTH, then.

I couldn’t overdo it though.

The basics was a good place to start.

Best to be slow and controlled, so that I didn’t…accidentally hurt my concubines.

STUN.

The short fat man abruptly froze solid, all his muscles locking up, just as he’d been about to grab the hood of Jasmine, apparently wanting to get a look at her, to see what his prize for the night would be, prior to him attempting to snag them both and leave the room with them.

No doubt he intended to ‘use them’ himself before asking the king about his intentions, just in case.

Cassian was just recovering, looking like he was about to jump after the man, perhaps an irrational plan to wrestle him to the ground, something that ultimately wouldn’t change the course of events about to unfold, only for me to thrust out my hand as I passed him, shoving him on the chest back on to the table.

Neither he nor Demetri could fully react before I reached out and wrapped my large fingers around the back of the man’s thick neck, immediately lifting him off the ground with one arm, and turning him around just as my Stun wore off, placing my physical body in front of my concubines.

Both of my women immediately huddled behind my back, both trembling.

Sincerely terrified by this man’s intentions.

Demetri immediately drew his sword, while Cassian just stared at me in disbelief.

This Lord Edgard bastard was not a light man, even if he was short.

“S-Stop,” he was gagging, my fingers crushing the sides of his neck enough that he was struggling to breathe a little, wheezing as he did so. His thick meaty fingers were trying to grasp at my grip, but there was little he could do when I was holding him from behind. “W-What are you waiting for? S-Stop him!”

Demetri legitimately looked like he was about to attack.

I knew of an easy way to stop him.

But I also…

Wanted to take this painfully slow.

‘INFLICT CURSE, DECAY, MINOR.’

The man in my grasp abruptly began to panic, raising his hands up as his fingers rapidly began turning black, his entire body struggling violently in my grasp, even kicking backward at my thighs and knees, urgently trying to escape the Decay that was slowly desiccating his body, starting at the extremities.

The other two men in the room both froze solid.

Demetri’s eyes were wide in horror, his blade trembling in his grasp.

I decided to stop the spell once my prey’s hands and feet were shriveled up.

He was so heavily gasping for breath, nearly panicking as he tried to breathe, that it was all he could do.

“Commander Demetri,” I barked out loudly, causing the man to flinch violently. “Princess Marta isn’t the only one dead. They are all dead. And this man is responsible for killing them.”

“What?” he snapped.

I squeezed tighter on the man’s neck. “Tell him!” I demanded. “Tell him the truth, or else I’ll ensure your death is slow and painful.”

“Lies!” the robust man retorted. “D-Don’t believe–”

I crushed his neck more, nearly choking him to death, shifting my gaze to Cassian.

“Then you tell him,” I demanded.

His blue eyes widened in shock, not averting his gaze as he blurted it out.

“It’s true!” he exclaimed, only to focus on Demetri across the table, who immediately shifted his raised sword more toward him. “Lord Grimaldi infected them with a parasite. One that eventually killed them, all except one. Princess Erika is the only one still alive.”

“Lies!” Demetri shouted this time.

“I swear it true!” Cassian yelled, his eyes abruptly filling with tears. “The king has killed off his competition! And he’s kept everyone silent by kidnapping loved ones and threatening torture! There is only one other heir to the throne now alive.” He wildly gestured toward me. “And this man is risking everything to try to save her! Before it’s too late!”

Demetri’s eyes widened in shock, only to abruptly focus in my direction, except lower.

He’d figured it out.

My tone was hard. “Princess Erika, show yourself.”

She hesitated, before slowly slipping out from behind me, reaching up to lower her hood.

The tip of Demetri’s sword sank to the floor.

He took two steps back against the wall.

Cassian continued. “You have to help us,” he pleaded. “Open the gates, so they can take her away from here. For, before this healer showed up, the healer known as the Queen’s Blessing, princess Erika was on her deathbed. Another day or two, and she would have been dead too, just like all the others. He saved her life for now, but she will die if she remains here.”

My tone was gentle as I spoke again to my concubine, the man in my grasp still gagging and wheezing, unable to claw at my hands with his desiccated fingers.

“Jasmine, return as you were.”

My concubine immediately did so, covering her head with her hood, and stepping back behind me, leaning into my back. Both of them huddling behind the impenetrable wall I was.

Demetri just stared where he knew she was past me.

My tone was hard as I continued. “My commitment is to the future queen of the Ryfle Kingdom. And all who threaten her are my enemies.” I paused to let that sink in, before I showed them what I meant. “This is what happens to my enemies.”

‘INFLICT CURSE, DECAY, SEVERE.’

The man in my grasp began wheeze-screaming, an extremely panicked noise, as the Decay rapidly desiccated his arms and legs, traveling very slowly into his core as it remained superficial at first, beginning to reach from his shoulders to his neck, all of his outer flesh becoming desiccated, his eyes beginning to shrivel up, even as he continued to jerk violently, very much still alive as his internal organs only now started to become affected.

And then, within a matter of seconds, he finally grew still.

Perhaps still alive, but having lost his ability to move.

His body continuing to desiccate.

Becoming more and more of a midnight husk of death.

It wasn’t enough.

I’d seen worse before.

He would become the worst.

‘INFLICT CURSE, DECAY, CRITICAL.’

What had once been a fairly robust man…continued to shrivel up into something that was far smaller, all of his clothing and armor having dropped quietly to the floor in a heap, until finally the shrinking husk began making loud popping and cracking noises, only for all sounds to abruptly cease.

It was finished.

And all was still, for a few seconds, the two other men in the room paralyzed with terror.

Only for the entire midnight corpse in my grasp to plummet to the floor in a pile of soot. Heavy enough that it didn’t go far, barely even reaching my boots.

No sign of the man it had once been.

What was once dust, had returned to dust again.

Decay.

Complete physical deterioration.

I let the silence linger for a long time as I slowly lowered my empty hand, as I stood in front of the two women I would kill for in order to protect, allowing these men the opportunity to process the impossible phenomenon they’d just witnessed, fully grasping that they were standing before Death itself.

Life…and Death.

Both, within the same body.

There was nothing stopping me from reaching out and turning them into piles of soot too, should I desire it. Should I find them to be my enemies.

I finally broke the silence.

My tone was absolute. “The last princess shall not die within these walls. I will not allow it.” I paused so they grasped the implications, before continuing. “Now, are you an ally of the future Queen of Ryfle? Or her enemy? Decide now, before I walk out of here with a trail of dust beneath my boots. For, there is absolutely nothing that will stop me, should I choose to do so. Absolutely nothing. Not even…an entire army.”

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Chapter 42 >>

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