“Ivan saved Queen Eibhlin alone,” said Adal in a grim voice. “He dragged her to his chambers and raped her, for she was a woman from the Fire Clan. It allowed him to turn into a true dragon. It is said he promised to make her his queen but she jumped from the tower, choosing death over the life he offered her.”
Despair clawed at me when he finished. How could so many people be killed by one single person? How far did greed control Emperor Ivan?
“And Queen Eibhlin’s baby?” I asked, remembering the massacre occurred on the occasion of a baby’s birthday. “What happened to the child?”
“She probably died too. It was too chaotic for anyone to know but it’s easy to guess he won’t keep her alive. That baby would have been the sole survivor of the Fire Clan and the true heir to the throne of Drakhaven.”
I sat among the three brooding princes, too horrified to think of the scale of atrocities performed Emperor Ivan. The people of the four kingdoms already knew he was a ruthless ruler but history was never clear on how he rose to such power. He’d indeed done his best to suppress as much information as he could. Burning of the libraries and the temple archives was a calculated move on his part.
“We became friends at a young age,” explained Norvin when the silence in the room stretched too long. “We were of the same age and so it was even easier to bond together and complain against our other siblings. We were close to ten when the tragedy occurred. Ivan forced us to cut our ties but by then, we already knew how to contact each other through methods devised by Adal. Other than us, no one can read our letters to each other.”
“Do you realize this is the first time we’ve actually recounted what happened all those years ago?” asked Cain, looking at his companions.
“Yes,” said Norvin. “It is oddly freeing.”
“Prince Norvin,” I said, fixing my gaze on him. “I think it’s time to hear your tale now. I am sure both Prince Adal and Cain would like to know how you survived your execution.”
Norvin’s playfulness disappeared at once. His face darkened as his hands balled into tight fists. “That bastard Mekhi…I vowed if I ever got another chance to live, I would rip out his jugular.”
“Tell us what happened?” said Cain. “How did you come to be here of all places?”
“When Mekhi captured me, he dragged me over to the Cliff of Death,” said Norvin. Seeing my reaction at the name, he said, “The castle of Redfall is surrounded by lochs on three side. A narrow strip of land connects it to the mainland. Over the centuries, our executions have happened in the sea.”
He took a deep breath before continuing. “Mekhi forced me to take the Ice Elixir.”
Cain and Adal had horrified expressions on their faces. “What does it do?” I asked.
“It turns the blood into ice,” said Norvin. His handsome face was like stone as he said it. “For dragon-blooded males, it’s a gruesome poison. Our hearts will turn to ice and we fear nothing more than the cold. Mekhi threatened to kill every last person in the castle if I put up a fight. So, I drank the poison he offered.”
I leaned forward to place a hand on his. He looked at me with tear-filled eyes and placed his other hand over mine. His skin was warm. “You are kind, Daria,” he whispered.
“You’re even more compassionate. You chose the life of your people over your own.”
Swallowing down a choke, he cleared his throat. “They threw me into Loch Inver, thinking I would never survive it. Here’s an interesting fact Makhi overlooked though. The dragons of Redfall draw their power from air and water, rather than fire. It’s one of the anomalies that separate us from the others. Had he buried me, I would have died, but he wanted to a make a mockery of my death.”
He chuckled darkly before continuing. “It was painful. From the moment the poison passed my lips, I felt it would be easier to just die. However, being submerged in water helped preserve my life. My human form disappeared and I turned into a kind of water snake. It’s a stretch to call my form a snake. I was merely a worm crawling on my belly. The water currents carried me far from Redfall and washed me ashore here.”
Norvin gazed at me lovingly as he squeezed my hand gently. “Then this beautiful lady picked me up and cared for me. Of course, she thought I was a snake and treated me like a pet. And that bloody owl of hers would try to eat me. It was still worth staying here because Daria would kiss me to make me feel better.” He gave me a hearty wink, making my cheeks burn hot.
“Those don’t count,” I muttered, looking away from him and snatching my hand out of his hold.
“She’s right,” agreed Cain. “Kissing a snake is very different from kissing a man. Though I can’t imagine why you would kiss a snake, Lady Daria.”
I chuckled. “I thought he was cute.”
The three men before me laughed. It made my heart lighter to see them smiling.
“All jokes aside,” said Norvin, his expression turning grim. “Daria has great inner power. Every night I was able to absorb some of it. Two nights ago, I had enough inner strength to regain my human form.”
“Why didn’t I notice?” I wondered aloud. “I dreamed about you though. Every night I saw your human form in my dreams.”
“Really, sweet Daria?” asked Norvin, snatching my hand once again. “Were we very close in your dream?”
“No. I just keep seeing your face, not understanding where I may have seen you. I don’t leave Linmoor Valley unless I am on a mission.”
“Are you truly as assassin, Lady Daria?” asked Adal.
“I am.” I suddenly felt hesitant. Would it affect how they behaved towards me? Most men wanted meek, stupid women as wives. I worried whether the three princes would look at me differently now. Slowly, I raised my eyes towards Adal. A breath of relief escaped me as I only saw admiration in his soft blue eyes.
“Where exactly are we?” asked Norvin. “What’s this about her being an assassin?”
“We are in Linmoor Valley, Norvin,” said Cain, slapping his shoulder. “You’re in the middle of a secret guild of female assassins.”
“Wow.”
“We are the only three men here.”
“Wow!”
Jealousy flared inside me at Norvin’s excitement. I wanted all three princes to be my friends. Heck! If I was being honest, I would be glad to be closer to them than just being friends. The possessive impulse rising inside me astonished me. I wasn’t usually a girl who got jealous over petty things.
“We came here to take care of a problem for Cain,” said Adal in a grim voice. “I am assuming it’s taken care of, Lady Daria?”
“Yes. I have the names of the generals and nobles involved in the virgin blood trade.”
“Good. We want you to accompany us on another mission.”
My happiness died like the flame of a candle being snuffed. “What mission?” I asked cautiously. “Lady Elga has to agree to it before I can take on anything.”
Adal gave a nod. “Cain and I have spoken to her. You’re the one she summoned for the job.”
“Oh.”
“We don’t want to force you, of course,” said Cain. “In fact, I’d prefer to hire someone else. Somehow, I can’t bear you to take such risks for us. Being close to us can cost you your life.”
“I would have to be close to you?” I asked, my ears suddenly perking at the invitation.
“Yes,” said Adal. “You will be working for the three of us.”
“What’s the mission?”
“To assassinate Emperor Ivan.”
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