3. Chapter 3
Chapter three
T he doors to the cabinet cracked open slowly allowing the light from the fire to stream within. My head felt heavy and my body protested as I pushed myself up from the floor of the armoire. Erendrial stood above me with his arms crossed over his chest. He was in black leather pants and a thin black shirt with the sleeves rolled up: more casual than I had ever seen him. He wore a thick gold necklace with a pendant at the end bearing the Drezmore sigil.
“Is there something wrong with the bed, princess? If you don’t like it I can have someone bring you another,” he said sarcastically.
I pulled the covers over my body, stepping out from the armoire. “That won’t be necessary, but thanks,” I replied.
Atalee was in the corner of the room. Once I moved out of the way she took the dresses from the bed and put them neatly back into the chest.
“Are you going to make me ask why you were in the armoire?” Erendrial said.
I rolled my eyes. “Now that I am a royal, are you still allowed to talk to me like that ?
“I respect your position, but I am still entitled to have my own personality, princess. It’s one of my most attractive traits.”
“Ha, says who?” I snapped back.
“It will grow on you in time. Now, regarding the agenda for the day,” he started.
“Erendrial, I don’t mean to be rude, but isn’t there someone else that could show me around? I am sure you are far too busy for this, and I don’t know if I can deal with your snarky personality all day. I might beg to return to the light court by the end of this little informative session.”
“Back to King Atros, you mean?”
I stopped halfway to the bathroom.
“Is that why you were in the armoire?” asked Erendrial. “You couldn’t bear to sleep in the bed without him? I am sure we could arrange a monthly visit for the two of you if—”
“No!” I snapped in rage. I walked over to him, clutching the blanket close to my chest. His expression fell. “Don’t you dare begin to assume what I want. If I were you, I would focus on doing what you are told.” My tone, firm and threatening, surprised even me. I hadn’t seen this side of myself in a long while and boy, did she feel good to wear again.
He smiled, nodding his head. “As you wish, my princess,” he said.
I turned around, walking away from him. “No possessive pronouns either, Lyklor. I am not your anything.” I slammed the door to the bathroom.
I took another bath and then exited to find a beautiful black lace dress awaiting me. Erendrial turned around as I dressed behind the dressing screen with Atalee’s assistance. The gown dropped down my chest to my mid stomach, the full length slit up to my midthigh. The back was completely exposed. Long sleeves fell off my shoulders and trailed down my arms to my hands.
I could feel the cool air kissing the exposed skin. My hands trembled while I tried to cover myself.
Atalee froze, unsure of what I was doing. “Is … is everything alright with the dress, Your Highness?”
“I … is there something less revealing I could wear?”
“It is the fashion of your court, Your Grace.”
“My court?” I said, still reeling from the turn of events. Atalee nodded. “Are all the clothes this revealing?”
“This one is actually very modest in comparison to most,” she whispered.
A chuckle fought to escape from my lips. I covered my mouth with my hand. “This is what you all consider modest?”
She nodded again, now looking very confused.
I turned to the mirror, taking in the sight of myself … my body. The body that had been used, beaten, and scarred. The body I had learned to detach myself from in order to survive. It’s just flesh, Gen , I heard myself repeat the phrase I had clung to so many times during my nightmares.
I exhaled, turning back to the young alfar female. I forced a smile to appear on my face. “I suppose it will do.”
Atalee pinned my hair up away from my neck. She dusted my face lightly with powder and then dragged black eyeliner across my eyelids, elongating the appearance of the shape.
While the alfar worked her magic, I pondered my reaction to Lily and Zerrial. For the life of me, I would never understand why anyone would choose to be with one of these things out of free will, but had I reacted too harshly? Was I taking my own pain out on my sister? Shouldn’t I be glad that she had found some kind of happiness here? I needed to talk to her.
Atalee ended with a bright red lip. I didn’t look like myself. I looked like one of them, and for some reason I loved it. I could start new here. I could be stronger … better. If Lily could find happiness here, so could I.
Atalee bowed behind me before leaving. I sat at the vanity, still taking in my appearance. Erendrial appeared in the reflection of my mirror, holding a wooden box. He opened it slowly as I watched closely. It was a beautiful gold crown. It came down to a point in the middle with a black stone fastened in the center. The edges of the crown were shaped into small leaves and branches.
“Your father had it designed specifically for you when he discovered you were indeed his daughter. May I?” Erendrial asked, taking the crown from the box.
I nodded .
He placed it on top of my hair gently. The black stone lay in the center of my forehead as the gold of the crown glistened. It was breathtaking. “Now, you look like a queen,” he said, leaning down next to my face.
I smiled. “It’s a bit much, don’t you think?”
“Nonsense. You are royal now, Genevieve. You will have to get used to the extravagant lifestyle and people being under you.”
“I don’t know if I will ever get used to all of this.” I stood up, with my back still towards him. His eyes shifted to the scars I wore from my time in The Frey. He turned away quickly. “It’s okay. No need to act like they’re not there. I got them when I was fourteen. I stole from an advisor’s wife. I got caught and received seven lashes. The guard that was administering my punishment knew what I was and wanted to make me suffer, so he tied pieces of ulyrium to the end of the whip.”
“Did you kill him?” he asked.
I laughed under my breath. “No. It just motivated me to get better at stealing from them. That was the last time I ever got caught.”
“Is the guard still alive?” His face was stern. I was still learning to read him, but I knew where his questioning was headed.
“I don’t know. And no, you cannot kill him. Understood?” I asked.
He exhaled and gave a single nod. “Come, we should be on our way. Breakfast will be served in the throne room. ”
“I’d like to go see Lily first.”
“She’s busy at the moment, but I can arrange for her to come to your rooms later this evening.”
“Busy doing what, exactly?”
His head turned slightly in my direction. With one eyebrow arched, a devilish smirk appeared at the corner of his lips. “Don’t worry, princess. Your sister is completely safe and well cared for. Zerrial would have it no other way.”
“Erendrial!” I snapped.
He laughed with amusement. “Calm yourself. She is working on new dresses as we speak. Something she has come to love.”
I exhaled with relief, trying to refocus. “Will my father be at breakfast?”
“No, he is in meetings this morning, but your uncle and cousins will be,” he said with a smirk.
“Oh yeah, I have an actual family,” I said, still amused by the fact.
We headed out of the room into the halls of Doonak. “Can you tell me about them?” I asked.
“Where to begin? Your father and your uncle, Rythlayn, are very close. His gift is a paralysis shock like your fathers, but his gift only mutes other powers that are directed at him. Which means, no one can magically harm him. He can’t affect the body like your father can.”
“So, who is more powerful?” I asked .
“Your father, of course.”
“And are they close?”
“Inseparable.”
I allowed myself to smile. The two of them were close. Like siblings should be. I was comforted by the normalcy.
“Rythlayn has two daughters and a son. Icici is the oldest, then his son Toreon and his youngest daughter is Vena. Icici can control nightmares. Toreon can control metals and Vena is a healer.”
“They all sound extraordinary,” I said in awe.
Erendrial huffed. “I wouldn’t go that far. Icici is their ringleader. She is very striking and has a strong head on her shoulders. Toreon follows her lead and Vena is too kind to be related to the lot of them.”
“Do you think they will like me?” I asked.
“You shouldn’t be worrying about whether they will like you or not. You need to make them fear you, princess. Strength and power are what they respect. That goes for the entire court.”
I nodded, trying to set my feelings aside. Family or not, I was their princess … their future queen. The pressure was almost unbearable, but I had to make do. I had to find my place amongst this court.
We entered the doorway of the grand throne room, and I stopped dead. This place was absolutely magical. The ceiling swirled with red, purple, and black fog that danced and created new designs with each motion. Hundreds of candles floated out in the open, suspended by nothing. The ceiling sparkled like it was covered in glitter or stars.
The ground was made of pure gold with a single, black runner going down the center aisle. At the front of the room, steps led up to a platform covered in black fabric. Three thrones sat in the front, made of black stone. The largest throne had skulls covered in gold at the base of the chair. A red velvet curtain hung behind the thrones. Food was laid out on handcrafted tables of black wood, their legs and sides swirling with different designs and pictures.
The alfar sat at the tables enjoying their breakfast. One by one they stopped and stared at me as I inched into the room. I felt like I was on display, which I suppose, I should have been used to by now. I took a deep breath, holding my head high in the air. I needed to earn their respect. I couldn’t be weak.
“That’s it,” said Erendrial in my ear. “Come, this way. For the record, you do not bow to anyone except your father. You are now second, which means no one other than the king is higher than you.” He led me to the table in the front where a beautiful female with dark brown hair and radiant blue eyes sat waiting for us. “Queen Nora, may I present Princess Genevieve.”
The woman stood without a smile on her face. If looks could kill, I would have been dead. She curtsied slowly. “Princess Genevieve, how wonderful to finally make your acquaintance,” she said in a deep and haunting voice.
“Thank you, Queen Nora. It is nice to meet you as well,” I replied.
“Princess, these are your cousins, Icici, Toreon, and Vena.” Erendrial gestured to the other end of the table.
Icici, the dream weaver according to Eren, was stunning. She had black slick hair that was braided away from her face with one white stripe running through its length. She had deep black eyes and smooth tan skin. Her nose was small and fit her high cheekbones perfectly. She had a desirable figure with a full chest.
Toreon, the manipulator of metal, smiled softly at me and nodded. He was tall and well built. His hair was dyed blue and cut short against his scalp. His eyes were also black.
Vena, the healer, was the smallest out of the three. Her face was soft and kind … almost human-like. She had a cropped haircut with the edges of her hair dyed red. She had yellow eyes and small features.
They all bowed, without a single smile or word. I could only imagine what they thought of me. The half-breed that took the crown away from their father.
“And this is your uncle, Prince Rythlayn,” continued Erendrial.
A tall man came from around the table towards me. He had shorter hair than my father but looked almost identical to him. His eyes were the same shade as Vena’s. He was dressed in a black suit with a thick gold chain around his neck. He took my hand and kissed it gently as he bowed.
“Niece, it is so good to finally meet you. We have waited for this moment for a long while,” he said in a deep, caring voice. He smiled at me as he rose to a standing position.
“Thank you, Prince Rythlayn—” I started to say.
“Please, uncle, if you would do me the honor. I am at your service. I can’t tell you how happy I am for my brother. That you both have found each other,” said Rythlayn.
“Thank you, uncle. I am also glad.” I smiled at him, looking around the room for my sister. I leaned into Erendrial. “Where is Lily?”
“Working on dresses, remember? Would you like me to find her?”
“No thank you,” I said, taking a seat next to my uncle. Erendrial sat on the other side as the human servants brought us plates of food and drink. Now that I had some time to ponder my conversation with Lily, I realized I may have overreacted a bit. I should have at least heard her out before lashing out like I did. I would make things right.
“How do you find our court, Princess Genevieve?” asked Queen Nora.
“From what I have seen, it is very … entrancing,” I replied.
“Better than the light court?” asked Toreon.
“They’re both beautiful in their own way,” I said, trying to sound unfazed by the mention of that hellhole.
“Is it true that you were King Atros’s whore?” Icici asked.
Here we go , I thought to myself .
“Icici, do not speak to your cousin in that manner,” snapped Rythlayn.
“If we are ever to have a relationship, honesty is a must. So, how was he? I find him most delicious. Last time he was here I tried to lure him to my bed, but he refused. I wonder if that was because of you.” She smirked at me from the other side of the table.
I looked at Erendrial, not sure of how to respond. He focused on his food, apparently not willing to get into the ring with the two of us. I took a drink, trying to think.
“I was his mistress, yes,” I replied shortly.
“Lucky girl you are. I can only imagine fisting all that white hair as he rode me till—”
“Icici, that is enough!” demanded her father.
She shut her mouth, her eyes still taunting me.
I focused on the fruit on my plate.
“I’m sorry about my daughter, niece,” said Rythlayn. “She forgets her place far too often.”
I smiled at him and nodded.
“Lily is your friend, right?” asked Vena.
“Yes,” I replied.
“Her voice is lovely. She is my favorite singer. She is quite gifted for a human. I could only imagine what she would be like if she was an alfar,” said Vena.
“She’s perfect just the way she is,” I replied firmly.
Vena nodded with a smile and then finished what was on her plate.
“So, when is she going to begin training, Lyklor? If she really is a Drezmore, she will be a quick study,” said Toreon.
“Tomorrow, once she is more familiar with our customs and the castle. Are you volunteering to get your ass kicked by the princess, Toreon?” asked Erendrial.
“I can be of assistance if you wish. Though, by the looks of her, I don’t think I will be the one getting my ass kicked,” said Toreon, sizing me up.
“Don’t underestimate her. I have, and we lost our inside man in the light court. King Lysanthier did as well, and now he is dead,” added Erendrial. I smiled at the memory of the king’s mutilated body on top of his dinner table.
Two guards barged into the throne room carrying another alfar towards us, who was beaten and bleeding profusely. The alfar in the room smiled and began to gossip as they all stared at the blood being dragged across the floor. The guards dropped the male in front of us before exhaling with exhaustion.
“What has happened?” asked Rythlayn with authority.
“Excuse our interruption, Your Graces, but our men were attacked by a demon-like creature out in the woods this morning. It was hideous, with black skin and razor-sharp teeth,” said one of the guards.
“Shit,” I mumbled under my breath.
Erendrial began laughing at me as he looked down at the wounded guard.
“What is so funny, Lyklor?” asked Icici.
He caught my eyes and crossed his arms, gesturing his hand for me to take the floor. I sat straight up in my chair, not sure how this was going to play out.
“Otar!” I tried to yell, but my voice sounded weak and pathetic. I waited a few moments before calling for him again.
“Yes, wicked one,” I heard him whisper behind me.
The crowd of alfar gasped as they stood to their feet, readying their weapons and their powers to kill him. The dynamic of the two courts were complete opposites. Where the light court would have hid in fear, the dark court jumped into action, readying to attack in a moment’s notice. Levos wasn’t joking when he said they were all trained warriors.
“That’s it! That’s the ugly thing that attacked us this morning,” yelled the guard.
“Now, now, now,” rasped Otar. “I am not the ugly one, you all are. With that ugly color of skin and those dull and useless mouths of teeth you all have. And for the record, I was not the first to attack; he was.” Otar nodded at the bloodied guard on the floor.
“Otar, what did I tell you about hurting anyone?” I whispered to him.
“I did as you asked, yes, I did. I didn’t attack, I only defended. He was trying to kill me with his sharp pointy stick,” Otar said, smiling down at the alfar .
I exhaled, trying to figure out what to say to him. I looked out on the court and cleared my throat. “This is Otar,” I started to say. “He is under my control. He will not steal, harm, or kill anyone here as long as you do not attack him.” Blank looks covered the alfar’s faces. I didn’t know if I was the thing that shocked them or if it was Otar. “Understood?” I asked, with as much authority as I could muster.
They all nodded, taking their seats.
“He is your … pet?” asked Icici.
Otar appeared behind her in the blink of an eye, snapping his teeth at her throat.
She flinched away, her face frightened.
“I am no one’s pet!” yelled Otar. “Please, punch me, so I can tear that pretty little head from your shoulders. Or maybe I will play with you first. You aren’t as ugly as the others,” he whispered, running a talon down her arm.
She pulled away from his touch with disgust.
“Otar, stop,” I demanded.
He growled, appearing back at my side.
“I’ve had a room made up for you by mine,” I relayed to him. “If you would like to stay here, you are welcome. Just don’t hurt anyone else, understand?”
“Only if they hurt me first, right?” he said, twirling his finger through a loose curl on the back of my neck.
“Only if they physically mean to harm you, yes,” I clarified .
“But I am hungry,” he whined. Everyone at the table was still looking at me and Otar.
“Well, what do you eat?” I asked.
“Flesh is usually good, but blood is what keeps me alive and strong. I have had none since the light court,” he whined.
“Are there no animals out there you can hunt?”
“They don’t taste as good, and they don’t restore my health. Not like humanoid beings do.”
I exhaled, trying to come up with a plan that would keep everyone safe. I stood up from the chair gesturing for Otar to follow me. Erendrial stood.
I stopped him. “Can you give me ten minutes on my own, please? Then I will be ready to do whatever is on your agenda for the day,” I said.
He looked at me and then Otar and nodded.
“I’ll be in my chambers,” I said before leading Otar out of the throne room. The court examined both of us with wonder, terror, or disgust: I didn’t know which.
I got to my chambers and shut the door behind us. I took the apophyllite dagger that I still hid on my thigh and cut along my forearm. Otar watched with excitement as the blood spilled from my arm. I held the dagger firmly, ready to kill him if I had to.
“You can feed off me. You will not use your teeth. You will be gentle and only take what you need. When I tell you to stop, you will obey. You will not take any flesh, only blood,” I said .
He nodded, taking a step towards me. He took my arm in his leathery hands and lifted my wound to his mouth and began to drink. He was indeed gentle, but the feeling still made me want to vomit.
In some way, I felt indebted to this creature. I didn’t view him as a weapon or a slave, but as my salvation. He had freed me from the nightmare that had destroyed me. If he needed to feed, it was the least I could do. The sight of the light king’s mutilated body would forever be my favorite memory.
After a few moments of feeding, he pulled away, licking his lips with satisfaction.
“You taste better than I could have imagined, wicked one,” he said, looking at the blood that was smeared across my arm.
The door opened behind us. Erendrial stopped, looking at my bloodied arm and then at Otar. I grabbed a nearby piece of cloth, wrapping my arm to stop the bleeding so it could heal.
“Otar, go,” I said. Otar disappeared in an instant.
“What did I just walk in on?” asked Erendrial.
“Nothing. Are you ready to begin?” I asked, moving past him into the hall.
He followed. “Princess, if he poses any threat to you, he will have to be eliminated,” Erendrial said.
“He doesn’t.”
“Then why are you bleeding?”
“I gave him my blood willingly. He needs the blood of a humanoid to survive. I didn’t want him snacking on anyone else, so I gave him what he needed.”
He pulled at my arm gently, stopping me from moving ahead. “You willingly allowed that thing to feed on you? Teeth and all?” he asked.
“I told him he couldn’t use his teeth, but yes. Would you rather he tears out your artery?” I asked smugly.
He smiled, exhaling with frustration. “For the record, I don’t like this. We will have some of the servants donate blood from now on.”
“No! I will not force an innocent to sacrifice such a thing.” I said instantly. “Otar is my responsibility, and I will deal with him the way I see fit. Now, onto the tour please.” I pushed past him, back into the halls of my new prison.