Awakening the Dark Flame (The Dark Throne #2)

13. Chapter 13

Chapter thirteen

L evos stayed in my room that night. We caught up and told each other everything that had transpired the weeks we had been apart. I tried to stay away from the topic of Gaelin and so did he. We fell asleep laughing together, even though a part of me was dying a little for Eren.

The next morning, we sent Levos and the rest of his members back to their court. If everything went well, I would see him in three days. My father had set up three separate lunch dates with each of my suitors; I was desperate to be rid of them.

Therosi was lively as ever, attempting to seduce me with his promises of a real marriage. He had obviously studied the ways humans valued marriage and hoped to lie his way into my bed and my heart to give him an advantage. He was attractive, yes, but I knew better than to trust him.

Soddram was polite and civil. He asked me about my life back in The Frey and what I now enjoyed most about court, but I could tell he was disengaged. I had heard the rumor of his and Icici’s physical escapades. Was it too much to ask for a male who hadn’t shared a bed with my cousin ?

Avalon was the most uncomfortable date of all. He barely spoke, didn’t eat or drink the entire time, and then excused himself, claiming he needed to deal with some political matters involving the Incubi.

Finally, I returned to my room, skipping combat practice while I planned a way to set Eren free. I called on Otar for his expertise in killing. He was eager to assist. He laughed and jumped for joy as we discussed the possibilities of how to kill the high lady.

“Heart removal,” suggested Otar.

“Too brutal,” I replied.

“Head removal?”

“Too evil.”

“Fairy bait?”

“It will take too long?”

“Tearing her into little pieces and spreading her throughout the kingdom,” he said, clapping his hands together.

I nodded, furrowing my brow. “That could work.”

“Really?”

“No, Otar. We need to find a way that kills her that won’t start an investigation. She is a careful female who tends to stay under the radar. If she just up and disappears, the court will wonder what happened to her and begin to look into it. Whatever we plan needs to be flawless, leaving no clues to connect us to her.”

He thought on the matter, then went over to my wall and pulled a book from one of the upper shelves. He slammed it down in front of me. It read, ‘ Poisons ’.

I shook my head. “No, her nose would detect anything we tried. Plus, it would have to be mixed with ulyrium dust if it were to truly kill her.”

He smiled at me with his teeth sharp and deadly. “I’m not talking about poisoning her, wicked one.”

It was a moment before his plan took root in my head. I smiled. “You are brilliant, Otar. Truly brilliant,” I exclaimed.

He smiled and giggled in an unsettling way. “We will pick a poison that is hard to come by, so there is no question it came from her when we plant the evidence. You rally her up for the next few days in public, so the court sees how she detests you. Then, you call her into a private meeting in your chambers, where you insist she brings a drink to serve to you. You fight with her loud enough for the guard to hear outside your doors.

“I will plant the evidence in her room. Once she leaves your chambers, you take the poison. Atalee will be along to help you settle in for the night, where she will find you unconscious. They will call for your cousin, who will attempt to heal you. I will appear, rattled, and ballistic, spouting accusations about Lady Calavi. The others will believe me because of your interactions with her the past few days. They will find the poison in her room, along with the book that contains the antidote.

“They will give it to you, and you will recover by morning. She will be arrested and sentenced to death, where you will have a chance to drive a blade through her heart. The bitch of an ambassador will be free of whatever she has on him, and you will be happy. Sound like a plan?”

I shook my head in awe of the masterful little creature. I was beginning to understand why whoever controlled him before me had given him reigns over a military unit. I reached over, grabbing his face and kissed his black leathery cheek. “You are truly a mastermind. It’s perfect.”

He swayed a little, smiling in an unsettling way. “Now, to find the right weapon.” He flipped through the book, stopping at a poisonous plant that was rare and found hundreds of miles from the castle. It was called guneria root. “I will search for the root while you piss off the bitch.”

I nodded at him before he disappeared out of sight. I closed the book and put it back on my shelf before leaving my room.

My uncle came down the hall with a smile on his face. “Ah, there you are, niece. Your father has asked you and I to attend a meeting in his study,” he said, extending his arm to me. I took it with a smile as we headed to the king’s chambers .

My father and Eren were already inside. They were looking over documents of the creatures we had killed. I joined them at the table as my uncle closed the pocket doors behind us. My father and Eren looked up and smiled at me.

“Daughter, brother,” said my father, nodding to us.

Eren bowed.

“What’s going on?” I asked.

“The light court will agree to our little meeting in three days’ time,” explained my father. “They are desperate for our help, according to our sources in their castle. We need to plan a way to unravel them, so we can get them to agree to a new treaty which favors our kingdom.”

“What does the new treaty suggest?” I asked.

“It’s not so much about what it suggests as much as what it protects, which would be our interests,” said Eren. “We’ve begun to be able to use the research that we’ve gathered from the creatures we’ve killed to create weapons. That is how black weapons were discovered. The twins got the idea from a dark magic creature we killed last year. It was able to harness its own magic into objects by feeding them its blood. Now, they have begun to experiment with acid explosives, lightning traps, and impenetrable armor.

“The new treaty will remove the sharing clause of our findings, so the light alfar do not stumble upon the same discoveries we do. It will also give us access to their lands to continue to track beasts that originated from our side, without their involvement. We are more powerful than them. Regardless of what we’ve told them, we’ve never truly needed their help to take down the monsters.

“The royals must also agree that they will not harm you and you will be welcomed and respected while at their court, if you choose to visit. This will put your involvement with King Lysanthier’s death behind us, so we won’t have to worry about your safety while we continue our scientific advances,” finished Eren.

“I see. So why do you need me here?” I asked.

“You need to start seeing how we conduct business, daughter,” my father stated. “I want your opinion and outlook on all matters from this point on.”

I nodded.

“So, how are we going to unravel the light queen and king?” asked my uncle. “From what I’ve heard, King Atros seems to be the levelheaded one, while Daealla is quick to act and has a temper.”

“Not an exaggeration,” said Eren. He paused, looking at me for a long moment. “I think I have it. Princess Genevieve will do the work for us.”

“What do you propose?” asked my father.

“I noticed Daealla was extremely jealous of the affection Gaelin showed Princess Genevieve while I was at her court. If we placed the princess in Gaelin’s way, long enough to drag his attention away from political matters, it will ignite Daealla’s jealousy, allowing us to catch them both when they are distracted,” explained Eren .

“And what do you purpose I do, Lyklor?” I butted in. “Walk into the throne room naked?” How dare he even purpose this? He knew how I felt about Gaelin.

My uncle choked on his wine at my comment. “Of course not. We play on Gaelin’s feelings .”

“You’re assuming he still has feelings for me,” I pointed out.

“He does, believe me,” said Eren. “He has yet to take another mistress since you left. The night they arrive, the king will already be seated on his throne. You will enter, alone, as the music begins to play in the background. We will have each of your three suitors dance with you intimately in front of him. Gaelin was very territorial if I remember correctly, so any other male that touches you will set him off, in return setting Daealla off.”

I scoffed under my breath. “If your goal is to make him enraged, then all you would have to do is touch me,” I said.

Eren smirked. “That can be arranged,” he said.

“Explain,” said my father.

I exhaled, annoyed at the plan. “Gaelin hates Erendrial more than any male alive. He was furious and jealous every time he made contact with me during his visit at court. The day Erendrial retrieved me, Gaelin was more concerned about the way Erendrial was touching me than the fact that I had just murdered his king,” I finished.

The room went silent for a moment as everyone thought.

“Then it is settled,” said my father. “Genevieve will dance briefly with all three suitors, to not raise suspension. Then, towards the end, Ambassador Lyklor will step in, making sure to put on a believable show for the light king. You will sit next to my daughter at dinner and continue the charade until we have successfully completed the treaty.”

“As you wish, Your Grace,” said Eren.

I nodded, still annoyed with the stupid plan. I didn’t want to upset Gaelin, but I would, once again, be forced to use him to get what I wanted.

“I can’t wait to see what transpires,” added my uncle mischievously.

I elbowed him with a smile as he wrapped his arm around me, pulling me in for a side hug.

“Thank you all for your assistance. You may go,” said my father, taking a seat behind his desk.

We exited, heading towards the library. I looked at Eren in annoyance.

“What are you pissy about now?” he asked.

“I don’t want to play on Gaelin’s feelings. I wish you wouldn’t have suggested that. He’s been through enough,” I said.

“How else would you have suggested completing the task at hand?”

“You piss everyone off. Couldn’t you have just run that smartass mouth of yours for a while? I bet the queen would be more inclined to fall on a sword than to listen to you. ”

He laughed, revealing his bright white smile and his cheek dimples. “I like that you recognize my talents.”

“Don’t get me started. And I wouldn’t call it a talent exactly. Maybe a defect,” I said, spotting Lady Calavi in one of the seating areas up ahead with a group of ladies. I quickly wrapped my arms around Eren’s waist as we continued towards her.

He looked taken aback by the gesture but placed his arm around my shoulder.

“I am just glad you don’t want to kill me,” I said, looking up at him playfully.

He smiled cautiously, likely wondering why I was clinging to him. Her gaze locked onto us as we passed. “And I am glad you believe me,” he said, looking down at me. His smile reached his eyes. “For a moment there, I thought you were going to kill me. I understand why Otar calls you ‘wicked one’ now. There is something dark behind those entrancing eyes of yours.”

“How can someone so bright be so dark?” I asked with a playful tone.

“You’re an anomaly in every other way. I don’t know. You tell me.”

I pulled away, wrapping my arm around his. I looked back at Lady Calavi with an evil glare and smiled tauntingly. Her eyes darkened with jealousy at the sight of us.

I continued this overdone display of affection every time we were in her presence for the next two days. Otar finally returned with the root we needed. He made the potion and then a remedy, just in case something went wrong with the original plan. I trusted him, since my life kept him alive. The only thing that was left was for her to make a spectacle of herself in front of a crowd.

At dinner that night, I asked Eren to dance. He accepted as we made our way to the floor. “So, are you ready to make a king go crazy over you?” he asked. The light court would arrive the next day.

“Easy as breathing,” I said as I spun around him.

He chuckled. “I see your arrogance is coming out to play. It’s a good look.”

“I’m just stating the truth.”

“Well, you’re right … in regard to Gaelin, that is.”

“Thanks for the morale boost, Lyklor. Great friend you are,” I said, offended.

“I’m just saying, he goes weak when you’re around. It will be easy for you. It’s a good plan. That is why I suggested it.”

“Whatever,” I said, focusing on the crowd around us. “You can’t think I am that ugly, since you bed my cousin every chance you get,” I whispered under my breath.

“You’re comparing yourself to Icici now?” He reeled back to look at me.

I turned my head away. “No. I mean, I know we don’t look that much alike. She’s full alfar, and I’m only half, contaminated with the hideous human genes. ”

He scoffed. “Is that jealousy I hear in your voice? And here I thought you were above that petty feeling. I learn something new every day.”

“I’m not. She can have you. You’re too much work.”

“Now I am the offended one,” he said, smiling down at me.

I returned the gesture, unable to stay cross with him.

Lady Calavi made her way towards us as we pulled off the dance floor.

“Your Highness, Ambassador Lyklor,” she said with a bow. “You both seem to be enjoying yourself out on the floor tonight.”

“Why wouldn’t I be enjoying myself? I have the most handsome dance partner in the room,” I said running a hand down his arm.

Eren shot me a sideways glance.

She smirked, looking at Eren and then back to me.

“Yes, I am curious. Why don’t you show your suitors as much attention as you do the ambassador? Surely you should be spending this time getting to know your future husband, instead of galivanting around with a male who will never give you what you want.” She smiled at me as if hoping she had struck a chord.

Eren stood silent while he watched the drama unfold.

“Who’s to say he doesn’t give me what I want? He’s exactly who I need him to be, and he does exactly what I want, where I want it, and when I want it.”

I paused to read her face. Her jealousy was rearing its ugly head as she tried to calm herself. I took a step closer to her, holding my head tall and proud.

“It’s nice to have a male who desires you, isn’t it,” I whispered. “Who will please you in any and every way you could imagine. To have a male who truly enjoys your body and the way he makes it respond to his touch. For him to want you so badly … so often, that he takes you wherever you are, without a care of who is watching.” I pulled away, looking at her with pity. “Oh, wait. You wouldn’t understand, since you have to force the males you want into a contract, just to feel the slightest hint of pleasure.”

“How dare you speak of our arrangement to me!” she snapped, getting into my face. “You know nothing about our relationship or what I mean to him! How could a half-breed like you ever please a male alfar? You are disgusting and a disgrace to our kind. You should have been put down the moment you left your whore of a mother’s womb. You will never be one of us. No matter how many males you screw, or what you wear on top of that flawed head of hair!” she yelled.

The crowd turned towards us, watching in silence as she threatened and insulted their heir. Two guards approached either side of me as I peered down at her with a wicked smile. She fell right into my trap. I took a deep breath, collecting myself.

“Lady Calavi,” I said loud enough for everyone to hear. “I think we’ve gotten off on the wrong foot. I have offended you and for that, I am sorry. I know you didn’t mean to threaten me with death, when you said I should have been killed the day I was born. I for one know my father doesn’t have the same opinion.”

Her eyes grew wide as the reality of her words came back to haunt her. “No, Your Grace, please forgive my lack of control. I am not feeling myself,” she said, bowing her head to me.

I touched her shoulder gently. “No harm done. I would like us to be friends. Please, come to my room in twenty minutes, and bring a jug of wine with you so we can toast to our friendship, and a fruitful future together under the rule of my father,” I said, smiling at her.

She nodded before I took my leave. Eren followed close behind me as I made my way to my room.

He grabbed my arm, pulling me into a quiet corner. “What in Azeer’s name was that all about?” he demanded.

I shrugged. “I was just trying to ruffle her feathers. You taught me that,” I smiled at him with an arched brow.

“Why do you want her to believe I am sleeping with you? What could you possibly gain by making an enemy of her?”

“She is clearly territorial of you. She wants you to want her and desire her, without the stupid contract. I just applied pressure where I knew it would hurt, and she exploded like a bomb.”

He shook his head in frustration. “You are too good of a student,” he laughed.

“Is the student surpassing the teacher?” I asked playfully.

“I didn’t say that, princess. What are you going to talk about in your room? ”

“I’m going to make amends with her. I don’t want her to take out her frustration with me on you. Maybe I can get her drunk enough that she will pass out, and you can have a night to yourself.”

He smiled at me, then his gaze fell. “Thank you for the thought, but it would take a wagon full of wine to get her drunk. Don’t think I haven’t tried.”

I reached out, placing my hand on his arm. “One day, this will all be over, and you will be able to live your life the way you see fit. You will never have to bed another female you don’t want. You will be free. The greatest power comes from surviving the darkest of nights … remember?” I whispered, hoping his own words would bring him comfort.

He nodded as I walked past him to my room.

Otar was waiting for me. I winked at him, confirming the plan was on track. The small vial of blue poison sat on my nightstand. I placed it in the drawer and gathered the evidence he was going to plant in her room.

A knock came at my door. Otar disappeared, making his way to her room. I took a deep breath and opened the door to see Lady Calavi standing between my guards with a jug of wine. I smiled, allowing her to enter. I showed her to the seating area as I gathered two glasses.

“Where are your servants?” she asked.

“I thought you would like to speak freely, so I sent them all away. My lady will be back at the end of the night to help ready my room,” I replied. I poured us both a glass and handed her one first.

She took it, her cold, dark eyes drilling into me. “What is this really about? What do you want?” she asked.

“Only to apologize for my behavior, like I said.” I took a sip of wine and smiled at her.

She slammed her glass on the table. “Eren says he has never touched you, so why lie?”

“You assumed I was talking about Eren when I spoke of my passions. I could have been speaking of another. Plus, Eren is a rehearsed liar. He could have been lying to you this whole time.”

She laughed. “I’ve known him since he was a boy. I can tell when he is lying to me. Who do you think trained him? He has never touched you. Don’t act like he has.”

“Yes, I forgot. You forced him to your bed when he was a child. How noble of you.” I placed my wine on the table next to hers. “Oh, don’t worry. He didn’t break your contract. I pieced everything together myself. You aren’t the most discreet rapist.”

“Then you know I can have him whenever I want, regardless of who else he chooses to bed. He will always be mine, and you will always have to share him with me.”

“What makes you think I want him in that way?”

“Come now girl. I am old, but with age comes a keen insight. Why else go through all of this? You care for him, and the human part of you can’t stand the thought of him with another. ”

“I do care for him, as a friend, but I am fully aware he could never be what I would need. Even if you weren’t in the picture.”

“Doesn’t stop you from hoping,” she said, narrowing her eyes on me. “I see the way you laugh and smile with him. I’ve seen many females of multiple races over the years fall for his charms and wit. You aren’t the first, and you won’t be the last, yet I remain a constant.” She stood, brushing her hands through her dress as she walked around the couch. “Word of advice, princess: guard your heart where he is concerned. He will give you the greatest pleasure and then leave you in pieces as you wonder to yourself why you weren’t good enough. I’ve seen it a dozen times. That’s why he and I work. We take and give what we can, and don’t expect a single morsel more.”

She left my room while I sat fuming at her words. “Otar!” I yelled, taking my glass of wine with me, moving to my nightstand.

He appeared next to my bed.

“Is it done?” I asked.

“Exactly as we planned, wicked one,” he confirmed with a smile as I dumped the poison in my wine.

I handed him the vial and nodded. “You know what to do with it.”

“In her pocket it goes,” he said, disappearing from my sight.

I swirled the glass of wine and then made my way back to the sitting room. I slammed the whole glass back into my mouth and waited .

It took five minutes to take effect. My stomach cramped with pain causing me to double over from the feeling. It felt like someone was ripping my insides out with a hook. My body began to burn with fever as I tried to yell out but couldn’t. I fell to the ground, the glass shattering around me. The last thing I remember was my heart pounding so hard I thought it was going to rip through my chest.