Up in Flames
The foul words hung heavy in the air, sending a ripple of anguish through Matilda. She rubbed at her aching chest and swallowed around the emotion that clogged her throat.
“What… what is this you speak of?” Belzar questioned, snapping out of his momentary lapse.
“Your sister and my beloved friend, Belzara, is dead,” Matilda managed to say, every word feeling like a stab to the chest.
“How has this fate befallen her?” he asked, dropping into a nearby chair that nearly toppled over from his weight.
“We were ambushed.”
“Ambushed? By whom?”
“Traitors who paid with their lives.”
Belzar fell silent, and Matilda waited patiently for him to react.
She didn’t have to wait long. He jolted up and threw the chair he was sitting in across the room.
It splintered against the wall, raining pieces of wood onto the grimy floor.
With speed she didn’t know he possessed, Belzar lunged at her and smashed his fists on the table she sat at, splitting it down the center.
No further actions of violence were taken on his part due to the blade her betrothed had pressed into his throat.
“You will cease behaving like an animal, or there will be dire consequences for your insolence,” Luka warned seconds away from spilling the orc’s blood.
Belzar’s lips curled into a snarl.
“I do not fear you, bloodsucker.”
“Belzar!” Matilda snapped, praying he’d apologize and beg for mercy. “Watch your tongue! Do you not value your life?”
“My life is worthless now. Where is she, huntress? I want to see her.”
“You do not wish to see her. Not like that.”
“Are you so cruel that you will not honor my simple request? Twice you’ve taken her from me.”
“And she was better off for it,” Matilda quipped.
“Better off dead?”
“No, better off getting away from you.”
The orc scoffed.
“This tavern was her life!” he bellowed.
“This tavern was her prison!” she shouted, standing to meet her opposition.
“She loathed working at this dump. She had dreams and aspirations of her own, but you chipped away at her self-esteem and made her feel worthless. You wanted her under your thumb so you could laze about drinking and fucking while touting the tavern’s success as your own!
“You are jealous of Belzara because you know, despite your efforts, in her final moments, she achieved more in her life than your own wretched existence. She lies to rest in the royal mausoleum upon a bed of white satin and roses in a dress befitting of a queen. A crown of diamonds that makes the stars tremble with envy lay on her head, and you don’t fucking deserve it, Belzar.
You do not deserve to witness her in peace when all you caused her was pain! ”
Matilda turned her back, not wanting him to see her cry, and waved for one of the guards. He approached with a chest and dropped it on the table before the orc.
“What is this?” he asked skeptically.
“This is your restitution—30,000 gold coins—for Belzara.”
Belzar’s boisterous laughter rattled the dust-covered windows.
“Do you think so lowly of me that I’d fall for your trickery again?”
“It’s not trickery. You may count it if you like.”
She faced him again when the room fell silent.
“This will not suffice.”
Luka’s patience had nearly waned as he envisioned himself shoving the dagger into the orc’s bulging neck a thousand times over.
“What will suffice?”
“By my calculations, I am still owed 10,000 gold coins as a reward for handing you over.”
Matilda hummed.
“I thought you would say that,” she replied, motioning for another guard who produced an additional smaller chest. “It’s all there.”
“We must take our leave,” Luka announced, finally sheathing his dagger.
He returned to his grieving queen and wrapped an arm around her trembling body, escorting her out of the tavern.
“May I have a final parting word?” Belzar inquired. The couple paused, and Luka glanced over his shoulder.
“You may, but choose your parting words wisely, orc.”
“Matilda Helsing, you may wear jewels, dress in the finest wears, and sit on the throne, but you will never have the people’s respect.
You will be remembered as a traitor who turned her back on her people to lay with the enemy for power and wealth.
I will always remember you as the begging slut who took cock up the ass for a bowl of stew and a place to slumber. You are a traitorous whore!”
Belzar’s harsh words and lies nearly ripped her heart out of her chest. She looked back on all those moments when Belzar smiled in her face and portrayed kindness. She knew there were strings attached—that he’d hoped for more, but his entitlement wasn’t her problem.
Instead of lashing out, she simply said, “The people of Night Falls turned their backs on me first.”
Anger roiled within Luka, and his vision glared a bright red.
He wanted to sever the orc’s head from his shoulders and toss it in the street for the wild dogs to fight over and consume, but he had promised his beloved that he’d keep his composure.
He didn’t want to stress her or their child, so he tamped down his anger and helped her into the waiting carriage.
He nodded at one of the guards, and the carriage crawled through the dark streets of Night Falls toward their castle.
Matilda closed her eyes and leaned back against the padded seat when she heard the screams and cries of citizens, alerting that the tavern was on fire. She hummed loudly as she caressed her belly, hoping to drown out the panicked shouts.
“Did you have to burn him alive in his tavern?”
“Aye,” Luka responded grimly.
“I’ll have you know he was lying. The orc had a death wish, and you granted it.”
He smirked and said, “I’ve been known for my benevolence.”
“Your imagination runs wild,” Matilda teased gently.
“Hm.” They rode silently for several minutes when he asked, “How are you faring, my Queen?”
“I’m deeply saddened and wonder when this anguish will cease.”
Luka sighed and crossed the aisle to sit beside her. She leaned into his embrace without hesitation. He held her hand and fiddled with a ruby ring on her middle finger.
“It gets better with time. I promise.”
“Unlike you, I don’t have a few centuries.”
The thought of his human queen’s eventual demise struck him like lightning and silenced him for the remainder of the trip. His anxiety reached an all-time high when they passed the castle walls.
“Who do these carriages belong to?” Matilda asked, concealing the frantic edge in her tone.
“The Houses of Gustafson, Mirren, and Brennan. How delightful.”
***
Luka entered the castle and found his advisor waiting anxiously in the grand foyer. “What is the meaning—”
His words were cut off when Ezra raised his hands in surrender.
“Relax. Mutiny is not afoot; however, your allies requested a meeting, and given the circumstances of the recent coup, I thought it was fitting to oblige them.”
Luka nodded resolutely. “Very well. Go rest, my Queen.”
“Actually, they are requesting an audience with Queen Matilda as well. This matter concerns both of you.”
“Will they be hostile towards me?” Matilda asked thoughtfully.
Ezra shook his head. “No, my Queen. They’ve come in peace and recognize you as King Alesi’s beloved. In fact, they have a gift for you two to confirm their allyship,” he said with a satisfied smile.
“Very well,” she responded with a sigh. She was willing to meet with the noble families but wouldn’t get her hopes up.
They followed Ezra to the advisory room while he spoke animatedly.
She leaned over and whispered, “Is there a reason he’s so jovial? Does he plan on double-crossing us?”
“Matilda, please refrain from stabbing me in the back,” Ezra called out with his back still turned to them.
“I’d do nothing of the sort,” she said, sheathing her dagger that was primed to do just that. “I’m offended that you’d accuse me of such a deplorable action.”
“Remind me, King Alesi, did you not have to pull an arrow from your back when your beloved decided to use you as target practice?”
Luka’s lips curled into a silent smile.
“I shall admit that my aim was off,” she tried explaining.
Ezra reared back his head and laughed.
Luka slanted his eyes to his beloved when he felt a pinch to his side.
“What?” he hissed.
“Why is he so happy?”
“His father, Duke Revlar Gustafson, is in attendance, and Ezra loves his sire deeply.”
“I see. What do you think their intentions are?”
Luka wrapped an arm around her waist and brought her closer. “We shall wait and see.”
***
Matilda held her head high as they entered the advisory room. Immediately, her eyes fixed on the man who resembled Ezra, with long, ashen-blond hair nearly white as snow, sharp pale-blue eyes, and a severe resting scowl.
He stood from his chair, along with the remainder of the nobles, and bowed.
“Good day, Queen Matilda.”
“Good day,” Matilda returned politely with a curtsy. “Good day to you all.”
“I am Duke Revlar Gustafson, sire of Lord Ezra Gustafson. He has spoken highly of you.”
“Has he?” she asked, amused as Ezra avoided eye contact. She took the seat Luka pulled out for her, and the men followed suit.
“He has. He commends your marksmanship and boasts of your love for King Alesi. I witnessed your battle of the throne against Alaria Marquis and was impressed by your strength and wit,” he complimented.
Low murmurs of agreement filled the room.
“Aye! Alaria’s defeat was both exciting and satisfying! It was time for House Marquis to be knocked down a peg or two!” Duke Brennan bellowed.
“Thank you. She was a formidable opponent, but my will to live and rule beside King Alesi was stronger.”
“I’d say,” Duke Mirren chimed in. “Turning werewolf blood into fine powder to blind your opponent? How clever.”
“With all due respect, gentlemen,” Luka interrupted finally, “The past few days have been long and weary. Shall we convene?”
“Of course,” Duke Gustafson agreed before briefly introducing the heads of the noble houses to Matilda. “We offer our condolences for your fallen and pray to the gods they didn’t suffer much.”
“Thank you,” Matilda whispered, searching for her beloved’s hand beneath the table. She relaxed slightly when he laced his fingers between hers.
“While we may have been silent, we have not been idle. We have been active, meeting with the other nobles and concerned citizens in our districts to address their issues. The main complaint, of course, is your human status. The vampires refuse to bow down to a human. However, they are apprehensive about challenging you after witnessing the fall of the House of Marquis, Belmore, and Bryne. There are fears that you will usurp King Alesi from the throne and deliver Night Falls back to the humans.”
Matilda smiled weakly.
“The thought never crossed my mind, but I can see how some would consider it a possibility,” she acknowledged.
Duke Gustafson returned Matilda’s smile with a soft one of his own that she didn’t think he was capable of.
“The noble houses are willing to accept Matilda as the Queen of Night Falls under one condition.”
“And what condition may that be?” Luka questioned suspiciously.
“She must be turned.”