Chapter 59
Chapter
Fifty-Nine
“What is going on?” Nothing made sense to Konrad.
Why were the monks here? And why did they know what was going on? They should be outraged and trying to help Konrad and Wraith. Not walking in calmly.
“Clara! What is happening?” But she refused to look at Konrad.
Then the hard truth slammed into him. She’d lied. She’d tricked Konrad into believing Wraith betrayed him. Because whilst it appeared that the necromancers had been plotting against Konrad, it wasn’t Wraith who’d been working alongside them; it was Clara and the monks.
And that’s why the warrior monks attacked me.
“I don’t understand.” Konrad stared at Grand Monk Ferdinand. “Why?”
The grand monk held his hands out, palms up. “I apologise, King Konrad and King Consort Wraith. I can see that this has come as a bit of a surprise to you both.” He opened his mouth to speak, but the shadow queen stepped forward.
“You see, King Konrad, the Monks of the Way of the Dove have been working for us for quite some time now, from even before the peace assembly started,” she said. “They have been very helpful. In fact, we only agreed to the peace treaty because they pledged to assist us.”
The shadow king chuckled. “Not that there ever was going to be a completed peace treaty. We had no interest in that. No, the monks would assist us in achieving our own goals.”
“They have been great helps,” said the shadow queen.
“What?” Konrad still couldn’t understand it.
The grand monk opened his mouth, but once again the shadow queen spoke first, “Let me fill you in on some recent ways in which the monks have assisted us, King Konrad. You see, we’d planned to turn you and Wraith against each other by setting Wraith up for the grand healer’s murder.”
Her gaze then settled on Wraith. “Then King Konrad would turn on you, and the Monks of the Way of the Dove would imprison you for being a murderous necromancer. We’d hoped you would then do as we commanded.”
The shadow queen sighed. “We went to quite a bit of trouble. We’d even taken Wraith’s dagger from his chest to commit the murder. I’d sent a letter asking Wraith to come to our quarters. He was meant to be with me at the time of the murder so he’d have no alibi.”
“So who killed the grand healer?” Konrad asked. “And why?” Had they really just killed her to drive a wedge between Konrad and Wraith?
But the shadow queen ignored his question. “But instead the two of you had been having a spontaneous little picnic together. It ruined our plan, as Konrad would know that Wraith could not have committed the murder.”
She pulled out Wraith’s skull locket from her pocket. “In the end, we had to come up with a new plan. I took this from my son at the ball last night without him even noticing.”
Wraith’s shackled hands lifted and touched his neck.
“I then gave it to Monk Clara, and she gave it to you, King Konrad, with a mouthful of lies. We’d planned to then rescue you, from your imprisonment, Wraith. I was so surprised when you managed to escape all by yourself.” She looked at her son then.
“I’ll admit, our second plan was weaker than the first. But still, your husband turned on you so quickly, didn’t he, Wraith? And even after all that, you would still not do our bidding,” she said. “You chose him over your own family. It’s very disappointing.”
Wraith swallowed.
Konrad’s stomach turned. He’d been so easily manipulated. And he’d promised to protect and care for Wraith. It would have served Konrad right for Wraith to turn against him. It was what Konrad deserved.
“Moving forward, the monks will assist us as we take over the other kingdoms and create a new world order.” Shadow King Lament turned to the chanting necromancers. “And they will help us raise and control the dead dragon king.”
“You can’t do that!” Konrad put one foot under himself and tried to rise, but the dread knights gripped his shoulders and shoved him back onto his knees.
The shadow king chuckled. “Don’t feel too left out, King Konrad. You will also be a bone dragon by nightfall. You and your father, who caused us so much trouble in life, will serve us loyally in death.”
“Never!” Konrad’s voice echoed.
“You can’t control them. You know you can’t,” Wraith said. “You lack the ability.”
“Perhaps I can help you understand, King Consort Wraith,” the grand monk said. “King Alaric, like all the rulers, signed a contract when he arrived at the White Monastery. A binding contract, signed with his own blood, using our magic.
“The rulers signed, believing that they were stating their desire to create a peace treaty as well as pledging not to harm the monks.” The grand monk smiled, a gentle, patient smile.
“But the contract was written in the ancient tongue of Lorentath, which none of you understand,” said the grand monk. “We left out the part about having a desire to create a peace treaty, and there was additional information included in the contract that we did not inform the rulers of.
“Like that they must submit to and obey my will.” Then the grand monk turned towards the altar and the necromancers chanting. “King Alaric signed the contract, and thus he gave us power over him. We will use that to control him in death.”
Wraith gaped.
“This means that, with the monks’ assistance, we will also be able to control the other rulers who signed as well,” the shadow queen said. “They will be excellent additions to our undead army.”
“People really should not sign contracts they do not understand. Especially when blood magic is involved,” the grand monk said.
“But why would you help them, Grand Monk?” Konrad asked. “You’re meant to be about peace! That’s what you go on and on and on about. Instead you are helping the necromancers with their vile plans to take over the kingdoms? How many innocents will suffer under their rule?”
The grand monk just stared back at him, with his kind, patient smile.
Konrad turned to his cousin. “Clara, didn’t you give up your land and title to make up for what you did in the war? Do you think this will help you atone? Why are you helping these necromantic monsters who plan to turn me and my father into bone dragons?”
“The monks understood where true power lies, King Konrad,” the shadow king said, voice cold. “They wished to assist us and be a part of this new world we build.”
“That makes no fucking sense!” Konrad yelled at the monks. “You want peace.” He gestured with his shackled hands to the necromancers. “This is not fucking peace!”
But the shadow king kept talking, gaze on his wife. “We will raise a massive undead army, to rule over all.”
“No kingdom can stand against us,” said the shadow queen. “We will slaughter the ruling houses and turn them into our undead thralls. They will serve us and fight for us.”
“And we will keep raising our army of the undead, thousands upon thousands upon thousands. No one will stand against us! No one could!” The shadow king’s triumphant voice echoed throughout the crypt.
Then he turned and smiled at the grand monk. “And you and your kind will be greatly rewarded. We will remember your servitude.”
The monks bowed.
“Thank you, Your Majesty,” the grand monk said.
What the fuck was going on? Konrad could not comprehend why the monks would want necromancers ruling the kingdoms.
Then the shadow queen approached Wraith. He leaned away, his dark eyes wary as he stared up at his mother.
She sighed. “I really had hoped you’d prove loyal to me and Necros. But you will still be of use.” She leaned down and stroked his cheek, fingernails grazing the skin. “You will be slaughtered.”
Wraith flinched.
“You and your King Konrad. I will control you, Wraith. You may be weak and feckless, but you are still blood of my blood. And there is always power in blood bonds. When you die, I will bring you back and control you through our bond, and you will control your dead dragon husband through the bonds you two share.”
“What?” Wraith choked.
“It’s a little convoluted, I admit, but it should work.
You two are bound together through the marriage contract.
And the feelings you hold for each other have strengthened that bond,” she said.
“It would have been far simpler if you’d just agreed to do as I asked.
But it will be the same outcome in the end.
Just more complicated and with you dead too. ”
“But I’m your son,” Wraith whispered.
“Yes. You are.” Then she straightened. “Wraith is my son. But I will kill him with my own hands to prove my dedication to Necros and to my king.” She turned her gaze to her husband.
“I have not always been a true and loyal queen, but I hope the sacrifice I make of my son will show where my loyalty lies.”
The shadow king took his wife’s pale hand. “I recognise this sacrifice that you make here today. I thank you for it. You are my queen, and I am grateful that you will be by my side as the age of the necromancer begins.” He lifted her hand to his lips and kissed it.
“You are both sick and twisted fuckers!” Konrad shouted. “You don’t deserve Wraith. He is far too good for you. You both deserve nothing but to burn!”
He turned to Wraith, who stared back at him. “I’m so sorry. You were too good for them and too good for me. I let you down. I’m so sorry. I care for you, and I should have never—”
He cried out as a dread knight kicked him in the back.
“Thank you, Dread Knight Barok,” the shadow king said. “Now enough chatter. Let us continue.”
Then the shadow king and queen turned towards the altar. The grand monk stepped forward and replaced the necromancer at King Alaric’s skeletal feet. Two more monks joined the necromancers to the left and right of the altar.
The monks began to chant in the ancient tongue of Lorentath. It was different to the necromancers’ chant. But rather than being incongruous, the chants melded and merged, seeming to fit together in perfect harmony.
“Oh no. It’s working,” Wraith whispered.
“What do you mean?”
“Your father can’t keep resisting.” Wraith turned to Konrad, eyes wide. “He’s being forced back into his skeleton. I think with the signed contracts, they will have enough to be able to control him.”
His father’s bones rattled and shook on the stone. They lifted into the air, pulling together and assembling. Shadow wrapped around the skeleton, swirling and twisting. Embers and fire burst amongst the shadow. And his eyes were balls of flame.
“No!” Konrad shouted. “Leave my father be!”
Konrad had seen many human skeletons. But none had looked anything like this. This was intolerable! His father was a king! He should be allowed to rest, not become some sort of twisted undead horror!
Then the skeleton opened his mouth. “How dare you!” King Alaric’s voice echoed through the crypt.
Konrad’s mouth fell open. “Father?”
“I am the dragon king! I will burn you all to ash! You will suffer! You will know more pain than you thought possible! You will die screaming!”
“Tell him to be silent,” the shadow queen snapped.
The grand monk lifted a hand. “Silence!”
The skeleton’s mouth snapped shut.
No one spoke for several seconds. Then laughter from the necromancers rang out.
“It works! Good. Very good.” The shadow queen clapped. “Now make him walk forward, towards the window.”
“Walk!” the grand monk commanded.
His father stepped down from the altar. The necromancers, undead army, and monks moved aside. King Alaric’s skeleton stumbled towards the window right at the front of the crypt. A dread knight walked towards the window and turned a handle. The window swung outwards.
“Tell him to shift,” the shadow queen said.
“Shift,” commanded the grand monk.
The skeleton trembled. The bones pulled apart. They rearranged, changing shape, form, and growing larger. His eyes remained balls of flame.
Wraith gasped as the bones turned from a human skeleton to a dragon.
“No,” Konrad whispered.
Applause broke out in the crypt.
“They did it. They really did it,” said Wraith.
The shadow queen gestured to the open window. “Now make him fly!”
“Fly,” said the grand monk.
The bone dragon stepped towards the ledge. He spread his skeletal wings wide and took flight. He swept through the air, shadow and fire dancing along bone.
“Make him shoot dragonfire,” said the shadow queen.
“Shoot dragonfire,” the grand monk commanded.
Konrad thought his father would be too far away to hear. But distance didn’t seem to matter as the bone dragon opened his mouth and flames burst forth. Cheering and clapping filled the crypt.
“A new day has begun! We have a bone dragon. And soon we will have another.” The shadow queen smiled, grey eyes glinting as she turned to Konrad.
“And we’ll have mages and sorcerers too. Our undead army will be unbeatable.” The shadow king watched the bone dragon flying. “Who could possibly stop us now?”