Chapter Twenty Two
Fate has a funny way of catching up with you.
I felt as if my soul was outside of my body as Xavier escorted me into the throne room, where Zohar was waiting for me.
His face was a picture of fury. I had no doubt that Uri had informed him about the Noxlin that had trained me.
He stood by this truth pool, watching me intently.
Nell and Noor were to the left of the throne, fear written all over their faces. Fear for me.
Elin stood behind my father, clutching the top of his throne.
She gave me a sly, gloating smile. This was what she had wanted all along: me out of the picture so my father and her could try and produce another heir.
Closing my eyes, I reached out to Holy Ether, begging her to hear me out.
Please, Holy Ether, please let me complete my destiny.
I can’t get out of this myself. I need your help and guidance.
I don’t want to bond with Xavier. Help me! Show me my true path!
“Alora, tell me this isn’t true!” my father bellowed, slamming his fist down on the arm of his throne.
“First, I learned you have been trained in battle by one of our own kind. That was enough to generate my outrage, but then, Uri realised it’s not a Dylin that trained you, but a Noxlin!
Our sworn enemy! Have you completely lost your mind?
HOW DARE YOU DEFY ME IN SUCH A WAY!” Zohar was up out of his chair now, pacing the room.
“I have no choice now but to declare war!”
“No! Father!”
“SILENCE!” My father’s voice echoed across the great room.
“You are lucky I’m not banishing you! You have made a fool out of me and our race!
What did you possibly hope to gain from being trained in battle by a Noxlin?
” My father motioned towards Xavier and Uri.
“Take hold of her!” Before I could even scream, Xavier grabbed me around the waist, holding me tightly in place.
His fingers dug into my hips painfully while I tried to squirm against him.
Uri walked over to me with a stern look on his face.
“If this Noxlin has deflowered you, I will lash you myself.” My father’s tone was incensed.
His eyes burned straight through me. “And Xavier is welcome to every single piece of you if you’ve been tainted.
” Even trying with all my strength, I couldn’t break Xavier’s hold as Uri drew closer.
I searched the room, pleading with someone there to help me.
Nell was holding Noor down, tears streamed down her face.
Uri pulled his light power into his right hand.
Two more guards appeared either side of me, taking hold of each of my arms. This allowed Xavier to release me and stalk me in a circular pattern.
“I need better access to her sex,” Uri commented to Xavier. “Rip the bottom of her dress.” Of course the general didn’t need to be told twice. He had waited centuries to get a glimpse of my body. He ripped my skirt, his hands lingering a little too long on the inside of my thighs.
When I felt Uri’s hand underneath my undergarment, I screamed out! No! I was the princess! They couldn’t do this to me.
“Alora, hold still. If you don’t fight, it will be over quicker!” Xavier ordered, but I noticed the smirk on his face. The bastard was enjoying this. He liked watching me be humiliated.
Uri’s power teased the inside my sex, making sure no seals had been broken.
The feel of his light there had tears trickling down my face.
This was what being violated felt like. This wasn’t a soft touch like Darce had done.
This was an intrusion. This was being touched without consent, and it was my own race doing it to me, not a barbaric Noxlin that I had been taught about from a young age.
Suddenly, being back with my mother’s murderer felt like a better option.
My race were everything Darce had told me they were. They were the barbaric ones.
“Good news, My Lord. She is yet to be deflowered,” Uri called out to my father, finally removing his hand. It was too late, though. Hate and power had already started to surge through my body, and this time, Darce wasn’t here to extinguish it.
“You fucking animals!” I screamed, pulling from their hold as my light power scorched my entire body.
“This is how you treat your princess?” Pulling the light sword from the nearest guards scabbard, I aimed it at Uri and Xavier.
“Would you like to find out how well the Noxlin trained me?” I threatened.
Twisting the sword in my hand, I stared deadly at Uri.
“If you ever touch me like that again, I will kill you!”
“Alora! Enough!” My father shot his light power at me, but I caught it, holding him back with my own. “You’ve manifested?” he gasped, dropping his light beam in awe.
“No! This is just a sample of the power I will channel.” Shooting my power straight at him, it hit his shoulder and he fell back towards his throne.
“My Lord!” Xavier stood in front of me, protecting Zohar. “Bond her to me now. I will make sure she gets back in line.”
“Fuck you, Xavier!” I spat, getting into a lunging stance. I wanted to take this bastard down. I would rather die than bond with him.
“I see that the Noxlin has been teaching you things other than fighting. You appear to have learnt their foul language, as well. Where did our innocent princess go?” Xavier goaded, drawing his sword.
“She is right here, but can protect herself from predators like you!”
“You think of me as a predator?” It felt good to tell him the truth...for Xavier to see how much he repulsed me. “You’ve been mine since birth, Alora.”
“I belong to no one,” I seethed, making the first blow. Xavier blocked my attack. Two of the guards tried to join in, but he signalled them away. He was testing me. He wanted to see how well Darce had trained me.
We continued the dance for a little while. Xavier was our best warrior, and those in the room could hardly believe I was defending myself so well.
Pivoting, I managed to knock his sword from his hands, but he used his brute strength to shove me back in time to be able to stretch for it.
Lunging while he was still kneeling to collect his blade, I aimed the true edge of my sword at his neck.
Xavier spun just in time, protecting himself as he tried to sweep my legs from underneath me.
It was a move I knew well. I retreated a few steps before I made my advancement.
Spinning as I moved, I connected with his blade over and over.
The clink of metal was all that could be heard in the great hall.
Leaping back, I gave Xavier a feigned movement.
You’ve got to surprise your opponent. Catch them off guard.
That was one of the things Darce had taught me.
Leaping back towards him as he let his guard down, I cut him slightly on the left side of his arm.
All these centuries of practising, I could hardly believe that I was as good as Darce had told me.
Xavier looked at me in awe, standing down.
“I’ll give it to the Noxlin. He has trained you well.
Not one of my soldiers has ever been able to draw blood.
” Xavier surrendered his sword, backing away from me.
He looked over to my father, who had a perplexed look on his face.
“My Lord, let’s be done with this. Bond us, and I’ll be able to control her for you.
I can make her forget this Noxlin and everything he has taught her.
” I charged for him with pure fury until Xavier shot a wave of fire at me, stopping me in my tracks.
All those centuries of learning. All those moments with Darce.
No, I didn’t want to forget them. He may have been the Noxlin that killed my mother, but those memories were all I had left now.
“We can’t do that yet, Xavier.” My father stepped towards me.
“Alora has something to do for our kind first.” Touching my face, he gave me a smile of bewilderment.
“It seems this Noxlin cares for you a great deal.” How would my father know that?
“You have played your part well, my daughter.” I had no idea what he was talking about.
“He won’t see you coming if you continue on as you have. ”
Frowning at his sudden change in mood, I started to speak. “Father, I...”
I didn’t get a chance to finish before he interrupted me. “You have the power to be portaled to where he resides, Alora. You can find him in Eallarim. His connection with you will be his undoing. Uri had a vision while you and Xavier were duelling.”
“I don’t understand,” I whispered, looking at Nell and Noor, who had been allowed to join me. Noor threw her arms around me and sobbed.
“You can channel the portal to him,” Nell commented. “In time, you might be able to create your own portal, but Uri can give you some of his power for now. You can use it to find the Noxlin.”
“Why would I need to portal to Eallarim?” I couldn’t help but grimace when I watched Elin come into view.
“That’s easy to understand,” she sneered.
“You will gain his trust. Find out all of Eallarim’s secrets.
..and then betray him. What better way to get revenge for your mother than destroying the entire Noxlin race?
” Right now, I wasn’t sure what I was capable of, but there were two things I did know.
One: I wanted to get as far away from my father, Xavier, Uri, and Elin as I could.
Two: Darce had ended our conversation abruptly, and I had my own questions to ask him.
I wasn’t finished with him yet! I might run him through with my sword after I had my answers, but I would allow Holy Ether to make that choice for me.
It seemed she had answered my prayers. She had given me a way to escape, even if it was only for a little while.