Into The Storm

37

The next day, Rosalis was visited by a priest. She looked at him from her throne as he walked up to her. He bowed his head and looked back up to her.

"My queen," He addressed her. "think about what you are doing. Stop with all of these executions. One or two souls is quite enough, but this is just absurd."

"My actions help to protect the kingdom." She retaliated.

"You should give them a fair trial and just lock them up."

"I do not work like that."

"May God have mercy on your soul."

Rosalis sneered at him. The priest sighed sadly and left her.

Rosalis stepped into her chambers, taking a rest from having to deal with requests. It wasn't difficult or anything, it was just tedious and dull. Suddenly, some rustling caught her attention and she snapped her head towards the sound. Without waiting for another sign, she grabbed her sword and unsheathed it, pointed it at the open window in her chambers. A man suddenly climbed through and she instantly recognised him. She dug the blade into his neck and he held his hands up. "Give me one good reason why I shouldn't kill you right here, right now." She told him quietly but sternly. The man held his hands up in surrender.

"I want to help you." He replied, also in a hushed tone.

"You? A former agent of Wolfgrimm wants to help me? Why the sudden change of heart?"

"Wolfgrimm has been dead for a couple of months now." The agent pointed out. "Wolfholde now lives in peace."

Rosalis still kept her blade pointed into his neck, but then lowered it and sheathed it. "Speak."

"Someone in Frinnor is trying to kill you."

"What?"

"I have been hearing whispers of an impending uprising. I do not think that you can trust anyone anymore. Perhaps even your guards are in on it."

"Why are you telling me this? You are my enemy."

"Like I said, ever since the end of the war, we do not want anything to do with anyone."

Rosalis did not say anything and then closed the windows. She walked over to her door and opened it slightly, poking her head out. Her two guards looked at her. "You are both relieved from your duties." She said.

"But my queen, we are sworn to protect you." One of them pointed out.

"That's an order."

Both of the guards clicked their heels together and simultaneously nodded. They turned and then marched off. Rosalis looked around the corridor, paranoia grabbing her and then closed the door. She looked at the agent.

"If what you say be true, then you are the only one that I can trust now."

The agent tilted his head slightly. "May I confess something?"

"Go ahead."

"I was the one that saved you from your execution."

"You?"

"I forced the judge to release you, otherwise, I would launch another attack on Frinnor. One even more devastating than the last."

"And are you going to launch another attack?"

The agent scoffed. "I was bluffing. I do not want anymore bloodshed between any kingdoms."

"How would you feel about being my secret custodian and herald?"

"It would be an honour."

"I will need to know about everything that happens. Every small whisper, every suspicion. Everything. Do you understand me?"

"Perfectly."

She nodded to him. "Go. Stick to the shadows."

Rosalis' secret custodian and herald nodded and then went along his way, gathering up information.

Rosalis walked down the palace's corridors and made her way down into the dungeon. She walked down the long corridor and saw her custodian and herald, sticking to the shadows. He stepped out into the dim light and looked at her.

"May I ask why you chose this as our place of meeting?" He asked her.

"As of this moment, only I know that you exist. If anyone finds out that you, an inhabitant of Wolfholde, is working for me, you will face execution. I do not want that."

"But you are the queen."

"That be true, but an uprising against me will be more than likely. To them, you are still the enemy. You said that someone is trying to kill me."

"I do not have much information, but I have been hearing whispers."

"Go. Find out as much as you can."

He nodded and then went on his way once more.

Rosalis sat in her throne, the metal fingers of her steel hands drumming away at one of the armrests. Her eyes dashed about everywhere and she looked at each and every one of her guards, paranoia grabbing her.

Rosalis met with her secret custodian once more. "Tell me," She asked him. "is there anyone suspicious around, someone that might want to take the throne away from me?"

"There is no one, as far as I am concerned." He replied. "Everyone is living in harmony. Look, you have nothing to worry about. You saved the kingdom from Wolfgrimm and you deserve praise from your people. They are not even going to think about killing you."

"Yes. Yes, you're right." She said, calming down a bit. "Thank you." She nodded to him. "Continue with your duty."

The secret custodian inclined his head in a bow and was about to walk off.

"Stop." Rosalis suddenly said. He stopped and turned around, waited for her to continue her sentence. "Sleep with me. Just for tonight. My nerves are in tatters."

"Anything."