Cold Blood and Icy Hearts: Tale of Caine Conven (Discontinued)

Chapter 3: Life begins anew and so do the terrors

It has been many weeks since Zane had been banished from the underworld, and permanently fired from his position as demon general. He has been unconscious since he had been dropped. As he struggles to awaken, he sees a bright light overhead. He attempts to approach it and his eyes eventually open wide enough to see that it is a light. As he collected his thoughts, he attempted to sit up, only to be stopped when he hears someone else in the room. "I wouldn't do that if I were you. Your torso has been pierced with a sword, and from what I saw on the x-ray, the blade went pretty deep." The voice spoke out. It was a woman's voice, but she spoke soft, yet sternly. Zane sat up, despite the warning of the woman who was there, and his stomach immediately began to hurt, making him wince in pain. Zane grabbed his stomach as he sat up, before looking down. His body was covered in bandages and it hurt for him to move, much.

As he looked around he started to gather his surroundings, and even saw the woman. She was hunched over a desk, typing at a computer. Her skin was fair, and her hair was dark. She sighed when she heard the commotion of Zane sitting up. She sat up and looked at Zane in pure anger. "I told you not to sit up! Lay back down and let me see." She said as she walked over to him. As she approached, Zane saw that she was wearing royal clothing and as she stood over his body while he laid down, he finally realized who she was. It was the queen of the ice kingdom, Noelle. She began to examine his torso, and sighed before she went back to her desk. "You're lucky the wound didn't reopen. You're also lucky I don't kill you for coming back here!" She said matter-of-factly as she stared at him from afar. "Why did you come back?" She asked as she waited for an answer, her voice sounded as if she was holding back both tears and rage.

Zane hesitated to speak as he heard her question. He sighed as he looked away from her and began to speak. He gave her the rundown as best he could. "When I left here, the last time you saw me, I returned home. The underworld's general barracks were busy as always, but there was someone in my bunk. It turns out they replaced me, assuming I was dead under the orders of the demon king, which is what I assume happened the first time I was unconscious in your castle." He began saying as she looked at him. "Then, I went to speak with the king and he confirmed that it was true. Then him and I fought, and....well the aftermath is what you so kindly patched up. I appreciate it." He finishes the story and looks back at her, confused as he remembers their last conversation. "Why did you save me this time? You could have left me to die, and avenged your father."

She cuts him off as she stands up and looks over at him. "My duty is to serve my kingdom, and preserve my fathers legacy. My father wouldn't wish death upon you if you didn't wrong me. Saving you showed you that his legacy is more important than you." She said as she stood up and walked to a nearby closet and took out a set of crutches, and more. "It looks like your wound has healed. I will let you stay in the castle, however you will earn your stay here. You will work of your life debt to me, as well as work in apology of my father. You start in 5 days time. Understood?" She asked as she handed him the crutches. As he grabbed the crutches, their hands touched and she pulled her hands back very quickly as she began to blush. She turns and walks out of the room, waiting for Zane to follow. When he follows she leads him to a bedroom that is vacant. "I will be sending the tailor in here in an hour to check your measurements so that you can have some clothes made for you. Everyone in the castle staff have their own uniforms, and so will you." She says as she walks away with a slight smile.

Zane would follow her to the room and nod when she informs him of the tailor. He watched as she left before closing the door and beginning to explore his new room. Eventually he finds some clothes in the room; a pair of long pants, a button down shirt, and a long blue and white robe. At that moment he started looking around and he noticed who's room he was in...he dropped onto the bed and sighed as he realized he would be staying in the room of the man who he had recently killed: former King Blake. After that, he would sigh and begin to throw the spare clothing out. He would then hear a knock at the door, and thinking that it was the tailor, took his shirt off so that his measurements would be more accurate. When he opened the door however, it was Queen Noelle. Her face had been flushed with red at the sight of him shirtless. She never noticed how muscular he had looked when she was examining him during his surgery. He looked at her with a look of confusion before leaning down to look at her in the eyes. "Can I help you with something, your majesty?" He asked as he walked over and put his shirt back on.