King of Dust

Chapter 37

Astrid recovered, color returning to her cheeks and light returning to her eyes. While she worked on feeling better, I took care of things that I should have centuries ago. I spent a few days with the Mortreans, repairing my relationship with Zinzan and his brother as best as I could. They did not trust me, but we formulated a plan. They intended on leaving Starkovia for good for the first time in four hundred years, and they invited me to go with them. I considered it but could not leave. I needed to sort out things with Urien. I had one more thing to make right, and as much as I wanted to use Astrid's magick on myself, I couldn't. With regular vampires, those who were bitten by a head of a clan, they could be cured by eliminating or curing the original source. Because I was cursed, I could not risk it.

For now, I needed to fix the most recent and immediate messes I had made. I gave my most expensive heirlooms and jewelry to Zinzan in hopes that the Mortreans could sell them. If anything, it would make up for years of servitude and loyalty. After that, I returned to my castle, Urien at my side. Siv had not brought anyone new into the court, and the castle was just as ghostly and empty as it had been the day I left. Urien and I lurked through the halls, looking for her, and finally found her alone, pale, and thin. Soon, she would be released from her curse, I promised her. Urien explained what had transpired while I roamed the back corners of my old home.

I gutted the stores of treasure in the catacombs of my castle, taking whatever riches I could carry from dead relatives. I avoided my room and my brother's, only daring to enter parts of the castle that held no memories. I left some of my wealth in the house of the mayor of Starkovia, in the house of the burgomaster of Nessden, and finally at the abbey in Kalka. My entire fortune was given away, and I hoped that the gold and jewels that I no longer needed could lift Starkovia from poverty.

Once Astrid recovered, I asked her to accompany me to the castle one final time, hoping to undo the most recent mistake I had made. Siv wasted no time on pleasantries and entreated Astrid to remove the curse. There was, of course, the fear that it would not work. Gods were fickle, and if they decided this cause did not suit theirs, Astrid would never again be able to use such powerful magick.

She prayed under her breath and sunlight shone through the stained-glass windows of my throne room for the first time. Dust exploded from the glass, returning it to its once bright color. Grime and cobwebs evaporated in the throne room, disappearing as if it had never been there, and color returned to the carpet. A beam of light coated Astrid in a rainbow of color and a swirl of light traced its way across Siv's brow, leaving the same mark of Ohaldin on her as the spell had on Yra. I felt a weight lift from my heart. She returned to normal, free of the undead burden I had placed on her. I told her she could remain and continue to rule, but she seemed disinterested. It was quite the job, after all.

That spell took a lot out of Astrid. Weak and worse for wear than before, she fell into a deep sleep. Astrid slumbered for days, unmoving like a fairytale princess under a curse. Urien assured me that she would be fine, and that magick of that magnitude would drain any mage. I remained by her side, and only left after she finally opened her eyes, weak but alive.

I spent time with Yra as he recovered, also, and he allowed me to feed on him. It was the first real meal that I had put in my mouth in weeks, but I resisted the urge to drink more than what I knew he could handle. I did not want to hurt him any more than I already had. What I drank was not enough, and though I had satiated the hunger for now, the deficit from travelling with Urien had caused the ravenous ache to persist in my stomach and my mind. I fulfilled my promise to him, and after I had my drink, I bought him his from a local pub, one of the only ones in Nessden that was still standing.

Yra returned to his rosy-cheeked, Human state day by day, and he went with me to the burgomaster in hopes that he may be able to help me find a suitable ruler for Starkovia. He was not going to let me shirk my duties, after all I had promised. We had a long conversation about it over tea. After a lengthy discussion on the responsibilities of ruling a country, the door opened, and I was surprised to find the burgomaster's son, Toma.