A Court of Trust and Enemies

Chapter 21

He loved to rile her up, to make her panic and flee. When Luna's claws left his mind, Axios forced the High Lord back to the Darkness. He had no intention to tell him what she had done. Not when he was alone, not when he couldn't see her reaction to her fathers disappointment.

But one thing more that he loved with talking to her like that, was that he could feel that she was stronger, meaning that she was closer. Somewhere within the borders. Axios left the upper floor, walking back down to the great hall.

His father had ordered a feast to be held down there. Music filled the hall, some were dancing, others standing around with drinks. If he didn't know what had happened, it almost looked the same as when he came here with Luna. The difference was the lonely throne, standing there without its partner. And instead of the High Lord and Lady standing on the platform with the thrones, it was Axios' father and his brothers that stood there. His father was on the throne, and the four remaining brothers stood behind him. Axios walked up to take his place, leaving an empty hole for the dead brother.

The feast continued. Females in dresses that barely were called a dress danced, it should have made him excited, made his blood rusch. But no. Nothing in him reacted to the bodies. He could feel the scent from his brothers change, and slowly, one by one they left. Soon only Axios and his father was left in the room. Both of them held the Darkness standing.

"No female that catches your interest?" His father asked after a long silence.

"No." Axios said back.

"I see." another long silence. A female came up to his father and started to dance.

She was good, Axios almost called her beautiful, but she wasn't Luna. Nothing made her stand out, no markings, no strong body. Just a normal female.

"I know that you have been talking to the prisoners." His father then said. "Why?" The female left.

"I wanted to see them suffer as I told them what was happening." Axios let his voice be monotone and empty, just like his father.

"It will give them strength to be out of the Darkness."

"And then crush them when it returns." A smal, cold and sinister smile entered his fathers lips.

"That is good... Give them hope and then take it away." The music changed.

"Why must all of them die?" Axios then asked.

"I want us to get our titles back. And for that all of them need to die." a cold answer.

"But Luna-"

"She has already fled from you once, I don't see why she would like to stay with you after this. And she will need to die soon."

"But if she returned?"

"She would still need to die. Forget about her Axios, this place is filled with beautiful females, or take the white beauty from Spring. It is the Night Court tradition to steal the brides from Tamlin." His father snapped his fingers and a servant came with a goblet of wine.

"I don't think that is a tradition that is in our interest to keep." And if his father knew who that beauty was. That Luna had fled to hide with Tamlin of all males.

"Then take someone else. Forget about her."

Axios didn't respond, he just looked around in the great hall, seeing how the dancing had slowed down, and the crowd had thinned out as the participants left. And Axios followed. Walking out to wander the hallways alone.

The once decorated corridors now laid bare and empty, stripped of all reminders of the old ways. It didn't feel like the same place he and Luna had walked around in. Where they had talked and laughed together. It all was so long ago...