Descendants of the Kings (Book 2)

Ch 10.2: The price of the Crown

"As you all know, last night, we suffered an unexpected attack in the alps of Caelum. We were attacked by Troibs."

"I heard," Valren called, a small frown between her brows. "I spoke with Ser Gawain and debriefed him. He says it was dozens, something unlike he'd ever seen. Troibs rarely leave the Barren Forest, least of all in Winter. Have we any information on why that could have been?"

"I spoke with an emissary from Caelum," Blaise spoke quietly. "There have been rumours of a few rogue creatures coming from the Barren Forest, but nothing like this. It was mostly a few sightings. They thought it was perhaps due to the storm."

"I assure you, this has nothing to do with a storm," Callan muttered darkly. "This was a planned attack, and it spoke of organisation. Something the Troibs aren't known to be capable of doing."

"We went to the place of the attack this morning," he continued. "All the bodies were gone."

"How is that possible?" Ella blinked owlishly. She could recall the lumps on the snow, piling high as the knights worked their way through the horde. There had been dozens of bodies littering the ground.

"There were no bodies, no weapons, not even a sign of a scuffle," Aedion spoke up, though he glared at the table and let out an unamused laugh. "It was as if we'd imagined the attack in the first place. Not even the snow was disturbed."

An eerie chill went through Ella, despite the crackling fire in the corner of the room. Ever since the night before, she felt as if she was still in that dark forest, hearing the pounding steps of her pursuers coming near. Even now, she felt as if they were just behind her, breathing down her neck.

"Were you looking for weapons?"

Aedion turned to her briefly. "Yes. Healer Sulimona managed to clean out Ser Cadrillen's wound, but we wanted a larger sample to examine."

Ser Cadrillen. Ella had gone to see him early in the morning, bearing a gift basket and hefty apologies. He was still in the infirmary wing, but he was as chipper as ever. When she arrived, she half-wondered if she'd accidentally walked into a party, as full of flowers, baskets of pastries and gifts as the infirmary was.

She needn't have worried, as Ser Cadrillen assured. He was more than fine. His leg was bandaged, but he was already making a remarkable recovery, and he was happy to indulge in the attentions from maids, fellow Ladies of the court and friends who had already sent dozens of gifts his way, as he regaled them with tales of the attack. It was the only thing that eased her guilt. At least Ser Cadrillen was enjoying himself.

"We have examined the substance," Zella spoke up. "As the last time I saw it, it was much too contaminated to truly make out the entire components. Despite this, Healer Sulimona and my conclusion remain the same in both cases; both are liquid iron."

Liquid iron. The foul-smelling goop Ella had once cleaned out of Aedion. The one that had debilitated him and prevented him from healing himself. Instinctually, Ella shifted and met Aedion's gaze. It was a brief moment, but it made her breath stutter. She quickly looked away.

"But how is that possible?" A gleam of interest swathed Blaise's features, despite his evident worry. "Iron is solid. Even when it melts, it is only at extreme temperatures. It does not retain a liquid state."

"This iron is mixed with something else. Something that makes it liquid and more potent. Something with the ability to cause grave harm," Zella murmured. "The formula has changed since the last time I saw it. It has evolved. It was more difficult for Healer Sulimona to remove it, and its effects are stronger. It is clear that someone is designing a better formula."