The Hearts that Bleed Black

Chapter 26

Kijani

When we arrived at the palace, it was clear they had been waiting for us. A small Calvary of horses stood outside in the courtyard, champing at their bits in the freezing cold. I glanced at their saddle pads, noting the emblem of a cloud on them. The emblem of Kuya. King Kedar must already be here.

We dismounted our horses, passing the reins to some grooms who rushed out with buckets of water and hay. Leaving Sayah in the care of the grooms, I turned away to follow Aspen up the icy staircase. Despite having lived in Vraekya, I had never been this close to the palace before. It was beautiful, made entirely of ice and crystal, with spires twisting high into the sky. Huge doors inlaid with diamonds stood at the entrance, four guards guarding the entrance. As we approached one guard stepped forward.

"King Aspen" he greeted us warmly, though perhaps a little contemptuous, "Her Majesty and King Kedar are already waiting inside for you."

"Thank you" Aspen nodded back, letting the guard open the doors for us. We stepped inside, followed by our soldiers. I was immediately in awe of the interior. The ceiling seemed to be as high as the sky, with beautiful pillars stretching beneath it.

"It's so cold" Aspen shivered, breaking the momentary silence, "How can someone even live here?"

"I'm merely used to it" an amused voice sounded ahead of us, "Welcome, Aspen." I turned my head to see Queen Iclyn and King Kedar standing side by side, looking at us expectantly. I jerked back in surprise, noticing a large bundle of fur sitting at Iclyn's feet. It was a tiger; it's pelt whiter than snow. I eyed it warily, wondering just how friendly it was.

"Greetings" Aspen responded, dipping his head politely.

"Your majesties" I dipped my head as well, watching them through narrow eyes. Queen Iclyn nodded back, while King Kedar smiled grimly. The tiger stared up at me with slitted pupils, eyeing me carefully.

"Let's go to the war room, shall we?" The Vraekyn queen suggested, "I believe my council will be waiting for us. I do hope your journey wasn't too difficult."

"Very well, and thank you" Aspen agreed, "We have a great many things to discuss." Iclyn turned us down the hall, striding quickly down the icy corridor, her tiger close on her heels. She didn't seem bothered by the cold, nor was I. It was Aspen and Kedar who were shivering, their lips blue. I rolled my eyes, thinking how pathetic they looked.

"Where are your higher-ups?" My ears flicked, listening in as Iclyn bent her head to whisper to Aspen, "Is Bellatrix still missing?"

"We've sent a group to retrieve her but I'm unsure if they've been successful" he shrugged, "I didn't see the point of bringing anyone along. I'm perfectly capable of making decisions by myself." Aspen shot me a glare as he said that. I smirked at him in amusement.

Hypocrite.

"Keep her and your friends as close as possible" Iclyn shook her head, "There will come a time when you realise you can't do everything on your own. You need friends to help you."

"I have Kijani," Aspen retorted, "Do I need anyone else?"

"Your young puppy love is not the same as the decade-old bonds you have with your friends" I gritted my teeth in anger at her words, wishing she'd shut up. The only person Aspen needs is me, and she is dumb if she doesn't know that. But nevertheless, she continued. "I hope you soon learn to rely on them once again because I know you once trusted them with your life."

Aspen turned his head away, glancing over to meet my eyes. My expression didn't shift, one of cold disdain. He knew I was angry.

"We have arrived" Iclyn swung open a set of double doors similar to the main doors, also inlaid with diamonds and silver. Inside, a room with a large table positioned in the centre was revealed. The table was large with enough seats to fit over a dozen people. A map was spread out in the middle, covering most of the space.