King of Blood

Chapter 1 - Lyanna

Lyanna Payne knelt before the altar. It was a lavish altar paid for by the crown over two centuries ago. She thought it was likely the oldest relic in the palace to have survived The Endless War. Lyanna had seen altars in village, holy buildings made from carved plaques and talismans, but this one was pure marble. The stone was shined and carved into four quarters for the four gods of Avalon. A four-pointed star for the God of the sky, Amphorn and Lyanna's patron saint. A tall wave for Alannis, Goddess of the sea. A six-petalled flower for Silvanus, God of the earth and a curling sun for the Goddess Evanora of light, though, she imagined that the light nymphs of Evanora's island who worshipped her as a singular Goddess had a far more elaborate display. Perhaps their altar was the oldest relic.

A knock sounded from behind her as she let out a breath that had become lodged in her chest as she prayed.

"Ley?" A soft voice called from the doorway. "The king is back. He summons you." Lyanna's body dropped as she bit her lip and stood, careful not to tread on her dress. She touched her fingers to her lips and pressed them firmly against the four-pointed star and turned to face Naida Allhore, the king's alchemist.

"So soon?" The nymph responded with a sympathetic nod and held the door open for her to follow. Lyanna followed with no words, lost for them. As Naida closed the door behind her, she turned and spoke.

"What do you pray about nowadays?" She asked. Lyanna thought long and hard for a moment, looking for words she had muttered during her prayer and found nothing.

"I don't know."

The king's chambers were twice as large as any others in the Unseelie palace, decorated with red and black furnishings aside from the ironwood table, dresser and poster bed. Though, you could barely see the tabletop for all the maps and documents that had been thrown across it; Lyanna's was far tidier. Though, with a whole army to keep in check, organisation was a necessity.

She stood there by the door for a moment, watching him. The king stood by the window, a document held carefully in his heavily ringed hand, his crimson eyes scanning each letter with the caution of a brewer, his lips pressed into a thin, concentrated line. Lyanna often thought about what it would be like if the King looked a different way. If he was more muscular, if he sported a full beard. Though, the barbaric look would only let you know what to expect. No, it wasn't Aleksander's physic that warded off those who would dare to challenge him, not in the way one would expect. His lean muscles, straight back and handsome face lured one into a false sense of security. Though, Lyanna knew him better. She knew that his intelligent mind was far cruller than that of any cutthroat.

"You're lurking." The king muttered at last, not tearing his eyes from the page in his hands.

"I was just at prayer." She told him. "I didn't mean to let my thoughts overcome me." He huffed, an amused smile tugging at his lips when she did not move.

"Come sit." He turned and gestured towards a seat at his table, placing the document down in front of where she was to sit. She knew better than to show him fear, so Lyanna held her head high and stalked confidently towards the table, taking a seat. The King turned once she sat and pulled out his own chair.

 He poured her a large glass of blood-red wine from a half empty decanter in the centre of the table.

"I didn't know you still prayed."

"On occasion." She told him.

When he handed her the glass, he looked down towards the document. Her eyes followed and saw a mass of details and scribbles dictating information that she couldn't be bothered to read.

"What's this?" The King smiled.

"The spoils of my excursion, my lethal thing." Lyanna's heart recoiled. There was once a time when that term of endearment meant a great deal to her; now it only revolted her. "They're details obtained from my spy within Meria's court." His eyes sparkled with beautiful violence. "Her little lap-dog is traversing the human realm." Lyanna took the page and squinted to read the details and to her surprise, it would seem that he was truthful. The White Knight was residing in the human world.

"The Seelie still keep human records?"

"It would seem so."

"And you wish for me to kill him? Whilst he's glamoured and weak?" Aleksander's eyes glittered as he leaned in and took hold of her arm a little too firmly for her liking.

"No, my weapon." He cooed, his voice darkening. "I order you to kill him."

What Lyanna wanted to say is that it wasn't like him to order the assassination of an innocent man at his most vulnerable, that his mother would be repulsed that he would even consider such an act. But she didn't. Couldn't. Aleksander didn't listen to reason anymore.

"As you wish." She kept his gaze and watched him smile. Good; he was pleased. After a moment, he released her arm and stood, striding towards the door to let her leave.

"You will find all the details of your accommodations whilst you're there including the address at which he resides and the locations which he frequents. I expect this to take little more than a month."

She already knew that she would be able to drag that timeframe out to get as much time out of his grasp as possible. Lyanna dipped under his arm which held open the door and thanked him dryly.

"I hope you will not disappoint me." Before waiting for a response, he closed the door abruptly behind her.

At the end of the corridor, Naida stood leaning against the cold, stone window frame, she startled when she approached.

"What did he want this time?" She asked, joining her as she stepped down the corridor towards her own chambers.

"I'm to go to the human realm, he wants me to assassinate the White Knight." Naida scoffed.

"Only?" Lyanna hummed in response. If she was honest with herself, killing the Seelie knight was a decently simple task; it was well known that their Unseelie soldiers were far better disciplined than their fairer counterparts. Perhaps it had something to do with the relatively new training regime the king had employed within a month of his coronation; it was cruel and testing, but it worked. Lyanna was thankful that she had trained before his succession.

"At least you'll get some time away." Naida added as they entered Lyanna's chambers, a trunk already open on her bed and ready to be packed.

"And what will you do with him whilst I'm away?" She asked, beginning to pack some nightclothes that she could still wear whilst in the human lands. Naida shrugged and begun helping with the trunk.

"Keep him happy, I suppose. Well, as happy as possible."

"You'll keep me informed?" Lyanna asked, turning from the desk. The nymph smiled and dipped her head.

"Always." Lyanna's brow creased as she set down the blanket she was folding, approaching her friend, and taking her blue hands in her own.

"Don't let him hurt you." Naida scoffed and smiled weakly.

"You're one to talk."

"I'm different. Our relationship is... different." Naida dropped her hands and went back to packing the trunk.

"No." She mumbled. "It should have been different." There was no response she could think of aside from a low hum, so she continued to pack in silence, making the most the little time they had left together before she had to leave her in the hands of Aleksander.