"I will not allow them to take her," yelled Giuseppe, anger written across his aged features. A rage lit up his hazel eyes like nothing another had seen before, simultaneously hot enough to burn nearby villages and freeze hell. However, what angered him more was anyone's guess. Perhaps it was the idea of losing control of his niece, the young woman he seemed to hate so much. Or maybe it was now that she had somehow gained the attention of two royals, whereas his precious daughter had yet to achieve any goals he had set before regarding marriage prospects.
"You do not have a choice," simply responded King Matthias, his eyes flickering over to the man who had previously introduced himself as Finn Balor. Matthias suspected he was far more than the traveler he claimed to be; the way he acted, spoke, and conducted himself suggested he was no lowly lord working for an elderly king; he was a king and a powerful one. "King Athelstan has requested Lady Devitt, I will not break an alliance to settle your selfish desire for control, least of all of someone you have no say over," harshly added the king, making it clear he would do what was best for his kingdom rather than what a disgraced knight demanded.
"Then I will travel to Northumbria and request an audience with their king," replied Giuseppe, his voice dripping with venomous hatred. Even now, he could not fathom the idea of his niece being chosen over his daughter. He could not bring himself to accept one was desired by both a prince and a king. "I shall hear for myself why he desires such a pathetic child over my much-preferred daughter," he added, his voice harsh and demanding, making his unspoken intentions clear.
"If war is your desire, Lord Snow, you have no place here in Umbara," voiced Prince Lucian, a serious tone to his otherwise calm voice. For years, he had been prepared for his future role as king. He'd been taught politics by his father, to love his people and respect them by his mother, encouraged by both of them to be the best version of himself. He was now a protector of the realm, a swordsman who'd stand by the bravest men when the time called for it. There was only one task left for him to complete: marry. "You may have forgotten the values of our realm, and you may think your desires make you more deserving than other men. But I assure you, you are no more free from the laws of our land than any other man. You have been given leniency in the past and have taken advantage of the kindness of others. But I will not stand by and watch as you tear our country apart, bring war when none should exist. So if you want war, you will be facing it alone."
"Careful boy," worded Giuseppe, his anger more defined than before. However, his eyes of judgment were not focused on the prince at which his words were thrown. But the traveler he'd branded as an intruder, an enemy he had yet to declare conflict with. "I am not someone you wish to make an enemy out of, and you are too young and naive to know what is good for you," he added, his words serving as a warning and one that did not go unnoticed by Mattias.
The room fell deathly silent soon enough; Giuseppe's gasp of horror and fear was all that could be heard as he quickly stepped back away from the man who appeared nothing more than a lowly traveler. Where his eyes had once been an unnerving cold, icy blue, they were now a deep yellow ringed with an orange of fire. There was no mistake in what the sudden change was meant to be—a warning and a message in the only way Giuseppe could understand and listen to intimidation.
"And I am not an enemy you want," voiced Finn as his eyes returned to the usual icy blue. He had displayed his power, although he quickly learned it came at a cost when the stone torch of fire near the carved arched window lit itself ablaze. Finn was no fool; he knew it was a warning from someone in his realm, Damian, most likely at Jeff's request. "I came here intended to restore peace. I do not intend to harm Lady Devitt nor claim her as my own. Only to restore what was. I may be a monster, but she never will be. Whether you see it or not, Lord Snow, Viserra Devitt will be queen one way or another, whether a gentle, mundane queen ruling at the side of your prince or as the true queen of my realm. Either way, you lose," spoke Finn, his smirk turning more wicked as he shone a light on what Giuseppe dreaded most. His niece becoming a queen.
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Between Two Worlds
Fanfiction"The northern shadow grows as the Dark Queen rises from the ashes of the Lost Princess. The silver legacy forever binds two to The Seven. Constant war brews as two worlds forever collide, double the suffering and pain. From the shadow of the last qu...
