Hope

Chapter Twenty-Six: The Gray Side

I was above a flight of stairs, overlooking a hall where I knew the king's advisor would walk through. He had to pass through it in order to get to the council chambers where I had heard there was going to be a meeting. No doubt he would want to arrive either late or early, depending on the mood he wanted to establish. Either way, he would pass through this hall, which was just where I wanted him.

Apparently he was going to be fashionably late. The various council members passed through the hall without even noticing me. That was just how I wanted it. Only the king's advisor needed to see me, and he would only see me when I wanted him to see me. I had decided to call upon my father's dark gifts in order to help me. Many lives hung in the balance, so I supposed it was a good price for my soul. I was covered head to foot in shadows, and no doubt my eyes were now the color of the darkest night. I smiled. I wanted to instill fear in him like my father no doubt did before me.

A few moments after the last council member disappeared into the council room, the king's advisor decided to come. I heard his steps tapping out a beat on the marble floor. Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap.

I waited until he was almost directly under me, and I allowed my shadows to melt away. "Looking for me?" I asked, my mouth curving upward in what I thought looked like a cruel smile.

The king's advisor jumped, but then he looked up and saw me. His eyes narrowed in fury for a moment, but then his expression smoothed out. "Actually, I was expecting Shadeclaw. Do you happen to know where he is?"

"My father is dead," I replied, putting emphasis on the word 'father'. "I am his heir. I was the only one of his children he saw fit to train and place on his throne."

The king's advisor's brows furrowed in confusion. "But he had three sons, unless I am mistaken. Why you, the girl?"

I raised an eyebrow at him, cold fury in my heart. It took all my discipline to keep myself from ripping his face off then and there. "Where I come from, that is not how we do things. Women are equal to men in all things. My brothers were his first choice because he was narrow-minded for a tribe-mate. But two of them were softhearted and the other was an idiot. After he saw that, I was his favorite child."

The king's advisor dipped his head to me hurriedly. "Of course. I apologize. I was not expecting a woman." I could see the greed in his eyes. I could see that he saw the tribes as savage primitives that needed to be 'civilized'. And he wanted to be the one to do it.

"My father made it very clear to me who I was to visit when I arrived here," I said airily, giving the impression that I already knew everything. "He always said that the king was just a puppet and I wouldn't get anything out of him. You were the one to call. You have all the power and might around here. Am I correct?"

"Shadeclaw taught you well," the king's advisor said. "The king is a king in words only. He is there to look pretty and has known that all his life. So he shall not be able to help your companions, unfortunately for them. Your elven friend shall be examined – closely – and the rest of your friends shall be executed."

"You speak as though I wanted to be with them," I replied condescendingly as I started to descend the stairs. "They are all idealistic fools, the elf especially. I had not met an elf before coming here and I do not think I want to do so again. They are rather unpleasant creatures." I thought silent apologies to Zack.

"We have something in common, then," the king's advisor said, his eyes glinting again with barely hidden anger and racism. This man was so easy to read. "Perhaps you could do the honors and help us examine it. You have been around it for longer, so you might know more of its weak points. I have been thinking about an invasion of the elven forests for a long time now. You could help me with that."