Once Bitten, Twice Shy

Chapter 13 - As i lay dying

 Darina's POV

“I know,  kings can be a little bit arbitrary. But tell me messenger, who sent you here, King Radomir himself or that rotting whore of a High priestess? “

“The King, your Grace “ The short middle aged man asserted. His eyes roved the hall which had been fall to silence.

He’s quick; I should give it to him. It’s been like, a day since the battle and here I am discussing the trade for the prisoners.“Lady Ino. Am I dreaming or are we back in the medieval time. Here I thought those spearing games between thrones are long gone for good?” 

“You are not dreaming my lady.”

she has no sense of humor,  Lord  Gerald was  the man for humor, but he was nowhere to be seen.

“And it appears the spearing games have just begun. History repeats itself my lady.”Lady Rhaella the black haired beauty from north said in a soft but strong voice. She had been named the rump in the litter as she was the only black haired female ever born to the legendary Vikings. She has been my chief adviser since I met her about two centuries ago. "Those who cannot remember the past are bound to repeat it. And our royals keep making the same mistakes. "

And each time history repeats itself, the price goes up. But I wouldn’t need a war at my feet, not right now, when my mind is too much muddled with emotional storms. War had been and always would be the trade of royals and it always represents a failure of diplomacy. I prefer to rule with strategy not with war that no one wins.

“Oh, then I’d give Nymeria her beloved pet. Yes I’ll release him tonight. But can you be a good lad are tell your king that I told him to stop hiding behind her skirt. Nymeria can keep him as a pet if she likes. I could swear that I had not harmed a single hair on his head, but that would not, strictly speaking be true. You can leave now.”   The messenger bowed and left the throne room escorted by two guards.

“War is like love, it has a wont of finding a way through.” I heard myself mutter after the hall was emptied except for my first circle of knights and advisers.

“ well said,my lady, spoken like a true queen , people who say War may sometimes be a necessary evil have never lived or seen one.”

“Uncle Gerald, its happy l am to see you back home well and…”

“In one piece.” He said accepting my hand and trapping me in to one of his bone squeezing hug.   

 He looked tired after a long journey to the orient .

 “Dismissed.”  I ordered and yanked Gerald in to a room; specially build to held conversations best done behind closed doors.

“Be quick mother ship. I want to open my present. You promised a bounty for twenty enemy heads on a pike .”  Rin, the samurai vampire and the youngest of my court always had a ‘I’m asking for trouble’ kind of uncontrollable mouth. People called him the baby faced assassin. Maybe that’s because he’d left the mortal world at the age of thirteen.

“Only if you behave.” I warned before closing the door before me.

“How’s my sister.”I said looking straight at his tiger yellow eyes, though he was taller than me by good two feet.

“She looked Wild as a wolf and beautiful as a lily as she always does.”  But there was something in his that I wouldn’t trust. I made a metal note to ask him that question again after he's well rested. I was getting really worried, not knowing anything about Kieran’s condition. All three servants I sent to his room came back saying that Lady Cornelia said she can’t tell anything about it yet.