Wanderess

CHAPTER FOUR

CHAPTER FOUR

The next day, Fayre was awoken by the sun reflecting through her open curtains into her room, the light bouncing off the mirror opposite the window and shining directly onto her, sprawled on her massive bed.

The palace was eerily quiet, and Fayre briefly wondered what time it was.

The palace staff usually came in around dawn every morning to wake her for her training and duties, so it would have had to be earlier than that, or they let her sleep in today after her Becoming yesterday. But that was sunlight streaming into her room- so it must be later.

Today was the day. Today Fayre would begin learning all the secrets of the Kingdom in order to rule it when she came of age in a years' time. Was she ready? Not remotely, but she was going to put on a brave face and do it for her people, for her kingdom and for her family.

Fayre had no idea what she was about to learn. It could be anything. Her training was officially over- so maybe that's why her quarters in the palace were deadly silent- and now she was to be pushed into another set of training. Only this time it is to be how to run a kingdom as Queen.

She sighed as she sat up, time to start the day.

*******

Adrian paced back and forth in his room.

It was so loud. There was noise around every corner and all he wanted was for it to be quiet for the first time in his life.

His grandfather ruled with a spiked iron fist; cruel and controlling, always with the threat of violence- except when it came to volume. He let anyone run wild and create as much chaos as they wish.

Now this wasn't the kind of noise that one would except from a castle. You would expect laughter, bustling about, the clanging of pots and pans in the kitchen and other noises as such.

No.

The noises that came from this palace was anything but pleasant. Screams of agony filled the air, harsh panting and the gritting of teeth was evident in every room you entered.

Adrian Tenebris had darkness follow his every move, his entire life has been shrouded by a cloud of dark and angry actions, emotions and thoughts. Mostly not even his own. He was set to rule the kingdom of Malvat and one day take over Solas once and for all- reclaiming what once was the demon blood right so ruefully ripped from their grasp so long ago. Or so, that's what Adrian had been told his entire life what must happen.

Ironically, Tenebris itself means darkness in an old language. Pieces scattered throughout the common language for the lack of having a word to describe certain things- it is replaced with an old phrase. For lack of decency and for the humour in irony, the Prince of Darkness is titled so accordingly.

The constant headache Adrian experienced came from so many factors. His grandfather for one. The man- if you could even call him that- was a brutal and tyrannical individual. He was a direct descendant of Amon, the Fallen Angel protégé who was booted out by Cael.

His grandfather had ruled for centuries rumour claimed. Sure, Angels and Demons alike aged differently to mere mortals, Travellers and other species; slower. Their bodies metabolism keeping them from fading out in a short eighty or so years, rather, they could live for a few hundred years, depending on how potent their bloodline is from the original Angels.

But centuries. That would be a stretch even for Cael himself. He had never asked his Grandfather his age, he hadn't dared.

From a young age, Adrian was forced to train as a soldier, but rule as a King.