Wanderess

CHAPTER ELEVEN

CHAPTER ELEVEN

"So, you're telling me that you laid waste to the entire city of Lia, burned their food and shelter, murdered hundreds and exposed yourself to the Princess without killing her, and that she managed to escape?" The King of Malvat watched his Grandson's every move. Every intake of breath, every rise and fall of his chest, each twitch of his fingers around the hilt of his blade. The King watched every blink, every stray strand of dark hair that blows in the air, a draft coming from invisible forces.

The Prince of Darkness was keenly aware that his every move was being monitored, his every action. He kept his breathing even and steady and only moved when his fingers would cramp over the hilt of his Father's beautiful sword. Nodding once- just a slight dip of his head, Adrian let his King know he had spoken true.

Expecting a roar of rage, a flicker of fire in the ruler's eyes, something to display his upset at the Princess escaping.

Adrian hadn't mentioned that he had let her go. He'd be signing his own death warrant if he did. The King merely believed that she had escaped, flapping away with her glorious wings while he was distracted. His bloodied and dirtied body from the battle- both before and during his escapades with the Princess- proving they had sparred, only not indicting to the Dark King the minor extent of said interaction.

Instead of the anger the Prince expected, the King gave a large smile, then he began to laugh.

Not a laugh that conveys joy or happiness. But rather a dark, cruel and wicked chuckle accompanied by a grin deadly enough to scare the largest beast with the biggest maw. The King's laugh caused a ricochet of silence to encompass the Underground Castle. No one dared move a muscle or make a sound. The below of the laugh shook Adrian to the very core, how strange. His Grandfather laughed at such times. The Princess had escaped, and he had lost many men today thanks to her skill on the battlefield.

Smiling still, the King was a man of mystery and murder. The Prince of Darkness was stiff with anticipation, he wasn't sure what he was waiting for, but he knew it couldn't be could.

The King looked his Grandson directly in his onyx eyes, keeping his stare he said, "Perfect."

Confusion swept over the Prince and the Court. What was this madman on about?

The King continued, "Now the Princess herself knows exactly what we are capable of and knows that what we brought today was only a fraction of the havoc we can wreak. You left the poor soul alive and now she will relay what she has seen to Theodore and the Kingdom will be in chaos, making ridiculous preparations for our next attack, only to be slaughtered right from under his nose." The ear-to-ear grin he wore did not waver, it did not shrink, it only grew. The sight unnerved the Prince more deeply than he cared to admit, very deeply indeed.

His Grandfather continued, "You, Prince. You will go under the cover of darkness tonight and find out what you must, then report back to me on the easiest way to get into the Palace. Then prince, and only then, will you prove yourself to me. To this kingdom. And you will earn your Birthright."

The air evaporated from Adrian's lungs as he understood the Kings words. His Birthright. They had discussed it since he was a mere child. His Father hadn't received his Birthright before he was slaughtered by those damn Angels. It was proof that he was ready to rule over Malvat, that he was capable of being the cold-hearted beast they all believed him to be. If he completed this mission of infiltration set by the King, then he would become what was expected of him. He would fulfil his destiny.

Adrian would learn about the location of Cael's Halo.

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