"Do you even have a plan?" Selene asked. Her eyes darted across the room as Illia paced the floor. She paused, thinking, then she continued walking.
"Not really. I have a general idea but that is not good enough to get Valethar to me," Illia took deep breaths, the wood creaking below her.
Illia stopped for a moment. Her breath paused with her. "Have we ever thought about why Adeline wants Valethar so much?"
Selene pondered the thought for a moment. "I think that we decided it was because Valethar is the only thing that can kill you,"
Illia shook her head. "We do not know that to be true. What if it is simply another lie that was made up by my mother?"
Selene nodded slowly. "I suppose it is a possibility. But, shouldn't you be coming up with a plan?"
Illia sighed dramatically. "Yes, I will get to work." she walked out of her bedroom, Selene following closely behind. Illia walked down the staircase and the halls into the arsenal.
She opened the door to find the blacksmiths melting metal for new swords. One of them snapped up.
"How can we help you, Your Majesty?" he said, bowing.
Illia looked around the room, trying to find her sword when her eyes landed on the big case. The glass case held The Sword of Damnation. Illia's sword. She pointed at it and looked to the blacksmith.
"Sharpen that, please," she said. The blacksmith nodded and bowed as Illia walked out of the room with Selene.
"Now I need to fetch some armor. I will not be fighting in a skirt this time," Illia said, rolling her eyes as she walked quickly down the halls. Illia did not like to keep her armor in the arsenal, but instead in her very room.
"So what exactly is the plan?" Selene asked as Illia walked up the stairs.
"Put this armor on, get my sword, go to the castle, find Valethar, and release him," Illia made it sound so simple.
"Will you help me with my armor?" she asked Selene once they got to her bedroom. Selene nodded once as she watched Illia open her closet door. She parted hangers with gowns down the middle, revealing a hidden door. She grabbed a key from the loose floorboard beneath her foot and unlocked the hidden compartment.
When Illia opened the door, shiny iron armor was revealed. Illia pulled the heavy suit from the closet and handed it to Selene. Once Illia was ready for Selene to put on the armor, she nodded.
Selene placed the breastplate over Illia's head and secured it onto her body. She placed the shoulder pads next, then the brassard. Selene slipped the golden gauntlets onto Illia's hands as the cold steel shocked her warm skin. While Selene checked the tightness of the breastplate, Illia slipped on leather pants and her cuisse over them. She knocked on the steel as its hollow sound rang throughout the room.
"Would you like me to do your hair?" Selene asked, straightening Illia's shoulder pads. Illia nodded and Selene grabbed a brush off the vanity.
She began brushing Illia's hair and pulled two strands back. She braided two braids over Illia's head.
"Two braids signify the unity of two kingdoms," Selene said, weaving her fingers between strands of hair.
Illia looked at Selene in the mirror. "Illia, do you think that instead of trying to take over Astrean, you unify us?"
Illia looked down at her hands in her lap. "I don't know. I know that is not what Adeline would want. She would much prefer to take over Veraxin. And handing her a victory would be no better than taking over Astrean myself. I just need to get Valethar and get all of this over with,"
Selene nodded as she tied off the braid. Illia looked from herself to Selene and sighed.
"Are you ready?" Selene asked, placing her hands on Illia's shoulders. She nodded slightly and rose from her chair.
"Stay here, lock the doors, and keep the guards close," Illia said, beginning to walk out of her bedroom door.
She looked back before descending the staircase and Selene offered an encouraging smile. Illia smiled back and began walking down the stairs.
She received her freshly sharpened sword from the armory and began walking to the horse stables.
Illia saddled her horse and mounted it, placing her sword in her sheath. She held the hilt tightly in her grip and began riding to the castle of Astrean.
As Illia was riding down the multiple paths, she noticed the closer she got to Astrean, the more frail and gray the plants were. She smiled and took slight joy in knowing that Astrean was suffering. But, when Illia thought about it more, she knew that considering this was the kingdom she grew up in, she did not want it to suffer.
She blocked out any negative thoughts and continued down the path. Illia needed to stay focused on one thing. Getting Valethar.
When she reached the front gates, she pulled the reins on her horse back. Illia looked around the castle for any sign of Valethar. Just as she had begun to doubt her abilities to find him, she noticed a section of the palace that seemed to be very separate from the rest of it.
Illia squinted, trying to see inside the small window. She noticed a big shadow that appeared on the walls. Illia knew this castle like she knew her fingers and she knew exactly what that place was. It was the place where her mother would keep monsters or creatures.
Illia knew that was exactly where Valethar was. She diverted her gaze to the gates in front of her and placed her hand on the hilt of her sword. She threw her arm toward the gates as they swung open.
The bouquets that once bloomed and flourished on the overlook had withered and wilted. Illia removed her feet from the stirrups and demounted her horse, leaving it at the front of the gates.
She patted its neck and looked into its eyes. "Stay here, girl," Illia began walking on the bridge leading to the front doors. A frigid breeze pierced the skin on her face as the gray clouds hung low.
Illia drew her sword, the sound of scraping metal echoing down the bridge. She wondered where the guards were. Where the people were. Astrean seemed to be completely deserted.
Illia continued walking down the bridge until she reached the front door. She used her powers to open them and a cloud of musty, dry dust rushed against her face. Illia coughed and waved her hand in front of her eyes. Once the dust had settled, she looked around the grand foyer. Cobwebs occupied every corner and spiders crawled on the chairs.
Illia's nose scrunched as the smell of rotting flesh flooded her senses. She continued walking down the hall and into the dining hall.
The rotten stench grew more potent when she stepped into the dining room. Illia looked around the dimly lit room and squinted, barely able to see. She noticed a slight movement in one of the chairs at the head of the table and stepped closer, holding her sword out.
"No need to be scared," a raspy male voice said from the chair. Illia watched his movements closely. He lifted his hand and lit a match, revealing his face. The aging lines on his face were shadowed by the dim light in his hand.
"Niklaus?" Illia asked, moving closer. "What are you doing here?" Illia remembered seeing Niklaus only once when she was a child, but her mother always talked about him.
Niklaus sighed and adjusted himself in his seat. "All I can say is Adeline shouldn't have gotten that close to my cell,"
Illia's eyebrows creased together. "What did you do?"
"Look for yourself," Niklaus said, gesturing below his feet. Illia knew that he meant the cell so she began walking quickly out of the dining room. But before she walked out, she saw another person slumped over in a chair at the opposite end of the table.
Illia grabbed her sword but kept it inside of her sheath as she stepped closer. The decomposing smell grew stronger as she stepped nearer. She reached into her pocket and grabbed a match.
Illia lit the match and held it to the person's face. When she saw the man's face she screamed and jumped back, the match falling to the floor.
The man sitting in front of her was not a living man. His body was skin and bone, his skin almost translucent. The holes in his face where his eyes once lay were filled with spiders. The skin on his cheek was peeling off, revealing his black teeth. He was barely recognizable.
Illia noticed the medal on his lapel and gasped. The corpse in front of her was Dreyden. She had killed him and now she was seeing what she had done. Illia stared, terrified, at the large slice in his chest. She held her shaky hand to her mouth, backing up slowly.
"It is funny, isn't it? You can feel the guilt flood your emotions, feeling the pain Adeline felt when she found his body," Niklaus began taunting Illia, the flame in his hand dimming until it went out.
Illia would hear no more of this, so she ran out of the room while Niklaus began cackling. She began walking quickly down the halls, toward the library. She was panting and beginning to cry while the image of Dreyden's body replayed in her mind.
Illia found the door to the library and opened it. She ran down the spiral stairs as fast as she could. Illia had never been to the cell before so she did not know how to get in, but she had been to the library before. Which meant that she would know if anything was out of place.
When Illia reached the library she began frantically looking for any book that might look different than the rest. She may have never been down here before, but she knew her mother well enough to know where she would hide something.
She pulled almost every book off the shelf, looking for keys or a secret door. Illia began slowing down, her movements not as hurried. She had gone through about half the library when she sat in the chair and rubbed her head. She looked around the room, looking for any hint on how to get into the cell.
Illia scanned the bookshelves when she found one book that had no title. The book was blue velvet and on the spine, there were no words.
Illia tipped the book back with her finger and the hidden door began slowly creaking open. She stepped back, as she watched the door open. When it was fully open, it revealed a long dark hall.
"Hello?" a woman's voice called from the end of the hall. Illia recognized it very well. Adeline.
Illia continued walking down the dark hall, grabbing a torch off the wall. When she reached the end of the path, she held the torch up and revealed Adeline kneeling in the dirt.
"Illia?" she gasped, squinting so she could see Illia's face behind the torch. Adeline's face showed relief that her sister was there.
"I am not here to help you, Adeline. I am here to tell you exactly what I plan to do," Illia said. Adeline's face faded from relief to fear.
"I will give you a key to the cell. But, I am going to leave it just out of your reach. That is only to give me a head start. After I leave here, I am going to find Valethar and take him home, where he belongs. And when you escape, one way or another, we will have our much-anticipated war. Unless you want to hand Astrean to me," Illia offered, rifling through her pocket, looking for the key.
"Never," Adeline said angrily as she spit on the ground in front of Illia.
"I thought as much," Illia detached the key from her chain and placed it gently on the ground. "Best of luck to you, sister," she turned her back to Adeline and began walking briskly away from the cell.
Illia closed the door to the hall and began walking up the stairs. She exited the library and began walking down the dark halls.
The halls and corridors that were once full of life were now dim and dusty. The smell of death and rotting fruits filled the passages. The only sound in the palace was the sound of Illia's boots stomping against the marble.
When she reached the door to the Dungeon of Beasts she unlocked it and began her trek up the endless stairs. She finally reached the door and took a deep breath before opening it. Illia placed her hand on the knob and turned it slowly.
When she stepped through the door, she saw Valethar in his cage. She noticed that the cage was on a cliff and she huffed a breath.
Valethar was asleep and curled up when she saw him. Illia held her hands out to the cliff below her feet and it slowly began molding into a rock bridge. She stepped onto the bridge and small pieces of rock began chipping off. Illia steadied herself and took her sword out of her sheath. She threw it at the door, leaving it behind.
Illia began walking slowly toward the cage. When she reached the bars, she kneeled next to them.
"Valethar?" she whispered. Valethar stirred and began rising slowly. He turned to face Illia and studied her. She was taken aback by his size and scooted back. She looked up at him into his light blue eyes. He huffed as his breath clouded in Illia's face. The cold air around them made his breath more visible.
He looked Illia up and down and lowered himself to her face. She held her hand up to the bars and he sniffed her hand. Valethar licked her hand and his face faded into happiness.
"I'm going to get you out of here," she said softly. Illia opened the cage and Valethar stood slowly.
He stepped out of the cage and followed Illia down the rock path and out the door. Rocks and pebbles flaked off the side, falling down the dark abyss.
Valethar barely fit through the door, but he made it through and followed Illia down the stairs and into the hallway.
Illia turned back to look at Valethar. "Get out of this castle and go back to Veraxin, Selene will be waiting for you," Valethar perked up when he heard Selene's name. Illia patted him on the head once then began walking away.
She walked down the hall and out to the foyer. She walked into the dining hall and noticed Niklaus was gone, but Dreyden was still there. Illia's eyes rested on his body, finding it hard to pull her eyes away. She then felt the overwhelming guilt of what she had done flood her body.
***
Adeline reached her arm through the bars of her cell. The iron rubbed against her arm as she winced. Her arm began turning red as the rusting iron scratched her arm. Adeline hissed in a sharp breath as she placed the tip of her finger on the key.
She pulled the key closer, dragging it through the dirt. She pulled it through the bars and unlocked the cell. She sighed and opened the door. Adeline walked through the door of the cell and began walking down the long hallway.
She limped her way through the hall, the rotten stench glutting her nostrils. Adeline held her breath and made it to the dining hall. She gasped when she noticed what the stench was.
Adeline ran over to Dreyden's body and lifted him off the chair. Tears trickled down her cheek as she attempted to drag his body out of the dining hall. Pieces of Dreyden's uniform began disintegrating, leaving a trail of fabric.
Just as Adeline reached the hallway, she heard rummaging of glasses and chairs. She paused, still holding Dreyden's arms. She tried to slow her breathing, as she knew she would be heard.
Maybe it's Niklaus, Adeline thought to herself. The noise of clattering glass stopped and Adeling began stepping back slowly. She stopped dead in her tracks when she heard steps heading her way. But, there was something strange about these steps. They were large, and there were not two feet. It sounded like four.
Adeline tried her best to drag Dreyden back to the dining room to hide. The stomping got closer and closer, and the sound of large steps and heavy breathing chilled Adeline's spine.
She dropped Dreyden and crawled silently behind a wall. Adeline held her hand over her mouth as the pace of her breathing increased. She listened closely to the sound of the footsteps as they sounded as if they were getting closer, but nothing ever came.
Adeline heard no steps. They had stopped. Her hand remained on her mouth as she slowly turned her head around the corner. Her hand slowly fell from her mouth when she saw the beast that was only a few feet away.
Valethar sniffed the floors when he suddenly smelled her. Adeline. His head whipped up and Adeline flattened herself against the wall quickly. She closed her eyes and placed her hands on the ground, bracing her shaking body. She could not hear the progression of steps and assumed Valethar had turned around.
Adeline wanted to play it safe and did not look around the corner again. Instead, she stood slowly, sliding up the wall.
She began taking slow steps to the second exit in the dining room. Adeline turned her back to the large opening. She immediately regretted it when she heard the loud huffing of Valethar from behind her.
Adeline turned her head over her shoulder and saw Valethar standing tall at the threshold. Her eyes widened as Valethar's narrowed. Adeline turned on her heels and sprinted toward the exit. She could hear Valethar running after her, knocking over the table and breaking glasses.
Adeline looked back as she continued running, fear consuming her body as she noticed the fiery anger in Valethar's eyes. She turned around the corner leading out of the kitchen and ran into the hall. Adeline ran down the hall, picking up her dress as she ran to the front door.
She could feel the looming presence of Valethar chasing after her. The doors were already open and Adeline ran straight through. She panted as her dress kept slipping from her hands. She turned her head again and saw Valethar catching up to her. Adeline turned back, her red hair clouding her vision.
She noticed a small group of people close ahead and picked up her pace. Anything or anyone that wasn't Valethar was better to Adeline than the beast behind her.
When the sweat and tears finally blew from her eyes, Adeline could see exactly who was standing there. In front of her stood Illia, Selene, and Malaki. They created a sort of wall across the marble bridge and they all stood tall.
Illia was clad in armor, Malaki's royal blue garb suited his sword, and Selene's long gray hair seemed to flow in the wind instead of stiffening against it.
"Valethar, heel!" Illia shouted, holding her sword out. Adeline looked back to Valethar as her pace slowed.
Valethar skidded on his feet and stood stoic as Illia lowered her sword. He walked slowly toward Illia and stood beside her. Adeline turned her head slowly to Illia.
"But-" Adeline began to question Illia.
"But, mother was a liar. And you and I both believed every word," Illia interrupted Adeline.
She scoffed and offered a disgusted look. "Mother was a saint," she said, puffing out her chest as if trying to show dominance.
Illia almost laughed. "Even when she's dead you still suck up to mother,"
Adeline stepped closer and Malaki placed his hand on the hilt of his sword. Adeline smiled. "Finally done hiding behind pen and paper, sister?"
"Finally done hiding behind your walls?" Illia offered, stepping closer to Adeline.
Illia thought about her next move carefully. Then she lifted her head and looked over her shoulder, Valethar standing beside her. Illia rose her sword toward Adeline and nodded her head at Valethar.
Adeline's eyes darted between Valethar and Illia as she noticed the unspoken command from Illia. She began backing away slowly, holding her hands up in surrender.
"Please, Illia," she gasped, almost tripping over her feet. Valethar walked slowly in front of Illia and began sauntering toward Adeline.
Valethar snarled as his sharp teeth flashed under the few burning rays of the sun. Adeline continued staggering back, watching Valethar closely.
Valethar roared and began charging at Adeline. "Wait!" she screamed just as Valethar's mouth widened at her. He paused and Illia stepped forward.
"I will not entertain your-" she began to protest with Adeline's lousy attempt to save her life.
"She is not your mother! Isa!" Adeline shouted, holding her hands above her face.
Illia stopped. Her face froze and she was left speechless.
Adeline shook her head. "I know you have no reason to believe me, but if you believe anything I tell you, believe this," she said, her hands shaking.
Illia thought for a moment before finally finding something to say. "Then who is my mother, you snake?" she seethed, stepping closer.
Adeline smiled slightly. "That woman is," she pointed to Selene. They all froze. Selene, Malaki, Illia, and Valethar were frozen as statues. Illia's eyes widened as she turned to Selene. She was silent as Illia stared at her with accusing eyes.
"When?" Illia asked plainly, not knowing exactly what else she could say. Selene closed her eyes as tears began welling.
"When were you going to tell me, Selene?!" Illia shouted, trying to get any reaction out of Selene. She stood still, her hands by her side as she thought of how to tell Illia.
"When you were ready," Selene said quietly, her eyes opening slightly.
Illia rolled her eyes and wiped the one tear that fell her cheek off.
"And when would that be?! When I'm old and frail and you've written a note? Bullshit. You were never going to tell me!" Illia continued shouting, her heart felt as though it had been shattered twice in a matter of seconds.
"I'm sorry, Illia. If you would just give me a moment to explain. Maybe not around everyone else," Selene gestured to Malaki and Adeline.
"No, no. Whatever the truth may be, everyone deserves to hear it,"
Selene sniffed as tears wet her cheeks. "Fine, Illia. If you believe you are so grown. If you believe you want to know, I will tell you. Isa was my sister, twin sister. We were just like you and Adeline. We both wanted to be Queen and would compete for our mother's love. She chose Isabelle and banished me. Isa chose to accuse me of treason instead of just winning fairly. She chose to lie and scheme her way to rule this kingdom. And I assume you are familiar with the curse of the twins?"
Illia did not nod or shake her head, but instead stood still, listening.
"When Isabelle was with child, so was I. She did not like that. And she believed that my child would not be happy growing up in this kingdom. So when I had you, she took you and claimed you as her own. She placed a curse on this castle so that I could not enter. So there was nothing I could do but wait. Isa promised she would return you to me when you were of age and that is exactly what she did. She planted the prophecy because she needed a reason to hand you over to the Kingdom of the Banished. So Adeline got what she wanted, so did Isa, and so did I. But, you did not. I tried, Illia, I did. To make this a home for you, but you had gone too far. Because of what your sister and Isa did, you believed your only option was revenge. And I hate that for you because you deserve to be happy after everything you've been through,"
Adeline laughed. "Everything she's been through?! She killed my mother and my husband and didn't even feel sorry. Now my kingdom is dying and yours is flourishing,"
Illia looked at Adeline and began walking toward her. She drew her sword and flicked the sword over Adeline's face. She screamed and held her face as blood gushed through her fingers.
"Your kingdom dying is nobody's fault but yours. My kingdom's flourishing has everything to do with my people and how we molded our kingdom into the place it is today. You only rule for yourself and that is why your kingdom is dying, so do not blame anyone but yourself,"
Adeline breathed in sharp breaths as the slice in her cheek bled out onto the white marble.
"This must be done now, Adeline. We will have our war. Tomorrow at sundown." Illia said as she put her bloody sword back in her sheath. She turned her back to Adeline and began walking away from the bridge, Valethar, Malaki, and Selene following close behind.
Illia began preparing for war in her head as Adeline's blood coated the bottom of her boot.