~~~
Lord Thomas quickly departed to gather information about Eira, leaving Nelson to ponder his next move.
On his way out of the royal throne room, Lord Thomas bumped into Felicia. "I'm sorry, my queen".
"It's fine. Where are you off to in such a hurry though?" She inquired, curiosity getting the best of her.
"My king gave me an important task which I must do as soon as possible. If you would excuse me, my queen, I must be going now." Lord Thomas excused himself, barely giving Felicia any explanation for his tensed expression.
"Absolutely nothing is right in this palace!" Felicia exclaimed before heading to her chambers.
Meanwhile, Felicia, still reeling from her argument with Nelson, sought solace in her chambers. She couldn't shake the feeling that Nelson, her husband, was losing his grip on reality.
As she sat by the window, staring out at the kingdom, Felicia's thoughts were interrupted by a soft knock on the door. It was her loyal lady-in-waiting, Sophia.
"Your Majesty, I have some news," Sophia said, curtsying. "I overheard some guards talking about a mysterious woman who challenged the king to a duel."
Felicia's eyes widened. "What did they say?"
Sophia hesitated. "They mentioned her name was Eira, and she's been traveling the land, challenging nobles and kings."
Felicia's mind racing, she turned to Sophia. "Find out more about Eira. Discreetly."
Sophia nodded and quickly departed.
Later that evening, Nelson received a report from Lord Thomas. "Your Majesty, I've learned that Eira is indeed a skilled warrior, but her true identity remains unclear."
Nelson's eyes narrowed. "Continue investigating."
As the days passed, Nelson became increasingly obsessed with uncovering Eira's identity. He couldn't shake the feeling that she was a threat not only to his rule but also to his very life.
One night, as Nelson was walking through the royal garden extremely deep in thought, he heard a faint noise coming from the shadows. Suddenly, Eira emerged, her sword at the ready.
"You're persistent, I'll give you that," Nelson said, his voice dripping with sarcasm.
Eira smiled, her voice emerging with an aura of confidence. "You're not used to being challenged, King Nelson."
Nelson's eyes flashed with anger. "Enough games. Who are you?"
Eira's smile grew wider. "You'll find out soon enough."
With that, she vanished into the shadows, leaving Nelson more determined than ever to uncover her true identity.
Little did Nelson know, Eira was watching him from the shadows, her eyes fixed on the king with an unnerving intensity.
The game was far from over.
Nelson couldn't shake off Eira's words. Who was she? What did she want?
That night, Nelson summoned Lord Thomas to his chambers.
"Any new information on Eira?" Nelson asked, trying to maintain a relaxed tone.
Lord Thomas hesitated. "Nothing concrete, Your Majesty. But I suspect she's connected to your past."
Nelson's eyes narrowed. "Explain."
Lord Thomas leaned in. "Rumors suggest Eira might be a former subject, seeking revenge."
Nelson's grip on his cup tightened.
Meanwhile, in Felicia's Chambers, Felicia paced, her mind racing. Sophia had yet to return with news about Eira.
Suddenly, Sophia burst in, out of breath. "Your Majesty, I found something," Sophia said, panting as she spoke.
Felicia's eyes locked onto Sophia. "What is it?"
Sophia hesitated. "It's about Eira..She..she..
"Speak up Sophia", Felicia snapped. She was growing increasingly impatient and she just wanted to know who this mystery woman was, and how she had somehow managed to have Nelson Bianchi, the feared Mafia King, on the edge of his seat at the throne.
"My queen..Eira is....they say she has a sort of link to the death of your mother, my queen." Sophia finally said. She was struggling to piece the words together in a way that would not leave the queen in despair after she heard the truth.
Felicia's eyes widened. "What!" She exclaimed in shock and disbelief.
On the other hand, Nelson's obsession with Eira grew. He had to uncover her true identity.
As he walked through the castle corridors, he stumbled upon a hidden passage.
"This was not here before.." he whispered, trying to avoid drawing the attention of any of his guards.
He walked into the hidden passage, and right then, a cryptic message etched into the wall caught his eye:
*"The truth lies within the shadows."*
Nelson's heart pounded. What truth could this message be referring to? And how did it even get there in the first place?
Nelson's thoughts were going haywire, racing beyond speeds he could contain, whenEira suddenly emerged from the shadows, her eyes locked onto Nelson.
"You're getting closer," she whispered.
Nelson's sword flashed in the dim light.
"Who are you?" he demanded, tired of the mind games she was playing on him.
Eira's smile grew wider. "You will soon discover my true identity... I am your darkness."
With that, she somehow vanished.
Nelson stood frozen, the message on the wall echoing in his mind.* The truth lies within the shadows.* He was not used to being this tense and uneasy, and it definitely was not a fun experience to him.
And then, he heard footsteps, snapping him out of his thoughts.
The footsteps were heavy. Deliberate.
He listened closely and realized that they were coming from the passage.
Nelson's heart sank. Was it fear he was feeling or uneasiness? He couldn't tell at that moment.
All he knew was that he was being led deeper into the darkness.
To uncover Eira's identity. Or his own demise?
He wasn't going to back down just yet. With that determination in his mind, he treaded forward.
Nelson's heart pounded as he ventured deeper into the passage. The air grew thicker and darker with secrets as the seconds went by.
He pushed open a creaky door, revealing a dimly lit chamber.
Eira stood before him, her eyes blazing with determination. "You're ready to know the truth," she said.
Nelson's grip on his sword tightened. "Who are you?" he demanded, trying to gain a solid fighting stance.
Eira's smile twisted.
"I am…