Chapter IV
“Who is this?” King Kurtis Hue
sneers at the approaching King David, Lana behind him on the horse.
“Our guest. I expect you’ll treat
her very kindly, Kurtis. She is a treasure indeed.” He muses with a smirk,
dismounting his horse and assisting the young woman down. She slips beside him,
glancing around the unfamiliar grounds.
“Welcome to
the Kingdom of Diruo
“You have
no need to be scared here, dear-one. The Kingdom welcomes you.” David utters from behind, adjusting his cloak.
“It is just so
dark and… dreary.”
“Perhaps you
could change that, la lune.” Kurtis smirks slyly as he falls into step beside
David, escorting their guest inside. A fog hangs over the musty air, dampening
the already dark atmosphere. Once inside, the large gates seal behind them.
“May I send
the maids to fetch you a beverage?” David offers, unclasping his cloak and
hanging it.
“No, thank
you.” She replies meekly, striding towards the family portrait hung in the main
entrance as David’s hand wrap around her cloak, assisting her in slipping it
off. “Is that your father?”
“Indeed,
dear-one.” He hands off the outerwear to a maid before following her towards
the extravagant painting, the two pairs of eyes fixed on it. “He was a great
man, driven by honour and nobility. It is quite a shame he is no longer around,
he would be doing a better job than I in running this Kingdom.”
“What
happened to him?” She asks though quieter, looking at him this time.
“He was
murdered.” He half-growls, shaking his head and turning away. “At the hands of
a coward!”
“David…” She
frowns, adopting a gentle tone. Placing a hand on his arm, she leans toward
him. “He will be remembered as a great King to the people of Diruo.” He glances
at her and offers the smallest of smiles, nodding.
“Indeed, he
will be.” Kurtis adds in with a smirk that sends shivers down Lana’s spine.
“I would
like to show you something.” David announces, leading his esteemed guest
towards the back gates while Kurtis goes to occupy himself in his personal quarters at the castle.
“Listen to
me, dear-one. You’re to never, for any reason at all, go out those gates. Do
you understand? Never. There is a treacherous hole back there; I would hate to
see you fall into it. It is most dangerous.”
“David, I—“
“Promise
me, Lana.
“Fine, I
won’t, but—“
“Good. Now
it has been a long day, I’ll show you to your quarters.” He leads her down a
long corridor, opening the door once they arrive to the last one on the left.
“Whoa…” She
steps inside, eyes ballooning. The floor had an extravagant carpet,
hand-decorated by the finest crafters in Diruo. The wall’s architecture was
rather sophisticated, and they were filled with exotic materials as well as one-of-a-kind
paintings. Rich brown curtains were drawn to prevent any unwarranted eyes from
peering into the room. Nearly every candle holder was made from pure gold, as
well as the mirrors and brushes. The focal point of the room was the four poster
bed, definitely king sized. The backboard was decorated in the finest silk
fabric, as were the sheets and comforter; all gold and white coloured. At the foot
of the bed was a couch, also decorated with gold cushion.
“You are very
fond of gold.” Lana mused, her eyes glancing around. David chuckled.
“Indeed I
am. Diruo is so rich in it, why shouldn’t I be?” He smirked and disappeared
into the connecting bathroom.
“Uh,
David? I do believe you mentioned that these were my quarters?” She furrowed
her brows, biting down on her bottom lip as she sat at the foot of the bed.
“Oh,
dear-one. They are.” He called, stepping out in his nightwear. “What, you are
not fond of sharing?”
“Sharing?
I..I-I just assumed there were more rooms in your castle, I-“ David began to
laugh, climbing into the bed.
“None of
them are quite as lovely as this. I only wanted the best for you, dear-one. For
us.”
- - - - - - - - -
“I want to
know what you’re capable of and what I am capable of. How we can stop this war…?”
Lana’s voice is hardly above a whisper the first thing in the morning as she
glances over at the hardly awake King, who yawns in response.
“Straight
to the point, are we? Very well, very well.” He pushes himself upright,
stretching out before slipping out of bed. “I will have the maids in here to
prepare you for the day.” He calls, heading to the washroom.
“Maids? I
can dress myself.” She furrows her brows, sitting up.
“Dear-one,
if you are staying at my castle, I do not expect you to be wearing pants like a
man. You’re a lady.”
“I’m a
Knight, I battle! I have weapons, I—“
“Here, you
are not a Knight. Now do as I ask. I will be with you later on.” He steps out
from the restroom fully clothed in the fanciest of fabrics, giving her a nod
before stepping into the hall. She grumbles, slipping out of the bed and
rubbing her tired eyes.
Lana meets the King at noon. He
offers his arm to her as they meet in the corridor, to which she hesitantly
takes it.
“The magic
I possess differs from yours. I am the Darkness.” He begins to explain as he
walks down the long hall. He waves his hand in attempts to show her an
illusion. However, much to his surprise, she sees through it.
“You
conjure images?” She furrows her brows, glancing sideways at him.
“No. I
conjure illusions. However, due to our likeness you are unable to be affected
by them it would seem…” Though unimpressed by the last words he uttered, he
begins to head out to the pumpkin patch, stringing her along. “I can control
these vines, they are at my disposal. As well, my pumpkins possess quite
interesting qualities that I hope you do not have to bare witness to. Need I
remind you, I am Darkness.” He grins, rather proud of the matter as his hands
outstretch, giving her a brief demonstration of how the vines become a type of
extension of his body, moving at his will, under his command.
“Light…”
Lana murmurs with the realization, looking down at her hands that seemed to
stop glowing on the journey to Diruo. “I am Light.”
“You’re
catching on rather quickly, dear-one.” David chuckles and halts his use of
magic, turning to face the girl. “Before we delve too deeply into your magical
properties, I would like to give you the grand tour.” He declares, taking her
by the arm and leading her towards the castle. She hardly seems interested,
brows furrowed while trying to wrap her mind around what she’d just witnessed,
and if this wasn’t all a dream.
“Aw!” She
calls out the moment she catches sight of the stables, rushing ahead to the
horses. With a giggle, she runs her hands along the muzzle of the one closest
to her. “Hi there,” she smiles, laughing at the horse’s reaction to her
presence.
“They take
a quick liking to the Light it would seem.” David chuckles though he doesn’t
allow her to pet the majestic beasts too long, as they have more important
matters to attend to. He leads her down the corridors, explaining what is
behind each of the doors.
“Everybody
takes a quick liking to the Light. However, they tend to miss it when it
disappears…”
- - - - - - - - -
“Sir, there is nothing to report.
All searches this week have turned up negative.” Leon states. He stands tall at
attention in front of his King’s throne. Kaiser nearly growls at the news,
rising to his feet and letting out a yell of fury.
“SHE MUST BE FOUND!” He shouts,
driving his fist into the iron wall. He manages to dent the material, though
his hand throbs slightly in turn.
“I understand, sir. Our search
parties will not stop until she is brought back safely.” Leon nods, bowing before his ruler.
“Leonidas,” he begins, striding
towards the young man. He clasps a hand onto his shoulder, locking onto his
eyes. “We will bring her home.”
“With all
due respect, sir, sending a cavalry into Diruo would be enough to spark a war.
With Lady Lana in enemy territory, I believe that is most unwise.” Leon reminds
him, to which Kaiser sighs heavily.
“You know
what to do.” Kaiser murmurs to him before sending him off. He takes a seat on
his iron throne with a heavy sigh, leaning forward and rubbing his temples.
Luke
entered the room after speaking with Gerard about pending battle preparations,
William following behind.
“My men and I are prepared to go to war,
Kaiser. It’s your call.”
“No. It is
far too risky with one of our own behind enemy lines.” Kaiser mutters to Luke.
“We cannot
hold off this pending war forever! We are at full strength, now is the most
opportune time to att-“
“I SAID
NO!”
“Very well.
I hope you know damn well what you’re doing. What you’re risking for the stupid
girl—“ William clears his throat at Luke’s remark.
“Luke Vane,
I suggest you learn when to keep that fucking mouth of yours shut.” Kaiser
growls, slowly rising from his throne. “You know what is at stake. You know who
she is!”
“Is it
worth it anymore, Kaiser?! Our kingdoms are at stake! Civilians will die.”
“It is the
price of war, Lukas. Great sacrifices must be made for the greater good.” William
finally speaks up, looking to the two men. “You have us on your side if you
wish to go to war; however you must be patient enough to wait until Lana
returns.”
“What is
one girl going to do?! I have thousands of men, just itching to fight—“
“It is not
just one girl, Lukas and you know that.”
“Nobody has
seen the Kingdom for centuries! Even if Nahoa was found, that Kingdom has never
fought in a war! You’re mad, old-man!”
“Nahoa is a
land of peace, however if good enough reason, the Kingdom would be prepared to
go to war.”
“Kaiser,
you have nothing to say about that?!”
“Whether or
not this mythical land exists, Luke, it’s our last hope against these tyrant
Kings.”
- - - - - - - - -
Lana strode down the hall with
careful steps, mentally reminding herself to kick before she stepped down to
stop from stepping on the hem of her charcoal coloured dress. She peered into
each room she passed in search of David, wishing to speak with him about the
mysterious hole on the castle grounds, yet again. It became a daily routine of
theirs, she would pry and he would brush off any comment or question she had.
With a sigh, she adjusted her lace sleeves and smoothed out the skirt
before hearing the faint sound of voices down the hall. A grin tugged at her
lips, finally locating the man she felt she owed so much to. He taught her how
to use the magic she hadn’t even known existed within her. She felt a need to
make him happy, basing her actions on what she thought might be most favourable
in his eyes. She stopped short of the door, furrowing her brows as she listened
in on the conversation silently.
“She is adjusting quite well,
David. I have to say, you have truly outdone yourself.” Kurtis smirks from his
spot at the head of the table. King David sits across from him, the two sharing
a meal and wine.
“I will admit things are going
over smoother than I originally intended. I imagined she’d be much more
difficult a task.” He replies, cutting into his meat.
“Fell right into your little
trap, didn’t she?” Kurtis lets out a snide chuckle.
“I will have her wed to me within
the month. I can control her, that way. She will belong to me. Bound together
by the law.” David grins, tilting his head back as the cool red liquid slips
past his lips from the glass.
“Even Kaiser himself would lose
any rights he had to her at that point. Clever…”
“If he decides to attack, let’s
just say I do have some leverage.” The Mad King laughs, leaning back in his
chair.
Her eyes widened, taking a step
back at the rather starling conversation. She looked up as one of the Silver
Tide men turned down the hall and headed towards her. He gave her a nod before
entering the room the men occupied.
“King David, an outsider has
trespassed onto Diruo soil. He is a Knight to the Iron King.” He announced. The
chair legs scraped across the ground as David shot out of his seat, nearly
growling.
“Where is he?!”
“The
courtyard, sir. We were less than kind when we discovered his position.” Kurtis
decided it was as good time as any to disappear momentarily, allowing King
David to attend to his personal affairs.
Lana stood
in complete shock for a moment. A knight to the Iron King? It couldn’t be…
No, he wasn’t that stupid... was he? She shook her head to clear her thoughts and
formed a plan, rushing into the room.
“David!”
She beamed, shutting the door behind her. She stalked toward him, wearing a
mischievous smirk. She fastened her hands around his shoulders, giving him a
gentle push back into his seat. She sat on his lap, slipping her arms around
his neck.
“Excuse me,
dear-one, but I have important matters to—“
“Shhh,” she
giggled, pressing a finger to his lips anything to give the Knight in the
Courtyard more time to get away. “I have something important to ask you.” She
tilted her head to the side, eyeing him carefully while baring a charming grin.
“Lana,
honestly, I don’t have the tim—“ He swallowed hard as she hushed him again,
studying her.
“You have
all the time in the world, King David.” She lets out a sweet giggle, twirling a
strand of his hair between her fingers. “Now, tell me, dear-one,” She grinned,
eyes skimming his face. “Tell me about the hole in the ground?”
“Not now
woman!” He gets up, causing her to fall onto the floor and hurries out to the
courtyard, grabbing his weapon on the way. Cursing, Lana picks herself up, staggering
after him to the courtyard.
Sir Leon the
Reckless laid curled into a fetal position in the dirt, terribly bruised from
the beatings he’d received from King David’s men on the trip to the castle. He
coughed, deep red liquid sprouting from his lips before letting out a groan,
attempting to push himself up from the ground.
“W-…W-where
is she?” He manages, his left eye swollen completely shut and baring a purple
colour.
“YOU DARE
ADDRESS A KING LIKE THAT?!” David growls, inching towards the man on the ground.
He draws his sword, narrowing his dark eyes. "Where are your manners, boy?!"
“David!”
Lana shouts, sprinting across the courtyard to stand in front of him, raising
her hands. “Stop!”
“Get out of
the way. He is a threat to our Kingdom, dear-one”
“No, he is
a threat to /your/
Kingdom Leon . “Yet all the time I spent at
the Iron King’s castle, I trusted him too. Do you think I’m going to let you
kill his Knight?! One of my own comrades that I have protected?!”
“Lana… get
out of the way!” He shouts, swinging his sword towards her though not nearly
close enough.
“You’ll
have to kill me first.”
“No. We’re
going to work this out. I’m going to kill him, and send a message to the Iron
King of my power beyond measure. We will be together, we belong together.
Darkness and Light.” Her lips tug into a smile at that and she begins to laugh,
shaking her head once.
“I would
rather die than be with you, David Grai of Diruo.”
“No…” He
stares at her rather intensely, taking a step towards her. Anger pulses through
his veins, staring at the girl he was so sure he had wrapped around his
fingers. “NO!” He drops the sword and raises his hand, shoving it forwards.
Vines erupt from the soil, tangling around her small stature. They slither up
her body, beginning to curl.
“Lana!” Leon reaches
for her.
“You will
do as I say.” David utters, his hand beginning to close slowly, the vines
tightening with the movement. Lana gasps, gulping desperately for air. She lets out a cry at that, a blinding white
light filling the courtyard. David yells in agony, doubling over. The vines
degrade the second the light touches them, falling to the ground as dust.
Lana staggers onto the ground,
coughing as the air fills her lungs once again. Her eyes search for Leon , and when
they locate him she rushes to his side. Throwing his arm over her shoulders,
the petite girl manages to haul him to his feet, groaning softly under his
weight.
“Move!” She
orders Leon ,
half-dragging him as she begins to run towards the stables.
“No!” David
wriggles onto his stomach, outstretching his hand. Vines slither up from the
ground, gathering at the ankles of the girl. He yanks them backwards, causing
her to fall forward and be dragged towards him.
“F-Fuck
you!” She yells, wrapping two firm hands around the vines tangled around her
ankle and striking them with a burst of light, causing them to fail their
master. She forces herself to her feet despite her throbbing torso, sprinting
towards Leon who managed to keep himself upright. The pair scrambles to the
stables, Lana struggling under Leon ’s
weight.
With any last strength, Leon
climbs onto the horse with her help, grunting as his entire body feels as
though it’s on fire. She climbs up in front of him, ensuring his arms are
fastened around her abdomen to keep him from falling before whipping the reins,
the horse jolting forward. She doesn’t dare to look back or stop until she
reaches the border into the Iron King’s territory. Her exhaustion from exerting
such strange magic catches up to her, and she finds the scenery of the forest
fading fast before she blacks out.
- - - - - - - - -
“Sir Leon
the Reckless has been compromised, my liege.” William announces to the Iron
King, bowing respectfully in front of the throne. “However, I do suggest we
send out your search parties. They will be most beneficial in retrieving him.”
“Retrieving
a corpse is beneficial, now? The damn Knight doesn’t even have any family!”
Luke glanced at the loony old man, narrowing his eyes.
“He is my
Knight and he will be given a proper burial! Send out a search party!” The Iron
King order, slamming his fist on the arm of his throne.
“Your
highnesses!” Gerard ran into the room, eyes wide.
“King David’s army has been spotted on the horizon;
they’re lining the borders of Vindico, heavily armed and ready to fire!”
“Suit up,
we’re going to war.” The Iron King declared, ascending from his throne.
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