Regius

by Nastasia Peters

  Pieris knelt down, holding her now fragile body carefully against his as he rested her down on the earth and placed his hand over her bleeding heart.

  "Let Mallow free. I promise you that the Altors will not harm her."

  "Aram." Sage whispered bitterly, yet her love for him was still ever-present.

  After he had been triggered, he’d found out about the Blue Bloods, found out that she was his enemy. He had left her as though their love for one another had meant nothing.

  "Is suffering as much as you." Pieris told her honestly. Aram had once been cheerful and full of life. After the secrets of the Altors, Regius and Palliums had been revealed to him, he’d never been the same.

  "You lie!" Although her voice was fierce, it was soon cut off by a cough, blood leaking down the right side of her lips.

  Pieris carefully placed his hand on Sage's forehead. "If it were a lie, Aram would be the one killing you right now."

  "I still love him." Sage said, her voice like that of when she had been a little girl, back when she had known happiness.

  "As he loves you." Pieris assured. "Let Mallow go, Sage."

  Sage smiled. "I am about to die, the only one who can stop her, is herself."

  ~~~~~~~~

  There were several steps to madness when it came to a Seer. One, unleashing the power. Two, using the power. Three, letting the power rule you. Four, living only for the power. Five, letting the power consume all that is human within. Then lastly, death. It would not do the future much good if I let my emotions overthrow the stability of my visions.

  Opening Calycanthus' car door, I took Rose's port phone off the passenger seat and answered when it started to ring.

  "Elder."

  "Mallow." In a vision, I could see him watching Sage's body turn to dust. "We thought Calycanthus was the child we had to fear."

  "My mo-" I stuttered, looking down to the ground and trying to swallow my feelings. "My mother made use of his existence to cloud mine."

  "I made sure she did not suffer."

  "Is that supposed to make me feel better?" I asked.

  "I am generally not one for vengeance. I believe the motive of it is born out of darkness and so I try to contain it before it can burst free. Yet, you cannot expect me to have a lot of forgiveness for Sage when she had the blood of my third child on her hands. My daughter was but a baby, yet to try and get to me, Sage killed her." He didn't need to detail it, I had seen that happen. "She made Solenum and Calycanthus orphans and has terrorized the mind of your half-sister for as long as I can remember."

  "Every deed has a consequence." I murmured. "I know this and I cannot blame you for taking her life when you could. Like she believed she had the right to take yours and your wife's, you believe it was in your right to take hers. But as you expect me to understand your grief, I am asking you to understand mine."

  "But I am sorry I took her from you and I do understand you feel her loss." The Elder said gently. "I would never take that away from you."

  "Then I will thank you for that. I need you to inform your people that Solenum and Calycanthus have died."

  "Have they?" He asked, surprised.

  I shook my head, even though he could not see. "They are lost in the forest."

  He sighed. "So they may as well be dead."

  "If you wish the Heir and the Keeper of the Dead to move on, you must tell them the cousins have died. If you tell them they are lost in the forest, they will cling to the slight chance as Iris and Rose do for Jan. It is very destructive and unfortunately, we cannot spare Galax and Datura. They are both very important to Zinc's future. It is imperative you tell them they have died." I paused. "You are in need of a king."

  "He is not ready." Pieris said.

  "He never will be." I assured. "Nobody can possibly be ready for that much responsibility. But if you wish to move forward in this war, you will need to start using the pawn you and Flux took from the Regius."

  "Where does your loyalty lie, Mallow?"

  "That is simple." I started. "I do not place it in Xania. He is not the rightful heir to the Regius crown and the reason he does not have the mark is that he simply isn't king material. My loyalty lies with Galax."

  "So it is with the Regius." That seemed to make the Elder unhappy.

  I chuckled softly. "I did not say that. I said that it lies with Galax, the person. How he wishes to rule Zinc is the way I will trust to be the right one. If his purpose is to unite all the races and bring peace to Zinc, then I will play my part to help him achieve this. It is what I have been doing for as long as I can remember. Had I not, Zinc would be a land without people." The image of the empty world showing the alternate future appeared in my mind, leading me to shiver. "I must urge you to keep the Regius base's location between you and your wife. You must pick the right time to tell your people where the enemy hides."

  "And when will that time be?"

  "Trust me, Elder. You will know when."

  * * * *

  Chapter 22

  Datura Lovelace

  While the Prince's cerulean eyes were rimmed with tears as his body sagged against the bars of the Coliseum cells, the Keeper remained standing. The news Pieris had delivered was of a kind that could scar someone for life. It left traces that would never vanish. The Keeper knew all too well, what this emotion was; he'd seen others suffer because of this on a daily basis

  "No."

  Datura's voice was one that many viewed as haunting, but just as often it was seen as beautiful. He had the gift to speak the tongue of death and he was the guide of the ghosts. All Altors on Zinc respected him as everyone knew that one day Datura would guide them into peace. If not them, someone they loved. When he uttered that two-letter word, even if you didn't know why the Keeper was in the state he was in, the sound broke your heart.

  "It’s true, Datura." The Elder spoke. "I saw it with my own eyes."

  Galax looked up at Pieris with fear in his eyes. Datura knew that when they'd heard Calycanthus and Solenum had perished, neither he nor the Prince had believed it. Yes, it hurt, but it couldn't become a reality in their minds. Now though, as the Elder said he'd seen them himself, Datura knew that Galax would doubt what he believed true in his head.

  "Galax."

  The Keeper clipped out, looking over his shoulder to stare at the Prince, goosebumps breaking out over his skin as he saw tears seeping from Galax's eyes. Strangely enough, the Altors were better at compartmentalizing than the Regius were, yet Datura didn't feel shame when his own eyes became moist, vision blurring as they welled up.

  "Don't believe it." While all he wanted to do was drown in the emotions, he couldn’t let Galax give up hope. "It can’t be true, not until I've seen their souls in the Valley of Death."

  "Not all Altors pass through that realm, Datura." Pieris reminded. Datura ignored the man's words. Calycanthus could not have died peacefully. The only way an Altor didn't need guidance to peace was when they died without rage inside of them.

  "Solis." The Prince's broken voice reached his ears.

  "It's a lie." Squaring his shoulders, the Keeper fixed his ruby gaze upon the Elder, daring the wise Altor to continue to tell them otherwise. "Galax, it's a lie." Looking back at the Prince, he tried to smother the destruction he felt rush through him. "Est recubo!" The Keeper shouted in Pallium, hoping a pained scream may penetrate whatever numb shell had settled over Galax's entire being.

  When the Prince looked back at him with an empty stare, Datura realized that whatever he wished to have Galax understand, wouldn't pierce through. Although their losses were each as great as the other, the Keeper had forgotten one key thing concerning Galax and Solenum. She was his light. And when a Regius lost his light...

  "I will prove to you that she is not dead, okay?"

  "Unfortunately, I cannot offer you much time to process the news I've handed to you. I wish I could have protected you both from such heartache. If I had been able to stop it, you know I would have." Yes, Pieris would h
ave if he was telling the truth, but never would the Keeper believe the Elder's words. Not until he'd seen Cali's soul for himself. "A lot is going to change. I will need both you and Galax in order to make this happen." The Elder continued, moving over to Galax to help the numb man back onto his feet. "You have time to rest until everyone has returned to the Coliseum."

  They weren't going to be freed from the cells anytime soon. Pieris wanted them watched day and night to make sure neither he nor Galax could slip away and try to escape to Regius territory. Even if they weren't in the cells, all three Elders were present and slipping away was not going to be an option.

  Soon Flux, Conium and Galaxi would be here as well and although Datura didn't know the exact details as to what change Pieris was talking about, he knew was big. Having all authority figures on both Altor and Pallium sides gather in the same area was not only rare, but was a vulnerability neither party allowed the Regius to take advantage of.

  "Lovelace."

  Datura lifted his gaze off the ground and looked at the smoky figure of a ghost that had more courage than others to approach now. He wanted to get angry at them for trying to communicate with him, but before he could express his feelings on the matter, the ghost reached out with a hand and the pained expression on her delicate featured face is what had him halt .

  "We are here for you."

  The ghosts were a strange phenomenon that not even he, as their Keeper, truly understood. They were both gentle and violent, blinded with rage yet understanding in other situations. As though their Altor nature was continuously battling against their more selfish, cruel and dark side. Their Regius side.

  Although he didn't smile, he did feel a bit of sadness fade as he heard the ghosts singing softly, telling him again that they were here for him right now.

  "If they are dead, help me find them." He asked in the death tongue.

  * * * *

  Chapter 23

  Narrator

  And the ghosts did help him. The Keeper would never forgive me for my trickery.

  Letting the vision linger on a while longer, I soaked in the beauty that the ghosts and the Keeper created when communicating with one another. Would I enter the Valley of Death when the time came for me to die? Was my soul that of an Altor, or was it Regius? Or did I not categorize in either and did my soul belong to the Seers? Where did a Seer go once dead?

  Shaking off the remnants of the Keeper and the Prince's pain, I focused on the matter at hand.

  * * * *

  Chapter 24

  Maya Meek

  "Maya? What is on your mind? It must be important as you haven't heard a word I've said." Blinking out of her pointless stare aimed at the dinner table, she lifted her eyes to those of Xania. There was something on her mind. The Seer. The whispered message only Maya had heard. 'Prepare yourself.'

  "I am sorry, sire." Maya breathed, dabbing at her mouth with the napkin as she offered the Steward an apologetic smile. "I didn't sleep all that well." This was true. Although she didn't want to tell him about her musings, neither would she lie. But if she could avoid informing him of the situation, then she didn't mind doing so. She'd learned to tell the truth only when someone asked the right question.

  Xania chuckled softly, getting up so he could walk over and grasp her chin. Tilting her face up to his, he offered an amused stare.

  "Are you still upset I chose Moraine over you last night?" Her eyebrows knitted, the jealously she felt not completely hidden as she pulled her chin free from his hold so she could pretend to concentrate on her lunch instead. It was such a strange situation. Xania used the harem in all ways it shouldn't be used, yet the women were upset when they weren't chosen.

  "Of course not." Sometimes she did outright lie. "The sleeping areas in the common room just aren't as comfortable as your bed, Steward." Before she could realize her mistake, Xania slapped her across the face, her eyes confused for a split second as she looked up in surprise. Maya knew she surely must look pathetic holding onto her face as she was, sitting on the chair and staring at him in utter silence.

  Xania's expression was contorted in anger, his hand still raised beside his head with his shoulders tense as he seemed to try and calm himself, most likely holding in his anger so he wouldn't slap her across the face once more. While it was rare Xania laid a hand on her, it wasn't something she was unfamiliar with either.

  "I-" Clearing her throat quickly, she tried to find her voice. "My apologies, sire. I don't know what came over me."

  As far as she could remember, Xania only showed his violent side when she got the title wrong. He couldn't control the army, trackers and assassins as strongly as he could the harem. It was most likely why he was so hard on the women, to compensate for the lack of authority among the rest of the Regius.

  While she’d come to appreciate the attention he paid to her over the years, almost needing it today as he was her only source of communication, she could not view him as her king. The mark had skipped him and gone to Xen for a reason and she couldn't ignore it.

  Maya flinched as he reached out, only this time he didn't hurt her, instead his fingers threaded into her hair softly.

  "Don't let it happen again."

  "It won't, sire." Her voice sounded frightened to her own ears, yet she lifted her chin when he moved down. When a situation like this occurred, Maya always knew what would happen after he’d forgiven her. While she could count the number of times she’d let the title slip on one hand, Xania Reinhardt had a temper and was relatively insecure. The fact that he did not have the royal mark bothered him so much, it sometimes kept him from being able to sleep. Maya knew this because she’d spent many nights with him, playing her part and reassuring him that one day he’d become as respected and valued as his brother and that the people in Zinc would recognize him as their king. Then to let him hear what he wanted, she told him she already considered him to be hers.

  When Xania took her after moments of anger or lack of confidence, whether she was in the mood or not, she knew better than fight him. Strangely enough, for a selfish man, he was generally a generous lover, paying attention to her needs. It is why she knew that when he wanted her after a fight, it was to be considered punishment as he took without giving back, pleasuring only himself.

  Goosebumps erupted over her skin as his warm hands grabbed her hips, pulling her off the chair and settling her on the edge of the table. He did not waste time, his right hand sliding down her leg to bunch up her dress around her waist, his left hand pushing her legs apart so he could settle between them.

  Her jaw still trembled and her cheek still stung, but ignoring both, she carefully wrapped her arms around his neck, bowing her head down as she allowed him to do what he needed. As he guided her legs around his waist, she inhaled sharply, preparing herself for the intrusion that would soon come.

  It didn't happen though. Instead, they were interrupted by a loud knock coming from the large ballroom doors. Frozen in his arms, Maya looked curiously at the entrance and then at Xania. He seemed as surprised as she was and where she thought he would send whoever had knocked away, she frowned in wonder as instead he patted her thigh and stepped back. Gesturing for her to righten her attire and put on her veil, he gave her a couple of seconds before announcing they may enter.

  She couldn't help but grimace as Rhamnus entered, but soon the feeling of disgust she felt for the tracker was drowned out by the curiosity of him dragging the Seer in after him.

  "She tried to run away."

  Pushing Mallow forward, the tracker had used enough force to send the girl falling down onto the platform right at Xania's feet. She seemed to be out of breath, her body trembling and her hair a sweaty disaster. Her eyes, although the gold still as unnatural as ever, Maya could read a determination in them that had her take a cautious step back.

  Xania was about to push Mallow into a kneeling position, but before his foot could connect with her shoulder, she spat on the ground and Maya gasped as beneath the platform was X
en Reindhardt’s portrait.

  Rhamnus instantly reacted, grabbing the Seer's shoulders and pulling her back so her face would be revealed to Xania. Maya couldn't help but wince as she knew Mallow's cheek would see worse than her own had a few minutes ago. Words could not describe how terribly insulted the Steward was. Bowing down her head, the last thing she saw was Xania's hand clenching into a fist.

  "Vos es Malum!"

  Maya felt a shiver run through her at the sound of that language. The Altors and Palliums had no idea what effect the Pallium language had on the Regius. They denied the Creatures of Origin to be real, a lie created to ease their own minds. The land's magical and nearly godlike beasts frowned upon the species that were the Regius. It was something the Blue Bloods nervously laughed at, trying to hide the fact that not receiving a blessing from the Creatures made them uneasy.

  The Seer was smart to speak in that tongue as Xania paused in his movements because of it. Rhamnus loosened his hold on the girl, allowing her to shrug him off and get onto her feet, golden eyes glaring at the Steward.

  "I will make the other Regius see that you are not what they need." Mallow's words were icily haunting. "I may be Seer and part of me is Altor, but remember who my mother was. You could not control her, and you shall not control me." She declared.

  Although Maya's opinion was of no interest to anyone in this room at the moment, she could see the strength in the girl's face, the way she believed her own words. It affected Maya.

  Xania was unfazed. "Well, aren't you cute. I believe you may be more damaged than I thought. First you help me and now you fight me?"

  "This is no joke." The Seer clipped out. "You may access my power only if you show me the same respect you granted Sage."

  Xania circled Maya slowly, his eyes still fixed on the Seer when his hand shot out, fingers grasping the front part of her dress. Maya let out a noise of surprise when she found her back plastered against his chest. It was the cold steel of a blade pressing against her neck that had her freeze, heart beating violently in her chest.