After about a minute, their lips finally pulled apart and they stared at each other silently.
Blushing, Crystal finally whispered, “I’ll remember that for next time.”
And then, for the first time since as long as he remembered, Blaze’s face bore a genuine smile not of arrogance or pride, but of happiness.
CHAPTER 14
Valamar’s study glowed as the embers coming from the lit hearth danced around and illuminated the shadows. Since the early afternoon, Valamar tried to distract himself by reading several books, but he did not get past the first sentence of either one he picked up. His blood was boiling even hotter than the fireplace with anger and humiliation over the events that occurred over a month before. Not only had he been robbed of one of his most valuable possessions, but the woman he desired had been stolen as well.
Crystal was truly the most beautiful creature Valamar had ever laid eyes on, and with his promiscuous lifestyle, to say that was more than a compliment. He was desirable to every woman in Ordale, yet the one woman he wanted more than any other rejected him without a second thought. Never had a woman refused his advances before, and when faced with the fact that he wasn’t going to get what he wanted, he lost all control and attacked her. He had Crystal all to himself, and his heart raced when he thought of that moment when he lay on top of her and had her at his mercy.
But then he had to interfere!
Most of Valamar’s anger lay with Crystal’s mysterious companion, Blaze. Had he not been there, Valamar would have had Crystal all alone that night, and by now, he would have had her as his wife. Instead, for an entire week, he sat with an enormous bruise on his cheekbone from where that insolent brute had punched him.
“If this leaves a permanent mark, I will personally send him to the gallows!” Valamar had yelled after regaining consciousness and learning what happened. His beautiful face had been damaged, and he did not dare show it to the public. For a week, after that night, he stayed locked up in his mansion, giving orders to bounty hunters to bring Crystal back to him unharmed and alive and also to bring back Blaze so that he may stand trial for robbery. After all, Valamar was well-respected and he knew that no matter what Blaze or Crystal claimed, no judge in town would believe their story over his.
Suddenly, there was a knock at the door and Valamar’s head snapped in its direction.
“What?” he barked.
The door opened slowly and Quincy nervously stepped through the doorway and said, “My Lord, a soldier from the castle brought a letter for you.” The butler then held up an envelope.
“The castle? It is from the king?” Valamar asked in disbelief.
“I do not know, my Lord. I was instructed that it was for your eyes only. The soldier asked me to bring it straight to you and return to him with your reply once you have read it,” replied Quincy. He then approached Valamar, handed him the envelope, which had ‘Lord Victor Valamar’ written neatly on the front, and stepped out of the room, closing the door tightly behind him.
As soon as Quincy left, Valamar set his book on the small table next to him and flipped the envelope face down to open it. Immediately after spotting the dark red and gray Daldussa royal seal sticking the paper together, Valamar knew that it was from the king. He tore the envelope flap open with a nervous finger and pulled the paper out. The letter read:
Lord Victor Valamar,
I request your presence at my castle in Cartigo immediately to discuss an important matter with you in person. I have arranged for my soldiers to accompany you by carriage. Failure to comply will result in your immediate and permanent imprisonment. I shall await your arrival.
His Royal Majesty
King Bogdan Dracnov
Valamar sunk into his chair and let the paper fall from his hand and fall gently to the floor. He couldn’t possibly imagine what the king could have wanted with him, but it must have been something quite important if the king threatened to have him arrested if he didn’t go. So many unanswered questions on top of being robbed by Blaze were beginning to take their toll on Valamar. It seemed, of course, that Valamar had no choice but to comply with the king’s orders. He rose from his seat and approached his window, which faced the front gate of his property.
As the king had promised in his letter, several Daldussan soldiers waited with a carriage on the other side of the gate. It seemed he would have to leave sooner than he thought, just as it was also quite apparent that the king did not like to wait.
Very well then. Valamar picked up the letter, folded it, and left his study. Quincy waited just outside the door and straightened up as soon as Valamar emerged.
“I have been summoned to the castle in Cartigo, so I will be gone for a few days, Quincy. Tell the soldiers I will come down to meet them as soon as I am packed,” he ordered the butler.
“Yes, my Lord,” Quincy responded, bowing. He then turned and walked away, leaving Valamar alone.
****
Once Valamar had packed his trunk, he walked down to the awaiting carriage and was on his way to the Cartigo only an hour after reading the king’s letter. The journey was a bore to the wealthy man, even though he brought plenty of reading material. The carriage made no stops on the way to the castle, and so much to his annoyance, Valamar was forced to sleep in the carriage without bathing or so much as being able to check a mirror to see if he was decent enough for the public to view.
As soon as he arrived in Cartigo, the carriage brought him all the way to the drawbridge of the castle. After it stopped, Valamar emerged from the carriage, which felt very cramped after being stuffed inside it for a day and a half, and was greeted by two castle guards.
“The king wishes to see you immediately, Lord Valamar,” one of them said.
“Already?” Valamar muttered. The king certainly did not like to wait. When neither of the guards remarked back, Valamar kept quiet. They then told him to follow them and he obediently trailed behind them into the castle.
After the carriage driver assured Valamar that his luggage would be moved to his guest room, Valamar felt a little better knowing that he would not be stuck in a measly inn. He was a little curious to see how much better the castle interior was than his own manor, and walking inside the front doors, his heart nearly stopped.
The walls were made of light gray polished stone that were covered in rich, dark red tapestries and the floor was polished marble that was covered in matching rugs. What had once been the home of the royal family of Cierith was now covered in Daldussan culture. In the foyer, which was twice as big as his the one in his own manor, a gorgeous, crystal chandelier dangled from the high ceiling.
The ceiling was high enough to show the second story that wrapped around the room and led to other rooms. The second story was connected to the ground level by a grand staircase in the middle of the room directly across from the front doors and as the guards led Valamar up the stairs, his shaking hand gently brushed along the intricate designs in the railing of the staircase.
After reaching the top of the stairs, the guards led Valamar to the left. They then turned the corner and walked down the side path and took the first corridor on the right. Further down, the corridor made another sharp turn to the right, and Valamar saw stained glass windows that had a view of the surrounding forest and some mountains beyond that. From what he had heard, he concluded to himself that those were the very mountains that the Daldussans snuck through to invade Cierith.
About halfway down this corridor, the guards stopped and faced another set of double doors. The stood on each a side and opened the doors at the same time. Valamar stepped inside to see an enormous library with a roaring hearth which was once again, bigger and nicer than his own. It was when he looked at the fireplace that he was greeted by a large man who he could only assume was King Bogdan.
“Welcome, Lord Valamar! So glad you could come on such short notice!” He said. Valamar’s eyes were instantly drawn to the hideous scar across the king’s left eye and it didn’t take h
im long to see that the same eye was milky white from blindness while his right eye was onyx black. Well past middle-age, the king’s black hair was starting to become gray in some areas. He also had rugged sideburns, which Valamar considered to be hideous, paired with a patch of chin hair. The king’s rough and coarse look sharply contrasted Valamar’s charming and well-groomed appearance.
Valamar tried his best to ignore the king’s brute appearance out of fear of losing his head, dared to approach him, and then bowed before him. The king told him to rise and then Valamar asked, “You wished to speak with me, Majesty?”
“Indeed, I did.” Bogdan replied, “This is a very important matter that must be discussed in private; I hope that my library will be comfortable enough. Please have a seat.”
The king then gestured to an armchair in the middle of the room. Valamar did as he was told and sat down in one of the armchairs while Bogdan took a seat in another chair directly across from him.
“I must say, you are not what I expected,” the king said.
“I beg your pardon, Majesty?” Valamar asked.
“For someone with your vast wealth, I expected you to be much older. You do not look any older than thirty-five,” Bogdan responded.
Valamar smiled smugly and responded, “I just turned thirty-two in the early spring. I inherited my fortune from my father who passed several years ago. The Valamars have been quite wealthy for generations.”
“I see.” Bogdan muttered, “I myself will be fifty soon. Amazing, isn’t it? Half a century old, and yet I have not accomplished all that I could have. Yes, I have conquered another kingdom, but I am an ambitious man, and there are things that I desire that most men would not dare to pursue.”
Valamar became slightly uneasy by the king’s strangely calm demeanor when speaking of such things, but he brushed it off. Then Bogdan gestured to a silver tray next to him and asked, “Would you like a drink?”
An unopened bottle of brandy, a bucket of ice, and two empty glasses sat on the tray. The expensive liquor tempted Valamar and he began to grow thirsty.
“I would, thank you,” Valamar replied with a dry mouth.
Bogdan then fixed two drinks, one for each of them, and after handing Valamar one of the glasses, the king relaxed and sunk into his chair.
“Now then,” Bogdan began, “I am certain that you are still wondering why I have summoned you all the way to Cartigo, correct?”
“I am,” replied Valamar, who barely removed the glass from his lips in between sips of the delicious liquor.
Bogdan had taken a sip of his own when Valamar was speaking, and he then took a break and said, “Well, allow me to begin by telling you this: I understand that you have recently met a young man by the name of Blaze?”
The sound of his name made Valamar straighten up and fiercely grip the arm rests of his chair. His entire body shook with anger, which caused the king to laugh.
“I figured that would set you off!” the king stated, “Then I am positive that you remember a young woman named Crystal?”
Valamar’s lips trembled as he muttered with gritted teeth, “He. Took. Her. From. ME!”
The king laughed again and replied, “Worry not, Lord Valamar. Those two have been thorns in my side for quite some time, so I can understand your anger. You see, Blaze is actually my son.”
Valamar’s demeanor became calmer and steadier. He then muttered, “You mean . . . he’s the prince?”
Bogdan shifted in his chair and replied, “Yes. However, Blaze has turned traitor by joining a rebel group bent on overthrowing me, and the rebels are led by none other than Crystal.”
Valamar’s eyes widened with shock and he muttered, “She told me she was from the City of Magi!”
“My good man, you didn’t actually think after the events that occurred at your residence that she had been truthful?” Bogdan asked amusingly. He then added, “She has kept her true identity a secret for some time, but I have discovered her dark secret . . .”
“True identity?”
“You see,” Bogdan continued, “I have a special informant with the rebels who has told me something interesting. That, of course, is how I heard of the incident at your estate. I believe that you will be interested in this as well: ‘Crystal’ is not her real name.”
“It isn’t?” Valamar asked in disbelief.
“No;” replied Bogdan, “I suppose I should have known she was using an alias, and even though I had my suspicions about her real name, I never imagined that I would be right.”
Valamar suddenly became more intrigued than before. He leaned forward in his seat and asked the king, “What is her real name, then?”
My, my, eager aren’t we?” Bogdan laughed, “I think it would be best to show you a little something first.”
Bogdan then rose from his seat and beckoned Valamar to do the same. Once Valamar obeyed, Bogdan approached a tall, rectangular object off to the side of the room that was covered in a black cloth. Because of its shape, Valamar assumed it was a large mirror or a painting, but he knew he would see soon enough.
“When I took over this castle, I removed many of the things belonging to the original royal family and put them in a storage room. I had this family portrait brought in here to show you,” explained Bogdan, confirming Valamar’s suspicions. Then Bogdan continued, “However, I want to share a little secret with you before I do.”
“A secret?”
“Indeed. You have heard the story of how the royal family was killed during the invasion, correct?” Bogdan asked. Valamar nodded, and so Bogdan added, “Well I have recently discovered that one member of the family survived and is still alive to this day.”
Valamar raised an eyebrow and asked, “How did you discover this?”
“Well, my informant with the rebels told me that the princess, the only child of the king and queen, escaped from her fate and is hiding amongst the rebels. They have been protecting her for all of these years, but it will all be in vain once my current plans to crush the rebellion are complete,” explained Bogdan.
“So what does the princess have to do with Cry—” Valamar suddenly stopped himself once he realized the answer to his own question. Bogdan burst into laughter.
“Ahhh! Now you’re getting it!” the king exclaimed. He then grabbed the black cloth covering the painting with both hands and said, “Feast your eyes on Princess Amelia Atteberry of Cierith!”
After Bogdan ripped the cloth off, Valamar’s eyes instantly fell onto the little girl in the portrait. She was standing next to the king, who was seated on his throne, and the queen was standing on the other side. Valamar didn’t even look at the other two subjects in the painting, however. Even in youth, the girl was all too familiar to Valamar. He instantly recognized her as the woman he desired more than anything.
He gazed at the green eyes that would never cease to enchant him and the only word that could escape his lips was, “Crystal . . .”
Bogdan laughed again and said, “Who would have thought the leader of the rebels, the woman who turned my own son against me, and the woman you are infatuated with in none other than the princess of Cierith? Even the fall of her kingdom did not stop her from wanting to fight me.”
“Who would have thought . . .” Valamar repeated absentmindedly.
Bogdan took a step closer to Valamar, who was still staring at the painting, and said in a half-whisper, “I have a little proposition for you, Lord Valamar. If you help me by calling off your bounty on Blaze and the princess and send them to help lure the rebels into a trap, I will give you the princess to be your wife. I think that would be a more fitting punishment for an insolent woman who tries to do a man’s work, a life of servitude to a husband rather than execution. You may do whatever you wish with her, and because of her birthright, you will be royalty.”
Valamar’s expression suddenly changed. His lips curled into a sly grin and he held his head higher. He noticed Bogdan’s matching grin and deduced that this was the exact reaction he
the king had hoped for. Valamar then muttered lustfully, “She will be my queen . . .”
“And you her king . . . her master,” Bogdan muttered back. He then held out his hand for a shake and added, “So do we have a deal?”
Valamar eyed the king’s outstretched hand, and with another grin, he shook Bogdan’s hand and replied, “Only a complete fool would refuse such a tempting offer.”
CHAPTER 15
Crystal spent the next several weeks seeing Blaze in a whole new way. For the first time since she met him, she not only felt like he was finally willing to be her friend, but she also began to wonder if he wanted something more. Ever since he kissed her that night under the white tree, she couldn’t help but feel flushed when she saw him, and he seemed to be the same way. She would smile at him when she saw him, and when he noticed no one was looking, he would smile back.
Even though most people would think he was embarrassed to be seen smiling at her, Crystal laughed at the idea. He went from being a wicked and selfish prince to someone Crystal actually felt like she could trust. It was a good start, and sure, he still had plenty of room to grow, but Crystal felt that Blaze would become more open to everyone with time. She anticipated the time Blaze would become closer to her with enthusiasm and she even began to feel like she may be able to consider Blaze as more than a friend.
But this still did not stop Crystal’s nagging feeling that something was wrong.
She felt good being around Blaze, but something else was making her uneasy. The rebels had not seen or heard anything about Bogdan or his soldiers in several months, and it was starting to seem odd. Several scouts looking for the last two shards came back to the hideout without any news not only about shards, but on any activity regarding Daldussa.
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