A Warrior's Return (The Royal Houses of Sea and Snow, #3)

by Marquez, Jude

  "She went after me, to rescue me, but by the time she had left the caves on the south side of the island, Lambin had already come to my aid," Eamon explained

  "Lambin?" Lissandra asked.

  "It's a lot to explain, perhaps for another time," Alik said.

  "Do his parents let him live?” Lissandra asked.

  "The last we saw, yes," Edmond said.

  “So, Avelina is in the castle, with the Prince, and now we mean to storm our own home to rescue our sister?" Lissandra said slowly, in an attempt to understand all that happened.

  Everyone nodded.

  "Perfect," Lissandra said.

  They all turned back to look at the castle.

  "Do you have away in?" Lissandra asked.

  "There are plenty of ways in, it would just be a matter of discovering which ones are blocked off or guarded," Eamon said.

  "We can divide the forces, among us. Then we could each take an entry point and see if one of us could get in," Edmond said thoughtfully.

  "I do not care for dividing up the forces,” Issat said.

  "It would be too easy for us to be divided and taken hostage," Eamon added.

  The Prince does not need any more of those, Eamon thought to himself.

  "Are we sure that Avelina has been taken?" Issat asked suddenly.

  They all turned to her.

  She had her eyes on the castle and was studying it.

  "We have all been acting under the assumption that Prince Raulyn has Avelina. But we don't know for sure. Is it possible that she has been able to sneak in, without being seen?"

  Eamon had to think for a moment not only was it possible, it was probable.

  "Even if she hasn't been found out, does that change our plans?" Edmond asked.

  "It could be that we just need to give her some time," Issat said.

  "If she can sneak in there, and do what Eamon had planned, and kill Prince Raulyn, that it would make our lives easier," Lissandra agreed.

  "The only problem, is that we have no knowledge of where she is, or what she might be doing," Issat said.

  They all fell silent again, contemplating the next course of action.

  They were all staring at the castle, when the gates opened.

  The invitation was clear.

  “What do we do?” Edmond asked.

  Someone had to go. At least one of them.

  “I will go. The rest of you stay here. If anything should happen, you should set sail and burn it all to the ground. The villagers are gone, thanks to Evander,” Eamon said.

  “I will go with you,” Alik said.

  “No-” Eamon started.

  “If it is negotiations, your death is assured. With me by your side, it is not. If it is a battle, I am safer next to you,” Alik reasoned.

  Eamon clenched his jaw and looked away.

  “I will go as well,” Issat said.

  “Well, why don’t we all go?” Lissandra asked.

  “Yes, lets,” Edmond said.

  Eamon looked around at his family. They were newly returned to him and were now all gladly offering to walk into the jaws of death with him.

  “This is not how I wished for this to turn out,” Eamon said.

  “I did not wish to lose an eye, but I survived it,” Edmond pointed out.

  “I did not wish to be exiled from my home and family for more than a year, but I am returned home once more,” Lissandra added.

  “I do not want to burn your home to the ground. It is far more beautiful than Grayhaven and I wish to stay here for the rest of my life,” Alik said and gave Eamon a strained smile.

  “If this is the end, then I am glad it is with you by my side,” Eamon said. He closed his eyes and considered his options.

  Eamon turned to Edmond's men. “Can you get to King Evander? To his men and get word to them?”

  The men glanced at one another before one answered, “You wish us to leave you here, alone, Your Highness?”

  Eamon smiled though the strain of it almost broke him. “I am not alone. I have my family. And Ruin will follow any that attempt to capture us.”

  The men did not care for it, but they turned their horses and galloped for King Evander and his army.

  With the Ruin silently following them, they headed inside.

  Chapter 19

  “Well, I suppose we know where she is now,” Edmond muttered as soon as they passed the gates.

  “Leave your guards at the front!” Prince Raulyn called out.

  His guards lined the entrance and surrounded him. He stood in the middle of courtyard, grinning like a mad man, one arm clutching Avelina around the waist while another held a dagger to her throat.

  The Infinite swayed behind them, unsure of their orders.

  “Stay here,” Lissandra said over her shoulder. They were just inside the gates, so if they were raised, at least Eamon was sure that he would have back up, of some kind.

  Prince Raulyn had a bloody lip that was bleeding freely and another gash on his forehead.

  Avelina appeared untouched, if for the knife at her throat.

  “Sending your spy in for me was a foolish move, Eamon!” Raulyn said.

  “Hardly a spy. Only a sister eager to return her brother to his rightful place,” Eamon said.

  “I’m sorry-” Avelina said and then the knife pressed deeper into her throat and forced her head back. She put her hands to Rualyn’s forearm as he restricted her movement and air.

  Eamon couldn’t help but watch her movements. They seemed erratic, like it wasn’t even Raulyn’s arm that she reached for, but something else.

  “All four of you survived? How lucky for me. If this one proves barren, there is another princess, just waiting for me,” Raulyn said and licked his lips.

  “Why don’t you let her go and you and I can discuss it?” Lissandra asked.

  Eamon looked over at his sister, dressed in her armor, and she smiled wickedly at Raulyn.

  “But I am not nearly as sweet as her. Perhaps you are afraid of women your own age?” Lissandra asked.

  “Is that why you killed your father?” Alik called out.

  Everyone turned to look at him.

  “I loved my father-” Raulyn said.

  “But you wanted power more and he looked like he would live forever. Am I correct?” Alik asked.

  “No! My father was a good man-”

  “A healthy man, a man that would live and conquer and never let you have the slightest bit of power-”

  “No, it wasn’t-”

  “And he talked down to you, in front of the court. Belittled you, made you feel small and stupid, would not let you marry, would not even think of choosing a princess for you-”

  “He was-”

  “Angry, all the time. Nothing you did could please him. He didn’t think of anything but more power, more land, revenge for his ancestors and he built it all up in your mind, that power, that blood, that vengeance, dangled it in front of you like a sweet morsel but never let you touch. Did you fear, now that he had the Storm Isles, now that the royal families were dead and gone, that you would never see the throne?” Alik pressed.

  Eamon felt like Alik spoke from a place of personal knowledge.

  “I am not a child!” Raulyn screamed.

  Alik fell silent.

  “All the power was his and he spoke of finding one of the princesses and taking her for his own. Once that child was born, I knew that my days were numbered and that I would never see the light of day again. And even if I could kill that child, there would be another and another. It was my life or his and he already had his turn, don’t you see?” Raulyn said. The knife shook in his hand and his eyes were wide and wild. Spittle flew and clung from his lips.

  “Easy, darling,” Eamon muttered to Alik. He had pushed Raulyn to the very edge and Eamon worried that he would kill Avelina if he pushed much harder.

  “So you took his plan for your own, now that he was out of the way. Now that you moved him out of the way,”
Alik said.

  Raulyn sneered but did not deny the accusation.

  The guards around them were no longer still. In fact, they glanced around at one another and perhaps that was the reaction that Alik was looking for; he was already beginning to sow the seeds of distrust among the men.

  Soldiers loved their king and if they did not, they trusted him. They had to trust him with their lives.

  If the Prince killed their King, who was next on the chopping block?

  “He had his time and the both of you should be thanking me for giving you your time and kingdom as well,” Raulyn sneered.

  “I would rather have my parents,” Edmond called out.

  “I never wanted the throne,” Alik added.

  Everyone fell silent and turned to him once more.

  “It’s too much responsibility. You have to care for everyone and everything all the time. If you do not, you will fail. I do not fail, Raulyn, but you seem to make a habit of it. Already, the people here are starving. Your soldiers fail at keeping a King imprisoned. A King. Your mistakes will only get larger from here,” Alik said.

  There was a subtle, but swift movement from Raulyn. It looked like he was trying to reposition Avelina, as she squirmed in his arms. The knife cut deeper and Eamon heard a high ringing in his ears, like he might watch the death of his youngest sister right then.

  Instead, she twisted away from him, the cut went deeper and then-

  There was the jeweled dagger in her hand once again. She slashed him across his waist and then whipped her arm straight up, perhaps aiming for the soft flesh just beneath his chin, but he fell back and she only caught his cheek and laid it open.

  Avelina threw herself backwards and away from him, towards Eamon and the others. Issat and Edmond caught her around the waist and pulled her into their group.

  Which was now surrounded by hundreds of guards and one infuriated Prince.

  Raulyn, who now had a hand pressed to his cheek, stared at them.

  He laughed.

  “Kill them. Leave one princess alive, I do not care which one. Bring me their bodies,” he ordered and turned.

  There was only the echoing silence of his footsteps as he left the courtyard.

  The soldiers turned to the group.

  “Foolish of us to think that this might have gone our way,” Edmond remarked, still sounding delighted.

  The soldiers pulled their weapons and pressed in to them.

  They all formed a circle, weapons ready.

  Eamon glanced over at Alik and Alik met his eyes.

  It was not how Eamon wished for their story to end, but if this was all they could have, at least Alik was by his side.

  As the soldiers rushed in, Eamon readied himself.

  Chapter 20

  All that existed in the world was blood.

  Everywhere, as far as Alik could see, there was blood. It splattered Eamon’s face and covered Avelina’s hair.

  Issat’s white tunic was no longer white.

  Everything in the world was colored red.

  And yet still, the soldiers pressed in.

  Alik knew that their numbers were not infinite but with so few of them, and so many of the Vresal, it felt like it.

  The pile of bodies grew around them, the highest and most grievously injured at Eamon’s feet.

  He was silent as he laid man after man down, baring his teeth and sometimes kicking the bodies of dead and dying men out of his way.

  Edmond was equally silent, probably out of habit.

  Avelina and Lissandra were loud and wrathful where their brothers were not. They snarled and screamed at the men who came after them, angry in a way that only women who were particularly threatened could be.

  Issat stayed near Alik, watching his back, like she always had.

  His dear, good friend, with him until the very end.

  When Alik saw Eamon slow, just a fraction of a second, Alik knew that their time was counting down. It would not be long now before one of them was taken and they were all slaughtered.

  If Eamon fell, so would they all.

  It barely registered when a man charging at Alik stopped, an arrow through his throat. He grasped at it, then fell.

  Alik moved on to the next man, who had an arrow through his shoulder.

  Perhaps Avelina found more arrows, Alik thought to himself.

  The third and fourth time the arrows fell more men, Alik realized that the angle was all wrong and none from their group could have made that shot.

  Then he heard the marching of footsteps.

  Whoever was shooting these men down would need reinforcements if there were even more soldiers coming.

  Then he blinked and found himself gently shoved backwards.

  Alik found himself staring at the back of a Ruin, their long sheath becoming the focus of his attention for a moment and he realized that the sounds of fighting weren’t just coming from them. The Ruin were fighting their way to them, to protect them, but were cut off by another group of soldiers.

  Alik watched as more and more soldiers fell and he followed the arrows up and up to a large turret.

  Margrave was there, Lady Sexton by his side, Milet on the other.

  The three of them were raining arrows down on those that were getting by the Ruin, that were coming too close to the group of royals that Ruin struggled to protect.

  “Look-” Lissandra panted and pointed to the gates.

  They were being lowered.

  Much to Alik’s surprise, it was Lambin and Bryson who were lowering the gates, bit by bit. The wheel that lowered the gates seemed to be too much weight for both of them and Alik saw them both pause and then step away, let the gates fall.

  There was a mighty crash as the gates opened and Edmond’s men led the charge inside the gates, followed by Heaven, followed by more soldiers than Alik thought they could possibly have.

  It appeared true as King Evander trotted up to them on his large warhorse, looking well rested and clean.

  “Why didn’t we get invited to the wedding?” Evander asked casually, sounding hurt.

  He was beautiful in his court colors, his soldiers streaming around them, taking down any of Raulyn’s court. His crown was shining bright on his head and he appeared like a messenger from the gods themselves. His green eyes were bright with mirth and his dark golden hair was longer than Alik last saw him. He appeared properly recovered from his father's torture and Alik did not know if he loved any more than he loved King Evander of Cerith right at that moment.

  “I hate you,” Eamon gasped and fell to his knees.

  Evander shrugged and directed his men to the inside of the castle. “There are none inside that belong to Eamon’s court but leave the servants.”

  “Sire,” a soldier said and turned to his men.

  “Leave Raulyn,” Eamon called out to the man.

  The man looked back and nodded.

  “Alyx will be so disappointed he missed out on this,” a younger, sweeter voice called out.

  Alik looked over. Paige was there, sword in hand, grinning widely. She was astride her own horse, brown and white, beautiful as the first time Alik saw her.

  “I would like to remind you that you weren’t supposed to be here either,” Evander said.

  Paige laughed.

  ALIK THOUGHT IT ALL to be over, until Evander’s men dragged Raulyn from the castle.

  He was no longer elegant or arrogant. He looked more like a petulant child than Alik thought.

  Eamon was sitting, watching the men work, until Raulyn was thrown into a bloody puddle in the middle of courtyard.

  Alik was also sitting on a low wall, with Paige at his side. He wanted to say something, but thought better of it. Paige was regaling him of all her adventures since they had last seen each other but she fell silent when Raulyn fell at Eamon's feet, just as everyone else did.

  “Give me your sword,” Eamon ordered a soldier near him.

  The man handed it over.

  Eamon thr
ew it at Raulyn’s feet. It splashed in the puddle that Raulyn fell in and splattered the sword with even more, his face and hair as well.

  “Stand up,” Eamon ordered.

  “Oh my,” Lady Sexton whispered. She turned her face away but didn't attempt to turn Lambin away. He had witnessed enough blood in his past few days that attempting to protect him was bordering hypocrisy.

  Time stood still as Raulyn stared down at the sword in front of him. Then he looked up at Eamon, hatred in his eyes.

  “I am a prince, not some heathen-” he began through a clenched jaw.

  “You are a coward who stands behind other men as they bleed for you. It is your turn to bleed, to serve, to try and take the throne by honorable means, now stand up!” Eamon roared.

  Only Evander looked unimpressed. He seemed to be enjoying himself and grinned at Alik and Paige.

  As Raulyn reached for his sword, Alik could see that he was terrified. The implication was clear; Raulyn never fought. He was already injured by Avelina and did not have the seething rage that boiled Eamon’s blood.

  This was no fight.

  This was an execution.

  Raulyn charged Eamon and Eamon pushed him away, easily. Raulyn swung and Eamon ducked out of the way and Alik could see that he put no effort into the movements at all.

  It was watching a king fight a child, Alik thought to himself.

  “I can’t watch, it’s too embarrassing,” Paige whispered and hid her face in Alik’s shoulder.

  It was, Alik agreed, but at the same time he knew he had to bear witness to Raulyn’s death.

  Eamon drew his sword and in one swift move, buried it to the hilt in Raulyn’s chest and pulled him close, as though he would cradle the man in his arms.

  Paige and Alik were the only ones close enough to hear Eamon’s last words whispered to the Prince.

  “You do not know the sacrifice to serve your people, truly. So you will die like the coward you are. None will mourn you. None will remember you. Your lands will forget you and rejoice when they hear of your death. Their cries will not carry you into the afterworld. You will haunt these lands and watch as I and my family take back what is rightfully ours,” Eamon whispered in his ears.