19 | ACT I, SCENE XIX

P R E V I O U S L Y

"The next time perhaps, Deimos... I'll try my hand at using your whip," I finished, turning on my heel away from him.

ARCTON FORTRESS, RIMEBAY, VERTGATE.

AMPHITRITE

WE ALL WAITED FOR A few minutes, until Rosalva finally came back. Her usually cheerful expression was tinged with worry and anger, but she carefully smoothed it out the moment she saw us.

"Lady Emmerson! What is the meaning of this? You left my wife unattended to in the middle of examining her!" Eric snapped, his grey eyes shining with anger, and I rubbed his arm to calm him down.

"I'm sorry, your Grace," she was apologizing with her head bowed, "I kept on getting visitors for my husband the whole time..." she muttered, yet her gilded eyes kept on darting to the left and right, as Eric's storm grey irises darkened considerably.

His stance grew stiffer as well. He protectively put an arm around my waist and a hand on his sister's shoulders as Rosalva kept on nervously chattering. It was obvious she was trying to hide something.

The argument between Rosalva Emmerson and Eric kept on growing louder, echoing in the halls of the Arcton Fortress. She kept on saying over and over that she just had visitors to ward off, but it looked like Eric didn't believe it for a second.

"We're leaving, Lady Emmerson," he finally announced.

Eric didn't get angry easily, he was the god of the ocean, calm and patient like the deep water. Yet once or twice a year he would lose it, actually lose it. The lord of the sea was a sight to be feared of when provoked. And right now, I could feel the air begin to get moist as his temper began to climb. Rosalva gave a lukewarm smile which did not reach her eyes.

"Of... course, your Grace," she said, as Vanessa and I stepped down from the table and I straightened the laces of my gown.

"By the way, didn't you want to know what is wrong with your wife?" Rosalva asked, trying to stall us as we took a step forward.

"What is it?" he asked impatiently. She looked at me for a moment. I nodded at her.

"Amphitrite... you're carrying triplets..." she whispered softly.

I turned to Eric.

His frown disappeared, as an expression of pure joy and happiness spread over his shocked face and tears filled his hurricane eyes as he looked at me with the purest affection.

"How... pregnant again?" he whispered into my ear.

"Pretty sure you were there when it happened," I beamed. He laughed, then picked me up, swinging me around in his arms with the wind in my hair. Vanessa tightly hugged me with a huge grin on her cherry lips.

"Congratulations, peanut," she exclaimed, kissing my cheek.

"Thank you, Amphi. You've made my day," Eric whispered, looking at Rosalva, who was beaming as well, yet even that happiness could not hide the flick of her eyes to the left again.

What was going on?

"My family and I are going to leave now," Eric said, and Rosalva gladly stepped aside to let us pass.

She kept up a constant chatter about prenatal vitamins and supplements the whole time as the four of us descended the stairs of the Fortress. A pleasant, woodsy smell wafted in from the halls. Sprigs of lavender and heaps of rosemary were dried out on the sun kissed balconies, the scent of herbs and spices drifting everywhere.

We walked across the hall as Rosalva escorted us to the front doors. Eric's frame was rigid, his body was as stiff as a spring. We reached the front gate, a huge door of obsidian stepped with gold. Silk curtains fluttered from the afternoon air coming in.

The guards crossed their spears as Eric took another step forward.

"Let us go," he said curtly, stormy eyes darkening.

The man did not move, but took out a knife and locked the gate securely, preventing us from leaving. Worry began to strum in my blood, Eric had been right - something was wrong, something was very wrong.

A loud blast was heard at the other end of the hall, followed by a crash and the sound of troops marching in unison.

We turned around.

Emerick.

A whole troop of green uniformed guards surrounded him and the other Rotavelles as they silently marched into the hall, coming to a halt as they formed a wide circle and the Rotavelles stood right in front of us, blocking the doors.

Beside Emerick was his elder son, Elias Rotavelle, standing smug with weapons strapped to his sides. He was the splitting image of his father - brown hair, green eyes and with a cocky air of arrogance around them.

Beside them was our cousin - Edwina's proud contender, Favian.

"I'm sorry," Rosalva whispered with tears in her eyes, "they said they'd take the city if I let you go. There was no one left in Vertgate to protect us, I'm sorry," she wept.

"Let us go, Emerick," Eric said firmly, his face turning white as a sheet, and I saw his hand tighten around his sword.

"Now, now, now, King LeVane," Emerick laughed with a maniacal gleam in his green eyes. "There's no need to turn violent. Put down that sword help me find and kill Edwina Tremayne. Before I cut out those unborn bastards from your wife's stomach first."

• • • • •

CALCHESTER CITADEL, STEFFITH.

EDWINA

Silence.

Both of us, Adam and I, we stood staring shock still at the gaping hole in front of us, this huge gaping pit in the floor which appeared out of nowhere by me just touching the tile.

The Citadel was hiding a secret.

"You were saying?" I sharply asked Adam, who was pondering while scratching his chin, hesitantly looking at me.

"I... I don't recall there being a secret passage in the old maps," he said, leaning over to look into the pitch black tunnel.

"Hmm..." I said thoughtfully, lost in the hundreds of questions buzzing through my head. What was this secret passage? How was it directly underneath our bed? What was under it and where the hell was the piano?!

"I'm going down," I announced, making my way to the top of the steps at my foot and hitching up my skirts.

"But it could be a trap, your Grace, it could be dangerous!" Adam exclaimed with a cautious glint in his eyes, leaning over beside me to examine the black depths. Only the steps were illuminated due to the daylight, making it hard to tell what could be there inside.

A flame danced on my hands as I held them close to the opening. The darkness seemed to drink up the light, making it impossible to see what was exactly under.

"Wait a minute, your Grace. It might not be safe," Adam said bravely, brushing me aside as he took the steps, going in one at a time, until only the top of his head was visible and that too slid out of view. "There are twelve steps," his voice came from below, slightly muffled.

"Wait!" I called to him. "I'm coming down."

My curiosity had gotten the better of me, literally burning through as I slowly descended the steps. The narrow walls were made of something slick and dark paved, smooth with pebbled stones. The smell was slightly dank and musty - a bit damp, with the weird metallic tinge of blood.

I saw Adam lingering on one of the steps, as per my command. I softened my flame and motioned for him to follow me as I led the way down.

The twelve steps turned in a perfect, tight quarter circle and I finally reached the bottom, scanning the room under.

The steps widened out in a square room, damp walls stained with something that looked very much like blood. Something crunched under my feet.

Bones.

The flame of light in my hand blazed brightly, throwing the room into sharp relief, three corners empty, but the fourth, at the far end, was covered by a dusty cloth.

"Adam?"

"Right behind you, my Queen," he whispered, almost making me jump as I turned around, his young face illuminated by the fire - eyes dark and observant.

I stood for a minute, taking in every inch of the room and the dark shape in the corner. The dull sound of my boots was heard as I wordlessly walked to the mysterious shape. Grabbing the dusty folds, I drew it aside in a swift motion, and gave a sudden gasp of shock.

It was a piano.

It was a beautiful concoction of wood and ivory, with a striking red color, giving it an illustrious and bold finish.

"Oh lord," I whispered to myself. I'd known it.

The woman had been looking for this room. And she'd heard the piano under us that night.

The piano had been signalling to her, drawing her attention to it, making her come find it. How on earth had it been playing by itself? What sort of black magic had made this dead, lifeless piano play by itself?

This room was cursed.

And there was only one reason for the piano keys playing so softly that night, lulling its listener in. It was hiding something. There was something so very wrong here. A wave of chills passed through me as I once again recalled the dead woman with her pitch black eyes, unnerving me.

I'd have to show this to Eric and Tristan. It was no longer a laughing matter.

• • • • •

ARCTON FORTRESS, RIMEBAY, VERTGATE.

ERIC

My instincts kicked in at once. On impulse, my hand reached into my sleeve, drawing out my daggers. One found its way to Emerick's inner arm, sinking in as blood flowed out, the other buried itself in Elias's shoulder as he gave a yelp. I pulled a third from my left boot, aiming it at Favian's neck, but the bastard ducked.

Desperate, I flung the last of the knives at the Rotavelles before I remembered the two women shivering behind my back. I protectively pulled Vanessa and Amphitrite behind me, their faces white with fear.

"Stay together and don't let go of each other," I ordered, trying to concentrate hard at the same moment. My Trident appeared in my hands, gleaming sharp and dangerous. Furious, I threw it in sheer anger, and it struck seven of the men to the ground, returning to my hand.

We were badly outnumbered.

My wife, Amphitrite, was pregnant. My sister, Vanessa, could only use bow and arrow. Neither of them could fight or were armed, making them vulnerable targets against me. The problem was getting all three of us out of here alive. And in one piece.

"Eric!"

Amphitrite's shriek from behind stopped me in my tracks. I turned around in horror to find that both my sister's and wife's grip on my shoulder had loosened.

Elias had pulled the knife out of his already healing shoulder, holding it to Amphitrite's throat, as Favian did the same with Vanessa.

Oh lord. Not my family.

Emerick had pulled the knife out as well amd was curiously examining, it wiping the blood off.

"Well, well, well... your Grace," he said courteously, bowing low. "It seems we meet under unfortunate circumstances every time."

"Let them go," I said fiercely through gritted teeth. "Let them go. Do whatever you want with me."

"As a matter of fact, King LeVane," Emerick said, flicking an imaginary speck of dust off his robes, "I don't have a mind to let them go. No, I don't think so," he said with a sneer. "Put down your Trident."

"No," I said, flinging it at him, and this time it flew straight at the man, his clothes began to melt and burns appeared on his skin, but it didn't knock him out like the others.

"Very... well," he said, inspecting the weapon as it began to fly back to me, but he held it back, inspecting the gleaming tips. "Begin with the younger one," he said gesturing Vanessa, who had Favian's hand clamped over her mouth and a knife at her white throat.

Wood sharp pine tips began to shoot out of Favian's skin, puncturing tiny little holes in Vanessa's neck. She made muffled noises as her grey eyes similar to mine widened. He gave her a rough jerk, and an involuntary cry rose out of my lips. Favian took the knife, drawing the edge against her skin.

"-no! Let her go!" I yelled.

"I think not," he drawled, inching the tip into my younger sister's skin as she gave a cry and a trickle of blood began to collect at her collarbone as she uselessly struggled to break free from her elder cousin.

I made to run to her, but a clicking tongue just beside me stopped me, as Emerick joined my side, standing just beside me and Amphitrite.

"No, your Grace," he said, giving me a mocking bow. "Make another movement and I myself will slit your wife's throat after killing the unborn children in her belly. I'm sure you'll enjoy the recreational comforts of sewing her back together."

Anger rose up in me, pure, undiluted anger. No one got to harm my family and walk away. No one! I felt a thunderous crash as I felt the waves of the sea rise and fall at my will. One look outside the window gave Emerick a quick indication of the approaching tsunami. He quickly motioned to Favian, who proceeded to deepen the cut on Vanessa's throat.

"Let her go! Stop!" I shouted desperately.

"I will, Eric. If you make that stop," Favian said with a malicious smile, his poisonous green eyes beckoning to the waves that would soon wreck the Fortress if I didn't stop them.

The waves came closer.

"Well, whatever suits you," he muttered slyly, as blood dripped off his knife. My sister's blood.

I had to surrender, else they would harm and torture both of them in front of my eyes.

The waves slid back into the water with a resonating crash.

A snap brought me back to the moment, and I felt cold steel around my wrists. I looked down.

Manacles of Ekrite.

"Fuck," I whispered under my breath, flinching at the burning sensation.

Ekrite was a deadly dangerous metal, just like Bloodstone. Bloodstone, when aimed at the heart, held the power to kill a god, and leave irremovable marks in other cases. Ekrite, on the other hand, held a power to rob a god of their powers.

That was the reason the chains of prisoners were always made of Ekrite. For as long as a person would remain chained in them, they would never be able to use their powers. Only after removing the manacles could the powers be used again.

By locking me in chains of Ekrite, Emerick had ensured that I would not he able to call up my powers as lord of the sea. Incidentally, it also hampered my mental link of communication with Amphitrite, hence rendering us all helpless. Besides, my Trident had disappeared the moment the metal touched my skin.

Emerick slid similar manacles on Amphitrite and Vanessa's wrists as well, but his Rotavelle scum still held the knives to their throats.

"You would hide behind women to save yourselves, you cowards!" I snarled, as Elias lightly chuckled.

"Be very careful, your Grace. Or I just might start etching the words you speak on your wife's skin. Such lovely skin," he drawled, lust crossing his eyes, as he ran a hand up her bare arms encased in the wisps of her favorite sleeveless chiton.

Amphitrite shuddered in fear, looking at me with big, pleading eyes like endless summer.

Favian shook open his hair, toying with the piece of twine that always held it together, with the wood needles still protruding out of his skin. He marched to Rosalva and grabbed her by the throat.

"Get lost," he hissed, and it took only one second for Rosalva to look at the dangerous aura emanating from him before she fled without a single glance.

"What do you want?" I spat.

"I assume you know who I want, your Grace," he said. "I want Edwina Tremayne's life. And her crown. And the LeVanes will bring her here for me so that Favian can finish what he started that day in the arena."

"None of us is going to get her for you," I hissed, as Vanessa and Amphitrite nodded in unison.

Elias brought the knife to her neck again, but Emerick stopped him. "Do what you want to do with her later. Share her," he said with a lopsided leer at Vanessa.

"No, you won't!" I screamed.

"None of you is going to get her for us," Emerick said, "no, I have someone even better to do the job. Wait and watch, Eric," he laughed.

"Wh - what do you mean?" I spluttered, fearing for my family's safety. "Who... who have you got?" I snapped.

Another scuffle sounded at the long end of the hall as we all turned around to look who was making the commotion.

Three guards were hauling a blindfolded woman who gave a loud gasp of protest as he shoved her in. Fear struck me like lightening.

Simpering a mile to a minute, Emerick laughed softly with a harsh smile, pouting at me before bursting into maniacal fits of laughter again. He snatched the blindfold off the woman, and she blinked her eyes, adjusting to the light.

The color left her face as she saw her family, shackled and held captive.

It was my daughter, Verona.

• • • • •

Well... I wish I had written an author's note, but I'm just really sad right now :( next time, loves! Hope you like the recent chapters, if you did, please vote! This baby really needs some love, so please do so if you like what you are reading ♡