Redamancy Ch. 14-15

Hi everyone,

I'm sorry once again for not keeping up with this. Between work and prepping for the dreaded LSAT, I was so not up to writing. Now that I've taken the test, I will have more time to write as I am slowly getting back into it. Plus, it doesn't help that my anxiety has been ramped up recently so, I'm just kind of in and out of wanting to write. Anyways, hope y'all enjoy!

~E

Chapter Fourteen

Being one of the queen's ladies was truly an honor.

Devyn hadn't before been pampered, adored, or even envied and she never wanted this life to end. However, she felt as if something was missing, something that should be in the castle, watching her but, he wasn't.

She gasped at that thought. Four moons had passed since the king perished. Four months since she last saw his brooding eyes, sulking from the throne as he watched his subjects bow before him. He would lounge on the throne, one leg carelessly thrown over a side, his head resting on his hand as his elbow was placed on the support. That's how he had been when he nodded at her adoptive father's request and plea; just casual and dangerous.

A shiver passed through her and she sighed, looking at her reflection in the wavy window. She hadn't been able to admire herself in quite some time, so, any opportunity she took to see her face, she took it.

Now, her violet eyes were lighter, more lifelike and the wrinkles below them had nearly disappeared. She was still stressed and haunted by nasty memories that caused her to lose sleep but she was doing better. Her skin was darker due to escorting the queen on daily outings, causing her paleness to fade. She glowed and was healthy.

She had her silver hair braided into a coif high upon her crown, ringlets allowed loose to frame her face. She rubbed at the mark on her left wrist, a brand of the queen scarred on her flesh so she could not be harmed or sold for slavery ever again.

It was a three-pointed crown, no larger than her thumb, with filigree surrounding it, leading down to fade into her lower forearm. It was the new queen's symbol. The late king's guards bore the same marking, their oath to protect the queen, as well as the old markings from King Cassius. Many of the veterans from kings past typically had raised skin just on one arm. It was the Broslan way.

"Shh, my lady," one of the other girls soothed the queen.

It was time for the babe to make its entrance into the world and Devyn was with the other ladies, fretting and preparing for its arrival. Lord Toros was the acting monarch for the time being as the queen gave birth and recuperated. He was given very limited power as Queen Velorina knew what he would do if he were given the full reign.

The kingdom was still in mourning over the loss of King Cassius as was his sister. She had probably taken his death the hardest and it placed a tremendous amount of strain on the babe.

Devyn turned from the window, away from the deconstruction of the walls around the kingdom. Queen Velorina had ordered them to be torn down and, so far, only a quarter of the length had been removed, lying in rubble at the bottom. Devyn didn't much like what she was doing but, what could she do? She couldn't complain considering her old life. No, she kept her mouth shut and instead, went with whatever the queen demanded.

After all, she was fed and bathed every night.

A groan from the queen had Devyn nearly gagging. The smell was awful; sweat mixed with Broslan odor and blood filled the air in the small birthing chamber. Dev idly wondered how many monarchs had been birthed here.

Queen Velorina's scream was muffled, her teeth biting down hard on the rag that was placed between her lips. Tears began pouring from the corners of her eyes and beads of perspiration formed on her forehead. Devyn pitied the poor Broslan. This seemed like a painful ordeal and honestly, she wouldn't pray for that even upon her worst enemies.

The queen's knees were near her shoulders and she was completely bare, her breasts bound to keep them out of the way. Two ladies held her ankles aloft while another was perched with a clean cloth to catch the babe once it was pushed out. There were no men allowed in the birthing chamber unless a healer was needed. Devyn thought this odd because during human births, the mother was fully clothed and her husband whispered encouragements in her ear. The human mother was often comforted and caressed. Broslan mothers were nearly left to their own devices safe for the occasional soothing and check-up on her well-being.

Devyn stood at the end of the large bed and tried not to stare at the blood-stained sheets. She was the only human in the chamber and knew naught about Broslan anatomy.

Just then, a pounding on the thin, wooden door caused everyone to jump, including the queen. Devyn took it upon herself to answer before she was roughly pushed back by one of Toros' guards. He eyed Devyn salaciously but then turned his gaze on the queen and her startled ladies.

Once he saw that the babe had not come, he promptly slammed the door.

Confused, Devyn glanced at the queen who sported a very nervous look on her face. What was she hiding?

The look quickly vanished as the queen's face morphed into one of pain. Her eyes bulged and veins began popping out of her neck. She was nearly there.

Dev risked a glance at the queen's bottom and immediately looked away.

Something purple, red, and pink was beginning to make its way, dark curly hair wet from blood and amniotic fluid.

"Push!" The Broslan with the cloth murmured. "Nearly there. He's crowning."

Of course, there was half the chance that the babe would be male for heir sake however, the queen was female and it would no longer matter. But, for the queen's husband, everyone wants the babe to be male.

A few more grunts and guttural groans, the babe was out.

But something was not right.

There was no instinctive crying the second it breathed in. The ladies rushed to the one holding it, all frantic and weary-eyed except for Devyn. She just watched Queen Velorina's eyes roll to the back of her head as she passed out due to the pain.

"Quick, Meli, fetch the healer!"

The one called Meli rushed to the door but was stopped as the guard from earlier barged in. He walked over to the babe and picked it up by its feet, inspecting the sex before he nearly tossed it at the queen. Devyn lunged as did the others but only one was able to catch it with a look of absolute horror.

"How dare-?"

"Silence!" He threatened as he turned abruptly and left the chamber.

The sudden intrusion and violent throw caused the babe to loudly cry out.

Devyn shot a cautious look at Meli whose face paled when her gaze landed on the babe. There really hadn't been time to see what Queen Velorina birthed but the entire room was silent as they all leaned over the wailing babe. All of the ladies prayed that the babe would be male, to please the queen's husband because they knew all that he had done to his wife.

He claimed he'd slash her throat if she produced a female and would order a retrieval of all female babes just so he could dump them in the nearby Calm Sea. Which wasn't calm at all with its steadily thrashing waves and monstrous current.

Queen Velorina did not seem all that worried about the sex of her child. She must have thought that her husband would never act on his promises but her ladies knew better. They'd seen the bite marks, the bruises that never seemed to go away. They'd seen the fear in their queen's eyes each night when she lay with her groom.

The entire kingdom knew of his abusive ways.

"It's a girl," Devyn whispered and felt the blood drain from her face.

Dear gods, what could this bring?

Chapter Fifteen

Haziness filled his vision.

Fire raced through his veins and his body seemed to still completely. He's already dead; what more could his body need to do? His joints were stiff, his muscles ached.

But his soul remained? How curious.

He was on his back, he knew for sure. Power laced nerves and he tried to let it out but he couldn't. He was paralyzed. Or so it seemed.

A soft breeze blew on his lashes, over his nose and lips. He wasn't wearing his mouth covering. Had he died this way? Did the whole of his kingdom see his naked face, his tattered lips? He groaned, inwardly at the thought of his most private secret out for everyone to gawk at.

Scars ran down the length of his face, his eyes and cheeks bearing the brunt of his father's ruthlessness. A memory stuck him, and he groaned willing the thought to disappear.

Hot and sharp, the blade sang over his eyelids.

"To keep your eyes on your true destiny," his father had nearly cackled. His eyes gleamed in the low firelight as he licked the blood of his son off the dagger. He spat it out. "You've got too much of your fucking mother in ye.," his father whispered and reached for Cassius's ears. His father used his thumb and forefinger to roughly hold the pointed tip in place as he brought up the dagger to swiftly remove the top of Cassius's left ear.

Cas howled in pain. Not only were his eyes bleeding, there was a burning occurring on his ear. And, as he cupped the injured one, his father mimicked what he had done to the right ear, tossing the pieces of flesh into the roaring fire.

"Now you're a Broslan who will inherit the throne," he hissed. "Your sisters will never rule Ieslal. Only a male heir, my one son..."

Those words still whispered in his mind every night.

He despised his father for what he had done to him. He could never show his full face; no one would ever find him beautiful. Not that that mattered to him but perhaps it might.

Having been crowned king, he never needed permission. All of the females flocked to his bed and he loved it.

All except one.

Violet eyes flashed behind his closed eyelids and he immediately snapped them open.

Darkness greeted his vision but he was able to discern his surroundings. Using his Broslan senses, he sniffed the damp air. He was in a cave of sorts, wet grounding and walls of mud with various animal decay littering the area.

He was on a bed of dried flowers, ruta vilarri. Large, flat, and purple, these flowers were meant to shroud the dead for good fortune in the afterlife.

Cassius could feel their thorns digging into his bare back. He knew this particular scent of the petals as he had used them to try and revive his late sister. Brushing the memory of her pale body and the crushed flowers around her, Cas tried to drag himself up.

His body cracked with each movement and he groaned as he came to a seated position.

"You're awake," a trilling voice greeted him.

A bright light encased the female's body and he had to shield his sensitive eyes from it. "Where the fuck am I?" He rasped.

The woman chuckled. "Oh, Cassius," she breathed before she stepped closer. She was in a sheer gown of purple that concealed her breasts and sex. As his eyes slowly traveled up her form, he noticed her shapely body that was narrow in stature. Finally, he landed on her face, noting the long ears that protruded from the sides of her head. She's a fucking Elf.

He stood, clothed in a rag wrapped round his waist, tied several inches below his navel. He lazily took a step towards the mysterious Elvin female. His movements were slow but sure as he fought to gain control of his body once more. The fire subsided but he was still stiff from being in one position too long.

"That's King Cassius you wench," he growled and stared her down the length of his nose. He was much taller that many Broslans by about a head but now he was eye level with her.

She smiled, her full purple lips pulling back over her teeth. Her silver eyes crinkled with delight. "My dear brother, you are no longer king of Ieslal," she pointed at him. "Queen Velorina rules the kingdom with her husband. You have been forgotten."

He roared and lunged for her but he was stopped by an unseen force, midair. She flicked her wrist and he was tossed to the side like nothing.

"Be cautious, Cassius," she threatened.

Anger rose in him and wasn't one to be defeated. He clenched his fists together and used his magic to push her back. She smirked when she moved just a few inches.

"Oh, Cassius, you can't expect win now, can you?"

He felt a shove in the center of his chest before was thrust back onto the cot of dried flowers. He fell harshly against the stone wall but had no time to prepare as she lashed out again at him, an invisible energy keeping him in place. A few of his ribs now felt broken and he was having trouble catching his breath. He had rarely used his magic so he was a bit rusty.

But the rage that constantly bubbled within him was slowly starting to churn and empower him.

She threw her head back and laughed, the sound echoing around them in the cave.

"Annoris! Enough!" Came a gruff voice from behind her.

Cassius fell to his knees when Annoris released him. She gasped and ran up to the man who caught her in his arms.

She giggled when he kissed her, their lengthy ears nearly intertwining.

Broslans never much cared for love but the Elves were no strangers to displaying how much they adored one another. It was sickening.

Cassius stood, gripping his side where a large bruise was beginning to form. He hissed and tore them apart with a nod of his head. "I will not ask again," he seethed.

"Now, where the fuck am I?"