Dark Prince & the Doe

Chapter Thirty-seven: Messenger

Chapter Thirty-seven: Messenger

Calden (Six Years Ago)

She unsheathed a knife.

She wouldn't.

Calden's blood went cold. He took a deep breath and prepared to yell. But Lyrina just watched with a knowing look in her eyes. No one would come. The night air was already full of screams, his would be one more shouted into the abyss. A waste of breath.

Again, he tried to stand, but his legs didn't have any strength. She'd drugged him with something, but how? That damned canteen. She'd put something in the water. He was exhausted. He could barely breathe. His chest was so heavy. Everything was going numb.

He had to run, fight back or...an enchant! Did he bring any enchanted items with him? Did he wear that poison neutralizer ring Larken and Nocturn had made for him? He glanced down at his hands. No. Of course not. That would have been smart.

He'd not even worn a Light Enchant ring! Not one enchanted item. He'd been so worried about people recognizing him tonight that he'd not bothered to actually protect himself from real danger.

His anger faded away and he tried to snatch at it, but he couldn't find it in him to care anymore. It was a strange calm, like he was floating atop a deep river of all his troubles – they felt so far away but he knew they were there...down in the dark. It must be whatever she'd drugged him with, but, at this point, there wasn't much he could do.

The Blue Flame had given him every chance to turn back and act with caution, but he'd ignored every warning and gut instinct so stubbornly. So, here he was, experiencing the worst possible outcome – one that he hadn't even thought to worry about. No wonder the Blue Flame hated him.

"Lyrina, don't," Calden mumbled, still subconsciously trying to get his legs to work, but they weighed a thousand pounds.

"Hmm." She tapped at the bottom of her lip with her knife. "Don't what, Calden? You're the one who volunteered. I had such a difficult time trying to plan a way to separate Kiren from everyone tonight. But then, you walked right up to me and so sweetly insisted that I catch you. I had wanted it to be the pretty one, but I'm sure you'll do just fine as my messenger."

"Messen...ger?" Calden questioned; his tongue felt foreign in his mouth.

She nodded. "I am going to shame you in accordance with the Old Law," she said and pressed the tip of her knife against the line of stitching in the deer hides he wore.

He tried to speak. Skinning the hide on the night of The Hunt had been prohibited over one hundred years ago, but she already knew that. The Heiress of the Reinclae could do as she pleased. Just because many of the Old Laws were prohibited under his father's rule didn't mean those who still practiced them could be punished without severe backlash.

The Reinclae were the first line of Remeria's defense, they were too strong to be challenged. Their legion was legendary. Nothing would be done to her just for shaming the sixth prince. Everyone would say it was his fault for being weak.

"I can't believe you offered yourself up to me as a stag! The Lenwar family has fallen far farther than we'd feared. None of you deserve to be Azure," she said sharply, pointing her knife in his face as she spoke. "Although, I commend you for your wisdom in trying to join the Falies family. Abandoning your own family before it falls to ruin? Clever, but I'm not that charitable."

"You're making...a mistake," Calden whispered out past his numb lips.

"No," Lyrina said, shaking her head. "This is the Lenwar family's mistake. Listen, Calden, this isn't anything personal. I'm sure you're very nice. But your family is no longer worthy to wear the crown. The True Remnants hoped Prince Larken would be different. But I knew as soon as he filed his horns down that he was not going to be my King. No real Remerian would be ashamed of his heritage. He's even weaker than King Abarin, who's already a compromising coward with delusions of peace. As queen, I could have returned true Remerian dignity to the royal family, but now, I'm glad Larken declined my offers."