The Catalyst

Chapter Three - Foresworn

Chapter 3 - Foresworn

Hans took in the view from his new room window and exhaled heavily, a smile on his face.

Rosea, the rich and prosperous nation, had fallen with insultingly few opposers, and they were being rounded up quickly and taken care of. As Abel's head tactician and personal physician, Hans made sure that all those who resisted the new regime were taught a very valuable lesson.

He could still hear the screams, and the sound was delicious.

His slate eyes scanned the handsome palace room he'd claimed as his own. It was simply but elegantly furnished; a large bed in one corner surrounded by a dark red curtain, light enough to let the air in, since Rosea was known for its perennial warm climate. The walls were a light crème in color and high windows let in all the sunlight.

Everything about this palace was open and free. Any assassin with a lick of skill would be able to slip inside and make quick work of his target. That the Dulcis family and all of their palace attendants had survived as long as they did was nothing short of a miracle. Hans acknowledged that it was a mark of how deeply content the Rosea citizens were with their rulers. The Dulcis believed they had nothing to fear.

The king and queen were executed immediately, the first night of the invasion. The hangings were conducted in secret, the bodies revealed the next morning to damage morale. Most of the palace attendants escaped capture, but Hans was confident that they would be located and dealt with accordingly. And the princess, one of the last claimants to the throne, was arrested, to be made an example of.

Abel was dealing with her now.

There was one minor problem with their otherwise flawlessly-executed coup. Scarlet was first in line to inherit the throne of Rosea, but she was not the only claimant.

There was still her aunt, renowned doctor Natasha, who could potentially cause problems for the new regime, should she decide to stake her claim to the Rosea kingdom. Her whereabouts were unknown at the time, having gone underground since the invasion, but Hans doubted she would abandon her beloved niece in such a dark hour. Part of the reason they were keeping Scarlet alive was to draw Natasha out of hiding and into the open, where she could be dealt with in the same manner. Abel was sure that holding Natasha's niece, to whom she'd taught all of her medical repertoire and loved more than any other, would bring her down.