How Familiar - 14. Ellis - Blood Feud

Ellis Alae

"Did you sleep well?" Whatever her name was asked him as he opened his eyes and stretched, yawning in his bed. She teased his nipples with her nails and smiled at him. A gorgeous woman. Older than him, but oh so experienced.

"Better than I have in weeks," Ellis admitted to her, putting his arm back around her and cuddling her close to his naked body. "I must admit, you do know how to relax a man."

"And you know how to tip so generously," she bit his ear. "Do you need one more for the road, Crown Prince?"

"You looking for another tip? Or another kind of tip?" Ellis chuckled at her boldness. He liked that in a woman.

"Why not both?" She replied cheekily, her hand slipping under the covers and grasping at him. He was at full mast already. "It's true what they say about the Horn of Odesh."

"I face the Duke of Aithe in a duel at midday," Ellis reluctantly pulled her hand away from him. "I perform better if I have some... wood on the fire, so to speak. We better not, but if you need more money, I will see you have it."

"That’s a generous offer, but I work for my gold," she climbed out of his bed and tousled her long, golden hair. Her family was of Eodaniran descent, living in Odesh before the borders closed. Ellis had a thing for blondes - too bad there were so few in the country nowadays. They came from the southern areas of Ytia - Eodanira and Alaeyas. Odesh was the smallest of the countries, tucked away in the northeast with its mountain ranges and deep crevasses providing natural borders. Since Erika destroyed the bridges, sealed the tunnels and forbade passage into the country, blondes were a dying breed in Odesh. "Shall I come by your chambers again, my Prince?"

"One day soon," Ellis promised her and he yawned once more. "I can't have you visiting too often or... someone will get jealous."

"One of your other customers?" Whoever she was winked at him as she finally slipped on some clothes over her full breasts and narrow waist. "Do you tip me better than her? Is that it?"

"Far, far better!" Ellis used the truth to make her laugh, but indeed it wasn't the whole truth.

When Ellis was thirteen and Varo was ten, a girl once kicked Ellis between the legs for being disrespectful to her. While Ellis conceded that he may have deserved it, a farmer nevertheless found the girl floating in a well after missing for three days. Varo was never tried for that crime because there was just no evidence that he was part of it - but Ellis had coaxed a private confession from him. That was when he knew for sure that his foster brother was... troubled.

"Nobody gets to hurt you!" Varo had tearfully shouted in his face when Ellis explained that royalty does not give someone the right to murder people.

"Well, thank you for your time, My Prince," she brought his thoughts back to her, fully dressed and tying her hair up with a band. "Seek me out if you ever need to release some... coin."

"Will do... um..." he turned pink. Chivalrous men do not forget the names of the ladies they shared a bed with. Especially one he'd shared his bed with four times.

"It's Sadie," she grinned, snatching the bag of coins from the table by the bedside. "If you remember it next time, I'll even give you ten per cent off. I'll be by the docks today if you feel I deserve an extra reward."

The door closed behind her, and Ellis lay flat on his massive bed. He did not have to pay women to come to his bed. Not by a long shot. He was Alaeyan beauty through and through, an exotic treasure in these lands. His vibrant blue eyes, fairer skin and strong, chiselled body could land him any girl in Odesh - or a few of the prettier boys. But he was wealthy - incredibly wealthy. Many of the girls selling their bodies did not have much, so Ellis was pleased to pay them well. Queen Erika often preached about the value of generosity, and he was inclined to listen.

For several weeks at a time, Erika forced Ellis to live anonymously among the most impoverished areas of Odesh to learn about the plights of the unfortunate and ruined. Aware of his privilege as a member of Royalty, Ellis enjoyed easing the suffering of those who deserved better as much as he enjoyed kicking the greedy, rich rats into the dirt. Hundreds of wealthy residents and common folk alike would witness and place bets on his duel today, and if Ellis won - which he would - he would donate his own winnings to the poor. Those who needed it.

A whistling distracted him, and he immediately sprung out of bed and snatched up the knife he kept on his bedside table. Naked, he lunged into his bathchamber, only to find Varo sitting on the side of the tub, dressed in his regular black silks and boots. He whistled the same tune quite often. Always the same one. It gave Ellis the chills.

"What the hell are you doing?" Ellis roared at him, now embarrassed and covering up his nakedness, dropping his knife on the counter. "How did you get in here?"

"I came through the window," Varo explained, letting his eyes feast on his foster brother. "You know, anyone could have killed you in your sleep. I bet that's how someone keeps leaving you gifts to find."

"Through the...?" Ellis looked at him incredulously and went to look for himself, opening the wooden doors and poking his head out. It was a very long drop down the cliffside underneath, and the tower was smooth stone. He did not know how anyone could possibly manage such a feat. "How did you do that?"

"You're good at beating people in a fight," Varo shrugged nonchalantly. "I'm good at other things. Someone wants you dead, Elly. You need to be more careful. If you die… I will kill everybody who failed to protect you.”

"Why are you here? Why couldn't you just knock?" Ellis turned and grabbed at a long towel to cover himself with. "You overstep, Varo. I am tired of these games."

"I'm here because Mother needs her number one son by her side as she leaves the Palace today," Varo explained, never once letting his eyes leave the man he loved. "You were too busy with that slut. If I knocked, you would have sent me away."

"And I'm sending you away now!" Ellis scowled at him, grabbing him by the arm and beginning to drag young Varo away.

Varo surprised him, though. With flexibility and speed, he raised his leg high enough to kick Ellis in the face, and turned and delivered a second kick to the Crown Prince's head. Ellis fell back, blind with pain, and Varo leapt on top of him, taking them both to the marble floor.

"You broke my face last time, Elly!" Varo hissed at him, fingers of his left hand caressing the Crown Prince's handsome face, fingers of his right pressed to Ellis' throat, ominously caressing the veins and windpipe that hid under the skin of his most vulnerable spot. "My pretty face! But worse, you broke my heart! You went too far when you played with my feelings. And now you insult me by bringing those prostitutes to your chambers every night? I could never hurt you, but the next slut I see in here with you... I'll cut her face to ribbons!"

Ellis immediately brought his forehead up to crash against Varo's, and the smaller boy yelped in shock and reeled back. Ellis brought his fist to meet Varo's cheekbone, still scarred from the last time they came to blows, and Varo toppled off him. Ellis looked at the knife he'd left by the counter, but decided he didn't need it. He punched Varo once, twice, and easily picked him up, twisting his arm behind him and dragging him towards the window, eliciting a strange cry from the Odesh Prince that was utterly foreign to him. Terror. Varo was afraid. He'd never been scared before.

"You think you're being cute?" Ellis shouted at him, forcing Varo's head and chest out over the barricade and letting the wind catch his hair. "If you try that with me again, I'll drop you to your death. If you hurt any of the girls, I will throw you from this window! Do you understand? It's a very long way down, Varo. You'll shatter on those rocks, and nobody will ever find what parts of you remain! I imagine that's not much different from what Annika must have felt when she fell down that well!" Varo resisted, trying his best to wrestle free, but as agile and skilled as the young assassin was, he wasn't fully trained yet. Ellis was by far the bigger and stronger of the two and an expert in incapacitating opponents. Varo's skillset required the element of surprise to be at its most effective. In a fair match, Ellis would beat him every time. "Do you understand??"

"Yes, yes, yes!" Varo wailed, his sinister, juvenile attitude replaced entirely by fear. Fear for the first time in his life. "I understand! I won't do it! I won't! I'm sorry!"

Ellis eased up, bringing the youngster firmly back into the safety of the room. Varo went limp in his arms. Stunned. Ellis, surprised by this, gently half dragged and half carried Varo into the bedchamber and sat him on the bed.

"So, this is over, then?" he said firmly, not willing to be swayed. "For good? Because next time I won't restrain myself. I've had it with you and your crazy fucking antics. I am the Crown Prince - your Crown Prince! Laying a hand on me without permission is punishable by death. You do know that."

"I surrender," Varo's eyes dripped tears and he began to sob. "You win."

"I win?" Ellis was confused. "What do I win?"

"I've tried every approach, Elly!" Varo huddled, holding his knees close to his chest and crying into his silks. "I make myself as much a woman as I can for you. I kill for you. I even support you over my birth brother! But no matter what I do, you'll never love me, will you? You'd sooner throw me from your window than take me as your lover. So... I give up."

"You attacked me!" Ellis reminded him, eyes narrowed. "You threatened innocent women whose only crime was spending the night with me! Did you think that would make me swoon?"

"I don't know what else to do..." Varo's little body was shaking, and he trailed off. All he did was cry. This is just what I need, Ellis thought. There are parts of this kid's brain that just don't add up. Still, he recognised that the boy was desperate. He'd snapped. While Ellis' head throbbed from the kicks he'd received, he knew Varo loved him too profoundly to hurt him - at least, hurt him badly.

"You're my brother. You will never be my boyfriend," Ellis told him sharply. "I love you and I always will, but never will I love you the same way you love me. I don't want you anywhere near my girls or me until you accept this."

"So be it," Varo's tears drew marks from the charcoal he'd lined his eyes with the same way the Queen did. "If you learn who is leaving you these messages, Elly, would you tell me? I'd rather enjoy... loosening their tongue."

"By the Goddess, if that's what it takes to pacify you, then consider it done!" Ellis hid from his brother how much this offer pleased him.

He enjoyed fighting. It was his destiny to fight for the people, after all. But he did not like the grisly side of things. Varo was sadistic and masochistic in one sick package. Unhinged, perhaps, but he would always be a valuable ally and Ellis intended to keep it that way. Still, he could not let Varo run rampant and misuse the talents the Goddess bestowed upon him. Goddess? More like the Fell God, Ellis thought grimly. However, he needed to show the boy who the boss was. If the only price Varo asked of Ellis was to deliver him the mongrel who was too craven to face him in a fair battle, then he had no qualms at all.

After sending Varo away, Ellis closed the window. He then bathed and scented himself with fragrances made from the flowers that decorated the Palace, used his knife to shave the stubble from his face and chest with pinpoint precision, and dressed in grand blue and purple armour. Blue, because he would always be proud of his Alaeyan ancestry. Purple, because Odesh was his home and the Royals were his family.

Come, Nulli! Ellis beckoned his Familiar as he combed his deep auburn hair to perfection in the reflection of his mirror. Leave some of the apples for the other people in the city, would you? We need to escort my mother to the arena.

Fine, Nulli sounded disappointed, and Ellis smiled and opened the window for him.

He was a scourge on the orchard of trees that grew in the massive courtyard. Open to everyone and their Familiars, the apples were for anyone who needed them. Nulli liked to fly over the walls and overindulge on the fruit growing by the treetops. He was a source of wonder and joy for the commoners who visited, however, because as deadly as he was, Nulli loved attention and would often knock fruit from the top branches down in exchange for some affectionate petting. He was a fast flyer, and it was no more than twenty seconds before Ellis heard the telltale sound of huge wings and the Pegasus-Unicorn hybrid creature, red and gorgeous, glided in through the massive bathchamber window.

Hello! Ellis swung his arms around Nulli's great neck, and the beast grunted in appreciation, nuzzling against him. I thought you were watching my window during the night. How did Varo slip past you?

I never saw him, Nulli admitted, pulling away and giving Ellis' face a gentle lick. I never saw anybody. I don't know what black arts they teach the young assassins, but it is as though they can turn invisible.

No, Ellis trusted Nulli did his job, but his explanation didn't make sense. Nobody can turn invisible, Nulli. The assassins are nothing more than killers trained with certain arts. Misdirection. Smoke and mirrors. Simple parlour tricks. I will lay in wait next time. Thank you for trying. When we get back from the arena, sleep as long as you wish, and I will bring you a platter of fruit and berries!

Nulli seemed to smile in gratitude. He was a softy, and Ellis ran his fingers along the feathered nose. A freak of nature, some called Nulli. So rarely do mutations between breeds of Familiars occur that are were nearly unheard of. Many, the Queen included, believed them to touched by the Goddess. A miracle. When Ellis hopped on Nulli's back the two made their way to the Queen's chambers with a casual trot.

"Wes!" Ellis greeted the twenty-two-year-old, who wore similar silks of purple. No doubt, the Prince was wearing leather underneath as well, sitting on the red Unicorn - the same colour as Nulli. Ellis and Wesley had always gotten along. Wesley Ode was a meek boy and grew no bolder as manhood took him. Obedient, studious and still quite deadly with a blade, although he had little love for the family and country's appetite for duelling.

"Little Crown Prince Elly!" Wesley seemed to harbour no resentment to him after their mother's proclamation. He and Varo were never going to inherit the Odesh throne while Geoffrey lived - so Geoffrey alone hated Ellis for, in his mind, stealing the throne from him and his wife. "It's still strange for me to hear. I remember you feeding on my mother's teat like it was yesterday."

"Don't feel like you need to repeat this story every time we speak," Ellis grinned at him, and the two grabbed each other by the wrists. "How goes Julia?"

"As belligerent as she is pregnant," Wesley smiled as he thought of his wife.

Most royal matches were chosen and enforced by the Queen herself, but she'd allowed her two eldest sons to marry whichever woman they wanted. As such, Wesley adored Julia, and he was looking very forward to starting his family. Geoffrey, on the other hand, chose the most submissive, air-headed woman in the world, knowing she would inherit the Odesh throne and he would be able to rule through her. Well, that backfired on you, didn't it Geoff?

"Have you heard from Geoffrey and Maree?" Ellis then asked, and Wesley's face dropped. "Are you still speaking with him?"

"Please, Ellis, leave me out of this," Wesley pleaded, his dark indigo eyes wilting. "What happens between you and Geoffrey needs to remain between the two of you. My loyalties are to my mother, my wife and our unborn child. I will not drag them into a blood feud. Rest assured if the Queen decides you are her successor, then I am sworn to defend you, but I will not choose sides between my brothers.” With that said, Wesley finished the conversation and rapped on the heavy door. "Mother! Ellis and I are ready when you are!"

Ten seconds later, Skye and her huge, bad-tempered alligator lead Queen Erika from her room. She rode Violet, the purple Unicorn of Odesh, and she was dressed in elegant armour rather than the garbs and gowns expected of Ytian queens. Erika always did break that mould. While Tyffane, Palona, Ninon and Layla were groomed to be strong and regal politicians, Erika did not know she was to be the Queen of Odesh. As a Princess, she made duelling and spending time with the commoners her priority. When her sister Belle died from this strange illness that kept her barren, Erika inherited the throne. Since Geoffrey threatened to take her life for robbing him of his chance to rule Odesh, she'd wisely been wearing armour most of the time. Without much said between them, Ellis and Nulli rode in front while Skye and Wesley rode by Erika's flanks. To the arena.

I could beat Skye, Ellis found himself thinking as he stood opposite Duke Naris of Aithe. I wager Geoffrey and Wesley could, too, but could anyone else? Skye was the most elite guard in the Palace. Dozens of rebels had found justice on the end of her sword or the jaws of her alligator beast. She'll keep Mother safe, Ellis told himself as he swung his blade at Nulli in preparation for the contest. Nulli's horn was harder than diamond and the point sharper than anything manmade, and he attacked with skill, precision and brute strength. He was a terrific training partner.

"My Prince," Duke Naris caught his attention, and Ellis turned around, an arrogant smirk plastered on his face. "Good luck."

"I don't need luck!" Ellis replied to him, but seeing the man opposing him show such respect was humbling, and he decided to return the favour. "But it couldn't hurt. My Queen tells me you were every bit her equal before she ascended to the throne. I pray I make her proud."

"I have no doubt that you will," Duke Naris smiled and extended his hand. Ellis shook it happily. "Queen Erika's beauty was rivalled only by her skill with the rapier - a skill she personally taught you. When last she and I battled, she defeated me and soon after, she surrendered her blade for the throne. By defeating you now, I will avenge my loss. Isn't that right, my Queen?" He shouted to her, a grin on his face. He was nearing seventy, but no man had ever been so fit and battle-ready as the Duke of Aithe.

"Just so," Erika laughed from her seat in the crowd, flanked by Wesley, Skye and their Familiars. "Knock my heir into the dirt, and I shall kiss you one more time."

"You see, Prince Ellis? I have no choice but to beat you!" Duke Naris raised an eyebrow, and Ellis laughed. Immediately he liked this man.

"I promise not to spank you too hard," Ellis winked back at him, and the two took five paces from each other. It was time to fight.

Jian announced the commencement of the fight and her Komodo dragon bashed the gong with its tail. Ellis advanced quickly, zigzagging and ready to parry the man's reckless thrust, but he stood sideways with a rapier of his own and waved it around. Ellis smirked. Too many people used the large Zweihanders and charged at him like idiots. Duke Naris was nothing of the sort. A patient man, trained in the same style of swordplay as the Royal Family, his black and white panda looking on lazily from the sidelines. Ellis and Naris were very evenly matched, and Ellis wasn't sure if he was excited or worried about this. Too many barbarians flocked the arena for the promise of gold, glory and, most importantly, blood. Duke Naris was a connoisseur of dashing and elaborate swings and jabs with his blade, ringing against Ellis' armour as many times as Ellis struck him.

"For the Queen!" Naris moved with speed and strength that should have long left his body, and he took Ellis to the ground with a spinning kick to the chest. Ellis rolled as he hit the dirt underfoot and quickly got back to his feet before the Duke could take advantage.

"I'm the Horn of Odesh!" Ellis shouted to the crowd, who cheered him on. "The Crown Prince! I will not lose to you today, Duke Naris! But I must admit that you are my toughest opponent yet."

"I'm glad to hear that I haven't gone rusty in my old age," Duke Naris even extended his hand once more.

Risky, as the fight was still underway and cutting up Naris' hand was legal at this point in time. He did not, however. He wanted to win, but he would win because he was better than the man, not because the Duke dropped his guard to show respect. Ellis pranced forward, on guard, but grabbed Naris' hand and shook it, the two taking several immediate steps back. When Ellis turned to glance at Erika briefly, she was smiling with pride. The two returned to their fight, each one surprising the other with unique and unexpected offense. Ellis ducked a jab and swung his foot around to sweep the Duke's feet out from under him, but the man was spry and spun back to his feet, deflecting a blow as he did so. Impressive! A sudden scream from the crowd interrupted the fight. Both Ellis and Duke Naris immediately ceased to see what was going on.

Skye was falling over, a bolt from a crossbow stuck in the small part of her neck left exposed by her armour. What? How? Guards immediately flocked to protect the Queen, and Wesley shouted orders while the Queen fled to safety. Who is behind this? Is Geoffrey here to kill the Queen?? Ellis spun around and saw a glint in the sunlight, a metal bolt flying into the crowd once more. Naris forgot all about the fight and ran up to the Queen's guards, determined to protect the woman he still loved from whoever was coward enough to try and shoot her dead.

I see her! Nulli announced from the air, and Ellis saw his Familiar circling above. I will kill her!

Nulli, don't! Ellis commanded desperately, but Nulli flew, his crystal-red horn reflecting light as he went to impale the attacker with it in the brush from the south side of the arena. Stop! Don't get hurt! She has a crossbow! If Nulli gets shot...

Ellis ran. He followed Nulli into the brush, rapier in hand, forcing his way through the shrubs and trees. Nulli rocketed back up into the sky, likely because he missed his attempt to skewer whoever it was, and a bolt flew at him. Ellis felt searing pain inside his own body - his soul - as the bolt stuck itself into one of the beast's wings and Nulli shrieked in agony.

Nulli! Get the hell out of there! Ellis begged, but Nulli was unable to dodge the next bolt as well, and this one hit him in his soft underbelly. The pain echoed through Ellis' body, making it hard to concentrate. His vision blurred, and he looked up to see Nulli falling. Dozens of feet, right down onto the ground with a crash that took the wind from Ellis' lungs. No! Ellis was woozy and nauseous, the agony of Nulli's pain and suffering throbbing in his head. Are you okay? Nulli!

Help... Nulli begged weakly, and Ellis saw through his eyes. There were two people. Both women. He did not recognise them.

"Leave him!" Ellis roared as loud as he could, trying his best to locate Nulli and the assassins. "It's me you're after. Nulli isn't a part of this!"

"Show yourself to us," a woman yelled back at him. "Unarmed! Or we'll fill him with bolts!"

"Please!" Ellis begged, following the voice. The trees and bushes were thick here, but he soon found the tiny clearing. Nulli was on his side, one wing crumpled and injured under his great body by the fall and the other bleeding from the bolt. His belly was trickling blood too, and those beautiful blue eyes of his were full of shame.

"I can't believe it was this easy," the brunette smirked, her crossbow aimed right at Ellis as he emerged.

"We're going to be rich after this!" The redhead laughed, her crossbow pointed between Nulli's eyes. "Maybe the new King will take me for a paramour."

I'm so, so, so sorry, Nulli apologised painfully.

Don't worry about that now, Ellis replied. Stay still. Geoffrey won't hesitate to kill us.

"I told you to put that sword on the ground!" The brunette screeched, a tall woman dressed in modest grey tights and a jerkin. "You can come to Geoffrey as you are or full of bolts - so long as you're alive."

"You didn't get the Queen," Ellis told her, obeying her orders and placing his rapier slowly on the ground. "Geoffrey gains nothing by killing me but his own doom. She will not forgive this."

"Oh, don't be so dramatic," the redhead snorted, putting her boot on the side of Nulli's red-feathered cheek. "He wants you for a hostage because the Queen will do anything for her golden son - maybe she'll even make Geoffrey the King. Now come with us nice and easy, and we might leave the beast well enough to fly again.”

Ellis' ears pricked up as he heard a ruffle from a tree behind the redhead woman and suddenly, out of nowhere, the woman fell over. She was dead. Something must have happened to her Familiar.

"Huh?" The brunette looked over in shock, and Ellis took the opportunity to make a quick move towards her, intending to disarm her, but she panicked and shot at him.

It hit him right in the shoulder, and he fell back to the ground in agony as blood began to leak out of his wound. That was a bad move by her, at least. Seeing his brother hurt by this woman drew out the most intense fury he'd ever seen from Varo, who dropped on the attacker from the tree above before she had a chance to either reload the weapon, draw her backup blade or flee. The boy took her to the ground with ease, his knee between her shoulder blades.

"You! You shot him!" Varo yelled in her ear, a fistful of her hair in his fingers. "You shot my brother! I can't believe you shot him! Aaaaargh! Bitch! Bitch! Bitch!"

Ellis, panting in distress, watched as the little Prince began to fiercely and repeatedly smash the woman's face against the stony ground, all the while screeching at her. Over and over, while a bird circled overhead and squawked in panic and pain as its Human's suffering echoed to it. When blood began splattering, Ellis had to look away, but he could do nothing about the noises. The woman stopped screaming and the bird fell lifelessly to the ground long before Varo finally ceased. There was no head anymore. Only brain, blood and bone. Ellis could not bear to even glance in that direction, instead climbing shakily to his feet and stumbling over to throw his body on Nulli's.

What were you thinking? You fool! Ellis scolded him, beginning to sob as he cuddled up to his best friend. You told me during my last duel that I was an idiot and I would get us both killed! Well, look what happened! You could have killed us both!

I'm sorry, Ellis, Nulli's great blue eyes leaked tears. He did not explain any further.

Don't ever scare me like that again! Ellis kissed Nulli on the cheek. Oh, you're a mess. I'm a mess!

"Ooh, thank you, Varo, I expected you to say," The younger Prince's voice rang through Ellis' head. "You only saved my life."

The boy dropped a bird Familiar down in front of Ellis. Its neck was broken.

"How did you know what was happening?" Ellis asked him, turning to see him and retching at the sight of blood and brains on his brother's fingers, turning back to the beautiful Pegasus. "I thought you were in the Palace."

"I came to cool off after our... disagreement," Varo explained, wiping his hands on the grass as if that would make Ellis any less repulsed. Why couldn't he just kill her cleanly like he was trained to do? Why did he have to... do that? "I heard a disaster going down in the arena, so I decided I'd lay in wait for those who would hurt our mother and deal with them myself. You made everything difficult when you sent Nulli to fight women armed with coward's weapons!"

Nulli guiltily sighed, his wings flapping weakly.

"I was impulsive," Ellis looked to Nulli, who closed his huge blue eyes in shame. He was the impulsive one. "It will never happen again. Thank you, Varo. If you weren't here... I'd probably be Geoffrey's prisoner. Everyone went to Queen Erika's side. Please... can you find some medics? We're not in a good way right now."

"Oh. Right," Varo nonchalantly ran back in the direction of the arena as though he hadn't even considered that Ellis and Nulli were suffering from their wounds. Figures.

Ellis looked over to the redhead who had been threatening his Familiar. She was only a foot away. Totally dead because Varo found and killed her Familiar. Genius, he had to admit. That was the same tactic those women were using. By taking out Nulli, they weakened Ellis. He was feeling cold and scared. How could Geoffrey try something like this? That fucking coward. I'll kill him myself.

~ Mother ~

“She’s dead,” Wesley whispered, looking at the glassy eyes of the Queen’s personal bodyguard. By her side, the thirty-foot alligator was lifeless, still looking like it could spring to life and snap someone’s head off in a flash.

“What a pity,” Erika sighed, putting her hand on Skye’s forehead. She was cool to the touch. “She always told me she’d happily give her life for mine. That’s not what she did.”

“How do you mean?” Wesley, the poor, stupid, naive boy asked. Oh, sweetheart. The Mother Lata made him sweet, thoughtful and dutiful, but if he had a second brain it would be lonely.

“Geoffrey’s assassins shot her in the neck!” Erika’s fingers brushed over the gaping hole in Skye’s neck, and she stubbornly refused to let tears overcome her. I am no snivelling old mare. I am and always will be a warrior. “There is no glory in her death.”

“We don’t know when Geoffrey might attempt to kill you again,” Wesley took her by the hand, and she sighed, squeezing it. “Mother, you need someone to keep you safe.”

“Ellis will keep me safe,” Erika told him with confidence. If I am to die, so be it. I am not scared. But if Ellis cannot pass this test, then I have failed on my side of the bargain. I did not fail. I will not.

“Ellis… nearly died today,” Wesley reminded her cautiously. “You taught him many things, Mother, but you did not teach him how to be scared.”

“Varo will keep Ellis safe,” Erika thought of her youngest boy. The boy who would so often bite her nipples and had to be secluded from other children because he was unapologetically violent. Even in the womb, he kicked often and hard. Those damn priestesses messed up the spell, she thought. All I wanted was a daughter to carry on my legacy, and they granted me a gender-fluid psychopath. Poor Varo. “What of Nulli?”

“The head medic assures me Ellis will make a full recovery in some time,” Wesley explained. He looked tired, and she briefly squeezed his shoulder. “Nulli’s wings are both damaged. She does not know if he will fly again.”

“I see,” Erika sighed. Geoffrey. I should have seen this coming. This is not Ellis’ fault. It is mine for putting him in this situation before he was ready. Before my partner is ready. “Leave me, darling. I will retire to bed for now, and see Varo and Ellis in the morning. Goodnight.”

“Goodnight,” Wesley kissed her on the cheek.

Alone at last, Erika shut her windows and went to lock her door, but there was a timid knock first. She reached for the rapier she kept behind the door. Old I am, but not defenceless. If someone has come to pick my bones clean, I shall destroy them.

“Who is it?” She asked, and she opened the door when she heard the woman reply. “What is it? Are you unwell?” She ushered her in and locked the door behind them, the two speaking in hushed voices.

“I heard the Crown Prince was injured today,” the woman, tall, middle-aged and olive-skinned with black curls on her head hair and remarkably brown eyes looked distraught. “I would beg your leave to see him, My Queen.”

“Ellis will be fine,” she took the woman’s hands in her own and comforted her. “Do not weep for him. He is chosen by Goddess Latayafi, after all. You must not interfere.”

“Please, Erika?” The other woman began to weep, shaking with grief. “He is my son. My own child.”

“Darling… I know all too well what losing a child is like,” Erika reminded her. “But the price of deliverance is always dear. Under no circumstances can anyone know who you are. You know that. We can't take chances. One day, when we have played our parts and peace has come to Ytia, you and Ellis can be reunited."

Thanks to everyone who reads my stuff
Zeke is next, in Ulisse.