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Chapter 61
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The Demon Chapter 62
“Let’s go.”“Where?”“Don’t you sense it yourself? To eight forsworn.”Ak-kvir got a whiff of the air. The skull shined in the light of the moon.“Forsworn? A good hunt. Will you manage them?”“Don’t even hope to get nine bodies,” I retorted, and the beast took off.He was much faster than the swiftest of horses. He raced like the wind, as if piercing the distance, and I wasn’t surprised when we stopped before a forester’s hut.Eight horses were tied to a hitching post, and it seemed deadly quiet inside. Judging by the look of it, the house was inhabited.Yet... Ak-kvir sucked in the air, passing it through his fangs with a whooshing sound.“Blood...”We found the master of the house behind the shack, crucified on a tree. His hands and feet were nailed to the trunk, and his chest was bound with a rope that supported part of his weight.They hadn’t wanted him to die quickly. They had wanted to make him suffer. The templars believed that agony helps executed sinners reach the Bright abo
The Demon Chapter 63
My return to the capital was rushed. Rudolph might have arranged a red carpet welcome, but that would be complicated, considering that the prince’s wife was in prison, the allies had turned out to be traitors, and something unholy had happened on the battlefield.So how would my uncle react to all this? Abigail didn’t know, which is why he didn’t actually react, but summoned me straight away.“Alex, what happened there?”Obediently, I reported everything.“And so, the Tevarrians cooked up a cunning plot. They killed our dear Andre,” I sobbed and wiped a tear from my cheek, “and had me marry their girl to make her a princess, all the while trying to pit us against Riolon. The Riolonians found out somehow and invited me to secret negotiations, which left me shocked, as they showed me the proof. Prince Andre’s assassin! The real one."I omitted the part where it was I who had shown the assassin, and not him, but rather his confession, while he was still lying low.He did want to live, af
The Demon Chapter 64
As I hoped, Lavinia had been placed in a tower. How could it be otherwise? Noble ladies weren’t to be sent to a dungeon, especially such...charming ones.The vampire was sitting on the bed with a pretty dark expression on her face, and when I stepped out from a secret passage, was startled, barely managing to stifle a shriek.She managed only a weak exclamation.“Ah!”“Hush!”I pressed a finger against my lips, and she obeyed, then beckoned her with my hand, and she rushed inside the secret passage, quick as lightning.We could talk there.“So you’ve finally got caught, little mouse?”“Alex...my husband...I’m so happy...”“That you won’t have to burn at the stake?”Definitely.“B-burn?!”Lavinia’s face grew deathly pale. I had a killer follow-up.“Uncle’s going to interrogate you tomorrow, together with the templars. Do you want that?”Lavinia shook her head so emphatically, making it clear that she didn’t—at all.“Well then, let’s go.”“W-where?”As I hoped, Lavinia had been placed i
The Demon Chapter 65
There are lots of secret passageways in each self-respecting palace. The ones known only by the builders and the customer, the ones that have been keeping their secrets for many centuries. What are they made for?Each passage had its purpose. Nobody would turn their palace into a cheese wheel without a good reason. To eavesdrop; to send an assassin; to escape from an assassin; to hide something valuable.The first two types were safe. As for the others... It was a pretty obvious solution to fill the tunnels with traps: I’ll leave, and you’ll die. I would never advise anyone to prowl around in secret passageways in a palace. But me, I was a different story. I was Radenor’s heir.There might not have been a crown on my head, but the heart of Radenor had already acknowledged me as the rightful king, and I would definitely pay it a visit, right on the night of my official coronation.Meanwhile...A snake slithered before me in the secret passage, navigating the traps, showing me how to di
The Demon Chapter 66
When the alarm was sounded, I was peacefully sleeping in my bed. I wasn’t plagued by nightmares, and the ghost of my uncle didn’t haunt my rest.Dead is dead, and off with him.He had long since deserved it. Too bad nobody had dealt with him before me.“Your Highness!”I slowly sat up.“What? What happened?”“His Majesty...Rudolph...”“What happened to Uncle!”I sat up in the bad.“He’s...dead.”“HOW?”I pushed the blanket aside and started getting dressed. Really, none of you could avert your gaze? I was sleeping naked, by the way.Curs.“Your Highness, His Majesty was murdered!”“Any details?”I knew them well, but I listened to an idiotic tale of horrific cruelty, of Uncle’s body being torn to shreds.Really?Had somebody else been there after me? They even spoke of blood that flooded the entire bedroom...“How many bodies of the enemies are there?”“There’s nobody...”the chancellor mumbled.“How can that be?”I roared.“My uncle didn’t kill any of his assassins? Impossible! He wa
The Demon Chapter 67
I wasn’t going to buy the courtiers’ flattery, of course.Rudolph’s death was very sudden, and that was why they needed me. We had either a war with Tevarr or a treaty with Riolon ahead of us, and Chartreuse wasn’t deluding himself; if anything happened, he and his family would be torn apart. He would have loved to put on the regent’s crown, but Abigail was yet to “give birth”.It wasn’t proper to give birth to a full-term child while three months pregnant, well, maybe four, five at most. She would have to walk around with a big belly for at least three months and act the hell out of it. During that time, many issues would arise and many would be dealt with.If the boy cleans up the situation—or, rather, not the situation, but something that was supposed to be shoveled—then great, we’ll see what we can do. We’ll have a boy and let him pass the throne, as he promised. And if not...well, it’s not like there’s a shortage of daggers. If he fails...we’ll just snatch as much money and valua
The Demon Chapter 68
How will I be buried?I will never know. But at least I can imagine.What is a royal funeral?The annual budget of a big city, cast to the wind. A gilded coffin, black fabric of mourning over the entire capital, black horses of the funeral cortege, black-clad courtiers, flags at half-mast and mournful music, black and gold, black and gold everywhere.Also everywhere are the hypocritical mourners, fake compassion written on their faces...snots... Mugs, that’s the word.A royal funeral was also an occasion to present yourself before the people, claim your place at court. The procession was led by a servant of the Bright Saint, who walked through the city chanting prayers. He was followed by a carriage with the king’s coffin, driven by four black horses. Uncle’s closest family walked behind the coffin: Abigail and I. The queen was...That day, she seemed especially fragile and martyr-like—black hair, white face, black dress, diamonds in her ears and on her neck, and a crown, of course. T
The Demon Chapter 69
Still, the night before the coronation got ruined as well. Carlie came first, heroically trying to get through Tommy and Rene, while I was sleeping.My friends were staunch, the girl kept squealing, and as a result, I had to wake up two hours before I had intended and climb out of bed.“What do you want, Viscountess?”“Alex! We need to talk! No matter what!”I was always kinder when half-awake, and I nodded at the door.“Fine. Come in.”Carlie obeyed, and blindsided me straight away.“Alex, I need your help.”“What help?” I asked, yawning.“I’m pregnant.”“Yes, I know that. Give my regards to your husband.”“It is your uncle’s child!”“Whoa.”I scratched the back of my head. Had Abigail lost the remains of any shame?Or... I didn’t have to wait long.“My child is the only legitimate heir of King Rudolph and should be recognized as a member of the royal family!”I really wanted to send her to Abigail and tell Carlie that the king’s wife had foreseen that, but I forced myself to stay si
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