Touring was usually an effortless activity for Nerina but since she was pretending to be Naomi pretending to be her, she had to put in twice the effort.First, Nerina had to behave a bit clueless when she was with Daegal and listen to all his instructions with rapt attention even though she knew every single thing he told her.Then, the almost easy part was behaving like herself. What made it not so simple was that she couldn't play herself too well or Daegal might have gotten suspicious of her.The entire tour was just one big acting performance and by the time Dreygor landed back in the arena, Nerina was exhausted and couldn't wait to get everything over with.There were two things she had to do: Produce an heir and kill Emperor Vulcan. Well, her father didn't exactly say that she had to do one before the other. Since one didn't seem like it would work early enough, then she would have to go with the other."You know, I was promised a tour and not a war council meeting," Nerina star
The next morning, Unity Rock was in uproar. The bell ringers rang the huge bells in Vulcan's tower, signaling to the whole of Asghavia that the Emperor was dead.After an autopsy was conducted by Daegal and the mages of Unity Rock, letters were sent with messengers on fast horses to various Chiefs, and for farther locations, messenger birds were set loose to inform the kingdoms of the continent that the Emperor had passed of natural causes. Nerina continuously had to school her features into one of concern, sympathy, and heartbreak whenever she passed by anyone in the castle. Her father, Chief Topher also mirrored the same look."I am so sorry, Daegal. I know the both of you had your ups and downs and there were times you didn't like him but he was still your father. My comfort for your loss," Nerina said to him using Naomi's method of speaking when he returned to their room after conducting the autopsy. "Hm." That was all he said. His face was a kaleidoscope of conflicting emotions
"You have made me proud, daughter," Chief Topher praised while stroking Nerina's cheek with a calloused thumb.Nerina stood before her father in the middle of her chambers still, unmoving. Barely thirty minutes ago, she was being dressed by Delia and three other maids who fussed over the perfect style for her hair and made last-minute adjustments to the elegant, sweeping dress she was to wear.In an hour, she would be one step closer to finalizing her goal. What she and her father had always wanted—what he had whispered into her ears from the day she could walk."Thank you, Father," Nerina responded with a smirk. To avoid prying ears, she had cast a net of her power around the room so that their conversation would not be heard by anyone."I was not quite sure that you could pull it off.""It is very refreshing to hear of your unwavering trust in me, dear Father," Nerina drawled, recoiling from his touch as she walked around him to sit by her dressing table.She turned her head to the
"This is not exactly court behavior, Emperor," Chief Azriel of the Ojmo tribe in Alsayf said to Daegal as he returned the hug with as much energy. When they disengaged, Daegal scoffed and patted Azriel's shoulders once. "Fuck the court." Azriel threw his head back and laughed at the vulgar statement. "I see you have not changed much since our fighting days." Daegal winced a bit as he remembered the bloodshed during the riots in Alsayf. Riots that were now stirring up again. He never liked battle but it seemed that battle liked and sought him out no matter how much he wanted to run. Both Daegal and Azriel climbed up the dais and Azriel bowed to Nerina deeply. "It is an honor to finally meet you, Empress Nerina. I must say that your beauty and elegance surpass the stories I have heard. You look like a vision of the creator," Azriel complimented, flashing his straight white teeth at Nerina in a charming grin. Nerina returned it with a pleased smile of her own. "You flatter me too mu
It was bad enough that Daegal was ensnared to a liar but now, he also had to pretend that everything was fine as he held Nerina's firm, yet delicate hand in a gentle grasp and led her to the large balcony where they were to greet their subjects. Daegal struggled to keep the smile on his face, fought to act normal so there wouldn't be an inkling of suspicion from Nerina. However, he may have let some of the warring emotions raging inside him show on his face because Nerina tightened her grip on his hand and whispered. "Are you alright, love?" She asked in a sugary sweet tone and Daegal tried his best not to cringe away from it. "I am fine. I only..." Daegal trailed off as they stopped in front of the huge brass doors that held the balcony beyond. "I am tired, that is all. Everything is exhausting." Nerina gave him an encouraging look and it bothered Daegal as he wondered how she was able to fill in Naomi's shoes like it was nothing. Naomi was great at impersonating Nerina but there
"This does not make any sense, Az." Daegal shook his head, one hand placed on his hip and the other on the balustrade. "I think I of all people should know how logical a spell that originated from MY kingdom is," Azriel drawled, back against the balustrade and arms folded in front of him. Daegal gave him a withering look that made the corners of Azriel's lips turn up slightly. "It is not the spell itself that poses a dilemma to me, Az. It is the nature in which it was activated. I still am and have been confused but not exactly surprised that a whole other world—where Naomi comes from—exists outside of ours yet the issue is that she made it clear that magic doesn't exist there." Azriel pulled down his eyebrows as he pondered the many possibilities that ran through his mind. Daegal continued. "From the thoughtful look on your face that does not exactly suit you, I can tell that you are beginning to understand me." Azriel glanced at him with humor shining in his eyes. "I am beginnin
'Nothing is ever easy...' Daegal thought as he twirled the bronze dagger in his hand, studying the way the light streaming in from the windows in his study bounced off the shiny blade. The air crackled with sparks of magic as he phased the blade in and out of existence. Making it disappear and then materializing it out of thin air. He ran his finger along the slender length of the beautiful weapon. It had taken Daegal fifteen days in total to craft the dagger. Three days went into steeling himself to become a maker again since the last weapon he made fell into the hands of a now-dead greedy battle commander and nearly wiped out a small village on the outskirts of Estoria. The better parts of the two days were dedicated to learning the spells with Azriel while avoiding Nerina's advances with the excuse of being busy with the affairs of the continent and also planning for the war. As for the war, he spent some hours with his Master of war and the commanders but spared hours to study
Anger. Happiness. Rage. Joy. Despair. Relief. These were the contrasting emotions Daegal would have let himself get swept in if Naomi woke up from the spell-induced slumber she was in.However, they were all quickly replaced with crippling worry as he held her cold hands. Her face was as pale as death but her chest moved up and down with each shuddering breath she took.It had been almost three hours since he plunged that blade into her chest. Three hours since he fully saw those honeyed eyes again. Three hours since he took Nerina's life just as she had taken his father's.Beneath his anxiety for Naomi, the urge to find a way to bring Nerina back and kill her in the slowest possible way bubbled and writhed but he had to keep a hold on his temper and rage. At least, till he was sure that Naomi wasn't gone as well. That there hadn't been a mistake with the spells he invested into the ornate, bronze dagger."Naomi, can you hear me, my love...? My queen," Daegal murmured into the back