The Heir of Depths

As soon as she first clashed swords with Alastair, Arline realized she had made a mistake by underestimating him. He was, in fact, much more forceful and violent than his late twin brother. “You will pay with your life” he grunted at her. Arline had taken Silas’ life and he wanted her to pay the debt.

Arline was scared to death but wasn’t going to give up just to be killed. She lifted and threw her weapon against him as many times as she had to to keep herself alive. They moved deep inside the forest, away from the main fight while iron crashed against iron and both were covered in cuts and blood.

He was stronger than her but she was faster. Arline had managed to detach him from his sword, and throw it far away out of his reach. A move he didn’t appreciate and with the full force of a raging bull, Alastair single handedly tackled her onto the floor and put his exuberant weight over her.

She was moving desperately, trying to make him get off her. Her breaths were short and her heart was on her mouth. Arline wanted to cry and on a desperate attempt to free herself, she began wrestling him. But it was the same as hitting a bear, he didn’t move and that just got him madder.

“Everything that you have done, you will regret it” Alastair whispered on her ear and kissed her cheek. Arline couldn’t help the disgust on her body and spat on his face.

With an unsettling ease and force, he turned her around while a smugly expression formed on his face. Unclothed Arline from her armor and ripped her blouse revealing her back. The cold fled her skin and instantly made it curl.

Arline would’ve preferred anything over feeling how Alastair carefully and deeply carved her back with a dagger made of a metal that burned when it touched her skin. She assumed it was silver because of the familiar feeling. She was screaming from the top of her lungs and her moving around only made the knife to go deeper in her skin, but she couldn’t avoid it. Arline felt how the warm blood was leaving the creases of her skin and sliding through the edges of her back and waist, dripping like a cascade into the soil.

Her throat itched, her back hurt and burned and her deep brown eyes were blushed and overflowing with tears, but that wasn’t enough for him. Alastair grabbed her by her hair and carried her like bag to a frozen pond. With just one punch, he broke the ice on top of the water.

“Go back where you are from” he grunted and then pushed her head into the water. He expected her to fight back, to grow desperate while the air lacked on her lungs, but Arline let the water overtake her and calm her pain. She sank into the pond, surprising her enemy who had his hand tight around her hair and dragged him with her.

She hopped out of the water and hoped her power was going to help her, while her enemy freed her and left him behind for him to sink deep into the lake, but any kind of expectation of his death faded when he started climbing out of the water, slowly while coughing heavily.

Arline was struggling with the pain but lifted her sword anyways. Alastair was about to lift his and continue the battle, which he could easily win considering how weak she was. But Arline remembered Merrick’s last advice for her before the battle began, she whistled hoping that could help her.

The shadows around the last Maridian twin began growling. Alastair looked around confused and when he saw reflections in the darkness he stood very still, hoping for the hellhounds to go past him and attack Arline. Their bodies shook with their growls, they showed their sharp teeth that escaped their mouths and the animals muscular legs stomped the ground while dragging their huge paws, which long nails scratched the soil. They surrounded Alastair who was shaking either from fear or cold, and were waiting for her command.

Arline was in disbelief at the scene and took one last look at him, his eyes begging for mercy “Greet your brother for me” she said and gave one final whistle to the dogs. The hounds of the Dark Prince wasted no time and threw themselves onto that mountain of a man who in that moment crumbled like a child, and ripped him apart like it was a piece of paper.

The sound of the teeth crashing bones was nauseous but she couldn’t keep her eyes away from the disaster in front of her. She snapped out of her hypnosis when she started feeling a tingling down her back and realized blood was still dripping from the cuts, and when she looked down she not only saw the disfigured body of Alastair Maridian but also her own blood by the pond. It almost looked like a red velvet blanket in which she wanted to lay down and sleep.

But she had to return to the battle field and cease the altercation and save whoever was left. She put the unlaced bodice back on as best as she could and grabbed his sword, as the animals cleared a path for her. Arline noticed the shimmer of the familiar handle of Merrick’s dagger, her dagger. She took it back and began walking back to the field, guarded by her saviors.

The fight had continued and as she passed through with her unusual guards carrying her enemy’s head, everything went quiet, giving the advantage to the Huntresses and archers to capture the members of the enemy army. Roots started growing from the ground and imprisoned the traitors as Arline stood over a rock, struggling to keep her balance and black spots were appearing on her vision but chose to speak to the troops.

“The battle is over” she lifted his head and threw it at everyone’s feet “Either you surrender or die on hands of the rightful King” then she spiked his head with his sword.

In a matter of hours, the Huntresses had gathered those who had surrendered and were going to stand a trial for treason, and directed them back to the city, still lit by the fire from combat.

“You are injured” Michaela reminded Arline, who was trying to convince her that she was fine “I am not leaving you here” Even Zeydar had come to her company and kept her warm until help came around but Arline couldn’t keep her bodyweight on her feet and laid on the floor. Michaela sat by her friend’s side without speaking a word. Arline was still in shock by the entire sort of events and soon realized that the crimson snow in which she was seating didn’t exactly calmed her down.

As prisoners were brought to town, Merrick couldn’t believe the amount of people who had chose to follow his brother and much rather die than have him rule them, but he could handle stupidity of that sort. What was really overtaking his mind were the whereabouts of Arline Cole, who he hadn’t heard of yet and was growing worried as the minutes passed and no news were brought to him until a soldier crashed the War Room where him, Cadel and Lara were discussing the results of the battle, they aggressively lifted their heads when this young man entered.

“Excuse me, your Highness” the soldier apologized, short of breath and bowed clumsily.

“What is it, Eric?” The Dark Prince stood from his chair.

“It is Arline Cole, Sir” he quickly answered “She has been badly injured on Mount Suvlic, she is in company of Michaela Alpik”

Merrick didn’t really listen to the rest of what Eric had to say and climbed up his horse and directed himself to the mountain. The scene that he encountered was horrific, even with the amount of wars he had been in at his short age, the bodies and the amount of blood with that iron smell made his stomach shrink but then he focused his eyes on Michaela’s waving hand.

“I did not expect you” she confessed.

“I was not going to let anyone else come” he answered back and Zeydar moved her wings away, revealing Arline’s frame curled up in a ball shaking but sleeping “Arline” he whispered at her. She had no strength and could only hum back at him. He could tell how weak she was when he saw the dripping red blouse and how her skin started lacking color.

Merrick wasted no time and lifted her up, placed her in the horse and rode back to the castle as quickly as he could, while Zeydar followed them through the air.

The medics started healing as soon as she passed through the doors and didn’t allow the new King to stay and sent him away, something to which he tried to complain about and had to be pulled out by Zeroun, who had to work as his conscience and tried calming him down.

Arline had lost enough blood for her to enjoy uninterrupted nights of sleeping, making everyone around her worried. She was on her bed, covered by the heaviest and warmest wools ever. And when she opened her eyes, she distinguished her room and sleeping uncomfortably in the couches were Zeroun and Calix, with their mouths slightly open. She tried getting up and seat on the bed slowly.

“I wouldn’t do that” Zeroun’s voice spoke, he was still with his eyes closed but a small smile drew on his lips. He got up and carefully hugged her and she buried her head on his neck “ You did well” he assured her and just then Arline notice the bruises and cuts on her friends’ faces.

“You are awake!” Calix’s thick voice resonated with surprise and approached her “You are absolutely insane Arline, never do that again” he begged her and also hugged her.

“Which part?” She playfully asked.

“Staying on a mountain while you bleed out”

“I passed out before I could make it back” she chuckled which gave her a stitch “How did it end?”

“Larsin and the Queen were locked in the dungeons” Zeroun explained to her “Merrick won”

“The Queen was involved?” Arline couldn’t hide her surprise.

“She confessed she gave Larsin the idea to poison you” Calix added. Arline was incredibly confused by this. She thought the Queen liked her, even a little bit considering she had treated Arline almost like a daughter.

“Don’t even think about moving” Zeroun warned her when he saw how she wanted to get up.

“How bad is it?” She asked getting back to her nest.

“Considering you almost died” Calix added “Your scars have already been painted” he informed her and Arline just nodded.

Arline was so hungry that she could smell the trail of delights being brought to her from outside her dorms. So when Pauline saw how consumed and tired she looked, the old maid dismissed the young men as they complained that they wanted to give her company, and began taking care of her as if she was a child.

The young Huntress wanted to see the new King, congratulate him on his new achievement but she figured he was outrageously busy considering he was going to be named a monarch soon.

She had dinner in her room, on the medics advice for her not to move. But Arline was restless and didn’t really care what the medics had to say. So she headed down stairs with no other purpose than to walk around and maybe come across someone she knew.

While wondering around, she noticed how the fire was set in the fireplace and one of chairs was placed in front of it. Arline approached slowly, thinking there was going to be King Cadel resting.

“I will sleep soon” the melodic voice of her beloved Dark Prince spoke in the room to her surprise and he turned his head but his look of amusement was greater than hers and he run to her encounter, hugging her without really pressing her body “I didn’t expect you to be out of your room this late” he confessed.

“I sort of ignored the medical advice” he chuckled at her “Congratulations” she bowed her head, letting her hair bounce on her head.

“Thank you” he kissed her hand softly.

They began walking the corridors, in silence. Both were tired and looked as if something had drained them of any kind of light they could have, but he felt unmeasurably happy for her recovery and she was just as happy for his victory. After some time, they found themselves on the door of her room.

“Do you mind if I stay?” He asked her to which she shook her head and allowed him in. A tea pot was set for them on the table so he poured the warm liquid on the porcelain cups and sat next to each other.

“You scared me” he confessed to her “You were barely moving when I found you”

“I am so sorry” she sipped from her cup, embarrassed “I was in shock from everything, I couldn’t shake away the images in my head”

“I can not blame you for seeking peace” he understood the overwhelming feeling after a battle to just look for silence in the atmosphere “Who was responsible for it?” Merrick had been dying to know who was the author of such atrocity, and he had to ask her, looking at those eyes that made his heart melt and he had to reassure her that nothing bad could happen to her again, because she was under the protection of his Crown.

“He’s dead Merrick” Arline didn’t want him to worry about a dead man.

“I didn’t ask you his condition, I want his name” he softly said such threatening words.

“It was Alastair” she looked down, knowing she wouldn’t make him change his mind “The only reason I’m still alive is because of you”

“I am glad you are” he couldn’t look at her entirely so he started playing with her rings.

“I’m sorry Merrick” she softly spoke and caressed his hand “About you mother” he locked eyes with her.

“It didn’t surprise me” he brushed it away “I felt worse when I knew she suggested to poison you”

“Don’t pretend to be unbothered” she advised him. Merrick chuckled at her for caring so much about what he thought of his family members.

“It hurt me, just not for the reason you may be thinking” he intertwined his hand with hers, she let him do it, his contact was calming for her “I want to see you in the War Room tomorrow, only if-”

“I’ll be there” Arline said without giving him a chance to act protective “What for?”

“You will be given the Ring of Allies for your service to the Crown” he explained to her.

“I am honored” she whispered at him “You should try and sleep Merrick” Arline tried advising him.

Merrick agreed, he was tired and couldn’t conceal sleep since the battle and somehow she always found her way through him, to calm him down. Tiredness was taking over his limbs and mind but he wanted to stay with her, to share her bed and comfort her while she slept on his chest but he could only leave and go back to the solitude of his chambers.

“I will see you tomorrow” he kissed her hand once again

“Until tomorrow” she said back and silently closed the door behind him.