Page 237 of Winter Gods & Serpents

“He is a fool to think he can march in all of them freely.”

“But he will, there will be nothing for him to march freely into. A clean slate, free empty land for him to create and expand Isjord, the only kingdom.”

My father was thinking of wiping out populations of millions to empty land, had he gone mad finally?

I laughed. “The old fool is losing his mind after all, has that sweet red headed witch been spinning tales in his ear again?”

He stood and faced me behind the metal bars again, the viscous blue eye glared beams of threat onto me. So near I could squeeze the light out of his life in seconds. “Years and years ago when gods blessed our lands do you remember what god of all gods, Fader, bestowed as his gift upon us all?” he questioned.

Were both brothers losing their minds alike, and this one kidnapped me to tell old tales of gods? All this fuss around to end up relying on children's stories of gifts and blessing, my mighty father was basing his war theories on this? Krig would wipe his shame with mud, his blessings rolling over the brain of mice. Cyra too, to find her people catering to my father's brain twiddling ways of fear propaganda that worked better than any war.

“Fader, my niece, once had a lover called Aurora. The mighty Guardian of the old white flame, she who guarded the balance of realms and the chain of peace, mighty powerful amongst her sort if not the most powerful. However, one day his most beloved lover betrayed him and fell for an earthly creature that roamed our realm during those times, as all wenches seem to do. Fader was flaming in fury, betrayed, and hurt, he chained his lover and bestowed her services to this realm—to the realm she had betrayed him for. He gifted the realm a sceptre, called Aurora’s Virga or the Octa Virga. A divine relic that imprisoned her within. When great evil or danger was to invade or erupt amongst us, we were to summon and use her to our will in defending Numengarth,” he explained, circling about the room, and I was now beyond confused.

Octa Virga? Guardian Aurora of the white flame? This story had never been in any of the sacred books I have read, or any history books. Was this his plan of torturing me, reading me tales till I begged for mercy? It was working, till my tired brain begun scattering around every piece of information available and my eyes widened in realization. What the Solaryans had told me, the winged woman at the centre of the temple and the object that had been too difficult to see, she had been her and the object her sceptre. The drawings around it flashed uncontrollably in front of me, the weapons, and the maps.

She who defied, she who betrayed, she who pays. Eight chains to the land, eight chains from the skies. Eight souls part her living. Eight souls guarded to keep her from living.

Pieces, he was looking for the pieces of the sceptre, the divine weapon was the sceptre. The tracking stone halos Moriko had found, they been used to track them? The soldiers in Myrdur, they were after the Olympian piece. Adriata, the one kingdom they had no access. The agreement. Everything connected, too well—too terrifyingly well.

“Such power, to have the guardian for one man to yield was far more dangerous than any other danger that was already roaming our realms,” he continued, running a hand over his pale beard. “Rulers grew hungry for its power as did many others who saw this opportunity as useful against their contenders. Five hundred years ago, King Kegan of Seraphim took the sceptre and invoked the guardian to open heavens to him. He lost control of the guardian and she ended up wiping out Seraphim and almost destroying the whole of our continent. Because of this the sceptre broke into fragments, divided amongst kingdoms for safekeeping. If the threat the gods feared came, they would all in unison gather against it and use the Octa Virga. Then many knew, now not even rulers have the slightest idea what lays dormant in their lands, the most powerful creature that could roam our realm.”

This was not all tales after all. The fire guardian who had destroyed Seraphim had never been named, and from what he said, Aurora was Guardian of the white flame, easily mistaken as one from the lands of Adan. Had history been written wrong or to conceal her?

“Soon all that power will be ours to wield. With the sceptre, the guardian will be willed to do our bidding, erase all life amongst other kingdoms. Isjord will expand beyond the continent, beyond the blessed lands, all of it will be ours,” he finally unravelled all that had been sowing all around me.

“What makes you think you won’t end up like Seraphim, destroyed along with the continent you intend to take?”

He scoffed all distaste. “Kegan was a drunk, worthless king with ambition taller than his height. The only thing good that came from his head was to use the guardian for his purposes, but even that failed. Your father on the other hand, he is mighty, girl. You haven’t seen a fraction of what he is capable of. I saw him wipe grand Olympia within a night, he is god, and he will soon reach them too.”

Solarya had known my father’s intentions that is why they had interrupted the trade, that was why they were looking around the temples, for the other piece. Melanthe, she had sealed the Solaryan chest with her seal, the sceptre piece must have been in it, she was in this as well. Had it been why father had invoked her death?

“How many do you have?” I asked, praying to gods and heavens once again to let it not be true, for all this to be a lie. I prayed that they had not allowed the worst creature in the whole realm to get access to even a fragment of it.

“We have now you to thank for the third one, my soldiers have already infiltrated their city searching their damned lands and castle for it, as well as a whole army waiting for my signal to attack their lands. They were once a strong kingdom, but now easy prey. Your father has promised me their lands for me to rule, I plan to be a very generous king.”

My features drew wide at his revelation. “If you attack them, you will make it very difficult to do the whole wiping out plan without war, the rest of the kingdoms will not stand by and watch Isjord raid their neighbouring kingdom as if their own,” I stated. How big my father’s plans had been, how I had underestimated him.

“No, they might not. But again to our advantage we have you.”

“What?”

He tilted his head all disparage. “Isjord cannot stand by while their princess were to be killed by the Adriatians minutes after getting married, can we now?”

Opening the iron prison door, he pulled me to my feet.

They had told everyone I was dead, to rage war against Adriata, very smart. My use was spent, and to others I was dead, no one had any use for me. This was their plan all along, my death, but I had two of theirs in my hands, if my uncle was not interested, my father would be.

“Reuben and Fren’s' antidote is Alaric, isn’t it?” he asked, and my eyes widened in horror, he knew. He clicked his tongue. “That Olympian scum knew just about everyone, not that hard to guess, sweet niece, and judging from your reaction correct as well. Worry not, he will follow right behind you to the other world, my men are already looking for him in Fernfoss.”

I could not help but laugh, it rolled over the stone wall almost drowning the sound of the sea. “My, my who will inherit Isjord now? Soon they will be both so very dead.”

He sneered and he grabbed my arm tightly. “Your little games do not work with me.”

No, but dear uncle, believe me this was no game, the half breeds were dead by my decree.

He unsheathed a dagger and in a flashing moment, my side pierced and throbbed a dull pain. The man who had tried to kill me twelve years ago had now succeeded, he had won, and I had let him win. I looked down between us, the dagger stabbing my flesh inches deep.

My knees gave away and I fell to the floor, blood streaming rapidly out of me and all over my white dress, dripping slowly to the floor, my eyesight already hazy. I’d make such a ghastly spirit with this outfit. Gods, don’t let this be my otherworld look.