“Stand, my child, and walk with me.” The king motioned for her to rise as he, too, stood from his seated position and walked down the dais stairs towards Adalia.
“Tell me, is the King of Oscuro still planning a war?” he asked with concern as they walked from the throne room and down a hallway.
“I cannot say my king. He spoke very little to his subjects or his son when I was in their presence,” Adalia answered. “But it would not surprise me. He asked me on more than one occasion if you were planning a war against him, but I never answered.”
The king smiled, but his brown eyes were sad. “He was once such a good man. It’s heartbreaking to watch what he has done with his life.”
“What happened?” Adalia asked.
The idea of the king knowing his enemy as if he had once been a friend surprised Adalia. She’d never really questioned how the King of Oscuro came to be, and presumed the two kingdoms had simply always existed, light and dark.
“Hundreds of years ago, the King of Oscuro was my advisor and head of music here in Lucius. I was king, as I have always been since the beginning of time. And he was a man of justice and honour. Together, we took care of Lucius and its people, but over time, jealousy poisoned his soul. I thought it might wane with time, but it only deepened. He wanted to be king. He wanted the people to love him the way they loved me. And I could see that his heart was turning black. I knew he would never be a righteous king, so I told him that if he continued this path, he would have to leave. He didn’t take the news well at all and left in the middle of the night, taking a third of my subjects with him. He sold them a lie, and I was devastated to find they’d believed it,” the king explained.
“I did not know he was head of music, but it explains why he was always playing his veslo at the palace,” Adalia added wistfully.
The king’s eyes were kind as he smiled. “He was an exceptional player.”
“I’m sorry things turned out the way they did,” Adalia said.
“Everyone has a choice, Adalia. He chose. And now must live with the consequences.” The king’s brown eyes crinkled at the corners. He was an ordinary-looking man, with shoulder-length brown hair, a slim face and a lovely smile, but his eyes made him beautiful.
Adalia nodded. “Because of my unfortunate incident, I would ask permission, my king, to double the border patrols and the amount of guards stationed at the Gates for a while. I don’t want to risk another Thorn entering The Grey or the rare chance that a Lightner falls through the Veil into Oscuro and suffers thoseconsequences. I would also like to send out small groups to assess the Veil completely, looking for any weak spots or tears.”
“You do what you need to, Major. My army is your army and I trust you wholly,” the king replied.
“Thank you, my king. Light guide you.” Adalia bowed before him and left his side, heading straight for warrior central . . . the compound.
It felt good to stretch her wings. It’d been far too long since she used them at their full strength.
It wasn’t long before the compound came into view.
Everyone clapped and cheered as soon as Adalia’s boots hit the ground. She stood in awe for a moment. Why were they cheering for her? She didn’t win some great battle or destroy a legion of Thorns. Though she appreciated the warm welcome, she didn’t feel as though she deserved the attention. After a few seconds of feeling embarrassed by all the faces grinning at her, she motioned for silence.
“Your welcome is sincerely appreciated, yet let it be known that I do not lay claim to the title of hero. I hold the firm belief that every one of you would give chase to a Thorn with unwavering determination if it meant safeguarding an innocent from their web of deceit. Do I entertain the thought of you venturing into Oscuro? No, never. Do I expect you to tirelessly patrol every inch of the Veil, resolutely standing as a shield against their malevolent advances? Absolutely. The homecoming I experience is a gift beyond measure, and I thank you. However, what I witnessed on the other side of that border only serves to stoke the fire within me, strengthening my commitment to protecting those in The Grey. Let not your vigilance waver, not even for a fleeting heartbeat. As of this day, we shall enforce back-to-back patrol shifts, ensuring that no more suffer at the hands of the King of Darkness, and his realm.”
With these words, Adalia’s speech finished, casting a hushed stillness over the multitude.
“We will not yield to the darkness,” someone from the crowd cried out.
A second voice echoed, “We will not yield to the darkness.”
Within moments, the entire compound was chanting in unison, and Adalia grinned.
They would not yield to the darkness.
“Nice speech, sis.” Nikolas grinned at her as they walked to her office.
“It’s not about me. I just want every Lightner to understand the seriousness of the situation. I won’t allow anyone to experience what I went through. If I can save someone’s life, I will.” Adalia smiled at her brother. “Now let’s go make The Grey safe.”
“As long as you’re ready?”
“Ready and willing.” Adalia grinned.
Nikolas returned her smile, and the duo geared up. Adalia sheathed her duo of onyx handled daggers into her left and right boot. She placed another dagger on her right thigh and took her bow and arrows from the hook beside the doorway. It was better to be over prepared.
Her mind travelled to the blue-eyed prince, still baffled as to why he let her go. Would she ever be able to thank him? Did she want to? Adalia despised everything his title represented, but despite all of that, he still set her free, regardless of the kiss.
On that alone, she felt she needed to say thank you purely out of the kindness of her heart . . . but how?
