Rose of Deception

Chapter 5

I was offered a room beside Blaze while the royal couple stayed in the chamber opposite to us. The dinner differed in menu as the elves tended to consume more hygienic food than the humans.

Minister of the elves who would have been the king for his people if they had ruled separately sat on the head seat, Keres on the right of him and then was his fiancée, Blaze and me and on the left of the minister was his daughter, princess Uttara who may had revealed my identity in the evening.

“What...”I looked at Blaze who seemed normal with his behavior but his foot was invading my space.

“Is something wrong Lady Eloise.” He faced me. And there was this simplicity on his face she doubted was real as he had been the king’s spy for years.

He may notice things which I or anyone else in this room didn’t. But who was he to think I was unaware of the job he did, along with the prince who managed to stop his friend from spilling the truth.

I gave him a smile as he turned to his platter and looked extra interested in the food that was served.

I did not eat much because all that was served on the table was green food and it made me look like a goat or an ox.

The palace was heavily guarded I noticed once I started to walk down the hallway which led to the chamber I was given for the night probably.

I exited in the balcony that was connected to his chamber but I didn’t care at the moment, I stood there in the cold night but it wasn’t unpleasant as if the weather was controlled by the magic.

I took a deep breath as I placed my arms on the old railings carved in while marble. The view was mesmerizing but it reminded me of the woods I ran through when I escaped from my father who was moments away from killing me.

Unintentionally I lifted my left hand and stared at the scar that engraved my palm while I was trying to save myself from the burning blade, the weapon that my father prepared especially for my murder, the blade that had ripped away my flesh with it.

The magic weapon that included ninety nine spells all thanks to the last mage that still breathed.

I curled my fingers around the hilt of the weapon as I fished it out from beneath my kimono as my thigh felt empty without it. I had been wearing it since, a reminder that besides the revenge of my mother and finding the rose I had to kill my father.

Legends said when Ambra foresaw the future she turned her last child in to a flower of life, the petals that would give the dead a new breath.

But some said it was just to spread the rumor while the child was born in to another women’s womb many years later. In hope his fate would change besides the fact that Ambra was fully aware the fates were written by the god and could never be changed.

I gazed up at the sky, stars a lot of them and somewhere between them my sister twinkled. Keres always reminded me of the prince that helped my sister defect the plan of the cursed crown.

Keres father was a merchant, then why did Keres look like the duplicate of the snake king.

I knew that Arthur was the son of the first king of Wasadonia than the king died and years after the queen married a merchant. Could it be that it was the snake king who married the human queen. And Keres was his son.

I nodded multiple times in a no. this can’t be.

“What is it that upsets you at this rate?” Blaze came to stand beside me.

“Nothing.”

“Ok.”

“How was Prince Keres Dad? I mean to his people.” I turned to look at him. He thought for a while before he opened his mouth to speak.

“I am not sure but he was good to his people, I remember he loved Arthur like his own son and when he took me in I never felt that my parents were not around. After the death of the first king the queen fell in to depression and so did the kingdom. Keres father had was the one to lift up the spirit of the people and balance the affairs.”

“Why weren’t your parents around?” I did not like the expression on his face, it was grief and resentment. “It’s okay if you don’t…”

“No. it’s okay. Hardly anyone asks me about it. But you won’t feel pity.”

“I don’t.” I raised my three fingers in a promise.

“My dad left my mother when I was still not born, she said my father did not know. They had been trying to get a kid for so long but failed and that year when my father left, my mother didn’t know either. And then she searched for him a lot when we were born but then she eventually got sick. She gave my sister away to a family. I was still with her when she died. I was five at the time.” It looked like he did not talk about this to a lot of people because he wasn’t sure how to put the incident or if to mention the piece of memory or not.

I caught myself staring at him but there was no pity no sadness from myside I had seen worse experienced worse so it didn’t pull my rug.

“You are not Eloise.” He stunned me, I was too shocked to reply. How did he know? Obviously what was I thinking when I thought no one would recognize me. She was a warrior to perform in front of the crowd and people would have seen her where as I did not even in my slightest looked like her.

He stood there like he was expecting no reply and no flicker of emotions on my face while million different question erupted beneath the core.

“I knew it from the beginning.” He started. “And I’m dead sure you are here to get something, and if you intend to harm the prince I won’t let you.”

A sly smile stretched on my face. “And who will stop me.”

“And you know I won’t let you without fighting.”

“You have no idea what I am capable of. If you grab the broken pieces of glass it will only bleed you.”

“I am aware princess Asena.” That was shocking to how much he dug in for my identity.

“It’s a shock you still let me stand with your Prince, BLAZE.” I did not bother draping the artificial personality around me any longer while I’m with this person.

“What else do you know about me?” I stated.

“You were born without a bounded wolven, because you did not had the sacred animal your type was blessed with, you were bullied by the kids of your age and your mother always told you were special and then she took you to the mage, Aquileia and in the exchange of a precious stone she bounded a Luna with you. Who is not quite cooperative and since you have spent years in the torture cell you are not sure if she will follow your command again and she only turns you wild on the full moon. The type of monster that tears apart innocent people and eat them up.”

Tears blurred my vision I almost lost balance and doubted I was still standing on my feet. My hands shook with horror. Nobody had known so much about me then why him. Who was he?

For the first time in ages I felt weak and miserable and I wanted to hunt this man down. I felt returning to the past where I was forced to walk on the broken pieces of glass.

I blinked away the tears that edged the waterline.

“Who are you?” I was compelled to ask.

“A nobody Asena, while the living hell for you.” Those hollow talks didn’t scare me who was he kidding.

“You can’t bring the hell to a person who had guarded the fire of the deepest pitch.” I held on to the sculpture.

“It’s late you should sleep peacefully.” And I knew he would be sleepless all night because now I had accepted the information it would be worse for him.

The bed was comfortable and from where I laid, the moon was directly in view few days before the full moon and that as the last thought I had before I drifted to sleep.

Early in the morning we had to continue the travel, the elf minister insisted we do the breakfast with them but Keres pushed the idea that it would get late and it was a pleasure to stay at their place. Uttara didn’t seem to tell Keres about my identity and I was sure Blaze won’t tell either. And if by chance they did I would slit their throat besides the human prince before they even had the chance to air the news.

They said their goodbye with a wide smile but I did not dare to do it with open lips. The identity must be hidden as long as it could be.

I mounted my horse as we rode back to the castle. Tired I went back to the room while the three of them went to greet the King and queen.

As soon as I pushed open the door to my chamber I was met with a silhouette. I unsheathe the dagger and kept it active as I walked towards the shadow.

“Don’t do it.” Levi appeared from behind.

“What are you doing here?” I asked him.

“I, carrying out the words of the snake queen to her dear miss Zahra.”

“What does she want to say?” I asked him.

“That she did not tell me. But she seemed to have important business, before she called me she was with her maid and I got the information about finding the rose.” Levi told me confused and I had no place for that since I was the one to sow the seed in to the queens thought.

“Ok, maybe a day or two she has to wait.” I told him as he left without a trace and there was a knock at the door so I went to answer.

The engagement dress was handed to me by the crafts man.

“Master said to try it on and if there are any amendments to be made be sure to bring it before the ceremony.” The young boy said as he dropped the dress by.

Unlike most of the ball gowns which were heavy and with multiple layers under the skirt mine was without any, with a slit reaching high above the leg and black gems around the neck it was a night black backless silk dress.

I tried it on as I stood before the full sized mirror. It was stunning and the tattoo made me wonder at time when I got it.

There was a knock at the door again and I wanted to c***k the person’s head open. Why wont the let me by myself for some time. I dropped the swords from my hair on the table as I went to unwind the coils in my strands.

“Yes.” I exhaled.

And this time it was Blaze, he seemed speechless seeing me in the dress.

“What is it?” I asked him annoyed.

“You look…”

“Beautiful. I know anything else.” I stated.

“Deadly.” I looked taken back by the compliment. “Any ways I came to tell you the batch is waiting for you.”

“I know.”

“Then be quick in changing this.” I hated how he told me what to do and I had to do it because I could not wear it for long, what he thought he was if I didn’t have the job to do I would have roamed in castle wearing that.”

“Are you going to leave now, or what?” he closed the door behind him. Before leaving I took a quick bath.

“Move that up” I asked one of the participants with a spear.

“You think you can teach us the fight by ordering us around.” One of them was asking for the trouble.

I smirked.

“Yes, you have been moving in this place for hour telling us to correct our position do you even know how to fight.” Another one, good. I thought.

“If you think so then anyone in the crowd would come up and fight me.” I asked them.

Silence fell over and all of them started to make way, Keres walked towards me, nothing like expression on his face. And I doubted he knew my identity. If it was the situation then this fight will be the live or die situation and probably the last one for him.

We stood our ground when Keres nodded and I did the same as we moved in to our positions. The blades were dancing around as if they knew each other’s next move and while I was blocking his strike I caught the view of his scar that cut through his eyebrow and then his white strands fell over. Our eyes locked with one another before I moved back ready for another strike.

I like how he had put away the formality and was showing what he got. I stroked his blade twice and in defense he held it locked as I ran towards stepping on the blade as I back flipped.

He was already breathing hard I noticed and he ran out of moves including his speed which was fading away.

“You must be tired your highness.” I said.

“So you are.” He replied.

“I doubt it.”

“Eloise.” My name on his tongue sounded like honey.

“Keres.” My grip on the blade went weak but I collected myself almost intently. Why this man had so much effect on my thinking. His blade went flying around the arena leaving him unarmed.

A smile displayed on his face as he went to pick it up and the batch of the new army was speechless.

“Anyone else I announced.” And neither of them spoke.