The Cruel Prince's Wrath

Chapter 38

Iefyr arrived at the elder dragon’s temple to see Queen Tanith causing a scene and getting upset with the elder at the door, it seemed she had been refused entry alongside her son. Iefyr knew if Velkin’s mother was not allowed inside he would not be either. He went to the door anyway.

“Iefyr! He will not allow us in! I want to be with my son!” she cried, “what if he dies? I want him to know… to know how much I love him!” she cried, Iefyr had never seen the queen so out of control with her emotions before, she usually presented as stoic and dignified but her only child’s life was on the line.

“I wish to be by his side too, he sacrificed himself for me, I should be in there not him.” Iefyr said looking from Tanith to the elder at the door, it was the blue dragon.

“He… ended up this way because of you? Because he… what? Deemed your life worth more?” she screamed and then she slammed her fists onto Iefyr’s chest with a surprising force.

“Velkin is a brave man, he is noble, and he was just trying to protect me,”

“Why? Why are the two of you so close now?” she screamed.

“We are brothers, Tanith, we may not have known one another growing up but he is still my little brother and we have bonded these past months,”

“Why did he feel your life was more important?” she asked again.

“I… think he just wanted to protect me, Tanith and it all happened so fast,” he said.

“Who is this elven woman with the strange powers?” she demanded having overheard that last part of his words to King Neron.

“I do not know. I had never seen her before, but she did not appear to be aware of what she had done after she had done it. The whole thing was very strange.” He continued and Tanith seemed to lose all her strength and she slumped to the ground.

“If you excuse me, I must return so that I may help our prince,” the blue dragon said and closed the door behind him. Tanith leaned up against the wall and Iefyr sat beside her. This was the closest they could be with Velkin right now and so they remained.

                                                                                       ~~

Tolanda was heading to Tergat’s clinic as she felt her hands ache where Ievos had injured her. Tyrria’s soothing water had helped but the pain and discomfort were still bothering her. She went inside and saw Tergat at his table preparing all manner of remedies restocking his supply. If her hands were not in pain, she would be helping him but to use a mortar and pestle this way would be impossible. He looked up and true to character he did not smile in his greeting to her, but he did look pleased to see her return safely, there was a slight gleam in his eyes as they fell upon her.

“I understand the trip was a failure and Ievos remains our enemy?” he asked, and she nodded.

“My bond to him, however, I believe has severed. Is it normal that I still care for him even though I feel no pull to him any longer?” she asked.

“That pull you felt before between him and Iefyr was killing you. Both pulls were strong but seeing the golden streams to Iefyr would have lessened the impact of the pull to Ievos but as we know it did not eradicate that pull. It is good that you are finally free of it but as for your feelings for him… just because the bond is gone does not mean the love will follow it entirely. Your bonds to them both were strong and unique.” Tergat said, “honestly, I was fearful for your life and worried you would not make it out alive and that… might have torn the brothers apart even worse than this. Who knows?” Tergat added and Tolanda smiled warmly to him.

“My hands… Ievos froze them and then crushed the ice from them… they were ice burned and very painful. His sister immediately soothed them in water, but they are bothering me,” she said and Tergat swiftly put down his mortar and pestle going to her and taking her hands to look at them. They were shaking.

“I have an ointment we can smother them in and a little potion you could drink, hopefully they will ease the pain and heal you up that little bit more,” Tergat said. The door to the clinic opened and they looked up to see Liv, Dresna and Senni all entering to see her.

“They wanted to come and see you,” Liv said having known she had headed to the clinic. They sat around her while Tergat fetched those concoctions.

“What…” Dresna began to speak and rubbed her belly losing her words.

“What has become of Ievos?” Tolanda suggested is what she thought she was going to ask and Dresna nodded. “He is crueller than before… perhaps broken even. I know it is my fault but also that it is not my fault. I did hurt him… I am tired,” she said feeling it suddenly overcome her.

“My babies will never know him, his babies, twin girl and twin boy. I know they will be beautiful and strong because he was. I have no choice but to think of him as dead now. It is easier on me that way.” Dresna said and Senni put her hand on Dresna’s for comfort.

“I am worried for our prince Velkin but am pleased the rest of you returned safely,” Senni said looking back to Tolanda.

“Ievos was not only cruel he seemed like he had gone insane. Perhaps he was always on the edge of it but now he has fallen over that edge,” Liv decided to add.

“I know he had his faults, but he was a good man, underneath it all,” Dresna said with tears falling down her cheeks.

“He was a good man. I know it is easier to think of him as dead already, but I know we will see him again, they will attack once more. We had a meeting with the king and already told him of this. Ievos was travelling to the Kingdom of the Shadow Dragons. He intends to propose an alliance with them. He is preparing for that attack as we speak,” Tolanda informed them and Tergat returned.

“The Shadow Dragons? They will make a powerful ally to Ievos and Cauladra. Powerful indeed.” He said as he proceeded to give Tolanda the potion to drink and then gently rubbed her hands in the ointment.

                                                                                           ~~

Ievos’ trip was ever so slightly delayed from leaving Laseron’Dir, since Zia had disappeared, and he had sent men looking for her. Ievos was in his chambers with Urro when a bird landed upon his balcony. He looked at it and realised it was the golden-winged dove the goddess Sorasa who visited Tolanda and bestowed her with a vision. Ievos stood going to the doors of his balcony he looked at her and she simply looked back at him before her words entered his mind. Urro is not what you think he is, young prince. And the path you are walking is a dark one, indeed. I have come to warn you out of respect for the love you once held for my Child of Destiny and for the love she still holds for you. Ievos swiped at the golden winged Sorasa and she took into the sky once more. He turned and looked at his servant Urro with suspicion.

“That was a rather beautiful bird, my prince, did it not please you?” Urro asked.

“That was the human goddess of fate Sorasa with a warning to me,”

“Oh? About the Shadow Dragons?” Urro asked as he poured the prince some tea. Ievos marched towards him and swiped the tea from its surface and then he took Urro by his shirt.

“Are you poisoning me?” Ievos hissed. “Always feeding me tea… always fussing, is it poisoned?” he demanded.

“N-no my lord of course not,” Urro stammered, “I only wish to serve you,” he added and the prince pushed Urro away with a frustrated growl. “What is with the suspicion?” he asked, “what did that goddess say to you?” he asked as he got to gathering the broken tea plates and clearing up the spilled tea.

“None of your business!” Ievos snapped, “I cannot trust anyone,” he muttered under his breath and stormed out of his chambers. Urro watched after his prince and the bird returned landing on the balconies edge once more looking at him this time.