The Books of the Shadows

FROZEN SKY - 4 -

The next day, The King entered the War Council room and everybody was there, waiting for him. They needed to discuss the new alliance of the houses.

They were all backing the door, facing the window where his usual place was. He walked slowly along the path dividing the houses, two on the left and two on the right.

The fifth was not present today. This was the rival house of the Warchild and was holding the southern frontier, where the city of Beran was the most distant and there were not many Shadows' Assassins allowed in his castle but the ones representing the House and his Monk, and he was in Beran right now.

Lucky for him, his newborn child coming into this world would save his life... Who knew?

He did not intend to kill the members of his council either... but if he would, well.... he would make sure that the next time he would have to do it, the house of Shadows' Assassins would be there too.

It had to be, as it was the only one that could be considered opposed to power and ranks as only this house has been given most of the Kings of the Shadow people.

From ancient times, the Royal Blood was split between the FIVE houses, and for the last 150 years, there were only the Warchild kings who held the throne.

The last Shadows' Assassins King was challenged by the Warchild as the law would require and was only the law who gave the right to rule. The second law of the shadows was that they would only keep what they could take.

And make no mistake, when it came to taking, the shadows could take it all, from anybody, from everybody, and even more.

As for the present, as he had killed the entire council members in a blink of an eye, out of being impulsive, he had lost his war Generals, the experienced ones.

But without worries, he sighed carelessly thinking already that these sons already had a mental connection with the deceased fathers. He knew that it would increase the knowledge inherited from them by gathering all the information held by the generals, with the obedience of the young people that he could control better.

They were not yet experienced in life as their fathers were, and he knew they were looking at him with admiration and adulation as who would not be wanting to be the King's privileged right hand?

And he would make sure they will all fight for it.

What they did not know was that the position would not be available at any time, as the King would be the only one to think and decide on the matters of the kingdom.

He was territorial, and what was his, no one would dare to touch.

The main law of the shadows was actually that "do not touch what does not belong to you".

So when the words spread that Lady Anaty was summoned to the palace for the Union.

The King's blood itself to unite with the House of Assassins brought everyone in shock.

The Lady was a child, at only 14 years old, and not ready to get married yet, much less to bear heirs right now.

Of course, she was not really a child, but The King needed a strong woman ready to bear his heirs, not such a young lady who was not even a War Lord. How could a child teach a Royal Blood to become a suitable candidate for the throne??.

As she was not raised as a warrior, she would need her personal assassin's guards as she would be easy prey in the Warchild house.

That would be problematic, as they had a different uniform, different mark, different codes, and different customs as the Warchild guards.

Also, the Old law stated clearly that the offspring born from this marriage would bear the name of the Assassins' House, which only lead them all to ask themselves, what would The King really allow to happen with this union?

Things were confusing all the houses, not only the ones from the Assassins' House. The other houses would also want to win the King's trust and now they would stand no chance if the King had chosen a Lady of the Assassins.

Yes, she was easy prey outside the castle until she would really become the property of the King.

After that, she would be untouchable as any other of his belongings. The lows of the shadows were clear amongst them, "You do not touch what does not belong to you" and they were all taking it very seriously, at the level that even a halfbreed shadow could protect his belongings in front of the elite and would win untouchable.

Of course, later on, he would probably get executed for some mistake but that would be normal.

So right now The Houses were trying their best in making strategies in order to gain more power.

The King would not trust even his old generals, as they all knew, only The Monk could speak back to him and keep his head on his shoulders still, but that was not really guaranteed either.

The King would listen to the generals only after he was asking for their thoughts and then he would decide on his own.

And usually, after all the councils and all the discussions he would just announce his own mind as normal and no one could ever say anything different.

Even his decision would have been totally opposed to the advice he got.

So what now?

They all expected him at some point to marry, they all have asked him for years to choose a wife and now he just chose the rival house to get in a sacred Union with?? What was he thinking?

He could have taken the lady just as a mistress but he would marry her instead?

Punishing the mighty houses of course, that it was all about punishing The Houses for him.

Him mocking the rest of The Houses, as none of them, not even the assassins liked the situation they were put into right now!

But, what could they do?

They just asked for it and the King, as always, had done it right!

Now, what was to be done?

Either kill the Lady before the Union would take place, or let the King handle the killing after the Union...

The future of the Lady was very clear, maybe the clearest thing of all. It was short. But what about the offspring?

What if the Lady would actually bear him an heir?

They were all thinking the entire process was for the King's amusement, but what if, in all that process, the kingdom would win a Crown Prince?

It would belong to the house of Assassins, a pureblood Assassin living in the house of the Warchild?

The king of Warchild could not have an heir belonging to the name of Assassins...

Therefore everybody was thinking... what would the King's move be?

Everybody was waiting to see.

The bride would be brought by the King's guards, with all the respect and the caution that the announcement has got out to the people so that no one would get to touch the Lady right before the Union with the King.

She was brought to the castle and well-locked in the golden cage that would serve as her dungeon from now on to live her life.

The Lords of Assassins would meet the long Union Council meeting, so they would all state their terms upon this Union and the King would state his demands.

His first demand was of course that the Lady would keep her name but also add his name, therefore he was trying to ensure that if any heir would come out of the Union, would belong to his house too.

The Assassins did appreciate and did agree with his terms as they would only have to gain from this Union, but much more there was to be agreed on.

The southern province of the kingdom was in need of military assistance so much that they would rather have caged the golden bird and gain the King's support for themselves.

It was the one and only lifetime occasion that they could really restore some of their house's power and rank in the order of the five houses.

They agreed on the name of the Lady and the titles; they agreed on the bride's dowry, also p*****t for each heir that she would bear him, including land, silver, weapons, and war horses.

And then, they got stuck in the process regarding the military support for the southern fortresses from the border. The Assassins' House Lords were out of sons and they really could not leave without that military help.

So that was their weakness... the King thought.

He then met the Lady. God, she was young!

He liked her standing in front of him, taken by surprise by his visit, as he had just entered unannounced.

Because she was now living in his fortress, his territory, he did not think it was necessary to announce himself, even if they were not yet married. He cared less.

She was confused but well raised in the low of the shadows, so he was pleased to see her frightened in his presence, shaking like a leaf.

Words of his behavior were out there and she had heard what kind of man The King was.

Ruthless.

Killing women and children alike with no mercy.

He would better be called an Assassin as her own House would be more appropriate for him.

She realized that he would kill her for sure and the question was not if but when.