The Cruel Prince's Wrath

Chapter 5

Tolanda and Iefyr were sat with Tolan and Liv enjoying a breakfast together, simple eggs and bread for Tolanda and Liv but Tolan had decided to join Iefyr in trying one of their delicacies, he had finally braved the redorai lizard. Iefyr having convinced him to do so. The lizards had been fried and were also served with bread and a sauce which had a sweet taste to it but also a kind of smoky taste. Tolan looked to Tolanda and then Liv and then back to Iefyr.

“Here goes,” he said and took a bite. “Crispy,” he muttered as he sampled it.

“You like?” Iefyr asked as he prepared his own.

“Yes, actually, it is rather… interesting, if you can get over the fact it is lizard.”

“You have been here less time than I have, and I have yet to try many of their unique foods,” Liv commented.

“The two of you have been spending rather a lot of time together, haven’t you?” Iefyr asked and shared a grin with Tolanda.

“I enjoy Tolan’s company and you two have been taking the opportunity to get time together now your bond is secured so naturally Tolan and I gravitated towards one another,” Liv said.

“What is that all about anyway? You were with Ievos that… rather intimidatingly handsome prince and now you are with this… also intimidatingly handsome… hunter?” Tolan asked.

“I was bonded to them both, I loved… I am sorry, I do still feel care for Ievos so I suppose I love them both. I no longer feel conflicted about who I should be with. Iefyr gave up on the fight and allowed me to be with his brother so I was but… these golden streams appear with a dragon soul bond and it seems even for non-dragons and they led me to Iefyr. It felt right and I was beginning to feel with Ievos that it was not,” She looked to Iefyr.

“I was… beginning to get dark thoughts, I do not know what was happening to me but… all my reasons for giving up the fight so you and my brother could be together were starting to change and I was filled with regret. I started to feel my brother did not deserve Tolanda, that he… was not good enough for her but I did not believe those thoughts not deep down in my heart. My brother does deserve some happiness and I had hoped he could find that with Tolanda but as I watched them… especially when I saw them in bed through a vision with the elders I…” he trailed off but then resumed, “I was consumed with a blinding rage, I thought I was starting to hate my brother once more,”

“I never really lay with him, we had been about to the night before the battle but as I said, it did not feel right,”

“Well, I must say I am pleased you, for one, did not lie with him, I know he was gorgeous but there was always something about him I was unsure of. He made me feel on edge, and when I learned you had first been forced to be his slave, I wanted to kill him.” Tolan said. “I feel much more at ease with Iefyr and he is warm towards you, and kind,”

“Not gorgeous as well then?” Ieyfr teased with a grin.

“I do feel rather inferior beside you and your brother, most women would not look twice at me if you were around,” Tolan replied but in an upbeat manner and had another redorai.

“Your sister is beautiful, Tolan, and you share her good looks, it seems to run in your family,” Liv said to him.

“Our mother was a beautiful woman, we both take after her with our blue eyes and… gold hair,” Tolan replied but ruffled his scruffy rose-gold hair remarkably similar in colour to Tolanda’s. Tolanda noticed a small group of men and woman and did not recognise their race and she felt a cold feeling inside of her stomach putting down the remainder of her food. She tapped Iefyr on the arm as this group walked past, noticing many dragons following their movements with glares but this group did not seem intimidated or even slightly bothered by this as they were escorted to the palace.

“Who are they?” she asked him, and he seemed to tense.

“My father had said he had called upon them, they are emissaries, ambassadors from the Tarken race across seas,” he said.  “They were at war with the dragons many years ago, my father said he was sending for them, I should probably go,” he said and excused himself from their breakfast leaving some coin to pay the bill.

                                                                                        ~~

Tyria decided to join some of the elves who have returned from town and from the hunt to help them distribute their supplies. She joined a dark-haired elven woman who went by the name Reinys. Her hair was so long, trailing down her back and her eyes were a bright turquoise colour and very striking. They shared a smile as she joined at her side.

“Is your brother always so miserable?” Reinys asked and Tyria could not help but laugh.

“Not been with us long then?” she asked.

“No, only about a week,” she informed. “We brought him back some tea and he seemed… shall I say, unimpressed? He dashed it across a wall,”

“He had his heart broken a few months ago, with him being half dragon it was something to do with a soul bond… I think that’s what he called it,” Tyria explained.

“Poor prince,” Reinys muttered.

“The woman chose his brother over him; they were both bonded to her. They had the same father different mothers, so he is nothing to do with me.”

“Have you met his brother?” Reinys asked.

“No, I have not, I have heard about him though. Complete opposite to my brother, they say he is kind and friendly. Ievos has this… darkness to him, I have tried to get close to him since his return, but he does not allow it,”

“Perhaps he will in time,” Reinys offered reassurance and they noticed Ievos marching across the courtyard space to where Tyria knew her mother to be in the hall and so she excused herself and followed him. Trailing behind her brother he stopped just before the queen and there was another elf standing before Cauladra.

“I demand punishment for the murder of my son!” this man yelled to the queen. Ievos stood and folded his arms seemingly disinterested in what he had been summoned here regarding.

“He did murder your son, that is true,” Queen Cauladra replied looking from this elven lord to her son.

“I demand punishment! He murdered him in cold blood, tore his heart right from his chest!”

“Lord Beluar, if you had not raised such a vile man, a would-be rapist, then perhaps he might have been spared,”

“Would-be rapist? My son-“ the lord was interrupted.

“Your son saw himself into my chambers when I had that human slave and he propositioned me to take it in turns with her,”

“That human slave? She was your s*x slave, for the sake of the gods! That was her purpose!” Lord Beluar yelled.

“I did not use her for that purpose,” Ievos replied his voice taking on a low and dark tone.

“But had a fine time leading everyone to believe you were! It is not his fault if he thought he could join in and have a go!” Beluar cried.

“You disgust me,” Ievos snarled and his darkened eyes looked to his mother.

“Why do you care? This girl broke your heart and chose your brother over you, why did she do this?” Cauladra asked but then continued, “because you are difficult to love, my son, you are cold and you are cruel, why you were even an option for her, I do not know. Why she went to the trouble of bewitching you… perhaps it was vengeance for being held captive by you?”

“Hard to love? Cold and cruel?” Ievos yelled, “then I am a mirror image of you! I was changing… I-“ Ievos cut himself off from speaking and changed his words, “if you are to punish me then hurry up!”

“What would you suggest, Lord Beluar?” Cauladra asked.

“The punishment should fit the crime,”

“You want me to kill my son? Execute him? Tear out his heart?”

“It would be satisfying to watch but I suppose… I cannot expect you to kill your own child…”

“I will not punish my son, I believe he is suffering enough with his broken heart, don’t you think?”

“He must suffer physical punishment! At least lashes!” Beluar cried outraged.

“No,” Cauladra replied and the elven lord looked from her to the smug prince before he stormed out. “You certainly have been more trouble than your worth, son. I am done idling around with my army, the wounded have either succumbed or healed and on the road to recovery. I expect your plan of action soon, you said you will have one to me soon, Ievos,”

“I will, I am working on it,” Ievos replied and dismissed himself by marching back out of the hall to return to wherever he had been dwelling before then and Tyria hurried after him.

“You should watch your back, in case lord Beluar decides to take his vengeance into his own hands,” Tyria said hurrying along behind him and Ievos turned to her suddenly.

“You think he will incur my mother’s rage at doing so? Do you think he will incur my rage? Risk trying it?” Ievos conjured his blue fire in one hand and ice in the other. “I have all manner of ways to defend myself, sister, you need not worry,” he growled.

“That blue fire… is so beautiful,” she said looking at it in awe and he looked to his own hand and the blue dragon flames, godly blue flames of the Dregan Sorka Reqi and he extinguished it.

“Why do you insist on following me around everywhere?” he hissed.

“Because even if you do not care for me, I find myself caring what happens to you and as your older sister, to the best of my abilities, I will defend you,” she said and he looked to her, his scowl softening slightly as he met her eyes.