Bleeding Heart

So she decided to pay a visit to Carendlus. She knew that the Court Sorcerer there knew a vast knowledge of magic. He had, after all, been the one to tell her of her locked powers years ago. Perhaps there she could find out more about these Grimshades.

All she wanted at this moment was to avenge her lover. So, she went and found the steed Arrion had gotten her years ago, a griffin, and had it turn towards the kingdom of Carendlus.

It did not take her long to arrive and as soon as she did, she immediately went and found King Jayesh and asked him tersely to bring his Court Sorcerer here. Kaldrek was someone whose opinions mattered a lot to her as he had been the one who had told her of her sun powers.

After doing so she realized that there was another woman in the room. She was a black haired beauty with sweet blue eyes. She figured it was his queen that Arrion had chatted her up about, and feeling just a trifle guilty that she had not come to their wedding she offered her late congratulations.

Jayesh smiled broadly, "Thank you, Fayre is my entire world." He went quiet a minute and then looked at his wife and said softly to her, "Fayre, this is King Arrion"s wife, Dawn."

Hearing her dead husband"s name was like a twisting knife in her heart. She had to take a deep breath to calm herself down a little.

As she did so, she heard the other queen speaking about her husband, making her feel even worse, "King Arrion? Is he the tall, black haired man who seemed to joke a lot but somehow everyone still respected him? The one with the odd-"

"Kaleidoscope eyes…" Dawn finished, "That just about describes him, yes." She had always loved his eyes, something she had known and admitted for a long time. It had always pleased him to hear that from her, as he starved for anything that she was willing to give him. Thinking of how her husband had been murdered she could not help but speak gently to the queen, "I heard that you were attacked, little queen. I am pleased that you are alright."

"Thank you," Queen Fayre smiled gracefully at her. She seemed like a nice girl. Maybe if Dawn had not been broken years ago, she would have tried to actually be friends with her. But before she could do anything like making friends, she needed to avenge the person who had made her more whole again.

A silence blanketed the room until Kaldrek showed up. A pretty red haired girl followed him. She noted the two looked tired but incredibly happy, happier than she had ever seen the sorcerer before. Even through her despair she felt glad that this man, who she found herself thinking of much like a brother, had found himself someone who made him happy. She had heard of his marriage, though neither her nor her late husband had been able to attend at the time. She had been a bit upset about that.

"Right," Dawn looked at the two men in the room, the women were okay to hear what she had to say, "I am sure you are wondering why I am here."

"Mildly so," Jayesh admitted. "Especially when Arrion is not with you. Where is he, by the way?"

Her eyes went totally blank, "Dead." She felt terrible

"Dead? Arrion? How? He was perfectly healthy last time I saw him, and he was one of the best combatants that I ever saw." Jayesh"s mouth dropped open in shock as he stared at her.

"a.s.sa.s.sins. There were two of them. He was distracted by something I had said to him not long before; I suppose." She paused, taking a struggling breath, it had all been her fault, if she had been kinder to him, if she had only known her own heart better, "And they blinded him, threw acid onto his eyes… I watched as they killed him – as they threw his body off the ramparts."

She shook herself, "It was the same people who attacked your queen. They"ve attacked every one of our allies as well. To varying degrees of success."

She paused, agitated, "I tried to find out everything I could, but it was not much… that is why I came here. Arrion, the idiot, died without my permission and now I have to avenge him. But to do that I need to find those responsible."

She looked up at Kaldrek, "I was hoping your sorcerer would have a way to find out more."

"Well, we have already wrac-" Jayesh had a mildly agitated look about him.

Kaldrek spoke up then, "Actually I did figure something out. Zylvia and I were just doing so." He gestured to the woman behind him, a slight look of pride on his face as she pulled a crystal globe out of the bag hanging from her waist.

"Really?" Jayesh shook his head, "Of course you would turn around and find something after all, huh?"

"Wonderful, then we can start getting back at those villainous little insects." Dawn"s smile was chilling.

The lady by Kaldrek was gazing at her intently so he introduced them, "My love, this is Queen Dawn of Lumna. Dawn, this is my wife Zylvia."

"Ah, I had heard that Calendrus"s Court Sorcerer had been dragged to the altar, but by the looks of it "dragged" was probably an exaggeration." It felt a bit odd to Dawn to talk in a teasing manner, but her grief made her feel funny anyway.

The girl blushed as did Kaldrek, "Yes, well," He laughed softly, "Zylvia and I are both happy to be married. Even if we were practically forced into it."

For that his wife placed her hand on his arm with a smile up at him, "He was not quite dragged to the altar, though I doubt he would have minded all that much if he had been."

Queen Dawn smiled wryly, "Men are idiots are they not?" Watching these two made her really miss her own man. There was a shocked look on the girl"s face.

"Arrion was not an idiot," Kaldrek chided Dawn with a slight frown, making her feel a trifle ashamed of herself. "Sometimes did things no one else understood. But he always had a reason for it, normally a good one."

"I know," The queen said with a sigh, "He was infuriating, childish, sometimes enigmatic," All of which she loved, "but when all was said and done he was usually right. Biggest lax in judgement he ever made had to be marrying someone broken like me. Biggest mistake I ever made…"

"He just died," Jayesh sounded agitated, "Are you really going to drag his name instantly. He was a good man. One of the best I knew."

"I was going to say that I never cherished him like I should." She cleared her throat, "I mean he was the first person who ever gave me warmth."

Jayesh looked at her incredulously, "And, what? It took him dying for you to realize that? Arrion deserved better than that."

Dawn felt terribly sad, "He was the one who insisted I marry him. He knew that I was a closed book but he was still adamant. You can"t always get exactly what you want in life. Enough, though. I think it would be far better to focus on the threat."

Jayesh nodded, "Of course."

Kaldrek finally showed them all that crystal he was holding. It showed a room that had some people in it wearing the same sort of black clothing as those a.s.sa.s.sins.

Queen Dawn nodded, "Alright, I say that the five kingdoms send out a group to deal with them. I would ask you to send some of your arcane users, Varenduil can supply some of their protectors and Amriel can supply knights. Jarenkul can do scouts. Lumna can send some of our priests."

Jayesh agreed without hesitation, "Of course, and I doubt any kingdom will have anything against it."

"I will be going with them," All of the people in the room stared at Dawn, she frowned. "What, they invaded my home. As such I need to teach them a lesson. Preferably b.l.o.o.d.y. It has been a while since I last hunted. Besides, I know Nix"Ryl. Or do you forget that I was born there?"

"Of course. I am sure that the group would be pleased for a native to join them." Jayesh said quietly.

Queen Dawn stood up to leave and then paused, "Thank you for your help today. I know I am not always the most… friendly of people, but I do know that if there is anyone I trust, other than Arrion, to have my back it is you."