Chapter 5

Elika woke with a sickening ache in her head, the pain from being hit with the handle of a katana lingering as she slowly made her way into a seated position. She thought back to the night before with anger in her heart, Darkous had gate crashed her birthday celebration with a raiding party. Obviously causing the light-hearted mood to cease, instead of cutting the cake being the end of Elika’s night, she was struck in the head by Darkous. The events after which were hazy at best, the headache that lingered only serving as a reminder of how weak and foolish she had been. The princess had allowed her fear to take over, keep her from fighting with her family. The night before had been the first time she had seen the dark lord in person, the stories of his brutality true and just. She had doubted the stories before last night, believing that they had been moulded and twisted by the people. Now, she would never doubt them again. Never underestimate the wickedness of Darkous, or wha