Chapter 3

(Zephar's pov)

The prince's gaze shifted to me, he removed the magic covering my sight and pulled me to my feet. The fear in my eyes, he watched me clutch on my dress and gently pat my hair.

“Prepare for the ceremony,” he told me.

“But he just said he'll kill you before you get to attend,” I reminded him.

“Have you forgotten who I am because I let him slash my robe? I said prepare!!”

I took his dress and placed it on the bed. The prince sat down and watched me rub the perfume sack on his clothes. The fragrance lingered in his room allowing us to breathe in his definition of peace and quiet. He stood up and stopped inches from me so I could smell the lavender rising from his skin.

I reached for his collar, my fingers brushed the sides as I pulled it over to straighten it up and he stood there and let me work. I fastened his trousers and laced his boots. My very motion was precise, practiced. He sat down and I tied his hair to his style before helping him with his earrings. He stood up and let his royal blue dress cover his feet as he looked at me standing behind him with my head down. He turned me to back him, he used his hair tie to style my hair beautifully and made me look at him.

“I don't want to look for you at the party, stand by my side and do not speak to anyone,”

“My prince, can I ask you something?”

“What is it?”

“Why does the king suddenly want you to attend a royal party?” Zephar stuttered.

“Because he wants me dead….. now, let's go.”

I obediently walked behind him, he sealed his room with his magic and we left. The carriage was already waiting for us, I brought out the stepper and he climbed and sat inside the carriage. I sat with the rider and we moved to the ceremony ground, I paid and walked behind him.

The ceremony was held in the Grand Petrium hall, where silk curtains of different colors in the kingdom hung from the ceiling to the floor. Thousands of candles placed everywhere in their color. It casted lights across the hall, shifting reflections on the faces of nobles, cultivators and everyone inside the Grand Petrium.

Prince Darius marched to his seat like a blade wrapped in shadow, everyone stepped aside as they saw us. We reached the royal dais and he sat on the sixth chair arranged for the princes, I stood at his back. The ceremony already started without him.

The king sat on a throne of carved obsidian, his face hidden behind a veil of red silk. Beside him, his concubines sat rigid and pale. I looked at the ninth prince in his dress, seated with his lover and he gave me a nod. Then my eyes met with Vaughn Leoric’s.

He was still as usual, his hands resting on his knees. He drifted his gaze to the dark row and smiled. Something was wrong.

"Stop staring," Prince Darius said to me without turning around.

“The woman in a gray robe, standing at the edge of the western corridor…. she has been watching you since we got in,” I informed him.

“Stop staring,” he commanded me.

“She's gone, she's gone–

He didn't let me finish, he sealed my lips and faced the king. Everyone was waiting for his speech. He stood up with his wine and raised it to the crowd, then the musicians stopped playing, everywhere became silent.

“Who stays in the dark forever? I have personally told the sixth prince, my son, prince Darius Crowe to come back to duties and here he is…… he has to be here for the royal veils ceremony. The veils that have been protecting us, the people of Ravenwyck for centuries, raise your toast to our maker.” The king said.

Everyone stood up, prince Darius sat still and held his blade, everyone minded their own and didn't dare question him to stand. He turned a little to check if I was okay. They sat down and continued in the flattery. Then the first prince stood up and gave his heartfelt gratitude.

“And lastly, I raise this toast to my brothers and sisters, especially the sixth prince, Darius Crowe for honoring this invitation and not throwing a fit like before.” 

There were murmurs between the nobles, Prince Darius didn't say a word, he maintained his cool and kept looking at the first prince without blinking. I saw prince Marcus hand shake, prince Darius had broken that wrist in their fight. Prince Darius' sword fell to the floor and everywhere went silent, all eyes on him.

I bent down and picked it up and handed it to him, he took his drink and poured the contents down his throat and left, with me behind him. We got to the high corridor and he stopped.

“Why do you keep talking?”

“There she is again,” I pointed at the eastern corridor.

“I didn't remove the seal for you to say anything.” 

The musicians started playing again, the nobles' laughter was everywhere. We walked through the dark row of the hall just where his magic can penetrate the lady in gray. He caught sight of her and used his spells to make a shadow blade and thrust it into her chest. 

She fell and disappeared.

“A puppet soul?” I exclaimed.

“Can you just shut up!!!” he screamed into my head.

He was about guiding his sword into its sack then a scream cut us off, it came from the Grand Petrium hall. Loud and sharp. He lifted his sword in one motion and grabbed my wrist and pulled me back through the corridor, towards the hall entrance.

The candles still floated but the music had stopped and the laughter had died. Every face was turned toward the royal dais, where the first prince had slumped sideways in his seat.

"The first prince, Marcus Sylas has been poisoned!" someone shouted.

Chaos erupted.

Everyone with powers activated theirs, Stone bearers activated their powers, flames flickered from palms, ice crackled across fingers, shadows twisted like living things. Servants present ran in every direction, knocking over candles and cups.

"Seal the exits!" The fourth prince, stepping forward with his hand raised. "No one leaves until we find the person behind this!"

His eyes swept the crowd and then they stopped on prince Darius, on the blood on his sleeve that no one had noticed.

"The sixth prince," he called him out loudly, enough for everyone to hear. "You're covered in blood just now that our first brother is poisoned."

All the arrows in the hall pointed at him.