Chapter 97
Again, she opened her eyes to the ceiling of her bedroom in the castle, yet this time she knew things were different. The pain that had been pulling her under had vanished and faded, but in its place was a strange emptiness and guilt.
Her throat was dry, her lips chapped, but she called out.
“Nicole?”
A pressure tightened around her hand and Nicole leaned into view before she could sit up to look at the woman. Her eyes were tired and harried. The scent of blood still hung in the air.
“Nicole… my…” she coughed and Nicole turned, returning with a glass of water for her. She lifted her gently to sip from the glass.
She forced herself to sit up fully, carefully, a hand pressed to her stomach. She knew something had happened. Something grave and horrifying. Something terrible had happened to her.
Burning red eyes looked at her from the back of her mind and her stomach churned in terror.
“You need rest–”
“My son…”
Nicole flinched and said nothing for a long time. Daphne turned her head slowly, her eyes burning gold and flickering as tears spilled over the edges of her eyes.
“My son, Nicole…”
Nicole shook her head, kneeling, “I… I could not save you both. The shock was too great...”
Her eyes darted side to side quickly, likely trying to find some flicker of a lie in her face, but Nicole had no reason to lie to her. Daphne’s breath quickened into soft, quick heaving breaths. They grew faster and heavier, labored and trembling with something like laughter.
The sound of it made Nicole grow tense. Each jolt of laughter sent a shock of energy through the air, brimming with fury and twisting with grief through the room. Nicole called a circle of protection around the bed, containing Daphne’s power as the truth settled in.
“Death.”
Nicole frowned, listening to the quality of her voice.
“They… hate us so much to ambush us…”
“Your Majesty–”
“To kill my son for simply being part vampire!”
Nicole swallowed, “I do not think the werewolf king–”
Daphne threw off the blankets, surging to her feet, her eyes blazing, “Call the nobles to meet!”
Nicole chased after her, “Your Majesty if you would just–”
“I don’t care!” She shrieked, turning on her, her shoulders heaving as light rippled through the room. “They killed my son. They attacked us! They threatened us when we only meant peace.”
Nicole swallowed, meeting her gaze.
“They sought war, so we will give it to them,” she growled and turned. The door slammed open with a wave of her power and Nicole rushed to cut her off.
“You are not strong enough to be using magic like this,” Nicole said. “You will exhaust yourself and fall into another coma if you keep up like this. You must calm down.”
Daphne seethed, glaring at her, “Do you stand with me, General Steward?”
Nicole lifted her head, “Always, Your Majesty.”
“Then call them to meet.”
Nicole let out a frustrated breath but nodded and led her down towards the noble’s parlor. She ordered the servants nearby to call them to the parlor. She got Daphne seated and a bit of food, coaxing her to eat as the rest of the nobles and generals gathered.
“Your Majesty!” One of the generals cried in relief, “Thank the moon you’re–”
Daphne looked at the woman sharply. The woman flinched, glancing at Nicole briefly before sinking into her seat quietly. Nicole glanced at the woman out of the corner of her eye as John, the duchess, and the rest of the noble’s council arrived.
“How many dead?” Daphne asked through a clenched jaw.
“No one died, Your Majesty,” a general answered. “All of our forces who were injured in the ambush have been recovered.”
“And what of the werewolves?” Daphne pressed, “Any of them survived?”
“We… aren’t sure. We escaped the scene at General Steward’s order before things got much worse.”
John frowned looking at her. There was something different. Her eyes were fierce and furious.
Daphne’s eyes narrowed, “I’m sure many of you will be happy to know that I have lost my child during that ambush.”
He flinched, a little swell of hope and relief went through him, though he tried to keep it hidden.
“The werewolf king has betrayed us in word and deed,” Daphne said. “We sought peace before, but we won’t any longer. Gather your forces before the next full moon and prepare to march on the werewolf kingdom. I expect as much information about their forces as you’ve got by the end of the day.”
Nicole closed her eyes with frustration.
“From what I’ve been told, the last war was lost due to a fumble at the end,” Daphne looked across them. “I intend to destroy them all, but I will take the werewolf king’s head.”
Daphne felt a twinge of pain, but it was negligible as she stood.
“I’m returning to my quarter to chance. General Steward, I am putting you in charge of my magical and martial training.”
“As you wish, Your Majesty.”
She swept from the room in a furious stalk and Nicole took a deep breath. The other generals on her side hurried out of the room to obey her bidding, leaving Nicole alone with John, the duchess, and the rest of their faction.
“Such an abrupt change of heart…” the duchess said. “It seems as though –”
“Duchess, Whitcomb… and the rest of your ilk,” Nicole said through a clenched jaw. She turned on them, glaring at each of them. “If you do not wish me to kill you sooner, shut your mouths.”
The duchess paled and her eyes widened, “Such hostility… For what?”
Nicole hissed, baring her fangs, “Do not play innocent. This mess is your doing, I know it.”
“Why would I orchestrate an attack that might endanger Her Majesty?” John asked, “I am–”
“Silence!” Nicole growled, “Her escort was among that group of turned werewolves… A favorite tactic of the duchess and her headless husband. You and your militia should watch yourselves.”
She stood, “If I do not manage to kill you swiftly, I can only imagine that King Arthur will relish tearing you apart and desecrating your corpses for the loss of his unborn child.”
She left the room as they all seemed unnerved by her words. When she found Daphne, she was in her room, slipping into boots with a fierce expression. She was too furious to listen now. With her announcement made, the rest of the generals would be hard to stop.
The resentments from the war ran deeper than most wanted to admit. She went to Daphne’s side and kneeled as she fumbled with lacing her boots with clumsy and shaking fingers. She was too weak, running only on her fury.
Nicole caught her hands and pushed her hands away to take over lacing her boots. She adjusted Daphne’s foot on the ground.
“Your first lesson is this, Your Majesty: never tie your boots without your feet flat on the ground. It won’t allow you to get a good knot to stabilize and support your ankles.”
Daphne looked down at her and watched her tug the knots tightly and lace them, explaining the importance of a properly tied boot for combat. She tied her boots carefully.
“You will need proper armor. It is customary that the members of the royal family have armor made with symbols of their names, but there is not enough time to have yours created… Would you be opposed to wearing your mother’s?”
“My mother’s?”
She nodded and looked at Daphne, “Princess Rose never stepped foot on a battlefield and when she left the castle, she did not take it with her.”
Daphne nodded, “No, I’m not opposed.”
Nicole nodded and stood, drawing her to her feet, “You need to eat more. I can prepare a restorative to help you regain your strength a bit faster, but a few weeks is not enough time to make you a master of war.”
Daphne shook her head, “I don’t need to be… I have you.”
Nicole smiled, “While I am glad for your confidence in my abilities, I will at least teach you how to defend yourself with and without your magic.”
Daphne nodded, “You will help me avenge my child, won’t you?”
Nicole nodded, “I will… and your friends.”
“Friends?”
“The young woman,” Nicole said. “The one that the werewolf king killed before she could kill you was a great friend of yours, but she was not herself on the battlefield.”
Daphne frowned briefly and turned sharply, “I will eat, then we’ll start.”
Nicole placed a hand on her shoulder, “You have started us down this path out of fury, a wave of anger I know you cannot assuage without blood. Thus, I will not advise you to reconsider yet. I only advise that you not let it consume you.”
Daphne didn’t want to listen to her, but something in her was screaming that she had to at least consider. She nodded stiffly and went to her parlor to eat the food that had been brought.
