To bleed a kingdom, p.1
To Bleed A Kingdom, page 1
Contents
Copyrights
Content Warning
Dedication
Prologue
1. Darius
2. Lena
3. Darius
4. Lena
5. Darius
6. Lena
7. Darius
8. Lena
9. Darius
10. Darius
11. Lena
12. Darius
13. Lena
14. Darius
15. Lena
16. Lena
17. Lena
18. Silas
19. Darius
20. Lena
21. Lena
22. Darius
23. Darius
24. Darius
25. Darius
26. Lena
27. Darius
28. Lena
29. Darius
30. Darius
31. Darius
Epilogue
A note from the Author
About the Author
COPYRIGHTS
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the author and publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.
© 2024 by Ella Dawes. All rights reserved.
Edited By The Girl with the Red Pen
Sensitivity Reader: Ashley Birkenhauer
Cover Design By K.D. Ritchie at Story Wrappers
Special Edition Interior Design & Formatting By Stephany
Wallace @ S.W. Creative Publishing. All Rights Reserved.
A Gilded Roots Publication:
March 26, 2024
CONTENT WARNING
Although To Bleed A Kingdom is humorous, fun, and a bit quirky, it also contains dark and violent elements that may be difficult for some. Triggers contained, but are not limited to, fantasy gore and violence, vulgar language, nonconsensual sex, graphic sex, and PTSD.
DEDICATION
To all the broken souls who have felt themselves shatter one too many times, never forget that once you find the strength to piece yourself back together and choose to embrace all your jagged flaws and imperfections, you'll discover the stronger, more beautiful version of yourself that you were always destined to be.
QUEEN ADELPHIA
All I see is blood. On the walls, the floors, the tables, and the ceiling, splattered and pooling on every available surface. Gagging as that distinctive metallic scent overpowers me, I cup a hand to my mouth and sweep my gaze through all the gore decorating the once grand, crystal room. Limbs severed. Throats slashed. Heads decapitated. Intestines dangling from gutted torsos. Splashes of orange, green, blue, and teal magic streaks across the room as fae and immortals alike defend against humans with…
I don't understand what I'm seeing. It almost appears as if the humans are deflecting their powers with just a thought, but that can't possibly be right. Humans don't have magic. Never once throughout Vanyimar history have the gods blessed their race as they have immortals and fae.
A splash of bright orange hair catches my eye and I flit my gaze to a female, a Water fae, judging by her sharpened ears and the single aquamarine jewel near the outer corner of each eye, backed against a wall. She raises a teal glittering hand and a blast of water shoots from her palm, spearing the throat of an attacking human. But with throat intact and no signs of drowning, the man doesn't miss a step as he raises his sword and slices clean through her neck. Her head tumbles to the floor along with her disconnected body, and the man turns his back on her, advancing on another.
Frozen within the doorway, my heart thunders against my chest as the sounds of the dying blast into me. Their screams, cries, grunts, and moans fuse one with the other to become a single roar reverberating into my ears. My eyes dart from one horrifying sight to the next until I spot the lone dead man sprawled at my feet. Inappropriately, I wonder how I was able to open the door, considering his location before I glance at his face and notice something strange.
At first I assume he is human, for no immortal has ever been killed by a human, but when I look near his open-eyed gaze, I notice he doesn’t lack the jewels of a human, but neither does he have the sharpened ears or the jeweled markings of a fae. He has a sapphire and starlight jewel near the outer corner of each eye. Sucking in a gasp, I realize he's not a man, but a male. More precisely, an immortal!
Breaths punching from my chest, my horror intensifies as I scrutinize all the dead littering the throne room floor. They’re all immortal and fae, not a single human amongst them. How can this be? It's not possible!
As much as I don't want to say it aloud, even to myself, we immortals and fae are superior. We're stronger, faster. We heal within moments and wield immense powers. To humans, we’re indestructible. Even their most highly trained men can't compete with our males.
Attempting to grasp the magnitude of this situation, my eyes pass over all the fae and immortals defending themselves with swords, daggers, and their Gifts, desperately fighting for their lives, but felled within moments. My gaze eventually lands on the Captain of our Guards, Atlas, our most skilled and feared warrior, locked in battle with a human. Their swords are crossed, and I hear the hiss of steel on steel as each one attempts to gain ground against the other.
Both gritting their teeth and holding their stance, their twining swords appear to be held at an impasse until the human's sword begins to slowly inch in Atlas's direction. The time seems endless, but no more than a moment passes until the human suddenly thrusts forward, his blade vanishing into Atlas' chest, only to reappear in a spray of crimson through his back. Atlas cries out and falls to one knee. Faster than I can blink, but before his dying body drops to the floor, the human cuts off that cry with a gurgle, slashing Atlas’ throat from ear to ear.
Tears streaming down my cheeks, body trembling, my shock fades as I desperately search for my male. Eyes darting from one end of the room to the next, my shaking becomes more violent the longer I search with no sign of his presence… until I spy a shock of platinum blonde hair in a sea of scarlet. I brace myself against the doorframe, my knees nearly giving out in relief at the sight of him alive. But then I look at him. Really see him as I ignore all the death and misery surrounding me to focus all my attention on him.
My heart stutters to a halt.
My husband, King Valor of Cascadonia is kneeling before his throne – a place where no king is ever intended to kneel – with one human on each side restraining his arms behind his back. His platinum blonde hair is disheveled and soaked, blood flowing through his immortal markings to drip down into his piercing green eyes. With a start, I realize the human he kneels before is none other than the human King of Brecca, King Rainier himself. Rainer says something to him that I’m unable to make out at this distance. Then he tosses his head back, roaring in laughter, before he raises his sword above Valor's head.
This isn’t real. This isn't happening.
Valor can’t die. He just can't! It's not meant to be this way. We're supposed to rule this kingdom together. To have long, fulfilling lives with a home full of children. Loving them and watching them grow until they marry and have their own babes. We're meant to fight, to play, to love, to cherish one another for hundreds of years at least, but we've barely had a decade together and I can already feel Fate's cruel fingers ripping it all from my grasp. All my hopes, my dreams, my future, disintegrating as if they are no more consequential than sand scattered in the wind.
No!
I shake my head, denying the truth. This is not the end; this is not my fate. Any moment now, Valor will disarm his human attackers and burn the traitorous bastards to ash. But as I watch him struggle to dislodge his captors and see the frustrated snarl on his face, I know that my dreams won't be coming true.
That uncanny sense Valor has whenever I enter a room has his head turning in my direction. Meeting his gaze, my mind flips from one scenario to the next as I imagine all the ways I can save him, but my sobs strengthen and a black hole of despair consumes me when I realize I can't save him. That I won't.
He smiles that smile that always manages to melt my heart, and nods his head in understanding. If our situations were reversed, he'd do no differently. Not because we don’t love each other, and not because we aren’t willing to die for the other, but because of the two beings we love more.
The battle falls to the wayside as I drown in his beautiful green eyes. So full of life and love. Until blood bubbles between his lips from the sword speared through his throat. His eyes widen momentarily, then just as quickly, glaze over in lifelessness.
I bolt, racing out the door and into the hall.
Don’t think. Don't feel. Don’t think. Don’t feel. Don't think. Don't feel.
Rounding a corner, my heeled shoes wobble beneath my feet and I slam into a wall. Slowing, but not stopping, I remove one unstable shoe along with the other before pushing harder, using all my immortal strength to pump my legs as fast as possible.
A scream suddenly pierces the air, echoing throughout the palace, and my terror reignites at the realization that the battle is no longer contained to the throne room.
Don’t think. Don’t feel. Don’t think. Don’t feel. Don't think. Don't feel.
My chest heaves, my heartbeat is erratic, and I just watched the love of my life slayed in front o
I pass rooms burning with fire and filled with smoke. Another completely flooded. A screaming human attached to a wall, held captive by a carnivorous plant eating him alive. A fae shapeshifted into a wolf is staked to the floor, partially skinned and burned. Too many dead. Some human, but mostly immortal and fae. Immortals, human, fae. All screaming, crying, fighting, and dying, but I don't pause for any of them. No matter what I see, no matter what I hear, I don't stop. Not even when I round the last corner to my destination and see a human man fucking a fae female’s bloody corpse.
Door within sight, my feet skid across the wooden floor and I ram my shoulder into the frame, pushing the door open and shut all in a single motion.
The snick of the lock is deafening. My gasping breaths are abrasive to the ears in a room that should be filled with squeals and giggles yet is completely silent. No longer able to keep my terror at bay, I squeeze my eyes shut and press my forehead to the back of the door, praying that the gods haven't completely forsaken me.
Please be safe. Please be safe. Please be safe.
“Mama?”
A choked cry rips from my lungs. Slapping my palms to my face, I hurriedly swipe away the tears streaming down my cheeks and turn to face my sweet baby boy.
Green eyes stare questioningly back into mine from where he sits on the floor playing with wooden blocks. I see my mother in him with his soft heart, as well as how his power manifested identically to hers with his sapphire and starlight jewels. But when I look at his platinum blonde hair and bright green eyes, my heart constricts painfully with how much he looks like his father.
Attempting to control my breathing, I look to the crib where my two-month-old daughter, Aurora, is sound asleep.
They haven't made it here. Not yet.
“Mama?”
With a watery smile, I kneel down next to him. “Theon, where's Cinna?”
He points to the door. “Left.”
“She left?”
He nods.
I sit back on my heels, my mind roaming back to the corpse I saw being defiled in the hallway. With the panic lessening now that I've reached them, I can place a name to the ravaged face. Cinna. The children's wet nurse. She must have gone to see what all the noise was about.
Get to the Palace Keep.
Knowing we have only a few minutes at best, I compartmentalize my grief of another senseless death and stand. Retrieving a dagger from my thigh holster, the very same dagger Valor forbade me from leaving our chambers without, regardless of how much I argued against it, I stab my skirt above the knees, slashing all the way around until I have a large piece of fabric. Slipping the knife back into its holster, I wrap my chest several times with the cloth and place the still sleeping Aurora into the makeshift sling.
Patting Aurora's bum, I force a smile and grab Theon’s hand, tugging him to his feet. “We're going to play a little game today.”
His green eyes light up. “Game?”
“Yes.” I nod, pulling him behind me. “We're going to play hide and seek.”
“Daddy play?” he asks, his expression brightening.
My smile falters. “No, sweetie. Just you, me, and Aurora.”
“Where's Daddy?”
He's dead.
“He'll be along shortly,” I lie, careful to keep my smile in place.
We stop before the door connected to mine and Valor’s chambers and I place my ear against the wood, listening for any sounds. Hearing nothing, I unlock the door and peer down at Theon.
“We're going to play it a bit differently today. We have to move very fast and very quietly.” I swallow nervously before continuing. “You may see some frightening things out there, but you can’t make a sound. No matter what.”
His excitement dims and he nods in confusion, but says nothing more.
Tightening my grip on his hand, I inhale a fortifying breath and swing the door open.
Not a soul in sight.
Releasing that pent-up breath, I give Theon a reassuring squeeze and walk through the door, moving as quickly as his little legs can manage. Staring straight ahead, I ignore everything, shoving away each memory called forth as I pass through the adjoining rooms.
The dining area where Valor blew raspberries on Aurora’s belly while we had breakfast this very morning. Valor's office, where he would pretend not to notice the giggling Theon hiding beneath his desk. The receiving room where we snuggled up every night as a family while Valor recounted tales of gods, dragons, and legendary immortals’ mighty quests.
Ignoring it all, my eyes remain fixed on the door to my bedchambers, the door that will lead us to the secret passageway that leads to the Palace Keep. The door that will be our salvation. Hope rekindles as I step before that solid slab of oak. As I reach for the bronze handle, my fingers barely graze the cool metal before it swings open from the inside, revealing a man on the other side.
We both freeze, staring wide eyed at one another. Me in terror, him in shock that quickly shifts to excitement.
A slow smile spreads across his face and he cups his hands around his mouth, calling out, “I found them!” Gleeful eyes then drop to Theon and the man unsheathes his sword.
Horror like I've never known consumes me and I lurch towards Theon, curling my body over his and Aurora’s as the man thrusts his blade. A sharp, fiery pain suddenly pierces my side and I scream, Theon and Aurora’s cries an echo of my own.
“Shit.” He rips the blade free, and I scream again as he snatches me up by the wrist, snapping the bone with a crack as he tears me away from Theon.
“Fuck!” he barks, his wide eyes staring at my limp hand. “We weren’t supposed to hurt you. Only the heirs.”
At the mention of my children, my cries cut off and I bury my pain and panic as I summon my most dominant Gift. Palms shimmering a glittering teal, a stream of water streaks towards the man and invades his open mouth.
Considering how many times I witnessed the humans deflect magic tonight, one would assume it’d be no surprise when nothing happens. But I'm stunned that when I expect him to drown, he laughs instead, thoroughly unaffected.
“That won't work on me,” he sneers.
Rage and desperation fuel my determination to live and save my children at all costs. My power burns brighter, near blinding as I release a wave of water that swiftly surrounds him. Cycling faster and faster, the water cocoons his entire body in a speeding cyclone.
He laughs and stares at the cyclone in awe, mesmerized at the sight of the water recoiling from his skin when he slices a hand through it. “That won't work, either.”
“But this will.” Quickly unsheathing my dagger, I lunge forward and stab him in the eye.
“Aaaah!” He tugs the dagger free with a wet slurp, the blade tumbling from his grasp and clattering to the floor. He then slaps his hand to his now knifeless eye, blood gushing between his fingers as he drops to his knees and falls face first to the floor, dead before his face even touches the wood.
Knowing that our location has been compromised, I grab a sobbing Theon and carry him under my arm, running towards the door. Kicking the dead human aside, I rush into mine and Valor’s bedchamber, slam the door shut, lock it, and bolt across the room to the wall beside my bed. Placing Theon on his feet, I flatten my uninjured hand on the wall, searching for the groove that unlatches the hidden door. The sound of excited shouts and multiple sets of boots begin pounding in our direction. Theon sobs harder, Aurora joining him.
Panic crawls up the back of my throat as I swipe my hand back and forth with no sign of the latch.
Where is it?!
Theon screams and I jolt at the first strike against the door, a cold sweat beading across my brow as I move my hands faster and faster until … finally! Fingertips curving beneath the groove, I unlatch the door to the hidden passageway and shove Theon through.
As I take my first step to enter the passageway, the door to my bedchamber begins to splinter. I pause, my foot hovering above the threshold as I peer down at my son.
They know I'm here, but they don't know they are. Even if they heard their cries, I could say they were my own. If they come in here and can't find me, they'll search and find the hidden door.
A fierceness only a mother can feel engulfs me as I look down at my terrified son. Staring into the exact replica of his father's dark green eyes overflowing with tears, I realize I can't go with him. They might not discover the passageway. They may even give up their search eventually. But I'm not willing to take the risk.
