The head fell on the floor with a heavy thud. It rolled a few yards away as blood trailed its path. The king got up from his place with a roar and stepped down from the dice. He pushed a guard away in his path who fell on the ground. 

Ileus was too stunned to react other than watching the king who was roaring and cursing. Ara's body tumbled on the ground. Edyrm ran to catch the rolling head, as if in shock. He held it in his hands and when he turned to fix it back on Ara's head, her body had toppled on the ground in front of his feet. Blood flowed out of it like spring. His eyes fixed at the space behind Ara. There was no one. Not even a guard with a sword. How did it happen? His eyes went to the king's daughter who was staring at him with those intense green eyes that reminded of a pine forest. Her hair was tied at the back in multiple braids.. 

The king unsheathed his sword and swirled around as if to challenge the unknown opponent. "Who did it?" he shouted in the silent room. The guard who was supposed to strike Iona, froze midair. He brought his sword down to his side as he gaped at the king who had gone mad with fury. "Who has dared to kill Ara?" the king shouted again at no one in particular. 

Ileus continued to stare in those green eyes until the woman averted her gaze. His lips parted in a shaky breath. He looked at her sword that was still in its sheath. Her hands were still clasped at the back. With her armor and a lithe body, she seemed like a formidable soldier. But from what he had gathered from Rolfe, his sister was nothing but a typical spoiled princess who was only interested in jewelry and dresses and more jewelry. No, she couldn't— 

Suddenly the king lunged towards Arel and his sword struck his neck. 

"Arel!" Rolfe shouted as he watched the head of his most trusted General thudding on the floor. "No. No!" he said. Goose bumps lined his skin. "This— this can't be." His head came to stop in front of him as the rest of his body crashed on the ground, blood oozing out in short spurts. Rolfe picked up Arel's head and tried to put it next to his head. He was so shocked that his hands trembled and the head thudded on the ground again. "Arel…" A lump formed in his throat. There was deathly silence in the room. 

"This is what I am going to do with treasonists," Edyrm said to all those present, his eyes blazing with fury. 

"You are one disgusting bastard!" Iona snapped. "You do not deserve to be the king. The only man who deserves to be the king is Rolfe." 

Rolfe became deathly still. 

Iona continued. "I am your son's mate and I know that by the rules you have to make him the king. Not only that, your plans to take over the Lore were thwarted by a princess when she defeated Etaya. The princess, the heir of the Lore has already beaten your contorted plans, and trust me she will beat you again. She will beat you because you have a lot to lose and you fear losing it. As for Rolfe and me—we just have each other. You stole my happiness once when you colluded with Etaya, but Edyrm!" her voice boomed across the room. "You will not be able to steal what Rolfe and I have, no matter how many people you slay or throw in your dungeons. You will only end up with cold blooded murders in your hands." She spat on his feet. "Your days are numbered." 

The king stared into her golden eyes that were burning with rage. His lips turned up in a half smile. "You have the guts to speak with me like that." He chuckled and pressed Ara's head to his chest. Ara—his mistress. Ara, his love. She had been with him for a long time, did what he asked her to, and remained his loyal for more than five hundred years. Now no more. He was shaking with misery, with fury. And he would take revenge. "Kill her now," he said to the guard, still looking at Iona's golden eyes. 

Ileus pulled at his chains hard, as did Rolfe. Surprisingly, their chains snapped and broke, falling down with a loud clunk. Edyrm's eyes widened at this sudden change in the scene. Ileus yanked a sword out of a soldier's sheath and in a split second attacked the guard who was about to strike Iona. Rolfe whirled to the guards around them as if ready to fight if anyone came in their path. 

"Attack them!" the king shouted and all the demon soldiers took their swords out as some shot their arrows in the air towards them. Edyrm lunged at his throne to create a barrier around him, only to realize that the whole place froze. 

From the shadows behind them, he heard a loud boom of wings beating. He whipped his head to see who was there. A woman with beautiful, massive wings beating hard, with golden hair that flowed till her waist, with violet eyes with silvery speckles, entered the room. Her palms were turned towards the ground and as she glided above the ground, water was attracted towards her hands. It percolated from the floor, lifted to her hands, as if craving to kiss them and swirled around fingers. Streaked with blue and pink lights, the water caressed her. 

"Anastasia!" Rolfe gasped. "How did she—" he stopped speaking and swiveled his head to Iona. 

Iona giggled and rotated her ring in her finger—one that Anastasia gave her as a gift a few nights back. "She asked me to summon her with it when needed."

Did Anastasia know this would happen? How was she able to cut through the king's magic? 

Edyrm lunged at Anastasia as Ileus watched him in horror, but the king couldn't move an inch. The whole room was covered with a sheet of ice and everyone could feel as if they were fixed to the ground. 

"Don't you touch her," Caleb's voice snarled from behind. 

Eydrm turned his head over his shoulder to see Caleb, whose eyes were flickering like obsidian. White beams crackled around his hand. The windows of the throne room flew wide open, letting the gusts of chilly breeze in. Caleb seemed to absorb the chill and direct it in the room. 

Anastasia let out a short laugh. "In case you thought I broke your magic, let me clarify—it was Caleb. He broke your magic. The time you spent talking and thinking that you had everything in control, Caleb used that time to understand your magic and emulate it." As she said that the ice started climbing over the soldiers, over the slayed bodies. 

Edyrm roared with fury, as he pulled out of Caleb's magic and lunged at him. But Caleb threw out his hand towards him to stop him. He didn't stop. This time Rolfe joined him as he threw his hands out and the king was blasted back into his throne. He resisted. 

All of a sudden—

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