"They had wanted to behead me for a crime they had committed. I never proclaimed that I was a sorceress, they had concluded that on their own and took me from my home, from my mother. I had spent my childhood in the sorcerers chambers, reading and learning about the royal family. I assisted my father with the training session Noelle engaged in every morning in a bid to hold the monster in check. Sometimes, he arrived earlier than my father and I had to put him through and sometimes my father would not make it because he was old and sick. I was just twelve yet I did all that work alone. When I reached puberty and my powers had not surfaced, they said I was a late bloomer and would therefore be a powerful sorcerer. Everyday, I prayed for those abilities, I had learnt to love my work and I would even tell my father to take rest whenever magical abilities were not needed. I conducted the researches and gave my father feedback but one day, after five years of waiting and serving them endlessly, my brother who was only ten then, had showed magical abilities and I was doomed. It is very rare to have two sorcerers in a family so it was confirmed I was an ungifted and had therefore lied to the king, a crime punishable by death. The story I told you is the reason I am alive today. My father had gone to beg for my life and king Lewis had presented him with a choice."
"Clear everything you found out about the monster and write as I instruct you. If I have your word that no soul would hear anything other than this which you are about to document, I will pardon your daughter and send her on an exile."
" To my father, exile is much better than watching his daughter decapitated so he accepted the offer and wrote down that which I had narrated to you because it was the last thing I had promised him. He had specifically gave me my own copy so I stay consistent in order to avoid raising suspicions."
Aveedah listened with rapt attention. This was much more than she had thought it would be.
"Noelle had always been his father's favourite because he had thought he was a legend. His monstrous side did not show till he was about two hundred years, fifteen years after his father's death. King Lewis had only gotten the throne after his father had made sure the next in line would be his Noelle. This he had done by castrating him. When Noelle killed the prime minister and the maid, rumours began to travel around that he is a monster and it almost caused a revolt forcing him to be isolated. King Lewis had ordered my father to either tame the monster or find a way to kill it for it was the only way to ensure the safety of the people. My father had found both but had focused on taming the monster in which he had succeeded. The ignorant court were pressuring king lewis to bear a child since he was way past two hundred so in order to distract them, he allowed Noelle to begin mingling with people but that was a mistake on his part. Noelle was wiser, friendlier and more charming than he was and sooner than expected, nobody remembered him being a monster anymore. The women drooled over him and the men admired him, he was soft spoken, Intelligent and humble. His words began to hold more importance than that of the king and his opinions were sought all the time and nobody bothered king Lewis to bear a child anymore. His wife had died and he had not remarried not that he could have anyway." She paused to take a breath and Aveedah allowed her. She was also beginning to see the motive behind faking the documentary. It was quite obvious but she refused to conclude waiting to hear it from her.
"I believe he had always been envious of his brother but when he got the throne and his brother became a monster on a rampage he thought he had won. Suddenly, the people he fought to please were now wagging their tail at his brother, wherever he went, song of praises of his brother was all he heard. His greatest nightmare was about to happen and he could do nothing but watch since he had no means of bearing an heir which would have stopped his brother from getting the throne."
My father had said something before we had departed.
"Irina, I want you to survive, survive so you would watch the day they kill each other for that throne. You would do nothing my dear, except say that which I had instructed you to consistently." She stopped to look at Aveedah and she was a bit puzzled to see her smiling, her smile may have been contagious because she found herself doing the same. She nodded at her and she understood that she wanted her to finish up, she wanted to hear the story from the horse's mouth.
She continued, this time confidently.
"I pondered on these words and I realized something. King Lewis had always been envious of his brother. He had taken everything he ever wanted or had simply destroyed it. Their mother had died giving birth to him, he had their father at his disposal since he was born. Lewis was neglected and had grown bitter, then the throne, his rightful possession, was almost snatched from him had he not agreed to be castrated. He thought it would be over when Noelle was proved to be a monster instead of a legend as their father had thought but he bounced right back and was about to snatch what belonged to him again. Lewis had always said, if you can not control the monster we will have to kill it. Then, it had not sounded unusual but now, I feel like he was hoping he would be in a situation where he would have to kill it. He would always frequent the sorcerers chambers, have a chat about the monster, ask numerous questions and had read intensively about it so he knew it was not the blood but the heart of a monster that made one immortal if he does not die after consuming it that is and he knew very well the monster's genes are not passed on. I believe he wants Noelle to regain back his monster title in everyone's eyes and what better way than to murder innocent girls. The people will have enough of him and will beg him to kill the monster for them. He will become a hero in their eyes and his brother a Villain. So I am allowing them to do so just like my father had instructed and if he is unlucky he would be the one to die first."
"Does he have a way to kill the monster?"
"He is immortal." Aveedah said unable to understand that part.
" I suppose he does." Velaine replied.
"When did you return your highness?" Irina asked what was on Aveedah's mind.
"When I was sure the threatening and begging was over." He replied nonchalantly.
"Is there a way to kill an immortal?" Aveedah asked.
"Yes there is but the snake that is used is difficult to come by and is even rumoured to have gone extinct." Irina replied, looking at Velaine.
"So you are saying he had somehow found the snake?" Aveedah asked.
"There was a time the snake was not so rare, I believe he had acquired the venom then." He answered, his fist clenched.
"We have to hurry." He suddenly said widening his eyes.
"Why?"
"What is wrong?" Aveedah asked unable to understand his sudden state of hysteria.
"Noelle had only survived till now because Lewis knows not how to use the venom. He would give the venom to the girls to poison Noelle but the monster would detect it and try to save itself and would end up killing the girls but Kebarah is there or would be there soon and he knows very well how to camouflage it so it will be undetected by the monster. If we do not hurry and they strike a deal, Noelle will lose his life and we will lose the alliance." He explained, tapping his foot impatiently
"Then let us be on our way." She ordered.
She had never seen Velaine so worried, he always had things under control. He had rushed to his horse even before she had replied and was racing as if he was out of his mind.
This is more than he was letting on. Velaine is not someone to worry about another person's life and losing the alliance would not make him this perturbed.
There was more to this and she would definitely find out what it is.