Ileus: The Dark Prince

Siora felt like retching. Her throat was parched and she wanted to drink water. "Water…" she murmured. 

Moments later a man appeared in her vision with a goblet of water. He helped her up and brought the goblet close to her lips. Siora drank greedily from it. Then she looked at the man and said, "I want to meet your leader." 

The man first gave her a pointed look. "I will convey your message to him," he replied in a cold voice. After settling her back, he left her. She didn't know who all were here in the cave. However, from the little information Seraph gave her, she came to know that Etaya was imprisoned in Vilinski and Aed Ruad was hiding. And if she was correct, he was hiding in this very cave. 

Siora's thoughts went back to Iona. The bitch must be having fun on the throne that belonged to her. She was going to ask Aed Ruad to first kill her. 

After what seemed like eternity, Aed Ruad came. Siora had recovered a lot but some of her skin was still blue and purple at various places. The frost had seeped in her skin and she was cursing Seraph internally for her condition. She was famished and her magic was weak. Her eyes had sunken and her lips had cracked. She looked like the ghost who had possessed her. 

She was propped up on the pillows that someone had provided her and was now facing Aed Ruad. He was watching her keenly but waiting patiently to hear her out. 

Siora read the man in front of her. His black leathery wings were tucked behind him and his eyes were shrunk into yellow slits. The only features that he had inherited from his mother were her skin, her eyes and her pointy ears. Rest the boy looked like his father. She wondered how he stayed with a glamour around him and disguised as a fae in Vilinski. She had used whatever little magic she had to push Seraph down because she had to talk to him. So, Siora started. "Your mother was my husband's ally. My husband, King Edyrm of Galahar, had crafted a scheme to take over Vilinski. He had helped Etayalar with money and manpower for her mission. The time has come that you repay that." 

Aed Ruad tilted his head and crossed his leg at his knee. He stayed silent because he knew that more was coming. 

Siora picked up water from the side table and gulped it down. She sucked in a sharp breath and continued, "A few months back, my husband was dethroned by none other than my youngest son, Rolfe. And that too with the help of Ileus and Anastasia. The two bastards helped his sister, Iona to entice Rolfe and he ended up marrying her. They had held me under spells and thrown me in dungeon to usurp the throne." She looked extremely weary. She could feel Seraph rising in her, but she pushed him down with all her willpower. "Iona is now the queen of Galahar. But I am the rightful queen of Galahar and I have come to ask for your help." She turned her gaze to him. "You have to help me. You must repay your debts!" 

Aed Ruad chuckled. He removed an invisible lint from his white slacks and said, "What if I say no, queen Siora?" He emphasized on the word 'queen'.

Siora's eyes became wide as shock surged through her mind. "Then I would say that you are a traitor." 

Aed Ruad cocked his eyebrow up. "Traitor?" He let out a mirthless laughter. "And where do you stand in that spectrum of traitors? You want to kill your own son and his wife for the throne. Doesn't that make you a traitor of the kingdom?" 

"It is Rolfe and Iona who are the traitors, and not me!" she said sharply. 

"Ah, I see," Aed Ruad nodded. "Do you want to see a mirror before you talk to me like that? Huh?" He placed his legs on the ground in a wide stance. He leaned forward and put his elbows on his thighs. "You have no one with you to help me. You are alone in your quest. Yet you are talking to me that I have to pay your debts? You had a deal with my mother and not me—understand that very clearly. As for my mother, Etaya, she is rotting in the celestial prison of the fae kingdom. There is no way she can ever come out and the last I heard was that her magic had dwindled. She is now just an immortal who is going to live forever. The king and queen have made it sure that they won't kill her, but yes they torture her, and they torture her badly." His eyes narrowed. There was something in her that made him suspicious about her when his men had carried her inside. And he wanted to see that. 

Siora was shocked at his words. She could feel Seraph stirring inside her. She tried to push him down again but he resisted and emerged. "Aed Ruad," he called his son. 

And Aed Ruad's doubts confirmed. His eyes became wide. "Father?"

Seraph nodded. "She wasn't letting me talk to you…" he said in a disembodied voice. 

Shock was an understatement. Aed Ruad was stunned. His father had possessed Siora and had found a way to come to him, to communicate to him. He chuckled. "At least she is of some use." He got up and held Siora's hand, but he asked his father in her, "How are you?" He knew that his mother had brought his body to Vilinski and Iona had destroyed it. 

"Betrayal is bitter," Seraph replied. "Etaya—" he looked at his son. "Your mother betrayed me. I wanted to go to the Land of Gaira, but I want to do one last thing—I want to take my revenge from Etaya." 

"But father she is—"

Seraph cut him off. "I know she is imprisoned in the celestial prison. There has to be a way for me to reach her. Can you help me, son?" 

Aed Ruad could feel his father's anguish. When he had gone to Zor'gan, his father's older brother, Kar'dan had refused to give him shelter. He had not even allowed him to enter his lands. Kar'dan had said that his mother had used him and his money but only for her ambitions. She had used his younger brother, Seraph for her purposes. When he had come to know that she had stolen his brother's body from the vaults below, he wanted to confront her, but then she was already captured by Anastasia by then. Now, he has had enough. He didn't want to have anything to do with Etaya or her children. 

And that was the last time he saw Kar'dan. His mother had left a huge trail of crimes… too huge for him to bear… 

--- 

Ileus had returned to his palace along with Anastasia. He was in a terrible mood and that night he just pulled his wife close to him and said, "How's my baby?" 

Anastasia giggled. "I am fine." 

He kissed on her nape and said, "I am asking about my baby who is in you."