Ileus: The Dark Prince

A week later. 

According to what was planned, Aed Ruad was sedated despite his protests and sealed in the coffer. Ileus already knew the magic of the cerulean shimmering lights that he had learnt when he had gone to the kingdom of Zmjia to find Iona and instead, returned with Guarhaal in the casket. 

The servants had brought the casket up in the main hall of the east wing an hour before dawn. Haldir, Guarhaal and Anastasia were waiting there along with Ileus. Even though Ileus had asked his wife not to be present there because her reaction was something he winced at, she came. She had said that she wanted to see Aed Ruad leaving this place for good, so that her mind would be soothed forever. The servants placed the coffer on a raised dais. 

Ileus held Anastasia's hand and squeezed it. "Are you sure you want to see this?" 

She nodded with determination. "I don't want to miss it." 

Ileus kissed his wife's hand to ease her discomfort, which he could sense and then he turned to see the casket in which Aed Ryad lay. 

He closed his eyes to remember the spell, and a few seconds later bright lights appeared around his hands. He flung them to the casket. They curled around the coffer, pulsed a bright azure and then merged to cover the coffer entirely. 

They heard Guarhaal's gasp who was standing a few steps behind. Ileus retracted his magic. He turned and walked to his Mozia. "Don't worry. Those lights can never affect you. I have added my spell in it. But you have to make sure that you drop this casket in the middle of the sea and not to the cliffs which serve as the entrance of the kingdom of Zmjia." 

"Yes, Your Highness," Guarhall curtsied, feeling relieved. 

"You should know that there are sea serpents lurking on the shores at all times. If you think that you can't take it to the center of the sea, just fucking drop it in the shores somewhere and come back." 

"I will," he replied, but he had already decided what to do with the casket. The five Mozias who were going with him would all carry their brooms. He was going to fly over the sea and drop it during the day time and let it sink. None of the serpents stayed near the sea surface during that time. 

"Good," Ileus said and pursed his lips. He glanced at Anastasia from the corner of her eye. She was staring at the casket, her wings rustling, her eyes turning violet. It appeared that she wanted to open the lid, get to the man inside and rip him in shreds. "You can take him now!" he barked an order to Guarhaal. The man bowed once again and hollered his men. 

They four Mozias rushed to the casket, lifted it and marched out with Guarhaal following them closely behind. As soon as they were out, he created a portal and all of them stepped in it. 

Ileus had walked behind Anastasia to hold her shoulders as she watched them leaving. "Shh… my love," he said. "He is gone…" 

When the portal closed, she slumped against his chest and closed her eyes. "Take me to the bed," she said, feeling weak suddenly. He scooped her in his arms and walked to their bedchamber. He set her on the mattress and then slid right beside her. Her breath was ragged when she said, "That was the end of it all? Wasn't it?" 

"It most certainly was," he whispered. 

"He would never come back—right?" 

"No, love. He can never make it back to the land," he said, caressing her cheeks. 

"That's good then," she said in a low, hollow voice. 

After several moments of caressing her, he said, "I have good news for you." 

Her gaze shot to him, desperate to feel happy. "About what, Aly?" 

"About Etaya."

She rolled her eyes and scoffed. "Nothing can be good about that woman. She should also join her son!" 

A smile appeared on his full lips and he said, "Well, do you want to hear it or not?" 

She obviously couldn't say no, so she swatted his chest knowing well that he was teasing her. A laughter rumbled from his chest. "Tell me!" she said impatiently. 

"A messenger had come from Vilinski to relay that Seraph was seen there." 

"What?" Anastasia's eyes became wide. 

He nodded, chuckling softly at her surprise, which was like a cool wave on his skin. "Yes, Seraph's spirit was seen there. The man who took him there was no other than Ráild." 

Anastasia pressed her hand to her mouth. "The same man who wanted to marry Nyles?" 

"Yes. Seraph had possessed him and forced him to go to Vilinski. However, the moment Ráild entered the fae kingdom, he was burnt to ashes by your father's spells. Seraph got out of him on time and he went past the palace all the way to where Etaya was. He slithered into her prison. Your father knew about him. He had sensed his energy. When he visited Etaya the next, he saw Seraph coiled around her leg, and instantly knew that the demon had come to take revenge." 

"Gods!" she said and got up. "He was pissed off by what she did to him. She destroyed his body so that he could never come back to his physical form, because she wanted to rule the fae kingdom as its solo queen." 

Ileus plopped on the pillows and took his hands below his head. "Not alone, my dear, but with the king of Galahar, Edyrm." 

"Fuck!" she rasped. 

He nodded. "Etaya had elaborate plans." 

"So, what is the good news?" she veered them back to the main point. 

"King Ian has left Etaya to be tortured at the hands of her husband's spirit. He won't return for the next eight years because Seraph would be counting and recalling each day of the eight years he spent as a spirit. He will be taking them all out on her." 

Anastasia was dumbstruck. She didn't know why her father made the decision to leave Etaya to Seraph, but she knew that it would heal him mentally, like she needed to heal. In a way she was like her father. Both mother and son would be soon forgotten. After a long moment when the information seeped in her mind, she exhaled heavily, letting her anxieties out. Her lips quivered and then a smile tugged them up—a genuine smile that reached her eyes. "That is indeed wonderful news, Aly," she breathed out. All at once her body became free of tension that had built in her. She lay next to him and placed her head on his chest. "I think I want to sleep, Aly." 

He placed a kiss on the crown of her head. He snapped fingers and the blankets around them moved up to cover them. The room was glowing softly in the receding fire of the hearth. All that could be heard was the crackling of fire and their deep breath. Soon, Anastasia closed her eyes and drifted off into a dreamless sleep. He looked up at the ceiling. A grin formed on his face. Both his sister and his wife were safe now. And that reminded him. He really wanted to see Iona and tell her all about Aed Ruad. How would she react? He looked at his wife and then softly made her slide off his chest. After tucking her in the blanket, he swept his feet off the bed and reached his table. Picking up the quill, he opened a blank parchment and wrote a letter. 

--- 

Two weeks later. 

Ileus and Anastasia had come to visit the kingdom of Galahar to sign a treaty with the Yardraks. Haldir had also accompanied them. To Ileus' surprise, Brantley was also there to receive them. Shocked, Ileus at first stared at him and then as reality hit him, the two men embraced each other in a warm hug. "It's great to see you, Brantley," he said. 

"It is nothing for what you did for me, Ileus," replied Brantley. 

Suddenly Ileus remarked, "You have thick green streaks in your hair! What is wrong with you man?" His blond hair was now interrupted with a few green streaks. It was something out of his control. 

He shrugged. "Mates!" he replied and then winked at him. Then he turned to Anastasia who was watching them with interest. He bowed to her and she curtsied. "It is nice to see you again." 

"The pleasure is mine," she replied. 

Suddenly the hall was filled with a shriek. Iona. She was like a bubble of energy, as she ran towards her brother, her tummy bobbing in the wake. Rolfe grunted, "Can you slow down?" He braced for the impact, but Iona rushed past him and hugged her brother instead. Rolfe's brows furrowed as he stood there as an audience along with the others, feeling left out. 

"Alyyyyyyy!" Iona shouted as her brother hugged her. 

"Don't you shift, okay!" Ileus teased her.