Chapter 4

They gathered at Haegar's hill, every member of the royal house, as well as the high lords and ladies of the realm, in black silk and satin, for the prince's wake. The morning was dull and cloudy, with signs of heavy rain coming. No one wanted rain at this moment, least of all the many who came on horses.

The dead prince's body rested upon a rock stump on the hill, wrapped completely in white linen. The three sisters of the hal dezerek walked around the stump, speaking in the old tongue, whilst everyone stood in silence, gazing upon the lifeless body of the prince.

Irene stood defeated, sobbing quietly in her brother's arms. You could tell she loved prince Veha, though they never married out of love from the beginning, but for alliance between their families. It made Viera wonder if she could ever love lord Ross. Were he to ever change, could she then learn to love him? She thought. Sadly she might never know, for the lord might never change. She wished her father chose a better man.

After the sisters were done, a flame stick was handed to Irene as prince Veha's wife, to carry out the baleron's family tradition of burning the body. She took it with heavy heart, and slowly walked closer to the stump, dropping the stick hesistantly on the corpse. Everyone stood watching as the linen caught up in flames, instantly setting the whole body on fire. Irene broke down in tears, unable to hold back, as she was forced to finally accept the cold truth—her husband was dead.

Viera stared with sympathy for their little daughter, Loyena. A shame the girl would grow up without a father just like Viera did without her mother, but a good thing the girl would not remember this day as Viera did. The girl was just three, but the princess was eight when Queen Vena died. She was made to behold her mother's body burn to ash on this same hill, a sight not worthy for a child, but traditions were traditions and she was forced to be there by her father.

At sixteen, loyena would definently be married off to a high lord, Viera only wished the girl, would not be so unlucky as to be married off to a lord like Ross, for every lady deserved better than being that man's wife.

They buzzed around them like bees, offering the royal house their useless condolences. Lady Grimstone kissed the princess both cheeks, but her lord brother, kissed her hand instead. "My hearted greetings, princess" Ross told and she feigned an uninterested smile.

"Thank you lord Ross, but I believe lady Irene needs it more than I do" she said, and then left him standing with his sister. The lord smiled watching her leave, for though he knew she disliked him, she would still be his wife and he just could not wait.

Noon came shortly, and the hill was left deserted, with lauryn's ashes flowing with the wind. All had left, journeying back to their castles, and the lords of the court sat waiting for the king at the grand chamber. The chamber was gracefully furnished, finely woven red carpet covered the floor, and at every corner hung beautiful tapestries of the first kings battles with dragons and their sworn men.

The king strode in, still in his black tunic. The lords stood from their chairs with their heads down, until the king took his seat on his bronze chair.

"Your highness, we grief with you dearly but we need to know whom your next appointed heir would be" Lord Hermes said seemingly, planning to pitch his sons up for the claim.

"What's there to discuss?" Raides asked surprised but cold. "Odis is my next heir"

"Wouldn't it be time your highness, to consider the princess?" Lord Balor asked. He was the spinning image of his sister, the late queen Vena, young and charming with short brown hair, and a nicely trimmed beard, donning a face that betrayed his age, looking as young as the princess, with an age that doubled hers. The youngest lord of court.

Of course he'll suggest his niece, Raides thought. Balor was close to his daughter, and with Viera as queen, the lord's standing would be even greater. Balor was a dreadful spender, the reason Raides made him the lord of laws and not of the royal treasury.

"A woman to rule the continent" Vaerin shrugged. He had no reason to agree to the princess taking the throne, when his daughter was married to Odis. No man would allow his chances of becoming the queen's father pass his hand and Lord Vaerin was highly ambitious.

"Rather preferable than a tyrant" Balor rolled his eyes.

"True enough, the prince may be a tyrant, but the king has no other male heir" lord trosh quipped, looking at balor who shrugged off his stare. The man was the oldest in court, and the blunt advisor to the king.

Lord Hermes had kept his silence since his first statement, waiting for an opportunity to voice out, and as the chamber went silent, he spoke. "The king does have other male realtives, lady Aera's sons"

"Of course you'll suggest your children lord Hermes" Vaerin simpered and was backed by Lord Coy.

"The king has a surviving brother, why go as far as to pick any of his sister's son" Coy said mockingly, bold with insolence.

Lord Coy was cocky and more posh than half the nobel ladies in the realm. He made no delay changing after the wake, dressing now in a dark blue velvet.

Lord hermes ignored the jibe, he was as gentle as Odis but with a slower temper. "Your highness, permit me to say but Odis is unfit to rule" he said. "The man is violent, too violent no one can deny that"

"He is the king's only choice, I really do not see the need to banter about the issue" Vaerin entwined his fingers with his elbows rested on the table.

The king had enough and yelled for all to be quite, almost raging out his anger. He still mourned his brother, and here they were, ranting on Veha's replacement. "Odis is my next heir, you would speak no more on this matter, all of you."

They all bowed and retained their silence, exchanging nasty stares to each other.

Viera had been standing behind the chamber's door, listening. Yet again her father shoved her aside without consideration, but she wasn't upset. She had not expect otherwise.

She walked through the wide balcony, above the garden, heading for the stairs leading to her bedroom's hallway. Her eyes landed on Irene seated on a bench besides the lilies and marigolds. Compelled to meet the lady, Viera proceeded down to the garden.

How long Irene has been here, she could not say, but she caught her eyes soaked in tears. For once, the late prince wife was dressed simple, in a black mourning gown with no embroidery. Her hair was let loose and she had no jewel on her. There was no other with her, but the birds singing to disguise the complete silence of the place.

Viera stopped at a distance, observing her for a moment.

"Did you come to mock me?" The black haired woman asked?

Viera felt displeased at the question, and walked closer. "I could never, Veha was my uncle"

Irene sniffed out a smile in disbelief, but the princess chose to ignore. "You never cared for my husband, spear me the pretense" she said angry.

"You have no right to accuse me of such" Viera barked Irene in her statement. "I came to lessen your anger with my comfort, but it seems I was foolish to do so" she turned around to leave but was then halted by Irene's words.

"Veha was poisoned" she told, bringing viera to a sudden stop.

"He choked on wine, we all saw that" the princess said confused, looking back at the lady.

Irene stood from the bench and walked to Viera "Does a choking man bleed out to his death?" She asked, before strolling quietly away.

For a moment, viera pondered on Irene's words, but then she could only wonder, if he was indeed poisoned, who could have done it?. What motive would have demanded Veha's death?. She could think only of a man with a possible intention, she only prayed she was wrong.

She spent the rest of the day in her bedroom chambers, reading. She had read eight books already and was at the nineth, titled 'The tales of kings and dragons'. Her father had told her the story before, the era of the last conquest, when five kings stood stronger above the others, with five adult dragons each, under their grasp.

There was yet a king born, that could stand against them, and together, an empire was built to control the realm, but as the fifth decade of their dynasties began, the peace of the continent came to a close, with each of the five powerful kings, fighting for total control over the continent, using their most powerful force, their dragons.

In the year 53, the war claimed the lives of their dragons, and four of the dragon kings, leaving only one surviving king of the empire, King Veha Baleron II, her great grandfather.

Despite having no more dragons, the other kings gave up their crown and bowed to him as the only king of Asdall, for even without dragons, the balerons, had an army, eighty thousand strong, which no other in the realm could dare challenge.

The book was as she was told, not a moment left out.

A raven landed on her tall opened window, disrupting her reading. A rolled up paper was tied to it's leg, Strange, she thought, it was the dead hour of the night. Who could be sending her a letter at this hour? she wondered.

She dropped from her large canopy bed, and approached the raven. Hesitantly, she pulled out the paper, and the bird flew away in an instant. She walked back to her bed, rolling down the paper, curious and anxious.

Not much was written on the white sheet, but the few words written, got her astounded.

'To know the truth of prince Veha's death, meet me at red fox brothel'