A Trap

Anger flared like an erupting volcano marring the young princess's graceful features. Her fingers clenched over her sword's refined crossguard near her waist and glared viciously ahead through ice and snow. Her slender hand unsheathed her sword.

"Easy there," Zariel said. Despite his impediment in reading others' expressions, he was very much aware of the anger flowing through Talia and knew fighting was not the best decision, at least not yet. Tensions were already high in the kingdom, and a meaningless slaughter would not solve anything.

By the Princess's side, Aurelia patted her shoulder; holding her still, she looked towards Zariel for direction. Only to release a profound sigh as she held down her worry. Her heart was fuming, but here he stood as if everything around him had nothing to do with him. She simply couldn't understand how he could be so passive, so indifferent.

Surrounded by cold eyes ready for battle, Zariel Snow stepped out of formation, "Will you make way?" He asked softly, but his voice echoed with a thunderous chord that halted the snow.

Weapons glimmered, and from out of the cavalry of soldiers, a lone knight carrying the banner of Ferrum, on horseback, galloping towards Zariel. Shrouded in plated armor, Earl Ellis Rowell pulled up his helmet, revealing a pair of sky blue eyes, holding a Halberd in his right arm. The shaft of the Halbert was a golden silver etched with a string of runes running up to the tip where the blade resided. At each end of the Polearm, where the main blade pointed up, laid a sinister-looking ax curving in an Arc similar to the Crescent Moon.

"Duke Blackwater, we will employ you to hand over Princess Talia." He said not as a request but rather a demand. "By order of Queen Marigold, you will stand down and relinquish the princess at once." Calm and without feeling, Ellis spoke, carrying himself with noble elegance.

Zariel ran his eyes over the Halbert, placing no thought into the Earl's words. He had heard it all before and was sure to hear it again. He was intrigued by the weapon held by another.

"Boy, do you hear me!" Ellis uttered sharply.

Lifting his gaze to meet Ellis. Zariel frowned, "Who are you?"

"Ellis Rowell, an Earl." He introduced his voice grim and sharp. Unable to believe a child, the boy before him held a title greater than his. For years he worked to make a name for himself. To allow the house of Rowell to rise, yet before his eyes stood a boy whose contributions, for lack of a better word, were non-existent.

Frustration swelled through Ellis, and his Halbert lifted to the young duke. "Now, hand her over."

"No," Zariel calmly responded when a ringing alarm rang within his mind, dodging an arrow that whipped near the tip of his nose with a back step. He glanced towards the east, where he saw a hooded figure fleeing the scene.

"HOLD YOUR FIRE!!" Ellis roared, but by then, it was too late. The moment the assassin released that arrow. A rain followed right after. Catching not just the princess but Ellis in the cross-hair, the moon's glow vanished under the shadow of death.

'A setup,' Zariel was fast to think, pulling into himself, his cheeks paled a little, and the wounds over his shoulder and leg bled through its gauze; holding on firmly, his silver eyes glowed, and the rain around the air froze in place.

Under the amazed eyes of everyone, Zariel arched his hands up, and to the horror of everyone. The arrows hovering in the air turned around to face all who had fired off an arrow.

"Don't—" Ellis tried to say, but before he could finish, Zariel clenched his fist, unleashing the slew of arrows.

Screams resounded under this night, followed by the river of blood of arrows burrowing through eyes, ears, arms, legs, and hearts. As if the arrows had minds of their own, they twisted around corners, through homes, and bodies, till each arrow stole a life.

"Aurelia,' Zariel darkly said, placing his hands behind his back, his eyes shimmering with a dark light, as his gaze lingered over the shadow, watching. "Let's go. Should anyone else try to attack, you have my permission to kill."

Shaken by the level of blood drowning the streets of Seigram, a glimmer of scarlet flickered over the rim of Aurelia's iris.

She nodded, both amazed by the shared strength of her Dumb-Dumb. She pulled over the starstruck Talia, whose expression retained an ashen complexion. Pulling her along after Zariel, who merely glanced at the pale Ellis, he moved forward. At the same time, the Calvery that had been untouched, having not fired an arrow, parted in response to the Silver Devil.

Zariel was not in the least bit pleased with this outcome. While he never had a great relationship with the Kingdom of Ferrum, he knew that he was left with little choice but to attack. He was sure the Archers would have continued to bombard him with arrows if he didn't. Nevertheless, the outcome would have remained the same. A slaughter had taken place in the kingdom, and Duke Blackwater was the cause.

"Quite the move," He said beneath his breath, bypassing the calvary of knights. " But a mistake. I have never cared about public opinion." He added with a bloodthirsty smile, knowing the hidden assassin was listening. "I will be meeting you soon; if you don't think I will not destroy this kingdom just to kill one person, you are gravely mistaken, my friend."

Approaching the Gate to the Palace, Zariel did not bother to speak as the guards made way, allowing the young duke in, followed by the princess and his knight. Everything had happened seamlessly without issue as Zariel made his way toward the Queen of Ferrum.

Barging into her throne room, a glimmer of darkness swelled in his eyes as his hands arched, lifting the queen form off her throne with the invisible pull of telekinetic force before words could be had.

Queen Marigold's body dangled helplessly in the air by an invisible force choking the very life from her body. Marigold's feet trashed back and forth. Her beautiful face turned deadly paled as various veins began to bulge. She gripped her neck, trying with her all to break free, but no matter what she did, all she felt was death's embrace.

"My cook. Where the hell is she?" The Silver Devil demanded.

"I-I—"

Squeezing even tighter till her expression turned a deadly blue, shaking Talia to her core, the young princess was about to speak in her mother's defense when a booming voice echoed, regal and strong.

"Duke Blackwater, please. Allow us to talk this out." King Cyrus expressed, appearing from out of the entrance near the midsection of the throne room. He stepped from around the pillar and made himself known.

"I'm afraid that will not do this time, Cyrus. One of my own that your kingdom abandoned was taken from me." Zariel calmly said, in no mood to mince words. " Bring me, Innis, and I will be on my way."

Cyrus, at this point, grew perplexed, "Who?"