Corvus Alexander

It had been two days since the assassination attempt on Rias’s life and yet the looming threat of wolfgar remained at large. This cause for concern was apparent enough to halt the subjection of Chornobyl as many attempts on various round table members occurred including that of Lyra the reincarnation of Nimue. Having this information, I brought this up to my queen, her mother Vanessa and Talia a longtime friend. They all shared the same view somehow wolfgar knew who Rias was in her former life, probably thanks to mordid.

As I wandered the halls of Amaranth’s keep, I overheard shouts of an argument coming from Imra’s room. Opening the door, I saw Imra pinning Samantha his fiancé and Imkli pinning down Talia. Imra looked shocked by my immediate presence, Imkli looked dead inside like a puppet nothing more. I sprang on my feet towards Imra and forced him off Samantha, Imra fell to the ground while Imkli just stepped back coming to his senses. Talia just like Samantha was bruised and on the cusp of tears if not already, in my anger I pointed my spear down at Imra who reeled back with a smile.

“You're lucky Rias isn’t here… You're also lucky I’m in a good mood prince!” I snarled seeing Imra Turning away from them both. As I covered Talia in my cloak, and using my dimensional storage device I covered Samantha as she sat in shock unable to move. Calling over one of my own friends a feral wolven called Kira, we carried Samantha and Talia from the room.

Though I did not want to admit it seeing Samantha like she was made me feel a lot of pain, as my heart pounded in anguish. I couldn’t admit the fact I liked her more than just a friend though it was harder to keep these feelings after remembering my last life as Tristan the knight of Artura. As Kira and I carried the girls my bond spoke hesitantly feeling the anger irradiate from me feeling the aura slowly fade by the second. ‘Master? Shall we tell them?’ He asked jumping on my shoulder.

I didn’t reply. Instead, Kira and I kept walking through the halls of the keep receiving a few stares in the process mainly aimed towards me instead of Talia who was in my arms with her eyes firmly shut. ‘I have to take her home’ I knew this was the logical choice however I couldn’t show her to her father in her state, in the end with Kira’s own words. We took various paths toward the pendragons and Duchess Vanessa. No doubt this wouldn’t be good but at least Vanessa could control her daughter’s actions better the Duke Leonhart could, who enforce Rias to do what she wants. Duke Leonhart is Rias’s godfather, a good man and the former lord commander of the king’s guard, this made him different from Vanessa who was once the greatest huntress of Riel.

“My lord is this wise?” Kira asked keeping one eye on Samantha in his eyes and his other eye forward towards our front. I didn’t respond to him either as I continued to walk through the halls of Amaranth’s keep directly to the stables. If I didn’t take my horse, it would take maybe thirty minutes to the Pendragon estate. With a form of transportation, I'd be able to seek guidance from arch duchess Vanessa Pendragon sooner. ‘Duchess I need your advice’.

…

“My lord Corvus what’s happened?!” A guard of the Pendragon estate exclaimed seeing me enter the estate atop my horse with Talia sat slumped wrapped in my cloak.

“Tell the archduchess… we would like to see her immediately.” Kira said jumping off his horse holding Samantha in his arms who was shivering in his arms.

“Bu-but my lord she is in a meet-.” The guard was stopped well practically pushed back by a larger knight named Sir Wayne, Rias’s swordsmanship teacher and my mentor when it came to magic.

“I’ll take you to her. This looks serious make haste and call for maids along with a doctor those wounds look fresh especially the scarring on the neck.” He said taking one look at Talia who tried her best to open her eyes. The estate began to be filled in utter panic, whoever planned this act might soon find out why Artura is named the Impaler.

“Follow me quickly!” Sir Wayne exclaimed making our way through the rose gardens of the estate. The nice gardens, cobble pathways, ornate stone, and water fountain were just fleeting passing images as we began to run towards the meeting room where the duchess was meeting various influential figures of onrath and Tramon. Sir Wayne after entering the estate’s manor rushed through pushing servant and maid aside. Reaching the meeting room, he was pushed away by a guard who heard the outside commotion. This guard being bigger and well broader showed they had no respect for their superior, it seemed even Vanessa didn’t care.

“Sir Way- what happened to her!?” Rias asked pushing aside maid and servant. She looked towards the knight who stepped back in fear, his face grew pale. Goosebumps covered his body, the mana in his body boiled from being exposed to Rias’s golden flame. Sir Wayne and Kira tried to speak stuttering feeling the guards push us away. The knights smiled as they pushed us away.

“Leave now mixed blood.” A knight shouted with a smile. Not longer after he spoke, the male was thrown to the ground. The force from Rias’s rift-stepped scattered through the halls, lightning shot out from her fingers and across the ornate oak halls ripping tapestries of lives past. The guard who looked down at us was now against the wall gripping his throat, that sudden feeling of Rias turning on her emotion began to burn like a smoky uncontrolled blaze.

“Don’t forget your place… or have you forgotten how easy I can kill!” Rias exclaimed. I couldn’t even say anything as Rias’s aura forced everyone and everything to be quiet. The nobles were silent, hands near to their throats feeling them slowly tighten under the weight of a metaphorical noose. Vanessa sat in shock seeing her daughter not even use a tenth of her power, yet it was like she was staring death in the face. “Rias.” Talia mumbled the only word she could get out was her name. The world faded back to a sort of normalcy with Rias’s aura fading by the moment.

I could breathe again.

“What happened Corvus?” Rias asked trying to keep her right hand from trembling taking Talia from my arms and staring back at the knights who were gradually recovering from the shock.

“I was making my rounds in the keep then I heard screaming. I found Samantha and Talia pinned to Imra’s bed by himself and Imkli, both the lads were pinning them down. These two had torn clothing. They are untouched but I feel like the princes did something.” I spoke slowly to Rias who calmly walked down the halls towards her room with force. The oak doors opened nearly being kicked off its hinges.

Rias gently placed Talia onto her own bed, there was an uncomfortable silence in the air as Rias slowly held her hand against Talia’s left cheek. In my past life, I had learned that when Artura was quiet it’s never a good idea to speak or to never touch something especially if it’s someone close to her heart. Whatever the princes wanted to try seemed to be obvious to Rias, yet she didn’t want to let it show.

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“Corvus.” Rias’s voice trembled with hate, avoiding her gaze I looked at her hands where an unfamiliar crown was firmly gripped to the point of bleeding. “I’m going to kill them both.” Before I could speak up to advise against this, I kept my tongue knowing it was pointless. ‘Come to your senses, you idiot.’ My thoughts blared through me like a blazing torch in a black cavern.

“Don’t do something so foolish.” Arch duchess Vanessa noted, her tone was stern. Entering the room made the atmosphere change from a cold breeze of permeating death to that of a warm summer’s day. Vanessa’s warm aura was a breeze of fresh air compared to the feeling of the constant cold death of Rias, all I could was watch as Vanessa reached for the crown in Rias’s hand that I now recognized after she pulled it away from her mother. ‘The crown of the nameless.’

“Don’t stop me.” Rias didn’t even give her mother a passing glance just focusing on Talia whilst wiping the tears from her makeup-stained cheeks.

“Don’t commit regicide over something we don’t know the full sto-.”

“I don’t give a FUCK!” Rias snapped. Her voice broke as she turned towards her mother. Vanessa was stunned still seeing her daughter show genuine emotion for the first time since the arch-duke’s death eleven years ago. Rias looked from her mother to Talia then to the door, emotions pouring through every glance she held. Rias’s emotions were showing now I became sure of something I feared. She really wasn’t opposed to committing regicide, my heart tightened knowing this might not be the last time either.

As tears flowed down Rias’s face, Samantha sitting in a chair looking to the courtyard woke up and in her semi-broken state she spoke hesitantly, according to her Imra and a very sickly Imkli tried to have their way with them. Only the mistress and a few maids have tried to stop the princes seeing as the king and queen don’t seem to care. Samantha believes that all this was ordered by one man the archduke glad, Harmon’s uncle.

“I was raped by Imra or that’s what my mind is telling me. So was Talia but we kept it secret because we can’t be sure… we can’t go against the royals. I know Talia feels comfort around you Rias but that’s not the reason why she....” Samantha spoke to Rias then stopped seeing the shock and guilt on Rias’s face.

“I should have known.” Rias stammered looking down at her hands that shook violently.

“There are some things that people find hard to talk about. This matter is one of them… when I was twenty, I had a similar experience. I told your father and he killed Lyron’s second cousin for it. Sometimes hiding it, is for the better, but I can’t speak on behalf of others none of us can.” Vanessa recalled watching her daughter closely as she lifted her head in determination. Rias stepped towards Samantha who sat on the chair with her knees pressed against her chest.

“Where is glad now?” Rias questioned.

“In his manor probably it’s a five-minute walk from the keep. It’s surrounded by trees. The ones with distinct grey leaves… Arch duchess stop her!” Samantha yelled as Rias stepped away towards the ornate oak doors of the room. The archduchess just shook her head in reply. The Archduchess pushed us all out of the room calling to have guards posted inside and out. Seeing Rias walk further and further away, I followed after her.

“Rias wait!” I shouted picking up my pace towards my friend who marched from the estate’s manor. Rias Ignored me continuing to march away. Catching up to my friend grabbing hold of her left wrist was enough for her to stop. Finally thinking rationally, I spoke up in protest of her actions. “Rias wait. Let’s think about this for a second… you're about to commit regicide. Think!”

“Corvus why does this always happen to me?”

“What?”

“Why?!” She exclaimed pulling her wrist from my grasp.

“I-I don’t know.” I replied sinking my head towards the ground. I didn’t know how to answer truthfully how could I. I was no expert on love or relationships in either life, I haven’t had a life as near successful as Rias. Turning back to me once again to ask me a question which I really don’t have the answer to.

“Does this life have to replicate my past one? My agony and sorrow follow me everywhere I go. Fear of the unknown result? Nah, forget it.” Rias’s tone was solemn. Shallow. I tried to reach out lifting my hand slightly from my waist, pausing halfway clenching it tightly knowing now more than before that I didn’t have the power to answer her questions. Instead, I watched her ride off atop her black horse.

…

“I couldn’t stop her.” Bowing my head to Vanessa who just patted me on the shoulder with a smile spoke softly hiding how she truly felt.

“No one can now. Someone that stubborn can’t be stopped unless they are killed. That reminds me of her father… great potential as a leader yet always feels like they are followed by a dark horse.” Vanessa paused sending Kira and Sir Wayne away motioning me to follow her. Against the will of my mind, my feet began to move following after the archduchess towards a large grand library beneath our feet.

“All this was built by my husband. Every book collected, every tapestry drawn or sewn together even paintings skilfully put together even the skull upon those mantle pieces. He was just like Rias when he was young. Rash, brutish but well put together… Like her, he never had a good mental state.”

“Why are telling me this?”

“Because… you’ve known her in two lives. You must have noticed something about her and our family. Those with strong ties to divinity are followed by a looming formless eir, which causes our mental state to deteriorate over time. What I’m about to show you was what became of my husband-- Rias’s father.” Vanessa spoke her voice growing dim and sorrowful pulling away as a large white sheet draped against a wall. After the white sheet became a crumpled mess on the marble flooring, feeling my mind widen in profound shock, I followed the sensation toward the wall of scribbles and ancient dialects all done in black oily ink and crimson blood.

“If you don’t have the curse of death like me or outlive your curse you become this. A hot mess of a being.”

“He went insane?” I questioned Vanessa who nodded in agreement with me.

“Yes. Something caused this but I’m unsure what. Maybe he went insane because he lived past his curse eventually figuring out the nightmare truth along with what the formless eir was.” She said placing her hand over a similar-sized handprint of blood in the exact middle of the scribbles. “Can you read the elven script?” She asked and nodding in reply I tried my best to read the frantic scribbles of a madman.

“Those who can read this. Keep Rias safe from him.” I spoke the words written on the mural turning towards Vanessa I asked, “Who is ‘him’?”

“I don’t know. I’ve asked Riva, many eldritch gods even Valkyries who will talk to me, but no one knows. Somehow in the back of my mind, I feel like I know.” Seeing two sets of eyes scribbled in blood. My body froze in horror, the archduchess seeing me frozen called out to me.

Unsure of my thoughts I laid out what these sets of eyes could be representing, a being that if seen or heard of drives someone mad to where they are eventually killed by something or themselves, a myth steeped in blood and uncountable death. The Black Raven of Numena. A figure who I ended my mother’s own race.

…

After an entire night, I left the Pendragon manor and returned to my own home of the Alexander estate just south of Amaranth’s keep. Though my father was king of the dark elves I decided to live with my mother as the son of Countess Synphia Alexander.

“Welcome home my boy. I heard of the hurtful accident that occurred today are you okay?” My mother asked looking at me with a concerned eye. My mother the ever so worrisome parent, raised a hand to meet my cheek.

“I’m alright mother but Talia and Samantha on the other hand.” My words grew softer and quieter as I turned away from my mother who noticed. She made me shift my head back towards her to look her deeply in the eyes which I was obliged to. At this moment I explained how I felt about Samantha, what happened to her along with what happened to Talia of what I was allowed to tell her at the very least. Her reaction was different from arch Duchess Vanessa’s and Sir Wayne’s own reaction.

“I’m surprised you didn’t kill him right there and then. I would have… pfft regicide on Riel’s royal family is nothing more than a mercy for those who betrayed the pendragons. I will say though you handle it well for someone with a hot temper.” My mother said walking through our manor’s lounge area that held racks of fine wines along with various alcoholic beverages. “What I don’t understand is why didn’t you go with Rias to kill those foul monsters?” She asked yet I didn’t answer instead I looked around the ornately carved pillars that were placed neatly against the walls lounge.

“Ah, figures. You wanted to stay by Samantha’s side.”

“My lady countess and heir Corvus come quick!” A servant shouted making us stare back in questioning suspicion. Nevertheless, we followed him. The servant led us into the crowded streets that made my mother’s dark complexion and thick braids a straight opposition to that of the people around us. Pushing through the crowds we came to arrive at the place where the servant led us. Countless nobles and common people covered the streets trying to make their way through to see whatever was before us.

“My gods.” My mother covered her mouth at the harrowing piece before our eyes six bodies that hung by the arms headless. The heads of the bodies weren’t far as they were placed onto the spikes that lined the lime sandstone cobble wall of the charred manor. Turning my eyes away from the bodies my eyes found themselves looking at words written in red --no blood. Written in blood were six words ‘Hide the truth, suffer the consequences.’ Under the bloodied words sat one man alone shaken, his broken mind only repeating words that were all too clear.

“A girl with eyes like the sun wearing a crown of spikes killed the royal duke and the cousins. I saw it all. She held no mercy but she wasn’t proud either.” He repeated the words over and over again.

“Rias what have you done?” I questioned looking at the bodies again noticing even the heart and mana core were gone. The very essence of their being dissipated from the now hanging husk of a being.