“Alicia, you know I must go.”

“But, at least let me stay like this for another moment.”

I was trying to let Alicia let go of me. I hugged her goodbye, but she insisted on staying like this for a few minutes. She planted her face in the middle of my chest. She reminded me when I played with my infant brother, she was a little baby.

“I wish you could take me with you.” She said in such a sweet voice which made me feel guilty for my deception. I gently pushed her off my chest, then I lifted her chin with my fingers.

I moved my face closer to her, I saw her eyes close. I closed my eyes as well. A moment later I felt our lips touch. Our lips locked for a brief moment before I broke our kiss.

“You need to go now. We will meet again.” I said while caressing her cheek. She blushed and smiled unable to maintain eye contact she looked at her sides.

“Please be safe,” she said before turning her back and running away.

Another secret meeting with Alicia was over, it was clear that my influence over her was growing. She was beautiful which only made me want to make her mine. She was intelligent, knowledgeable, and skilled in many things.

"She would make a fine complement to me." I thought while watching her run away with her hands covering her face in embarrassment.

I knew Ishraq and Hassan awaited me outside with assassins of the Order of the Bloody Lily prepared to take me away. When darkness fell the assassins would infiltrate the palace but so far, they haven’t found the old duke.

I turned back and began walking away but I was assaulted by a sudden sense extreme of danger, my hair stood up. There was something behind me…………..

I stopped in my tracks and quickly turned around. First thing I saw was an old man. He was hunched on his cane, his face was wrinkled and ugly. But he was looking at me with a sharp smile. Then I noticed that he was flanked by two masked maids, their faces covered by metal masks with simple eye holes and their heads covered in barbettes. I could sense a power within him and my hand instinctively went to my hidden dagger.

“I noticed shadows crawling in my house. Impressive that you managed to infiltrate my palace, I give you that young one. But I cannot let you steal my granddaughter just like that.”

I sensed a power building up within him, my intuition was proven right when he directed his hand towards me and a ball of fire surged towards me. I grabbed my dagger and slashed the fireball which exploded into harmless sparks.

The old man’s eyes widened, he looked at the dagger in my hand. Its blade was covered in glyphs that began glowing brightly when it made contact with the spell.

“Magic!” she shouted and then with a grin revealing rows of almost rotting teeth said, “interesting”.

“I should be the one saying that, old man. If I guessed correctly you channel through your ring.”

He simply smiled at my observation and directed his hand at me again. This time the maids also did the same, revealing smaller rings on their right hands.

“Fucking hell!”, slipped from my mouth as I prepared my dagger, but I could not block all three at once.

The old man fired another fireball while the two maids sent a barrage of smaller fire arrows. I jumped to the side dodging the fireball and sliced a fire arrow that came straight at me. Another fire arrow narrowly went past me, burning a part of my cloak.

I felt an extreme heat hitting my back followed by a force that almost sent me flying. I was thrown to my knees and I realized that I had miscalculated the power of the fireball which despite having missed me still created a powerful explosion. Luckily the I was beyond the radius of the raging fire.

Sensing another wave of spells and still on my knees my hand went to the hilt of my sword but before I activate my trump card a slash of water intercepted the barrage of fire, the opposite spells colliding in an explosion of smoke and steam.

I looked at my back and saw Ishraq pointing his staff towards us, the blue gem on it was glowing brightly. From his behind a shadow flew into the mist, hiding within the clouds for a second before jumping at the enemy.

His cloak floated as his arms unfurled in mid-air revealing a curved sword in each hand. He was a blur as he rotated his body while still flying and fell behind the three enemies.

As he landed on the ground the maids collapsed to the ground. I looked at their fallen bodies and realized their heads were rolling on the floor, being cleanly severed from their necks.

“Pfahahaha *cough*cough*…” the Old man began laughing only to end up in a cough.

I heard shouting from the direction of the palace and saw a group of armored knights and an even larger number of men-at-arms running towards us.

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In front of them was the current duke, in plate armor and armed with an ornate sword which I suspected to have some magical ability.

“We can’t fight everyone at the moment, let's retreat” Ishraq said while looking at the reinforcements

“Agreed”, Hassan joined him.

“Ah, don’t worry about them. Forgive me for the bad reception.” The Old man who was still standing in front of us said in a friendly tone.

“What happened here!” the duke shouted.

“Nothing, just meeting a few guests. Put down your weapons.” The old duke ordered the soldiers but the duke doesn’t seem to be taking it.

He looked at the corpses, at us, and then the burning flower beds behind us. “Doesn’t look like guests to me.”

“I will get them cleaned up. You can leave. Where is Alicia?”

The current duke was concerned but looked at the old man and said, “In her room, under guard.”

“Good, send her when I ask for her. You should leave until I call for you,”

We were still surrounded by armored knights and several of my assassins have also joined. The old man began introducing himself in the friendliest tone.

“So let me introduce myself, I am Sirius Drakenhoff, the former Grand Duke of the Drakenhoff duchy and the current patriarch of my house.”

I looked at him suspiciously.

“What’s with the change in treatment?”

“To use magic like that you need to have knowledge, skill, and talent. Not many nobles in the duchy have that. Then to have such a force under your control………. I could order you killed right now but you impressed me today.”

“Hmm…is that so. I am Alden of House Zauber. The former heir to the Duchy of Zauber before being forced to renounce my rights.”

“Zauber…. I see. Ancient blood from the era when the Grand Duchy was a kingdom before it was conquered and became a vassal.”

In the ancient past Drakenhoff Kingdom was a nation ruled by powerful sorcerer-kings. It was however no match for the military might of the Silvan Kingdom. It was vassalized into a duchy and its lands were divided between the generals that conquered it, the ancestors of the counts.

A few minor families descended from the ancient era and that included mine.

“To use magic with such skill, it’s something that comes in the blood.”

Let’s move to a place that is not burning. The old man said and walked to the other side of the garden. We walked alongside him with his knights following us from behind.

We came to a location where a group of servants was placing a small wooden table and two chairs. The old duke sat down and gestured for me to do the same. I moved and sat down opposite him, Ishraq and Hassan moved to my right and left sides respectively.

“The wizard on your right, he is powerful.”

“Let me introduce you to my advisor, Hikmat Al-Ishraq.” I gestured to my right and Ishraq bowed his head.

“Pleased to make your acquaintance, your grace.” Ishraq was reading the old duke, carefully observing every one of his actions.

The old man began, “It's interesting that I have such powerful vassals in my duchy. You want to seduce my oldest granddaughter.”

I listened silently as he deduced my goals. They were rather obvious, to begin with but he went on pointing out issues.

“But do you think the counts will allow a simple baron’s son to become their lord? Joining my house with the most powerful of counts will be the most beneficial to me.”

I replied, “The counts can be dealt with, one step at a time.”

At that moment Ishraq whispered in my ear,

“He seems more interested now. It’s possible that he wants the counts gone too.”

The old duke kept on, “At the risk of dragging the entire duchy to war? Don’t you think the Royal Army would intervene?” The old duke asked, more intrigued than concerned.

“Yes, risky but if it happened, I will be able to exterminate the counts in one sweep. I wouldn’t bother about the King. They are far too passive… they don’t even let the issues with the Isles to be dealt with.”

The Isles of Rosion, a group of large islands to our northwest. The number of attacks on traders by pirates operating from the Isles are increasing. According to my sources, the King has refused to allow any offensive to deal with the pirate issue.

“You need an army, I doubt a single barony can maintain an army large enough to go against even a single count.”

“Your highness has the armies. I only need to marry Alicia.”

“And how do you plan on getting me to agree to that,” he asked.

“You will see…………” I smiled.

----------------------------------------

The discussion went on till evening. I had servants deliver gifts among them blue and red dresses made of silk for each of the duke’s daughters. On them were necklaces of sapphires and rubies respectively.

I saw that the old man was impressed. He touched the sapphire necklace and grinned.

“This necklace it is…..”

“Yes, your highness…….. It is as you guessed. “

The old duke summoned a servant and whispered something in his ear.

A few moments later we saw a group of servants escorting a young girl.

Alicia.

Her head was cast down, but she still walked with grace. As she was brought near us the old duke smiled.

“What a great day to take a stroll in the garden. Is it not my child.?”

“Yes,….grand…father”, Alicia replied to the old duke almost trembling in fear.

She reminded me of a little chick that had fallen from a tree, shivering in fear when I reached out to pick it up. Fear of

“Today I met a few strangers and I saw you meeting them before me. Would you like to introduce me to your friends?.”

Her gaze went up towards me for a moment but came back to the ground.

“Uhmm…I am sorry I brought him inside. Please forgive him. I won’t do it again.” She managed to mutter.

A smile crept up my face. She was loyal to me to the point of putting herself in trouble.

“Excuse me, your highness it was I that entered this premises. She had nothing to do with it. Being lovesick makes you act irrationally, and I was just that, a stupid idiot in love.”

Her head turned up towards me, our eyes met and I could see tears rolling down her eyes. I felt guilty for manipulating her like this. From the corner of my eye, I could see the old duke was enjoying the drama.

“Now that he has accepted his guilt…. “

“No!....please don’t.” Alicia let out a meek shout.

“My child, haven’t you been taught any manners? Be silent when I speak.”

Her head fell and I heard her sobbing.

The old duke turned towards me. He took an accusatory tone and began speaking,

“You have dishonored me, my house, and my granddaughter. You have dared trespass into my palace and insulted my authority. It is within my authority to hand out a punishment to you but I am merciful.” He paused for a moment, looked me in the eyes and said.

I will not punish you if you remove the dishonor you brought upon my family. I demand that you renounce all ties to your family, apologize to me……….. and take the hand of my eldest granddaughter in marriage but only if my granddaughter accepts.”

Suddenly, Alicia’s head went up and she looked at the old duke with wide eyes.

The old man looked her in the eyes and asked,

“Do you accept?”