Six of Ruin (Heirs of Irenwell #1)

My eyes hurt from reading. The night had started to fall. Some of these tomes were decades old and had worn down over time, but I grabbed the third book of the day and began taking in the words. There wasn’t enough time.

Havoc ruled for hours after the injured villagers came to the castle. I couldn’t find the moment’s peace, not outside and not in my mind. Images of blood and pain and the memory of that dead boy flashed before my eyes every time I dared to close them.

But there wasn’t enough time.

So, I pushed down the ache and continued reading the book, War of Men from the Perspective of Mages. And the damn tome surely had something to say.

According to this book, humans weren’t so innocent as my teachers led me to believe. All my life, I’ve assumed mages were a massive threat that needed to be handled for the human race to grow. Parts of it weren’t necessarily a lie. Humans became much stronger after the war against mages; humans became the predominant species.

But this book claimed mages weren’t out to get humans. On the contrary.

Politics and related dramas weren’t my primary focus, though. I had to find an artefact the mages were after. Nickeltinker said it showed people who they truly were.

And the closest to that was something called the Truthteller. My eyes flew over the text. Wanderers should not gaze upon the reflection in the Truthteller, for the strongest of men crumbled beneath the truth. Ominous.

I sighed and rubbed my eyes, the scarce light making it difficult to read. Danilo would come for me soon after all. The journey was about to start.

There was hardly place for the books inside my suitcase, but I carefully put them at the bottom, leaving behind the ones I had already read. The suitcase was stocked with my dresses and all the other stuff I might need.

My eyes fell on the Ars Magica, Beginner’s Guide to Magic Using.

I could simply leave the tome behind. But what if somebody found it? What if the maid stumbled upon the book while she cleaned the room and brought it to King Bernard? He would never let Danilo marry me if he found out about my magic.

No, the book was safer with me. I’d toss it in the woods somewhere along the road. The path to Orathia was long and abandoned, no one would ever find it.

Before I could hide all the books, someone knocked on my door.

“Just a second!” I rushed to the wooden closet with the heap of books in my arms and threw them on the bottom quite carelessly.

“Princess Irina? It’s Danilo. May I come in?”

I suppressed the grunt and closed the door of the closet, “Just a second!”

In the corners of my eyes, I noticed the book I was currently reading lying on my bed. Crap. I jumped across the room. Right as I covered the book with the sheets, Sir Danilo entered.

My heart thudded as I turned around, “I said just a second.”

“I apologize, your Grace.” His blue eyes scanned the interior of my room, until settling on me and turning significantly gentler. “I wanted to see how you’re doing. You’ve barely eaten anything in the afternoon.”

Perhaps because I was busy reading books he could not know about.

“I’m sorry, Sir.” The smile failed to reach my eyes. “Today was a lot to take in.”

“As I assumed.” Danilo walked across the room, his muscles tensing in his leather gear.

I pulled away from the edge of the bed, trying to push the book further away. Danilo’s ease was slightly disconcerting, especially since I’ve only ever seen him pull back from me.

“Uh,” A nervous chuckle fell off my lips, “I think it is improper for you to be in my bedroom.”

At least until I hid the book better, then I’d find it quite proper.

“I worry about you, Irina.” Danilo did not stop, he sat on the bed next to me and leaned on his knees.

His dark hair shielded his face, but I could still see the slight frown. Extending my hand, and moving closer so he wouldn’t see behind me, I pushed the strands behind his ear.

Genuine sadness glimmered in his blue eyes and I wondered whether he came here to comfort himself more than to comfort me.

“Do not worry about me,” I said, “I suppose I will have to get used to it.”

His eyes met mine, “I do not want you to get used to it. This isn’t something one should get used to.”

He had a point, “I’m just sorry I didn’t react properly.”

Image of the dead boy flashed in my mind again. His pale face, his pale tiny hands. I’d never shake it off. No, that image would stay with me forever.

“It is not your fault.” Danilo took my hand in his, surprising me, making my stomach flip upside down.

Somehow, his hands were both rough and gentle at the same time.

“It feels like it’s my fault.” I admitted, brushing my thumb over the back of his hand, “If I had reacted sooner-”

“Irina, that boy was already dead.”

The weight of the words settled on my soul.

“I couldn’t save him.” Danilo continued, the grip around my hand tightening, “A thousand healers wouldn’t be able to save him.”

My eyes began to burn, “Why is it that the innocent always get hurt?”

Danilo kept quite for a while before he whispered, “Wars aren’t fair. Neither is life. And sometimes I wish I had died instead of all the innocents.”

“Then, who would protect those that managed to survive?” I asked.

Danilo didn’t answer, “We have to go, your Grace. It’s time.”

The steady beat in my chest quickened. The journey suddenly seemed far more dangerous.

“What happened today?” I asked quietly. “The villagers that came... who slaughtered their town? Are they coming closer? Are we going to be able to defeat them?”

Danilo’s large palms enveloped both my hands and he turned to me. His eyes searched my face, determination glowing inside. The sheer power of the look made my breath hitch.

“Irina, I will protect you.” Danilo said, his jaw clenching. “I swear to the God above, I will not let anything happen to you.”

I smiled, “And who’s going to protect you?”

Danilo’s expression softened, “Knowing you’re safe means more to me.”

“So,” I turned away from his penetrating gaze, knowing I had to appear innocent, “The journey is really beginning.”

“Yes,” Danilo let go of my hands and got up, “We have to go.”

I sighed, “Will you carry my suitcase downstairs?”

“Of course.” Danilo smiled, but the smile quickly turned into a frown, “I think you’ve forgotten a book.”

“No-”

Danilo’s long arm extended across the bed and he pulled the tome out. My heart stopped beating. His eyes flew over the title and the frown turned into anger.

Ah, fuck.

“War of Men from the Perspective of Mages?” Danilo’s eyes iced as he looked at me, “Who gave you this?”

“Uh, Rixen.” I blabbed, partly because I was quite interested in seeing Danilo’s reaction.

His gaze hardened, “These books are all false. You should not waste your time reading this. And you should most definitely not talk to Rixen.”

He was already halfway out the door when I pulled myself off the bed, “Well, that’s going to be difficult considering I will spend the next few months around him. Where are you going?” I followed hastily, forgetting about the suitcase. Servants were going to have to get it for me.

“I have to find Rixen.”

“Wait, come on.” I grabbed the hem of my purple gown, afraid I’d step on it while rushing through the stony hallways. “Danilo, there was a good reason-”

“No, there wasn’t.” He didn’t even turn around when he talked to me. “That scheming weasel is trying to muddle your brain with all sorts of bullshit.”

“We need to get that mage on our side, remember?” I was already out of breath and we haven’t even been running properly.

Well, I certainly had to get into shape.

“There’s no excuse.” His voice turned distant as he moved away from me.

“It’s just books!”

Danilo took a sharp turn left and we found ourselves in the garden. Moonlight spilled all over the tiles. Nickeltinker and Torvald lifted their gazes off their weapons as Danilo stormed through the space, breaking the calming aura that lingered in the air. Rixen was in the farthest corner, his yellow eyes widening with realisation as Danilo came closer.

One loud punch in the face and Rixen stumbled across the floor, letting out an enraged roar.

“Fuck.” I covered my mouth with my palms.

Torvald leaped towards them, blocking Danilo’s path, but Rixen was already up.

“Whatever I did,” Rixen let out a laugh and rubbed the side of his face, “I’m sure I deserved it.”

“You do not get to talk to her alone!” Danilo’s voice shook the entire castle.

Rixen eyed me from across the room, “Did you tell him on purpose?”

Danilo stepped forward, but Torvald blocked his way, “Ugh.”

“He found the book.” I crossed my hands on my chest.

“You stay away from her.” Danilo threatened.

“It’s just books.” Rixen said. “And we need more information on the mage. Otherwise, we’re not going to be able to convince him to join us.”

“Then read them yourself, leave Irina out of it!”

Nickeltinker hopped off the stone bench, his feet barely making a sound, “No. No, no, no. We are not fighting now, not when the journey didn’t even begin. You,” he turned to Danilo, “it’s just books. And her Grace might as well prove herself useful.” Then he turned to Rixen, “And you, do you want to get your ass kicked? Behave yourself.”

Danilo’s upper lip twitched, but he backed down, “Why must Irina read those disgusting books?”

Rixen’s yellow eyes met mine, demanding an answer, demanding the truth.

“Uh,” I cleared my throat, “I have extremely good memory. And... we all know I’ll be resting throughout this entire journey while the four of you hunt and fight. As Nick said, I might as well make myself useful.”

I left out the part where I selfishly wanted to read those books because they might help me find a solution to my problems.

Danilo scoffed, “Those books cannot give you answers. They’re all lies spread by desperate men.”

“Well,” I shrugged, “We’re desperate. And we could use a well-crafted lie to get the mage on board. So, even if the books are lying, I’m willing to use them.”

Danilo’s frown made me realise I let myself slip through the cracks of the facade. No, an innocent princess wouldn’t think like that. An innocent princess would find those books filthy and disgusting and she wouldn’t think of ways to use them.

“You’re falling into a trap.” Danilo said, chuckling humourlessly, and pointed towards Rixen. “His trap. He will earn your trust and then stab you in the back. That’s just what he does.”

Rixen’s jaw clenched slightly, but he said nothing, which was quite unusual.

“What?” I asked.

Danilo shook his head, “He pretended to be my friend and then he betrayed me.”

Rixen stared straight at me, still not saying anything.

Nickeltinker jumped in, “Don’t you know, your Grace?”

“What?” I looked at him.

“Rixen tried to stage a coup.” Nickeltinker said. “Failed miserably, though.”

I remembered my brother’s words, Rixen tried to take over the throne. I looked at him, wanting to hear his side of the story.

“Right,” Danilo said through his teeth, “He’s done the damage nonetheless.”

Rixen finally spoke, “It was eight years ago, I was seventeen and I was an idiot.”

My eyes widened. He was seventeen when he tried to take over the throne?

“And you’re even more bitter and more dangerous now.” Danilo said before he marched back where we came from. “Come on, Irina. Let’s get your suitcase.”

Not knowing what else to do, I followed, finding myself lost between all the information I didn’t know about the group of people surrounding me.

Nick shouted after us, “Hurry up! With all the fighting, it’s going to take us a week to get to Loria.”

I ignored the green-skinned boy and hurried after the knight, “Danilo, I didn’t know.”

“How could you?” He stopped in his tracks and turned around to face me. “I did not tell you anything about it. But now I am. Rixen is a liar and a cheat. He’s not here to help, he’s here to get what he wants, regardless of what happens to the world.” Danilo sighed. “I do not know why he’s joining us, but I know he has an agenda.”

Rixen sounded a lot like me.

“I can handle Rixen.” I lied. “There’s nothing he can do to me.” I lied again.

Danilo stopped in the hallway and leaned against the wall, “If he does something to you, I will kill him, Irina.”

I grabbed his strong, muscled arm and tried to pull him off the wall, “There’s no need to kill anyone. It’s only a few months and we never have to see him again after that.”

“A few months is a long time.” Danilo murmured. “Let us go get your things.”

Danilo and I made our way to my room. The journey was about to begin. The realisation was stronger than I anticipated. Horses waited underneath the castle, the night was dark and the road was long.

The white stony castle of Bastia shimmered in the darkness, surrounded by deep forests full of unknown creatures. That was where we were going. Far away, where no man has gone in the past fifty years.

Nervousness churned in my gut, begging me to turn around and find a carriage that would take me back to Irenwell, where the climate was mild and fruits were large. Where the squires and servants waited to fulfil my every need.

A few months was a very long time. Too long.

Now would be too late to quit, wouldn’t it?