Page 1 of The Shadow & the King
1
LUNETTE
Lunette D'Ancienne observed that, perhaps, she had never been grateful enough for the feeling of solid ground beneath her feet. In her long three hundred years, she had managed to avoid most sea journeys, but getting to an island is rather impossible without a crossing, as luck would have it.
The salty air brushed her cheeks in a playful breeze, and she noted the smattering of delicate pink petals that drifted across her visage. The port created a cacophony of sounds that were, somehow, familiar and foreign all at once. Lunette had never had occasion to visit Domhan na Rùin's easternmost isle, the proud nation of Delkos. On first impression, it was a beautiful place.
As she stood taking deep, steadying breaths, she observed the sprawling city before her. It was a beautiful blend of nature and civilization, with great copses of trees throughout the city. Most of the sprawl was level, but the castle rose above the city at its center atop a single, massive hill. The streets werea labyrinth of two and three-story buildings made of pearly off-white stone.
Lunette ambled forward, always careful not to look too much in a hurry. In her line of work, blending in was key. She didn't become one of Domhan na Rùin's most revered assassins by bumbling around making a spectacle.
Normally, she wouldn't have accepted a job all the way in Delkos. Though she always had plenty of options, the payout for this had been too tempting to ignore.
She made her way up the main street, watching her surroundings closely. Her informant had told her of an inn that would be inconspicuous near the docks—foreign travelers in and out constantly. Luckily, her vampiric nature wouldn't be immediately apparent to anyone she came across. She would only seem out of place because of her lilting Ichornian accent.
She passed a small cart that was serving steaming cups of coffee, and Lunette couldn't resist the scent. Vampires—such as herself—preferred blood, and had to feed on it regularly, but they still enjoyed certain human foods. Lunette had always had a soft spot for coffee; its bitter tang tasted like home.
Lunette smiled at the tiny woman at the coffee cart before carrying on up the road. After a ten minute walk, she spotted the wisteria-covered gate her informant had mentioned. The latch snicked shut behind her as she crossed the small courtyard and entered the inn. She procured a room without much fuss and went up to settle in. She had some time to kill before her real mission could begin.
The timing of her visit was purposeful—the summer solstice was in a few short days, and she knew the king would be hosting a celebration. What better cover for her task than a feast? No one had their wits about them at a feast; she was counting on it. She would make her attempt in the days leading up to the feast, and if nothing worked, she would have the actual night of thesolstice as a last resort.
Lunette stepped up to the window and surveyed the city, and the castle crowning it. Delkos was a nation, an island, and a city all in one—all three shared the same name. It was rather unique in Domhan na Rùin in that their non-human population lived openly in the city as well. Other places had various degrees of strained relationships between humans and non-humans, but here, the royal family was a long line of minotaurs. Many other non-human residents had come from other places around Domhan na Rùin to find a metropolitan home where they were accepted.
Ichorna had a… tenuous relationship with its non-human creatures. She would know—she was one of them. Ichornians had blood magic, so one would think vampires wouldn't be so abhorrent to them, but alas. When they went out in Ichorna, they had to appear as human as possible to avoid any unsavory or inconvenient situations. Of course, there were those who sought out the vampires for their bite, and most vampires were all too happy to oblige. Lunette had always preferred to hunt her prey rather than have them come crawling to her, or worse, using her.
The exhaustion of the journey was beginning to catch up with her, and she decided she may as well take a nap while it was still light out. Her task could only truly begin after nightfall. When darkness fell across Delkos, she would begin her hunt.
She was here to kill a king, after all.
2
BASILIOUS
Basilious tried desperately to focus on what Turios was saying. His advisor had been with his family for decades, providing counsel to his father before him. Today, he was laying out information about a proposed tariff on silks imported to Delkos. Usually Basilious was attentive to all matters brought to these meetings, but today he couldn't help but worry about one particular topic he was sure his advisors would bring up yet again.
Turios finished speaking, and Basilious looked around the table at all the other advisors, hoping one of them would have some elaborate questions about what he had presented. Unfortunately, they all looked at Basilious expectantly.
"Thank you for your overview of this situation, Turios. I will consider this matter and we can discuss it further at our next meeting." Basilious kept his voice even and his countenance calm as he spoke, hoping no one would notice he'd been so distracted.
After barely a beat of silence, one of his other advisors,Xadres, rose to speak. They were a fellow minotaur, with all white fur and graceful horns. Basilious had grown up with Xadres—they were one of his oldest friends as well as his advisor.
"My king, we must discuss the matter of your marriage. To maintain the stability of Delkos, you need to secure your line of succession. You must marry and start a family or adopt your heir soon. With all due respect, you are not getting any younger." Basilious was grateful that his advisors did not fear to speak harsh truths, but hearing them was no less difficult.
"I understand your concern, Xadres, but I am only thirty-five. Hardly an old minotaur," Basilious chuckled. His levity was not mirrored in his advisors' expressions as he scanned the table around him.
Another of his advisors, Menthe, a basilisk that had come to live in Delkos some thirty years ago, spoke up. "We suggest that you announce your choice of a spouse or your intention to adopt at the Solstice celebration."
Basilious' blood ran cold. "That's in four days."
Xadres' face belied their empathy for the situation they were putting him in, but Basilious could sense their resolve.
"It's what's best for Delkos, sire," Xadres said solemnly.
Basilious' advisors knew that he valued their council. They knew he would listen to them rather than following the path of a brash leader and ignoring sound advice. Basilious sighed. He had always wanted a family, but he'd wanted love more. He wanted to find someone who wanted to build a life with him, and none of his past partners had shared his dreams. The men and women he'd been with had mostly just wanted to dally with him to say they'd slept with a king—he didn't mean anything to them beyond his title. Basilious wanted a passionate and enduring love, not some arranged political marriage for the sake of his kingdom. He would adopt, but he was by no means prepared to raise a child on his own while also running Delkos–he had always hoped a partner would share both of thoseresponsibilities with him.
"I understand the reasons for your council, and I accept the wisdom of this group. I will announce my intentions at the Solstice as requested." He turned to glance at Turios, who had been oddly silent once the topic shifted. For all his extensive advice, he had never pushed Basilious on the topic of marriage. Basilious didn't know quite what to make of it, but he was grateful that at least one person in his life was not pressuring him about this. Still, Turios did not speak out against his fellow advisors either.
"Meeting adjourned," Basilious said, sounding as tired as he was feeling. He sighed heavily and stood. At seven foot four, Basilious stood taller than even the other minotaurs in the room. Turios cleared his throat from where he stood next to Basilious. The ancient man gazed up at Basilious and said, "Your majesty, you seem tired. You should rest before the celebration as much as you're able. Our foreign guests will begin arriving soon."
