IMPERMANENCE

chapter thirty nine - the blood curse

The Emperor smiled, missing teeth and all. "What a beautiful young woman you've grown into. It feels like just yesterday we were engaged, you and I?"

Alessia wobbled on her feet, the blade still impaled into her gut. She had been brought to her stance by two other guards. Dagger stood idly still and kept his focus on the Emperor.

"I believe an alliance with Kintu could've done your kingdom wonders." Alessia spoke eloquently despite the blade poking out of her gut. The Emperor had almost entirely risen to his feet. "What a shame."

"Shame indeed," the Emperor snarled. "Where's the Crown Prince, girl? Or better yet, your father? I will not discuss negotiations without one of them present."

"That would be Your Majesty to you, as I am now the Queen."

The murmurs spreading through the Emperor's Great Hall silenced. The Emperor's fists curled on the edge of his dais igniting with rage.

"I will call you no such thing. Now, where's that wretched father of yours? I'm losing my patience rather quickly with you, so answer as if your life depends on it," the Emperor bit through his words and held back an explosion.

Alessia cocked her head slightly. "Dead. The line of succession was changed to me. Hasn't word reached you by now?"

The Emperor shot to his feet, "had it not been for your Commander, my kingdom wouldn't have been shunned from the rest of the world!"

"Worry not, Your Majesty. The Commander has been brought to you, as requested," Alessia said while dipping into a small curtsey. She rose, a devious look planted on her face. "And she's come to offer you a deal."

The Emperor turned to his sentries. "Enough of this nonsense! Imprison both the girl and the assassin." He turned to face Alessia once more. "You've made a grave mistake crossing over our borders. There's no one here to protect you now. You'll be lucky if you make it to dawn with that wound of yours. How your Commander shall weep when he finds that I now have you. That I shall be responsible for your death."

The sentries' boots clanked against the marble floor as they drew closer and closer behind Alessia and Dagger.

"Truthfully, I'd be doing your family a favor," the Emperor smiled. "Your head will be delivered to your Commander by tomorrow."

Alessia took her opportunity to strike, to summon Zedo.

Alessia ripped the knife out of her stomach and hurled it onto the floor. "You sorry excuse for a leader," she laughed. "How you shall curse in your grave once you realize what I've taken from you."

She could already feel her wound beginning to close. The blood began to seep back into her body. As if time were reversing. Her leathers returned to their natural tint of brown. The sentries brought their chase to a pause.

Alessia twirled to all angles of the room and threw her arms out wide, "I know you're here, Zedo." Her voice bounced off of the walls and echoed. "Why don't you come out to play, and we'll settle this once and for all?"

There was no pause. His reaction was almost immediate. Zedo's darkness rippled into the room, causing the bystanders to shriek and disperse. He appeared directly to the Emperor's right. Zedo didn't look at Dagger, his only priority being Alessia.

"How does she know of you?" the Emperor demanded, his composure dwindling. He turned to his right-hand man. Zedo's arms remained crossed at his chest as he paid little attention to his Emperor's demand.

"The assassin has fulfilled his duties. It seems he truly has brought us the Commander of Kintu."

"How is that possible?" the Emperor roared out into the Great Hall.