Blood Soldiers: The Second Army - Grishaverse Prequel

42 - Yelena

Yelena frowned as she rifled through her closet. Had she lost one? No she couldn't have, it wasn't like anyone else in the palace wore black kefta's with red threads. So where had this one gone? It was the finest of her set, silk instead of wool, with gold and silver thread amongst the scarlet. She wasn't sure why she wanted to wear it so badly this evening, it was just for dinner with Maxim, like they'd had numerous times before.

Yet, she couldn't find it anywhere. She considered asking if Alyona had seen it, but she was with her friends at the bonfire by the lake this evening, so Yelena sighed, pulling on another kefta and setting out towards the Grand Palace.

The Grand Palace was never deserted, but it did feel quieter tonight. She wandered through empty halls to the king's chamber, where he would be waiting for her. Apparently this evening Prince Vasily was invited to get to know the Grisha General better, and to discuss their plans for the 'darkling' should he succeed in removing the Fold. Yelena wasn't holding out any hope on that one, and only hoped Stefan did not have any trouble getting rid of Aleksander.

As leader of the Grisha, his life was her responsibility. Despite herself, she still hadn't wanted to kill him, but what she wanted could not come before what the Grisha needed, and they needed him gone. His distractions and whispers of rebellion could be tolerated no longer. He had to go.

It seemed to Yelena that the Fold only required time. If a shadow summoner could be created, by that logic a light summoner had to exist somewhere too. Perhaps not now, but one day and when that day came, Yelena would be ready for them.

She made her way up the stairs to the royal quarters and nodded to the guards outside. They opened the doors for her and she stepped into Maxim's lavish rooms, heading through the living area to the dining room where she saw...

'Maxim!' Yelena rushed forwards, but already she knew. His heart did not beat, nor did his lungs rise and fall.

He sat on his chair, slumped forward on the table, a glass of sickly-sweet smelling wine spilled across the white table cloth.

She ignored those facts, and set to work trying to reach his heart, trying to force it to work.

The door clicked behind her and she swore, of course, in her haste she forgot to call the guards!

Yelena moved towards it to do so and met the horrified gaze of Prince Vasily.

'Traitor,' he breathed as Yelena opened her mouth to speak.

Stunned she could only shake her head, 'I found him like this. I was just about to get the guards –'

'Liar!' he screamed, 'Guards, come quickly.'

They were there in seconds as Vasily's face paled, 'Arrest her, for the murder of my father.'

The guards shared a stunned look, but they could not deny the scene before her.

Yelena was not about to let this slide however, 'Vasily think clearly. I have known your father since he was a boy, and I served him faithfully. We have been friends for years, why would I kill him?'

'Because Blodhäxa,' he sneered her name, 'I have heard the whispers about your growing ambitions. I know why you sent your daughter to be my watcher as a child. I know you want your own blood on the throne.'

Yelena couldn't believe this, she rolled her eyes, which only seemed to enrage the young prince, 'This is ridiculous, I will not be accused of such outlandish things, but right now it doesn't matter. The longer we waste here, the more time we give our assassin to get away.'

He looked from her to his father's body before him, then seemed to weigh the options, 'Go, all of you. Begin searching the grounds, we must find whoever is responsible.'