The Eternal Queen

Chapter 50: Ardele

I am commanding the second unit of the infiltration team, Fallon the first. Rae the Valkyrie is in charge of the third, and we are going in chronological order. We are sneaking through merchant carriages, until we get caught. The rest will have to get in through by bombing the outer walls. It is a huge risk we are paying, but if it all works, a high reward. I stare up into the pink-tinged sky. It will finally give us all a sense of peace.

Over three hundred men are getting ready to be crammed into seven merchant carriages. This is only the first group. The warriors are in high spirits, grinning to one another as they sharpen their swords. They are all suited up in chainmail and iron armor. The first warriors have the heaviest armor, and it goes down from there.

Fallon is hanging back, speaking to his father before the dangerous mission. If this all works, it will be the beginning of a war. Coralie is standing to my left, glaring over at Nikolai as they engage in a heated debate.

Coralie wants to bring the medical team out there, while Nikolai wants the team to hang back. There are pros and cons to both situations. If the medical team is out there, they would be vulnerable. Our best healers could be killed, putting even more people in danger at the possibility of no medical attention. But if the medical team is not there, chances are many of our best warriors will die without medicine or healing spells.

In the medical department, only I and another well trained vampiress know how to use mana as a way to speed up the healing process. Healing is not my strength, so my healing abilities are not that effective if a healing witch were aiding us.

Fallon touches my shoulder, and I glance behind me. His eyes are tired and weary, but his lips are pulled into a small, pleased smile.

"We are ready."

I lean my back onto his chest, and he drops his chin on top of my head. We are in this weird spot where we are not quite courting, but at the same time, affection is there. I do not know what to make of it.

"Okay. My unit will leave after two hours or so."

He jiggles me between his arms, and a slight smile graces my mouth.

"Are you praying for my protection?"

"A thousand times over," I whisper.

His lips brush over my temple, and I tip my head back to look at him.

"I will meet you in the main hall, yes?"

Fallon nods. "The warriors and I will have to eliminate some of the workers inside the castle there first. When the time comes, I will be waiting in the main hall for you."

I raise my brows. "Oh? When is that time?"

"You will know."

"Fallon. Please do not stray from the plan."

He salutes informally. "I won't."

I smack him, my hand yielding rather than his stomach. Wiggling my fingers, Fallon gives me a knowing smile, and the urge to smack him again is strong. Arrogant oaf.

I desperately pray that everything goes according to plan. The first step starts with him. And he is hopeless. I shake my head, grinning.

"My prayers will never be enough for you."

I am in the first carriage out of five for my infiltration unit. We are entering through the eastern doors trying to cause the least suspicion. Fallon and his team entered through the southern doors where most merchant carriages go, but my team and I are stuck between blocks of bricks and other building materials. The carriages that enter through the eastern doors are normally used by carpenters and such. Fallon and his team are still quiet after three hours, so I suspect that everything is going alright.

Breathing shallowly, I try not inhale the dusty film in the air from mortar and tar. We are almost there. Once we stop at the carpenter's place, which is inside the castle in Clairemont, we will spread out from there. 

The carriage shudders to a stop, and we all jump off, sprinting inside the castle. I still remember the castle walls like the back of my hand after serving under King Maximus for over a decade.

The assigned first group spreads out first, and I follow them. My group will trickle in slowly, so that it insures our protection. We do not want to get caught so early in our attack. I point to one of the barracks for the royal brigade here. 

King Maximus always kept warriors around him, I myself, being one of them once upon a time ago. We will ambush warriors here in the inside first. Fallon and his group has taken cared of the southern barrack.

I peer my head inside before dropping my hand down, signaling them. My sword appears in my hand, the air instantly becoming thicker. The warriors in the barracks notice my presence a second to late, and I emerge into the area. 

Spinning, my sword slashes down two creatures, and their life force leaves them. The warriors hastily grab their weapons, and I turn my attention to them, the blood of their comrades dripping of my blade. Their life forces are feeding my mana, and I level my gaze on the warriors that have frozen in place.

My group runs in at that moment, and there is bloodshed everywhere. The sound of metal meeting metal is a soothing balm to my chaotic nerves. Screams and grunts echo off the walls, and soon enough the opposing team's numbers start to dwindle down.

Grunting, I force my blade into the flesh of two elves, my blade going through both their bodies, and their eyes turn blank. The spark from their life forces makes me shake from the amount of energy. I nod to my group after we cleared the room, and we quietly divide off into groups. At this time, Fallon's group should have taken half of the castle. It is up to us to clear the other half.

Shouts and screams are mingling down the halls, and I cannot tell which side they are on. Running into the direction throne room, I need to clear that area before meeting Fallon in the main hall. I cross into the threshold, stumbling upon a horrifying scene.