Ileus: The Dark Prince

Anastasia jerked her head at the mention of Iona. 

"Do you mean that she was betrothed to him at that young age? Was that the reason why there was so much acrimony amongst those men? They think I am responsible for Iona's abduction?" She was talking to Guarhal for the first time about it, but then she was aware that they all knew. 

"Murtagh knows his place, Anastasia. He has fought many wars for his king, but he also knows where the crown prince stands. Ileus was looking forward to going to Draoidh with you, but this opposition has put his plans back to where it started from." 

"And now I am unbalancing the equation?" 

"Something like that." Guarhal got up and sauntered to the window. The rain was still pelting the glass pane. 

Anastasia cringed. "I didn't know—" she stopped and sighed. "What about you Guarhal? Are you a wizard, just like Ileus?" 

He laughed hard. "I wish I was as powerful as him." He spun and went back to his chair excitedly. "I am a wizard, a mozia." 

She frowned. "And what is a mozia?" 

"We are the private army of the queen, at her disposal. Mozias are recruited at a very young age and after that the only home they know of is their training ground. Haldir personally trains the Mozias. A mozia's fealty lies to the kingdom and the ruler."

Anastasia gasped. She comprehended that Mozias were the most superior warriors of the wizard kingdom. 

"When Ileus came for the mission," he recoiled a little at the mention of the word, 'mission', "Our instructions were plain and clear and it was Haldir who had briefed us about it." He pursed his lips and looked out of the window as if thinking about something. "But now things have changed… drastically." 

"I feel bad for what happened to Zlu and Carrick…" she said, as a shiver ran up her spine. "Darla just lost it." 

"Well, don't. Zlu and Carrick are in a better place… together. Where a mate goes, the other follows…" 

And suddenly it came down heavily on Anastasia. Ileus was her mate. He would follow her to the death, and she… she would too. She glanced out over to the pine tree that was swaying in the wind. Sun had disappeared behind the dense gray skies. "So only Kaizan and Darla are the werewolves amongst us?" 

"And Ileus." 

She grinned. 

"Haldir wanted to send only the Mozias with Ileus, but Kaizan couldn't be left out." 

"Why?" she asked, amused. 

His gaze cut to her and he rested back. "Dmitri and Adrianna had married before she was announced the undisputed queen of Draoidh. In order to bring the two kingdoms close, and to increase kinship, a treaty proposed by the two councils was signed between the Dmitri and Adrianna. In that a werewolf could form a blood bond with a wizard, if they wanted, and that bond stayed for life." 

She shot a stunned look at him. "Kaizan and Ileus formed a blood bond?" 

Guarhal nodded. "Kaizan is the son of Nate and Ookashi. Nate is Dmitri's beta and Kaizan will take over from him. And Darla is Liam and Fleur's adopted daughter." His gaze returned to the window outside where now instead of raindrop, soft flurries of snow were falling. "Kaizan is two years younger than Ileus. When they were of the age, Nate volunteered for his son to form a blood bond with Ileus. And Kaizan… he didn't even think twice. So now Kaiza's life is linked with Ileus'… forever." He exhaled. "Initially Darla wanted to form that bond with Ileus, but Adrianna refused. The queen can read the minds of people, she can communicate with the animals—you see I haven't seen a woman as strong as her. She must have read something about Darla and refused it." 

A sense of relief passed her that Darla wasn't bonded to him. "So Darla just volunteered to come?" 

"At first, there were just Zlu, Carrick, Kaizan and me. But then Darla volunteered and then Aidan somehow convinced Haldir that he wanted to be a part of the group. So that's how the team was formed." 

"Oh!" Anastasia's brows shot high. "Why are they so against me? I don't even know them." 

Suddenly the door opened and Guarhal's hand went to his dagger. However, he sighed with relief when they saw a very angry Ileus walking in. He banged the door close. "Damn those bastards!" he muttered a curse and those fangs showed. 

"I think I will leave you two alone," said Guarhal. Before closing the door behind him, he asked Ileus, "Where are Haldir and his men?" 

"They are still in the inn. You better keep a watch on them." A muscle ticked in his jaw as his eyes flickered a black. 

"What are we going to do with Darla? I feel she is now pretty unnecessary to the group." 

Ileus bit his lip. "Yes, ask her to go with Haldir. She is no longer needed." 

Guarhal closed the door. Ileus looked at her and then came to her. Instead of sitting on the bed, he knelt on the ground beside her. He held her hands in his and kissed them after caressing them lightly with his fingers. 

"I am so sorry for the fiasco you are in," she said. 

His lips curled up and his fangs showed. She had an urge to kiss him as a nest of butterflies swarmed inside. "You think I am bothered about the fiasco? It's you who I am bothered about." 

She leaned forward and cupped his cheeks and pressed a kiss on them and stole a lick over his fangs. Was she mad? When she pulled back she asked, "Why are they against me, Ileus?" 

He shook his head. "They aren't against you, they are against the faes. Aed Ruad had waged two wars against us after he became the Crown Prince." 

"You mean he sent the faes, but how is that possible? The faes turn into shadows as soon as they leave Vilinski." She gasped. "Oh, you mean the fallen ones?" 

"Do you remember I told you that they collect people from nearby villages and train them for their armies?" 

Her hands went to her mouth. "Oh gods!" 

"Over the past few years, Aed Ruad has been doing that a lot. On his command these recruits were sent to wage wars. Murtagh had fought against them and won. That's why he is against the faes. And you are not just a recruit, you are the supposed queen of the faes." 

Her body trembled. With such history, she could kiss goodbye to her plan of meeting Adrianna. She was so troubled that a frown formed on her forehead. Ileus rubbed her forehead and said, "Don't think too much about it." His golden eyes stared into her sapphire blue eyes. "Do you know what is the best way to deal with this situation?" 

"I don't see any," she said in a defeated tone. 

He held her hands in his and covered them completely. "Do you know how most political alliances are formed between kingdoms?"

She gave him a blank look. 

He pressed a kiss to her hands again with his soft lips that stirred butterflies in her belly. And then he said, "Anastasia, will you marry me?"