02 The Assailant

The figure faced Alina with what she assumed was a glare fixed on her, in her panic she stepped backward tripping over a stool that was in the process of being put away.

She gasped, falling backward onto the velvet carpeted floor and giving the assailant enough time to approach her.

Green eyes looked up at the engraved blade glinting in the moonlight, her mind went blank, in the face of such terror, amidst a thousand spells and rune bindings nothing came to mind. Not even the faintest hint of an attack spell.

'Is this truly the end for me?' she thought, dragging herself away.

"Death to the false heir!" the figure said raising the knife above his head to strike. Alina turned away, grabbing the nearest object she could and swinging.

It turned out to be the stool she had tripped over. She lifted it, swinging hard and meeting the blade halfway.

The knife pierced the cushion, spreading feathers everywhere as the runes activated to shred the furniture to pieces, the same thing he intended to do to her.

Alina took off running towards the door, setting off the runes for her dresser and furniture.

An array of clothes came flying out of closets and dressers to wrap and bind the man.

"Alina!" a voice said bursting into the room, at the sound of her father's head guard she leaped towards him, grabbing his arm to point at the intruder who currently battled lavish ball gowns and accessories from her dresser.

"There!" Alina said pointing in desperation, the head guard's sharp eyes glared at the figure who dared intrude upon the heiress's room. With a gesture he sent his men running in the direction of the assailant.

Men in silver armor rushed forward, swatting away the flurry of fabric to grab hold of the figure who held the knife posed to strike anyone of them that came close.

The blade struck one but no damage was done. A clang of metal was heard as the engraved blade tried again to cause harm to the fifth house's guards but the dark figure was simply grabbed and wrestled to the floor grunting and screaming.

"Ferdinand what's going to happen to him," Alina asked watching the guard bind the man's hands with some containment magic.

Ferdinand was a tall muscular man about her father's age. He stood at 6'5 with warm caramel skin that contrasted his silver armor.

His muscular frame was so large he had armor custom fitted for him, dark hair fell in curls around his face while serious brown eyes surveyed the scene.

"I knew the night of your appointment ceremony there was bound to be trouble," he said.

His eyes fell on her, a hand adorned in a sliver gauntlet rested its hand on her shoulder. Ferdinand smiled.

"It's alright, we already caught two of them this evening," He said to calm her.

But Alina's fears were not assuaged.

By her calculations that meant three men had come to the manor to kill her before her father could appoint her his successor, even though it wasn't official everyone by now knew who she was.

Alina Valenti, heiress to the fifth house of the Emperor's advisory council. One of the most sought-after positions in all of Orlon.

"Why would anyone want to kill me? Is there some infighting among the fifth house?" Alina asked. Ferdinand retracted his hand, his graying eyebrows knitted and he seemed hesitant to tell her anything.

Alina watched the guards carry the restrained man out of the room, now unmasked he seemed to be a youth about her age with a crazed look in his eyes.

"Death to the false heir! Death to the false heir!" he screamed at the top of his lungs, many of the manor's residents had come out of the rooms watching and gasping as they saw a man being carried out of the heiress's room.

"Lady Valenti!" the head maid called, rushing to Alina's side instantly. "Are you alright my lady?"

"Don't worry Martha, she's only a bit shaken up. Our Alina is a fighter, she will surely lead our house to greatness," Ferdinand said patting Alina gently.

Alina nodded absentmindedly, her eyes following the guards as they took their captive down, presumably towards the basement area that served as holding cells for all criminals before they were handed over to the Emperor's guards.

"But who would dare attack the heiress of the fifth house?" Martha asked.

Ferdinand shushed the old maid.

"All that matters is the assailant has been caught, Alina needs her rest for the ceremony tomorrow," he said.

"Right," Alina said, she thanked the head guard and returned to her room.

----------

Alina sighed as she stared at the mess the whole debacle had caused, precious dresses now lay in tatters on the floor with deep cuts and rips in the fabrics of others. She looked at the jewelry, in pieces on the carpeted floor and knelt.

Each article of clothing and each piece of jewelry had done their part to protect her.

Alina's eyes scanned the pieces until her green eyes fell upon a necklace she had seen earlier.

The milky lilac stone shimmered under the light of her room.

Alina picked it up to inspect. She had never seen this stone before, her father had taught her about the numerous magical ores that could be mined around the empire but never had any of his descriptions fit this stone.

"I do hope this isn't connected to this night's incident," she said. Her suspicions were growing but for now, she was too tired to do anything about it.

Rising from the ground, she made her way to the bed. Her blankets now sporting a deep gash in the middle where the man had tried to kill her.

"A new bed can be ordered tomorrow, I just need to get some rest. Father might be there," Alina said.

She tucked herself under the blankets giving her room one last glance before she turned on her side to let sleep take her.