19

Day and heat ruled over the castle of the werewolf kingdom much more than Victor.

Rody was busy doing a frequent thing for him - combing his friend's hair.

This activity calmed Roderick, caring for Wentworth's hair reduced the fear of the marriage that he was about to have.

The intertwining strands began to flutter in the air.

— What are you doing? Hey, Rody!—Wentforth asked warily.

— I'm weaving you a braid. Your hair won't bother you.— a hand strokes a wild mane.

Karsten covers his eyes, his friend's hands are just impossibly pleasant.

Everyone needs to look good today, because today is the King's sixteenth birthday...

***

— Wentfort!— Victor was smiling all over his mouth. It was that sweetest smile again, like a child's.— I've been waiting for you! You look wonderful, this braid suits you perfectly...—

Wentworth put his gift in front of the king.

The box glittered with colors brighter than precious stones.

— How... How beautiful it is...—Victor whispered softly.

— Open it.—Wentworth answered him.

On the velvet lay a pendant, a pendant with a chain, a beautiful stone resembled the full moon almost perfectly. So after all, it was made in the shape of the moon.

—Oh, gods! Wentworth...— Victor reached out to the adviser and touched his cheek, coming to his senses in time.— I'll thank you later...—

— Believe me, my king, this is the highest gratitude.—Wentworth brushed Victor's hair aside and threw the pendant around his neck.

The clever lock, which Karsten had invented himself, deftly snapped shut.

— Oh, how it is... Believe me, I will never take it off...—

Looking into Victor's eyes, Wentworth tried to throw off the direction of his own thoughts.

How handsome he is...

***

Wentfort Karsten was humming some song while dancing with Victor in his chambers.

The scent of sleep seemed to hover around him. Everything was shrouded in such a pleasant drunken haze, an aura of joy filled everything, as if there was no need to think about anything.

All the problems flew away on smoky wings.

— I'm so happy to have met you, Wentworth...—Victor said softly.

— We would have met anyway. For some reason, I am completely sure of this. We're the same species... And one whole...—Wentworth says softly.

***

War...

As you do not stand over the threads of time, such events come suddenly.

— Burn all vampires to the ground for the glory of the king!—Wentfort orders loudly.

Rody refused to take part in all this.

The leader of the tribe of northern vampires, a Viking named Bjorn, held a giant axe in his hands. His white hair fluttered in the moonlight.

The guy was commanded by pale creatures, once perhaps, who were people, flowed out of the caves in a large stream.

Bjorn's eyes simply radiated this wild Scandinavian barbarian madness. Wentworth, staring into these gray, the color of a stormy sky, pockets of madness, from sudden fear missed one blow and the hammer hit him on the temple.

His head rang, even vision began to blur.

Bjorn's fangs were very close, but Victor managed to grab his friend, it took him a second.

His reaction was instantaneous, and with vampires, this is very important.

A slight movement of the belt like a whip and Victor pulled Wentworth as close to him as possible.

Running, Karsten jumps onto one of the branches, knocking down one of the vampires with his feet.

The ground went out from under his feet and Wentworth felt a blow on his back.

Everything began to swim before my eyes.

— Victor!—Wentworth rushed with the selected axe at the rider who flew out from behind the tree.

The sword swing at the king stopped.

Wentworth froze.

The helmet flew off his head when he fell.

Victor screamed at the top of his voice.

Tears froze in his eyes ...

***

— Bury the traitor?—Someone in the crowd said contemptuously.

Wentworth sat down next to the coffin. Choking with crying, he clung to the cold shoulder.

The armor was as cold as the corpse itself.

Roderick Winged-Rice...

— Sorry...—Wentworth whispers, crying, falling to his knees in front of the coffin.

Everyone's gone, only he's here and the dead man.

— Damn you forever...— either it was delirium because of the broken state, or the lips of the corpse really moved.

And Victor left so calmly...

Wentforth screamed heart-rendingly. He screamed and screamed until his breathing stopped altogether.

— I'm sorry, Rodi... I'm sorry...—The king's adviser whispered hoarsely in a broken voice.

Suddenly, the morning of ten days ago flashed through the head...

***

Ten days earlier...

— What's your fiancee's name?—Wentworth asks Rody when he returns with the jug.

Even in the palace, they always brought wine to each other themselves.

— Vail... Velliana, more precisely. It's a strange name, but I am... I fell in love with her very quickly...—Rody stared dreamily into the void.

— Can I attend your wedding as an honored guest? —

***

... Wentfort wiped his tears with his hand.

Life was empty without Rody's sweet and perky smile.

—Wentworth!— seeing Karsten in the corridor, Victor quickened his pace.

— I'm going away on personal business. Do you need me?—Wentworth asked in a tone of duty, ignoring the hugs.

— Wentworth.. All right, if you need to...—The king sighed.

Wentfort Karsten ran up the stairs so fast that he was surprised afterwards how his tired legs beat such a fraction on the stone steps.

He was looking for this girl, asking almost everyone about this Velliana.

— That's where the servants live. Most likely, she is still there, if the king did not execute the traitor's bride!—one of the guards said.

The old door creaks open.

— What do you need?— the knife thrust forward almost buries itself in the chest.— Now you've come to kill me...—

— I didn't mean it, Velliana... Believe me, I didn't want to...— Karsten speaks softly and hollowly.

It was as if the life had been taken out of his voice.

— Yes, yes, how can I not believe the chief royal adviser!— the girl said with a growl.— Go away. Go away or I'll kill myself!—

She put the blade of the knife to her throat.

— I'll leave. Just tell me: why did Rodi want to kill the king?—Wentworth asked quietly.

— The King has lost his mind. He wants to subdue everyone and destroy everything, absolutely all races! The power blinded him...—

***

The words were pounding in his heart and coming up in a lump in his throat.

Victor grabbed Wentworth by the waist as he came out.

— How are you? I understand that all this is killing you... Can I be with you to make it easier for the two of us?— the kiss feels somehow unpleasant.

The bitterness of tears remained on his lips.

— Come here...— Wentworth grabs the king in his arms. A clear nose senses the smell of stunning shiny black curls.

They don't smell like the sun anymore...

***

Wentfort twirled a knife in his fingers. He took it from Vaila. Rodi's knife. All that's left of a good time.

Those words were still a thorn somewhere in the region of the heart.

If Wentworth still has a heart...

The guy got out of bed. His eyes hated their own reflection, and his hair had stopped moving now.

And the knife is most welcome...

strands fall to the floor, blood drips. There is not even blood in the places where the fire of the Viking torch fell on the hair.

The past... Down with the past!

And his heart, his heart is dying... He ceases to feel, ceases to love ...

the soul is covered with an icy crust.

— Do not resist, you will still be hanged on the square for treason!—someone shouted.

— Guards!—flashed through the head and immediately appeared the most worthy answer to the question "why?"

The guards were dragging Vail.

Wentworth reached for the sword at his belt.

— We are ordered to execute traitors and all those who will intercede for them! And I don't care about the power they have!—The guards thrust their spears forward.

Their heads flew off quickly.

— Here!—Wentworth led the girl into his chambers and handed her a man's shirt and trousers.— Change your clothes, now I'll take you behind the closet! —

He noticed Vaila's strongly protruding stomach.

— Thanks...— the girl said softly.

She followed him down the secret passage.

Wentworth pushed the cabinet back with difficulty.

Running without a torch was a bit hard even for him, but it was the only way to escape without attracting attention.

Around the bend, it is not known by what account, there was a branch.

He don't think she was here before... There can't even be branches in the stone passage!

A heartbreaking female scream that ends abruptly.

Victor's cane... Victor's cane with a blade!

Victor's crazy face appears in front of the apostate, not so beautiful anymore. His hands are covered in blood, and in his clenched fist is the stopped heart of a young maidservant.

— What a pity...—Victor hissed angrily through his teeth.— I'm so sorry...—