Chapter One: Death of the Queen

At first, the maid thought that the Queen was sitting cross-legged in her bed, but she froze after the stark realization that the Queen's legs were no longer attached to her body. The soft, white blankets on the bed had turned red with blood as her legs had been torn from her, and placed carefully on her lap.
    Horrified, the maid ran from the room, and grabbed the nearest guard she could find. In rushed, panicked words, she told him that the Queen had been murdered, and someone needed to be notified. After informing the guard, the maid ran off down the hall, crying her eyes out.
    But lucky for the little maid, she hadn't seen all that had been done to the Queen. The Queen's head Advisor Eushen was the first to arrive at the Queen's chambers that bright, sunny dawn.
He had to lean against the wall for support after seeing the body, and he felt like vomiting. The Queen's intestines had been spooned out of her stomach and her heart placed on one of the bedposts, stuck with what looked to be at least a couple hundred needles.
Even though his heart broke at the though of his Queen dead, he had seen horrendous battles in his life time. No, it was the smell of something cooking in the hearth that disturbed him. He didn't want to imagine what it could possibly be.
    Eushen's legs trembled as he walked over to the pot hanging over the hearth. He held a hand to his mouth, biting down on his forefinger to distract himself from the smell and dread of discovering what was inside.
    He used his free hand to lift the lid of the pot, and gasped in anguish with what he saw inside.
    The Queen had an heir; a little boy born the year before. No one knew exactly who the Queen's lover had been, but everyone had accepted Prince Cai into their hearts. Eushen especially loved him. Prince Cai was the Queen's only child. She'd never married.
Bright blonde hair was now nothing but ashes, surrounded by a red, raw face. Marrow hissed and crackled as it fell onto the hot surface of the pot. The body of Prince Cai had been hacked to pieces, stuffed into this pot to cook.
    Grief-stricken, Eushen's legs would no longer support him. He crawled to the farthest wall of the Queen's chambers. He couldn't control himself any longer. Tears rolled down his cheeks, and he began to sob quietly. He rocked back and forth, his legs drawn up to his chest.

* * *

    She didn't belong there. He knew the the instant he saw her frilly pink dress and tussel of golden curls. Curious, he followed her for a while through the market. Where are her parents? He wondered, watching her stumble over a woven basket beside one of the stalls.
    She quickly regained her composure, and proceeded down the cobbled street. She skipped as she walked, almost as if she were having fun amongst the poor people around her. They didn't bother her, as they would some nobles. For surely she was some nobleman's child, who had wandered away from whoever should have been watching her.
    He would be missed soon himself, as he was supposed to be waiting for his father to come back from the sea. But he couldn't tear his eyes away from this little girl who was so far away from her own world.
    The docks were a dangerous place for outsiders. Poor people feared and loathed respectability as much as they postured themselves whenever some noble was around. The only reason they did so, as his father had told him, was to gain a bit of copper. Nobles didn't like beggars either, his mother had told him before she'd died in childbirth. Nobles merely gave them coin to make them go away before they soiled their lily white hands.
    His father never begged, and he was determined that he never would either.
    As he followed her, he became more and more alarmed with where she was heading. This was a very bad place. Not only were there beggars here, but muggers too. Dressed the way she was, and so young, she would be a prime target. She wouldn't have many coins on her, but she would have jewelry. Or maybe those pretty pins that tried unsuccessfully to tame her wild curls.
    He picked up his pace. He didn't want to be here himself, and he had to lead her in another direction. "Wait!" He called out to her.
    She turned to him, frowning. She was younger than he'd first thought. Maybe eight; four years his junior. She was tall for her age, and very pretty. She came nearly to his shoulder. "You don't want to go there." He said quickly. "That's a bad place."
    "What?" She inquired, tilting her head at him. "Who are you anyway?"
    "Eushen." He replied. "You?"
    "Ana." She told him. "Why have you been following me?"
    "I don't know." He admitted. "But don't go that way. You should go back to your guardian, where it's safe."
    "You don't talk like everyone else." This was almost an accusation.
    "No. Thanks to my mother, I'm somewhat educated."
    "We don't have places like this where I'm from." She told me. "I want to see everything."
    He shook his head. "I can't let you go in there. I won't go down those streets either, and I'm used to this town. You'll be mugged, raped, or killed. Maybe all three."
    "What's raped?"
    He grimaced. "I don't know either, but I know it hurts a woman and makes her scream. Mama told me it's the worst thing that could happen to a girl, so I don't want that to happen to you."
    "Why should you care? You don't know me."
    "Doesn't matter if I know you or not. You're a female, and much younger than me, so I have to protect you."
    "No, you don't."
    He smiled. "You don't know many men, do you?"
    "Only my Papa." She grinned back.
    "Where is your Papa, Ana? I should take you back to him before you get into trouble."
    She shrugged carelessly. "I don't wanna go back yet. Then I'll be trapped again."
    "Trapped?"
    "Caged. Like a little bird. I'm tired of being caged. I wanna see the rest of the world. I wanna make friends, and laugh. I want to ride on one of those wooden boats, and go swimming in the ocean."
    He laughed. "My father is using our wooden boat right now. Otherwise, I'd ask him if I could borrow it for you. I'd row you out so you can see the ocean, and all the beautiful fish that dwell within it."
    "You really would?" Her green eyes lit up at the thought.
    "Yep. But I would really have to ask your Papa first, I guess."
    She shook her head quickly. "No! He'd never let me!"
    His smiled died with her sudden outburst. "I don't know if I should take you then." He said regretfully. "If something happened while we were away from shore, I'd be held responsible."
    "But I really want to go. I wanna be free, Eushen. If for only one day. Will you take me when your father comes back? Then I promise that I'll return to Papa without any more trouble."
    "Don't think I can do that, Ana." He said.
    She stomped her foot. "Fine! Then I'll find someone who will!"
    He grabbed her arm without thinking so she couldn't storm away. "Okay." He said, dropping her arm as he realized that he had touched her. He shouldn't have done that. She could tell her father that he had molested her, and he could be tossed in prison.
    But she smiled, and took his hand. "It's okay." She said, tossing her hair. "I don't care if your hands aren't completely clean. You'll really take me?"
    "I'd rather do it myself than you go find someone else. You don't know the trash that live on these docks."

* * *


This was how the other two Advisors found him half an hour later.
    Nikele kneeled beside him. "Eushen." He said gently. "Can you hear me?"
    Unable to reply, Eushen merely nodded.
    "I have to get you out of here. We'll finish the investigation after we've got you in your bed." Nikele motioned to Baris, the other Advisor.
    The two of them together had to drag him down the hallway to his own chamber. "Stay here and rest." Nikele ordered him.
    Eushen grabbed his arm as he turned away. "When we know who did this, that person is mine." He growled.
    "Okay." Nikele agreed with a sigh. "Eushen, get some rest. Don't do anything rash. We must be completely sure that we have the right person."
    Nikele and Baris finished the investigation of the Queen's chambers a couple hours later, both pale and shaken as they walked into the hall. "Keep the details of this as quiet as possible. We have to think about what happens now. As the Queen's Advisors, it's up to us to provide a new liege."
    Baris rubbed his two chins. "Well, I think it's obvious now who the Queen's lover was."
    "Yeah." Nikele sighed wearily. "Poor Eushen. I don't know if he can survive this."
    "But he's the most likely candidate now. Besides, Askura needs a new Guardian now that the Queen is gone. Who is better suited for the job than one of us? We can't wait too long. If Eushen doesn't agree, it will have to be either you or me."
    "Queen Xiliana would have named him her heir if there was no one else. After all, she'd chosen him above all the men in Askura to bear his child. It has to be him who takes her place now."
    "I'm curious though. What sort of monster murdered the Queen?" Baris asked him. "Her legs were literally ripped from her body. That wasn't a blade cut."
    Nikele frowned at him. "A demon. It has to be. Nothing else could be so cruel. Or so strong. We'll have to find it quickly, and notify Nysteria before the situation is beyond our control."
    "If that was a demon, then someone in our Court is a traitor. A demon couldn't get through the barrier unless someone let it in."

* * *

He didn't know what to do with her while he waited for his father to come home, so he took her to their house. She sat at the old, tarnished table, glancing around curiously. "You're really poor, aren't you?" She asked quietly.
    He shrugged. "I guess so."
    "Does it bother you that you have money while us nobles have so much?"
    "Not really. I'd rather be free and poor than rich and caged."
    "I wish I could stay here." She told him. "I wouldn't care either. You can come and go as you please, can't you?"
    "Pretty much." He agreed, placing a cup of tea before her. "My mother brought this tea with her when she married my father. One of the few things that she took from her home when she ran away. She was a caged bird too."
    "Oh. She was noble? I guess that's why you speak so well."
    "Lesser noble. Her father wanted her to marry higher up, so she ran away to be with the man she truly loved. I asked her once if she regretted her choice, and she claimed that she did not."
    "I see." She murmured, and sipped the tea. "Oh! It's spiced gargila! I love this tea! But Papa rarely gets it, as he says that it's not a proper tea for a lady to drink."
    "Maybe not here." Eushen admitted. "It's from the islands of Irsaba. That's why I have such dark hair and eyes. My skin is also a lot darker than yours. Some of it's from the sun, but most of it is natural."
    "Your mother was from there?"
    "Yeah. She met my father when she traveled here with her entourage. She was going to meet the man her father had betrothed her to, and my father was their guide. He wasn't just a fisherman back then. He was a guide and a warrior, and known in these parts for his swordsmanship. He's been teaching me too, and is talking about going back to his old business now that my mother is gone. He wants me to join him."
    "But wouldn't that be dangerous?"
    "Yeah. That's why mother asked him to be a fisherman instead. She couldn't bear the thought of him being away for so long, never knowing if he were safe or not. But he was also worried about leaving her by herself. The docks aren't safe for women. Especially educated ones."   
    He went over to the cupboard, and pulled down a small glass container. He walked back over to her, and took her hand. "My father would not mind if I gave you some. There's a lot more in the cellar, as mother only brewed this tea on special occassions."
    "Really? For me?" She clutched the container to her chest, and gave him a dazzling smile. "You're so nice, Eushen. Will you be my friend?"
    He laughed. "I thought I already was."
    The door opened suddenly, and she jumped guiltily. A tall, thin man with graying brown hair walked inside, tossing a net full of fresh fish on the table. Then he noticed their guest. "Oh. Boy, I wondered why you weren't waiting for me." He said with a smile. He took the net of fish off the table, and walked into the small room adjacent to the kitchen. "Sorry, my dear. I didn't see you at first."
    "It's okay." She assured him. "Can I watch?"
    "Huh?" He glanced at his son. "Eushen, what's going on anyway?"
    "I found her wandering in the market. I want to take her for a boat ride."
    "Wait a moment." He muttered. He disappeared into the other room for a moment, and there was the sound of running water. When he returned, his hands were scrubbed clean.
    He stared down at the little girl. "Bright as your mother was dark." He said softly. "Okay, boy. Take her for a ride on the boat, but only a short distance. Then take her back home, for her father must be worried sick."
    "My name is Ana." She told Eushen's father.
    "Talach." He told her. "I'm sorry that I can't stay and chat, but I have a lot of fish to clean before they begin to rot. Maybe when you come next time we can sit down to a nice supper."
    "I would like that." She said with a smile, meaning it with all her heart.
    He flashed her a smile, and retreated back to the room where he'd left his fish. "Have her back home before dark." He called to his son.
    "Okay, Father." Eushen agreed.

* * *

Eushen paced his chamber restlessly. He couldn't sleep. He kept seeing Xiliana and Cai in his dreams. One moment they were alive and beautiful. The next, they were corpses rotting in a coffin, worms wriggling through their chopped up bodies. He had to do something. He had to find the person or thing that had done this terrible, soul-wrenching thing.
    His first thought was to gather everyone together in the Hall, and demand answers. However, after thinking it through, he decided that discretion was the better course. Whoever the murderer was, he would find them without accusing innocent people.
    A knock came upon his door, startling him. "Who is it?" He demanded, his hand automatically reaching for the sword at his hip.
    "Nikele." Came the hoarse, quiet voice. "May we come in?"
    "Okay." He relaxed, his hand falling away from the hilt. "Come in, but I don't really feel like talking. Unless you know who killed them."
    Nikele opened the door, and the two men entered the room. They were pale and sad, their eyes red from the effort to keep from crying with the loss of their beloved Queen. Eushen turned away from them. His misery was enough. He couldn't share with others.
    "Eushen, we need to talk to you about something. I realize it's not the time, but--"
    "Do you know who did that yet?" Eushen interrupted.
    "Not yet, but we think it was a demon. Someone probably helped it past the barrier. Once we find it, we can contact Nysteria and have someone come deal with it. As for the traitor who allowed the thing access, of course you may deal with them as you please."
    "I see." Eushen muttered. "So an investigation of the Court is in order."
    "Yes." Baris agreed. "But this isn't what we need to talk to you about."
    "Eushen." Nikele said softly. "I know you don't want to hear this, but it's necessary. A new Guardian is needed. Only you meet the qualifications to become Askura's new ruler."
    "How do you figure?" Eushen asked rather coldly.
    "We know that Queen Xiliana chose you to be the father of her son. She would want you to rule if something happened to her."
    "You're right." Eushen replied angrily. "I don't want to hear this. How do you know that any way? Did Xiliana tell you?"
    "No. We figured it out on our own." Baris told him. "Then it wasn't Queen Xiliana who asked you to stay silent? You asked her?"
    "She asked me to marry her." Eushen said miserably, collapsing on the edge of his bed. "But I told her that I wasn't worthy of her, and people would look down upon her for choosing me when she could have had anyone far more honorable than I. I was just a fisherman's son before she asked me to be her Advisor. I'm no one.   
    "She said she didn't care. But I did. I didn't want anyone to think that she was sleeping with trash. So I asked her to keep our relationship a secret, and let the people believe that she'd been dallying with someone of note."
    "That is," Nikele said, "The dumbest thing I've ever heard you say. You may have low beginnings, but the Queen trusted you more than anyone else. Everyone respects and admires you, and the ladies would line up to run to your bed if you ever showed interest in them. But no, the one lady you do show interest in was Queen Xiliana, and you refused even her.
    "But the point is that no one would have thought badly for her loving you. In fact, all of us would have been glad to know that she had found someone after all this time who would treat her kindly, and love her in return."
    "I wasn't good enough for her."
    "Shut up!" Baris roared, grabbing Eushen by the front of his shirt. "You don't understand anything! Whatever might of been is past. We have to think of the future of Askura. If a new Guardian isn't chosen soon, then there's no one to protect the Gate underneath the palace. As it is, there's a demon here somewhere, and no one is doing a damn thing about finding it. If we wait too long, it will locate the Gate and open it. Do you know what will happen then?"
    Eushen stared at him, then rubbed his red, swollen eyes. "Very well. You're right, Baris. First thing we have to do is regain our composure, and find the demon. We'll worry about finding a new Guardian later. I can't think about that now.
    "Baris, contact Nysteria. Tell them that we need a couple of their guys here now. And also, I want to borrow one of their weapons. I want to be the one to kill the thing." His dark brown eyes hardened with an eerie light, and a shiver went over Baris's spine.
    Eushen's eyes flickered to Nikele. "Nikele, get a few of the most trusted guards, and start a thorough investigation of what happened here last night. I want the entire palace questioned and accounted for. If someone cannot answer your questions, or looks suspicious, throw them in the dungeon until I can talk to them myself."
    "Yes." Nikele said. "My lord."
    Eushen sighed. "Don't start that, Nikele. No matter what happens, we're still old friends."
    After the two left to follow his instructions, Eushen stood up wearily. All he wanted to do was go to bed and never wake up. He didn't want to care that a demon might open the gate to Talgara. Nothing was left in this world that meant anything to him. But Xiliana...she would berate him for lack of action. Everything he'd done had been to please her. Except the one thing he couldn't give her; his name. He hadn't been able to protect her or their child either.
    Xiliana had loved her people though, and had ruled with a strong yet gentle hand. If he failed to find her murderer, he would surely rue it even in the afterlife. Before he could rest, he had to find that demon. If afterwards he still felt like dying, he would. The rest of the world be damned. The remaining Advisors could choose a new Guardian between themselves or someone else. It didn't matter.