Heart Over Sword-Chapter 259: Lyvarian Court (3)

Evanna kept dodging vines, sharp wooden splinters and moss that curled around her feet and tried to sink her and slow her down. The king’s powers were truly terrifying, and she could tell in the moments of heaving for breath, Nuvian was enjoying watching her dance. She was tired quicker than she would normally and snarled after seeing her grandfather enjoying himself, causing her pain and almost dying.

By now, Evanna had a few cuts on her arms and legs from the thorns or missing an occasional splinter. She hopped over a vine, slid under another and used one of the guards as a shield and pushed him in front of her. Guilt knotted her stomach when the vine wrapped around him and squeezed.

The elf screamed until he burst, and guts and blood exploded. Evanna moved her head to the side, hoping it didn’t spray on her, but kept the king in her sights. He seemed annoyed by the guard who got in his way.

"*Time to finish this old man!*" Her words made his eyes sharpen, and she knew he didn’t appreciate being called old.

She sprinted towards him, calling her own powers, creating a thorny vine slithering around the ones going towards her. She used them to tighten around the king’s, halting their movements before she slipped in and out of the entangled vines that were like some enchanted forest inside the hall now.

Evanna caressed the king’s vines and watched as the colour drained from them, the life leaking out like golden dust that swirled beneath the surface of her skin on her hands. One by one, the king’s vines dropped with a heavy thud to the ground, shrivelling up. Now Evanna could feel the life force of his plants coiling inside her chest. The act of using her powers should have drained her, but she’d taken it from the king; the power was like warm honey empowering her.

Slowly, Evanna’s steps started to echo in the palace that had her own creation of vines continuously growing upwards. Now, the king’s plants were dead on the ground. With each step Evanna took, the green in the moss turned brown. King Nuvian smirked, seeming eager, and some other emotion flashed across his eyes, but she didn’t know what to make of it or if she was trying to see something that was not there.

The king seemed... proud of her? Evanna internally shook her head. The king could not be proud of her. He did not know her.

Evanna cartwheeled to the side as a new vine shot straight towards her. Though she dodged this time, it didn’t waste time chasing her. Evanna groaned her frustration and glared at the king. She was done playing games.

Locking onto his gaze, she ignored the thick vine shooting towards her and focused on the king. Calling to her powers, a chill ran through her as she located the puzzle piece she found to be King Nuvian’s key to unlocking his mind. It took her only a few seconds, possibly too long, before she grabbed onto the dark tendrils.

"Stop," Evanna muttered, halting the vine a few inches from her face. She’d been so close, but this was a lot of strain on her body. Her hand reached for the vine, and it dropped dead from the life force she sucked from it.

Beads of sweat formed on her forehead as she traipsed through the last of the king’s and Evanna’s creations. "Now, lower yourself to the ground. And allow us to talk civilly."

The guards on the outskirts shifted on their feet, looking to their king and queen for commands. Evanna was waltzing towards them, hoping to finish it and release her power. She couldn’t keep taking from the vines, and she was utterly spent. A drop of blood formed at her nose.

After taking down the dragon and using her powers so quickly without enough time to let her body recover, Evanna dabbed at her nose, stopping just before the king, who now stood on the ground. A slow, almost mocking clap echoed through the hall, and Evanna’s head swivelled to the Queen.

Evanna released her powers and the hold on the king. She was breathing heavily now and glanced back at the golden fairy. His expression was full of wonder. Returning her gaze to the Queen, she had a slight smirk on her lips.

"*Will you please release my friends now?*" Evanna asked tightly.

The Queen motioned the guards to release the group. Evanna sighed, feeling her fatigue now weighing her body down. But she came here on a mission.

"*I was not expecting my powers to awaken in a half-breed,*" the Queen murmured, looking at the king.

"*You are your mother’s daughter.*" King Nuvian nodded, crossing his arms with a wide, devilish grin on his lips. If she didn’t get chills, she would state it was a beautiful smile.

"*Our daughter did not spite us so much to keep your mother tongue from you. I am glad to hear you speak so fluently,*" Queen Iolena added in some backhanded approval about Loraven.

Evanna glared at the Queen. "I did not come all this way to hear what you do and do not approve of my mother," she said firmly, keeping her chin high and ignoring the slither of ice down her spine.

King Nuvian burst into laughter, clapping his hands while Queen Iolena assessed her with a tight smile. "Indeed... You speak so... openly." There was a threat in the words.

Evanna read through the lines: Speak so openly and see what happens.

"It is refreshing," King Nuvian added, nodding in approval. Evanna didn’t know what to make of that. The King seemed a little nuts and... cruel. He did kill one of his guards and seemed annoyed more than anything.

The queen cut the king a look, but he glowered at her and started towards Evanna. "You and your company have travelled far. And you smell." He said flatly, looking at Evanna and then behind her at her comrades with a look of disdain. "Freshen up, stay the night. Tomorrow we will discuss the reason for your visit."

Evanna was tense as the king’s hand landed on her shoulder. She looked up at him, noting his height before looking behind her at her friends.

Arawn’s eyes flicked between Evanna and King Nuvian; they were so similar, minus the golden aura around the wicked king. The fairy king had quite feminine looks, though his eyes were piercing and cold. It was especially obvious standing beside Evanna.

Arawn then looked at the Queen and could see the resemblance, almost mirror images besides the colour of their eyes and the way the Queen was full of hard edges, glass-like skin cracked beneath the surface, the beauty merely a cover to the dark insides of her twisted heart. He looked at his Evanna again, noting the light behind her eyes even if they were hardened from grief.

She’d taken on the king and queen, and they were all still alive. Though he wasn’t sure how he felt about staying in the palace. They wouldn’t outright assassinate them, but Arawn wouldn’t sleep properly until they were safely away from these lands once more. They could not deny their hospitality, though.

Evanna knew this as well. She looked back at the king, her voice strong, even though she had to be tired. He could see the slight tremors of fatigue. "Only for the night. It is imperative we return as soon as possible."

"Is that so?" The king drawled, looking thoughtful.

Evanna realised she sounded incredibly rude and bowed her head with a slight curtsy. "Thank you for your hospitality, but we will not overstay our welcome."

"*Spoken like a true princess. Very well. Eat, sleep and dance with us tonight, for tomorrow, we will discuss what is so urgent you risked entering the palace after being greeted by our dragon.*"

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