The Mountains Blade

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Sixteen- The Obsidian King

Perhaps she shouldn't have volunteered to go in place of her sister.

Elwyn quickly reprimanded herself for such a thought. Of course she should have, she was meant to protect her at no cost. 

The cost currently bit into her bare feet. She shivered loudly as they walked into the backside of the castle, directly through dark victorian doors into the throne room. 

The throne room was massive, the walls were more than three stories high, windows scaling to the top, draped black curtains shading some of the reflecting icy rain; that had began to pelt down halfway through their walk. 

Elwyns feet slapped against the midnight floor, the air was dark and stale, doing nothing to shield her from the colds wrath outside. Thunder had began to rain heavily down and a few of the men looked on with bewilderment as ice clung to trees and the edge of their beards. 

Elwyn let out a heavy cough, the men looking at her in annoyance as she shivered profusely. Her nose had began to run and Aldric smiled cruelly at her.

It was not a friendly smile in the least. He sauntered up to the throne, it practically swallowed him with its massiveness. 

He lounged on it as if it were nothing, legs throne over its sleek black arms. 

It was terrifyingly beautiful. Like other throne rooms, the rest of it was empty, aside from a long red carpeted walkway to the throne. 

"I'm going to my room, just leave the girl. I'm tired." Aldric said flinging himself from the chair. Elwyn watched as his face contorted into fear. The color drained from his perfectly white skin.  

Elwyn felt the room shift, eyes turned to behind her. She froze as she felt power and something else crash over her. Her limbs took that moment to let her tired body fall to the hard throne rooms floor. 

Arms caught her before she could have her skull crack against the ground. 

"Who did this?" A voice growled close enough that Elwyn felt the hairs on her neck rise. 

Elwyn realized then that the persons whose strong arms held her was Evander Kane. Exhaustion kept her from opening her eyes and seeing the face of the man who smelled of earth and rain. 

She heard the faintness of angered speech before her world clouded into the warmth of the king who held her. 

~

Waking up had never felt so difficult. Elwyn groaned in pain as she pushed herself up from the mountain of deep green cashmere and velvet blankets. She felt much warmer. Elwyn took note that she had been changed (again), this time into a thick fleece pajama dress. She had warm socks that covered her once frozen toes, although they still ached from so long being in the chilled autumn air. 

She felt her stomach lightly, her bandage had been changed and by the smell of coconut, she had been bathed or at least wiped down. The thought made her shudder. 

The room she was in was immaculate. It made her bedroom seem dull in comparison. There was a dark desk that was made of marble, stretching a good ten feet with papers neatly piled atop it. There was a polished black wardrobe and a door leading to the closet. Another door led to the grand bathroom, which from what she could see was huge, a tub that could easily sit three people and a shower opposite of it. There were bookshelves lined with books of every genre and small pieces of decor. Sculptures of wolves, paintings of wolves, midnight colored ravens. 

Elwyn drank in the dark beauty  of the room. It called to her in a way she never had felt before. The scent of earth and rain filled her nostrils and she looked to the slightly cracked balcony door. A fire blazed beside it, heating the room. Even as she climbed out of the covers, she still felt warm. 

The door was barely open but that smell enticed her to look closer. She brushed her chestnut locks from her face and grabbed the edge of a fire poker before she fully walked to the door. The curtains were pushed back, showing the rainy ice storm that had begun. 

As Elwyn got closer, lightning struck and thunder rolled, showing the silhouette of Evander Kane. It lasted long enough she saw his appearance. To say he was handsome would be the understatement of the century. 

He was massive, tall and muscled. Every inch of him looked like it had been carved out by a sculptor. His black button up and slacks dripped from where he stood in the storm. His polished shoes reflected the drops that landed on them. His skin was unlike his brother, it was gold and warm, caramel colored. His face was squared, teeth grit, showing off the sleekness of his deeply lined cheekbones. His eyes were made of the night, twinkling black and grey. 

He stood in the rain, hands grasping onto the railing. His lips were pressed into a line, thick dark brows pulled together. His black locks fell into his eyes as he stared into the night. His arm muscles flexed and Elwyn gulped. 

His head snapped to where she stood at the door. She raised the fire poker at his abrupt motion and his face lost some of its harshness. 

Elwyn stood there for a moment, the rain growing more aggressive with each passing minute. They stared at each other for what felt like forever but not long enough all at once. 

He strode toward her without so much as a smile before opening the door. The sound of the rain grew tenfold as he opened the parted door. 

Elwyn took a leery step back. Evander Kane walked past her without so much as an acknowledgement and into his closet. 

Elwyn stood there unsure what to do with the events that had just unfolded. Her heart was racing. Why hadn't he killed her? 

Elwyn remembered the stories of how Evander Kane had mutilated and destroyed families. He had burnt villages and ripped the hearts out of any who defied him. 

Elwyn lowered the poker as he walked back out of the closet. He wore another black button down, slacks and polished shoes. The only indicator he had been moodily standing in the rain was his dripping hair. 

He looked at her again and Elwyn paused. It felt like time had stopped when he looked at her. The weather even seemed to quiet itself, turning into a light storm. 

Evander looked past her at the weather change and then to the chipped diamond bracelet on her wrist.

Evander adjusted the buttons on his wrist as finally spoke. "Welcome home, my queen."