Princess Of The Skulls - Chapter 13: Chapter 13

Captain Marcus's quarters reflected the man himself—spartan, organized, and equipped for violence at a moment's notice. Unlike the scholars and nobility I'd been recruiting, he represented the practical military aspects of our resistance. When Matthias and I arrived at his door, he was already armed and waiting.
"Your Highness," he said with the kind of crisp salute that spoke of genuine respect rather than mere protocol. "Matthias sent word that we needed to discuss matters of security."
"We do. But Captain, what we're about to tell you goes far beyond normal security concerns."
"I assumed as much. May I ask why we're meeting here rather than in more official surroundings?"
"Because the people we're discussing influence official channels." I entered his quarters, noting how he'd positioned himself to watch both the door and the window. "And because what we're planning could be considered treason by anyone who doesn't understand the full scope of the threat we're facing."
His expression didn't change, but something in his posture suggested he'd been expecting this conversation for some time.
"Would this threat be related to the unusual security requests I've been receiving? The ones that require detailed information about your magical capabilities and combat training?"
"Among other things. Captain, how much do you know about the circumstances surrounding your family's death?"
The question hit him like a physical blow, but his response was controlled and precise. "Officially, they were killed during a bandit attack while traveling to visit relatives. Unofficially, the attack bore characteristics I've never seen from common criminals."
"What kind of characteristics?"
Ritual positioning of the bodies. Specific mutilations that served no practical purpose. And evidence of magical workings at the scene." His voice remained steady, but I could see the pain and anger he was holding in check. "I've spent twenty years investigating their deaths, Your Highness. I know they weren't killed by bandits."
"They were killed by a cult that's been operating in both our kingdoms for decades. The same cult that's planning to use my marriage ceremony to complete a magical working that would give them control over every royal bloodline in the known world."
I explained the situation as concisely as possible, watching his face for signs of disbelief or shock. Instead,
I saw the kind of grim satisfaction that comes with finally understanding an enemy you've been fighting blindly for years.
"So the unusual security requests, the modifications to the wedding ceremony, the questions about your magical abilities—it's all preparation for some kind of ritual sacrifice."
"Not sacrifice, exactly. Binding. They want to use my power as a conduit for magic they've been accumulating through decades of murder and manipulation."
"And you're planning to stop them."
"We're planning to try. But Captain, the work we're contemplating is extremely dangerous. Everyone involved could die, and if we fail, the consequences extend far beyond personal death."
"Explain."
Matthias spread out the documents we'd brought, showing Captain Marcus the magical theory, the participant requirements, and the potential consequences of both success and failure.
The captain reviewed the materials with the same methodical attention he brought to tactical planning, asking precise questions about logistics, timing, and contingency plans.
"Seven participants," he said finally. "All magically capable, all committed absolutely to the mission. You've identified six candidates?"
"We have. The question is whether you're prepared to make the kind of commitment required."
"Your Highness, I've been fighting this enemy for twenty years without understanding who they were or what they wanted. Now that I know, you're asking whether I'm willing to risk my life for the chance to destroy them?"
"I'm asking whether you're willing to swear a blood oath that will bind you magically to our cause. If you betray that oath, the magic itself will kill you."
"And if I don't swear the oath?"
"Then we find another way, with other people. But Captain, time is running short. We have reason to believe they're planning to move against us tonight."
He stood, moving to a chest near his bed and retrieving a sword that looked like it had seen considerable use. "Your Highness, twenty years ago I swore an oath to protect the royal family and the people of this kingdom. Today, I'm learning that those two commitments might require me to act against the man who calls himself my king."
The implication was clear—if my father was complicit in the cult's plans, Captain Marcus was prepared to treat him as an enemy.
"Are you comfortable with that possibility?"
"I'm comfortable with doing whatever is necessary to complete the mission. My personal feelings are irrelevant."
"Then you'll swear the blood oath?"
"I will. But Your Highness, I need to know—have you considered what happens after? Even if this ritual succeeds, we're talking about magical and political upheaval that will affect both kingdoms for generations."
"We'll face those consequences when we come to them. Right now, our priority is preventing something much worse from happening."
He nodded, understanding the logic even if the uncertainty was troubling. "When and where do we perform the oath-swearing?"
"Tonight, after we recruit the final participant. Captain, can you arrange for Elena to join us without arousing suspicion?"
"I can try, but she's been under increased scrutiny lately. Someone's been asking detailed questions about her family history and her knowledge of kitchen herb lore."
"Herb lore?"
Specifically, herbs are used in magical workings. Binding agents, amplification compounds, substances that can affect magical sensitivity." His expression was grim. "They're not just planning to use you in their ritual, Your Highness. They're planning to drug you to ensure compliance."
The revelation added another layer of urgency to our timeline. If the cult was preparing to chemically compromise my ability to resist their working, we needed to complete our counter-ritual before they could implement that aspect of their plan.
"How long would such drugs take to affect someone?"
Depending on the specific compounds and delivery method, anywhere from minutes to hours. But Your
Highness, if they're planning to use that approach, they're probably planning to begin the process soon."
"Which means we need to gather everyone immediately." I turned to Matthias. "Can you bring Elena here without being seen?"
"I can try, but if we're discovered—"
"Then we're discovered. At this point, secrecy is less important than speed."
As Matthias departed to retrieve Elena, Captain Marcus and I discussed the practical aspects of what we were attempting. Unlike the magical and political complexities that had dominated my recent conversations, his concerns were concrete and immediate.
"Security for the ritual site, protection during the working itself, contingency plans if we're interrupted before completion." He ticked off items on his fingers. "Your Highness, where exactly are we planning to perform this ritual?"
"The throne room. It's the most heavily guarded location in the castle, and it has the magical infrastructure necessary to contain the energies we'll be channeling."
"It's also the most public location in the castle. If we're discovered there, we'll have no escape route and no way to complete the work in secret."
"I know. But, Captain, the ritual requires access to the accumulated magical energy of the royal bloodline.
That energy is anchored to the throne itself."
"Then we'll need to ensure we're not interrupted. How long does the work take to complete?"
"According to my mother's research, approximately one hour from beginning to end. But that's one hour during which we'll be completely vulnerable to attack."
"And if we're attacked during the ritual?"
"Then everyone dies, and the cult completes their work using the magical chaos as additional fuel."
He absorbed this information with the same calm professionalism he brought to all tactical challenges.
"Then we'll need to ensure that doesn't happen."
When Matthias returned with Elena, I was struck by how different she appeared from the quiet kitchen master I'd known my entire life. Away from her usual environment, she moved with the kind of confident awareness that suggested considerable combat training and magical knowledge she'd kept carefully hidden.
"Your Highness," she said with a curtsy that was respectful but not deferential. "I understand you wish to discuss matters that could affect the safety of everyone in the castle."
"Among other things. Elena, how much do you know about the dietary modifications that have been requested for the wedding celebration?"
Her expression immediately became guarded. "What kind of information are you seeking?"
"The kind that relates to magical compounds, binding agents, and substances that could affect someone's ability to resist magical coercion."
"Ah." She exchanged glances with Captain Marcus and Matthias. "Then you know about the special requirements they've been adding to the menu."
"I know they exist. I don't know their specific nature or intended effects."
"Compliance enhancement, magical sensitivity amplification, and spiritual boundary reduction." Her voice was matter-of-fact, but I could see the anger she was holding in check. "Administered throughout the celebration, the compounds would leave you completely vulnerable to magical manipulation."
"And you've been preparing these compounds?"
"I've been appearing to prepare them. The actual substances I've been creating would have the opposite effect—strengthening your natural defenses and making you more resistant to magical coercion."
The revelation that she'd been actively sabotaging the cult's plans brought both relief and increased respect for her capabilities.
"How long have you known about their intentions?"
"Since they took my daughter as insurance for my cooperation. Your Highness, I've been waiting years for an opportunity to strike back at them."
"Then you're prepared to take significant risks to stop them?"
"I'm prepared to do whatever is necessary. They stole my child and turned me into an unwilling accomplice to their plans. If there's a way to destroy them, I'll take it regardless of the personal cost."
The fierce determination in her voice convinced me that Elena would be a valuable ally, but I needed to ensure she understood the full scope of what we were attempting.
"Elena, the work we're planning isn't just dangerous—it's potentially suicidal. Everyone involved could die, and if we fail, the consequences extend far beyond our deaths."
"I understand. But Your Highness, if we don't try, they complete their plans anyway. My daughter dies, you become their permanent prisoner, and everyone else becomes their property."
"Then you're prepared to swear the blood oath?"
"I am."
Looking around the room at the four people who'd committed themselves to our cause, I felt the weight of responsibility and the strange comfort of genuine alliance. We were no longer isolated individuals fighting separate battles—we were a team united by common purpose and shared risk.
"Then we gather the others and complete the oath-swearing tonight. Tomorrow, we prepare for the ritual.
And the day after that ."
"The day after that, we either save the world or die trying," Captain Marcus finished.
"Exactly."
The war for our souls was entering its final phase.