Princess Of The Skulls - Chapter 26: Chapter 26

Three weeks had passed since the confrontation in the foundation chamber, and I was beginning to understand the true scope of what Aldric and I had accepted. The demonic whispers came every night now, sliding through our dreams like poisoned honey, offering power and freedom if we would only release our hold on the binding.
Just let go, they crooned in voices that sounded almost reasonable. Why sacrifice your lives for kingdoms that will never truly appreciate what you've done?
But every time the temptation grew strong, I felt Aldric's presence through our soul-bond, steady and unshakeable. His love was my anchor, just as mine was his.
We sat in the small council chamber, reviewing reports from across both kingdoms. Word of the Lord
Cassius's death and the cult's destruction had spread quickly, but so had rumors about what Aldric and I had become. Some called us heroes. Others whispered that we were something darker.
"The Thornfield nobles are requesting a formal coronation," Aldric said, scanning a letter from his kingdom's regent council. "They want to see their prince crowned king as soon as possible."
"And my father's advisors are pushing for a grand wedding ceremony," I replied, setting down my correspondence. "Apparently, saving the world isn't official until it's properly witnessed."
We shared a look of wry understanding. The political machinery of both kingdoms was already moving to capitalize on our actions, turning our sacrifice into spectacle.
"Do you want to be king?" I asked.
Aldric was quiet for a long moment. "I want to serve my people. But the crown feels different now.
Heavier. Maybe because I know what real power looks like."
I knew what he meant. The binding we maintained gave us abilities that went far beyond normal royal authority. I could sense the emotional state of everyone in the castle, and could command the loyalty of the dead as easily as the living. And that was just the beginning.
"The power is growing stronger," I said quietly.
"I've noticed. Yesterday, when Captain Thorne was giving his report, I could hear his thoughts as clearly as his words."
"We need to be careful. My grandfather warned that the demonic influence would try to corrupt us through the very abilities it grants."
A knock at the chamber door interrupted our conversation. "Enter," I called.
Master Dorian stepped inside, his usual composed expression troubled. "Princess, Your Highness, we have a situation that requires your attention."
"What kind of situation?" Aldric asked.
"The kind that involves your unique capabilities," Dorian said carefully. "There's been a death in the village. Under suspicious circumstances."
I felt a chill that had nothing to do with temperature. "Show us."
The ride to the village gave me time to think about how much had changed in such a short time. The horse beneath me seemed more responsive to my will than ever before, and I could sense the life force of every creature we passed. Birds fell silent as we rode by, and small animals fled from our path.
They can sense what we've become, Aldric observed through our bond.
Does that frighten you?
Everything about this frightens me. But I'd rather be frightened with you than safe without you.
The village was a cluster of modest homes surrounding a central square where a crowd had gathered.
They parted nervously as we approached, their faces showing a mixture of awe and unease. I dismounted and immediately felt the lingering traces of violent death hanging in the air like a foul perfume.
"Where?" I asked Master Dorian.
He led us to a small cottage where the village healer waited with a sheet-covered form. When she pulled back the cloth, I saw a young man whose face was frozen in an expression of absolute terror.
"Thomas Millwright," the healer said. "Found this morning by his wife. No wounds, no signs of illness, but "
She gestured to the man's eyes, which had turned completely black.
I knelt beside the body, extending my necromantic senses. The moment I touched the corpse, visions flooded my mind: Thomas arguing with someone in the darkness, a figure in a hooded cloak whose face I couldn't see, and then a surge of magical energy that stopped his heart instantly.
But underneath the murder, I sensed something else. The killer had left traces of demonic magic on the victim—magic that felt disturbingly familiar.
Seraphina? Aldric's concern flowed through our bond as he felt my distress.
Someone killed him with power similar to ours, I replied. But corrupted. Twisted.
I stood, addressing the crowd that had gathered outside the cottage. "This man was murdered by someone using dark magic. I'll find who did this and see justice done."
An old woman stepped forward, her face creased with worry. "Princess, begging your pardon, but is it true what they're saying? That you and the prince made a pact with demons?"
The question hung in the air like an accusation. I could feel the crowd's fear and uncertainty, their need for reassurance, warring with their instinctive terror of what they didn't understand.
"We made a pact," I said finally. "But not with demons. We bound ourselves to keep the demons imprisoned forever, no matter the cost to ourselves."
"But you have their power now," another villager said. "How do we know you won't be corrupted by it?"
It was a fair question, and one I'd been asking myself every day since the binding. "You don't," I admitted.
"All I can promise is that we'll fight against that corruption with everything we have, and if we ever fail. Someone will need to stop us."
The honesty seemed to calm them somewhat, though unease remained. As we prepared to leave the village, the old woman approached me one more time.
"Princess," she said quietly, "my grandmother told me stories about the old days, when the Skull Kings ruled with power over life and death. She said they started as protectors, but in the end ."
"In the end, they became the very evil they were meant to fight," I finished. "I know the stories."
"Then you know why we're frightened."
I met her gaze steadily. "Yes. And that's why you should be. Fear keeps us honest. Fear reminds us of what we could become if we stop fighting."
As we rode back to the castle, I felt the weight of the woman's words settling into my bones. The demonic whispers were growing stronger, the power more seductive. And now someone else was out there, using similar abilities for murder.
We need help, I told Aldric through our bond.
What kind of help?
The kind that can kill us if we become what everyone fears.
It was a grim thought, but a necessary one. Because I was beginning to understand that saving the world was the easy part. The real challenge was staying human enough to deserve the salvation we'd provided.
And with each passing day, that challenge grew harder.