“Sit,” the man said before Vir could inspect the bookshelf any closer. They each took seats on chairs at the end of the room beside a large circular window that looked out onto the dunes.
“You fought well against Maiya. She has grown strong in the ways of magic, but you? You triumphed over a formidable opponent. Mejai are difficult to kill, yet you have honed your skills to a level where such feats are now possible.”
Riyan leaned forward in his chair. “Do you know why I have brought you here?” he asked, pressing his fingers together.
“You want to call in your favor, don’t you?”
He nodded slowly, gazing at Vir while he stroked his beard. “The warrior you are today is due to me, and me alone. The time has come to repay your debt.”
Vir didn’t like this. Not one bit. Despair intertwined with anger, and his vision swooned.
“I want you to kill the Hiranyan Third Princess. I want you to end the blight that is Mina Hiranya.”
ARC III
61REGICIDE
“Idon’t think I heard properly. You want me to assassinate… a princess?” Vir asked as he clutched the chair’s armrests. His knuckles had turned white.
“I will not lie to you, Vir. This will not be a simple task. It will require everything you have learned, and then some.”
There was only one thought running through Vir’s mind: Is this a joke?
One look at the man told him that no, this was no joke. Riyan didn’t joke.
“If I ask why, I’m guessing you won’t tell me?”
“I—” Riyan paused, his eyes narrowing in thought. “This is not a topic I have ever discussed. With anyone. Even after all this time… I once served in the Hiranyan army.”
“What happened?”
Riyan leveled his stare at Vir, but his eyes were elsewhere, looking at memories of another time. “She slaughtered my wife and daughter to command my obedience. That is all I will say on this matter. Vir, do this for me, and you may consider your debt settled.”
“She killed your family? For disobeying her?”
For the first time in the half year Vir had known the man, he saw fear and regret on Riyan’s face. For a moment, he looked like a frail, broken man. But then it was gone, his fierce predatory gaze regained in an instant.
“I would rather not speak of it,” Riyan whispered. He cleared his throat and continued as if nothing had happened. “For half a year, I have given you food, shelter, and training that you would never have otherwise had. I saved your life and the life of your friend in the Godshollow. I believe this is a fair request, is it not?”
“I don’t know, Riyan,” Vir said, hesitating. “This is a lot to ask.”
Vir’s debt was a heavy one. That fact had weighed on him for months. He’d always suspected Riyan was training him for something devious, but to kill royalty?
Riyan sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose. “Vir, I am an old man. My glory days are long gone, and I would rather not resort to distasteful measures. Do you really want me to use Maiya to ensure your cooperation?”
“You would do that?” Vir whispered, his face taut. “You’re bluffing.”
“And if I am not? Can you afford to take that chance?”
Vir jumped out of his seat. “If you lay a hand on her, I will kill you!”
“Oho? You? Kill me?” Riyan said, roaring with laughter.
There was no time to react. One moment, Riyan was relaxing in his chair, and in the next, Vir asphyxiated against the man’s monstrous grip, his throat crushed as he dangled midair, struggling to comprehend what just happened.
“You can’t kill me, boy. You can’t even injure me!” Riyan threw Vir back into his chair before leisurely returning to his seat. “If you try, I will first kill you, and then, once Maiya has completed her task, I will end her too.”
Vir stared into the man’s eyes, and for the first time, he understood. In those eyes, he saw desperation rather than malice. The obstacle course, the excessively harsh training, Riyan’s threats… it all made sense now.
This was his last chance. Riyan needed his plan to work, and so he’d done everything he could, using the regimen he thought worked best. He’d trained Vir to the highest level possible, and he’d tried to convince Vir the only way he knew—through force. To Vir, the man’s previously aggressive actions now just looked clumsy. They were the actions of a man who had known a life of brutality and tragedy. Who had lived by the blade, and who would die by the blade.
But even so, Vir thought, massaging this throat. The fact remained—Riyan was mercilessly exploiting his connection to Maiya. And now that she was gone, there was nothing Vir could do to counter him.
Does he know we were planning to escape tonight? Vir thought in alarm. He must have. Vir didn’t know how, but the timing was far too convenient otherwise. If they were together, they could’ve fled, but by splitting them up, Riyan had essentially forced Vir’s cooperation.
A realization dawned on him. “Those hunters in the forest. They were Princess Mina’s men, weren’t they?” Vir said, his gaze full of scorn for the man.
“They were. So, you see, Mina has already made an attempt on your life. There is no escaping her now. On the other hand, if you fail to kill her, she will no doubt hunt you for the rest of your days. I am not your enemy, Vir. You would do better to direct your hatred at her.”
No wonder he kept it a secret. If Vir had known, he might’ve guessed at Riyan’s intentions. If he knew a princess was trying to assassinate him, he absolutely would’ve fled with Maiya.
“This is suicide.”
Riyan reclined in his chair and crossed his legs. “I ask nothing of the sort. If you are successful, then all is well. If you fail, then so be it, as long as Mina realizes she came within an inch of death. You might think me petty, but I am a realist. If she can’t be killed, I will settle for whatever I can get.”
“What’s stopping me from agreeing and disappearing the moment I walk out that door?”
“I have eyes and ears in Daha. I will know if you have made an attempt on her life.”
Vir wondered if that was true, or if it was another bluff.
“Whether I succeed or fail, I’d be a criminal. I’d be running from the authorities for the rest of my life.”
“That depends on the skill with which you execute this mission. But,” Riyan said, stroking his beard. “I can help you disappear afterward. Hiranya has no power in many other countries. Whether you flee to Rani or the Altani, I can aid you.”
Vir didn’t like it. Though he held no affection for Hiranya, the idea of him never being able to return irked him. There had to be a better option.
And there was one. Instead of assassinating the princess…
What if she's a good person, and Riyan's in the wrong? What if I helped her capture him instead?
The very thought left a sour taste in Vir’s mouth. Riyan had blackmailed him, yes, but he’d also done so much for both Vir and Maiya. And yet, what if Riyan was in the wrong here? What if Mina wasn’t actually as evil as he claimed. What if he was the one at fault? If, instead, she was a benevolent princess? Killing her would plague Vir’s conscience for the rest of his days.
If she wasn’t the person Riyan said she was, there was no way Vir would harm her. But then, Riyan wasn’t about to let him off the hook so easily. Vir would be forced to work with her. For Vir’s own safety, and for Maiya’s.