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A massive door closed silently. It used to creak annoyingly, like most doors in the palace, but Zuffar, after settling into the princess's chambers, immediately silenced the wooden panels. The griffins, proudly depicted on the doors, stared with cold eyes at the back of the king's eldest daughter.
Evelyn was wearing a long dress that tightly hugged her slender waist, elegantly emphasizing her perfect bust and delicate figure. The white satin fabric seemed to complement the flawless skin of her hands and face.
Her husband sat on the wide bed, shirtless, and was apparently in that wondrous state again, when, while in his physical form, he could send his spiritual double to multiple locations simultaneously, to inspect, observe, and monitor…
Zuffar strictly forbade anyone from waking him when he was in a trance. Evelyn quietly walked around the bed, past the narrow window, and sat at the dressing table, which was completely covered with various women's oils and creams.
A stern, aristocratic face, without a single wrinkle, was reflected in the mirror. Her deep, dark blue eyes truly created the illusion of a pristine, bottomless lake. That's why, in her youth, wandering minstrels would sing about them whenever they saw the princess.
A thick mass of hair cascaded down in a single movement, the hair freely falling onto her delicate shoulders, sliding down her back.
At twenty-three, many commoners look like old women. Their faces are covered with wrinkles, and even scars, their dry hair withers before their eyes. Even many noblewomen lose their youthful beauty by this age, but not her!
Since her youth, she has had access to the best balms and creams from the East, some of which were even brought from the Griffin Empire. Then, when she married the powerful mage, she began to receive the very best from the southern coasts of the continent, where, as is well known, kings keep huge harems, and every inhabitant must look perfect!
Zuffar rarely spoke about those wondrous lands, and he refused to take her with him on his frequent trips.
All eight lamps, illuminating the royal daughter's chambers, went out at once. Evelyn flinched but did not move. The extinguished fire meant that the mage had come out of his trance. After the ethereal world he had traveled through, this bright world could blind him.
When the lamps lit up again, the princess got up from the table and walked towards her husband. But what she saw made her recoil. Zuffar's eyes radiated genuine fury, his jaw clenched, as if he were enduring inhuman pain!
"Something happened?" Evelyn asked cautiously. She rarely saw the mage in such a state.
Zuffar fixed her with a gaze, as if trying to burn her. Evelyn noticed with a shiver that the temperature in the room had instantly risen. The mage jumped off the bed.
"I couldn't contact Rafiz!" he exclaimed angrily. "He is no longer among the living! He was killed, killed by your brother!"
He shouted the last words, ready to pounce on his wife. After thinking better of it, he began to pace back and forth, muttering to himself.
Evelyn sank onto the edge of the bed. A wrinkle appeared on her forehead.
"But…how? How could this simpleton destroy such a powerful mage?" she whispered in shock.
Zuffar heard her, and looked at her with hatred.
"That's what I'd like to know. Someone must have helped him. Someone from the neighbors must have attacked my brother, and Rutgar simply took advantage of the moment."
The princess imagined her brother returning home, being embraced by the overjoyed king, and a few minutes later, the guards, along with the Inquisition, bursting into her chambers…
She didn't even want to imagine what would happen next. Tears welled up in her large eyes, neatly dividing her face into three parts.
"I'm going to the League," the mage decided, stopping.
His face reflected the determination that the princess had always been afraid to argue with.
"But what about me? If Rutgar returns, I will face terrible punishment!"
She jumped out of bed and clung to her husband, bursting into tears. The mage contemptuously pushed the woman away. She tried to cling to him again, but he simply slapped her across the face. Evelyn fell onto the bed, instantly ending her hysterics.
"Don't talk nonsense!" the mage shouted. "From the League of Silver Cities to the Free Kingdom, it's a journey of many weeks. The mages will definitely refuse him help, so he has no one to rely on. I will find him and kill him, but first, he will regret ever crossing my path!"
Evelyn nodded submissively. Indeed, what was she thinking? This weakling has no chance against her great husband! And he has nowhere to return to; she will rule the kingdom!
"I will leave by invisible paths," the mage continued. "The Inquisition will detect the magic and confirm it to the king. And in three days, you will poison him and make sure he dies!"
Evelyn nodded. A firm resolve appeared on her tear-swollen face.
Evelyn was wearing a long dress that tightly hugged her slender waist, elegantly emphasizing her perfect bust and delicate figure. The white satin fabric seemed to complement the flawless skin of her hands and face.
Her husband sat on the wide bed, shirtless, and was apparently in that wondrous state again, when, while in his physical form, he could send his spiritual double to multiple locations simultaneously, to inspect, observe, and monitor…
Zuffar strictly forbade anyone from waking him when he was in a trance. Evelyn quietly walked around the bed, past the narrow window, and sat at the dressing table, which was completely covered with various women's oils and creams.
A stern, aristocratic face, without a single wrinkle, was reflected in the mirror. Her deep, dark blue eyes truly created the illusion of a pristine, bottomless lake. That's why, in her youth, wandering minstrels would sing about them whenever they saw the princess.
A thick mass of hair cascaded down in a single movement, the hair freely falling onto her delicate shoulders, sliding down her back.
At twenty-three, many commoners look like old women. Their faces are covered with wrinkles, and even scars, their dry hair withers before their eyes. Even many noblewomen lose their youthful beauty by this age, but not her!
Since her youth, she has had access to the best balms and creams from the East, some of which were even brought from the Griffin Empire. Then, when she married the powerful mage, she began to receive the very best from the southern coasts of the continent, where, as is well known, kings keep huge harems, and every inhabitant must look perfect!
Zuffar rarely spoke about those wondrous lands, and he refused to take her with him on his frequent trips.
All eight lamps, illuminating the royal daughter's chambers, went out at once. Evelyn flinched but did not move. The extinguished fire meant that the mage had come out of his trance. After the ethereal world he had traveled through, this bright world could blind him.
When the lamps lit up again, the princess got up from the table and walked towards her husband. But what she saw made her recoil. Zuffar's eyes radiated genuine fury, his jaw clenched, as if he were enduring inhuman pain!
"Something happened?" Evelyn asked cautiously. She rarely saw the mage in such a state.
Zuffar fixed her with a gaze, as if trying to burn her. Evelyn noticed with a shiver that the temperature in the room had instantly risen. The mage jumped off the bed.
"I couldn't contact Rafiz!" he exclaimed angrily. "He is no longer among the living! He was killed, killed by your brother!"
He shouted the last words, ready to pounce on his wife. After thinking better of it, he began to pace back and forth, muttering to himself.
Evelyn sank onto the edge of the bed. A wrinkle appeared on her forehead.
"But…how? How could this simpleton destroy such a powerful mage?" she whispered in shock.
Zuffar heard her, and looked at her with hatred.
"That's what I'd like to know. Someone must have helped him. Someone from the neighbors must have attacked my brother, and Rutgar simply took advantage of the moment."
The princess imagined her brother returning home, being embraced by the overjoyed king, and a few minutes later, the guards, along with the Inquisition, bursting into her chambers…
She didn't even want to imagine what would happen next. Tears welled up in her large eyes, neatly dividing her face into three parts.
"I'm going to the League," the mage decided, stopping.
His face reflected the determination that the princess had always been afraid to argue with.
"But what about me? If Rutgar returns, I will face terrible punishment!"
She jumped out of bed and clung to her husband, bursting into tears. The mage contemptuously pushed the woman away. She tried to cling to him again, but he simply slapped her across the face. Evelyn fell onto the bed, instantly ending her hysterics.
"Don't talk nonsense!" the mage shouted. "From the League of Silver Cities to the Free Kingdom, it's a journey of many weeks. The mages will definitely refuse him help, so he has no one to rely on. I will find him and kill him, but first, he will regret ever crossing my path!"
Evelyn nodded submissively. Indeed, what was she thinking? This weakling has no chance against her great husband! And he has nowhere to return to; she will rule the kingdom!
"I will leave by invisible paths," the mage continued. "The Inquisition will detect the magic and confirm it to the king. And in three days, you will poison him and make sure he dies!"
Evelyn nodded. A firm resolve appeared on her tear-swollen face.
