Troubled (The Binding Chronicles #4)

1. One Halfling Prince, and a Heap of Trouble

One Halfling Prince, and a Heap of Trouble

V ivienne Beaumont was going to die a very gruesome, very public death.

She could already see it playing out in her mind.

The vampire king would drag her in front of the court, bind and gag her in his shadows, and drive a wooden stake through her heart. She’d scream, the sound muffled by the gag, but no one would stop him. After all, he was their ruler.

Death would be her price for failing him.

They called him the King of Darkness for a reason. He was known for his black heart, not his kindness. Everyone knew the kinds of acts he’d committed in the previous queen’s name.

Even though Vivienne hadn’t been at court then, she’d heard of Queen Marguerite’s cruelty. The king was different, but Vivienne had only ever seen him smile at his wife.

“You had one job,” she muttered, hurrying through the crowded ballroom. Keeping half an eye on the floor, she skillfully avoided tripping on the sea of swirling colorful fabric. “Just one. Watch the prince. How could you mess it up?”

She’d let her guard down for one single moment. Not even a full minute.

That’s all it had taken for him to slip away.

He hadn’t known she was watching him since her official introduction as his new bodyguard was scheduled for tomorrow. The king had wanted her to start tonight so she could ease into her duties.

She thought tonight would be easy. Obviously, she’d made a mistake.

Her heart clenched as if preparing itself for her agonizingly painful, final death.

Over a century had passed since her Making, yet she still recalled the pain she’d endured the night of her mortal death. There was no doubt in her mind that the king’s punishment would be far worse.

Someone swung out their elbow, nearly knocking into Vivienne. She swerved, cursing beneath her breath.

Where in Isvana’s holy name could the prince have gone? It wasn’t like he was a child, shorter than everyone and easy to lose. The man was in his twenties, tall, and undeniably handsome.

Even in a room of beautiful people, he stood out.

And yet, Vivienne had lost him.

She stopped at the edge of the dance floor, her gaze swinging across the ballroom.

Seconds passed in agonizing slowness before a flash of brown hair across the room caught her eye. The open balcony was on the other side of the dancers, but she was sure she’d seen it.

The musicians in the corner switched to an upbeat song, bows flying over strings. The melody was beautiful, and at another time, she would’ve stopped to appreciate it.

There was no time for that now, though .

Vivienne studied the ballroom, assessing the scenario like the soldier she was.

Dancers dressed in opulent silk gowns that were a study in the rainbow spun around the room in the arms of their partners. Laughter and conversations filled the air, accompanying the music. The partygoers unknowingly blocked her path to the balcony, but they couldn’t keep her from the prince.

Vivienne mapped out a path and set off as quickly as she dared without pulling on her vampiric strength. Drawing attention to herself would be unwise. She already stood out enough, thanks to her black fighting leathers and the sword sheathed across her back.

She slowed once she passed the dancers and tucked an unruly lock of flaming red hair behind her ear. People chatted excitedly around her, and she picked up snippets of conversation as she strode past.

“The High Ladies of Life and Death worked so hard on this project…”

A high-pitched laugh.

“I’m so glad the opening ball is here, at the new university…”

“… My sister said Queen Luna is good friends with the High Lady of Life. They put so much time into this…”

A horned elf threw back a glass of sparkling Faerie Wine and grinned at his companion. “Can you believe our daughter is going to attend…”

Vivienne tuned them out.

After all, she’d already been debriefed on why this ball was important.

For years, the High Ladies of Life and Death had worked alongside the Vampire Queen to open a new university in Ithenmyr. Unlike the other academic institutions in the Four Kingdoms, this one would accept everyone, regardless of gender, class, or race. The school was finally ready, and tonight’s ball was a celebration being thrown in its honor.

An hour ago, the High Ladies had given a speech, welcoming everyone to the Eastern Kingdom. Now, the party was going on in full force.

Everyone was celebrating this happy occasion except for Vivienne.

She was just trying to do her job.

Theoretically, the prince’s bodyguard was a far easier position than serving in the army along the northern edge of Eleyta, which was what she’d been doing for the past twenty years. All she had to do was protect Prince Marius and keep him alive.

When she’d accepted the position, swearing a blood vow to keep him safe, she thought it would be akin to retirement.

Evidently, she couldn’t have been more wrong.

She still hadn’t reached the balcony. Why was this ballroom so massive?

Someone called Vivienne’s name, but she ignored them. She couldn’t waste any time. Her gaze swept over the guests as if she could miraculously conjure the prince.

It didn’t work.

How could a single halfling cause so much trouble? It wasn’t like Marius Wisethorn, halfling Prince of Eleyta, had wings or shadows.

If someone hurt him…

Her blood turned to ice at the thought. Being staked would be the least of her problems if her charge were harmed.

The prince’s sister, Queen Luna, was known throughout Eleyta for two things: her ability to wield sunlight and her love for her brother, the only surviving member of her family.

If the prince was hurt, or goddess-forbid, died on Vivienne’s watch, the king would undoubtedly find a plethora of horrible ways to draw out her inevitable death. It would be punishment for failing at her duties and inflicting emotional damage on his bride.

She couldn’t let that happen .

Finally, Vivienne reached the balcony.

The cold midsummer night air swept across her skin, embracing her like a lover. Her fingers curled into fists, and she rushed across the marble platform. Her breath caught in her throat as her gaze swung left, then right.

Where is he?

Two women stood in the shadows, hands exploring each other as they embraced passionately. Other than the pair of lovers, the balcony was empty.

Vivienne cursed.

Turning her back on the women to give them privacy, she leaned over the marble railing and studied the landscape. Mountains rose in the distance, snow decorating their tips. Emerald trees reached for the midnight sky, seeking to touch the stars. Dark green, almost black leaves rustled in the wind. A wolf howled. Trees shook. Birds flew, disturbed by something far off in the distance.

Ithenmyr was beautiful, all trees and mountains and green, flourishing life.

At another time, Vivienne would’ve paused and admired it. This was the type of scene she used to love painting.

But this wasn’t the time for art.

She turned her attention to the moonlit lawn. Gnawing on her bottom lip, she searched the manicured grounds for the prince. Her gaze landed on an elven couple leaning against a tree, but both were horned, unlike Marius. Neither of them looked at her.

Vivienne kept searching, unwilling to give up without looking everywhere for the prince.

Her heart beat more frantically with each passing second.

Maybe he’d slipped past her and gone back inside ?

She was moments away from returning to the ballroom when a whisper of movement in the corner of her eye caught her attention.

“Oh, thank all the gods.” Crossing her chest in a religious gesture, she sent a prayer of relief to the goddess of the moon.

The prince was a hundred feet away, shrouded in shadows and leaning against a brick wall.

Marius’s black silk tunic and tailored pants blended into the night, but there was no mistaking the slight curve of his ear nor the wave of his brown hair. His arms were crossed, and he nodded, speaking to a vampire wearing livery that marked him as one of the king’s messengers.

Vivienne pressed herself against the shadows. Although Isvana, the goddess of the moon, hadn’t blessed her with the dark wisps of magic that some vampires controlled, her training allowed her to move like a phantom when the situation called for it.

This was one such moment.

She grabbed the railing and swung over the balcony. The wind whooshed past her as she sailed down two stories, landing in a silent crouch on the grass below. A century in the vampire army had taught her a few things about moving soundlessly, and she employed all those techniques now.

Neither the prince nor the messenger turned.

Curiosity nibbled at her as she approached the pair on vampire-silent feet.

What in the gods’ names were they doing? Marius wasn’t supposed to be out here. He should be inside, enjoying the party with everyone else. Drinking. Dancing. Making bad decisions and regretting them in the morning.

Not… this.

Whatever this was .

Vivienne held her breath, a holdover from her mortal life, and listened.

“…their Majesties must be informed as soon as possible,” the messenger whispered urgently.

The prince nodded. “Of course. I’ll take care of it.”

Vivienne’s brows rose.

A flash of white caught her eye as the messenger handed something to Marius. “Thank you, Your Highness. Please ask them to hurry. The situation is dangerous and rapidly evolving.”

The prince slipped whatever he’d been given into his pocket as shadows curled around the messenger’s feet.

“I’ll take care of this, Pierre,” Marius said. “Safe travels.”

Take care of what?

“Thank you, Your Highness.” The messenger dipped his head as shadows swallowed him whole, and he vanished into the night.

Exhaling, Vivienne flexed her fingers at her sides. Okay. That wasn’t nearly as bad as she thought it would be.

Maybe she’d been worried for nothing. Marius would return to the party, deliver whatever Pierre had given him to the king, dance a little, maybe enjoy some Faerie Wine (in moderation, of course), and?—

What was the prince doing?

Vivienne plastered herself against the wall. Her hands were splayed on cold stone, and her breath came in short bursts as the halfling defied all logic.

A thousand curses ran through her mind.

Instead of returning inside, which would’ve been the right thing to do, Marius looked around. His eyes narrowed, and he glanced up at the balcony Vivienne had recently vacated before turning his calculating gaze to the university entrance.

Four guards were stationed there, standing beneath glowing violet Light Elf orbs. They were deep in conversation and hadn’t noticed the prince’s rendezvous.

Marius nodded to himself and took in a deep, readying breath.

Almost as if he was preparing to…

He broke out into a sprint and darted away from the party. He kept to the shadows, weaving around trees and statues and staying out of the brilliant moonlight.

No, no, no.

Did Vivienne think that losing sight of the prince before was bad?

This was worse.

Her heart raced, and her gaze darted desperately between the ballroom and the rapidly disappearing prince. She should probably get another of Marius’s bodyguards—there were three, including her—but if she lost him again, there was no telling where he’d go.

For a halfling, he was quick. She could still see him, but he’d almost reached the forest.

“Isvana help me,” she groaned.

Hoping she was making the right choice, Vivienne reached within herself and released her wings. They burst through the slats in her specially designed fighting leathers, settling on her back.

With a flap, she was in the air, flying towards the errant halfling prince.