The Blood Pact (Part 1)

Selena stepped out of the tower and went outside to the inner yard.

Before the war and her wedding, she was always wearing a black habit and veil, hiding her face. Now, she replaced the gloomy clothes with a rich dark blue dress, and she never put anything on her face, so all the people working near could recognize her. A silver tiara with moonstones and phases of the moon was sitting on her head, nestled firmly in her long black hair.

She decided to become a mascot of her own kingdom, and she did everything in her power to be remembered. Now, while walking outside, everyone was bowing before her. She was the head of this kingdom now.

The celebration of their victory was an important event. Many outsiders from villages and towns visited the capital just to enjoy the festivities and be able to look at the famous Moon Princess. But that was not the only reason why she decided to do this gathering.

She needed to choose a new husband. She wondered if she should pick someone from her priests, or if she should turn her gaze to her guards and servants instead. She wanted to pick today.

Her priests will hold a big morning mass today, with common people, too. There, she will pick the most talented priest. Then they will move to the city, where her guards will take part in a swordsmanship tournament. The winner of the tournament will be another adept for a wedding. From the servants, she had already picked someone.

Kasian visited her the previous night, as she requested. She always remembered her love from a previous life, when saying his name, but Kasian from this world was totally different. He was also handsome, but not as a radiant sun, but as a mysterious moon instead. He was smart, and the way he spoke about his previous love made her heart flutter. However, she was not so naïve as before. After the betrayal by Elias, she was careful, not jumping into any relationships. Now her marriage was a strict business. Nothing more, nothing less. She will let him drink her blood and control him properly. Only then will she be able to believe him.

After a short walk around the inner yard near her tower, she returned to church, just so she could sit in the front and listen to the priests. Multiple of them today had a space to step forward and say their own piece.

Today, her church was so full, the people had to stand outside near the open door to at least hear something.

Selena sat in the hands of the saintess statue and let it raise its palms. People sitting in the church gasped, amazed. She smiled softly at them, pretending to be innocent. They heard about her holy magic only from the tales about war, but they never saw it in action. She let them witness a small miracle today – the moving statue. Now they will understand that she is really the chosen saintess. Powerful, yet kind.

The mass started, now only the normal and soft version of the horrors she had to endure when she was locked in the hands of this statue for the first time. During that ritual, she felt like a sacrificial lamb. Today, she felt like a goddess.

She moved her gaze around the faces of people sitting on the benches, looking at her. She was carefully evaluating the priests in the first two benches. Today, they can express their own voices. Today, she will pick one.

One of the newer priests caught her attention. A young man with a sharp dark gaze. Despite being dressed in the usual black habit attire all priests wore in Lunaria, she could still recognize his broad shoulders and thin waist. Sometimes, when he moved, the clothes tightened around his arms, hinting at muscles. But that was not the reason why Selena was interested in him.

She was searching for strong emotions in his priests, be it devotion or hatred. The feelings from this man seeped through so much, she could feel them on her tongue. He came here a few weeks after the war had ended, saying there was nothing he could do, so he wanted to become a priest. She was suspicious of him a great deal. He appeared out of nowhere, talking strongly about his beliefs, but he was not familiar with the religious texts. Sometimes, she thought she heard an accent from him, sometimes, he spoke like an educated man from the aristocracy. Did he lose his assets and decide to become a priest to run away from the shame? It could happen, too. She didn’t know for sure. But once she gave him a golden chalice, he became one of her most devoted followers.

She was looking forward to his speech today, but he surprised her by not stepping forward. Once the mass ended, the bells were ringing, and people started leaving the church, she let herself down from the statue and quietly followed him like a shadow.

“I was looking forward to your speech, Soren,” Selena said.

He turned around swiftly, surprised by her voice. “Your Grace… Please, forgive me if I disappointed you.”

“I will be choosing my right hand soon. The new high priest will be the new face of our church. You had a chance to convince me about your devotion.”

“I don’t want to convince you with my words, but rather with my action, Your Grace.”

“I see it, Soren,” she said sweetly. “None of the priests prays that much as you, none of them respects their saintess as much as you do.”

“It's my pleasure, Your Grace.”

“Now, let us see the swordmanship tournament today to see who will be the most suitable guardian of mine,” she smiled.

During their whole conversation, she was carefully examining his emotions. Something strong was hiding in him, and she would guess it had to be hatred. Hatred was stronger than love, chaos was stronger than peace. But to use him as a fuel, instead of her own feelings, she needed it to be stronger.

They exited the church, accompanied by other priests, when something unexpected happened. Today's warriors were preparing for the tournament nearby, doing small exercises or checking their blades for the last time. She did not see him at first.

But Soren, next to her, faltered first. Turning her attention to him, she had to bite her lips to stop from smiling. His strong emotions were still properly hidden inside, common folks were not able to see anything on his face or body. But now, these were the kind of feelings she wanted to see. Resisting the urge to taste him, she followed his gaze to investigate what awakened such strong feelings in him.

Her heart skipped.

Among the warriors ready for today's tournament was a man she was able to recognize. She had known him for years. Leonard was sitting on a bench, holding a broadsword lying on his knees. He was polishing the blade with a piece of cloth, his brows furrowed from intense focus.

It had to be Leo. She was sure about it. She clutched Soren's shoulder, leaning on him softly, her knees suddenly weak.

“Your Grace?”

“I need to sit down soon, the sun is too bright today,” she said.

“We prepared a suitable seat for you where you will be in shade and you will have an excellent view of the whole tournament.”

“Splendid. Take me there.”

Once she sat down comfortably, she waved her hand. “Bring me my veil and then sit down next to me, Soren,” she said.

“Yes, Your Grace.”

Once he disappeared, Selena looked at the group of warriors again. Suddenly, she wanted to hide. She did not want Leonard to see her like this. She completely forgot that she is in a different body now, and no one would recognize her.

Once Sorent returned and gave her the veil, she clutched it in her hand, hesitating to put it on.

“Are you feeling unwell, Your Grace?”

“I will use it if the midday sun gets too strong,” she answered.

A dozen servants appeared nearby, bringing the refreshments like fruit or water. Selena immediately recognized Kasian, tall and lean with a silver plate in his hand. While he moved around her, he gave her a sheepish smile and then disappeared.

She turned her attention to her priest.

“Who do you think will win, Soren?” she asked him.

“I don’t know, Your Grace. But I dare to tell who will lose first,” he said.

“Who? Tell me.”

“Do you see that man, Your Grace?” Soren asked her. “I think he will leave the competition first.”

He was pointing directly at Leonard.

Selena gulped.

“Why do you think so? Do you know him?”

“Do you recognize his weapon, Your Grace?”

“It is a broadsword.”

“A blunt weapon, too heavy for slashing, more used for breaking bones. Good for things with many enemies in the way. But now, you are in a duel. You have only one opponent who has eyes on you and is quick. Sharp slasher would be quicker and more effective. While that man will be able to slash with his sword first time, enemies with more nimble weapons will cut him two or three times already.”

“You seem you know a lot about battle and weaponry,” Selena remarked.

Soren went quiet, biting his own lips. He got carried away, forgetting that he was pretending to be a simple priest.

“I wanted to be a part of your army, Your Grace,” he turned to her. “I studied a lot about weapons and strategies of fighting, but in the end, I was not gifted in it. I had to let it go.”

“That must have been hard for you,” she said.

Her blue eyes were piercing him. It was strange. She was talking to him as if she was pitying him, but in her eyes, he could see hunger. He turned around, being unable to face her.

When Silgorod’s good-for-nothing summoned hero cost them the whole war, and ran away from the dungeon instead of helping them abduct the Moon Princess, Soren decided to take the matter into his own hands. It was a mistake to believe in a summoned stranger who was unable to hold a sword properly. Soren was lucky to survive the massacre during their failed siege. The front attack was unsuccessful, so he decided to become a spy in Lunaria for his own kingdom.

He will either bring the Moon Princess to the Silgorod or he will kill her, and both kingdoms will suffer together.