Dungeon of Niflheim

"It\'s me." Anya pulled off her cloak and revealed her appearance as well as her badge of identity. The two blades immediately halted in place upon hearing her voice, leaving a narrow trickle of blood leaking from the General\'s neck. A moment later she truly would have been left without a head.

"Damn the shadow guards really live up to their reputation." Anya rubbed her wounded neck, feeling the hairs on the back of her head standing upright.

"Must you test their skills every time you return, at this rate there\'s going to be an accident." The voice of a middle-aged man appeared from the surroundings, but no figure revealed themselves.

"Of course I do, can\'t have your men and women growing lax when it comes to her highness\' safety." General Anya provocatively smiled as her eyes fiercely scanned the area in an attempt to find the person who spoke.

The initial two shadow guards however sheathed their blades and immediately returned to their hidden state, taking no offence to Anya\'s testing.

"Though you\'re not bad and still have room for improvement you should give up. Unless I want you to find me you\'ll never see my form General." The middle-aged man\'s voice spoke out once more with a playful tone, finding Anya\'s fire rather entertaining.

"...Haaaaa I\'m still too weak."

"Yes, you are."

Anya\'s expression turned despondent as she walked into the mansion seeking to meet with the princess. Though her journey inside was without incident every hallway, room and roof held a shadow guard who watched her every movement like a hawk. The pressure was rather unbearable for her but after enduring for a while she\'d gotten used to it and even thankful for it.

With such impenetrable defences even a group of A-rank assassins would fail to cross into the mansion\'s core regions, dying practically at the door.

Eventually Anya arrived before the mansion\'s master bedroom. She took a moment to compose herself and don a more cheerful expression.

"Princess, Anya has returned from her mission." She spoke through the door before gently opening it but even with her careful movements the young woman inside still flinched, her body shivering from pure fear.

At this sight Anya couldn\'t help but feel heartbroken, she rushed to the woman\'s side and took hold of her hands, attempting to alleviate her fear.

"I\'m fine Anya, it\'s just a physical reaction." The woman who was trembling quickly pulled away her hands, hiding them behind her dress as she donned an awkward smile.

"Your highness." General Anya only felt worse upon seeing her act brave. "You\'ve been through a severe trauma, there\'s nothing wrong with being afraid."

"When there\'s no real danger present there is Anya, being a woman of war you should know the difference between effective fear and debilitating fear."

"Haaaaa you always expect too much of yourself."

"I\'m a Princess, I should always lead by example." General Anya could only sigh and shake her head upon hearing Princess Avira\'s stubborn attitude.

The two women silently stared at one another in silence, one with a gaze full of pity and one trying their best to restrain their trembling and avoid the other\'s piercing gaze.

While her body trembled, and fear once again formed in her heart Avira\'s mind was brought back to that night.

Several days previous in the Capital of Northrend, Arkheart, Emperor Franz sat in his office, exhausted and listless.

For weeks he\'d been doing everything possible for his darling daughter. Methodically arranging multiple layers of protection that would see to her safety once he and his wife were no longer there. He\'d even been drumming up hidden support for her rule as well as planting secret allies throughout the empire for her use and her use alone.

The last step was arranging for her to have the power necessary to forcibly usurp her brothers. Alas his many machinations and efforts to undermine Randolph\'s progress had finally broke the camel\'s back.

Suddenly without any warning a shadow guard who was assigned to his protection smashed through the door with blood running down his left arm.

"Your majesty we\'re under attack!!"

Whoosh! Pshuua!

The moment the words left the guards lips an arrow pierced through his skull bringing an instant end to his life, but he had successfully done his duty.

"RANDOPLH!!!" Franz roared with intense hatred and loathing, his face growing red from his exertions and the desk before him crumbling from the slamming of his fist.

Two shadow guards appeared a moment later by his side, protecting him from the intruders but unfortunately they were going to be outmatched.

Ton ton ton

With heavy steps ringing across the blood covered floor the crown prince Randolph appeared beside the corpse of the brave shadow guard who warned Franz of the attack.

Beside him were at least 8 dark clothed soldiers each at the B-rank as well as 2 who were A-rank. Randolph had finally grown tired of his father\'s irritating efforts and decided to bring him down here and now.

"Worthless scum that couldn\'t understand the direction the wind was blowing." Randolph stomped his left foot upon the skull of the deceased shadow guard, crushing it instantly as if he were a bug.

"You truly are nothing but a monster, I can\'t believe your mother and I were tricked for so many years. I\'m disgusted by the fact that my blood and the blood of my ancestors runs in your veins." Franz\'s anger shot through the roof but when he tried to call on his strength he was assaulted by a violent pain and coughed up darkened blood. The poison he ingested had already taken root.

"Monster, father I am an Emperor who is killing those who are getting in my way, nothing more. It\'s these fools as well as you who are simply asking for death. If you had just continued to favour me and impede that annoying brother of mine none of this would have come to pass.

I would have cleanly inherited the throne and the dreamlike view you held wouldn\'t haven\'t been disturbed….everything that\'s happening here is because of you father." Randolph loudly declared with a vicious look on his face.

"No! You would have revealed yourself regardless and by that point there would have been nothing I could have done." Franz vigorously argued back refusing to accept his monster of a son\'s viewpoint.

"Hmph I really should have made my move earlier, poisoning you was far too kind but no use crying over spilled milk." Randolph glanced to his left and right.

"You\'re going to die here father but don\'t worry I won\'t be sending you alone that would too cruel to mother." An evil smile grew on Randolph\'s lips as he announced his intentions.

"Monster." He wouldn\'t even spare his mother claiming that it would cruel to have her live without her husband.

"Kill this old fool for me, then we\'ll handle my mother and that treasonous bitch of a sister!"

"Randolph!!!!" Franz roared and grabbed his weapon, fighting against the pain rampaging throughout his body. He\'d deal with this calamity before it could harm anyone else. Alas he and what remained of his shadow guards were truly outmatched.

As the melee began and blood splattered across the room Franz noticed movement from a nearby shadow. Seeing this he grit his teeth and shook his head causing the shadow to flicker but a moment later as though understanding something it became still once again. Experience more tales on mvl

"Puahhh!!"

"Finally the old goat is dead." Randolph felt a wave of pure triumph as he saw his once powerful father slide down the edge of his subordinate\'s sword.

"You know what to do."

"Yes my liege." One of the A-rank dark soldiers replied with a respectful bow before ordering a couple subordinates to help set the scene. Sedrick would be taking the blame for this \'atrocity.\'

"The rest of you follow me to continue the purge."

"By your will Emperor Randolph."

As this was going on a man dressed in a black tunic dashed through the shadows with tears streaming from his face.

"Don\'t worry your majesty I will ensure princess Avira\'s safety then I will join on the long road to the underworld." This man was the head of the shadow guards, the Emperor\'s strongest and most loyal bodyguard.

It was him who was within the shadow earlier and it was him who the Emperor ordered to not interfere rather having him follow the original plan. Despite the pain it caused him to not fight by his liege\'s side he obeyed his last orders, to protect the Princess and ensure her safety.

The Royal palace was in violent turmoil, fires ran rampant, comrades fought against comrades, blood drenched the once hallowed halls and a stench of death lingered in the air. This was coup and a particularly violent one at that.

"For Emperor Randolph!!!"

"Kill the betrayers!!!"

Those loyal to Franz were few in number but each of them were willing to throw down their lives and throw them down they did.

Randolph\'s forces bulldozed through the Emperor\'s retainers with blazing determination leave a field of bodies in their wake.

It had gotten so loud and violent that even those dwelling within the back palace were alerted and their worst fears were brought to light the moment the head of the shadow guards, Dartanan arrived with his face in tears.

"My lady Empress, my Princess I\'m sorry the worst has happened, I need to see you to safety immediately." It was like a bomb went off in Amelia\'s and Avira\'s hearts, tears streamed down their faces as great despair and sorrow overwhelmed them.