“I have come to seek your council.” Trik knelt down on one knee and bowed his head before the Light Elf King, something that he would not normally do if he hadn’t been there to ask him for a favor.

“The world must be coming to an end if the Great Triktapic kneels before us,” a feminine voice spoke across the room, her voice carried as it bounced off the high walls.

“He comes with a request,” Tamsin told his Chosen as she came to stand next to him.

Syndra made an impatient noise as she looked down at the usually proud assassin. “Good grief Trik, stand up. What situation have you gotten yourself into that you would come to your enemies?”

Trik stood slowly and lifted his head. His eyes swam with emotion, emotion so deep it was like looking into a deep well and not being able to see the bottom.

Syndra took a step towards him. “What has happened?”

“Nothing. Not yet anyway.” Trik took a deep breath and exhaled slowly before speaking again. “I have come to ask an oath of protection on my Chosen.”

Tamsin and Syndra both frowned. “We already told you we would protect her.”

“If I chose not to,” Trik qualified. “You said that you would protect her if I chose not to. Now I need you to protect her in the case that I fail to.”

“Why would you fail? When have you ever failed to protect your target or to take it out?”

Just then Trik made a decision, one that he’d always feared that he would eventually have to make. Trik’s presence seemed to swell and suddenly he was bathed in a bright light and his radiance. His power filled the room making it feel small and inconsequential. His hair shimmered, black as night, and the silver of his eyes nearly became metallic with the intensity of their gleam. Tamsin and Syndra both took a step back, their mouths dropping open.

“You’re a Royal,” Syndra spoke quietly as she stared at Trik’s Royal form.

He nodded once.

“Does Lorsan know?” Tamsin asked.

“No. He would have killed me long ago.”

“You are right about that.” Syndra snorted.

“I don’t want to lead. I have never wanted to be King.”

“How did you wind up as the King’s right hand man?”

“That is a story for another time. I need to keep my secret from Lorsan for as long as possible. It is the only chance I have at defeating him.”

“You are going to attack Lorsan?” Tamsin’s voice was skeptical.

“If it comes to that. Cassie has asked me to walk away from him. I told her I would. She is under the impression that I’ve already done just that.”

“You haven’t?” Syndra frowned in disapproval.

“I have to do this strategically. I can’t just walk into his court and tell him that I’m leaving. Cassie won’t understand that. I have to appear to still be on board with his plan in order to protect her.”

“If he thinks that she is the reason that you are leaving then she will be the first thing he goes after,” Tamsin reasoned.

“Exactly.”

“So you want us to protect Cassie if Lorsan decides to take you out?”

“I know she is not of your court.”

Syndra held up a hand to stop him. “She is a pure one. She belongs here more than in your court. We will protect her, I give you my word.” Syndra bowed to Trik.

“Thank you,” Trik nodded and reached out to take her hand. Syndra placed it in his and her eyes widened as she felt him push pure, royal power into her.

“How?” She whispered to him.

He stepped away and without another word walked towards the pearl walls.

“What was that about?” Tamsin asked.

Syndra’s eyes stayed on the wall where Trik had just disappeared through. Her mind was still trying to wrap around the revelation that Trik had just shared. Finally she turned to her Sh'mai , “He is the King.”

“Yes, he is supposed to be the Dark King.”

“No, Tamsin, my love. Triktapic is THE King.”

Tamsin’s mouth dropped just as Syndra’s had. “Of the entire race?”

She nodded.

“How?”

“I have no idea.”

~

He stood in the shadow of her room and watched as she slept. The gentle rise and fall of her chest reassuring him that she was safe, alive, and whole.

He hadn’t planned to reveal his secret to Tamsin and Syndra, but he needed them to understand just how far he was willing to go to keep Cassie safe. I f he had to destroy the entire dark elf race then he wouldn’t hesitate, not even for a second. He knew that there would be consequences for his actions and he would deal with them, but he had to deal with each battle as it came. He stepped out of the darkness and the moon basked him in its soft glow. He approached her bed soundlessly, his motions so smooth that he hardly disturbed the air around him. He rarely used his Royal powers, but he was going to need them soon and he was out of practice.

He looked down at the woman who had slipped into his heart and taken over. Her soul was so pure that it chased all the shadows from his own. He reached down and stroked her cheek, barely a whisper against her soft skin. He leaned down and pressed a kiss to her hair and whispered.

“Dream of me, arwenamin , always dream of me.” Using a subtle push he placed the idea in her mind so that he would be what she saw every time she closed her eyes.

He decided to stay and watch over her while she slept. In all honesty he couldn’t leave. Knowing that she would be in danger the very next night in Lorsan’s court, he didn’t want to miss this time to be close to her. He stretched out beside her and pulled her into his arms. She would think she was drea ming. He smiled to himself as he looked into her mind, the benefits of being who and what he was, and thought that as long as she was dreaming of him, he could make it a good one.