The Queen's Champion

A/N Thanks to all of you that reviewed the last chapter. Believe me, Bellatrix is about to get a LOT more freaky in the chapters to come. Anyway, here's the next chapter. Once again I write through the eyes of Thom and Kalasin, and I hope you enjoy it!

Chapter 7: Mysterious Happenings

Thom

By the time a fortnight passed I regretted my decision. Being close to Kalasin and knowing that she cared naught for me as I did for her was the worst sort of torture that a person can endure. I was near her constantly; in her study, in the Royal Anteroom, the Great Hall as she ate. Never was I far from her side. Even at night I slept in front of her door.

Yet, I was just a shadow. I was ignored by her as well as everyone. The only one who took notice of me was my horse, and Russet couldn't follow me into the palace.

I did have to admit that being invisible did have its advantages. I was able to sneak into people's rooms that I thought were a threat to Kalasin, and I was able to listen in on conversations. My training as a thief came in handy while doing these things. I had also begun to set up a system of informants, those which included serving maids, stable hands, pages, and even a few knights that I knew from my years spent in the palace.

Even with this complicated system being put into place, I was not confident that there was a threat. Garvey and Joren had spent their time cleaning out the stables and were now on the boarders on patrol. With them out of the way, things fell into a semblance of peace, and I dropped my guard. Yet, little did I know that trouble was brewing to the north and to the south of us.

Kalasin

"Your Majesty?"

I looked up from my desk and the pile of papers that were stacked in front of me at the sound of the page's voice. He looked to be only about eleven, which would make him a second-year page. His dark brown hair fell into light gray eyes. He was a cute child, and I had a feeling that he would grow into a very handsome knight.

"Yes?" I said.

The page crossed the room and laid a missive on my desk. "I was told to bring this to you," he said.

I smiled as I picked up the missive. "What is your name?" I asked him.

He gave me a hint of a smile. "Alexander of Naxen," he said, "but my friends call me Alex."

"My thanks Alexander of Naxen, also called Alex."

That brought a smile to his face.

I turned my gaze to the missive. It came from the King's Own, and from the seal that was stamped onto the blue ribbon, I knew it was from the corps that were stationed in the south. I popped the seal off and opened the vellum missive and began to read. What I read caused fear to course through me.

In the south, people were dying mysteriously on strange altars. A person would go missing, and then their body would show up a few days later, drained of blood and tied to a stone altar that bore strange runes. And each time, the people who came to retrieve the body, would find the runes glowing an eerie red.

Obviously my face showed my fear, because Alex asked, "Is something wrong, Your Majesty?"

I swallowed before answering him. "Something strange is going on in the South."

"The killings?" he asked.

My brow furrowed. "How do you know about that?"

"Part of my father's lands is in the South," Alex told me. "I was supposed to go home for a bit of a break, but because of the killings, he doesn't want me at home."

"I'm sorry you can't go home," I said.

Alex shrugged. "I really don't want to anyway. Father would only make me work."

I smiled. "Thank you once again, Alex," I said. "You may go now."

Alex bowed and said, "Ever at your service, Your Majesty," before he left.

I sighed and sat back in my chair. Once I had gotten one problem solved, another arose, and this one was even worse then the one before. Innocent people were being killed, and no one knew the cause.

I turned the evidence over and over in my head trying to figure out what it was that was causing these deaths. I don't know how long I sat there until it hit me.

Magic.

It had to be the work of some evil mage that was using people's blood for some odd ritual. But what kind of spell used blood? Of course the Bazhir used blood in their bonding ceremonies, but theirs was harmless. It only bound people together. Blood was sacred, and it was forbidden to take it forcefully from someone. The gods had declared that it was forbidden, and any mage knew that to take blood from someone without their consent brought down the wrath of the gods.

Whatever this blood was being used for was evil. I had a distinct feeling that whoever was doing this was wholly and purely evil.

I shuddered at the thought. How can someone be so evil? My train of thought stopped at that. Roger of Conte had been evil, wholly and purely. When he had been brought back from the Black God, it had been a day of horrible bloodshed. I had not been alive then, but others had told me of it.

Whatever it was that was taking this blood had to be in league with Roger.

And I would only find out if I sent a mage to investigate the killings.