Marked Ones: Advent of the Demon Prince

It had been a few weeks since Lucius infiltrated the city of Varris. With control of the area outside the city, General Faylin's forces were able to prevent any supplies from entering. Instead, those same supplies were confiscated and served to support their own soldiers. In addition to that, they were able to conduct small resupply runs over the southern border.

Though it would be fair to say that access to foreign trade was restored, without Varris under their control, trade would be risky. There were no other major hubs or stops that would be a safe place to rest for any merchant caravans which would open them up to attack on top of the travel fatigue. All of these were factors which would increase the cost of goods and could end up damaging the economy of Aedrider.

Jade sighed to herself in front of the desk that had been set up for her in the large tent they were assigned. She knew in her heart that Lucius wished only to hurry along home. Knowing he was inside and struggling with missing Rena as well as Kalliope tugged painfully at her heart. There was a light at the end of the tunnel, and though the journey would be treacherous, they would make it through to the other side.

At least, that was what she believed. The letters that they had been receiving from Lucius, Snow, and contacts within the resistance forces all detailed a number of blocks to their plans. Most recently it was found that one of these very blocks was a Master Ranker from Haedda. Jade knew little about the country itself, but the fact that a Master Ranker resided within the walls presented a huge problem.

Lucius had killed and fought them before, but they were always under situations that benefited him greatly. Past successes included distractions, hostage taking, and in the circumstances of Seteste: surprise and the help of an infinitely stronger ally.

Angry, shouts tore through the air for what felt like the hundredth time that afternoon. Hearing the source of the commotion, Jade smiled despite the look of exasperation covering her face. Kalliope entered the room Jade had sectioned off within the tent using a cloth divider. Following behind her was an exhausted-looking Yue and frustrated Desmond.

"Lady Kalliope," Yue pleaded, "You can't possibly assist Lord Kane in your condition. Too much activity might…"

"Enough, you damn rabbit! As a proper beastman you should know that exercise is good for the body and the babies." Read exclusive chapters at empire

"Exercise, yes! Fighting in a war, absolutely not!"

Such a scene played out on an almost daily basis. It became such a problem that Jade had asked Desmond to personally keep an eye on the wolf-girl to keep her from rushing into the city to join Lucius. The pregnancy had been going well, but when the hormones started kicking in things turned for the worse. Instead of the typical crying and nonsensical outbursts, Lady Kalliope suffered from intense bouts of battle lust. More than one of their soldiers had suffered a one-sided beating before everyone realized what was happening.

"Jade!" Kalliope growled, ignoring Yue's continued cries and Desmond's glances of annoyance, "These two are trying to tell me that I can't go fight alongside my beloved." In her hands, she held a slightly crumpled letter from Lucius, explaining the situation inside the walls. "You're telling me that I am supposed to sit here and let him fight against something like that alone?"

Jade sighed, but put on a comforting smile. "My Lady, you cannot fight in your condition. You carry within you the continuation of Lucius' legacy. Two souls who represent the best parts of you and him. A single blow is all it would take to snuff that legacy. Would you risk that? Truly? If you are willing to put their unborn lives on the line in trade, then I will let you go to him."

Silence permeated the room. Desmond's eyebrow raised while Yue seemed to lose all the blood in her face. Kalliope's own face contorted into a multitude of expressions before she finally growled, "No, I would not wish to do such a thing. It would be unfair to them to make such a decision on their behalf."

Desmond sighed, "Good, so maybe then I can finally relax a little."

"You're going instead."

Desmond paused.

"What?" Kalliope said, "I'm not allowed to fight, so you shall be my proxy, Desmond. Don't disappoint me."

The twins looked at each other for a few moments, coming to a silent agreement. Jade sighed and nodded in approval. Before she could continue, Kalliope turned to her. "And when Lucius returns, you can warm his bed in my stead as well."

Jade's face began to burn intensely. Even without being able to look at herself, she could tell that her face had changed multiple shades of red in an instant. "Kalliope!"

"What?" Kalliope said with a sly grin, "I'm not allowed to fight, spar, or engage in intense exercise. Being with Lucius sometimes feels like all three."Nôv(el)B\\jnn

"Surely he wouldn't be that rough with me…" Jade said aloud. The moment she realized the implication of her not arguing against Kalliope's offer, she panicked and glanced at Yue and Desmond. Yue's face was twinged with a faint blush while her brother failed to hide a teasing smile behind his fist.

Kalliope burst out in laughter while walking out of the room, "Sure, if you want that, I am sure he will be as gentle with you as a flower. But where's the fun in that?" Yue slightly bowed before rushing out to follow the woman. Though her spirit had been calmed in the moment, her habit could flare up at any moment if someone wasn't there to watch her.

Desmond walked over to Jade's side and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Don't be so concerned. If it is something you want, I will support you. I cannot imagine that Lucius would be against the idea, and I know that you are not sister."

The gentle pressure of her brother's hand on her shoulder calmed Jade's rising anxiety and embarrassment. He was right. This was something that she wanted, but she found herself unwilling to achieve it alone. There were other factors at play. One of the bigger ones being Natali. Rena and Lyrah were rather open about their 'plans' for Lucius' love life. Fortunately for Jade, these plans just so happened to include her.

In her own defense, the timing of such plans was never truly discussed…

"I'll be careful." Desmond continued, helping his sister by changing the subject. "I'll use the same network that Lucius used to get in. We will time it with this Sheza woman's assault. You know, with plans like these, you can definitely tell Lucius had his hands on it."

"There are other ways of doing it." Jade answered grimly.

"Sure. But this is faster and is just as likely to work as something else later. However, you cannot always bet on later. Besides," Desmond removed his hand from Jade's shoulder and poked her jokingly in the cheek. "The sooner he's done with Varris, the sooner you get to act as Kalliope's proxy!"

Desmond left in a flash, avoiding Jade's weak attempt to smack him. "I'm not a proxy…" She pouted.