Blood and Ice

Chapter Fifteen: The Black Castle

We headed back to the castle. Nothing was said. We got back and realised everyone had been silent.

Peter pulled me into a hug, "Are you okay? I was worried!"

"I'm fine Peter, are you?"

He nodded, we kissed, and he slid his arms around me and started to kiss deeply sliding his tongue in my mouth. I felt a tap on my shoulder. I broke away from Peter and turned around to see who it was. It was father.

"We need to talk. Will you excuse us Peter?"

Peter nodded, gave me a quick kiss and said, "I'll see you later Lex."

I followed father up to his and mothers room. I went in and sat on the bed. Father came in after me and locked the door.

"What's wrong father?"

"I think that your powers are maturing. Tell me what happened today with Gabriel."

I explained everything to father.

"It sounds like it all right." he said.

"I don't understand. What's happening father?"

"Your powers are surfacing so that you can have full access to them. It will take a while and I will have to give you specialized training to help you deal with these new powers."

"Do you have powers father?"

"Yes, but I'm not as powerful as you."

"What can you do?" I asked.

"You see that chest of drawers, the one by the window?"

I nodded.

"Keep your eye on it."

I gave him a puzzled look, but I looked at the chest of drawers anyway.

Father brought his hand up and pulled it down slowly and ever so slowly the chest started to move. It took father a while but eventually he managed to move it about two feet.

"Larger objects take a lot to move. Why don't you have a go."

He moved the chest back by pushing back.

"What I want you to do is picture the chest in your mind and picture the chest where you want it to be. Then take your hand and grab it then pull it. Go on, give it a go."

I turned to the chest and did what father said. But, I pulled a little too hard and the chest of drawers went flying out of the window with a crash.

"Oops!, I didn't mean to do that father."

Father was killing him self with laughter.

"Do you want to go after it?" I asked.

Father shook his head. There was a knock at the door. Father opened the door and mother and Alexander came in.

"Lucifer what happened to the window?" mother asked.

Father and I looked at each other and burst out laughing.

"What is so funny?" mother asked.

"Mother, why don't you have a look out the window and then you might see what's funny."

Mother and Alexander looked at each other. Alexander just shrugged his shoulders and they both went over to the window.

"My lord! Is that your clothes all over the grounds?" Alexander asked.

"Yes Alexander, I was teaching Alexandria something and she had an accident that threw the chest of drawers out of the window." father said.

"Do you want it cleaned up my lord?" he asked.

"Yes, and also could you get someone to fix the window please?"

Alexander was already out of the room.

"Lucifer please don't teach our daughter in our room. She'll break things." mother said.

"Don't worry. I'm having a room being readied as we speak Melissa."

"Do you mind if I go and get something to eat father?"

"No I don't, I will come and find you when the room is ready but keep practising and don't worry if you break something."

I headed down to the food hall. Peter was there with Damien and Michael. I sat down next to Peter.

"What was your father after?" Peter asked.

"You see the water jug. Keep your eye on it."

I said they all looked. I concentrated on the jug not moving my hand to quickly it started to move then it shot across the table and hit Damien square in the face drenching him in water.

Michael and Peter fell about with laughter. I went over to Damien.

"Are you okay Damien?"

"I'm fine since when could you do that?" he asked me.

"Father just showed me. I put his chest of drawers out through the window."

All three fell over with laughter. They calmed down when father and mother came in.

"Damien, why are you covered in water?" mother asked.

"That was my fault, mother, I tried to move a jug of water and it covered him instead."

Peter was giggling with laughter.

"This is going to be an interesting time in the castle. I think were all going to have to learn how to duck." father said with a smile.

Alexander approached father. "My lord, the room you requested is ready and I have someone fixing the window and your chest of drawers is back in your room." he said with a smile on his face. He turned to Damien, "I don't think I need to ask what happened Damien."

Damien responded, "Thank you Alexander."

Father turned to me. "When you're finished your meal, meet me on the fifth floor."

"Which room father?"

"Don't worry there's only one door." father said as he left.

I finished my food and headed up to the fifth floor. There was a door at the far end of the hall. I opened it and went in. It was a large room with no windows. Thank heavens there were swords lining the walls with a wooden pole in the middle of the room.

"Father?" I said to the room.

"Come in Alexandria!"

I walked in and father was standing next to the pole.

"What is this room for father?"

"This room is used for training people with powers like yours, although we've never trained someone with your level of powers before."

"Are my powers only to move things father?"

"I'll be honest with you. I don't honestly know."

"So what are we doing?"

"For the moment we will concentrate on moving things. Do you see that wooden box? Try and move it for me." father said.

So I concentrated and pulled my hand down the next thing I knew the box came flying at father. Luckily he ducked and the box hit the wall and shattered against the wall.

"I'm never going to get the hang of this, will I father?"

"Don't worry Alexandria, it took me twenty years to learn to control my power."

I looked at the shards of the box. I thought of trying something I imagined the box before I broke it, I lifted both of my hands, I could feel father looking at me but I paid no attention.

I closed my eyes to concentrate on what I was doing I made a twisting movement with my hands then I lowered my hands. I opened my eyes and the box was fixed! I couldn't believe it.

"How did you do that Alexandria?" father asked.

"I don't know, it was a feeling I just went with it." I said.

Father looked at me. "If you get these feelings again, just go with them okay?"

I nodded, I spent the rest of the day with father moving the box. I had to fix it quite a few times, but by the time dinner came I could move the box without breaking it.

"Meet me here the same time tomorrow okay?"

"Okay father." as I walked out the door I went to my room to get a wash before dinner.

I was met by flash. She nearly knocked me to the ground. I washed, changed, and went down to the food hall with flash at my heels. I sat down next to mother.

"Where is your father?" she asked me.

"I'm not sure I last saw him in the training room."

"So when are you going to sit down and plan your wedding?" mother asked.

"Mother, at the moment, it's the last thing on my mind. I'm just far to busy with sword practice and now father's got more training for me."

"You could drop the sword practice." mother said.

"Not a chance. If I did Gabriel would be able to get the upper hand and I'm not letting him do that."

Mother turned to Alexander. "Will you make her see sense!"

I looked over at him. "Actually, I think that she is right. She needs all the practice she can get. A lot of us think she's not getting enough practice my lady."

Mother looked like she was going to blow the roof off. Father walked in just at the right moment.

"Will you tell your daughter that she needs to start planning her wedding? Otherwise it won't happen!" she yelled at father.

"No! As you know she's going against Gabriel and needs all the practice she can get. Which reminds me Alexandria, meet me in the training hall after dinner and dress appropriately for sword practice." father said.

"When will you learn that she's a female. She shouldn't fight!" mother shouted.

I stood up. "Mother, answer me one question. Can those who don't use swords still die upon them if an enemy attacks you?"

Every one in the room looked at me stunned. Mother glared at me. "Of course they can!" she said.

"Then would it not be in my favour to learn how to use a sword to defend my self? If it hasn't accrued to you, I'm the light raiders number one target at the moment."

"I just don't like the idea of you risking your life when we can defend you." mother said.

I turned to every one in the room.

"Hands up, who has actually managed to knock me on my ass?" I asked. No one put their hands up.

Mother looked at father, "Surely you have Lucifer" mother said.

"No, actually I haven't." father said.

"Now, hands up who I've managed to knock on their ass." I said.

Every one put there hands up including father.

"Thank you! Now do you see that I can defend my self mother?" I said.

Mother didn't say anything. She just went back to her food. Father just shrugged his shoulders. I left the hall and went to my room to change into my shorts and t-shirt. I went down to the training room. Father was there with Peter, Damien, Michael and my mother.

I tied my hair back drew my sword and faced my father without warning, father lunged at me with his full strength but I blocked him with ease. We danced around each other clashing swords as we went. I saw my chance! I slid my sword in his hilt and twisted. He let a yelp of pain but this time I didn't wrench the sword from him.

I pulled his arm around his back tripped him up so he landed on his face and put my weight on his back and pushed my sword to his throat. Mother looked like someone had just slapped her. I released father, stood, and gave him his sword back.

"Where did you learn that?" mother asked.

I shrugged my shoulders, "I didn't, it's just instinct. There's a few things I've never been taught but I know how to do them with ease." I said.

Mother looked at father. "She must get that from your side, defiantly not mine! All the woman on my side never fought." mother said.

I stuck my tongue out at my mother.

"You know as well as I do Melissa that I would have taught her how to fight at some point." father said.

As he said this I got a twinge in my stomach. It felt like I was flying. I could see a black castle. It sat in the middle of flat grassy plains with a sky of fire. I was taken into the castle into the throne room. Gabriel and his men were there. They had filled the room. Gabriel was talking to a man who was bound to the throne.

"Gabriel, what are you doing here? You have no right!" the man was shouting.

"I have every right Luke, after the havoc your son has caused and now your granddaughter. Tell me what powers does she have? I'm very interested in her." Gabriel said.

"I would never betray my family!" he spat back at him.

Gabriel turned to his men. "Is the castle secure?" he asked.

"It is my lord." one of his men said.

"Very good now we just wait until Lucifer comes running to your rescue." Gabriel said.

The man on the throne looked up at me and shouted to me, "Warn him, tell him not to come, it's a trap."

Gabriel looked at me. "What the hell are you shouting at there's nothing there!"

He obviously couldn't see me.

"Things aren't always what they seem Gabriel." he said back to him.

I felt the air rush. I opened my eyes and I was on my back on the floor of the training hall. I sat up. Father and the rest of the people who were there crowed round.

"Alexandria are you okay?" father asked.

"I'm fine father, it was a vision."

"What did you see?" mother asked.

I looked at my father I knew then who the man in the throne was.

"You're not going to like it father."

"Look, what ever it is we'll deal with it." father said.

"I will tell you on one condition father, that you don't hit the roof." I said.

"I promise I won't hit the roof Alexandria." father said.

I took a deep breath before I told him.

"Gabriel has taken over your fathers castle and he's holding him hostage waiting for you. He is going to spring a trap on you to get to me." I said.

I waited for father to explode but it never came.

"Are you sure Alexandria?" father asked.

"It was a man called Luke and you look a lot like him father, but the weirdest thing was when I was in the vision he could see me but Gabriel couldn't."

"Did he say anything?" father asked.

"Yes he told me to warn you not to go to his rescue that it was a trap and also Gabriel was trying to get information out of your father." I said.

"What information?" father asked.

"What my powers are, but how could your father know that?" I asked.

"My father can see powers It's what his power is. Did he tell Gabriel?" father asked.

"No, he said that he would never betray his family!"

Father nodded. "Alexander convene the council immediately." father said.

Alexander left to get the council together. Father slid his arm around me and guided me to the council hall.

"Alexandria, I need to ask a favour of you." father said as we entered the council hall.

"Anything father."

"I need you by my side for this fight as you're our strongest fighter."

"Father you know I wouldn't have it any other way. Even if you didn't ask me you know I would go regardless."

"You have a strength in you that a lot of men have prayed to have. You're fearless in the face of death! I'm very proud to be your father." father said as he pulled me into a hug as the rest of the council arrived.

I sat next to my father as we planned our attack on my grandfather's castle.

Mother, of course, wasn't happy about me going.

"Why does she have to go? You say it's dangerous. What can she do that someone else can't." she said.

By this point I'd had enough of mother and her complaining.

"Mother, what is the problem?" I asked her.

"I don't want you to go."

"Tell me mother, when father was imprisoned and you were in hiding and the king of the light raiders came after me who was there to protect me?" I asked her.

She quietened down. "I don't know." she said.

"No one he grabbed me and could have killed me with ease, as Damien was busy, I killed him before I had any training. I can defend my self. I will be going with father and I would appreciate that you don't make life difficult for us. This is hard enough on father as it is."

Mother just hung her head and didn't say anything else.

"It was you who killed the king of the light raiders?" father asked.

"It was, yeah. I was on my way to Eithidan the night that I found out who I really was. He knocked me off Spirit and grabbed me. I stabbed him with my sword and killed him. It was accidental, but I killed him."

"I heard that he was killed, but I never knew who did it." father said, smiling me.

We finalised the plan, then father ordered us to go to bed and rest. I headed to my room. Peter had been told to spend the night in his own room as father needed me well rested. He wasn't very happy at that but he would never disobey my father.

I was woken in the morning by Alexander, with a tray of food. He told me that father wanted me ready to leave in an hour. I ate the food, got washed, and I was pulling on my armour when Peter came in.

"Morning Lex, sleep okay?" he asked as he sat on the bed.

He was already in his armour. "I did but I missed you."

"I missed you too, Lex." he said as he pulled me into a hug and kissed me on the cheek.

"Peter, it's not that I don't love you or don't want to marry you but I think we should postpone the wedding until after the final battle." I said.

"Funny that my dad was saying the same thing and I was going to speak to you after this business with your grandfather was sorted out. But I think you're right. We should wait." he said as he pulled me into a deep kiss.

"Ahem!" someone said.

I turned round, it was mother. "Yes mother?"

"Alexandria please, I'm begging you don't go."

"Mother when will you realise that I choose this life and I can defend my self. On top of that, I would never turn my back on father." I said as I strapped my sword, picked up my shield, and fixed it over my back.

I tied my hair and grabbed my helmet.

"If you must learn the hard way so be it. Nothing good ever comes from fighting." mother said.

"Sometimes we have to do things we don't like. For the good of the clan, we do them. I don't like fighting, but it's necessary! If we didn't we would be destroyed I have to go and meet father."

"Peter please protect her." she said.

"My lady, as we have tried to tell you, she doesn't need protecting" Peter said.

Mother just nodded and left.

"We better get going before father blows a gasket." I said.

Peter nodded, followed me out of the room, and down to the stable. Only Drake and a few others were staying behind to protect mother. Spirit was ready when I got to the stable. He was wearing armour over his face and chest.

"Where did that come from father?"

"We have armour for the horses when we go into a battle to protect them as they are sacred to us." he said.

I just shrugged my shoulders. Peter held my helmet. I mounted Spirit. When I was in the saddle Peter handed me my helmet. Then he went to mount his own horse. I rode over to where father was as I would be riding with him and the council. Peter would be behind us.

"Do you know the plan Alexandria?" father asked.

"Yes father, I do."

"Very well, let's move." father shouted as he dug his heels into his horse.

I rode off with him. I followed him into the middle of the grounds of the castle he turned his horse sharply and dug his heels even more. I didn't see what he did but he opened a portal to where his father was. I saw the black castle on the other side.

I dug my heels as my father explained what it was and what I had to do to make the jump. Spirit jumped and I closed my eyes it felt like I was being pulled in every direction and it was getting difficult to breath when it stopped. I opened my eyes I saw the black castle underneath the sky of fire.

Father rode over to me. "Are you okay Alexandria?" he asked.

"I'm fine father but where are we?" I asked.

"You will find out, just concentrate on the mission"

I nodded. We waited for the rest of the council to make the jump. When they did we made our first wave of attack on Gabriel's men, the ones outside were our first target.

I drew my sword when father gave us the signal we rode full pelt towards them. I didn't care who they were I swung my sword at them I hit a few when I was on Spirit.

When I got closer to the castle I got off of Spirit and ran at the men guarding the door. Father was right beside me. I didn't care who I was hitting as long as it was a light raider.

As father and I made our way into the castle Peter and the rest of the men were just making the jump to mop up the stragglers. Father and I pushed our way to the throne room. Gabriel and his best men were there.

"Well you don't cease to amaze me Lucifer. It didn't take you long getting here." Gabriel said.

Gabriel's father made a move to kill my father, but I intercepted his blow. Before I noticed we were locked into a close duel, walking round in a circle. I was waiting for the right moment. It didn't take long before I got it. I slid my sword in his hilt twisting his arm around his back throwing him down to the floor.

I pulled his head back and was about to silt his throat when father shouted at me to stop. I did. But I held the knife there I looked at Gabriel.