CHAPTER I

I'll wait. The snow will melt, and the vernal water will take away my sadness.

The fire raged and devoured the huge castle, destroying the darkness of the night around. The young king smiled grimly, looking at the action playing out. His black eyes reflected tongues of flame, and large flakes of snow were falling on her dark, long hair. It seemed, that he did not notice the cold of the winter night, nor the heat of the burning shelter of the fierce enemy. The faces of his two subjects, standing side by side, seemed to reflect the same contempt and indifference.

The soldiers of the royal guard threw a gaunt man at their feet.

– You come from the underworld! Little snake, I wish I'd killed you when you were a brat!

– Everything must be done on time, – said the monarch, with a grim sneer. – All your efforts have been wasted.

The Duke's face was disfigured by a grin. He spat blood on the snow and struggled to his knees.

– Yes, and not just me. If that's what you wanted to know.

– I know their names, – the monarch said coldly and angrily, sheathing his heavy sword. – They're almost all dead now. The traitors will end their days within the walls of the Cold Tower.

The fallen man shuddered, and the king saw it.

– I can just execute you.

The Duke looked into the eyes of his enemy with hope and entreaty.

– Tell me, who is this mage?

The condemned man's gaze faded, and this finally angered the king.

– Who is he? Someone who single-handedly destroyed your entire legion without killing anyone. This is impossible! But I saw it myself. Two hundred seasoned warriors! Magicians! You were there!

The duke's bloody lips twitched and twisted into a crooked grin.

– Do you think if I knew who he was, you'd be on the throne? This someone has bypassed me and all the followers of the Order of the Golden Lion. And the country is once again ruled by Crows under your leadership, puppy. You can't imagine how many times we've tried to get close to you…

King Robin turned away indifferently.

– Hang him? – Arthur the young man with the long red hair, asked, hardly changing the haughty pose he had maintained throughout the conversation.

– To the tower, – the king ordered.

Arthur nodded curtly to the warriors.

– No! – The prisoner captive. – No! You can't do this! Damn you! You're already cursed! You are the last of the line!!!

Robin's handsome face was expressionless as he walked away. His constant companions, the devoted Arthur and Edward, walked a little behind.

– Assemble a squad,– Robin ordered the blond-haired Edward. – We're leaving.

The young man turned around, and suddenly collided with a gray-haired woman who appeared out of nowhere.

– Your Majesty! – her sharp voice cut through the frosty silence.

–You made a mistake, witch,– Edward said coldly, and with a single movement pushed the old woman away from him, who had already wrapped her arms around his knees.

– What do you want? – The monarch asked, looking at her with tired eyes.

– I…– she said, confused. – I… have a prediction.

– What can you predict if you don't even recognize me?

– Don't judge so harshly, young King. I have only a few hours to live.

– Tell me, – Robin sighed heavily.

– Please take my great-granddaughter away from here. She won't have anyone left after I die.

The men noticed a shadow moving nearby.

Arthur stepped forward and pulled a teenage girl in gray rags out from behind a snowdrift.

– Soldiers,– King Robin said to the assembled company. – Who's going to marry her?

Arthur cupped the almost childlike face in his black-gloved hand and turned it to the light.

– I am, Your Majesty, – said a determined voice from the crowd.

The faceless warrior came closer, took off his cloak, wrapped it around the girl, and put her on the horse. Edward, seeing the king's nod, tossed the bag of coins to the warrior.

– Let's go, – said Arthur lazily.

The monarch was the first to mount his black stallion lightly. And the witch, meanwhile, came out of her stupor, ran to him and grabbed the stirrups.

– You didn't listen to me! There is a woman who can give you an heir! She is of the line of the comers! Just her, there are no more of them left!

Robin stared at his strange companion in silence, showing deep indifference,and was already touching the bridle.

– Anna Rein. Her name is Anna Rein!

The horsemen raced into the night behind their monarch, and the witch stared after them thoughtfully for a long time.

The royal castle, built of black stone, weighed on the inhabitants with its gloomy grandeur. In his bedroom, Robin stared thoughtfully at the hearth, where the flames played fiercely. He was lying on a bed covered with polar bear skins, and his fingers were running through the golden hair of his sleeping mistress.

There was a prearranged knock, and the door swung open. Arthur entered the room and handed him a yellowed scroll. Raven raised himself slightly on the bed, passed his hand over the blonde's head, magically making her sleep deep, and, shaking the paper with one hand, ran his eyes over it.

Meanwhile, Arthur, completely oblivious to the half-naked beauty, swaggered into a leather-covered chair by the fire. He studied his friend's face searchingly. Robin sprang lightly from the couch and stood beside Arthur. In the dim light, his perfect body looked particularly mesmerizing. He threw the scroll into the fire.

– The magic shield artifact has finally been found, – the seated youth said softly. – This place is close. The trip will take half a day.

– Who is entrusted with the key to the cave? – Robin asked, grimacing.

– Anna Rein.

– To whom? – There was an uncharacteristic note of surprise in the King's voice.

– I was surprised that Gray Lisbourne, who has earned a reputation as a misogynist, would trust her with the key.

– It's a name, – Robin drawled.

– Yes, that mad soothsayer was talking about her, – the nobleman said.

– Did you send to her for the key?

– No, I ordered her to come to court.

– Why? – The king was even more surprised.

– Magic addiction. Only she can open the door to the cave.

– Something's definitely wrong here. What did you find out about her?

– The Countess of the Rhine. The owner of a province in the middle of nowhere. It has barren lands, almost deserts. She hasn't left her land in the last fifteen years. The woman raised her nephew, he is already an adult.

– Who's the nephew?

– There's a dukedom next door. Heir to the lands of Orden.

After these words, it seemed to Robin that the fire in the hearth flared up with an unusual force. He interrupted Arthur.

– The heir of Orden?! I was looking for him, and he was growing up in the desert?! Who is this Anna Rein?!!

– You were looking for him? – This time it was Arthur's turn to be surprised. – Why?

– Who is Anna Rein?

– I've already told you everything I know. There is almost no data in the archive about it. Although…

– What? – In his impatience, the young man even leaned forward and grabbed the handrails of the chair.

– Your betrothed! – Arthur burst out laughing. – She's old enough to be your mother. Yes, even, probably, terrible as a mortal sin. No wonder no one married, even with the title of count.

Robin condescendingly waited until the homeric laughter of his subject had died away, and then said:

– Now stop being stupid. The heir of Auden, by virtue of his bloodline, has as much right to the throne as I do.