I walked along the busy evening streets, wondering if I’ll see or hear the assassins who were supposed to carry out my orders to investigate the virgin blood trade and eradicate it from the core. 

My kingdom was in turmoil, but this recent fad was giving rise to crimes in small towns and villages. Young girls were being kidnapped and bled to death for the sake of earning gold coins.

Before embarking on this mission, I’d consulted Prince Ning Adal, the sixth prince of Baledonia. He was one of my closest friends and a scholar of the highest order. His library was renowned as the largest among the four kingdoms of our realm. If I could trust anyone’s knowledge and wisdom regarding the potency of virgin blood, it would be his. 

“Virgin blood is no different than an ordinary woman’s blood,” he told me. “It’s just a hoax the group created to make some quick money. They sell it at high prices to the men and women of noble families who can afford such vulgar luxury.”

That was all the confirmation I needed to set out on eradicating the threat risking the inner law and order of my kingdom. However, it was more difficult than one might anticipate. I couldn’t ask my generals to take care of the problem. This would make the crisis official. 

As was decreed by Drakhaven, everything official in the lesser three kingdoms had to be reported to Emperor Ivan. And once he knew there was something wrong in Iorna, he would use it as an excuse to station one of his sons in my palace. Emperor Ivan’s son, Mekhi, had already killed the last royal heir of Redfall by accusing him of treason. 

Both Adal and I knew it was a matter of time before we would be attacked as well, either by force or a made-up reason. I was determined to keep the inevitable at bay for as long as possible.

It was a problem I couldn’t solve on my own and once again, I reached out to Prince Adal. 

“We could seek out the assassins of Linmoor,” he told me. 

“Linmoor? I haven’t heard that name before.”

“Of course, not,” said Adal with a mysterious look in his eyes.

“Who are they?”

“They’re an underground guild of assassins. They are the best at what they do. Their identities are hidden and they can’t easily be found or contacted.”

“How did you know about them in the first place?” I asked, intrigued.

“My great grandfather mentioned it in one of his personal journals. He left detailed instructions on the way to their secret hideout in the mountains.”

As always, I was astonished at the span of Adal’s reading list. Apart from the thousands of manuscripts in his library, he even managed to read the personal diaries and notes left by his predecessors. Even though I was a prince myself, I never found the inclination to visit the archives in my palace. The very air and heavy silence was enough to make me drowsy.

“Will you lead the way, Adal?”

“Might as well. When they run out of virgins in Iorna, they will come to Baledonia. Better to root out the problem at the source.”

He led me to Oakhedge, a small town on the mountainous strip in the western part of my kingdom. From there, we followed the covert trail to Linmoor Valley, the den of the assassins he’d spoken of. To my surprise, the leader was a graying, elderly woman, named Elga.

“I will take care of the problem for you,” said the woman in a clear voice. “We will tackle it from the very source. Come back in two days and we shall have the names of the parties involved in the virgin blood trade.”

It sounded too good to be true but my instincts told me to trust her words. Despite her hag-like appearance, an aura of intense power surrounded her being. She was no ordinary woman. 

Adal and I would return to Linmoor next morning. I was too anxious, hoping the assassins wouldn’t create a ruckus to fulfill their mission. The most important condition I’d given them was everything had to be done discreetly. It was imperative Drakhaven remained unaware of the problem before news leaked out to the other kingdoms.

To calm myself, I walked around the town. It was a rare opportunity to walk among the people I ruled. The peasants and merchants on the streets were unaware of my princely status. No one bowed down or greeted me at every step. It was so much easier to breathe out here than the clean, luxurious corridors of my palace.

Something soft collided against me. Looking down, I saw a beautiful young woman rub her forehead as she stared up at me with sparkling green eyes. A shaft of moonlight fell on her at that moment, making her flawless, porcelain skin shimmer with radiance. She was dressed in a sensuous gown of lavender silk that hugged her every curve intimately. Her lips were pink and petal-soft. 

I wanted to kiss those rose-bud lips that curved in an expression of mild curiosity. The urge was so intense, all I could do was stare at her. I struggled not to gaze at the way her gown hugged her ample breasts. I didn’t want to startle or disgust her by the waves of lust thrashing against body. I had to remember I was Prince Cain, the ruling prince of Iorna, and not a common man who couldn’t keep from ogling at a beautiful woman.

Ignoring the way my body was reacting to her beauty, I said, “Are you all right, Miss?” 

“F-fine.” Her nervous stutter was adorable. Her cheeks turned a beautiful pink as she looked away from me. Her next question jerked me out of my lustful thoughts. “Could you tell me where the brothel is?”

I couldn’t believe what she was asking for. She looked healthy and well-off, not the kind of woman you’d think would go to a place like a brothel to sell herself. 

“I am meeting a friend there,” she explained but I knew she was lying. It had to be something else. 

“Would you like me come with you?” I offered.

She refused at once. Then, as if she realized what going to the brothel implied, she quickly added, “It’s not what you think!”

I couldn’t help the chuckle that escaped me. This woman was interesting. I rarely found a female companion with whom I could hold a proper conversation. The ones in the harem of my palace looked for every chance to get close to me. Their fawning and backstabbing each other put me off from going near them a long time ago. 

The stranger looked at me expectantly, so after an internal sigh, I placed a hand on her shoulder and turned her towards the direction of the town brothel. It was the first place I was recommended to visit by the innkeeper. 

Warmth seeped through the thin fabric of the sleeves and onto my skin. Even an innocent touch was enough to make fire spread through my veins. “It is that way,” I said, my voice sounding incredibly husky to my own ears. 

“Thank you.” She stared up at me and in that close proximity, I could smell the subtle fragrance of lotus and jasmine on her. I inhaled deeply, memorizing her heady scent. 

“What’s your name?” I asked before she could walk away from me.

“Daria.”

“I am Cain. Meet me at the tavern later tonight. Also, if it’s money you need, I will help you.”

She smiled at me. “I’m not sure how long it will take but you don’t have to worry about me. I can look after myself.” With that, she walked past me and disappeared in the throng of the market square in an instant.