Athanasia blinked a couple of times in disbelief before looking back at Cadwal. She sighed. "Do you know exactly what my father wants?"

Cadwal shook his head. "I'm afraid not. I think you'll just have to go talk to him for yourself."

Derbáil and Athanasia exchanged glances before following Cadwal back to the palace.

Once they were behind closed palace doors, Heimir smiled at them. "I trust you two had a lovely time."

Derbáil and Athanasia both faked a lie. "Yes."

"Good, good," Heimir started to say. Then he asked Derbáil, "Are you in your best dress?"

Derbáil nodded, but she seemed confused by this question. "Yes. Of course."

Heimir instructed, "Go into the Great Hall. Tulok is waiting."

Derbáil and Athanasia shot quick, horrified glances at each other.

Heimir and Drest wanted them to get married at that very second.

Athanasia's hand trembled as she grabbed Derbáil's. They slowly headed down the corridor with Heimir trailing not to far behind. Finally, they reached the Great Hall. They continued their slow pace until they reached Tulok.

Nobles sat in seats, intensely watching.

Tulok cleared his throat. "We are gathered here today to join Prince Ásgeirr Heimirsson, of Cyeollaria, and Princess Derbáil Ciar, of Abiria in-"

Suddenly, Danr burst into the room. "Your highness!" He shouted, out of breath.

"What is it, Danr?" Heimir asked. "What is so important that you need to interrupt my son's wedding?"

"Cyeollaria is being attacked-" Danr panted.

Heimir's eyes grew wide. "What? By who?"

"I'm not sure. All I know is they wield fire! Their horses almost looked to be made of fire, too!" Danr exclaimed.

Athanasia tensed up because Danr had described the invaders just like how they were in her dream.

"Lock the palace doors. Make sure nobody gets in or out," Heimir instructed Danr and the other knights. "The wedding will have to wait for now." Heimir headed off to a room off the Great Hall.

Derbáil let go of Athanasia's hand.

Aculia approached. "What will we do?" She asked Athanasia.

Athanasia swallowed. "I'm not sure... I don't even know what we're dealing with."

The people in the palace sat, fearfully for the next fourty-five minutes.

Screams from outside the palace echoed through the city.

Through the window, people could see all the buildings burning around them.

"Something has to be done about this," Athanasia said, solemnly before getting an approving nod from Agnar. She headed into the room her father had gone into. "Father," she began to call out. "We need to do something about this. We need to stop them."

"We can't possibly fight them. They're too dangerous," Heimir told Athanasia as he lit candles.

"Who are they?" Athanasia asked Heimir.

"None of your concern-" Heimir responded.

"Who are they?" Athanasia raised her voice. "They ransacked our kingdom when I was nine... The same year my mother went missing. Clearly this has something to do with me! Now, tell me, who are they?"

Heimir swallowed. "They're monstrous undead warriors. They're cruel.... Heartless. And they're led by your real father."

Athanasia froze, a lump forming in her throat. "Real father? W-what do you mean?"

"Ilrok Drokonik. He's your father," Heimir told Athanasia. He had said the word 'father' in a mocking tone. "Aðalbjörk was my true love. I married her when we were both young. I just didn't know she was seeing another." Heimir was shaking his head, disapprovingly. "But, hell, I raised you like my own boy. As far as I'm concerned, I raised you, so you're mine."

"And Hrafnúlfr?" Athanasia asked.

"Hrafnúlfr's mine," Heimir growled.

"Why didn't you tell me about Ilrok?" Athanasia questioned.

Heimir's voice raised even more. "What was I supposed to tell you? That you were a fucking Devilborn? I kept it a secret because that's what any good father would do!" Heimir approached Athanasia. "Look, our guards will stop Ilrok and his forces, so let's cut the nonsense and bury the damn hatchet." He raised a hand, trying to place it on Athanasia's shoulder.

She shyed away from him.

"What is the meaning of this?" Heimir asked, angrily. He lurched forward, yanking Athanasia's arm.

Athanasia forced herself out of Heimir's grasp.

Heimir inhaled deeply before backhand slapping Athanasia across the face. "Spoiled fucking brat."

Athanasia then angrily pushed Heimir backward into the shelf, which knocked the candles over.

The candles forced the shelf to catch fire--the surrounding objects caught fire too.

Screams echoed throughout the palace.

"Your highnesses! They're here! They're-" Svenn shouted before letting out a deafening scream.

Athanasia went to leave as the room burnt around her.

Heimir coughed. "You wouldn't let your old man die, would you? I mean, you can't."

Athanasia huffed. "You don't want him to kill you, huh?"

Heimir nodded. "I refuse to be killed by Ilrok."

"Good thing he won't kill you."

"Thank the gods-" Heimir began.

Athanasia unsheathed her sword.

"What are you doing?" Heimir asked, with wide eyes.

"What I should've done a long time ago." Athanasia turned, running full-force at the king. She impaled her blade in his chest.

"Ásgeirr-" the King breathed, which sounded rattly.

"My name isn't Ásgeirr!" Athanasia growled. She yanked her sword out and she swung the sword right at Heimir's neck--effectively detaching his head from his body

Athanasia didn't want to look down at the head--she just couldn't. She turned and left the burning room.

Athanasia ran toward Hrafnúlfr, who screamed as a Demonic Knight swung his blade at the kid. Athanasia lodged herself between the two, swinging her own flaming blade. She kicked the knight before stabbing him. She then said to Hrafnúlfr, "We need to get out of here. Now." She grabbed her brother's hand and led him down the corridor.

As Athanasia and Hrafnúlfr ran, Agnar, Cadwal, Derbáil, and Aculia joined their ranks.

Cadwal, Derbáil, and Aculia had picked up swords from fallen soldiers.

Egill opened the palace doors for them. He shouted, "Go! Go! Go!"

The group rushed through the doors and into the clearing.

Athanasia didn't even flinch when she heard Egill scream.

A large group of Demonic Knights rushed toward the group.

Agnar threw out his hand and screamed an incantation which caused a lightning bolt to shoot from the sky and pierce the demons.

"You're a witch?" Hrafnúlfr questioned.

"Well don't act like you wanna burn me at the stakes now. I just saved your life!" Agnar shouted.

The group continued running, cutting down demons left and right.

One demon lunged at Aculia and Athanasia leaped over and stabbed it through the heart.

Finally, they reached the stables.

Three horses remained.

Agnar and Cadwal took one horse, the Ciar sisters took another one, and Hrafnúlfr and Athanasia took the last one.

Once they had all mounted the horses, they charged through the opening of the stables. Then they rode off into the night as Cyeollaria burned around them.