───── ❝ Chapter Twenty-Six ❞ ─────

The next day Dmitri gave out an order for the entirety of the Red Dawn to march to a large manor home with their guns strapped to their sides. They were guns that, by no means, could constantly fire as the invention had only been around for a few hundred years, but with the number of people they had, it would do the trick. Five thousand people; men, and women, all surrounded the house. As they marched closer, Thomas, who stood near the back ranks, realized that this was one of the houses Edward had said he owned.

Silently wondering why Dimitri wanted to attack Edwards's home he watched from a small wooded area as Dimitri gave the word to start the attack. With a dark look in his eyes, Thomas watched as each member fired, reloaded, and fired their weapon for a final time, with a look of pleasure and smugness on his face. Finally, as the crowd dissipated, three men on every side walked up to the edge of the house, lit a bundle of rope, and left it against the house, causing the outside of the manor to start on fire. Within fifteen minutes the fire engulfed most of the exterior and spread into the inner walls of the manor. The fire in Thomas's own eyes became as bright and deadly as the fire caging and eating away at the home in front of him. But suddenly, a scream oh so familiar echoed around him.

The rest of the cult had finally all left, but when Thomas heard his name being called something inside of him snapped. No longer would his body allow him to watch his brother's home be destroyed with a person still alive in it. But the screams stopped, and Thomas realized something was wrong. With a breath, he rushed into the burning fire, reaching the person inside. The person through all the smoke and flames had crawled its way to the entrance hall before collapsing making it easy for him to find the person, but instead of finding a stranger or a possible lover of Edward's, he was horrified to see that it was his sister.

He picked her up, ran out of the building, and looked around to see if there was any place nearby that would treat Jane's wounds. He had almost given up when suddenly he could see a small town about two miles from where he was. Thomas rushed to the carriage that had brought him to the place and gave the order for him to ride into the nearby town to see if anyone could help. The man while suspicious of what Thomas wanted with the town and the girl he was carrying did what he was told and rode with speed.

While his mind raced to save his sister, it did not occur to Thomas why this town was so close to Edward's manor home, nor that the town they were headed towards was under Edward's jurisdiction and was encompassed through his titles. Unknowingly that day Edward had planned a visit to the people he represented, an important aspect of his duties to his title. Once they had arrived at the town Thomas killed the driver, as a dead man tells no secrets, and the driver's loyalty to the Red Dawn meant that if he lived Thomas would be hunted by the man he had just treated an alliance with.

As the commotion grew Edward exited the local library, a place he heavily contributed to, and his relations with those who worked in the library and the surrounding shops flourished. Suddenly he saw people running to the local infirmary. He watched for a few minutes as people ran to grab blankets and other things to help whoever it was that was in dire need of medical attention.

Edward burst into the infirmary, his heart pounding. The acrid smell of smoke still clung to his clothes from the burning manor. His eyes scanned the room frantically until they landed on a figure in one of the beds.

"Jane," he breathed, rushing to her side.

He was concerned when some of the physicians tried to stop him from entering, but was ultimately allowed inside, only to see his brother sitting in a chair next to an extremely injured Jane.

His sister's face was pale, her breathing labored. A physician looked up from examining her, his expression grim. Her eyes were closed as if sleeping or dead, but the only sign of her still being alive was the small shallow barely noticeable breaths that came stuttered.

"How is she?" Edward demanded.

The physician shook his head slowly. "It's not good, Your Grace. The wound itself is minor."

Edward felt the blood drain from his face. "Good."

"We're doing everything we can, but—"

A commotion at the door interrupted them. Thomas stumbled in, his face ashen. "Edward, I—" He broke off as he saw Jane, horror dawning in his eyes.

Edward rounded on his brother, fury and grief warring in his chest. "This is your doing," he hissed.

"I never meant for this to happen," Thomas choked out with dried tear tracks on his cheeks.

"I didn't know they would—"

"What do you mean." His voice became cold as ice as a dark look came over Edward, "What did you do!"

"I-I've never been so angry when you left us, betrayed us. I wanted revenge, Lord Romanov, well I met him at a bar. Edward, I pledged my allegiance to the man, I killed an innocent and now he has all but killed our sister."

"You mean to tell me that in your anger, your jealousy, you went to the one man in the entire world who was actively trying to kill the Empress!" He yelled.

"What, I-I thought, no I don't know what I thought."

"That man you said was Lord Romanov, correct?"

"Yes."

Edward's face grew pale as he whispered, "I need to get back to the palace now, and I need you to come with me."

"What about Jane, brother, she could die at any moment, the doctors said one of the bullets grazed her side, but she is still bleeding heavily!"

"She will be transported to the castle quickly, we are less than a mile away."

They rode out to the castle and as soon as Jane was put into a room the physician started working to stop the bleeding that remained while Edward immediately called a council meeting with the hidden flame in his window. The council gathered in their usual meeting chamber and as soon as Adieya gave him a nod to speak wanting to know why and what was so important for the council to hear he motioned to Thomas to speak. It was Thomas's story to tell not Edward's.

Thomas opened his mouth but realized that he didn't know the Russian language and would not be able to communicate well with the Empress and her people. Seeing the thought flash through his eyes, Adieya smiled reassuringly before she spoke, "You do not need to worry about speaking my country's tongue. Everyone in this room speaks English."

Thomas nodded before swallowing harshly, fear pumping through his veins at the thought of admitting his faults. "Empress, I-I am so sorry." He started.

"What are you sorry for, Your Grace," Adieya responded softly, her caring tone making Thomas's fear tenfold.

He opened his mouth in an attempt to speak but the words he could not vocalize. He swallowed again and turned to his brother, "Edward, please, I can't."

Edward nodded before turning to Adieya, "My brother in his anger went to Dimitri and pleaded his loyalty. I am assuming Thomas told him information about me and you Adieya."

"How should we deal with this information, my Prince?" One of the councilmen asked.

"Most of the information my brother gave out, they already knew from Narcisse. My brother confirmed their plans, for their strategy. If it was new information they would have attacked as soon as they could, instead, they attacked my manor in an attempt to kill me to catch your attention."

"Plausible reason Edward. I heard your sister was injured in the attack," Adieya spoke softly.

"The physicians stopped the bleeding and cleaned the burn wound. She'll survive for now." Thomas spoke up.

"We will care for her as best we can," Adieya said softly

"We need to find the Headquarters and attack them! They attacked a member of our court, who's to say they won't attack the castle next time!" A councilman yelled causing others to agree with him.

"Alright, alright! Gentlemen! We will find their Headquarters as soon as we can, but we have to be prepared for a fight, we can't just go in there blind. I want these men gone more than any of you, but I am not going to risk any more men getting killed because of an unprepared and rushed attack."

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The council chamber hummed with tension as Henry entered, flanked by Tatianna. The room was a marvel of Russian opulence: gilded columns stretched to a vaulted ceiling adorned with intricate frescoes, while light streamed through tall windows, glinting off the polished marble floor.

Adieya sat at the head of a long table, her posture regal, her expression inscrutable. Around her, the boyars – Russian nobles – watched Henry with a mix of curiosity and suspicion.

"Dobroye utro, Vashe Velichestvo," Henry said carefully, the Russian words feeling clumsy on his tongue. Good morning, Your Majesty.

A flicker of approval crossed Adieya's face. "Dobroye utro, King Henry," she replied, switching to English. "Please, join us."

As Henry took his seat, an older boyar with a long, silver beard leaned forward. "Your Majesty," he addressed Adieya in heavily accented English, "with all due respect, is it wise to include a foreign monarch in matters of state? Particularly given the... delicate nature of our current situation."

Henry tensed, but Adieya's voice remained calm. "Boris Ivanovich, King Henry's presence here is precisely because of our 'delicate situation.' The Red Dawn threatens not just Russia, but all of Europe. We must stand united."

Another boyar, younger and more richly dressed, spoke up. "Perhaps His English Majesty could enlighten us on how these rebels have managed to infiltrate his court so thoroughly? It seems we may have lessons to learn about... security."

The barb was thinly veiled, and Henry felt his cheeks heat. But he forced his voice to remain steady as he replied, "Indeed, Count...?"

"Yuri Alexandrovich Volkov," the man supplied with a slight sneer.

Henry nodded. "Count Volkov. You're right to be concerned. The Red Dawn's methods are insidious. They prey on resentment, on ambition. They offer promises of power to those who feel overlooked." He paused, thinking of Thomas. "No court is immune to such tactics. Which is why we must work together, share our knowledge, our resources."

An approving murmur ran through some of the boyars. Adieya's eyes met Henry's, a silent message of support passing between them.

But Boris Ivanovich was not finished. "Pretty words, Your Majesty. But words will not stop Dimitri Romanov. We need action. The people grow restless. There are whispers in the streets of St.Petersburg, of a 'true' emperor waiting to reclaim his throne."

A hush fell over the room. Henry saw Adieya's knuckles whiten as she gripped the arms of her chair.

"Then we must give them more than whispers," she said, her voice hard as steel. "We will show them the strength of a united front. King Henry, what news from your spymaster about Dimitri's movements?"

As Henry began to speak, laying out the intelligence Charles had sent, he felt the weight of the boyars' gazes. This, he realized, was more than just a council meeting. It was a test – of his worth, of the alliance's strength.

And failure was not an option.

That night as Adieya and Henry played cards, something in the air filled with so much tension that it wound tight as a wire about to snap. After another moment it was clear to Adieya that Henry wasn't truly paying attention to the game. Putting her cards down with a raised eyebrow she spoke, "What wrong? I can see it in your face, do not try to deny it. Something is bothering you."

Henry sighed putting his cards down as well before speaking, "Fine. Why is she here? I thought I left her behind when we divorced."

"It is my fault I did not warn you she was in Russia, but Edward exiled her from court because of her behavior in court. Thus you would not see here at any part of your stay. that was until the Red Dawn attacked the manor where she was staying. Henry... she is dying. Not of her injuries... but because of poison."

"Poison? You are certain?"

"Very certain. I know it's not a well-known method of killing in England but it is a method here that has evolved its ability and is quite popular. Jane's injury is only a small graze wound and burns. But the Red Dawn has laced all of the bullets with poison, even the slight glance of the bullet causes the poison to react."

"The insurance of death I suppose."

"Indeed."

A little while later Henry stood on the balcony overlooking the palace gardens, the cool night air a welcome respite from the stuffy council chambers. He heard soft footsteps behind him and turned to see Adieya approaching, her formal attire replaced by a simpler gown.

"You handled yourself well in there," she said, coming to stand beside him.

Henry chuckled ruefully. "I felt like a fish out of water. Your councilmen are... formidable."

"They're set in their ways," Adieya agreed. "But they listened to you. Your suggestion about increasing patrols along the border was well-received."

They stood in comfortable silence for a moment, gazing out at the moonlit gardens. Henry found himself acutely aware of Adieya's presence, the faint scent of her perfume carried on the breeze.

"Do you miss it?" Adieya asked softly. "England?"

Henry considered the question. "Parts of it," he admitted. "The familiar halls of the palace, the rhythms of court life I've known since childhood." He turned to look at her. "But I'm finding there's much to appreciate here as well."

Their eyes met, and for a moment, the air between them seemed charged with unspoken possibilities. Adieya's lips parted slightly as if she might say something more, but then she caught herself.

"We should rest," she said, her voice slightly husky. "Tomorrow's council session will be challenging."

As she turned to leave, Henry caught her hand. "Adieya," he said softly. She looked back at him, her eyes wide. "Thank you. For everything."

She squeezed his hand gently before withdrawing. "Goodnight, Henry," she whispered, and then she was gone, leaving Henry alone with his turbulent thoughts and the lingering warmth of her touch.

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The palace laboratory was a curious blend of old and new: ancient alchemical equipment shared space with more modern scientific instruments. Adieya stood over a workbench, her elegant gown exchanged for a simple smock, her hair tied back practically.

Henry watched as she carefully added a drop of liquid to a vial, her brow furrowed in concentration. The vial's contents hissed and turned an alarming shade of green.

"Remarkable," Adieya murmured. "I've never seen anything quite like it."

"What is it?" Henry asked, stepping closer.

Adieya looked up, her eyes bright with the thrill of scientific discovery, despite the grim circumstances. "It's a complex compound. Part traditional herb lore, part advanced chemistry. Whoever created this is both a scientific genius and deeply versed in old Russian traditions."

Henry frowned. "Dimitri?"

Adieya shook her head. "Not directly. But he may have employed someone with such knowledge." She straightened, wincing slightly as she stretched her back. "This poison... it's not just a weapon, Henry. It's a statement. A perversion of Russian heritage turned against us."

Then only a few weeks had passed since the manor attack, Edward and Thomas rushed to the hospital wing of the castle. While the physicians tried their best to do everything they could to help Jane back to health, they knew with each passing day their sister's body was getting weaker and weaker. When they arrived, the room looked the same as the day before with the curtains drawn closed knowing their sister's eyes were sensitive to the light. Today though was a somber mood that echoed around the room while the physicians bustled around Jane. She was content with dying now knowing there was nothing that could be done to save her. Adieya had visited her a few days after she was brought in to talk with her. What Thomas and Edward did not know was that day Jane had asked Adieya not to say anything about the poison the physicians had found at the wound graze.

While Jane might not have been the target of the bullets or poison, she was dealing with its effect. Yet she was the longest-living survivor of the poison, the rest had died within a day or a week of first contact, yet three weeks later Jane had survived. Through the small amount of research, they were able to accomplish and document they were able to find the physical side-effects of the poison: pale skin, coughing, vomiting, dizziness, hallucinations, loss of appetite, frequent loss of consciousness. Jane had all of the symptoms and more. When she coughed or vomited she coughed up more blood, and sometimes at night she would stop breathing and turn slightly blue until physicians could try and help her to breathe once more. But the physicians could only do so much.

Over the course of a few years many experiments were tried when the poison was first found, but with each test came no result. It was such a well-hidden secret within the Russian crown that even the closest people to Adieya had little knowledge of it, the only people with full knowledge of the poison were the Empress herself and two top-ranking philosophers.

"Go to her now, there isn't much time left," Adieya spoke softly from the doorway of the inner chamber as the two men approached.

She then turned to the physicians and ladies that ran throughout the room, speaking to them in their mother tongue through a whisper she requested all but one physician to leave and closed the door once everyone had left. Edward and Thomas sat on the edge of Jane's bed, the movement causing Jane to open her eyes. A small sad smile appeared on her face knowing it would be the last time she would see them while she lived. Edward grabbed one of Jane's hands, rubbing the back of it like he did when they were younger and Jane had awoken from a nightmare. A tear slipped down Thomas's cheek, "I am so sorry Jane, I-I never meant-"

Jane brought her free hand up to Thomas's cheek, wiping away a tear before caressing his cheek. "I know brother, I know. As much as you think it is what happened to me was not your fault. We all make mistakes, but let the past be past, look ahead to bright skies Tommy."

Thomas nodded accepting her words, "I love you, Jay."

"I love you most Tommy."

Jane turned to Edward, "Thank you for showing me what you call home, let your light shine Ed, as I know it will go far. I love you, my dear brother."

"And I, you, my sweet sister. We will miss you, Jay. Be at peace sister."

"I will be, Ed."

Jane turned her attention to Adieya with a sad smile, "I am sorry for my actions against you, especially after everything you have done to try and help. You love him and he loves you, that will never change. Find your peace, as he will always be yours."

She didn't need to specify who she was talking about. Adieya nodded before smiling her own soft smile, "Be at peace with your god, may you find rest with him."

Jane looked to her brothers once more smiling again through a goodbye. "Take care of Mother and Father for me."

"We will."

"With the last light Death will be explored," Jane whispered her eyes closing as she expelled her final breath.

"With the last light Death is explored," whispered Adieya, repeating Jane's phrase. The words, Jane had spoken were a motto that traditionally was said in Russia just as one died with those they called family and friends around them, and repeated by the others by changing the tense when the person did pass. The words surprised Edward, but then he smiled. She wanted to learn about Russian tradition and culture, and the small amount she did, gained her respect in the eyes of Russian traditions.

The physician checked to see if Jane had passed and only when he gave a small nod to Adieya did a tear slip down her cheeks. It was the death of an innocent she wept for, and the heartbreak of one of her close friends. Adieya dismissed the physician allowing the two brothers a bit of privacy. She walked forward to the side of the bed and put an arm on the shoulders of the two brothers, who were now openly crying at the loss of their sister.

"One of you must write to your father to tell him of her death, but what caused it must never go beyond these walls. At the bullet graze wound a fast-acting poison was found, it could not be removed. She did not want me to tell you of this but as she is now passed, I feel it would be wrong not to tell you. With your permission, we can have her funeral here, but you are welcome to bring her body home to your family's grave site when you return home."

Edward stood and looked at his friend with grief-stricken eyes, "You did everything you could Dieya. I think she would love a traditional Russian funeral. We morn today but we will make them pay for her death."

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