Blood XV : King of Nothing 

Part I : Winds of Winter 

“Winter is the nicest period of the year, the most beautiful looking but the most 
dangerous.” 
Symon Garaseol “Rituals” 
 
 
 
 
 
The morning sun shined through the window of the kitchen in the 
comfortable, warm manor of House Marinus. It was a refreshing light, and a 
pleasant autumn breeze joined it, slowly moving the curtains and bringing 
in the faint smell of the nearby sea. 
 
A small but high-quality table was standing in the center of the kitchen, five 
people seated around it. At the head was a middle-aged man with a full head 
of grey hair and a serious expression. His shrewd, green eyes would indicate 
to those who knew Kedumian merchants that he was, indeed, one of them. 
And not just any merchant- he was one of the richest, most successful 
merchants in the archipelago, Giran Marinus. 
 
On the other side of the small table was a woman about Giran’s age, a bit 
plump but with a kind and smart appearance. She wore a fancy, dark blue 
dress and kept serving food to the children sitting around the table. Marissa 
Marinus, Giran’s wife, was clearly a strong woman. 
 
Said children were three in amount- two daughters, already in an adult age, 
both pretty and with a rich, brown hair. Bella herself was the youngest, 
sitting on the right side of the table, close to her mother, and wearing a 
stylish green dress. After all, she was going to meet someone that day. Her 
sister, Klarissa, was sitting opposite to her, looking just as pretty with a blue 
dress, which made Bella suspect she wasn’t the only Marinus sister going to 
meet a potential partner that day. 
 
Near Klarissa was a much younger child, a boy, Mark Marinus. His face was 
round and innocent, with black hair and glistering eyes full of enthusiasm. 
He was eating a piece of warm cake and telling his father, who was listening 
with a smile, some silly story about a fish he and his friend caught. Bella 
didn’t hear much of it, though, as her mind was elsewhere- to be precise, in 
a workshop near the Harbour of Namal. 
 
After Mark was done telling his story, Giran Marinus put down his fork and 
looked at his family. “I’m going to have an important business meeting 
today. Very soon, actually. Are you all going to be present, or do you have 
things to do?” 
 
Bella blushed a bit. “Sorry, father, I can’t be here, I already scheduled 
something…” 
 
Her sister Klarissa coughed. “Um, sorry, can’t be here too. I need to go to the 
market, promised to meet, er, a few friends.” 
 
Giran sighed. “Fine. At least I’m going to have Mark.” He laughed and 
messed his son’s black hair. 
 
“You’ll have me too, my love.” Marissa smirked. “Or did you already forget 
your wife, merchant?” 
 
“Ha! How can I forget? She keeps reminding me, being so kind and 
beautiful.” He smiled widely and kissed her hand from the other side of the 
table. “Now, Bella, tell me, how’s the herb-studying going? Think you can 
heal your old father when he grows even older, yet?” 
 
The young woman chuckled. “Sorry, father, not yet. But I’m getting there- 
it’s really fascinating, I think that’s what I want to do. Open a pharmacy, 
perhaps, and help people.” She was very enthusiastic about the idea. 
 
Her father clicked his tongue. “Is no one here going to take up the family 
business? We’re merchants, for Edaris’ sake.” He looked at Klarissa. 
“Maybe you shall be my saviour? How’s studying in the Plaza going?” 
 
“Great, father, I enjoy every moment… except when we have to listen to the 
High Master’s speeches.” She took a slice of cake into her mouth. “But I 
already told you, I don’t want to be a merchant.” 
 
“Maybe I’ll be a merchant!” Young Mark jumped in his spot, looking up at 
his father with enthusiasm. 
 
Giran laughed. “Like always, Mark is here to save me. Now…” 
 
A knock on their door interrupted him. 
 
“Ah.” The merchant stood up from his chair. “This must be my partner. 
Come, say hello to him and then you can go on your businesses.” 
 
They all stood up from their chairs and went to the living room of the 
Marinus manor, which was spacious and welcoming, painted in pleasant 
colours of calm blue and green. Giran entered the short corridor leading to 
the door. After a few seconds, they heard the door opening. Giran and 
someone with a deep voice exchanged a few words, and then walked into the 
living room. 
 
The man standing with Giran was surprisingly young for a business partner. 
He looked in his thirties, perhaps even late twenties, and astonishingly 
handsome with a lean body of a warrior, a tanned face, short blonde hair 
and a well-trimmed blonde beard. But the most striking feature about his 
face were the eyes- as grey as flint, cold and unyielding. 
 
Bella recognized him- this was her father’s newest business partner, a man 
they already knew as Arnold. 
 
“Welcome, Arnold.” Marissa Marinus smiled and bowed her head in respect. 
The three Marinus children did the same, exchanging some basic 
pleasantries with him. 
 
Finally, Giran looked at his business partner and nodded. “Well, I believe 
it’s time to begin. We have a lot to discuss.” 
 
“Indeed. That initiative is bold and risky, we must plan it thoroughly.” 
Arnold’s posture was stern and calculating. 
 
“I shall go on my business, then.” Klarissa smile at her family and at Arnold. 
“Goodbye, see you in the evening.” 
 
“Me too, love you, father, mother!” Bella grinned and went after her sister. 
Outside, it was already close to noon and the sun was hot. It might’ve been 
autumn, but the fall in Kedumia wasn’t even close to cold. 
 
Before they parted ways, Bella nudged her sister’s shoulder, smiling 
knowingly. “Going to meet ‘friends’, eh? I bet you’re going to hang around a 
smithy… Throwing a guess, the one where there’s a certain apprentice 
named Marsh?” 
 
Klarissa gently punched her sister in the shoulder. “Oh, shut up. Yeah, I’m 
going there, but please, don’t tell dad! Besides, I know you’re going to meet 
your Wallard.” 
 
“Don’t worry, I won’t. Enjoy, hope it’s warm enough for your smith to not 
wear a shirt!” The two sisters laughed and hugged, going on their ways. 
 
Bella made her way through the streets of Namal, barely looking around at 
the familiar city where she was born and raised. After a while she finally 
reached her destination- a small but tidy workshop on the docks of Namal- 
Melkos’ Ships​. She saw from a distance a group of almost twenty men cutting 
wood, battering nails and shaping the already polished oak or ash into 
masts or helms. 
 
One of the workers, not wearing anything but a pair of used trousers, all 
sweaty and with a handsome face- green eyes, brown hair and elegant 
features, raised his face towards the road and saw Bella. In the following 
second, he was sprinting towards her. 
 
“By Edaris, Bella…” The young man panted heavily as he reached her. “I’m 
really sorry I started working but we got a heavy command just an hour ago 
and father mobilised us all…” His eyes met hers. “Damn, you’re beautiful..” 
 
She looked straight into his beautiful green eyes, her heart beating faster 
than usual. “Tenard… so are you. How’s your father?” 
 
“He is filling up the contracts with a lot of merchants. Seems like they are 
pouring in Namal these days.” Tenard took her hand. “You truly look 
incredible today. Or maybe..it’s just my dizzy in love heart that is speaking 
through my mouth?” They started walking towards the workshop. 
 
“I’d settle on both.” She laughed heartily and squeezed his hand, feeling its 
familiar warmth. “I think some of these merchants may be under my father. 
He and some strange business partner seem to be planning something truly 
big.” 
 
Before Tenard could reply, a stern-looking man exited the workshop with a 
huge notebook in his hands. He was Melkos Wallard, Tenard’s father, 
average in height with thick sailor-legs, the start of a cavitation and a grey 
beard on his face. His green eyes that resembled Tenard’s, observed the 
couple coming his way.  
 
“Good morning, milady.” Melkos made a short nod with his head towards 
Bella when they reached his place. “It pleases me to see you here. Excuse my 
son, he got work to do.” 
 
“Good morning, sir Melkos.” She bowed her head graciously. “Of course, I 
understand. You have a thriving place here.” 
 
“As much as I could muster in eighteen years, milady.” The middle-aged 
man smiled nostalgically. “Your mother must have told you that I used to 
run the harbour of Sulkaiame once.” 
 
“Yeah, compared to that, this is nothing.” She looked at her lover’s father 
again, still astonished as she remembered the story about how he escaped 
the Fire of Sulkaiame… and about the fact that a rightful king was standing 
there before her, a second daughter of a minor noble family. “How do you 
think the Harbour of Namal compares to the one you ran?” 
 
“Tenard! Why don’t you go inside, wash a bit of sweat and dirt and wear 
some nice clothes while I exchange some words with lady Marinus here? 
Then you two can walk on the beach. Today, you’re free of work.” Melkos 
patted his son on the back. After placing a loving kiss on Bella’s cheek, 
Tenard sprinted inside the workshop whistling a rhymed song. 
 
“Young years, burning love… you two truly care for each other..” Melkos 
sighed. 
 
Bella felt herself blushing a bit. “Yes, sir. I love Tenard, truly.” 
 
“You asked me about Sulkaiame…” The older Wallard invited her to sit on a 
small wooden chair outside of the worksite. Some apprentices noticed her 
and bowed their heads. Seeing a noblewoman was a rare sight for them- 
Bella found it a bit ironic, seeing that they unknowingly worked for the heir 
to an ancient royal bloodline. “Truth is that I was handling the harbour 
really well there...Even if the King was not of much help.” 
 
“Was this harbour big, like the one we have in Namal?” She asked in 
curiousity. “If so, you’re really skilled.” 
 
“Three times larger but not​ as crowded as Namal. I wasn't truly skilled, just 
lucky to be the King's cousin…” Melkos frowned. “That was my blessing and 
also my doom.” 
 
“Your doom…” Bella frowned. “Because of the…” She topped in her tracks, 
not daring to say the last word. She knew that the Great Fire of Sulkaiame 
was a deep scar in Melkos. 
 
“Aye, milady. You can finish. Because of my wife's death.” The Wallard’s 
eyes wondered above the calm sea. “Something broke in me as she died 
there. But Tenard is a part of that, a part of her. He is my only hope, Bella 
Marinus. If you truly love him you must be aware that one day he will return 
home…” 
 
“Return… home…?” The thought seemed strange for her. Tenard seemed so 
Kedumian, she kept forgetting that he was born in the other corner of the 
continent, amid the collapse of a great nation. “But how? There’s a terrible 
war there, now…” 
 
“I know… I always ask the merchants about what happens in my lands. 
Sadly for me, my body is too weak to work and surely too weak to sail home 
and fight there. But Tenard… He has youth on his side and fire in his heart.” 
Melkos turned towards her, his green eyes burning with hope. “Be always 
true to him, Bella. I assure you that he loves you dearly and…” He stopped as 
the door of the workshop opened. “Tenard will tell you the rest.” 
 
She nodded, remembering all the things she read about Wallardia. Few were 
good, at least not about recent history. 
 
“Father, I will be back by nightfall. C'mon, Bella, let's walk together.” 
Tenard Wallard, now clean, well-dressed in a brown tunic and clean shaven, 
offered Bella his right hand with a small smile. 
 
Bella took it immediately. “Good my, sir Wallard!” She waved to Tenard’s 
father, a man who truly impressed her with his life story. 
 
Melkos smiled to her and, picking up his large notebook, returned inside the 
workshop. Tenard gently squeezed her hand. “Father is really happy that we 
got together. He praises your beautiful heart and your outside beauty and 
kindness.”  
 
She laughed with embarrassment. “That’s really kind of him. My father is 
delighted too, says that his daughter will be royalty. And he likes you, truly, 
though I think he eyes you to be a merchant.” 
 
“Royalty?! What? Your father will be disappointed to know that I am 
nothing but a shipbuilder son. A name doesn't give me a title or a crown.” 
Tenard stopped walking and looked down. “Did you lie to him so you can 
justify your dates with a nobody?” 
 
“No, of course not!” Bella raised her brows. “My father is just joking. But he 
respects your blood- he read a lot about the deeds of Leonard the Humble, 
Falastil the Warmonger, Omsaldil the Lawmaker...” She took hold of 
Tenard’s two hands and raised them, looking into his eyes. “And… your 
father seems to think otherwise.” 
 
“Father dreams about sending me home someday in the future...But I am 
not sure that such thing can be achieved.” Tenard frowned, a bit of worry in 
his eyes. 
 
Bella looked at his face, smiling. He was such a good man, and despite 
knowing about the terrible situation in his homeland, she couldn’t help but 
think about how good of a king he would be there. She imagined them, 
riding together at the head of a shining, magnificent host of Kedumians, 
defeating the evil armies of terrible rulers like Aserina the Mad. “Well… Six 
centuries ago, no one thought that any region could detach himself from the 
powerful Empire. No one imagined Kedumia could be free again. And yet, 
when the Horde attacked from the north, one man used the opportunity and 
his own greatness to win us our independence. Who knows, maybe you can 
be the remedy one day too, if the circumstances change. Barak the Liberator 
for Wallardia. I know I’d support you.” 
 
Melkos’ son smiled and lightly touched her face. “I appreciate your words, 
they come from a strong​ will and a clean soul but… the civil war there is 
horrible, Kedumia is peaceful and I...I planned something myself…” He 
knelt, admiration in his eyes. “I may not be anything more than an exile 
from a burning Kingdom but I know that I love you.” Tenard​ pulled out a 
small wooden box from one of the pockets of his tunic. “I made this myself. 
Open it, please.” 
 
Her heart beating quickly and excitement filling her veins, Bella opened the 
small box with hands slightly shaking. Inside was a simple but beautiful 
silver necklace, elegant in its shape, with a single blue sapphire. It wasn’t 
overly rich or magnificent, but in its simplicity and beauty it made her feel 
Tenard’s love directly flowing from it. 
 
With a voice determined but full of love, Tenard continued. “In the name of 
all the Gods of yours and my lands and with my utmost love, respect and 
admiration, Bella Marinus, daughter of Giran and Marissa Marinus, I, 
Tenard son of Melkos and Tayra Wallard, ask you to be my wife now and 
forever. I offer you my protection, my love, my life, my soul.” 
 
Bella felt tears welling in her eyes. She had imagined that moment so many 
times in her head, but it was even better in reality. “Of course I agree, 
Tenard, my love… of course I do. By the name of Lirra, I promise you my 
love, my loyalty and my heart…” She smiled widely. “I can’t wait to tell 
father! He’ll be so happy! And mother… Oh, she’s gonna be thrilled!” 
 
Tenard stood up and kissed her for long before placing the beautiful 
necklace on her soft neck. “Years and years from now, let us never forget 
this moment, my one and only love.” 
 
“I shall never forget, I promise you…” She put the necklace in her palms, the 
sapphire gleaming in the sunlight of Kedumia, and stared inside it, seeing 
her smiling reflection. 
 
********* 
 
Twenty two years later, that reflection was no longer smiling and innocent. 
It was grim and determined. Bella Marinus held the necklace given to her so 
many years ago by her husband, formerly Tenard the Shipbuilder and now 
Tenard Wallard, Acting King of Wallardia and leader of the most powerful 
host north of the Empire. 
 
The sapphire was no longer gleaming. The Kedumian sun was far away, 
hidden behind clouds even in her war-torn homeland, where she knew not 
who ruled, Trucius Palamis or Arnold, her father’s former business partner. 
 
Outside of her tent, the Wallardian skies were grim and the winds were icy 
cold- winter had come to Wallardia, and the war to determine its ruler was 
coming to its final stage. 
 
“Utumno says it’s going to snow soon enough.” The kind voice of her 
husband startled Bella from her revery. “I can honestly say that it thrills me 
to actually see it. To see how it snows.” 
 
The tents were being gathered, the carts moved and she heard the neighing 
of the horses as riders jumped on their backs, ready to assume formation 
and march as the day replaced the night in the sky. 
 
“Me too. Mark said it looks magical the first time you see it.” Bella smiled, 
standing up. “I’m ready to march.” 
 
Two of the guards brought her and Tenard’s horses forth and the couple 
jumped in the saddles. Minutes later, they reached a wide road, maintained 
in quite good conditions, that lead northwards. The three leaders of their 
armies were expecting them, mounted and silent.  
 
High General Utumno, wearing his usual heavy blue armour and with a large 
shield hanged by the saddle of his horse, exchanged a quick look with the 
Duke of Akhetana, Toland Levario, who had a curious smile on his face. 
Toland was also fully armoured and wore his elaborate, green helmet with 
three eagle feathers on top. And of course, surrounded by the thirty soldiers 
of his personal guard, the wizening figure of General Ironskull was visible in 
the decorated armor of an Aashavin general, covered partially by a heavy 
crimson cloak. On his face, etched with noticeable wrinkles, was the 
expression of a man deep in thought and planning. 
 
“Your Grace, my Queen. We have something important to communicate.” 
Utumno was the first to open his mouth as his eyes lingered over the 
Aashavin commander, who seemed to awaken from a deep sleep, his deep 
brown eyes alit with a primal cunning. “Kodar has blundered.” The 
commander declared. “He should have been orienting himself and react 
accordingly. Instead he swallowed the bait hook, line, and sinker.” 
 
“That means he split his troops like we assumed?” Tenard smiled, a smile 
spreading from ear to ear. 
 
“Omerina acted as bait, your Grace.” Utumno replied. “He sent the 
Brimrathi and his own High General with a quite large host of Serdas east. 
The capital is more than likely only defended by the last remaining Serdas 
and Dermanas and by the Omnian forces. An easy prey if we tread carefully.” 
 
“Whoever advises Kodar needs to be hanged, and fast.” The Duke of 
Akhetana chuckled. “Or whoever is in charge of their scouting parties.” 
 
“Or that Warlord Urushazin be commended.” Kurnash cut in. “His warriors 
screened our flanks with terrific efficiency. Many scouts Kodar sent will 
never return to him. 
 
“But as we’ve seen in the past, your Dehakur aren’t able to tell the 
difference between the actual enemy and the civilians they encounter on the 
road!” Utumno spoke in a rather harsh tone, a bit of worry creeping in his 
voice. 
 
Kurnash looked at his Omerinian counterpart with indifference. 
“Non-combatants do not exist amongst the Dehakur. The concept of 
civilians is a foreign one to them.” 
 
Utumno shrugged as his gaze met with Tenard’s and stopped his words 
from coming out. 
 
The King exchanged a quick look with his wife and then raised his hand. 
“Forward then, Adafer and then Taroviste itself await us. Soon, we’ll march 
on the streets of the Kodar city.” 
 
It was at that moment when Garwin and Mark joined them on the road, the 
whole army rallying and ready to march like a vast, bulging tide. Bella’s son 
looked gloomy and tired, with red, bulgy eyes. Most likely, he lost another 
night of sleep, reading from his father’s Ancient Tome. That new obsession 
of his worried her- he eerily resembled her husband, in the months before 
Mandrovia. Meanwhile, Mark was smiling, wearing his Kedumian Marine’s 
light armour and appearing fresh. Near him was riding Aida of the Wood 
Warriors, whom Bella heavily suspected of having an affair with Mark. She 
looked fresh too, wearing her usual green attire, a longbow on her back and 
arrows in quiver by the saddle.  
 
Next to Garwin, rode a very familiar figure to the Queen, Alessia, the former 
Serdas Captain, wearing a light armour and smiling. “Good day, my Queen.” 
She bowed her head. “How do you feel returning to the city where you’ve 
been hosted by our dear Duke Vladislav?” 
 
“I’d say that I feel terrified and anxious, but…” Bella shook her head, 
laughin lightly. “But I don’t. The Kodars did not treat me badly, and I return 
there in triumph, with my family, at the head of a great host.” 
 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q4_Psg5mV4c 
 
“Oh, look!” The voice of a guard made everyone look around. Then another 
voice shattered the air. “Snow! It’s snowing!” 
 
Dozens of faces looked at the grey sky from which big, wet snowflakes fell to 
the ground, to their armours, to their weapons, to their own skin. 
 
Bella saw her husband holding his hands out like a child, trying to catch as 
many snowflakes as possible. On his face, the purest of joy was etched like a 
stone carving, next to him Garwin smiled and sticked his tongue out, tasting 
the big, white snowflakes and pointing some impressive ones to Mark, 
laughing with all his tiredness seemingly gone. 
 
The Kedumian woman took a deep breath, cold, fresh air filling her lungs 
and closed her eyes for a moment, feeling the cold snowflakes gently 
touching her face and falling on her blue-and-orange winter dress. She 
opened her eyes again and looked at the plains around them, starting to be 
filled with the white, cold material. The atmosphere seemed almost peaceful 
and serene, as if they weren’t in the most war-torn country in Viscordia. 
The soldier ranks rippled in excitement, many of the southerners having 
never seen snow ever before. However, she could see Mark, though smiling 
with amusement at the reactions of his family members, turning 
surprisingly grim, looking around and frowning a bit. In front of her, High 
General Utumno and Duke Toland Levario kept their expression stern and 
collected, looking at each other and then at the sky, not saying a single 
word. 
 
Then her eyes turned to Kurnash and she felt something cold within her, not 
the soothing, refreshing cold of a breeze, but the cold of death and 
destruction. 
 
The general’s grim expression remained a statue as his lips parted, his 
words accompanied by wisps of steam. “Celebrate, King Tenard, celebrate 
and let the child inside you play his games. Soon, he will be too busy 
huddling in a blizzard to play. Celebrate, Prince Garwin, celebrate and taste 
the snow, enjoy its beauty. Soon, it will be no beauty to you, but only death. 
Celebrate, Queen Bella, think of the serenity and peace of the falling snow. 
Soon it will not be gentle or serene, but choking and freezing, the killer of 
armies. Enjoy the snow while you still can, before Baletr buries us in waves 
of it, and what you perceive as a beautiful wonder of nature starts killing us 
all one by one.”