– Your parents were invited. But your mother doesn't seem to want to show herself in front of my handsome men in her new guise," Derek replied with a sneer of irony in his voice. – But, my dear bride, do not refuse the wine and drink to our soon sacred union. – At these words he couldn't help the mockery in his voice.

But there was not only mockery in Derek's voice, but order, so Sylvia silently beckoned to him to bring her the goblet, and when the vessel of wine was in her hands, she raised it, and looking contemptuously into the eyes of the bridegroom, said in a loud voice:

– Let us drink to Derek Merkswerd, murderer of women and children! A destroyer and, I hear, a usurper!

But if she wished to hurt the honor of her enemy and make him look like a monster before her own army, she was sorely disappointed. From all sides came the cry, "Usurper, indeed! Foolish goose!" "For Derek! To our king!" "Be thankful, woman, that our king let you and your father and mother live! He should not have!"

– A murderer of women and children! That's funny! – Derek laughed and took a sip of wine. – The murderer of women and children was your own uncle.....

– Lies!" Sylvia breathed out in frustration.

– He killed twenty-nine girls of my kingdom. Six of them were under fifteen years old. All of them were found raped and torn, in pools of blood," her fiancé continued mercilessly. His face was as if carved in stone.

– I know my uncle! He wasn't a monster! My uncle loved and spoiled me, and he did not- – The girl began to defend the memory of her father's brother, but Derek knocked the wine goblet out of her hand with a sharp movement, and the scarlet liquor flooded her lap and soaked into the fabric of her dress.

The golden goblet made contact with the floor with a loud clinking sound and was stopped by the muddy boot of one of the soldiers after rolling halfway down the hall.

The noise in the hall was replaced by loud whispers: what was happening between the king and his demoness bride intrigued the tipsy soldiers. Someone quietly laughed at the "foolish fool" and said that "the king will definitely show her where her womanizing place is!".

– One more word about your murderer and rapist uncle's nobility, and I swear I'll behead your parents right here in front of your eyes," Derek said darkly, his gray eyes fixed on Sylvia's white face, making her feel a real animal fear.

For this man was a monster. He killed King Juris, took his power, and deprived the rightful heir, Hedda Juris, of her crown. And the poor girl was so intimidated by him that she accepted her fate unconditionally. All the kingdoms of Vakkerland knew about it, but no one dared to resent such treachery. Besides, no one cared about what was happening in Kaldwind, the land of the weak creatures. The lands of men. Neither mages nor angels came to the aid of the rightful heiress, but simply turned a blind eye to it, as did the demons. And the Rossi family didn't care who was the king of Kaldwind, didn't care who they traded with… Until now. Now Sylvia Rossi only regretted that her father had not foreseen that Flammehav would be destroyed by this usurper. She regretted that at one time her father had only laughed at the news that the King of Men, Juris, had been killed by his own knight, who had immediately proclaimed himself ruler of Kaldwind. And now this impostor, this brazen murderer sat on her father's throne and dared to cover the name of her beloved uncle Daryal with filthy lies, for Sylvia knew that her father's brother was honorable and had a sensitive heart. Yes, lately, before he had been cruelly and lawlessly executed by Derek Merkswerd, he had been silent and gloomy, and then he had disappeared from the palace, and the only news of him Rossi had received was from the Chancellor, who in turn had learned of Daryal's death from a Caldwinian merchant.