After a few minutes, the wall disappeared, and the young men rushed forward.

– Bring the healers here, quickly! – The Falcon shouted to the maid as she entered.

As they ran into the vault, they saw the gleam of a teleport opening. Robin struck with magic, which was immediately deflected and reinforced with a shield borrowed by the burglar from the royal treasury. Placing the shield in front of the king so that he could hold it, the knight turned to face Arthur and Edward.

– And you are a great swordsman, sir, – said the Falcon contemptuously, drawing his sword and charging at his opponent.

Their blades crossed, and the duke felt the confident strength of the enemy. A moment later, the knight performed an unfamiliar maneuver, the sword that slipped out of the young man's hands, plunged into the wall, and he himself was hit in the jaw and fell to the floor almost in a semi-conscious state.

– Well, it's understandable that you can fight with swords, – said Arthur. – Maybe we can try it with our fists?

Silent as a ghost, the intruder calmly put down his blades and dodged the Bear's sharp lunge. The masked man was jokingly dodging Arthur's well-aimed punches. He was waving his arms, and his expression was becoming more and more confused. The young man fell from one imperceptible movement of the opponent, which even a swing could hardly be called. Leaving his opponents defeated, the dark knight walked over to the transfiguration statue and took off his gauntlet, placing his hand on its base.

– The teleport won't open for a male warrior, – the impassive voice said.

Very little time left for Robin to free himself from the captivity of the magic shield. The Bear and the Falcon also began to recover, slowly rising from the floor.

– I am not a man, – the knight replied, removing his mask.

The three young men saw Augustus, pale and coughing, run up to Anna Rein, holding a branch of juniper in his thin hands. Halfway there, he stumbled and fell. It was obvious that in order to get up, the boy gathered all his will.

– Anna, I brought you what you asked for, – he said, handing her a green juniper.

– Thank you, – she said, taking the twig from him and tossing it into the blue fire blazing at the foot of the stern statue.

– The teleport opens, – the lifeless voice said again.

– Do you want to come with me? – Anna asked the boy.

– Yes, – he said, looking at her with huge blue eyes.

She reached out and picked him up. Robin did not have time to detain the Countess, who disappeared into the depths of the port in half a second. As he ran after her, he was thrown back and stunned. There was silence in the treasury.

Raven walked slowly out of the room, exhausted. Healers were bustling around, putting the warriors in order, fortunately there were no mortally wounded or killed among them. The mages who had arrived as reinforcements were rebuilding their defenses.

– Just think, – Arthur muttered. – Some woman killed my best soldiers in ten minutes.

– It's anyone but a woman, – the Falcon growled at him. – To do such a thing!!! Yes, here you need to think for ten people!

– She said it takes a lot of effort not to kill anyone, – Robin said suddenly, so softly that his companions could barely hear him. – To what place will the teleport extend?

– To the town of Selborna, – said Arthur.

– We need to go there, – Robin said more confidently.

– I suggest we find out who we're dealing with first, – Edward said irritably. – Otherwise, it will soon be revealed that she is the goddess Artemis, who came down from heaven to play with us. – I'm quite serious, – the young man coined the words. – I suggest you go to the archive. I think all the locks have already been broken.

No one argued with him this time.

A strong blizzard blew against the walls of the black castle relentlessly. As if testing the ancient structure for strength, the wind searched for cracks and tried to break the glass. Bystanders, hunched over, tried to get home faster, hardly breathing, because the sharp gusts took away their air. The Palace library was in semi-darkness. A moth was flying around the ceiling lamp, which gave off a dim light.

"How is he here?» – Edward thought.

– Get ready to listen and ask questions, – Arthur said, concentrating on pressing the lever.

Robin stood against the wall, arms crossed.

– Anna Raine, – Lord Kern said to the ghost, pronouncing each letter clearly.

– Anna Rein is a descendant of the line of the comers and a direct descendant of the line of Areerev-the royal dynasty of Adenia.

The words made Raven flinch.

– The direct heir to the throne was her grandfather, who ceded power to the Seventh Lion of the Raven clan.

Has the magic of the morning star, which is not available to anyone in the three kingdoms. The best archer, a perfect master of the sword and all known weapons. Dangerous. The nickname is the Piranha Rose. She was sentenced to death and released after proving her innocence. Single-handedly defeated a squad of warriors of the Order of the Golden Lion. This time the Bear and the Falcon started and looked at Robin. The voice trailed off.

– Personal connections? – Arthur asked.

– The whole family died during the Civil War and the war with Arenia. Her friend is the Countess Rogneda of the Rhone. Possesses magic of the highest destructive power, nickname – Black lightning. Nephew Ratmir – abilities unknown. Not related by blood.

– How?! – The king shouted.

– Is the son of a cousin's widow from a second marriage.

– They're not even related, – Raven said angrily.

– More information, – the Falcon demanded impatiently.

– The almost lifeless desert under her leadership has turned into a rich land in ten years. She has her own army.

– What?! – All three of them shouted at once.

– Details, – the head of the Bear clan gasped.

– Fifteen years ago, the Duchy of Auden, the people banished to the desert, and the tiny county of Roden were in danger. To resist the nobles of Adenia, the peoples united. The army has a powerful defense capability and a legion of dragons. This time, the friends couldn't even say anything.

In the dim light, the already wide pupils of the bear's gray eyes grew even wider.

– That's impossible, the dragons died out fifty years ago.

– Anna Rein and Rogneda Ronskaya managed to find a pair and create conditions for their reproduction. This business was successfully continued by Ratmir of Oden, the nephew of Lady Raine.

– How many are there now?

– Unknown, – the ghost continued.

– Army size, soldier skills, combat ability, – Raven breathed.

– In three provinces, they start holding weapons earlier than walking. Everyone is familiar with the art of war, and women are not inferior to men in this matter. Even all animals are able to protect them.

– This is nonsense, – the king whispered, rubbing his forehead.

– So Anna saved your life in the Greenlands, – Arthur said suddenly. – You really paid her back.

– Shut up! – Robin snarled, glaring at him.

– By the way, Raven, you're wearing a love spell, – Edward said indifferently.

– Not yet in force. Clear it?

The monarch looked at him carefully.

– Don't look so hopeful, Rob, it's not Anna, – the Falcon said acidly.

– And who? – the Bear was interested.

– Ex-lover, third from the end.

– I see, – said the Duke of Kern, with some satisfaction. – The stupidest of them all.

– Who are you to judge me? There's a bunch of saints here, I see, – Robin said, striking a pose.

– However, we did not engage in violence, – the Bear did not look away.

– I didn't mean to rape anyone, you idiots, – the young king said dully.

For some reason, he remembered Anna, who had appeared before him on the first day: confused, shy, looking questioningly into his eyes.