Chapter 11 - Unleash Hell Upon You!
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-Helia Palace; Dining Hall-
Suddenly, a knight entered the dining hall, announcing, "Your Majesty! Princess Luxana is here. Should we let her in?"
The King's expression shifted, his fury evident. "Is that a question to ask? If my daughter wants to see me, does she need my permission? GET HER IN IMMEDIATELY!" he shouted, his voice echoing through the chamber.
Luxana, consistently the poised and graceful Princess, entered the dining hall, greeting the King with respect. "Your Majesty, The Radiant Sun of the Dominion Kingdom, I humbly greet you and prostrate myself before your glorious presence."
The King's face lit up with a smile. "What a fine day, to have you here, my darling daughter!" he exclaimed, his tone a stark contrast to the tension that had just filled the room.
The Queen, sensing an opportunity, added her own greeting. "I agree with His Majesty," she said, her own smile a facade for the turmoil brewing beneath the surface.
What a fake smile! It's obvious she's not happy. All she loves is power and wealth. She will do whatever it takes to climb the social ladder, even if it means stepping on others along the way. All she wants is my downfall and her daughter's rise to the throne. That's a given. But for some reason, her smile seems a bit off. As if there's more to it. By more…I mean… deceit and manipulation. It's clear that her facade is starting to crack, revealing the true intentions behind that smile. Her actions speak louder than her words, and it's becoming increasingly evident that her motives are not as pure as she portrays them to be. The facade of kindness and generosity is slowly fading, exposing the darkness lurking beneath the surface. But let's be real for a second—we all saw it coming from a mile away. I think she needs more acting lessons than smiling lessons if she wants to keep up this charade. Anyway, let's just see what she's got for us today. I'm sure it'll be entertaining, to say the least. Luxana thinks to herself. Luxana thought to herself.
"Have a seat!" the King's voice boomed across the hall, pulling Luxana from her thoughts.
"Yes, Your Majesty." Luxana replied, her voice formal but devoid of interest. She took her seat beside Isabella, who shot her a frown. Luxana could almost hear the gears turning in her step-sister's head, the jealousy and resentment clear in her eyes. It was evident that Isabella was not pleased with Luxana's sudden appearance and the subsequent attention their father showered upon her.
Where'd this brat come from? Has she grown too comfortable in that forsaken annex, or was the food there not up to her standards? Ugh, the nerve of her! Just looking at her makes me sick. I bet she rented that dress for the night – there's no way she could afford something so fancy. *Smirks* Her desperate attempt to fit in is downright pathetic. It's obvious she doesn't belong here, no matter how hard she tries. Maybe she's trying to catch someone's eye with that getup, she's clearly out of her league.Watching her struggle to fit in is extremely embarrassing – she must feel completely lost. I can't help but pity her; it's sad to see someone try so hard to be something they're not. *Giggles* Isabella mused to herself.
"Sister, you do realize that you don't fit in with us right?" Isabella whispered into Luxana's ear, her voice dripping with condescension. But Luxana just smiled, her eyes sparkling with determination.
"I beg your pardon, but might I inquire as to the individual who, on the previous evening, managed to earn the unfortunate moniker of "one who does not belong amongst us" with such apparent ease and nonchalance? I queried, my countenance reflecting a mix of fascination and incredulity. "Ah, indeed, it appears to have been none other than you, Isabella," I declared, fixing my gaze upon her. Isabella's face contorted with rage, her eyes darting to their father, the King, in a silent plea for support. But he remained silent, choosing to ignore the rising tension between his daughters.
The Queen, catching the exchange, interjected, "OH MY GOD! How could you be so rude to your little sister, Luxana?"
Eh? Who's she tryna fool? Everyone can see through her fake charade. Luxana thought to herself.
Luxana remained unfazed. "What rudeness have I committed, Your Majesty?" she inquired, her voice calm and polite.
"My Queen, I implore you to refrain from inciting any superfluous conflict or discord." requested the King.
"Your Majesty, I would abhor to do such a thing. However, your daughter's misdeeds must also come to light." she insisted.
Luxana met the Queen's gaze unflinchingly.
"What're you talking about?" asked the King, puzzled.
"How about asking your own daughter, Your Majesty?" she pleaded.
"What is My Queen talking about, Luxana?"
Luxana gazed at her father, the King, maintaining a poised demeanor, her eyes betraying a silent dismissal of the disingenuous words being uttered by her step-mother, the Queen.
"I am just as unaware as you are, Your Majesty. I must profess that the lack of knowledge on this matter leaves me feeling equally perplexed and intrigued." I replied.
The King, once again bewildered, shifted his attention to the Queen, seeking an explanation for Luxana's supposed transgressions.
"Ahem, then, I shall bring it to light myself." the Queen exclaimed as she began. "The Princess has been absent all day today, Your Majesty. The Amoria Palace servants have noticed that she has been leaving her chamber frequently without telling anyone. She occasionally appears to be returning late at night as well. And from what I found out , she has been seen meeting with a mysterious figure in her room during these late hours. It seems like there may be more to her behavior than meets the eye. I suspect she may be involved in something secretive. The Princess appears to be aware of yesterday's fictitious incident more explicitly, which is sufficient proof of my daughter's innocence. So she must've deliberately propagated the fabricated rumor surrounding my daughter to conceal her misdeeds."
Stunned silence enveloped the King and Isabella as they grappled with the weight of the revelation, struggling to come to terms with what they had just learned.
"LUXANA! Is this true?" boomed the King.
As always, Luxana is composed regardless of how the situation is worsening.
Luxana straightened slightly, a flicker of defiance in her eyes. "And in what aspect of this present moment, does my expression seem to reveal it to be true?" she replied as she lost her formality.
Isabella jumped in, her voice shrill. "You've always been this way, just because you're able to control your expression doesn't mean that it's false, sister!"
"Isabella..."
"ENOUGH!" roared the King, silencing the room.
The Queen smirks. "Oh well, Your Majesty! I suppose we should leave this discussion for a later date. We should focus on our meals. It's getting cold."
The King lets out a sigh in agreement. "Let us now recommence our repast." he added.
Dinner continued in strained silence for twenty minutes. Suddenly, a knight entered the room.
"Your Majesty! A suspicious invoice has arrived." proposes a Knight.
"A suspicious invoice?" questions the King.
"Yes, there seems to be no item mentioned besides the total cost." the knight remarked.
Luxana realizes it's the bill from the Emberforge Armory Shop and lets out a sigh giving in for the drama she's sure will flow out.
"Your Majesty," she spoke up, "that invoice is for this very dress."
The King, Queen and Isabella stared at her, surprised. "So inexpensive?" the King remarked, surprised.
"I must confess, Your Majesty, that my selection was governed more by a fondness for the garment's hue and design, rather than a careful consideration of its monetary value." I rebutted. Honestly, I've lost count of how many times I lied in this Palace.
The King's brow furrowed. Her words seemed to contradict the Queen's accusations.
"But why is there no description?" the Queen pressed.
"I requested it be removed," Luxana replied.
"Another attention-seeking tactic?" the Queen scoffed.
Luxana's face contorts into a puzzled expression as she squints one eye, trying to process the situation at hand.
"My Queen.."
"No, Your Majesty. Please do not stop me. We must clarify it this instant!" The Queen pleaded as she interrupted the King. "Do you think, His Majesty would pay the price without even knowing what you've bought? Of course not! He's not so inconsiderate. So isn't this one of you other tactics to get attention?"
"To the best of my knowledge, I have never evinced any inclination to attract or seek out undue attention." I replied.
The King slammed his fist on the table, once again silencing everyone. "Luxana! Tell the truth! Why all this secrecy?"
Luxana's gaze latched onto his, an unnerving edge lurking behind her stare. A chilling smile graced her lips as she posed her question in a low, spine-chilling tone, as she hissed "Wasn't.........mother also an item purchased without knowing it's name?" Her words dripped with a hidden, ominous implication, her eyes wide and emotionless, as if a lifeless shell masquerading as a person concealed a harrowing void within. Each syllable oozed with a sinister undertone, her voice as chilling as a graveyard whisper. With a vacant, soulless expression, she seemed an empty vessel, harboring a bottomless darkness that threatened to swallow everything in its wake.
The King, Queen, and Isabella were left dumbstruck and trembling with terror at the mere sight of Luxana's ghastly visage. Her words, laced with a stinging veracity, shattered the facade of normality and pierced the core of their reality, leaving them shaken to the core and unable to utter a response. In the silence that followed, the air hummed with tension and unease, as if the truth behind Luxana's words held far more sinister implications than anyone could fathom.
Rising from her chair, Luxana addressed the King and Queen. "With deepest gratitude, Your Majesties, I take my leave. It has been an honor to be graced with your invitation. May the divine favor and blessings of the Gods shine upon you always."
As Luxana's chilling presence dissipated from the room, a suffocating silence settled in her wake. The King found himself fixated on the now-vacant chair, a dreadful understanding slowly creeping over him. The dress Luxana wore—it was an exact replica of the gown Roxana, his dead wife, had donned on that fateful day of her grand debut. His heart seized with a sudden foreboding, an eerie connection between the mother and daughter swirling in his mind, the air thick with the unspoken implications of this unsettling revelation.
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-In Helia Palace; The Hallway-
The cool marble floor of Helia Palace felt like a glacier beneath Luxana's bare feet as she strode towards the grand exit. But it's only a moment of time before it burns like hell. Her fiery orange hair, usually meticulously braided, spilled down her back in a tangled halo, mirroring the turmoil within. The weight of the accusations hung heavy in the air, a suffocating cloak around her shoulders.
Suddenly, a clatter of metal boots echoed down the hallway. A knight, his armor gleaming faintly in the dying light, rushed towards her.
"Princess!" he exclaimed, his voice a touch breathless. "I have a message to deliver!"
Luxana paused, her back still turned to him. Her silence stretched, heavy with unspoken emotions.
"Princess?" the knight repeated tentatively.
Finally, Luxana offered a curt nod, acknowledging him without meeting his gaze. The movement was small, but it spoke volumes of the storm brewing inside her.
"Lady Lily Furia requests your presence at Konira Palace," the knight continued, relaying his message. "Tomorrow, at four o'clock in the afternoon."
Another, barely perceptible nod from Luxana, her lips pressed into a thin line. Then, without a word, she continued her determined march towards the exit, leaving the echoes of her footsteps and the knight's bewildered expression hanging in the air.
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-In Amoria Palace; Luxana's Room-
Luxana's bedroom is bathed in the soft glow of moonlight that seeps through the cracks in the heavy drapes, casting ethereal shadows that dance across the floor. A solitary candle flickers on her nightstand, its flame licking the air in silent defiance of the darkness that surrounds it. The ornate grandfather clock in the corner ticks softly, its metronomic rhythm like a heartbeat in the stillness of the night. Luxana stands at the foot of her bed, her raven hair cascading down her back like a black waterfall, her eyes shining with a fierce intensity.
Her voice a low, deadly purr. "You think.........you know me? You think..........you can control me? You think........I'm your possession? You think........everything will go your way just cause you're royalty and have everyone on your side and I don't have anyone? But you're wrong. I am not defined by your assumptions or your status. I am my own person, with my own strength and resilience. I will not be manipulated or belittled by anyone, regardless of their position or power. I am capable of standing on my own and forging my own path in life."
She runs a hand through her hair, her fingers tangling in the thick strands as she tilts her head back, exposing the pale column of her neck.
"Waiting........waiting......I've just been waiting. You know for what? For the perfect time to unleash my wrath upon you, you vile bi*ches! The only thing you bitches know is to ruin other people's lives as if they were your own personal playgrounds. But you know what sets me apart from you? I don't ruin their lives; I make sure they don't live again, and I destroy them completely. Their existence is obliterated by my hand. You will see your own end in the same way. I will make sure of it. You will never forget the day you crossed my path. I will haunt you until the day you die. "
Suddenly, she lifts her hand, and a ball of fire erupts from her palm, casting flickering shadows on the walls. She smiles, a cold, calculated smile, as she watches the flames dance in her hand.
"You've been playing with fire, thinking you're invincible. But I've been building my own inferno. And now it's time to let it consume you. And I promise, I won't let even the slightest flesh of your body go unburnt."
She brings her hands together, the fire dying down to a gentle glow that illuminates her face. Her eyes shine with an unholy intensity.
"And when I'm ready to unleash hell upon you, you will regret sowing a seed that was cultivated on its own."
Her voice echoes in the stillness of the room "You want to know what's coming? It's not just revenge. It's not just justice. It's...*smiles coldly*...it's my own personal brand of hell. And I'll charge you just as much as you've charged me."
The candle flame flickers wildly, as if in response to her words. The shadows on the walls seem to dance in time with her movements, as if they, too, are under her spell.
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To be Continued...