Aisha's POV
After I left my mom and Brynhild, I stared at the people running about the house. The knights were running about with their equipment, noncombatants running to their rooms. It was as if we were under attack.
Were we under attack?
I arrived on the second floor of my mansion, close to my room. Usually, my knights would be outside my room, but that was not the case. Nero appears before me, saying, “We must brace ourselves. We need to leave this place.”
“How come?” My answer came through one of the windows.
A boulder blast through the wall. I jumped towards my knights, staring at the injured knights that got caught beneath the projectile. I can see blood ooze under the rock. My face tightens at this. “What the hell!?”
“Prepare the shields! Protect the mansion and walls at all cost!” shouted a silver knight. I look outside the window to watch soldiers fighting against… Imperial knights?
Hold on.
Why are our soldiers fighting against each other? No, hold on. The enemy is… Emperor Titus’ main army?
What?
They were at our doorsteps, on the walls, in the grand plaza, and the gardens.
“Emperor Titus sees us as an enemy now.” Gale stated, “We need to get you out of here along with your siblings.”
Why?
Emperor Titus should not... No. He is attacking them because of earlier? The incident with Brynhild escalated to this? No, that can’t be right. Can he do this?!
“Focus Aisha.” Gallant interrupts my thoughts. “Understand that you are just a princess. Ignore the pointless questions. We need to get out of here. Understand that they want to kill us. Steel yourself.” He hands me my weapons.
“Incoming!” A giant boulder starts to zone in on our location. Golem burst through the wall with his shields up. Still, in the air, he collides against the boulder, shattering the giant rock upon impact. He must have used some skill to break it apart. He falls onto the ground, staring at several nearby enemies. He slams his shields against their bodies, sending them into the air.
“I will assist Golem. We might destroy the mansion with our weapons alone. You two, follow me.” Titan jumps down and lands on an enemy knight. He used his bare hands against his opponents as the two black knights use their shield and sword.
“Come on Aisha, they will be fine.” Gale motions me to follow them. Running down the long corridors, I can see several maids and butlers equipping themselves with their weapons. I realize that these household servants have experience. They have the same rank as our Imperial knights. Rank ten through thirteen. Did they have [Hidden Rank] too? I thought high-rank beings can use that. I realize that our group was heading to Ethan’s room. Stopping at his door, Nero knocks on it.
“Are you awake?” He asks. This section of the mansion seems safe. No enemies sneaked their way to this area just yet.
“I am. What is going-”
“Get your stuff. We are leaving. This place is under siege. Emperor Titus is attacking us. Gale and you four knights, secure Olivia, Jennifer, and Jessica. Meet us at the checkpoint.” Nero ordered. Checkpoint? Where would that be?
“I took the liberty of getting most of your important things Aisha. We do not need to return to your room.” Gallant said.
“You sure? You know where I keep my secret money and such?” I doubt he found most of my important things.
“I just turn your room into a mess once you left.”
Once I left? Wait, did they know about this?
I was going to ask, but a strange light stopped me. I summon a small blue magical shield the moment I saw this strange light at the corner of my eyes. Coming from the nearby window, an arrow bounces off my magical shield. My eyes rest on two cloaked individuals climbing through the window.
Assassins.
In an instant, Dan tosses his spear, impaling the assassin in the head. Two maids appear out of nowhere, diving out the window. I have no clue what they did, but I can hear shouts from below. A sudden thought came to me.
“Where’s mom!?”
“Amelia? She’s fine. We will meet up with her soon enough.” replied Nero. After Ethan packs most of his belongings and dawn on his armor, we left the second floor. Only a few assassins pop up here and there. I stabbed a few of them, but they were really weak. It seems like they got lucky and slipped by our defenses. Dan and Gallant swiftly killed any opposition though. As we reach the stairs, we regrouped with Gale, Olivia, Jessica, and Jennifer. The twin dash to me, hugging me tightly.
“What is going on?!” Olivia asks, “Why are we under attack?”
“Must be because of Brynhild’s presence,” Ethan explains. “Emperor Titus never met the genius in person. With what happened earlier, he must be enraged at us for summoning her.”
“Stupid more like it.” I hear Gallant mutter. Looking around, I can see…
“Mom!?” I had to scream that out. Everyone turned towards the entrance, staring at the scene before them. Amelia wields a double-sided sword, blocking and deflecting attacks from the enemy knights. Several maids slash them down as Amelia charge at three knights. She evades their attacks, breaking her sword in two. She holds her blades parallel to one another, hacking down two knights in one swipe. She clips her blades together, blocking two attacks with her double-sided sword again. Mel appears behind them, shoving her daggers into the back of their necks. Bodies lie around them. Amelia stands there, soaked in blood. She has a smile across her face, dodging another attack. She stabs the end of her blade into the knight’s stomach as she unclips the other sword into her free hand. She hacks off a knight’s head before he can attack. Gallant and Dan appear beside them, finishing off the remaining enemies. Walking up to them, Amelia wipes the blood off of her face. Titan made sure to cover the twin's eyes from the carnage. They whined at this.
“Mom, how strong are you?” Ethan asks. All of us are staring at our mom in admiration. I know why she can fight like that, but still, it is amazing to see her as a warrior.
“That’s a secret,” Amelia smirks.
“Mom is so cool,” Olivia whispers. Hearing that, Amelia pats her and the twins on the head.
“You will leave the mansion taking the emergency escape route. There is a hidden door within the walls that will lead you to safety. Hopefully. I will have your Black Knights and most of my elite guard be your escorts.” There was a hint of disappointment in her voice. Her eyes, they are showing a sign of sadness. Wait. The way she worded that...
“You are leaving with us too? Right?” I can feel a strain in my voice. My heart was racing. A sudden feeling came back to me. The dreadful sensation that I hate.
Fear.
“I will be right behind you. I need to take care of something.” This was her response. My siblings just nod their heads.
“We will be outside. Aisha, look for Golem and Titan. They will be on your right when you go through the doors.” Nero told me this, leading the way for our group. He knows that Amelia will not be joining us in our escape.
Why?
It was just the two of us now. My mom and I just stand over the bloodied bodies who invaded our home.
Her response was a lie. My younger siblings just accepted it, not knowing that our mom will stay and fight. Maybe to the death.
But why?
I love her. I love my mom. I was torn between fleeing and staying. Without her, I wouldn’t be able to be here right now. I wouldn’t be able to stand up to my dad or be myself. She gave me a purpose. She gave me a life, a reason to rebel against my idiotic dad. Yet she wants to stay and fight. When she gave that response, I know she was lying. She had a pained expression when she denied me my freedom. She used that same expression just now. When she told that lie, she showed it for a few seconds.
“I know you want answers, but time is of the essence,” Amelia stated. “I love you, Aisha. I cherished you more than the others, and I feel guilty about it. You remind me of myself when I was young. Too much of myself.”
“Then you can escape with us! You don’t have to-”
“I am cursed. I cannot go back to my adventuring days. I knew that this might happen. A huge gamble on my part. I was going to rebel against Eadric and kick him off his throne, granting you the freedom to leave this cage, but this is good too.” She looks at me. She tosses away her poker face, showing a determined expression now. She gives me a weak smile. “Besides, someone has to take care of their mess. I was the one who started this, so I will end it.”
“Mom… You…” I could not finish my sentence. I stood there, conflicted with the choices I have before me. My heart aches at her words. I do not want her to die. She gave me everything. I can feel the tears swelling up in my eyes, my body trembles. Amelia walks up to me, hugging me once more before she kisses me on the forehead. She caresses my hair, talking quietly.
“You are free now. I will sacrifice everything for you because I love you. Please, don’t make it hard on me too. You don’t know how much it hurts to let you go.” I can hear the pain in her voice, hugging me tightly. I can even feel her hands shaking. “But I must. Now go.”
As she pushes me away, I can see the tears going down her face. I couldn’t help but cry as well, struggling to move away. I… I know I shouldn’t do this, but it might calm me down. I close my eyes, leaning forward to kiss my mom on the lips.
Silence.
I did nothing to advance. I just press my lips against hers for a few seconds before we part. She stands there, confused for a split second. Then she lets out a radiant smile, nodding as I part ways.
“Thank you.” I walk out of the front door.
It was a huge mess. I can see bodies all over the place. Shouts are barked left and right, fire-raising past the walls, identical soldiers fighting against one another, bodies falling onto the stone ground, everything was falling apart. The everyday scene I was so used to is gone. Before me, the scene lies in chaos. Two of my knights toss several enemies away from them. Staring at Golem and Titan, they took me to our small group. Mel was in our group along with ten butlers and ten maids. They bow at my presence as I ask Nero, “Can you do me a favor? A small one and it might be a waste.” Nero looks at me. “Can two knights stay with my mom? To give her some security. Without Mel, she might have some trouble.” Not objecting to this, he signals two random black knights to go back towards the mansion. “Thank you.”
“We will do anything for you.” He replied.
Leading the group towards the open lawn, I stare back at the mansion. I silently said my farewells, watching Titan punch in the secret code to the hidden door. Pushing some bricks in a certain pattern, a small section of the wall opens up. Going through it, we find ourselves entering the forest. We ran at a decent pace, slowly distancing ourselves from the settlement. Looking back, I can see the figures in the air.
Dragons?
Wyverns most likely.
Emperor Titus showed no mercy, using his main army to attack us. As we flee from our settlement, Nero stops us with a hand signal. Staring at the light ahead of us, several armored units and robed figures guard the road. An enemy patrol? No, it looks like a squadron. There are at least fifty thirteen rank warriors ahead of us along with rank ten or twelve mages.
“Shit. They secured the entire perimeter? How the hell did they mobilize this quickly?!” Gallant curse.
“Magic, most likely,” Mel said.
“Or this was planned.” Nero remark, “We stopped the party five hours ago.”
“They want no survivors.” Dan mutter. “They want to end this quick and easy. Emperor Titus does not want anyone to know about this event. Smart, but foolish.”
“We must protect the Graham family at all costs.” Nero said, “Gale and you two knights, take Aisha towards the left. Golem and the other two knights protect Olivia, Jennifer, Jessica, and Ethan. Your group will go towards the right.”
“I will have a couple of maids and butlers accompany your groups as well,” Mel added.
“I will create a diversion. Use it to your advantage. Also... “ Nero turns towards his knights, “No restrains. Go all out.” They nod at this command. Go all out? Isn’t that a…
Nero steps out of his hiding position and ext the woods. He has his hands up as the knights and mages turn to him. Some point their swords while others aim their staff or bows at him.
“Hold! Do not move!” exclaimed an enemy knight.
“Ah! Please, spare me! I am just a mercenary serving Graham’s family! I do not want to die!” Some of the knights laugh at him. I facepalm myself. Nero’s acting was really bad. I can see Dan's facepalming as well.
“Ha! A rank ten warrior. Man, this is sad.” said the knight that spoke out earlier.
“Maybe we can capture him and strip him of his armor.” said another knight.
“I saw him somewhere…” One knight mutter that as two nearby knights realize who Nero was.
“Oh right, she was with that hottie? Princess Aisha? Yeah. She’s hot. Maybe we can use him to trick her over here and we can fuck her.”
“That’s great! Hey, you-” Nero teleports in front of the three knights who mentioned me. Empowering himself with white chi, he punches through all three of their bodies. All that remained are their legs. Their remains splash onto the nearby knights and mages. Breaking out of [Hidden Rank], Nero releases a strange pressure that kills every enemy within the vicinity. It was nasty. Whatever Nero did, their bodies exploded. It was like they were ticking time bombs. Their entrails coat the paved road.
Despite the messy action, what did he do? I blink at the massacre, but a siren screech through the air.
“Run!” Nero exclaims. Without another word, we split into our groups. Wyvern riders arrive on the scene, looking down at Nero. They were shot down by Zen’s magic. Not looking back, I avoid the roots, bushes, and trees. My knights kept up with me along with the maids and butlers.
Running for one minute, I can hear a roar above us. A wyvern zones in on me, trying to bite me. I sidestep from the mouth, slamming my blade right next to its neck. Usually, a blade would not be able to penetrate the thick scales of a wyvern, however, my sword is designed with the finest materials. Nero and the others made sure that it can pierce through tough armor. Even a dragon. Or wyvern.
Latching myself onto the wyvern, it flies into the air. The rider stares at me, pulling out his sword. A rank thirteen warrior. High in the air, I can barely get on top of the dragon. Infusing my blade with lightning, I make the wyvern roar in pain. Doing this allowed the electricity from my sword to flow into the wyvern's body. Halting its upward momentum, I flip myself on top of the dragon, pulling my blade out of the wyvern’s neck. The rider stands up, ready to fight me. I toss my blade at the man. He dodges it with ease. I bet he feels good about it. Sadly, my target wasn’t the rider.
My sword impales the wyvern’s skull. My objective was to kill the beast. Using my other sword, I quickly slash my sword at the saddle. Right after that, I stabbed my sword into the wyvern’s back. The rider flies off of the wyvern, soaring through the sky. Riders rely heavily on their saddles. They assume no one can get onto their mount and kick them off of it. If this rider was smart enough, he would have a parachute or some sort of precaution if he somehow got off of his mount in midair.
But he doesn't.
Since we are high above the clouds, he will surely die from gravity. Activating a spell, I increase my weight so I can lie against the wyvern’s back. Luckily, the wyvern was diving downwards in a slanted angle. Crashing through a bunch of trees and stopping, I pull out my sword and look for my comrades. I swear I hate doing that. My knights told me how to deal with flyers, but this is my first time doing it. Gale and the other two knights dealt with the remaining riders. They are doing the same thing I did. Latch onto the dragon, get on top of it, kill the mount, then kill the rider, and pray that the dragon will safely hit the ground. I swear, if the dragon was falling with it’s back to the ground, I would be dead. As I watch my knights, a notification box appears in my head.
Obtained Skills:
[Level 125] Claws
[Level 129] Bite
Obtained Techniques:
[Wyvern Slash]
[Wyvern Bite]
[Wyvern Roar]
Obtained Perks:
[Dragonic Boost]
[Wyvern Speed]
Stats Boosted:
Strength
Vitality
Stamina
Agility
Eh? My [Defeat Inheritor] kicked in? I killed a couple of enemies earlier. Didn’t that count? Why is it kicking in now? Snapping me out of my thoughts, I feel Gale’s hand on my shoulder.
“You alright?” He asks.
“Yeah.” I guess I will have to tell them later.
“Alright, let’s go.” Nodding, we continue to run through the forest. We should be fine once we leave this country. I am not worried about Nero and the others. They reveal their rank, so I doubt any being would want to fight against them. As I dash past one tree, something stands before me. Pushing me out of the way, Gale stands before the strange figure.
“Death Knights.” His voice grunts at those words.
Staring at the figure, I thought it was a skeleton. Looking closely, the Death Knight dawns a skeleton-like armor. To describe it, I guess I can say that the armor looks like a reverse human body. The skeleton body is on top of the muscle like flesh while the skin is… nonexistent. They… creep me out. My body is giving me strange signals. Their rank is six. Six? How can they-
Remembering Brynhild’s words, I can only assume that these beings have [Hidden Rank] or something else. The other two black knights engage several of these Death Knights while the maids and butlers hold off another group. Was this an ambush? Are they working for Emperor Titus?
“Aisha! Run!” Gale exclaim, pushing the Death Knight away. The Death Knight looks at me, aiming his hand at me. Gale redirects the Death Knight’s hand. Aiming at one of the butlers, a bony spike burst out of his hand, shooting a butler through the heart. My eyes watch Gale fight against this monstrosity. Forcing his enemy back, he screams out, “NOW!”
Obeying his command, I ran. My legs moved on their own, my body using every ounce of energy to getaway. I ignore my surroundings, I did not look back. Fear. Seeing those walking skeletons struck fear into my body. I could not move until Gale snap me out of it. Hopefully, he’s alright. Just run, don’t look back to me. After a minute, I stopped myself. I grasp my chest, easing my beating heart. No pursuers, although...
Where am I? I thought I was in a forest.
The trees around me are lifeless. The air is cold and a light fog covers the floor. Did I enter some forbidden area? How did I get here? Looking around for a way out, I hear someone.
“Survivors, huh? I am surprised that you escape Emperor Titus’ army. Who are you?” I try to find the source of this voice, looking around desperately. “Up here.”
Lying against the main trunk of a dead willow tree and branch, a human female lies there. Her gaze is fixated on the crow in her outstretched hand. She strokes the crow lightly with her finger before she let the creature fly off into the night air. She shifts her face towards me. I can see her fiery crimson hair flow in the wind as her dark emerald eyes lock onto me. Her clothes hug tightly to her luscious frame, showing her feminine qualities. Large breasts, nice curves, hips, and a busty ass, the outfit highlights these with great details. Sliding off the branch, she lands onto the foggy ground. She reminds me of my mom and Brynhild. Unimaginable beauty. My thoughts… Ugh, now is not the time.
Who is she? Was she waiting for me?
Oh no.
I cannot read her rank. I tighten my grip on my swords, glaring at her. My heartbeat beating faster, sweat forming on my forehead. I cannot die here.
Do I attack her first?
“You sure you want to fight against me? If you cannot read my rank, then you must understand that I am well above your rank. A rank nine mage and warrior… Interesting.” She has her hand run down my cheek. How did she close the gap?! Her cold touch sent chills down my spine. Her gaze was like a snake. I could not look away or move away. A subtle smirk is on her face. “Ah… You are-”
I try to cut her down. She evades my attack, laughing at my pathetic attempt. “Oh? Raising a sword against me now?” Before I could say anything, the woman halts an incoming sword tossed at her. Like Brynhild, she froze the sword in midair. Gale rush towards us. Covered in blood, he stands before the strange woman.
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“Valarie. What do you want?” Does Gale know her?
“Shoo.” An unknown force pushed Gale back into the forest.
“Gale!” I screamed out.
“He’s fine… for now,” said Valarie. “Worry about yourself though.”
“What do you want?” I yelled, “Are you working for Titus?!” I should hide the shakiness in my voice.
“As I said, worry about yourself.” A heavy pressure falls onto me. [God’s Realm]. I try to force myself out of it, but Valarie warns me of the consequences.
“If you move, your bones will shatter. I doubt you want to be in a sorry state. Especially if you need to fight. I will lift this off of you once I offer you a deal.”
A deal?
Unable to say anything, she continues, “I know Brynhild was here. She revealed her presence and attracted a lot of attention. Emperor Titus would not attack the settlement unless he has helped. He hired several geniuses to attack your place.” Hearing this, I realize the depths of her words.
Mom.
“Anyways, I know that you and a handful amount of survivors escape the settlement. You have three minutes to hurt me. If you do not, I might do something to the others.” Lifting the [God’s Realm], I quickly swing my swords around me. Activating [Furious Tornado], I watch her summon out an energy shield around herself. Unable to pierce her defense, I imbued my blades with magic. Coating it with lightning and fire, I ram my weapons against the shield. She stands there, amused by my advance.
“[Explosion Burst], [Lightning Burst]!” I exclaim. Flames and lightning erupt from my blades, engulfing the area in front of me. Valarie stands there unharmed. The shield is still active as well. I press onwards, hammering her with everything. [Dual Barrage], [Whirlwind], any spell or move I know, I used. Nothing broke through her red bubble shield. Each spell I toss dispersed immediately upon impact. Every swing bounces off of it. Combining my chi and energy did nothing. Wind, fire, earth, water, no element can pierce that stupid shield. It can withstand physical and magical attack, frustrating me to no end. I continue my assault, hoping that the shield might break. After a minute flew by, sweat drips off my face. My breathing was frantic, heavy pants coming out of my dry mouth. My arms are tired from smacking her impenetrable shield. She lets out a yawn, folding her arms.
“Is that all?”
I glare at her. I know that I should be feeling some sort of despair. I am weak. Frustrated, I toss my swords aside and used a different approach. Enhancing myself with chi, I activate this technique. [Wyvern Slash]. Apparently. my right-hand transforms my chi into the shape of a wyvern’s hand. The shape was not huge, but it was a tad larger than my actual hand. When my attack touches the shield, I was shocked at the result. The shield shattered from one swipe.
“Oh? Interesting…” Valarie shifts her body sideways, avoiding my hand. She slides past me, twirling around like she was performing some dance. Following her, I try to hit her. She dodges me with such elegance, laughing as I miss her. I try to feign my attacks, I try to fool this being, but she avoided every trick I used.
Why can’t I hurt her?!
“One more minute.” My heart starts to beat faster. Unable to control myself, I roar at her. It dazes her for a split second. I look for my sword I toss onto the ground. Finding it, I rush to it, picking it up, and toss it at her. I know I tossed it in her direction as I scan the ground for my other sword. At the corner of my eye, I see the handle. I dash towards it and sprint at Valarie. I unleash another roar, dazing her for a second. Taking this opportunity, I swing at her chest. Responding in earnest, Valarie develops a thin energy shield around her body. I expect my blade to bounce off her protection, but the blade pierced through it.
How?
My blade slashes through the front, making a decent cut right between her breasts. I can see her flesh. Blood spills off of her wound. I did it. I did it. Yet...
She… is smiling? A wicked smile. No, a bastard-like smile? W-What is with her expression? It reveals a sinister aura that froze me in place. I can’t move. Why can’t I move? My body starts to tremble.
“Wonderful. Wonderful! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!” As she laughs, the air shakes with her. “You have Brynhild’s [Defeat Inheritor]! The determination and desperation were nice as well! You did not waver in front of me. You fought with reckless abandonment! You even did the impossible as a low ranking individual. Oh, the pain. It feels too good." She touches her wound, smearing blood on her fingers. She licks the blood off as her gaze locks onto me. A strong gaze that would make me run for my life. The intensity of her gaze reminded me of a succubus.
But worse.
"Oh, you made my day! Come here!” I wanted to scream, run, do anything. But my body denied this. She pulls me by my wrist. As if we were about to dance, she secures me close to her. One arm wraps around my back while the other hand strokes my face. My strength left me, the sword falling onto the ground. I cannot say anything either. My voice left me, whimpering pathetically as if I was snatched up by some abomination. I had to say something though. Forcing myself, I pleaded with this woman.
“S-Stop.” I stumble on my words. Valarie must have done something to me. I shouldn’t be scared. I shouldn’t be trembling pathetically in front of her. I close my eyes shut as I cower from her gaze.
“Nope.” Her eyes twinkle at my helpless state. “You used abilities from a wyvern. [Wyvern Slash] and [Wyvern Roar]. They must be somewhere between level one hundred twenty and twenty-nine. When you use [Wyvern Roar], you also activate [Dragonic Boost] and [Wyvern Speed]. My shield protected me from your level eighty through eighty-nine skills. The reason why you couldn’t hit me for the first minute. Using a high-level technique broke through that shield. The last shield should have stopped your blade, but I did not use the right one. You picked up a Souleater weapon.”
Souleater? Not answering my inner thoughts, she says this, “You won, so I will give you this. My curse.”
Closing her eyes, she leans towards me. My eyes burst wide open, feeling her lips against my own. She is kissing me?! I try to push her away, struggling in her grasp. She says nothing, shoving her tongue into my mouth. I… My focus left me. My sight becomes a blur. I shudder at this extreme warmth that invades my body. I feel light-headed as well. Her tongue plays with mine, her hand holding onto my back and the back of my head. Despite her cold touch, there was some warmth to it. I can feel her gentle touch as if we were lovers. She gracefully holds me. Her one hand runs through my silver hair as I ended up in some trance. I was... no, I am enjoying this. It feels like I can kiss her in earnest. A warm color paints over my thoughts, forcing my mind into a blissful state. I could not control my body, feeling an uncontrollable joy flowing in me. Memories flooded my thoughts as if I recall the good times. The life I missed.
My father was not an idiot, loving me like we always had. My old friend still plays with me. He was not forced out of our household. My knights protect me and continue their teachings. They also played with me as well. Amelia still watches over me, showering me with her love. Everyone was happy…
Mom.
Pain surges through these fake memories, breaking the illusion that was placed inside my head. The warm feeling leaves me, slamming me back into reality. Valarie…
I bash my head against hers, forcing her back. “What did you do to me!?” A notification rang in my head.
All skills and techniques have been taken from you due to [Lustful Curse]. Except [Defeat Inheritor], all of your perks have been taken away due to [Lustful Curse].
You have been inflicted with [Lustful Curse].
My heart stopped beating for a second. My face turned pale. I… You can’t be serious? No. No! I fell onto my knees, shattered by this sudden revelation. I… How was this possible? Why? All of my hard work, years of progress, gone. In an instant.
Despair.
Utter despair washes over me as I want to scream at the woman. I want to kill her. Looking at the floor, I grasp the sword that I dropped. I… don’t have the right strength to pick up my sword. My armor was weighing me down as well. Without my levels, I cannot defend myself. I cannot conjure up anymore spells because I… cannot remember them. I know them! I… This curse!
Why?!
I let out a scream, cursing at the red hair girl.
“How dare you! Why!?” I can barely see. Tears blur my vision as they roll down my cheeks. How can I do anything now?! My wish, my dreams, my goals, everything was taken away in a few minutes because of this stranger.
This bitch. I… Unable to stand, I start to undo the straps of my armor. I throw them onto the ground. My rage left me as I stand in place, agonizing over this fucked up event.
I have nothing.
No protection, no weapons, I am nothing.
Valarie has a calm expression over her face, watching me. She raises her hand, pointing an index finger at me. I should die.
Yeah.
There’s no point in living now. Closing my eyes, I wait for the inevitable.
“Get away from her!” Gale appears between us, forcing Valarie away from me. Turning to my knight, I see him-
What happened to him!? Speechless, I watch the blood flow out of his chest. His breastplate is gone. The armor was torn off along with his flesh. He is missing important organs like his liver, stomach- Oh god, I can’t even look at him. Not in this state. I muffled my mouth, suppressing the screams I want to unleash. My mind is shattered at my low rank, but seeing Gale like this, throws me in disarray. I can’t stop shaking.
When did I fall?
“So you killed the Death Knights. Impressive. I will take my leave.” Valarie gives one last look at us before she disappears. Gale falls onto one knee, stabbing his sword into the ground. Forcing myself up, I ran to him. My hands refuse to touch the dying man.
H-How is he still alive? Along with his missing chest, I realize his right arm is gone. His back is filled with white spikes. These spikes penetrated his dark armor. Looking closely, the armor looks like it fused with the man's skin. I can hear his heavy breathing, knowing full well that he will die soon. This is horrible. I never thought… He… No! NO! I need to save him. I can’t...
“L-Let me get help!” I exclaim. I force my hands to touch him. I try to carry him off the ground, but I could not help him up. I can’t even get him off the ground. My strength disappeared in an instant, falling on my knees. Attempting to pick him up a second time, he stops me.
“Help… will not come. The knights… maids… butlers, they are dead. We… are… by ourselves.” Gale explains.
“I… I need to find Nero! He can-”
“LISTEN!” shouted Gale. “You have… [Defeat Inheritor]. You… lost everything. I can see that. You must kill me.” I had to laugh at his last sentence. H-He’s kidding. Why is he suggesting this course of action? He must be joking.
“G-Gale, y-you’re-”
“You HAVE to.” Gale pulls my arm, looking right at me, “If you don’t. Our deaths will be in vain. Use my life to regain your former glory. To restore your strength. To restore what was taken from you. We know what the [Defeat Inheritor] can do! It WILL make you stronger!”
I… can’t.
Unable to contain my sorrow, I cried. For the first time, in a long while, I cried at this horrible turn of events.
How did it come to this?
Why?
“Gale… please…”
“You must! PLEASE AISHA! You need this power! It will take years for you to regain all of your hard work! We want you to be free! Not to be shackled down by anyone. You have no skills to wield your swords, you lost the right to defend yourself, and you lost your magic, you LOST EVERYTHING! Use this dying life to regain your former glory. I beg of you!”
“H-How can I kill you… I can’t even pick up my swords?”
“Crush my heart. You… can see it, right?” I stare into his chest, seeing the beating red flesh. I feel like throwing up- no, I want to throw up, but I can’t. “You have enough strength to crush it… and end this life.”
My hands tremble violently as I shove it inside of him. Gale grunts as my hands enter his chest. I had to use both hands to wrap around his heart. It still beats, pounding at a slow pace. It sent shivers down my spine. It feels warm and soft. My eyes lock onto his helmet. Memories flood over me, recalling every moment I have with this man. He joked around when we were lounging around. He protected me from idiots.
He taught me how to wear and use heavy armor.
I…
“Do it. Do not let my death be in vain.” As he waits for his death, he states his final words. “Don’t worry, we will watch over you. Make us proud.”
I want to chicken out.
I want to find Nero and save Gale no matter what. I would have asked Valarie to come back and heal this man. She is a genius, right? She must have some spell to restore Gale’s body, but my knights are stubborn and prideful. They will not bow to their enemies, and they will sacrifice everything for me. Why me though? I want to ask Gale why? Why are they doing this for a poor princess that was locked in a cage? Nero sacrificed a couple of knights to protect my mom even if it was a lost cause. Gale and the other two died fighting against the Death Knights to protect me. The Black Knights gave me everything, taught me everything. This is unfair.
“This isn’t fair,” I mutter, hating Gale’s last request.
“Life isn’t fair.” He replied. “Hurry…” His heartbeat was slowing down. I can feel it. Honoring his last words, I crush the squishy flesh. His final breath flows out of his armet, dying at my hands. I can feel blood flow between my fingers as I take them out of his chest. I close my eyes, wishing that this was a bad dream. I killed him. My friend, my ally, and my family member.
“... Imperator.”
Killed High God Black Knight.
Obtained Class: Black Knight
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Obtained Skills:
[Level 185] Swords
[Level 155] Dual-Wielding
[Level 188] Heavy Armor
[Level 188] Medium Armor
[Level 188] Light Armor
[Level 189] Cursed Armor
[Level 185] Shield
[Level 180] Martial Arts
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Abilities Gained:
[Dual Cross Slash]
[Dual Barrage]
[Dual Strike]
[Piercing Tornado]
[Armor Strike]
[Intimidation]
[Shield Bash]
[Shield Taunt]
[Shield Bang]
[Powered Strike]
[Powered Slash]
[Teleport]
[Meditation]
----------------------------------------
Obtained Perks:
[God’s Realm]
[Hidden Rank]
[Black Knight]
[Magical Resistance]
----------------------------------------
Stats Increased in:
Strength
Wisdom
Stamina
Vitality
Agility
Charisma
Luck
----------------------------------------
Unlocked: Chi
Obtained Special Divine Cursed Art:
[Black Knight’s Last Resort]
Unknowing to our main character, a few more notifications appeared.
Due to certain circumstances within the user's body, they have unlocked forgotten magic. Chaos magic is now unlocked due to the following requirements met:
1. Have been gifted with a strong light perk and a dark curse.
2. Have gone through an array of emotions. One of hope and then utter despair.
3. Have chaos essence inside of them.
To grant chaos magic to this user, one will need to seek out a student or mentor of this magic. They are the only ones who can tell the user that they have chaos magic. Until then, chaos magic is hidden from this user. More details about this magic will reveal itself once it is unlocked.
Due to the acknowledgment of a Black Knight, they have unlocked a unique class. The user will not know about this until they have met the following requirements:
1. Dawn the leadership of the Black Knights
2. Reach the rank of a High God
3. Kill a Death Knight by themselves
4. Establish a base for the Black Knights
5. Gone through the ritual to lead the Black Knights
6. Has ownership over a cursed object
7. The user is cursed
8. The user has the Black Knight class
Trying to take the [Defeat Inheritor] has gifted the user with the following perk:
[Void Steal] - This perk allows the user to drain the enemy of every skill that they have. It is a self-defense mechanism that will automatically kick in when someone tries to snatch the user's skills, perks, and techniques. The user's skills, techniques, and perks will remain intact. Instead, [Void Steal] will absorb every ounce of knowledge that the enemy has. Skills, perks, techniques, theories, laws, knowledge of everything they have acquired over the years of their lifespan.
The being that tried to steal the user's perks, abilities, and skills will become a rank one and inflicted with a status called Void. Those labeled with Void can be subjected to the [Void Enslavement], [Void Control], or [Void Consumption].
----------------------------------------
With the presence of chaos essence, a high-level curse, and [Void Steal] the user is gifted with the following techniques:
[Void Enslavement] - The user can enslave anyone who has been inflicted with the Void status. They will be bound to serve the user until death. Choosing this option will grant the slave a special class and retain the slave's personality and mind intact. Unknown to them, they will not question the user if they are a slave. If the user wants to, she/he can grant the slave their old skills, techniques, perks, knowledge, and rank. This cannot be undone once the user uses this technique.
[Void Control] - Those with the Void status will become a mindless being. They will lose their personalities in this process along with their body. Unlike the slaves, those under [Void Control] will become a [Void Umbra]. They will go through a physical change and become a purple shade. Like the [Void Enslavement], the user can grant the [Void Umbra] their old skills, techniques, perks, knowledge, and rank. They will also be bound to the user till death. The benefit of doing this technique over [Void Enslavement] is the power. [Void Umbra] can use chaos magic. This cannot be undone once the user uses this technique.
[Void Consumption] - This will consume the soul of anyone inflicted with the Void status. Using this technique will strengthen every stat within the user. This will also unlock new techniques for the user in the field of chaos magic. If the user consumes a certain number of souls using this method, void magic can be unlocked. This cannot be undone once the user uses this technique.
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Gallant POV
When Aisha ran towards the left and head to Valarie’s location, Nero ordered Gallant and Dan to pursue them. It was supposed to be an easy mission to rendezvous with Aisha’s group, but they bump into a group of females.
Valarie’s followers.
Valarie knows of the Black Knights. Her task is to kill the knights guarding Aisha. The females before them do not know of Amelia’s schemes.
They are random soldiers who stalk their leader.
Crazy fanatics in other words.
Seeing Dan and Gallant, they attacked them immediately. There was no room for negotiations. Dan tried to talk with the females. Their response was an arrow that almost pierced him in the nuts. To be honest, they should have gone for the kill. Maybe they want them to flee for their lives, but the two black knights decide to push onwards. The fanatics are hostile to anyone who isn’t a female. These fanatics are the loose bunch within Valarie’s faction. Pillaging, killing, raping, kidnapping, they do whatever they want. These lunatics are the reason why people hate Valarie. Luckily Aisha did not bump into them. Who knows what they might do with their princess. Just like Gallant and Dan, all of the female fanatics are Demigods. And they are guarding the path to their destination.
The two knights struggle against the five females, cursing under their breath. Hiding behind a tree, Dan yells at Gallant. “The hell is with these females?! Aren’t they suppose to let us go?!”
“Idiot, they are not part of the plan. They are fanatics! You know, the crazy ones! The ones that want to kill us period. Remember, the time back then when we were traveling about- these girls are in the same group. Just kill them!”
“Easier said than done!” Dan rushes forward, deflecting several daggers coming from his left. A female ninja jumps out of the tree and hides in a bush. Swinging his spear, a female knight blocks him. Gallant charge at the knight but stepped back as spikes erupt from the ground. A brunette hair mage stands in the back, unleashing spells at the two. Dashing for cover, they hide behind the trees, trying to form some plan to burst through the enemy’s formation.
“Valarie should be done soon… We need to hurry. Aisha is alone and defenseless.” Dan stands beside Gallant, staring past the tree. He pulls his head back as a huge arrow pierces through the earth. “Shit. Their ranger is using those fucking arrows. We have to move. Let’s charge right through like old times.” Gallant scoffs at the idea. Their last resort plan to charge in recklessly. It was a formation the two would do in battle. Surrounded, they would charge through. Outnumbered, they charge through. Outplayed, they would charge through. And here they are, charging past the female soldiers. Evading the incoming projectiles, both knights head towards Aisha’s location. The female knight tries to body block Gallant, but he slides under her. She should have closed her legs. Dan blocks the incoming magic, laughing at their display. They could not stop them.
“Hahahaha! This works! Our reckless charge is unbeatable!” Running from the enemies, Gallant laughs at his remark. Yeah, they left them in the dust. A strange sound caught their attention.
The sixth enemy.
A sniper.
The Black Knights do not know what weapon the fanatic is using, oblivious to its terrifying firepower. Holding an armor-piercing sniper rifle, the last female line her sight at Gallant. Unable to escape, Gallant curse at his stupidity as the bullet flies out of the barrel. He should have noticed the enemy’s reactions. They did not pursue them because of this sniper. He lowered his guard, and he will die for it.
“Fool!” Tackling him aside, Dan took the shot instead. Blasting a huge hole into his shield, right arm, and his stomach, Dan glares at the sniper. Without any hesitation, he tosses his spear at her. He enhances the spear with chi. He did not want the bitch to escape. Ripping through the air, the spear impales the sniper right through her head. Blood spills onto the ground. The perverted man cursed at the hidden fanatic.
“Shit!” Gallant snaps out of his trance, running to Dan. The injured warrior stops him with his good hand. He shakes his head and points to Aisha’s location.
“Don’t. Go and help Aisha. I am… going to die. I will lose too much blood and I will not regain my former glory.” Eyeing at his right arm, it dangles at the elbow. He rips the dangling arm off of him, tossing it at the ranger. “You have your mission brother. It was an honor to fight alongside you. I will eliminate every pursuer to ensure your safety. For glory.” There was a second of hesitation, but Dan was right.
Aisha is their top priority.
They will do whatever they must to ensure her safety. Even if it cost them their lives. He tosses aside his emotions, forcing himself to obey Dan’s command. It pained him greatly.
“Farewell Dan the Vigilant. It was an honor to fight with you. For glory.” Gallant left his blood brother behind. Memories flooded the Black Knight survivor. His comrade that fought beside him through thick and thin will die soon. Fate must have a crude sense of irony. The first time they met, Dan blocked an arrow that could have killed Gallant. Now, he blocked an attack that will kill him. Cursing violently to himself, Gallant sprints to Aisha’s location. He can feel a sudden burst of energy within the vicinity. Dan was going all out, eliminating every enemy that tried to chase after him.
After two minutes, he arrived at a bloody scene.
Forty death knights are scattered throughout the forest ground. He stares at two of the black knights that accompanied Aisha. Their bodies were torn up; their bodies unrecognizable. Their armor and skin have been rendered to bits. Even their guts have been slashed apart. The maids and butlers are fine. They are recognizable, their bodies being pierced or stabbed to death. Nothing too gruesome. Entering an open area, Gallant eyes at Valarie and Aisha.
The red hair genius has Aisha’s head on her lap. She looks at Gallant, picking Aisha off the ground. Standing behind the two was Gale’s body. Bowing his head, Gallant offers a silent prayer. Stating his farewell to Gale the Valiant, he approaches the red hair genius. Taking Aisha from her, Valarie says this, “I will secure your settlement and make it into my base. Once I clean up this mess, I will send an elite team for you and Aisha. Amelia and I will explain the chaos magic she has. She will be ignorant about her magic, so do not say anything. I will have one of my generals watch over you as you flee this country.” Gallant stares at the princess. She went through a lot in one day. She must be in disarray. She killed… Gale with her own hands. Amelia… She might be…
“Amelia might be dead.”
“Excuse me…? She escaped right?” Valarie’s attention locks onto Gallant.
“She stayed. She…” The way Valarie's expression changed in a second scared Gallant.
“The fool! I will not lose her again!” Gale can feel Valarie’s hatred ooze out of her. Her eyes burn brightly as red energy leaks off of her skin. “I knew it! Goddamn it Amelia!” The genius disappears in an instant, the ground cracking. Gallant had to teleport away from his spot, watching the ground explode.
Note to self, having Valarie as an ally is a good thing. Staring at the unconscious Aisha, Gallant runs south, fleeing this blasted country.
----------------------------------------
Amelia POV
Blood runs down her face as Amelia stands before Emperor Titus and several geniuses. Outside of their mansion and surrounded, Emperor Titus’ army waits for his command. He laughs, pointing his blade at Amelia.
“You are the wretch that called Brynhild here! I have slain your idiotic husband and force the answers out of him. For your stupidity and betrayal, I will make you into a slave! If you surrender now, I can take you away and leave your settlement untouched. Hopefully, one of your daughters or sons can do a better job than you two.” Amelia says nothing, eyeing at the remaining soldiers. Most of them are injured, unable to handle the thousands of troopers awaiting Titus’ command. He wants to eliminate any witnesses and silence any gossip of this event. Patrick is injured, unable to stand with his mother.
Amelia can take down a couple more soldiers before they capture her. They tried to send some Demigods against her, but she hacked them down with ease. Even if her main skills and techniques are locked, her [God’s Realm] can be used along with her levels in weaponry. The two black knights that aided her defense are still able, standing beside her. In this fight, they leveled up to a Demigod. If they activate their last resort divine cursed art, they will become High Gods. Yet in the face of these geniuses, they will die in a few seconds.
“Why must you prolong this Emperor Titus? I want information, so let me do this instead. Even if she can use [God’s Realm], she cannot overwrite several high ranking ones. Especially of a genius.” Cursing under her breathe, the air became heavy around them. With four geniuses, their [God’s Realm] silenced and stilled Amelia’s forces. “See. Nothing too complicated.”
“Ash shut it.” A female spoke up, wearing a witch hat over her white hair. “I want this person to summon Brynhild again. I need to ask her about the [Defeat Inheritor] perk she made.”
“We all want to know how she made such a perk.” said an old man. “Enough. Do what you need to do.”
Amelia watched as the genius called Ash teleport in front of her. In his hand, he holds a metal slave collar. This device forces the wearer to obey every command from their master. The master will be the one who places the slave collar on them. As Ash approach, the queen, one of the black knights break out of the pressure. He activates his divine art, slashing Ash’s arms off. Screaming at the sudden action, magic and arrows pierce the black knight. He dies in an instant.
“The damn- UGH! It hurts!” Teleporting away from Amelia, an old woman casts a spell that stops the bleeding.
“Strange. You… are cursed.” said the old woman.
“Cursed!? With what?! How?!”
“The black knight did that? Interesting. I think I will want to examine that knight now as well.” The old man strokes his beard. “We still need someone to put the slave collar on the woman.” None of the geniuses move from their spot. Walking towards the queen and picking up the slave collar, Amelia stares at Logan. The pretty boy prince that was with Bush and Arnos stands before her. He smiles evilly at Amelia.
“This is revenge bitch. How dare you piss on my family. I will relish in your agony.” Closing her eyes, she waits for the collar to snap around her neck.
“ARRRGHHHHHHHH!!!!!”
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Valarie POV
How dare they!? THEY DARE to do that to my lover?! Not only is she cursed by that bastard, but they also tried to do this!?
Enslavement!?
On my beloved Amelia!
I am glad that I stuck around Aisha and talked with that knight. If I was a second late, Amelia would be their sex slave. They would use her to call Brynhild and me nonstop and demand the impossible. Hell, they might be chasing after Aisha if they uncovered her giant scheme.
I stand before this idiot emperor and his pathetic army. And this guy that holds the slave collar? A prince? Well, I will make him pay.
DEARLY!
“Rip your face apart.” Directing this to the pretty boy, I watch him claw his face with his bare hands. His screams echo through the air as his nails dig deep into his skin. Even if the skin was torn off his face, he claws at the muscles, ripping a handful of pink flesh from his face. He rips his own eyes out as well. As a genius of curses, I perfected my chants.
Granted that I had a very unique class. Those who are at a higher rank and a stronger will can ignore these commands, but for some bug, he will suffer.
Hearing my words or focusing my gaze on my target, I can make them do what I say. How they do it, I don’t care, but they will do it. “Don’t die yet. Next, cut your organs out.”
This will be his last command. Even if he died, his body will carry out my order. All of his guts will be on this damn floor since I willed it. He pulls out his sword, stabbing his body. Cutting his armor and skin off of him, he makes an opening in his chest. Tossing his sword aside, he pulls each organ out of his body viciously, slamming it onto the hard ground. The horrific sounds of flesh against a hard surface echoes in the air. It was a messy sight. He was screaming, begging for Valarie to stop, but she ignored his pleas. This prince can work on his form in the afterlife.
Ew, he crushed his heart too early.
A pity.
Turning towards the audience, I watch the enemy back away or throw up. Their faces are extremely pale. The geniuses surrounding the emperor are baffled at my appearance.
Of course, they are. They did not expect the cursed genius to appear before them. Especially the crazier and angrier one. And if they were hoping to get on my good side, they fucked up big time. I am glad I called the Executioner. I want to pummel these assholes into the ground.
“V-V-Valarie. T-That’s Valarie!” A genius exclaimed.
“What is she doing here!?” A female asked.
Oh. She’s interesting.
I wouldn’t mind capturing her and enslaving her. They tried to do that earlier with my lover. Oh, I should explain why I am here. At the least, I can show them how dumb they are for their ignorance.
“You see,” I started, “I was in the neighborhood and wanted to see my old friend. You should know her. The girl behind me, Amelia- oh wait, you were talking about enslaving her and other sorts. Like calling her a bitch… Yeah, this ‘bitch’ is my lover and close friend.” Emperor Titus was sweating like a storm. Yeah, you fucked up big time old man. Opening his mouth, I usher out this command. “Silence.”
The enemy could not speak. Even the geniuses could not say anything. Nullifying their [God’s Realm], Amelia and the others can move again.
“Valarie…” Amelia whispered. I glance at her. She was a mess. I frowned at her state and what she was trying to do. I know what she was trying to do.
“I want to scold you for your stupidity. What were you thinking?!” I whispered back, “You almost got enslaved!”
“I know. I just…”
“We will talk later. And you tell me that I’m crazy.” I glare at Emperor Titus, saying this. “You are so pathetic that I will personally send a letter to Brynhild and inform her about this event. Better yet, I doubt that you can cover up your mess with the annihilation of Graham’s family. You failed to kill them and angered two geniuses. The Graham family has the support of Brynhild and me, Valarie Valentine. Not only that, but you also violate a code.” Emperor Titus turned pale. The geniuses knew about this, gambling on the idiotic fool.
“Code?” Amelia asked.
“There is a code where lovers and friends of famous individuals are left alone. This is a rule to protect the weak against the high leveled individuals. It wouldn’t be fair if a High God warrior captured a rank three warrior for ransom or turned them into a slave. The code does not work if the rank three warriors attacked or did something bad. Note, not informing the emperor about the presence of a genius is not a violation of this code. The fact that you attack this settlement to get revenge and try to enslave Amelia, who is close to the genius Brynhild and me, is a violation of this code. The punishment is death.”
A male charged at me. It was one of the geniuses since his level was up there. He is missing his hands. Manifesting two axes as replacements now? Ah, he’s flying right at me. I could make him explode or curse him, but I will let him do his reckless charge. Better yet, he will die pathetically. I can say this, I will not kill him if he wants to kill me. As he zones in on me, a figure drops from above and smashes him into the ground. Cracks form from the heavy pressure as a little girl stands on top of him.
“You are not worthy to die by her hands.” General X aims her pistol at his head and kills him. See, he died by my cute general. I smiled at General X.
“A bit late.”
“They arrived safely at an inn. I got here as soon as possible. Besides, I think I arrived on time before this fool touched you.” She turns to me with a wicked smirk across her face. “Your orders?” There’s my little demon. It seems like she wants to kill these idiots as well.
Good.
“Can you clean up this mess? I want to kill these fools and capture the nearby areas. I will be staying here for a while.” General X nods her head, pressing a button on her wrist. Metal drop pods rain from the sky, slamming into Titus’ army. Titan Busters fly through the air, shooting down their aerial units. Dominating the skies, my large airship reveals itself. The Executioner. Opening metal sheets away from its body, dropships fly out of the hanger. The metal drop pods reveal more Titan Busters. The giant mechanized machines swarm the battlefield, obliterating the Imperial knights. A bunch of knights exits the dropship, hacking their enemies to shred. Snipers, rangers, knights, paladins, my army push them back. Emperor Titus looks at the carnage, unable to do anything about it. Out of pity, I lift the curse off of them. “Nullify.”
“RUN!”
“GET OUT OF HERE!”
“SHE’S FUCKING CRAZY!”
“FLEE!”
“I SURRENDER!” Screams. Endless screaming fills the night sky as relish in the chaos. Emperor Titus tries to rally his forces, but the sheer difference between my army and his is too high. I have machines and high ranking soldiers compared to his.
“General X. Take care of the other geniuses. Hmmm, the mage one looks cute though- the young one. Try to capture her.”
“Really? I thought you would have her killed as well?” General X rolls her eyes.
“Hey. Her punishment will be eternal service for our people. Just do what I say. I am not turning over a new leaf now.” I roll my eyes as well. Reluctantly, she goes off to execute my command. “Amelia, what do you want to do with Emperor Titus? I will not let him escape, but I will leave the punishment to you.”
“Kill him. Quickly. I am... tired.” Before I can do anything, I watch the black knight behead him. I shrug my shoulder, following my old friend back into her mansion. It looked like a nice place. Most of the windows are broken along with the door. Blood paints the walls and floors as bodies are at every cornered. The injured are being nursed by the able. Some knights are moving the dead bodies outside. Amelia sits on the first flight of stairs, dropping her weapon.
“Are you hurt?” I ask, sitting beside her.
“Physically, I am fine. Mentally and spiritually, I doubt it.” She looks at me, laying her head against my shoulder, “You saved me from a horrible fate. I thank you.”
“Please. I am still in debt to you for what you did back then. I am glad that I stuck around Aisha once she received my curse. A knight told me about your… stubborn decision to stay.”
“So the deed is done.” Amelia closes her eyes. “I… think I wanted to die because of this sin. I force my daughter to go through a horrible experience. Killing one of her knights, getting cursed, and leaving me behind. When I tell her that this was an act… what will she do?” Hugging me tightly, she cries into my chest. Why must this be a sad reunion? I embrace the trembling queen, patting her back as she cries her heart out.
“I will be with you when you confront her. She will love you still. You are her mother after all.” I will make Aisha forgive Amelia no matter what. If my death will satisfy her, I will let Aisha kill me. I owe Amelia my life. Seeing her in this miserable state hurts me. I want to do anything to cheer her up, but I will stay silent. I can feel the warmth of being reunited with my lover though. It blocks away from the annoying issues I have to deal with. Politics, idiots, all of that can go away. I close my own eyes, accepting this warm embrace.