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311. Questioning.

I calmly looked at Guad and raised my hands.

"See?" I almost laughed, "I'm very curious who wants to divide us."

"I honestly can see that," Guad admitted begrudgingly. "At first, you had all right to be pissed. But after finding people wearing Arcadian uniforms in Marquis Sel'par's castle we could start accusing each other. The problem is that I don't believe you would need such a bullshit excuse to invade Metaka."

"Why the hell would I even do that?"

"I know that you wouldn't! But the fact remains that you could have simply attacked us as Cassmira's proxy. So this whole situation is bullshit." Guad shrugged. "I don't know what to do next..."

"We have to interrogate everyone in the castle." Theresa pointed out.

"That much is obvious..." Vettalia hummed. "Let's start with Amari Sel'par and her parents."

"Gladius is returning with them on board. Let's meet in about three hours."

•••

The interrogation room in the Arcadian military complex was a simple, clean room. Theon, Guad, and Theresa were sitting on one side of a table discussing something irrelevant until the doors opened and Amari Sel'par was led into the room. A petite-looking, Half-Elf young woman looked at the rulers of three countries in shock. Her gaze was locked on Guad's face and her lips twitched nervously. It was almost as if she hadn't recognised Theon and Theresa at all. The girl was crying, and her dark green eyes were reddened.

"Amari Sel'par, do you know who I am?" Theon asked calmly.

"No. I don't believe that we ever met." She replied after taking a long look at him.

"I ask because you claimed that you were following my orders. So I'm dying to learn what kind of plan I had." He asked amusedly.

"You... You are Theon Avalon?! The Emperor of Arcadia?!" She tried to stand up but was stopped by the guards standing right behind her.

"In the flesh." His voice dropped a few instances. "I'm especially curious about that part where I ordered you to kill my people."

"I..." Amari swallowed. "I was contacted by a man who introduced himself as Count Victor Rostil who promised me protection and Arcadian citizenship if I followed the plan of destroying the Metakan ships and blaming everything on them. My soldiers should wear the Arcadian uniforms once they return to the fortress and we had to-"

"First of all, there is no Count Victor Rostil in Arcadia." Theon interrupted her. "Secondly you are lying. It's over, Amari. As well, you can tell us the truth."

"But I'm telling the truth!" She started crying.

"You can't lie to me, Amari Sel'par. I have the Truth Seeker skill." Theon shook his head with a sigh. "Do you really believe that you could lie your way out of this situation? Do you really expect us to bite such stupid bait? I was really stunned by the level of audacity behind your plan. You even went so far as to meekly surrender to my soldiers..."

"Rostil was once a prominent name in Iceleon, Miss Amari." Theresa huffed in disgust. "But your acting is so poor that I don't need Theon's Truth Seeker to know you're lying."

The woman stopped crying and sighed. She looked at Guad and Theon with fury then she looked at Theresa.

"I assume that you are Theresa Iceleon..." Her voice was blank as she stared at the Queen of Iceleon who shortly nodded in confirmation. "I hate them. I hate them so much! They both killed a man I loved with all my heart!"

"Do you have the slightest idea of how little that narrows it down?" Theon asked after a slight delay and shrugged. "I directly and indirectly killed a lot of people. But...! I wasn't aware we already have made a group project, Guad."

"Paint me surprised, but I have no clue what she is talking about." Guad chuckled. "It looks like our alliance is working much better than I expected!"

"Stop, you two..." Theresa rolled her eyes. "Who do you think they killed?"

"Tristan Falmor."

"I have no idea who that was," Theon replied without a single care in his voice. "I'm pretty much sure he must have been on the indirectly killed list."

"Seriously? Falmor?!" Guad shook his head in disbelief. "He is one of the southerner traitors."

"Is? Don't dare you speak about him as if he was alive! It was you who betrayed him... You... You..."

"If you believe that I betrayed him, then you are beyond salvation! Do you even hear yourself?!" Guad fumed. "He was part of the conspiracy to overthrow the House of Metaka or at least split away from the Empire. He was one of many who ordered the assassination of many Metakan loyal nobles and even a few failed assassination attempts aimed at me, my sister, and Empress Matilda."

"That's irrelevant-"

"IRRELEVANT?! Do you, stupid girl, realise what you have done?!" Guad yelled and slammed his hands on the table that separated them from Amari. "Tristan Falmor is alive. He will be hung for treason in the following weeks. But you are not going to see him. Bring her here along with her parents."

The doors opened, and a Human man and an Elven woman were brought inside. While the man was approaching fifty years old, the woman still looked young. However, that was one of the boons of the Elven people.

"Girgon Sel'par, do you know who I am?" Guad asked.

"Yes, your Highness." He lowered his head submissively. "You are the Crown Prince, Lord Guad Metaka."

"Wrong. I am your Emperor." Guad yelled.

"I beg your pardon, Your Imperial Highness! Unfortunately, the news about your coronation never reached us." Ellie Sel'par turned away her head from her daughter. "We were imprisoned almost two weeks ago, my Emperor."

"They are speaking the truth." Theon nodded.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

"I reckon that it was your daughter who imprisoned you?" Guad asked more calmly and softly than before.

"If the rumours I heard on my way here will be confirmed, then our daughter died." Lady Sel'par lowered her head in shame. "I won't recognise such a person as someone I have raised and wanted to risk my life for. She betrayed all we are and every value we passed on to her."

The woman started quietly sobbing while the man clenched his fists. He looked at Guad with a pleading gaze.

"That's a bit cold but I think I understand you." Theon sighed. "Noblesse oblige and so on..."

"My Lord... I don't know what she has done but I beg for your mercy." Girgon asked with a voice full of pain. "She is wayward and hot-headed but she-"

"She is guilty of high treason, Girgon Sel'par." Guad calmly replied which caused the Marquis' couple to look at him in dread. "She attacked the craftsmen of the newly formed North Aderon Treaty Organisation. Because of her actions, two ships of the Metakan Navy were destroyed. She killed one hundred sixty-four people in total. All their blood is on her hands. I don't know how many soldiers died during the attack at your castle."

"Why? Why did you do that?!"

"Quiet, Lady Ellia." Guad raised his hand toward her chair. "That's not everything."

"She tried to frame Arcadia and start a war between our countries." Theon sighed and shook his head. "I wonder if that man, Tristan Falmor, even loved you, Amari."

"I really doubt that." Guad shook his head. "That narcissist fuck still believes I'm bluffing. He is convinced that he is going to be released anytime now."

"You betrayed your family and your country for a traitorous southerner?!" Girgon sat heavily on a chair and cradled his face in his hands. "Gods... You are right Ellia. Our daughter died."

"Not yet but, she will die." Guad shook his head. "I..."

"Sorry, Guad, but she claimed that she was a citizen of Arcadia. By the estoppel, she will be judged and punished according to the laws of Arcadia."

"Theon, but we proved beyond any doubt that she lied. You can't be serious..."

"Oh, I am serious." Theon crossed his arms. "Just look at her. There is no remorse or sorrow in those eyes and yet you plan to simply execute her. That won't do."

Amari paled as a slave collar closed on her neck. She started screaming but a simple gesture from Theon silenced her.

"I thought that slavery was illegal in Arcadia." Guad looked at Theon in shock. "What do you plan to do with her?"

"Slavery is indeed illegal in Arcadia. However, the criminals who break the laws of my country can't be protected by the same law they spat on. Not if their crime is as great as hers. That collar will prevent her from taking her own life and will force her to follow my every command. Nothing more, nothing less." Theon explained and looked at Amari with a piercing gaze. "A death sentence is a lenient punishment for someone who believes they have done nothing wrong. So you will serve a life sentence in Tartarus- the prison for the worst criminals, where you will work for the rest of your life. Once you get there, there is no way out. You can't escape from it. No one will hear you cry or scream. It's a prison in the depths under Avalon where murderers, rapists, cultists, slavers, and bandits of all kinds and races toil to repent for their crimes. You will never again see the light of the sun or feel the gentle touch of the wind. Don't even think about simply giving up and dying because toiling your way is the only salvation for your soul."

"N-no..." The woman managed to stutter through a suddenly dry throat as she tried to open the slave collar.

"Yes. Your crime is great but you won't get away with just your death. You are going to work every remaining moment of your life. You will have all that time to think about your crimes. If you die there, without truly being sorry for your crimes, your very soul will be imprisoned. Trapped in Dungeon and I see in your eyes that you know what that means, Amari. But, before I take you there, however, you will see the death of a man who was the reason for your betrayal, Amari. Maybe we can find time to make him tell you the truth." Theon's voice was emotionless as he passed the verdict. "Is it satisfying, Guad?"

"I must find someone who is going to remind me every morning to not piss you off..." Guad shook his head with a smile. "But yes. That sentence is fair for someone like her."

"Theresa?"

"She offended Arcadia and Metaka more but the blood of Iceleonians is on her hands as well. I'd say yes. She killed many people and aimed to start a war that, inevitably, would kill even more innocent people. Your punishment only seems harsh but, when the only other alternative for high treason is death, which, considering how many people could have died because of her, was truly lenient." She replied with a heavy and sad voice.

"You wasted your life for someone who wanted to cause civil war and destroy the country your very family protected for generations, Amari." Theon sighed heavily.

"My Lord... We disgraced ourselves as the Metakan Nobles but House Sel'par..." Girgon's voice wavered.

"Your house was loyal to Metaka for generations, Lord Sel'par. It pains me to punish you more than you are already by the actions of your Daughter. However, your failure to stop her could have caused war between the two Empires of Aderon." Guad sadly shook his head. "In recognition of your service to the Empire of Metaka, I will not remove you from your office but I will suggest retiring. I won't revoke the honours you have earned through your service, nonetheless, the Noble line of house Sel'par is considered extinguished. Do you accept my verdict?"

"Yes..." Girgon lowered his face as he took a last look at his daughter. "We will quietly retire, my Lord."

"Yes, my Emperor." Ellia Sel'par confirmed and covered her face with her hands. "We would like to still serve the Empire."

"First thing, you must deal with the trauma of what you have learnt here." Theon shook his head. "I simply can't imagine your pain but we can't turn a blind eye to what she has done and what she hoped to achieve."

"We understand." They nodded but their voices started breaking in pain. The bitter tears flowed, but they weren't wailing or screaming.

"Very well." Guad's voice was almost gentle. "Your soldiers, weaponry, and castle will return to the Empire. Most of your wealth will be confiscated. However, some of the soldiers and servants helped Amari by their own volition, so we are going to judge them accordingly. Until I pass the judgment, you will stay in Sleeping Dungeon as guests."

Guad nodded towards the guards who removed the cuffs from the former Marquis couple. As they were leaving, Ellia jumped towards Amari and hugged her daughter as she started crying. After a few moments, Girgon helped his wife and said farewell to Amari himself; they left the room and were escorted to the guest room. Effectively, they were under home arrest. Guad looked at the pale woman who didn't understand what happened.

"How one stupid decision can ruin so many lives... You are going to live with this, Amari." Guad started raising his hand but smiled flatly. "She's your prisoner, Theon..."

"Don't worry. She will have a lot of time to think during her work in the stone mines of Tartarus." Theon nodded at Praetorian who opened the doors. "I don't see the other alternative but don't worry. The stone you will gather will be used to build a brighter future you hoped to destroy. Go, Amari, and follow the orders of my Praetorians."

"Noooo! I don't want to... Please! I beg you..." She unwillingly stood up and followed the Praetorian. Amari was already a prisoner inside her body with no power to break free.

"You should have thought about it earlier. Goodbye, Amari. You won't be missed." Guad shook his head as the doors behind the woman closed.

"I hate this, you know?" Guad sighed painfully after a while. "I feel like a monster..."

"Sometimes the punishment must be so horrible to discourage others from committing a similar crime. It doesn’t always work but what other choice do we have?" Theresa sighed.

"I can't afford to have doubts or morals when it comes to keeping my and, by extension, our people safe. I was considered a monster in my previous life by many and a hero by others. I think I got used to it..." Theon blankly looked at the ceiling.

"I feel like we are starting to make excuses... She allowed her emotions to win over her rationality." Theresa stood up. "Let's go, boys, and get back to work. We have a future to save."

"Guad..." Theon said very slowly, stopping Theresa from standing up. "I want to throw Tristan Falmor into the same prison I had to send that naive, love-blinded woman. She does not fully deserve that fate but he does. Especially if he played with her feelings."

"That certainly can be arranged." Guad grimly nodded. "For everything they have done... I would like to throw all those deranged and traitorous nobles into that prison of yours."

"That can be arranged as well..."