As the time ticks by it feels as if the night will never end. Silver has piles of paperwork to do before he finishes with what he wants to do. At the same time, he feels it might be easier to just let them come to him. If that happens they would be fighting on his territory. He knows the layout of the von Stein estate better than anyone else.

He loses his focus when a knock happens on the door to his office. He wonders how long he has been in here and who could be there. “Come in.” he says as he goes back to his work not too concerned about it.

“My lord, Princess Celestina has come here and wants to meet with you.” The head butler says as he bows when he enters the room.

“Tell her to go away. I don't want to see her.”

“You think that you can tell me to leave?” The princess rushes in and slams her hands on the desk.

Silver keeps working but his pen starts to shake in his hand as he doesn't look up to the princess. He doesn't understand, he should just be able to tell her to leave himself in person but it feels as if there is something stuck in the back of his throat preventing him from speaking.

“You dare ignore me?” She slaps the pen out of his hand since he doesn't have a good grip on it. “Look at me.”

Even though he knows that he doesn't have to do what she says anymore his body automatically reacts.

You don't have to listen to her. I know that you know that.

He doesn't know how to respond to Xathaneal. He knows that he doesn't but he reacts by fallowing her order anyway. He doesn't know why he can't even get himself to summon his sword.

“Good boy.” Celestina pats his head and then gently lifts up his head forcing him to make direct eye contact with her pink eyes. “Are you going to pleasure me or are you going to tell me what happened to my precious little brother? I know that you know what happened to him. he summoned you there after all.”

Don't tell her.

“I- I don't know what you are talking about- My Lady. He was fine after- I left.”

Good. I don't want that woman to know anything about how I gave you permission.

Celestina stares right at him not completely believing him but why would he lie? He can't with that contract in place. He also couldn't kill Xavier with that in place too. “Right. Come.”

Silver stays still completely paralyzed. He is unable to do anything. Everything is telling him to run but he can't. He is completely unable to move.

She walks up to him behind the desk and raises her hand to slap him but Silver catches it. “Let go and let me hit you pet.”

Silver summons his wand once he is able to get himself to move for a little bit and points it at her. “L-leave. I-I will attack.”

“Do it pet. You can't kill me. I still own you. Even if the contract is void it is clear that you are too afraid to act.”

He puts his wand down and looks at the ground. He can't get himself to do anything to her no matter how much he desperately wants to.

“If you don't do what I say I'll go after that person that is always with you. You wouldn't want that now, would you? Come here, pet.”

He gets up and walks over to her and glances over at the door that was left open. Normally the butler shuts the door which confuses him on why it was even left open with him gone.

She grabs his amethyst hair and pulls him to her to get him to her faster.

Faster, Pearl has to get to Silver faster. The butler went out to the back of the von Stein estate to get them to help get the princess from Silver. Why the training field had to be on the other side from his mansion is a mystery to them. All they know is that they have to get to his office fast.

Is she still in control of brother's chosen one? I thought that the contract was voided.

“I thought so too. She might have a hold on him more mentally than the contract had on him.”

You know what to do. If you can't bring yourself to do it then you can have me do it myself. Zarall also says that if you can't bring yourself to impale her then he can do that too. You just need to give us permission.

“Didn't you give her a plague? She should be on death's door right now.”

I've been waiting for you to tell me to finish her. She has been hiding her suffering well. Trust me, she is in pain.

They seem to be approaching the mansion faster than they thought that they would. That could very well be because they were talking to Suriel the whole time.

This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

“Remember, I will be sure to execute them if you disobey. I don't care who you love. You are mine.”

Pearl stands by the door hearing Celestina's threats. They summon their rapier run-in to take a defensive stance. “Please leave Princess.”

Celestina turns around and glares at Pearl. If her look could kill it would have. Just the look in her eyes made Pearl feel small but they know with Suriel at their side they will be able to stay with Silver.

“Leave. I will attack.”

Celestina lets out a short laugh. “You sure about that? You are shaking as you even stand there. I bet that you've never even hurt someone before. Why don't you just leave while I am still being nice.”

Pearl tightens her grip on the handle and stays in place.

Do you want Zarall or me to take over? You don't need to dirty your hands with her blood.

“No, just finish what you started.”

I will do that with pleasure.

Celestina only heard Pearl's side of the conversation. And to her, it sounded as if it was permission to resume. “We'll talk about telling me no later.”

As Celestina caresses Silver's face with him paralyzed, a huge wave of pain shoots into her chest and she collapses to the ground. She looks over at Pearl and crawls over to them and grabs the hem of their dress. “Please, you are blessed by Nuriel. Heal me. You were the one that placed this on me anyway.”

“No, I don't think that I will. Suriel wouldn't want that. If the Gods have decided that you should die then why should I end it?”

“You bitch! I am your Princess! I don't give a damn about what the gods want! Heal me now!”

Zarall wants to know if he can take over. In fact, I want to as well. would you mind?

As Pearl tells them that they both could their eyes change color one red and one black. They smile and kick her off of them. “You don't care about us? A member of a family chosen by the gods not worshipping us, you might as well not even be family, right? Although, you never were by blood, were you? That's right, you are a noble but by blood, you aren't a royal which is why Xathaneal never blessed you. Isn't that right? You were lucky that you were allowed to use that contract.”

“Suriel, lift this curse off of me!”

“How cute, you think that you can order my brother? Not even if you were a real royal would you be able to order a god.” Zarall lifts up Pearl's rapier and brings it down slicing her hand.

She lets out a scream as blood quickly leaves the spot where her hand was hit. “Duke von Stein stop them! I order you to shield me.”

“He doesn't have to do what you say anymore,” Zarall says lifting up the rapier once more. “In fact, I am glad that I personally have the chance to get rid of you. Out of all the people that I have ever chosen, he happens to be my favorite.”

She tries to crawl away but Zarall and Suriel step on her back preventing her from leaving. “We aren't done with you. Why don't you stay a little longer? We will make sure this doesn't last much longer.” Zarall and Suriel impale Celestina's leg and she lets out another scream.

“They must be a coward. Hiding behind the gods. They won't finish me themself.” Celestina manages to spit out. She still feels as if she is in a position to be able to get out of the situation that she is in. Even if that was the case, the way she talks to the two gods before her is not helping her.

They both smile as Zarall leaves Pearl's body to let Suriel finish the task that he wanted to do turning the other eye into a solid black. “Now there is no need for mother's chosen one to get their hands dirty. Your blood isn't even worth it. But you make Zarall's chosen one suffer so much that even though the contract with you has been nullified he is still too afraid to defy you.”

“He was mine. I was always going to have him. I had him until your mother's witch came along and stole him from me.”

“Funny, I thought that he never liked you. I thought that Zarall's chosen one was never truly yours outside of a contract. Unless you are saying that you were willing to break him enough to make him do anything that you said, including marriage. Oh, sisters Nuriel and Amaliel refuse to bless any kind of wedding under those situations.”

“Not like he has a spouse right now. I can make him say the vows under the eyes of the country. The goddesses of life and light don't have to officially bless the wedding for it to happen.”

“According to my sister's mother's chosen one and brother's are already married. You two already said your vows when celebrating Amaliel's summer, right, Duke von Stein?”

Silver, hearing his name snapped back looking at Suriel who happens to be in control of Pearl's body. He processes what he has been asked trying to fit together what information happened to be absorbed when his fear was taking over. He looks down at the princess who is glaring at him with blood draining from her body. “Well, we did say some marital vows when we set off our lantern. If that was enough for the gods then you could say that we had married.”

Princess Celestina tries to get up to attack Silver but she is quickly pushed down by Suriel without much effort. “You don't get to lay another finger on him.” Suriel gives the princess a twisted smile and steps away from her. “You are too weak to do anything anyways. You probably won't last another five minutes. I'll tell you what. I will finish you off if you ask nicely.”

“Fuck off.” Her voice was weak but it told Suriel all he needed to know.

“Guess that I'll just go then. I hope to see you later, Princess.” Suriel turns around and walks to Silver as he leaves Pearl's body.

Once Pearl is back they notice that they are standing next to Silver who is just staring at them silently waiting for them to say something. They look over at the Princess and see her trying to get up surrounded by a pool of blood and look back at Silver. “I'm sorry that it took so long for me to get to you.”

Silver continues to stare at Pearl unable to say anything. He is afraid to speak to them while the princess is in the room. He knows that she can't get to them with the condition that she is in but subconsciously he is still afraid.

Pearl places their hand on his cheek and gently caresses it. “It is okay, My Lord, you are safe. May Amaliel help put your mind at ease and help guide you in this time of darkness and bring you into light.”

Silver grabs Pearl and brings them close to him still unable to say anything. But he does know that Princess Celestina can't touch him anymore and that brings some sense of relief to him. She had been tormenting him for the past eight years. It just doesn't quite seem real that she is dying right in front of him.

In the end, it helps him to know that the gods do care about him and they can protect Pearl even when he can't.