Underneath the quietude of a secluded forest, shadows danced discreetly as Edmund, accompanied by Thaddeus, Zephyrine, and Ignatius, ventured stealthily through the silent, dense foliage.
The air was dense with intent and tension, occasionally punctured by subtle glances exchanged between the trio — glances filled with uneasy trepidation, yet unnoticed by Edmund, whose gaze and mind were fixated solely on reaching his Isola.
With each step sinking slightly into the soft earth, Zephyrine drew a tremulous breath, her voice quivering briefly before asking with a smile, "Edmund, on second thought…Why not get rid of the consort in some other way after returning home..like what you did to him in the past but permanently?"
Edmund's lips twitched into a derisive scoff, his eyes never deviating from the path unfolding before him, "You're referring to my attempt of crippling his manhood?" he retorted dryly, the dark amusement dripping from his tone, "Alas, by the time my methods were refined to do it without any suspicion while using him as the perfect test subject, Rowena ascended to the throne. Subsequently, access to his quarters was restricted, even to Oberon, surprisingly safeguarding a 'cripple'. One more opportunity is all I require to enact my plan with minimal risk. But after thinking again, killing him would prematurely end the delightful game. Rendering him impotent and making him a cripple again? Now, that's genuinely entertaining. Oberon will thank me once he wakes up. We all win, hehe."
A gulp rippled down Ignatius's throat, though he muffled it. His eyes flickered momentarily towards Thaddeus and Zephyrine, capturing their gaze in a silent exchange laden with unsaid words and tension.
"But why the sudden doubt?" he mused, narrowing his eyes. "You've been enthusiastic all this while," Edmund's query hung in the cool air, a note of confusion etched on his features, though his eyes were still focused ahead.
Zephyrine flashed a sheepish, disarming smile, attempting to cloak an anxious glint in her eyes, "We...were just ensuring you won't find yourself in hot water, Edmund. But we're all here, prepared to see this through."
With a dismissive wave, Edmund retorted, eyes still trained on the path unfurling before them, "Heh, Isola can take care of that alien on her own. But we are here to clean up the scene and make sure nothing hits us back. Still…when did you become such a worrywart?"
A stifled chuckle escaped from Ignatius' lips as he quipped, "Perhaps Zepyhrine is harboring tender feelings for you, falling head over heels, no doubt."
Edmund scoffed, shaking his head with theatrical despair, "Come on, Zephyrine. Don't tell me that's true just because we fuck. Too bad, my heart is already pledged. Between my fiancée and the mistress-to-be, there's no room for more. Once Isola is truly mine, her people's allegiance will inevitably follow, cementing my status as the most powerful young lord in the kingdom, hehe."
However, the smug smile quickly dissipated, replaced by a veil of seriousness draping over Edmund's face as a familiar voice, faint but unmistakable, whispered through the foliage, "Is that Isola's voice?" he murmured, eyes sharpening with focus.
With a cautionary gesture, he signaled his companions to tread softly, their approach careful and deliberate. The foliage parted under Edmund's hands like a curtain unveiling a stage, revealing a scene that caused his eyes to widen.
His gaze landed on a sight that sent a surge of fury through his veins like molten iron. There, bathed in the muted sunlight, was Asher, who was clutching Isola by her nape and forcibly turning her neck around to kiss her.
"You dare to resist? Where is this newfound courage coming from?" Asher asked in a seething tone as he squeezed Isola's breast.
"I-I have someone I like, and I don't want to keep doing this with you," Isola said, shooting Asher an icy glare, though she suddenly winced as he twisted her nipple from outside her white bikini, "Ahng!~"
Hearing such a soul-melting moan, a low, disbelieving murmur escaped from Ignatius' throat, "By the devils..." The words, barely above a whisper, were cut short by the freezing stare Edmund threw his way, a silent death warning etched in those cold eyes.
Edmund's fists clenched, the knuckles white, the urge to storm forward, to tear this alien cur away from his woman, was overwhelming.
Yet, he knew better. He had to wait for Isola to make her move first, for the situation to be ripe for intervention. He can't afford to risk anything since this alien had tricks up his sleeve, and it was safer to make the second move.
Without a word, Edmund reached into his pocket, retrieving a slender stick imbued with a faint glow. With a snap, the stick cracked, releasing a sound barely perceptible to most but resounding loudly in the silent theatre of their secret rendezvous.
Isola's eyes flickered, her brows knitting together in subtle recognition, and in the next instant, she unleashed a sound, a chilling, haunting screech aimed directly at Asher.
Taken by surprise, Asher was flung backward by the sheer force of the sound, his form careening through the air before colliding violently with a tree. The trunk shook with the impact, leaves fluttering down like a rain of green, as he slumped to the ground, unconscious.
A spark of triumphant anticipation flickered in Edmund's eyes as he witnessed Isola's successful retaliation against Asher.
The signal, subtle but clear, had been received, and the first part of their scheme had unfolded seamlessly. With urgency threading through his veins, Edmund began to rise, intending to dart through the underbrush and join Isola's side.
But just as Edmund got past the bushes, the earth beneath him seemed to awaken, glowing runes illuminating his feet like chains of light.
A sudden sense of draining weakness washed over him, his strength ebbing away as though being absorbed by the glowing symbols.
Edmund's eyes widened, panic flickering within them as he attempted to escape the ensnaring trap.
*Bash!*
Unexpectedly, a fist collided with his face, a forceful blow that sent him staggering back into the confines of the enchanted circle.
Eyes ablaze with shock and fury, Edmund turned to face the assailant, only to find Ignatius, his supposed ally, wearing a thin smile that barely masked his apologetic demeanor, "What the fuck?! Are you mad?"
"Sorry, Edmund," Ignatius drawled, a shadow of false regret coloring his words, "We aren't as foolhardy as you to openly defy the royal consort."
Confusion and betrayal twisted within Edmund, his gaze swinging between Zephyrine and Thaddaeus in a desperate search for explanation or support.
Yet, all he received was Zephyrine's disdainful scoff and averted gaze, while Thaddaeus stood silent and solemn, eyes lowered to avoid meeting Edmund's.
"You two…" The words fell from Edmund's lips like stones, heavy with the weight of the betrayal of these backstabbing bastards.
"Urghhh!!" A roar of frustration and rage built within him, longing to rip into the traitorous trio before him.
But then why wasn't Isola coming to help him? No…she wouldn't…
However, before the realization could fully sink in, his vision blurred, and strength continued to ebb away until darkness claimed him, leaving him slumped and unconscious on the forest floor, victim to the whims of those he believed to be his lackeys.
In an isolated, shadow-draped corner of Hellbringer's fortress, Merina found herself ensnared, pinned against the unforgiving, cold stone wall by Sabina, whose smile dripped with latent danger.
It was a chilling scene: Sabina's elegant form looming over Merina, whose feet barely brushed the ground, the subtle force of Sabina's grip suspending her mid-air, talon-like nails delicately puncturing the tender skin at her throat.
Blood, thick and dark, began to bead and trickle downward, tracing a languid path over Merina's neck, the metallic scent permeating the tense air.
Merina's heart galloped within her chest, each thud reverberating through her body, amplifying the fear that stitched itself through her veins.
One second, she was walking happily through the corridor, and the next second, she found herself like this.
"So," Sabina purred, her voice a silk-wrapped dagger, gleaming and sharp, "Over a year has fluttered by, and I ponder whether your tongue has been weaving tales of deceit all along. Perhaps, relinquishing my grasp on you previously was an error in judgment. However, fortune appears to favor me today, wouldn't you agree? Walking right into my hands…"
"I–I didn't deceive you," Merina gasped, her voice threadbare, teetering on the precipice of desperation. Each word was a struggle while trying to not panic.
"Oh?" Sabina's eyebrow arched, an elegant crescent of inquiry and skepticism. With deliberate slowness, she lowered Merina, allowing the woman's feet to regain their purchase on the ground, "Care to enlighten me how?" She asked while licking the blood off her long nails.
Through a cascade of coughs, teary eyes blinked up at Sabina, imploring and earnestly, "I've woven distrust in his heart against the queen," Merina rasped, "In his eyes, your image surpasses that of the queen. All you have to do is meet him, and you will notice how different things are."
Sabina's licked her lips while revealing a smile that mirrored the glint of moonlight on steel - beautiful, but cold and deadly, "Guide me to him," she whispered, words dripping with icy intent, "Only then shall I find out for myself how truthful you are."
With a nod of acquiescence, Merina beckoned Sabina to tread closely behind her, leading the way through the fortress's corridors.
The atmosphere around them was tense, yet beneath the surface tension, there was a tangible undercurrent of anticipation bubbling within Sabina.
Her eyes, gleaming with expectant delight, reflected a dance of images yet to unfold, the things she could do with him.
The pair eventually arrived at a set of ornate doors, grand and imposing, yet whispered promises of luxurious comfort within.
With a gesture of deference, Merina pushed the doors ajar, revealing an expanse that dripped with opulence, "My lady, may you kindly await within these confines. My Master shall grace your presence shortly," Merina intoned formally, bowing deeply while taking deep breaths.
Sabina's steps carried her over the threshold, the silken train of her dark blue gown whispering across the floor, drawing invisible lines through the thick carpet.
But her smile was stifled when the doors behind her suddenly closed with a bang.
And no sooner had the echo of the closing doors faded, the room itself began to transform.
The walls blurred, colors and shapes undulating like waves beneath the moonlight, shifting, changing, rearranging themselves before the room no longer seemed luxurious but a half-lit dark and eerie chamber with dirty walls and a chilling atmosphere.
Sabina's eyes narrowed slightly, the charming canvas of her face rippling with the faintest brush of surprise, her lips curving, "Oh?"
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