As Prince Marla's words echoed through the air, the sudden "TING!" of metal on metal shattered the silence. His eyes widened in alarm as a gleaming blade appeared before him, poised dangerously close to his face. Even the gentle breeze that brushed against his skin felt sharp enough to sever the countless hairs that stood on end all over his body.
"Your words may not hold true, Prince Marla," Knight Boris spoke with a calm and measured voice, his sword still hovering in the air. "For even I cannot predict what the future holds, or what challenges I will face next." As he spoke, his aura radiated from his blade, brushing against the prince's cheek with a gentle yet threatening force. "But one thing is certain: I will always be ready to put down whatever comes my way."
Prince Marla's grin widened as he spoke, "You know, I remember when you were a mystery, a dangerous enigma that nobody could predict. But now, you're just a predictable knight, whose future is more readable than a fly's."The debut release of this chapter happened at N0v3l--B1n.
Suddenly, a sharp wind arc sliced through the air, narrowly missing Prince Marla's position. The sound of metal clanging against metal filled the air as Knight Boris unsheathed his blade with lightning speed.
An irritating snicker escaped Knight Boris's lips as he sheathed his sword back in its scabbard. Over his shoulder, he felt a weight settle upon him, causing him to instinctively reach for his sword. But his actions were broken up by a chuckle that came from behind him.
Prince Marla withdrew his hands from Knight Boris's armoured shoulder and gave it a tap. "You see, my dear Knight," he said with a smirk. "If you ever wanted to harm me, I'd see it coming from a mile away."
With a flourish, he turned on his heel and strode towards his defeated-looking brother. Prince Beck breathed a sigh of relief as he watched his sibling put some distance between himself and Knight Boris. He knew that despite his brother's foresight abilities, there was no guarantee he could best the Rank six swordsman in combat.
A steep frown etched itself onto Queen Mavena's face as she watched the scene unfolding before her. She had initially been tempted to intervene, but upon realizing that it was Prince Marla involved, she stayed her ground and chose to observe how everything would play out. After all, compared to Prince Beck, she had never been particularly fond of his half-brother. She disapproved of his methods of ruling, and the lack of commitment he had shown in quelling the curse that Agna, the sleepy behemoth, had placed on their land.
As she stood there, watching the drama unfold, she noticed that Grand Duke Liam had also chosen to stay and watch attentively. At least they could both agree on one thing: there was considerable doubt in the capabilities of this so-called Prince Marla.
Her husband was a lecherous beast!
Yes, she knew about this from the start when his true nature was revealed to her as she watched him brutally pound the former Queen of the Eser Kingdom. The revelation was only further compounded when she discovered he had killed the Queen's husband and taken her as his slave, moments before rescuing her from the Mad King's grasp.
A heavy sigh escaped Nina's lips as she recalled the former Queen's face, etched with disbelief and overwhelming defeat. She had formed an eternal slave contract between the Queen and her lecherous husband, acting as a bridge between the two, and the memory of it weighed heavily on her heart.historical
Sighing once more, she remembered the former queen's lifeless expression as she left the room, her steps wobbling in a way that betrayed her unsettled state of mind and body.
Her husband was a madman - was all that lingered in her mind as she recalled his daring break-in into King Bor's territory to rescue her. Yet, even more, troubling was the news of his violent rampage on Captain Crimson Eye and his crew, who had laid an ambush for him. His rampage left no survivors, regardless of the consequences that awaited.
Despite her best efforts, she found it impossible to summarize her husband's unforgettable and multifaceted characteristics. But after much reflection, she settled on seven simple words to describe him: 'an unpredictable, lecherous, mad, and unreasonable man.' These words rang especially true as she approached her destination, her heart pounding fiercely in her chest. The room beyond held the remaining fallen leaders, each eagerly awaiting her husband's arrival - or rather, her arrival, since she had shape-shifted into his form as per his explicit instructions. She felt a sense of trepidation, unsure of what lay ahead, but determined to carry out her husband's wishes to the best of her ability.
It was an unreasonable assignment, especially for someone like her who had only just regained her bearings after being healed from the physical and mental injuries she had suffered in the past few days. Nonetheless, does she need to say more about his response after she had carefully laid out her points to him?
"Madam Annabelle, are you ready?" asked his crewman, the captain's trusted right-hand man, with a smile that hinted at an understanding of her dilemma. But, he refrained from speaking about it, keeping his thoughts to himself, as any deviation from the captain's plans was out of the question. "I am aware that the task the captain gave you is not an easy one. So, if you need time to catch your breath and prepare yourself, I can make sure you have enough time to do so."
Nina couldn't help but sigh internally. 'Why do unreasonable men always have the most loyal and trusted people by their side?' she thought to herself.
First, it was the Mad King Bor and his legion of armies of assassins, and now it was a former banished prince turned pirate. He would willingly order his crew to sail towards the fleets of Captain Crimson Eye, and they would obey without hesitation. They even boasted about it as though charging towards an enemy they knew they couldn't handle alone on a war-torn sea was some kind of achievement.
With weariness that betrayed the weight of her burdens, Nina let out another long, melancholic sigh. Although she was feeling drained and fatigued, she knew that there was work that needed to be done. Summoning her last reserves of energy, she turned towards him and greeted him with a smile so sweet that it could cure any ill. "You may call me Nina or Miss Nina, whichever you prefer," she said, her lips curving upwards in a gracious gesture. "And don't worry, I have finished revising what I was supposed to do, so you can go ahead and open the door."