章 5: Negotiation
The clearing seemed to hold its breath, the cold wind whispering through the trees as Erika's voice echoed in the silence. She stood rigid, her wrathful gaze fixed on Ralf, her complexion flushed with indignation. "Ralf! You disgraceful man! How dare you defy my orders? Have you lost your mind?" Her voice cracked with the weight of restrained fury.
Ralf, kneeling before her, seemed unfazed by her wrath. His calm, stern demeanor was like a stone wall, and his lack of contrition only served to further ignite her anger. "Forgive me, Your Highness," he said, his head bowing slightly. "However, you are not my lord. My loyalty lies with King Miral Krules, your father. I follow your commands only out of respect for him."
Erika's grip on her sword tightened, her knuckles white as her hands trembled with barely contained rage. "You impatient, disgraceful dog! Couldn't you wait for my decision? Do you comprehend the gravity of your actions?"
Before Ralf could respond, another voice sliced through the tension like a blade.
"Good grief. Now, now, let's not engage in infighting, shall we?" Roy's voice was laced with mockery, his smirk dripping with contempt. "I am your true enemy, after all. You've already attacked me; why not finish the job? Or perhaps..." He let the words hang in the air, his sly grin deepening. "You simply can't."
Ralf's narrowed gaze shifted to Roy, his tone cutting. "Are they genuinely alive, or is this another one of your psychological games? You weave lies so seamlessly that truth becomes an illusion. But if they are alive..." He paused, his voice hardening. "Know that I will stop at nothing to bring them back."
Roy tilted his head, as if entertained by Ralf's conviction. "Oh, how noble," he mused. "But tell me this—if you care so much about them, why did you assault me in the first place? You act with violence and then claim the moral high ground. It's quite the paradox, don't you think?"
Ralf's jaw clenched. "You misunderstand my position. My king comes first, always. But that does not mean I do not care for them." His voice softened slightly, the hint of a plea slipping through. "If they are in your custody, release them. I will allow your departure if you promise to return them to us unharmed."
Roy's smirk widened, his expression one of unrestrained amusement. "Oh, how generous of you," he drawled. "But what if they do not wish to return?"
Ralf's eyes widened in disbelief. "Nonsense! Why wouldn't they? They are prisoners of war. You're offering them liberation—who wouldn't desire such a thing?"
Roy laughed, a low rumbling sound that sent shivers through the air. He leaned casually against the horse he had claimed, his demeanor relaxed yet unnervingly sharp. "We will see about that," he said. "As I promised: if you wish to have them back, come to Kranel. They are at my mansion. However, do not fret—they are fine."
Erika's brows furrowed in confusion. "Excuse me, what? What exactly do you mean when you say 'your mansion'? They're not incarcerated; instead, they're in your mansion? What kind of game are you playing, Roy?"
Roy met her gaze with a cold nonchalance. "Listen, I couldn't simply end the lives of two innocent children. You ought to be thankful. If I hadn't taken them into my custody, they would already be dead. Should I share how the Empire treats prisoners of war?" His tone grew darker, his words slicing through the clearing with chilling precision.
"Your brother?" he continued, his gaze fixed on Erika. "Soldiers would have hung him upside down. First, they'd cut off his fingers, one by one, then stop the bleeding to prolong his suffering. The next day, they'd take his hands, then his legs. They'd gouge out his eyes and leave him to die slowly. And your sister?" He paused, his voice dropping to a dangerous whisper. "Do you think they'd spare her because she's a minor? No. She'd be subjected to repeated rape, nonstop, until her body could take no more."
Erika's face turned pale, her fists trembling with a mixture of rage and despair. Tears brimmed in her eyes, but she fought to keep them at bay. "I know that!" she snapped, her voice cracking. "But why? Why did you rescue them, despite the fact that they are your enemy's children?"
Roy shrugged, his expression unreadable. "You ask too many questions, Ms. Krules. Why did I save them? There's no grand reason. I simply felt pity. They lost their father, and I didn't want to kill them."
Erika's fury boiled over, her tears spilling down her cheeks. "Pity?" she spat. "You think pity justifies anything? You killed my father! He was kind-hearted, a hero who could've changed Narzan. First, you took him from us, and now you dare feel pity for us? Don't give me your bullshit!"
Roy stared at her for a long moment, his gaze unreadable. Then, with a dramatic sigh, he mounted his horse. "Believe what you will," he said, his voice quieter now. "But if you want them back, come to Kranel." He turned his horse, trotting away slowly as if daring them to stop him.
Erika's voice rang out behind him, sharp and trembling. "Roy! Release them from your dirty hands, or I swear I'll kill you!"
Roy didn't look back, his figure disappearing into the shadows of the forest, leaving Erika and Ralf standing in the clearing, the weight of his words hanging heavily in the air.
Erika gritted her teeth as she mounted her horse, her eyes blazing with determination. "Wait! Did I tell you to leave? On second thought, I'm not going to let you go. I'm going to kill you right here, right now!"
She spurred her horse forward, the animal leaping into a gallop.
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