The Legend of the ruthless Empress Freya-Chapter 226 Act One: The Fallen King And The Missing Princess
- POV General -
Now that everyone was present, Kira had just announced the beginning of this evening which was going to be full of action and twists. In the middle of the arena, Myles, Leto and Theophylactus stood weakly facing the Fox Princess Kira, Alayna the former princess of Zal and Commander Luna. Before the eyes of everyone in the coliseum, a father was reunited with his daughter who had been missing for months.
Yet the reunion was far from a novel, as the situation was far different from a touching and tearful story. Alayna found herself facing her father again after asking to confront him one last time despite her fears and the pressure she felt. Fortunately, she was not alone as Luna was by her side to give her strength and support which made the moment easier to live with.
"A-Alayna ?? I-It's you...my...my daughter...you..."
"I'm not your daughter anymore."
Without even giving her progenitor time to finish his sentence, the young blonde woman had spoken words she never thought she'd say a few months ago. They were only a few words but so heavy with meaning, radical that left the three men speechless. Alayna was trembling, she had a new life, a new family, she was finally free and happy but saying goodbye to her past as disastrous as it was, was never easy.
"M-My daughter, you...you don't mean it, do you ? I came...for you to find you and bring you home, I...I went through all this for you you. L-Look...look at what they did to me...and "
"You're the only one to blame here because I left of my own free will and no one here is holding me prisoner like you all seem to think. I am no longer part of the Kingdom of Zal at all whose name I have abandoned, I am of the Elysium Empire."
Myles and Leto though were silent and far too happy not to attract attention could not believe their ears. How could the sweet Princess Alayna of the Kingdom be so sure of herself ? She was not frightening or vulgar but exuded a confidence and firmness that they did not know. Theophylactus, the most shocked of the three, seemed completely lost and unable to take in the truth. 𝒇𝘳𝐞𝚎𝓌𝑒𝑏𝒏𝑜𝙫ℯl.c𝚘𝒎
He no longer had the presence of a King and was even dirtier and more pathetic than the half-humans he hated so much like most humans. Completely stripped of his dignity, his armor and his title, he could only cling to what was left in front of his eyes...his only daughter. After Freya used "Death Gaze" for the first time he had lost half his mental capacity and was struggling to understand.
"You...you're part...of Elysium ?"
"I-I wouldn't change my mind and I have no say in what her Highness has planned to do with the three of you. I simply came to tell you how much I regret that you are my father and that I waited so long to leave this rotten Kingdom even more horrible than the monsters it hates and discriminates against."
After long seconds of being speechless a click seemed to have taken place in the mind of the fallen and humiliated King in the middle of a whole crowd. Little by little, he became aware of the words that Alayna had just pronounced and completely changed his behavior. He who had been all trembling and afraid, started to shout with the little strength he still had left on the one who had had the strength to stand up one last time in front of him.
"H-How dare you ? You are my daughter...I am the King your father and you will listen to me and do as I command !!! *cough cough*!!!"
"You are no longer my father...in fact, you stopped being my father the day I realized that our family was just a charade designed to fool the citizens of Zal. You never really cared about my well-being or how I felt, you never...were the father I dreamed of. You didn't come to this forest for me...but for yourself !"
"You ungrateful bitch, your late mother would be ashamed of you. You are the shame of the family !!! *COUGH COUGH*"
At his words, as Theophylactus coughed more and more, the blonde-haired young woman, on the other hand, felt her heart suddenly stop. The mention of her mother was something she had not expected and felt her resolve waver. Alayna had never known her, but had learned from her servants that the late Queen of Zal was a wonderful woman whose kindness was matched only by her beauty.
Of all the Kingdom, her mother would undoubtedly be the only one to understand her daughter's decision and to see beyond appearances and race. Alayna had grown up admiring her so to hear from her father that her mother would have been ashamed was a dagger in the heart. She didn't know what to say, trembling in turn as Theophylactus didn't stop at these words and continued to add to them, ever more hysterical.
"THOSE MONSTERS HAVE BRAINWASHED YOU ! YOU ARE NOT MY DAUGHTER, MY LITTLE AND ADORABLE ALAYNA WOULD NEVER SAY THAT !!"
More than a man, the father now looked like a raging beast, which made for a very unflattering sight to those who were watching with great excitement, however. He was sputtering, drooling from his mouth, his eyes were red and seemed to be popping out of their sockets. After what the King had been through, he had preferred to sink a little more into insanity to cope with reality and the situation.
"YOU...YOU'RE A FAILURE AND MY BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENT *COUGH COUGH* WHAT GIRL WOULD PUT HER FATHER THROUGH THIS ? YOU ARE...A FUCKING DISGRACE ! DAMN MONSTER ! YOU TRAITOROUS BITCH !!!"
Facing him, Alayna was paralyzed, her legs were shaking and she was trying her best to keep her head up despite what her father was spitting in her face. Yet this was harder than she had thought and was beginning to weaken little by little which was not lost on Theophylactus. Moving weakly with the eyes of a madman, while everyone held their breath, he suddenly threw himself at his own daughter blinded by anger, fear, madness and pain.
"TRAITOR ! YOU..."
However, despite the verbal and physical violence he was displaying, he didn't have time to get closer than two meters that he was already stopped. In a flash of yellow and a crackling sound, Luna the Commander of the intelligence section had appeared behind the King. A long dagger was at his throat and his left arm was locked behind his back and held tightly by the young half-panther woman.
"If you take one more step I'll break your legs, if you insult Ally in front of me again I'll cut your tongue out and if you dare touch her with these filthy paws of yours I'll slit your throat"
Luna who could no longer bear to watch in silence had pronounced her words with a threatening coldness that at once calmed the ardor of Theophylactus. Her black hair was strewn with crackling lightning, her eyes burned with intense hatred and her fangs were out. The Commander was not acting in the name of his title, but for the one she loved, who at that moment was about to break under fear and sadness.
Luna knew better than anyone how strong Alayna was and how much she had changed in a few months away from the human kingdom. Her girlfriend was not the same as she had been, but that didn't erase the trauma she had to live through and overcome. So if her blue-eyed Princess didn't have the strength to hold on anymore, she would support her and protect her from anything that could hurt her, so that no more tears of sadness would flow down her face.
Before the eyes of the crowd, a real play was taking place as Kira had announced so well a few minutes ago. Although the three people at the center of attention seemed to have forgotten what was going on around them, the spectators were speechless. No one dared to speak or even breathe in front of this intense and very personal scene that Luna and Alayna were offering them.
The tears that had started to flow down Alayna's cheeks had stopped and a tender smile appeared on her face. For the first time in so many years, someone was standing beside her to support and protect her. She was even more aware of this as Luna was facing the King, yet as crazy as it sounded, seeing her girlfriend threaten her father was liberating and warm.
"Ally...are you okay ?"
The lightning Commander once she made sure her target couldn't move, turned to the one she loved with a worried look. Her expression had immediately changed from one of intense hatred and anger to one of concerned, loving and protective tenderness. This simple change in Alayna's eyes was the next proof of her love as she wiped away her tears with the back of her sleeve and answered.
"Mmh y-yes...he only confirmed his true nature and confirmed my decision..."
The words Theophylactus had spoken were harsh, unfair, hurtful, and horrible, but had only proven what she had been thinking for a long time. Her father had never paid attention to what was important to her, who she really was, her dreams or her passions. In her eighteen years of existence, Alayna Zal had been nothing more than a royal ornament that her family flaunted when they needed it and then forgot about.
Yet despite all that had happened and the words of his own daughter, the King still didn't understand what he had done wrong and where he had gone wrong. In fact, he was still convinced that the Princess was being manipulated and held captive against her will. The entire situation was so far out of his control that he didn't even realize that he had been relegated to the status of entertainment for the warriors of Elysium and its leaders.
"I-I'm done, talking any more would be a waste of time and I've said what I had to say..."
"Fine, he's not worth it and...ALLY !"
As Alayna replied to Luna, she was dizzy after so much emotion and had begun to wobble ready to fall at any moment. Dropping the King unceremoniously as he crashed to the ground, the Commander rushed to the young woman to catch her. Supporting her by the waist, she allowed her to regain her composure without collapsing to the ground while she couldn't help but comment.
"Be careful."
"Y-Yes, I...t-thank you..."
Alayna had suddenly flushed her wet blue eyes glittering like two diamonds under the bright light of the coliseum's braziers. The reflections of the flames danced on her sweet face and it didn't take long for Luna to be mesmerized by her innocent yet radiant beauty. Without realizing it, she didn't let go of the young woman who was now able to stand on both legs without falling.
"Luna you..."
As if the young Commander had forgotten where they were, not holding on a second longer, she prevented Alayna from continuing, suddenly sealing her lips on hers. In the arena the two young women exchanged a passionate kiss under the astonished eyes of the soldiers. A human and a half-human in a world that was destined to make them hate and war against each other, proved that anything was possible.
One had been the Princess of a narcissistic Kingdom and the other had had her only family ripped away by the Princess' own power-hungry brother. Yet fate had brought them together, making their love an example of peace, acceptance and tolerance. At that moment, all the warriors of Elysium without exception forgot for a few seconds the hatred they had for humans.
Alayna and Luna were the proof that the heart had no race, religion, color or even particular appearance. As a bridge between the different races, breaking down the walls of racism, hatred and prejudice, the two young women were admired. While the citizens of the Empire respected and cherished this moment of rare importance, three others were far from enjoying it.
"A-ALAYNA !!! *COUGH COUGH*...N-No..."
The King who was on the ground and in the dust, could only look at his own daughter in the arms of one of these "monsters", totally helpless. He couldn't believe his eyes, although he had regained some of his senses, the nightmare he was in was becoming more and more unbearable. How had his life become so fucked up ? Where had he gone wrong ? Despite everything he had said to his daughter, another part of his heart had just broken.
He didn't know yet what was in store for him, but Theophylactus had been hurt and broken again by what he had just witnessed. He was shaking, unable to speak, and slowly becoming aware of what he had lost...all that he had lost through his greed. Away from his Kingdom and his subjects, the King was nothing, had nothing and was only beginning his long descent into Hell that would not end soon.
"Let's go~"
"Mmmh~"
Separating from each other, the two young women smiled radiantly without even paying attention to the dirty old man panting a few feet away. That was it, finally Alayna had drawn a line on her past and was ready to move forward and never hesitate to stand up for what she seemed to be right. It is thus under a thunder of applause and the glance of moved soldiers that the two lovers returned among everyone to sit.
Thus, while a standing ovation took place in the great coliseum, the first act of the play was already ending in an intense way while it was just beginning. On the platform above everyone, the nine remaining Commanders couldn't help but smile at their friend's happiness. Some of them even giggled at the pathetic scene of the humans and especially the King.
The Empress had not said a word, but a small smile appeared on her lips, the same as the one her wife was wearing at her side. The contrast in the arena was divine and they enjoyed every second of it, like the appetizer of a gourmet menu. It was just the beginning, the reunion of the fallen King and the missing Princess had ended with the sight of a broken father.
The moon was high in the sky but dark clouds were beginning to obscure its light, foreshadowing another bloody and deadly night in Elysium. The play was only in its first act, but those that followed promised to be darker and more horrific. It was going to be a long night for these three humans who would soon experience a fate worse than death straight out of their worst nightmares.
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