Chapter 67

I didn't want to rest, despite Mavis's insistence on doing so. She followed me as I began to make my way down to the dungeon.

"What are you going to do to him?"

"I don't know. I need to know where the Vendov king is. I need to kill him."

"Is it all worth this? Is it worth putting your life in danger so often?"

"This isn't just about getting revenge on Samuel anymore. It's for Orion. He believed the world would be a better place without his father, I will rid the world of him for that purpose."

"You're grieving. You need time to mourn him."

"I don't need time. I need the king dead." There was no convincing me otherwise. She knew it.

"I will support you, then." She said.

We went down the stairs to the dungeon, still damaged from when Samuel had me held there. The tables had finally turned in my favor.

Samuel was awake. His hands and legs chained to the grimy dungeon wall. The guards watched his every move, like hungry hawks.

"Princey, and Queen Mavis. Delightful to see you again, your majesty. You look as radiant as ever." He said to Mavis with his charming voice.

She said nothing but shot him an icy glare.

"How's your daughter? Still fussy? Let me guess, teeth coming in?" He asked with a smirk.

Mavis' jaw clenched.

"How did you know that?" She questioned.

Samuel remained quiet, wearing a cocky smirk.

"HOW DID YOU KNOW THAT?"

Still no reply.

"DID YOU HURT MY CHILD WHEN YOU WERE HERE?"

"Princey, I thought that night was our little secret? Pity, should've known you couldn't keep your mouth shut."

"WHAT DID YOU DO?" Mavis stepped closer to him, roaring at him like a provoked dragon.

"Calm yourself, I just gave her a bit of a pinch. Had to ensure you weren't around during my visit."

"How dare you lay a hand on her! You could have killed her!"

"But I didn't, you should be more grateful."

"Mavis, I can handle him. Go and be with Opal."

There was resistance in her, but she agreed to go with her child. Before she left, she gave a whisper in my ear.

"Do what you will with him, ensure he never gets near Opal again. Or I will kill him myself."

She shot him one final, menacing glare before lifting up the ends of her dress and leaving the dirty dungeon.

"Guards, please standby. I will summon you if needed."

They agreed and left the cell. Samuel and I were alone. A single torch kept the dark cell lit.

"What are you going to do to me, Princey? Torture me? Kill me? Go ahead. Do your worst, I will never tell you anything."

"So hostile, why can't we just talk?" I said, mocking our previous conversation. I crossed my arms as I stood above him.

"You seem pretty put together for someone who just lost their love. Then again, he wasn't your love, was he?"

I knew my love for Orion ran deep. I knew Samuel was just trying to get a rise out of me, like he always did. I couldn't let him get that. My knowledge of my love had to be enough. But I would be lying if I said it didn't hurt to even hear his name, let some question my love for him.

"Your insults stop hurting after a while," I said.

"I doubt that. You may be physically stronger, but your soul will always be soft."

I wanted to scream in his face, and release all of the anger he had bestowed upon me. But I didn't, I couldn't.  I took a breath, caging the outburst I desired to have.

"Why? Why would the Vendov king do this?"

"Power. To rule all the lands. Imagine controlling everyone, and everything. Who wouldn't want that?"

"Wanting it so bad enough to try to kill your own son?" My anger seethed through my teeth.

"Back on about the disgraced prince? You make me nauseous, but yes. Whatever the cost, he will do it. He didn't hesitate to blow up that orphanage that sent me all the way here."

"And you truly can't see what's wrong with that?"

"Not at all. Now, if you're going to torture me, get on with it. Or are you going to continue torturing me with your words, Princey?"

"I don't want to torture you."

"You're telling me that you want all that anger to boil inside of you? You don't want that sweet release you'd get seeing me bleed? Seeing me suffer? Finally getting your much needed revenge that you crave so badly?"

The resistance was hard, but he didn't want to be a prisoner. He wanted to die. I couldn't give in.

Despite my journey to kill him, I couldn't do it. Yet.

"You've always been good at tempting me. Where did you learn to act like this? To manipulate and hurt everyone around you?"

He was quiet for only a moment.

"Enough of this! Kill me and get it over with!" He snapped.

"Getting hostile once again, aren't we?" I said.

He huffed in frustration.

"You've done a lot of terrible things. Just this once, do something good. Where is the Vendov king?"

"No."

"Where is the king? Why wasn't he at the castle?"

He remained quiet, his lips were locked.

"Tell me, Samuel." I demanded. He remained silent. I stood there for a while, repeating my question. He had no answer.

A guard came down to the dungeon.

"Your majesty, you are needed." A guard's voice said.

I glanced back at Samuel, his eyes studying me. I couldn't tell what he was thinking. Was he formulating an escape? Or just mustering up more insults?

"Watch him." I told the guard.

I left the dungeon, wandering around, wondering where I was being summoned to. I peered out the tall windows to study the entrance of the castle. It was late night, I had been in Belmonte for over an entire day. It didn't feel real.

A group with horses approached us. Daniel and the rest of the group made it through the mountains. My stomach sank into a pit of sadness remembering Orion wasn't with them.

Mavis was already out at the gates to see her beloved.

She had the gates open, granting the remaining soldiers access. Johnny and Daniel walked together, Charles and Galen followed, not far behind. They all looked beaten and exhausted, as did the soldiers that weakly trailed behind them.

"We found all the horses, and rushed back as fast as we could." Daniel said, bruises were pounded into his face.

"Some soldiers still need treatment. Please, Daniel, help me take them to beds." Galen said.

Despite his exhaustion, Daniel agreed.

"I would like to meet with everyone once everyone is settled," I said shortly, shooting an eye at Johnny. She didn't look up at me.

They came in, beaten and bloody. Many of them could not survive another battle. I couldn't ask them to. More of a reason to find the king.

We helped unload the sick and injured. Galen was busy at work, ensuring all of them were taken care of to the best of their ability.

I came up to them as they treated a pair of frostbitten toes.n

"Do you need any help?" I offered.

"I'm alright, Zander. Please, take care of yourself." They said, dismissing me.

I left the room of hurt soldiers. Mavis and Daniel had phased themselves out of view.  I imagined he wanted to see his daughter the moment he could.

"Weeks in the cold! Ugh! No bath will be strong enough to recover from this." Charles explained, smelling himself with an aggressively loud sniff.

"It was only a few days." I said. He lowered his arm.

"Oh, it's you. Zander, I don't know what to say, except.. I'm sorry." He said, slipping into a gentle tone, which was highly unusual for Charles.

I didn't want everyone's pity. I wanted the king dead, and Samuel was the best way to get to him.

"I want everyone to meet. Now." I said.

I commanded the group to meet in the same room we always did. It felt extremely hollow without Orion taking his seat. He would get us through this war, I didn't know how to continue without him. I sat down and joined them. I couldn't look at Orion's vacant seat once more, I knew doing so would submit me to tears.

Daniel and Johnny sat next to each other. Mavis sat at the other head of the table, Lapis and Charles sat close. Johnny folded her hands and sat tall.

"Salkon will be coming for us. I made a promise with him that he would surrender the battle if we walked away. If we didn't hurt anyone innocent."

"That promise was broken, wasn't it, Johnny?"

The room looked at her.

"Your majesty, I had to do it! They were going to kill the rest of us. They were angry, I wanted our people to get away."

"They were commoners. Commoners do not know how to fight. Are you going to tell me you couldn't hold them off long enough for the soldiers to escape? When I made it back to the village, it looked like a massacre."

A bubble of anger rolled up my chest from my stomach.

"I am loyal to Lafayette, it will always come first. I did what I had to." Johnny said.

I turned my eyes to Daniel. He didn't want to look up at me. Johnny was his mentor. I knew he didn't want her hurt. I hated asking him to do it.

"Daniel, please, tell me the truth. What happened? Why did I find so many dead commoners?" I said. Everyone watched Daniel. He looked up at Mavis and Johnny before finally looking to me

He took a deep breath in.

"I'm sorry, Johnny. You're like a mother to me. You're my greatest mentor. I will always appreciate everything you've done.. But I cannot lie to our king.."

"Salkon villagers did in fact attack us. They came at us, throwing anything they could find, attempting to attack us with their weak weapons.. Some had swords. But I do believe we could have gotten away. Johnny volunteered to hold them off. I do believe she held the interest of Lafayette in mind, but I do not know if an attack to that extent was necessary." Daniel finished, his hands folded onto the table.

"Because of this, Salkon will come for us. I can't imagine the Salkon king will side with us again, thank you for that, Johnny." I said.

"I wanted us to get away. I stand by my actions." Johnny said, her head held high.

"I commanded you to leave, and you didn't! I told you I didn't want anyone innocent dying!"

"The cost of war, your majesty." Johnny said.

I thought about be boy again. I thought about how he had a family. Or did they die with him?

"Your majesty, I beg you. Please, don't kill her. I understand she disobeyed direct orders. But I believe her when she says she thought she was doing the right thing." Daniel pleaded to me.

"Plus, we need her. No one can fight like her, no offense, Daniel." Charles injected his opinion that was not asked for.

Eyes turned to Mavis.

"I am one for forgiveness. It's a value of my people..But I don't see how we can let this go unpunished." Mavis said.

"You are no use to us dead. Johnny. You will fight with us until the war ends. Once Lafayette is restored, you be banished." I said.

"Banished? Your majesty, if I may, banishment?" Daniel said.

"Would you rather her imprisoned? Perhaps killed? Those are the most suitable punishments for treason."

Daniel lowered his head.

"No, your majesty."

Johnny stayed sitting tall. She sculpted her face to remain emotionless.

"She may be banned from Lafayette, but it doesn't mean she's banned from Naporia. I would love a new head guard, the one I have doesn't listen very well." Queen Lapis said.

Johnny's eyes lit up to the queen.

"Really?"

"If Zander allows it." Lapis looked at me.

"I will allow it."

"I would be honored to serve Naporia, your majesty." Johnny said, lowering her head to the queen.

"Since that's settled, I'm leaving. I have an interrogation to complete." I pushed myself off from the chair and made my way to the door.

"Interrogation? Did you bring a Salkon soldier back?" Charles asked.

I briefly explained to them what I did after I left the mountains, how I tore down the castle in search of the king, only to find his dragon boy.

"Samuel Skyes is in the basement right now? My gods. Are you going to torture him? Kill him? Kiss him? Charles asked with his hands rested on his face, entranced by the tale.

I shot him a look that was as sharp as a sword.

"He is going to reveal the location of the Vendov king. I will be going alone to kill hin."

"You can't go alone!"

"I wouldn't advise that."

The room broke out, everyone arguing with me.

"I don't care what anyone says, I'm going alone. Everyone will stay here in case Salkon retaliates, or if Vendov comes to retrieve Samuel."

I dismissed the meeting, heading down to the dungeon. I was the first one out of the room.

"Your majesty, can I talk to you for a moment?" It was Daniel.

"I know you care for Johnny, and I'm sorry. But she went against my word."

"It's not about that. I just wanted to let you know...We. We found a cave. We didn't leave Orion out on the mountain. We tried to give him the most proper send off we could. We buried him in the snow there."

Hearing his name ripped out my heart once more and crushed it into pieces.

I swallowed hard and inhaled deeply, attempting to keep it together in front of Daniel.

"Thank you, Daniel. I appreciate it.  But I must go talk to Samuel now."

A/N: It's been a long time coming...Thank you for anyone who is still reading this right now. I appreciate you for sticking with me!