1.9

"You shall stay in one of the guest rooms, are you fine with the size of it being a bit smaller than the standard? All of the other rooms are being cleaned or are filled," Aleric asks as he leads the woman beside him through his castle. She looks out at the vast marble structures, curled in details of ornate flowers and leaves and encased in gold.

"Are you kidding me? Anything will be better than a tent," Liliana laughs as she looks up at a massive Conrein flag dangling from the dome roof. It was a deep purple color, blues and whites stitched into an O formation surrounding the symbol of a gold songbird on a branch.

Aleric smiles softly at this as he leads her down another corridor. "The war council is meeting again tomorrow morning, so you will have a little bit of time to rest-"

"Aleric!"

The two turn to see a woman striding towards Aleric quickly, her thinly-painted lips in a downward frown. Her slick black bob barely shifted as she approached Aleric quickly and slapped him across the face. Liliana's jaw opened in shock as the woman continued to glare at Aleric.

Who is she?

"You left saying you'd be gone for a month but it's been quadruple that! And you ignored my questions by pigeon about it!" she scolds as Aleric winces.

"Sorry, Alissandra."

She lowly exhales through her nostrils and turns to Liliana. "I'm sorry, my brother is just an idiot. I'm Commander of the Royal Guard, Alissandra Strentheld, pleased to make your acquaintance."

"Liliana Marzinal." Liliana shakes Alissandra's hand. Alissandra arches a brow. "You're the girl who stabbed my brother in the arm?"

"Proudly," Liliana smiles as Alissandra chuckles. "Good."

"Damn, that's cold," Aleric pouts. Alissandra rolls her black eyes at this, "You're no better than I," she accuses.

Aleric turns to the guest. "In case you haven't figured out, Alissandra is my older sister."

"Yet he still is the Crown Prince, even though he's an idiot," Alissandra scoffs, slight contempt in her eyes, but it's quickly masked by delight. "I run the Royal Guard, though, and not to brag but I believe I do a pretty good job."

Aleric rolls his eyes as he gestures to the door. "This is your room here, Liliana. A maid will collect you for tomorrow morning."

With that, he pushed open the door. Liliana peered into a plain looking room, yet it was better than anything Liliana had resided in for the past couple weeks. Out of the corner of her eye, Liliana saw him walk away as he hummed a faint melody.

"You and your brother seem close," Liliana comments as Alissandra leans against the door frame, her smile falling off her face.

"You know what they say. Keep your friends close, but your enemies closer," Alissandra responds in a monotone voice.

Liliana's eyes widened. What does that mean!? And how did she shift personalities so fast?!

"Why?" Liliana asks as Alissandra sighs, puffing a piece of black hair from her eyes.

"Something... died within him a few years back when Mom died of bronchitis and he nearly went with her. It's like he's been to Hell and back and no longer cares..." Alissandra chuckles. "In fact, Dad had me put in charge of the guard because Aleric would have the soldiers march for days on end without rest."

Alissandra's cold black eyes land on Liliana. "Be careful what you do with him. No matter what facade he puts up, he's dangerous."

A smile flickers onto Alissandra's face again. "If you stay on his good side and don't stand in the way of what he wants, you'll be safe. You seem like a good kid, kid, so promise me you'll never become his enemy, alright?"

Liliana nods dumbly, not knowing what else to say.

"Good. Rest up, you've got a big day tomorrow," Alissandra struts away from the door, leaving Liliana gawking behind her with a barely shut mouth.

What had just happened?!

=

"This here is Lady Liliana Marzinal, the newest addition to our council," Aleric informs Liliana steps forward with a slight curtsy. She had been freshly bathed and inches of dirt were peeled away to reveal a skinny woman made of sharp angles and deadly blue eyes.

"Thank you for having me," Liliana utters through tight and thin lips. She's going to have to be careful not to mess this up.

"Who is she?" A shorter, slightly fat man asks as he twirls his brown mustache, completely ignoring Liliana as he directs his questions to Aleric. "And where is she from?"

"I'm from Terria, the land you plan on attacking," Liliana bluntly replies as everyone's faces pale. She chuckles and raises her hands in defense. "Do not worry, I am not a spy nor here to dissuade you from the idea of war. In fact, I'm here to make your plan easier."

The council grumbles among themselves as Liliana scours their faces. There were five men in their uniforms who were each a general of their own fleet and Alissandra, looking at Liliana with intrigue.

"What is this plan, then?" Alissandra asks with intrigue in her charcoal eyes.

"The reason I'm here is that the Fourth Prince, the one destined for the throne, was my fiancee," Liliana informs, watching shock come onto everyone's face. "No need to worry about it, though. I denied him time after time, and a fortnight ago, he sent his Royal Guard after me to arrest me for treason after I rejected him for the final time."

Liliana continued after a moment's pause. "I have seen the people's turmoils, and I know that the country is doomed to fall soon. If we do not take over it, the people will rise up in revolution and overthrow the power, thus bringing forth anarchy for the decades to come. If we were to engage in formal war, it'd fall apart upon itself and we wouldn't be able to control the thinly-pieced together nation. Either way, we wouldn't be able to have a good grip upon Terria. I have a plan, and that's why I'd wish to help you in your fight against my home."

"What do we do then, Lady Marzinal?" A wiry figure asks, practically drowning in their uniform and the sword around their hip looking like it weighs more than he does.

Liliana inhales before explaining her plan in detail. After she was finished, the room was silent for a good minute.

"It does sound less complicated than the original," Alissandra admits, "but that leaves all the more possibility for holes in it."

"I do know of that possibility, but you underestimate how much of an overbearing wench I can be," Liliana grins nastily. "It'll involve less bloodshed and will also be the perfect opportunity to cattle all your enemies."

"Shall we take a vote on it, then?" Alissandra asks as the council nods.

"Alright, all in favor of Lady Marzinal's plan, say 'ay,'" she asks, and Liliana and two other people crow out "ay." Liliana turns her azure gaze to Aleric. His expression is stony before he relents with a sigh and says "ay."

"The majority has decided, then," Alissandra nods in Liliana's direction. "When shall you leave?"

"I shall leave immediately," she responds, standing up. "My baggage and my original clothing should be in the saddle of the horse. I'll change, and be gone in the next ten minutes."

"Our spies will inform us of any new changes," the mustached man sighs and begins to write in code on the paper. "For your safety, we cannot let you know who they are."

He whistles, and in through the open window comes a familiar bird, one who Liliana had first seen when she met Aleric.

"I understand," Liliana responds, watching as he tied the note to the bird's leg. "Thank you for hearing me."

Aleric stands and puts a hand on Liliana's shoulder. "I shall see her out."

The two leave the room and walk through the narrow corridor of the castle. The moment Liliana had arrived in the castle she didn't have time to look at its grand architecture. Although she wished for more time to explore, time was of the essence.

"Was this all a ploy? To gain power on the council and avoid my hand?" Aleric asks quietly and Liliana shakes her head.

"It shall be made invalid the moment you hold the throne," she responds as she squeezes his hand lightly. "Do not worry, I am quite a capable woman."

"That is why I worry," he sighs as he opens the door to the stable. Walking to the horse, Liliana removes her overdress and reveals the pants and night dress underneath, with holes already forming in it. He chuckled as he leaned against the wooden railing.

"You knew you'd win them over the moment you set foot in, didn't you?" He asks and Liliana shrugs as she looks coyly over her shoulder. "I had no idea," Liliana smugly comments as she pulls her original cloak and smushes on the hat given to her. Aleric takes the disposed of dress and sets it on a stool.

"Liliana..." Aleric begins, inching closer to Liliana.

"Yes?" she turns to him and notices the two were less than an inch apart. He leans down and kisses her lightly on the forehead with cold lips.

"Be safe."

Her cheeks flush red for a moment as she glances aside. "I will."

He smirks lightly before turning and opening the stall's doors. Liliana mounts the horse easily and gives him one last look.

"I would say goodbye, but that insinuates we won't meet again," she jokes.

"It shall be many dreary months without your sharp tongue, but distance will make us ever fonder," he replies. Lily smiles softly, knowing that for the next few months she'll be in her own version of Hell.

"For now, farewell." Aleric bows lightly. When he lifts his head, Liliana had left the barn and was racing into the distance. Whatever emotion was on his face quickly disappeared, replaced with a scowl.

The journey back to Terria was rough for Liliana. She limited her diet to what she was able to catch and cook.

What fueled her primarily was the need for revenge, after all.

Upon arriving at the capital of Terria, no one would say she resembled a lady. Her cloak was tattered and muddy, and her nightdress and pants brown with mud. Her once silky, raven hair was now matted and greased from the hat and had been tangled wildly. Her cheeks were gaunt from lack of food while her eyes were harrowed from sleepless nights, the once electrifying blue now dull cobalt. Liliana had left her horse a town away and had made the rest of the journey to the Terrian capitol on foot, exhausting her body even more.

Two tall guards stood tall at the entrance of the palace. Liliana limped towards them as tears streamed down dirty cheeks.

"Please..." she cries, frail shoulders shaking. "Let me in."

"No can do, Miss," he responds as his nose twitches lightly in disgust at her smell. It was like someone had lit fire to compost and doused the wretched woman before him in its slush.

"I'm Lady Liliana Marzinal, my fiancee is in there! Please," she cries into her hands. "I need to see my beloved!"

I just want to barf at saying that...

"Liliana Marzinal, you say?" the other guard asks as Liliana looks up with a sniffle. "Yes, that is me."

He looks her up and down before bursting into laughter. "You cannot be her! She disappeared a month ago and is probably dead. To claim to be her is signing a death warrant."

Liliana shakes her head as she stumbles closer to him. She holds up the right side of her cloak before turning it inside out. Inside, tapered to the cloak, was the Marzinal family crest.

"'Tis me," Liliana shakily smiles. "I am Liliana Marzinal."

His eyes widened before he roughly grabs her by the arm. "Liliana Marzinal, you're under arrest for treason against the crown."

Liliana immediately collapses under his grasp as if she was too weak to carry on. She lets out a cry of pain at his harsh grip, which does nothing to soften his hold. With his other hand, he pulls down a lever and the gate rises. Four guards come out and he looks at them.

"Take her to the dungeon and inform the Prince of her arrival," he orders. Liliana looks up from the ground as her stringy hair clouds her vision.

Why was he no longer referred to as the Fourth?

Another guard grabs her right arm and holds tightly and the two drag her up gravelly roads to the castle. Liliana cries out in pain as rocks and sticks snap against her leg, cutting dirtied skin.

Let's hope this doesn't get infected.

Liliana hangs her head low and doesn't struggle in their grasp. The guards wonder how such a weak woman had committed treason, not even a month before. Little did they know that the curtain of greasy hair hid a deadly smile.

They went through a small entrance, before throwing her into a small cell and chained her up. The walls were cool and damp and Liliana shook from the cold. Quickly removing her coat, she covered her body with it like a blanket. It was the early months of February, yet it still felt like the dead of winter.

Liliana closed her eyes and enjoyed not moving for once as she slumped against the wall. For the past two weeks, she had been constantly moving back to Terria, so not moving for once was quite nice. It's not like she could move anyway because a chain had been bound to her ankle and prevented her from moving anywhere from five feet away from the wall. After this is all over, Liliana just wished to sit in the library and read for the next year...

"Well, well, if it isn't Liliana Marzinal..." a voice chimed as Liliana lifts her head slightly just enough to see Reginald from the top of her vision. He looked elated, like a child at a petting zoo who threw food at the animals just to see their reactions.

It was quite twisted, really.

"Reginald..." Liliana rasps out as she coughs dryly into her arm. His blue glare softened as his brows wrinkled together in concern.

"You're sick," he points out and Liliana laughs lightly before that turns into a throaty cough.

"I wish you wouldn't see me like this," she sniffles. "But I...I just had to return to you." Liliana feels her lips quiver as tears spring to her eyes. She quickly wipes her tear away with a dirty hand and looks away from him.

"What happened? The guards came to collect you, but no one knew where you went. All the servants said you were sick that day and no one saw you as well," he asks with intrigue in his voice.

"I...I had made myself sick with disgust," Liliana exhales as she pulls her knees closer to her chest. "I was angry with you, but then realized how hypocritical I was because I flirted with others, just as you. I realized the error of my ways and wished to write to you, saying I was sorry. For even if you didn't want me anymore, I wanted you to know how I felt."

She sniffs and he squats down, now eye level with her. He watched her through the bars and noticed how small she seemed compared to the mighty figure who had once denied him. "What happened then?" He asks softly as Liliana bunches her hands around the cloak and pulls it tighter towards her chest, her body now shaking like a leaf on a windy day. The cloak slowly drags up her legs revealing bruises and scratch marks, still fresh and bloody, alongside scars that had just healed over.

"I...I walked to the post to mail out the letter," she shudders with disgust at the fake memory. "I...I was kidnapped by thugs...who knew of my wealth..." fat crocodile tears plopped onto the red cloak as she now looked directly at Reginald with glassy blue eyes. He gasped in shock at seeing how truly broken she had become.

"They...they hurt me. They kept m-m-me in a dim room, with no food for a week," she cried. "They p-pulled my hair, h-held knives to my throat..." she inhales deeply as her hands now pulled the cloak tighter around her as if it was some sort of barrier. "T-they touched me..."

"Did they ever..." Reginald trails off and she shakes her head. "I prayed e-every single day they wouldn't and that was my only prayer that went through."

"How'd you escape?" he asks as her shaking relaxes. "It was the dead of night, and the men were drunk. One of the men came t-to my cell to have f-fun..." she looked up at him as more fat tears welled up in her eyes. Liliana hastily wiped them away and sniffles slightly. "H-he unlocked the chains around my a-arms and legs that kept me in the chair. H-he pinned me to a wall..." she cringes in disgust.

"T-then, I managed to knock him out by pushing him onto the chair. I-It was metal, and he hit his head on the rim..." Liliana shakes her head, hands trembling. "There was s-so much blood..."

"I managed to steal some pants and boots, and e-escape since everyone was passed out. I eventually ventured in the right direction and was c-closer to the capital than my estate, and I knew I had to see you, anyway." She pauses, giving Reginald a teary smile. "And here I am."

"Liliana..." he trails off. "I'm so sorry that this happened to you. I promise that I'll protect you from whatever harm comes your way."

"You don't have to, I've hurt you so much. You probably don't want anything to do with me," she cries as she looks at the ground.

"I...I still love you, Liliana."

Liliana looks up with real shock in her eyes.

Did he just say the 'L' word?

"W-What?" she stutters as Reginald gives a wide smile. "I'll marry you still, Liliana. Nothing can break us apart."

"R-Really?" Liliana asks as he stands up fully, quickly unlocking the cage and thrusting aside the iron door. Reginald steps closer to her then squats down again. With pale fingers, he tucks a greasy strand of hair away from Liliana's face. Now that he was closer, Liliana could see bags under his eyes and how his once tan skin was not as lustrous as before.

"Of course, my dear." Reginald's sky blue eyes bore into Liliana's as his pupils dilated. "What we have is something pure. If I let a little quarrel break us apart, what kind of husband could I be?" He heartily laughs, before his face grows serious.

"Seeing you like this makes me only love you more. All alone, chained up and belonging to me only," he muses as he cocks his head to the side. Liliana's heart rate picks up, not knowing how to react. He reaches into his pocket and pulls out a key and slowly unlocks her ankle chain, leaving his hands on her ankle for an extra moment.

Before she has the chance to stand up, Reginald scoops her into his arms princess-style and walks out of the cage. He turns down the narrow hallway as other criminals jeer at the two. But he ignores them, keeping his eyes on Liliana only.

"The reason my guards went to your house was to bring you back to me, anyway," he coos, blue eyes adoringly peering down at Liliana. "I'm just glad we're back together, for if you were actually dead, I don't know what I'd do with myself!" He laughs and Liliana nervously laughs with him.

Suddenly, I wish I was back in the cage.

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