183: The warrior king's secrets (part 2)

The warrior king's secrets (part 2)

Whether it was the swaying of the ship, or the shock of what she heard the young King saying, her head spun as if trying to regain its equilibrium.1

"Don't be so taken aback. I didn't extend an invitation to Egon," Aldric stated flatly.

"...My father communicated with the von Conradies," Adela added, seeking to provide some context.

He threw his head back in laughter, a hearty sound that filled the air. "I didn't see that coming, but I can imagine the content of their message would be the same as mine—urging us to sign the finalized agreement promptly... And then it was my turn, Adela. I extended the invitation to you alone," he said narrowing his eyes. "Wasn't it you who assumed that Egon would be included?"

It seemed as though he was prying for information about her feelings towards Egon. In that moment, she felt as if she was a moth drawn to a mesmerizing flame, initially captivated by Aldric's warmth, only to be consumed by an oppressive heat that scorched everything in its path.

She composed her expression into an immaculate mask of neutrality before responding.

"You are absolutely correct, Your Holiness. It was indeed my assumption that he would be invited. However, let us not forget that we have gone through all the meetings together, including the recent exploration expedition. Moreover, Egon is a business partner of Varinthia," she stated, focusing her gaze on his lips.

Taking a breath as his lips parted, she continued, "Please forgive me, esteemed guest of this kingdom and close friend of my father. I chose not to accompany Sir Bastian on his recent visit to your ship due to the potential social implications, but this was different, my father and I understood that this celebration is meant to commemorate the collaboration between our lands," she raised an elegant eyebrow, "What would the aristocrats think if they saw me in this gown, walking up to this ship and staying all alone with you?"

His assertive gaze transformed into one of surprise as she concluded her speech, and his half-smile blossomed into a full one, but there was unmissable darkness lurking behind it.

"Bravo!" he exclaimed, clapping his hands for her performance. She suppressed multiple flinches at the sound and felt her cheeks flush with annoyance. As her emotions began to show on her face, he abruptly stopped.

"...If you are done now, I would appreciate it if you could escort me back to my carriage," she stated with a hint of authority.

He leaned back, a sly smile playing on his lips. "I'm afraid that's not possible,"

The sudden shift in his demeanor sent alarm bells ringing in her mind. The rush of blood in her ears intensified, and her thoughts began spiraling into the worst-case scenario. She realized that boarding the ship without the young King's elemental powers would be impossible.

A chilling thought sank in her mind, Aldric could easily seize her and there would be no one capable of intervening.

"Don't be afraid," he sneered, his voice dripping with mockery. "I assure you, unlike him, I won't bite."

She swallowed hard, the implication of her mate's true nature too apparent in his words. But she would never give him the satisfaction of confirming his suspicions. Allowing a sense of disappointment to seep through her expression, she silently endured his sadistic psychological torture. The white garments he wore now felt like a deceitful camouflage, masking his true colors.

She instinctively reached out and grabbed the knife next to her plate, her fingers closing tightly around its handle.

"Good that you finally caught up to the situation you're in," he said, his voice laced with amusement. With a flick of his wrist, he exerted his warlock powers, causing the knife to bend and twist under his command, rendering it useless in her hand.

He stood up, pushing his seat with a loud thud behind him, then circled around the table with a triumphant smile on his lips. His powers seemed to dance and crackle around him, a visible display of his dominance. She held onto the twisted, useless weapon, her grip tight, her heart pounding with a volatile mixture of fear and defiance.

"You're taking this joke too far, Aldric," she said, trying to maintain a steady voice, but her words came out weak and feeble. "What's next? Trap me in a mental cage midair?"

He paused a few feet away from her, his gaze calculative. He rubbed his bottom lip thoughtfully before responding, "...Tempting, but I don't have to resort to such measures. You see, the strongest weapon you possess is your mind, not your body."

"Hah!" she gasped as the tiara she wore pressed ever so slightly against her scalp.

"You see, Healer, you are utterly defenseless," 

Driven by pure instinct, she seized the first bowl within her reach and hurled it, watching it connect with Aldric's bewildered face before shattering upon impact. Without missing a beat, she grabbed two more bowls, sending them flying towards him, their contents sprayed through the air as she propelled her trembling body out of the chair and sprinted towards the door, alas, all she could hear was the rapid thudding of her own footsteps and heart, no longer the crashing of shattered porcelain.

Despite her desperate attempts to open the door, clutching the handle and pushing with all her might, it remained stubbornly locked.

She sobbed when she was pushed from behind. 

"How can someone be so smart and yet so gullible?" he sneered. She shook her head amid her tearful sobs, his voice oozing false gentleness right next to her ear. The scent of his cologne and the lingering aroma of meat sauce made her stomach churn.

"Your body recognized me for what I am, your antidote. How could you fall into my trap so easily?" he spoke, his irritation palpable, as if he genuinely did not want things to unfold this way. "How!" he shouted into her ear.

"I trusted you because Father does!" she cried out, her voice between desperation and defiance.

He snorted. "Didn't you hear the story? Didn't you know that I came all the way to Destan to kill him when I was just a boy!?"

The shame of her ignorance halted her sobbing momentarily.

"Your precious Kaiser's hands are stained with blood, did you know that?" he continued, his voice dripping with contempt. "He killed my mother and named you after her."

She shook her head denying his accusations until he forcefully grabbed her hair and pressed her head against the door, pinning her in place.

"Are you calling me a liar? Is that how much blind trust you place in your father?" he hissed.

Swallowing hard, she resisted her pathetically submissive reaction thus far. He had admitted that she was physically no match for him, even without his powers. But mentally, she clung to the belief that she still had a fighting chance.

"I don't blindly trust him. He is human, he makes mistakes. But I know him well enough to know that he would never harm a woman, especially an Oracle," she retorted, her voice trembling.

In what might as well be her final hour, she couldn't help but draw a parallel between Aldric and Egon once more, two individuals bound by a deep-seated thirst for revenge against the Archduke. Like a debt owed, their vendetta had consumed their lives. but unlike with Egon, she couldn't offer Aldric the same collateral.

"You can't take my life as retribution for the one you lost," 

Summoning all her remaining strength, she abruptly lifted her leg and delivered a forceful stomp with the back of her heel onto his foot.

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