In a large, silent hall, cold air drifted through the long corridor as Kael and Lavinia walked side by side. The faint scent of iron and damp stone lingered in the air.
Thirty Velmourn soldiers stood guard along the sides of the Hall, each one standing still and tense as the two entered.
Inside the Hall were the prisoners—the soldiers of the Sky Kingdom sitting in the center. All their binds, other than the Null Sanctuary Collars, were taken off.
They could move freely, but they were still not allowed to leave the hall.
As Kael and Lavinia passed through the corridor and walked into the hall, all murmurs died. The prisoners looked up—so in fear, so in silent resentnt, and so in... guilt and sha.
Kael observed them briefly, then, his eyes t hers.
Aurelia.
She stood at the far end of the Hall, her long white hair, though ssy, still glead faintly in the gem light. She was no longer wearing her armor, only a simple t-shirt, yet her posture remained proud. Even as a prisoner, she carried the aura of a commander.
Kael stopped walking. Lavinia did too. For a brief mont, there was silence.
Aurelia’s gaze shifted between them.
First to Kael, whose eyes were still the sa as before—and then to Lavinia.
When she first saw Lavinia here, the Mage’s entire attention was on Kael; she didn’t even bother looking at her surroundings and just hugged the man she loved.
But now, she was different. She was calr.
Although she was still holding Kael’s hand tightly, now, she felt like soone who could hold a conversation.
The General’s lips curved faintly as she stared at Lavinia and—
"Princess Lavinia."
She greeted.
"I am no longer the Princess, General."
Lavinia’s answer was instantaneous.
"I know."
Aurelia nodded, and at the sa ti, she noticed how much Lavinia had changed.
This obviously wasn’t their first eting. Even though she was the General of another Kingdom, Aurelia had t the world’s most outstanding Magical Genius more than once. She still rembered how brightly her big, pure purple eyes shone as she greeted the people around her.
A beauty that put smiles on everyone’s faces with her purity and gentleness—a beauty untainted by the evil world they were all part of. This was how the world knew her, and not a single person who had t her before refuted those words.
But now...
That beauty was gone.
Lavinia was still beautiful—devilishly beautiful—there was no doubt about that. Even now, the mont she stepped in, Aurelia saw a few of her n flinch, not out of fear but... sothing else.
However—that innocence, gentleness, and purity in her eyes were now gone.
She was... no longer the girl untainted by the cruel world—she was now... corrupted.
A corrupted beauty who did not put your heart at ease but made it race instead.
"But I am glad to see you are doing fine.
I still do not know why the Drakthar Kingdom abandoned soone like you. If the Sky Kingdom had soone with your talent, we wou—"
"There are too many things that you still do not know."
Before Aurelia could finish her sentence, Lavinia interrupted in a steady, sharp voice.
"As for the Sky Kingdom being any different—be it Drakthar or Zephyria, both kingdoms are the sa in my eyes."
The Mage answered with a cold look on her face, and the General’s faint smile disappeared in an instant.
Kael stood quietly beside Lavinia, watching the exchange with calm eyes.
Aurelia lowered her gaze for a mont and let out a small sigh.
"Perhaps you are right,"
She said softly.
"Maybe none of us are truly different."
But Lavinia didn’t reply; her expression remained cold, distant.
"Anyways,"
She said after a mont,
"We are not here for small talk.
We ca here because we need sothing."
"Need sothing? From us?"
Aurelia raised an eyebrow.
"Yes."
That was when Kael stepped in. His eyes observed the prisoners until they finally found the three healers he had spotted earlier and—
"We need your healers."
He demanded.
"Our healers?"
The General narrowed her eyes.
"Yes."
Kael nodded.
"It is ti for your lot to start earning the resources that will be spent on you."
"What...?"
The General blinked.
"Didn’t you say you wanted your n and beasts fed three tis a day?"
"You were the ones who promised that..."
"I never said it would be for free."
"Wha...?"
Aurelia couldn’t believe it.
How... when did this man beco so shaless...?
"Do not look at with those eyes, you are our prisoners—"
Kael tried to say sothing, but the next instant—
"Exactly."
Aurelia interrupted.
"We are your prisoners; it is common courtesy to feed prisoners. We are not demanding any luxury for us to ’earn’ it—"
"This is the Heights, Aurelia Stormborn."
This ti, Kael was the one who interrupted the General.
"Food here is a luxury."
"..."
Aurelia turned silent at those words.
The mont she found out that Kael was in the Heights, she had started studying everything she could about it. So she knew the harsh conditions of the Heights; she knew that food here truly is a luxury, so Kael wasn’t exactly lying.
But...
Sending her healers like this...
They were the prisoners! Why should she send her healers to help their captors!?
In what world does that make any sense!?
And while the General was thinking all that—
"Stop thinking so hard, this wasn’t a request anyways."
Kael spoke up with an expressionless look on his face. The other soldiers narrowed their eyes at those words, glaring at Kael with restrained anger.
The air around Aurelia changed as well—
"Are you... going to use force if I refuse?"
The General asked.
"I would rather not, but if you leave no choice..."
Kael did not deny it.
Aurelia then turned towards Lavinia—
"Is this how you treat your prisoners? Where is your—"
However, before she could even complete her complaint, Lavinia shot back.
"You used a hundred n to surround one. I do not think you, of all people, should be saying anything, General Aurelia."
Those words silenced her, but Lavinia did not stop—
"You people went against your words and cowardly attacked Kael. An act as deaning and shaful should have t with death, but Kael showed you rcy.
Your soldiers are alive because Kael did not lose himself in anger. None of you were executed, none are being tortured—all because Kael did not want it to happen.
And now you stand before him—you, who did every wrong you possibly could and still received his rcy—refusing to extend a helping hand because you expect him to use his resources to feed you and your bonds?
Just how much longer are you going to use his kindness against him? Do you not get tired of it? Do you not know sha? Or has staying in the Sky Kingdom made your skin too thick to even notice such things?"
This ti, not just Aurelia, but even the rest of the soldiers didn’t dare utter any more words—they were too ashad.
Lavinia noticed it as well; the princess nodded to herself, satisfied by their reactions, and once she made sure that her previous assumption was correct, she spoke up—this ti using a different approach—
"And didn’t you co here to win Kael’s favor?"
She asked, and her question instantly changed Aurelia’s expression.
"Are you sure you want to refuse a request as simple as this?"
"...I did not co here to win anyone’s favor, I ca to negotiate about peac—"
"Yes, yes."
Lavinia waved her hand, dismissing the General’s words.
"Just answer, are you going to help or not?"
The General turned silent for a mont; she stared at Lavinia and then at Kael, and then finally, she turned towards her soldiers—
"Veyra, Nial, and Solen, step forward."
She ordered.
Three figures stood up from the group—two won and one man. They looked nervous but didn’t resist. After all, the orders were already given. They trusted their General’s decision, especially now more than ever, when they were right in the middle of enemy territory.
"They are my best I currently have. Veyra is Sixth Circle, the other two are Fifth Circles."
Aurelia muttered, pointing at the three healers.
Kael gave her a small nod; he then turned toward five of the Velmourn guards waiting near the entrance.
"You five,"
He ordered.
"Escort them to Commander Korvath. Tell him they are to heal Sergeant Ravon first—then any Velmourn requiring dical attention."
"Yes, Lord Kael."
The soldiers stepped forward, taking hold of the three healers carefully.
As they began leading them away, Aurelia spoke again.
"If they are hard—"
"They won’t be. Unless they harm soone first."
Kael answered reassuringly as he looked into her eyes.
For a mont, neither spoke. The quiet stretched thin between them.
Then Aurelia looked away and, in a soft voice,
"...I see."
Kael then turned around as he began to walk toward the exit. Lavinia followed closely beside him, still holding his hand as tightly as she could.
As they reached the door, Aurelia spoke once more.
"Lord Kael."
He paused but didn’t turn.
"...What do you plan to do with us?"
The General asked.
"Use what can be used."
Kael answered, and with that, he walked out of the Hall.
Lavinia glanced back once—her eyes t Aurelia’s for a fleeting second—then she too turned away.
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