Clang... Clang...
Aether walked down the long corridor, chains rattling around his wrists, his hands cuffed tightly as guards flanked him on both sides.
Despite the cold tal biting into his skin, a small smile lingered on his lips.
He hadn’t expected things to escalate this quickly.
To be brought here so soon... it could only an sothing interesting was about to happen. With that faint smile never leaving his face, he kept walking until finally the massive doors lood before him.
The guards pushed them open, the heavy creak echoing through the hall.
They moved to shove him inside, but the mont Aether turned his head and gave them a single glance... sharp and cold... they froze. The blood drained from their faces as though that one look alone had struck them.
Without another word, Aether stepped forward himself, unbothered by the weight of the chains that bound him.
His eyes rose imdiately to the figure seated on the throne.
Mary.
There she was, crimson-eyed, her very presence filling the throne room. Beside her stood Morgana, poised and watchful.
No one else.
The guards closed the doors behind them, sealing Aether inside with the two won.
Silence fell.
Aether stood there, unflinching, and Mary stared down at him from her throne.
For a mont, neither spoke—only their cold, cutting gazes clashed, an invisible tension grinding between them. Finally, Mary’s voice broke the silence.
"Where is the Grenthollow?" she asked.
Aether tilted his head slightly, smirking faintly. "Where? Where could it be? Hmm?" His tone echoed with thoughtfulness, as if he himself was trying to figure it out.
Mary’s lips curved into a cruel. Suddenly, laughter burst from her... sharp, humorless, echoing. "Hah... hahahah..." She shook her head slowly, her crimson eyes gleaming.
"You’ve grown far too much nerve, haven’t you? Bart!" She sneered, her grin twisting.
"Think you can hide behind the skirts of Dora?"
After all, the only one who could protect him now was Dora—the Sovereign herself.
Aether blinked, montarily taken aback. Then a chuckle slipped out.
"What makes you think I’m hiding behind her?..." His voice lowered, a faint tease curling through. "Even though I’d love to see behind her skirts... well—" He shook his head with disappointnt, sighing. "Let’s not talk about that."
Mary’s face soured, her frown deepening, "Just because you managed to kill Master Snape, don’t think for one second that makes you strong. You didn’t defeat him with honor—you tricked him, fooled him, and then killed him. In my terms, that makes you nothing more than a... c.o.w.a.r.d!" Her glare burned into him like fire.
Aether only shrugged, "Does it matter? In the end, I’m the one who won. Not him. History is written by the victors, Mary. Whether it was strength, cunning, or trickery... only the victors are the ones who live on to tell the tale." His lips stretched into a grin, sharp and arrogant.
Mary’s frown deepened further.
Aether sighed, then stepped forward slowly, chains rattling with each movent. "Well, if that’s what you want so desperately... fine. I’ll tell you where it is. But answer this—will you let live? Will you let walk out of this place alive?"
Mary leaned forward slightly, her gaze narrowing. "Tell where it is and..." she smirked, her voice slipping into a cruel lody, "...of course, I’m not letting you get out alive. Hehe~"
Aether’s grin only widened. His gaze slid toward Morgana, who frowned ever so slightly, glancing at her Majesty with hesitation.
"So sad... so sad," Aether muttered, shaking his head with mock sorrow. "And here I thought you’d let off the hook... keeping alive this pitiful lover of your daughter." He sniffled dramatically, his act so fake it was almost insulting.
Everyone in the room could see through it.
But then his expression shifted. His smirk sharpened into a dangerous grin. "However... what about Victor?"
"Huh?" Mary’s brows furrowed.
"Victor," Aether repeated, grinning as he paced back and forth, chains dragging along the floor.
"He’s my friend, you know? Do you think he’d just sit idly by while I’m here? Don’t you think he’d co to save ?" His grin widened further, his tone taunting.
"After all, I saved his life when we faced Snape. And Victor... he isn’t soone who likes to owe anyone. I’d wager the mont he hears I’ve been captured... he’ll co. He’ll co with his entire army of dragons to take back—alive or dead."
The word struck like thunder.
Dragons.
The very sound of it made both Mary and Morgana stiffen, their bodies betraying the faintest tremor of fear.
Aether grinned, his lips curving wide, "If anything happens to ... he will... hunt all of you." The way his lips parted as if invisible fangs glead behind them, like a predator only waiting to bare its teeth.
"Is that a threat?" Mary asked, her voice cold, emotionless, stripped of all feeling.
Her gaze bored into Aether with the weight of an executioner’s blade.
Aether smiled faintly, shaking his head with exaggerated calm. "No... a warning." He lifted one chained finger, pointing upward as if marking his words into the air itself. "Only one warning... that’s all you’ll get."
The throne room fell silent. Neither moved, neither spoke. For a long mont, they simply stared at one another, their glares locked in a battle of wills.
And then, slowly, almost imperceptibly, the air shifted. The temperature dropped, the vast chamber filling with a creeping chill as if sothing terrible was about to descend.
Just then, Morgana moved. She laid a gentle hand upon Mary’s shoulder and whispered in a low voice, "First, we need to know where the Mountain is... please, calm yourself."
Mary’s fingers dug into the carved armrests of her throne, the stone cracking under her tightening grip.
Aether smirked at the sight, delighted. To see her held back, restrained, as though she were so beast tugged by a leash... it thrilled him.
So exciting~
"Well then," Aether continued smoothly, his smirk never fading. "How about this? I have a new way of solving this matter calmly."
"Hmm?" Mary frowned.
"I will give you the Mountain..." Aether’s voice was calm, almost soothing, as he raised his chained hand toward her, palm open as if offering sothing sacred. "...but in exchange... give Aurelia.".=
The entire palace trembled violently, its stone pillars groaning. Even the guards outside felt the force of it, trembling in fear as the air thickened with killing intent.
The Empress was angry—furiously, murderously angry.
But Aether stood unmoving. He didn’t care for the theatrics, didn’t flinch at the quake of stone or the trembling of mortals.
Then, laughter.
"Hah... hahahahahahah... HAHAHAHAH!!--" Mary’s laughter erupted like madness itself, rising higher and higher until it crashed into silence just as suddenly. Her crimson eyes glowed like burning coals as she leaned forward.
"Asking for my daughter in exchange... as if she were an object? Oh, amusing, Aether. Truly amusing. Why would I? In fact..." She rose from her throne with terrifying grace. "...I could kill you this very mont with my own hands."
After all, wasn’t that the plan?
It was a simple plan, one they had agreed upon. Mary would use this opportunity to rid herself of him once and for all. She would make it look as though he had pushed her to the edge, as though he had left her no choice. If she killed him now, no one could say it was without reason.
Her daughter would never know the truth.
When Aurelia woke, the story would be clean: Aether had provoked them, had dared to insult her Majesty, had even tried to attack them. Morgana had been forced to intervene to protect her Empress. Aether’s death would be painted as inevitable, unavoidable.
A solid plan—one that would ensure Aurelia did not turn her hatred upon her mother.
Aether blinked, raising his hand, "Then why are you waiting? Go on... kill ~." He winked, his grin widening into bait.
Before Morgana could react, before she could restrain her Majesty, Mary’s figure vanished from the throne.
She reappeared in an instant, crimson fury blazing as she lashed downward. Her blade—thin, sharp, and red as blood itself... ca crashing down upon him with murderous precision.
Thud!
Clang!
The sound split the air, but when Mary looked down, her eyes widened. She hadn’t cleaved his flesh. She had cut through nothing but the chains, her sword striking the empty ground where Aether had once stood.
"Majesty sto—!" Morgana appeared beside her, reaching out to halt her Empress, but her words faltered, her eyes widening in shock.
He wasn’t there.
From the shadows, an uncanny, mocking smile echoed, bouncing off the stone walls in a way that chilled the blood.
"Hehe... hehehehe~..."
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