Chapter 237 - Black Capital ( Part 4 )

The Demon Imperial Palace lacked windows.

Or, at least, that’s how it looked like in the part where Lilia KingHeart was kept.

The cell was located deep under the dark tower and surrounded by layers of ancient stones and corridors. Its walls had been created out of the special stone which absorbed all the magic. There were crimson runes all over the floor and ceiling, creating concentric circles around the center of the room. These runes were glowing and spreading waves of suppression magic into the chains which bound the prisoner.

There was neither bed nor chair there. Only plain comfortless cell.

Only one thing there could be considered comfortable – the black stone platform.

Queen of Seraiya was sitting there.

Lilia’s wrists were bound with golden chains – not just any kind of chains, but those made of the metal, which had been treated with the demonic fire and ancient curses. Her ankles were also chained, connected to the pillars which were placed around the cell. The fifth chain was placed on her chest, circling the area above the Legendary Divine Mark.

Those chains were made not only to restrain the prisoner, but also to suppress the Sovereign Mark. They made the divine power, burning in her veins, to disappear.

Every time Lilia tried to summon Aurelia, the Blade of Light, the runes were getting brighter and spreading a cold wave into her body. At the first time, she had almost lost consciousness. At the second time, she was able to keep her eyes open. And at the third time, she understood how the suppression works.

And now, she stopped wasting her strength on it.

For now.

Lilia lowered her eyes to look at her bound hands.

Her hair was messy and dull because of the days without taking proper care. Royal clothes had been changed with the simple white dress; however, its bottom was already dirty because of the stone floor. Nobody had given her a mirror and she had no idea how many hours or even days had passed since her capture.

However, it did not matter. She was alive. And as long as she is alive, she can still resist.

Lilia started to move her fingers carefully. Chains tightened as a reaction.

She stopped.

"...Annoying."

Her voice sounded strange and small in the huge cell. It echoed in the empty space for a moment.

She remembered her homeland.

Palace gardens, which looked wonderful in spring. Filled with various colors. Familiar corridors, in which servants were busy with their work. Lucas arguing with the guards about patrol schedule. Roxy complaining about Jennie’s terrible habit to disappear just when something important was happening.

And Jennie usually had such expression on her face like the whole world was just an obstacle which she had to tolerate.

Lilia almost smiled.

You idiot.

She had been sure that Jennie would come for her. Since the first day when demons had taken her away from the palace balcony. She had seen the expression in her eyes when the portal between them closed.

Jennie would complain about the journey. She would claim that the danger was manageable. She would say something sarcastic about the Demon Continent and then would fight an army because of the trouble of the people she cares about.

And then, when Lilia would see her, Jennie would say something like:

"You certainly know how to make a mess of things."

Lilia lowered her head and laughed quietly.

Then the smile disappeared.

Because she also knew that Jennie would blame herself for coming too late.

That was the worst thing. Not the chains. Not the ritual. Not even Zuko.

Jennie had a terrible habit to carry all her failures, thinking that the whole world has been given to her responsibility.

Lilia knew that better than anybody else.

She had seen how Jennie fought being tired, bled being pretending that everything was alright, and smiled being terribly scared.

If Jennie found out that Lilia was in the prison because of her because the demons needed the woman who carries five Divine Swords – she would try to bear this burden.

Lilia closed her eyes.

Don’t you dare.

The chains started to rattle.

Don’t you dare blame yourself.

She raised her head.

No matter what the demons needed from her, they won’t get it easily. She was the Queen of Seraiya. She was the bearer of the Sovereign Mark.

And she won’t let the Demon Emperor to decide what her will is worth.

Metallic sound echoed in the corridor outside the cell.

Lilia’s expression changed.

Someone was approaching the cell slowly and unhurriedly.

Then he stopped right behind the doors of her cell.

And a voice was heard through the darkness of the corridor.

"How are we feeling today, Your Majesty?"

Lilia recognized it.

Morgatha.

The Witch of Eternal Curses. The one who helped to take her from Seraiya.

Lilia raised her chin.

"Disappointed."

A short pause was heard.

Then Morgatha laughed.

"Oh? Why is that?"

"I was hoping you would die on the way here."

Doors opened.

Morgatha entered into the cell.

The Fourth Demon General seemed to resemble elegance in the crimson glow.

Her robes of jet-black color swayed behind her in a manner that was similar to an elegant dance. They bore numerous symbols on the edges that kept changing as she moved about. Moon-like pale hair framed her face while her eyes reflected the same bright but unnerving look of a monster that had seen people suffer for hundreds of years.

Charms of different sizes were hanging on her belt. Some of them were made of bone. Other ones looked as if they were the remnants of broken glass. All of them had a trace of magical presence – the presence of curses that she had invented in centuries past.

Morgatha turned to Lilia.

"You still have your spirit. I suppose I should be impressed."

"Is that the reason you have come here? To compliment me?"

"No. I have come here to see if you changed your mind regarding the offer I have made to you."

Lilia gazed at her.

"What offer?"

Morgatha inclined her head.

"Do not play dumb. Cooperation. A peaceful resolution of your imprisonment. Even a chance for a position in a new world that will arise after the return of the Emperor."

Lilia nearly laughed aloud.

"You really think that I will help you revive Zuko?"

"I think that you will realize the situation in which you are."

Morgatha stepped closer to the platform. Her movements were noiseless while her presence spread around like a stain of dark color.

"The Demon Empire has been preparing for this moment for hundreds of years. The Legendary Divine Marks have been collected. The ancient formations are awaking. The Divine Swords have returned to the stage for which they were created."

Morgatha stopped close to Lilia.

"Whether you cooperate or not, the ritual will be held."

"Then why do you ask me?"

For the first time, Morgatha’s smile weakened a little.

Lilia noticed. Morgatha noticed her noticing.

"Because there is a difference between a ritual conducted with cooperation and a ritual conducted in opposition to it."

"Then you should have chosen another person who would actually want to help you."

"Unfortunately, the Sovereign Mark is something that we cannot replace."

"Sounds like your problem."

Morgatha’s eyes narrowed. Lilia gave her a pleasant smile – the smile that she had learned to use at royal audiences where a noble explained to her how her personal inconvenience should become a national one.

Morgatha did not seem to appreciate it.

"You are young," said the witch. Her voice became even colder. "You have inherited a throne before having an opportunity to understand the world outside of it. I suppose that you think that your position makes you important."

Lilia remained silent.

"But a crown is just a symbol. Kingdoms fall. Bloodlines disappear. The people that bow to you now will bow to someone else tomorrow."

Morgatha bent down. Her eyes glimmered with ancient maliciousness.

"What makes you think that Seraiya will survive this?"

Lilia’s fingers tightened on the chains.

There it was. Not the threat to her body. Threat to everything she was supposed to protect.

Morgatha watched her carefully.

"The Demon Empire is older than your kingdom. Its armies are stronger. Its magic is more developed. When the Emperor will come back, there will be no resistance."

Morgatha straightened herself up.

"Your people will suffer because of your refusal to cooperate. Your soldiers will die. Your palace will burn. And the person whom you are waiting for will come too late to save you."

For some time, the chamber became dead silent.

Lilia thought about Seraiya. About the soldiers who had resisted Draven. About Lucas who would stay to protect the kingdom. About Roxy who would likely refuse to rest before she will know that all of them were safe.

And about Jennie.

Morgatha chose her words very carefully. She wanted Lilia to imagine Jennie failing. To imagine the destruction of the kingdom, the death of its people, and the person she trusted falling under the consequences of her refusal.

This was a brilliant strategy. Fear could achieve things that chains could not.

But Morgatha misunderstood something.

Lilia did not have to believe that Jennie would win every battle. She did not have to believe that Seraiya would remain intact. She did not even have to believe that she would survive this ritual.

All she had to know was that she could make her own decisions.

"You talk too much," said Lilia.

Morgatha stared at her. "...Pardon me?"

"If the ritual is inevitable, you do not need my cooperation. If my cooperation is needed, the ritual is not inevitable."

Lilia inclined her head.

"So what is it?"

Morgatha’s expression hardened. "You confuse defiance with strength."

"And you confuse imprisonment with victory."

For several seconds, the two women stared at each other.

Then Morgatha chuckled softly.

"Perhaps I was too kind to you."

Morgatha raised her hand.

Runes under Lilia’s feet ignited.

Pain exploded in Lilia’s body. Her back straightened while her fingers clenched themselves involuntarily. The golden chains tightened themselves around her wrists, and the magic squeezed itself in her mind – suffocating power that seemed to be eager to smother every idea before it will be born.

Lilia bit her lip. She would not scream.

The pressure grew even stronger.

Images rushed through her mind. Seraiya burning. The palace falling down. Lucas lifeless under broken stones. Roxy reaching for a person that is already gone.

Jennie standing alone under crimson sky with five swords lying around her.

Lilia’s breathings became ragged.

Images sharpened and became more realistic.

Morgatha’s voice appeared between them.

"See what your defiance costs you."

Lilia squeezed her eyes.

"They are just illusions," she whispered.

"Are they?"

The voice of the witch seemed to come from everywhere.

"How do you know that? You are imprisoned here. You cannot see your kingdom. You cannot speak to your people. You cannot even know whether the person that you are waiting for managed to come here."

Lilia’s heart pounded.

For one second of horror, uncertainty rushed into her mind.

What if Jennie was already dead? What if the Demon Generals expected her arrival? What if she was already in the Black Capital and fell into yet another trap?

Images crowded against each other, seeking the tiniest gap in Lilia’s resolve to expand.

Lilia shivered.

She remembered another scene.

Jennie facing Draven. Blood trickling down her arm. Five Divine Swords encircling her body. The demon general calling her Leonis.

And Jennie, despite all that, responding with utter certainty.

I’m Jennie.

Not because she had forgotten her past. Not because she knew what the future held.

Because she had chosen.

Lilia took a deep breath. Images started to disintegrate.

She opened her eyes.

"That’s all?"

Expression of Morgatha changed.

Lilia was still trembling. Sweat glistened on her forehead, and she had not managed to regain normal breathing. But she was looking straight into the eyes of the witch.

And she was smiling.

"All this effort to show me something I was worried about?"

Morgatha lowered her hand. Magical pressure disappeared.

Lilia crumpled against the chains, struggling to calm her breathing. She remained silent for a few seconds.

Then she raised her head.

"You’re wasting your time."

Morgatha looked at her. "You would sacrifice your kingdom for a person who may never come?"

"No."

Lilia answered without hesitation, making the witch pause.

"I would protect my kingdom because it’s my responsibility. I would protect my people because they trust me. And I would refuse to help you because I know what your Emperor intends to do."

Her eyes hardening.

"These are my choices. You don’t take them away just because you have chains."

Morgatha’s expression grew colder.

"Your confidence is admirable. But it can’t save you from the consequences of your actions."

"Nor threatening me."

Lilia leant back against the stone platform.

"So are we finished? Or did you come here to tell me yet another story about how wonderful your Emperor is?"

Witch stared at her for a long time.

Then she smiled. It was a different kind of smile. Less amused. More calculating.

"You remind me of someone."

Lilia didn’t say anything.

"Of someone who believed that willpower is capable of overcoming everything. Of someone who dared stand up to the Emperor when everyone else accepted him."

Morgatha turned toward the doors.

"Do you know what happened to this person?"

"No."

"He died."

Expression of Lilia didn’t change.

Morgatha turned her head.

"And after his death, the world kept turning."

She started to walk toward the door.

"Remember this, Your Majesty. The world continues to move even if someone you love won’t give up."

Lilia watched her leave.

Then, just when Morgatha was about to reach the doors, Lilia spoke.

"You made one mistake."

Witch stopped. Slowly, she turned around.

"What was that?"

Lilia smiled. It was tiny. Silent. And entirely free of fear.

"You kidnapped me from Jennie."

For a second, Morgatha simply looked at her.

Then she burst into laughter. Sharp, delighted sound that echoed in the chamber.

"Oh, is that why?"

She wiped the imaginary tears from the corners of her eyes.

"The famous White Sword Hunter? The woman who carries five Divine Swords? Do you really believe that she will come to rescue you?"

Lilia said nothing.

Morgatha’s laughter became louder.

"How touching. How completely foolish."

She approached the platform.

"Do you know how many people have promised to save someone from the Demon Empire? Do you know how many heroes have set off for the Black Capital, believing that their willpower will change the fate of the world?"

Her eyes shone.

"None of them made any changes."

Lilia looked at her silently.

Morgatha’s smile grew.

"Your precious Jennie will come, if she survives long enough. She will fight her way through the outer districts, face the Imperial Guard, and probably reach the tower."

She stretched her arms.

"And then she will realize that all that she had done had brought her right where we want her."

Lilia looked away for a second.

When she looked back, her smile didn’t disappear.

"You’re wrong."

Morgatha’s expression twitched. "About what?"

"Everything."

Her eyes narrowed.

Lilia moved as much as she could within the shackles.

"You think that I believe Jennie to be invincible. That she can come to your capital and defeat every demon in her way."

She shook her head.

"I don’t."

Morgatha fell silent.

"I know Jennie to be reckless. I know that she takes too many responsibilities upon herself. I know her pretending to be fearless when she’s scared and blaming herself whenever she fails to protect someone."

Lilia’s voice softened.

"I know her better than you."

For a second, the chamber grew colder.

Morgatha watched her with the expression that Lilia couldn’t decipher.

"And yet you still believe that she will rescue you?"

Lilia smiled. "No."

Morgatha blinked.

Lilia’s golden eyes shone under the crimson light.

"I believe that she will come for me."

She paused.

"Those aren’t the same things."

Morgatha said nothing.

Lilia continued.

"Jennie doesn’t have to be invincible. She doesn’t have to defeat every enemy and rescue everybody in the world. She only has to be herself."

Her smile became warmer.

"And if you believe that kidnapping me has separated us, then you don’t know her as well as I do."

Expression of Morgatha darkened.

Lilia lifted her chin.

"You didn’t separate us."

The words were silent. But there was something in them that made Morgatha’s amusement falter.

For the first time since she entered the chamber, Morgatha seemed to be unable to find an instant response.

Then she burst into another laughter, though the sound was colder this time.

"Enjoy your confidence while you can, Queen of Seraiya."

She turned toward the door.

"When the ritual starts, we will see whether your faith is worth anything."

Doors opened. Morgatha stepped through them.

Before leaving, she glanced at her once again.

"And when your Jennie finally comes, I hope that you understand what her presence will cost you."

Doors slammed.

Silence descended in the chamber once again.

Lilia stayed still until the sounds of Morgatha’s footsteps receded into the distance.

Only then did she permit herself to breathe out.

Her hands were trembling. Her whole body hurt because of magic pressure and her head hurt because of illusions. For several seconds, she was barely able to think.

She was not fearless. She was scared.

Scared about the fate of Seraiya. Scared about Jennie getting caught in the same trap. Scared that the ritual would start before they can find each other.

But fear is not the same thing as surrender.

Lilia looked at the chains binding her wrists.

"Jennie..."

Her voice was just a whisper.

She wanted to say how dangerous she thinks it is. She wanted to say that she does not need her to sacrifice herself to prove anything. She wanted to say that, no matter what, she does not blame her for coming too late.

But walls absorbed all her words.

So Lilia closed her eyes and held on to the only thing the demons had not taken away from her.

Her conviction.

You will find me.

It was just a thought. But also it was the only thing supporting her.

Something changed.

A warm feeling started under her chest.

Lilia opened her eyes.

The chains on her wrists began to tremble.

At first, she thought that Morgatha came back or that the suppression formation activates once again. But the symbols on the ground remained dark. Chains did not tighten.

Instead, a faint golden light began to shine through the cloth covering her chest.

Lilia stopped breathing.

She recognized that light.

Sovereign Mark.

For several days, it was completely suppressed by the Imperial restrictions. All her attempts to use its powers were fruitless and caused nothing but pain.

But now it shone. Faintly at first. Then stronger.

Golden light spread through her clothes, illuminating the edges of chains. Symbols engraved on the floor flickered in response, their red glow fighting with the light emerging from her body.

Lilia looked at her chest.

"...What?"

Warmth grew. It was not that burst of power she felt while fighting Morgatha. It was different. Gentler. Familiar.

Like if some distant voice called her name across impossible distance.

Her eyes widened.

Jennie.

She did not understand how she knew. She could not see the outside world. She had no clue where Jennie is, whether she reached the Black Capital or if the demons already found her.

But somewhere beyond the walls, beyond the chains, beyond the red sky, something changed.

And Sovereign Mark reacted to it.

Lilia slowly raised her head.

For the first time after her abduction, the light surrounding her was not completely controlled by the Imperial formation.

Golden glow spread wider. One chain began to vibrate. Then another.

A faint crack appeared on one of the red symbols beneath the platform.

Lilia stared at it. Her mouth opened.

A smile slowly appeared on her face.

"Oh."

The Sovereign Mark pulsated once more. And this time, the whole chamber trembled.

Deep in the black tower, far above her, an old formation responded to it with the burst of crimson energy.

Somewhere in the Imperial Palace, alarms began to ring.

Lilia barely heard them.

She was watching the golden light enveloping her hands.

For the first time in several days, she felt her mark. Not as a source of power. Not as the burden put upon a queen.

But as the link to something else.

Someone.

Lilia’s smile became even wider.

"You’re really here, aren’t you?"

Golden light flashed.

And chains restraining the Queen of Seraiya in the darkness for several days started to tremble.