Chapter 104: Chapter 104 - Crimes exposed
Meanwhile, Virgil travelled at the back of a cart on the way to the castle.
While the priests trembled, whispering of their coming deaths, Virgil remained unnervingly calm. He was calm because he knew his life would not end just yet. He had been building allies for a moment such as this, holding the support of nobles who would never want him to expose their secrets.
Virgil closed his eyes, lips moving in quiet prayer. Unlike the others, he did not once lose sight of his faith. His composure was chilling, a man convinced heaven itself bent to his will.
He listened to the murmurs of the townspeople gathered along the road. Their voices carried unease, for he was their hope for a better tomorrow. To see him bound and arrested unsettled them deeply.
Virgil prayed, not for his own safety, but for the people to act upon their love for him, to storm the castle and fight for him. He was the one who spoke of heaven’s blessing, and he believed they would not let him fall.
As the carriage drew closer to the castle walls, Virgil opened his eyes. He longed for an audience with Lilith, to see how she looked as queen, and to hear her final answer on whether she would choose him or be killed for her defiance.
"High priest," the priests behind him called, their voices trembling, desperate for assurance that they would live.
Virgil sighed, irritated by their weakness. They had vowed to give their lives to the Lord, yet now they clung to him, unwilling to hold to their promises. Their fear disgusted him.
"Where is the queen?" Virgil demanded of the guards escorting him, but received no answer. "I am the high priest. I seek an audience with Her Majesty the Queen."
He glared at the guards. "A shame. I listened to all your families praying for your safe return, only for none of you to answer me now. All those prayers wasted on useless souls such as you."
Despite his insults, the guards remained silent. The cart rolled on, carrying Virgil and the priests into the castle dungeon.
Virgil was separated from the others, which made him certain he would be summoned to speak with Lilith. To his dismay, it was Cassian who stood before him.
"Where is the queen?" Virgil asked, his interest fixed solely on Lilith.
A guard opened the cell door, allowing Cassian to step inside.
"You don’t get to speak to the queen whenever you wish. And why should she grace you with her presence? You’ve already been stripped of your title of high priest," Cassian said coldly.
Virgil chuckled, the sound low and mocking. "It is not within your power to strip me of that title. That is done solely by the church. You seek too much power, Your Grace."
"I am the king," Cassian corrected Virgil.
"You did not go through the proper measures to be accepted as king. You killed one when you had no reason to, and you did not address the church. For that, you are no king in my eyes. You should have come to the church for our blessings," Virgil said.
"You yearn for Lilith. You were never going to accept any other man at her side. That is why you tried to turn away the king from all the men selected for her before. What kind of priest lusts for a woman? One who came to him as a child?" Cassian asked, exposing Virgil’s sinful side.
"You misunderstand my care for Lilith. Those men her father selected were not suitable, and Lilith needed guidance. Because George did not listen to me, he perished. The same fate can fall upon you if you don’t heed me," Virgil warned, trying to sway Cassian as he did other men.
"I’m amazed you’ve lasted this long with such lies. That people listen to you and believe you can hear blessings from the heavens. I truly question what is wrong with the people in this town," Cassian said, unable to piece together how they were so easily fooled.
"I am a man of the church. You do not like me because you do not accept me. I went through all the correct measures to become a high priest. In my time, there was no other man fit to take that title. It is not too late for us to work together," Virgil suggested, hoping to save himself.
Cassian laughed. "You would need to show me proof of your powers first. How about I pick one of your priests and prepare him to be hanged? You can pray for him, and we shall see if your blessings work."
"That is not the way it works," Virgil replied quickly.
"It isn’t? Are you not the saviour of the people? The one lent power from the heavens so you could hear all the blessings? I’ve heard what you claimed to the people. You bend the rules when it suits you," Cassian said, tempted to expose Virgil before the townsfolk.
"I spoke to give the people hope. I cannot help that I was right on more than one occasion. The people need someone to believe in. I was that someone, and I shall remain that person. Allow me to speak to the queen," Virgil requested, his voice tainted with desperation.
"So you can lust after her? What man of the cloth continues to seek a lady he tried to guide from her youth? Were you hoping to fool her into thinking she needed you? You think she is trying to bewitch you," Cassian accused, his fury breaking through.
"I am a man of the church. The king tasked me with fixing his daughter, and that is all I ever tried to do. If the princess had stayed within the church, she would have been saved-"
"She would have been abused!" Cassian yelled, cutting Virgil off.
Cassian surged forward, seizing Virgil’s robe and yanking him off the ground so his feet dangled helplessly. "Had she stayed longer, you would have abused her. Just as you send those orphans to noblemen to be abused."
Virgil’s eyes widened, his composure cracking.
"I’ve long uncovered your evil plot," Cassian revealed.
