"How does that sound, hmm?"
"Amusing how you always find ways to make me reconsider." Joaquin chuckled in ridicule, while Aries shrugged indifferently. "Why are you so confident, Aries? Was it because Haimirich is on your back?"
"Think whatever helps you sleep at night," Aries smirked. "But what I can tell you is you kill my people, and I will not hesitate to cut myself. Once my brother finds out about my death... he'll melt your throne with you in it."
Joaquin snorted at her claim, but his smirk didn't reach his eyes. "You're one lucky woman, Aries."
"I won't deny that."
"Hah..." he let out a dry laugh, observing her pair of taunting eyes. Joaquin wouldn't have to reconsider his problem down there. It would heal on his own once morphed; Aries was aware of that as well.
The only reason he reconsidered was the fact Aries had damaged him without him noticing. She had come prepared, and that also meant Haimirich truly had a hidden agenda for sending her back. Joaquin wouldn't want a war with another empire — not right now.
Joaquin still needed to put everyone and everything under his control and settle the Maganti Empire. Once that happened, then he wouldn't mind plundering the Haimirich Empire.
"Seize those who opposed the birth of the new dynasty," he ordered, keeping his eyes on her. "They would be executed publicly to set an example for those who are planning resistance."
Aries secretly sigh in relief, but her stony countenance remained. Meanwhile, Ismael looked from his left to right when the royal knights outside barged inside to arrest them. Modesto, on the other hand, took a deep breath and held his sword.
"If they fight back, kill them." Joaquin glanced in the door's direction as soon as he caught Modesto drawing his sword. The latter looked back at him, anger filling his eyes.
"Hey! What the —! Who do you think you're trying to put your filthy hands on?" Ismael hollered as knights approached. However, before he could fight back, he froze when Aries spoke.
"Don't fight!" Aries yelled, making Ismael, Climaco, and Modesto look in her direction. Joaquin was already pushing himself away from her, casually offering her a hand as if they were on the same side, to begin with. She scoffed and slapped his hand away, propping her elbow to sit up.
The second Aries sat, she winced at the inbound breeze that ran up her wounded back. Ismael and Climaco, who were in the angle where they could see her ripped bodice and bleeding back, held their breath as their anger peaked. And yet, they gritted their teeth and held it in.
Aries gazed at them with sharp eyes. "There's no point in fighting and losing your lives. This is not the end." Her eyes traveled across the knight templars and then at Climaco. The latter's lips quivered, chest out while fighting himself to contain his anger.
"This is definitely not the end." She nodded once before shifting her attention to Ismael and Modesto. "Live for as long as you can, because there's no honor in death."
Ismael and Climaco swallowed the frustrating tension in their throat. It was ironic how a woman would give them courage in this situation. In this empire where men ruled and women's opinions never mattered, these two men respected her. Thus, they backed down as they dropped their swords and raised their hands in surrender.
Their swords clanged multiple times against the floor, followed by more weapons landing on the floor as the knight templars dropped their swords. With Ismael and Modesto's surrender, they also raised their hands and allowed the royal knights to seize them without fighting back.
"Climaco," Aries called, as Climaco was the last person who held onto his sword. Tears shone in his eyes while holding her gaze.
Aries shook her head. "Listen to me."
"Your Royal Highness…." Climaco's voice shook, feeling like a failure. He had always been blinded with fear, left mute to survive, and acted deaf. But now that he was prepared to become a proper knight to the only master he wanted to serve with all his life, she was telling him to drop his sword.
Aries… kept her word like a fierce military man would.
She was not the type to ask her people to shield her, but she was someone who would use her body to shield her people. But that was not what he wished. Still, Climaco couldn't disregard her orders because… Aries was his master and her words were absolute. He respected her orders more than his own will, regardless of how painful and cruel they were.
Climaco hung his head low and his sword hitting the floor echoed like a gong drumming right in front of his ears. The moment he dropped his sword, royal knights pinned him on the floor to restrain him.
Their grunts resonated in the dining hall as they pinned everyone down. Seeing this, Aries bit her inner lip but kept a strong countenance. Despite the situation, the knight templars, Ismael, Modesto, and Climaco, kept their eyes on her.
They were looking, and she couldn't show the slightest sign of helplessness. Instead, her eyes flared, returning the fire blazing in theirs while they grind their teeth.
"Come here." Joaquin outstretched his hand and grabbed her hair. Aries grabbed his wrist on instinct, glaring daggers at him, but he simply returned it with a smug smirk.
"The next time you see them, their heads will roll and their blood will paint the gallows." As soon as those left his lips, Joaquin dragged Aries by the hair without a care for her bleeding back.
"Hey! Fucking —!" Ismael nearly bit his tongue when a knight pressed his knee on his back whilst holding his hands still. He glared back, grinding his teeth at the knight pinning him down.
"I will remember your fucking face!" he spat out, only to receive an annoying smirk back.
"Your Royal Highness!" Climaco also yelled heart sinking, watching the crown prince drag her by the hair. When his eyes fell on her back for the first time, his brain went blank.
Meanwhile, Modesto's eyes simply darkened while watching Joaquin drag her out. Unlike in the past, Modesto and everyone else didn't look the other way or close their eyes. Not this time. No matter how heartbreaking to see Aries being dragged by the hair while blood trailed behind her, they watched it with gritted teeth.
No one even dared to blink, afraid if they did, they would end up turning a blind eye to this again. Never again. They wouldn't go back to those haunting days.
Deep in these men's hearts, they made a vow right at this moment. They would end Joaquin's madness one way or another. No one would fall victim to Joaquin once again.
This was war.
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