All I Need ✔️

Chapter 76

"He would never be able to prove it."

Celine laughed. "Do you think that would matter to him?"

"If he couldn't prove it, he couldn't execute you."

"Not publicly," Celine replied. "But that wouldn't stop him from killing me."

"He hasn't already tried?" Emalina asked pointedly.

Celine looked at Emalina carefully, a sad smile flickering across her face, then fading. "She's a lost cause Emalina," she replied, without answering Emalina's question. "Trying to rescue her is a suicide mission. Save yourself instead."

Emalina met Celine's gaze with a determined stare. "I'm going to try to rescue her with or without your help."

"I can't," Celine responded. "It's too risky for me. I'm sorry. You're right...she does deserve better."

Celine turned to leave.

"She's pregnant," Emalina blurted out.

Celine stopped. After a moment, she turned around and walked back to Emalina. "How far along is she?"

"A little over a month,"

"Why would you tell me that? That child is a threat to my husband's throne. My throne."

"That child," Emalina replied firmly, "is a child. And you know better than anyone what it feels like to lose a baby."

Celine dropped her gaze, thinking. Finally, she made eye contact with Emalina again. "I'll do my best," she told her.

Emalina let out a sharp breath of relief. "Thank you. Thank you, thank you, thank you."

"I'm not making any promises," Celine warned.

"I understand. Thank you," Emalina said, throwing her arms around the new queen. Celine stiffened, not familiar with hugs, but eventually returned Emalina's embrace before leaving the clearing.

**********

"I think you'll be impressed with how much progress I've made with her," Alterius told Melli as they descended into the dungeons.

"I'm sure I will, your majesty," Melli replied.

"I have run into a snag though."

"Oh?" Melli asked.

"She wasn't a virgin. She and Cassius had sex, twice. And after some pressure, she admitted that both times, he temporarily absorbed some of her power."

"But that's good news then...isn't it?"

"Not quite. It hasn't worked for me, no matter how many times and what I try. I'm starting to think that keeping her down here means she doesn't have any power for us to absorb. But I wanted you to try with her just to see. I'm trying to figure it out before my coronation next week."

They reached Safania's cell. The guard, upon seeing Alterius, took out a key. He and Alterius unlocked the door together, and Alterius and Melli stepped inside.

Safania was in the corner, curled up in a ball. Her eyes were closed, and she was shivering while clutching her knees.

"Watch this," Alterius told Melli. "Safania?"

Safania continued to shiver silently.

"Safania?" Alterius asked again. Melli looked at Alterius in confusion.

"I've trained her to not respond to that," Alterius explained. "She's a new person now. She has a new name. Isn't that right darling?"

Safania lifted her head up to look at Alterius. "Yes, your majesty," she said, her voice shaky and her eyes darting back and forth between the two of them.