Gladiator✔️

CLIMAX 4: Crying blood tears

Since Lilith is not in the palace, Artilia is pretending to be Lilith for now.

Trigger: Assault (not descriptive)

Seated in the courtyard of tranquility, the woman looked up to the stars and wondered what it felt to go away from the complicated life of the imperial palace and throne, away from her father Prime Minister Artim, and way beyond all chaos and pain.

At that moment an anguished prayer left her mouth as if mourning but the one who listened it was not the goddess but the evil that prevailed.

"Semeara....my lovely niece!" Artilia felt her heart jumping erratically when she heard the most dreaded voice of that wretched Prince Ragel and stood up from her seating position in hurry."

"This princess greets imperial uncle." Ragel nodded before taking a seat infront of his niece and smiling.

"The weather is frosty, princess must care for her voice..it feels like you have been sick for a long time." Artilia simply nodded wishing for this man to go and Consort Jeansen to arrive. Even enduring that woman was better than being with this male.

"The princess should get seated, this one wished to have a talk with my niece and thus asked Consort Jeansen to send a letter on one's behalf. Lilith.....isn't that what your real name is?" Artilia shuddered and felt so much hatred, if it was the real princess Semeara, Consort Jeansen would have never let this man talk to her alone in the night. Although Prince Ragel knew his limits still no female wished to be near such a lecherous male.

"Y-Yes"

"Dear Niece must not worry, even though you are not Semeara, you still are my younger brother- Vzeus's daughter...his daughter is the same as my daughter. If you ever feel uncomfortable...you must inform this Prince." Artilia at this point realized that something was amiss with the entire situation and stood up before bowing deeply.

"This princess thanks her imperial uncle for the honor."

"Alright! Alright......you can leave now." Artilia breathed deeply before getting up and leaving. For the first time in her life she felt that it was good that Lilith always wore a veil, at least at times like these it came to use.

Light footsteps moved away fast from the man.

After walking some distance when she saw not even a single royal soldier in sight, the woman stooped walking and froze.

"Greetings Princess." An eerily calm voice resonated from the back before Artilia was attacked, her voice that was struck in her throat tried to come out and scream for help yet she could speak nothing, swollen feet ran as fast as they could trying to escape this calamity anyhow. Hot tears cascaded down her irises when she realized what this was.

A trap to lure Lilith in.

So this was why Ragel invited her, he wished to murder Lilith in cold blood. A stone that obstructed her movements made her lose her balance and fall to the ground in helplessness. Sharp blade that was tainted with blood was raised by darkly dressed assassins before they came down at her.

"SEMEARA!"

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"Here have this, it might help you to rejuvenate." The woman cried wordlessly wetting her silk veil that she still refused to take off.

"This Prince told you Semeara(Artilia disguised) that you are not safe either in Ambrose or in your own home once you have decided to marry my brother." A medicinal concoction was offered to her by a maid which the woman drank slowly. There were wounds all over her body and the dress that she wore was tattered.

"M-Master...the entire palace is asleep. We must dim the lights or there might be some unwanted attention." the maid whispered to Baez to which the man nodded.

Artilia was deeply distressed by the world Lilith lived in. She suffered because of her father Prime Minister Artim while Lilith suffered every day like this amidst of schemes and conspiracies, if only she was a bit stronger she might have come to Lilith's help but see where she was today bloody and wounded because she could not even protect herself...useless like a doll.

If it was Lilith she might have never needed Baez's protection yet now he had a great favor at her name.

"This prince shall leave princess Semeara, you get dressed and sleep." Artilia (Disguised as Semeara) bowed thanking the prince as he went outside Princess Semeara's chambers and two unknown maids came out to help yet the moment they helped her change was the moment Artilia felt her breathing getting deep and she lost the feeling in her arms and soon was fallen to a deep slumber without a worry in the world.

"His highness, the princess has fainted already." Chamber doors opened a little and the male who was waiting outside for the exact opportunity entered, the two maids that supported the princess left her when Baez took hold of her in his embrace.

"Extinguish all candles and close the doors before leaving."

"My apologies princess, this one has to make you mine yet one promises that when you wake up one would take responsibility and would not let you be shamed. What difference does it make, if you are pawned away to become the emperor's woman, and one day this one would be the emperor, isn't it all the same?"

When he held the fragile body up and settled it down on the bed there were no sounds that came from the woman, her veil was taken off and despite Baez feeling apologetic for not being able to see that exquisite face he still felt those curves that were now unclothed for him to touch.

"Tonight and for all the nights to come, you shall be this Prince's woman."