𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐈𝐒 𝐍𝐎𝐓 𝐀 𝐒𝐔𝐂𝐂𝐄𝐒𝐒 𝐒𝐓𝐎𝐑𝐘. 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐈𝐒 𝐀 𝐑𝐔𝐈𝐍𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍.
It's the beginning of a new age when Jaylah Imperatrix seemingly returns from the dead to reclaim her throne. And in perfect timing.
In her absence, evil has be...
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Act 1 Chapter 17 JAYLAH
To avoid any more attention being drawn to us, Lorenzo only brought us so far before handing us over to his men, who had no clue of my identity. Though I enjoyed the freedom his presence allowed, I was glad Lorenzo left us, for I had a feeling a very uncomfortable conversation needed to take place.
The Itionic soldiers stopped before a pair of guest rooms, telling us we would be safe there and that servants would bring meals for us shortly. Then they were gone.
I stayed where I was in the center of the hallway. Ignoring me, the mercenary made a move for his room, but I said, "Khan."
When he turned, his eyes were burning with the anger temporarily assuaged by alcohol. "I have a first name."
Had his master called him by his last name? Had he even been known by a name at all, or was he just another working body to pile labor onto? "Fine. Alexander. Do you wish to speak about what occurred earlier?"
The silence was prolonged. Hand on the doorknob, his jaw worked. Then, "Get in."
I accepted the request as if it had not been rude, entering his room to place myself in a sitting chair near the window. The door clicked behind us. Locked.
Peering over to where he hovered near the exit, I said, "I regret what took place in the dungeon."
"Why?" he spat, viper-like in his intensity. "Because now you have to pretend to pity me for your own family's actions?"
"No. I feel that I should not have been there at all to witness what that wretched woman threatened. No one should be treated that way."
He scoffed, moving further into the room. "It's a bit late for that, wouldn't you say?"
"I would." I paused, finding the right words. "I do not condone all that my father did."
"You don't?" Alexander leaned closer in an attempt to intimidate me. "I know you didn't have a direct hand in enslaving hundreds of thousands of men, women and children at the time." He nodded patronizingly. "Sure, I'll give you that: you didn't give the order that made men drag me from my home and ship me to work for a foreigner who put a collar around my neck. But don't think I haven't heard the stories of you and your men wreaking havoc on villages of innocent Navrikans. You were what, thirteen, fourteen? The war was already over for years. We all heard it, we all mourned our fallen brethren.
"But you didn't stop there, did you? No, you stood by your murderous father as he allowed you the glory of cutting down his enemies in the arena. You stood by him as he burned his own people at the stake. Were you not even moved when he had my people executed after war slave riots? If you have power, there's always a choice. Especially since it's now common knowledge that most of the court secretly didn't agree with your father's actions. But you chose him anyway, didn't you?"
