To The Ones Who Can't Dream

chapter 30 - Begging Only Makes Things Worse

It was a blur. Rhys reached for her arm to hold her back but it was too late. She had already started moving. Seren stopped. Her chest was pounding and her heart was beating fast. But she stood between Amarantha and the High Lords.

Amarantha looked slightly confused. "Seren, my dear, what are you doing?"

"Do not kill them. Please just let them go. Banish them, if you must. But please, don't hurt them."

Amarantha sighed, like she was dealing with a toddler, "Step aside, Seren. Once these traitors are gone, we can talk about this."

Seren squared her shoulders, knowing she was signing her own death wish, "No."

Amarantha scoffed, "What do you mean 'no'? You wouldn't dare stand against me."

"I won't let you kill them."

Leo whispered, "Seren, it's alright. We knew what we were signing up for when we started this."

Seren made a sword materialize in her hands, "I won't let them die."

Amarantha looked upon her with something akin to pity, "Fine, have it your way. Guards."

As Amarantha retreated, her guards stepped up. By the Cauldron, she had so many of them. Seren knew she couldn't win this fight. Yet, she didn't back down. She would die before seeing these High Lords be killed. Flipping the sword over once, she took up a fighting stance.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Rhys step up beside her. "Rhys this isn't your fight. Let me deal with this. I was the one that started it."

Two blades appeared in each of Rhys's hands, "No. Your fight is mine."

Seren kicked off her high heels and although she wanted to convince him to leave, she knew she couldn't. The bastard was too stubborn for his own good. She glanced over her shoulder at him and met his eyes, "See you in Hell."

Rhys gave his signature smirk, "Not if I see you first."

And with that, Seren swung. Everything happened so fast. Blood sprayed. Limbs flew. Weapons clanged. The only thing she was certain of was that Rhys had her back.

She ducked. She spun. She cleaved through flesh and bone alike. But she never relented. She pushed. Until her arms burned. Until sweat dripped down her face. And even then, she pushed.

Seren was the first to get injured. She could tell it hadn't been major. Just a small cut. But that small cut eventually became a gash. And the gash turned into a slice. And a slice eventually led to the both of them being covered in cuts and bruises. Sweat mixed with blood as it dripped down her face. Some her's. Some not her's.

They both knew they were fighting a losing battle. So when Rhys was stabbed in the side, Seren couldn't say she was surprised. Yet, when a soldier held a knife up to Rhys's neck and demanded she drop her weapon, she did. She could hear Rhys distantly begging her to keep fighting. But she paid him no regard. If there was any chance she could prevent sending Rhys to his grave, she would take it.

She allowed a guard to force her to her knees. Blood dripped from her hair and her white dress was almost as red as Amarantha's. Every part of her body ached and throbbed with pain. Amarantha slowly walked up to Seren, "My dear, sweet Seren. That was quite a fight you and your High Lord put up. I want you to take this as a life lesson. Never, ever, try to fight me again. Because you will lose. You will lose every fucking time."

Amarantha walked up to Rhys, "But my friends, I am feeling merciful tonight. I won't kill either of you."

Seren narrowed her eyes at the she-devil's back but said nothing as Amarantha continued, "But what is a fitting punishment for the two of you?"

Rhys spoke up, "Please whatever the punishment is, let me take all of it. Whatever pain you wish to inflict on Seren, inflict it on me instead."

Amarantha laughed, "What a curious development. It seems our High Lord of the Night Court cares about his second-in-command. Well, High Lord, I think I have figured out what both of your punishments shall be. You must both watch me kill these three traitorous High Lords. Then Rhysand, you will watch as I cut Seren's wings from her body. You will always have to live with the guilt. The guilt of knowing that if you had said nothing about 'protecting her', I never would've taken her wings."

No, no, no. Anything but her wings. The last time Seren's wings had been ripped off her body, it had taken 30 excruciating years to regrow them. But Seren kept her mouth shut. This was better than she could've hoped for. Rhys would have no physical punishment inflicted upon him. Seren would have her wings taken ten times if that meant Rhys wouldn't be hurt for the mess she had gotten them into. Rhys shook his head, "Don't take her wings."

Amarantha smiled cooly at him, "Beg, then I'll reconsider my punishment."

Without a second thought, Rhys dropped to his knees before Amarantha, "Please be kind, High Queen of Pyrthian. I beg you to not take Seren's wings. I will do anything."

Amarantha sighed and smirked, "Alright since you have been so willing, I will change my punishment. Seren will receive five lashes while you watch and count. Then, I will remove her wings and mount them above my throne."

Rhys began to struggle, hard. Even with having a stab wound, he managed to shake his guard before another was upon him. "No! Amarantha! I won't let you do this!"

Amarantha cackled, she actually cackled as she said, "Well, tonight has been exciting! Attor, bring me a knife. I would like to kill these other High Lords before the real fun gets underway."