Wanderess

CHAPTER THIRTY THREE

CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE

DEVILS THRONE

When Adrian came to, the first thing he noticed was that he was in a throne room- only not the red and black vast room he was accustomed to. This room was white and royal blue. The fittings were pristine with wide open windows, allowing sunlight to stream through into the room.

The next thing that came to his attention was that he was sitting in a throne. Not a massive, elegant throne like the one next to him, but rather- a smaller version. Finally, Adrian noticed he was in chains, shackles were attached to his wrists and ankles, chaining him to the floor. His neck was also encapsulated with a large metal holding. They all lead to a single ring attached to the floor- keeping him in place.

Struggling futilely, he pulled and twisted. So much so, he was left with aggravated and angry red marks on his skin.

He stopped struggling when the massive doors at the far end of the room swung open and his grandfather strode in like he owned the place.

Where even is the place?

It was a massive throne room, the brightness so stark that he could only be in Solas, in the palace.

Where was Fayre then?

Fayre- he had forgotten about the Queen-to-be. Was she hurt? What had Malvat done to her?

If he harmed a single hair on her head, then he was in for a death sentence. He voiced his thoughts as his grandfather approached the magnificent throne beside him.

A smirk formed on his ancient face, "Relax, boy. She's in good hands down below the palace. She lives for now. But in the meantime, she should know how it feels to live below ground, to have no sunlight, to not know what the moon light feels like."

Adrian was fuming, "You threw her in the dungeons?!"

"Why, of course. I can't have her running around, trying to save her people, now can I? She will remain unharmed, untouched until I call for her- then and only then will she be allowed out. Quite fitting, wouldn't you say? That her first time back in the palace after she fled like a coward is to be her last time in the palace."

Adrian's heart stopped at that. Malvat was going to kill Fayre. He was sure of it. His grandfather wasn't the type of Demon to make idle threats, he was a deadly serious being.

The Prince was sweating uncontrollably now in fear for the blonde beauty. The heat emitting from him only aggravated his tender skin under his shackles even more.

"Why...Why am I here? Why not just kill me where I stood? Why go to the effort to bring me back here."

The King sat atop the gloriously carved throne, his red and black attire such a stark contrast to the plain white of the chair, the crown resting on his head, its dark spikes sending a shiver down the Prince of Darkness' spine. It was a menacing picture to say the least. Malvat laughed darkly, "You are here, Boy- because you will learn what it means to be an obideint heir. You will be the one to deliver her death blow, for if you refuse, then I will kill her myself- she will not know peace, she will beg for her life and I will be merciless."

Adrian felt sick to his stomach, he knew his grandfather spoke the truth- he had seen the havoc he could wreak firsthand, Hell, he'd delivered it firsthand.

"I won't do it, you'll have to kill me too then."

Malvat examined his only heir. It was no secret that the King was dying- he had lived for a millennium, but even his magic couldn't keep the inevitable from occurring. Nothing was forever- even when you had the powers of Amon himself, alongside many others siphoned from Angels on the brink of their deaths. He didn't bother stealing Theodore's power, he was too focused on ending the miserable life of the Angel King- not that it would have done much good anyway. His time was fast approaching, and he needed Adrian to rule in is stead. The empire he had built would not crumble with his death. Malvat would ensure it.

He watched as Adrian pulled and struggled against his restraints. They wouldn't budge. He saw the determination in his eyes when he mentioned dying alongside the Light Princess.

It was silent for a while, the King's beady eyes following Adrian's every movement, before; "You love her."

The Prince snapped his head to look at his only remaining biological family member. He did not deign say anything as the King continued, "Not only do you love her, but you are in love with her. Oh, what a marvellous spectre this has turned out to be. The Demon prince pining for the one woman who could never love him back. How does it feel, grandson- to feel unloved, yet be so devoted to the life of another?"

"You know nothing." Adrian spat, twisting his wrists to ease the aching that was slowly creeping up on his tied down limbs.

"Quite the contrary, young Prince. I know much about love. I have seen it for centuries. It comes and goes, passing each person by- waving from a moving vehicle or running after a racing train, never to catch up. Love never seems to find beings at the right time. As for you, heir- love has crept its way up on you, without you even realising it. So much so, that without any clear understanding- you offer up your life in place of hers, you offer to die by her side. Finding it a better alternative to living in a world without her."

His words sunk into Adrian's skin. Burrowing themselves so deep into his very being that he felt each word pierce his heart. One by one- the words spoken left him a little more open, left him weaker, more vulnerable.

He was in love with the Princess of Light.

And they were both about to die.