Rise of the Inquisition (Arc 10)

Chapter 207: Night of Long Knives

Back in the Athena mansion.

Paladin and Lady Athena were sitting down on her bed together. Lady Athena took a sip of her red wine, and when she finished her sip she passed the glass over to Paladin. Upon receiving the glass, he looked down into the pool of red wine, proceeding to swish it around in circles - showing his hesitancy to drink it.

"Come on, drink it."

Paladin sighed.

He opened his mouth and slowly he tilted the wineglass towards his mouth. However, while Lady Athena wasn't looking, he closed his mouth and allowed the red wine to hit his lips. Holding the wineglass there for a few moments, before taking it off his mouth and quickly wiping away the red wine with the back of his right hand.

He then handed the wineglass back to Lady Athena, who took a swig of red wine before she placed it back on the dresser near the two of them. Turning back to Paladin with a tilted head and smile.

"Are you having a nice time, Paladin?"

Paladin nodded.

"Even if it's just for one night, it's nice to not worry and deal with the problems of the world we live in. Feels like a rarity."

"I'm also glad that the two of us have this night alone, a night where the problems of the society we belong to don't matter."

"Agreed."

There were then a few moments of silence, silence that consumed the entire room as Paladin and Lady Athena looked back at each other. Neither one of them saying anything to the other, neither one of them making any sudden moves on the other. Until Paladin looked forward, and Lady Athena smirked.

She then took her right and moved herself to be on top of Paladin, pushing him back against the bed as she showed her dominance over him. Both of them blushing, as she proceeded to lower her face until it was a few inches away from his.

"I look forward to what the rest of the night would bring."

"I look forward to it as well... but we'll find out what the rest of the night brings, later in the night."

Lady Athena placed her left hand's index finger on Paladin's lips, and gently moved her finger down as she spoke.

"You know Paladin, I think the rest of the night had just begun."

"The rest of the night doesn't begin until--"

Lady Athena pressed her lips against Paladin's and stopped him from speaking any further. Looking down at Paladin, she watched as he accepted what she wanted and closed his eyes, and soon after she closed hers.

But as Paladin was pinned against the bed, he started to feel jittery throughout his entire body with an indescribable coldness moving down his spine.

He couldn't help but feel that something was deeply wrong - at this very moment. While everything seemed fine in their room - nothing out of the ordinary, deep within his gut he felt that something bad was going on in the Capital City.

As their lips separated. Lady Athena placed both of her hands down onto Paladin's chest, and smiled while she looked down at him. Their eyes locked together, and Lady Athena couldn't help herself - influenced from the red wine she drank, she started to take off the grey suit jacket of Paladin and prepared to toss it to the side.

But the peaceful night they had both desired, was not meant to be a reality.

In Lady Athena's office - the room over, a large object crashed down onto the floor, the crashing sound heard by both Paladin and Lady Athena. Both of them stopped where they were, not moving another inch.