Melamin (私の愛)

Preparations for War

Melamin (私の愛)

Opening: Me Against the World-Nightcore

Chapter Thirteen: Preparations for War

Lord Astald was in his study, relaxing with a glass of red wine, his feet on his table. To his left was Mela, trapped in a cage like some sort of bird. She shook at the bars repeatedly.

"Quit that ruckus." Astald ordered dully. "That cage isn't even locked."

Mela pushed at one of the bars to her side and indeed, the door just went wide open. She stepped out of the cage only to fall to her knees in pain, feeling the jolt of a thousand lightning bolts. She let out a painful shriek.

"I didn't say what would happen if you left it, now did I?" Astald chuckled. He lifted his wine glass and took a sip, savoring the flavor of the wine. "I put a curse on you that makes it so you'll feel nothing but pain if you as much as stick your hand out of the cage."

Mela crawled back into the cage, using all her strength just to support her weight. Once she was inside, she lay down flat, shivering from the pain. "You...! You won't get away with this...! Just you see...! Kensui... Kensui will come for me!"

"Oh, that human," Astald used an insulting tone. "Let me ask. How strong do you believe is his love for you?"

"He loves me with all his heart!" Mela quickly answered. "And I know that as a fact!"

"Excellent. That's exactly what I was hoping for." Astald smirked. "That'll give my generals an easier time dealing with him and that power of the Elven Star."

Mela gasped and got onto her feet. “You know about the Elven Star?!”

“But of course. You don’t think I send my minions out unchecked or unwatched do you?”

"Just what are you planning?!"

"If I told you my plans, you'd find a way to foil them, so no. Besides, you should have at least a gist at what it is." Astald let out a sigh. "Now, please behave yourself. I have a guest coming over."

 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Kensui stared up at the dark sky. For two days straight, that was how it looked. He just knew that something was wrong. With a grumble, he entered the castle and walked down the hallway to the throne room. There, he met with Lakilea and Estela once more.

"Did you get anything useful already?" Kensui asked with an impatient glare. "It's been two days. Your recon group has to have come back by now."

"No reports." Lakilea shook his head. "We've assumed that they're dead."

"Dead...?" Kensui lost his struggle to keep a cool head. He rushed up to the king, held him by the collar and yanked him up face to face. "What do you mean they're dead?! Do you guys even know anything?! Hell, can't you open up a portal to wherever the hell they are?!"

"We can't!" Lakilea shouted back. "There's a huge radius of dark energy that's blocking our attempts at instant travel!"

"Can't you at least THINK of something?! You're the king!" Though Kensui was scared of him on the wedding day, right now, it was the other way around. "Do something! It's my wife that's kidnapped here!"

Lakilea hit a nerve upon hearing that. "Do you think we're not trying?! That wife of yours is my daughter, too! I'm being driven into a wall here!"

Estela tried to calm the two who looked ready to kill each other. "Stop fighting! It's not getting us anywhere! At this rate, we'll only be moving further away from Mela!"