The Duchesses depart from the mine and step their feet again in Marquess Alwyn. Just like a kid finally meet their parents and picks them up on the first day of their school, Marquess Alwyn sprints towards them as if meeting them for the first time. His eyes stuck on the certain figure beside Natalie, opening his arms wide to hug Medea. Duchess Valimos chuckles internally at his childish side, but then her amethyst eyes glance at the deadpan ruby eyes.
The blonde woman shifts her sight, throwing it back at another place other than them. If she could sink herself to the ground right now, she would do it at a lightning pace.
"It's none of your business, Natalie," Natalie curses herself, convincing herself not to care about it.
"Hector, the shadow knights. Where are they?" Natalie throws the question immediately, dismissing the scene beside her.
They both distance their bodies again, sensing something blazing beside them, then looking at the blank face of the Duchess of Light.
"Why does she looks mad?" Hector thought.
"Still at the dungeon," Hector knitted his eyebrows as Natalie took her cue to leave, moving to the dungeon while leaving the two figures in the dark.
"Where are you going?" Medea asks at Natalie's impulsive action.
"To the dungeon. We need to ask something," the blonde walks inside the manor as if she owns the property in the first place.
The other two follow her with burning curiosity, while Medea still trying to make sense of what happened and what they mean by shadow knights. Then, finally, the dark dungeon welcomes the three figures, hearing the deafening silence accompanying their shoes, clicking on the ground. The sounds of men's hearts could almost be heard from hammering too loud, feeling their bodies recoiling at that steps.
They cease their movement at one place, watching multiple men crawling back, glueing themselves to the wall and shutting their eyes tight. Medea tilts her head, scrutinising every feature of them, trying to search the other memories if they have seen them before.
"Who are they?" the Duchess finally asks.
"Ares' shadow knights. We hunt them down after your death, hoping to immobilise his moves. But, he hired mercenaries instead," the ruby eyes keep looking at the men, thinking if they hold the answer that she searches for.
"Ah, that reminds me, can you crush their head to the wall one by one if they can't answer my question?" Natalie crosses her arms, watching the two figures.
"What do you want to know? I'll tell you, just please spare us!" the men's sweat drenches the frosty wall, instantly freezing themselves in this cold weather.
"What did these two do until they are covered in dread?" Medea asks herself, exploring the possibilities of these two doings.
The Duchess of Light cracks her fingers as she refocused again, throwing any feelings and making up one goal in her mind. Natalie rubs her chin, biting her lips and humming in delight.
"Where could Ares possibly keeps his target?" Natalie finally lets out her question.
The men shift their eyes rapidly, some clamming their hands together, rubbing them. But, rather than rubbing to make it warm for the frosty surroundings, it seems they want to conceal something, latching their lips tight. Their eyes threw their gaze everywhere, feeling the three pairs of eyes adding the weight of another heavy boulder on their back.
"Well?" Medea pulls up her muscle underneath the eyebrows as the fear paralyses the men from talking.
"We-- we don't know," one of them finally opens his mouth, giving the answer they expect but loathes the most.
YOU ARE READING
The Duchesses
FantasyAurora opens her eyes only to feel the agonising pain in her body. That is to be expected when there has been an accident. It's excruciatingly painful. Aurora groans in pain and pulls off the blanket, taking in her surroundings. It is more appropria...
