Because I Love You✔️

Chapter 3: The Merciless Maiden

Chapter Three: The Merciless Maiden

Gus let out a sigh as he stood above Xaphile's unconscious form, arm still extended and eyes grim with dismay. The horned boy lay face-down in the dirt, glossy black hair ruffling in the wind.

"I apologize, my Lady..." Gus eventually muttered. "Tis my fault this happened."

Ella refused to respond.

Breathing heavily, she grabbed her sword from where it had fallen, looking beyond enraged, but when she stalked towards Xaphile and lifted it high, Gus's heart nearly stopped since he knew she was going to kill him. With a gasp, he threw himself in the path of the sword just as the blade came down, falling to his knees and spreading his arms, praying she would halt. 

Sure enough, her hand stopped just short of his face, pale eyes losing their reflective sheen, and he felt beads of sweat run down his forehead as he looked at the glinting blade hovering only an inch from his nose. Her shoulders heaved with every ragged breath, expression murderous.

"What are you doing?" she hissed through her teeth. "Move, Octavius... now."

Gus swallowed in the face of her murderous wrath, but refused to lower his gaze.

"My Lady," he hummed, trying to remain calm. "For once... show mercy."

Her eyes immediately widened in outrage and her wiry arm bulged, shaking violently.

"MERCY?!" she roared, making him flinch and causing birds everywhere to take flight. "TO A DEMON?! TO A BEAST?! NEVER!"

Her scream was so loud that it echoed off through the woods, reverberating multiple times. Gus swallowed again and gathered his courage before he wheedled, "Ella... in all my years, I have never once led you astray, you know this. Please, won't you at least lend me your ear?!"

"I'm amazed, Octavius," Ella growled, face crinkled with hate. "After what happened ten years ago, you are the last person I would have expected this from."

"Is that not more of a reason to heed my words?" he demanded. "Hear me out! I beg you!"

Her face contorted with fury and barely leashed rage, but she lowered the blade.

"If it were anyone but you, I could and would ignore this request for mercy, but as my guardian and my Prime Minister, I'm putting my trust in you," she muttered, digging the point of her sword into the ground and leaning on the pommel. "Speak. You have one minute to convince me not to cut this filthy creature's head off."

Gus grimly nodded and said, "this... boy... is different from any demon I've ever seen."

"Different?" Her eyes narrowed. "Different in what way?"

"He saved my life, my lady," Gus explained, lowering his head. "He refused to leave me behind when we were surrounded by the boar demons. Even though the odds were against him, he fought against the entire swarm with his bare hands just to protect me from them."

"Preposterous," she snapped, glaring down at Xaphile's curved horns. "I don't believe it."

"Tis the truth!" Gus exclaimed, incensed. "Trust me, I would not have believed it, either, had he not done so before my very eyes, and what's more... he is either unbelievably good at mimicking human emotion, or... or he can truly feel emotion."

Ella stiffened and with a whoosh, she jerked the sword out of the dirt and held it against the unconscious boy's neck, glaring dangerously into his eyes. Her irises were glassy and cold, and he knew that if he said the wrong thing, she would kill him then and there.