𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐈𝐒 𝐍𝐎𝐓 𝐀 𝐒𝐔𝐂𝐂𝐄𝐒𝐒 𝐒𝐓𝐎𝐑𝐘. 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐈𝐒 𝐀 𝐑𝐔𝐈𝐍𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍.
It's the beginning of a new age when Jaylah Imperatrix seemingly returns from the dead to reclaim her throne. And in perfect timing.
In her absence, evil has be...
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Act 1 Chapter 5 JAYLAH
There was a knock on the door of my chambers. One of my attendants turned widened eyes to me. I gave a single nod, already knowing who was here to visit me.
She opened the door and bid the visitor to enter. My lieutenant bowed before updating me on the situation with Khan. "The prisoner is proving to be quite difficult, Your Majesty," he said, tone gruff. "He has failed to speak on anything regarding Seifer Daggen and repeatedly fights against my men. The threat of torture does not work on him. Be this as it may, we will break him one way or another. We still have several hours before landing at Navrika. My men will have him talking before then."
Though I had no idea of what my soldiers had planned, given the fact Khan had failed to talk for the majority of time we were at sea and had no response to torture, I feared their attempts would be futile.
I remembered the vengeful—yet skillful—way Khan fought to kill me in my own castle. And how he had finally revealed to me in the dungeons who sent him, nearly smug with himself.
Getting to my feet, I said, "Let me attempt it."
He gave me a doubtful look and I knew he saw me as naive to subject myself to Khan for a few more answers. Despite his apprehension, he was obligated to follow orders. So he gestured for me to follow him out the threshold and down the hall.
I noted the place Khan was being kept was as far away from my quarters as possible. A few soldiers stood before the room, swords at the ready as the door was opened for me. I left my own two blades in their sheaths on my back. It was better for Khan to underestimate my own abilities.
Khan was alone, tied to a chair in the center of the room. All the furniture was pushed aside, giving my soldiers room to interrogate their prisoner. I knew his hate-filled gaze was fixed on me the moment I walked in.
"Leave us." I kept my focus on Khan. "Guard the door outside."
Like the soldier before, I knew they doubted me. I hardly blamed them in the moment; after all, they knew nothing of my level of sanity. They likely expected I had a death wish, locking myself in a room with my would-be killer.
But I knew better—Khan clearly despised me. When we spoke earlier, he spoke only in barbed remarks, trying to wound me with his words when his fists could not. He had no personal hatred for my soldiers, and therefore had no need to speak with them. But if he was smug about what he accomplished the other day, he likely still felt the same way. On that basis, I could get him to talk.
My soldiers left the room, the door clicking shut before my turned back. Khan's narrowed eyes followed me as I pulled up a chair and sat in front of him, legs primly crossed. I enjoyed the fact that it was not what he expected.
