Dark Queen: The Cybelline Prophecies

Chapter 49

The night that the Grand Vizier was killed a royal proclamation was made throughout the kingdom. 

The Grand Vizier had tried to overthrow the king and Lord Torin had tried to assassinate the king. Torin and Lady Kyria would be executed on the day of the King's Wedding in two days. 

Jinon was called back into the palace. His eyes were red with exhaustion, he had been halfway to the border to carry out the investigation when an important missive ordered him back.

He staggered a little as he walked into the great hall, he could smell death. And though the odor was light, he knew it was there. He knelt down in front of the king, "My lord."

Jayin sighed, "I tried, Jinon, I tried to give them a chance." His voice caught, "I tried to reason with the Vizier, I even invited them to dinner. But Lord Torin tried to kill me. There was a fight." There were tears in his eyes, "I'm sorry, I had to."

Jinon felt as if he was in a nightmare that he could not escape, "Where are they?" His voice was hoarse.

Jayin shook his head, "The Grand Vizier and his wife are dead, killed in the scuffle. Lord Torin is sentenced to death. The execution is tomorrow." The King stood up, "The family is disgraced, their daughter..."

"Lady Kyria. Where is she?" Jinon stood up, his face wild, "Tell me, tell me now!"

A flash of annoyance shone in the king's eyes, but he continued, "She will be sentenced to death with her brother. I must be impartial, he tried to kill me after all."

Jinon knelt, "My lord, you promised I would have time. Please, give me more time, I can prove their innocence, let me save them."

"Lord Torin must die, even if he is innocent, he has attacked the king." The king said, there was no argument allowed, "But... I can spare Lady Kyria."

"My Lord?" Jinon asked, stunned.

"Perhaps, if I am assured your loyalty" The king emphasized, "If you promise me that you will marry any woman I choose for you, then I'll let you have the chit." He smiled, "I know a duchess who is ten times the woman than that little girl, if promise me you'll marry Lady Yibara, I will give you Kyria as a slave. She can live as long as she wears bears the magic collar."

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"Did you hear? There's going to be two weddings the day after the king's birthday?" The rough voice of the soldier sounded as he told the other jailer, "Lord Jinon is going to marry a duchess named Lady Yibara."

"I heard she's more beautiful than the moon. A hero and a lady, what a pair." The other man whistled, "She's fae too, which means her beauty will last for as long as she's alive."

Kyria stared at her bloody, scared body. Nura had really done a number on her. Her leg was broken. She had been whipped with razor edged whips, burned, kicked, punched, and spat on. Nura only returned her to her cell when she grew tired, her grin burned into Kyria's mind.

Kyria was no longer the adored noble lady. They had taken everything from her. Her family, her life. And now the one she thought she could give her heart...

Throughout Nura's taunts and torture, Kyria had held onto a tiny, tiny light of hope, that Jinon would come for her. That he would avenge the wrongs against her family. He stand beside her as she extracted revenge against Nura.

How stupid was she? How naive. How idiotic she'd been.

He betrayed her.

Kyria stared at her hands stained with blood and caked with dirt. She let them fall into her lap where they lay on her robes, the white now streaked with the same dark red as her hands. Her eyes stared ahead into the only window of the cell, at the ray of light that filtered into the disgusting room.