[ON HOLD] The Empress

VII. Dawn of a New Sun

"It's here, Your Highness."

Evelyne's head jerked up as she looked at her main Handmaiden spoke. "It's here? It's the middle of the night."

"The Hunters said that you wanted to know the moment they arrived," the Handmaiden replied.

Evelyne rose to her feet. "Where is it? We have to get it prepared for Maximilian immediately."

The Handmaiden looked down, then back up to her mistress. "Erm... the dungeons... your Highness."

"The dungeons? By the Five, why is it in the dungeons?"

"Uh... you should see for yourself, Your Highness."

Evelyne frowned but got her cloak. She nodded for two of her guards to protect her as she followed the Handmaiden through the halls of the palace. It was around midnight, maybe later.

'Part of me wonders why they didn't just bring the thing in the morning?' Evelyne thought. 'But I have to admit, they work quickly. It's been almost a month since Maximilian's crowning, and I don't have much time to get him under my control.'

As Evelyne traveled deeper in the dungeons, she could hear something banging against the walls. The air was hot, and Evelyne was careful not to touch the walls else she'd burn herself.

Three men were waiting for her in the darkest, most profound part of the dungeons. Their bodies possessed terrible burns and bruises that only recently appeared to begin to heal, and their hair ripped out in chunks.

"Did you do it?" Evelyne asked.

"Look for yourself," one of the Men grunted as he nodded to the cell.

Evelyne turned to the cell, her eyes widening in astonishment. The cell itself was dark as night, but within light illuminated from the skin of a female Fyreblood Sídhe chained to the wall.

The girl looked to be in her late teens, with ebony-black skin and hair the color of burning flames. No, the hair was flames as it flickered and whipped around the girl's heart-shaped face that was scrunched up in fury. She breathed heavily, smoke and ember sparks flying from her nostrils and mouth until she suddenly took a deep breath. A column of flame blasted from her mouth, causing Evelyne and her servents to jump back in fright. The fire itself didn't touch them, but the heat singed Evelyne's eyebrows.

"Byddwch yn melltithio'r diwrnod y cawsoch eich geni pan gyrhaeddaf yn rhydd!" the Sídhe screamed.

"What did she say?" Evelyne asked the men who had did her dirty work.

"Who knows?" one of the Hunters shrugged. "All know that the Sídhe are nothing more than savages."

"How... How did you get one so old?" Evelyne asked. "I was expecting you to bring a child."

"That's what we were going to do. Raided a village and had a couple of brats in mind, but this one showed up and ruined the whole fuckin' thing!"

"And how did you capture her?"

"Neon Blowfish venom. Took her out in five seconds flat. Wasn't easy transporting the bitch."

"Yeah!" another, Hunter interrupted. "More than once, she tried to escape! Only managed to get her under control by injecting her with more venom so we could coat anti-flame jelly on her hands."

Evelyne nodded, then turned back to the girl. She took in her dirty, ragged appearance when a thought came to her. "I hope you remembered my conditions. She was to remain a virgin. After all, I planned to groom her to put into Maximilian's bed."

The Hunters scoffed. "Couldn't get within five feet of the bitch to feed her, how the hell was we were going to fuck her? Don't even think her kind have the holes like humans anyway. Now, about our payment."