And chapter 56 is in!! The trial that will determine Ciril’s fate is in two days! But before then, some questions will be answered… See yA!
{Ciril’s POV}It was creepy that Princess Anne appeared from nowhere. It creeped me out but then I didn’t dwell on it too much. I’ve already termed her as mysterious and odd so it made things easier for me. I saw the outline of her figure in the shadows and then I watched her creep out of it using her walking stick to guide herself until she got to my cell. She stopped before the cell now and said nothing while I just looked at her. “Three Questions.” She repeated herself after a moment.“I’m... I’m thinking of my questions carefully.” I responded. I didn’t want to mistakenly ask one question unconsciously like I always do.Princess Anne smiled now. It was as if she could hear what I was thinking in my head but then I wasn’t so sure. “First question.” I started to say. “You said in your tale that on a fateful night, the King died.” I reminded her. “Was that you foreseeing your father’s death?” I asked my first question.“I said on a fateful night, the King died.” She said. “Was tw
{Ciril’s POV}“I know you didn’t kill the King.. because I killed him.”As Ivanka said those words, I tended and jumped at her, but then the metal frames in between us stopped me harshly. “How could you? How dare you?!” I bawled at her and my voice echoed a bit. I was in a part of the Dungeons that was private and isolated from where the other criminals and scoundrels were kept so it was relatively unoccupied, hence the echoing. I didn’t know why Prince Landon had asked that I be kept separately but apparently now, it was giving Ivanka the leisure to spit out her sins… because she knew no one but me could hear her. She didn’t respond to me so that I grew confused now and stared down at the ground for a moment before I looked back up at her. She was still smiling, unbothered by my drama or reaction.“But.. but how?” I muttered in my confusion, thinking back to that moment. “No one else was there and you were here, at the Palace, so how could you have done it?” I asked, reminding mysel
{Ciril’s POV}I was taken out of my cell in the dungeons and dragged through the distance between the dungeons and the Throne room.Landon didn’t give me attention.He looked angry. He looked so furious that he didn’t want to look in my direction even though I called his name and cried. He ignored me… but that didn’t stop me from speaking.We were halfway through the distance and almost getting to the Throne room. Everyone on the road was looking at me and judging me with their stares, but my attention was on Landon who was pacing hurriedly before me. “I love you. And I would never want to do anything to hurt you— which includes hurting the ones you love.” I pleaded and my chains rattled as the guards bounced me about. They were extra rough with me since I was tagged as a murderer. I felt like they wanted to convey that message with the way they were hauling me around. But then I didn’t care. My body has been through enough distress for me to be used to it by now. So this wasn’t go
{Ciril’s POV}For some strange reason, I understood why Princess Anne looked at me. She communicated to me that this was the beginning of the challenge she had spoken to me about. But what is the use of going through challenges when I was about to be killed now? What was the use of telling me I would go through challenges when I was about to be killed during the first one?I looked away from her and stared ahead at the exit to the Throne room. Other than the warriors hauling me roughly away now, there was a crowd around me and they were yelling and demanding for my demise. And then there was the Hencher mistress, still crying and pleading that I be pardoned. She wasn’t going to succeed in that venture— I knew this. But then I was grateful to her for trying.I was grateful to her for always being there for me and caring for me— like a mother. If there was a chance for me to remember someone in the afterlife, she would be the only one I would remember. She and… Anika.My testy gaze fe
{Ciril’s POV}I was hesitant but then I eventually took Princess Anne’s hand since she looked genuine to me. “I’m little. I can’t hurt you.” She assured me cutely. “Tell me what happened?” She said as I staggered up to my feet using a bit of her help. “What.. what happened?” I muttered back as I wasn’t clear on what she was talking about. The people around were still looking at me but then my ignorance of them was even more now that I was no longer being dragged about and now that I was with Princess Anita. Her presence felt comfortable.Thankfully, the Alpha Queen, Ivanka, and Abasha had also left with Prince Landon so no one could interfere in this moment now.“Yeah. What happened that led to my father’s death.” She explained what she meant and I nodded in understanding now.I sniffed. “Uhm… I and your father were at the top of one of the bell houses when suddenly the Ferals trying to get to us were called by the sound of a very loud clanging. Your father and I tried to get down af
{Landon’s POV}Abasha had warned me about Ciril.And even Dylan’s wife, the lady Ivanka had told me that Ciril hates us royals, but I hadn’t listened.I hadn’t listened to any of them, and even when Ciril herself gave me a hint of this possibility by saying, “I don’t think I like your father”, I hadn’t interpreted it as a big deal.And that had been my mistake.I had been stunned when they had returned from BrinStone and I had met her in chains. And I had been more stunned when the guards told me my father was dead. But for some reason, I was only a little bit stunned when I was told that Ciril had pushed him. I was instead disappointed and emotionally bruised. In that moment, the instance of her telling me she hated my father was all I could think of. And now, everything has twisted up. She was before me and I stared at her with hate. I know my family has not been exactly kind and loving towards her. I know they treat her badly but then my father has never been a top player in thi
{Ciril’s POV}I was whipped… and I was whipped brutally— Taka made sure of that. The back of my dress was torn from the impact of the beating I had received and I could feel myself bleeding without needing to see my blood to confirm. I staggered up to my feet now and then I fell back to the ground.I was weak, but I made sure to hug my dress to my body because if I didn’t, I would go naked as the dress would slip off my body since it was ruggedly torn now. I tried standing up again and I had the eyes of Taka and the other spectators on me. They were ready to laugh at me like how they had done the first time I had fallen.I was breathing hard from crying so loudly in pain and so I took in a deep breath now and struggled up to my feet. Because they were ready to laugh, I made it my mission to stand up successfully. And I did… even though I stumbled a bit. But then, just as I rested on my feet, I felt someone’s foot on my back which sent me back to the ground almost immediately. I fe
{Ciril’s POV}[ ~ One Week Later ~ ]I was in the stables. It was noontime and I was lying there. This was my new room. I preferred to lie on a bunch of Hay than to lie in mud like my tormentors had proposed so I had found my way to the stables to become housemates with the horses.One week ago, I had seen Abasha get marked by Prince Landon and I had aggressively started walking towards them but hadn’t made it to them. I had been seized by Sentries before I even got close… but then Prince Landon had started walking to me, wanting to give me an audience. He had seen how badly I wanted to speak my mind and he had been willing to grant me an audience even though he had been scowling at me like I was a Feral and not a living werewolf.So, he had made his way towards me, but then there was Abasha— as if she would let Prince Landon see me.Abasha had interfered as I had dreaded her to do. She had interfered by pulling Prince Landon back, begging him not to see me, and eventually taking him
{Ciril’s POV} I stared at Ivanka as she growled furiously at me.Once upon a time, her growling or the sound of her voice used to be intimidating and scary to me, but now, if I’m being honest, it was funny.Oh, and she looked stupid.I remember the time she used to smack me in the face for the little inconsequential things I would do… so I decided to start with that now.The Alpha Queen was still watching us stare at each other, and after a moment, Ivanka lunged at me. She meant business. The force with which she stormed at me revealed her determination, but that word meant nothing out here. It meant nothing on me.I timely shifted out of the way just as her claws came for my face, and then I slapped her on the back of her head so that she staggered forward.I shifted back a little while she turned to growl at me now. “You Wretch!” She bawled in anger as she rushed at me again. She swung two swift blows at my face, and I decided to stop playing around, so I blocked both blows with
{Ciril’s POV} With the Alpha Queen’s voice, My mother shot up to her feet but then she staggered and threatened to fall so that I timely held her.I helped her balance herself and stared at her to see if she was okay but then she wasn’t looking back at me. She had her gaze directed down the path before us, the path where we had chained the Alpha Queen and Ivanka— and kept Balif. I didn’t bother chaining Balif because he was l maimed to the extent that he couldn’t escape. My mother had her gaze in that direction and she looked alarmed and frightened. I started to stroke her back gently.“Mum.” I said. “You’re okay. There’s nothing to worry about. They are restrained and under control.” I told her comfortingly but my words didn’t seem to calm her down. “You.. you captured them?” She muttered now. “Yes. I did. You are properly safe, mum— It’s them that should be panicking.” I said now but she kept staring in that tense manner.“You captured h-her— it’s really her…” she muttered and I
{Ciril’s POV} The air was calm. I was holding my mother in my arms..I was staring into her eyes..And then we were both shedding tears, making this the best feeling or moment in the entire world.I felt this heavy sense of relief upon me that she was finally here with me, that she wasn’t dead— that I hadn’t been too late in my attempt to save her. I wouldn’t have been able to live with myself had it been otherwise.She had her hand on the sides of my face and it felt like the most warming gesture ever… and the way she stared at me?I felt like I was made of gold because she was staring very lovingly so that I could see compassion in her every gesture. Seeing her shed more tears broke me so I attempted to make her stop. “Mum. It’s enough… you can stop crying now.” I said, trying to wipe her tears from beneath her eyes even though it was an overwhelming attempt as her tears were more than my hand swipes could handle. But now, she shook her head in refusal to stop crying and then sh
{Ciril’s POV} “Mother.” I shot up to my feet and the word left my mouth even before I could even think of saying it. I immediately shifted close to her and with my sudden motion, the others gathered around.I was breathing heavily now.I was sure I saw something— or at least I hoped I truly did.I stared at her eyelids for a moment and that time continued to stretch as I kept staring and waiting for something to happen. — waiting to get a confirmation of what I thought I had seen. Kiba and Kora were still licking her fingers and face respectively and I watched intensely, not trying to stop them or interfere.After a moment, tears glossed my eyes as I was beginning to realize that the fluttering I had seen was just something my mind created out of my intense hope, but then… just as I was about to claim disappointment and intense melancholy, I heard Clord’s voice.“Her eyelids twitched.” He voiced and I shook my head in rejection. “They didn’t…” I muttered in my despair. “No, Ciri
{Ciril’s POV} People had been dying around me, but then I had no other choice than to escape. I had to save the people I cared about— the people that mattered to me.Plus I had been holding my mother in my arms, someone who was barely breathing so there had been nothing else that was more important to me than her life.We had raced towards the north gates of the Palace and I had gone into Celestial State after handing my mother to Feryt for her to carry. I had done this so that I could break down the gates that were never open.I ended up breaking through the thick Palace walls as brick was easier to punch through than metal. So I successfully created a path and we all escaped, but not before I had killed a fair number of Ferals that had sniffed us out. Afterwards, I had sent the group running and had stayed back to make sure no Feral would follow us. Fortunately for me, the Ferals around that axis weren’t that many so I was done dismantling them in little time, but then I remembe
{Landon’s POV} I couldn’t rip my attention away from the fact that I had just seen her. That I had been standing so close to her.She was gone now and we were currently surrounded by doom in the form of fierce and breathing dead bodies. They were storming the Palace and tearing it down and still my mind was ruminating over Ciril. She had been so fearless— so majestic and I just couldn’t stop thinking about her and the things she had done here today. I sound crazy. She had killed a lot of my warriors today. Heck, she took my mother away but then I wasn’t angered by that. I was only hurt.— hurt because I couldn’t have done anything to make a difference— hurt because I truly deserved all that had happened. I had tried to apologize to her but then she had made it strictly clear that she didn’t want to hear any of that. She had made it clear that she wanted to kill me instead— and I had seen it on her face that she had meant it.That she had truly wanted to kill me. It was hurtful
{Ciril’s POV} I was the first one to see them because I had gone into the Celestial State and my sense of vision had been heightened. But about some seconds later, I didn’t need the sense of the Celestial State to see them— Everyone could see them now and realize that a huge wave of Ferals was the cause of the earth's trembling.But even with the realization and the dread that claimed us, we were all frozen. Our feet were glued to the ground and we remained staring like that because we were stunned.The Ferals weren’t coming from just one direction.They were coming from every direction— racing towards the Palace in wildness and brutality, giving no room for the slightest hint of sanity.I could already hear screams of the inhabitants around filling the air and Landon’s men were equally befuddled as they were all panicking and contemplating their next move. No one was on their knees again. My heart was beating fast and I was struck with the highest measure of confusion and shock.
{Ciril’s POV} My guise switched at once.If I wasn’t furious before, I was furious now. Landon was walking towards me with an army behind him and all I could think of was ‘kill’‘Scourge’‘Rip apart.’I had no other longing. My growling grew louder as he got closer and Feryt and the others joined me in readiness since they knew I was preparing to attack. Landon should be crawling on the ground before me— shedding blood and tears after all he has done to me.My countenance became more fierce now and I was heaving furious in my pending attempt, but just as I was about to storm at him, he raised his hands slowly in the air and halted.“Ciril.” He said my name.He said my name and I was momentarily distracted by the sound of it as his voice and intonation sounded like how he used to regard me calmly once upon a time. And so, my scowling disappeared for a moment but then when it returned, it came with an aggressive pump of energy.I trudged up to Landon with ready claws in order to wip
{Ciril’s POV} [TRIGGER WARNING: This Chapter might be a bit too violent and Gory… maybe.]The night was here and the crescent moon lit up the skies— along with the fairly numerous Palace lights.The wind was in the air and there were random cries of agony being heard. And I felt good.I had three hands with me instead of two and it felt amazing. Dolores's hand was in my grip and I stared at her now as she cried in pain. It felt so satisfying knowing that I was with the body part she once-upon-a-time used to smack me, pull my hair, punch me in the face, and so on.Just this body part— her hand, had caused me so much pain and tears at nights when I would go to bed bleeding, and now I looked at it with such amusement seeing that it had been this fragile all along.“You’ll.. you’ll suffer for this!” Ivanka yelled at my face now as she poured out heavy pants before me. I took my gaze off Dolores’s hand and looked at her.“You’ll pay if you hurt her or me!” Her voice came out even louder a