The Crimson Throne

After the strange meeting with Alexander, Elaine stayed in the garden for a few more minutes before returning to her manor. The time alone allowed her to adjust her emotions and partially regain her senses. When she arrived, Elaine noticed Cecil stood waiting outside. His brows furrowed upon seeing her. 

"Milady..." Cecil did not ask, but Elaine could see the question from his expression.

"Do not worry. The blood is not mine." She gave a weak laugh, wiping the liquid from her face.

"Are you...alright?"

"I am." How else would she respond? By screaming and crying? Or by telling him she killed a man and how scared she was? Elaine knew performing those actions would change nothing unless she escaped the Duke's clutches. But what would happen to the storyline if Elaine did? She wanted to return home but could not devise another way besides the current path.

"I need to go change." Elaine looked at her blood-stained dress and sighed. "Sir Ascania, please go back to your room and rest. I am fine." She then ordered Cecil and stepped inside the manor, not waiting for his response. The only thought on Elaine's mind at the moment was to survive through the night. 

Inside her chamber, the maids helped Elaine clean up and change into a burgundy gown. She picked the color in case Gerard requested her to conduct another 'unexpected act.' Then the dark liquid would blend in with the outfit. Elaine looked into the mirror, and the young girl staring back still had her delicate features, yet a tint of darkness flickered in her eyes. She blinked, and it disappeared, leaving no trace of its existence. 

She glanced outside her window. The double moons remained high in the skies, and she could see spots of glowing lights in Orion's direction. "Let's go back. Summon the carriage."

"Yes, milady." 

Cecil was still standing at the entrance when Elaine walked outside. "What are you doing here, Sir Ascania? Did I not order you to rest?" 

"Please let me accompany you, Lady Estella." Cecil stepped forward and knelt before her. 

"No." She rejected him. "Sir Ascania, I understand you are worried about me, but as my guard, you swore to obey my every command, and I hope you will uphold your pledge." Elaine appreciated Cecil's concern, but she needed to continue by herself. Tonight made her realize she could not always rely on him. Even if Cecil were her guard, expecting him to assist her with everything would be unrealistic. 

Cecil looked up, and his heterochromia studied her.

Elaine waited for a while but did not hear his response. "Sir Ascania, did I not make myself clear?" Her voice became stern, exuding authority. She felt uncomfortable subjugating him with her status, but Elaine could tell he would not listen otherwise. 

"As you wish, milady." Cecil again inclined his head.

"Good." Elaine nodded and stepped into the carriage. "Let us depart." She ordered.

The coachman complied and steered his horses toward Orion. The carriage traveled quite a distance when Elaine glimpsed back at the manor. To her surprise, she could still see Cecil's kneeling figure. How stubborn. Elaine pinched her temple. She thought she understood his personality based on the book, and Cecil was never one to express himself much. But now she was discovering newer sides to him. 

Thirty minutes later, they arrived in Orion, and the hunt had already begun. She could hear the screams and terrors even before exiting the carriage. Known to enjoy their serenity and solitude, The Duke must have made a deal with the fae for them to tolerate such a disruptive event. Yusef stood outside, opening the door and extending his hand to help her down. "Welcome back, Lady Estella. The new dress suits you very much."

"Thank you." Elaine glanced around, noticing most of the nobles gathered before a giant monitor maintained by the magicians. The monitor divided itself into several tiny boxes, showing the different participants. Elaine moved closer and observed numerous acts of unspeakable horror on the screens. She witnessed them impaling one man with four severed limbs on the stake on one screen and tying another man to a tree, flaying him alive on a different screen. The aristocrats seemed to compete in their torture expertise, determining the most painful and cruelest way to kill their prey. Compared to the current game, Elaine's ceremony appeared tamed. Maybe it was a blessing that the scrawny prisoner died by her hand after all. He would have suffered a fate more terrible had he made it here. 

Elaine turned away, feeling she would need to make another trip to the garden if she continued watching. Though she believed nothing remained inside her stomach for her to vomit further. "How do you determine a winner?" She asked Yusef.

"The most kill, of course."

"Is there a prize?"

"Yes, milady. The winner would receive a six-month supply of our high-grade spirit gems."

"I see. That is a valuable prize indeed." Elaine nodded. Although by the look on the aristocrats' faces, they reveled in the killing more than the actual reward. "My father said some prisoners might receive a second chance in life. How is that possible?" She suddenly remembered Gerard's speech.

"It is possible, milady. If an individual survives by dawn, he is free to leave, and all his charges will drop." Yusef chuckled. "Though I have never seen a miracle before."

It was all a lie. The prisoners never had a chance.

"Hope is the crucial ingredient for human struggles. Without a dash of hope, our hunt would not be as enjoyable." Gerard appeared next to her. "Remember, it is better to provide our enemies a spark of hope and then extinguish it rather than no hope at all."

"Thank you for your guidance, father." Elaine inclined her head, hiding her frightened expression.

How am I supposed to win against such a terrifying figure? Even with the book's knowledge, the reality was far worse than reading about it.