Pherenike - Chapter 131

“What are you waiting for?”

There are always men who, despite a hardened exterior, have an unexpectedly fragile heart. It only took probing those soft, sheltered places to unravel them. Pherenike gave a small, mocking smile and shifted her gaze from the centurion to the twisted, anxious face of the aging chamberlain.

“Your swordplay is pitiful, Your Majesty. Even if you slash him like that, he’ll be walking around just fine in a few days.”

“All I needed was to keep him from grabbing me right now, not cripple him for life. I’m not his enemy.”

“…”

“This sword has served its purpose, Lord Talon.”

She said gently, as if instructing a child, then smiled.

“Of course, had you been the unlucky soul in his place, I would have taken your head off on the spot.”

“Take that sword from her—now!”

The chamberlain barked, his patience finally at its limit.

At his glare, another guard moved in to knock the weapon from her hand, but Pherenike twisted away, dodging the grasp. She brought the sword down, flat of the blade against the guard’s arm, drawing a sudden rush of blood. The wounded man tried to grab her with his other hand, but she deftly slashed a long line down his arm, forcing him back as he gritted his teeth in pain.

Instantly, another soldier drew his sword and stepped forward. The centurion shouted at his men.

“Drop your weapons at once!”

“Theophanes!”

The king’s chamberlain, who had commanded the centurion as if he were a mere underling all this time, now looked completely unprepared for such outright defiance. Pherenike threw in a biting quip.

“Lord Talon, by your logic, I’m nothing but a pitiable woman without a ‘master’ to claim me.”

“How absurd!”

He was still unable to believe a woman, surrounded by armed men, would wield a sword so fearlessly while feigning helplessness.

“I’m little more than a stray dog, left out on the field.”

Pherenike murmured, casting her eyes down like a delicate lady. Talon ground his teeth.

“You’re the one who betrayed His Majesty. Abandoned, you?”

“If I’d told Paetusa about the king’s trip to Davys, do you think I’d have been foolish enough to stay here, subject to your withered hands and wagging finger?”

“The princess, remember?”

“You give me far too much credit as a mother, Lord Talon.”

So, it meant she was Deucalion’s hostage, and Leuce is hers. The irony stung.

“For the princess’s sake, please set aside the sword and come quietly.”

“Is it really so greedy, to want to defend myself? It’s not as if I’ve suddenly lost my mind and plan to lunge at you with this blade.”

But the old man was already looking at her as though she were mad, half-expecting her to slit her own belly or his throat.

“And what, precisely, are you defending against? We only wish to take you and the princess to the safest place possible.”

“By your logic, nothing could be safer than this very castle, as long as we’re within the walls.”

“This is pointless. Seize the queen, Theophanes.”

The centurion eyed the sword in her hand, jaw clenched. Pherenike asked quietly.

“Are you so willing to risk harming your precious hostage?”

“Would we really dare? You’re so blessed by the gods, aren’t you? I’ve heard that not even a sword can draw a drop of blood from you—no more than from a monster.”

Without a word, Pherenike calmly drew the blade across her left forearm. As a red line welled up on her pale skin, spreading blood down her arm, the faces of the soldiers paled one by one. Several fell to their knees, and those who didn’t stared fearfully at the statue of the goddess.

“Of course, Lord Talon—you can’t kill me.”

The chamberlain, trying to stand tall, watched helplessly as her arm was drenched in blood.

“But as you can see, I can harm myself just fine.”

“Kybellaune…”

Talon whispered, unable to hide a sudden reverence in the chaos.

Pherenike shrugged.

“I could just stay here bleeding pathetically until my ‘master’ returns, play the role of a Paetusan slave abused by you…”

“Absurd. This is madness.”

“Or I could slit my own throat and become utterly useless to you—not just to you, but to anyone.”

“…”

“You won’t be able to negotiate anything with the Lord of Paetusa. And when the king returns to Lykke, you’ll be held accountable, as you should.”

“…”

“No matter who wins, we’ll end up buried together in the same grave.”

“…Summon the priestess from the infirmary. Now!”

“Priestess or whoever else—no one will dare lay a hand on me while you’re still in my sight.”

“Tie her up! Now!”

But no one moved. Talon stamped his foot in frustration.

“How many armed men does it take to restrain a single woman?!”

“…This is the sanctuary of Kybellar, Lord Talon.”

The centurion replied quietly.

“It may be the goddess’s sanctuary, but it stands on His Majesty’s land, in the very heart of the palace! Theophanes, do you intend to bring the laws of the Calyce valley to Lykke itself?”