3 Swearing Allegiance

Archibald put down his hand, and the first thing he noticed was how Aisha's violet eyes finally regained some life in them.

It was funny how she could make an expression like that in front of her enemy as if she had just been salvaged from life torture.

But he didn't dislike it. She looked so much better like this than her previous stubborn self.

"Priestess Aisha, I will grant you an option to choose. Either swear your loyalty to me or die here with your people."

Aisha was startled and immediately woken up from her daze.

Of course, it would end up like that. He gave her a name, so what? He was still the tyrant who plundered her land.

Aisha was drowned in the euphoric feeling before. However, the next moment, she reverted to her calm self again.

"As long as you keep your promise to send a physician to where Maya is and set her free, I don't mind if you kill me here."

Archibald sneered. "How disgustingly noble of you. But I don't remember ever promising something like that."

"What? But you clearly told me before!"

"I said I will send a physician. I never said anything about setting her free. That was all your own misunderstanding."

Aisha was dumbstruck. She quickly became restless again. "What should I do to make you release her? If my life is what you want, then—"

"You're not the one who set the condition here. I am." Archibald said in a warning tone. He frowned unhappily.

"If you swear your loyalty to me, I will take both of you to the Empire. If you want me to release her, sacrifice yourself by entertaining my men with your body, then kill yourself afterward."

Aisha staggered backward, hearing the ridiculous conditions. Seeing her flustered and speechless self, Archibald smiled triumphantly. His red eyes reeked of malice as if he found pleasure in torturing other people.

"The choice is yours, Priestess Aisha. Think carefully, but you'd better not make me wait for long. A barbarian like me is very fickle, so I might change my mind arbitrarily depending on my mood."

"You—" Aisha was enraged. Sensing her murderous intent, two soldiers from before held her hands before forcing her to kneel.

"Silence! No one shall say anything against the Emperor! His Majesty's words are absolute!"

"You should be grateful that you are being given a chance!"

They held her head down so she couldn't look up to see the mocking look on Archibald's face.

"What a pathetic state. I thought you had more backbone than that. I'm starting to lose interest in you."

Aisha blinked her eyes a few times. Her shoulder felt like it would dislocate from how rough these men were treating her, but she endured it by gritting her teeth.

"What are you going to do to us if I choose to follow you?"

"You don't need to know. But your life would be mine to use. If I tell you to live, then you shall live. If I want you to die, then you have to die. Simple as that."

Simply put, there was no guarantee they would live long even if she chose the former. Choosing the latter would save Maya, but then she would have to endure being humiliated by many men before dying alone miserably.

Aisha didn't want that. She would rather die than have to go through such a horrifying act.

Archibald was really ruthless. She was stupid for thinking she could use reason with someone like him.

"So, what's your answer? Knowing you, you will probably choose to sacrifice yourself again. Do your worst. Nobody cares."

Aisha closed her eyes and thought about it carefully. Ultimately, she concluded that her pride was nothing compared to Maya's life.

"I…will swear my allegiance to you."

Archibald looked at her coldly. "Weren't you so eager to die just a moment ago? Aren't your conscience hurt that you let a barbarian like me step on you all over?"

Aisha smiled. Her pale lips peeked from behind her veil of messy black hair, making her look creepy.

"Ever since you gave me a name, my life has already belonged to you. I have received a great honor from you and am willing to serve you for the new life you have given me."

Archibald grinned in satisfaction. "Hahaha, that's right! You finally know your place. I don't hate an obedient woman, so I naturally welcome you to my Empire. We will have a banquet tonight to celebrate this joyous occasion!"

The crowd cheered loudly, and the soldiers who held her down promptly released her to join the festive atmosphere.

"For a moment, I don't know what will happen back there."

"Heh, that woman finally realizes she is unworthy of striking a bargain with us. What Holy Maiden? In the end, she is just a peasant woman."

"It's a shame, though. I was looking forward to enjoying some soft meat after so many hardships. She is not bad-looking. Who would have guessed that a woman values her innocence so much?"

"What innocence? She first called our Emperor a barbarian but quickly kissed his feet when she realized she was in danger. What a double-faced woman. Disgusting."

"Hey, don't be so harsh on her. She finally understands her standing so she won't be able to act arrogantly like before. At most, she can be the Emperor's bed warmer. It's a great honor for a peasant like her."

Aisha stayed rooted to her place with her head lowered. Her lips already bled because she bit them too hard, and her nails were dirty from clenching the dirt.

'Endure it. Don't cry. Let them humiliate you. Keep making them think that you are a helpless woman. That way, you and Maya will have a higher chance of surviving this. Someday, you will run away from these despicable people and live freely.'

The sound of clinking metal from the armor stopped in front of her. Her eyes were nailed on the pointy edge of his shoe.

"Stand up," Archibald ordered coldly.

The invaders stood proudly in front of her while she kneeled humbly on the ground. There was no sight more pathetic than this.

"Yes, Your Majesty." Aisha slowly picked herself up and stood up.

The man looked at her and noticed her lips were bleeding. However, there was no ripple in his heart.

"From now on, you are mine. You are not allowed to disobey or run away from me. If you cherish your life, it would be in your best interest not to anger me. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes, Your Majesty."

Archibald was satisfied by her response. Nothing was more delightful than seeing a prideful woman bowed her head toward him.

"I will arrange a place for you to sleep. A physician will be sent to you after he treats your guard. In the meantime, wash up and take a rest. We will meet again at night."

After saying those words, Archibald turned around and returned to his tent as if he couldn't waste more time on her.

Aisha stood still in her place until a young man approached her. Unlike the other soldiers, he didn't wear heavy armor and appeared more casual with a tunic and robe.

"Priestess Aisha, please allow me to show you to your tent. This way, please."

This man treated her respectfully, but Aisha couldn't let her guard down. After all, this man was also that man's people.

"Sorry for the trouble."

While she followed him, she noticed that the man had a blue lock resembling the sea and a pair of blue eyes with a slightly lighter shade than his hair. If she compared based on the face value alone, this man wasn't losing against Archibald, albeit looking more demure than the Emperor.

He brought her to the side of the camp, where a lone tent was built. It was smaller than the others, but it was clean.