Chapter 9. Where am I?

"My Lady!"

A burly man burst into Gina's chamber. Beads of sweat were formed on his forehead as his knees gave way. Gina who was planning on how to celebrate the death of Iliana looked at him with disgust. "You seem to have grown a pair of wings…" She scoffed as she glared at him.

"A… apologies, My lady… I- I- I bring bad news…"

The man stuttered. His current appearance made an uneasy feeling rise in her stomach. "Go to the cave. I'll meet you there. I can't risk anyone knowing about us." She muttered under her breath and immediately, the man stood up and dashed out of her chambers.

Slowly, she turned to face Oziel who was sleeping soundly on her bed, half clothed. "Men will always be pawns." She hissed before turning on her heels.

Gina stepped out of the room with her head held high as she gathered her long flowing gown. Walking towards the rear entrance of the manor, she bumped into a maid.

"You wench! Have you gone blind!!"

The pitiful maid who was a red head lowered her head. "I'm sorry, My Lady. I- I- I di- didn't s- see y- you c- c- coming."

"Oh, you stammer!" Gina chuckled. "I guess the gods must have looked down upon your generation and cursed you with that disease! You are so bold enough to tell me that I'm too small??" she thundered as she dealt a harsh slap to the maid's face causing her to stumble backwards. "Get out of my sight this instant!!"

Without waiting for another second, the maid dashed away.

Right after she left, Gina glanced at her retreating back before turning to leave. "I wonder what a maid like you is looking for in this wing…"

Gina strode through the winding corridors of the Tirion manor, her heels clicking against the stone floor. She moved with a regal air, her head held high and her shoulders squared. Her eyes darted around, scanning the area for any sign of prying eyes. She knew that she couldn't afford to be seen heading towards the north wing, where the cave that housed her secret meeting place was located.

As she reached the end of the corridor, she paused and looked around once more. Satisfied that she was alone, she began to mutter under her breath, her voice low and hushed.

"Umbra obscura, tenebris velamen! Ventus fraudis, susurri tenebrosi. Oblivio praesentia, memoriae umbra!"

(Enshroud the entrance with the Rune of Concealment and the Glyph of Shadows. Mark the air with the Wind Rune and the Deception Glyph to mask any sound within the vicinity. I combine the Hex Mark and the Oblivion Rune to erase all memory and awareness of the hidden cave from the minds of those who accidentally stumble upon it.)

With a flick of her wrist, Gina sent a dark mist swirling around her feet. It coalesced into a thick fog that obscured the entrance to the cave, making it invisible to all but those who knew its location.

Gina stepped forward, her footsteps echoing in the silence. She moved with a sense of purpose, her mind already focused on the task at hand. She had sent a group of men to deal with Iliana, who had been banished by the king. Now it was time to hear their report and make any necessary decisions.

As she entered the cave, she saw a figure waiting for her in the dim light. It was a man she trusted implicitly, one who had proven his loyalty time and time again. He stood up as she approached, his face a mask of seriousness.

"Report," Gina commanded, her voice low, hurried and commanding.

The man hesitated for a moment before speaking. "T- the m- mission was n- not successful, my lady." He stuttered. Fear and dread were evident in his voice.

Gina heard him and frowned. Killing intent seeped off her bones as she inched closer to him. "Explain what you just said, Claude." She ordered coldly.

"Iliana is dead, My lady! Before our men could kill her, she got a helping hand from…"

"From?" Gina asked with narrowed gaze. Her hand slowly made its way to his neck as she made an attempt to strangle him.

The man gulped as he felt his life force slowly leave him. "From the King himself!"

"What??"

Gina's lips curved into a maniacal smile. "You fool!" she spat as she lazily flung the man's body against the wall of the cave. "And how did you expect me to believe your lies? Huh? You mean to tell me that the King himself intervened? Do you re4ally take me for a fool?"

The man coughed as he spat a mouth full of dark blood. He held his chest painfully before answering. "I dare not lie to you, my lady! Y- you can check my memory!"

Gina scoffed as she made herself comfortable on an old throne-like seat. "Be my guest…"

***

Meanwhile, few hours later.

Iliana's eyes fluttered open, heavy with sleep. She groaned and tried to sit up, but a sharp pain shot through her back, causing her to wince and let out a pained squeak. She looked down and saw that her back was covered in bandages, and there was a deep gash that oozed blood. Panic set in as she realized that she had no memory of how she got here.

Slowly, Iliana sat up, her head spinning as she took in her surroundings. The room was dimly lit, with dragon portraits lining the walls. The air was thick with the scent of smoke and sweat. She noticed a small table in the corner, with a jug of water and a loaf of bread on it.

Ignoring her growling stomach, she held her head. "Where am I?"

She asked no one in particular. Sighting an old mirror, she weakly stepped down from the bed and limped towards it.

Iliana's heart sank as she saw the chained collar around her neck. She tried to pull at it, but it was securely fastened. Fear crept into her chest as she realized that she was a prisoner. But to who? She had no idea.

She looked around the room again, trying to piece together what had happened to her. Slowly, the previous events that had occurred before she passed out came to her memory.

"A man… a man saved me…" she drawled as she tugged at her silver hair. "Did he lock me up here?"

As she sat there, feeling lost and helpless, Iliana heard a soft creaking sound coming from the door. She tensed up, her heart pounding in her chest. Who could be coming for her now?

The door swung open, revealing a tall figure dressed in black armor. Iliana's violet eyes went blank as she gazed at the female intruder.

"Good thing you're awake." The woman's cold voice echoed in the spacious room. "I'm tired of keeping watch over a spineless witch." She murmured before grabbing Iliana forcefully by the neck.

"H- hey! L- let go of me!" Iliana yelled. Contrary to the woman's small frame, her grip was like that of a giant crab.

The woman scoffed. "Stop trying to put up a bold front with me dear. I can sniff your fear and it is fueling my hunger to eat you up."

"…"

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