The betrayal

Heavy whispers choked Mircea, the voices were growing louder every second. Her…her father was dead. After everything she had done, everyone she had left behind. He was dead-just like that. And now they were about to kill Faustina!

She couldn't-she wouldn't let it happen. She had to do something! Had to stop it. Whatever claim they held over Faustina there must a loophole, she had to find that loophole and save her last family. 

Mircea rose to her feet and ran fast-shoving people away. She had to get there before they could as much touch Faustina.

A hundred thoughts running through her mind but this wasn't the time for questions. People recognized her, made way for her. There were curious stares. Hushed voices. 

"She is alive?" 

"Why has she come back?" 

"Is she with Crown Princess Faustina?" 

Mircea blocked out the voices. Blood had spattered in front of her, not of her sister but Prince Pyron. His body was lying in a pool of his blood. The soldiers had taken their time killing him. There were deep, long gashes all over his body. 

Mircea's breath hitched in her throat, looking at her sister, who was sobbing in the shackles they had put around her arms and legs.

It was a plot against her sister.

Everything made sense. The council wanted a pawn on the throne, their pawn. And Faustina was not the one to bend. 

"Stop!" A loud voice resonated; it was her own voice, she realized. It sounded strange to her ears- every stride held power. Fake confidence but fury oozed her skin. 

All eyes angled at her except for one, Faustina. She is silently sobbing. 

"What is going on?" Mircea demands from the council. They look at her as if she is a ghost. It does nothing to falter her glare at them. An irritating thought nags Mircea; maybe it was the council who had sent the vampires. To kill them, to kill her. 

It was a theory. Mircea was certain- they were not some rogue vampires who had crossed the border of Gyyza in the dark of night. She would indeed get to the bottom of it after she was done here.

"Your sister, Princess Faustina, has been found guilty of eliminating the king." Orpheus Daqx stands out. He was the king's favourite. Mircea didn't know why her father favoured him, it was rather odd. 

"How so?" 

"She and her husband…" Orpheus looks at the body rotting slowly with the humid wind and continues, "were found in his chamber by Royal Healer." 

Mircea had to choose her next words carefully. She stared grimly at her sister. Something was missing. She was sure Faustina didn't kill their father. Why would she? 

She was the heir to the throne. It was only a matter of weeks or days she would have sat on the throne. 

"Perhaps it would have been better if you would have waited for me." She states, her lips tightly clapped together.

"Decisions like these… were taken when the kingdom had no king or queen. Don't you think you made this decision of publicly executing the crown prince and princess in haste?" She continued eyeing the crowd who had stopped whispering and was looking at her with a spark. 

A spark of trust. Good, Mircea thought, stalking Orpheus. She didn't look at Faustina, it would raise suspicions if she pitied her sister like that.

"You are absolutely right," Roith stated too fast. "We thought you were dead." At the same time, Vita, one of the youngest female councillor, voiced making Mircea jerk in her direction. The odds of the council sending vampires to kill her increased even when they did not their exact route. 

"And why would you assume that?" Mircea held her gaze giving off no emotions. 

Vita looked at Orpheus for help. He swiftly chimed in, "Riding to Gyyza with bare supplies and only five soldiers was a death trap in itself. Moreover, you did not return for eight days. We thought you failed to find Urban Waldwick." 

Mircea understood the insult in his words. Incompetent, he thought she couldn't complete a mere task like this one. This would lead the public to think she isn't the right choice for the throne now that Faustina was out of the picture. Mircea wouldn't let them win this! 

"Oh, but I did find him." There was a hint of smugness in her voice which Orpheus certainly did not miss. Mircea scanned the crowd for Urban. He was standing with Athos and Leigh. 

She pointed a finger at him, "There he stands with my soldier."

Mircea feels a deep emotion running through her veins as she holds his gaze, but she immediately looks away, diverting her attention to the council members standing at the end of the stage. 

"The King is dead, bringing the Witcher here has been futile." Jerome, the third member of the council, stalks Mircea with tight lips. Mircea looks at her uncle as he takes calculated steps.

"The council has found Princess Faustina guilty and therefore, she cannot sit on the throne. The throne needs an heir and you are the only family remaining. Jerome, for once, believes you are not involved with your sister." Orpheus calmly states. 

Mircea wonders what would they have done with the kingdom if she had been a day late, lest an hour late. Thank the mother of the saints!

"I never said I will not take the throne." Mircea scans the crowd.

Mircea never liked the politics; she thought fighting at the border would make more sense than sitting on the throne and mingling with wolves in masks. She always dreamt about leading Faustina's army, this was definitely not going how she wanted and the council knew it. 

Orpheus knew it and was waiting for her to back out, so he could make a puppet of his, sit on the throne. Mircea contemplated everything at that moment, the risks were too big. 

"I-Mircea Maven Cattel-apologize for the way things have turned out. I will not disappoint you all further, and I will surely not take your time. I pledge to take care of everyone that stands with the kingdom of Slyve! I pledge to protect our lands, food and children! I pledge to devote my blood and life to my kingdom! And I pledge to honour the throne from this moment." Her voice was fierce and dominating every person standing in the flock of people. 

A moment of silence passed before everyone roared, hailing their new queen. Everyone bows at her, and Orpheus nods his head. 

Athos shakes his head in the crowd. Leigh looks at him weirdly before asking, "What?" 

"Mircea isn't made for this! Whatever is going on is out of her control. The council just wants a puppet and she willingly signed for it. She felt right into their trap. They can and they will kill her when the time is right." Athos sighs, rubbing his face, he catches Mircea's eyes who know exactly why he is worried. She smiles encouragingly at him, but it doesn't quite reach her eyes. 

"But isn't she 'The Queen' now?" Leigh asks. Athos snorts before speaking "Queen of nought." 

Before Leigh gets a chance to ask the question again, Urban opts to speak, "She just sold herself so she could get her sister out of this alive." It is not a question but rather a statement. Athos stares at Urban suspiciously before nodding lightly.

"How did you figure it out?" He asks Urban, looking ahead where Mircea is lightly whispering with the council. The public has started dispersing, they have forgotten about the other princess who is still sitting quietly in shackles. 

It seems as they have not only tied her hands and legs but also her soul. 

"She might become the Queen of Nought however; she doesn't strike me to be someone who wouldn't get into something for nothing." Urban quietly answers him.

"They won't let princess Faustina out simply like that. They might postpone the execution, but they will not let her out of those shackles." Athos huffs looking around, only a handful of people are lingering around. The soldiers have come to escort Faustina probably they plan to let her rot in the slammer. 

Mircea is still chatting with the council when they take her away. Athos knows she is anything but chatting with the council. He hopes she isn't making some deal with the devils to get Faustina out of the slammer. She will have to play smart than make a bargain. 

Urban silently conjectures if Mircea will ever let her guard down now that she has no one in this kingdom to trust. It wasn't his problem to worry about, but something made him want to go and tell her that, 'It will be alright,' however he simply stood there with Leigh and Athos waiting for her to come and tell them they will sail to Gyyza after five days of rest.