xix

The atmosphere became tense as Perseus smirked up at Ophelia. Caspian and Abraxas went to step forward but Ophelia gripped Perseus by the throat and brought him closer to her.

"I had more right being here as a half-demon than you did to take that away from me." The guard and Caspian went to stop her from gripping Perseus but Abraxas held his hand up, stopping them from moving any further.

"No, she has every right to do this."

Perseus was trying to pry her hands from around his neck but Ophelia gripped tighter. "You forced me to drink your blood. You put me through hours of pain, of tourtre, for something that you never knew would work or not!"

Ophelia threw him back, and he coughed, holding his throat. "I only did you a favor!" He yelled at her back. Ophelia stopped walking, tensing and breathing in deeply. She turned, the low light reflecting off of her red eyes.

"You wish you did. You only took my humanity for yourself."

Ophelia turned and walked out, her shoes echoing off of the walls of the dungeon. Caspian looked over to Perseus and shook his head. "You wanted this, just remember that."

---

"Are you alright, my love?" Caspian asked Ophelia once he walked into the throne room. Ophelia shrugged. "There's a war brewing. They're telling me so." She pursed her lips and looked up at Caspian.

"Who's telling you?" He asked, turning towards her. Ophelia swallowed before looking down to her hands. "Ever since I... uh, I turned, they - the ghosts - have talked to me much more than normal."

Ophelia looked up at Caspian, biting her lip. He reached over and stroked her cheek with his thumb. "It's okay. That's what happens when you're a Necromancer." Caspian stepped closer to her, wrapping his arms around her body.

Abraxas walked into the throne room. "Remember that law that I've told you about?" Ophelia and Caspian turned, looking at Abraxas. "Yes, what about it?" Ophelia asked, cocking her head to the side.

"We're having a trial. It'll stop any further rebellions, show them that the throne will not handle anymore intolerance," Abraxas smiled at them. "Ophelia, you will be leading it." "Wouldn't that be biased, though?" Ophelia asked, stepping out from between Caspian and Abraxas.

He turned and leaned against the railing that separated half of the throne room from criminals. "I'm going to be there, Caspian's going to be there. Anyone who thinks that your argument is unfair will be prompted to speak up."

Caspian knit his eyebrows together. "Wouldn't it still be biased?" Abraxas waved his hand. "This is better than just killing him like the law had stated."

Ophelia reached down and gripped Caspian's hand tightly. "Alright, when is it?" She looked up at Abraxas, pursing her lips. "I'm thinking within the week." Abraxas responded, folding his hands in front of him.

Ophelia nodded. "Alright. What time?" "As early as possible. I'll announce it as soon as I can." Abraxas said, leaning forward and pressing a kiss to her forehead.

---

"I completely get why he wants to hurry and kill Perseus, but why do a trial?" Ophelia asked, later that night. Caspian was sitting in one of the chairs as Ophelia had pulled on a night slip and walked out from behind the room divider.

"He said that he wanted to quell any possible rebellions, or something like this happening once more." Caspian pointed out. He followed Ophelia walk into her bathroom with his eyes and heard her call, "Yes, I know that, but there has to be more to it."

Ophelia walked back out and walked to her bed, grabbing a throw blanket and walking to the balcony doors. She pulled them open and gestured for Caspian to follow her.

He pushed himself up and walked outside, and leaned against the railing. Ophelia cracked the door and sat onto one of the chaises that were there. She pulled the cover over her legs and leaned back as Caspian looked over to her.

"There may be more to it. For all we know, this could be his way of you destroying that trauma that Perseus has put you through."

Caspian sat on the other chaise, leaning his elbows on his knees and folding his hands. Ophelia sighed and curled further underneath her blanket. "Why do I have to be the one to kill him?"

"Because he took your humanity, you take his life."

Ophelia went wide-eyed and gaped at Caspian "Just because he took my humanity, doesn't mean I want to take his life! He's still a living person, too!" Ophelia cried, pulling the cover over her head.

Caspian pushed himself up from the chaise and walked around to kneel beside Ophelia's chaise. He grasped the hem of the blanket and pulled it down. "I'm sure he'll only have you do it if you're comfortable with it."

Ophelia glanced up at him, blinking slowly. "I don't want to kill another person," She whimpered out. "It's bad enough I can talk to the ghosts of dead people. They'll never leave me alone if I do that!"

She pushed herself up and buried her head into Caspian's chest. Caspian moved and situated himself onto the chaise and pulled Ophelia into his lap. He laid back and rubbed circles on her back.

"I know. The thought of killing any other living this is hard to swallow. It was hard for me. It was hard for everyone," Caspian nuzzled his nose into Ophelia's neck. "It just gets easier to swallow the pill the more you take it."

Ophelia shook her head. "I don't want to swallow the pill, Caspian. I want to stay away from the bottle." "Okay, okay," Caspian reassured her, kissing her forehead. "You don't have to take from that cup. Someone else will." Ophelia didn't like that thought, but knew that there was no getting out of this situation.

She was stuck between a rock and a hard place.

For the rest of the night, her and Caspian stargazed. They looked at different constellations and talked about things Ophelia wouldn't normally talk about. She got to know more about her fiance and herself than she had within the few months that she had been back home.

It was comforting to Ophelia, being about to act somewhat normal when her whole life had become one big bowl of strange event after strange event.

Sometimes, even royalty needs a break before they go and make that huge decision looming over them like a guillotine, threatening them with sudden doom if the right decision isn't made quickly or executed correctly.

And if Ophelia doesn't kill Perseus, that could start a war between her people and the monarch that they loved so dearly.