NOVEL WEB Chapter 17: Chapter 17- Astarra
"Haah...Haah....I-insolent!" The Queen staggered, her back slamming against the cold stone wall, her body betraying her in ways that made her stomach churn.
Her gown, damp and clinging, outlined every inch of her mature curves—hips full enough to tempt with a quiver revealing the sweaty skin sucking the fabric of the gown within her rosebuds, enough to showcase the alluring shape of her vulva's plump folds.
"Haa...Haa...." Haggard breathing with lower down, her plump, ample bosoms were heavy and tightened, with a clear twitch revealing the shape of her nipples through the gown, rising too quickly with every shaky breath.
Sweat rolled down her flushed skin, highlighting the natural allure of a woman who'd long passed her youth yet carried the undeniable appeal of experience and grace.
The heat in her body wasn't natural, her thighs pressing together as if to fight a need she didn't ask for.
Her lips, parted and trembling, were too soft, too inviting in the dim light.
Even her eyes, those sharp emeralds that once held kingdoms in check, shimmered with something wrong—a fog of confusion and unwilling hunger that no queen should ever have to bear.
The room was dimly lit due to curtains blocking most of the sunlight, but she could clearly see the men around her—five soldiers clad in the kingdom's armor and one man dressed in the black attire of an assassin.
Their sneers and mocking gazes bore into her as if stripping away the last shreds of her dignity.
She looked like everything these men wanted: a regal, vulnerable goddess, undone by her own poisoned body.
"What is the meaning of this?" she demanded, her voice sharp but laced with the panic she could no longer conceal.
The assassin laughed first, a low and taunting sound that sent a ripple of anger through her mind, enraged at such insolence from these lowlifes.
The soldiers followed, their derision echoing around the chamber.
One stepped forward, his blade sheathed but his intention unmistakable.
"Now that the king is no more," the assassin said, his voice smooth like silk laced with venom, "you have no place in this kingdom either. It's only fair you follow him, Your Majesty."
Her eyes widened in disbelief. "How dare you! Do you even know who I am?"
"We know exactly who you are," sneered one of the soldiers, his eyes roaming over her in a way that made her stomach churn. "The king's stepmother. The conniving witch who supported his every misdeed. You think we didn't know about your embezzlement? Your corruption? You're as guilty as that tyrant."
"Lies!" she spat, though her voice wavered. Her head felt light, her thoughts muddied as the aphrodisiac coursed through her veins.
Her strength, both physical and magical, was slipping away.
"Save your excuses," said another soldier, his tone mocking. "You had your chance to flee, but now... now you'll pay for your sins. First with your body, and then with your life."
The Queen's breath hitched. "You—! You dare speak to me this way? I am your Queen!"
One of the soldiers stepped closer, a wicked grin curling his lips. "Oh, we dare, Your Majesty. In fact, before you die, we'll make sure you experience pleasure so intense it'll leave you begging for mercy. It's the least we can do for a woman as... exquisite as you."
Her stomach churned, the effects of the poison intensifying.
Her knees buckled, and she leaned heavily against the wall, glaring at her tormentors through blurred vision,' I can't use my dominion'
Given that there were no artifacts on her due to her weak bloodline, she relied on her dominion, which was strong enough to support her. Yet at the same time, because she was affected by a protege running through her vines, she was unable to focus or use her dominion.
Another soldier chuckled, his gaze filled with vile intent. "Even at your age, you're quite the sight. That body of yours... it'd be a shame to waste it. Don't you agree, men?"
Their laughter grew louder, their words more degrading.
"The Queen in heat," sneered the assassin, his cold eyes fixed on her. "How poetic. We'll quench that thirst of yours, fulfill your unspoken desires, and send you off with a smile."
One soldier extended a hand toward her, his rough fingers reaching for her as if she were prey to be claimed. "Come now, Your Majesty," he said, his voice dripping with false sweetness. "We'll be gentle... or maybe we won't."
The Queen tried to summon her ability, the shimmering light of her power flickering faintly in her hand.
But the poison had done its work.
Her connection to the dominion faded as quickly as it appeared, leaving her vulnerable.
"Pathetic," one of the soldiers sneered. "A Queen who can't even defend herself. Maybe you should've begged instead of playing coy."
Her vision swam, her knees finally giving out as she collapsed to the floor.
Just as one of them knelt before her, reaching out to grab her chin, the door burst open with a deafening crash.
BAM!
The force of the impact sent a gust of wind through the room, extinguishing several of the candles and plunging the chamber into partial darkness.
For a moment, silence reigned, save for the sound of the heavy door slamming against the wall.
The Queen's hazy gaze turned toward the doorway, hope flickering in her eyes as the silhouette of a figure stepped into the room.
"Tch, tch, was this your fate?" Akhil entered the room, looking at the state of the Queen, who always felt pride in her bloodline, always making sure to remind him of his status.
Now, in that state, under the effect of an aphrodisiac, he clearly knew that even she couldn't do much, considering how there was poison mixed in her aphrodisiac, which was done by none other than her own brother—Duke of Empire.
He had first thrown her out of the duchy so that she could not ascend to a heir position, and after casting her into this barren kingdom, he made sure to destroy it internally so that he would be rid of her in a way that the previous duke—father of her—would not doubt.
After beginning his life as the undead, he heard how she had survived the situation without a scratch when one of the loyal subjects under her father arrived and killed those people, saving her.
After all, the previous duke had realized his son's plans against his own sister and the decline of this barren kingdom; of course, she was inevitably going to die here.
But not exactly, as it was a substitute who had died in her place.
After realizing what her brother had done, she hid herself and took revenge on him, and the last time he remembered her was when she participated in the battle against the demons, as the Duchess of the Empire.
But that was in another time. Considering how her savior would be coming soon, before she arrives, he should become her savior.
"Mother, your son is here to—"
[ Fuck you...]