Tyrant's Obsession With The Heiress

The dirty-blonde knight glanced once more at Sir Gerald, who met his piercing gaze steadily. Then, he turned his back on them both, leaving the father and daughter duo to dwell on the fears of what were yet to befall them.

Lady Karina observed the knight closely, nearly struggling to keep her composure. She wasn't a flighty woman by nature, but panic was the only option her body and mind resorted to in this situation where hope had been lost for all else.

"What of other members of the ruling house here?" The enemy knight paused and shifted his gaze back to them. "Only the garrison commander and his daughter? No sons, no husband, no brothers?"

Sir Gerald shook his head "Just my daughter and I."

He deliberately omitted the title of 'my lord.' If it bothered the enemy knight, he did not make it apparent. Instead, he turned his focus to the gallery above, the ceiling, and the walls.

Moonveil Keep was a small but richly thriving and strategically desirable castle and the enemy knight was pleased that their forces were able to capture her relatively intact. 

Of course they had.

It was what was buried beneath Moonveil in history that they desired after all.

The chorus of screams that had been going on since the army of Van Merikh breached the bailey suddenly picked up again, but the knight pretended not to notice.

His attention was drawn back to Sir Gerald.

"If you dare to deceive me," the enemy knight started with a vicious tone, "know that it will only bring about your doom at the end." His voice was low and left no room for argument.

"The only class spared at this time is the ruling house of Moonevil Keep," he continued. "Those who are not of the ruling house will be put to the gallows, so you may as well confess before we kill one of your bloodline."

Sir Gerald showed no signs of fear, nor did he react, but the same could not be said for his daughter.

Lady Karina's eyes widened. She had never been captured as a prisoner before, nor was she a companion to the ill fate war always brought. 

She was not educated about the etiquette or behaviours involved with a prisoner.

Living a rather isolated existence at Moonveil Keep for the entirety of her life had left her protected and ignorant of the outside world for the most part.

This siege, this horror, was new and raw.

"What are you implying by that?" Lady Karina demanded to know before she could hold her tongue and think better of her boldness. "It is only my father and I, but my father has knights who serve him and we have servants who live here, and…"

The enemy knight flicked his stone-cold eyes in her direction, as if daring her to speak another word and show more of her insolence. "Their welfare is no longer your business."

Lady Karina leapt to her feet immediately, bringing her hand to her chest. 

"My Lord, please," she breathed, her lovely face etched with anguish. "My father's knight and friend is Sir Dane. He was alongside us when we were captured. Please, you must not hurt him." She practically begged, her eyes pleading for even an ounce of mercy. "He has a son and..."

"Those who are weak and small are the first to be quelled by the sword," the enemy knight remarked, cutting her off before she could speak another word of what he considered to be madness. "They are nothing but a waste of provisions and space within the military grounds."

Lady Karina's glossy emerald eyes grew wider in sheer disbelief as a tight ball of uneasiness constricted her throat.

Her hand flew to her mouth in shock. "You cannot," she whispered. "Sir Dane and his wife waited years to be reunited with their young son, who just returned from his healing treatment. He is so small, barely a teenager and helpless. Surely, you cannot think to hurt him."

Foolish.

That's what she was.

Sir Gerald admired his daughter's bravery, but her concerns were misplaced.

He should have taught her to mind her tongue better in the presence of brute men serving under Van Merikh.

He was riding on the hopes that they would spare her because they would need any member of the ruling family to disclose the information they needed.

"Please; I beseech you," Lady Karina dared to plead once more, unaware that her bravery would bring about her downfall.

The enemy knight raised an eyebrow at her. Then, he glanced at his fellow knights; they were all Van Merikh men, born and bred to war alone. 

All they had known since they first took up a sword was death, destruction, and greed.

There was little to no room for compassion.

The enemy knight looked at Sir Gerald once more.

"Educate your daughter about the manners of war," he said sharply, turning away from them, seemingly pensive. "I will listen to your explanation."

Sir Gerald sighed wearily, his tired and old gaze finding his only child, who seemed rather confused and lost about the whole affair. 

Though a woman grown she was, in fact, hardly taller than a child. But her short stature did nothing to detract from the deliciously womanly figure that had come upon her at an early age.

Sir Gerald had witnessed man after man take an appreciative second look at his petite daughter, investigating the golden hair and face of an angel. 

He was frankly surprised that the Van Merikh men hadn't yet taken her for sport, for she was truly a gorgeous little thing.

And if not for sport, then they would surely torture until she revealed Moonveil's magical secrets.

He was dreading such a moment, knowing it was only a matter of time and there was nothing in the world he could do to stop them.

The thought made him ill.

"Rina," Sir Gerald said softly. "I know that you do not understand since you have never experienced a battle, but this is war. There are no rules. The victor will do as he pleases and we, as his prisoners, must obey."

"He will kill a boy?" Lady Karina fired back, her eyes blazing with something fierce, which her father had never seen before. "That is unthinkable; it's madness. Why must they kill the child? He's done nothing!"

Sir Gerald understood his daughter's fire all too well, but his hands were completely tied and there was no chance of negotiation with the Van Merikh men.

"It is possible that he could grow to become a threat." Sir Gerald tried to tame his daughter's flames. "Do you remember your religious studies? Remember how the king of the east killed all of the firstborn males of his land, afraid that one of them would grow up to be the man prophesied to overthrow him?"

Lady Karina nodded solemnly.

"Tis the same with war, lamb chop. The enemy does not see man, nor woman or child. He only sees a potential killer."

"You understand well the concept of destruction."

They all turned to the sound of the voice, a deep, booming tone that rattled the very walls. Sir Gerald showed his first reaction since all evening, his brown eyes widening for a split second before fading.

Lady Karina stared at the beastly man who had just entered the great hall as all of the other men surrounding her seemed to straighten with discipline.

Even the knight who had been conducting the questioning moved forward quickly to greet the latest arrival, who walked with an air of death around him.

He was Orpheus Van Merikh.

Orpheus, meaning the darkness of night.

Merikh, meaning death.

He was the darkness of night from death.