Chapter 434 - 434

"I do really hope this is the last time you call me all of a sudden to simply help you with your business." Amelia said with a frown on her face. The woman was gorgeous like always, her eyes sharp, intelligence showing through her every gaze and Allias nodded. 

"Yes. We are sorry but you are the only witch that doesn't hate us...a lot and we need your help. Theseus  has been kidnapped and I have to find a way and get him out safe."

The king was fully aware that he would not be able to track Theseus on his own in a short time. Even if he got all the names from Rayla which he didn't because all of the names the girl had told him were fake it would take days for his soldiers, the few ones who seemed okay to trust, to find him. That's why he had asked Ea to go and bring Amelia, a woman who had actually helped them a few times even though he had played a big part in her sister's death. Even if she tried to act tough and disinterested, Amelia was kind and always helped when needed. 

"So once again you have found yourself in a trap little king." she told him and Allias sighed. How could he deny the truth. Once more he had been tricked by the people around him. He had told himself he would do anything to bring his kingdom back to its old glory but this little spec of him that didn't wish to kill was still leading him into endless pits of enemies. He had to stop being like that. He could live with the guilt, he could live with the nightmares of his bloodied hands but he could not live with the idea of losing Theseus or his kingdom because of them. 

He had gathered everyone in Theseus' little study. The small room that was hidden from plain eyes, decorated by dark wood with a vibrant fire burning in the fireplace even though it was spring. Allias was feeling cold, so cold without him. Probably it was a psychological reaction but being in here, in his room and resting his palm on his desk, where he used to write and sometimes even sleep made him feel calmer, as if he hadn't disappeared, he was just somewhere else and he would walk through that door at any moment.

"Unfortunately yes. I will have to take even more serious measures this time. As it seems they don't see me as a king yet." 

"And what will you do? Will you kill them?" Rayla asked. While everyone was surrounding Theseus' desk, Mark, Asmodeus, Amelia, Ea and Ares she had chosen to stay a bit further back, sitting on the couch right in front of the fireplace. Even if she was actually sweating with this heat she still preferred it to being close to them, they all looked at her like she was a villain. She didn't blame them but at the same time she didn't really like it. 

"All of them. One by one I will kill them personally and clear up the kingdom from trash." Allias told her. His green eyes were piercing her, cold and merciless Rayla gasped, a shiver going down her spine. 

"Killing is never the right option!" She exclaimed and Amelia's dark eyes landed on her. He hadn't paid her much attention this whole time but it was obvious. The way she spoke, her angelic face and the disgust in her face as she talked about killing. This girl had gone through horrors and was still trying to keep herself. Maybe she could see a part of herself in Rayla, that's why she chose to speak to her.

"Little girl." Amelia called out. "When you are a king, when your loved ones are in the brim of death and everyone you know has died, nothing really is the right option. You've seen your share of bad stuff, am I right? Sorry for this but go back to it, if someone gave you a knife and told you you can free yourself what would you do? Stab them to death, rip their throats open, watch them die as you gain your freedom. No one wants to become the bad guy, at least not Allias but at the end of the day, when life forces you, you take the shit and do what you have to do."

"Killing…"

"Killing. What about it? Hiding behind the act of purity and kindness never helped anyone. We are all horrible people in your eyes, even the king who had you rescued because we have all taken a life. It's difficult to understand and death, well, sucks but no one wants to be a hero, everyone simply wants to survive." Mark said and Asmodeus smiled, Rayla was surprised by his appearance. She was scared of him and the red haired noticed it. "You don't have to be scared of him."

"Look at you babe. You're maturing." Asmodeus said with a cheeky smile.

"He has to be scared of me though!" Mark exclaimed with a loud voice.

"Back to the point please. I have no interest in making people understand me anymore. You're free to do whatever you wish but don't meddle in my business ever again. Avgee or not if this ever happens again I will make sure you die, painfully." Allias said as he stood up. 

For a second Rayla thought the king would come towards her but he chose to approach one of the huge bookshelves. A lot of the books, the ones with the thickest covers were covered in dirt and Allias frowned but he didn't actually reach out for a book. He grabbed a piece of parchment that was rolled and tied with a golden string. 

He signaled for the people to move a bit, releasing the space their hands caught in the table and he broke the string, unraveling what seemed to be a map. It had the Disee palace, a panoramic view of the mountains and the rivers. It showed the portal and then the Avgee ruins. It was enormous, filling almost the whole surface of the desk and Allias himself moved to the side as he looked at Amelia. 

"Find him, please." he told her, his eyes turning softer as he looked at her. A silent but at the same time so loud plea. Amelia was always surprised about how such a prideful man, a king who could basically kill you with just a gaze, would turn so vulnerable and weak when it came to the man he loved. That unfamiliar love, that strong bond that seemed to be even beyond magical always intrigued her. 

She nodded her head as she stood in front of the map. The witch had a small pouch with her, made of dark green velvet and as she opened it a sweet fragrance filled the room. She grabbed a handful of herbs with her long fingers, painted a vibrant red and her golden bracelets jiggled as she waved her arm and spread them through the whole map. She closed her eyes and began chanting, words that none of the people in the room could understand but the herbs began to dissolve, a thick smoke coming from them that did not spread in the room, it traveled right into Amelia's nose, entering like some kind of drug. The woman opened her eyes which had turned a pale white and her face fell. Without speaking anymore she faced the map, her fingertip trying to pinpoint Theseus' location. It moved again and again without a chance to stop at a certain point and Allias was beginning to feel anxious. She couldn't spot him, the spell wouldn't work. That was all he could think about. 

After a few minutes the smoke disappeared and Amelia blinked. She shook her head, trying to gather her thoughts as she looked at the area her finger could not stop. She raised her head, meeting Allias' eyes. 

"As it seems your little general is already on the run." She told him and Allias' eyes widened.

"He escaped?" the king asked while a small hope bloomed inside him.

"Or he is being transferred somewhere." Ares added and Ea looked at him with a frown.

"The best hope crusher out there. Now on your local market." he mumbled and Ares looked at him with a shocked expression. 

"I am just being realistic here, what the fuck?" 

"It could be one or the other." Allias said grounding himself. "Let's hope it's the first. For now though we will travel to the area Amelia was showing, even if we don't have an actual location and you…" he said looking at Rayla. "You're coming with us.

...

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