Page 25 of A Broken Promise

I had no doubt the General had a plan for everything.

Yesterday, I served as a tool to degrade Lord Inadios. And today…

I quickly raked in all the possibilities. There weren’t that many, but all lay on a scale from magic shows to public execution. I swallowed hard, trying to weather the brewing storm in my mind.

There were a lot more Destroyer soldiers stationed all over the garden and around the manor. The Royal guards stationed in small groups seemed so harmless in their burgundy leather uniforms against the dark armor of the Destroyers.

My eyes paused when I saw Dimitrii walking a step behind LordInadios. He didn’t have a limp anymore, though smaller bandages were still on his face. Even long after I am gone, that scar would forever serve as a reminder to him of the slave girl who fought back.

Shock in the crowd was quickly replaced by intrigue. As if a shadow, the Destroyer General silently approached me from behind. Small whispers and not so subtle glances towards us rolled in a wave. My body tensed in his presence, breaths becoming so shallow, I almost panted. I closed my eyes only to remember Viyak’s tall figure from my dream.

Meek and obedient.

I willed myself as I turned to face him.

“My Master High Lord General Commander.” I bent my body in half, bowing so low it hurt. I wasn’t sure if the nausea came back from the sharp pain in my abdomen or the fact that I was bowing to a child murderer.

My blood boiled at that thought.

This was low, even for me. I might have been a slave, bound and naked; I might have been homeless and lost, but I always fought for what was right, stood up to the oppressors. Yet at some point, surviving broke me, because here I was now, bowing to the monster.

Were righteous morals a worthy cause to die and break promises already made?

“Rise,” he ordered. A little shiver went through me. His voice was so unsettling, like smoke slithering through my skin, deep in my soul to haunt me. I rose but didn’t dare meet his eyes. Instead, I eyed a small red mark on his neck.

A bite mark.

Mybite mark.

He was almost flaunting it with the unbuttoned collar of his crisp shirt. I would've been embarrassed if I were him. Yet he was not bothered by it at all.

Such a great General bit by a rabid slave?

I pushed the concerning confusion out of the way and let myself dwell on the fact that there were not one buttwomale pricks in thisgathering with fresh scars thanks to my defiance. A small detail, though still a win.

“Walk with me,” he commanded. The two soldiers that escorted me quickly found new positions to take.

Cocky of him to let the soldiers go so easily, when the wounds from my attack were still fresh on his skin. But without any objection, I walked alongside him until we reached tables full of food.

“Get some food.” Another command.

It seemed that nausea was now a constant part of my life, so it wasn’t hard to ignore it as I shoved small bites of food on my plate. With an overfilled plate, I followed him to a small metal bench. Another command, and I sat while he stood ahead of me, observing the crowd in front, occasionally nodding in acknowledgement to the patrons passing by.

A few bites of sugared pastries and I dared to look up. The General was exchanging a few words with another Lord, his calloused hands gripping together behind his back, as if taunting me, reminding me that at one motion of his fingertips, Cleansing Fire would be blazing through me.

I squeezed the small dessert fork in my hand. If I was fast enough, I could stab him in the heart, perhaps? The silver fork probably wasn’t long enough to go through layers of his thick muscles, but I could jam it hard enough for him to have another scar from me.

I raised my brow, considering it. A plan, though not a very good one.

Commotion spread through the gathering when I finally saw Orest and Broderick and to my concern, a smug Dimitrii marching towards us. The two Destroyer soldiers walked casually, expressionless. Dimitrii seemed arrogant—though a bit annoyed as he saw me.

I anxiously watched them make their way through the crowd to us. To me…

My muscles tensed and I held on to my fork.

A familiar tingling feeling inside of me awoke and begged to run, yelled to get away now. But I couldn’t. I wished I could listen to its warning plea for once.

“You have all gathered here to pay heeds to my armies and my soldiers, to give gratitude to the Order, and to plead your allegiance to the Queen. Royals have long been reaping the benefits of our Great Rule.” The General’s voice was quite blatant; the crowd went incredibly silent, even my uneven breathing seemed to be too loud.

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