ALL NOVEL Chapter 36: EVIONA
A warm trickle of blood seeped from my lips, staining my jaw. I hastily wiped my mouth with my wrist and rinsed it with water. However, as soon as I had cleaned up, I found myself vomiting, expelling even more blood than before.
The warm, metallic scent of blood staining my blouse made the situation all the more real. Despite the fact that no one outside this room was aware of my condition, I was certain that my sacrifice would not be in vain.
And above all else, I’m sure – I’m the only one who can watch myself smile after witnessing my insides suffer.
Poison. A person who's in the right mind will not take risks drinking it on purpose even if there are antidotes. That's mainly because people love their lives, and only see this as suicide. However, making myself insusceptible to poison by taking non-lethal amounts with antidotes can help me live even if someone tries to poison me – whether it's by wounding me or by putting it on my food. It's one of the greatest differences between an Izavene body to a human body – Izavenes have higher chances of survival than humans, which makes me confident.
Izavenes are at some point … the modified version of humans after all – and it’s one of the reasons why we’re not supposed to exist. It's against the laws of nature, and our existence should be forbidden. However, now that we're here, even my naïve brother would believe that each life counts and that no life deserves to be thrown away. That’s how Azriel thinks. With that mindset of his, seeing shed lives would mentally damage him, just like how he got affected when Marrossi lost the recent war. I wonder how long it will take him to recover. Or, has he?
That foolish belief only sounds noble and heroic, but he’ll be taking that back once I get in his way.
I stepped out of my room and went downstairs, heading to the kitchen. Corianne’s cooking dinner which she learned from me, while she’s telling Marius children’s stories to entertain the little guy. She truly put her words into action when she pledged herself to be a good mother to Marius since it's something she failed to do with Evrart. She may not know it, but even before I formally showed up, I’ve been watching her by visiting the Eurhyian palace in secret, because after all these years, father simply can’t move on from his foolish love for her.
The facts didn’t matter to him. He’s aware that there’s no possibility for a former red diamond Izavene to remember his or her memories, and yet he kept loving her all these years. I don’t understand that ridiculous thing. Isn’t it a simple feeling that fleets over time? What made Corianne too special anyway? I can’t imagine anything too impressive from her that can make her special for him not to forget all these years.
Whatever. His feelings are none of my business, anyway. It’s out of my control. If anything, I should learn how to respect it. He's still my father and even if it sounds sad – he's the only one I have left. He's the only one I can trust. I know he doesn't agree with the idea of me overthrowing Azriel and the blood empress, but he’s not against me either and that’s enough.
That woman … I’ll make her kneel before me. Everyone sees her as the blood empress, but she’s nothing but a lowlife witch for me. If there’s anything I can change in my life, I can only wish that she wasn’t my mother. Her blood running in my veins creeps the hell out of me. It’s a dumb wish, but if I can only be someone else’s daughter, I would.
But then again, that’s another thing I can’t control, and there’s no point stressing about it. All I have to do is to take back what’s mine, and I know that the time is getting near.
The Ruivenfiere Empire will be mine. I’m the most powerful among my siblings, making me the perfect heir among all else – and I’ll keep holding on to that.
“Eviona? Is that blood stain on your blouse?” Corianne’s expression was filled with worry, and she walked toward me to give me a closer look. "Is this blood yours?"
“Yes, but it’s nothing to worry about. I’ll be leaving for today, please do tell father when he returns. I have to visit Castevron – the eastern kingdom. I'm going to pay my 'friends' a visit." I informed her, and she just nodded. However, I can hear her thoughts doubting my words. She knows that I'm not talking to a typical person's definition of friends, but there's more to it.
She’s not wrong. I may be calling them ‘friends,’ but they’re not different from other tools I’m using to win this war. Having them as one of my ‘cards’ will help me defeat Hervouet later on once he gets rid of Azriel. Being allies with Hervouet is just a show, and he’s not aware of that yet. I’ll be needing more people who’ll side with me and not him when the time comes. I’m more than sure that he’ll turn his back against me later on, so I have to gather allies of my own instead of depending on him. If the Ruivenfiere dukes find out that I’m the root of all these plans and Hervouet is just my pawn, they wouldn't choose my side. Everyone sees me as a banished princess who has nothing to offer, and that idea won't change until I do something significant enough for them to have faith in me.
Leaving Corianne and Marius in the kitchen, I decided to pay a visit to the basement to check on the spy I had apprehended a few days earlier.
"How thoughtful of the empress to show her concern by sending a spy! Perhaps I should return the favor by sending her your head as a gift?" I offered him a warm smile, swiftly followed by a piercing glare.
"I see you're finally awake. Does your head still ache? I must admit, I found some satisfaction in slamming your head into that wooden table. Unfortunately, I no longer have a table to use outdoors. But the sight of it split in two was a clear testament to the strength in my hands. Quite terrifying, isn't it? On the bright side, it was a good test of my hand's strength." I lifted my hand and playfully wiggled my fingers in front of him, adding a touch of mockery to the situation.
Beads of sweat started to form on the spy's forehead, and his body trembled in fear upon hearing my words. Although his mouth was gagged with a cloth, he didn't need to express his thoughts verbally, as I could hear them clearly. His desperate plea echoed in my mind, "Please release me, I promise to cooperate."
However, I couldn't ignore the fact that he harbored intense desires to harm me. It was difficult to discern the truth from his conflicting thoughts, but the mere presence of his murderous intentions was reason enough for me to keep him confined. Restraining his hands and feet with chains would ensure that he remained within the confines of this room, providing a sense of security.
"Listen to me, you wretched peasant," I uttered, gripping his jaw firmly. "I can offer you a second chance. As a sapphire Izavene, you possess the power to summon meteors and obliterate entire cities if you desire. If you agree to do my bidding when called upon, I will release you from captivity. This entails forsaking the empress and pledging your loyalty to me instead. Take some time to consider it, and I will return in three days." With that, I stood up and exited the room, locking the door behind me.
Although it was somewhat disheartening, it became evident that he remained steadfast in his refusal to assist me. Furthermore, his lack of intelligence was apparent. If only he had paid closer attention to the chains, he would have realized that the more he struggled, the tighter they became. Conversely, if he had refrained from excessive movement, the chains would have loosened. Such a basic concept seemed to elude him until now. What an idiot.
──•~❉᯽❉~•──
I gracefully lowered myself, spreading out my dress as a sign of respect, as I faced the king and queen of Castevron. King Eugene Heint Rousseau and Queen Portia Choudhury Rousseau looked upon me with delight. It had been some time since I last conversed with them, but our relationship was not starting from scratch. Bowing down to human leaders required me to set aside my pride, knowing that these sacrifices would eventually yield rewards in the future.
“It’s an honor to meet you for the third time, Your Majesties. Thank you for your invitation. I’m pleased to be here, and I do have things to share that will pique your interest, and it's something highly beneficial for all of us,” I said as I looked up to them, and the throne room became less dull when the Castevron king stood up.
“Let’s continue this to the drawing room. This way,” I let the king lead the way followed by the queen before I followed their steps. I was expecting a longer formality and small talk, but perhaps they stayed in the throne room for some time now before I came.
Well, I’ll figure it out by hearing their thoughts. Free information – and they’re not aware that I can hear their thoughts.
We took our seats in the drawing room, and at the queen's request, the servants promptly brought us tea to enjoy together. The room had a pleasant ambiance, although I couldn't help but compare it to the drawing room in the Ruivenfiere palace, which undoubtedly had a more exquisite appearance. The longing for my home grew stronger as I reminisced about the comforts and familiarity it provided.
"How are your plans progressing? I am eager to hear any updates as mentioned in the letter," the king inquired. It never ceased to amaze me how effortlessly I could garner his unwavering support. I was aware that the queen held reservations about involving Castevron in the war, hence her lack of enthusiasm towards my presence. However, with the king firmly under my influence, she would have no choice but to acquiesce and follow suit.
It is their own fault for not taking the time to understand the abilities of a red diamond Izavene, one of which includes mind control. If they had only done so, they would realize that they will forever remain under my control and influence.
“My brother and I have been strengthening our relationship with the Ruivenfiere dukes and other powerful people. They have full support, and we’re only waiting for the barriers to be completely broken because that way, humans can attack Marrossi without issues. It will take a couple of months, and knowing its damage, it’ll be ineffective in around seven months. Despite the alliance between my brother and me, there's a possibility that he'll betray me, so I want to solidify the alliances." I explained, but my request will cost something. Nobody agrees to alliances without a gain in return.
“And just like before, your goal is to become the empress. Castevron will help you with the uprising because we want the current empress to be gone. She caused many deaths and those lives deserve justice. In exchange, I want you to marry my second son, and make him rule with you.”
I forced a smile in response to his offer, although the notion seemed utterly absurd. He made it sound as if choosing an emperor from a foreign country was a simple task. However, under the Ruivenfiere law, the emperor must always be a blood descendant of the Ruivenfiere lineage. Without Azriel and Hervouet, the only viable candidates would be among the sons of the Ruivenfiere dukes. I was determined to maintain full control and authority. I would not allow the next emperor to surpass me in rank or power.