The Crimson Throne - A Grimdark Tale

"You know me as Ares Reiter, but my real name is Elias Francois d'Amboise. And I am pleased to see you again, milady." Elias continued, ignoring Elaine's overacting.

"Mi, milady, please forgive my previous disrespectful behavior." In contrast to Elias's composure, Clara seemed a lot more nervous. She was unaware of Elaine's high social status until today. To the nobles, commoners like her were nothing more than expendable tools to achieve their goals or playthings to relieve their boredom. Depending on the master, a small mood swing or discomfort could extinguish a commoner's life. Unfortunately, Clara saw too many examples of such circumstances in the slum before she met the Vice Commander and hoped she did not unintentionally displease the Lady during their short time together. What if they separated her from the Vice Commander as punishment? Clara shuddered at the mere thought.

"No need to apologize. You both saved my life, and for that, I am grateful." Elaine picked up on the young girl's anxious reaction and sought to calm her.

Elias then turned to Gerard and inclined his head. "Your Grace."

"Ah yes, I already met young Elias. We had an interesting conversation that day." Gerard chuckled as though he recalled an amusing event.

Elaine observed the male protagonist but saw no reaction from him. If the Duke's comment meant to incite an outburst from Elias, it failed its primary purpose.

Ding...Ding...Ding

The bell tower chimed eight times, and the nobles suddenly ceased their activities. They looked toward Gerard, waiting for instructions, and he nodded. "It is time. Let us move outside."

What is going on? Elaine followed the Duke, but confusion trapped her mind. She glanced around and realized many of the younger aristocrats wore a similar expression as her while their older counterparts ushered them along. Then she locked eyes with an individual standing in the far corner. It was Alexander. He made a greeting gesture at her and continued moving with the crowd. He seemed to know more about the upcoming event than others based on his cavalier attitude.

The Duke of Geris was an influential man, but he was not the Emperor. So there must be something significant happening for these nobles, several of them from the neutral, even the opposing faction, to all appear tonight. Many of her peers asked, but the older aristocrats tightened their lips, refusing to spill their shared secrets. "You'll just have to wait and see," some of them replied.

The double moons hung high amidst the darkened skies, spreading their lights over the ethereal backdrop. The nobles gathered outside, their eyes gleaming with anticipation. In the front, Elaine stood beside Gerard, expecting the unexpected.

"Here they come!" Someone yell.

Then Elaine heard footsteps mixing with the sound of metal scraping against each other. She narrowed her eyes, straining to identify the incoming figures—thirty, forty, or maybe at least one hundred people. A wave of uneasiness washed over Elaine as the cacophony of sounds materialized.

Walking toward her was a troop of ten to fifteen knights wearing full body armor. They each held a chain in their hand, pulling a row of ten to twenty people. The individuals behind the knights wore prisoner outfits while heavy shackles tied together their hands and feet. Bags covered their faces, preventing Elaine from distinguishing the prisoners' appearances. The troop stopped a few dozen steps outside the manor, waiting for further direction.

Gerard stepped forward, then turned around, addressing the crowd. "Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for attending my daughter's coming of age ceremony. Today, we will continue our centuries-old tradition after nearly two decades of absence." He then pointed toward the prisoners. "But first, let me introduce our tributes. We collected these death row inmates from our dukedom in the past two years. They ranged from bandits to rapists to murderers, all deserving of their punishments. However, instead of a shameful death today, they will serve a higher purpose, redeem themselves before us, and maybe earn a second chance in life for the lucky few."

The crowd roared with applause, and the aristocrats' eyes contained nothing but raw enthusiasm. Boredom plagued their mundane life, they sought excitement, and this event would provide just enough dosage.

Elaine's heart banged against her chest, trying to burst from its cage while shock and terror feasted on her mind. What did this have to do with her? Why did it have to happen today?

Gerard's following sentence answered her question. "As you all remember, based on the tradition of our grey wolf lineage, we reserve the first kill to our coming-of-age descendants. And my daughter, Estella, will be the first of my children to perform the honorable task."

Elaine staggered backward with barely a whisper escaping her lips. "No...no, I can't do it." Estella at least killed people before, but never with her own hands. Elaine, on the contrary, was an average college student. She never thought about killing anyone and never wanted to.

A pair of hands caught her shoulders, preventing her from leaving further. She turned her head and saw that it was Yusef. He leaned forward, whispering in her ear. "Milady, the Duke wanted me to inform you he doesn't think your knight in training can withstand another punishment." Elaine stopped her struggle, gasping for breath. Yusef continued, "And that maid you brought along with you might not even survive the first attempt." He then glanced in a direction, and she followed his gaze, seeing that Mariam was already standing among the servants.

Despite her vigorous denial, Elaine's heart remained of flesh and blood. Therefore, no matter how little, she would be bound to have some feelings for her closest servants, especially Cecil.