Author's note: As announced, the special Monday chapter! The main story of Re:Noblesse remains standalone, and these extra chapters will come on mondays in irregular intervals when something interesting happens on the side of the villains. It is not necessary, but definitely provides additional background in the actual motives and state of mind of the villains in this matter, starting off with Ignes whose primary objective is, and always will be, to stay alive and do whatever it takes to achieve that.
Also, in a few days, get ready to finally see a certain someone many have been asking about again, he will be a major plot driving character :)
content warning for this chapter: the atmosphere is tense and uncomfortable, non-graphic mentions of past assault
Ignes: Choices - Werewolf Island, 3rd November, 19:45
How many days have passed? Ignes could not tell. Raskreia's silent glare had done nothing to give her comfort, and after a few hours, she had given up on trying to talk to the noble Lord. Deep down underground, they had no way of telling how much time would pass. At one point, Ignes had realized that they might even be trapped here forever – or at the very least, Ignes might not leave alive. Raskreia was the most valuable hostage one could possibly imagine.
She tensed when she heard heavy footsteps and hope bloomed in her chest – no one would want to spend the end of their days in a dark dungeon, after all. Zaiga, one of Maduke's chiefest henchmen, had returned to check up on them, probably. "Lord." He bowed just slightly to Raskreia and Ignes could not tell whether he was showing due reverence or mere mockery. The runes of the magic trap were still glowing faintly on the floor of Raskreia's cell. For as long as Zaiga lived, the Lord was trapped there. Unfortunate. Raskreia did not react to his greetings and so, the bearded warrior turned to Ignes instead.
"You had plenty of time to think about your behavior. The Lord wants to discuss it now." Her heart sunk as he opened the cell with one of his keys. Something about Zaiga's malicious smile made her feel like he intended to do more than just have a polite, civil conversation. But she must be fearless and press ever forward. Mistakes could not be undone, amends could not be made.
Briefly, she glanced at Raskreia, and she could not read the expression in her eyes.
Zaiga led Ignes up the stairs, out of the facility and through the forest in silence. As they approached the castle, she was quite impressed with how much has been rebuilt already – the werewolves were fast workers, and she presumed it would not take long for them to rebuild the majority of the castle in the following weeks.
None of this was supposed to happen, she thought. When she had meant to ask the Lord for Lagus Tradio's whereabouts... Ignes was not sure when it all had gone wrong, really. When did the way Maduke looked at her change? When did she lose control, really? She should not have made promises she never intended to keep. It's easy to promise yourself to someone when you intended to disappear before you had to keep up your end of the bargain.
To her surprise, the rebuilt throne room was empty. Instead, she was led into the rebuilt north wing, through corridors and up many flights of stairs. If the layout of the new castle was the same as the old one, she knew where she was being taken. Zaiga opened the door and led her into the antechamber to the Lord's private quarters. Lunark knelt on the floor, wrists cuffed behind her back.
"Ah, Ignes, you took your sweet time getting here." Maduke sounded absolutely affable, which could never be anything but a threat. "We just discussed the topic of choices. Lunark, would you tell Ignes what we just discussed?"
In response, Lunark merely spat before his feet. "Spare us your speeches and -"
Grabbing a fistful of hair to keep her head in place, Maduke slammed his knee into her face. Ignes winced at the sharp cry of pain as he let go of Lunark's hair and pushed her forward. Pressing the sole of his boot against the side of her face, he kept her head on the floor. "Tsk, Lunark, you know you are supposed to keep quiet when you have nothing substantial to contribute to a conversation," he chided. "Anyway. Choices. I heard you fought Lunark and chose to let her go, Ignes. Why?"
Ignes could not bear looking Lunark in the face and stared at the wall instead. "I have no personal quarrels with her."
"Ah, yes, much unlike the Noblesse... who you also chose not to kill... or maybe couldn't. You're either soft or weak. Which is it?"
Ignes did not answer and he sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "I really have to educate the both of you, do I?" Finally, he took his foot off Lunark's head and Zaiga stepped in to pull her by the hair back up into a kneeling position. Maduke stepped over to a side desk and picked up a cold-up whip, bound in black leather. "Now... a wise man consults the experts." He stepped around Lunark and stopped in front of her. Understanding what he wanted of her, Ignes took the weapon offered to her. Was it not strange? She had her own. Maduke stepped back and Zaiga leaned against the closed door, arms crossed in front of his chest.
"And I daresay, I won't find a better expert in whips than you, will I?" Maduke flashed her a snide smile as he gestured at Lunark with a generous gesture of his hand. Awkwardly, Ignes positioned herself behind Lunark. The real whip felt strange in her hands.
"How many lashes?", she asked, unsure why she hesitated to whip Lunark. This was not the same as fighting an enemy willing to try and kill you, after all.
"You will be done when I say that you are done."
The first whiplash felt wrong. Lunark buckled under the impact, but it did not even tear the fabric of her shirt. This was not a fair combat or an experiment. This was... The second whiplash made Lunark suck in her breath sharply. Maduke stepped up behind her and took her by the wrist that held the whip. His fingers snaked their way up around her own hand, his forearm pressed against hers.
"We're not here to play around," he chided and used his grip on Ignes' hand to deliver another blow. The whip came down on Lunark's back with a loud crack, ripping the fabric of her tunic with the force of the impact. He was enjoying this. "That's how you do it. Wrist steady, coming from the whole arm like -" Lunark gasped in pain when he used Ignes' hand to strike again. "... this." He released her hand but did not step back just yet. "Can you do that, or do I really have to do everything myself here?"
Ignes hesitated – and Lunark turned her head to glare at them. Nothing but hatred and disgust burned in her bright pink eyes. "You are soft. Bring it on, you soft bitch."
Almost out of reflex, Ignes retaliated with another whiplash that made Maduke chuckle in morbid delight. He stepped away from her and settled on an armchair by the window.
Swallowing her discomfort, Ignes obeyed. She may have no personal quarrels with Lunark... but... this was not worth her own life.
"Stop," Maduke ordered after a few minutes, and Ignes stopped. "Lunark. I want you to keep count."
Lunark was wheezing, clearly trying to keep composure. "Count? What sort of ridiculous punishment is this?"
Maduke stood up and sauntered over to a side table. He poured a red liquid from a silver carafe into a goblet. "This? This is not your punishment. This is merely entertainment. Ignes, continue."
One. Two. Three. Four. Five. Maduke admitted he has been waiting for ages to see her like that. Fifty-one. Fifty-two. Fifty-three. Fifty-four. Fifty-five. Lunark admitted she liked him better when he wasn't pretending to be decent.
One hundred. One hundred and one. One hundred and two. One hundred and three. One hundred and four. One hundred and five. Ignes' wrist was starting to ache.
"Stop," Maduke ordered, and Ignes stopped. Were they done? Ignes watched the Lord stand up and fill a second goblet. Amiably, he handed it to her, and she took it with her free hand. Red wine.
"Don't worry. Halfway there. You will do another hundred, and then it's your turn."
Ignes almost spit out her wine in surprise when he said that it would be her turn after this.
"What? Are you surprised?" Maduke's snorted derisively and sat back down. "I am not merely angered with you, I am quite livid. You undermined my authority in front of the warriors. Did you really think you would get away with this? Continue."
Even though he'd said just another hundred, Lunark had counted one hundred and thirty eight before she was allowed to stop. Lunark's forehead had sunk against the cold stone of the floor, and though each wound healed within moments, the pain lingered. Ignes felt sick. Now would be her turn. She felt sick at the thought of being seen like that, submitting to such a humiliation.
He stepped closer to her and placed one hand against her upper arm. "I wish I did not have to do this," he said, gently, and desperately, Ignes tried to find even a single spark of honesty in his eyes and she found none. His eyes were cold.
"I won't disobey you again," she mumbled, wanting to flee his touch and his gaze. "I promise." She knew what he was capable of.
Behind them, Zaiga pulled Lunark back on her feet. He threw a white cloak over her, to cover her tattered clothes and her bloodied back. Maduke cleared his throat to catch their attention. "Lunark... since you kept asking about Kentas... you will see him again soon." His malicious smile was an ill omen. Zaiga laughed and escorted Lunark outside, to return her to whatever prison they had held her in.
Ignes was alone with the Lord now – and she was afraid. Slowly, his hand that rested on her arm trailed down to her hand. For a few awfully long moments, he merely lingered there, before pulling away sharply. Instead, Maduke placed a hand against her back and led her through to the new bedroom. No. No. No. No. No. There mere thought of having to endure his touch again made her sick to the stomach. She could hardly bear the idea of bearing his weight on top of her again. The winner takes it all.
"Take off your clothes." He shut the door and remained there. He didn't turn around to look at her. "Take off your clothes, turn around, and kneel." His voice was tense with an excitement and agitation that made her sick. Still, whatever he could do to her... She was still alive. And as long as she was still alive, she could turn things in her favour again. Somehow. One way or another. Ignes turned around and, with a trembling gesture, she let her clothes dissipate. Slowly, she knelt before the foot end of the large bed. For a minute, nothing happened, and it was the longest minute of her long life. Then, Maduke approached and, almost gently, pushed her head down against the soft fur that served as day cover.
"Count," he commanded. The whip cracked before coming down on her bare back and Ignes sucked in her breath sharply, grasping at the soft fur under her fingers.
"One."
Ignes had lost count several times, and each time, he'd forced her to start over. One. Two. Three... She felt like he'd been at it forever, with ever-increasing frantic fervour that might have turned into even more dangerous impulses and only the voice of one of his warriors had taken him out of this ecstatic rage. Though the voice was muffled by the wood of the closed door, Ignes guessed it must be Juraki. Union business... The First Elder himself wanted to speak to him. His furious growl made her feel like her blood was going to freeze in her veins. Like the executioner's sword, his bloodthirsty, lecherous desire hung above her lowered head.
Maduke took a couple of deep, laboured breaths, steadying his voice into his usual even tone. "Tell them I'll be there in a few minutes." His voice came out coarse.
Ignes almost allowed herself to breathe a sigh of relief. Her back, shoulder and arms felt like a sore, numb burn at this point, a vague pain that could no longer be attributed to a single cut. Slowly, she lifted her face from the fur that was stained wet with her tears. The whip dropped to the floor with a dull thump and Maduke stepped away from her.
"You're a mess. Take a bath and wait for me." She could hear him turn around sharply. He passed one door, then the next, and she was alone. After a few minutes, she got back up on her feet and turned to the door to her right. The new bathroom was slightly larger than the old one, and she sat on the edge of the free-standing marble bathtub. She should run, she thought as she let hot water run into the tub. She should run while she still could. Instead of doing the only sane thing, however, she let herself sink into the hot water. It was a soothing comfort in comparison to the mouldy, clammy cold of the dungeons. The dungeon where he'd held and tortured Garda for centuries... Slowly, she sank, exhaling.
Ignes' mind was blank as she soaked in the hot water with nothing but emptiness in her chest. The water was starting to cool off. She noticed Maduke's return by the door closing sharply, and water splashed out of the bathtub when she sat up with a sudden motion. He clicked his tongue in annoyance. "Do you really have to make a mess?"
She avoided his eyes. The Lord passed her and unbuttoned his coat. Neatly, he hung it over the back of a chair by a mirror. Ignes watched him roll up his sleeves to his elbows and he reached for a sponge on one of the shelves on the wall. The Lord was a neat man.
"You despise me, don't you?", he asked and sat on the stool next to the tub and Ignes did not answer. He'd already asked her before, and her answer had not changed. He dipped the sponge in the water and ran it over her back. His touch was almost bearable when he was not seething right under the surface of his genteel mask.
Ignes steeled herself and turned her head to look at him. "I want to leave." She was not his subject, not one of his warriors, not one of his people, not one of his Union subordinates. She was... no one. The expression in his face tensed. "And go where?", he asked cooly.
Home, she thought, and knew she had none. Maduke chuckled when she failed to come up with an answer. "I thought so. The nobles surely would love to have you back. Just as much as I love having Lunark back. Or maybe the Union? You can join their sinking ship until I come to destroy what is left of them. Tell me... where would you like to go?"
He was right. Where was she supposed to go, really? She swallowed. No. Could she just let him win like that? He had broken her trust, hurt her, humiliated her, and she knew he would do it again if she stayed.
"I don't care where."
"Oh? You, a hermit, living alone in the woods because no one in the world wants to have you around? I don't see you enjoying that. Face it. You made nothing but enemies."
"I want to leave. You can't make me stay."
"Oh, but I can. Ignes... Have I been anything but generous to you? Is this how you return my hospitality?"
She wanted to say something clever, something witty, but her tongue was paralysed. She thought of his hands all over her, his mouth against her neck. He'd hurt her, and he'd enjoyed it. Whatever he wanted, he could take without consequence.
"I didn't intend to lash out like that," he said as though he'd guessed her thoughts and he ran the sponge over her collarbone. Ignes tried to push his hand away and he sighed, as though exhausted. "You can run. You can go ahead and run, and see whether there is a place in this world where I would not find you."
Ignes felt cold despite the hot water against her skin. He ran the sponge along her arm. "Maybe I should kill you," he mused. "Would that free me from your spell? Will your image stop haunting my mind? When you are but a fleeting memory, will I know peace?"
She pulled her legs tighter against her chest, feeling cold and dead inside.
"You can run, but wherever you go, my wrath will follow you."
"And what of my wrath?", she whispered and swiftly, he seized her by the chin. Firmly, Maduke pulled her head to the side to force her to look him in the eye.
"What did you just say?"
"..." She didn't dare breaking eye contact. "And what of my wrath, Lord?"
He smiled and ran his thumb over her quivering lower lip. "Your wrath is... inconsequential. What are you going to do? Try to murder me? Or maybe you would even succeed, you crafty little devil... and face the wrath of the warriors. I thought you valued your life more than that." Maduke tilted her head slightly up to maintain eye contact as he leaned forward, face hovering over hers.
"Wherever you run, I stand at the end of any path you can take... so... why fight it? You can either force me to be unkind with you... or..." Gently, he placed his lips against her forehead. "You will do whatever I ask of you and you can continue with your research and we... will get along just splendid."
Maduke released her entirely and rose from the chair. Ignes felt nauseous. "In three days, you will be put on trial along with Lunark and others who have been found guilty of treason. You will beg for my forgiveness, and I will forgive you... and then there is no need for any more bad blood between us."
He straightened out his sleeves and picked up his coat. "When you are done here, Mirai will bring you to your room."
Ignes waited until she could no longer hear his footsteps. She took a deep breath. Crying would do her no good. Everything was alright. Her heart was pounding against her ribcage violently. Even without chains, she was a prisoner here. He would never let her go. No. She had this under control. This was something she could handle. Yet still, she covered her mouth with her hand, almost retching as she remembered his words among his grunts and growls and her own cries when he'd forced himself on her just three days before the nobles invaded his lands. You are mine. Forever.
She was still alive. And as long as she was still alive, she could turn things in her favour again. Somehow. One way or another.
It was always better to swim than to sink.