Disclaimer- I don't own Golden Sun.
I know that I have not been updating on time recently, and I apologize. I have had some trouble getting to my stories recently, but that will change soon. Please enjoy this chapter while I get to work on rewriting Nemesis.
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Torture
The abnormally dim throne room was quiet when Alex entered, shooing the servants away after they had delivered Lord Conservto's evening meal. A mock smile of sincerity masked Alex's true intentions as he approached the king's throne, kneeling before the king as he ate.
"My lord," Alex waited for him to finish before speaking. "We have found your daughter."
"You have?" Conservto's face regained a brilliant glow that had been lost for many days. "Where is she now? Bring my daughter to me!"
"I'm afraid that I cannot do that your majesty," Alex said condescendingly as he stood.
"Why not?" Conservto demanded, standing to match Alex.
"It is simple my king," the snide tone in his voice grew stronger. "You are dead."
"What are you..." the king halted, staggering backwards and clutching his chest. His body sporadically convulsing as the king of Imil collapsed, his eyes going blank as he gazed at the ceiling. The king's final words echoed softly in the room, apologizing for an unknown misdeed, "I am sorry, Mia/"
"Your time is over, old man," Alex took out a small piece of paper and a quill, placing them both beside the fallen king.
---
Thunderous footsteps echoed through the silent walls of the castle, rushing downward into the deepest recess, quickly approaching a tall wooden door. The door opened silently, allowing the feet to march inside the brightly torch-lit room where a single boy slept, chained on a cement slab, his sandy blonde hair soaked in sweat.
"Wake up!" a commanding female voice woke Isaac, forcing his cobalt eyes to snap open. Light flooded his vision, causing him to blink rapidly. Experimentally, Isaac tested the shackles on his wrists and ankles, finding that he could not break them. Slowly, he turned his head, looking to the woman talking to him.
"I see you have noticed the shackles," a red headed woman chuckled softly, closing her crimson eyes in delight. Carefully, she traced her finger over Isaac's cheek, her hard skin marking the woman as Proxian. "I am Karst, your personal torturer for this day."
--- (Poor Isaac T-T Karst seems to have a personal vendetta against him)
Two guards stood rigid outside of the princess's chambers, guarding the sobbing girl within. Neither moved as they kept there eyes focused outward, ignoring the cries of the princess. They did not see Alex as he approached the bedchambers, but both saluted the instant he came within sight, letting the knight through without a word.
"What do you want?" Mia demanded, wiping her eyes dry and standing from her cerulean bed to confront Alex. "Haven't you done enough for one day?"
"I regret to inform you," Alex ignored her questions, smiling menacingly toward the princess, "but the king has passed away just a few moments ago. We believe that our prisoner in the dungeons has something to do with it."
"Father?" her eyes darkened, the weight of Alex's first words sinking in, followed by his second. "What do you mean? Isaac would never do such a thing."
"Oh," Alex feinted shock, "but he was the only one in the castle with a motive to poison the king."
"Liar," Mia growled, stabbing her finger toward Alex. "You were the one!"
"Be as it may," Alex smiled confidentially, turning his back and walking to the door. "I will not be the one hung for this crime."
"No," Mia fell to her knees the second he left, letting herself be overcome with grief, before a greater force welled up within her, a compelling need to help Isaac. Slowly, the wheels of her mind spun, formulating a plan to save her friend.
---
"Did you sense that," Hama, Ivan, and Sheba asked in the same instant, all of their eyes diverting to the cottage door. "The king is dead."
"What?" demanded Felix, his chocolate eyes gaining a measure of worry.
"The king has just been murdered," Hama confirmed, taking her husband in a tight hug.
"I had better get Isaac," Garet started to leave, but Ivan stopped him, his face grim.
"That will do no good," he warned mysteriously, his violet eyes shadowed darkly.
"Why not?" Garet questioned forcibly, his eyes burning with anger.
"They have already been captured," Sheba explained, standing beside Ivan. "Both Isaac and Mia are now in the castle."
"Then we have to go rescue them!" Garet yelled, stomping out the door.
"Should we follow him?" Ivan pondered aloud.
"Yes," Jenna stood, barreling out the door, the other four following soon after.
--- (Yay teamwork)
"Why don't you speak?" Karst demanded, using a knife to cut along Isaac's already bloody exposed chest. "Do you not care for your life?"
"..." Isaac remained silent, his eyes betraying the inner determination that burned within him.
"Fine," Karst placed one of her hands on his flailed chest, her entire body glowing scarlet. "Burn until you scream!"
"..." again, Isaac remained quiet, even as invisible flames roared within his body, heating him from the inside out.
---
"Why have you summoned me here, Alex?" Piers demanded as he marched into the throne room, his eyes boiling with anger as he watched Alex lounge on the throne.
"I have called you here to command you to leave my kingdom, Piers," Alex stood, drawing a sword from his waist.
"This is not your kingdom," Piers was livid as he glared at Alex. "What makes you think it is?"
"This," Alex pulled out the paper that he had planted beside the king, summarizing its contents. "This is the king's final will that leaves his entire kingdom, including his daughter, to me. Now, will you please leave my kingdom before I call the guards to escort you out."
"Fine," Piers caved in realizing he had lost. "But can I at least say goodbye to Mia."
"Yes," Alex smiled, placing on a façade of kindness. "However, don't take to long or I might suspect something."
"Thank you, your highness," Piers spoke through gritted teeth, contemplating a plan for escape in his mind.
---
Mia carefully stalked towards her door, holding her weapon, a chamber pot, high over her head, ready to knock out the unsuspecting guards the instant she left her room. Slowly, Mia turned the door handle, only to have it flung open in front of her, Piers entering the room hurriedly.
"My lady," Piers bowed, still showing respect. "I must get you to safety."
"Why?" Mia asked, eyeing him suspiciously.
"Alex has taken over the kingdom," Piers explained, before he grabbed her wrist, dragging Mia out the door. "I have no time to explain fully."
"Wait!" Mia commanded the distraught Piers, yanking her arm back. "I won't leave without Isaac."
"Where is Isaac?" Piers questioned, his eyes darting around.
"I don't know," Mia sighed in confusion. "We were separated when you captured the both of us."
"Why would you want to save him?" Piers demanded. "That boy is Robin the Slayer. He kidnapped you."
"No!" Mia stopped him, her cheeks red with anger. "Isaac is a good person, and we must rescue him!"
"Alright," Piers understood that he was getting nowhere and caved in yet again. "But we must hurry. It will not be long before Alex becomes suspicious."
---
The towering white walls of the castle rose high above Garet, Jenna, Ivan, Sheba, Felix, and Hama, a daunting foe in their quest to save Isaac and Mia. No point of entry could be determined from their vantage point, but Felix quickly took up the lead, moving the group around the walls.
"There is a secret passage system built within the walls of the castle," he explained, his hands grabbing a handle imbedded in the stone walls. "I explored a few of them years ago when I joined the guard."
"Are the passages safe?" Jenna asked as she watched both Felix and Garet pull the stone door open.
"As safe as they can be," Felix tried to be reassuring, but failed as they opened the door, letting loose hordes of bats to fly away into the night sky.
---
"Tell me what you have done to our king!" Karst demanded as she raised Isaac's temperature further, ignoring his body's seizures. "The pain will only stop once you tell me."
"..." Isaac refused to speak, letting the fire raging within him continue.
"Stop," the door exploded open, Piers rushing in with Mia following behind, both a welcome relief for Isaac.
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Reviewer's Responses-
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The 8BTFreek- Germany's keyboards are sure different. Hope your having fun in Germany. Thanks for the review.
PyroDragon88- BTFreek will be thrilled that there is another Oldersiblingshipper around. Glad you liked the windshipping. Thanks for the review.
Shadowranger- Alex is insane, that's why he's aiming at Mia, and Ice Missles make a thudding sound against leather armor. Thanks for the review.
magical-flyingdragon- Thanks for the review.