The High Entia woman awoke to a sliver of light peeping under her eyelids. It invaded the much needed rest, and its intrusion forced her to wakefulness. Blearily, Melia sat up, rubbing her eyes, starting to recede out of the world of dreams to the bleak reality that awaited her. The light of the sun filled the room, the yellowness of its rays reminding the city that it was an hour past noon. As she blinked a few times, the High Entia felt the warmth of the light surround her. Pleasant and welcoming.
Her eyes widened and her body grew rigid. Warmth. Light. These were not the characteristics of an abandoned storage room.
A sharpness pressed into her wrist as she attempted to rise from her seat on the sofa. Wincing, Melia looked down to see a handcuff wrapped around her left hand, chaining her to the nearest end table. Its silver gleamed in the sunlight, mocking her, demanding her attention. Admonishing her for attempting to step outside her bounds.
A cold sensation crept over her as she looked at her surroundings. It was clear to her from the largeness of the space that she was in one of the rooms of the Villa. As her eyes cascaded over the furnishings of the room, the tapestries on the wall, the wide windows facing out towards the Eryth Sea, she put the puzzle pieces together.
The Western Sitting Room.
Someone had moved her from the storage room. A shiver ran down her spine. There was only one answer to who it was.
"You're finally awake."
Speak of the devil.
Spinning around, Melia locked eyes with Camar, who had silently entered the room from its side door entrance, which was carved into the steel partition. She heard the click of a lock on the screen as he sealed the door behind him. Her captor advanced towards his captive; the Empress braced herself. They were alone, and that only spelled danger. Multiple types. Types she did not wish to imagine. She narrowed her eyes as Camar closed the distance between them, stopping just in front of her. Arms akimbo, the High Entia looked down at Melia, a sadistic glare in his eye.
"How did I get here?"
"I brought you, of course. Carried you in my arms, if you'd like to know." He leered. She felt her stomach twist as the image popped into her brain, and he continued, "After your precious assistant escaped, I thought it best to move you, in case someone should come looking for you."
"Release me, Camar. Stop this nonsense at once."
"Nonsense? I'm just giving the people what they want."
"And what exactly is that?"
"Freedom."
"Freedom? You are feeding them nothing but fear. That is hardly freedom."
"They want to be free of fear. And I am giving them that by showing them how we win our freedom."
"They do not want war. They want peace."
"So you say. And yet, many have agreed with my words."
"There is no reason for war. We are not being hunted, Camar! What you are proposing is insane!"
"You're not in control! I don't have to listen to you anymore!" He shouted.
Involuntarily, she shrank back into the couch. He smoothed his hair, taking a deep breath, regaining his composure. "You can't change what's happening, Empress. The people will flock to me. And we will do it with your obedience. Voluntarily or involuntarily." Camar sneered and sat down on the edge of the couch.
Melia's lips creased into a line; her pulse raced. What exactly did he mean to imply?
"How did Serenity escape?" Camar asked.
Melia looked away, silent. She had known this question would come. The Empress steeled herself, waiting for whatever punishment would come her way. She cared naught. Saving Serenity had been the right thing, even if it did not lead to her rescue. The younger woman was a victim in all of this turmoil, and had already paid the price for her loyalty to Melia. The Empress wanted to protect her from any more unnecessary pain.
"Tell me. Really, I'm curious. What did I not anticipate? I took every precaution when locking you up." She could hear the joking tone in his voice. But what lay underneath it was what she worried about.
"Why does it matter? She is gone. Out of your reach."
"Even so. I would like to know. And if you don't tell me, I can easily punish the Homs girl until you do."
Fiora.
The words were out of her mouth before she had a chance to catch herself. "I used ether spells to knock out the far wall into the next room so she could escape."
"Clever! I should have known that something like this would happen. You are quite the fighter, Empress." Camar leveled his gaze at her. "But I'm glad you didn't get out. I like having you as my prisoner." He reached out to run a finger down her shoulder, but she shifted away, just out of reach. The last thing she wanted was to be touched by this villain.
Camar raised his eyebrows, annoyed. "So, you helped her to escape. To what end? That she could find that...Homs scum to come and rescue you?" He snorted and leaned back on the arm of the sofa. "Well, she won't find him. I've imprisoned him and the other Homs male. No one will find them down in the dungeons."
A weight fell on Melia's chest and she withheld a gasp. Dunban was captured; locked away somewhere in the depths of the Great Hall. Was he injured? Tortured? Her mind spiraled on all sorts of possibilities. No doubt Camar would have Dunban suffer in any number of ways. Misery seeped through her veins as she considered the possibilities of Dunban's internment. How she wished she could rescue him from his confines and whisk him away to Colony 9, where he would be safe from Camar.
But a small spark of hope whispered in Melia's mind. At least he was still alive.
"Why are you doing this? Why have you sabotaged me?" Melia demanded. It took all of her power to keep the tears from her voice.
"You lost your way, Empress. And I am here to guide you back to the right path."
"And what is that?"
"Restoring the glory of the High Entian Empire, of course. We shall extend our reach across the world, subjugating any and all races to our will, ensuring the safety of our people."
"You dishonor your heritage." She said through gritted teeth.
In the blink of an eye, he was on top of her, pulling her head back by her hair. The woman cried out, pain exploding in her nerve endings across her scalp.
Gently, his index finger circled the hollow in her throat. "Do not test me, Empress. I will not hesitate to make you suffer as I did the Homs girl."
Her blood roared in her ears; she squeezed her eyes shut, clenching her jaw. The agony threatened to engulf her as she shuddered under his grip. What if Camar succeeded? What if he truly led her kingdom asunder, plunged the High Entia into darkness, and drowned the world in his horrific vision?
Minute by minute, the possibility gradually turned into a probability. And it sickened her.
Camar let her go and moved back to the opposite side of the couch, the anger receding from his expression. Slowly, the woman tipped her head back down, her neck pulsing in pain. But Melia's heart continued to hammer; her senses on high alert. She knew this confrontation was far from over.
"Kidnapping me, torturing innocents, and demanding compliance will not gain my obedience, nor that of the people. You will only make the public fear and revolt against you."
"I think you give your people more credit than is due."
"They will see your visions of enslavement and genocide are wrong."
"If you're referring to the Homs, I will crush them. I have warned you time and time again that they are not to be trusted. But you never listened to me. Even after the attack on our people in Colony 9! Instead, you ignored me and chose him."
Melia felt her breath stop in her throat. She had known of Camar's jealousy, but had it been the catalyst for his revolt against herself?
"Is this all for revenge?"
"Revenge is such a petty word. I prefer to think of it as retribution."
"Then why drag Miriall into it? Does she have her own grudge against me as well?"
"Miriall?"
"There is no need to hide it. I know she is working with you."
Silence. Then, Camar roared with laughter. "Miriall is nothing more than a pawn of mine. It was easy to manipulate her. A woman with such little self-esteem led her to be so desperate for love. She would do almost anything that I asked of her."
Simultaneously, Melia felt both pity and disgust. How could Miriall have been so blind? And yet how could Camar abuse her trust without feeling the slightest bit ashamed? Had Miriall no sense of the wolf in sheep's clothing that she allowed into her bed?
Hypocrite.
Neither had she. She was in no position to judge.
"Do you really think someone so feeble minded could construct this complex of a plan? Since Dunban's arrival, I have planned all of this. The pipe in the field, the Soothsayer, the blackout, the stolen Scepter, the shuttle explosion. All of that was me." He laughed and kicked his feet up onto her lap, placing his hands behind his head, a satisfied smirk on his lips.
Never before had Melia felt such contempt for another being than she did now.
"You never saw the traitors in your midst. Frankly, I'm amazed at your naïvete. As Empress, your job is to divine immediate threats. And yet you couldn't see what was right in front of you!"
Her eyes unfocused, tuning out the scene in front of her. How had she missed the signs? Only in the past few days had she begun to put the puzzle pieces together. Too late. She should have let her step sister capture camar in the act the previous evening. And perhaps this coup d'etat would have been prevented.
Numbness pervaded her senses. Everything felt gray; far away. Apathy threatened to fill her up, all through her body up to her eyeballs. Was it truly over? Was there no way out of this nightmare?
"The fun is just getting started. Your female Homs friend was only the beginning." Camar said, his cruel words interrupting her thoughts.
"The torturing of innocents is abominable."
"You're right. It is...unfortunate. But it needs to be done. The High Entia must realize their full potential. I'm bringing us into the light."
"This is not how to do it. Please Camar, listen to reason." The desperation in her voice was unmistakeable and she hated herself for it. But perhaps she could appeal to his compassion, if any remained in his heart.
Camar sat up and swung his legs off her lap, eager. "I've waited for you to look at me in such a way for a long time."
She felt a pressure on her leg; the feeling of fabric rubbing against her skin. Melia looked down. Camar had his hand on her knee, moving his fingers up and down her left thigh. The Empress recoiled and locked eyes with the High Entia. Panic electrified her body. This was not something she was prepared for and she hoped it would not progress farther.
"You used to see me as a friend. I'd like for that again."
"If you truly do, you would stop all of this and restore me to the throne."
Camar stuck his arm out, placing his hand on the back of her head, keeping it in place. Melia struggled to turn away, but his grasp tightened. She stuck out her free arm, and attempted to shove his body back, but he gripped her wrist, forcing it down into her lap. The High Entia caressed her cheek, his eyes hungry. A ball expanded in her throat as tears grew behind the walls of her eyes. Melia met his gaze with a mutinous glare. But it was undeniable: her heart hammered in her chest in fear.
"Ah, Empress. You think to bargain your way out of this. But the wheels of fate have begun to turn."
Camar tipped her chin upward, his expression perverse and impatient.
"You're finally mine."
He closed his lips over hers. She struggled to move her head away, but he gripped her chin, keeping her face in place. She shut her eyes. An attempt to close herself off from the violation. Disgust rolled over her in waves. Every cell in her body rebelled. But his lips continued to roam over hers, ravenous and greedy. Tears stung her eyes as she tried with all her might to pull away. But to no avail. His grip on her head only tightened.
There was only one option.
With a deep breath, she pushed into his face and bit down on his lip. Hard.
The High Entia yelped and pulled back, touching his bottom lip gingerly. Melia in turn wiped her mouth of saliva and blood, wishing to rid herself of any remnants of the kiss. And of him on her skin.
"You bitch!"
Before she could move, Camar raised his back hand and slapped her fully across the face. Stars filled Melia's vision and pain exploded in her cheek. As her sight cleared, the Empress gently reached to touch the injured skin. The stinging vibrated throughout her cheek, extending across her face. Angry tears welled up in her eyes, but she matched his gaze, unafraid.
"I will never yield to you."
"Just you wait. Soon, you'll be begging me."
He rose and stormed out of the room. When the lock clicked behind him, a breath of relief escaped her body. Now alone, her shield came down. Long imprisoned tears escaped her eyes, trailing down her cheeks. Sobs wracked her body, riding the tidal wave of anxiety intermingled with despair. The Empress buried her head in her hands. Truly, she was lost. And spending her life as the plaything of Camar was a horrifying prospect.
But not all hope was lost. The voice whispered to her, forcing her to wipe the tears away and climb out of the anguish. Serenity was still out there. And most likely Tyrea as well. If she could get word to them of her location, there was still a chance she could beat Camar at his own game.
Mind reeling, the Empress tried to construct a plan of escape. One possibility was to set fire to the room. But then there was little chance of her escaping the clutches of the guards. Another idea would be to force her way through the steel partition somehow and see if she could escape through the room that lay beyond it.
"Melia?" A voice called out, interrupting her thoughts.
Her heart stopped. She knew that voice.
"Fiora?"
"It's nice to hear a friendly voice." The words were faint, originating beyond the partition.
"Fiora! Are you okay?" Melia rose from her spot on the sofa, and winced. The handcuff pressed into her wrist, leaving a small cut. Gritting her teeth, Melia pulled against it, testing how heavy the table was. It moved, but not without effort. Slowly, the High Entia advanced towards the partition, dragging the end table behind her. With each step, the shackle cut into her skin, but she refused to stop, willing herself to ignore the pain. Finally, she reached the partition and dropped to her knees, the muscles in her left arm protesting. She ignored the few trails of blood that ran down her wrist. A small price to pay to reach her friend. Leaning against the partition, Melia peeked through its holes. Fiora lay a few feet away on the other side. Despite the barrier, the High Entia could see bloodstains on the Homs' clothes and the paleness of her skin.
If only Melia could get to her, she could heal her injuries.
"How are you?"
"I'll be okay, Melia. Don't worry about me." Fiora forced herself to sit up. "I've been through worse, right? I was forced into an entirely different body before. I'll heal." The Homs gave the High Entia a weak smile.
"Fiora, I'm so sorry." Melia's voice cracked; the tears eager to take hold and wrench her body apart.
"You don't have anything to be sorry about. You didn't do this."
"But I asked you to come here. I asked you to stay."
"I chose to stay here. That was my decision, not yours."
"But I—"
"No, Melia. I will not let you feel guilty about this."
Straining, Fiora crawled over to the partition. Melia put her hand on the wall, and Fiora reached up. Their fingertips touched. A brief moment of comfort in the storm.
"I heard Camar. Did he threaten you?"
"Not in so many words."
"He didn't...try anything, did he?"
Melia averted her gaze, feeling shame rise in her cheeks, and quickly switched the subject. "Have they tended to your wounds?"
"No. Camar ordered the guards to leave me alone."
"If you can turn around, I can heal you. At least, partly." The holes in the partition were large enough to allow ether spells to flow through them. It wouldn't be a perfect job, but it would no doubt help the Homs woman.
"Are you sure? You're hurt."
"Please. It's the very least I can do."
Sweating, Fiora rotated her body about three-fourths of the way towards Melia. "This is as much as I can go."
"That's alright. Can you...lift up your shirt?"
Melia saw her hesitate. Between the scarring from the shuttle fire and the whipping, Melia could only imagine what Fiora must be imagining in her mind. With one hand, Fiora lifted up the shirt to expose her back. The High Entia stifled a gasp. Trails of dried blood crisscrossed over the skin. The wounds were blaring red; she could see they ran deep into the flayed flesh. Bits of skin hung from the wounds; remnants of the whip's lash. Blood still pooled out of one or two of the wounds, slowly, as if the veins were draining all they had.
"That bad, huh?"
"No, no. I've seen worse."
"When?"
Melia searched for anything her mind to distract Fiora as she prepared herself for the ether spell.
"Do you remember when Reyn tripped and fell into that pit in the Makna Forest?"
Fiora giggled. "Oh yeah. Riki took his hat and ran away with it."
"Then Reyn pursued him, and ended up falling into that Hode booby trap."
"That was pretty funny. Reyn was so mad!"
"That gash on his forehead was very deep as well. Earned for such a silly reason."
"Well, Reyn is a walking magnet for trouble."
"Too true." Melia drew herself up. "Are you ready? It will sting quite a bit."
"I'm ready."
The Empress closed her eyes, imagining white light flowing through her hands. It was warm, comforting, healing. She visualized it covering the whole of Fiora's injuries, seeping into each one with its heat, washing away the pain. Opening her eyes, Melia whispered the words of the spell and felt the healing magic stream from her palms. Spirals of light danced into each slash, and Melia wished for the wounds to close, and to replenish Fiora's strength.
Moments passed, and weariness set in. Melia held on, pushing her straining ether abilities. She wanted to give every inch of her magic to the spell and relieve Fiora of the physical and emotional scars of the trauma. Finally, Melia gave way. The ether flow disappeared and she felt her stomach drop out. The Homs Entia slumped against the partition eyelids fluttering.
As she recovered, Melia saw that Fiora's back was still a mismatch of reds and pinks, but the wounds were closed, no longer bleeding. The hanging stirps of skin had fallen to the ground, replaced by new cells, covering the injuries.
"Melia, I feel much better. Thank you." Fiora said and turned back towards her.
"I'm just glad you're feeling better." Melia smiled, already hearing the newfound strength in her friend's voice.
Silence settled between them. Exhaustion trickled into her bloodstream, fatiguing her entire body. Fear attempted to invade, but the lethargy was too great. And for that, the Empress was thankful. She'd been afraid enough for one day. She would happily give in to any other emotion or physical feeling.
After a moment, Fiora broke the silence and asked, "Melia, in case we die, can you please please please tell me what's going on between you and Dunban?"
"What?"
"I need a distraction. And this is perfect."
Melia gave her a weak smile. "Really? Are you sure you want to know?"
"Yes! He won't tell me anything."
"This isn't strange? Me talking about your brother in..." She blushed, "In a romantic way?"
"Not at all! I'm dying to know. Truly."
"Alright..." The Empress trailed off, unconvinced.
"So...have you guys talked about it yet?"
"It?"
"You know...what's going on between the two of you."
A blush crept into the High Entia's face as she whispered, "Yes. We've had a few conversations."
"So you're dating."
"I'm not sure that's how you would classify our situation."
"Melia, it's like pulling teeth here. You've got to give me some more." Fiora complained.
The High Entia giggled. It was nice to see Fiora's regular exuberance, despite the reality of their environment. "Well...we had breakfast together a few days ago in my suite. He insisted on cooking."
"Ooh! That sounds delicious! And very romantic."
"I cannot disagree."
"I wish Shulk would make me breakfast. He's not very good at cooking." Fiora sighed, then refocused her attention on Melia. "Did Dunban apologize? About your fight"
Slowly, the High Entia nodded. "Yes, he did."
"Have you forgiven him?"
Melia thought back to the conversation on the beach. If she had only known what awaited her back in Alcamoth, she might have allowed herself to be gentler.
"In a word, yes."
"Ah, I see. Not entirely. That's good. Can't let him off too easy." Fiora paused, then locked eyes with her friend. Melia could see the mischievous glint in the Homs girl's eye. "Have you guys kissed yet?"
"Excuse me?!" Melia straightened, her face hot. This was certainly not something she expected to discuss with Fiora.
"Judging from your response, I'm gonna guess not."
Melia fidgeted with her hands and mumbled, "It's not as though we haven't had the chance to..."
"But it hasn't happened yet?"
"We keep getting interrupted." Melia sighed, returning to her slumped position against the partition.
"Prolonged passion makes it all the more sweeter."
"Fiora!"
"Sorry! I read that in one of those trashy romance novels." Fiora giggled, running her hands through her hair. "Are you nervous?"
Melia turned her head away, knowing her face was turning a bright red. Of course she was nervous. But she dare not say it aloud.
"I'm sure he's as nervous as you."
"What makes you say that?"
"He doesn't give his heart away easily. He's only had one other relationship other than Senara. And it was pretty clear that she wasn't interested in something serious within a few months. It wasn't a bad breakup, don't get me wrong. Dunban's always a gentleman. But it was about three years after the fact that he met and pursued Senara."
Curious. And how long had it been since his relationship with Senara? Three years as well.
"Should you be sharing this information with me?
"Maybe. Maybe not. Act surprised if he tells you though!" Fiora winked.
"I will do my best."
"Does it make you feel a little better though? That he might be nervous too?"
"Honestly, yes."
"Then it was worth telling you. Even if he gets mad at me." Fiora grinned. "This is a great distraction. You know Dunban's birthday is coming up, right? What are you gonna give him as a present?"
The Empress smiled. Fiora knew how to brighten the mood, even in the darkest of times.
But before Melia had a chance to retort, the door swung open across the room. Melia snapped her head over her shoulder to see Camar, chest heaving, eyes enflamed.
"It's time for the main event, Empress. I hope you're ready to greet your public."