The Grand Archives of Cainhurst Castle were home to an untold number of books, documents and manuscripts, containing knowledge both common and elusive. Secretive even on the most trivial aspects of their history, the aristocracy was especially protective of its contents; only those of Cainhurst could step forth in this grand, sprawling library and even fewer among them had the privilege of learning its secrets. As such, it was rarely crowded, making it a suitable retreat to those seeking respite from the constant monotony of court life and for those who preferred to lose themselves in the pursuit of knowledge.

It was no surprise then that Lady Maria could regularly be found here, pouring over countless documents for seemingly zero purpose. Today, however, was different. She knew exactly what she was looking for when coming here and under the dim light of her candle, she carefully analyzed every word on the pages in front of her, ensuring that she didn't miss a single detail.

With a frustrated sigh, Maria closed yet another unhelpful journal and tossed it into the ever growing pile of documents beside her; she must have gone through dozens of them just today, on top of the dozens more she'd studied and cast aside in the last several days. And as difficult as it was to admit, the lack of progress was starting to weigh on her.

As she rested her head on her hand and pondered what to do next, she heard the sound of approaching footsteps. Looking over, she saw a young, female servant rushing over to her with a thick book in hand.

"Here you are, Lady Maria. As requested," the servant said as she set the book down in front of her.

Hiding her frustration behind a pleasant smile, Maria turned towards the servant. "Thank you," she softly said before opening up the book. But even as she started to turn the pages, she continued to hover over her.

"Is there anything else I can do for you?" she dutifully asked.

"Oh, no, no. You are dismissed," Maria replied, which almost seemed to disappoint her.

"Very well. Best of luck with your studies, my lady."

The servant then turned away from her and started to make her way back towards a set of stairs leading higher up the library. Maria watched her until she disappeared from her view, after which she turned back to the book she'd brought her. This particular one was located on the very top floor of the library, as well as situated on a rather high shelf. She would've gone and gotten it herself, but…

In spite of herself, the brave Lady Maria found herself clenching her fist and squeezing her eyes shut as she imagined herself making that journey. Just the very thought was enough to petrify her, leaving her to fight back the feeling of nausea forming in her stomach. After drawing a series of deep breaths, she returned to some semblance of calm, after which she dared not look up from the table in front of her.

She found herself thankful that no one was around to see her like this. Maria's…"bias" against heights wasn't something she was proud of and not something she would admit freely. She tried to hide it, of course, but sometimes, that simply wasn't an option…and during those times, she found that having someone nearby helped alleviate her fears. Someone she trusted.

Someone like Matthias…

Taking another deep breath, Maria began to flip through the pages in a futile attempt to turn her thoughts elsewhere. Days have turned to weeks and yet, her grief remained as fresh as the day she laid her men to rest. Had she been more like her fellow nobles, she would have spared herself this pain…but alas, there was no room for cruelty in her heart.

Maria remembered when Matthias was first placed under her tutelage. He had been unrefined, yes, but she had felt more at ease with him and the rest of his fellows than she ever had with her exuberant peers, save for her brother. She realized even then that a captain showing such weakness to her subordinate was ill-advised, yet she did so regardless. After all, what truly made them different from her?

Just as she was about to resume her studies, she heard more footsteps coming from the stairwell - though they were in sync with each other, she could tell that there was more than one person approaching.

"Make way!" came a voice. "Make way for the king!"

The moment she heard this, and realized the footsteps seemed to be headed in her direction, Maria rose from her seat and turned toward the stairwell. Sure enough, she soon saw the looming figure of her king descending down the stairs, followed by a pair of royal guards behind him. As he approached, she offered him a dutiful bow, holding this position until he came to a stop in front of her.

"At ease, Lady Maria," he said to her, allowing her to stand up straight and at least attempt to look him in the eye. The average resident of Cainhurst towered over regular men and they in turn lived under the shadow of His Majesty, who stood a full head taller than even Maria. But where others would cower in his presence, she and her fellow knights stood before him with reverence, for he more than anyone assured Cainhurst's safety and sovereignty.

With a warm smile, the king turned his attention to her desk and the myriad of documents she had accumulated. "Have We arrived at an inconvenient time?"

"No, not at all, Your Majesty," Maria assured him. "How may I be of service?"

"Oh, thou art already," he replied. "We are aware of thine inquiries into…the gift that Her Majesty has granted thee. It is no surprise that thou wishes to cultivate thine strength."

After briefly glancing in the direction of her study, she turned back to him. "That is my purpose."

"And Ours, as well," said the king. "Both of us live to protect our kingdom - and our Queen - with all our might, so it is only prudent that We aid thee in thine efforts."

This offer came as some surprise to Maria. "How very kind of you, Your Majesty. But I cannot ask that you trouble yourself with such frivolous research."

"Good. Because We come to thee with a different offer," he unexpectedly said. "Her Majesty wishes to gauge your progress, and as do We. As such, the two of us decided it would be prudent to give thee the chance to…demonstrate thy new abilities."

She realized at once what he was offering her, a realization that brought forth a mix of shock, eagerness and a good bit of nervousness. "It would be an honor, my king," said Maria.

"Splendid," he said with a nod of his head. "Then gather thy equipment and meet Us in the arena. Preparations are already underway." Somewhat taken aback by this revelation, Maria prepared to speak, only for His Majesty to interrupt her before the words even left her lips. "Oh, and do not fret over the mess. Thy fellow guards can deal with it. Can they not?"

"Of course, Your Majesty," one of them soon agreed. Though their helmets hid their expressions, she could still detect some reluctance in his voice.

"Our thanks. And in return, we shall treat ye with a proper spectacle. Of that, We are certain." The two guards dutifully nodded their heads, allowing the king to turn his attention back towards her.

"Now then, Lady Maria. Shall we?"

Upon her dismissal, Maria quickly made her way back to her quarters. His Majesty had not hastened her, but if what he said was true and that Queen Annalise would indeed be in attendance, then she knew better than to keep her waiting. Thankfully, she didn't have to travel far from the archives.

Once her door was closed behind her, she folded back her room divider and revealed her equipment space, as well as the new contents within. On the right-hand side was the silver armor bestowed to her upon her ascension to the royal guard, which was displayed on a dedicated stand on the side of the room. For centuries, it had been the most coveted mark of status among Cainhurt's warriors, but as she looked at it now, Maria felt…nothing. No pride, no reverence; nothing.

Once upon a time, she aspired to be a royal guard just as any other knight. But she soon realized that an additional title to her name was the last thing she needed or wanted. Regardless of that, Maria knew that Queen Annalise always intended to mold her into her personal servant - it was only a matter of time before she offered her a place at her side. She just wished it hadn't come at such a heavy cost.

Taking a deep breath, Maria set about donning her armor. Despite its material, it was almost paper thin and just as light, allowing her to move almost as freely as she would in her regular garb. The last item to be put on was a richly ornate burgonet helmet, to which was attached a short wig of silver hair. She kept the helmet's buffe - which obscured and protected her entire head - up for the time being, as it was rather difficult to see through it; this did not usually pose a problem to the royal guard as they rarely saw combat, with the faceplate serving a more decorative than practical purpose.

Once Maria was suited, she began to arm herself. First, she retrieved her trusty Evelyn pistol, attaching its holster to her belt as she had so many times before. After that, all she needed was her main weapon - for which two options lay before her. Her beloved Rakuyo, which remained on its display stand; or the recently introduced Chikage, which rested on her workbench.

Oh, but there wasn't really a choice, was there?

Walking to her workbench, Maria looked down at the seemingly inconspicuous sword - the sword that had consumed her every waking hour for the last several weeks. For weeks, the blade that Queen Annalise gave her had been the only one of its kind in Cainhurst, but as she had promised, recent shipments have provided them with dozens more. But before it can be universally adopted, its full capabilities first had to be presented - a task that once again fell to her.

And Maria had fully dedicated herself to this task. She resolved to uncover its secrets and in the process, unlock its true potential. Her true potential. Yet the more she learned, the more the mere act of picking it up terrified her.

Nevertheless, it soon found itself in her hands. It always did, in the end.

As she studied the blade's intricate engravings for the umpteenth time, her gaze turned to her Rakuyo. Walking over to it, she gently ran her finger along its blade, peeling away a thin layer of dust in the process. For the first time since she could remember, Maria would be going into battle without it. Whether it would be the last depended on her performance tonight…and Her Majesty did not like to be disappointed.

Some time later, Lady Maria finally attached Chikage's scabbard to her waist and turned to leave, hurrying along to where Their Majesties were waiting for her. Along the way, she passed by several of her fellow citizens, all of whom seemed to be heading in the same direction as her - noble and servant alike. And despite her helmet obscuring her visage, each of them somehow recognized her and stepped aside if she passed; whether this was done out of respect or fear, she did not know nor did she particularly care.

Despite these minor distractions, Maria finally reached the castle's indoor battle arena. While her soon-to-be spectators poured into the main entrances, she slipped inside through a secret tunnel, allowing her to go straight to the gate leading to the arena proper. There, she found several other knights gathered around it, chatting amongst themselves until they noticed her approach. Once they did, they parted for her…all except one, who stood completely still even as she came to stand right in front of him.

"You made it," said Adrian, recognizing her identity immediately. Maria could've maintained deniability and simply said nothing, but she realized she wasn't going to fool him.

"You expected otherwise?" she asked, her voice somewhat muffled by her helmet.

"No." Maria soon noticed him looking down to the sword on her hip, which he did with a hint of disgust. "But perhaps I hoped otherwise."

"I do not need your concern, brother," she firmly replied. "I control this weapon; it does not control me."

"I said nothing of control."

At once, Maria realized her gaffe, but chose not to acknowledge it, even if her silence on the matter was far more damning. "Their Majesties wish for me to demonstrate my newfound capabilities. I have no choice in the matter," was what she eventually said.

"Do you not?" Adrian asked as he took a step towards her. "Six weeks, Maria. I haven't heard from you for six weeks! You lock yourself in your study, toiling over this cursed blade. And for what?"

"What does it matter?" "Because you are not yourself!" her brother firmly stated. "You haven't been ever since your return. I can see it; everyone can see it. What happened to your men was a tragedy, but how long do you intend to let it consume you?"

"For as long as I need to!" It took every ounce of Maria's willpower to refrain from yelling, yet she was unable to fully drain the venom from her words. Adrian slightly recoiled, but did not back down, continuing to stare at her in a mixture of surprise and unease. Regret soon set in, but just as she was about to try offering an apology, they heard the arena erupt in cheers and just as quickly, fall completely silent.

"Good evening, friends!" came the voice of Queen Annalise, which echoed throughout the building. "We share in thine excitement, so We shall keep this brief. A spectacle unlike any other awaits us - a display of our kingdom's unparalleled might. And with our last major gathering still fresh in thy minds, our first contestant surely needs no introduction!"

Recognizing her cue, Maria looked back at Adrian, who continued to stand in her way. He continued to do so up until the moment the wooden gate began to rise behind him, which was when he finally stepped aside, even if he did so reluctantly. After sparing one last glance at her brother, she stepped forward and emerged into the arena to the cheers of the crowd.

She found herself a large circular area resembling a coliseum, with a domed ceiling shielding them from the persistent cold. It had been built to accommodate almost the entire population of the castle; just over 400 people, who would be seated on several dedicated floors. The lowest tier was reserved to nobility, with knights being reserved to the middle and regular servants to the very top. There were also two dedicated seats for the King and Queen on the northernmost end of the arena, only one of which was presently occupied.

"And the same can surely be said of her opponent," said Queen Annalise, with just this vague mention being enough to drive the crowd into a frenzy. "But nevertheless, please join Us in welcoming thy stalwart defender, and Our beloved husband - King Logarius!"

Before Maria's eyes, a gate at the opposite end of the arena opened. And out of it stepped His Majesty, the King, who was welcomed by a roaring applause. As the crowd chanted his name, he warmly smiled and waved to his subjects, acknowledging the devotion and praise they were lavishing upon him. And though she herself remained stoically silent, she could not deny that it was well deserved.

"We thank you!" With a hearty chuckle, he turned towards where Queen Annalise was seated and bowed to her like a showman taking the stage. "And We thank our Queen for her most flattering introduction." In response, Her Majesty drew a rare genuine smile, which remained even after her husbands turned away from her and towards Maria. "And as for thee, most noble Lady Maria, may ours be a battle for the ages!"

Once again, the crowd cheered, but to this Maria paid only passing attention. Her mind was squarely focused on her opponent, of whose technique and ability she knew little. Yet she - like all those in Cainhurst - had heard tales of his prowess, tales that she did not doubt. And so, she first acknowledged his challenge with a respectful bow, which he himself recognized with a nod of his head.

"Now…bring Us Our weapons!"

As the crowd roared, several members of the royal guard made their way to their king, approaching him from both sides of the arena. On the right, a single guard carried a long, almost wavy sword; on the left, two others carried an enormous, crooked staff, with a jagged scythe-like blade attached to the top. Upon reaching His Majesty, the guards held out the weapons to him, both of which he accepted without even turning his gaze from her. As his fingers curled around the hilt of his sword and the wood of his staff, King Logarius sighed in contentment.

"It has been far too long…" he said as if to himself before pointing the tip of his sword at her. "Go on, then. Show Us what the 'future of Cainhurst' holds!"

Taking a deep breath, Maria drew Chikage from its scabbard, tightly gripping its hilt in one hand as she stared down her opponent, while Queen Annalise looked down on them from above.

"Begin!"

Immediately, Maria sprung into action and rushed towards her king, who in contrast to her approached with a slow and composed walk. Once the distance between them was cleared, it was she who swung first, an attack that he easily managed to deflect with his own sword. This itself was not surprising, but rather the force with which he did it; just the collision of their blades alone came close to knocking her off balance.

Thankfully, she was able to maintain her balance and assail her opponent with a flurry of slashes with her sword. During her training, she found that this new weapon of hers handled quite similarly to her Rakuyo, allowing her to adapt to it rather quickly. However, this didn't do her much good, as His Majesty was able to deflect each and every one of her attacks, all while continuing his steady advance.

"Impressive technique." With this comment, he finally swung his sword and properly parried her latest attack. The sheer force of the impact caused Maria to stumble backward, almost making her drop the Chikage in the process. By some miracle, she was able to recover just in time to block His Majesty's attempt at a riposte…and by another miracle, her sword didn't end up shattering in the process.

"But We have seen much greater skill than thine. What truly separates thee from the rest?" he asked as she struggled to hold him back, requiring the strength of both arms just to hold back his one. And it was this discrepancy that finally allowed His Majesty to break their stalemate, as with a single slam of his staff, he unleashed a shockwave that sent Maria flying like a ragdoll and tumbling along the ground. However, it wasn't long until she managed to catch herself and get back on her feet, ignoring the aching pain in her arms as she stared her opponent down, whose staff now glowed with a ghastly red hue.

"SHOW US!"

With a sudden burst of speed, King Logarius charged at her, leaving her with no choice but to weave between the lightning quick swings he unleashed upon her. In an attempt to slow him down, Maria drew and fired her pistol, only for him to effortlessly avoid her bullets by quickly drifting to the side; for a moment, it almost seemed like he was levitating through the air. Regardless of his means, it allowed His Majesty to once again put Maria on the backfoot. Even putting aside the pace of his attacks, his vastly superior strength and larger weapon made any attempt at parrying ill-advised - unless she wished to see the bones in her arms shattered. But she needed a way to put him back on the defensive and fast.

Said opportunity finally presented itself when she saw her opponent preparing for a horizontal swing. Having acquired some awareness of his timing, Maria dashed forward rather than back, elegantly dodging under his blade while readying her own. But in the split second that followed, she spotted something out of the corner of her eye; a strange, orange glow. And almost the moment she became aware of this, an explosion rang out behind her, propelling her further than she intended and causing her to completely miss her mark.

Landing on her hands and knees some distance away, Maria turned her head just in time to see His Majesty's scythe swinging towards her. Letting her instincts take over for just a moment, she rolled to the side, allowing the weapon to just barely miss her. Before she'd even finished her maneuver, the king attacked again, this time swinging his scythe down at an angle. Seeing, Maria raised her sword in order to defend herself and although she buckled under the sheer force of his swing, she managed to stop the jagged pick from driving straight into her skull. Yet as she struggled against it, she heard… no, felt something from within the weapon's edge – something that made her blood run cold.

Whispers.

Curses.

And screams. Screams of pure anguish.

"By the Great Ones…" she uttered in horror.

The armies of Europe often spoke of a legendary warrior king, one capable of decimating entire legions single-handed; one who ensured that those who threatened his realm, or his Queen, suffered…and would continue to suffer far after he cut them down. And so, no one dared threaten his realm, lest they earn his wrath - this reaper from the snow.

The Cainhurst Executioner.

"To protect one's kingdom, one must often take…drastic measures," she heard His Majesty say, but what she didn't hear was pride. "And as Our royal aegis, it is thy duty to protect it, by any means necessary!"

With a mighty roar, Maria pushed with all her might, shifting her weight to the side and throwing King Logarius off balance. Then, before he could recover, she gripped the hilt of her sword and thrust forward, its tip aimed at his stomach. But it wasn't long until the tables were once again turned on her.

Back-stepping out of range, His Majesty was carried into the air like a leaf in the wind, leaving Maria – and the observing crowd – to watch in awe as he levitated above the arena. Even Queen Annalise leaned forward in her seat - not so much out of shock or worry, but intrigue. And all eyes remained on her husband as he raised his staff high into the air, releasing a swarm of crimson skulls that swirled around the nexus of their prison.

"HESITATION WILL PROVE RUINOUS!"

With a single swing of his staff, he sent the unholy mass spiraling towards her. A cacophony of screaming souls could be heard as they descended on her like a meteor - too large and too swift for her to evade in time. And so instead, she stood firm, closed her eyes and sheathed her blade, listening as the souls of the damned approached to claim her. Then, just as she was about to be consumed, she let loose a bellowing cry, drowning out the wailing of the spirits…until both were silenced by an ear-shattering eruption.

Gasps filled the room as the onlookers observed the aftermath. A streak of blood surrounded the ground on which Lady Maria stood, ghastly sparks still falling around her. Yet she herself was unharmed.

In between heavy breaths, Maria brought her blood-soaked blade before her face, once again closing her eyes as she felt its strength seep into her – restoring her vigor and spurring her spirit. It had freed those vengeful spirits from their bondage…but it wasn't satisfied yet. It wouldn't be until their captor was defeated.

"Excellent." Opening her eyes, she witnessed her king slowly descend down to the ground, safely touching down a fair distance away from her. "Now…HOLD NOTHING BACK!"

And Maria was all too happy to oblige.

Their restraints now cast off, the two warriors charged at each-other, a scarlet haze following in their wake. What followed next was a titanic struggle. Her strength now amplified ten-fold, Maria was able to match his majesty step-for-step, forcing them both to abandon any form of defense and focus on ensuring the other received no reprieve. And amidst this clash of splattering blood and vengeful souls, Queen Annalise watched on in satisfaction, clapping her hands and filling the room with her delighted laughter.

But entertaining her Queen was not Maria's goal. Victory was.

Wielding her blood-imbued weapon with both hands, she swung it from side in quick succession, its transformed state allowing her to reach further and hit harder. However, His Majesty remained a nimble adversary; even after minutes of combat, the most she was able to accomplish was staining his robes with stray droplets of blood. With each miss, Maria's frustration grew, her attacks becoming more and more erratic as she chased him down.

And after one such careless swing, her opponent glided backwards, swinging his scythe as he went. But it didn't even come close to grazing her. Instead, an enormous ghoulish face appeared in the spot he'd just stood, its harrowing cries echoing through the arena as she rushed headlong into its maw. But rather than swallowing her whole, the apparition instead exploded outwards, blasting her off her feet and sending her painfully skidding across the ground.

"Such recklessness. How very unlike thee…" she heard His Majesty say, as if he were speaking his thoughts out loud. But this only strengthened Maria's frustration, compelling her to spring to her feet and prepare to resume their battle, stumbling ever so slightly as she stared him down.

"We…are not…finished…" she said between heaving breaths.

"As much as We would like to agree, thou art clearly spent," said King Logarius. "'Twas a fine bout, but thou must stand down. For thine own sake."

Maria's exhaustion was not lost on her, but every word that left his lips stoked her already burning anger. Their battle was meant to push them to their very limit and she had yet to exceed her. And even if she had, she did not want his pity or his mercy. How dare he insult her like this?!

"How…how DARE you?!"

Tightly gripping her blade, she charged once more, while her target stood still as a statue as he watched her approach. "What is the meaning of this? Yield at once!" Maria answered this command with a wild swing of her sword, which he only narrowly avoided. "Lady Maria! This battle is over! Stand down!"

"I SAY WHEN IT'S OVER!" she screamed at the top of her lungs as she continued her onslaught. "FACE ME, YOU COWARD! FIGHT!" Even with her challenge, he refused to retaliate, which only spurred her to intensify her efforts. If he wished to die, then so be it.

"ENOUGH!"

His powerful voice echoed through the room as he finally swung his sword at her, forcing her to dash backward as the blade cut horizontally through the air. Much to her shock, said swing left an orange streak along its path, momentarily making it seem that he had cut through reality itself. But as soon as this tear appeared, it exploded outward and although Maria was unharmed by the resulting blast, its sheer force propelled her back further than she intended, forcing her to dig her heels into the ground in order to bring herself to a stop. Looking again at her opponent, she witnessed him raising his sword over his head, imbuing it with a similar magic as his staff.

"We are thy king, and We will make thee SUBMIT!"

With this final word, he slammed the tip of his blade into the ground, releasing a small crimson shockwave on the process. Just as she was about to attack, Maria looked up to see an assortment of daggers form in the air above the king, their jagged edges pointing straight at her. Before she could even blink, at least half a dozen of them shot towards her, with several more following suit.

Refusing to back down, Maria focused up and with a few precise swings, managed to knock the first two waves out of the air, save for one that she caught by the handle before it could hit her. Throwing it aside, she took off running towards her opponent, weaving from side to side as dagger after dagger embedded itself in the ground around her. But her advance was swiftly halted when a sharp pain shot through her left leg.

As she cried out in anguish, a dagger drove into her right shoulder, then another in her left arm and another in her stomach. The overwhelming pain soon forced Maria to her knees as more and more daggers pierced her armor and flesh. The moment one of them hit their mark, they disappeared, allowing another to take its place. Her vision blurred. Her heartbeat raged in her ears. Blood seeped from every orifice.

And then, something extraordinary happened.

Mere seconds after the dagger in her leg disappeared, she felt the wound it left begin to mend itself and just as quickly, disappear completely. One by one, each individual source of pain simply faded away, as the blood that coated Chikage seeped back into her body. By "bonding" with the sword, its magic granted her considerable control over her bloodstream; apart from strengthening the sword, she could also decide how it flowed throughout her body. And right now, Maria willed it to travel to her wounds and hastened the natural healing process, sealing them in seconds.

This provided only temporary relief, however, seeing as the daggers continued to rain down from above, overwhelming her again and again. But this pain she could endure, provided that she stayed focused.

Rising to her feet amidst the jagged deluge, Maria focused on its source – the sword that still stood planted in the ground. Realizing that she had to destroy it, she trudged forward, focusing all of her energy into her sword. What blood had managed to escape her wounds flowed across the floor and into its pommel as she gritted her teeth, pulled her weapon back and thrust it forward with a mighty yell.

A torrent of blood shot out from Chikage's tip, traveling forward at a blinding speed. And that wasn't all. Much to her shock and awe, her blood burst into a spiraling flame, shooting across the arena and shattering the embedded sword into pieces. A dreadful silence fell over the arena as the remaining daggers clattered to the ground around the king, who for the first time since their battle began was utterly aghast.

"How can this be?" he uttered to himself, so quietly that Maria almost didn't hear him. But she did…and it made her break out in a dark chuckle.

"Do you see, now?" she asked as she pointed her bloodied sword at him, embers still dancing around it. "What I'm truly capable of?

"We see that thou hast taken leave of thy senses. Cease this posturing at once!" As he issued this command, he slammed the bottom of his scythe into the ground.

His scythe…

Its blade glistened brightly as memories of that fateful day flashed before her eyes – visions of her so-called "savior" as he cut down the monster that had torn her men apart. And as these images flooded her mind, so too did the feelings they had spurred. Confusion. Despair.

Hatred.

"Posturing…?" she repeated in a low, threatening tone. "POSTURING?!"

In a fit of fury, Maria raised her weapon overhead and slammed it into the ground, sending forth an eruption of blood and fire that enveloped almost the entire arena around her. As the inferno approached him, her opponent again retreated into the air and readied his scythe, as if finally realizing that words were of no further use.

Good.

As her opponent reached the apex of his ascent, Maria suddenly gave chase and leapt high up into the air – even higher than him, in fact. The height to which she traveled surprised even her, but this only barely registered as she set her sights on her opponent, readied her sword and swooped down on him like a hawk. The shock on his face was evident as he held up both of his weapons to defend himself, unable to stop her from crashing into him at full velocity. But even though he managed to stop her blade, their collision sent both of them barreling toward the ground.

The scythe-wielder's back hit the stone floor with a mighty crash, but even so, he continued to struggle against Maria, who had successfully pinned him down. Gritting her teeth, she pushed down with all her might, but failed to overcome his strength. So instead, she curled one of her gauntlets and began to viciously pummel him, drawing blood with every stroke. Seeing that he was disoriented, she threw her weapon aside and grabbed his, attempting to pry it from his hands. Yet he continued to resist - that was until she pulled him towards her and smashed her helmet into his face, loosening his grip just enough to allow her to disarm him.

Ignoring the ringing in her head, Maria threw his accursed weapon away and wrapped her gauntlets around his neck, squeezing as tightly as they possibly could. He struggled in vain to escape her grasp, clawing and pulling against her hands, but still she would not let go. If she only wanted him dead, she would've simply driven her blade into his heart and ended it there. No, she wanted him to suffer - as her men suffered.

"Yield, Lady Maria! We command you to yield!" Came the voice of Queen Annalise, though it fell on deaf ears. "Guards! Seize her!"

She only faintly heard the sound of metallic footsteps surrounding her on all sides and even more faintly, a desperate plea for them to stop. Suddenly, she felt someone's arm wrap around her neck and attempt to pull her off her struggling victim. "Maria, stop! Don't you see what you're…!"

"GET OFF ME!" she yelled as she attempted to push them off. "Get…off…"

Suddenly, the fatigue that racked her body became too much to bear. Her vision began to blur. Her heartbeat raged in her ears. And in spite of her efforts, her grip loosened, allowing whoever was trying to restrain her to pull her back. Maria tried to struggle, but even moving her arms proved too tasking, leaving her to be practically dragged along the ground until she was gently set down.

"Maria?!" came a muffled, but clearly panicking voice. Soon afterwards, she felt her helmet being pulled off her head, after which she was able to make out Adrian's face. "Oh, heavens…look at me! Breathe, Maria! Breathe!"

The removal of her helmet provided only a minor relief; her breathing remained rapid but shallow, becoming more and more desperate with each passing second. A harrowing chill spread throughout her body, one that quickly overwhelmed each of her senses. The taste of blood on her tongue, the sound of her rapidly beating heart, the horrified visage of her brother as he struggled to keep her conscious; they all faded away.

Then, there was only darkness.

...