Louisa's POV
Death is brimful of trick and mischief. He's full of lies and vice. But I don't care how craft and cunning he is, he can't take my life away today.
Maybe later. Not today.
I closed my eyes. I heard voices in my mind.
"Little rascal?" It's Uma's voice.
"Sorry, it's all my fault." It's Darren's voice.
"Do you take my rejection?" Lucas' voice.
"Concentrate. One step at a time." That's Lucian's voice.
"Your appearance sometimes is your best disguise." Vincent's voice.
"Take my hand, Louisa. And all of your misery will be over!" That's death's voice.
All the voices mixed and clashed in my mind, getting louder and louder.
Finally, all the voices faded away and there was only one calm and steady voice left.
"Open your eyes, Louisa." That's my wolf's voice.
I used all my strength to open my eyes and striking light was pouring into my view.
For a brief moment, I was blind by the dazzling light.
"She's back, Your Excellency," I heard Jafar's voice.
"I can see that, Jafar. Tell me something that I don't know. Is she going to make it?" Zackery said.
"Yes, Your Excellency," Jafar said.
"Yes, you've heard what I said, or yes, she's going to make it? You need to give me a more detailed explanation, Jafar!" Zackery's voice sounded grumpy.
Then, I heard Lucian's cold voice, "Your Excellency, if I may suggest, could Your Excellency come to the other side of the tent and take your seat? We can give the good doctor some space to do the operation."
"Her eyes are closed again! Jafar, why are her eyes closed again?!" Zackery raised his voice.
Jafar said, "She's with us. She's going to make it. Look at her wound. She's healing herself. Please take your seat, Your Excellency. I'm going to clean her airway and it's going to be a little nasty."
"I want that warlock dead! You've heard me, Lucian?! I want him dead!" Zackery said.
"Your Excellency, the warlock has already been handled..." Lucian said.
"No! Lucian!" Zackery interrupted him. "I don't want him to be handled! I want him dead! Do you understand?! Dead! Cut off his head! Put it on a plate or something and show it to me!"
Lucian said, "Your Excellency, there are many more ways to torture a person other than killing them. Please be assured that compared to what the warlock is going through right now, death is a mercy that he would strive for."
"What's the matter with you, Lucian?! Why can't you be angry even for once?!" Zackery asked in a cold voice. "He was trying to kidnap your brother!"
"That's why he has been punished, Your Excellency," Lucian said in a reserved voice.
"But this isn't justice," Zackery said.
"But killing him is?" Lucian asked.
"What we do isn't just about what we do, Lucian. We're sending out a message to the crowds. The message you're sending out by punishing instead of killing that warlock is nothing but weakness." Zackery sounded a bit upset.
Lucian said, "I would like to reassure Your Excellency that the warlock has already been severely punished and impaired by Alpha's imprint. He will be sent back to the slave market, where people will torture him to death. That's Alpha's decision and it's the final decision."
Zackery asked, "Lucas is a two-bit punk who can't even distinguish black from white. He doesn't make any decisions. It's you who are making all the decisions for him. You can make all the decisions for him, but one day and that day will come, he might find out that he doesn't like this arrangement. What do you think will happen by that time?"
"Your Excellency, Alpha Lucas has always made it very clear about his preference."
"I'm not talking about him. I'm talking about you, Lucian. You've done everything for Lucas, but do you know who he really is? What is his last name? Where does he come from? Who were his parents? What is his bloodline? A person does not just randomly pop up from nowhere in a dump site. Have these questions ever come to your brilliant mind?"
"No, Your Excellency," Lucian answered. "Because I know a man cannot be determined by his family name or his bloodline."
"I can't believe it. You're doing it again. After all these years, you still haven't repented. You and your famous speech on equality. You were cast out from the academy because of that speech many years ago, Lucian."
"But that doesn't make me wrong, Your Excellency," Lucian replied.
"So you mean I am wrong? You mean Guillaume's Principle is wrong?" Zackery asked.
"No, Your Excellency. There's no right or wrong in this argument," Lucian said. "Only winners and losers. My parents lost in the past."
"And you think you're winning now?" Zackery asked. "Guillaume's Principle about bloodline has sustained for thousands of years now, and you think you can overthrow it by your theory of equality? Who do you think you are, Lucian?"
"I don't want to win, Your Excellency. I couldn't protect my parents at that time and I had to leave them on the tundra. But now I want to protect people that I love. That's all I want to do," Lucian said.
"You and your brother should have been killed long ago, along with your parents," Zackery said.
"That was the plan. But we're still alive. And we're very grateful for the Late Queen's mercy. That's why we show our gratitude by trying our best to serve His Majesty and Your Excellency."
"You're serving Lucas, not us," Zackery said.
"I'm serving Lucas, who is serving His Majesty and Your Excellency," Lucian said.
"And that's why you sent Kylo's people to King's Land? To show your loyalty?" Zackery asked. His voice was full of disbelief.
"Kylo's mission is to protect His Majesty at all cost," Lucian said.
Zackery said, "That's funny. Because that's exactly what Dire said to Lycidas the other day. But the thing is, what makes you think that Lycidas needs your protection?"
Lucian said, "Your Excellency, you know the answer to this question."
Zackery was silent for a while and said, "Lucian, Lycidas wants to offer you a job as his personal consultant. You will be working with me to promote welfare for our Kingdom. Don't have to give me the answer right now. Think about it, and then let me know."
"Your Excellency, I don't have to think about it. The answer is no," Lucian said.
"You know I don't make the same offer twice," Zackery said.
"Yes, Your Excellency. I'm well aware of that," Lucian said.
Zackery paused and sighed, "What have I ever done to offend you like this, Lucian? If it was me who was left in a dump site, wouldn't you have done the same to take me away?"
"I would have, Your Excellency," Lucian said. "But life works in a mysterious way. I found Lucas, not you."
"Why do you hate me like this, Lucian?" Zackery said.
"I don't have any personal issues with anyone, Your Excellency," Lucian said. "It's all business."
"I want that warlock dead, Lucian. Put his head on a plate and give it to me," Zackery said, "That's my order and you can get out of my tent now."