Chapter 386: The Truth Behind the Betrayal
Liora rested her head on Alexander’s lap while he ran his fingers through her hair.
"How did you know I was here?" asked Liora, looking up at him.
"I didn’t," said Alexander. "I detected a large group cornering someone at the base of the mountain. I had a hunch it might be you, but I wasn’t sure. I’m sorry it took me so long to get here."
"You made it just in time," replied Liora, snuggling against Alexander’s abdomen as she closed her eyes.
"No... If I had made it in time, you wouldn’t be in this state, brat," Alexander said in a low voice. "What the hell happened here? Why did they corner you all the way out to this mountain? Did a civil war break out?"
Liora gripped the fabric of Alexander’s clothes, letting out a breath heavy with bitterness.
"It wasn’t just a civil war... There was betrayal from deep within the palace," said Liora.
"Betrayal?" asked Alexander.
"There’s a human... A chief advisor who gained the Spider Queen’s total trust," explained Liora, clenching her fists. "He orchestrated this coup attempt in Sandoria. He manipulated internal politics and managed to get my mother killed."
"So when I met you back in that other world... had they already killed your mother?" asked Alexander.
"No, they killed her when I returned," replied Liora. "When you met me, I had just been captured. That human advisor had convinced my father that he could travel to his home world, showing it to him as a peaceful place. His intent was for my mother and me to go together, but my mother would never leave the kingdom. Now I feel like she already sensed the danger."
Liora let out a self-reproachful laugh.
"But I was a stupid, spoiled brat who wouldn’t take ’no’ for an answer," continued Liora. "I forced my mother to let me go. I walked into my captor’s hands. As soon as I crossed over, that bastard kidnapped me and blackmailed my mother to abdicate to the Spider Queen if she wanted to see me alive."
"Blackmail" said Alexander.
"During negotiations, my mother demanded proof that I was alive," added Liora. "But I managed to escape from her guards in that world. They couldn’t produce any sign of me, and in desperation, they attacked other groups on your planet. In the end, I ended up with you; you found me in that destroyed cabin and helped me escape."
"That reminds me..." said Alexander. "What about the woman who accompanied you?"
At that question, Liora broke down. Tears began to stream down her face as she covered her eyes with her hands.
"She was my personal guard," sobbed Liora. "She was someone truly powerful... When you fought her in that world, her primary abilities had been sealed so she could slip through the portal unnoticed. That’s why you were able to beat her back then."
Liora took a breath, trying to stop the trembling in her voice.
"When we returned, my mother granted her total freedom and used a special technique of the fox clan to give her even more power. And even so... she was just killed protecting me. She sacrificed herself so I could run."
Alexander waited a few moments until Liora’s sobs began to quiet down. The rage in the fox princess’s eyes gradually replaced her tears.
"And what happened to the kingdom?" asked Alexander, staring down at her. "If your mother is dead and your protector has fallen... who is in control now?"
"The Spider Queen took the capital," said Liora, gritting her teeth. "But all is not lost. Forces loyal to the fox clan and survivors from other factions are reorganizing in the south. My protector sacrificed herself so I could reach the mountains and join the Serpent Queen. They are the only ones still holding the line."
"The Serpent Queen..." Alexander muttered, remembering what the spider guards had mentioned before they died. "They said she and her royal escort are fighting the Spider Queen right now. They even claimed they had her cornered."
Liora let out a cold laugh, shaking her head.
"They’re lying. They’re just trying to spread fear or fool themselves," said Liora with conviction. "The Serpent Queen might have fewer troops right now, but she is just as powerful as the Spider Queen. They will never be able to deceive or corner her as easily as they did my mother. She knows exactly what she’s up against."
Alexander smirked arrogantly and stood up, lifting Liora into his arms.
"All the better," said Alexander in a cold voice. "I’d hate to get there and only find more bugs to squash. If that serpent is still standing, she’ll be useful for putting that Spider Queen and her advisor in their place. Let me take you to her."
"No... We mustn’t head toward the capital," said Liora, clutching Alexander’s shirt in desperation. "The south is where we need to flee; they’re waiting for me there. If we head back toward the capital, they’ll be waiting for us. They are far too powerful, we won’t stand a chance against them... Plus, I burned through my entire bloodline power. I can’t fight anymore, at least not for a few weeks or a month."
Alexander looked down at the girl in his arms and let out an amused chuckle.
"I didn’t say you had to fight, brat," replied Alexander. "Just leave it in my hands. I’m pretty strong, you know?"
"No, you can’t!" protested Liora, furrowing her brow and lightly hitting his shoulder. "The women you just killed aren’t even part of the royal guard! The only truly dangerous members of that unit were killed by my protector before she died. The ones you slaughtered are just worthless trash, third-rate foot soldiers. You have no idea how powerful the imperial elite really is!"
Alexander stopped in his tracks and stared directly into her eyes, his crimson glare flashing in the gloom.
"To me, the elite and the trash are exactly the same thing: insects I can squash whenever I feel like it. We’ll go south if you insist so much, but don’t think for a single second that I’m afraid of your spider queen."