Setia stood by the window, dusk was setting in, and darkness was slowly forcing the day to recede. The great Dutchess of Emfer thought she'd feel relief that the matter was finally over. Tomorrow, the executioner will fulfill the sentence and Aktis will be silenced forever, and Setia will march on Fenigrid. The mercenaries had already gathered; she had over 1,500 souls under her command. Well, almost, Rosnar had them under his command, as Jefre rightly pointed out. Jefe did as she asked and disappeared. She didn't know what she felt—emptiness, regret, anger? She'd ordered him to disappear until the execution, but somewhere deep inside, she hoped he wouldn't be able to resist and would secretly visit her to inquire about her well-being.
So she did have a grudge against him, but for what really? For carrying out her orders. No, she needed to recover and come to terms with herself. She was starting to act irrationally. She had gotten rid of Tendred, a harmless husband but also a coward who would only become a hindrance over time. She had mixed feelings about Jefre. This bright-eyed assassin somehow had her in his grip. Sometimes she wanted to get rid of him, other times she craved his company until it hurt. He had betrayed Aktis, he had done it without a second thought. I wonder how long he would remain faithful to her until another, more interesting or simply younger woman appeared on the horizon? Her feelings for Jefre were ambiguous; she feared him and desired him. She wanted to be rid of him, yet she was terrified at the thought of him leaving her. That was the crux of the matter; for the first time, she didn't know what she wanted. Her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of the door opening. Moros entered her chamber. His face was etched with fatigue and tension.
"How do you feel?" he asked.
"It's all good now, but you look awful," Setia observed.
"It's the stress of the last few days that's getting to me." Her fake stepbrother sighed and sat down on a chair. "All this has cost me dearly. And Tendred…"
"Tendred?" Setia asked, surprised.
"I feel sorry for him," Moros nervously rubbed his forehead. "He didn't deserve to die."
"Tendred," Setia smiled. "My ex-husband was a weak fool. He let others decide for him his whole life. First his father, then his brother's widow, finally me. He was afraid of responsibility and challenges; such people have no right to exist in the world of power." Setia sat down next to Moros. "Sooner or later, my naive husband would have died."
"In the world of power," Moros straightened and looked at Setia, "what are we doing in this world? Emfer is a comfortable place, we can live here in peace. Why do we need more?" He looked confused and lost. To him a former slave, Emfer was a fulfilment of success he couldn't even dream of. But not to her. Setia had her reasons. She was done with her life so far, she made her mind and was ready to challenge her fate.
"Moros," Setia said, cupping her friend's face in her hands, "if I get Fenigrid, Emfer is yours. I spent my whole life serving as a sword to some wealthy lords who bought a piece of my life for a handful of gold. My father died for someone else's dreams. Enough. Now it's my turn."
She rose from her seat and walked back to the window. It was already dark outside.
"Go to sleep, Moros, tomorrow we behead the queen, and in two weeks we set out for Fenigrid."
Moros nodded and left without a word. Setia didn't feel like resting. She took off her mask, ran her fingers over the thickened scar. She went to the chest and after a moment pulled out a hooded cloak. She needed a walk.
Jefre poured another cup of wine watching as the guards were already nodding their heads he was sure his sleeping pill was working. After a moment, with the soft scrape of a chair being pushed back, he rose and went straight to the cell. Aktis sat there, leaning against the cold stone wall. Her hair was disheveled, her dress soiled. At the sight of him, she jumped up and approached the bars.
"Jefre," she whispered. She was terrified and alone. His once-powerful mistress desperately sought his help.
"Aktis," Jefre put his hand through the bars, and she snuggled against it. After a moment, she looked at him with hopeful eyes. "You came to free me?"
"No," Jefre's bright eyes calmly gazed at her former lover's tears.
"Why, Jefre, why did you betray me?" Aktis stepped away from the bars, anger flashing in her eyes.
"You know, I served you well. I carried out your orders, locked in a secret chamber, away from the world." Jefre tilted his head slightly. "You've never been seen with me. I was just your dog, a shameful secret, a killer. Here I have my place right at her side. We'll go to Fenigrid together. And... she's carrying my child," he smiled to himself, "though I don't think she knows it yet."
"You'll regret this," Aktis hissed. "She'll destroy you just like anyone else who gets in her way. That woman is ruthless and she is using you. It's not too late, you can free me, and we'll go to Fenigrid together. I will let you stand next to me."
Aktis gripped the bars tightly and extended her hand toward him. Jefre stepped closer and cupped Aktis's face in his hands.
"They'll behead you tomorrow, it'll be a great spectacle," he said quietly. "I have poison for you. Decide for yourself whether you want to drink it and die on your own terms, or be exposed in the grand theater of death they've prepared for you." His expression was calm, almost as if carved in stone. Her words meant nothing to him. Aktis knew she lost him. Rage began to boil in her heart.
"I won't die without a word," Aktis's face grew desperate. "I'll scream, the whole truth about this insidious whore and about you..."
"They'll take you out gagged with a bag over your head, you won't say a word." Jefre handed her the vial. "You're to leave like a queen."
Setia was walking quietly as she was passing the sleeping guards, faint whispers drifting from the corridor were barely heard. Unable to make out the words, she approached the door and saw a familiar figure through the crack. Jefre was standing, clinging to Aktis through the bars. They were kissing, and she only heard fragments of their conversation.
"...don't wait, this will be my last help for you.. that way you will escape on your terms."