Ixion let go of Cecelia's ankle after swiveling her around and jumping to where he was when this started…
'Two open rebellions in three days…'
Ixion scowled as Cecelia walked him down with an untamed fury dancing upon her face.
'I wonder if I can make it three!'
After all, Ixion wasn't going to punish her…
He never did, never would.
To him, living in this dying world was punishment enough.
He'd even let her keep her title and hopes that one day she may be able to change the system Ixion brought to a grinding halt from the inside.
'Ah… futility. How everything comes back to it!'
Ixion grew a wicked smile as Cecelia postured for an attack. Her back foot opened, her front foot pointed at him.
Ixion mirrored her stance, holding out the invisible blade, then he addressed the crowd. Well, what was left of the crowd whose curiosity betrayed their fear of death.
"Let us begin our skirmish, Cecelia of War."
Cecelia's blue coattails fluttered as she gripped tightly on the hilt of her rapier.
"Quit messing with me."
Cecelia lifted her front foot and stepped forward, feigning a strike for his neck with her eyes while thrusting her blade at his left oblique.
Yet, Ixion was much too seasoned in battle against both beasts and humans. Besides…
He possessed Soul Winder.
His Aspect, which allowed him to peer into the very Essence of a being and even touch or crush it as he wished.
So he had no need to keep an eye on an opponent to read their intent and move.
Ixion used his blade of the tainted man's soul and swiped the tip of her blade aside.
"A splendid attempt!"
Cecelia jumped back.
"Don't mock me!"
Then she struck again, this time with raw, unfiltered intent — she truly went for his neck.
Ixion glowered as he saw the attack, then lowered his shoulder and stepped forward. Ixion swiped his soul sword up, sending her strike off trajectory.
Ixion began whistling and humming as he stepped toward her at a terrifying speed, then gripped and twisted her wrist.
Cecelia winced as she dropped her blade…
But weapon or not, she was intent on carrying out her execution.
Cecelia gritted as she lifted her foot up to kick him away, but then Ixion pulled her toward him and lifted one of her arms high in the air, then spun her.
Ixion continued humming and whistling as he caught Cecelia's body and brought the revolution to a stop.
"Ixion…"
Cecelia tried to tear away again.
Ixion simply smiled back, then pulled her along.
Reading her soul as they spun intertwined, Ixion mirrored her every move as she made it; or he forcefully led her into a turn.
'Ah, this is art!'
The two were dancing a waltz, where one was trying to murder the other, and the other was insane.
An insane man too strong for her to hope of ever turning this forced dance into a dance of death.
Cecelia shouted as she tried to ground herself.
"This isn't a joke, Ixion!"
Ixion picked up the lithe woman and spun her around.
'If only I could dance properly.'
Yet the only dance Ixion knew was in battle.
He couldn't do these actions if his partner didn't want to kill him!
Finally, after two more turns, Ixion pulled Cecelia close into a tight hug, then dipped down and slid her leg through his.
The crowd that remained began clapping and cheering, perhaps thinking it was an orchestrated performance.
Ixion's eyes drifted around the crowd, then fell upon Cecelia's brown eyes right in front of him.
"I do hope we can finish this… inside the palace."
***
The rest of the day for Ixion was… annoying.
It was fun at first, upon his return, to see the palace in complete chaos and disarray. Everyone was pissed off at him, yet made no show of it in front of him.
But it got a bit tedious with the incessant noise and scampering about, just wouldn't end!
'Surely losing a measly 226kgs of gold wasn't this much of a problem!'
Plus, Cecelia took a while to calm down this time, but she had gone and shut herself away in her quarters at some point to blow off some steam.
At least the people who knew not of what their king had done seemed to think this particular incident was orchestrated.
As for Runa and the Lord of Truth, Runa was sent to be trained as a maid — with special treatment and her own quarters —and Lot was to be her responsibility.
'I love that bird so much!'
'He's the only one with any sense around here!'
Ixion sighed as he entered his chambers and made his way immediately to the table and fished out 'No Regrets.'
'That's number two done! And it was quite the exotic and exquisite pet I've stumbled upon!'
Ixion cast his eyes down the list, then began thinking on what to do next, as well as what to do tomorrow…
'Hmm…'
He should probably start on his autobiography, right? Since that would take a while. But what else should he be doing…
'Ah, I shall get started on my statue project before the people start rejecting my word entirely!'
And for tomorrow's agenda.
'Shall I visit my nameless friend? I should check up on Project Miasma!'
Ixion rolled up the scroll and placed it back in his desk.
His immediate goals had been set, and if he left his room, he'd be barraged with nasty looks and questions; meaning it was time to be a shut-in for the rest of the night.
Ixion pulled out the chair at his desk, sat down at it, then placed a paper page upon it. Following it, he placed a small vat of ink and took up his quill.
It was time to write the preface to his story.
The story of a noble king's treachery.