Livia knew who Saer was. The face was familiar and one she seen in more than a passing, but she didn't care. She didn't spare Saer a second glance.
She instead rushed to his side, falling to her knew as her hands press on the grave wound to his back, trying to stem the blood. It was soaking into his uniform. The color of it quickly being enveloped in red.
She tried to heal him, to seal his wound, but her magic fell through her hands like seeping water.
"No, no, come on, work! Work, damn you!" She cursed, calling her magic once again. She knew the spell; she knew a multitude of healing spells! Not a single one would work. His wound would heal for only short moments before it started to bleed once again. The slash was so deep she could see the bones of his spine. Her white hands were soon drenched in his blood but she didn't give up.
He tried to turn over, to push her away, "L-l-leave me," he garbled at her. His head was bleeding and blood spills from the corners of his mouth.
His eyes were a mirror of the night sky, and they were wide with terror, but he still tries to get to his feet.
"Don't move!" She shouts, but he ignores her.
He stands in front of her and fumbles with the sword on his belt.
Saer's emotionless face breaks into a cruel smirk, "You were never good with the sword, brother. Spare us the sight and put that down. You will only hurt yourself." He mocks, his gate still slow and unrushed.
"D-Don't come any closer!" He yells, swinging his sword wildly.
She calls onto her magic once again, this time she gets a spark of purple light around her fingers before it fizzles out. She tries again and again, anyway. She thinks of all the protection and healing spells she knew and goes through the list. Very few stick to his person. The bleeding on his black slows once more, and it slowly starts to close. She focusses her all in that. He won't last a second more unless she stops him from bleeding.
Meanwhile, Saer humors him. He bats at his brother with his sword lazily, easily blocking his weak attacks all the while continuing to taunt and mock his existence. From his brother's stout appearance to his cowardice, and even his laziness. He boasts about killing all of his other concubines, about going after his newly appointed Empress.
"Your mother escaped without looking back," Saer says darkly, nicking his brother in the arm, "Her great highness was the first to scatter. It won't be long before my men find her and gut her like the pig that she is," Saer continues as he sidesteps his brother, who yells in anger.
He cries as he swings blindly at Saer. Even after everything his mother has done to him, he still weeps and morns for her.
Livia thought it was a waste of his energy. That woman did not deserve her son's tears. Of all the people who will die or have already died tonight, the Empress Dowager's death was the only one she felt true satisfaction in.
Livia finally manages to heal his back. Her magic is slowly starting to respond to her command, but it wouldn't be enough to take on Saer.
No, that would take time she did not have. She rakes her brain of destructive spells, something, anything that could distract Sear enough for them to escape into the forest.
She wasn't above playing dirty.
As the two brothers grapple with each other, she edges closer to them, a dark spell rolling off her tongue as her hands dance in the air.
Saer raises his arm, his face stony in his resolved (He pays her no attention at all).
"Enough. I humored you long enough, brother. Your filthy reign over this land ends tonight!"
His brother flinches away, closes his stupid little eyes instead of attempting to dodge the attack.
Livia throws out her hands.
A slashing hex whips through the air. A blink and an amputated arm still holding a sword lay on the grassy floor, oozing blood. It was a clean cut.