Felixa lifted her head to search for the person trying to kill her. But what caught her eye was a little bundle of fluffy whiteness scampering around.
[Isn't that the white cat I saw earlier?]
Felixa followed the cat's movements. The place wasn't very well-lit, but as the moon peeked out from the clouds, the cat glimmered against the dark dirt.
[Is it trying to tell me something?]
Felixa watched the cat walking along the fence behind her and just near the gate, it disappeared. Felixa squinted her eyes and observed and she saw only the cat's head was visible and slowly its body followed it.
[There is a gap? So can I escape through there?]
Felixa's heart got filled with hope and joy that she has a chance to escape.
Maximus noticed that the cat had successfully gotten her attention. He was amused by her straight posture for a moment and he stopped the supervisor from whipping her, thus missing on grabbing her attention first. But it would be more fun this way to steal her attention from the cat.
But what can I do?
*Errawrr*
Everyone was startled by that weird noise.
[Who is choking a raven?]
Felixa turned to look in the direction of the noise to find a man wearing a silk coat and a cape lined with fur. He was covering his mouth with his hand and judging by the reactions of the men around him, it seemed like he was the one who made that weird noise.
[But why?]
The golden belt he was wearing had many gems affixed that glittered in the light of the lamp. She could see his facial features clearly as he was standing beside a lamp illuminated by a magic crystal.
Those same amber eyes and dark hair... And his thin lips pressed to a familiar smile. Her heart skipped a beat.
Why? She didn't know. But he looked familiar as if she has known him all her life.
[Hey, Wispy... Isn't that the boy you met when you were young?]
She felt something warm in her waist and only then she remembered safely keeping the stone there. Her hand naturally went there as her eyes met with that man, now staring at her.
She didn't know what to make of his glance; if she could call it a glance. It was so intense as if he was hiding a thousand words behind those fiery eyes.
Words meant for...
[He is not in armor like the others and wearing nice clothes so he must be someone of a higher rank than a Knight. A Duke..? Or perhaps the Brute himself?]
[Heh! How will the Brute stay and watch his traitors digging their graves? Wouldn't he be more time-poor, handling his conquests and training and all? He probably is someone else... Can he be here for me? Is he here remembering his promise and came for me? Can I ask him to speak to the Brute for me?]
Whoever he is, she needs to do something to get out of her current situation. And she decided to give it a try.
You'll never know unless you tried.
The ignored white cat could only sigh.
{I tried, didn't I?}
Maximus smirked at the cat and it showed him its butt as it turned.
"You want to say something to me?" Maximus asked unable to bear to stare into her eyes any longer. They were as mesmerizing as he remembered.
Julius opened his mouth wide and the other Knights were stunned to see their Emperor using such a soft tone on a woman. But they knew how to maintain their decorum.
"Shhh..." Lucy's grip on Felixa's sleeve tightened and she started trembling.
"Yes! I would like to have a word with you in private," Felixa spoke in a clear voice with no hesitation. Her first instinct was to bow, but she corrected it and did a curtsy.
She tried to shrug off Lucy but her grip was very tight and her nails hurt her a bit. She didn't understand why Lucy doesn't like her engaging with that man.
"Let go, Lucy," she whispered but Lucy didn't let go.
Judging by Lucy's face, Felixa understood that she is not curtsying properly either, or it could be something else that made her face pale like that.
"Sire! She's-" Claude Zemfir opened his mouth to say something.
Maximus was not pleased to be disturbed and he signaled the supervisor.
*Whoosh*
Duke Claude was hit by the whip. Felixa looked at him twisting in pain as he fell down.
*Whoosh*
Another hit.
"Don't directly engage with His Majesty," the supervisor shouted as he hit twice more.
Felixa looked at her father without batting her eyes. His plump figure was writhing in pain, trembling, and out of fear, he was biting his lips hard that they started to bleed.
[How does it feel being on the receiving end, father?]
She'd seen the same thing in Wispy's memory. There were days when she'd be beaten like that too. She'd be on the floor, hugging herself and writhing in pain. She wouldn't even let out a whimper because then she'd get hit some more. The beatings would seem like they would never end. They'd stop hitting her only when their arms are tired of hitting her or when they get bored.
No one helped Wispy. Her father did have the means to know of the abuses happening to his daughter and yet he did nothing.
[He deserves more than this.]
One of her father's servants tried to protect his master by covering him but the supervisor was not pleased and he started hitting more. Everyone stopped looking at Felixa and started their work; digging.
Felixa didn't mind the commotion to her right and looked at the man to her left. He held out his hand at her and she didn't fail to notice the corner of his lips curving up.
[His Majesty, huh? So he is the Brute?]
She had no idea what was waiting for her, but she decided to give her last try to save herself. Holding the stone she had received from him years ago, she walked towards him, taking in a deep breath.
She was not scared, she was just contemplating her next move in case the talks failed.
[I will fight till the end to survive.]
Her family who was digging, the men around the Brute, everyone was looking at her. Some were scared some were happy and some were surprised. But her eyes were focused on the man standing above her. As she got closer, he bent a little. "Here," he offered his hand.
She looked at his big hand that was visibly calloused, revealing his impeccable swordsmanship.
[Holding this hand... Would it change my impending ill-fate?]
Felixa wondered for a moment. Those amber eyes looking at her seemed to hold a lot of emotions and she felt relaxed.
[Hmm... Let's see...]
She held his hand and he pulled her out of the hole. In a moment, she was standing above those who had harmed her till then.