The once glorious Atherdaine was in smokes, totally helpless against her invaders. Much to the further demoralization of the citizens, the head of the elven king had been put in display in the town center.
The imperial general did not give chase when Meldor and his retainers fled. With the last of the defenders either slain or captured, the imperial soldiers turned to looting, ransacking and raping.
There were gold and precious gems in the Atherdaine, but to men her most precious loot were the female elves. Tall and fair, a beauty that is never tainted by time, they were nothing short of mythical.
But they were myths no more, on every corner of the town was a female elf violated. Their groans and screams, sounded throughout the hellish scene. But none would come to their aid, the soldiers found pleasure in their suffering. For what was once a proud race, had become powerless and humbled, at the mercy of their desires.
The one responsible for it all, had decided to reward himself with the Atherdaine's greatest price, the elven king's former home. Athelius entered into the palace grinning from ear to ear, reveling in the sights and sounds of the inferno he had unleashed.
The elven hall had walls and ceilings made of whitewood, floor nd pillars made of marble, and everything in it was majestic white. Athelius was not unfamiliar with the grounds, but it was the first time he entered as a conqueror.
Gone were the leering guards, or the maids that looked at him with disdain. He now walked through the torch-lit corridors as the new master of the palace.
The door to the throne room opened, revealing an even brighter and beautiful room. This was the site where he had slain the last of the guards, and where the elven king met his end.
Elevated on a flight of stairs was the glorious white throne. The seat of the greatest power for thousands of years. It was whitewood, living whitewood. Through elven sorcery, the elves were able to culture a whitewood vine to form a throne. Thus, it was made possible that the elven king sat on an ever glowing seat, which provided the greatest light in the room.
He remembered his first time meeting the elven king. He treaded as if it were holy ground, and he kept his head bowed in fear and respect. He was made to kneel along with his emperor, their eyes on the floor, and never seeing the face of the one who so proudly warrant their submission.
But that day, he saw him eye to eye. And he saw the facade of splendor break, as he plunged his sword into his abdomen. Wounded, the elven king was forced to his knees. He still revelled in the sensation he felt when his blade so smoothly freed the king's head from his shoulders.
The imperial general approached the elevated ground. He ascended the flight of stairs, all the while never once taking his eyes off of what was in front of him. Finally, at the top, he took time to caress the seat, before finally claiming it as his own.
"What is the meaning of this, Athelius?!" one of the captains below protested. A small company of his officers had accompanied him.
"I don't understand Eldorad?" the general raised his brows in pretense curiosity.
"That seat shall be reserved to the emperor alone." the captain spatted.
"That is correct, Eldorad. This is the emperor's alone." Athelius responded, as he made himself even more comfortable on the throne. He made a gesture to his other captain, who promptly unsheathed his blade.
"You treasonous basta-" Eldorad was unable to fully free his sword from the scabbard, or complete his sentence. A sword penetrated his side, making him gasp and fall.
"Tsk, tsk, tsk… Raul, why do you need to make such a mess." Athelius reprimanded, referring to the pool of blood that flowed from the dying captain.
"I am sorry, my lord." Raul replied, he motioned for his lieutenants to deal with the mess.
Four young officers stepped up, two carried the body away and the other two dealt with the blood on the floor. Nervous and unfamiliar with cleaning work, the young men only made the stains spread, earning the ire of everyone in the room.
"Incompetent underlings, that does not surprise me." a captain named Ulysis scoffed, triggering a round of chuckles. Raul responded with a hateful glare.
"Just leave it alone." Athelius said with a dismissive wave, not wanting to the tension grow heavier. The lieutenants left the blood stains on the floor, bringing with them their capes they have used to wipe the viscous liquid.
"Emperor Authilius, I congratulate you on your victory." hailed Ulysis, spreading his hands and making a slight bow. The general smiled at the daring statement.
Seeing the pleasure of Athelius, the rest of the officers, who were at first reluctant, joined in.
"I have caught you a gift for this occasion Lord Emperor." the captain jovially announced.
"Caught?" the general's interest was piqued, making him move to the edge of his seat. The devilish smirk on his face told, he already had an idea.
"Yes." confirmed Ulysis, he signalled to his lieutenants which were by the entrance. The door reopened, and all eyes awaited. But they did not see first, they heard first.
A female voice was shouting and cursing. Much to the delight of everyone in the room, was the entrance of a stunningly beautiful elf. She had a silver crown on her head, and she wore a beautiful light green robe on her slender body. Her green eyes were defiant, but she was made incapable. She was bound in chains, a metal collar was on her neck, and her hands were tied. The lieutenants forcefully dragged her nearer to the throne.
"This is the elven king's niece. The fairest in all of Atherdaine." Ulysis introduced, his finger propping her chin up.
"Kill me, just kill me. If you had any remaining honor, I beg of you, spare me my dignity" the female elf pleaded, breaking into a sob. But this was not greeted with pity, but with playful mockery among the imperials.
Athelius stood up and started clapping.
"Undress her for me." the general said excitedly as he descended the stairs.
The old captain obliged, but before he could touch her robe, the princess eyes glowed and her hair fluttered.
"Hands off me, you filthy human!" her words sounded like thunder, scaring away Ulysis. The halls itself trembled, and the lanterns flickered. A few of the imperial officers unsheathed their swords in fear.
Athelius laughed loudly, not in a bit deterred by the display of power.
"The defiant ones are the most fun to break." he spoke, suddenly assuming a more serious demeanor. As he approached, the elven princess visibly grew more nervous.
"You halfling! How dare you do this to your own kind!" she blurted out.
"Suddenly, I am your own kind, Athelia." he spoke softly, but anger was plastered on his face even as he smiled.
Panicking, the princess screamed and the hall quake once more, only this time stronger. Athelius stood unflinching, and cackled at her desperate move. Then he swiftly unsheathed his blade and placed it at her neck, making the princess stop.
"I thought you wanted to die, why do you now fear for your life?" Athelius stressed every word, while staring deeply into her eyes. Athelia looked away, tears still streaming down on her cheeks. She said nothing.
The general grinned at her reaction. His sword slowly descended, down to her girdle. The silk yielded to the sharpness of the blade, and severed, it dropped to the floor. The robe was freed from the tightness, but revealed nothing. It was then that he slowly parted her clothing with the tip of his saber.
The elven princess silently sobbed in shame, as Athelius expose her. Behind the robe was her rosy skin, and her breast.
"Beautiful" whispered the general, mesmerized. He cupped her cheeks and forced her to meet his gaze.
"You are mine now, Athelia." he whispered to her ear, his hot breath on her cheeks. "Oh, the things that I would do to you."
Ulysis cleared his throat, reminding them they were not alone. Everyone else in the room awkwardly watched them, unsure of whether to be aroused or to look away.
"Bring her to the king's chamber." he ordered to the lieutenants, as he removed his belt to fasten back her robe. "None shall touch her!"
"Any further orders, my lord?" Raul, unlike all others, was the only one who had maintained his usual disinterested expression.
"No more… you are all dismissed. And for three days, you are free to do as you will." he gently gripped Raul's shoulders as he addressed his officers. "But in the fourth day, we march."
"Back to Poldimer to take the imperial crown off that child's head."