"Bozes, is that you!?", Hamilton cried with relief, as the two women rushed into the room, "Thank goodness you showed up when you did. Those bastards were about to-"
"We know, we saw the state they were in when they ran out of here.", Bozes replied, quickly doing a headcount.
"One of you needs to go catch them before they escape!", Nikolasha pleaded, "The bastards have to pay for this!!"
"Cole caught them already, they are bound up outside the room.", Shandy told them, reaching for her dagger, "Damn it, I do not have my blade on me. Bozes, can you please cut their bindings?"
"Yeah, I can do that.", Bozes replied, drawing her dagger from her hip.
As she began cutting the women free, Bozes noticed that the maids among them were covered in cuts and bruises. Looking away from her in shame, she instinctively knew they had gone through a lot up till now. When she got to Zorzal's slave, Tyuule, the former Warrior Bunny Queen looked at her with a disgusted expression.
"What is your problem!?", Bozes snapped, "I am trying to help you!"
"I do not need your fucking help!!", Tyuule spat, scooting away from her, "If Zorzal discovered I have been freed, he will double the punishment he gives me! Unlike all of you, I do not get a say in how I am treated! Just kill me if you want to help me, it is better than staying a sex slave for that bastard."
Understanding what Tyuule was saying, the maids requested the same as well. Worried for the safety of their friends and families, they knew Zorzal would be furious that they were taken from him. Realizing just how traumatized Zorzal and company had made them, all Bozes could do was hang her head in shame. She, like her fellow Rose Knights, took up this position to protect the innocent people of the Empire. To hear them ask for death instead of being happy to regain their freedom shook her to her core.
"Bozes, do not take it to heart. They have been through a lot and need time to process everything.", Hamilton said, as she rubbed her wrists, "It may not mean much to you now, but we swear to ensure everyone's safety here. That includes you too, Tyuule."
"Like I said, I do not want your help! The Emperor will order me to be handed back to Prince Zorzal no matter what you do.", Tyuule stated, eyeing the knights cautiously, 'If only that idiot did not have a mental breakdown, I would not be in this predicament. I cannot stab him in the back and rip his throat out if they are sheltering me!'
"Prince Zorzal and Emperor Molt are both gone for good.", Shandy said, helping her comrades to their feet, "Cole, we are going to need some blankets in here till we find some better clothing."
"Not a problem.", I replied, dropping a stack in front of the women, "Let me know when I can drag these two numbnuts in there. They shit themselves and it is beginning to stink out here."
Looking at Shandy with confusion, other than Bozes, none of the women understood what she was saying. Asking her to repeat herself, Shandy told them that the Emperor and Zorzal were no longer in the capital.
"Zorzal did a horrible job trying to negotiate, he almost got all the civilians outside the wall killed. Cole appeared out of nowhere, killed Zorzal, negotiated with King Mudwan, and brought Zorzal back from the dead. Once Zorzal was back, Cole brought Emperor Molt before King Mudwan and left the two of them with him.", Shandy explained, with a pleased smirk, "The siege has been broken, this means that Piña can become Empress now!!"
"Shandy, magic that resurrects the dead is only a fantasy. Even the most powerful mages in the world cannot perform that sort of magic.", Hamilton remarked, "Who is this Cole you speak of?"
"He is the God of Destruction, Nightmares, and Deceit.", Bozes told her, "Cole came here looking for Cedric to kill him, but I do not know why. Either way, he is our ally and the reason we are here saving you. Hurry up and cover yourselves so you can meet him."
Doing as they were asked, Tyuule took a position at the back of the group to survey the situation. Upset that Zorzal's death would not come at her own hands, she was already plotting how to get the revenge she craved.
"Come on in Cole, they are as covered as can be for the moment.", Bozes said.
Walking in dragging the two shitstains behind me, I tossed the two men at the knight's feet. Looking at both of them with disgust, the women spat in their faces and began kicking them in the stomach. As their hands and feet were bound, all the men could do was take the punishment and cry out in pain.
"Stop it you bitches!! We are still nobles of the Empire!! All of you will be quartered and drawn for this!!", Calasta howled, attempting to threaten them.
"Ladies, you have my blessing to do whatever you wish to these men. Kill them, trample them, cut off their manhood…I do not care.", I told them, "You have my word that you will face no repercussions because of this. After all, Calasta and Herm fled the capital in the chaos. They are not here."
Recognizing what I was hinting at, the maids grinned ear to ear as they stared at the men. Dragging the men away by their ankles, we heard their cries for help till a door slammed shut silencing them forever.
"Well with them dealt with, I will go find the Apostles then. Do any of your ladies know where they are?", I asked.
"Yes, they were taken to Hardy's Temple yesterday for more intensive healing.", Hamilton answered, with a grateful smile, "Thank you for helping save our friends and us. All of us had resigned ourselves to being turned into sex slaves like Tyuule."
"It is no problem, go find your equipment and watch over Piña. She will need all the support you can muster moving forward.", I advised them, "As for you Tyuule, you will be accompanying me from now on. I do not want you manipulating Piña like you did Zorzal."
"I do not know what you are talking about…", Tyuule lied, hiding her surprised expression well.
"You have an excellent facade, but it does not work on me. I know very well that your heart burns with anger, rage, and disdain for the Empire that robbed your people of their freedom and homes.", I remarked, "You skillfully manipulated Zorzal's mind and actions so you could eventually stab him in the back."
Unable to hide her shock anymore, a scowl formed on her face as she looked at me. Completely exposed now, Tyuule forcibly tore her restraints off causing blood to drop from her wrists. Trembling with anger, she drew a small poison-laced dagger from her under her outfit and lunged at the knights.
"I refuse to let all my humiliation and suffering be for nothing!!", she howled, closing the gap in an instant, "All of you imperial bastards took everything from us!! You turned my proud people into your toys, and painted me as a traitor to my kin!! Just die!!"
Taken aback by her sudden demeanor shift, the knights did not draw their blades in time so I had to intervene. Grabbing her wrists and hoisting her off the ground, I told Tyuule to just give it up. Killing Piña's knights was not going to undo Zorzal's actions or bring her any form of peace.
"They had nothing to do with that war or Zorzal's deceit. Killing them will not regain your honor or dignity, it will only worsen the treatment of your people.", I reminded her.
"What would you have me do then, just forgive and forget this happened!!", Tyuule screamed, as angry, frustrated tears ran down her face, "I endured months of humiliation, sexual and verbal abuse, and being treated less than waste just to have the chance to kill Zorzal."
"I am not asking you to do anything of the sort. This chaos has likely inadvertently freed many of your people. Take this opportunity to clear your name, reunite your people, and leave this world behind. You can move your people to my world where I will ensure the torment you went through never happens again.", I said, letting her go.
"Why would you help us? What do you get out of this?", she asked, suspicious of my intentions.
"I am married to two Warrior Rabbits whose people went through the same shit your people did.", I stated, "Consider it helping distant relatives and leave it at that. Now come on, we need to go meet with the Apostles and get the ball rolling."
Surprised by the answer, Tyuule nodded her head and followed after me.