``Take a seat," Cynthia told her, already seated on a chair in front of the woman.
The dazed Liona snapped out of it and took a seat.
Cynthia was greeted by the woman in a chairful persona before the attention shifted to Liona.
``So my dear Cynthia, who is your friend here?`` she questioned while clearly analyzing what sat before her.
Hesitance riddled Liona's mind but she did not show it as slowly she lifted the hood covering her head.
It took no longer than a second for the woman to recognize who sat before her.
The swaying, curly red-orange hair that mimicked the flames that gave her notoriety as "The Flame Empress", the soft skin and thin lips that made men's hearts explode along with ocean blue eyes that contrasted both her brash personality and her flames.
Features that only belonged to…
``The Queen of Randu graces me with her presence. Such an unexpected arrival indeed, im truly impressed my dear Cynthia``
The woman lent further back into her chair and asked why such an important figure would come to a place like this.
Cynthia prepared to speak but was cut off by Liona.
``My husband, your king is in need of help and your the only one who can provide it``
Silence resonated in the air for a moment before the woman blurted out laughing. Her hands slamming on the table the more she laughed and tears poured out uncontrollably.
The woman calmed herself before speaking;
``First of all he is not my king, that man has done nothing for us and second of all why come to me.``
Liona took a deep breath before telling her the reason why. From the severity of Arthur's injury to the failure of all the mages and her own failure.
The ever so nonchalant woman smirked as the story finished. She planted her legs upon the table and once again leaned back into the chair.
``So if I follow right you want me to heal him. I'll do it, for a cost of course.``
She already knew this was gonna be costly but the problem was how much.
``How much?``
The smirk on the woman's face grew wider as an incomprehensible amount came out of her mouth.
``100,000 gold``
Prior to this Liona had already been tense by the abundant amount of the dark aura present and the risk of Arthur's potential demise but this amount added an additional burden upon her filled plate.
1 gold was enough to buy a decent house in the lower ring but with 100,000 who knows what a person could do with that much.
``What's wrong, you seem tense`` the woman said still with a smirk on her face
The hands of Liona shivered as she pushed her seat back and got up. Her head tilted downward at the dirt covered ground and her breaths became shorter.
``Tense, Tense. Of course im tense, the love of my life is on death's door and a person I so eagerly trusted is aligned with the power of dark magic``
Slowly the smirk left the woman's face upon the power she held being identified with ease.
``What, thought I didn't know``
``Did you not think I smelt the scent of death that crawls upon your flesh. Yet still I stayed and hoped for this slight chance to save him but as a queen in the face of such a thing I must think of my kingdom``
``I WILL NOT ACCEPT A DEAL THAT WILL JEOPARDIZE MY KINGDOM'S FUTURE``
Turning her back to them, Liona prepared to exit before hearing that mockingly annoying laughter of the woman.
``HA. If you were truly thinking of your kingdoms future you wouldn't have turned to that door``
Liona adjusted her head to view behind her.
``Huh``
``What do you think will happen when you walk out that door``
She now turned her entire body to face the dark mage
``If that man you call king dies the kingdom your ever so willing to protect will suffer``
``Even though he has continues to neglect those of the outer ring I must admit he has brought more stability and peace to Randu than the previous 10 Kings``
``Kingdoms that once vowed vengeance on us now assist us in development. Think about it, without him present to rule it will both affect the kingdom and YOU``
What did she mean by this??
A thought that popped into Lionas mind as she listened to the vile mages words.
``What do you mean by me?``
``If the king becomes the deceased an heir must take over in his place, one of royal blood. Usually an offspring of his but you have no child so therefore the next in line is the one whose blood is closer to his… ``
``The Duke Of Aldonia``
The Duke of Aldonia, a noble man in his 60's that gained the title of duke by saving a neighboring kingdom. In his time at Aldonia he has constantly been in the view of controversy. From the moment he slept with several noblemen's wives to the moment he was caught with a succubus, a low tier demonic creature. A normal person would be executed for an act but somehow over and over consequence is never applied to him. Coincidentally he was also the brother of the former king and uncle to Arthur
``Yes. With him in power your title as Queen will be stripped but with beauty like yours you have a chance of being wedded to him.``
``But seeing as you came all this way to save him I doubt you would be marry him``
Anger and annoyance stayed present on Liona's face as she asked why she was being told this.
``I'm giving you a second chance. You can leave through that door without any resistance and lose the kingdom you say you want to protect or stay and pay the simple amount to save the man you love``
``Choose``
She was now placed in between two pathways, each with a consequence to face. She could choose not to pay and leave but lead the kingdom down a path of dismay she seeked to avoid or choose to give away such a hefty sum of gold on the slight chance that Arthur may be healed that could be used to assist in the upcoming winter.
In both situations a consequence will be applied that may be catastrophic in the future. She knew that Arthur would want her to choose Randu but her heart would not allow her to make that choice.
Many could be affected by this choice yet still she gave it no further thought.
Standing upright and still, Liona Winslow, The Queen of Randu made her choice, a conflicting one that would forever rest with her
``Fine.``
She turned slowly before walking back towards them.
``I choose to stay``
The condescending smirk once again appeared on the dark mages face as Liona walked towards them.
``But``
Upon hearing a but the smirk on her face halted.
``If we're doing this, we're doing this right``
Widening her hands, Liona revealed a symbol centered right in its palms.
Upon seeing it the mage could identify it was a pact. A spell that acts as a form of contract that binds the users together. If the rules of the set pact are broken the person who does so will suffer with a set penalty.
``You sly girl``; The mage said before getting out the chair she so comfortably sat in.
``I'll bite this bait of yours``
She extended her left hand towards Liona who stood on the opposite side. A similar symbol appeared on her palm and began to glow as well.
The light the two symbols emanated merged with each other before expanding around them like a dome that pushed others who were not intertwined with the pact out while also not making physical contact with objects it touched.
In the center of the dome the manifestation of a scale of justice formed, shining brighter than anything in its presence.
``I Tyra Scotia ask for payment of 100,000 gold coins for the healing of Arthur Winslow. If the user fails to pay they will face the penalty of death.``
``I Liona Winslow ask for the opposing party to heal my husband, if he has sustained further injury or is lost doing this process they will suffer the penalty of arrest without any hope of release.``
With the rules of the pact set in place the scale echoed the words;
DO YOU OBLIGE??
Setting her worries aside Liona replied ready for whatever may befall her.
``I Oblige``
``I Oblige``
Chain-like constructs flew from the scales and wrapped around both of their bodies. It tightened itself around the dark mages legs and arms symbolizing the imprisonment that was to happen if she failed and around Liona's heart to symbolize the excruciating death that was promised if she did not uphold her deal.
With that the pact was made and the dome vanished. The chain construct that once wrapped around their body was now present as the symbol of a lock on the back of their hands.
The pact was now made and there was no going back.