The next day, Susan was dragged out of her prison cell, bound in chains, and forced to walk to the investigation ground. The soldiers led her to a chair, where she was seated and her hands were bound behind her. The soldiers stood around her, their eyes gleaming with a mixture of curiosity and malice.
One of the soldiers, a burly man with a cruel grin, stepped forward. "Well, well, well, look what we have here," he sneered. "You shouldn't be in a situation like this, sweetheart. I could help you, if you're willing to leave your body for me." He chuckled, his eyes roving over Susan's face.
Susan's heart raced with fear, but she refused to show weakness. She glared at the soldier, her eyes flashing with defiance.
The soldier laughed, his face inches from hers. "Oh, I like a feisty one," he whispered, his breath hot against her skin. "I could make this all go away, if you just give me what I want."
Susan spat in his face, her saliva hitting his cheek. Some of the guards at the back laughed and whispered, their eyes fixed on the scene.
The soldier's face turned red with rage. He lifted his hand, and Susan flinched, expecting a blow. But instead, he gave her a hot slap across her cheek, the sound echoing through the investigation ground.
"Brazen fool!" he snarled, his eyes blazing with anger. "You'll pay for that."
Susan's cheek stung, but she refused to cry out. She glared at the soldier, her eyes burning with hatred.
The king's voice cut through the tension. "Enough!" he barked, his eyes fixed on the soldier. "We're here to investigate, not to indulge in your base desires."
The soldier stepped back, his face still red with anger. The king turned to Susan, his eyes cold and calculating.
"So, Susan," he said, his voice dripping with malice. "Tell me, what do you know about the queen's involvement in dark magic?"
Susan's heart raced, but she refused to betray her queen. She shook her head, her eyes fixed on the king.
"I know nothing, I am the only one who worship the moon goddess, the queen is not aware of it, Your Majesty," she said, her voice firm.
The king's eyes narrowed. "We'll see about that," he said, his voice dripping with menace.
Queen Lili sat upon her royal chair, her hands clasped together in a tight grip, her eyes fixed on Emma as she rushed inside her chambers.
"Greetings, my Queen," Emma said, her voice trembling. "I have a report to make. Susan is being investigated in the palace right now."
The queen's eyes widened in shock. "Susan? Didn't she escape?" she asked, her voice laced with concern.
Emma hesitated before answering. "She was caught, Your Majesty. I don't know the details, but I overheard the guards talking. They said she was found with... with things that belonged to the moon goddess."
The queen's face paled. She stood up from her seat, her hands shaking. "When did this happen?" she stuttered.
At the investigation ground, the ministers arrived to join the king, their faces stern and unyielding. The head of the investigation team, a tall, thin man with a cold gaze, sat down in front of Susan.
"Royal maiden of Eridoria," the man began, his voice firm. "You refuse to say anything, but you claim that you worshipped the gods alone. What's the reason behind this?"
Susan lifted her head, her eyes flashing with defiance. "I was drawn to the way the people who worship the moon do it," she said, her voice firm.
The investigator raised an eyebrow. "Go on," he said, his voice skeptical.
Susan took a deep breath before speaking. "I saw how they worshipped, with such passion and devotion. I wanted to feel that connection too."
Lord Ravenswood snorted in derision. "You expect us to believe that? You're just trying to cover for the queen's heresy."
Susan's eyes narrowed. "I'm telling the truth, my lord. I would never betray my queen."
The investigator leaned forward, his eyes boring into Susan's. "We'll see about that," he said, his voice dripping with malice.
As the investigation continued, the atmosphere in the room grew increasingly tense. The king's patience was wearing thin, and the investigator's expression turned colder by the minute. Susan's defiance had reached its limits, and now, the cruel hands of torture would extract the truth from her.
A torturer emerged from the shadows, carrying a long, metal rod with a glowing hot iron at its tip. The air seemed to vibrate with malevolence as he approached Susan. The hot iron, freshly retrieved from the burning coals, radiated an intense heat that made the surrounding air shimmer.
With a calculated slowness, the torturer lowered the hot iron onto Susan's lap. Her eyes widened in terror as the scorching metal made contact with her skin. A blood-curdling scream tore from her lips as the agony coursed through her body like liquid fire.
The investigator raised his hand, and the torturer paused, holding the hot iron mere inches from Susan's skin. The whole place was heavy with the stench of charred flesh and the sound of Susan's anguished cries.
"Tell us, Susan," the investigator hissed, his voice devoid of empathy. "Tell us the truth, and this will end."
Susan's body shuddered, her eyes streaming with tears. She gasped for air, her voice barely audible. "I... I won't betray my queen."
The investigator's expression turned glacial. He nodded to the torturer, who resumed his gruesome work. The hot iron was pressed deeper into Susan's skin, and her screams echoed through the chamber like the damned.
The king watched, unmoved, as Susan's body contorted in agony. The ministers averted their gaze, their faces pale. Emma, hidden in the shadows, wept silently, her heart breaking for her friend.
In this bleak, nightmarish scene, Susan's resolve was tested, her loyalty to the queen pushed to the limits of human endurance. Would she succumb to the torture, or would her spirit remain unbroken? Only time would tell.
As Emma turned to return to the queen's chambers, she was met with a sight that made her heart skip a beat. Queen Lili, her majestic presence commanding attention, walked past her with purposeful strides, her golden gown shimmering in the dim light.
Emma's voice rang out, "Stop!" and the torturer, startled, halted his gruesome work, hastily bowing to the queen.
The soldiers, taken aback by the queen's sudden arrival, bowed their heads in respect, while the investigator, his expression a mask of surprise, stood up, his head bowed in respect to the queen. The king, his face a picture of shock, rose from his seat, his eyes locked on his wife.
Queen Lili walked closer, her eyes fixed on the king, and bowed her head in a gesture of submission. "My king," she said, her voice trembling with emotion, "I cannot bear to see my maid go through this torture alone. Free her, and take me. I did it, I did it, it's all my fault."
The ground fell silent as every side talks, and whisperings stopped, the only sound heard was the soft sobbing of Susan, still recovering from the torture. The queen's words hung in the air like a challenge, her gaze daring anyone to contradict her.
The king's face was a picture of confusion, his eyes darting between his wife and the investigator. "What are you saying, my queen?" he asked, his voice laced with incredulity.
Queen Lili stood tall, her eyes flashing with determination. "I am saying that I am the one who has been worshipping the moon goddess. I am the one who has been worshipping the abominable gods. Free Susan, and punish me."
The investigation ground immediately erupted into chaos, the ministers whispering among themselves, the soldiers exchanging skeptical glances. The investigator's face was a picture of shock, his eyes fixed on the queen as if seeing her for the first time.
In this moment of high drama, the fate of the kingdom hung in the balance. Would the king accept his wife's confession, or would he see it as a ploy to save her maid? Only time would tell.