With a roar, Magnus sent the walls of the Ravenscroft mansion shaking, the air seeming to quiver at the force of his voice.
"VALMONT!"
Magnus strode down the corridors like a tempest of thunder, his crimson cloak billowing behind him. His footsteps echoed with the promise of a storm, which was his anger. Servants stood frozen on the spot, their faces pale as they pressed themselves against the cold walls, not daring to breathe as the Duke swept past.
A young maid leaned to her companion and whispered, quivering, "What's happening? Why is the Duke so angry?"
The older maid drew her aside, her voice low. "I don't know, but best to be out of his way if you value your life!"
Meanwhile, Selene struggled to keep up with Magnus's long strides, her exasperation growing by the second.
"Father, wait! Calm down!" she called out, nearly tripping over her feet as she chased him.
Alaric was a step behind her, clutching his side and panting. "Duke! You're going to scare the whole estate into thinking there's an invasion!"
Magnus ignored them both, his sharp eyes scanning the halls for any sign of Dr. Valmont. His hands clenched into fists, the veins bulging with the effort of containing his anger.
In the Garden
Duchess Evangeline sat in her serene garden, enjoying a quiet tea break with Queen Isolde, who had been staying in secret to avoid her husband's wrath. The delicate scent of roses and lilacs mingled with the earthy aroma of freshly trimmed hedges, a tranquil escape from the chaos of the estate.
That tranquility was destroyed when Magnus's voice rang out:
"VALMONT! COME OUT, YOU COWARD!"
The duchess jumped, nearly spilling her tea. Queen Isolde stiffened, her eyes wide.
"Magnus sounds like he's ready to murder someone," Evangeline muttered, setting her cup down with a sigh.
Isolde raised an eyebrow, her lips twitching into a small smirk. "It's the first time I hear him screaming like that. He always was a bit… intense and cold?"
"A bit?" Evangeline deadpanned, shaking her head. "I dread to think what's caused this outburst."
The two women exchanged a glance before Isolde leaned back, sipping her tea with a knowing air. "Whatever it is, it's none of my concern," she said, though the spark of curiosity in her eyes belied her words.
"I'll see what's going on," Evangeline said, laying aside her gardening tools. "If he keeps this up, he'll terrify the servants into quitting."
Meanwhile in the hall, the maids scattered like birds as Magnus thundered through the mansion, pressing themselves against walls and ducking into doorways. Some even dropped their trays in sheer terror.
"Don't make eye contact!" one whispered, trembling as Magnus passed by, an enraged beast on his face.
"I've never seen him this angry," another said, clutching a broom as if it would protect her.
"Who's Valmont?" one of the younger maids whispered.
"Somebody who's shortly going to be six feet under," was the unsmiling response.
In his quarters, Dr. Kieran Valmont sat and perused over the notes he had taken down during the examination of Selene. As soon as Magnus's angry voice reached his ears, his quill paused mid-stroke.
"VALMONT!"
At that, his blood ran cold.
What in the world…? his brow furrowed, confused.
Did he misdiagnose Selene? No, he had been certain of his examination. She was overstimulated—that was all.
Then why is he screaming my name like that?
Panic oozed in. He stood up and paced the room, wringing his hands. "Did I offend her somehow? Or was it something I said to the duke?"
He debated his next move: should he confront Magnus and clear the air, or hide until the storm blew over?
When the booming voice grew louder, Valmont made his decision. He grabbed his medical bag, intending to make himself scarce.
Let's not tempt fate, he thought, heading toward the servants' exit. Maybe I'll go to the stables. No one looks for a doctor there.
As he rounded the corner, Magnus' yell boomed again, this time closer.
"VALMONT! SHOW YOURSELF!"
The physician stood still; perspiration trickled down his back.
Dr. Valmont finally made up his mind: Run!
He grabbed his satchel and darted toward the back door, but before he could reach it, the main door exploded inward, splinters flying as Magnus stormed in.
"VALMONT!"
Dr. Valmont screamed, stumbling backward. "W-Wait, Your Grace! What did I—"
Magnus didn't let him finish. His fist collided with Valmont's face, sending him flying into a bookshelf. Books toppled onto his head as he groaned, dazed and seeing stars.
"HOW DARE YOU?!" Magnus bellowed, his voice like rolling thunder.
Before Valmont could recover, Magnus pounced on him, fists raining down like a relentless storm.
"Your Grace, stop! Please!" Valmont managed to gasp, shielding his head, but the blows kept coming.
Three nearby knights, alerted by the commotion, rushed inside. Their eyes widened at the sight of the Duke pounding the hapless physician.
"Your Grace!" one of them shouted. "Please stop!"
The first knight lunged to pull Magnus away, but a single backhanded slap sent him sprawling across the room.
"Your Grace, stand down!" the second knight yelled, only to meet the same fate.
The third hesitated but attempted to tackle Magnus. It was futile. Magnus barely flinched, shoving him aside like a rag doll.
The doorframe filled with new arrivals: Duchess Evangeline and Queen Isolde, flanked by several maids, all of whom froze at the scene.
"Oh, for heaven's sake," Evangeline muttered, pinching the bridge of her nose.
"Magnus, what are you doing?" Queen Isolde asked, more curious than horrified.
The maids whispered amongst themselves, their faces pale as they clutched their aprons.
Shortly after, Aldric and Damian peered into the room.
"Father?" Damian's voice wavered, his usual bravado gone. "What are you doing?"
Aldric stepped closer to Damion, clutching his arm. "Let's… let's not go in there," he whispered, wide-eyed.
Selene and Alaric were the last to arrive. Halfway to Valmont's residence, Alaric had collapsed from exertion, forcing Selene to half-drag, half-carry him the rest of the way.
"What the hell is going on?" Selene asked, helping Alaric through the doorway just in time to see Magnus raise another fist.
Alaric, still panting heavily, raised a hand. "Your Grace… that's enough!"
When Magnus ignored him, Alaric summoned the last of his strength and cast a water-binding spell. A shimmering rope of water wrapped around Magnus's arms, yanking him backward.
"Magnus, calm down!" Alaric gasped, sweat dripping from his brow.
Magnus glared at Alaric but didn't resist—at first.
Before being fully restrained, Magnus delivered one final blow: his boot came down squarely on Valmont's crotch.
The physician let out a blood-curdling scream, curling into a ball as tears streamed down his face. Unlike Galen, Valmont didn't pass out, though he wished he had.
The room fell into stunned silence, broken only by Valmont's groans and Magnus's heavy breathing.
Queen Isolde finally broke the silence with a raised eyebrow. "Well... this was entertaining."
"Alaric, let me go!" Magnus roared, thrashing against the water bindings.
"No!" Alaric shouted back. "You're making a fool of yourself in front of everyone!"
Magnus froze, his furious expression twisting. He scanned the room: Evangeline's sharp glare, Isolde's amused smirk, the knights cowering by the door, and Damian and Aldric peeking from the hallway.
Magnus coughed, straightened up, and smoothed his disheveled hair. His face turned back into its mask of cold, emotionless composure. "I see your point. Sorry about that."
There was a moment of astounded silence at the transformation that had just taken place.
Alaric narrowed his eyes. "Promise you won't attack him again."
"I won't," Magnus said equably.
Alaric delayed the proceedings only fleetingly, and then relaxed the water spell. Gone, Magnus dusted off his coat languidly.
He took another stride into Dr. Valmont, who was still curled around into himself amidst the floor in pain, Magnus looming over him like he was a dark specter of doom.
In the most low, deadly tone possible and gentle, he said, "Thenceforth, I will ensure your life is hell itself."
Dr. Valmont whimpered, his face pale as Magnus' finger slowly approached his forehead.