Chapter 9 - Princess in a Cage
Elie stood within the tower's stone walls, surrounded by the coldness surrounding her as tightly as the loneliness surrounding her. She was once a princess of the Ottoman Empire, a woman of noble blood and splendor, but now she was imprisoned in Bryan's tower, isolated and helpless. Through the narrow window, Elie looked out into the boundless wilderness, her heart swirling with anger, disbelief, and an emotion gradually taking hold of her heart - an emotion that made her feel uneasy, even confused, and that was her dependence on Brian.
The candles flickered in the room as night fell, reflecting Bryan's tall figure. He approached her with an air of power and coldness, like a master of darkness.
"Elie, my princess," his voice was silky smooth but with a hint of irresistible authority. What do you want today?"
Elie turned slowly, her figure thin and stubborn in the candlelight, her eyes as sharp as ice.
"Freedom, Brian,"
she whispered, her words filled with defiance and pain, "I just want freedom."
Brian smiled slightly as if he had heard some gentle foolishness. He walked towards her, his long, slender fingers gently combing through her long hair as if caressing a precious object.
"You will have everything you want, Princess," his voice was low and irresistibly powerful,
"but not now. Right now, I need your help."
Elie felt an invisible force gradually pushing her deeper and deeper into the abyss, making it difficult for her to breathe.
"What do you want me to do?"
Her voice was troubled, and her hands clutched the corners of her coat.
A cruel glint flickered in Bryan's eyes, and the corners of his mouth turned up slightly.
"A potion, a potion that will weaken Edmund. You know the power of herbs better than anyone, and you, my princess, are my key to controlling it."
Those words were like a dagger in Elie's heart. She had thought she was an innocent forced into this conspiracy, but now she realized that Brian had never given her a choice. After a few moments of silence, Elie bowed her head like giving in to the power play.
"If I help you, you must promise to free me when the war ends."
Bryan's smile deepened like a beast that had succeeded in its hunt.
"Of course, my Princess," he whispered, a chill in his voice, "your freedom is my freedom."
The voice was as harsh as ice, but it was irresistibly seductive.
As the night wore on, Elie began to make the potion. Her fingers moved among the herbs as if conversing silently with the plants. Her every movement was precise and elegant as if she were creating an artifact, not a poison. But she couldn't ignore the question of whether it was for Brian or for the emotion that was suffocating her - the dangerous but fascinating dependence on him that had grown unconsciously.
"Brian," her voice was soft as a murmur, "what makes you so sure that Edmund will lose at your hands?"
Bryan stood behind her, eyes locked on her every move, an undeniable confidence in his tone.
"Because I have you, Elie, "
he said, his voice full of control and cold confidence. You are the sword in my hand, and Edmund never expected you to be the source of my power."
Elie looked up, and through the dim candlelight, she saw the unquenched ambition and coldness in Bryan's eyes. She should hate him, hate him for taking away her freedom, for imprisoning her. But at the blurred line between morality and emotion, she finds herself relying on him, even ... falling in love with him.
The potion was finally complete, the lavender liquid bobbing in her hand as if it held all her struggles and contradictions together. She handed the bottle to Brian, her fingertips trembling slightly. Brian took the bottle and whispered, "You have opened the door to victory for me."
Elie's mind is full of contradictions and struggles. She knows she's a prisoner, a pawn in the plot, but she can't resist Bryan's power and charm. He is like a flame in the darkness that burns her mind and heart.
"Brian," she asked softly, a hint of longing and confusion in her voice,
"Will you set me free when it's all over?"
Brian's gaze softened momentarily as he leaned close to her and whispered in her ear,
"I never go back on my word, my princess."
His breath was warm as he gently stroked between her ears,
"But perhaps by the time that day comes, you will no longer wish to leave me."
Elie closed her eyes, her heart beating fast as if his words had firmly captured her soul. She couldn't explain her feelings; she was consumed by Bryan's shadow-his coldness, strength, and even that deep-seated gentleness that spread through her like poison.
Her arms wrapped around Brian's waist, her tiny body so fragile in his presence. She looked up at him, her eyes burning as if they were trying to penetrate his soul. Bryan felt her nearness, smelled her herbal scent, and a deep desire awakened in him.
Elie's fingers gently stroked the scars on his face and softly asked,
"Does it still hurt?"
Bryan didn't dare move, as if he was afraid he would break the treasure in his hands. Elie's kisses landed softly on his scars, and Bryan felt the heat that came with each one, the fire in his heart gradually igniting. Her lips touched his then, bruised and tentative, and Brian's desire was almost overwhelming.
"Stop!!!"
he gasped, his voice low, taking her hand in his,
"or I can't control myself."
Candle flames danced on the walls as if they, too, were burning for this piece of fiery emotion.
Elie's breath caught in her throat like two forces were pulling at her heart. On one side was the freedom and pride she was once so sure of, and on the other was the confusion and dependence that Brian had brought to her. At this moment, she felt herself being swallowed up and plunged into an emotional abyss from which there was no escape.
"Brian ..." she murmured as if testing and asking him for help.
Brian released her hand, his breathing still heavy, but he forced down the desire within. He looked at Elie, his gaze filled with complex emotions- both possessive and a certain deep-seated tenderness.
"Elie, I do not wish you to succumb to desire."
His voice was low, but it carried an irresistible power.
"You are more than a treasure to me; you are a sword. What I want is for you to stand beside me willingly."
Elie was so shocked by these words that it was as if some of her defenses were falling apart at this moment. She looked at Brian and realized he was not a cruel and heartless captor but more like the only person in her world. She began to believe that there was no one else out there who could understand and protect her except Brian.
The color of the night is getting stronger and stronger, and the cold wind passes through the cracks of the window, bringing a coolness. Elie lowered her head as if in thought or settling her mixed feelings. She knew Brian wouldn't let her go, just as he wouldn't let go of anything he wanted. He had infiltrated her life like a poisonous flower blooming in the darkness, giving off an irresistible scent.
"If I help you defeat Edmund once and for all,"
her voice held a hint of hesitation. Will you allow me to choose my destiny?"
Bryan stared at her, those cold eyes seeming to contemplate how to weave the following web. With a slight smile, he leaned close to her ear, his voice so low that it sounded like a secret belonging only to her,
"My Princess, your destiny has long been tied to mine. Do you want freedom? Then help me take it all so you can have the freedom that is truly yours."
Elie's heart fluttered, and she wasn't sure if Bryan's words had seduced her or if she'd already lost herself to his powerful charms. But either way, she's in deep and can't get out of it.
The following day, the light of dawn poured through the tower's windows, bringing some warmth. However, Elie's mind was still clouded by shadows. She stood by the window, overlooking the city and wilderness in the distance, her heart filled with mixed emotions. Bryan had assigned her a new task—a potion that would destroy Edmund's power, and she knew that once it was done, she would be on a path of no return.
Bryan stepped behind her and whispered,
"Edmund's army is gathering, and there is no way they could have expected you to be on my side."
He spoke confidently of victory as if it had already been decided.
Elie did not respond. Her fingers gently stroked the cold windowsill, her heart full of contradictions and anxiety. She was once highly eager to be free, but now she realized she could no longer pursue that ideal. Bryan has become an inseparable part of her life, even in the depths of her emotions.
Brian saw her silence and turned away, leaving her to face the unanswered questions. Elie looked at his back and felt an unspeakable pain and longing. The struggle wasn't just a battle between two nations but a moral and emotional struggle deep within her heart.
When night fell again, Elie sat in her room, her hands caressing the vial of purple potion. She knew the potion's power and what it would do but couldn't stop moving forward. Brian's fate was tied to her, whether she wanted it to be or not.
As the candlelight illuminated the room again, Brian's figure appeared in the doorway. He walked toward her, brushed his hands on her shoulders, and whispered,
"Are you ready, my princess?"
Elie looked up at him, her mind filled with conflict and struggle. She knew that her choice would determine everything in the future and that this decision would never be reversed.
"Yes," she said softly, an indefinable firmness in her voice, "I'm ready."
Brian's smile was triumphant, and he gently took her hand to confirm her loyalty.
"Very well," he whispered, "together, we're going to make a future that is ours."
Candle flames danced behind them like witnessing a storm about to break out. The flame of freedom in Elie's heart is gradually extinguished.