The throne room echoed with the clash of steel and the crackle of distant flames, but Elara's focus was entirely on Kaelen. His movements were deliberate, his strikes calculated. He fought not as a man desperate to survive but as one who understood the stakes and refused to falter.
Elara's side burned where his blade had grazed her, but she ignored the pain. Her entire being was consumed by the need to end him—to make him pay for every betrayal, every lie, every scar he had left on her soul. Yet, with every swing of her sword, doubt crept closer, whispering insidious questions she could not silence.
"You hesitate," Kaelen said, his voice cutting through the chaos like a blade. "Why?"
She didn't answer, instead lunging forward with a strike aimed at his heart. He parried with ease, stepping back to create distance. His eyes, sharp and piercing, never left hers.
"Is it because you still care?" he pressed, his tone softening just enough to sting. "Because you remember what we once had?"
"What we had was a lie!" she spat, her voice trembling with fury. "You used me. You destroyed me."
Kaelen's expression darkened, a shadow of regret flickering across his face. "I made choices I can never undo, Elara. But do not pretend that this is only about me. You've become something else—something darker. Do you even recognize yourself anymore?"
Her blade lashed out, cutting through the air with deadly precision. Kaelen sidestepped, his counterattack swift but restrained. Their movements were a deadly dance, each strike an echo of the tempest raging between them. Yet, his words lingered, gnawing at the edges of her resolve.
"Do not presume to know me," she said, her voice cold. "You forfeited that right the moment you betrayed me."
Kaelen's gaze softened, though his stance remained unyielding. "Perhaps. But if vengeance is all that drives you, what will you become when it's done? What will you be without it?"
The question struck deeper than any blade. Elara faltered, her grip on her sword tightening as she struggled to push the doubt aside. This was what she had wanted, wasn't it? To see Kaelen brought low, to strip him of everything he had taken from her. And yet, as she stood before him, the weight of her fury felt heavier than ever.
A sudden explosion rocked the castle, the sound reverberating through the throne room. The walls shook, sending shards of stone and dust raining down. Elara and Kaelen both turned toward the source, their battle momentarily forgotten.
Dorian burst into the room, his face grim and bloodied. "Elara! The western wing is collapsing. We need to retreat—now!"
She shook her head, her eyes snapping back to Kaelen. "Not until this is finished."
"There's no time!" Dorian shouted. "The entire structure is unstable. If we stay, we'll all die here."
Kaelen lowered his sword slightly, his expression unreadable. "Your choice, Elara. Do you kill me and risk everything, or do you live to fight another day?"
Her heart pounded as she weighed her options. Every fiber of her being screamed for her to strike, to end him here and now. But Dorian's words were a sobering reminder of the reality they faced. She couldn't avenge her past if she didn't survive the present.
With a growl of frustration, she turned and followed Dorian toward the exit, her forces retreating under her command. The sound of crumbling stone and roaring flames chased them as they fled the castle, leaving Kaelen standing alone in the throne room.
Outside, the night was chaos. Soldiers clashed in the courtyards, their shouts mingling with the cries of the wounded. Elara's forces were scattered, their carefully laid plans unraveling in the face of unexpected resistance. She could see Lady Serina rallying a group of fighters near the eastern gate, her sharp commands cutting through the noise.
Dorian caught her arm, pulling her aside. "We need to regroup. If we're going to take Ashford, we can't afford to lose momentum."
Elara nodded, her mind racing. "Gather the remaining forces and fall back to the river. We'll use the terrain to our advantage."
"And Kaelen?"
Her jaw tightened. "He'll come to us. He won't let this go unanswered."
As the remnants of her army began to retreat, Elara caught sight of a familiar figure among the chaos. Lord Aric, his armor battered and bloodied, was holding the line with a small group of soldiers. She moved toward him, her voice cutting through the din.
"Aric! Fall back with the others. We're regrouping at the river."
He turned to her, his expression fierce. "We'll hold them off as long as we can. Go!"
"That's an order," she snapped, her tone brooking no argument. "Your life is worth more than this skirmish. Fall back, now."
Reluctantly, he nodded, signaling his men to retreat. Elara watched as they disappeared into the night, her heart heavy with the weight of leadership. Every decision, every life lost, was a burden she carried. But she couldn't afford to falter. Not now.
By the time they reached the river, the first light of dawn was breaking over the horizon. The waters glistened in the early morning light, a stark contrast to the blood and ash that clung to her forces. They were battered but alive, and for now, that was enough.
Elara stood on the riverbank, her gaze fixed on the distant silhouette of Ashford Castle. Smoke rose from its ruins, a testament to the destruction they had wrought. But the battle was far from over. Kaelen was still alive, and as long as he drew breath, her mission remained incomplete.
Dorian approached, his expression weary but determined. "The troops are regrouping. We've lost some good men, but most made it out."
She nodded, her voice quiet. "We'll mourn them later. For now, we need to focus on what comes next."
"And what is that?" he asked, his tone laced with concern. "We've dealt a heavy blow to Kaelen, but he's not defeated. He'll come back stronger."
Elara's eyes hardened. "Then we'll be ready. This isn't over, Dorian. Not until Ashford is free and Kaelen pays for what he's done."
He studied her for a moment, his gaze searching. "Just promise me you won't lose yourself in the process. We've come too far to let this consume you."
Her lips curved into a faint, bitter smile. "It already has, Dorian. But I'll see it through to the end."
As the sun rose over the battlefield, Elara turned away from the castle and toward her waiting forces. The fight was far from over, but she would not rest until Kaelen's reign was nothing but a memory. The gods themselves could not stop her now.