Read Novel Full Chapter 1093: Her Answer
Chapter 1093: Her Answer
His demand echoed through the chamber, raw and pained.
But Morgana did not answer.
Not at first.
She rose slowly from her throne, then began walking toward her husband. Each step was deliberate, unhurried, and deafening in the silence that filled the room.
When she finally spoke, her words were quiet.
"I would use the dogkin as bait, no matter the cost."
Alexios’s breath hitched.
"Felicity made her choice. She wants to be with them. She left of her own accord. Why should I debase myself to fight for a daughter who has already abandoned her family?"
The king’s face contorted right before his voice broke. "She’s a child! A teenager, Morgana! Rash decisions, foolish choices, that is what youth is! She didn’t abandon us, she only strayed! And you... You would cast her aside as if she were nothing?!"
Morgana’s steps did not cease.
A strange glint materialized in her crimson eyes. The faint curl of her lips twisted into something manic as a slow, simmering madness crept to the surface.
"I am a horrible mother..." she whispered, looking as if she was outright relishing the words. "Yes. But why am I blamed for it? I never wanted to be a mother at all."
She stopped before him, unflinching against the edge of his blade. "You know the truth, Alexios. You signed a deal with my brother, Tharion Ravenshade. A secret pact sealed with my hand in marriage. I was promised the kingdom’s support for my studies, for my pursuit of the abyss of magic, in exchange for bearing one child every century and making the bare minimum appearances required of a queen."
Her hand rose slowly. One slender finger pressed against the tip of his blade, and she pushed it aside with a gentle but firm gesture right before she continued,
"But now, you set me up as this cold monster? Who do you think you are? I was clear from the very beginning about what I wanted. I sought research, knowledge, truth. I want to gaze into the abyss of magic, see what it looks like with my own two eyes. You sought stability, which you did by placating one of the militaristic duchies that were scheming with the others about a potential uprising. We all made our choices, came to an agreement that benefited all involved parties."
Her eyes gleamed with madness as her voice sharpened. "And now, I’ve found it. Perhaps the most fascinating magical phenomenon to ever walk this land, yet you expect me to look the other way? To prioritize the safety of my daughter, one I never wanted? To act like a caring mother?"
In the next instant, her voice exploded.
"I REFUSE!"
Power ripped out of her body like a supernova. The walls shook, chandeliers swung violently, and stone cracked under the sheer weight of her presence. Her shadow twisted unnaturally against the throne room floor, spreading and stretching until it seemed as if the abyss itself had crawled into the chamber.
Morgana stood there, framed in swirling chaos, her hair whipping in the gale of her own elemental fury, her eyes two pits of luminous madness.
At that moment, she was no queen, no mother, no wife, only an unshackled sorceress who had chosen obsession over humanity.
Alexios’ face twisted with a very human pain, one that almost anyone who knew the stoic king would be shocked to see. It was the kind a husband feels when the woman beside him reveals she was never beside him at all.
"... If you felt so strongly about it, you could have at least consulted me beforehand. If the Aegis Vanguard were involved, the plan would have succeeded."
The words carried weight. The royal guards—the ones lingering at the chamber doors—were elite, yes, trained to serve both king and queen. To become a royal guard, one not only had to pass tests of loyalty but also have a pristine track record in the army.
However, the Aegis Vanguard... they were different. The single most formidable force of the kingdom, answering to no one but Alexios himself. If they had been deployed, there would have been no escape for whoever came to retrieve the tormented woman. Ṟ𝙖₦ȮＢƐS̈
Morgana tilted her head back and laughed, releasing a sharp, melodic giggle that echoed against the stone. "Why are you asking such dumb questions, husband? You already know the answer."
Indeed, she was right. Alexios did know the answer painfully well. "If I were involved, then the exchange for Felicity would have occurred whether you liked it or not."
Morgana turned and began walking with unhurried steps toward the seat she had left previously. "The Wise King Alexios. The people who call you the Warrior King and the Tyrant King do you no justice."
The sarcasm in her tone was far too easy to pick up on.
He watched her retreating back wordlessly until she lowered herself onto the comfortable throne. With a languid motion, she crossed one thigh over the other, letting her heel dangle idly in the air.
"What about the thousands of civilians who died today?" Alexios asked as the last thread of his composure strained. "The blame will be pinned on Devil, and the Vesper Consortium at large, to further justify the manhunt, for such a tragedy could never be related to the royal family in any shape or form. But you and I both know it all stems from your decision. The blood of children as young as newborns has been snuffed out because of you, Morgana. Numerous families have been ruined on this day."
Morgana hummed in response. She placed a slender finger on her chin and her crimson lips pursed, looking as if she were weighing the matter with grave seriousness.
Then, with a little sigh, she shifted, recrossing her thighs, this time the other way, drawing out the silence.
Finally, she parted her arms wide, raising both limbs toward the ceiling in surrender as though offering herself up to judgment.
"My bad."
Her grin unfurled, wicked and utterly unrepentant.
"Sorry."