Lianne was still lying under the general when she heard a faint sound of a knock. She wanted to scream for help, but her attention came back to Cain when his hand cruised down to her legs and into her buttocks.
She gasped in surprise when he adjusted her position, spreading her legs apart so that he could fondle her more.
“Please don’t!” she shouted in distress, her eyes now wet with tears.
If she could fight back, she would have, like the time when she hit him with the cigar ashtray, but her hands could not hold of anything solid this time. Surrounding them were only piles and piles of soft feather pillows, and the table beside her bed was barely a reach away where a figurine of an angel could have done the job.
“You want me to stop but your body is responding to me, Lianne. Can’t you feel it?” Cain excitedly proclaimed as he felt the heat of her skin. Effortlessly, he took his coat off and unbuttoned his shirt with ease revealing his well-honed muscles and then went back to caress her neck, slowly circling his tongue with passion and fervor.
“Remember this Lianne?” Cain asked, pulling the emerald necklace from his slacks and lifted it unto her face.
“Cain! How did you?” she queried, surprised.
“I realized I just couldn’t let this go. After all, this can still grant my wish with or without the blood moon or that ridiculous cave, ” he stated, nearing his mouth into her ear. “But I don’t think I would need this now.”
The necklace dropped on the bed and rolled towards Lianne’s back. She felt the prick of the hook touching her soft skin, but her attention quickly returned to the man on top of her.
With her legs spread apart and his thigh positioned in between them, he then eagerly and ever so sensually slid his fingers on the most sensitive spot of her body, instantly feeling her wetness. She shouted in protest with his invasion, but he only grinned in pleasure towards her knowing that this was any woman’s clue of her arousal.
“I will show you how this would really feel like, Lianne.” A sluggish whisper touched her ears then. “You’re mine.”
Lianne shook her head violently. “Cain, no! Please… I don’t want this! I love him! I love Ruen! How do you expect me to yield to you when it is he who I love!” Lianne revealed without hesitation. She looked at Cain with pleading eyes, and for a brief moment he looked surprised, but his expression promptly changed to that of an insanely jealous man.
“I will NOT let you go, Lianne, you hear me?! Not with him. Not with any man for that matter!” he immediately replied, grabbing both of her shoulders tightly, pressing them down the mattress.
“Cain, you’re hurting me…” she weakly stated, flinching as she felt the weight on her shoulders, literally.
“I suggest you let her go now!”
A deep resounding voice suddenly broke through the room and immediately, Lianne knew it to whom. She quickly glanced at Ruen’s way where he was standing at the threshold. His expression enraged. Behind him was Lady Faye who was covering her mouth with her hand and had a worried expression on her face.
“Ruen!” she gasped.
Cain grinned at the sight of him.
“Ahh, now you decide to show up, ” he stated in a mocking voice.
He was still kneeling on the mattress when he straightened, his eyes falling on the princess to see his handiwork: her hair tousled, cheeks flushed, and lips deliciously swollen and red.
‘Ahhh, such a waste of pleasure, ‘ his mind blurted out. A minute more was only needed and he would have hit homebase.
“I wager you have soldiers with you to arrest me right?” Cain pointed out as he shifted his eyes to look at the King. The intensity and the pure hostility that surrounded the room grew tenfold.
“You don’t pose a threat on me, why would I bring soldiers then?” Ruen remarked, not missing Cain’s obvious irritation. “I never thought that you would be alive after that kind of collapse; however, I expect it much from you. You are your father’s son after all, Cain.”
“Hmmm, I can’t die just yet. I still have unfinished business here, ” the general answered, returning his gaze back on the princess who was now holding her dress to cover her modesty.
“You don’t have any business here!” Ruen snapped, not liking the way he leered at the princess. “And it would be wise for you to leave now!” he ordered, curling his hand into a tight fist.
Cain sneered at his outrageous command. “You know, Your High… ness. I was actually waiting for you to come here.” He stood up and poised in a guarded position. “We need to settle this once and for all.”
He left the bed, reached for his scabbard that was hanging on his left side, and unsheathed his sword slowly like he was intimidating the King.
Lianne produced an alarmed gasp as she saw the tip of the sword pointing out to Ruen, stretching just a couple of feet away from him.
The latter only stared at the sharp blade, unaffected. “We don’t have anything to settle, Cain. There had been none at all since the beginning.”
“I doubt that, ” the general answered. He pointed the sword to the bedroom’s balcony and cocked his head. “I want Lianne. You’re in my way.”
Ruen cringed upon hearing it. “Then I would fight for her, ” he said despite the fact he had no weapon in hand, and just by looking at it, the general wouldn’t even give him a damn chance to get one.
Lianne shook her head immediately. She stood up, planning to leave as soon as the chances would present itself.
“Lianne stay, ” Ruen ordered, giving her an imposing look. He knew this was going to be bloody, and he didn’t want her to be dragged into it.
“No, Ruen! Don’t-”
“I said stay!” he ordered once again, this time with considerable emphasis.
Turning his back away from Cain, he proceeded to cross the bed and into the French door, pushing it open.
He carefully walked towards the open balcony, noticing the slight raindrops wetting the entire marble floor. He must think of something fast, something to stop this man from getting the enjoyment he wanted. But before he could even generate a possible move, he heard Lianne shriek from his back.
“RUEN!”
***
The blade was already hurtling towards him as he whirled around.
Cain, the opportunistic bastard, was in a position to strike his heart, clutching the grip tightly. His mouth curved into a wicked smirk. His eyes, murderous and infernal.
This was his forte. His work. And the precision of which he kills his opponents during the battles he fought under Garlow’s reign was very well known. Only this time, his target was the new King himself.
Ruen had only a split second to deflect the blade, and when he was able to, a bad cut appeared from his left arm stretching dorsally from his elbow to his wrist. He cringed in pain and saw the blood dripping down his fingers to the marble floor, instantly mixing with the rainwater.
Lianne tensed, standing at the foot of the bed as she watched the blood staining the floor.
Lady Faye approached her and quickly held her shoulder to be able to at least generate a feeling of safety.
“I know you’re a good general in battle, but I didn’t expect you’re this much of a coward!” Ruen rebuked with words just like thorns. He stood straight like he wasn’t affected at all by the wound. At the periphery of his vision, he noticed the princess now fully dressed than he had seen her earlier and the governess standing behind her, and it relieved him a bit.
“Hmf, I don’t care a damn thing. All I just need is for you to die, ” Cain icily proclaimed. Then he raised his sword once again, establishing a stance that was ominous. In a blink of an eye, he lunged himself forward directly towards Ruen, leveling the blade again to his heart.
“No…” Lianne murmured softly, feeling a wave of fright coming down on her. She gripped the wooden column of the bed, unable to endure the torture of seeing them fight.
Is it only through blood that this should end? Is the option available only one?
She inhaled deeply, trying to steady the pounding of her heart. She couldn’t accept it and will not accept it.
Then, a quick resolution dawned on her.
Yes, she had to do it and she had to do it fast in order to stop them… or rather, stop Cain from killing her beloved.
“Princess Lianne!” Lady Faye cried as Lianne ran into the balcony holding the emerald pendant necklace.
***
There were two things that Ruen could do, either to incapacitate the general using his own sword or to stall as much time until Jared arrives with soldiers. Both of the options were difficult, however, but there was no other way left.
He knew Cain was adept at swordfight, same as him, but he admitted the general gained a few steps of advantage having been able to hone his skill more in warfare. If he were to steal the sword from his hand, he must do it quickly, even though great consequences could develop after. If he were to stall time, it could be possible, but by the way the general was swinging the blade, it would seem to look like he wanted to end this fight rather quickly.
He chose the first option in the end. With a deep breath, he waited for the right opportunity to steal the sword.
With the mad will to kill the King, Cain slashed and slashed and swung his sword.
Ruen dodged his attacks again and again until at one point, he was able to hit Cain on the rib with a forceful kick.
Cain doubled over but he didn’t loosen his grip on the sword.
Despite this, Ruen seized the opportunity. He moved forward and reached for the blade.
The latter noticed him and quickly sprinted up and thrust his sword into Ruen’s left leg.
It hit and blood oozed immediately from the wound. Ruen nursed it with his hand but he staggered, fighting to keep himself upright.
Cain, seeing this, snickered. “Say goodbye, my King, ” he said and then poised to hit Ruen’s chest this time.
But on a freak turn of event, a body launched forward and blocked off the blade from hitting him.
“No!!!” Ruen clearly heard Lianne’s voice before he could even stop her.
His eyes constricted, looking at her as she embraced him tightly.
“LIANNE!!!” he shouted in panic as blood seeped out of her mouth.
She buried her face on the collar of his rain-soaked shirt. Her hair covered the path of the blade that buried deeply on her left lower torso.
“No…” Ruen whispered low. His eyes widened. His hands trembled. “NO!!!” He cried once again, this time with a mixture of anger and pain.
He instinctively grabbed her waist as she rapidly plummeted down the floor. He grimaced as he felt the long solid blade burrowing deep onto her flesh and saw the blood oozing profusely at the side.
Cain caught his breath when he saw what happened. He drew the sword out of her flesh in a sudden panic and dropped it on the ground.
Everything happened so fast that he wasn’t able to notice her at all. But now this has happened.
Looking at her limp form now lying on the floor; her head cradled with Ruen’s arms, his heart felt like it was being clenched. He stepped backward slowly like the energy was all sucked out of his body.
While staring at her bloody dress, he suddenly felt big hands holding his shoulders tightly.
Jared, at last, arrived bringing with him three royal guards. He saw Lady Faye silent but big beads of tears welled on her eyes. He saw the princess bathe in blood and the King holding her carefully on the ground. He immediately ordered two of the guards to seize Cain, upon which they dutifully did.
“JARED! CALL THE DOCTOR NOW!” the King commanded to the majordomo, his voice a sound of anguish.