Prescott’s POV
“Everything is ready, your Majesty!” Czar uttered a sly smile laced on his face as he stepped away from the door, giving me access to enter the dungeon to interrogate Dixon.
I didn’t say anything, I sighed, and my gaze moved to the guy who was standing beside Czar, his face was down in sorrow. Checking the look on his face, he was regretting selling Dixon off to me, but there was something about him that seemed like he was doing it for me to show mercy on Dixon instead.
“Open the door,” I grumbled, my gaze shifted to the door, watching Czar drag the door open with a smile on his face.
As I stepped into the dungeon, my eyes fell on Dixon. He was shackled to an iron chair, his body bare except for a pair of shorts. Blood streaked his torso, and I could see claw marks on his chest. He was broken, his eyes glazed over in defeat. I felt a surge of anger, but I forced myself to remain calm. I needed answers, and I would not let my rage get the better of me.
I turned my gaze to Czar, taking in his smug smile. I couldn’t help but wonder if he was pleased by the turn of events. Perhaps he thought that Dixon’s suffering would make it easier for him to take his place as the commander of the warriors. Or perhaps he simply enjoyed the sight of someone else’s misery.
Either way, I found his smile infuriating. I would need to be careful with my judgment, to ensure that he did not take advantage of this situation.
Czar may have been the strongest warrior among them, but it was clear to me that Dixon was the best choice to lead them. He had a knack for leadership, and an innate ability to inspire and unite. Yet, in my eagerness to place my trust in him, I had missed the signs of his betrayal. Now, I could see it all too clearly. He had been selling our nation to Eruba, all while smiling in my face and pretending to be my subordinate. I felt a fool for not seeing it sooner.
“Czar,” I turned to face Czar, my eyes boring into his smug expression. It was clear that he was enjoying this moment, relishing my discomfort. I could feel my anger rising, threatening to consume me.
“Yes, Your Majesty.” Czar beamed, locking his fingers to his front as he awaited my order for him to start the interrogation.
“Neither you, nor the other warriors are to come near this building, or Dixon until I’m done with the interrogation,” I let out, fixing Czar with a stern gaze.
He looked stunned, his expression crumbling at my words. He had been expecting something else, and it was clear that my orders had taken him by surprise. I watched as his face fell, his plans thwarted by my decree.
He stood still, not knowing what to do, or say to me.
“What are you still doing here?” I snapped, the disbelief clear in my tone. “I thought I was clear. You’re not supposed to be anywhere near this building.” I fixed him with a glare, challenging him to defy me. Czar shifted uncomfortably, his eyes darting away from mine.
“Ah,” Czar gulped, taking a glance at Dixon who hasn’t opened his eyes since we got there. “Please call me if you need anything, your Majesty.” he bowed before making his way towards the exit.
“And you,” I turned away, my back was on the other guy, “go wait in my office for me.”
“Yes, Y-Your Majesty!” he stuttered, I could hear his footsteps on the floor and I assumed he was already going towards the door.
I heard the door click shut behind me as I walked over to where Dixon was sitting. The dungeon was bare, with only two chairs and a small table. I dragged the empty chair closer to him and sat down. The room was silent, save for the sound of my breathing and the creaking of the chair as I shifted in my seat.
“Open your eyes.” I snapped, my anger was consuming me as I stared at him with what I assumed to be hatred.
As if he had been waiting for the question, Dixon’s eyes snapped open, his irises like black pits as he stared at me. “Your Highness,” he mumbled, his voice low and rough.
“Is it true?” I asked, the words heavy on my tongue. I leaned back in my chair, exhaustion settling over me like a heavy blanket. I watched as Dixon struggled against his restraints, his eyes filled with fear and desperation. I wondered if he was calculating his chances of escape, or just fighting the instinct to flee.
“Is it true?” I repeated, my voice trembling as I struggled to keep my emotions in check. My grip on the chair tightened, my knuckles turning white as I clenched my fists. My heart was racing, and I felt like I was about to explode. I needed an answer, but I wasn’t sure I was ready for it.
Dixon gulped, I could hear his heart, pounding in his chest, “What is true…”
“I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t hear things, you know that much so quit given that confusing gaze.” I snapped, my voice sharp and biting. My fists were balled up, my knuckles white with tension. The urge to punch him in the face was strong, but I resisted, knowing it wouldn’t solve anything.
“I honestly don’t…” Dixon was trying to lie for the second time, and I was quick enough to cut him off.
“It was you who threatened the captives in the Blue Moon pack, wasn’t it?” I asked, my voice catching in my throat. I already knew the answer, but I couldn’t stop myself from asking. I needed to hear him say it. I needed the confirmation, the final nail in the coffin.
“Your Majesty,” he whispered, his voice barely audible. I watched as he raised his head, his eyes meeting mine. He looked remorseful, but it was too late for that. The damage had already been done, and I wasn’t sure I could forgive him for it.
I ignored his gaze, my was on Dixon were indifferent.
“I don’t want to go violent with you, you see, you’re my favourite and it hurt so much that you’re one of the enemies I had been chasing since I became the King,” I stated, staring at my wrist.
“Your Majesty!”
“In as much as I’m controlling myself not to do anything to you, it will only take one lie from you, just one lie and I’ll rip off your heart and feed it to the birds.” I threatened, my voice came out harsh, making Dixon gulp down nervously.
“I…”
“The rogue who has been living in this Villa all this while, is that person you?” I asked, my heart tightened as I stared at him.
“I didn’t…” he was trying to say, but I cut him off yet again.
“The one who took my wife, the nation’s Queen, was that person also you?” I gritted my teeth, my chest was burning as the thought of Nova crossed my mind for the nth time.
“Your Majesty! Please, I…”
“The one who delivered those bloodied letters to me and Wharton, was that person you?” Yeah, if he was to be the rogue who had been living among us, that means he was the figure I saw the other day.
“I have no…”
“The one who delivered my wife’s toe to the Villa in a bottle, was that person also you?” I glared at him, my heart was beating hard in my chest as I assumed the unthinkable tasks he must have done for Eruba.
“Your Majesty, please…”
“The one who knows so much about my worries in catching the rogue leader, the one who knows where that bastard lives and keeps it a secret, watching me move in a circle, was that person you?” I smiled, biting down my bottom lips as I imagined what Dixon must have thought of me all the time I had been foolishly tailings the rogues when I had one in my possession.
“Tell me, was it you all along?” I asked, my voice low and dangerous. I stood up from my seat, my eyes fixed on him as I stalked towards him. My fingers curled into claws as I reached for his neck, grabbing him and digging my nails into his skin. Blood trickled down his throat, but he didn’t flinch. He just sat there, silent and still.
“You fucking bastard! Answer my damned question.” I threw him off his seat, his back collided with the wall before hitting the floor with a loud thud.
“Ahhh!” Dixon winced in pain, trying to pull himself up from the floor but he couldn’t.
I took a dangerous step towards him, I crouched down and grabbed his face, his blood on my palm smearing his face.
“I order you to speak, Bastard!” I yelled, pressing my claws on each side of his cheeks, forcing him to open his mouth to speak.
“I’m sorry,” Dixon sobbed, his voice breaking as he spoke. Tears flowed down his face, his expression contorted in anguish and regret. He looked up at me, his eyes filled with remorse. “Please forgive me, Your Majesty. I never meant to betray your trust.”
“Dixon, you’re saying that it was you?” I asked, my voice barely a whisper. My hands were shaking as I realized the truth of his confession. I took a step back, my mind reeling as I tried to process the implications of what he was saying.
“How could you?” I asked, my tone incredulous and hurt. I stood up to my feet, glaring down at Dixon who had his bottom lip in his mouth, slowly biting down on it to stop himself from crying out loud.
“How could you, Dixon?” I uttered, my voice hoarse and raw. “You’re a warrior, sworn to protect the nation. And yet, you betrayed us all. How could you betray my trust like this?” My breathing was shallow, my heart pounding in my chest. I could feel my fangs lengthening as I fought to keep my anger in check because it shouldn’t have been Dixon who would do something like that.
“I know I don’t deserve your forgiveness, Your Majesty,” he mumbled, his voice barely above a whisper. “But I’m so sorry for everything I’ve done. I never meant to hurt you, and I know that’s no excuse. I just hope you can find it in your heart to forgive me.” His words were heavy with remorse, his tears falling freely as he spoke.
“I need to know why you did it,” I said, my tone leaving no room for argument. I took a seat, trying to calm my racing heart as I looked at Dixon, still bound and kneeling on the floor. “If you can give me a good enough reason, I might be able to find it in my heart to forgive you. But until then, I can’t.” I held his gaze, my eyes unyielding as I waited for his explanation.
“I was threatened. I was threatened, Your Majesty,” he yelled, his head bowed in shame as he couldn’t bear to look me in the eyes as he yelled out the words.
“Really, and you couldn’t tell me? Do you think so low of me, Dixon? Do you really think of me as a beast who wouldn’t stand up for his subordinate?” my chest tightened angrily, I thought I had always given my people enough reason to trust me, and hearing that from Dixon made me feel like I was truly a heartless beast who care less for his subordinate.
“Eruba threatened to kill my sister if I didn’t help him,” he mumbled, his voice thick with emotion. “I know it was wrong, but I didn’t want her to get hurt. I’m so sorry for betraying you, Your Majesty. I know there’s no excuse for what I did, but please try to understand my desperation. Please.” He looked up at me then, his eyes shining with tears. I could see the agony in his expression, and I felt a twinge of sympathy for him.
“Your sister?” I asked, my mouth hung open in shock, I never for once knew Dixon had a family, how could I be so careless to not care to know more about my subordinate?
“You do have a sister?” my eyes widened in shock when Dixon nodded his head, confirming that he truly has a little sister.
“Where is she now?” I was so curious to know about his mysterious sister that I couldn’t help but ask more questions about his sister.
“She’s not in this pack,” he laughed, his laugh sounding more like a sob. “I sent her far away, to keep her safe. I couldn’t leave with her – I was bound to Eruba by a deadly disease. He’s the only one who can keep me alive, without his tonic, I would die a miserable death, and I couldn’t leave my sister alone and unprotected. I made a deal with the devil to keep her safe, but it ended up destroying everything I cared about.” He looked at me then, his eyes filled with regret and despair.
If not that it was coming from Dixon himself, if anyone was to tell me that I wouldn’t have believed. First, Dixon had a sister no one knew about, second, he had met with Eruba on different occasions and then, he was living off a tonic.
I leaned forward in my seat, staring right into Dixon’s eyes. “Tell me who Eruba is, after all, you have nothing else to protect here, except for your little boyfriend of course.”
A cold smile played on his lips as he looked at me, his eyes hard and challenging. “Do you want to know who the true villain is?” he asked, the smirk still fixed on his face.
I steeled myself, my resolve strengthening as I looked back at him. “Tell me,” I let out, my tone unwavering. “No matter who it is, I want the truth.”
“The infamous rogue leader you’ve been searching for, the one who has been giving you restless nights,” he paused, his voice shaking with emotion. “That person called Eruba that has been behind everything – every attack, every crime. That person is Elder Bighana. He’s been using his position of power to hide his treachery, and I’m so sorry I didn’t tell you sooner!”