The Adventures of Emily Tual Book Four: The Rising
Chapter Twelve

Seraphina and Gabriel were walking hand in hand through the Resistance camp to share the good news with the Resistance council members and Jasper. If they did it right, they could have their wedding, even if it was unofficial because there wasn’t a holy man present, before the upcoming fight to inspire their people that not even the Dark One could ruin any moments ever again.

As they were walking, Victor approached them. He looked very serious. One hand was on the hilt of his sword and the other was clenched tightly. “Seraphina.” Victor said. “There is something that I need to talk to you about.”

Seraphina and Gabriel looked at each other before they looked at Victor. “There is something of great importance that we have to tell the council which includes you too Victor.” Seraphina told him. “Come with us and we can talk about it at the pavilion.”

Victor shook his head. “I’m afraid it can’t wait.” He replied. He looked at Gabriel. “Will you please excuse the Princess and I?” He asked his little brother. “We have something to discuss.”

Gabriel had a feeling that he knew what was going on. “Brother, Seraphina and I need to get to the Resistance council to discuss with them about something that needs to happen before the attacks on the fortresses begin.” He hoped that Victor would stand by if he heard that.

Victor took a step towards his little brother. “Gabriel, I’m ordering you to go on your way so the Princess and I can talk.” He drew his sword out and pointed it at Gabriel. “That’s an order.”

Gabriel drew his sword out and pointed it at Victor. He wouldn’t hesitate to protect his fiancée from his older brother. “Seraphina and I are engaged.” He told Victor. “We were waiting to announce it to the entire council but you’ve given me no choice but to tell you this now.” He let that sink in before he continued. “Now if you excuse us, Seraphina and I must tell the council about this.”

Victor looked down. “So you’ve given me no choice Brother.” He said before he looked up. “Seraphina will be mine even if I have to kill you to get her.” Seraphina would belong to him one way or another.

The nearby soldiers drew their swords and joined Gabriel and Seraphina. They had heard everything and were determined to protect the Princess and her to be husband. Gabriel looked at them before he looked at Victor. “Lower your weapon or you will be charged with treason.” He told Victor. “I don’t want to hurt you but if you threaten my fiancée and me, I will attack you.”

Victor growled and sheathed his sword. “I might be outnumbered here.” He told Gabriel before he took a step back. “But I can still ruin your plans. Imagine what the Black Hands will do once I tell them what you’re planning.” He took another step back.

Gabriel’s eyes widened. “Seize him!” He shouted. Before the soldiers could do anything, Victor had taken off, disappearing into the camp. Gabriel looked at the soldiers. “Spread the word that Victor is a traitor and that he is to be captured alive. If you have to kill him, do it but try to bring him in alive.” He and Seraphina watched the soldiers disappear into the camp.

“Do you think he would really go to the Black Hand?” Seraphina asked. She knew that Victor could be reckless at times but she didn’t want to believe that he would betray the Resistance after so many years of faithful service to the cause. If he did tell the Black Hand what they were planning, they would be forced to rethinking their plans and to find another way to get to the Dark One’s palace.

Gabriel sighed. “If I know Victor as well as I do he would go to the Black Hand if it meant he got what he wanted. Victor doesn’t give up until he has what he wants and he wants you so he can have the throne.” He answered. He looked at his fiancée. “We need to alert the Resistance council. If our soldiers can’t find Victor, we’ll have to retreat to a different place before the Black Hand can attack us.”

Lord Zael was looking at the Resistance camp from his tower. He couldn’t help but smirk. Did the rebellion really think that they could take on his forces when they had the fortress? No rebellion in the past had ever taken the fortress and no Resistance today would be able to take it. The Black Hands had been fortifying the fortress for the last few days. The battlements had giant cauldrons filled with hot embers ready to be tipped over onto the Resistance the minute they attacked. Each soldier on the battlement had a quiver filled with arrows and a bow in hand. There were Black Hands standing guard at each entrance with pikes and spears.

Lord Zael looked at the Black Hands standing guard by his tower. They were the most lethal of his Black Hands. Each one trained to not feel pain of any kind. They could only be stopped once they were dead. Lord Zael closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He could practically smell victory. The Princess would be killed and her forces that survived would be broken to pieces.

That was when a soldier came up to him. “My Lord, there is someone at the gate who wants to speak to you about something very serious.” The soldier told him.

Lord Zael opened his eyes and looked at the soldier. “What about?” He asked. He didn’t like having his time wasted.

The soldier cleared his throat. “He has information about what the Resistance has planned for this war.” He answered. “He thought you would want to know what the Princess was planning.”

Lord Zael smiled wickedly. “Bring him to me.” He ordered. This had to be good.

Victor looked around him as a few Black Hands escorted him to a large room. He noticed that they were all armed and looked very dangerous. He wondered if these were the Black Hands that guarded the one they called Lord Zael. He didn’t know much about him except that Lord Zael was lethal and dangerous. He was probably the reason why no other past rebellion could ever win.

The Black Hands took him to a chair and pushed him into it. “He’ll be here shortly.” One of the Black Hands said before they left him behind.

Victor heard the Black Hands leaving the room before they locked the door. No doubt they didn’t want him to escape. That was fine with him. He wasn’t in any rush. He wanted to make Seraphina and Gabriel pay for what they did to him.

The door across from him opened and a man came in. The way that the man was dressed told Victor that this was Lord Zael. Lord Zael smiled when he saw Victor. “So you’re the one who wanted to see me about the Resistance?” He asked Victor. “What about the Resistance?”

Victor cleared his throat. “Seraphina is waiting for two weeks to gather as many recruits as possible to launch a massive strike against all of the fortresses.” He told Lord Zael. “While a Resistance army is attacking here, more of their forces will be attacking the closest fortresses before sending even more forces to attack the others.” He crossed his arms over his chest. “I thought you would want to know about the multiple attacks.”

Lord Zael sat down across from Victor. He could tell that there was more than what Victor was saying to him. “What aren’t you telling me?” He asked Victor. “I seriously doubted you have told me everything.”

Victor nodded. “I want to help lead the attack against the Resistance.” He told Lord Zael. “And I want to capture the Princess and make her mine.”

Lord Zael laughed. “Make the Princess yours?” He asked before laughing a bit more. “What makes you think that you’ll be able to break her spirit where not even Malachi, a very powerful and dangerous Black Hand, could?” Lord Zael leaned back in his seat. “No, you want her so you can be the next Dark One when the current one dies, am I right?”

Victor shook his head. “She belongs to me. With her as my Queen, I’d be able to end the war by forcing her to tell all rebellions to cease and to submit to our rule.” He told Lord Zael. “I could care less about who has the powers of the Dark One.” S~ᴇaʀᴄh the Find_Nøvel.ɴet website on Gøøglᴇ to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

Lord Zael was silent for a few minutes. He was pondering what Victor was telling him. “So you help lead the fight and capture the Princess for yourself while the Resistance is put to a stop finally and then you get to become the next Dark One when the current one dies.” Lord Zael said before he smiled. “But the powers of the Darkness won’t go to you when the Dark One dies. It’ll go into Seraphina. She’ll become the first Dark Lady.”

Victor shook his head again. “Like I said, I don’t care about having that power.” He told Lord Zael. “I just want Seraphina for myself.” Gabriel didn’t deserve to have Seraphina. He was a foolish little boy still even if he was a grown-up.

Lord Zael thought of something. “What would stop me from killing you right now and then leading the attack myself and capturing the Princess and taking it all for myself?” He asked Victor. “I could easily have it done.” As if to prove his point, a few Black Hands came in with arrows pointed at Victor.

Victor smiled. He was counting on this question coming up. “I know who Seraphina loves most.” He told Lord Zael. “Let me live and I can capture him before forcing Seraphina’s hand.” There was no way that he was about to give up his triumph card just yet.

Lord Zael looked at his Black Hands. “Leave us.” He ordered. “I will talk to this boy and see what he has to offer.” He waited until the Black Hands left before speaking again. “Let us talk.”

At the Resistance camp, everyone was quickly taking down tents and getting supplies packed. Word of Victor’s betrayal had spread quickly and when no one could find him, Seraphina had given the order to retreat. No one wanted to be there if the Black Hands decided to march on them.

Seraphina rushed to Gabriel. The young man was helping load a wagon with a few Resistance fighters. “We need to split up.” She told him. “Scatter to different parts of the empire.” She didn’t like the idea. They had done so much to win and now they were forced to retreat and hide.

Gabriel nodded in agreement. He hated to be away from Seraphina but they had to do it. There would always be another day to fight the Dark One’s forces. “Where will you be hiding?” He asked Seraphina.

Seraphina shook her head. She wasn’t sure where she would be hiding just yet. “I’ll find a safe place my love.” She told Gabriel. “Once I do, I’ll send a message to you.” She kissed Gabriel quickly before she left quickly.

Jasper joined Gabriel. They both watched Seraphina getting onto a horse before she rode off. “Don’t worry Gabriel.” Jasper said. “I’m sure that she’ll be safe.” He smiled. “And before you know it, you two will finally be married.” He went to the wagon and got onto it. “Now we should get going.” Gabriel knew that Jasper was right. He got onto the wagon and left with a few of the Resistance fighters.

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