All she can do is wait and find out after meeting with the king.
Having reached the castle gates, Malenia was greeted again by the lady escort.
"Took you long enough", she said with a scoff before turning away and proceeding into the castle's courtyard.
Annoyed, Malenia followed, ignoring the numerous guard's gazes as they watched her every move.
Entering the courtyard, Malenia observed the garden indifferently.
The garden was large and covered most the area of the courtyard, leaving only enough room for a pathway. Trimmed bushes and silver roses decorated the majority of the garden, with only a few red roses here and there to break up the colour.
Entering the castle, the escort lead Malenia straight to the throne room, where the king was obviously waiting for her arrival.
Well… they had plenty of time to prepare as they made Malenia walk up the stairs so…
Arriving at the door of the throne room the escort stopped and turned to Malenia saying, "Say anything out of line and I will kill you".
'Bitch' thought Malenia as she gave her a shallow smile in return.
Opening the large silver doors, the two entered the throne room with silent steps. There was no heavy atmosphere to meet them, no scary retainers or castle staff staring at them.
There was only the king.
Sitting atop his silver throne, wearing white robes, with white eyes, skin, hair and a pale simple crown on his head, the king looked down on them from his dais.
The silent air of a true sovereign suffocating them.
This was Malenia's first time meeting the king in person, however, she had heard rumours of him many times before. And now after meeting him she could say with certainty and displeasure that…
The rumours played him down.
Despite his simple stature and quiet nature…
He was foreboding.
Lowering her head under the intense pressure of his presence, Malenia took small steady steps towards the king until the escort stopped in front of her.
At the same time both the escort and Malenia kneeled with their head lowered.
After a moment of silence the king said, with a calm voice filled with authority, "Elina… you may leave".
Then, without a single wasted breathe, the escort stood back up, turned around, and left.
Leaving just Malenia and the king in the throne room.
Usually, a king would have guards or retainers with them in these kinds of situations, however, the king of the gods needed no such things.
Amongst the god's only Nether, the corrupt god can dare to face him in combat.
Only Nether can be considered his equal.
Only Nether can rival his power.
Of all the gods, only Nether can boast the strength to face Zoraz, The God of Light, King of the God's.
"Malenia…"
Without even breathing, Malenia waited for his next words as she felt his gaze bore down upon her.
"Recently I asked that you take care of Nether's forces that were invading Eardh…"
He stopped, inspecting her every breathe before continuing.
"I received a report recently that the extermination is going well. The number of corrupt mortals able to transport from Eardh to the bridge of the main battlefield has… lessened…"
Still staring down at her he pronounced the next word with extreme stress on each syllable.
"Noticeably…"
At this stage Malenia wasn't sure what the fuck is going on. Is she in trouble? Or about to be rewarded? Isn't that a good thing? And what does he mean transported? Is Nether using Eardh as a bridge? To where? Why? What the fuck is going on?
Tap…
Tap…
Tap…
Without another word, the king, Zoraz began tapping his finger on the arm rest of his throne. The sound of each tap resonated in the room with the beat of her heart, deciding the very cadence of how her blood flowed.
The tapping was slow. Deliberately so. Making it slightly more suffocating to be in his presence.
The king spoke…
"Tell me… Malenia…"
Malenia tried to resist the pressure, feeling the immense need to swallow, tears forming in her eyes.
"Who has been slaying Nether's forces"?
Silence proceeded his monumental question.
'Who?' Malenia thought.
Many would believe Malenia to be a fool given her predisposition. She is lazy…
Arrogant…
Prideful…
Resentful…
And many more things which are usually not considered good traits to have.
However, she is by no means a fool.
And if it means she can save her own skin, she'll shamelessly prove it beyond any doubt.
"Your majesty, what do you mean by 'who'?" she spoke innocently, ensuring to coo to the best of her abilities with her feminine voice. With head lowered, kneeling perfectly, and speaking with pure confidence and righteousness, an outsider would believe her to be a perfect attendant.
Tap…
Tap…
Tap…
Silence ensued.
The awkward atmosphere dragged on, pressuring her to continue.
"It is I; you ordered to deal with the corrupt vermin; therefore, it stands to reason that I, alongside my forces, are responsible for the improved circumstances.
Her voice was clear as a still lake, betraying nothing of her emotions. Her heart, however, had stopped beating entirely. The pressure exerted by the king was not only palpable, it was crushing.
The tapping stopped.
"This is true", he replied, his voice stale with supremacy. "Your forces are… above standard… surprisingly".
Each pause in his speech was like a knife that cut into her mind, causing waves of nauseating discomfort. The underlying message was clear.
The king believed her forces did all the work.
He believed that she shouldn't have forces capable of the work.
Because their commander is incompetent.
Trying not the flinch at his words, Malenia began filtering through the droves of ideas and machinations she could come up with to get herself out of this.
The king clearly knew more than he was letting off. He knew Malenia hadn't done a damn thing. He knew about the boy. He knew about the reaper. He knew what happened at the in-between. She had to assume he knew everything.
She is going to be punished.
For whatever reason the king cares about what is happening on Eardh. She screwed up. Who could've guessed he actually cared about some random rock.
Without another word the king lifted his hand, and a spark of light flashed from it and through the chamber doors.
Once again silence ensued. The king evoking his authority over her, whilst she feared to greatly to do or say anything.
Malenia did not doubt that she had found herself on his bad side.
And he could erase her effortlessly.
Shortly after, Elina, the female escort returned. She entered the room and stepped to the side, her head held high, back straight and eyes stern.
"Elina, take Malenia to the dungeons and strip her of her artifacts", spoke the king plainly.
Horror struck Malenia at his words.
She did not dare to speak or act against his treatment of her; however, she did dare to speak it internally. In ways which shall not be repeated.
Moments later, Malenia found herself being escorted again. Just this time she had cuffs and shackles on which restricted the use of magic.
Her clothes were taken, as they held enchantments, and she was provided with a particularly drab brown cloth to wear.
Elina had to drag Malenia by her hair through the castle. Down each cold, marble step towards the dungeon. And she had to shove her inside the cell before slamming the gate shut, swallowing the small key and cuss her before taking off.
She had to.
All the while, Malenia screamed prolific things in her mind, not daring to actually say them out loud.
She had angered the king… somehow. The exact reasons for her punishment were unclear to her, but they did not matter.
He is the king for a reason. No one will disobey his orders.
After finishing her onslaught of profanity, Malenia endured the sight of her new home. A roughly 2 by 3 white marble enclosure with sparkly white metal bars to keep her inside. A bucket in the corner and some large, dried leaves in the corner for blankets.
Enchantments have been etched into the bars and walls of this dungeon to prevent its prisoners from using magic. They are some of the most sophisticated runes etching Malenia had ever seen, and the most powerful.
However, that is to be expected given that the kings prisoners would almost certainly be divine. No ordinary enchantments could hold them.
The cell is a far cry from her beautiful hut. And although the God's Realm does not usually fluctuate in temperature, it is cold down here, which leads to believe that's intentional.
Unable to endure this treatment any further, Malenia's mental spree of profanity became a verbal one.
Her verbal onslaught continued for hours, essentially driving the guards mad. They came to her cell multiple times and ordered her to stop, threatening her even, but she did not stop.
She knew they wouldn't harm her.
Because she knows she isn't going to be here for long. After all, her forces are 'above standard', meaning, they are useful.
The king wants her cooperation. That is what all of this has been about. A show of superiority, followed by overwhelming might, which will be followed by a deal.
The king wants to make a deal with her.
He wants her reapers. Or more specifically, he wants to use them in his war since they would be effective foot soldiers. Afterall, even if they die, they come back.
'The king undoubtedly heard about what happened with the boy and my reapers. I don't know how, but now that he has, I can't remain unseen'.
To date, which is a long time, Malenia not once mentioned to any god, goddess or mortal how the reapers were 'immortal'. She never expressly lied about it but always dodged the topic and kept it to herself.
She did this for one reason.
She didn't want to deal with politics.
And politics would be the only thing she would ever deal with if ever God and goddess knew she could perpetually make immortal soldiers without any known limit.
Currently they believe that if a reaper dies, they get replaced. But in reality, they get revived.
That distinction makes a world of difference for Malenia's social standing and political importance. After all, most divine can create soldiers of some description, in some manner. But no other can make immortal soldiers.
No other can create reapers.
That is how she knows the king is going to strike a deal with her.
And if she knows the king wants to make a deal, then why should she play the obedient, quiet prisoner whilst she waits. The angrier she 'is' about her imprisonment, the sooner the king will come to make a deal.
And just as expected, a few hours later the king visited the dungeons personally.