Chapter 160 FORTY ONE: The Rumored Terrifying Ruler

"I've been looking for you, Princess."

Calix spoke softly, reaching for Kel's hair as he usually did.

"Or should I say… pretend Princess?" his voice darkened, and rather than gently caressing a piece of her hair, the man dug his fingers into her scalp, grabbing a fistful of golden strands.

"Please, I.. I had no choice," Kel pleaded, holding on to the man's wrist to ease the pain shooting through her scalp as Calix dragged her along the ground.

"Was it fun to play with us?"

This time it was Thane's bitter voice. Kel's eyes shot to the left where the glaring knight stood with his arms crossed. Lucy, suddenly appearing next to him, shook her head disapprovingly as well.

"I told you she was worthless," Ira, stepping out of the shadows, joined the ridicule.

Next, it was Roland who approached Kel, angrily scuffing a cloud of dirt in her face.

"I can't believe I ever wanted to be friends with someone like you."

"P-please," Kel whimpered again.

Suddenly, she felt a gentle touch on her shoulder.

"Do you still have the necklace, Kel?" Adriell's sweet voice echoed in her ear. "You'll regret it if you don't use it now."

Kel forced her burning eyes to follow the direction the princess's slender arm was extended toward. Just beyond Adriell's lovely satin-gloved fingertips stood a blood-stained wooden block with two gleaming swords leaned up against it.

"They'll cut off all your limbs first," Adriell's words melted into laughter. "Let's hope you faint from loss of blood after the first or second slice."

"No! Help me!" Kel screamed as the emperor forced her to kneel in front of the revolting block.

"You brought this on yourself, you liar," Calix huffed, reaching for one of the swords as Thane and Roland held Kel's arm firmly in place atop the block.

"No."

Kel could hardly breathe.

"No!!"

With a start, Kel jolted awake, her entire body drenched in sweat.

"Haa. Haa."

She laid still for a minute, taking deep breaths as she became reoriented with her surroundings.

After the heavy news of the Dragon Emperor's imminent arrival, Kel had felt too nervous to fall back asleep. Instead, she'd made herself comfortable underneath a nearby tree to contemplate the situation.

She must have dozed off while imagining the worst.

Gulping, she reached for the arm that was still tingling in alarming anticipation of the emperor's furious blade.

Something like that wouldn't happen in real life, would it?

"Perhaps I should have fled with Mr. Thomas," Kel sighed, closing her eyes. "Before those soldiers ever arrived."

Thanks to her unsettling dream, sleep evaded Kel for the rest of the morning. She tried to keep herself busy to avoid any more disturbing imaginations invading her mind, but with most of the soldiers still holed up in their tents, there wasn't much to do.

Somehow, despite the agony of every minute that passed by, the evening finally fell, and the soldiers were ordered to get into formation.

Kel's attempt to disguise her face beforehand with mud, just as Nesta had done in Tael, was met with the immediate command to wash herself. Was it really necessary for every single one of the innumerable soldiers to be perfectly clean for the emperor? There was no way he could thoroughly inspect all of them!

Trying to push all her fears away, however, Kel lined up obediently. In such a crowd of people covered by the black blanket of night, she should have nothing to worry about, right?

As always seemed to happen, Kel was terribly wrong.

To her horror, the unit leader waved for her to join the front row of the infantry division.

And, if that wasn't enough, she was given a large, blazing torch to hold.

Why not affix my own wanted poster to the front of my uniform as well? Kel wailed internally.

It wasn't until three hours later, when the horns announcing the emperor's arrival echoed through camp, that the feeling of complete and utter dread settled over her.

"Ah, he got here early this time," one of the men next to her whispered, nudging her lightly with his elbow.

"Mmm," Kel nodded disinterestedly, but her mouth dropped in surprise when she noticed the curly mop on the head of the man who elbowed her.

"Matty?!" she hissed.

How long had he been standing there? Why had she not noticed?

"You really didn't see me until now?" Matty chuckled quietly. "How typical of a newbie. Too stressed t-mmph!"

The man quickly silenced himself after receiving a sharp kick to his shin from the soldier standing directly behind him.

"Are you two idiots trying to get yourselves killed?! Shut it!" Alaric's irritated whisper joined the conversation.

Wait. Had he been there the whole time as well? Did that mean everyone from the squad standing nearby?

Before Kel could even turn her head to see, she spied a group of figures approaching the formation.

The Dragon Emperor was here.

Anxiously, Kel watched the emperor, leading his large black horse by the reins, come closer and closer.

Until a kick to her own shin forced her to turn her head forward again.

After an eternity, filled with nothing except Kel's flickering torch, the sound of the emperor's horse, and her thudding heart, the time finally came for the esteemed leader to pass in front of her.

Her first thought as she saw Calix illuminated by the orange torchlight was how intimidating he looked. Wearing his full uniform and a displeased look carved into his face, he was every bit the terrifying ruler he was rumored to be.

It was strange though, to think that the face that once hid emotion so well--that always seemed calm no matter how aggravating the situation--looked so distinctly angry.

The face turned toward her was definitely-

Gasp!

Kel almost threw her hand to her mouth as she realized the Dragon Emperor had stopped moving. His body was still facing forward, but his blazing red eyes were focused on her.

Under the unnerving stare, every bone in Kel's body screamed to look away--to drop her head and cover her face. But the soldiers had all been warned earlier not to lower their heads, no matter what. If she did so now, it would only draw further unwanted attention.

Just when she thought the situation couldn't get any worse, a soft thud broke the tense silence.

The Dragon Emperor had just moved out of his line, taking a single, horrifying step toward Kel.