Chapter 298 - Better Offer
"I've done nothing other than guarantee my own survival, my lady." Arthur strode forward. "I hereby command you to use your power to protect me and Gala."
A wave of power gushed out of Arthur and entered the princess's core despite her strong resistance. The power made sure that if Dia didn't follow his command, the power would burst and destroy her core.
"You've placed a Bloodline Order on me?" Dia's eyes went wide and shook. "But how, we don't share any bloodline!"
"For that, you can ask your father." Arthur smiled and turned to the Duke. "You enslave humans and look down on them, but use their techniques on your daughter. Hypocrisy at its finest, Duke Zenos."
"Shut that mouth and die, slave!" The Duke roared as his flames burned. He flapped his flaming wings and appeared in front of Arthur and Gala in a heartbeat. The moment before he struck them, Dia appeared between them and raised her hand.
An ice sphere covered Arthur, Gala, and Dia to protect them. The flames of the Duke struck the barrier but there were no signs of it weakening.
"Move aside, Dia!" The Duke roared.
"If I do, I'll die." Dia gritted her teeth. "What is he talking about, father? How can he use the Bloodline Order technique on me?"
"That is..." The Duke retracted his flamed fist and looked torn. "There is no requirement for bloodline in this technique. It can be used..." The Duke seemed to spit the world by force. "... on any Demi."
Dia's body shook. Arthur didn't know if her shock came from the fact that her father deceived or that Arthur had fooled her. In either case, she could no longer escape from Arthur's control.
"We've made a deal!" Dia turned to Arthur. "You never had the intention of helping me!"
"I would have never used the Order, even remove it, if you were to keep your promise." Arthur shook his head. "You did not, so I can only resort to such means to protect myself." Arthur then turned to the Knight of Courage.
"What is the meaning of this, Seika?" The Knight smiled coldly. Even though she didn't explicitly state it, her meaning was obvious.
"I'm offering you a better deal." Arthur threw away any disguise he had. "Would you like to obtain the power of the Ice Phoenix?"
"Are you saying you would offer the princess to my King?" The Knight was surprised. However, Arthur shook his head.
"I'll offer my services to Solomon. This is me guaranteeing that I won't be backstabbed, that's all. What's your answer?"
"Knight!" The Duke roared. "Are you plotting against my kingdom?" His eyes were burning with fire. "If that's true, then none of you would leave today, even if I have to kill my own daughter!"
The Duke raised his hand and hundreds of Demis appeared on the walls, the roofs, in the garden and there were more outside the mansion. They were in the hundreds.
"This is my Army of Fire!" The Duke threw his hands out. "If you think you can take them on, I'll happily offer you the Alva kingdom!"
"It's getting hectic," Arthur turned to the Knight. "Tell me your answer, Knight of Courage."
"I shan't do such thing." The Knight of Courage shook her head, making Arthur's chest tighten. "For His Majesty would answer you myself." She raised a crystal in the air and lightning descended from the sky to destroy it.
A heavenly presence descended as a throne appeared in the sky. Sitting on top of the throne was a man that Arthur knew so well, but couldn't even begin to recognize.
Wearing clothes lined with white and gold with a crown on his head was Solomon. His elbow rested on the armchair of the throne with his chin resting on his hand.
Below his robe was a black silk shirt that contrasted Solomon's pale skin. A few strands of hair fell to cover his eyes, but the messiness couldn't hide the majestic aura he exuded.
"You disappoint me, Seika." Solomon's words were colder than before. "I gave you respect and power, yet you chose to betray me."
"Betray you I never did," Arthur bowed. "For I never served you to begin with. We had a deal and I'm now offering you a better one."
"A better one?" Solomon turned to Dia. "Her?"
"No," Arthur shook his head. "My services and power. I can only make a deal if I had other options, which I didn't have previously. Now that I do, I'm sure that your majesty doesn't mind."
"Ha," Solomon chuckled. "What tells me you wouldn't go behind my back me like you did to her?"
"Nothing would." Arthur shook his head. "If my survival includes betraying you, I would do it in a heartbeat."
"Presumptuous!" The Knight of Courage shouted but Solomon raised his hand. A thin smile played on his face as he looked at Arthur.
"That means, as long as I guarantee your survival, you would follow me?" Solomon's eyes held interest and intrigue. Arthur nodded. "I see, that's only fair. Knight of Courage!"
"Yes, My King?" The Knight knelt on one knee.
"Make sure to help our Seika and listen to his requests. Bring him back to Freda along with the princess. Let's meet then," Solomon turned to Arthur. "Seika."
Solomon's projection turned into nothingness as the Knight of Courage rose. She turned to the Duke with a grin of a battle maniac.
"You've heard His Majesty's words, Zenos." The Knight unsheathed her sword. "Move away or expect nothing other than defeat."
"On my dead body!" The Duke roared and raised his arm. "Kill them!"
"Dia!" Arthur shouted and Dia obeyed to construct a barrier around them. The flames of the Duke were pushed back and so were his soldiers.
"I really wish you're not the only force King Solomon sent." Arthur turned to the knight and she grinned. She pointed her sword toward the sky and light gathered on its tip.
"Let me show you what our plan is." She said and light exploded from the sword and pierced the sky. "Rise, my fellow soldiers! The unbroken! Rise!"
Whistles were blown the moment that she finished her hands. Arthur heard the sounds of a ringing bell coming from a distance. This was the plan that they had to begin with, a coup from the inside.
"My soldiers!" The Knight of Courage slashed with her sword, sending a wave of ice toward the Duke's soldiers. "Arise!"
From within the ice came out Ice Golems that began fighting the soldiers the moment they appeared. Even though they weren't the soldier's match in terms of numbers, they did well to delay until people arrived on top of the mansion's roof.
They all wore white and blue armor like the Knight of Courage's armor. As Arthur looked around, he saw that they kept appearing. The Knight of Courage sprinted out of the barrier Dia made and swung her sword toward the Duke.
Ice elementals burst from her sword and a giant ice shard appeared above it. The Duke clapped his hands and flames burst from within. His beard and horns had crimson flames on them that gathered to launch a laser-like attack.
The two powers collided to blind everyone's vision because of the ice turning into steam. All Arthur could see were the two people around him, Gala and Dia.
"Why did you do this to me?" Dia was biting on her lips until they bled. "You robbed me of my freedom, how are you any different from Demis enslaving humans?"
"I did to survive, that's all." Arthur furrowed his brows. He didn't want to admit it, but he also felt uncomfortable. "You had no reason to betray me, yet you did."
"If I kept you by my side, I would have never been able to win over the kingdom." Dia gritted her teeth. "The people would never tolerate a Queen with a human follower."
"I guess the only traitor are the circumstances." Gala chimed in and turned to Arthur. "We need to get out of here before the royal family hears of this." '
'I need to go back to Herav.' Arthur thought of Rae. He has left her for far too long. 'But first of all, we need to run away from the Duke of Fire.'
"Dia!" Arthur turned to her and ignored her desperate face. "Carry us a way!"
Dia didn't protest as if her will was shaken. An ice platform appeared underneath them and it began to float alongside Dia. Before they could fly out of the mansion, Arthur heard a whistle as a figure appeared in the sky.
"You're not running away!" Neray roared as his giant wings carried him upward. Arthur frowned at the familiar sight of Neray. He looked similar to how Arthur looked after fusing with Lilo.
Giant white draconic wings, white claws, and white scales covering his body. Neray dived toward them as he clawed at the barrier around, but couldn't break through the barrier.