The Rose Of The South
Chapter 35: Le Donjon

Ludwig watched the tip of the arrow. Blacker. Deadly poison.

"Morta. From where—“ His words just came to a standstill the moment he realized it. His eyes narrowed, in disbelief. His voice was as slow as a whisper. "You stole it from me? To kill me?"

Anna looked around. There were about twenty or so Ludwig's bodyguards. It was not a difficult thing for the three of them to deal with, moreover at this moment, without anyone realizing it, some members of the Red Queen had already entered the tower due to the commotion that occurred in that place. The hard thing is to face Ludwig's magic. Even Eleanor was still motionless.

But when Anna saw the brief glint in Eleanor's eyes, her eyes that momentarily turned icy blue and then turned grey again, Anna knew what it meant.

Eleanor was not silent because Ludwig's magic held her back. Eleanor waited for the right moment when Ludwig was off guard. Constanza seemed to have noticed this, as Anna saw Eleanor nodding briefly at Constanza.

Constanza did not seem afraid in the slightest even though twenty swords were drawn at him. He looked at Ludwig, gathering that flame of vengeance and hatred in one deadly gaze. It was as if he had never heard the confession from Feyna about what had happened to Ludwig all along. About what Ludwig had done for his brothers.

"I learned it from your people. Stealing and killing." The voice was full of contempt and hate. "Stole our kingdom and kill our king and people. Killed my parents! The difference is, the scale I'm doing isn't that big, my dear Ludwig."

It was then that, when Constanza mentioned the name of the Prince—though in a rude manner, Anna vowed to see Ludwig's gaze melt like the last snow in early spring. A longing emanated in that ice-cold gaze no matter how hard Ludwig tried to hide it. Anna glanced at Eleanor who was already smiling in satisfaction. From that expression, Anna knew Eleanor had already done something with her magic without anyone's knowledge. Even Ludwig was not aware that his magic noose was gone from Eleanor.

Ludwig lowered his sword from Eleanor's neck.

"Let your weapons down." The sound was cold. The absolute command of the second son of the King. Even Anna herself was shocked upon hearing that. The manner of speaking belonged to Eleanor even though the words came out of Ludwig's lips.

The guards looked confused. They stared at each other, hesitating to lower the weapon. "But, Your Majesty—“

"Download! It's orders!" snarl.

At once all his guards lowered their respective swords. Constance lowered her bow and arrow after seeing a gesture from Eleanor.

Anna knows what's going on. This went into their plan, even though Anna did not like this way. Eleanor had previously told him that she would probably use forbidden magic if they were in a desperate state. The black magic once learned by his ancestors from the Grimoire Clan. Control someone else. Ludwig is currently controlled by Eleanor, becoming her puppet. Anna felt very grateful that the Queen was her ally. It was unimaginable that if Eleanor became her enemy, it would be impossible to fight her.

"It won't be easy, especially now that I only have half of my usual magic power. I can only use it for a moment. And after that, for a while, I won't be able to perform any magic, as simple as anything. But this won't be dangerous. It's risky, but it's gonna work." Eleanor was clear just before they entered the tower.

"What's condition? How does the magic work?"

"We need to know his weaknesses. Not physically. But the weakness of his heart."

Ludwig's weakness is Constanza. Eleanor managed to use the magic when Constanza mentioned Ludwig's name. He misses Constanza He misses her name being called by her former fiance. His longing weakens his heart. Decreased alertness. Eventually weakening her magic.

Shortly after the guards lowered their respective swords, with a single gesture from Constanza, dozens of arrows flooded them from above. The Red Queen members made them all faint. Anna observed, making sure no one was seriously injured or dead before continuing on the path to the confinement of the child slaves.

With Ludwig under his control, they were able to find out the location of the children's slaves. Not only that, Ludwig delivered them directly. As it passed through the guards, the Red Queen members shot their arrows back. Make them faint. Using Eleanor magic will make their work even easier. Paralysing guards, freeing children and others. But right now, Eleanor had to concentrate all her remaining magic power to control Ludwig to his final limits.

Anna continuously watched Eleanor as she walked into the underground confinement. Eleanor's skin began to pale. The icy blue glow on his eyes dimmed. There were a few drops of sweat on his forehead. If the use of ordinary magic made the magicians even younger and more beautiful, the use of black magic would erode their energy and life quickly. Even his breathing was now breathless as if he was lifting a heavy weight. Eleanor held onto her belly—the baby.

"It's too risky. Don't force yourself—“

"I can. It's not that hard. I can still do it. Don't worry about me and focus on the plan." Eleanor said as she continued to exert her magic power to maintain her control over Ludwig. "He's trying to fight back. Deep down, he's fighting my control. Selena's son really can't be underestimated." Eleanor explained. He then turned to Anna and said, "This is all I can do for you. So you don't have to put on an expression like that. It's penance for me, after what I've done to you."

"What do you mean?"

"That night in the garden Tulip Kristal, I brought rain—illusion rain more precisely. I made you think back to that horrible incident. Now that I knew what it was like to see my loved ones killed before my eyes, I realized how cruel I was doing back then. For you, it's rain, for me. The fire I saw burning my beloved. Sometimes I still have trouble breathing every time I see fire— I do not even light the fireplace in the Palace as cold as the air there—because it keeps on remembering the incident. It was really terrible. The feeling as if the incident continued to play out repeatedly in plain sight. I've done evil to you. I'm sorry."

"It's okay. I'm fine now." Xavier healed me. But Anna didn't say that.

"Stay away. I want to do something for you and the people of Schiereiland. I don't want my name recorded in history as a cruel queen. As an evil witch. Now there are many people in the south here who hate me and give me names that are lacking in heart. I just want my name to be remembered as you are in history. Glamourized and adored."

Glamourized and adored. Eleanor's words continued to ring in her mind. Anna knows that. What a figure she had in the past was considered a hero, a holy figure, an irreplaceable queen in the hearts of her people. Ancient literature about him there are many and translated into various languages and into ancient history that must be known by all people both nobility and commoners. His stories are told by word of mouth by parents to their children. How the reign of Grand Queen Zhenra was the golden age. All people are prosperous and prosperous.

But his current self did not feel that way. She was just a royal princess who had relied too often on the people around her so could not do anything when one by one the people around her had to leave. First his father, the King, left him. Without her father, she was no longer even a royal princess because her kingdom was snatched from her. Then without her mother and sister, she felt like nothing, nothing, so she was determined to find her mother and sister. Luckily, Leon was still with her. But then Leon left too. For the first time in his life, Leon leaves while he desperately needs Leon by his side. He has been too dependent on Leon, too used to his being around him so when Leon leaves, he feels there is a part of him missing. Like losing one arm or one leg.

And as she begins to learn to accept that Leon will not be at her side forever, that Leon will one day have his own life, neither as her partner nor her bodyguard, in that moment, Xavier is there for him. Fill his days and accompany him. Loving her. But not long after he had gotten used to Xavier's presence around him, with his attention, it was also snatched from him when the poison toppled him.

The Universe is telling Anna to learn to deal with everything on her own.

He turned his head to the side, towards the Queen Nordhalbinsel. Eleanor could lead her country alone without a King even though all around her seemed hostile and doubted her. Then on the other hand, Constanza, who rose up alone and gathered his own army to fight the Nordhalbinsel occupation in his homeland. Suddenly Anna was convinced that she could also go through all of this as did Eleanor and Constanza.

But when he reached the basement, where the iron bars were lined up along the dimly lit hallway, featuring the locked Schiereiland children, he felt crushed instantly. The children were about five to twelve years old. Anna could not tell which of the noble sons and which of the common people were from as they all wore shabby clothes and looked thin like they were malnourished. Their bodies were full of bruises—wounds, whips, pus wounds, burns and more. The air seemed to be filled with the smell of blood and pus wounds from the children. The children did not even bother to raise their heads when they saw the door to their prison open. As if knowing, whoever opened that door, would not be able to save them out of the tower. It was as if hope had been driven out of the eye that should have kept thousands of dreams. They are still alive, but their hope has long since died.

Even when Eleanor painstakingly used her magic to unlock their cells, they did not budge at all. They just sat there and stared blankly.

"What happened to all of them?" Constanza asked, not to anyone.

"You're all free. Let's get out of here quick." Said Anna. He could not hide his trembling voice. Anna then squatted in front of one of the girls with dirty blonde hair. He did not recognize the boy at all. The child was only one of dozens of Schiereiland children who had been deprived of his hope by violent adults. "What's your name?" Anna tried asking in a voice as slow as possible.

Anna then realized that each child was wearing a sign bearing a number made of wood clad around their necks. They are no longer even named. They were just numbers that the tower magicians gathered to replenish their strength and build their towers. There were no chains binding them, and the doors of the prison cell were opened wide by Eleanor's magic. But none of them left that place.

"They don't even remember their own names." Eleanor seemed to have trouble speaking. Not just out of shock, Anna realized. Eleanor returned to her real face. His magic was not strong enough to maintain his disguise. His magic power was almost drained away. Soon, Prince Ludwig will be freed from Eleanor's control.

"We have to quickly take them all out before anyone realizes that the guards fainted. Before the poison effect of the Red Queen's arrow was gone." Constanza. While saying so, his eyes were busy searching among the dozens of children. Anna knew she still could not believe Feyna's remarks about Prince Ludwig securing her younger siblings. Constanza is still looking for her three sisters in the crowded room.

"Is there a way to get them all out of here?" Ask Anna.

"Magic control. If only I were strong enough to control all these children with my magic as I control Prince Ludwig. Or teleportation magic, but I can only do it one by one. It would be hard to bring them all at once. I could probably—“

"No." Anna immediately cut off Eleanor's speech. "That's enough. Don't use your magic anymore. Even now your magic power has almost reached its limit. If you push yourself, it could be bad for you and your fetus."

Anna thought of various scenarios to get these children to leave the basement as soon as possible. Magic might be able to restore the consciousness of those children. But right now, the only magician who sided with them was in trouble.

Meanwhile, Constanza tried to resuscitate the children by inviting them to talk and explaining to them that they were free and could go out. But none of the children ignored him.

I don't know how long time has passed. The Red Queen members who had already successfully entered the tower were currently standing guard at the doorway to this dungeon. Prepare with their arrows. But the Red Queen members, as well as Anna and Constanza, could not do much to get these dozens of children to move on and off.

As they were trying to get the children out, with words or trying to get them to stand up, Anna heard a loud falling sound.

"Eleanor!"

The Queen's face looked very pale. Cold sweat coated his skin. Breath gasping. He sat down, moaning in pain while holding his stomach.

Anna approached Eleanor. The Queen tried to stand up, but immediately fell down again. Even she was unable to stand on her own two feet, so Anna helped her up. His power's drained.

His magic power was drained.

When Anna turned to Prince Ludwig, who had been freed from Eleanor's magic control, Constanza had cornered her and held her down with a dagger attached to the Prince's neck. Anna reflexively pulled out her sword, preparing if she had to fight Ludwig.

But Ludwig doesn't even seem to fight back. He just stared at Constanza who was still threatening him with his dagger.

"Go away." Ludwig said, quietly and calmly as if no dagger was ready to slash his neck at any moment. His eyes did not move from Constanza. "Those children you will not be able to save. They're just as dead."

"They're not dead. Their hearts are still beating. They're still breathing. They're not dead!"

"Their souls and minds are gone." This time Ludwig turned to Eleanor who was about to faint. His pupils widened when he saw it. Anna looked at Ludwig's eyes. Anna knew what she was seeing until she looked surprised like that. The Queen's long dress unfolded slightly, revealing her bare feet. Blood flows there. Bloods. Something happened to her body. "Quick! He could die. Or at least the baby won't survive. You should take him to the doctor immediately. If you delay, the tower witches will come soon and none of you will survive."

But Eleanor shook her head, looking at Anna. That look implied his firmness. "I'm doing fine. I can heal myself. We have to save these kids."

"Don't be crazy! You need that baby to keep your position. Without the baby, I would sit on the throne and wear the crown. Neither you nor the bastard you're carrying."

"Take care of your words, prince. He's the rightful heir to the kingdom!"

"Lawful heir?" Ludwig chuckled. Insulting laughter. “It's disgusting to hear you talk like that. He's not my brother's son! You think I don't know about your affair with that Northern Palace slave? If it wasn't for my late brother who respected and loved you so much, I might have helped my mother prove to everyone that the child you bear was not my sister's. I have been generous enough to be silent at the election meeting of the heir to the throne. You better use it well."

From those words, Anna recalled Ludwig helping her that night. About how Ludwig asked him to go far and hidden. Then Anna remembered Xavier's words about her half-brother.

"You never wanted a throne." Anna subconsciously spoke it.

Ludwig laughed sarcastically, "You're wrong, Princess Anastasia. I want that throne. I should have been King of Nordhalbinsel if he had told me honestly that the child he was carrying was not the son of my brother."

Constanza, who was still pulling her dagger at Ludwig, shook her head in disbelief. "You once said that you didn't want to be King." It was no longer the voice of Constanza the leader of the rebellion. Not the brave Constanza, who fought for the freedom of the slaves. It was the voice of a young girl who craved love. A young girl who falls in love with a prince who becomes her enemy. "You said you'd leave your kingdom, your family and everything and stay at Schiereiland with me. You said you would do all that for me. Is it all just a lie to cover up your rotten plans and your family's gonna take over Schiereiland? Was it all this time...all this was just a lie?"

His gaze softened upon Constanza as he said, "If I become King, Constanza... You can be my Queen. Your parents won't die, your sisters are still with you. And I could have freed Schiereiland and no noble would have dared to resist because I was Selena's son. Because they're all more subservient to me than Eleanor."

"Selena will control you. He wants you to sit sweetly on the throne, dressing you up with a crown just to make you a puppet king. He's the one who's gonna rule!" Eleanor protested, still grimacing in pain.

"Take your talk, Sire. My mother is not that kind of person. He won't use his own son." Ludwig's words were as sharp as ice blades. But then her cold gaze melted when she saw Eleanor moaning in torment. "The air was given a magic poison. Something like Morta, the results of my years of research. This poison only affects children. It should not be harmful to adults. But you... That baby could die in the womb because you inhale the air."

Then there were footsteps approaching. Some. A bunch. Anna guessed about twenty to thirty people. The poison effect is gone. Or maybe it was the tower witches who were aware of what was going on down there. Anna looked at Constanza. "What about the archers?"

"They're on standby. But we are outnumbered compared to all the weeding—“ His words came to a halt as Ludwig clutched his hand. Ludwig brought the dagger close to his own neck until fresh blood dripped from it.

"You're off guard, Constanza. If I'm as bad as you think, if all of us have been lies, I've used that time to attack you. You can't even hold your dagger properly. You can only shoot very well. You've never had the training to fight more than witches." Then Louis set his sights on Anna and Eleanor. "You're all gonna lose. I know the members of the Red Queen have entered the tower. But you will still lose if you fight dozens of tower magicians and Nordhalbinsel warriors. You better get out of here. I'll take care of the rest so they don't come after you." Louis looked back at Constanza. Her voice wails, “Go, Constanza.”

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