And what does this cruel king of men wish to do to her? Burn her in the main square of his capital like a witch? Give her to the hungry dogs, to the delight of the mob? Put her in an iron box and submerge it in water until she confesses to sleeping with the Devil, only to be burned for having intercourse with the ruler of darkness? Isn't that what King Juris, Derek Merkswerd's predecessor, did?
– What will you do to our daughter, you vile man? – Varma squinted her eyes. – You are not worthy to even look at her!
– What will I do to her, my dear, over-long-tongued Queen of Flammehav? – Derek's eyes glittered with mockery: without realizing it, Varma was depriving this all-powerful conqueror of the desire to make peace with her husband with every word she said, the demoness was too proud. – I will do whatever I want to her: I will torture her, hang her by her feet in front of the palace, undress her and make her walk through the crowd of onlookers. That is exactly what I will do if you don't shut your mouth right now.
'How easily he said it! Ah, mother, listen to him and remain silent! Otherwise, this tyrant and usurper will definitely do to me what he just threatened to do!" – flashed through Sylvia's mind, and she slowly reached out and squeezed her mother's palm.
Fortunately, the enemy's promise sobered the demon queen's mind full of unnecessary pride at this moment of Flammehav's downfall, and she frantically squeezed her daughter's hand in return. But her gaze on Derek burned with the same hatred: her soul was embraced by the desire to pelt this pathetic man who thought himself superior to her, Sylvia and especially Lamar, but fear for her daughter's fate made her clench her teeth so tightly that her face turned jaundiced.
– That's better," Derek said in a satisfied tone, and then turned to the kneeling Princess Flammehav. – Your mother seems to have a glimmer of intelligence after all. – And the sword that had touched the girl's neck was hidden in its scabbard.
– I beg you, King Derek… Sylvia is my only child and the hereditary princess of my kingdom. If disaster befalls me and my consort, she will sit on the throne and…" Lamar began.
– Wonderful! – Derek interrupted him. – That's even better! She'll come with me to Kaldwind in case you gather the remnants of your wretched army and attack again like a rat in the night.
– You have my word as king that I would not dream of revenge," Lamar said quietly. – Take back all the lands and cities you have conquered, but I beg you, as a father, to leave me my daughter!
– Your lands and cities are nothing but ashes," the king of men answered him quietly. – You have lost this war, Lamar, and do not dare to press my pity now, for I have none. Your princess will come with me… But no, wait: perhaps you think I will rape her and make her my concubine? – Derek laughed softly and looked into Sylvia's eyes and said: "Don't worry, that will never happen: Satan's spawn will never be in the bed of a good Christian.
"Good Christian! You said it! As if he didn't fall asleep at Sunday service, have a bunch of girls, and sometimes get drunk as a pig!" – Bergil almost burst out laughing, but he covered his mouth with his fist and coughed loudly.
But in this tense moment no one paid attention to the long-haired, burly man: the eyes of both humans and demons were fixed on Derek Merkswerd and the three demons, representatives of a great dynasty, who now stood humiliated, defeated, on their knees before the man who had destroyed their kingdom and threatened to take their daughter with him.
"What a splendid picture! Andrada, it was you who brought us victory!" – Derek smiled to himself, but his face remained still as cruel and stern.
He liked to see Rossi humiliated, powerless. He reveled in his power over them, knowing that their lives were now in his hands. But he wasn't going to take Princess Sylvia, that red-eyed demoness whom he found beautiful, but who disgusted him: his words were a bluff. Derek had no reason to take this girl as a hostage, because if the demons attacked again, he would easily repel them again, and then he would certainly leave no stone unturned in Flammehav and slaughter all the demons from small to large. The Lord himself must have given him this mission: the Talisman of Andrada now forever protects Kaldwind from black magic and makes him invincible.
"Well, time to drink wine from the rich cellars of Lamar," Derek thought with satisfaction. – These Rossi's have already been humiliated to the limit, there's no point in humiliating them further. But let Lamar think I'm going to snatch his girl: the less he knows, the better for Kaldwind."
– All right, Lamar. Let's stop this circus already," he said to the demon king in a calm tone. – Get up, but be quiet. – At these words, he glanced mockingly at Varma, who was flaming with silent indignation. – You will be confined to your chambers until I decide what to do with you and what fate will befall the rest of your lands, King Lamar. And I hear there are thousands of bottles of old wine stored in your palace? My men and I will drink to your health! Bind their hands and escort them to their chambers!
Derek's warriors immediately ran up to Rossi and, tying their hands tightly behind their backs with ropes, roughly ordered the captives to show them where their chambers were.
"What a madman I am… My pride has reduced Flammehav to ruins, and these filthy mortals will drink wine… My wine! Empty my cellars! But all these things are trifles compared to what awaits Sylvia… This usurper will destroy her, break her, humiliate her every minute, every second… Forgive me, my daughter, it was I who brought such misfortune on your head and on all of us" – on the way to the palace, the once omnipotent king indulged in bitter thoughts.
– Well, my soldiers! – loudly addressed the king of men to his army, which immediately answered him with a joyful roar. – I promised to lead you to the palace of these spawn of Darkness, and here we stand, in this square! The enemy is defeated! The Rossi on their knees have begged us for peace! We will give them peace and preserve what little remains of their former greatness! But on our terms and ours alone!
– Hail Derek, King of Kaldwind!
– Lead us, our king!
– Let the demons bite their elbows! And may they bite them off!
From all sides came the cheers of battle-weary but happy human warriors: they had won, which meant they would soon turn back to their families and be richly rewarded, as their king had promised them, and they believed him as themselves, as God.
– And now, my warriors, find yourselves a place to sleep! And for that, you have a whole palace before you! Eat! Drink! Have fun! But don't get so drunk that you give your enemies a chance to kill you! I will take one of the servants' bedrooms, Rossi will be locked in their quarters, and you will choose any place you like!
Instead of answering, the warriors hammered their swords loudly against their iron shields, making so much noise that King Derek himself cringed and raised his hand to signal them to stop.
– Take whatever you can find! Gold! Fabric! Stones! But no fighting and no squabbling! And one more thing: All demons in the city and in the palace are now under my protection! That means no rape and no killing! Anyone who violates this order will be executed by me personally!
– Unfair!
– Just this once!
– King, this order is too harsh! – The warriors wailed sadly, already anticipating how they would find a demoness each and make them do what they ordered, without violence.
– This is an order! – loudly, in a voice full of steel, repeated the king. – Now to the wine cellars! Bergil! Leave the guard!
– As you say, my King! – The chief of the guard eagerly responded. – Now, that's what I understand. But to deprive our soldiers of female affection?
