PLAIN ON CHOICES

CHAPTER 5: PLAIN ON CHOICES

ALTHEA'S POV

The flickering torches sputtered, casting grotesque shadows on the cold stone walls as King Leontios boomed, 

"Strip! We must ensure purity amongst our potential brides!"

His voice, rough and gravelly like unpolished stone, echoed in the cavernous hall. Shame burned in my throat like bitter wine. This wasn't the future I'd envisioned. Althea, daughter of a healer, reduced to cattle inspected for flaws in a barbaric beauty pageant. But defiance flickered within me, a tiny ember against the icy grip of fear.

Across the room, King Maximus of Rome lounged on a throne, a bored expression etched on his face. His eyes, the color of a stormy sea, flicked over me with a casual disinterest that grated on my nerves more than Tiberius's crass demands.

One by one, the other girls peeled off their finery, their faces a mask of forced smiles and hidden anxieties. Each revealed smooth, unblemished skin, their beauty a weapon in this twisted competition. 

My turn came, and with trembling fingers that scraped against the silken fabric, I began to shed my emerald gown. The chill of the air sent goosebumps erupting on my exposed skin, but it was nothing compared to the coldness of my situation.

Then, a gasp ripped through the tense silence. All eyes fell on me, not with lust or admiration, but with a mixture of disgust and horror. A jagged scar, a jagged memory of a childhood fire, ran like a crimson river across my stomach. Laughter, cruel and mocking, erupted from the gathered maidens.

"Look at the scarred one!" Kathryn, known for her viperish tongue, shrieked. "Who in the name of kingdoms of the furred and feathered would want a damaged wife?"

"She's probably cursed!" chimed in Elara, another girl whose beauty was outweighed only by her malicious heart. "Bad luck follows her like a shadow! Just like her sister!"

Their words were like needles, piercing the dam of my carefully constructed composure. Anger, raw and primal, flooded my veins. It was an unfamiliar feeling, a monstrous thing clawing its way out from a place deep within. The room seemed to shrink, the air growing thick with the cloying scent of fear and anticipation.

"Leave my sister out of this!" I roared, a wave of invisible energy escaping my body. Wha...

It hit both Kathryn and the other girl who mocked me first. They let out yips of pain, doubling over as an unseen force slammed them against the wall. 

 Their bodies crumpled to the floor, whimpering with a mixture of shock and agony. Across the room, a goblet of wine held by a nearby guard clattered to the floor, shattering into a dozen pieces.

Terror replaced the initial shock in the room. Even King Aurelius, his face flushed with a mixture of outrage and something akin to fear, stumbled back a step. 

 As for King Leonidas, his bored facade had vanished entirely. His stormy eyes were wide with a newfound respect, a flicker of something that looked suspiciously like awe dancing in their depths.

I stared at my trembling hands, a cold dread settling in my stomach. What had I just done? What power lurked within me, unleashed by a surge of anger?

The air crackled with unspoken questions, but all I could manage was a choked whisper, "What… what have I done?"

King Aurelius rose from his throne, a slow, predatory smile spreading across his face. "Interesting," he murmured, his voice a low rumble that sent shivers down my spine. "Very interesting indeed."

"Witchcraft!" A noble roared, his voice thick with a fear he tried to mask with anger. "Seize her!"

Two guards, heavily armored and wielding wickedly curved swords, charged towards me. Panic surged through me, but before I could even think of a way to defend myself, a blur of blue and silver intercepted them. 

King Aurelius, his movements lightning fast and deadly precise, disarmed the first guard with a single, brutal twist of his wrist. 

 The second guard fared no better, his sword clattering to the floor with a resounding clang as Leonidas slammed him against the wall with enough force to knock the wind out of him.

"Touch her," Aurelius growled, his voice laced with a dangerous edge, "and you'll answer to me."

Leontios, stands, saying absolutely nothing, but the new found interest in his eyes...makes him watch me quietly this time.

"Silence!" He snapped, silencing everyone. "This changes everything." Leontios advanced towards me. "Tell me, Althea." He began, his tone gentle, surprisingly, "what just happened?"

I swallowed as fear clutched my chest along with a strange sense of awe. "I don't know." I stammared...my tone barely in a whisper.

 The power that surged through me moments ago felt as foreign as a comet streaking across a familiar sky. Shame clawed back at me, not for my anger, but for my helplessness. Here I was, exposed and vulnerable, with no control over this terrifying magic.

"Don't lie," Another noble snarled, his earlier fear replaced by something akin to calculating opportunism. "Witches are a menace to the realm. She needs to be dealt with."

Aurelius shot him a withering look. "Silence, I said. This is not your concern anymore. Althea," he returned to me, "focus. Remember the feeling, the surge of… energy. Is there anything that triggered it?"

I squeezed my eyes shut, trying to recapture the sensation. It was like a storm brewing within me, a churning darkness that responded to my anger. The memory of my sister, her gentle smile and the charred remains of our cottage flickered through my mind, and a flicker of warmth ignited within the storm. But it was quickly swallowed by a cold, empowering rage.

"Rage," I whispered, a realization dawning on me. 

Leonidas's lips curved into a satisfied smile. "Excellent. Raw, unbridled emotion. A powerful catalyst indeed."

A noble bristled. "You can't be serious, Caesar! We cannot leave an uncontrolled witch wandering free! She's a danger to everyone!"

"Peace, you oaf," Aurelius retorted. His voice dripped with icy contempt. 

 "It seems you've forgotten just how valuable a weapon uncontrolled power can be." Leontios turned back to me, his gaze holding a strange mix of curiosity and hunger. "Tell me, Althea, would you like revenge?"

His words hung heavy in the air, a challenge and a promise rolled into one. Revenge. The thought of it, of making those who mocked me and condemned my mother pay, sent a delicious thrill coursing through me. But could I trust this enigmatic king? Was he an ally or a predator in disguise?

"Revenge?" I echoed, my voice stronger this time.

"Indeed," Leontios said, a glint of amusement in his eyes. "Those who wronged you, both alive and…" he trailed off, his gaze flicking towards Aurelius for a fleeting moment, "...dead, shall face your wrath. In return, you pledge your service to me."

A dangerous proposition. He offered power, a chance to right past wrongs, but at what cost? Would I become his puppet, a weapon unleashed only at his command? The girls on the floor whimpered, a reminder of the destruction my uncontrolled power could unleash.

"I'm not letting you have her, Aurelius. She is my mate." Leontios confessed, causing every member to gasped.

Aurelius roared with laughter. "Mate? You rejected her the moment you set your eyes on her." With the murmurs going about, he got frustrated. "Slience! The next person who speaks will have his head on a platter!" The room fell silent before he turned to Leontios. "And you, this isn't your decision to make. Let her choose her fate."

The gasped came unanimously.

I knew why.

It has never been heard in history, that a woman, chose her own fate.

And guess who the first woman that was?

Me.

Aurelius murdered my family, a king as devilish as he appeared. What secrets lay in those deceptive eyes of his?

And Leontios rejected me as his mate, and, made love with my best friend. If I chose him, would I be able to stand my ex mate, having affairs with another woman?

Who was I going to choose? 

A featured, or a furred.