Chapter 202: Sacrifice To Fulfill A Price

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Back in the Royal Chevalier Palace, everyone had gone to the fields to watch the clash of valor event, leaving behind Lady Agathe who had come up with yet another excuse to avoid going with them to the event. With Ivan’s absence, the people were most likely to focus on the royals that will be present, and it would bring unwanted questions if she is absent today as well.

"You weren’t present for the first round of the event," Abdiel had said to his wife as she escorted him out of the Palace. "If you keep up with this charade of yours the guests will start talking. What do you want them to think afterwards?" Abdiel questioned Agathe whose expression softened into worry.

She lowered her gaze and spoke softly. "I will be there, I’ll only arrive late." She reassured him. "What I have to do is equally important, His Majesty will be returning tonight, and a small celebration will be held for those who can succeed their way to the third round of the event. Helena gave me a list of the requirements I requested her to make, I need to relay them to Albert before leaving."

Agathe explained the matter to her husband, and Abdiel finally nodded in approval since there was nothing he could do about it. If it concerned Ivan and the little celebration happening tonight, they were both important, and to Agathe’s relief, he let her off the hook with a quick reminder.

"I want to see you there."

"Enjoy the event." She smiled at her husband and waited for him to get into the royal carriage. When he was out of the Palace to the point his carriage could no longer be seen, her lingering smile instantly morphed into a look of indifference, replacing her earlier warmth with a spine-chilling iciness that drew the armored guards attention to her.

When she walked into the Palace, the door closed shut behind her.

Agathe made her way through the spiraling stairs and the labyrinth path of the corridor. When she got to her chamber, which wasn’t the room she shared with her husband, Agathe made sure to scrutinize the area before opening the door and stepping inside, and one could hear the faint clicking sound of the room door being locked.

Finally in the comfort of her single chamber, Agathe briskly moved to the dressing table where she took her seat. Opening the drawer attached to the vanity table, she slowly brought out a plain delicate box that was the size of her palm, but it was made from steel, enough to hinder the dark aura of what was inside to be detected by anyone.

Placing the box on the table, she opened the lid with a careful touch, anticipation radiating from her every pore, and with a soft gasp, a shroud of darkness slowly drifted out, blanketing the room with an ethereal aura. Within the box she had opened was a single piece purple gem that lay inside, its surface polished to perfection.

With trembling fingers, Agathe carefully reached for the gem inside, instantly drawn to its ominous beauty. As her fingers wrapped around it firmly, an overwhelming surge of aura descended forth, whilst engulfing her chamber in an eerie obscurity. Agathe’s piercing eyes, which was usually a bright crimson mysteriously changed in the presence of the crystal. As she continued to gaze deeply into its mysterious core, her pupils expanded, swallowing the captivating glow and turning her eyes into an abyssal black.

Whispering softly, Agathe’s voice was laced with a dark enchantment as she said, "Demon of the shadows, I summon thee. Reveal thyself through this gem and answer my call."

The chamber trembled under the weight of her chants, and an eerie silence filled the air. Suddenly, a distorted whisper sliced through the air, answering her diabolical call.

"Who dares to disturb me in such holy hours?" The voice seethed through the gem, and Agathe almost lost grip of it when it trembled violently.

"Marius." She uttered his name, her voice remained steady, but it was filled with a potent blend of fear and power. "I have come to you for your infernal guidance on a serious matter. Without you, I wouldn’t have been able to accomplish this much for my vengeance to the Chevalier family but... there is someone who knows my secret, two of them. I am not bothered about the first one, but the second one.. the moment she figured it out I knew she was going to be a hair on my neck. I cannot kill her as she is someone the new King favors more than his life. I seek for your knowledge and power, how do I silence her for good?"

The crystal trembled in her grasp for the second time as Marius tried to concentrate his essence within the gem, his voice growing clearer as he let out a disturbing dark chuckle.

"Agathe, you possess ambition nonetheless. State your desires and the price you are willing to pay."

"Price?" Agathe seemed quite confused, "I already traded my soul, my eternal servitude to you. What else is there to offer?" She asked, a bit perplexed, and there was silence. She had seeked help from Marius a long time ago, in her quest to exact her revenge on the Chevalier family. It was thanks to him that she was able to put the King’s mind in unease, so much so that he killed himself on that particular night, and it was thanks to Marius that she became successful in ruining the name of Mr Dufort.

She had killed the Queen Mother with his help as well, but everything came with a price and those prices led her to sell her soul to him.. afterall, she was only alive to avenge her late parents. Today, she felt completely uneasy upon knowing Ivan’s return will be tonight, and she was sure he was going to return with that human, but something about their return didn’t settle well with her, whilst she chose to seek help from the one who has helped her along.

But now he was asking for another price?

"What else can I possibly give?" She asked again, almost ready to give it if it could help her in silencing the human forever.

"I want that son of yours." Marius’ voice held a tinge of malice, and something wicked in his tone was expressed as he mentioned the name. "Alistair."

Agathe’s heart reached her throat, and her black eyes dilated when he mentioned her youngest son. There was a look of hesitancy in her eyes, and her grip on the crystal subconsciously loosened.

"I... cannot do that." She breathed, "ask for anyone else, but not my son."

"Ah... a Mother’s love for her children truly is the most powerful thing." Marius’ voice held a bit of boredom, as if her refusal had taken away the fun from all of this, but in a matter of seconds, he was back to being serious.

"Remember that this family never treated you right from the start, they harmed your parents, ridiculed you for being poor and sold you to the youngest son of the Chevalier. Do you know what that means? Your value is worth nothing more when compared to a wooden nickel. You made these sons of yours with a man you have no feelings for, they have the Chevalier blood running through their veins. Shouldn’t you hate them as well since you claim to hate ’ALL’ the Chevalier family?"

At his question, Agathe’s trembling lips stiffened, remaining oblivious to his manipulation.

"I’m not asking for both of them," Marius continued to say, "sacrifice Alistair to me, and your desire to get rid of the Chevalier will be accomplished for good."

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by Aunomay Read