Chapter 236: Sealed Her Fate

Earlier in the evening, when dinner had ended, Kaden kissed Lina on the head, and went straight to his private office. Lina didn't know what for, but she was determined to carry her plan through. 

So, Lina asked Theodore for the master keys to all the rooms, locked everything that had a bed, and then, proceeded to retire for the night. She used the bathroom, brushed her teeth, took a shower, and then, promptly went to bed.

The second her head hit the pillow, she fell asleep. A minute later, she was deep in dreamland.

- - - - -

Thunder roared in the distance, the wind tugging at the Princess' hair. The first strike of lightning set a willow tree on fire, the very one where Lina and Kaden first encountered each other.

The marble floor was cracked. In the far corners of the land that Lina governed, everything was burning down. The abundant meadow of flowers was filled with dead and crisp plants. The burnt petals were carried away by the harsh wind.

The timid and sheltered Princess was the cause of this mess.

Everyone knew better to anger the Emperor of Heaven, for his anger knew no limits and his punishment showed no mercy—even to his favorite daughter.

"Lina."

Lina's mother uttered her name with softness and patience. It was all too cliche, really. Perched on the high throne, the Empress of Heaven governed Family and Fertility, for she was the mother of the nation. Her gaze was ever so gentle, watching over her daughter who was treated as if she were more fragile than glass.

Lina ignored her mother. She could feel the skies rumble, but it was not from thunder. It was from an overwhelming force rushing here. She heard it in the wind that carried the voices of the people, who knelt outside the throne room, begging her father for mercy.

"Take it back, father," Lina said in a quiet, trembling voice. 

The throne room had no roof. White pillars reached as high as the clouds, giving a view of the floating islands in the distance. Water poured from the islands like paradise, greenery surrounding them. The floor was made of marble and gold, the very description of luxury. 

"Take back the punishment!" Lina demanded when not a single soul moved.

Before the audience of deities, before the servants, and prying eyes that scrutinized her with fear and anxiety, she dared to command the greatest force. The king of all Kings. The man who held the ultimate rule.

"He did nothing wrong," Lina said with a crumbling voice. There were tears in her eyes and water on her cheeks. 

The crowd of smaller deities whispered amongst themselves. They could not believe the Favored Girl would go against the Emperor, her own father. It was practically unheard of! Daughters were raised to be obedient. They were taught not to have a mind of their own. 

"It was all my fault," Lina pleaded. "I seduced the God of War! I trifled with our lives. He had no part of it. He was a reluctant prisoner and I was the willing soul that misled him."

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The Emperor glowered at her with so much hatred, nothing in the world could overturn his decision. Not even his daughter, pleading and in tears. She had abandoned all the love he showered over her. She had betrayed his affections and dared to call herself a whore before his entire court! 

"How dare you?" the Emperor snarled, his eyes burning like the flames of her land. 

"Please," Lina begged in a hoarse voice. "Punish me instead, father. Not him! I'll do it. I'll gladly undergo the Three Trials of the Mortal Realm in his place."

Lina was not a fool. She knew what the Three Trials meant. Only a handful returned. Every man and woman that experienced it was never the same again. They said the mortal realm could tear apart the soul. Could destroy the heart. Human greed knew no bounds. There were no monsters in the mortal realm, except the people that walked on it. So many humans, and so little humanity.

"Let me take his place, father," Lina insisted, slapping her hands on her chest to show her sincerity. "Let me take his punishment, I—"

BOOM!

Lina froze. Lightning struck mere inches from where she stood. The first hit could paralyze even the strongest of deities. They said the pain of a thunder lash could tear the body apart, rip the skin, and shred muscles. The agony was worse than being burned on a stake.

"You will take back everything you said!" The Emperor snarled, his voice louder than the howl of the hurricane winds.

Lina had always obeyed her parents since birth. She'd called him Papa, instead of Father like the rest of her sisters. Everyone had to address him by a formal title. Everyone but her. She was the youngest, the most loved, and the most rebellious. Everyone was terrified of going against him, but not her. Not the girl with the same heart as him, and double his attitude.

"I will not," Lina said in a softened tone. 

Whilst her Father screamed from the throne, she composed herself to be serene. They were polar opposites. She did it with intent, to make him seem like the crazy one, and her the sane one. 

"Then you are no daughter of mine."

Lina didn't respond. She only raised her head in defiance. 

"Leave!" the Emperor roared, brandishing his hands before her like a man waving rabid dogs away. His expression was twisted into pure hatred and disappointment. To think all the years of discipline had led to such a failure! He knew he should've punished her for every prank she pulled. He knew he shouldn't have tolerated all of her disobedience, but enough was enough.

The Emperor once pardoned her because she reminded him of himself in his youth. With the features of his wife, she had been blessed since her birth. With mischief mirroring his youthful days, he loved her with all of his heart. And now, she had betrayed him like this? She betrayed him by choosing her lover over her own father.

Slowly and gently, Lina uttered the three words that sealed her fate. 

"I will not."

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