The Tyrant's Pet

"Right now, the people in here were in equal match. But do not forget… that man has yet arrived."

Giselle's already still aura slowly turned chilly. That was right. That particular man has yet to arrive and thus, Giselle had been stopping Miguel from straying away from their priority. Once Abel came into this place, just like everybody else, it could be impossible for them to start. 

The situation wouldn't be in their favor anymore.

"Thank you, Your Majesty," said Giselle coldly. "For reminding everyone of our purpose."

Aries narrowed her eyes as Giselle suddenly raised her hands. As soon as Giselle made a move, everyone in the great hall vanished from their vantage point. The only people who didn't move from their spots were Aries, Suzanne, and Gisella. 

CLANG!

"Haha! If you already set your eyes on me, then don't you dare look away."

Some members of the Raven who previously surrounded Marsella tried to go back to their formation. However, the first person who crossed the line Marsella drew with her feet was now within her grip, beaten.

Thud.
Marsella held the member's head with one hand, letting him go and he landed with a thud. No one had seen what she did, but they could sense utter danger coming from her. 

"See this line?" she tapped her feet, making the rest glance at the marbled floor. "This is as far as you can go. Cross it and you'll see what happens."

"Marsella Grimsbanne…" someone from the group called in a warning tone. "... how dare you betray us? After protecting you from your own family, you'd now turn your back to help the family who wanted to kill you."

"Correction. I am not helping the Grimsbanne. They could all die for all I care. Who I am helping is Her Majesty." Marsella sported a friendly smile. "It's just business, nothing personal. So, don't take it to heart. Don't blame me for your incompetence. After all, you could've prevented my participation for tonight if you did as promised, Giselle."

Marsella glanced over her shoulder and smirked. "But since you didn't, I am one of your problems now."

"London Leviticus, didn't you say you side with no one?" Meanwhile, Conan clashed swords with London once again near Aries. "I can understand the first time you stopped my sword, but this time, it's clear you had sided with the Raven."

"I'm sorry to disappoint, Your Highness. As much as I hate it, this land needed the Raven's protection. Though I do not condone their tonight's purpose, I cannot allow their deaths as well." London smiled. "You might not understand my heart since you left this land without looking back at least once."

"Do not make me laugh. I can sense from your sword your thirst for blood."

"Well, you can say I still hold a grudge against you as well. Even though I've stayed within the borders of the Mainland, I will never accept how you bullied my precious cousin." The sword between them rattled as the two tested their strength. "My poor cousin Isaiah had to deal with you on a daily basis."I think you should take a look at

The vein on the side of Conan's cheek protruded, pissed at London's remarks. 

"So, this is personal, huh?" shouted Conan, and his blade glided against the other sword, causing sparks to fly. 

In a blink of an eye, London and Conan leaped back, only to launch forth to exchange blows. They were equally fast and powerful, appearing and disappearing every other second. The only indicator they were fighting was the sound of metals clashing and the sparks they would produce every time their weapons make contact. 

As London and Conan engaged in battle, and Marsella stayed on the side to keep a few members where they were, another brewing tension was building in another area of the great hall. 

Giselle's slight movement set off everyone to move with intent. One of those people was Fabian and Dexter. London stopped Conan from attacking Giselle, while Marsella stopped some members of the Raven from helping Giselle. 

The only person who was close enough to Giselle was Fabian.

"I must admit, I found some inkling in you. It is a shame we stand on different sides, Chief Leader." Fabian stood a step behind Giselle with the tip of his index an inch away from the side of Giselle's neck. "And thank you, Marquess. I feel like I should now call you brother-in-law."

"Shut up." Dexter ground his teeth, blocking Miguel's sword that was directly at Fabian. Now Dexter was standing beside Fabian and Giselle, blocking the blades that could've split this butler in half. 

"My…" Fabian smiled, glancing over his shoulder. "... what a problematic situation we have here."

Aside from Miguel, some members of the Raven surrounded them. They were the ones who initially surrounded Fabian before Dexter, Conan, and London joined the party. 

Despite the danger that was only an inch away from her, Giselle kept her face in Aries's direction. The latter was scanning the great hall, acknowledging that no one could make a move properly. Be it the Raven or them, unless the other party would cease to exist. 

"Your Majesty." Aries snapped her eyes back to Giselle. "Are you happy with how this unfolded?"

"No one wants their loved ones to be in danger." Aries kept calm and collected, as if the invisible weight around her hands and feet weren't getting heavier. "I am not speaking just for me, but to everyone in this place for me."

"Correction. You are not my loved one, Ram." Marsella couldn't help but comment; she was the only one who got the time to idle as the rest were busy exchanging blows. "But well, Giselle wouldn't understand —"

Marsella suddenly fell to her knees. Her hand landed on the floor on instinct, wide-eyed. Cracks appeared on the surface she was standing on, and after a second, the ground gave in, creating a massive hollow.

'Heavy…'Marsella ground her teeth while her face twitched. She raised her head with great difficulty, fighting the sudden weight on her. "Hah. I see. So this is your ability, huh?"