566 Thames (2/2)

As if it was alive, the blood vessels were pulsating, like a living thing breathing. The fine blood capillaries branching out from the main vessels waved in the air, like roots of trees, and twirled in the soft singing.

”The king and his accomplice kidnapped the queen and jailed her in the dream. ”We have the power, yet where should we go? Oh, men, hoist the sail! Pull, thieves and beggars, we'll live forever…” The song came from the prism.

It was a broken piece of flesh. When the piece of flesh was sealed, it was only as small as the knuckle of a little finger. But at the moment, it had eroded the steel and grew in the seal, expanding and turning into a vague face.

A few months ago, the face was just a bloody mess, vaguely resembling a woman. But now, the face had formed completely. The facial features were well defined, the eyes were shut, and the corners of the lips lifted, as if it was slumbering in a sweet dream. As the lips moved slightly, hallucination-like singing sounded. The singing was alive, as if it had a soul, piercing through layers of walls and the heavy rain, and reverberated between the sea and the sky, summoning the demons far away to come to Avalon.

The face looked delicate and possessed an androgynous beauty that was neither completely masculine nor feminine. It seemed gentle, but also strong. It seemed to be pouting angrily but also smiling.

What one could observe from each angle was completely different. The only similarity was that the face had a devilishness unlike that of a human's.

In the soft singing, the Empress got up from the throne. She walked closer and gazed at the face in the crystal. After a good while, she murmured softly, ”It's been so many years, you must have felt very lonely, Prince Thames.”

No one responded.

So Elizabeth reached out, wanting to hold the crystal prism.

”Your Majesty.” Lancelot stepped forward. He looked at her and shook his head, ”You mustn't.”

Elizabeth smiled, and touched the prism very her palm gently, as if she wanted to caress the face. Innumerable fine, fluff-like blood capillaries instantly extended, like greedy roots, and wrapped themselves around her hands, wanting to take root. However, red Firebird spewed out from the slender body. Her power was of the same origin as that of the face, but it was so violent that it seemed as if it was trying to destroy everything in the world.

Just staring at it made one feel a stinging pain.

Just touching it would lead to destruction.

The blood capillaries evaporate in an instant, severing from the main vessels, which shrunk back into the crystal. The face convulsed, the eyelids shivering, as if it was about to wake up from a nightmare.

”I really envy you. It's been so many years, yet you haven't grown any older, and are still as beautiful as ever.” Elizabeth took the prism and examined the face. The look in her eyes became complicated and sorrowful. ”It must be very painful. Suffering in our stead for so many years, sentimentally attached to the mortal world, and being unable to die...”

Still, no one responded.

Lancelot went down on one knee and pleaded again, ”Your Majesty, Leviathan is awakening, we don't have much time.”

”Let me look at him for a bit more.” Elizabeth caressed the prism and looked at the sleeping face. ”This is my uncle, Lancelot.

”It is the sacrifice made by the previous emperor, the 16th person to die for the blood of sin—the one and only Prince Thames.

”Do you know? He was the youngest brother of my father. When I was born, he was only three years old. He died when he was 13, but he had spent the seven years before that with me.

”I even remember the tone he used to speak in, it was soft, like a girl… He once hugged me, took care of me, and he was like a brother to me.

”The dragon blood in him was far stronger than anyone else in the family, so he became the sacrifice and died in the hands of my father.

”Now that I am the empress, it is my turn to be responsible for killing him.”

Lancelot was silent. Such was the shameful secret of the royal family, the secret which Anglo couldn't afford to let anyone know.

As early as a few decades ago, Leviathan should have awakened for the sixth time. It was the sacrifice of Prince Thames that delayed it till the present. A descendant of the dragon blood was made a sacrifice and cruelly burned into ashes. The remains which the fire had failed to burn was sealed in iron, the ashes were sprinkled into the flowing murky water and returned to the sea. It was the only thing that could be done to save the country, and it must be done.

For a very, very long time, Elizabeth kept her eyes closed.

In the silence, the Empress, who had suffered from the curse for many years, suddenly regained her calmness. It was the result of a strong will forged through the endurance of excruciating pain.

”Sometimes, I am grateful for having the blood of the monster in me.”

Elizabeth raised her eyes, gazing at the heavy rain outside the throne room and the dark ocean. ”After all, many people have died, but I am still alive, no?”

Lancelot was at a loss for words.

”Rest assured, Lancelot, I am not that weak. At the very least, I am the empress of the country. In this war that should not have begun in the first place, too many sacrifices have been made. I will not tolerate the continuing deaths of my people.” Elizabeth lowered her eyes, no longer weak, nor emotional, as if she had turned into steel. ”Now, how bad is the situation?”

”Everything is as expected, the losses are also within the acceptable range.” Lancelot replied, ”Communication with the provinces in the fog has been resumed. Most citizens of the country have immediately begun to take refuge. Other than a few shelters that have fallen in attacks, the rest remain standing firm.

”According to the plan, the Second Royal Fleet has set off, traveling to various places to provide reinforcements. The Third Royal Fleet is guarding the coastal waters and is combat-ready.

”The First Royal Fleet has been unsealed by the Stein Chamber Number Zero. Once Your Majesty gives the order, the fleet can be awakened any time.

”It's just that the Black Tide this time around is more troublesome than that in the previous years. The total number of dark rivers brewing up is about 30 as of now, and the lookouts report that the number continues to increase. The giant demons which inhabit various regions of the sea have also been awakened, and the vile spawn of the sea have begun to multiply once more.

”Based on the growth rate of the prince's remains, we estimate that the first seal will be torn open tonight. Using it as the core, Leviathan will enter the actual reawakening phase...”