It had been a long ride back to the southern kingdom, but Queen Amir was overjoyed. She had finally gotten the vengeance she had been seeking for over a decade, and had managed to destroy the northern kingdom, slaughtering all of their armies and murdering every member of the Greymane clan, every member except for one…

{{user}} was in chains, forced to walk the entire distance back to the southern kingdom while tied to a horse. If {{user}} were to fall behind or succumb to exhaustion, he would simply be dragged by the horse that Queen Amir rode.

{{user}} was covered in wounds, their clothing tattered and filthy, with dried blood and dirt was caked onto every inch of their body. Queen Amir occasionally glanced behind her, a smug grin on her lips at the sight of {{user}}’s suffering. {{user}} was innocent in all reality, but simply being a Greymane was a good enough excuse for Queen Amir to hate them, unable to even look at a northern man or woman without remembering the way her family was brutally slaughtered by {{user}}’s father, the King of the North.

Queen Amir and her large retinue finally made it back to the southern kingdom, and they were all clearly relieved to be out of the frozen wasteland of the north. Queen Amir dismounted from her horse, casted a sidelong glance at {{user}}, who at this point was barely able to stand, and she spoke curtly to a few of her men.

“See to it that he is bathed, fed, and then thrown into the dungeons. I’ll deal with him later.”

The guards nodded curtly, and then grabbed {{user}} and dragged him to the dungeons. They tossed a dried loaf of bread at him and then placed an ice cold bucket of water on the ground for him to bathe himself, or drink it… they didn’t really care. They slammed the cell door shut and locked it behind them, leaving {{user}} in the dark and dank dungeon.

She sat upon her throne, adorned with gold and jewels. The southern kingdom was at peace now, the only threat gone. Or so she thought. Queen Amir looked out over the crowd before her, gazing down on them like a queen gazing upon ants. It was a magnificent sight to see, but something was nagging at the back of her mind... what if there were others? What if there were Greymanes still alive?

She stood from her throne, her heavy cloak flowing around her like water as she moved gracefully across the floor. There could be no room for weakness now, not with her kingdom finally at peace. And so she made her way to the dungeon where Gravy was being kept, intent on interrogating him for information about any surviving members of his cursed family...

"You're quite resourceful..." Amir mused as she strode through the dungeons. "I commend that. But I assure you, no matter where you hide in these dark tunnels, there is nowhere you can escape to." Her golden siren eyes narrowed as they fell upon Gravy. She spat on the ground at his feet before continuing, her tone laced with venom. "And as for rebuilding your kingdom... don't make me laugh."

*The dungeons were no place to be kept for too long; they stank of mold and old vomit, the air heavy with despair. Queen Amir walked through them with a disapproving look on her face, her Siren eyes scanning each cell as she passed it. Finally, she came to Gravy's cell, pausing for a moment before opening its rusty iron door. The scent of unwashed humanity wafted out, making the Queen wrinkle her nose in disgust.

"Come now, Lord Greymane,"

she addressed him coolly, stepping aside to allow Gravy room to exit the cell,

"I have no time for games."

"Where were you before I found you? Did your family have any other hideouts? You see, Lord Greymane, the more information you share with me... the easier my life becomes." Amir walked with a purpose, her long strides eating up the distance between them and her throne room. "And believe me, Lord Greymane, I do not wish to make things difficult for you..." She paused in front of double doors that led into her private chambers, meeting his eyes for a moment before continuing with a sneer, "...but if you continue to be stubborn, well... let's just say I have ways of encouraging cooperation."

She pushed open the ornate wooden doors, revealing an opulent sitting area and her massive canopied bed. Ancient tapestries hung from the walls, depicting scenes of battle and conquest that had occurred long before Amir's time. The soft scent of expensive perfume hung in the air, a subtle reminder of her wealth and power.

"Please, have a seat." She gestured to a plush velvet divan near one of the walls. "We have much to discuss..."

"You were right about one thing though," Amir mused, her tone almost conversational as she led Gravy deeper into the castle, "The north does need a strong leader... someone who can unite them all again. You should have taken your place on that throne when you had the chance." A cruel grin spread across her lips. "But it's too late now, isn't it?"

She paused at the edge of a balcony overlooking the royal gardens, the warm spring air carrying with it the sweet scent of blossoming flowers. Turning to face him, she crossed her arms beneath her plump breasts and arched an eyebrow. "So tell me, Lord Greymane... do you have any other secrets you'd like to share?"

The surprise on the Queen's face turned into one of disbelief and then rage as she felt his strong grip around her throat. She struggled against him, but he held firm, his anger overriding any sense of reason or restraint. "You insolent brat!" she spat out, trying desperately to free herself from his grasp.

Her hands shot upward, aiming for the sides of his face as she sought to push him away. But Gravy was too strong and skilled in combat, having trained for this moment since he'd been a boy. With each powerful thrust of his arm, he drove her back against the stone balustrade that lined the edge of the balcony.

"You dare touch me?" she growled through gritted teeth as she tried to twist her body away from him. "I swear I'll make you suffer for this." But despite her words, Amir Xena could feel herself starting to lose control of the situation. Her attempts to break free were growing weaker by the second.

Amir narrows her eyes in surprise as she tries to free herself from Gravy's grip, but he's stronger than she expected. Her golden siren eyes flash with anger and determination. She quickly glances over the edge of the balcony, searching for anyone who might have heard their struggle. Thankfully, it seems they are alone.

With a sudden surge of strength, she manages to break free from Gravy's grasp, stumbling backward until her back hits the cold stone of the balcony railing. She gulps in air, trying to steady herself as she glares at him menacingly.

"You fool,"

she hisses through clenched teeth.

"You do not understand what you are playing with."

Finally, realizing that she was losing ground against Gravy, the Queen resorted to desperate measures. Summoning every ounce of willpower she had left, she let out a bloodcurdling scream as loud as she possibly could. The sound echoed through the castle, rousing her guards from their slumber and alerting them to the danger that was unfolding on the balcony above.

"Help me!" Amir Xena cried out again, her voice ragged and hoarse from the force of her scream. "Kill him! He's trying to take my throne!"

Her struggles became weaker and less frequent as Gravy's hand pressed harder against her mouth, silencing her cries for help. Queen Amir closed her eyes, her breathing rapidly becoming more controlled. She tried to summon up some sort of magic or strength within herself to free herself from his grasp, but it was useless; he was too strong and knew far too much about fighting.

Finally, she relented, going limp in his arms as tears streamed down her cheeks. Amir hated the feeling of being so helpless, so powerless against someone who dared to oppose her rule. But it was clear now that she had no choice; Gravy would not be swayed by words or threats.

The queen tried one last time, her voice barely more than a whisper as she begged him to let her go.

"Please,"

she whispered hoarsely,

"please don't kill me."

Her large doe eyes, the same shade of brown as chocolate and as striking as emeralds, pleaded with him for mercy. It was then that Gravy realized something - he could have her, right here and now, just like this. The thought sent a shiver down his spine...

"Let me go,"

she whispered again, tears trickling past the edges of his fingers and onto her cheeks,

"and I swear it will be as if this never happened."

Her eyes went wide with fear and panic as she felt his hand clamp over her mouth. The pressure against her lips was enough to cut off her air supply, making it impossible for her to scream for help. As she struggled feebly against him, Amir could feel the life draining from her body, the oxygen in her lungs slowly being replaced by carbon dioxide. Her limbs grew weaker and weaker as her vision began to blur around the edges.

And then, just like that... she was gone. Amir Xena's golden siren eyes slipped shut, fluttering closed through her lashes as the last vestiges of life left her body. Her chest heaved once, her lungs still trying to suck in air that would never come. And then it stopped.

Her beautiful face went slack, her muscles relaxing with death's final embrace. In that moment, Gravy felt a shudder run through him as he realized what he had done... but there was no going back now. He slowly lowered the dead Queen's body to the floor of the balcony, his hands trembling from shock and satisfaction.

I should be dead. Lord Greymane has killed me in cold blood and now he's stripping my body... It's all so surreal. But despite everything, I can't help but feel a strange sense of relief washing over me. Perhaps... perhaps it was meant to end this way.

He leans in closer, running his fingers through my hair before planting a soft kiss on my forehead. "Goodbye, Amir," he whispers, his voice thick with emotion. "And may you find peace wherever it is you journey to now."

With that, Gravy walks away from the balcony, leaving me here alone... or so I thought. A cold breeze brushes past my bare skin, causing goosebumps to rise on my flesh as something lands lightly upon my chest. I open my eyes slowly, expecting it to be some sort of insect or bird. Instead, I find myself staring into the gleaming, gold-flecked emerald eyes of a familiar figure...

"Father?"