RLAAQ - Chapter 4 < Snake and Flower >

Refusing Love as a Queen

"You should be thankful that I didn't throw you to the stake, instead of asking me to do something for you arrogantly."

The Archbishop angrily said in a low voice.

"The temptress of the Roland family, didn't you see this hell? The tragedy? The rebels and Dalton are in a stalemate. Once the war starts, the jackal-like enemy will tear Roland into pieces, the blood will drown the ankles until the horse's bridle, and the skulls of the dead will be filled with holy soil..."

Adele spoke quickly.

"God loves the world. He sent you into this world to save the world for Him, not to do an evil thing for Him!"

"The reason for these disasters is because you, a heretical woman, desecrated the throne."

"What do you think,"

Adele interrupted him.

"But now, I am the one who will turn the swords into a plow! I want you to send a letter to Heinrich for me. Peace talks before your fleet arrives. As for me, when everything subsides, you can use all your eloquence to send me into the fire. Let your Gods judge who is the sinner!"

She flushed with excitement. Bright red, corresponding to the rosy pupils. The light falling from the dome dyed her face, like an icon, between sadness and abandonment, possessing a frightening and trembling magical power.

"Go away, heretic!"

The Archbishop closed his eyes as if trying to break free from this dizzying scene.

"Why?"

Adele laughed contemptuously.

"The way you 'saints' deal with the heretic is to close your eyes and ears. so as not to see or hear? Cowards."

She said coldly and contemptuously.

The Archbishop didn't answer and reached out to push her away from him, but Adele approached him first. She grabbed his collar with one hand and put all the weight on him. They were so close that the Archbishop could clearly feel her warm and rapid breathing.

"Open your eyes and look at me." The Queen ordered.

Maybe the devil appeared at that moment, or maybe Salome's should lodge in her voice. Thousands of years ago, the prophet closed his eyes to escape the fate of being seduced. The Archbishop tried his best to make himself a saint, but he was not yet sanctified. Although he felt remorse the moment he opened his eyes.

Adele didn't give him another chance to close his eyes.

His pupils dilated for an instant, and for a split second, he thought the Queen was mad. She was clutching a diamond hairpin, the sharp metal point pointing directly at her own carotid artery.

"Do you know what you're doing?" The Archbishop asked angrily.

Of course, Adele knew what she was doing. She chooses the Archbishop he was the last person to be canonized in Roland's history. Although he was a staunch Old God, he did his best to shelter refugees during thirty years of chaos, and countless people were helped by him.

If Adele were to make a comparison, she would say that an Archbishop Rodrett who wanted to throw her to the stake was better than a dozen nobles whose loyalty was to be negotiated. at least, the character of the former is still guaranteed, and there is still a trace of compassion for the poor people.

"If you refuse me," she said," I will kill myself immediately."

The Queen laughed out loud at the sudden change in the Archbishop's face.

"I have a faithful maid, she is outside."

Adele said viciously in a sweet voice.

"Once I die, he will immediately lead people to rush in. The Queen's rebellion against the Old God's bishop's violence and suicide, do you think this scandal is enough to cause a catastrophic blow to the Old Gods? Will the New Gods seize the opportunity to attack?"

"You..." The Archbishop muttered, "Crazy woman!"

"No way." The Queen said softly.

"I have nothing... Anyway, there is no difference, isn't it? There will be wars for everything, and tens of thousands of lives, heretics, and believers will die because of your refusal. I'm going to hell, and you have to come and be my company."

She smiled, but the circles of her eyes slowly turned red. Hot tears dripped down, leaving little dark marks on the Archbishop's black monk smock.

He froze and said nothing,

***

Kelly stood in the colonnade, maintaining a calm expression.

Every minute and every second of time is so difficult, Dalton may return to the Day Palace at any time. Kelly silently recited the names of all the angels and saints she knew in her heart and begged them to bless her master. When the footsteps sounded, Kelly's heart sank directly to the bottom of the valley.

"Where is Her Majesty the Queen?"

Dalton glanced but did not see the Queen near her.

"Her Majesty is saying her prayers," said Kelly.

Dalton frowned.

"I have something to see Her Majesty."

"According to the doctrine, prayers must not be interrupted."

Kelly did not retreat an inch.

"Get out of the way!"

Dalton's eyes sharpened suddenly, and he gestured for the nearest guard to come over and take Kelly away.

"What are you going to do to my maid, Sir?"

Adele came from the other side of the colonnade. Like all devout believers, she wore a relatively simple black long dress and did not bring any jewelry when she prayed. But it herself she was better than all the jewels in the world.

"I'm just concerned about your safety."

Dalton replied, approaching the Queen and looking at her carefully.

The Queen glanced at him and then told Kelly to prepare a change of clothes for herself. Kelly curtseyed and withdrew apprehensively. Dalton didn't stop her anymore. 

He pressed his slender but callused hand to the corner of the Queen's eyes.

"You cried. Why?"

"My mother," Adele said, looking at the nearby rose garden, " she died in this castle, which people said that she deserved her death."

"It's best."

Dalton squinted slightly, looking at the church under the sun, the Queen's expression was impeccable, and he warned.

"By the way, your brother-in-law is very concerned about your safety."

"How much does he offer."

Ah, Dalton asked after hearing the words. Her elder sister married the neighboring Yager Kingdom at the age of seventeen but unfortunately died of illness. When she was crowned, King Jacques was furious, thinking that Roland's throne should belong to his wife. This mutiny, the speed with which he smelled the wind, was like smelling a rotten hyena.

"Two hundred thousand gold coins," Dalton said, "and the request is very simple."

"Depose the corpses, right?" She asked with great interest.

"Is there anyone else bidding?"

Dalton actually quoted a few more prices.

"120.000 plus dukedom, 150.000 Renza..."

"It's so tempting." The Queen commented.

"Yes, two hundred thousand gold coins is enough for the Pope to sell a King."

Dalton took a step forward, forcing the Queen to lean on the carved stone pillar.

There was once a King who, after being deposed by his younger brother, went to seek the blessing of the Pope. His brother offered two hundred thousand to the Pope for the King's head, and the Pope prepared a cup of poison that day. Seven days later, the King was delivered to his brother in a copper casket.

"I turned down a sky-high reward for you. You shouldn't do what you shouldn't do, right?"

His tone was cold and dangerous.

Adele knew very well that her arrangement for Kelly to meet her at the colonnade still aroused Dalton's suspicion. Deliberately raising the price of various forces is just a warning because he can't find any concrete evidence. Once he finds out about her plan, he will never let it go."

Keen, suspicious, and cruel are synonymous with Dalton in the history books.

Facing Dalton's admonition, Adele raised her eyebrows and grabbed Dalton's cloak collar.

When Dalton subconsciously reached out to draw his gun, the Queen's lips were already covered.

Her lips were still slightly cold but soon became hot. Like roses, like fire, Dalton's breathing soon became short, although his political opponents spared no effort to slender him, mocking him behind his back as an impotent weapon of war, he was a man after all.

A grown, able-bodied, man.

The hand that touched the handle of the gun was loosened, and it clasped the Queen's shoulder tightly, and he quickly took the initiative. His fingers slid from the corners of the Queen's eyes to the back of her head, deep into the thick hair. Their kiss is like a fight, a competition, and what is contained in the ambiguity is the deadly danger like gunpowder.

When they separated, both of them were slightly short of breath.

Some blood oozed from the corner of the Queen's lips. She fixed her eyes on Dalton and reached out to press and wipe her stinging lips. The blood was dyed like rouge, gorgeous enough to stimulate all men's desire to conquer.

"If I did something," the Queen smiled contemptuously, "it must be your problem."

"Don't you want to conquer Roland? And... conquer me."

On the right of the muti, the Queen's words under the candlelight overlapped with her contempt at this moment, and her almost unreasonable actions became natural and justified.

Dalton laughed.

"Okay." 

He said in a compromising tone.

"I'm here this time to tell you that the fleet of the Yager Kingdom has set sail."

***

Under the candlelight, Heinrich stared intently at the letter on the table.

The seal coat of arms on the envelope was clear, and it came from a seal of sword and roses that he was familiar with, which was the Queen's personal seal. And it was an ascetic monk of the Knights of the temple who secretly sent this letter to him.

This is where things get weird.

As the most stubborn branch of the Old Gods sect, the Knights of the temple have always wanted to throw the Queen at the stake. They help the Queen, just as incredible as angels and demons dancing face to face.

After a moment of silence, Heinrich still put the letter on the candle, and after the lacquer print melted a bit, he opened it with a paper-knife. The Queen's familiar handwriting came into view, no different from before. But soon, Heinrich stood up, as surprised as seeing a harmless flower transform into a vicious snake.

And the snake was hidden in this thin letter paper.

Adele Roland, his overly kind and righteous student, had such an astonishing change after the mutiny.

She betrayed Dalton Robert mercilessly.

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