Married To The Villain
Chapter 88: On Their Way

Chapter 88: On Their Way

Chapter 88: On Their Way

Lirian was loudly clicking her heels against the cold stone floor as she exited the meeting room.

She barely noticed Gabriel falling into step beside her until his voice broke through the haze.

"Are you alright?" he asked, his tone gentle but tinged with concern.

Before she could respond, a sharp voice cut through behind them.

"Lirian!"

She froze.

The single word was enough to hear her father’s fury.

Gabriel’s hand tensed at her elbow, but she shook him off gently and turned to face Lucius, who was striding toward her with thunder in his eyes.

"Father," she began, but he raised a hand to silence her.

"Don’t ’Father’ me," Lucius spat.

His voice echoed in the corridor, drawing the attention of the guards stationed nearby.

"What were you thinking, agreeing to this absurd plan?"

"I didn’t agree to anything," Lirian smiled, despite her trembling hands. "But I trust Gabriel. If he thinks this will work, then—"

"Trust?" Lucius’s laughter was so cold and bitter.

"You trust a man who’s willing to dangle you in front of a predator like bait on a hook? Do you have any idea what’s at stake here?"

Lirian’s temper flared.

"Do you think I’m a fool? Of course, I know what’s at stake! But sitting back and doing nothing isn’t an option. Meylo will destroy everything if we let him, and if this is the best chance we have, then I’ll do my part."

’And you know exactly where to find him, father...’

"Your part?" Lucius took a step closer, making her feel small but no less in control.

"Your part is to stay out of harm’s way, not throw yourself into the jaws of danger like some reckless child!"

"I’m not a child," Lirian snapped at him.

She had enough of her father’s bullshit, of his torture and commands.

"And maybe if you’d spent less time treating me like one, you’d see that I’m capable of more than you give me credit for."

Lucius’s face darkened, but before he could respond, the sound of approaching steps drew their attention.

Gunther and Johann appeared from around the corner.

Gabriel was behind them, staring between father and daughter.

"Is there a problem here?" Gunther asked, resting his hand on the hilt of his sword.

"No," Lucius said curtly. "Leave us."

"Actually," Gabriel interrupted, stepping forward to stand beside Lirian.

"Anything involving this plan is everyone’s business. And right now, we don’t have time for petty arguments."

Lucius’s jaw tightened, but before he could retort, Raphael’s voice rang out from the far end of the corridor.

"He’s right."

All heads turned to see Raphael approaching, "Every second we waste here is a second Meylo gains the upper hand. If we’re going to do this, we need to move now."

"Move?" Lucius’s voice was louder. "We haven’t even finalised the details—"

"The details are as finalised as they’re going to get," Raphael said, leaving no room for argument. "Meylo won’t wait for us to perfect our strategy. Either we act now, or we lose our chance entirely."

Lirian felt a surge of anxiety, but she swallowed it down and squared her shoulders.

"I’m ready," she said, sounding more confident than she actually felt.

"She is not," Lucius snapped, turning to Raphael. "This plan is madness. You’re risking too much, and for what? A gamble?"

"A calculated risk," Raphael corrected. "And it’s one we have to take. Unless you have a better idea?"

Lucius’s silence was answer enough.

"That’s what I thought," Raphael said. He turned to the others. "Everyone knows their roles. Gather your teams and prepare to move out. We leave within the hour."

Gunther and Johann exchanged glances before nodding and heading off to relay the orders. Kael lingered for a moment, keeping his eyes on Lirian.

"Are you sure about this?" he asked quietly.

She hesitated, then nodded. "I have to be."

Kael gave her a small, encouraging smile before following the others.

That left Lirian, Gabriel, Lucius, and Raphael standing in tense silence.

"You’re making a mistake," Lucius growled, making his voice sound more intense than before...

"No," Gabriel replied, stepping closer to Lirian. "We’re giving ourselves a chance to end this. And I won’t let anything happen to her."

Lucius’s eyes narrowed. "You’d better not."

With that, he turned and stalked away, his cape billowing behind him.

Lirian let out a breath she hadn’t realised she was holding.

"That went well," she muttered, her sarcasm earning a faint smile from Gabriel.

"Don’t let him get to you," he said. "He’s just worried."

"He has a funny way of showing it," she replied, knowing way too well that it wasn’t a worry why Lucius was making a scene.

If Lirian died, and Gabriel died, he wouldn’t have anything else to benefit from.

To him, his daughter was his business, selling her portraits to the nobles, inviting them for a show when he was whipping her, undressing her and humiliating her in front of everyone.

He wasn’t just a father, he was a monster...a predator, waiting for his prey to weaken by itself, so he could snatch it by his claws.

Gabriel’s hand brushed hers briefly, it felt like a reassuring gesture that calmed her nerves.

"Come on. We have a lot to do."

As they made their way to the staging area, Lirian couldn’t shake the feeling that the plan rested on her shoulders more than anyone else’s.

She glanced at Gabriel, who was already barking orders to the men with the confidence of someone who knew exactly what he was doing.

For a moment, she envied his certainty.

But as she took her place among the others, the fear in her chest gave way to determination.

If they were going to pull this off, she would need to be more than brave.

She would need to be fearless.

"Queen Elira, please, protect me...and I will guard your butterflies forever," she whispered to herself.

"No danger! No danger!" Pedro descended on her shoulder.

"Pe-pedro, what are you doing here in a parrot’s form?"

"This way is safer for me. I will be able to detect danger from above, and protect you."

"Good," Gabriel added, "make this bird follow us from above, and report anything he sees."

"Keep your feathers safe, Meylo is a demon who can wield fire, Pedro." Kael laughed loudly.

"Okay, let’s do this..." Lirian whispered to herself.

"Lirian," Gabriel called her, "if we survive this alive, I will kill everyone who ever hurt you or made you suffer, remember..."

"Gabriel, I-"

"No. It’s my job to keep you safe, wife."

’And it’s my job to keep you alive, husband...’