Treason! - (M/F), (F/F) [Fantasy] - Chapter 2 Added

[tomato]

In the magical realm of Moonreach, where the moon's ethereal glow bathes the land in silver light, a kingdom stood on the precipice of chaos. Governed by the stern hand of High King Aric Ironheart II, was a land of diverse landscapes and ancient traditions. Its people, comprised of humans, elves, dwarves, and mystical beings, coexisted for centuries until the ominous clouds of rebellion cast a shadow over the kingdom.

The rebellion that now gripped Moonreach had roots deep in its history. Years prior, discontent simmered among the people as King Aric Ironheart's rule grew increasingly authoritarian. The once-unified kingdom fractured along ideological lines, and discontent turned into full on civil war.

The spark that ignited the conflict was the introduction of the "Lunar Accord," a controversial decree that sought to limit the magical practices of non-human races.

The Elves, known for their affinity with the mystical arts and magic, resisted this encroachment on their traditions.
The Dwarves, known for their complex and advanced magical creations, saw it as an affront to their freedom.

Tensions reached a breaking point when a group of disenfranchised individuals, spanning races and backgrounds, formed the clandestine Shadowcrest Rebellion and assassinated the Duke of Emberfall.

The Rebellion's goals are still relatively divided, their motives obscured by a veil of shadow. Some sought to overthrow the high king, while others aimed for a more egalitarian society that embraced the diverse magical heritage of Moonreach. The high-ranking rebels operated from hidden enclaves, pulling the strings in secrecy and their identities known to only a select few.



Chapter 1: Framed!

"Open the gates!" A soldier yelled. "Stormblade has returned!"

The gate crew scrambled to their posts, and the castle gates opened with a loud, metallic groan. A few moments later, a knight atop an elegant white stallion rode through the gates.

The knight arrived at the entrance to the Grand Hall, and dismounted her horse. A couple of guards rushed over to return the horse to the Royal Stables.

"Welcome back, Stormblade." One of the soldiers says. "High King Ironheart is waiting for you."

Stormblade took off her silver helmet, letting her long and midnight-black hair cascade down to her shoulders, and handed it to another soldier. "Thank you. I shall be in his company soon."

Upon arriving in front of Ironheart's Throne, Stormblade knelt on one knee before the High King.

"Captain Selene Stormblade of the Royal Guard, your report." The High King said, the very air trembling at his authority.

"The Elves of Skyhaven have announced surrender. They want to meet for negotiation at their fort in Black Forest." Selene reports.

"Very well." Ironheart says with the smirk of victory on his face. "I shall prepare an escort party at once. I will send for you when preparations are complete. Until then, you are dismissed."

"Yes, my Lord." Selene says before standing up to leave.

The Captain of the Royal Guard leaves the Grand Hall and returns to her quarters in the North Tower of Moonreach Citadel.

Later that evening, when the sky darkens and glistens with stars, Selene is reading reports from all over Moonreach when her thoughts are interrupted by the clatter of armor through the halls. Sensing something is wrong, she reaches for her blade when the Royal Guard she commands bursts into her room, led by her colleague Captain Gray Steelhand.

"Captain Steelhand, what is the meaning of this?" Selene demands, her hands tightly clenching her sword.

"Selene Stormblade," Captain Steelhand declared, his voice cold. "By order of the High King, you are to be arrested for treason against Moonreach and collusion with the Shadowcrest Rebellion."

Selene's heart pounded in her chest and her eyes widen. "Treason?" she exclaimed, disbelief coloring her voice. "On what grounds, Gray? With what evidience? I have dedicated my life to this kingdom!"

Gray Steelhand's voice begins to waver. Clearly he does not want to see his friend and ally be jailed. "Your questions shall be answered at your trial after your arrest. Drop your sword and surrender yourself. Or else we will have to use force."

Selene is at a loss for words. With Gray and a dozen Royal Guard members that she trained to be the best of the best, there was no way she was going to fight her way out of this.

With a heavy heart, Selene drops her loyal blade and the Guard swarm her with ropes and bindings. She is stripped of her sturdy armor and left with only her tunic.

Ropes are wrapped around her chest, forcing it to jut outward while her arms are pinned behind her back in an "X" pattern and tied to the chest harness. Her legs are bound together, making it difficult to even stand. And one of her stockings is removed from her feet and used to stuff her mouth before she could even protest. To secure the filling, one of the Royal Guards gags his former commander with a humiliating black panel gag, one meant for prisoners of the Empire.

Selene, now a prisoner of war, can only weakly moan at her predicament. Her eyes are welling up as a cold iron collar is locked on her neck and a rope is attached to it. With all dozen Royal Guard members surrounding her and Captain Gray Steelhand firmly grasping the rope leash, Selene Stormblade is led outside against her will.

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"Order! Order!" The High Judge commands. The courtroom dies down.

"Captain Selene Stormblade of the Royal Guard. You have been accused of high treason, attempted murder of the High King, and Collusion with the Shadowcrest Rebellion. You are to remained bound and gagged for the duration of this trial, and if found guilty, for the remainder of your life in the Moonreach Dungeon."

Selene, still tied up and gagged, is standing on the defendant's platform, for all of the court attendees to see and gawk.

This is so embarrassing! Selene thinks to herself. How could this happen? I can't even say that I was falsely accused!

The High Judge strikes his gavel, ready to state his sentence. "Selene Stormblade, on account of these charges and the calamity the Civil War has brought us, you are guilty on all cases. You shall be put to death by the next Lunar Cycle. Court adjourned!"

Selene is horrified. Death? This can't be!

She begins to furiously struggle against her bindings, an act that causes 5 Royal Guard soldiers to pin her down and force her to her knees in submission.

"Take her away." The High Judge says without remorse.

One of the Royal Guards grabs the leash and firmly yanks it, causing a yelp of pain to escape from Selene's gagged mouth and she struggles to stand. The other 4 surround her to ensure she can't make run away from her imprisonment, and she's led down into the dungeons of Moonreach.

[methuselah73]

Very creative, I really enjoyed this story. I've wanted to write a fantasy story for a while now. I hope you write more

[tomato]

Chapter 2: The Puppet Master

As the guards escorted Selene into her prison cell, the atmosphere in the dungeon became tense. The flickering torches cast eerie shadows against the cold stone walls, creating a haunting backdrop for the unfolding scene.

Two guards stood by her cell door, and quickly unlocked her prison cell the moment they saw her escorts.

Selene was then led into the cell by the 5 guards, and the door was shut behind the 6 of them.

The Royal Guards began to undo her bindings, but still kept a firm grip on her petite limbs. They then forced their former commander on her knees, where two metal cuffs were locked onto her ankles, binding them to the floor.

Two more cuffs, attached with a small length of chain to the wall, dangled in the musty dungeon air. Two guards picked up one each, and secured them to her wrists, forcing her arms back and causing a grunt of discomfort to escape Selene's gagged mouth.

One final length of chain, right underneath her chin from where she was locked, was picked up by one final guard. He removed the length of rope on the iron collar and replaced it with the short chain, which pushed Selene's head down in an utterly humiliating position.

The guards all took a step back to admire their handiwork, and Selene desperately struggled in vain. Every limb on her body was completely immobilized.

Her legs were practically glued to the cobblestone floor. Her arms, forced backwards to the point where any movement sent jolts of pain through her body. Her neck, mere inches away from the floor, rendered her near blind and only allowed her to get a good look at the prison floor.

The 2 guards standing outside unlocked the cell door, allowing only 5 to leave when 6 entered.

The bound commander could hear their footsteps get fainter and fainter, and all she could do was moan, groan, and drool in solitude.

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A half-day passed, and now it was well past the late afternoon hours of her trial. Selene was beginning to fall asleep when footsteps echoed through the prison halls.

She couldn't see their faces, as the chain on her collar barely allowed her to peek at the shoes of the visitors, but she managed to see 4 pairs of feet. She knew 3 of them belonged to guards, because of their boots. But the 4th one, she had no clue, as the footwear appeared to be very luxurious. Perhaps a royal messenger?

"Release her." A familiar yet unknown female voice said, cutting through the silence. "I shall interrogate her at my palace."

The guards began to unchain her restraints, granting Selene a much needed moment to regain her composure. But that moment was short-lived, as before she could look at the unknown woman, she was blindfolded by a guard. The black cloth was then firmly tied around her head.

The Captain was then tied in a very similar way to her arrest. This must be the standard way of tying up a prisoner. Selene thought to herself as she arms and legs were restrained.

Selene felt a hand tie a length of rope around her collar once again, and a firm tug caused her to yelp. After Selene was led out of her cell, from her muscle memory alone, she knew was out of the dungeon and out of the castle. But once she was forced inside a what she could only assume was a carriage, she had no idea where she was or where she was going.

The ride was mostly a silent one. Bumpy, but quiet.

When the carriage came to a halt, Selene was hoisted over someone's shoulder and carried somewhere. She could feel a cold and bitter wind bite at her exposed skin. Selene figured she must be somewhere in the Northern regions of Moonreach.

Selene was carried into a large citadel embedded in a snowy mountain. The guards led her to the interrogation room, and sat her down on a wooden chair. The Captain could feel her captors secure her arms and legs to the limbs of the chair, restraining her to it.

"Stormblade. It's an honor to meet you again." said the same familiar voice.

Selene then felt the blindfold being taken off, the sudden light was blinding at first, but she could soon recognize her interrogator.

Why, of course! Why couldn't she remember that voice? Standing in front of her, was Aurelia, the Duchess of Whitehold!

"Dmmphss? Whm arr ymph dmmng hmr?" Selene mumbled.

"Oh dear, I can't understand a word you're saying, let me get that off for you." Aurelia giggled.

The Duchess removed the black panel gag and a soaking blob that was Selene's left stocking fell to the floor with a splat as a trail of saliva dripped down her chin.

"Pwah!" Selene gasped, her mouth aching. "Thank you, Your Grace. May I have some water?"

"Of course!" Aurelia said, a little too enthusiastically.

She grabbed a glass of water from the table and held it to Selene's mouth. The bound prisoner drank the refreshing liquid hastily, as she desperately needed it.

"Much appreciated Your Grace." Selene said with gratitude. "But please, you must listen to me, I was fram-"

Before Stormblade could finish her explanation, the Duchess of Whitehold suddenly clamped her hand over the Captain's mouth. "Shh..." She whispered into Selene's ear.

"Mmph?!" Selene cried, her eyes wide with shock.

"I don't need any explanation from you. I already know everything." Aurelia said, her voice colder than the Winterhold air. "All I need from you is to just, be a good prisoner for me."

Aurelia pulled out a handkerchief and wadded it into Selene's mouth, which bulged with its girth. She then reached for the panel gag on the table, her other hand still firmly clasped over the distressed commander's wadding.

Selene tried to shake off the Duchess' hand, but it was no use. The panel gag was placed over her mouth, and secured behind her head.

"After all," Aurelia said in a low voice, taking a few steps back from her prisoner. "I was the one who orchestrated your arrest."

"Hmmmph?!" Selene muffled through her gag. She was the one who framed me? Why?!

"Guards! Take her away." Aurelia called.

She then turned back to Selene. "Don't worry, you won't be sentenced to death. I bargained with the High Judge. However, you will be my personal plaything for the rest of the Civil War. And, once I crush the Empire and overthrow Ironheart, you'll be the High Queen's plaything."

"Grrmm!" Selene snarled at what she thought was an ally as two guards began to lead her down into Winterhold Citadel's dungeon.

But as Aurelia disappeared behind the stone walls, and her anger began to die down, dread quickly filled its place.

Was she really condemned to stay here as a prisoner? For the rest of her life?

Selene refused to accept that, and as she approached her cell, the commander quickly formulated an escape plan.

[methuselah73]

Great addition to the story, hope to see more!