Release That Succubus

Zach pulled Christina with him and trotted after Andy at a leisurely pace. He held her close to himself as if afraid that something might happen to her.

His touch, gentle and reassuring, was a beacon of comfort for Christina. His presence was like a sturdy anchor keeping her from drifting into the turbulent sea of distress, allowing her to gather the shards of her composure and find a moment of respite.

Fortunately, the journey home wasn't filled with any surprises.

Reaching the lake house, Zach welcomed George into his residence in order to figure out what had spooked the father daughter duo so much.

"Can you tell me what happened now? What is troubling you two so much?" 

George didn't answer Zach and glanced at Andy and Bruce who were still in the room with them. He didn't think anyone was trustworthy when he wanted to talk smack about the royal family.

"Don't worry, they are trustworthy. You can say whatever you want in here without worry. You already know Bruce, and this is Andy, the police chief in these parts."

George nodded in an attempt to acknowledge Andy's presence and the latter responded kindly as well.

"Do you know the reason a princess has been sent to this city all of a sudden when it had been such a neglected area in the past?" George asked Zach with a mixture of curiosity and hidden indignation. He was curious to find out if Zach knew the reason behind the change in Byzantium city's government and the consequences of his actions.

Zach shook his head in response. He wasn't much interested in who stood at the top of the city as long as he and his family could develop easily.

George looked like he had expected such an answer. 

"Seems like you still don't understand what you did when you destroyed the Hunter family."

George shook his head as if disappointed at Zach's cluelessness. He also noticed that the other two people in the room had probably already figured out what he was about to tell Zach. 

"You revealed a power that is considered far beyond the norm for someone of your age. The royal family caught wind of your overflowing potential and decided to bring you over to their side. They ignored how you rooted out the Hunter family completely even though you ended up destabilizing the economy of the whole city which used to be one of the major economic hubs of the empire; a strategic hub whose importance was further increased by the heightened tension at the borders. As such they sent a princess to clean up the mess you created as well as to guide the city economy towards a more stable path. Her presence would ensure that the major families wouldn't fight amongst themselves. So, in short, all of this is because of you and the reason behind why we were called to the conference hall also has to do with you."

Zach was shocked to hear about the changes he had caused in the city with his display of power; a power that didn't even belong to him. He had just been shameless enough to call the force of nature his own personal strength. Even the royal family had been shaken by his elaborate posing.

"But how has that affected you? If they are interested in me, they should try to win me over. Knowing her relationship with me, they should have tried to be nice to you. So why do you look like you want to hit someone?"

George wanted to roll his eyes so bad at his reaction.

"Do you think the world will fold itself before you if you have a high level of strength? It isn't as simple as that. If the gap in strength is not wide enough to take away all hope, there will still be people attempting to throw you down from your gilded throne. You are definitely powerful but not enough to threaten the royal family significantly. They are only afraid of your potential and not of your current strength. You are insignificant in the greater scheme of things."

"I understand what you are saying but I still don't know what happened to you in that conference hall to leave you two this upset?"

"They called the two of us specifically to hand over a reconstruction project in the capital of the empire."

"Isn't that a good thing? You can establish connections in the capital and begin trade. You are a businessman so you should know better than me the potential of a new market."

Zach didn't understand why the two of them were acting in such a manner after receiving an important task from the royal family.

"Let me finish before you reach your conclusion." George glared at him before continuing with his explanation.

Zach nodded obediently, like a soldier acknowledging a direct order from his commanding officer.

"They asked me to send Christina over to the capital to oversee the construction projects but that is only a ruse. In fact, they need her as a potential hostage to be used against someone with higher value."

Zach didn't expect that his vengeful actions had set everything in motion.

Zach couldn't get over the fact that the only person responsible for the ordeal that Christina would have to go through was him. 

Zach felt the crushing weight of guilt, like Atlas struggling to support the world on his shoulders. He was the architect of this predicament for Christina. He was the blacksmith who had unknowingly forged the chains that would eventually bind her to the expectations of the Royal family.

Zach could only lament not containing himself from boasting about the meteorites being his spell. Had he done that, maybe she wouldn't have made it onto the radar of the royal family.

He wished he could turn back time to retract his actions before it was too late. Perhaps Christina would still have a chance to escape the suffocating net of pressure then.

The more he pondered on that line of thought, the more responsible he felt.

His face contorted from the turmoil within, the deepening frown carving lines on his once placid visage like a sculptor chiseling a masterpiece. 

It was a gradual transformation, akin to the sky darkening before a storm, heralding the impending tempest of regret that brewed within him.

He was feeling awful; even more than the time when he had let that pirate kidnap Diana. Because at the time, he had been unaware of the pirate's intentions. 

But now, even knowing what the royals intended to do to Christina, he was unable to stop them from taking her away from him.

George was right. Zach's strength was perfunctory at best. 

Even if Zach had the strength to cause that meteor shower, there were probably mages in the empire who were capable of dealing with him still. He wasn't exactly all powerful. 

Not to mention that his entire strength was dependent on others and his technology. His personal strength was not even close enough to beat an S rank mage.

Zach didn't have the words to say anything back. George had truly paralyzed his tongue with his revelations.

Zach stole occasional glances at Christina, hoping to discern the emotions that played behind her eyes. He sought answers in the depths of her gaze, attempting to read whether blame danced within her irises or if understanding and forgiveness found a place in her soul. 

It was a discreet quest for insight, like a detective scrutinizing a cryptic clue for the truth it concealed.

He wanted to know whether she blamed him for her fate or not. After all, if not for him she could have led a pampered life back home.

From what he found; Christina was saddened but not because she was being taken hostage. The reason for her overflowing tears was something else.

Her eyes held the sorrow of a lover forced to part from their beloved for a long time. It was akin to the ache of a sailor witnessing the relentless tide pull them away from the shore, leaving them stranded in the vastness of the sea, yearning for the stability of the land they cherished. 

Zach could almost hear her mournful cries despite the lack of sound. Just the longing in her eyes was enough to reveal her true thoughts.

Zach felt a profound sense of shame. It would have been easier for him to cope if Christina directed her ire at him, blaming him for the ordeal she would have to endure. 

But how could Christina bring herself to hate Zach, the man she had been longing for and had only just consummated her relationship with?

The turmoil within him grew as Christina refused to place any blame on him and continued to smile at him despite the tear stains on her face. It was akin to the roiling waves of a tempestuous sea, where emotions crashed and clashed, leaving his heart tossed like a ship caught in a violent maelstrom. 

Christina held the belief that trials were an inevitable part of any relationship, a rite of passage that would eventually present itself, testing the mettle of their bond. Just as a blacksmith forges a blade, subjecting it to intense heat and hammer blows to strengthen it, so too did relationships need to endure the crucible of challenges to be steeled for the future.

Their relationship had been a beautiful yet delicate glass sculpture, carefully shaped and nurtured with love and devotion. Just as a glass sculpture needed to undergo the tempering process to fortify its structure, their relationship had reached a juncture where it needed to face trials and challenges to strengthen its foundation.