9. The Martyrs of The Crimson

Marina's eyes widened, and a blush crept onto her cheeks. "Oh!" she exclaimed, her expression remaining embarrassed as she turned back to the girl.

"And what about you?" She inquired.

The girl placed a hand on her visible belly, a clear sign of her pregnancy.

"I have already found the love of my life!" she smiled. However, she quickly followed up with a mischievous wink. "Not that I never had a crush on him, that was nothing more than a crush!" As soon as she finished speaking, they saw disappointed and frustrated girls returning.

"What happened now?" Marina questioned, her curiosity getting the better of her.

"Like always, he has created a formidable shield around the lake!" the girl replied cackling again.

Marina couldn't help but smile at the situation.

"I never caught your name," Marina said, her voice filled with genuine interest.

"Anya! My name is Anya!" she replied.

"Anya... may I ask you something?" Marina began hesitantly. When Anya nodded, Marina continued, "While I was near the water, I heard people sobbing. Is there something bad happening there?" Marina's inquiry hung in the air, awaiting Anya's response.

"It is not like what you think princess, for the cries that reach your ears are the calls of sorrow from the martyrs of the crimson.

In the wake of your first sister's death, the Queen's behavior took a strange turn.

Each night before the Umbrafall, a child would mysteriously vanish from our kingdom. And every Umbralfall's midnight, under the cloak of darkness, the Queen would mysteriously depart from the palace, venturing toward the crimson enclave also known as the blood ruins, only to return before the break of dawn.

This strange pattern did not go unnoticed, although only a brave few dared to question it. Among them was Carl, whose conscience refused to allow him to just stand by.

So, he decided to follow the Queen one fateful night.

It was after the tragic demise of your third sister that Carl followed her, his ears filled with anguished cries and agonizing screams of a young boy.

Concealed behind a big boulder, he witnessed the chilling sound, as the cries suddenly ceased with a swift, slashing sound.

Once the Queen had departed, Carl cautiously approached the ruins, the very heart of the crimson enclave.

To his horror, he discovered a severed arm left on the ground at the center of the crimson enclave.

The sight left him in complete shock, prompting him to look around in search of the remaining fragments of the unfortunate soul.

That's when he found a pond, but instead of water in the pond, he stumbled upon a giant pit filled with blood-soaked bodies.

The following morning, Carl returned accompanied by a group of concerned individuals.

To his astonishment, the arm had vanished, yet the lifeless bodies remained in the pit, their condition unchanged.

With heavy hearts, they tenderly carried their loved ones away from Elementia, laying them to rest in a burial where their bodies will remain safe.

Each child that fell victim to this vicious cruelty was a mere fourteen years of age, and always a boy, never a girl. The cries that echo within that stream and waterfall belong to these tormented souls, their ethereal spirits traveling with the currents of water, safeguarding the realm beyond and the sacred agate caverns.

Anyone, who dares to cross this stream or attempt to seize the agate shall meet their demise in the most excruciating manner imaginable.

But that is not all, princess. Only the chosen one and her second shall possess the ability to hear their mournful cries." As she concluded her narrative, she noticed Marina's beautiful dampened cheeks.

"Princess Marina, are you alright?" Anya inquired, gently massaging her shoulder.

"I have always adored my mother, she has been my role model for as long as I can remember. I never fathomed she could be so cruel," Marina sighed, wiping away her tears.

"Please, escort me to the village square and gather the townspeople, there is a matter of great importance that I must discuss!" She commanded.

Anya obeyed her instructions, and soon a crowd had assembled.

"I have called upon you all today to offer my sincerest apologies. In the past three days, my entire world has been turned upside down.

I have faced challenges I never could have imagined, and I have discovered that the woman I idolized as my mother, is in reality, a monster," Marina confessed. "She has taken the lives of my beloved sisters, and she intended to take mine as well. But thanks to him," she gestured towards the light slayer, who met her gaze with empty eyes before looking away, "She failed."

"I understand that you refer to him as the light slayer, but I prefer to acknowledge him as the one who preserved the last light of hope," Marina's words prompted the light slayer to meet her gaze once more, with a sigh of disbelief.

"Returning to the matter at hand, I have an important announcement to make. As of today, I renounce my royal status and request that you address me by my name alone.

If being a queen means dominance and cruelty, then I want no part of it. I am now one of you," Marina declared.

"Not only that, but I pledge to assist you in any way possible, excluding acts of violence," she added, casting a glance at Meredith.

"Unless, of course, I must rescue a child from a deranged horse!" Marina concluded with a smile, as cheers erupted throughout the crowd.

"We chose you as our leader, if you can not be our queen, perhaps, you can be our commander!" Carl approached Marina with a regal grace, his presence commanding attention. Together, they descended from the crowd and the village center, their steps echoing with purpose.

As night fell, Marina found herself once again plagued by restlessness.

Unable to find solace within the confines of her new home, she ventured out into the darkness.

Tonight, the light slayer was not to be seen anywhere, leaving her feeling vulnerable yet strangely intrigued "Maybe he slept!" She thought.

But then a strange movement in the bushes between two houses caught Marina's attention.

Rather than getting frightened fear, her curiosity propelled her forward.