A Wolf's Howl, A Fairy's Wing-Chapter 651 - - A terrifying performance

With a wide, expectant grin, Emily stepped up to the altar and next to Erik. The latter instantly knew something was up. "You're planning something…" he said with curiosity and amusement, rather than concern.

"Maybe…" she chuckled as her black hair and dress fluttered in the wind. Erik couldn't take his eyes off her. She looked dangerous, alluring, intimidating, and beautiful, all at the same time… and yet, the collar reminded him she was his, body, mind, and soul.

Suddenly, her voice echoed through their bond. Surprisingly, she sounded a little anxious, completely counter to the way she looked and the confident look in her eyes. Clearly, she wanted to display an image to the crowd.

"Master… May I have permission to remove the collar for a moment? Without affecting our relationship?" she pleaded, surprising Erik a little.

Normally, their rule was that she couldn't remove it unless she wanted their relationship to become more generic, without the punishments and slave-wife dynamic they now had. Still, she was clearly planning something, and he didn't want to disappoint her.

"You have it," he nodded through their bond, his voice stern. "But I'll punish you for it later."

Naturally, that only delighted Emily. Relieved and excited, her voice now matched the expression of her physical body. "Thank you!"

Yet, rather than act on his permission, she winked at him, "Now, let me give you and your new subjects a little show!" before looking straight at one of the sigils recording them.

"Before we continue, let me tell you all a little about myself!" she smirked maliciously at the people below. Jumping on top of the altar, she spread her arms wide as darkness began to gather around her.

"My name is Emily Ashcroft!" she cackled viciously as more and more darkness began to spread in her surroundings, causing people's eyes to widen as a kind of instinctual fear bubbled up inside them. "But in England, they knew me better as the 'witch of London'!"

By now, darkness had already fully obscured Emily, and her collar suddenly ended up in Erik's hands, causing him to smirk.

"Oh, how I used to delight in enslaving or torturing those hapless little weaklings!" she laughed wickedly, her clear, sadistic delight echoing from the powerful darkness that started roiling down the platformed pyramid.

The previous joy the people felt was quickly replaced with despair as they noticed the advancing cloud of darkness. Many tried to flee, but they all found their feet to be frozen in fear. Screams started rising from inside the cloud.

Everyone who became engulfed suddenly found all of their senses cut off. All they could do was scream and listen to Emily's voice, which pierced through everything. Their bodies became paralysed in place; they were blind and deaf to everything but Emily's cruel words.

"My affinity is that of all-consuming, eroding darkness!" she continued, her voice now a cold, evil whisper in their otherwise deaf ears. "One touch is enough to melt away flesh, one chance is all it needs to infiltrate your mind and turn you into my obedient little puppet."

At this point, extreme fear gripped everyone's minds. Up on the top platform, everyone stayed calm, if a little unhappy. The darkness didn't affect them, and they'd been somewhat let in on the plan.

"Is this really necessary…?" Naeku grumbled at Elora next to her. She'd known they were planning something, but not exactly what. Her gaze flew over the clouds of darkness below as the screams and fear echoed in her ears. fгee𝑤ebɳoveɭ.cøm

Elora smiled cruelly. "You can't rule a people by only ever providing them benefits, Naeku. To withstand the test of time, you need your people to love, respect, and fear you, in equal measure. Had your kingdom lasted a little longer without us, you would have eventually run into increasing levels of dissent, corruption, and unhappiness."

Elora turned to look at a guilty-looking Ankhur, whose lips were pursed. "Your father understands this, even if he's unwilling to truly acknowledge it."

She turned back to Naeku, her eyes a little more compassionate now. "For what it's worth, I am sorry we're doing this during the wedding, but it won't last long. They just need a little shock. A little reminder that, even though their new rulers are bringing them a lot of benefits, they're not pushovers."

Just as she said that, a deep, booming voice reverberated in the city centre. "Enough, Emily!" Erik's voice cracked with power, instantly wiping away the darkness as if it'd never been there.

Suddenly, from one moment to the next, the people were free once more. Yet, unable to fully comprehend what had just happened, they remained frozen in place. Countless wide eyes were locked onto the top platform, where Emily still stood on the altar, grinning down at the people.

"Pray you'll never be my enemy…" she whispered, her voice spreading far, seemingly right next to everyone. Jumping off the platform, she faced a stern Erik with a sheepish grin.

By now, everyone was slowly starting to realise they weren't going to die or worse. It was a warning, and their new emperor had stopped her from going too far.

"Fortunately for all of you," she continued, addressing the crowd, even as her knees slowly buckled until they hit the stone floor. "My master has tamed me."

"Master…" she then whispered, addressing Erik from her knees and looking up at him with devoted obedience. "I don't want a normal marriage. I want to be yours, completely, and forever. I want to wield my darkness and cruelty in your name, and only when you command it."

Slowly, she bent her beautiful, voluptuous, intimidating body until her forehead hit the stone. "Please accept me as your wife… and your obedient slave… until the end of time."

Silence descended on the city centre as everyone looked at this scene with astonishment. This woman, who'd just held all their lives and hearts in her ice-cold grip, was now putting on such a public show of obeisance to their emperor?

At first, they weren't sure what to feel, but then Erik finally spoke again. "Present your neck, Emily," he growled in such a commanding tone as to send shivers down everyone's spines.

Emily, her eyes sparkling with lust and delight, quickly sat up again, still on her knees, while lifting her chin and moving her hair out of the way so that her throat and neck were completely exposed to him. "Even just a few minutes without it felt so empty, Master… Please put it back."

Erik crouched a little, collar in hand. He raised an eyebrow as he looked at her sternly. "You know you'll need to be punished for what you just did. No one can terrify my people without reason, not even you."

Despite his expression and words, however, Emily could feel his delight through their bond. Obviously, he understood the value of what was happening and had only praise for Emily's performance. Still, he had to give the people what they wanted now, because of it.

Indeed, Erik's talk of punishment had finally made the crowd realise what they wanted. As their senses started coming back and they heard Erik's words, they instantly became rowdy again, even if a little more subdued than before.

With anger directed at Emily, they began to cheer for Erik with new respect. Many of them began to clamour for Emily's public punishment, humiliation, or even death. Of course, Erik would do none of these things.

Although he needed them to know that he controlled someone as dangerous as Emily, he also needed to create a kind of implicit acceptance of her. Without that, the fear they felt for her wouldn't be carried over to him, and all of this would have been pointless.

"I know, Master," she grinned widely, failing miserably to hide her excitement. "I'm sorry for getting carried away…" Suddenly, she opened her left hand, showing Erik the contents. "If I may suggest a punishment…" she blinked, almost innocently, despite the implication of what was in her hand.