How long? How long has she wallowed here in the dark? She, the Holy Pope, the head of the Church of Most Holy Light. Serafina’s position was much reduced. She was still collared, and in chains. Kept here in the depths of the Palace Dungeons, without even a single light to see by. She hadn’t… she didn’t know how long it had been.
 
But she would not break. That was what that little upstart and Serafina’s treacherous Shadow wanted to happen. They wanted her to break. They wanted her to submit to them. That was the only reason she could think of that they’d left her alive. Despite their act, Serafina wasn’t buying it. Clearly, they wanted her to believe she was beaten and they had no need of her anymore. But that wasn’t true. That couldn’t be true, else they would have already done away with her.

After all, she was a loose end. Her Shadow, that betrayer of a bitch, could mimic her appearance and voice… but if Serafina were uncovered by anyone, if she was produced and the collar removed, only one of them could draw upon the Light like she could. Only one of them had the power to burn this ungrateful city to the fucking ground.
 
… Unfortunately, she didn’t know if anyone would come looking for her. She still had her allies, sure… but she’d greatly reduced the Church’s reach in the process of cleaning up the clergy. She’d concentrated much of the Church’s political power and influence into her position and her position alone. With her trusted Shadow right at her side through it all. If anyone could take advantage of Serafina’s levers of control, it was that bitch. And that was why Serafina suspected no one was coming for her any time soon.
 
Save for… save for Marcus, maybe. He was the imprisoned Holy Pope’s only ray of hope. Surely… surely Marcus would come for her if he found out what they’d done. Surely Caleb’s son would save her. Except… Serafina had never told him about his father or her connection to him. She’d never told him much of anything at all, had she?
 
B-But that didn’t matter! He was still going to save her! Any day now, he would-!
 
A flicker of torchlight catches Serafina’s attention, cutting her off mid-thought as her eyes go wide. The sudden light fills the hallway outside of her cell, and she gasps at how it burns oh so brightly. She can’t make use of it to cast any spells though of course… not so long as the Subjugation Collar is still around her neck. Still, she can’t help but move towards the light, grasping at the bars of her cell as the source approaches with torch in hand.
 
Blinking rapidly, Serafina eventually manages to look past the blinding nature of the light source… and make out the features of the one who’s holding it. Her breath hitches and she feels that spark of hope in her chest blossom into a raging fire as Marcus comes to a stop outside of her cell, staring at her expressionlessly.
 
“M-Marcus! You- you’re here! I knew you would come! Please, you have to free me! Traitors… traitors abound! The woman I thought to be my closest ally betrayed me and has managed to worm her way into the ears of the Princess! She impersonates me even now!”
 
Without a word, Marcus produces a ring of keys. Serafina gasps in excitement at the sight of them, even as he finds the right one with little fuss and unlocks the door to her cell. However, when she tries to step out, he steps in, forcing her backwards as he shakes his head.
 
“No, Serafina.”
 
Her title is oddly absent, causing Serafina to furrow her brow at the young Destined Hero in confusion. Caleb’s son has… never been so disrespectful. Surely… he wasn’t… no, she just had to explain it better. He needed to listen to her. He WOULD listen to her.
 
“Please Marcus. You don’t understand. The Dark Lord’s agents have been in our midst this entire time. Standing right behind me in… in my shadow. Before they, or even worse, the Dark Lord themselves arrives, we must… we must flee. The Capital is lost to us. We need to retreat into the woods and… and r-regroup! Y-Yes! We’ll gather our strength, and rally a rebellion around you, the Destined Hero! And together we can-!”
 
As she’s speaking, Serafina finds herself falling more and more in love with the idea of just… running away with him. Of fleeing into the woods. Of being… of being Marcus’ party member, as she should have been Caleb’s all those years ago. It’s just like he and his friends did when they fled from the Capital after the banquet! It’s the exact same thing!
 
But mid-sentence, Marcus cuts her off with a finger against her lips and a shake of his head. And Serafina… Serafina feels the surge of adrenaline leave her as she collapses back to her knees. Why… why was he denying her? Didn’t he understand? This was the only way. She had to protect him. He had to save her, so that she could save him!
 
“The Dark Lord won’t be a problem, Serafina. You don’t need to worry about that.”
 
Blinking rapidly, Serafina feels herself growing somewhat hysterical.
 
“W-What?! How could the Dark Lord not possibly be a problem, Marcus?! They represent the destruction of everything we know and love! They promise to bring about the apocalypse if we don’t handle them!”
 
Crouching down in front of her, Marcus takes Serafina’s hands in his own.
 
“I handled it.”
 
That simple reply… Serafina blinks owlishly at him. He’d… handled it.
 
“You… you killed the Dark Lord? A-Already?”
 
That was… good. But also bad. Because it meant Marcus didn’t need her after all. But it also meant her Shadow would be on the warpath, on a rampage as she tried to hunt Marcus down. So maybe… maybe he DID still need her.
 
“T-Then-!”
 
But Marcus quiets her down again and shakes his head with a sigh.
 
“I didn’t kill the Dark Lord Serafina. I was the Dark Lord all along.”
 
Serafina just stares. Blankly. Her thoughts fizzle out as she struggles to process the words that just came from his mouth. Finally… finally, she lets out a broken burst of laughter.
 
“Ahahaha!”
 
He frowns at her, looking almost concerned… but Serafina has already caught on. She snatches her hands out of his grasp and sneers at him… or rather, at HER. For she knows in this moment that this is not Marcus. This is not Caleb’s son, not her Destined Hero. Lips curling back in disgust, Serafina all but snarls.
 
“Nice try, Shadow. You almost had me. I played right into your little game.”
 
‘Marcus’ only looks more confused… until another voice comes from the darkness and the sound of shoes approaching along cobbled stone hits Serafina’s ears.
 
“She thinks I’m you, milord.”
 
Out of the shadows steps her… well, Shadow. The demon woman had managed to hide her true nature from Serafina for a decade. A gambit that had left the Holy Pope completely blindsided when she’d finally stabbed her in the back. It shouldn’t have been possible. The Church should have had protections against her kind. But somehow… somehow the woman had managed to worm her way in all the same.
 
But then, if her Shadow is also here… this is Marcus in truth? That’s not possible. That… that can’t be.
 
“You… you bitch…”
 
Staring down her nose at Serafina as though the woman is a bug, her Shadow just smirks.
 
“My name is Volupa, actually. And I was Marcus’ Nanny… before your Church killed his parents and stole him from his home.”
 
… W-What? Serafina’s eyes go wide and her back goes ramrod straight. Volupa’s identity is one thing. But the ramifications are what terrifies Serafina to her core. Because if the demon woman is willing to say THAT in front of Marcus… what ELSE does he know? What else could he possibly be aware of that Serafina has desperately tried to keep hidden? What-
 
“Serafina.”
 
Caleb’s son is suddenly in front of her again, his hands once more on her hands. She looks at him, trembling now. It can’t be him… but at the same time, deep down she knows it is. It’s him. He’s here. And… and the Dark Lord’s agent already has her claws in him. Serafina has failed Caleb’s son. A whimper leaves the Holy Pope’s throat, even as Marcus lets out another sigh.
 
“Serafina, I’m going to remove the collar now. I want you to cast the Identification Sign on me. Please… please don’t try to do anything else. There’s not enough Light down here from just the torch. I don’t want you to be hurt. Alright?”
 
What… he… he didn’t want her to be hurt? Serafina finds herself latching onto that, even as she bites her lower lip and softly nods. In all fairness, even if she still believed this wasn’t Marcus, she knew he was right. There’s not enough for her to bring her full power to bear here. Especially not when she’s been trapped down here in the dark for who knew how long.
 
Unhesitatingly, his courage as exemplary as ever, Marcus reaches up and removes the collar from her neck. He snaps it off with such ease that Serafina spends the first few seconds after its removal just gawking at him. But then he gives her a meaningful look that has her blushing and ducking her head, feeling like she’s been chided or something.
 
Reaching for the torchlight, Serafina doesn’t fail to notice the way her Shadow… Volupa tenses up. But she does as she’s told. She does not try to stray from Marcus’ instructions. Before the eyes of Caleb’s son, Serafina casts the Identification Sign, the Light blazing in the air as she looks at the results. What she sees of Marcus’ Job… it baffles her. Her brow furrows and she slowly shakes her head.
 
“What… what is this? Destined Lord? What does this mean? The Hero Job… evolved?”
 
“No, Serafina. It combined.”
 
Serafina blinks at Marcus, staring at him uncomprehendingly as he looks back at her with an unreadable expression on his face.
 
“My mother was the Dark Lord, Serafina. My father was the Destined Hero.”
 
Oh no. He knows.
 
“They both managed to pass on their Jobs to me, their son.”
 
He knows and- what? Serafina’s thoughts fizzle out again as she once more fails to properly process what he’s just said.
 
“I was the Dark Lord… and I was the Destined Hero too, technically. All along, both Jobs resided within me. Within my soul. Until… until I combined them. Until I brought them both together, once and for all.”
 
That was… what he spoke of was…
 
“There is no more Dark Lord. No more Destined Hero. And there will be no more ritualistic killings for the sake of a dynasty. Elsenthia agrees with me Serafina… it ends here and now. With me. I’m the Destined Lord now. And whether I pass on that Job to my descendants or not… it doesn’t matter. Because there won’t ever be another Dark Lord to kill.”
 
He was speaking of the end… the end of it all. The end of the Church’s claim to power. The end of the Holy Empire’s prosperity and growth. Did he understand what he was giving up? But no… no, he would have had to kill himself to continue the cycle. And that wasn’t something Serafina could have ever abided by anyways.
 
Realizing that, a smile spreads across the Holy Pope’s face, and she looks at Marcus with watery eyes.
 
“You made the right decision, Marcus. Caleb would be proud of you.”
 
Marcus rocks back for a moment at her words, before his hands find hers once more. This time… this time his grip is a bit stronger. A bit harsher.
 
“Serafina… I know everything. Not just the true nature of the Empire. Not just the implementation of the Doctrine. I know the Church sent assassins after my parents… and I know the part you played in my mother and father’s deaths.”
 
Serafina freezes. Her eyes go wide. She chokes on her own spit before forcing out words.
 
“I-I… I don’t… h-how…”
 
“I told him, of course. And showed him the evidence I collected. Your predecessor kept the proper documentation. Documentation that I pilfered from his office… before I killed him.”
 
Volupa’s words rock Serafina, but it’s like being pelted by a rainstorm while already drowning in the middle of the ocean. The demoness doesn’t fail to shock and surprise her, but she’s already being pulled under by everything else anyways. Learning how that old fuck had died was… honestly nothing compared to Marcus finding out she got his father killed.
 
That… that bit is what ultimately breaks Serafina. Staring into Marcus’ beautiful blue eyes, so very much like Caleb’s… the Holy Pope snaps. She breaks. The tears flow as she sobs and wails, as she gnashes her teeth and claws at her own arms.
 
“I’m sorry! I’m s-so s-sorry! I didn’t mean to! I didn’t want him to die! I didn’t… I couldn’t… I’m… I’m…”
 
He grabs her hands first, pulling them away from her arms. She jerks and struggles in his grasp, but to no avail. He’s so strong. Just like his father. Eventually, her stamina peters out and he moves his hands to her face. Serafina goes still as his rough, green palms press against her cheeks. His fingers spread across her face.
 
If he wished to, he could kill her in this moment. Snap her neck. Crush her skull like a grape. She knew he was strong enough for it. And yet… and yet, he doesn’t. He lifts her head, forcing her to meet his blue eyes once more… and gives her a soft, gentle smile.
 
“I forgive you, Serafina. I know you didn’t want my father to die. I know you were young and in over your head. I forgive you for the part you played in the death of my parents.”
 
He… he did? Serafina can hardly believe it. He forgave her. The crime that she herself had never been able to forgive… and Caleb’s son absolved her of her guilt just like that?
 
“The rest of it however… I’m sorry Serafina, but I agree with Elsenthia and Volupa. You needed to be imprisoned and stripped of your power. You reached too far. You wanted too much. The Church… the Church is done, at least in its current form. Elsenthia and I are talking, but we don’t think there will be a need for a Holy Pope any more. Not after our coronation anyways.”
 
Serafina blinks at that. Despite the first several sentences being about her, she finds she can only focus on the very last sentence.
 
“Your… coronation?”
 
Marcus smiles at that and nods.
 
“Elsenthia and I are married now. It was kind of over the top, but everyone else says it was a beautiful wedding. With her mother gone and I as her husband, she’s the Queen now… and I suppose I’m the King. Because we married before the coronation, we’ll share the titles and power properly. We’ll rule the Empire as a partnership.”
 
Chuckling in a self-deprecating manner, Marcus glances down at the floor for a moment.
 
“I confess, I’m not entirely sure I’m ready for this. To be King. But… it doesn’t just end with my parents’ plan coming to fruition. We might have completed their work, but that doesn’t mean there’s not plenty more work to be done as well.”
 
Looking back at her, Marcus sighs… and his face becomes resolved and determined once more.
 
“I wanted to let you know… once the coronation is over and Volupa has tendered your resignation on your behalf, we’ll be letting you go. Not entirely free though, of course. I’ve sent a letter to a… friend. The one who helped me combine my Jobs in fact. I’m hoping she can develop a method of… restraint for you that doesn’t involve you being forced to wear a collar all the time. Maybe something that changes your appearance on a more permanent basis.”
 
Almost speaking in a rush now, as if to explain himself, Marcus is kind of babbling in Serafina’s opinion.
 
“I don’t want you to have to languish in a cell for the rest of your life, Serafina. But I also don’t want you dead. Elsenthia doesn’t either. Even Volupa is willing to let you live. But obviously, there will need to be restrictions so-“
 
“A Geas.”
 
Marcus blinks as Serafina cuts him off for the first time since this conversation started. He furrows his brow at her, even as Volupa shifts behind him. But Serafina only has eyes for Caleb’s son.
 
“Put a Geas on me, Marcus. As strict as you want. Bind me to you and you won’t need to worry about me ever trying to betray you or fight against you and young Elsenthia’s rule.”
 
Opening his mouth for a moment, Marcus then closes it… and after a moment, shakes his head in confusion.
 
“What is a Geas?”
 
It’s not Serafina who gets to answer, but Volupa. She grunts as she pipes up from the background.
 
“She’s talking about a slave pact. A binding oath that will make it impossible for her to act against you… so long as it’s worded right.”
 
The suspicion on the demon woman’s face makes it clear she thinks Serafina is making some sort of play. But the truth is… she’s not. At least, not in the way Volupa might think. The only play that the red head is making here… is a play for the slimmest chance of staying by Marcus’ side. She’d do anything for that opportunity.
 
And so, Serafina directs a simple, bright smile towards Volupa.
 
“I would be happy to have you help Marcus with the wording of such an oath if it pleases you. Make it as strict and confining as you want. Make me spend the rest of my days as his maid, if it pleases you. Only…”
 
Here, Serafina looks back to Marcus.
 
“While I’m sure your… Nanny could mimic me enough to satisfy the onlookers from the Church and Nobility who will turn up for your coronation… you would be best served by having the real deal, Marcus. Bind me. Forge a pact with me and put me under the Geas. Allow me to magically swear that I shall loyally and faithfully serve you for the rest of my days… and then use me to both legitimize your rule AND dismantle the Church how you see fit.”
 
Serafina offers Volupa a sweet smile at that last bit.
 
“I’m sure my… loyal and faithful Shadow would do an excellent job… but surely you can see the value of having the actual Holy Pope to help you tear it all down, brick by brick.”
 
Marcus looks conflicted. Of course he does. He’s Caleb’s son, and he would never condone slavery. And yet… Serafina knows it’s the best option available to them. She’s not wrong. Their plan to have Volupa replace her is strong, but NOT foolproof.
 
Looking over at Volupa for a long moment, the newly minted Destined Lord frowns as Volupa shrugs… and then nods, giving her support for the idea. Finally, Caleb’s son turns back to her… and lets out a long, drawn-out sigh.
 
“… Very well. How do we go about performing this… Geas?”
 
Serafina’s smile is broad on her face as she explains and they begin talking over the wording. Taking her up on her offer, Volupa is quite eager to make Serafina’s magical bindings as painfully constrictive as possible. At the same time, Marcus’ own honorable nature and kind soul strips away the worst of what the demoness might have inflicted on her.
 
But honestly? Serafina didn’t care what they did to her, so long as it enabled her to stay by Marcus’ side. So long as she was able to support Caleb’s son in his endeavors… nothing else mattered.

-x-X-x-

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