Chapter Text
The silent dripping of the leaking ceiling resonated throughout the stone walls, green moss growing above the hard surface and tearing apart the structure. Dried blood with a mixture of grime and soaked dirt filled the dungeons below the palace and despair clouded each of the prisoners' minds. Whether they had been unfairly imprisoned or not did not matter, all of then were forced to rot within the cold claws of their selective cells. Their lives slowly fading away and their minds spiraling into madness, such was the fate of those who's freedom had been stripped from their bare hands.
These poor souls longed for the day that they would be able to gaze at the clear skies and starry nights without being behind bars with their joints shackled.
This, however, didn't concern you at all. You didn't feel not even a bit of remorse for these people, you only cared for yourself and those you loved. Perhaps it was cruel, but in this world governed by the heartless you couldn't afford to soften the walls you had built over the years around your heart. Not again at least.
Striding with upmost elegance, you made your way through the various, lone cells. All sorts of eyes were on you, eyes that had seen the horrors of this world, eyes that had witnessed murder, eyes that had watch injustice happen right before them. These stares scanned your whole figure, picking at the small details that indicated that you were, in fact, not from this place. The exotic threads from what your dress had been woven stuck out like a sore thumb, your smooth skin and soft locks of hair serving as a sign for those who weren't aware of your status in this awful society.
"Princess." A whisper, a small plea, crept to your ears making you glance back at the tired knight who trailed after you like some lost dog. "I don't think you should be here. It reeks and someone like you with such-
"Tell me, when did I ever ask for your opinion, Ser Huffman?" You cut him off, your glare being a knife to his soul. The man's lips thinned and he hung his head low, his maroon irises avoiding your gaze.
"Apologies, Your Highness." He spoke and you resumed your previous actions.
Eyeing each cell, you searched for your target, your dull hues striking fear whenever you would lock gazes with a prisoner. Some of them would give you kitten eyes, as if that would make you pity them. Instead you would scowl, feeling great disgust at the thought of them trying to manipulate you.
As your heels glided across the cobblestones, a wrinkled hand gripped the hem of your skirt with such force that you considered kicking the person if it wasn't for the fact that it was an old man behind bars. His opaque eyes met yours and his lips quivered as he struggled to form a sentence.
"Y-Your Highness... p-please... have mercy for an old soul like me." His words came out as a broken sob, and you jerked your skirt away from his hands.
You ignored the man's words and you kept on moving, annoyed at the fact that you had to visit such place. You didn't have time to hear some old man who would surely die within the year, you needed to focus on your own problems.
Down the corridor, you managed to spot a more secluded and much darker cell, and you concluded that it's current occupant was your target. A devilish smirk grew on your lips and you would've walked faster towards the area if it wasn't for someone tapping you on your shoulder. Seriously, what's with everyone being a nuisance to you today?
"Your Highness, if I may..." The jailer mentioned, his sturdy hands fiddling with the multiple keys on his hands.
"You may, sir."
"Are you sure you wish to speak with... him? He's violated the church's laws except for a selected few and he's quite mad." The middle aged man gave you a knowing look that just made you roll your eyes.
"Do you think I care?" You spat. "I already know these things, no need to warn me."
"Of course Your Highness, but it's my duty to warn you as the jailer, as a priest and as your loyal subject." His head bowed a little and you exhaled, your temple starting to ache.
Funny, you haven't even spoken to the mad prisoner and you felt yourself going insane.
"Let us continue. Do not waste my time." You demanded before turning on your heel and heading towards the desolated jail.
Once you were able to approach the cell, you squinted your eyes trying to make out what was in front of you. There weren't any windows for providing the sun's warm rays or the wind's gentle breeze. The stench of fresh blood and sweat was enough to make your tastebuds scream in agony and your gut to churn in disdain. You knew no one took care of the castle's dungeons, but damn... this place was beyond your expectations.
A weary sigh brought your senses back to Teyvat, your eyes landing on the silhouette before you. The person stirred on their spot, the creaking of the wooden chair they were strapped to ringing in your ears and causing your irises to narrow. Your eyes managed to adapt to the darkness, and you traced the man's body, noticing the slits on his skin dripping with blood and various bruises decorating his pale flesh. The torn rags he wore weren't enough to shield him from his restraints and you could see the leather searing onto his skin.
His arms were secured on the chair's armrest and his legs wrapped with layers and layers of leather as if he had tried to escape before and whoever had tied him back to that chair had grown tired of him. The white cloth serving as a gag for his mouth and the one covering his eyes to conceal his vision didn't go unnoticed by you, instead you questioned its purpose to the priest.
"Why do you have him tied up like some savage animal?" Your gaze didn't leave the figure in front of you. The priest, who was also the jailer, cleared his throat and he glared his jade irises at the prisoner.
"He is a savage. Everything about him is sinful." The middle aged man scoffed, his judging glare not decreasing it's intensity. "He speaks about creating a human who surpasses the Archons in strength, he says us humans do not need the Archons' celestial guidance and he speaks about a world without them. He's insane, Your Highness!"
"Silence." Your voice echoed, your cold eyes piercing right through him and reminding him once more of who he was and who was he talking to.
Glancing back to the mad man, you raised your chin, continuing to examine every inch of the man's body.
"Why is he full of cuts and bruises? What did you do to him?" You inquired, not sparing the man next to you a single glance.
"Heretics are punished accordingly, such are the church's laws." He replied, a satisfied smile on his chapped lips that revealed his crooked teeth.
"Father Kozlov."
"A-Ah yes, Your Highness?"
"Don't you ever dare to smile at me again."
"Oh o-of course! Apologies, Princess!"
"Now..." You took a step forward, your forehead grazing the iron bars of the cell. "Let me inside. I want to speak with him."
A long curtain of silence fell between you and the two men who had accompanied you all the way deep into the dungeons. They stared at you as if you were a heretic as well, eyeing you up and down with shock written all over their faces.
That is until a muffled scoff was heard coming from the cell.
You shifted your body to face the prison, your brows raised as you tilted your head to the side. Even if the man had been blindfolded, you knew he was staring right at you. You chuckled at this discovery and gripping the metal bars, you leaned your face closer to the cell.
"So you've been listening? And here I was thinking you were dead." You spoke, observing how he gave you a weak shrug and how the corner of his lips lifted into a smirk.
"Princess..." The Ser behind you began but you immediately stopped him by raising your hand.
"Don't," You frowned. "Just get me inside and take off his gag, I want to speak to him properly."
In less than a few seconds, the door had been unlocked and you now stood in front of the prisoner. His gag had been removed but the blindfold remained. It made the dark corners of your mind wondered what he hid behind that piece of fabric, but you knew better than to focus on such meaningless things.
"So," You began. "I hear rumors that you're some sort of... doctor. Is that true?" His rosy lips morphed once more into a cunning smirk, the small gesture being able to tug at the strings of your heart.
"The rumors are true, Princess." He confirmed, a pleasing grin on his face. There was something about the way he spoke, the way his words would slip out of his tongue in a smooth manner and twine themselves into the fibers of your brain, causing his words to circulate around your mind, replaying over and over again.
He really was dangerous.
"You're a doctor, yet there's witnesses that claim to have seen you harming people. Is this true, Doctor?" You asked, stepping a bit closer so you could observe him up close. He appeared to know exactly where you were, for his hidden gaze was lined up against yours.
"Those so-called witnesses are correct." He stifled a laugh. "Though I must say that these crimes I'm accused of are all for the sake of power and wisdom. Science, if I do say so myself."
"Ah... science," You started circling the man, eyeing him just like a predator would do with its meek prey. "And what is this... science of yours and why do people fear it?"
These questions were all but a simple test, a test to see if he truly was the insane man people would speak off. You wanted to know everything about him; his past, his goals, what drives him to do the unthinkable, what he hid behind that facade of his. You knew he had one, everyone does.
"Well if I'm correct, people don't like it when their beliefs are questioned, right? After all, my experiments consist of blasphemy against the divine." His razor sharp teeth somehow gleamed in the light, a crazed expression on his face and you couldn't help but to hum in response.
"These experiments... do they... bare fruit?" You halted right in front of him, your face leaning forward causing your breaths to brush against the cracked flesh of his pink lips. The sudden proximity made him furrowed his brows, and he leaned back a little, taken aback by your change of behavior.
The Doctor didn't expect you to stand face to face with him, so he couldn't help the tightening sensation on his chest.
"They do, Princess." The male dragged your title with disgust, his glare very evident by the way he answered your question.
"Your Highness, this is sickening. He's mocking you!" Father Koslov exclaimed and he stared at heretic who continued to grin.
"Do you think I care? I'm not the one who's up for execution tomorrow." You snapped, absolutely exhausted at the priest's useless concerns.
"Execution?"
And just like that, he had fallen right into your trap.
You smirked at the light blue haired male, a dangerous glint within your hues as you leaned closer once more.
"Yes, execution. Did no one inform you of your horrible fate, dear Doctor?" You teased, relishing at the sight of his jaw clenching right before looking away. The leather restraints creaked as he writhe underneath them, his fingers clawing at the armrest and bruising his nails in the process.
"You are to die tomorrow at noon by the stake. These are the church's orders." You gazed down at him, your fingers catching his jaw and forcing him to face you. "I came here because I'm out of options. One could say that I am... desperate for salvation."
"Salvation?" He scoffed. "You need salvation from me? You must be stupid. I'm the opposite of salvation."
"Oh but it's not for me." Your nails dug deeper, the stinging sensation making him suck a breath through his teeth. "You see, I need you to cure my sister." You bumped your forehead against his, your eyes drilling deep into his skull and sending shivers down his spine. "This is why I need your help."
"This is why I'm in this rancid dungeon talking to a dead man."
Letting go of his chin, you stepped back, dusting off your skirt and fixing the sleeves of your dress. His ragged breathing scratched your eardrums, the sound making you smile sadistically. You loved exerting your authority, the power your title and bloodline allowed you to have. It filled you with joy.
"Now, will you help me?" A kind expression blessed your features, the gesture making the knight and the priest behind you shudder in fear.
"Hmm, you want me to help the young Princess...yet, how can I if you won't even tell me about her disease?" The Doctor bared his teeth, his anger starting to show. "Tell me, why should I even help you?"
"Shall I remind you of your upcoming execution?" You retorted, watching how the man went silent. He despised how you were right, the urge to strangle you getting more stronger than ever before.
"The young Princess suffers from a strange disease that no one has ever seen. Not even the wisest minds of this nation have ever heard much less treated her illness." You paused, despair starting to pool within you as you thought of your sister's bright smile full of joy and innocence. "My sister suffers from extreme fatigue, simple colds are able to knock her out completely and she barely weighs seventy pounds. It could be summer and you can see her shivering as if she had been thrown in a blizzard bare naked."
"Children are always seen running around and playing hide-and-seek, yet I've never seen her ran for more than thirty seconds before collapsing to the ground." Even if you tried to hide it, he could sense the pain in your words. You, being as cruel as you could be, were able to feel grief over the little Princess.
How interesting indeed...
"Even with this information I'm afraid I can't give you a diagnosis." The Doctor huffed, a bored expression on his face that made your blood boil. You were feeling great grief over your sister's condition yet here he was appearing unbothered by the situation.
"Then what do you suggest, oh great Doctor?" You laced your words with sarcasm, anger seeping all over the place. A deranged grin stretched out on his lips and he laughed, his psychotic chuckles driving you mad.
"An experiment."
"An experiment?"
You gave him a cold stare, quite bothered by his suggestion. You couldn't put your sister in danger, that was going too far. Specially when her life would be in the hands of a man who everyone claims to be unhinged.
"You're ridiculous." You stated, shaking your head while a sigh left your mouth.
"Yet you need my help anyway." He lifted his chin, crescent marks still evident from when you gripped his jaw. "Don't you, Your Highness?"
This bastard...
You wanted to curse his existence, to have him beaten until he's covered in nothing but sweat and blood and screaming for mercy. You wanted to watch him crawl beneath your heel, kissing your shoes like some insolent dog as a way to win your pity. A lot of people has managed to annoy you, but this man? Oh he made you want to see him squirm on the ground below you covered in dirt like some nasty worm. That's where this man belonged, underneath you, begging for leniency.
But you knew better than to give in to your urges and give him exactly what he wanted: your face contorted into one of pain and despair. You wouldn't permit him to play you like some type of chess board, to wrap invisible strings around your joints and have you doing his exact will. People like him would do anything to manipulate those who surround him, yet unfortunately for him, you knew better than to let yourself be caught in his trap.
Not when you already had him all tied up in your silky web that you had woven with such precise care.
"Hmm," You hummed. "This is draining, I'm afraid I'm not in the mood for this sort of behavior." You spoke, running a hand down your locks of hair and exhaling deeply. "Let's move the execution for today, shall we? Vermin such as you shouldn't be allowed to live for so long."
"W-What!?" His demeanor changed in a span of seconds, his pointy teeth bared at you as he gave you the most ruthless glare you've ever seen in a man. How do you know he was glaring despite the blindfold he was wearing? You just knew.
"T-Today? Isn't it a little too soon, Your Highness?" The Father questioned, and you switched to glare at him.
"Just do it, do not question my decisions or else I'll have you executed as well." You shot back and the man bowed his head, whispering a thousand apologies in return.
"You foolish princess, you want to kill me!? The only one capable of healing your sister!?" His shouts stabbed your eardrums, making you narrow your eyes and groan. He truly sounded like a maniac.
"Gag him. I do not wish to hear him scream like a wounded dog." You ordered, the Ser who had accompanied you quickly rushing towards the prisoner and preparing to gag him.
"You fucking bitch!" His words were coated in a poisonous layer, his body writhing against his restraints and the chair shaking. "Don't you fucking leave me here!"
"Come Ser Huffman, let us prepare for the execution." You stepped out of the jail cell, the tail of your gown trailing after you like a silent shadow and your chin held up high.
"Yes, Princess." He replied, aligning the gag with the Doctor's face. The restrained male struggled like a untamed animal, his head leaning back trying to avoid the white cloth that would prohibit him from speaking his mind.
"Y/N!" His voice roared, his throat sore from all the screaming. Nevertheless he shouted your name with such ferocity that you couldn't help but to glance back with a shock look in your face.
"Oh my," You feigned your surprise. "Let's us meet once more at the executing grounds, my sweet Doctor."
"I swear Princess by the time I get my hands on you I will-
The rest of his sentence had been cut off by the gag, and you took that as your cue to leave the dungeons. A mischievous smile blessed your lips as you left the cell, satisfied with the outcome of your visit.
Your plan had now been placed into motion, the Doctor unaware that he himself had been the one responsible for your first success.