Chapter 78

"Not only did you not deal with the problem of that beast but you even come back here after your failure! Do you think you are indispensable, General Vulen?" Queen Lyra gripped the arm rest of her throne tight. Ice began to cover the chair as the temperature of the throne room dropped quickly causing everyone to shiver from the cold as well as fear of their queen's temper.

"My Queen, I shall take care of them. It will take just a bit more time." General Vulen's body shuddered at the feeling of the cold.

The queen slowly stood from her chair and strode towards General Vulen. He could not control himself from glancing up at her as she came to him. Every motion her body made caused his face to flush slightly. Her fingertip slowly finding its way against his chin to raise his head to look at Lyra straight in the eyes.

"Do not think I can not replace you, General." cold words she spoke down to him caused his chest to tighten. For a long pause Vulen felt as if he could suffocate under those words.

"My Queen, I would never dare. I am yours wholeheartedly. Shall you dispose of me.. I would accept my fate when that time comes." Vulen gently grasped the hand of his queen in his and placed a soft and tender kiss against it to show his sincerity in his words to Lyra.

Lyra knew well that the words Vulen spoke were true. She knew how heavily he felt for her but there was no reciprocation for his feelings. Glaring down at his action she only saw him as a tool at her command. But when it came to the feeling of Vulen's tender kiss against the back of her hand her own cheeks could not help but flush.

"Very well, Then I suppose you would not disobey to receive punishment for returning to me without a proper success this time." Lyra pulled her hand away from him and glanced in the direction of the guards that stood by the doors.

"If it is what my queen orders.. I will accept the punishment. I thank you for sparing my life so that I can continue to serve you." Vulen's voice quivered slightly for a second but he quickly pulled himself back together.

As Vulen climbed to his feet to stand up straight his body paused.

Lyra placed her hand flat against Vulen's cheek causing the skin of his face to become so cold that it sent a stinging sensation throughout his face. Shaking where he stood he fought his best to remain still but a painful hiss could be heard from his mouth as he gnashed his teeth together. As painful as the feeling was there was still a look of enjoyment in his eyes because the woman he loved was touching him. Even if it was painful it still brought him a sense of joy.

"You're really such a loyal one.. Its kind of disgusting sometimes, Vulen." Queen Lyra sighed as if she had lost interest in looking at Vulen's face.

Slamming the palm of her hand against his chest she sent him flying with a burst of ice magic. Shards of ice shattering about the air like broken glass. General Vulen's body tumbled across the floor with bits of skin covered in thing layers of ice. His entire body shuddered from the pain as his eyes held a look of longing as he struggled to look in the direction of the queen. Her eyes never once glancing back in his direction.

"Guards take him to the cells and have him lashed! I wont stand for his failure this time. Once your finished with him toss him out of the palace. I don't want to see his face without progress next time. If you return without my permission or some form of progress again just because you wish to see me, Vulen.. My face very well may be the last thing you see if this happens again." The Ice Queen Lyra's eyes never turned on him the whole time she spoke those words.

"Yes.. My Queen." Vulen muttered weakly under his breath. The frozen bits of his face sent waves of pain as he spoke but he wanted desperately to speak those few words in response to her. All he wanted was for her to hear his voice and give him some form of recognition.

The general did not refuse his punishment. Nor did he try to fight against the words of the queen because he was already willing to give his life to her if she asked for it.

That night in the cells of the Ice Queen's prison, under order of the queen herself, the guards violently lashed at General Vulen's back repeatedly seven times. Blood covered his body from the deep wounds the punishment left on him.

As soon as the punishment was over Vulen's body was tossed from the palace into the streets. His wounds never received treatment because as punishment whether he lived or died after being lashed was a matter of his own problem. The queen did not care if his body was to fall unconscious and die the second he was thrown out after punishment. What mattered to her was simply if he did his job successfully or not.

"My Queen.. I shall not fail you." Vulen hissed in pain as he muttered to himself.

His body was so hard to move from the loss of blood and excruciating pain that it nearly felt impossible for him to get out of the street. If he had been an average person he wouldn't be able to keep himself awake.

"Isn't that General Vulen? Why does he look to be in such a bad condition?"

"Did he get scolded by the queen again?"

"I heard its possible he's just a masochist who enjoys the queens abuse.. He probably just deliberately did something for her attention again. It's already well known among the palace that he's after the queen."

Several voices could be heard whispering words of insult about him and his love for the queen. It caused his heart to ache because to him it was never a matter of whether she treated him rough or not. Vulen had loved Lyra for a long time. He had always been with her since she was a child. If it was possible he would give her the world if he could just to see her smile.

"Don't gossip about her majesty, the queen! Don't you all have better things to do?!" Vulen shouted at them all causing them to quickly scatter. It did not matter to him if he was insulted. When it came to talking bad about Lyra though he did not tolerate it.

Struggling with all his strength he eventually managed to get himself up on his feet. His blood soaked clothing sticking to his skin as he struggled to head towards the location of a healer. If he did not do something about the wounds he now had to bear for the sake of his queen's command he felt that he would drop dead from blood loss before long.

It was not a first punishment for him to receive under her order over the years since the day she had taken the throne. Vulen knew he could manage with just that much pain. For onlookers, however, they knew a commoner wouldn't have been able to endure being in such a state. To have such a thing done to him under the order of the one he loved was enough to make some of those who saw him even shudder at the thought.