233 This is Madness

AUTHOR'S POV

MEANWHILE

In the deep labyrinths of Hesam's secret tunnels, Helena followed the trail of the knights' emblem as she wade in the ankle-deep murky water. With a cresset lamp that she took along the corridor leading to the abbey, she stoutly treaded in the supposed to be a defensive feature of Hesam. She covered her nose with her arm from the putrid smell the tunnel emits as she trusted the route to her destination. Disheartened, she didn't dared to look back for she might only see herself back in Stellan's.

Helena walked past some rats as big as cats. On the last turn, instead of following the emblem, she went the other way as if she already knew where to go. She approached a ladder and looked up to see the loosened hatch with golden hues coming in from it. Helena dropped the cresset lamp and climbed the ladder with no hesitation.

On her way out, she found herself in the town square where there's an uproar gathering the people right in the middle. Covering her face with the hood of her coat, she weaved through the clamoring crowd towards the quadrangle. And there, her eyes widened at a such dreadful sight.

In the congested quadrangle right in the heart of the castle town, Helena found herself in the middle of the people flocking in tiptoes looking far ahead. By the impression on their faces, she could tell that they are engulfed by a terrorizing sight. As she look closer, she could hear ailing sounds from a man... along with some gurgles and splashes of water causing the people to gasp with their hands over their mouths. As she take a peek, Helena dropped her jaw to the floor in total bolt from the blue.

King Galen stood atop of a high level pulpit where Umbriel was hanging upside down. Drenched, Galen's bait swing over a large barrel of water while two royal knights pull him from the ropes tied around his legs. Evidently, the young priest choke from all the water pooling from his nose and mouth. With his hands bound on his back, the poor priest could only shake his head from the despicable torture the King put him on.

"Helena!!", King Galen yelled as he scan the sea of faces gasping in horror. He stood out in his midnight blue coat with gold trims and brooches. The gold fleur de lis crown, studded with blue diamonds as big as his eyes, sparkled like the stars in this heated night as he look over the shuddering people swarming the town square in wary.

Forced to watch the King's torturous show, the townspeople kept mum as Galen shout for the name of a woman that have thundered throughout the kingdom - a woman who made their King go perfectly unhinged. There were no words and sudden movements from the crowd, just eyes brimming in fear. "I know you're here. Reveal yourself to me and end the misery of this poor priest!", King Galen spurred with a smirk, while the people cower in fear. Ever since the presence of Helena was sensed within the kingdom, Galen have become a goner like a beast in eagerness and desperation who's willing to take any measure to reunite with his beautiful prey. "Come out, Helena!! Umbriel is tired of waiting", he continued to urge, grabbing a hold of his bait's wet clothes, swinging him back and forth in the mid-air.

Watching from the shadows in the crowd, Helena peered earnestly without removing her gaze from Umbriel. Her heart was being torn in several pieces that her fingernails dug in her palms until it bled, hearing her old friend's unbearable weeps and pleads.

Helena started to run her eyes over the deadly situation. Counting twelve royal knights in full armor with swords circling the town plaza, Helena found four more archers hiding by the roofs and three crusaders lurking in the shadows of the dark alleys. The security is too tight, that she couldn't think of any other safer way to escape alive with Umbriel. Desperately, with a decision to show herself in exchange of Umbriel's life, Helena took one step out of the tall horde as she grit her teeth in outpouring anger.

Umbriel instantly spotted Helena as soon as the moonlight shone on her face. Despite in her real form, Umbriel cannot forget the certain recognizable features that he last saw of Helena. He then averted his gaze from her, making sure that King won't notice. "N-no, P-Princess Helena!! Please don't!!", Umbriel shouted his pleas. His eyes have turned redder, and the veins on his neck distended even more. "D-don't show yourself!!", he trembled as he snort water through his nose, hoping that the stubborn princess would hear him out.

Clutching on her cloak, Helena gasped as if her heart is being trampled. She felt like her feet got cemented on the cobblestoned ground while she heartbreakingly hear Umbriel out with despair filling her eyes.

"Down in the water!", King Galen ordered. The royal knights set loose of their grips on the ropes, dropping Umbriel head first in the water-filled barrel. The crowd could hardly look. They were all in shock, some were awed… and yet, they couldn't turn their eyes away. The gurgling sounds and the water splashing from the barrel were more than painful to witness. It took Galen longer than usual to lift Umbriel up. The priest choked even more, struggling to lift his weakened upper body up. "My darling Princess, how could you let this priest suffer like this? Show yourself to me and it'll all end well.", Galen said.

With impatience trying to get a hold of her, Helena had a strong surge of defiance to retaliate and reveal herself with only her fists as her weapon. As she go through the petrified crowd, she felt a hand that held her back. "No", a strong grip held Helena's hand that stopped her from surfacing from the horde. "Not a good idea", a familiar face glimmered in the midst of such chaos.

"But it's Umbriel", Helena told Freya, whose grasp has just become stronger.

"In this war, we sacrifice for the greater good. If you reveal yourself now, we can't save the others…", Freya's breath trembled a little as she let go of Helena's hand.

Helena couldn't fathom Freya's idea, who seemingly sounded certain. She pained with the fact that she couldn't lift them all from the quicksand where Galen is pulling them down. Helena clenched her teeth as she look at Umbriel's face with nothing but sorrow and regret. "This is madness", she uttered with gritted teeth as she weigh the cost of her next action.

At a distance and with carefulness, Umbriel stole glances at Helena as his body quiver along with his trembling lips . He had so many things to tell Helena, and too many things to thank for. He wanted to tell her that he'd be honored to serve her well when she sits on the throne. He'd be loyal, and will continue his works and writings in Brandenburg. As they lock their eyes, Umbriel just nodded before turning away. "I-I told you that I would protect y-you, as how you have saved my life all the time… S-so this is me keeping th-that p-promise", with a knife that Atrius handed to him earlier, Umbriel freed his hands loose and swung his body while he unruly wield his knife in the air.

Galen caught on Umbriel's subtle message to Helena who's possibly in the crowd, that he widened his eyes holding his breath scanning the faces on the rambled townspeople. 

"People of Nether! Do not be afraid! The Princess will save us all!! For P-Princess Helena!!", Umbriel fought for his dear life hanging upside down, aiming for anyone he'd swing to with his knife. 

"She's here!! Find the woman with the gray eyes!", the King ordered. Instantly, the royal knights marched through the crowd checking for their orbs. Triggered, the people panicked that it created a total chaos of stampede going in all directions.

Umbriel continued to swing his knife in the air, until he almost hit Galen who's standing close by. Galen clicked his tongue at the nuisance hanging upside down dripping in water. Clearly, he was appalled with the remaining courage the priest had. "Finish him", Galen ordered as his patience have been completely worn thin. The knights immediately lunged their swords towards Umbriel's chest until his vitality splattered and flowed down the wooden pulpit. Straight away, Umbriel went into the deep void with a curved lips as he hang lifeless dropping the knife on the ground.

Louder screams were heard at the sight of the brutal death of the priest. The people scurried away carelessly without looking back. Blending in the crowd, Freya pushed the tormented Helena as they frivolously trot away from the closing grip of the King.