The Grand Duke’s Purgatory

cw: gore, torture.

Gripped by a sickening dread, Henry's heart pounded against his ribs as he stared into the eyes of his tormentor. The dim, flickering light cast eerie shadows across the cold, damp chamber, heightening the sense of impending horror. 

The Grand Duke's cruel grin twisted his features, the malevolence in his gaze sending shivers down Henry's spine. With a deliberate slowness, he reached for the bindings that held Henry in place, his gloved fingers tracing a chilling path along the exposed skin. 

"Your voice has brought you trouble," The Grand Duke hissed, voice laced with a chilling calmness, "It's time to silence it." 

A wave of panic surged through Henry as Kaiser's grip tightened around his tongue. Agonizing pain shot through his body as the tormentor's fingers dug into the flesh, threatening to tear the delicate organ from its roots. 

Struggling against the restraints, Henry's muffled cries only seemed to fuel The Grand Duke's sadistic delight. The room seemed to close in on him as his vision blurred, the sounds of his own heartbeat and labored breaths drowning out the world. In the next second, his sight blurred as his eye was dyed with his own blood.

Then, The Grand Duke's gloved hand moved lower, the sharp edge of a blade gleaming in the dim light. Henry's eyes widened in horror as he realized The Grand Duke's intentions. The blade traced a cruel path down his abdomen, each touch of the cold steel sending shockwaves of pain through his body. 

Without any hesitation, Kaiser stabbed Henry's abdomen, then tearing the skin, flesh apart by moving his knife upward, blood gushed all over Henry's lap. Henry's heart wrenching screams erupted inside the room as he felt being stabbed, tearing his skin freshly like butchering a pig alive.

The masked lady quickly moved, taking the turn on holding the knife tight in place as The Grand Duke thrust his hand in the split open abdomen, pulling the long intestine out.

As Kaiser's grip on his tongue tightened, Henry's struggle grew weaker because of the amount of blood he had lost.

At this time, Henry felt very numb, he didn't feel how The Grand Duke pulled his tongue out.

The unthinkable became inevitable as the tormentor forced Henry's own intestines and tongue into his mouth, the sickening sensation of flesh against flesh and the metallic taste of blood assaulting his senses. 

Henry's vision darkened as he choked on his own despair, the boundaries between pain and consciousness blurring into an agonizing haze.

Kaiser's gaze lingered on the grotesque tableau before him, a chilling mixture of satisfaction and cold detachment etched across his features. The dim light of the chamber cast an eerie glow on the lifeless form of Henry, now a macabre monument to Kaiser's vengeance. The room seemed to hold its breath, heavy with the weight of the gruesome act that had just transpired. 

"Take his body outside to display," Kaiser's voice was firm, devoid of any remorse. He gestured toward the masked lady, his command clear, "Do not change his position or how I shoved his intestines and tongue in place." 

The masked lady nodded solemnly, her identity hidden behind her veil of secrecy. With a practiced precision, she moved to fulfill Kaiser's orders. Gently, she cradled Henry's lifeless form, her steps deliberate and purposeful as she carried the weight of his fate. 

Kaiser's attention shifted to the wooden table, stained with blood and a haunting story of cruelty. His gloved hand, soaked in Henry's lifeblood, was discarded with a careless flick. The room felt like a chamber of horrors, a testament to the darkness that resided within Kaiser's heart. 

As the masked lady reached the chamber's entrance, Kaiser's voice sliced through the air once more, his words etching a final damning message into the tableau, "Write in a piece of wood, 'The consequences of being an ignorant, prideful elite,' and nail it to his two knees." 

The lady's movements were methodical as she retrieved a piece of wood and a crude, blood-stained knife from the table. She carved the words with a steady hand, each stroke a testament to the purpose behind her actions. With the message complete, she knelt beside Henry's body and affixed the wood to his knees with a grim resolve. 

Kaiser turned to look at Matthew who was still in the state of astonishment. Kaiser couldn't define whether this man was traumatized or what, but his movement reminded him of wilted roses, so he uttered, "Maximino, are you alright?" 

Matthew turned to look at Kaiser, he smiled slowly, "I'm fine, Your Grace, just.. overwhelmed in Henry's screams." 

At the same time, the rumor of Marquis Maximino is The Grand Duke's concubine spread like wildfire as they're in the Purgatory, The rumor reached half of the Landroich as it was distributed with whispers and gossip. 

In Helen's Bakery, Elias and Ezra were chilling. The Bakery's The air smelled fantastic, a mix of fresh bread and yummy sweets on the shelves. Everything felt calm and cozy in the bakery. The oven and people's voices made a nice backdrop of sounds. The day was nearly done, and the baker finished up. The last loaves came out of the oven, perfect and fragrant.

It was Ezra who runs the Helen's Bakery, Helen, her mom, died of illness last week. 

Since the bakery got plenty of customers, Ezra and Elias could not help but overheard the noble woman's gossip.

One had said, "Do you know that the Grand Duke was going to build public schools around Landroich for the poor? One elite opposed this decision, and now his corpse is in the purgatory." 

The other groaned in disgust, "Really? then, the Grand Duke killed another?" 

The one nodded while she took a bite of Rye Bread.

Ezra heard this and nudged Elias's shoulder, "Hey, did you hear that?" She whispered, "Your Grand Duke killed someone! Oh, there's no way I'll be coming back to the palace, no way!" 

Elias replied as he rolled his eyes in irritation, "First time?" 

Elias, who was busy practicing to enhance his handwriting, was disturbed and his stroke.. became a scribble. Ezra knew that Elias had fallen in love with The Grand Duke since his three days in the palace, making his thighs heal in the meantime. How did Ezra know? Well, Elias talked with her when he got out of the palace. He sprinted towards The Bakery after stepping out of the carriage.

Elias blabbered how good is The Grand Duke, how The Grand Duke treated him with hospitality and consideration, how The Grand Duke taught him how to properly hold a quill, and gave him lessons in writing. but obviously, the rumors told the opposite.

But this gossip led Elias unfazed, he actually didn't care if The Grand Duke killed someone, if he did, The Grand Duke will surely have his own reason to kill. And the fact that The Grand Duke's plan was opposed by an elite, that was probably the reason why. They aren't in the Capitol to witness this, so it'll be inappropriate for them to have false assumptions. 

Elias sighed, "If you forgot about that one incident where a man was seized, he was taken in The Grand Duke's custody for fifteen days of trial because he was 'accused' of raping an underage." 

Ezra answered, "Was it the sinner.. who committed rape?"

Elias nodded as he continued to write, "The sinner who raped a twelve year old girl. Later then it was concluded to the court that he really is guilty when he denied for the past fourteen days that he didn't but he was accused." 

Ezra nodded with an 'Oh'.

Elias narrated further, "Thus, he was sentenced to death to repent his sins. If you think death is too much for a rapist, think about the victim, she's young but now she's traumatized and her small body is violated, harassed. This would be her most traumatizing memory and she will forever remember it."

"As usual, It was The Grand Duke who punished him. I heard from my father that the sinner's eyes were gouged, his penis was removed. his stiff corpse was nailed in a kneeling position with a sign 'The 39th rapist' ..how unsightly."

Ezra sighed, still getting bored. She doesn't understand why sinners still exist, just what made them do such things? She wished that there was some way to stop the evil in the world, but she knew that it was a complex and multifaceted problem. People were shaped by their environment, and some were drawn to violence and brutality. It was up to society to try and prevent these kinds of incidents from happening, but even then, there was no guarantee that they would be successful.

Despite the woman's mouth being full of Rye Bread, she insisted on talking, "Oh, you know that my husband is an elite in the Court right, so, today, about five hours ago, The Grand Duke came into the Court with Marquis Maximino. So of course, his fellow elites questioned why the Marquis is in the Court, do you know what the Marquis replied?" 

Elias's ears perked up and so did Ezra's. Intrigued, the other lady asked, "What?"

"The Marquis himself declared that he's The Grand Duke's concubine!" The lady said.

Elias's heart dropped, his hand halted from writing as the woman spoke. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. His eyes grew wide and his mouth hung open. He felt a pang of jealousy deep within him, even though he knew that he had no right to feel that way. He was just a commoner, while The Grand Duke was the ruler of a grand and prosperous land. 

He tried to push the feeling of jealousy aside, but it was a struggle. He wanted to be close to The Grand Duke, just like Maximino. He wanted to be someone important, someone who could be by The Grand Duke's side. But he was just a baker, and he knew that he could never really be part of the nobility. 

Elias listened to the rest of the woman's words in silence, unable to shake the feeling of jealousy that was gnawing at his heart. He wondered if he would ever be able to let it go.

Silently, Elias murmured, "How do I sign up as a concubine too.." 

Ezra seemed to hear this, she stopped the urge to laugh, knowing that her best friend is being swallowed by jealousy. Instead, she said, "Why are you so.. hopelessly devoted to The Grand Duke?" 

Elias's eyes widened in surprise when Ezra asked him this question. He wasn't sure how to answer it, but he knew that he had to be honest with her. 

"I don't know how it happened," Elias said, his voice shaking slightly. "I guess it's because... because he treated me like a human being. All my life, people looked down on me because I was poor and didn't have anything to offer. But The Grand Duke didn't care about that. He just saw me as a person, and he treated me with kindness and respect. It's the first time in my life that I've ever felt that way."

Elias sighed, feeling ashamed of his own feelings. "I know it's silly. I know that he's far above me in standing, and I know that there's no way he would ever look at me like he does to the Marquis. But... I can't help it. I just feel so drawn to him, like... like he's some kind of magnetic force that I can't resist. He's so kind, so brilliant, and so... so perfect. I just can't help but want to be near him, to be a part of his life in any way I can." 

Ezra looked at him in awe. She never had expected that Elias could speak like this, seriously, what happened in those three days in the palace? She couldn't help but be more curious. Ezra knew she couldn't coax her little best friend at the moment, because Ezra isn't poor, so she couldn't relate to Elias's feelings. Ezra was an average person, she's a business woman, her family runs a bakery, and so she never tasted being in poverty.

She pondered for a moment of silence, trying to figure out how to get Elias in the palace, to make him meet the Grand Duke just for a while before the coronation. She wanted the best for Elias, Elias is like her younger brother to her, she's an only child of the Baker family, having a friend like Elias is like a precious gem to her, she never felt lonely.

"Ezra, do you know that, The Grand Duke even lent me his justaucorps in order to coax me that time." Elias uttered as he started to write again

"Justaucorps?!" Ezra was shocked, "Really? do you know that someone never touched a royalty's justaucorps unless they're the tailor? The Grand Duke really favored you lovingly, hm.." 

Elias didn't reply and focused on writing. Yet still, Ezra was shocked deeply, as if she fell from the heavens. A commoner had nuzzled a royalty's justaucorps? Ezra could only imagine a punishment before that, If the Grand Duke didn't favor Elias.

"Do you think.. that the Grand Duke is fond of you?" Ezra spoke.

Elias looked up from his work with a small smile, "I hope so," he said, "But even if he isn't, I will always be grateful for the way he treated me. He showed me kindness and respect, something I never experienced before. That means more to me than anything else."

In truth, Elias couldn't just utter the words 'The Grand Duke is a royalty and I'm a commoner, do you even think that's possible?' because he knew that Ezra wouldn't be able to understand it clearly, even if we say that Elias would take the risk, it's most likely impossible to make the Grand Duke his.

His feelings for the Grand Duke were growing stronger every day, but he knew that it was pointless to tell Ezra. Instead, he kept his emotions locked away deep inside, trying to ignore the constant ache they caused. He thickened his face and started to write letters for the Grand Duke.

But no matter how many times he told himself that he didn't need The Grand Duke, he couldn't stop his heart from yearning for him. Every time he wrote another letter, his hand would shake with excitement, hoping that the Grand Duke would answer. But as the days passed, and there was still no response, his hope would turn to despair, and he would sink into a dark pit of loneliness and doubt. 

Elias didn't know how to cope with these conflicting emotions, and he feared that they would eventually cause him to break. He just wanted to be with The Grand Duke, to love and be loved. But he knew that it was never meant to be.

It was a quiet moment between two close friends, and Ezra knew that Elias had more to say but was suppressing his words. The tension was palpable, and Ezra didn't know how to break it. She wanted to reach out and comfort Elias, to tell him that she would always be there for him, but she wasn't sure how to go about it. 

Finally, Ezra mustered up the courage to speak, "I know it's hard," she said softly, "But sometimes the heart wants what it wants, even when it's not practical or logical. What matters is how you choose to act on those feelings." 

Elias looked at her, he didn't know how to respond, but he knew that Ezra's words were true. The Grand Duke was a royalty, and he was just a commoner. It was a hopeless situation, but he couldn't deny the way he felt.

In the separate scenery, Matthew and Kaiser decided to talk a walk after the overwhelming scene in the Purgatory. Kaiser had decided to treat Matthew a bread or pastry— whatever he desires to make up for that traumatizing event in his life. Kaiser felt sorry, however, it was Matthew who wanted to accompany him.

They took a right turn and found Helen's Bakery. He turned to look at Matthew, and asked, "Maximino, do you want some bread or pastry?" 

Matthew was clutching Kaiser's left arm like a vine from a tree, he nodded as Kaiser turned to walk. 

Matthew and Kaiser entered the bakery, the smell of fresh bread filling their nostrils. Kaiser took charge, deciding to let Matthew choose what they wanted. Matthew was still feeling fragile after the traumatic events, so he wanted something comforting—a pastry, perhaps. 

Kaiser approached the counter and scanned the displays of delicious pastries on the counter. After a few moments, he turned to Matthew and asked, "What do you want?" 

Upon seeing a new customer, Ezra sprinted to the front desk with Elias, she mercilessly dragged Elias at the desk. There, they saw the bitch who snatched Elias's Grand Duke away from him, Ezra was darting glares from that sluggish nobleman with silver hair.

Matthew thought about it for a moment before settling on Napoleon. Elias took the Napoleon pastry and gave it to Kaiser. As Kaiser turned to pay, he saw a blonde hair right at the bottom of his eyesight, then he turned his gaze downwards and he saw it was Elias.

"This is Napoleon pastry, Your Grace." Said Matthew.

Elias said with a small smile, "Is that all?" Elias unexpectedly sees The Grand Duke.. his love of his life, his mood seemingly to brighten.

Matthew is the one who received it and took a bite. The warmth and comfort of this pastry consisted of layers of puff pastry and pastry cream which melted in his mouth, that reminded him of Kaiser's semen.

Kaiser gazed back at Elias, "We'll just take two loaves of Rye bread, please. And we have a favor to ask you. Could you deliver these two loaves to Elias Acker?" 

As Kaiser continued making his request, Elias couldn't take his eyes off of him. It was as if he was in a trance, unable to move or speak. He was just so damn beautiful, so graceful, so elegant. Elias was mesmerized, almost as if he was under some kind of spell. 

"Elias?" Kaiser suddenly spoke, breaking Elias out of his daze. 

"What, Your Grace?" Elias asked, coming back to reality. 

"You were just zoning out there for a moment." Kaiser replied with a small chuckle.

"Oh.. I.. I'm, I just recalled something, Pardon me, is that all?" Elias quickly responded with a hint of stuttering.

"Yes, one piece of Napoleon and two loaves of Rye bread for you." The Grand Duke said.

"For me..? Why.." Elias whispered.

"It's because you've been practicing writing, You really took my advice and I'm proud of you." The Grand Duke said as he pointed to a pile of papers and a quill in front of Elias, "Now, share these two loaves of Rye bread with Ezra or to your father, take it as my gift for your hard work." 

Oh.. The Grand Duke remembered that he taught me..? Thought Elias as he was once again, falling in love with The Grand Duke.

Elias was touched by The Grand Duke's words. It was rare for him to receive praise, and the fact that The Grand Duke recognized his hard work and efforts made him feel seen and appreciated. He was grateful for the gift and knew that he would treasure it always. The Grand Duke's generosity brought out a new side of him, one that was warm and kind. 

Elias couldn't resist the urge to express his gratitude. "Your Grace, I am eternally grateful for your guidance and support. I promise to work hard and make you proud."

The Grand Duke shook his head in response, it's just a bare minimum of him, so it's not a big deal.

As Kaiser paid Elias, Elias couldn't help but mutter as he gave The Grand Duke's change, "When could I see you again?" 

Elias felt a lump in his throat as he asked the question. He knew it was wrong to ask such questions to a grand duke. He didn't want to disrespect The Grand Duke, but he also couldn't help but wonder when he could see him again. He felt a mix of emotions, a combination of guilt and longing.

The Grand Duke smiled faintly, "You're welcome at the palace, You can enter whenever you want."