Chapter Text
There's never an end—just a new beginning.
Piltover had met its end. The takeover of Noxus became a new beginning. The casualties painted the streets with a crimson that had went beautifully with the Noxian banners. Perched atop the ship of Noxus stood Mel. The scent of blood made her slightly grimace, stinging her nostrils.
She hadn't meant anything to come this way—she'd done what she was appointed to do and instead of the feeling of victory that overwhelmed the other soldiers, her heart felt heavy. A city where she hadn't felt like she was trespassing met its demise and nobody but Mel was to blame for pledging such loyalty.
Mel looked down at her hands, rolling the Medarda crest ring with uncertainty. She couldn't bear to look at the scene in front of her any longer.
War was no easy feat and even if Mel had considered herself "desensitized," the pain she felt she could share with those involved weighed on her. The shouts of command from her mother—Ambessa Medarda ordering soldiers to find "The Golden Boy," heavy thumps of boots, and people being taken if they'd been fortunate enough to survive rang in her ears.
Before she could dote anymore on the aftermath of Noxus' conquering of Piltover, a finger tapped her shoulder in an almost mocking manner. She quickly turned around a bit startled, shoulders tensed, and her hand balled up in a fist over her chest.
When Mel finally noticed who it was, her body relaxed and she let out a sigh of relief. "It's just you Kino…" she said in relief, smiling at his antics despite herself. Her brother, Kino felt like an anchor in her life and the only thing that had ever made sense in Noxus growing up.
Kino nodded, pulling Mel in closer by snaking a hand around her shoulder, squeezing her slightly in familiarity. "I didn't expect to find you out here, Mel. Perhaps you've 'come to your senses,'" he said playfully, using his free hand to make an air-quote, arousing a laugh from Mel, "mother would be quite prideful to find her favorite enjoying the scent of bloodshed, would she not?" Kino raised an eyebrow, making light to lighten the atmosphere rather than make it any more grim than it already was.
"I can't enjoy the outdoors now?" Mel question, tilting her head. The playful banter she had with Kino was a dance she'd never mind taking part in—the only balance she could find in this continuum. Where war stood on one extreme, peace stood on the other—family was the only thing keeping one or the other teetering dangerously.
Kino shrugged his shoulders, taking a step back to give Mel space. "Aren't you one to put words in my mouth, hm?" His voice trailed off slightly when he turned back towards the stairs of the ship leading to the very deck they were standing on then he looking back at their mother who was still too busy domineering soldiers to take any notice of her children. "We shall talk inside before mother decides we're soldiers and not diplomats." He murmured, taking Mel's hand and dragging her back below deck.
There in the ship, the air didn't feel as harsh. Mel subconsciously took a deep inhale, taking in the warmer scent rather than the metallic and somewhat rotting smell overtook Piltover. It was nobody else but them and a few soldiers going about their business. Kino walked with Mel through the ship, constantly rerouting in order to avoid the weapons that laid askew on the floor, someone bloody while some laid untouched.
The leniency didn't last very long when they were overshadowed by Rictus. Almost simultaneously, Mel and Kino let out a sigh of annoyance. They learned long time ago that Rictus could only ever mean that their mother was searching for them.
Rictus stood with his shoulders squared and looked down at them harshly but not unkind. His hands were behind his back with one hand holding the wrist of the other. The sighs they let out hadn't bothered Rictus at all—he was far too used to it involving his past babysitting them before.
Kino stepped forward into the man's space, mirroring his posture. "Rictus… perhaps we talk numbers?" He smiled knowingly, hopeful that Rictus would accept his attempt at bribery.
The bribery didn't affect Rictus. He stared at just Kino momentarily with a bit of the scowl, making Kino try and flash a charming smile to better the situation. "Your mother's spoke of both of you all morning, you know. I suggest you go meet her outside at the dock." His tone suggested finality, waiting for Mel and Kino to begin making their way out of the ship.
Before Kino could make another attempt, Mel just grabbed his arm and started dragging him to the opening of the ship. "Come on…" she hissed, a subtle plead at Kino to avoid making things any harder than they needed to be.
Outside the ship, the air shifted again. The sharp smell mixed with the scent of raw meat from the one other person they knew would constantly indulge in raw meat even in the middle of a cleanup—their mother.
Ambessa felt their presence behind them almost immediately, smiling more at Mel than she was Kino and opening her arms. When Mel didn't immediately go into her arms, she took initiative and hugged Mel herself, a hug far too soft for Ambessa's nature. Kino stood in the background almost forgotten.
"I suppose I'm just collateral…" Kino grumbled sarcastically, watching their mother dote on Mel while treating him like mere background noise.
His comment hadn't gone unnoticed by Ambessa, drawing a sneer from her. The general loosened her grip around Mel, shifting to a demeanor that made it feel as if the temperature had dropped just slightly.
Ambessa stepped closer to Kino, towering over him intimidatingly, causing Kino to lean backwards slightly to give himself space—yet before he could lean any further, he felt his mother pull him into a grip that suggested no form of kindness or softness.
"Perhaps if I hadn't seen your face everyday whilst your sister was doing the job she was appointed, you'd get the same treatment." She whispered through gritted teeth, sending a shiver up Kino's spine that made the hairs at the very nape of his neck stand at attention.
Ambessa's words evoked a wince from Mel as she watched from a much safer distance, catching onto the bluntness of their mother's tone and silently sympathizing with her brother during this verbal assault.
Hearing as Kino had no sharp nor witty response to what was said, Ambessa grunted in satisfaction and finally gave the man space to breathe without feeling a sense of dread. Her focus quickly averted to a more pressing matter—hextech.
Ambessa's back was turned entirely to Mel, crossing her arms and puffing her chest in a way that made Ambessa more imposing than she was "at ease."
"You said you've… built a connecting with that Talis, have you?" She said almost clinically, reaching towards a weapon that one of the soldiers was currently holding.
"Yes, mother." Mel stood like she'd always practiced despite not receiving the direct attention of her mother.
"I made sure the soldiers kept him somewhere special just for you, Mel. They'll be your escorts."
The idea of something special in the eyes of their mother hadn't felt like a good thing at all. A pit formed in Mel's stomach as two Noxian soldiers stood in front of her, waiting for her agreement to follow them.
Mel looked at Kino, craning her neck to look past both the soldiers and their mother to get his opinion. Kino seemed to be looking elsewhere but by the uncertainty in his face showed only through the nervous habit of tinkering with the hem of his clothing, she knew what was in store for her would be far from pleasant.
Through trusting her own judgment did Mel nod and agree to follow the soldiers. As she pivoted to follow them, her hands stayed firmly in front of her. The walk was fairly silent and short-lived as they went back into the ship. Murmurs were exchanged with the soldiers escorting her to the ones guarding a door before it opened with a creak and they led her in.
The room was lavish with red silks draped across in a regal manner and a bed stood at the center of it. Mel was allowed the privacy as she opened checked the room for the "special" thing her mother had in store for her.
It was only upon opening a door that stood out in a way that could only be considered intentional did Mel gasp and stagger back. Her hand flew over her mouth, letting out shaky breaths that bordered on soft sobs. There battered and restrained was Jayce Talis. He was restrained in the center of the cold room.
Mel quickly went inside, leaning down towards Jayce in a hurry and holding his face in her hands as if he'd disintegrate if she let go for even just a second.
Her touch was quickly rejected from Jayce when he turned away from her despite all the restraints, a look of disgust flashing over his face. Affection—or lack thereof had never truly bothered Mel—that was till she met Jayce Talis, of course.
It took her multiple attempts to finally receive the message that he currently wanted nothing to do with her. A part of her felt she wasn't to blame for his anger—and another part knew she was all to blame. She was the one who made the decision to side with her homeland, to feed into the deep nationalism that ran through Noxus from the roots up, and to betray the one city where power had a meaning she could understand.
—now she'd known what it meant to be a sheep.
Mel's hands had gone from a slight twitch and tremor to violent shaking. A bead of sweat formed at her temple despite the cold room and in a desperate attempt to save face in front of the man she'd never truly been vulnerable with, Mel hurried out and immediately shut the door behind her
From the moment the door shut, Mel sank into silent tears against the door, sliding down till she hit the floor with a soft thump. She hugged herself for a sense of closure, shoulders shaking in soft sobs and sniffles she desperately tried to keep concealed.
Her vulnerability was long lived when she heard a firm knock on her door. She hastily wiped her tears though the slight reddening of her eyes easily suggested she'd been crying.
With one last sniffle did Mel put on a diplomatic smile and open her door. There at the door was a woman holding a rather large velvet box concealed by a ribbon. Mel's eyes widened slightly seeing the box, wondering what could've possibly been gifted to her during a time like this.
The woman stepped in unwelcome, shouldering the door to fully open it. The box was placed with care at the foot of the bed, sinking the mattress slightly. Mel looked at the door left ajar and back at the woman in surprise of her audacity.
Before Mel could get a word in, the woman began speaking. "Your mother requests you wear what's in the contents of the box for the feast tonight, Lady Medarda." The woman's tone was detached and unamused whilst she took a pen out to sign off on the box.
Mel groaned quietly at the mention of a feast. The idea of being surrounded by both raw meat and roasted meats alike was incredibly unpleasant in her mind—far too different from the Piltover galas she began getting used to.
"Understood." She muttered, keeping her eyes on the box atop her bed.
The woman nodded and headed for the door, wrapping her hand around the door knob firmly and giving Mel one last glance, "the feast'll commence atop the council building," she paused as to give Mel a moment to look outside the ship window and towards the very peak of the council building, where she'd taken her seat for years amongst very few other people.
Mel's heart swelled with sadness as she remembered all the faces who would set just around her. Despite the loud debates, Salo's ever-growing ego, Hoskel's bad timing as per usual, Cassandra's rambles of everything under the sun just to stall, Heimerdinger's optimism despite all odds, Bolbok's constant reminders of how delicate his species truly was, Shoola's level-headed ness when debates became petulant arguments, and Jayce.
How she missed Jayce above all. Through a heart of stone hardened from years of Noxus, Jayce had carved a space for himself through the eye of the storm. His smile was boyish and sincere, burning through Mel's memory in a way she couldn't just shake.
Seeing how deep Mel was into reminisce, the woman finally shut the door to give Mel a bit of privacy and out of respect.
The creak of the door as it closed snapped Mel out of thought, making her whole body straighten instinctively. She walked over to the door and locked it fully, hoping to truly get privacy rather than constant indirect demands from her mother.
The faint sound of grunting made Mel snap her head towards the door that had stood out. Dread filled her body as to remembering what she'd seen when she opened the door. Her mind pushed for her to face it yet her heart knew it was too much to bear the weight of.
"I can't—not yet." She choked out, feeling the constant tug of her mind and heart as they battled over what Mel should do. Her mind felt louder than it had ever been before—screaming, yelling, pleading with her to face the consequences of her own actions. Lights began to feel too bright, her clothes felt tighter than ever, and the glare of the Council Building blinded her.
The curtains were hastily closed, enveloping Mel in a much dimmer lighting, though not even darkness could consume her guilt. She sat on the floor against her bed with her knee tucked to her chest and resting her face against it. Her eyes slowly closed more to calm herself than anything . Tears fell subconsciously, soft sniffles replaced the silence of the room
Time had gone by eerily fast for Mel. Her eyes opened once more, seeing she was still in the same position on the floor. Her cheeks were stained with tears and her body ached from the prolong position. She got up with the assistance of a bench and finally opened her curtains again. It was drastically dimmer than she'd remembered.
Mel's breath hitched when she saw heard her mother's voice laced with impatience and Kino's voice of plead and reason.
Outside on the dock, stood Ambessa in a regal armor and looking around with a hint of annoyance. "Has Mel no sense of urgency? It's rather rude to ensure your presence then proceed to be late." Ambessa tapped her heavy boot against the cobble beneath her feet, a loud and rhythmic sound.
Kino stood next to her, sighing and desperately stalling for Mel in hopes that she'd appear soon, "I'm sure she aims to look her best to become what they call the highlight of this feast, wouldn't you agree?" Kino smiled to make it more convincing, sighing in relief when he earned a shrug from Ambessa.
In Mel's room, she hurriedly opened the box to look at the designated uniform that was given to her. A beautiful dress with hues of red and rich purples. Her clothes were hurriedly taken off, holding the dress delicately and putting it on.
The dress cinched at the waist and on top of the dress, there was bits of jewelry and armor she had to put on that was seen as ceremonial on Noxus. A one-shouldered pauldron with gold accents, a circlet with a teardrop gem that dangled in the middle of her forehead and near her temples in representation of blood drops. Her makeup was nevertheless perfect thought she rushed it slightly, another visual display of her loyalty to Noxus.
The box was now empty with the exclusion of a note. Mel opened the folded note to read it, seeing it was a message of accolades from her mother.
"As to congratulate you of your victory, we've left Talis at your mercy. Do as you please."
The note sickened Mel. She crumpled it up without a second thought and threw the note back into the box. The faint sound of cargo being moved above her caused her to hurriedly put her shoes on and open the door of her room to leave. She took one last look at the door imprisoning the man who'd once been her lover and quickly shut the door before she got any more emotional.
As Mel slowly ascended from below deck she walked past soldiers, chefs, and noble figures of Noxus. They were being boarded off of ships that'd been trailing along. Smiles were thrown her way constantly, which made her feel obliged to reciprocate though the smile never quite reached her eyes.
She hiked up her skirt as she walked down the gangplank, her heels made a sharp click as she took a step onto the cobblestone. Just a few feet away was her mother and Kino still waiting on her. From the moment Mel came into view, Ambessa smiled in satisfaction that Mel came into what was presented to her.
Ambessa was silent till Mel was in very close proximity, nodding her head and admiring how fitting the dress looked on her daughter. "I get you've seen the surprise that was left for you?" Ambessa said with a bit of excitement, looking at Mel in expectation that her reaction was exactly how Ambessa would hope it'd be.
Mel gave her mother a deadpan look, eyebrows furrowing at the audacity of her mother. "I saw." She said vaguely, walking right past her mother and towards the Council building. Her dismissive behavior earned a groan from Ambessa, who refused to let up and wasn't exactly fond of how her daughter was currently behaving.
Ambessa shot a look at Kino before she followed after Mel, a long powerful stride making it rather easier for her to catch up with her daughter. "I'm sure you saw, Mel." Ambessa grabbed Mel's arm to stop her and turn her around. "How did it make you feel?" Her hand snaked up to Mel's shoulder, squeezing it firmly.
Nothing but annoyance and slight resentment of her mother was all Mel truly felt. Not happiness, not triumph, and not prideful. Mel's relationships were already incredibly scarce and Jayce had been the change she needed—not the change she'd avoid. A life beyond Noxus had become no more in the face of her mother's need of control and her own loyalty to a cause she never believed in.
"Feel?" Mel repeated before she tilted her head dangerous, now with a glimmer in her eyes that suggested something unpleasant. "One dear to me is now held as some sort of.. hostage in the confines of my own room!" Mel choked out, drawing a bit of attention from people making way towards the banquet that was to take place. "He wasn't to get hurt, mother. Clearly you aren't as trusting as long let on, aren't you?"
Ambessa's eyes widened slightly at her daughter's defiance, looking through Mel's own eyes for something more than rage and contempt—she couldn't recognize her daughter. The eyes burning into her had not been Mel's own—it couldn't.
The atmosphere felt heavy and almost crushing, drawing far too much attention to the personal conflict going on. Ambessa saw the crowd forming loosely around them and smiled, trying to shrug off the personal matters between her and her daughter, "all is well, everyone! We wouldn't let a bit of a quarrel ruin our triumph, would we?" She nodded as she saw murmurs of agreement across the crowd, prideful in how effectively she managed to save face.
As the crowd diminished and it was very few people still outside, Ambessa leaned in closer to Mel, gripping her shoulder painfully, "we'll speak more of this after, Mel." Ambessa whispered before walking past Mel and with the rest of the nobles.
Mel stood there in frustration, rubbing her shoulder where her mother had made it begin to slightly throb. Her nostrils flared slightly and barely-there tears pricked at her eyes, quickly wiped away by her sleeve.
Before Mel could storm off, Kino grabbed her. He seemed more worried than anything of her behavior. "Mel, this isn't a time to isolate yourself, I hope you're aware.." he stood with Mel as she kept looking back towards the ship, her chest rising in unsteady breaths.
"When you mentioned that of a lover being hostage, was that metaphorical?.." His somewhat comedic question was shot down by Mel and he quickly stopped talking when she shot him an aggravated look, "I suppose so." Kino nodded in confirmation.
Mel sighed and finally began walking towards the banquet, ignoring her older brother's calls as he walked several paces behind her.
Inside the building, any remaining past of what Piltover once was was nowhere to be found. Equipment had been removed, statues no longer remained, and on the large window of the actual council chamber where there'd once been hearings, trials, and where deals were made, there was a Noxian flag.
What had stood out to Mel was that her photos had remained untouched, a silent praise from Noxians to Mel Medarda for how deceitful she'd been and led the conquering of an entire city through years of undermining and climbing the social ladder.
Nobles were eager to speak to Mel, giving their utmost respect of her ability o stay loyal to Noxus for such a prolonged time away from home and that she brought great pride to the Medarda name and her mother.
A diplomat pulled Mel in for a hug, holding her face in her hands with a type of familiarity Mel couldn't reciprocate no matter how hard she tried. "Truly your mother must be proud of your accomplishment, Mel!" The man smiled, letting go of Mel and walking off after a few more moments.
The phrase clung to Mel like a second skin—her mother, proud? It wasn't the most believable as her mother couldn't truly be proud of her daughter as much as she let on. Perhaps of her ability to orchestrate Mel's every move from a different area extremely far from Piltover entirely, or raising Mel to be almost everything Noxus stood for.
A poster child of Noxus who'd be one step away from becoming the people's princess if she hadn't been against the one thing Noxus loved more than anything—war. Bloodshed had never been satisfactory for Mel. In fact, it always seemed irrational to her and in a nation built on war, she was part of the minority still.
Herbs and spices filled the air around her as meals were brought out in a consecutive manner, filling tables and arousing cheers from generals, soldiers, and nobles alike. The meal itself wasn't quite a savage one, yet it was eaten in that manner. Teeth ripped into meats, textures sloshed in mouth from the subtle competitive spark in people to eat as much as they physically could.
Seated at the foot of the table was none other than her mother and flanking her on either side, was Mel and Kino. The savagery repulsed them deeply as they ate a bit more defined, ignoring comments spreading around the table of being diplomats making them soft and almost spineless with how they were extremely concerned of their image around people who still wouldn't consider them normal in Noxus.
Ambessa looked over at Kino, watching him cut his food into more considerate pieces than most people also seated at that table. Her hand reached over to slap the utensil out of his hand and right into his food. She wasn't intimidated by the look Kino gave her, raising her eyebrows in a way that dared him to talk back if he had the spine to. Kino said nothing.
Another attempt was made by Kino to pick the utensils back up and they were snatched from him by none other than his mother. Kino sighed exasperatedly and looked at his mother, shrugging his shoulders in questioning, "must you be so impolite?" He asked with genuinity, earning laughter of mockery from soldiers nearby who only registered the word "impolite."
Kino looked down at the plate of foods that he made very clear he'd rather not have all over his hands—a mere act of cleanliness. With a steady hand he finally picked up a piece of meat, putting it into his mouth and trying to feign indifference over how easily it made a mess of his hands. The table was far more satisfied that Kino was picking up the common habit so he was more a Noxian than he was a diplomat for elsewhere.
The behavior wasn't mirrored by Mel by any means. She kept her utensil in her hands and made no turn to put it down for the cheers of people she hadn't cared for to begin with. Ambessa looked at her with a silent plead to remove herself from the customs of Piltover ad to re-assimilate back with her Noxian roots.
When the gaze of her mother began to feel unsettling, her resolve finally faded and she dropped the utensils on the wooden table with a dull clink. She picked up an exotic fruit and sunk her teeth into it with a squelch, gaining the approval of her mother. The juices ran down her chin and as she felt unclean, she looked around to everybody else who hadn't exactly looked so refined themselves. Drastic from the looks she'd get if she was dining with a Piltover-born citizen.
Hearty laughter was shared over the meal and rather than the champagne flutes that was present at almost every Piltover gala Mel's hosted and been a formal guest at, there were goblets. Drinks sloshed dangerously across the table in a way that'd discuss the nobles of Piltover—except not a soul of Piltover lived in the city anymore. Whether they'd flee to the Undercity or to another city was quite unclear, but there was great ambition of the Noxians to get rid of everybody.
The banquet had gone on for hours. Mel's head throbbed slightly from the repetitive screams of people that went right into her ear and her feet ached from the constant standing. People began to leave the banquet at last and Mel felt a weight lift off her shoulders. Now the originally thumping of voices was no more as soldiers quietly cleaned up the aftermath and no other family but the Medardas remained.
Mel was sat on a stray chair that'd been left out when they were moving the wooden tables and other things out of the council chamber. Her hands were fidgeting in her lap and she could feel her mother practically itching to bring up the earlier situation that had gotten people's attention and seemed far too vulnerable for the public.
Ambessa walked over to Mel and stood over her, casting a shadow over her that blocked the light coming in from the chandelier above them. Her stance was wide and her arms were crossed. Mel looked up to see a very stern look and her stomach was in knots, a bit anxious at what her mother had to say now that they were technically out of the public eye.
"You said you didn't want him greatly harmed, did you not?" Ambessa raised an eyebrow in question, waiting for Mel to either nod or shake her head. When Mel nodded her head, it urged Ambessa to continue. "So you firmly believe that I'd allow a remarkable inventor such as Jayce Talis to run free into some other city to give them more power than they need?" Her tone was parroting, hoping Mel would catch on to how ridiculous that had sounded.
Mel said nothing else and made no gesture, feeling ridiculed and a bit embarrassed of how she'd acted before thinking that Noxus would ever let a great mind like Jayce's walk away from Piltover to anywhere else that would use hextech to benefit themselves and run amok with the swell of egos and knowing that hextech was now in their control.
Not another word was said from either of them, the silence was all Ambessa to needed to know that Mel was recognizing how childish and unrealistic her outburst was. No more engagement was needed from either sides so Ambessa made a turn to leave, the sound of her boots growing more distant as she left the building,
Soldiers shot each other uncertain looks at whether they'd take initiative to escort Mel back to the ship rather than allowing her to sulk here. One of the soldiers tapped Kino while he was in the middle of assisting in the packing process of everything, putting labels with consideration as to keep everything organized. Kino looked back at Mel while she sat alone, calling out for her and telling her he'd just be a moment before they left
The rest of the process was a bit rushed and Kino was finally finished, urging Mel to follow him. They left the building together and Mel seemed more disappointed than anything. No matter how much the gold all over her gleamed, her brooding made it feel duller than it truly was.
Rather than taking Mel right to the ship like he was supposed to, Kino walked with her through the disheveled streets. It wasn't quite pleasant, but it was nice to walk under the hood of a serene night sky that would never feel as comforting in Noxus.
The only thing that'd been stopping Mel from truly enjoying the night, was how she'd still seen severed bodies who didn't make it. Even in the busiest part of Piltover there'd rest not a living soul. Piltover was painted red in this tragedy and she'd been extremely grateful that though it was a traumatic sight, Jayce was one of the people she could confirm was alive.
Her gaze turned toward the direction of The Undercity, wondering how many citizens of Piltover had taken refuge in the same city they'd once condemned and thrown dirt all over for being the lesser beings and an inconvenience to Piltover.
Mel looked up at Kino, pointing towards the direction the Undercity, "how many people would you guess have been residing in the Undercity since mother came to conquer?"
Kino hummed in thought, trying to get a better look of the Undercity, "I'd say lots. Though very few would survive. As nice as I could put it, the air isn't very ideal for people used to clean air." His reminder of the privilege that the people of Piltover truly had compared to the Undercity gave Mel a new perspective.
She thought about the struggles of those living in the unfortunate city constantly, but she never sincerely considered that the people were only safe from Noxians because though lots of soldiers have dealt with gaseous atmospheres, it was never prolonged due to how tolling it was on the body.
"Perhaps the people'll find elsewhere to live rather than in the Undercity's greatly unfortunate conditions." Kino joked, earning a laugh from Mel. She knew that the conditions weren't truly funny but she desperately needed someone to shine a light on this entire situation so she wouldn't be in great sadness.
When Mel and Kino heard the shouts of orders from Ambessa to soldiers and the sound of armor moving about, they picked up their pace, trying to look for an alternative way to get back to the ship without facing their mother's wrath or face her at all. On their way down an alternative path, they bumped into Rictus. He stood like an iron wall with a spear in his hand and gave them both a long stare.
Mel smiled nervously and pointed at the ship, a silent plead for him to let them get by without telling their mother that they were out in areas they weren't exactly authorized to step in. Kino flashed a smile alongside Mel, anticipating Rictus' change in heart.
Just as they were hoping for, Rictus grumbled something under his breath and after a long sigh, he moved out of their way just enough to allow them to continue their journey back to the ship.
The two siblings were lucky that they'd made it in time, seeing their mother retreated back towards the ship while they were already on deck. Rictus matched Ambessa's gait, standing behind her on the ship like an immovable pillar. Ambessa ignored Mel and Kino on deck entirely, too tired to deal with them after the night somewhat exhausted the matriarch.
Her weapon was handed off to a soldier for safekeeping and she went below deck, signaling Rictus to lock the companionway so nobody else could enter momentarily. Ambessa made a beeline for Mel's room, opening the door and paying attention to nothing else but that door. She firmly gripped the handle and opened it slowly, looking down coldly at Jayce.
Jayce was just as he'd been left, with a few bruises and his once prestigious clothing torn from struggle. He didn't bother looking up when he saw the door open, his breathing heavy and his gaze remained on the stone ground. His wrists were raw from struggle against the restraints on his wrists.
"Talis."
Jayce finally looked up, his chest tightening with a bit of fear when he saw the general looking down at him. His fear was unconcealed and he hadn't attempted to either because he knew he was exuding fear in concerning amounts. His inability to put on a poker face in the presence of her made Ambessa almost laugh.
For Jayce was just one of many examples of the people who represented how spineless the people of Piltover really were in the face of someone whose power didn't just come from wealth alone or the creation of something once deemed impossible.
He was hauled up by Rictus and the restraints were taken off, giving him a false sense of hope that he'd perhaps be let go or given a less punishing place of residence than in a small windowless room in his former lover's room.
They walked out of Mel's room and directly into an interrogation chamber. Jayce was forced into the chair with leather straps holding his wrists and ankles making any chance at escaping extremely difficult.
Ambessa stepped forward and leaned down to meet eye to eye with Jayce, studying him. To this point Jayce hadn't said a word seeing how easily triggered a Noxian would get during a negotiation with someone they truly resented with just the slip of the tongue.
His face was held in one strong hand, tilting slightly by Ambessa that put a bit of strain onto his neck. Her breathing was directly onto him, filling his nostrils with the scent of something spicy, meats, and alcohol.
A pamphlet was held in front of Jayce, with his face on the cover as the face of progress. Ambessa tapped the hexcore in the photo as she stared at him, "considering we can't track the other inventor, do tell, are you willing to hand over hextech to the hands of Noxus?" She questioned, waiting for his response.
Jayce's eyes visibly widened at Ambessa's orders. The one thing he'd spent years perfecting and still had a long way to go to make hextech "perfect" in his eyes, was never meant to be a weapon of warfare. The demand to make hextech into a weapon dissatisfied him as much as when Mel first suggested it to him. He was never one to condone violence especially not with the use of his own work.
He shook his head and almost immediately after, he received a sharp slap across the face from Ambessa. When Jayce thought of everyone that'd die in the masses if there was ever a situation where hextech was under the control of a militaristic nation like Noxus, it horrified him that his creation could ever wipe off a great portion of Runeterra.
"I can't, I-" he grunted, holding back on his words not to reveal too much on his refusal of hextech becoming a weapon and owned by Noxus despite his original motives for hextech. To revive the magic that'd once saved his life in a way that hadn't been believable before he'd brought Piltover into the era of magic.
His denial angered Ambessa greatly. She stepped back and signaled Rictus to step in. Fists hit bone brutally and the chair scraped across the floor violently with a mix of Jayce's thrashing and Rictus' heavy hits.
By the end of the interrogating, Jayce was bloodied and breathing heavily. He slipped of consciousness every few seconds, his head dropping forward as his body slumped as much as it was allowed to within the confinements of the chair.
Ambessa looked at his condition and called a medic over, leaving the interrogation chamber with Rictus in tow while Jayce's wounds were tended to.
The medic held gauze against his cheek, pressing down to slow the bleeding while he reached into a bag for more bandages. Jayce's lower lip was split and slightly swelling, blood dripping from his lower lip and right onto the floor beneath him.
Have he said yes, he'd feel even worse than any beating they could give him—no matter how strong the soldier. The feeling of betraying the people's trust, his mother's trust—Viktor's trust. It all mattered more than the Noxians ambitions.
Moments passed and Jayce was bandaged up and being escorted back to Mel's room hastily, shoved back into the room and shushed harshly by a soldier before the door was locked again. He felt no hope being trapped in his girlfriend's bedroom and seeing how emotionally distressed Mel seemed by the idea of actually having a conversation with him.
Just as the companionway was reopened, Mel quickly went below deck, making a beeline for her room. She didn't exchange a word with anybody, shutting her room door shut and making sure it was securely locked.
She slowly took off her attire, standing in the middle of her room bare and stared at herself through a mirror propped up in a corner of the room. The gold markings on her skin no longer shined as brightly in the absence of her lover. She reflected on how it used to gleam blindingly as Jayce would give her a bodily worship she'd never received from another man nor woman.
Beauty felt a waste for her if there'd been nobody she was particularly fond of to look at her with the desire Jayce would—none of it mattered anymore. She opened the door to reveal a bathroom, standing in front of the tub before turning a valve. It hissed slightly as hot water filled the bath, steaming the mirror and causing a faint drip of condensation down the textured stone walls of the bathroom.
She took a step into the tub, slowly lowering herself and leaning back with a sigh. As the water ran hotter, she laid there in anticipation, unfazed by the increasing rise in temperature. She'd hope the water would become scalding just so she could feel something—anything at all.
To Mel's disappointment, the water slowly cooled into lukewarm. She got out before the water could run any colder, grabbing a towel from inside a cabinet and wrapping it around herself. Mel was in no hurry to dry herself as the water clung to her skin, giving her a faint sheen.
She spent a quarter of the hour letting the water cling to her, only when she finally felt rather cold did she finally exit the bathroom and begin the search of something to wear. Not all of her belongings had been transported to her room, making finding something suitable and convenient to wear to bed all the more complicated.
The hunt for something suitable was finally put to a stop when she found a simple nightgown to wear. Nothing flashy, breathable, and flow-y. The nightgown was pulled over her hair, causing a slight frizz that would've driven her crazy being a Council in Piltover—except it was no longer Piltover.
People who've relished in her diplomacy were no more to her, so there wasn't a soul she would take the time of meticulous grooming for to impress or flatter.
Mel sat on the side of her bed, letting her hair loose with a groan of relief that she'd been holding in as she sat through that entire banquet. Pins were placed on the nightstand with a little clink, placed in an organized fashion.
Her winding down of the night was interrupted when she heard heavy thumping against the door. Chills ran down her spine as she realized which door the sound was coming from, making the hairs on the nape of her neck stand at attention—Jayce.
She got up and walked toward the door with shaky legs, pressing her palms flat against it and feel the vibrations the door made travel through hands and right to her heart.
Mel wanted Jayce to be a free man again—truly. She couldn't bring herself to to the disappointment and anger from her homeland that'd all be targeted towards her. Her palms were sweaty as her finger twitched to open the door. Not a second could be wasted—whether he'd looked at her the same remained a question on her mind.
The door was opened and falling to her feet was a heavy body that'd been leaning against the door—Jayce. She quickly bent down and saw the bruises on his face alongside the bandages, caressing them lightly and hesitating with every wince.
Jayce's heart strings tugged when he looked at Mel, trying to think more of her than a Noxian spy who was the reason he was being held captive to begin with. Not a word was exchanged when Mel pressed her lips against his, lapping at him with insatiable desire she couldn't hold in a moment longer.
As much as Jayce wished to hate her, he couldn't. He found himself reciprocating the kiss and leaning into it. Mel's mind only remembered the note that was left for her by her mother giving her a suggestion: at your mercy—do as you please—Talis.
The kiss was finally broken as Mel panted, her chest rising and falling faster than it should. Jayce could see the adrenaline in her eyes that suggested she was merely testing her self-restraint and her ability to bottle up desire till she was given yet another chance to do this—to love him in a way far more physical than a kiss. To love him completely and devoutly.
Mel wanted to take him further, though restraints on his wrist and feet only gave him so much range. Rather than taking them off completely, she inspected his wrists before tugging at the chains that followed and freeing it so they were handcuffs rather than anything as extreme as before.
Mel sat on her bed and urged him to join her, looking at him with a dangerous glint in her eyes betraying defiance. She watched him also a bit impatiently now seeing he wasn't moving towards her and she patted the space next to her with enough aggression to get his attention.
Jayce looked down at his wrists and feet, seeing he'd been given leniency rather than freedom. He got up carefully and moved in order to not make the mistake of making this anymore worse for him.
He grunted with effort as he got on the bed, looking at Mel and seeing her smile—the same foxy smile she'd flash during debates, passing laws, and conversations with other politicians. Her smile was disarming. Inviting anybody at all to give in and that they were allowed to be vulnerable with her.
Jayce swung his legs over the side of the bed, sitting against the headboard as Mel breathed down the side of his neck, taunting and teasing him to do something—anything.
He gulped and finally looked at her, trying his hardest to look her directly in the eye though he kept ripping his gaze away from her and towards anything else. The hard pounding in his chest began to feel both unbearable and uncomfortable.
Mel took notice of this and adjusted herself to sit right against him, resting her head on the slope of his shoulder and closing her eyes in relaxation. The way she molded against him almost felt too natural. The previous fear he had began the melt away with the warmth of her body against his own.
"Mel…" he whispered, still a bit too timid to be any louder within the room due to constant paranoia that someone was watching them no matter how private it seemed. When he saw her look at him, it convinced him to continue speaking. "All I have to ask is—why?" Jayce tried to disguise the hurt in his voice but Mel could hear it in the slight wavering and how he almost had to choke out his question.
She thought about what he said for a minute, knowing exactly what he meant when he asked her the vague question. She averted her gaze from his face and looked ahead of her, a deadpan expression. "I'm not quite sure," she admitted, "regardless of my reasoning behind it, the guilt's left me with a burden—that I'm sure of."
The answer did nothing to neither make Jayce feel bad for her nor hate her. All he could do was bask in this moment of intimacy that he hadn't had in what felt like centuries while experiencing the brutality of soldiers in a relentless manner. He watched people he once laughed with either go missing entirely or simply die.
He cried till he couldn't anymore for everybody he'd found come the aftermath of the war he spent in hiding. The bridge that connected Piltover and the Undercity was swarmed by the soldiers once they taken notice of citizens in Piltover escaping into their twin city.
Jayce had been just minutes away from avoiding getting involved in the war—taking the liberty to also assist Viktor and Caitlyn. Viktor's stubborn refusal for help gave Jayce one last option that being to stall—to make sure the one man who made hextech truly possible and the woman who'd once been the only person he saw as a friend despite their years went unharmed.
The first night he was in captivity by the Noxians, he fought with all he could. Not a weapon at his aid nor protection. He promised himself from the start he'd allow the Noxians to do as they pleased to him—but they wouldn't break his spirit. Ambition and the desperation to survive was what kept his heart beating despite all odds.
He was ostracized, beaten, impaled when he'd gotten too defiant for their liking at a point and that hope that he'd soon be free was what kept him alive. Not the blood desperately trying to keep the heart intact, or the smelling salts they'd pass under his nose to keep his pulse—but the conviction that this was only temporary.
The reflection of what the tough start he faced to where he was now didn't feel so different. Mel was a light slicing into a darkness that was eager to swallow him whole.
Not every light that illuminated a room was natural.