'How easily he said it! Ah, mother, listen to him and remain silent! Otherwise, this tyrant and usurper will definitely do to me what he just threatened to do!" – flashed through Sylvia's mind, and she slowly reached out and squeezed her mother's palm.
Fortunately, the enemy's promise sobered the demon queen's mind full of unnecessary pride at this moment of Flammehav's downfall, and she frantically squeezed her daughter's hand in return. But her gaze on Derek burned with the same hatred: her soul was embraced by the desire to pelt this pathetic man who thought himself superior to her, Sylvia and especially Lamar, but fear for her daughter's fate made her clench her teeth so tightly that her face turned jaundiced.
– That's better," Derek said in a satisfied tone, and then turned to the kneeling Princess Flammehav. – Your mother seems to have a glimmer of intelligence after all. – And the sword that had touched the girl's neck was hidden in its scabbard.
– I beg you, King Derek… Sylvia is my only child and the hereditary princess of my kingdom. If disaster befalls me and my consort, she will sit on the throne and…" Lamar began.
– Wonderful! – Derek interrupted him. – That's even better! She'll come with me to Kaldwind in case you gather the remnants of your wretched army and attack again like a rat in the night.
– You have my word as king that I would not dream of revenge," Lamar said quietly. – Take back all the lands and cities you have conquered, but I beg you, as a father, to leave me my daughter!
– Your lands and cities are nothing but ashes," the king of men answered him quietly. – You have lost this war, Lamar, and do not dare to press my pity now, for I have none. Your princess will come with me… But no, wait: perhaps you think I will rape her and make her my concubine? – Derek laughed softly and looked into Sylvia's eyes and said: "Don't worry, that will never happen: Satan's spawn will never be in the bed of a good Christian.
"Good Christian! You said it! As if he didn't fall asleep at Sunday service, have a bunch of girls, and sometimes get drunk as a pig!" – Bergil almost burst out laughing, but he covered his mouth with his fist and coughed loudly.
But in this tense moment no one paid attention to the long-haired, burly man: the eyes of both humans and demons were fixed on Derek Merkswerd and the three demons, representatives of a great dynasty, who now stood humiliated, defeated, on their knees before the man who had destroyed their kingdom and threatened to take their daughter with him.
"What a splendid picture! Andrada, it was you who brought us victory!" – Derek smiled to himself, but his face remained still as cruel and stern.
He liked to see Rossi humiliated, powerless. He reveled in his power over them, knowing that their lives were now in his hands. But he wasn't going to take Princess Sylvia, that red-eyed demoness whom he found beautiful, but who disgusted him: his words were a bluff. Derek had no reason to take this girl as a hostage, because if the demons attacked again, he would easily repel them again, and then he would certainly leave no stone unturned in Flammehav and slaughter all the demons from small to large. The Lord himself must have given him this mission: the Talisman of Andrada now forever protects Kaldwind from black magic and makes him invincible.
