The Tales Of Esmeralda

Prologue: Titania Manos To Titania The Feared

Titania was a huge wreck after the death of her husband. But since she was pregnant her mother forced her to eat, even if she didn't want to, to keep the baby healthy.

Finally, four months after Christopher's death, Titania went into labor. She gave birth to a beautiful baby boy, whom she named Xenos because she promised her husband. To commemorate both the child's grandfather and father she named him Xenos Christopher Manos.

But Titania's son was born on a winter night. The night of his birth there was a snow storm that made everything cold. Titania tried to keep her baby warm. She loved her bundle of joy, and she wanted to keep him alive. She couldn't lose him too...

But alas, when Titania woke up the next morning the son she had just had had died.

Because of her anger and sadness of her husband and child dying she decided to take a trip to the city of Sparta. She rode her horse to Sparta, which took a while, so she had food and things.

And there she saw two men in the streets fighting each other with swords. The one disarmed the other and knocked him to the ground where the man lay unconscious.

"Hey-hey!" Titania called to the man as she got off of her horse.

"Woah, it's alright there, little lady," the man said. "He'll be alright."

"That's not why I called you," Titania spoke sternly, her blue eyes piercing. "I wish to learn how to do that."

The man walked closer to her, and spoke quietly. "You're not from around here, are you?"

"No, I'm not."

"Then you should know that around here we don't teach women to fight."

Titania's eyes lost some of their shine. "Oh. Okay."

"But," the man said, "that doesn't mean I won't do it."

Titania smiled at him. "Well, great! What is your name?"

"Andreas Fotopoulos."

"And I am Titania Manos. It was a pleasure meeting you."

~~~~

Months passed and Titania was living in Sparta with her friend, Andreas, as he taught her to sword fight. Fight in any ways, actually. Everything he knew.

Finally, after about six months of training, Andreas walked to Titania, who was in the kitchen making herself breakfast.

"Why?" he asked.

"Why what?" she responded without looking up.

"Why did you wish to know how to fight?"

Titania stopped what she was doing. "I...I had a husband, once. And...he was taken from me. A man named Arsenio killed him when he attacked my village. I know that the Fates planned this out, and they also made me who I am. But who I am wants revenge for the man who killed my husband. And...I was doing nothing. For the longest time. Because I was pregnant with his son. But...he died, too. So," Titania sighed, "I came here. And I'm going to kill, possibly torture, the son of a bitch who killed him." Titania faced Andreas with tears on her face. "So you know my backstory now. I guess that makes us friends."

"Yes. It does." Andreas walked to Titania and put his hand on her shoulder. "I will help you fight this man. Arsenio the Wicked, they call him. I shall help you get the revenge you need."

Titania grinned wickedly, almost as if they called her Arsenio the Wicked. "Good."

~~~~

Many more months passed, and Titania was a great fighter. The greatest in Sparta. So she stood around the men of Sparta, and announced loudly, "Men of Sparta! You may know me, you may not, but either way it does not matter! I am Titania Manos! I have learned to fight in my year of staying here! And now I ask only one favor from each of you! Join me! Join my army! I plan for us to be rid of Arsenio the Wicked forever!"

The crowd cheered in agreement.

"If you wish to join," Titania continued, "stay! If you don't, you may leave now!" Nobody left. "Good! Now, I will try to kill Arsenio the Wicked! No one else must kill him without my word to say so! I will attack every village he has ever been to! I will ask them where he is, and if they give no answer..." Titania paused, looking at the faces in the crowd. "WE KILL THEM ALL!"

The crowd once again cheered for Titania in agreement. All except one by the name of Andreas.

~~~~

Titania and her army first headed to a small village that was about halfway towards Olympia. It was so small that when Titania called for everyone in the town they were already in front of her.

"My name is Titania!" she announced to the villagers. "And I am here to ask you a question! Arsenio the Wicked has been here, has he not?"

An old woman answered loudly, "Yes! But p-please do not speak his name!"

"Now, do you know when he was here?"

"Just last week!" a young male answered.

"Did he give any hint of where he was headed next?"

"No!" the old woman spoke again.

Titania turned to her second most trusted advisor, Christian. "Kill them all."

"What?!" a little girl shrieked.

Titania's men got off of their horses and killed every person they could find in nasty different ways. Titania laughed wickedly. She felt a hand on her arm. She turned and saw Andreas.

"Titania," he spoke sternly as he breathed heavily. "This is not what we signed up for. We were going to kill Arsenio. You never said anything about this."

Titania moved her arm out of his grip. "Don't like it then leave."

And this was the beginning of Titania the Feared's reign of terror.