The Places We Go

Chapter XX

     Cordelia had been cast into the sea by Luna so long ago. She had been swimming ever since, trying desperately to get back. Now that she was, it was too late. She had warned Anastasia of the beast of greed and it's sickness, but both she and Arlie had been plagued. It was too late now and she watched the event from her river bend. Looking around in the crowd, she saw another that was sick with greed.

     Scheven had let this happen. He knew it, too. He willingly gave up the shivs. Though he made them sign an agreement, he likely wasn't even going to make the winner pay for them. He still wanted the blood to be lost, for some reason, and he felt uneasy about that. He didn't know what it was inside him, he knew something was there but couldn't explain it. Then it hit him, and hard. The same thing happened to Arlie and Anastasia; greed. Scheven wanted his weapons, his life's work, cemented in history. That was certainly the case now.

     Dadokes stood at his post as normal. He was stunned at the fact that the Queens were fighting like this. Zellarid had always been known for their peaceful three leaders, and now they were down to two fighting ones. He knew not if this was to be a fight to the death, or just to fall over? Dadokes stood across from his best friend, Leod, staring at each other with a shared fear.

     Leod stood at his post as normal. He looked over to Foja, who was standing between the Queens, trying to reason with them. He knew that she had come to resent Anastasia, but still didn't want this balance of order to fall apart. Leod agreed with her, but just like everyone else in both kingdoms, he stood stunned; waiting for the battle to commence. Leod stood across from his best friend, Dadokes, staring at each other with a shared fear.

     Foja stood between the Queens. She had witnessed all of this from the beginning and couldn't believe that it had come to this. If she had never told Arlie and Soleil about Anastasia and Cordelia's disappearance, what would have happened? If she hadn't intervened with anything at all, where would the world be? What if, what if, what if. So many questions circled in Foja's mind, she didn't know what to do. She stood stunned between the two quarreling Queens, trying hard to keep them apart. She couldn't believe it.

     Charlotte stood still. She noticed Soleil and Luna come up from the prison, but at this point she doesn't care. She had been closer to Arlie than Anastasia, but still feared for both of them. She knew that should the battle end in a draw, if they somehow killed each other at the same time, she would rule the entire continent. She waited with bated breath for them to fight, knowing the world would never be the same after this. It was like the earth stopped turning.

     Xayah stood watching her new beloved. When she had called her here, Arlie told her how she felt. They had shared a glorious kiss, and held each other until the duel was to start. Now she watched as she stood face-to-face with Anastasia. Xayah knew Arlie could overpower Queen Anastasia, or could she? The truth was that Xayah didn't know. She told herself that she did and that Arlie would come out alive, but if she didn't? Xayah didn't know what she would do. She held Sally so she could see while stroking her head, comforting them both.

     Beau stood behind his fiancee, for he proposed before the battle. He had set up numerous roses in the entry to his home and invited Anastasia over. The flowers were shaped in a heart and he stood on one knee, waiting for his Queen. Not wanting to damage the ring, Anastasia had Beau hold it. The cold metal almost hurt his hand, and he fidgeted with it. Its metal clanked against that of his own ring. The center diamond and small two side sapphires on Anastasia's ring reflected the setting sun's light into his eyes, nearly blinding him, just the way that Anastasia's beauty did. He watched with bated breath as his love, his Anastasia, the woman that killed to be with him and now would again, stood waiting for the battle to commence.

     Luna knew not of the potential of these two. All she knew was that this was truly historic; and no matter what way it went Soleil, her love, her beauty, would be devastated. She loved her so much and it hurt Luna to see her like this. But, it was too late. She blamed herself, if she had just listened to Soleil sooner, they might have been able to stop it. Oh well, the deeds were soon to be done. Luna had her arm around Soleil, preparing them both for the devastating bloodshed that was soon to come, either way.

     Arlie stood shaking. Behind her, Xayah, her girlfriend. In front of her, Anastasia, her best friend. It was her or Arlie, and she couldn't die now. Not now, now that she had found and won over Xayah, not now. Anastasia, her best friend in the whole world, had to die if she was to live. Arlie had killed to get one crown, she'd kill to get another. It was her or Anastasia now, her best friend. She didn't want it to have come to this but it had. It was now or never.

     Anastasia stood shaking. Behind her, her fiance, the man she had loved for so long. Her best friend. Her future husband, her King, her Beau. She had killed for him once, she'll just have to once more. It was her or Arlie now, her other best friend. She didn't want it to have come to this but it had. It was now or never.

     Soleil stood shaking. Luna's arm around her comforted her, but not much. She watched as the battle started. Once second, Arlie would be in the lead then the next Anastasia. They went back and forth, their skill matched to each other. Soleil watched with bated breath, as did everyone else in the crowd. She couldn't bear it, watching her friends fight like this. This feeling was only intensified when she watched one of her closest friends kill the other.

After all, where wouldn't you go for friendship, for power, or for love?