Shattered Heart's Plea

PROLOGUE

PROLOGUE

***

Meet Me Next Life

Deafening rumbles of thunder echoed as the wind howled in deep, mournful tones. The rain—unceasing in its cries—flooded the towns of the grieving country. It was fitting weather. Perfect, even. For what, you may ask?

For a kingdom's fall, and the end of a queen's reign.

A faction of murkum took the storm as a chance to invade the walls of Palace Sinclair. They had infiltrated the kingdom of Mahika, using the monstrous storm to divert the attention of guards and servants from the real threat. This faction was led by their self-proclaimed king, the Elven King.

"Down in the center of the palace," the Elven King pointed. "It is there where they hold mother's remains. Retrieve her at all costs!" He commanded, and his followers immediately carried out their tasks.

The Elven King's acolytes moved together with his signals. Two guarded the door to the stairway. Another two patrolled the main hall. The Elven King, accompanied by two other elves, made their way down to the royal family's graveyard to retrieve his mother's remains. As they descended, the sound of the rain slowly died down, replaced by the echoes of dripping water. The elves became wary as they sensed a growing energy.

"My king! This must be some kind of illusion! There are no guards, and the kingdom never goes a day without a single servant walking around."

The two elves with the Elven King shivered in fear, unable to identify the source of their unease. But as they took the last step towards the royal graveyard, the elves suddenly disappeared from behind their king.

"Show yourself, demon!" the Elven King shouted, enraged, as he looked around the garden for the royal traitor. "Who are you?" He grinned slightly as he came face-to-face with an enchantress.

Not just an enchantress. Perhaps the queen.

"I should be the one to ask that," Queen Zoelina said calmly. "What brings you to my palace... in the middle of the storm?" She glanced up at the ceiling as if she could see the gloomy sky. "Perhaps you are seeking shelter? Has the forest drowned in this awful storm?"

"Enough! You sinner of a queen! You do not deserve even a bit of the title you hold dear," the Elven King took a step forward.

To his surprise, Queen Zoelina did not approach him further; instead, she took a step back, confused and worried. Scared.

"The guards have taken care of your elves. Do not worry, they will only bring them back to the filth of the forest," she sighed before pinning her gaze on his eyes. "I will ask once more... what brings you to my kingdom?"

The Elven King gripped his scythe tightly, whispering incantations to enhance his simple weapon. This move caught the queen's attention. Her eyes narrowed as she examined the elf's features. It took her a few seconds to recognize who stood before her.

If only I had realized sooner, I could have easily recognized this... person.

"I am here only to take my mother's remains. To bury her in a place of respect and love, so that she can be with her one true love!" the Elven King shouted, his elven heart stinging with emotion.

"Half-breed..." Queen Zoelina whispered. "I know you. I know exactly who you are. But even so, I will not allow a Sinclair to be taken to the Deep Dark—"

"You never treated her as a Sinclair! She had me, and all her hard work for this kingdom was washed away like it was nothing! She was the queen of this kingdom, and yet your people turned their backs on her for loving someone from the dark side..."

The Elven King channeled all his emotions into powerful energy, focusing it at the end of his scythe. His eyes burned with rage as he charged towards Queen Zoelina with all his speed. As she had said, he was a half-breed. He had inherited some of his mother's abilities, secondary to his father's dominant elven traits, making him an equal match for a regular enchantress. But Queen Zoelina was not just anyone.

"This place may be filled with traitors, but we respect this place and do not bring forth tools of savagery!" Queen Zoelina matched the Elven King's speed.

The battle between them lasted for a long while before Queen Zoelina had the chance to teleport them both away from the garden. They fell to the ground as soon as they were transported to a darker, emptier space within the palace. Catching their breaths, the Elven King immediately recognized the place.

"What..."

Queen Zoelina gasped in horror as she realized where she had brought the fight. Her eyes immediately searched for the Elven King, cautious and afraid of what would happen due to her careless execution of enchantments.

"My mother cannot rest in a place like this," the Elven King quickly made his way towards the center of the dungeon where a weapon of great power was locked and guarded. "If you will not allow me to take her with me, I will grant this kingdom its greatest downfall—"

Queen Zoelina used her magic to pull the Elven King away from the weapon. But little did she know that the Elven King had already anticipated her move. When he was near her, he used his scythe to stab the careless queen in her heart. But instead of the blade piercing through her, it was an irreversible curse that struck the queen's heart.

"Ha... w-what did you do to me?" Queen Zoelina's eyes turned bloodshot as she looked at the bladeless scythe that pierced through her chest. "Y-You... h-have no idea... w-what you just did..."

The Elven King let out a menacing grin. "I know. I signed your kingdom's demise by ensuring your death."

Queen Zoelina's eyes widened when she heard what the Elven King had done. She pulled out the bladeless scythe in the hopes that the curse would come with it. Her mind was clouded with anger and the hypnotizing venom of the curse, but for a second her mind was clear when she saw someone entering the chamber of the sword.

"Ah! Have you come to save your queen, your Majesty?"

The Elven King's anger beamed across the chamber. It was evident that he wanted to end everything once and for all. For he knew that he had nothing to lose. Not one. Single. Thing.

"Sal de aquí!" Queen Zoelina shouted before falling once more from the aching pain she suffered. "S-Sal de aquí! S-Save y-yourself..."

She gasped for air as she felt her end nearing before looking at the Elven King. Her eyes widened when she saw another powerful spell building up in the palm of the Elven King. But it was not targeted towards her; it was targeting the king. Queen Zoelina knew what she needed to do at that moment and acted with all her remaining strength. She needed to save the realm of Dianthus, but she couldn't do it if she died. Instead, she saw a glimpse of hope when the king arrived. She coughed out blood as she attempted a spell to protect the brave king charging towards the Elven King. But the Elven King's curse was too much for her to manage.

Mother, I promised. She thought about what she had said to her mother in her dying moments.

"I-I promised..." Tears started falling, and they never stopped as she shifted her spells towards the Elven King. "T-That this kingdom... will not fall! Not by anyone's hands! Not even by you!" she shouted, enraged at the Elven King.

Queen Zoelina's magic overpowered the Elven King's curse targeted at the king. The Elven King's scythe flew towards the king, bladeless and without a trace of the curse. It injured the king, but Queen Zoelina ensured that it would not kill him. She took a deep breath as she began chanting her final spell. A spell to cast away all the evil from the realm of Dianthus. A spell that no creature could avoid. It was a forbidden spell, but at the moment she had no choice but to cast it. And it took a toll on her.

It was getting blurry. Her mind was fading, and her body was falling apart. The king immediately ran to her and tried waking her up, but her eyes felt heavy. She tried to look up at him, but it broke her heart to fail to get a clear glimpse of his face for the last time.

"T-Take the s-sword..." She said weakly, trying to reach for the king's face. "And..." She gently caressed it, enduring the pain for the last moments she wished to spend with him. "Meet me next life..."