𝐌𝐘 𝐒𝐄𝐑𝐕𝐀𝐍𝐓

𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐑𝐓𝐘-𝐒𝐈𝐗

꧁꧂

     "God, fucking, damn it!" A beautiful woman screamed in a foreign tongue, slamming her fists against the polished wooden table that sat in front of her. "How did the attack fail!?"

    The line of servants that stood off to the right of her—some holding trays of delicacies while others just stood waiting for orders—trembled, each with eyes holding fear within them, their minds screaming at them to run but their bodies unfortunately being rooted to the spot. If they even thought of moving, they knew they'd be executed. The room they were currently in was wide and spacious, potted palm trees sitting in the corners while a large, open archway led to a balcony that overlooked the Palace of Chalar's gardens. The walls were made of sandstone, and the floors of a red tile that gleamed with shine, the bright sunlight filtering in and bouncing around.

    It was a truly magnificent piece of architect.

    But the woman that stood within the room—even angry—was even more breathtaking.

    Queen Jannali Bea's long black hair fell in an abundance of curls to her lower back, complimenting her dark skin and sharp green eyes. The gown she was wearing was light and airy—the only ones she ever wore due to the high temperature they faced—so that it hung off of her shoulders whilst the front dipped to reveal her smooth neck and parts of her breasts, the ends traveling to the floor to hide her bare feet. As the Queen, she wore a golden headpiece that framed her face, along with an abundance of necklaces, anklets, and bracelets.

    She was truly beautiful.

    But the expression of fury that she held made one instead tremble in fear, specifically that of the leader of the attack she had set into motion.

    "I-I apologize, My Queen," the man bowed lowly despite how wounded he was, his face bruised and lumps of bandages visible underneath his armor. "The Carmellia Kingdom... they were well prepared and met our forces head on. We were all slaughtered without hesitation."

    "I don't care," Jannali hissed with enough venom lacing her voice to kill fifty men, then turning around to walk away from the leader of the attack. "I gave you an order. And you failed me."

    "B-But—"

    "Did I say I wanted to hear your pathetic excuses?" She said, stopping, only tilting her head so she could glare back at him. "Take him away." Waving her hand dismissively as two other guards that were stationed at the doors entered to drag him out, she continued, "Let him think about his actions in the slave pits as punishment."

    "P-Please, My Queen," he yelled after her, even as his voice faded away. "Have mercy!"

    After his pleads and cries had gone, silence once again engulfing the room, Jannali snarled, "Mercy? If I gave mercy... I'd be dead."

    Breathing in deeply, trying to calm her frazzled emotions, she stalked out of the room, unaware of the collective sigh of relief that each of the servants gave after she had gone. Walking down the halls of her castle—her home—pictures of her mother and father staring down at her with mockery-filled eyes it seemed, she finally arrived at a pair of large marble doors that opened for her immediately. Inside, a throne sat. High and mighty the sight was, for the throne was presented on a raised dias, the one that was sitting on it able to look down on everyone from where they were.

    From where she was.

    On either side of the dias were twenty of her most trusted advisors, each varying in both appearance and emotion, but all with one thing in common: their stunning and captivating beauty.

   "So, tell me, gentleman, ladies..." Jannali began as she walked the steps up to sit on her throne, placing her hands on the arm rests as she crossed one leg over the other. "What happened? So far, the incompetence that I've seen stretched to both my army and my cabinet, doesn't it seem?"

    "M-My Queen?" One of the men asked, confused as to what she meant.

    "The fucking Carmellia Kingdom!" She roared, banging her fist down on the marble armrest and making the others flinch. "I've sent spies, thieves, an army, and yet they still are able to thwart my every move." Standing up once more, she moved so that she was now in between the two rows of Advisors, her green eyes glaring dangerously in the light as she spoke, "How? Can you tell me how the they were able to do that?"

    "T-There are multiple factors—"

   "Then make sure those factors don't interfere in my plans!—don't you understand why I'm doing this?" She sighed, running a hand through her dark hair. "My parents struggled to try and reach an alliance with Carmellia for years. But unfortunately, they died before they were able to accomplish that. This land is dying. We need those resources, so somebody better think of something before we're wiped off the fucking map!"

    Silence answered her.

    That is, until someone finally spoke.

    "U-Um... My Queen?" A voice sounded, making Jannali's eyes snap open as she looked around the room for who had spoken.

    "What?"

    "W-We've actually been informed that the poison that we've made has... reached the King," a young man spoke up, his voice soft and almost inaudible. "However, reports have been given near the border that unidentified personal have invaded our land and... have taken something."

    "Oh, really? And what is this something?"

    "The flower known as Huelda Forla—an almost extinct species that we've been monitoring very closely."

    "Why is this an issue?" Jannali sighed.

   "It's... one of the ingredients for the antitoxins of the poison," the man explained.

    "...well, fuck," Jannali laughed shrilly, clutching the edge of her throne tightly. "Now why did you think that was good news?"

   "Because no matter if that flower was taken, the spies that you've sent in have been given a chance to kill the King," the man continued with a rather concentrated look in his dark gaze, most of the other Advisors' eyes widening at his tone. "They're only the best, and they will kill him."

    Jannali's lips parted into a sinister grin.

    "Perfect."

꧁꧂