Betrothed

|| C h a p t e r 9 ||

  "We must strategise immediately!" My mother raised her voice over the commotion in the throne room. The generals nodded but screamed when red light flooded the room, turning into a sparkling gas which caused them all to drop dead on the spot. My mother gasped, growling at the Royaume Leader.

  "I don't believe that we've ever had the pleasure of meeting," The Royaume King drawled, kissing my mother's hand although she slapped him across the face as soon as he let go.

  "What is the meaning of this!" She hissed. "How dare you invade this Kingdom!"

  "If you surrender, the Acier Kingdom to me, that will be the end of the war. Your people will not be harmed."

  "Never! I am prepared to fight to the end!" My mother cried, bringing out a katana. Swiftly, she drew the blade across the Royaume King's left eye as he aimed his hand at her. She ran to the right, missing the beam narrowly. Letting out a battle cry, she thrust the sword into the Royaume King's chest although he hit her with the beam at the same time. She crumpled to the ground gagging. Laughing manically, the Royaume Leader pulled the sword out of his chest, drinking a sparkling red potion.

  "Well then, I guess you're finished. Attack!"

  "You all must die!" The Royaume Leader roared, pointing at Strallker first. He laughed manically.

  "No! What about my animal skins!" Strallker cried before gagging, crumpling to the ground in a limp heap. My mother cried as she too fell to the floor gagging.

  "Damakos?" Kaden jerked me out of my tainted scenario. "Are you alright?" Caspian and Kaden shared a worried glance.

  "Yeah," Caspian added, looking closely at me. "Is everything okay?" I took a breath, looking at the entry way of the Resilient Nation, the gentle wind blowing against the nape of my neck soothingly.

  "I can't help but think of my Kingdom," I said half truthfully. "And I keep imagining the worst." Ok, so that part was true at least.

  "I know how you must feel," Kaden said gently. "This journey isn't easy. But in order to save the world we need to focus," He sighed, moving a silvered curl out of my eye. I turned my head away from him, looking at the entrance once more. 

  "Kaden is right Damakos," Caspian agreed, rubbing circles on my back soothingly. "We can win this. We've arrived at the Resilient Capital. Do you remember our proposal?" He asked gently.

  "We have to use the potions and spells on the Resilient Warriors," I said quietly. Kaden nodded enthusiastically as did Caspian.

  "Precisely!" Caspian smiled. "Let's get to it!"

  "Let's go kick some Royaume Leader arse!" Kishan jumped up and down excitedly. Caspian and Kaden shared a look and pushed me forwards without another word. I turned back to hear Duana talk to Kishan quietly although it echoed through the cave. 

  "You can't expect them to forget everything Kishan," she said sadly, patting his shoulder.

  "I know," Kishan's voice trembled and it echoed through the cave. "But I miss how things used to be."

  "Time heals all wounds," I looked back to see their fingers loosely intertwined before they walked into the cave together, their eyes shining with hurt.

  

  Caspian and Kaden walked in front of me, murmuring although I could guess what they were talking about. They stopped a few meters away from the Resilient Leader's castle, moss dripping down from all the walls.