Betrothed

|| C h a p t e r 12 ||

"Elder was ruthless," My father stated. "He was unethical. He may have betrayed me but he wasn't wrong. You've seen it for yourself Damakos. Look at the Acier Kingdom, look at the Resilient Nation," He said patiently. "They are nothing compared to the Royaume Kingdom. We are far more advanced than they will ever be. These Kingdoms, these Nations, they need me. They need me to push them to their true potential." I stared in shock. "Say yes." My father goaded, his voice as thick and rich as honey. "Say yes to us being a family, together again. I never stopped loving you both. Give us the chance to recreate that happiness that was stolen from us." I frowned, looking at him with wide eyes. This is my final choice.

"Strallker is taking forever to find Caspian," Tess groaned. "You can't just stand out here all day. What if you get hungry and want to eat us?"

"Tess is tastier," Archer laughed. "I've already had a bite if you know what I mean," Archer smiled flirtatiously. Tess rolled her eyes. Kaden groaned, kneeling down before returning to his regular size. "The Potion wore off!" Archer whooped. "It's not permanent!" The Commander ran out onto the battlefield, seeing Kaden, Archer and Tess.

"Something has happened! The world may still be at risk!" Kaden frowned, jogging up to meet him.

"What happened?" He said urgently. "What are you talking about?" The Commander took unsteady breaths, relaying the message.

"Damakos seems unsure of her loyalty due to the sudden conflict of interest! It seems that the Royaume Leader is her deceased father!"

I took a heavy breath. "There's only one problem," I sighed, weaving my way out of Caspian's tight embrace. "You're not my father." I smiled a ghost of a smile, walking to where my mother's bloodstained body was peeking out from behind the curtains and I gently removed the crown, holding it in my hands. "My father was a kind man," I raised my voice as I walked back. "He provided for us, he cared for us, he loved fencing and going out for a stroll..." I trailed off, placing the crown on the table, looking skeptically at this man whom I didn't even recognise. "You? Consumed with darkness? Obsessed with taking over the world? You're not my father. My father died twenty years ago, I don't know who you are anymore. How can I trust you? You claim to love me but you could just be manipulating me. Just as you did to Caspian and just as the Elder has done to you," I tilted my head to one side, anger simmering below my skin.

"I understand that and I am so proud of you for being so wise, my angel," my father nodded. "But I'm asking you for a chance. A chance to prove to you that I can and I will change. Remember what I said about the other Kingdoms and Nations, about this world? We can change it for the better, together, side by side." I exhaled in half amusement.

"You keep saying that the Royaume Kingdom is more advanced and that you need to push the other Kingdoms and Nations," I sighed looking around at all the stunned faces. I glanced at the crown, imaging my mother was guiding me on. "But you don't seem to understand something vital here. The other Kingdoms and Nations don't need to be pushed! Each Kingdom and Nation is different and that's what makes us unique. The Resilient Nation will no longer be 'Resilient' if it's Royaume. The Acier Kingdom will no longer be 'Acier' once it's filled with magic." I took a breath, calming my nerves before continuing. "We are all different in so many ways. That doesn't have to be a bad thing. So no, I don't want to help you rule." I frowned. "I don't think that you should." My father's eyes narrowed as did mine. Purple glared at blue and the cold flames threatened to engulf me at any second.

"What foolishness is this?" My father growled. "You are no daughter of mine! I have been waiting twenty years for this moment! For twenty years I have done nothing but plan to take over this world! If you don't join me, well," my father chuckled darkly. "You shall be killed as well! If you can't respect me and my ambitions, then you cannot possibly call yourself part of 'my family'!" I stepped forward once. One step turned into two. Then three. The distance between us grew drastically smaller. I slapped him hard first, muffled gasps sounded out behind me when I did so. I then punched him. I growled. My father glowered at me before slapping me back. "You dare defy me?" He snarled. "I am your father! Young ladies will do as they are told!" My eyes widened and I was thrown back to a disastrous memory that seemed so long ago, although I knew it wasn't.