The First Queen

28 - Besieged Part 2

--ALTHEA'S P.O.V.--

"Azumond Palace is under attack?!" Arabella gasped, "Althea, you must leave at once!"

"But, Your Highness, King Ferdinand--" I started but Arabella raised a hand to hush me.

"Does not matter. I'd rather have him breathing down my neck than Azumond Country up in flames and yet another nation against me." She persuaded and I hung my head in shame.

He is a constant reminder of my mistake...

Arabella cradled my face in her hands and I glanced down at her, "But what if he tries to--"

"Althea, you're the only person who knows about the heirloom. I trusted you with that information, therefore I trust you to carry out this request for me." She told me and I nodded.

"...Of course, Your Highness..." I muttered, reluctantly agreeing to go on with this plan of rescuing Queen Elia.

"I shall see you soon then, Althea." She smiled and I bowed to her before clicking my fingers and the surroundings changed like wiping away grime on a mirror.

I cocked a brow at the almost sterile cube I was placed in. It reeked of dry blood and cinders and I could hear a faint dripping noise coming from every direction in the blank room. I shut my eyes and I shivered as a cold breeze washed over me and I allowed for a slight smirk.

"Why have you brought me here?" I called out and I heard her chuckling behind me.

"I didn't, something just happened to get in the way of your transportation", her voice was as cold and guttural as I could remember.

I remember it so vividly... So terrifyingly familiar...

"Then why are you here?" I asked her, keeping my voice levelled and cool.

"I think that's something only you know..." My eyes snapped open and I reared on her.

She looked just as smug as I recall but she did get taller in the span of a few months and antagonising Elia Blackstone. But her eyes were different... Lifeless and empty... Almost hungry for something... Greedy, even; greedy for more.

"Look at you. Pathetic. Weak." She laughed, "Trying so desperately to gain penance for your misdeeds. Just give up! Your queen will never forgive you for what you did... The only reason you are even here in the first place is because you stole from your child sister."

"Don't speak her name," I growled, my patience running thin.

"Oh? I hope I didn't strike a nerve...", she had begun to laugh once more and I raised an eyebrow in response.

"What is so funny?!" I hissed, refusing to meet her cold, dead, piercing eyes.

"It's just that... The only reason I didn't gut your precious queen like the pig she is was because King Ferdinand demanded that I keep her alive... For his own purposes... But it didn't stop me from watching the life drain from... What was her name? Ara?" She smirked and my blood was boiling beneath my skin, threatening to burst and break everything I stand for.

"Don't..." I huffed, trailing off.

"She was so fragile that girl... Weak and timid... A lot like what you used to be... If only she had what you have... But she was going to, wasn't she?", her ingratiating grin cut through me like a knife.

"I'm not letting you play your mind games again, Conqueror," I growled, facing her directly in her soulless eyes.

"But it's so fun... I mean... After all, I am just in your head... Aren't I? Every word I utter in this realm is nothing but a figment of your imagination... That's what you truly want, isn't it? For everything to be fake... Your failures and sins... And me; the one who unearthed you for what you are..." She smiled but I shook my head.

"Get out..." I hissed through gritted teeth.

"A liar..." Liza chuckled,  "A thief..."

"Get out of my..." I snarled.

"A traitor..." She laughed, approaching me and I closed my eyes, trying to block her out.

"Get out of my head..." I muttered.

"A killer!" She snapped and I screamed.

The room went silent...

When I opened my eyes, I was in the throne room of Azumond Palace and I was panting like I had just run a million kilometres.

The bloodshed before me was enough to make any normal human weak at the knees and I growled as the attackers and guards peered up to me curiously for a few moments before continuing on their rampage.

"Listen, People of Azumond!" I shouted but I was answered with cries of pain and exhaustion, "Halt your fighting!"

They ignored once more and I surveyed the crowd. The Royal Guardsmen were losing by about... Too much to count, and the insurgents were fending them off with weapons that bring back the horrors of the Deneith's ambush of Lyseria Palace.

My thoughts went back and forth... I could stop the fighting yet the cost would be great or I could daze them but let the battle rage onwards...

I felt a surge of magic through my bones but I held it back for the time being.

I need to make a decision and fast or else the lives of more than any spell I could conjure will be lost forever...

--ATHENA'S P.O.V.--

When The High Priestess appeared by the throne and let out an earsplitting scream, I nearly collapsed to my knees but quickly recuperated as an axe was swung at my head. Narrowly dodging the impact, I slammed the pommel of my blade into the side of the guerrilla's head and he tumbled to the ground.

I winced at the sight before me. Not only was the foyer ravaged but the stacks of discarded corpses amongst the swarm of bloody and injured men and women fighting for freedom and their life.

Everywhere I look, I get flashbacks from the horrors when I was younger; fighting in The War of Kings and Queens with Prince Remiel and the destruction that came with it. Peace has been so welcome for the past eight years but of course, war was brought to us by the Deneiths much like what King Ferdinand did to Queen Arabella, I still cannot believe that he would wage a campaign against one of The Six Queens of the High Council.

I glanced back to where Althea was. She raked her hands through her hair and darting her eyes around every corner of the foyer nervously, assessing the situation. My gaze was snatched to where The Mistress of Whispers was having an argument with The Guardian of Chains and I fought and shoved my way through the clamour of attackers to where they were standing in the doorway.

"Where is Elia?!" I hissed, forcing the two of them to stop quarrelling.

"I don't know... I think she went with Aliana." Serana informed me and I nodded pensively.

"Do you know where Aliana took her?" I pressed her and she shrugged nonchalantly.

"Last I heard, Aliana hasn't had lunch so probably to the kitchens." She snickered and Xanthe shoved her aggressively.

"This is not the time to mock your sister!" Xanthe growled, narrowing her eyes at Serana.

I studied the surge of renegades but saw no sign of both Lady Aliana and Elia and I let out a huff of worry.

"Athena, let me--" Xanthe started but was cut off by a familiar bloodcurdling scream that made my heart stop for a few moments and my sword clattered to the floor.

"Elia!" I howled, turning on my heels and hurtling down the corridors with Serana following not too far behind me.