No Perfect Royalty (Editing)

Chapter Twenty

The cost of war was great in the first few days. Villagers and Guards fell to the earth like it was a mass murder. In which it was.

Luna sat in the library watching from the wide window. Evaluating the tactics the people made. Trying to figure out the spells that were used upon them.

She'd pace back and fourth. Although it never led to how it started before. With her near death. For all she did was watch.

Never once did she step outside. She knew she had to at some point, but could not will herself to cross the thresh hold. To walk into the burning sky, dive into the people torment, run into what could be death.

Collin was the only one to join the fight. To let his anger flourish past his mind. To let it kill those against them.

"Luna, you can't stay in here forever." Gavin called from the doorway as Luna watched a man fall. Cringing in the pain he must have felt.

"I know. I'm just. . . I'm not ready to face them." She replied, turning her body toward him.

She no longer wore royal fabrics. She'd wear the colors she felt were known in war. A scarlet red. One to cover the blood. That's what she wore today. To show her pain, her willingness of not wanting to leave. To end up with actually blood tracing the soft silk.

"Why?! You have to! They don't think we are here for them!" His fist hit the oak with such force splinters spiraled of it fell to the floor.

"Because Gavin! I'm afraid they'll hate me! I brought war here. Sent Guards and Council after them! For what? For nothing. For my selfishness! Is that the queen they will want?" She retorted. Anger arising in her tone.

"You sent those people after for a good damn reason! They don't want the Council to rule them. You're changing the course of history! Turning us into a full shed monarchy."

"But. Do I want that?! Do I want to change out world. This is. . this is near murder." She wanted to go out there. She did. Yet, she was not ready to change the world. Not now. Not her.

"Yes you do. It has to happen at some point. And you're just the right person to do it!" Most of his anger had left him.

"Gavin. . "

"Luna just stop. You were trapped here for four years. As was I. We ran. And now we change the course of our kingdoms history. What did we say when we first met?" He asked, a cringe of a smirk crossing his face at the memory. One only a mere few weeks ago, felt like a single decade.

"That these windows taunted us." She replied, suddenly letting the memory invade her mind.

"Exactly. And what are you doing now? Instead of showing yourself what are you doing?" He asked her.

She thought for a moment. Then her head fell, lingering in some sort of shame. "I'm letting the windows taunt me."

"Don't. Don't let them taunt you any longer then they already have. Show yourself. Prove to then you are here. You are alive and well and ready to help them. Our kingdom is in dire need of aid. We will give it to them. We will protect them."

Protect them they did.
* * * * *
Her clothes were soon switched with finer attire. A velvet dress now hung loosely from her body. Her hair braided down her back in what looked like a spiral. Her shoes as clear as crystal.

She was headed to the village. To show them she was here, as Gavin had said.

The people sworn around her as she walked down the cobble stone to the town square. A smile was plastered to he face, although fear fluttered inside of her.

"You're here? You came for us!?" A little boy shouted out as she walked by. Her smiled faded quicker then she had hoped. They must hate me. Little children think I left them. I'm horrid. She thought as her feet what was to be a 'Stage'.

Eyes held with hers as she stood, standing a bit straighter. Her face soften as she looked at them.

Most were broken. Clothes tattered more then before. Some had dried blood on them, others fresh stitches. Her eyes caught Gavin. Although unlike the night she saw him at the ball, he was broken like the rest. Tears stained his soft cheeks. Eyes reddened with defeat. No more was he whole like the night of the ball. None of them were.

She heaved a quick sigh. "I'm sorry I haven't showed my skin to you." She spoke, voice skimming amongst the many ears.

"I left you in a time of war. Were destruction poisons us. Were the sky is no longer blue, but a sickly blur of gray. And I'm sorry." She didn't know how to repay them. For weeks she had done nothing. Nothing but sit and watch from a window.

" And I'm here to repay you. With the truth. The Council brainwashed you! Left you in the dust. Do you want the truth? Well here it is. We will no longer let war defeat us. We will form a new monarchy. Together we have the power to form a more perfect kingdom. One were ideals are took to reasoning. Were you are an individual, were peace reigns. Were compromises are made, laws are pasted. Were we are the people!" Her voice rose. Shouting at them. Encouraging them. Mothers felt hope. Fathers anger. Children glee.

No one had ever though of a 'new' kingdom. All of them had been ruled over by the Council for centuries. Since the beginning of the world here. A place were the Council brought them down with an iron fist. Were no one was a person. They were a slave. No freedom, only sacrifice. That was just life.

"We will do it." And older man called out from the crowd. "We'll help you! We'll make a new kingdom!" He yelled.

Others yelled with him.

This was her army. Operational and whole. The perfect army to fight her conquering war. The army to form her world.