As a new queen rises to power, the kings of Caeleste grow unrest. The Inlustris in their sights, they send an assassin to Antonella Feulune's palace, and the war is declared.
Inexperienced and filled with grief, Antonella sends off her fiancé on a t...
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Little Orpheus squirmed in my arms.
This was my chance to help my kingdom. I needed to kill Queen Antonella and I would be awarded incredible compensation to restore The Allicere. King Rasmus would grant me a title, and I would be known through all of Caeleste and Terra Venuste as the man who freed the Inlustris from the crutches of the greedy Flambers.
"Prince Mahli, put him down," Antonella begged. Her words slurred as she struggled to stand up. My heart ached watching her make a fool of herself, but it needed to be done. She needed to die for the greater good of the Universe.
"Your Majesty," I started. "You need to understand: I'm trying to help better the land. Caeleste has been living in an unfair situation where you took advantage of every other kingdom. Your entire lineage took advantage of them. Utterly despicable."
I wrinkled my nose recalling the images from the origins book. Prince Linus was kind enough to show me the truth. The Feulunes stayed in the possession of the Inlustris for the wrong reasons. Moreover, it was uncovered due to the use of dark magic, a terrible act that brought more darkness into the world.
That was why the darkness lingered in this kingdom-or what was left of it.
Antonella finally rose to her feet. She almost slipped, but caught herself.
It was odd to see her that way. She always carried herself in the highest esteem, basically floating around the halls like a regal queen. She was divine in every way. But now she was clothed in tattered clothes with her crown absent. Her lips trembled as sweat glistened over her entire face at the exertion. Her curls weren't as cared for as they usually were. And, to top it all off, there were faint dark circles underneath her eyes, probably from lack of sleep.
That was not the Queen Antonella I had originally met.
The thought scared me.
"Put the child down, Mahli," she let out. Her voice cracked by the end, sending shivers down my spine. I had never heard her so emotional in my presence. She was known to lock herself away whenever she had to deal with her problems. It was unusual to see her react in front of the few Flambers left conscious like that.
"Your Majesty, this is a war. I am not letting this child go. He will have to join his mother in the grave." The words tasted bitter in my mouth, but I reminded myself of the prizes.
The Allicere without poverty. My citizens would flourish. They could have food to eat, places to live, and jobs to work in. They could have medical treatment to cure all of the ill. Children could have a bountiful education causing a ripple effect; the kingdom will be covered in professional and educated people who could change the ways of life for the better. I could do that for them.
Orpheus squirmed harder in my arms, but I tightened my grip. He started wailing, trying to get away from me and my dagger. From past experience, this dagger didn't let anyone escape. It didn't discriminate.
"Have you no shame," she cried. My arms almost went slack, but I needed to be strong. King Rasmus was right. She was an expert manipulator. She knew how to turn the tables around all for it to be in her favor. That was how she managed to get all of the Flambers to be on her side in short minutes. Before the war, none were too excited about her rise to the throne. They wanted a king, and she gave away that right. Now here I was, attempting to make things right, like a king should, and they still sided with her.
Queen Antonella, no matter how I felt about her, was not to be trusted.
She staggered toward me. Her arms wailed about as she narrowed her eyes. She was trying to use her magic but failed. Perhaps the Tenebrae spell wasn't as completely useless on her. I was expecting her to drop dead, but having disarmed her from her magic was quite effective. That was her only line of defense, and it was gone.
"What is in that smoke?" She asked. Her brown eyes flashed in anger; an anger I have never seen on a lady. My heart dropped, but I tightened my grip on Orpheus, digging my dagger deeper into his tender neck.
"It's supposed to make you unconscious, but I guess it only stripped you off your power. How does it feel to be like the rest of us?" My voice snaked out venomously. It shocked me, but I kept my ground.
She closed her eyes and breathed in and out. Her dominant hand jut out, elevating a cart filled with the palace's most divine snacks. My eyes bulged out realizing she was gaining her magic back. The smoke had only disarmed her for a limited time.
Prince Linus never warned me about that.
I needed to get my job done quicker than I thought.
The cart slammed onto the ground again. Queen Antonella heaved, but turned back to me. Her eyes gazed over Orpheus, who kept wiggling around.
"I want everyone to step away from this man," she ordered.
The few people left conscious followed her orders without questioning. My face burned at the thought of having people follow me so easily. No one has ever taken me that seriously. No one bothered to listen to what I had to say. People were too ill and more dead than alive to try to listen to what I or my parents had to say.
Royals in Terra Venuste were never in the highest esteem as were the royals of Caeleste.
I wanted to be treated with the same respect Antonella received, and she was standing in the way of it.
She held out her hand towards me. I could feel a tug on my arms, but I fought against it. It wasn't as strong as she would've liked.
"Stop using your light magic or I will slice his throat right here, right now. Come with me and I'll spare him. But you must willingly accept defeat."
Orpheus' tears wet my arms. I tried not to mind. The best way to do something so horrendous was to dissociate as much as possible. Almost as if I was never there.
The tug at my arms continued, so I began to cut his neck. His cries filled the palace entrance, echoing through the white walls. The people that hid by giant pillars and sculptures sobbed quietly. It made the act worse.
"Stop! It hurts!" Orpheus sobbed.
Queen Antonella dropped to her knees when she saw blood spilling down from my dagger to my arm.
"Leave him alone," she cried. "He is innocent, Mahli. He is but a babe. Please, let him go."
"This," I narrowed my eyes at her, "is your consequence."
I drove my dagger through Orpheus' neck, ignoring his cries of anguish. I dropped his body on the floor when his cries died out.
"No!" Antonella yelled. She sprung to her feet in an instant. Before I could register what was happening, her hands were engulfed in balls of flames.
