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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Everything rumbled. Dust fell from the ceilings. People yelped as debris started colliding with the marbled floors. I didn't even flinch.
The holograms of the kings flickered in and out.
I breathed in deeply, taking in the crumbling palace. People begged for help, some screamed in fear, others sobbed into each other's arms. They were panicked.
The worst would soon come to an end.
The Bleeders ran to a wall, trying to stay stable. I smirked their way. Their faces were full of shock, but it didn't matter to me. None of it mattered to me. I had the Inlustris inside of me, it chose me, it waited for me, and here I was partnering up with it to help keep its blessing within our land.
I marveled at my fingertips, seeing them glow from within. My flame sparked every so often, but this time it was accompanied by a pearlescent glimmer. It was other-wordly, and it was inside of me.
I snapped my head to the front as the floors started cracking. For a split second, I believed the enemy had found a way to infiltrate us and murder us all before I had the chance to properly fight. But I was proven wrong by Gracious once more.
An army rose, all covered from head to toe in heavy chainmail. It glistened with my glow, reflecting on all of the crumbling walls. Everyone gaped at them. The floor sealed beneath them, and they turned to me and kneeled.
"My Queen," they chanted.
"What is this?" King Rasmus yelled. His face was red through the hologram. I winked at him and beckoned the soldiers to stand.
"You are exactly what we claimed you to be!" Prince Mahli cried. "You took the Inlustris' power for your greed. And you have the audacity to blame us for being in the wrong. Look at you taking advantage of the very power you were supposed to protect."
King Rasmus clapped his shoulder, urging him to continue speaking. I crossed my arms in front of my chest already expecting the same brainwashed speech.
"The Inlustris was created for Caeleste, not just Potentia Flamber. Flambers took this powerful object all for themselves when it was made for everyone. Solennes Jubar, Fortis Crystallum, and Validus Fulgur also need the Inlustris. It's a power that was brought here for everyone. It is selfish to keep it all for yourself. This is not the queen I was destined to marry."
His face was the embodiment of pure disgust. If he truly believed the words that came out of his mouth, then I understood his repugnance. However, every single fact he spoke was false. There wasn't any education laced in his words.
"Prince Mahli, and everyone who is stuck here to witness these horrors," I motioned around, "I need you all to open your minds, for the origin of Caeleste is not what we have been taught. We have been lied to for many generations out of the fear of those in power."
The soldiers smacked their chests with their right arm, clashing metal with metal.
"The Inlustris is a gift, a blessing, sent from Gracious. It was placed specifically for my own great grandfather to awaken, and so he did. King Timotheus Feulune awakened the Inlustris with his own elemental ability: fire."
The palace rumbled from the east wing as the enemy continued bombing. The structure didn't give out. I snapped my fingers, forcing a shield to protect that side of the palace. My hand glimmered as I felt the magic tug inside. The shield covered the palace, but I knew it wouldn't last forever.
"An elemental ability, such as my own, is a blessing given to us by Gracious. It is something to always be grateful for. It is a sign that He has chosen us for a destined purpose, and we must follow through, for His plan is always perfect, always in our favor. My great grandfather's path was to awaken the Inlustris, and he did. By doing so, he was chosen to protect it, and the task was passed down from generation to generation."
The soldiers smacked their chests again.
"The lies you spew are just like any Feulune. You are worse than your own father!" King Davian exclaimed. The other kings shared the same sentiment.
"The Inlustris was created for Caeleste," I said, "but its purpose was for us to find Gracious. It was an opportunity to find our happiness, to find our light, and to destroy the darkness. It was never about power."
"If it wasn't about power, then you wouldn't have taken it." King Rasmus almost lost it. The hologram distorted, but I smiled in spite of it.
"A guardian must do everything to protect."
The shield I put up went down with a crack. I snapped my fingers, and the soldiers stomped in unison.
"It is now time, soldiers," I spoke. My voice dropped an octave. I raised a fist in the air, and they stood in formation. "Defend the Inlustris."
