Here Lies the Queen

Chapter 17

Bella didn't want to see Mel's face. This was the kingdom that enslaved her mother then broke her. The girl had gone back and killed so many people.
"Bella," she heard someone whisper behind her. Mel's voice began to shake. "You said they weren't coming."
"I— I thought they weren't fighting."
"What are we going to do?"
Bella commanded her army to stop. She could only see so far under the moonlight. There was no way of telling how many troops Shayde had. But there was enough to outnumber them. And without Hell...
"We rest for the night," Bella shouted. "Set up camp. I want to see the Commanders in my tent now."
The army began setting up. Her war tent was the first up. It was black with small fires embroidered around it. Three Commanders and Mel joined her inside.
"What do you suggest we do?" Bella asked.
The Commanders walked her through what they thought was best. Without a clear estimate of troops, it was impossible to tell. Mel suggested they attack now but they disagreed. It was too dangerous. Nobody could see a thing.
"You said Hell was coming," a Commander said. He was small for a man but made up for it with muscle. "Where are they?"
"What's your name?" Bella asked.
"Peter."
"Well, Peter." Her mouth tightened. "They were supposed to come tomorrow when we fight. But now that we had to move out a day early, I don't know if they will be here on time."
"Yes, Majesty." He bowed his head. "Of course."
"Please fetch my brother and bring him in here," she ordered a servant. "Tell him to bring nobody else."
The last person she wanted to see was her mother. That woman would go on and on about how Bella failed to prepare for the worst. This was the worst.
They waited until Ash came before continuing with their plans. He threw in a few extra details about what he knew about Renada but it wasn't much. Just that they had the power of the wind and had troops trained to withstand the sun.
"I have a few friends over there," he said. "If I can somehow get to them, maybe I can convince them to join us."
"Or they will kill you on sight," Bella said. "No."
"It's our only chance."
"I said, no."
They gazed at each other, daring the other to break.
Don't do it.
I have to.
I order you not to.
You don't command me.
Bella broke away first, rubbing her eyes. The others in the tent found somewhere else to look as she snapped, "If you die, I'm not bringing your bloody body back here."
He grinned at her and she was reminded that she looked at the Head of the Guard. Her big brother.
"I have a few other suggestions," he said. She spread out another map for him. He told them what he thought they should do. "If it's just us against them and Hell doesn't arrive on time, it's better than nothing."
Bella stared down at the map where Ash's finger hovered. The island where they wrecked.
"It's not safe," she said.
"I have a cure. We've tested it there. It works."
"We're not going to lose." She crumpled the map up and strode out. Looking back, she said, "Hell will come and we will win."
Mel said as they walked, "It's going to be 30,000 men against 45,000 tomorrow. We are going to lose."
Bella stopped. "I know. But I can't allow myself to think that."
A beat, then Mel asked the question. "Is Hunter going to die?"
"Don't ask that." She asked where her tent was and broke into a run. It was smack in the middle of the army. Her people stared as she rushed past them. Her armor dragged her down but she pushed. And pushed.
She was dripping sweat when she got to her tent, Mel on her heels. Her servant immediately called for a tub of water and began to unfasten Bella's armor. Mel stood off to the side, taking up watch once again.
Bella was scrubbed clean before being shoved into a nightgown.
Mel cracked a smile as the servant left. "That dress is ugly."
"I know." Bella picked at the thick cotton. "And extremely warm." She was sweating again.
Ash barged through the tent flap, panting. A string of curses flew from his mouth as he caught his breath. His dark hair was windswept as if he had ridden somewhere.
"My spies heard they will launch an attack on us at first light. Magic first. We need to do something about the river in the middle."
"Do what?" Desperation began to claw around in her. "Burn it? What will that do? Alert the enemies we have spies."
"Have the monsters do it," he said. Bella blinked. "The Torolo can scoop up water and dump it somewhere else."
She thought about it for a minute before saying, "Okay. Tell them what they need to do. I need to discuss some things with Mel."
He dipped his head in thanks before leaving. Bella turned back to Mel. "I need your help."
The two women planned until the stars began to dim. Bella sank into her cot and fell asleep. 
She woke to a person shaking her. The world was fuzzy as she opened her eyes. Her mother stood above her.
"Get ready. Now." She didn't wait for Bella to get up before dragging her to her mirror. A rumble rose from outside and Bella shoved on her suit.
"Where's Mel?" she asked as her mother braided her hair.
"Out." And that was that. Her mother helped her into her armor and fastened two swords around her waist. She tossed the helmet at Bella and snapped, "Go. Your Maidens are waiting."
Bella tugged on her helmet and took a moment to relax all her muscles. It was alright. They would win. Then she shoved open the tent flaps.
She was hit with the sound of fighting. Metal clanged on metal. Screaming filled the air. Screaming much different than Hell. This was more... alive.
Her Maidens gathered around her as she stretched her muscles. A boom shook the ground and she tried to go faster. All this armor was in the way.
At last, she made her way through the empty tents and into the battlefield.
She was greeted with horrors she never thought she would see.
Her men were struggling. The left side of the line was floundering. Ash roared at them to fix it but they were too far gone. Blood soaked the ground. A couple of feet to the right of her was a man struck with an arrow. It had gone right into his eye. Blood was still pouring out.
Shayde's army was slowly pushing back. Her army stretched on and on. Much larger than what she thought. She snarled as she saw the banner of Renada flying.
"We're ready, Majesty," one Maiden said. "On your command."
She lifted her sword and twirled it. "Now." They charged into battle.
Immediately, she wished she had a friend by her side. Mel of Hunter. She could trust them to have her back.
The Maidens followed her as she ran through the fight. She was tempted to stop and help her soldiers but the real fight was at the front. Where her line was falling.
Monsters fought alongside them and the leash in her yanked every which way. She concentrated and sent a reminder down it to not hurt her men.
A soldier attacked her and she barely got her sword up. He pushed her back. She let him, getting a feel for his technique. Once she had it, she had him disarmed in two moves. Blood spurted as she drove her sword through his armor.
She didn't wait before continuing into battle. Screams and yells blocked out any other sound. She fought as if her life depended on it. Which it did.
Occasionally, she'd hear someone shout an order, only for it to get lost in the mess. At one point, her brother was beside her. Another, Mel was.
One by one, the Maidens fell behind her. Either lost or dead, she didn't know. She didn't know up from down by the time the sun was high in the sky.
Her hands were covered in blood and gore. The grip she had on her swords was beginning to fall.
She heard her brother yell something. Her ears strained to pick it up.
"RETREAT!" he was yelling over and over. Slowly, her army began to move back. Shayde's army drove them back against the tents before drawing back.
Bella kept her swords swinging. If she stopped now, she wouldn't be able to lift them again. Her army kept moving back as she was left on the field. One by one, the soldiers fell.
At last, she stopped. She removed her helmet and looked around. Around her was a circle of bodies. Further out, there were more bodies. She slowly looked out over the battlefield.
Bodies littered the ground. Spears and swords stuck up from them like toothpicks. A small picture caught her eye. She picked it up.
A woman gazed at the artist, a smile blooming on her face. Blood was smeared on the corner, like a man had reached for it while he was dying.
Bella set the picture back down and stepped back. She tripped over a leg and sprawled next to a body. Laying on the ground beside her was a Maiden. Emilia. Her eyes were glassy as she stared up at the darkening sky.
She felt a hand on her shoulder. A man appeared in front of her. He looked vaguely familiar. A gash on his cheek leaked blood.
"Bella," he said. "Come on."
She blinked at him slowly. Was he an enemy? Why was he saying they had to go? There were still more enemies.
"Bella." A female stood beside him now. Blood caked her armor. Streaks on red ran through her silver hair. "Let's go rest."
A hand slipped through hers and she let herself be led away. She looked back over the field. A girl with white hair was standing at the edge of the blue tents. Bella could've sworn she raised a hand and waved.
She was led through a mass of black tents and into a big one. A table full of maps was erected in the middle. Several people drew back from it as she was led in.
"How many?" she rasped. "How many did we lose?"
"Half." The man strode around and hugged a woman in a metal dress. An older man clapped him on the back. "I pulled back before we could lose more."
"No." Bella's breath came rapidly. "No. We didn't lose."
"We didn't. We just retreated." The silver-haired girl out her hand on Bella's shoulders. "We will not go down without another fight."
"Another fight!" the man barked. "And lose how many more? All of them?"
"She doesn't need to hear this. She's still on the battlefield."
"What?" Her voice broke. "We did lose."
"Yes, we did. And your little boyfriend didn't show up." The man moved to come over. Immediately swords were pointed at his chest. He snorted and said, "All of you can go to Hell with him." He shoved the swords away and strode out of the tent.
"What of the monsters?" she asked.
"More or less alive. They hung back. We're fixing that now," the older man said. "The next fight will be ours."
"Ash isn't going to like that," the silver girl said. "How are we going to win?"
"By unleashing her." He pointed to Bella. All eyes locked onto her and she shrank back. "She will use her magic first this time."
"No." The girl stepped in front of Bella. "They'll wear her down."
"Do you have any other suggestions?" he snapped. "It's the only way."
"Mel, dear, I know you care for Bella. But this is her fight," the woman said.
The silver-haired girl, Mel shook her head. "Fine."
Bella watched all this in confusion. Her head was still spinning with her swords. People's faces swam before her eyes. She didn't know who they were.
"Bella," someone said, jolting her out of her thoughts. "You need to get your head in here."
"Right." She pinched herself but didn't feel anything. "Sorry."
"We will let our troops rest then attack at sundown. Distribute food and water. If anyone asks if they can leave, tell them they can but they will still die," the man said. The woman placed a hand on his arm. "You have to save your strength by not fighting. Don't do anything but what I tell you. Your mother will stand by you when you fight."
"Okay." She turned and strode out. Her limbs felt heavy and she began to unfasten her armor. It clunked into the mud behind her. She gathered a basket of bread and handed it out.
Several men asked if they could go home. She recited what the man said and they decided to stay. Better to fight with honor than die with cowardice, they said.
A tug in her gut pulled her towards the dark part of her army. A creature approached her as she drew near.
"We will continue to fight for you," it said. She was momentarily confused by its body. It had too many arms. "I promise we will try harder."
A name floated through her mind. Stirin.
"Fight harder," was all she said before turning back to her tent. Mel was there when she pushed through.
"Ash isn't happy," she warned. "If Hunter doesn't get here on time, we will fall."
"How many did Shayde lose?"
Mel's mouth thinned onto a hard line. "Not enough."
Bella sank into her cot. Dirt and blood stained her hands. She looked at them. How did that get there?
Mel frowned and began to wash the dirt from Bella. "It's okay you are still out of it but we need you. You're our Queen."
"I'm not yours." She watched as the dirt vanished.
"I'm going to join the Guard when this is over. Ash said he'll reserve a spot for me." Mel smiled grimly as she began to scrub Bella's face. "I'll still visit, don't worry."
Bella laid down when she was finished. Furs wrapped around her like a blanket. Maybe it was a blanket. Mel tossed the water outside and refilled it. Bella watched as she scrubbed at her own body.
"I'm not going to wear my armor tonight," Bella said. "It's too heavy."
"You need to."
"No. I don't."
"If you wish." Mel touched her hair and grimaced. "War is messy."
"It always is. Sometimes it's less messy than others, but..." She sighed and turned onto her back. "It's still messy."
Mel brought over a bowl and tipped it into Bella's mouth. "Eat." Bella let the girl tip the liquid into her mouth. Her stomach warmed as it trickled down her throat.
"Thanks." Her eyes closed and she drifted off.
Horns jolted her from her sleep. Mel rushed over and grabbed her. "It's time."
Golden light swept over the camp as Bella strode for the edge. Blue tents rippled across the field. Crows were beginning to pick at the remains. Flies buzzed in the thick air. They would have another meal soon.
Her mother was waiting for her. Bella felt her eyes ignite as they stared at each other.
"Take my hand," the woman said. "We can channel each other's power."
Her hand was cool and covered with calluses that scraped against Bella's. They closed their eyes, and as one, dove into the deep well of their power.
The walls of Bella's vault were covered in ash as she spiraled down. She hit the bottom with a thud. The ash drifted up, revealing a small crack of molten fire. She ached to slip into it but a whisper told her not to. Something tugged in her stomach and she gathered her strength. Her eyes opened as she released a wave of fire toward the enemy.
The soldiers didn't have time to scream before they were gone. A quarter of those blue tents were ash before they knew what was happening. Shields clinked into place and her own army began to move forward. Fire raged around the enemy camp but water was now countering it. A wall of ice swept over it and extinguished part of the flames.
Bella held tight to her mother's hand as her magic threatened to spill out. She gritted her teeth and yanked on her tether. A small tug answered her.
A different tug drew her attention. She sent a whispered command down it before returning to her well. Wave after wave of fire scorched the ground. Small shards of ice were peppering holes in it but they were immediately filled.
She heard someone yell and she looked across. Her brother was standing at the front, leading them into the fight. Soldiers from Renada were approaching but then stopped.
Bella felt it before she saw it. Something shook the ground and she knew who it was for.
"ASH!" she screamed, letting go of her power. The wall of fire crashed down. "ASH!"
He looked back at her and began running. A small burst of light erupted from the other side of the field, behind the blue tents. She cast a net over her army. A second layer appeared over it.
The light soared through the sky, blinding Bella. She tried to keep her eyes on the figure running towards them. "ASH!"
"BELLA!" he roared. He was too far. He wouldn't make it. The light began to drop down towards them. Towards the place where Ash would've been. It hit the ground and the world went white.
Bella shielded her eyes against the sight. She couldn't see anything. Arms wrapped around her and she clutched tightly to them.
"Ash," she managed to say. "Ash."
"I'm here," he panted. She forced her eyes to look, to see. He stood in front of her, his eyes wild as he looked back towards the field. "I'm here."
She followed his gaze and paled. Even if Ash was here... the front of her army was not. Matter drifted down on them and she swatted it away. Her brother looked at her. If she hadn't called him...
"Bella," he said, no more than a whisper. "What was that?"
"I don't know." They stared out at the field as their army retreated once more. Their mother's eyes were wide in horror as she gazed across.
They stared and stared. What would happen now?
"Ash." Her mother's voice snapped them back. "Where's your father?"
Her brother gaped at them for a count of one, two—"Father!" he yelled as he raced back to the field. "Father!"
Bella gazed out across to where she knew a girl with white hair would be. She began to contemplate destruction as the strange rain continued to fall from the sky.