"What's the problem now, Gorge?" Shelbrooke called out as he sat down in his office, cleaning his knife with a piece of cloth.
Gorge walked in hesitatingly.
"We have about four hundred and eighty soldiers right now."
Silence enveloped the room, same as the stench of cigarettes and coffee. Gorge cleared his throat and continued.
"Four hundred and eighty-foot soldiers, two hundred archers, and twenty warriors."
"And your strategy?" Shelbrooke blew air on the knife now sparkling clean.
"We...um...our strategy..."
"Speak up!" His voice startled Gorge, causing him to jump.
"You have a problem with English now? You speak French now?"
"No, your highness. Our strategy is in place. Our foot soldiers are taking over the whole entrance of the city and around the walls. Our archers will be on mountains and warriors will go in to take the Onyx..."
"Our father's heritage," Shelbrooke muttered, licking his lips.
"With the Onyx, not only will our technology improve, our lives will also improve. We'll be above the other clans and we can live as the all-powerful that we deserve."
"You're right, your highness," Gorge answered, his head bent.
"What's your format?" Shelbrooke now rose, one hand in his pocket as he stared outside his office through the window.
"We have everything under control. We're following the inside man plan. This will take us about two weeks to complete."
"Well, then, start now."
"Yes, Your Highness." He turned to go after releasing a tired sigh.
Moments later, Tate entered, covered in sweat and dirt. His black boots padded with mud and he looked like he had just been dug out of the grave.
"Holy son of God! What is that smell?" Shelbrooke yelled over his shoulder.
"You're...you're Christian?"
Tate asked, his jaw dropped.
"Get out and find a way to wash yourself. By the way, you're causing a huge mess in my office."
"I'll do that as soon as you tell me why you recruited my brother into the army." His eyes are now widened with ignited rage. He looked different from the man Shelbrooke had slapped the other day.
"Is that why you're covered in cow feaces?"
"I was beaten up by your soldiers! I need you to omit my brother's name from the list of soldiers you recruited." He tried to ask politely despite the burning fury within him.
"No."
"Don't you get it?" The lid holding his anger down was beginning to give way. "My mom's going to get a heart attack if we both go to the battleground. If you don't have a conscience, at least I do."
"Oh my," Shelbrooke now turned as if interested in the discussion as he walked towards Tate, his face holding a dark gaze.
They were now standing a few inches apart.
"I'm sorry, Tate, but I never thought of things that way. Foolish me." He slapped his face and grabbed Tate as if to hug him which shocked him. He was more shocked when he felt something sharp pierce his stomach.
His lips tremble and he was unable to get words out. His eyes are now as red as blood and blood drip from his lips as he managed to talk.
"This path...you've chosen is destruction. Shelbrooke, I'll make sure you never rest. Even in death, I'll... I will haunt...haunt you." He used his last breath to say the last word before dropping to the floor on his side, red sticky liquid spreading around his body.
"More mess to clean." Shelbrooke licked the blood on his knife before crossing Tate's body to go call a maid to clean up the office.
The wind kept biting Lyne's face as they crossed the field towards the large iron gate that separates her present life from the one she will soon start to live.
She looked back and saw her Father's army now shifting back into humans but Zeidan covered her eyes and pulled them back to face front.
"Little pervert! Trying to steal a peak as you do back at home?" Zeidan laughed despite how tensed Lyne guessed he must feel.
"How did you..."
"I knew it. Don't worry, when we get to my palace, you'll have a whole lot to peek at."
She blushed hard and her eyes burned with embarrassment, the breeze making it worse.
As they got closer, the gate began to open and Lyne knew the guards has seen them coming already. Without a pause, they all moved into the city, Zeidan all ready for war and to protect his city. However, something else bothers him. The young boys getting recruited.
As the people screamed and saluted him, he didn't stop to greet back. Only one thing was on his mind.
"Luana."
Lyne heard him mutter and immediately her countenance changed.
"Right. Second choice." Lyne thought.
Luana climbed the podium and stood in front of the large number of the army on the field. She was wearing a fine royal lace and a golden tiara that she got from the historical room, where late Queens kept their tiaras.
She managed to look her best and was more of a Queen than a fighter. Her face held definite confidence, ignoring the disgusting and scornful look the new recruits gave her.
After clearing her throat, she started.
"I welcome you all to this beautiful world where all that matters to you can feel safe with you in charge. Yes, that's right. You're now in charge of protecting your loved ones. Even if you die, they'll know you died protecting them..."
There was murmuring for a while with many of them disagreeing.
"Silence!" She roared, raising her left palm.
"What I'm saying is, I'll be giving the orders from now on. As you can see, I have the royal crown on my head. I represent my husband, King Zeidan..."
"You mean your fiancé?" A young blonde asked her.
Luana stared hard at the boy and asked him to climb the podium. Hesitatingly and already regretting his question, the boy walked up to the terror queen who drew out a sword from his side.
"You don't talk when I talk. You wanna know what happens to people who do so?"
The boy shook his head furiously and quickly knelt and kissed her feet.
"I'm sorry, your Highness. I'm really sorry."
Luana already feeling the beauty of power enjoyed the moment and trailed his head with the sword.
"No. I don't forgive." She answered and lifted the sword to teach him a lesson.