Clifford's POV
The doors were blown wide apart, granting us access to the courtyard.
"Yes!" Richard and I turned, but the archers took that as cue to release their arrows. Thankfully, Granark hadn't worn himself out. The wizard blasted out three huge balls of fire, turning the arrows into ashes and setting the guards on fire.
Ignoring their shouts of pain, my companions and I ran through water and clouds of steam, into a chaotic and messed up courtyard. I felt cold all of a sudden.
"Wooah," Granark and Richard exclaimed in unison as we all beheld the scene in complete shock.
Ice blocks lay everywhere in awkward shapes, sitting in puddles of water. The different topiaries and hedges the gardeners must've spent weeks trimming, had all become wrangl
Clifford's POVKing Reginald moved with a purpose. Every step he took in his daughter's body was poised, swift and precise. There wasn't a drop of water around as we moved through the castle to find Adrian's mother but somehow, King Reginald was able to move the guards out of his way against their will. They'd come charging towards us, then in the flick of a second, they'd freeze, like someone had pressed pause in their brain. They stood still with their eyes wide open, and wouldn't move a muscle until King Reginald let them. And all he would do was to throw them knock them out. Granark insisted that we help him with his...unfinished business. So here we were, tr
Clifford's POV "St-stop it!" The queen sniped, but it was too late. King Reginald swiped both hands in the air, and she took those last steps, putting herself straight in the king's grasp. His right hand wrapped round her neck.We were suddenly interrupted by the sounds of clanking armour. A battalion of warriors, led by a blond middle aged man sporting a deep frown, forced their way through the crowd and surrounded us."Unhand the queen, Araknee!" The man yelled in a raspy voice. "Or suffer the consequences." To make the threat terrifying, the warriors wasted no time drawing out their weapons."Your return to Hartland has brought nothing but chaos and despair!" Th
Two months later Rakia's POV"Rakia." Someone nudged me from my beauty sleep. "Wake up!"I just groaned and turned to the side, hoping she'd get the hint to go away and leave me in peace. But she didn't because she pulled the duvet off me. "C'mon Rakia, Get up. You have to get ready for the coronation."I blew a raspberry into the pillow. Over the past months, Granark and the council members had cramped my head with a lot of stuff I should and shouldn't do as queen. Everyday, I had something to do or learn. Yesterday's coronation rehearsal was the most stressful. Now I had to do the whole thing in front of the entire kingdom."But I'm soooo tired," I groaned, pushing myself sideways to
Rakia's POV Mother and Hammond led me through the quiet halls of the castle. My gown swished round my legs and my shoes squeaked on the tiled floor. The sparkly blue satin train Hammond had fixed behind my dress, trugged on silently.The feel of Clifford's lips still lingered on my mouth. I enjoyed the kiss so much, that couldn't wait to be in his arms, locking lips with him again. The thought warmed my heart with excitement. Is this what it feels like to be in love? You feel all warm and fluttery inside? If this is what it meant, then I would never want to fall out of it."We're here," Hammond announced, pulling me out of my thoughts. The big dark courtyard doors stood before us. Blue ribbons had artfully been twisted round the door handles. The incessant bubble of chatter drifted in from t
Rakia's POV"Good people of Hartland," my smile broadened when my voice came out clear, without any signs of anxiety. "Thank you so much for accepting me as your queen. Words cannot express how grateful I am to be taking on this position. Over the past months, Hartland has been through a lot." I paused to pull in a breath. "We've discovered shocking truths, we've been betrayed and we lost a great ruler. But through it all, our beloved kingdom stood strong. I'm not saying there weren't any casualties, because there were; myself included."A babble of murmurs coated the air and I wasn't surprised. During rehearsal, Granark told me that labeling myself as a casualty might not sit well with the citizens. But if I was going to be their queen, they needed to know how I felt about everything that had happened these past months. I needed to be honest with them.
Two years laterRakia's POVLove was a very strange thing.It had this magical ability to wrap you in a cocoon that did nothing but to make you feel warm, soft and jelly inside. That was exactly how I felt, standing in front of the man who owned my heart.Dressed in a silvery coloured suit with matching shoes and a beautiful blue iris sitting in his breast pocket, Clifford gave both of my hands a light squeeze. This was the day we had both been yearning for. The beginning of our new life together and a new age together."Clifford," the priest's called out. "Do you take this woman to be your lawfully wedded wife, in sickness and in good health as long as you both shall l
The Quietus War Dark grey clouds loomed over Hartland with occasional lightning and thunder strikes yet no rain came down. Something was coming. Something big and terrible. The Midland warriors sliced their way through corn fields, stomping and crushing mature corn cobs still in their husks. Like ghosts, they creeped up on their prey. Surrounding the entire Hartland kingdom and patiently waiting for their commander's signal to attack their unsuspecting enemies. In an old wooden two bedroom structure, Adriana lay on a four-poster-bed with a protruding belly, legs wide apart and panting really hard. Her brown skin glistened with sweat as her mother and the midwife encouraged her to push. Despite the unbearable pain, Adriana leaned on her elbows and forced herself to push once more whilst groaning. "Alright Adriana," Olga, the midwife, spoke. "One more push and the baby will be out." She grabbed a stack of tow
Seventeen years after the Quietus war.Rakia's POVI took the bow and arrow from Arc's huge hands, fixing the arrow shaft in the nock.Arc was the village bully. The big, egotistic and cocky jerk everyone hated. Even those around him never really liked him. They just pretended to, so he wouldn't taunt them like what he was doing to me right now. This was my time to put him in his place."Remember Rakia, you only get one shot," Arc said out loud, reminding me of the bet we just made. "Miss this one and you'll have to walk on cow poop... barefooted," he mocked and his friends joined him.I didn't know what came over me. Riley and I were just passing by when we spotted Arc, challenging a bunch of teenagers on the
Two years laterRakia's POVLove was a very strange thing.It had this magical ability to wrap you in a cocoon that did nothing but to make you feel warm, soft and jelly inside. That was exactly how I felt, standing in front of the man who owned my heart.Dressed in a silvery coloured suit with matching shoes and a beautiful blue iris sitting in his breast pocket, Clifford gave both of my hands a light squeeze. This was the day we had both been yearning for. The beginning of our new life together and a new age together."Clifford," the priest's called out. "Do you take this woman to be your lawfully wedded wife, in sickness and in good health as long as you both shall l
Rakia's POV"Good people of Hartland," my smile broadened when my voice came out clear, without any signs of anxiety. "Thank you so much for accepting me as your queen. Words cannot express how grateful I am to be taking on this position. Over the past months, Hartland has been through a lot." I paused to pull in a breath. "We've discovered shocking truths, we've been betrayed and we lost a great ruler. But through it all, our beloved kingdom stood strong. I'm not saying there weren't any casualties, because there were; myself included."A babble of murmurs coated the air and I wasn't surprised. During rehearsal, Granark told me that labeling myself as a casualty might not sit well with the citizens. But if I was going to be their queen, they needed to know how I felt about everything that had happened these past months. I needed to be honest with them.
Rakia's POV Mother and Hammond led me through the quiet halls of the castle. My gown swished round my legs and my shoes squeaked on the tiled floor. The sparkly blue satin train Hammond had fixed behind my dress, trugged on silently.The feel of Clifford's lips still lingered on my mouth. I enjoyed the kiss so much, that couldn't wait to be in his arms, locking lips with him again. The thought warmed my heart with excitement. Is this what it feels like to be in love? You feel all warm and fluttery inside? If this is what it meant, then I would never want to fall out of it."We're here," Hammond announced, pulling me out of my thoughts. The big dark courtyard doors stood before us. Blue ribbons had artfully been twisted round the door handles. The incessant bubble of chatter drifted in from t
Two months later Rakia's POV"Rakia." Someone nudged me from my beauty sleep. "Wake up!"I just groaned and turned to the side, hoping she'd get the hint to go away and leave me in peace. But she didn't because she pulled the duvet off me. "C'mon Rakia, Get up. You have to get ready for the coronation."I blew a raspberry into the pillow. Over the past months, Granark and the council members had cramped my head with a lot of stuff I should and shouldn't do as queen. Everyday, I had something to do or learn. Yesterday's coronation rehearsal was the most stressful. Now I had to do the whole thing in front of the entire kingdom."But I'm soooo tired," I groaned, pushing myself sideways to
Clifford's POV "St-stop it!" The queen sniped, but it was too late. King Reginald swiped both hands in the air, and she took those last steps, putting herself straight in the king's grasp. His right hand wrapped round her neck.We were suddenly interrupted by the sounds of clanking armour. A battalion of warriors, led by a blond middle aged man sporting a deep frown, forced their way through the crowd and surrounded us."Unhand the queen, Araknee!" The man yelled in a raspy voice. "Or suffer the consequences." To make the threat terrifying, the warriors wasted no time drawing out their weapons."Your return to Hartland has brought nothing but chaos and despair!" Th
Clifford's POVKing Reginald moved with a purpose. Every step he took in his daughter's body was poised, swift and precise. There wasn't a drop of water around as we moved through the castle to find Adrian's mother but somehow, King Reginald was able to move the guards out of his way against their will. They'd come charging towards us, then in the flick of a second, they'd freeze, like someone had pressed pause in their brain. They stood still with their eyes wide open, and wouldn't move a muscle until King Reginald let them. And all he would do was to throw them knock them out. Granark insisted that we help him with his...unfinished business. So here we were, tr
Clifford's POVThe doors were blown wide apart, granting us access to the courtyard."Yes!" Richard and I turned, but the archers took that as cue to release their arrows. Thankfully, Granark hadn't worn himself out. The wizard blasted out three huge balls of fire, turning the arrows into ashes and setting the guards on fire.Ignoring their shouts of pain, my companions and I ran through water and clouds of steam, into a chaotic and messed up courtyard. I felt cold all of a sudden."Wooah," Granark and Richard exclaimed in unison as we all beheld the scene in complete shock.Ice blocks lay everywhere in awkward shapes, sitting in puddles of water. The different topiaries and hedges the gardeners must've spent weeks trimming, had all become wrangl
Clifford's POV I couldn't stop thinking about Rakia. After she disappeared behind those double doors, I never saw her again. That uncomfortable feeling that something bad had happened to her kept knawing at my brain. But I couldn't jump up to go find her. The number of guards had increased these past few hours, plus my arm muscles were now sore from constantly swinging my sword. Richard and I had found refuge in an old, dusty storeroom and decided to catch our breath there."Sheesh! I can literally hear your heart threatening to jump out of your chest," Richard remarked in a snarky tone. "Calm down, bro. She's fine." I sat on the floor and swiped sweat off my for
Adrian's POV I can't feel her pulse anymore.My eyes widened.I can't feel her pulse anymore!"Holy shit!" I pulled my hands away and the lifeless corpse dropped into a puddle of water. She's dead... she's finally dead!My heart leaped with joy. "Yes! It's mine!" I yelled at the top of my lungs, stretching my arms out wide. "Hartland is finally mine! Mine and mine alone!" I twirled around and a loud cackle left my mouth. I swear I'd never been this happy my entire life. Everything had finally fallen into place and there was absolutely nothing standing in my way now. I could finally enjoy being king."Oh thank you, sweet sweet Creator!" I dropped