Jotham, Silveran Capital
2030King Erom had just finished having a meeting with his advisor and while he sat on his throne, deep in thoughts, he suddenly felt a sharp pain spearing through his chest. He clutched at his chest, letting out a pained groan. No one in the palace knew about the king's poor health. He'd kept it all to himself, ever since he started to experience terrible chest pains and migraines. The guard stationed in the court room noticed the pained look on the king's face and it made him concerned.
"Are you alright, your grace?" He asked and the king heaved a sigh.
"I'm a little tired" he said and rose to his feet. Once he did so, the pain struck again. His knees buckled and he fell to the ground. The guards were alarmed by this. They rushed to his side. But, by the time they did so, he'd lost consciousness. He was taken to his chambers and while the
Lost in thoughts, Prince Caden strolled down the hallway. While he walked, he noticed Hazel and her new personal guard, Kyan. They seemed to be engrossed in their conversation. Caden wondered what they were talking about. He also wondered when and how his bride had grown close to the guard. He halted when he saw the big smile on Hazel's face. Again, he wondered.Was Kyan another person he should be worried about? Was he another rival he would have to get rid of?".... you're doing great, Hazel. It won't be long before you master it all" he heard Kyan say.Several thoughts flooded his mind."Your majesty?"He snapped out of it at the sound of Kyan's voice. Their gazes locked and Kyan bowed in greeting. Caden's gaze drifted and rested on Hazel who gave him a small smile."Are you okay? You seem like you're lost in thoughts" she said and Caden shook his head."It's nothing. Whe
Kyan was startled by the princess's statement. He couldn't believe what he'd just heard. Anya laughed and he stared at her, puzzled.Did she really mean it?"I was just kidding. The look on your face is hilarious" she said and he smiled, feeling relieved."I'm sorry for making you feel uncomfortable" she apologized and he shook his head."You don't have to apologise"Anya snickered and looked away, an expression of weariness now imprinted on her face."Want to talk about it?" Kyan dared to ask and Anya turned to look at him, her attention piqued."You're one of a kind, Kyan. Most guards would rather keep their mouth shut than speak to me. And, I like that you're different" Anya said and Kyan nodded."You're also a lot different than I thought" he said and she smiled."I could really use a friend at this point. I've not really gotten along with anyo
"You think this is funny?" One of the men said, his voice menacing. Hazel swallowed hard as the edge of the sword was pressed against her throat, harder. There were five of them in her chamber, she could sense that much."What do you want?" She demanded."Shut up" her assailant said, pressing the sword hard enough to make her bleed. Hazel clenched her fists when she felt the warm, sticky liquid flowing out of the cut on her neck. If the men had been sent to kill her, she wondered why they were hesitating. Either way, she wasn't going to let them carry out their mission. She spun around so quickly, her assailant barely got the chance to defend himself.She grabbed the sword and pushed her assailant across the room, sending him crashing into the wall with a groan of pain. The rest of the men rushed towards Hazel to attack her. She blocked and dodged until they were frustrated. She was pissed about the fact that they had the guts to come into he
Rage clouded the crown prince's eyes when he saw the look on his mother's face. She didn't look remorseful. Instead, she looked like she'd just won a lottery."Take it back" he said through gritted teeth."What?" Clarice breathed, a confused look on her face."I said, take back what you said! Right now!" He thundered."It's the truth, Caden. You are not the king's son. Your biological father is long gone. I killed him" the queen stated as she popped a berry into her mouth.Caden trembled with rage. His entire life had been a lie conjured by his own mother."I hid this truth in order to place you on the throne. I sacrificed so much just for your happiness" the queen said, feigning sadness."Shut. Up. You are a filthy liar. Everything you've ever done is not for me. You did them for yourself" Caden said and the Queen's gaze hardened."You will not speak to me like that, you
"What is it?""I think it's something I can't just tell you right here" Violet said."In that case, please come with me" Hazel spoke. Together, they started to head towards Hazel's chamber."How have you been? It's been a while since I saw you" Hazel said and Violet gave her a smile."Well, I've been okay. Nothing special. What about you?"Hazel let out a sigh."I kind of envy you. My life has changed almost completely. There are some things that I'm struggling with. There's a lot of pressure"Violet grinned."You're great for the job, though. Royalty suits you well"Hazel snorted."Well, you haven't been in my shoes"They walked into Hazel's chamber and sat down on the couch."Tell me...you saw something, didn't you?"Violet nodded."Okay. Should I be worried?""It's about your relationship with the s
They both stared at each other, the tension in the air thickening. Yuka blinked, he was having a hard time believing that he'd actually heard her say the three words that had just pulled at his heartstrings. But, her eyes said it all. It was all written in her eyes that was starting to glow brighter than the stars dotting the night sky. Yuka's heart sang. She loved him. The fierce warrior of a woman standing in front of him loved him."I love you, Yuka. I don't know how or when it happened. But-" she paused, taking hold of his hand and placing it on her chest where her heart was pounding with excitement."I can feel it here. You might not feel the same for me, but I just want you to know how much you mean to me. I can't lose you to Anya. I know it sounds like I'm selfish, but I really can't lose you. I need you, Yuka. I feel like I'm going to--"Yuka cupped her face and leaned over to kiss her. When their lips met, their eyelids f
Stumbling to his feet, Caden wiped off the blood seeping out of his nostrils, a hostile look in his eyes. The dark shadows in the sky was starting to conceal the full moon."Wow, here's the knight in shining armor" Caden said, his tone dripping with sarcasm."I was going to kill her if you hadn't showed up" Caden continued. Pissed, Yuka attacked him using his magic. Caden was up in the air, Yuka's dark magic strangling him. Caden gasped for air as it squeezed his body and stole the air from his lungs."Don't do it"Yuka stiffened at the sound of Hazel's pained croak."Do it, I dare you to" Caden gasped. Annoyed, Yuka threw him across the yard. Caden hit the ground hard, and passed out.Yuka had a stoic expression on his face, his lips set in a grim line. Without saying a word, he walked towards Hazel who was sitting up slowly, her hand clutching at her throat. He scooped her into his arms and
Yuka stared at the door of his chamber as the persistent knock on the door continued. For the past thirty minutes, he'd refused to step out of his chamber to meet with his visitor. He knew that the queen had come to confront him. He wasn't afraid of her. He just didn't want to talk to anyone at the moment. The queen on the other hand, wouldn't take no for an answer. She continued to knock, despite the fact that her fists had turned red. Fifteen more minutes passed and Yuka was starting to get annoyed.He rose to his feet and walked towards the door. Once the door was opened, he stepped out and shut the door behind him. The queen raised a hand to hit him, but he grabbed her hand before it could get to his face."What is your relationship with the red blood?" Clarice demanded.Yuka blinked, folding his muscular arms across his chest.“My relationship with Hazel?” he scoffed. “You, tell me”&ldquo
HAZEL Taking a deep breath, I knocked on the door of my husband's study. I was nervous. How well was he going to accept what I was about to tell him? I froze when I remembered that today was supposed to be our first anniversary. It wouldn't make sense for me to tell him now. Earlier, I had a meeting with the wives of the generals and that meeting had taken nearly the whole day."Your highness?" I turned to look at Gwon, my new bodyguard. "Yes?" "His Majesty has requested for your presence. He is in the east wing garden." Gwon escorted me to the garden where Yuka had prepared a romantic setting. The beauty of the sunset was in full display as well. Yuka rose to his feet and made me sit in front of him. "How was your day?" I asked as we ate. "It was quite long" he responded. True, he was busier than ever these past few days. "How about you?" He asked me. "I had a long meeting with the wives of the generals. It went well" I told him. He nodded in understanding. "I'm sorry I for
"Marry me, Hazel" Those words made Hazel's heart skip. This was it. She would finally become Yuka's. As soon as she parted her lips to give him a response, the door was pushed open. Nazu and Caden walked in. "Hazel, are you alright?" Caden asked, a worried look on his face. "I'm fine. It's all over." A smile tugged at his lips. "You truly have the spirit of a fighting queen, Hazel. You should marry my brother already" he said and she laughed. "He was just asking me to marry him" she said and his eyes widened. His gaze rested on Yuka who was glaring at him. "Oh...sorry. I ruined the moment, didn't I?" Caden mumbled. Hazel turned back to face Yuka. "Yes, I will marry you. Isn't it obvious?" She said, giving him a chaste kiss on his lips. Yuka wrapped an arm around her waist."Don't tease me if you aren't ready for the consequences" he whispered in her ear and she smirked. "My apologies, my dear."She sounded smug but Yuka didn't mind. "Hazel, can we...talk?" Nazu asked. "Sure
Jotham, Silveran Capital. Hazel blinked, taking in the sight of the garden she found herself in, alongside the others. With three main black bloods in the group, they had shared themselves and teleported all at once. "Are you alright?" Liv asked General Barron who looked a little winded. "I'm fine. I have never experienced this before. I just need to catch my breath," he said.Behind him, the Spiers triplets were doubled over, hands planted on their thighs. They were winded as well. They had insisted on taking part in the fight.Violet, Kai and Lhyle stood side by side. Rhen, Charlotte and Alyvonne were in the same group. While Hazel, Yuka and Kyan were in a group of their own. "So, this is Silvera's palace?" Shade asked. Hazel nodded in response. "It looks pretty huge" Trey commented, unsheathing his sword. "We are in a real war for the first time in our lives. This is crazy" Carl stated. "You can back out if you want to. You don't have to do this" Liv said. "Don't say that.
Silvera's capital. "I have made my decision concerning your wedding with Anya" Clarice said to her son. She was sitting in the throne room and Caden was standing in front of her, his head lowered. "What decision have your made?" Caden questioned, his shoulders stiff with tension. "Your wedding will be postponed" she said and he looked up quickly, his puzzled gaze meeting her blank ones. It was unlike her to do something like that. Within the past weeks, she had been reminding him of the fact that he was going to get married soon. "Postponed? Why is that?" He asked. She shrugged. "Just because."He frowned. "Why now?" She rose to her feet and walked towards the double doors that led to the South wing garden. "A major event is going to happen soon. I shouldn't count my chickens before they hatch" she commented. Caden's frown deepened. He wondered what she was up to. Whatever it was couldn't be good. "I heard about the troops you sent to Anslem. Isn't that too much? Haz
No one moved. All eyes watched the queen as she walked towards the huge portal that had opened suddenly. Anya bit her lower lip, tensed. This was not the first time she was seeing a portal that opened out of nowhere. But, this was ten times more horrifying than the ones she had previously encountered. And this one didn't look like it was going to vanish anytime soon.Clarice stopped in front of the looming portal and held out a hand towards it. A golden pearl which was the size of a base ball appeared on her palm, it's light shimmering like the rays of the sun. It was almost blinding. Most of the guests had looked away as a result of the intensity of it's brightness. Many other who were curious, continued to watch. "Don't be rude. This is not part of the deal. The time has not come. Accept this token of mine" she said and flicked it into the portal which shriveled up and vanished from sight. Clarice turned to face the guests, a cold smile on her face. "I apologise for the
Quadam, Galactica. Hazel stared at her lover's pale face, her eyes brimming with tears. He was in a lot of pain. She could tell by how much his brows were furrowed. Liz and Yuka's mother sat by his bedside, their melancholic gazes fixed on him. 'He's dying' Liz's heart wrenching words were still fresh in Hazel's memory. She knew it wasn't the end. However, the thought of him dying made her heart ache. If he wasn't in so much pain, her grief would have been less heavy. "Seeing that look on your face is equally heartbreaking, love" Hazel forced out a smile at the sound of Yuka's strained voice. She had been so lost in thought that she had missed the moment he had opened his eyes and gazed at her. "You don't have to say anything, you know. You are already in a lot of pain as it is" Hazel's voice trembled and her eyes watered. Yuka opened his eyes again and squeezed her hand weakly. "It's not over, you know. You don't have to look so glum" "I know...but... I can't help it" she
Quadam, Galactican capital. "I don't understand. How is this possible?" Yuka croaked and the red haired woman began to walk towards his bedside. She dropped down to her knees, the tears now making their way down her cheeks. "Forgive me, Yuka. Forgive me for being late" she said and Yuka curled up into a ball, his back to her. He clutched at his chest as pain ripped through him. Childhood memories slithered their way into his mind. He thought of how miserable he'd been, as a child. He thought of the number of times he was accused of murdering his mother. He thought of the nightmares and the trauma. He thought of his loneliness and the fact that he'd been forced to grow up too quickly. It was all because his mother had left him alone right after he was born. How was he supposed to process the fact that she was still alive and had left him to survive on his own?The pain in his heart swelled to the point where he was gasping for air. His chest felt like it was being compressed and no ma
The knock on the door of Caden's chamber startled him into consciousness. After Nazu had left, he'd fallen into a deep sleep, due to his exhaustion and pain. He didn't want to get out of bed, so he ignored the pounding on the door. When he still didn't give any response, the pounding intensified. "I know you're in there, Caden! Open the damn door!" Anya yelled. "Go away, Anya" Caden said, annoyed by Anya who continued to knock on the door. "I swear I just want to tell you something important. You have to hear me out, please!" She yelled. Letting out a sigh, he got out of bed, gritting his teeth against the pain. He slipped on a robe and started to limp towards the door, his brows furrowed. When he opened the door, Anya's eyes widened. "You don't look so good" she said and he rolled his eyes. "You're the one who called me out. What do you want from me?" He said and she lowered her gaze, a worried look on her face. "You might not believe what I'm about to say" she said. "Get on
Hazel remained by Yuka's side, her gaze resting on him. Once in a while, she found herself stroking his hair and whispering into his ear, assuring him that he would be fine. He was still unconscious but his fever had gone down by a few degrees. It was fortunate that Lhyle and Violet had returned right on time. Violet was a blushing mess and Lhyle had a subtle smile on his face. They had returned with both food and medical supplies. Kai ended up administering some fluids to Yuka through IVs. "I didn't know silverans used IVs too. I thought it's reserved for red bloods" Charlotte said. "Everyone can fall sick, you know. It just differs when it comes to the disease causing organisms" Kai responded. "His color is returning, that's good" Violet commented. Hazel sighed with relief and took hold of his hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. "He's going to be okay" she breathed and Lhyle nodded. As if on cue, Yuka stirred. Everyone rushed to his side. There were all relieved to know that he wa