CHAPTER 7

They were stopped by two warriors guiding the door with silver badges on their breast plate.

"Pardon us, Prince Arthur but your warriors are forbidden to enter the Kingdom as per the rule of King Bartholomeo!"

"And who are you," asked Prince Arthur.

"I am Gusion, one of the enchanted warriors of the King!" answered the warrior.

Prince Arthur turned to the left side of the door where the other warrior guard was standing. "And you?"

"I am Belerick, also one of the enchanted warriors of the King!"

Prince Arthur crossed his arms over his chest. "They are my visitors and I personally invited them over to come and eat dinner with my father!"

Apologize your Majesty, I need to go to the King right now and ask his permission before letting them in!"

"Well then, just stay here and let me talk to my dad. Who knows if you exaggerate the story to make me look evil in the eyes of my father?"

"Your Majesty, I am in no place to do such a thing. I worked really hard just to be promoted to this position!"

Prince Arthur opened the door and went inside the Kingdom. He saw his father seated on his throne and he was looking at him. There were also six warriors in the ill center of the aisle and four warrioress who surrounded the King. He walked through the red carpet on the floor that extends to the throne where King Bartholomeo was seating. He kneeled down before speaking. "Father, may I ask you a favor?" he asked.

"Stood up my only son, I am listening!"

Prince Arthur stood up before reporting the good news to his father. "I would like to inform you that the zodiac warriors I searched for nearly half a year have become stronger. They were able to pass the intense training and so, I decided to invite them over for a banquet!"

"I see... you want them to hear my praise, is that right my son?"

"Y-yes your father... I believe that I can bring out the best in them once they heard something good from their King!"

"How many are them?"

"I have 12 zodiac warriors to be exact and they are waiting outside the door, my father. Our warriors did not let them in and told us that we need your permission!"

"That's my order and I am glad that they followed it even though you're my son. I would like to see your zodiac warriors so bring them inside and I will throw a grand banquet for them!"

The two of the warrioress walked away and told the servants of the King in the kitchen to prepare for the best meal because they have 12 visitors coming in. Meanwhile the 12 zodiac warriors arrived and marveled at the beauty of their Kingdom with most furniture made of either gold or bronze. They see King Bartholomeo worn a camel's hair coat, black silk cloak, a hat trimmed with peacock feathers, along with a surcoat.

His gold imperial crown features a green tourmaline as the center stone. It has 9 hoops that rise from the ring to form a single-rounded dome with arches rising at the center. He gently touched his white beard upon seeing them walking on the red carpet. Shortly after, they kneel down upon arriving in front of the King. King Bartholomeo stood up and noticed the bruises and contusions on their faces and bodies. He turned his gaze at Prince Arthur who was standing next to them. "I felt some earthquakes behind the kingdom. Did you just revive some creatures so your warriors can practice Arthur?"

Sweating, Prince Arthur started to talk nervously. "Yes father, sorry... I just want to try my magic to train them really hard!"

"No, I have nothing against that. In fact, I am amazed you can bring creatures back to life, I expect that you will be of great help to our kingdom in the near future. What are those creatures?"

"I revived the four head dragons, Titanoboa, golgozur dinosaurs, and 100 dead warriors. Although I am not sure if they are as strong as they used to be," responds Arthur.

"Given the bruises and contusions your 12 zodiac warriors received, they must be as strong as they were alive. I looked forward to seeing your magic power on the 40th anniversary of our Kingdom!"

"Yes father, this tizona sword I carry is pretty damn heavy. I wonder if I can really use it in a fight," complained the Prince.

"You must endure it until you get used to it. King Solomon desperately wanted to use it, but we know for a fact that none of them deserved to own it. Time has retaliated for the evildoings they did against our kingdom, because Abaddon completely conquered them."

Two warrioresses came and bent down before King Bartholomeo. "Your Majesty, the foods are already prepared!" said one of them.

King Bartholomeo looked at the two servant warriors. "Go ahead and prepare red wines as well!"

"Yes, your Majesty," the servant warrioress said at the same time and they walked to the kitchen again.

"Come and follow me, great zodiac warriors. Your bravery, dedication, and unparalleled swordsmanship deserve honor and praise. I am now inviting you to a lavish banquet in my Kingdom which only a handful of warriors experienced."

"Thank you for the privilege, your majesty. We are beyond happy to acknowledge your praise and invitation," said Leomord who grinned in excitement.

The King walked towards the royal banquet area and they immediately followed him and saw an elongated wooden table covered with linen made from flax stems and filled with many fruits they have never tasted. There are also golden plates, fancy wine glasses, and other utensils sitting on the table. There are fourteen arthingale chairs and three thrones in center, exclusive only to the royal family of King Bartholomeo.

"Please sit down everywhere except for the three thrones in the center," said Prince Arthur with a firm voice. "Those seats only belong to the royal family," he added.

Zodiac warriors seated to the arthingale chair they feel relaxed and comfortable with so did the King and Prince Arthur. Not too long, they smelled a scent of food. Then lower-ranking servants wearing cheap robes of russet arrived with foods, pitchers, and bottles of red wines. They put meat pies, venison pies, roast rolls, lamb shanks, chicken drumsticks, quiche, and pitcher on the table. They also filled the fancy glasses with red wine before leaving the area.

Queen Veronica entered the area wearing a long gown made of silk and rich in velvet covered by luxurious tunic and contained embroidered lace and gems. The gold crown on top of her head has pearls, garnets and amethysts surrounding it. She sat beside the King and stared at him to ask. "Who are these warriors and why are they joining us in our dinner?"

King Bartholomeo sipped a wine before he explained. "Honey, they are the zodiac warriors of our beloved son Arthur. He assigned them to guard the entire kingdom to ensure our safety while we celebrate the 40th anniversary of our Kingdom!"

"I don't see any problems with that," Queen Veronica noticed the fear in the face of the zodiac warriors. "Please don't be afraid of me, I don't mean to harm any of you unless of course one of you plans to betray us!"

Prince Arthur quickly responded in a respectful way. "Mother, I have been with them since I inherited the tizona sword of my father. I trust them with all my heart and I don't see any reason why they would do such a thing, mother!" he sighed. "Before we eat, I would like all my zodiac warriors to formally introduce themselves!"

Queen Veronica was mundane to know the zodiac warriors and eat quietly. But what caught her attention was Alexander, because he turned out to be the son of her old flame, Zeus, she refrain from eating and stared at him in wonder.

"My father died at the hands of evil werewolves when we were still friends with magicians. Since then, I have thought of nothing else except avenging his horrible dead." Alexander clenched his fist. "That's the reason why I want to be a warrior. Celestial Spirit King suddenly appeared and gave me the Aries celestial sword and he told me that I am destined to be one of the zodiac warriors!"

"I see... you have a strong will to fight," said the King. "Where do you live now Alexander?"

"I don't have permanent residence and I just slept everywhere!" he replied.

Queen Veronica felt guilty because she knew that she had betrayed her former lover when she chose the lavish lifestyle that King Bartholomeo offered her. "Why don't you just stay here Alexander? We have plenty of unoccupied rooms for you!" she blurted out.

Everyone was startled and turned to Queen Veronica when she suddenly spoke. However, Alexander refused to accept the offer of the Queen. "Please forgive me but I'm happy that I don't have a permanent home. I see many mistakes around me and I'm glad to be a way to help others in need. I guess, losing my father was a blessing in disguise. I also had a chance to meet different humans along the way until I saw Prince Arthur while I was practicing in the frozen cave stream. He was watching over me and came out to offer me to become a part of his zodiac warriors!"

Queen Veronica took a sip of her wine and closed her eyes for a moment. Then accepted Alexander's firmed decision. "Well then, I fully understood your decision but you can come here to our kingdom at any time you want. And as the Queen of this kingdom, I valued your great sacrifices and risking your life for the sake of my family. I am going to prepare your foods as you go home as a token of appreciation for your unmatched courage!"

Alexander smiled facing Queen Veronica. "Thank you very much, Queen Veronica, we will do everything we can to make our kingdom safe not only on our 40th anniversary but for as long as we live!"

King Bartholomeo saw the dedication in Alexander's eyes and grinned. When they finished eating, the servants gave their breads, vegetables, and fruits as they headed back to their homes.