After three weeks of journeying, they were already in Klean, heading for the Royal city where the palace was. Klean was a smaller kingdom compared to Wahala in land size and population. Getting to the capital after crossing the border would take just three days of horse riding, and that wasn't such a long time. The smell of the grass and the warmth of the kingdom engulf princess Xoe and she knew she was home where she belonged. She hadn't cherished these little things when she was here, but being gone for many months had opened her mind to the things she had. The rest three days flew by before she knew it and they now sat on their horses, staring at the royal palace of the kingdom of Klean where her father, his Majesty, king Ferdinand Ono, lived. "When we get there, promise you will let me speak alone to the guards and no matter what, do not fight. If they take your sword and weapons, they will hand them over to you in time," Xoe told Ace, sir, Alex and Joi. "Do you understand?" E
Warning: Triggering chapter. The door of the study shut behind Elliott, and he was yet to wipe off the victorious smile he had on his face. The day had come with a significant loss, having witnessed the fall of over two thousand of his fit soldiers at the hands of one man. Yes, he had a smile because, in the end, he stood with his head held high while the enemy was now chained behind bars.A great deal of his army had fallen in the last few weeks, and it made him question a lot of things, but he still had the numbers, and he was also hoping to receive more trained soldiers from the east tomorrow. He had written them after the first attack a few weeks ago, requesting support, and they had written back with a promise to send over their support of over a thousand men immediately.With them, he would strike hard and fast, so he would land the first blow and crush Xavier under his foot, as it should be. Then the kingdom would be his forever, with no opposition in his path. He could already
There came a knock on Xoe's window and she helped herself up from the bed over to the window to see what the noise was about. Xoe pulled apart the curtain, and she saw Ace there with a mischievous smile on his face. She gasped and covered her mouth then glanced around to make sure no one saw him before giving him her hand and helping him into her room. "What are you doing and how did you know my window?" she whisper-yelled at him. "I came here to see you and I knew your window because your room smells like you," he answered. "You don't look so happy to see me, princess." Her lashes fluttered, and she nodded. "I am happy, Ace. I just want you to be careful. I don't know how things are done in Foth, but this is Klean and we do things differently. If you're caught in a maiden's Chambers you could be in serious problem." "Okay, you want me to leave?" he raised a brow. "I can leave if that's what you want.""That's not what I want. That's never what I want." She stepped up towards him.
Elliott stepped into the throne room and found Zor’d standing there, waiting for him. It was barely six hours into the morning, and his appearance was uncalled for. Elliott’s breath tightened in his chest, and his hand balled into a tight fist.He stepped further into the throne room, and Zor’d turned around to see him, an emotionless look on his face.He stepped towards Elliott to speak, but before he could, Elliott punched him in the face. He staggered back a little before stopping himself. His hand lifted to his mouth, and he felt it bleed. “You didn’t have to take him!” He growled at him, his face turning red and his eyes glowing.Zor’d wiped at it and glanced up at Elliott, his eyes cold. “I didn’t choose, Mischief did.”“Fuck Mischief!” he yelled and spat on the floor in a show of disgust. “He was a child still in his mother; he was pure and didn’t harm anyone.”“The most effective sacrifice is from the pure.” Zor’d answered. Elliott’s hands balled into a tighter fist, but this
Xoe POV A wide smile stayed on Ferdinand’s face as he welcomed Xoe down the stairs, taking her from Simon’s hand. She tried to keep a steady smile while scanning through the crowd to find Ace among those standing around. He became a needle in a haystack, and finding him seemed impossible. She soon had to turn her attention from the crowd over to her father, who now led her towards the corner of the room where Queen Beaula stood in a simple red robe speaking to Lord Issac Othman, the father of Niall.“Princess, it is so nice to see you back in your kingdom in one piece,” the old man said, and a smile came onto his wrinkled face.Xoe returned his smile with her bright ones and turned to her father, whom she wished to speak to even before the feast, but never got the chance.“King Father, I wish to speak to you.” She began with a serious tone.“Can it not wait until after the feast? You have a lot of friends and family here to celebrate your return,” he told her, pointing to the crowd of
Lily’s eyes opened several hours later, and she was on the floor in the inner chambers, where Elliott had left her after choking her until she went unconscious hours ago. She helped herself up to sit down and pulled her legs together, laying her head on them. She didn’t want to think about anything, but she blamed herself for ending up in this situation.When he returned over a moon ago to take her from the east to the capital, she asked him why they were moving, and he told her because he was the new king of the kingdom. He told her his cousins had died at sea, and the alpha father had also succumbed to death on hearing the news about the fate of his sons. That the throne now belonged to the only living Ainsworth, and that was him. After they arrived at the palace, he revealed to her that he was also the son of the Alpha of Alphas and not his brother, like she and everyone else always thought. She couldn’t read him as well as she used to in the last few years after they became mates.
“Lady Lily!” Eai calls out, shocked at what she just did.Lily reached for the side of the now unconscious guard on the floor and grabbed the keys to the dungeon. She stepped over him and headed towards a different cell in the dungeon, trying to find Edward.“Edward!” she whisper-yelled and got nothing in return. “Edward!” She called again.“He’s unconscious, so he cannot hear you.” Another voice answered from the cell she had already left.“Who are you?” She demanded, not thinking any prisoner apart from Edward was down here.“I’m alpha Zayn of the house Petra,” he answered, and the name clicked in her ear.She hurried over to the cell where the voice came from, and she saw the old man sitting on the floor with his back against the wall. “Elder Zayn. What are you doing here?” She asked.“Long story. Please help the crowned prince; he doesn’t have much longer. He had gone into an unconscious state while trying to set himself free from the chains. Now I can’t even hear his heartbeat.”L
Mia stepped into the uppermost part of the High Tower and found Xavier staring out the window at the night sky filled with stars. She had asked around for him after going to their chambers at the estate and not finding him there. Then the priest told her he saw him walking towards the uppermost inn in the High Tower. Mia followed his directions, and here she was, in the same space as her husband.He had spent the whole day at the High Tower planning the strategic movements and strikes for the battle against Elliott, along with Alpha Koz, Sir Valerio, Sir Kole, and herself. They had done their best to find the best approach around the Black Cove, and after reaching the standpoint of victory, Sir Valerio and Alpha Koz took a third of the men of war and went ahead to prepare the battleground for tomorrow. Xavier stayed back, and he and the rest of the men wanted to wait for the allies they had requested from the kingdom of Klean before joining up with them on the battlefield. It was fifty
Three months later“My king, this is the monthly report of the work tasks already put in place at the warriors’ institute.” Sir Kole stepped forward to present the scroll to King Xavier, who sat on the throne, and beside him was Luna Queen Mia, who was heavily pregnant.He had asked her this morning before they both stepped out of their chamber if she would feel comfortable being in the throne room. He saw that her due date drew closer with each passing day. She had smiled and told him she was okay and able to carry on her duties as queen and counsel for the king. This was the ninth month. They were preparing themselves with every passing day for the due date, but they knew they would never fully prepare for the birth of their child. Still, it was better this way. The king wanted her in good working condition and treated her almost like a child who couldn’t help herself. It annoyed her most of the time, but he didn’t look ready to change his ways, at least not until their child was saf
He drew a sharp breath and turned to find her eyes filled with panic and unexplainable fear.“What was that?” she asked with a still terrified voice.“It’s my being responding to the call.”“The call, the call of what?”“The slave ship. It has come to the border of the Wahala kingdom. Though freed from being a slave by my lord, I still feel the brokenness in me responding to the dark magic of the ship.”The only thing Kailani heard from everything he just said was, “The slave ship is at our border.”“Yes!” He nodded, already heading out of the house, and Kailani followed behind.As soon as he stepped out, he waved his hand around, reciting the portal chant at the same time, and a big, black circle appeared before him.“What are you doing?” Kailani asked, her voice holding much scepticism. Her question reminded him that she was still with him.“I promised to inform the King if the ship was ever to land on the shores of the kingdom, and that’s what I’m going to do.”“And what’s this hol
He stood on the balcony and watched the princess through the open window of the upper floor, changing into her night robe. She no longer lived in the Royal Palace with her father but now lived at the Othman’s estate with her husband, Niall Othman, as a dutiful wife.He was miserable without her, but he couldn’t imagine how miserable she must feel being married to a man she didn’t love or want to be with. Being united for the rest of her life to a man who placed little regard on her. He married her for her name and probably bore her the same contempt she bore him.Or maybe he loves her.That could also be true, but he didn’t want to accept that it was true.She looked beautiful even now, and he hoped Niall told her that every chance he got. Ace hopes Niall told her she was beautiful, precious, and the most priceless possession he ever had the privilege of attaining.She deserved to know that.Ace snapped out of his thoughts when he heard voices and footsteps coming from not so far away
A month laterA lot has changed for Ace in the kingdom. Since finding out about his family and lineage, King Xavier has welcomed him into the family with open arms. He also inducted him into the council of elders, a decision that brought confusion to the council at first because the council of elders was made up of men of noble backgrounds with power and title and wasn’t occupied by commoners. Xavier later told them who he was and how he was the heir to the land and fortune of House Don, as Lady Iris never married. He told them he was the son of Iris Don, changed his name to Lord Ace of the House Don, and awarded him his birthright. With his mother being Iris Don, questions rose about whose son he was, and Xavier asked if he wanted the truth about his father known. Ace wasn’t ready to do that. Learning about his father’s existence was one of the worst moments of his life. And if he could live his life without acknowledging his existence, he would gladly accept it. Xavier told him he u
A short story about AceAfter the battle...Ace’s eyes opened in the room, and he did not know where he was. He looked up and saw Xavier towering above him with a cut on his face that should have healed a long time ago. However, for some strange reason, it hadn’t.He was in Wahala. The last memory he had was in Klean with Princess Xoe. She had asked him to mark her because her father wanted to marry her off to Niall Othman, the noble son. He saw the look on her face, which told him this wasn’t what she wanted. This was not what he wanted either, but what could he do? They were on a mission, and that had to come before anything else. Not being able to do anything else offended him, but that was the point. He had to accept his fate. There was no greater pain than being unable to be with the one you love, whom you were created for, but perhaps this was his wage for all the evil he had wrought in the world. Yes, he wanted to be a better man and worked towards that, but it still didn’t undo
The news of Lady Lily’s death broke his heart. He knew her as a child because her father, Lord Crow of Shelled, was an ally to the crown. She was gentle and kind, and when he learnt Elliott had married her a few summers ago, it grieved him because she deserved better. She didn’t deserve this cruel fate; she didn’t deserve to end like this.“Then we shall put them to rest together.”They couldn’t send Lady Lily’s body back to Shelled; she was an Ainsworth, and so it was their duty to guide her to the life beyond. Abiding by the custom of the land, Xavier sent words to Lord Crow about the passing of his daughter.Then he sent for the priest and the ceremony leader to help put everything in place. With their help, they wrapped up what they could of Robb and organise his funeral on the pathway as well as Lady Lily. Just as Edward had made Mia stay back while he showed Xavier the room, Xavier made her stay back while they carried Robb’s body away for the last rites.After taking the rites
Sorcerer Zor’d levitated to where Edward stood in the cloud, leaving Elliott and Sir Marx behind. “I see you have joined the side of Doom. You are like me now.” He said it with a smile that wrinkled up the side of his face.“I am nothing like you,” Edward answered through gritted teeth.“We serve the same master now, and that means we have the same goals and objectives. We are the same,” he insists.“I will say it again. I am nothing like you.”“Deny all you want, but I know the truth. Those who had joined the side of Doom had always thought themselves better, seeking the greater good, but in the end, they all end up in the same place.” Zor’d told him, moving towards him in the sky.“I’ve been there. The quest that led me to Doom was that of power, and it has been the same for everyone. Doom takes power from the dead and gives it to their own, and in turn, their subjects reap souls for the rest of their lives.”“Stop talking,” Edward ordered, his hands balling into a fist.He scoffed,
“Men, together with me!” Xavier yelled. Seeing that over half of them had fallen on the battlefield already.Elliott had the advantage and had reduced them greatly with the help of his sorcerer. He had seen in the vision the great war, and this couldn’t have been it. He didn’t believe this was the battle in which he would fall. He didn’t want to accept it, yet there was no other option playing out before him. The enemies were on the verge of winning and trampling them under their feet.“They are circling us!” Sir Valerio shouted. “Back-to-back, everyone!” At his command, the men turned around so that their backs faced each other so that they could keep track of the enemy’s movement. It’s not like it would do much at this point.“Hold your ground!” Xavier said. With great command, the men did as he told them.The armies of Elliott launched at Xavier, growling and with yellow eyes. He caught one of the attackers and ripped his mouth open before tossing him away.“Hold your ground!” He ye
Kailani raced as fast as she could to the Palace Du Royale, where Alpha Chado had told her Edward was headed when they last saw him. The ongoing battle had made it easier for her to ride here with ease because the soldiers, guard, and army were nowhere on the road. Most of them had assembled at the Black Cove for the battle, and the rest were at the palace, guarding and keeping it safe. It was good enough for her and aided her movements, as she no longer had to hide to avoid confrontation or arrest.She slowed down when she drew closer to the gates of the palace, where her trouble would start. She knew there would be soldiers on guard at the palace to protect and defend it against intruders like her. She already fixed her mind on fighting them with everything she had way before she reached the palace, and there was no turning back.She pushed at the gate, and it opened with little to no restraint, and she stepped into the palace estate compound. Her heart was beating loudly at this poi