Doris Sea
"Slow down the ship....there might be a message for us.." Zane spoke out seeing the sky.
There was a pigeon carrying a paper for them...the five warships sent to devastate Barren by King Henry the VII. It slowly came down to the chest of the ship.
Zane stretched out his arms to the pigeon, on which it sat, then slowly opened the letter ties at its feet.
In the meantime, other four warships had stopped too.
The letter was written by Commander Edwin Ademar. Zane started reading out loud,
"It is with great sorrow to inform you that our King Henry VII has recently breathed his last. So in his absence I took a tough decision. He sent five warships to Barren. But already many of our troops have been killed. Therefore, we decided that it is better to surrender without increasing blood loss. Come back as soon as you can. That is desirable."
After finishing the letter, Zane crumbled the letter and threw it in the water.
"I expected it from him. It's hard to believe that a man can be so scared without seeing him." Zane's anger was evident from his face. He added,"Order the other ships to turn around, we have to go back, we're not human anymore, we're puppets, we have to keep our mouths shut and bear whatever they say." Finishing his words, Zane entered the interior of the ship.
The ship's soldiers were enjoying the spectacle. They were disappointed that it was over so quickly. Some of them started talking among themselves.
"I still can't believe that the King is dead...he doesn't deserve this...he was supposed to rule some more years. May his soul rest in peace." One of them said,
"I would say opposite..he was the cruelest king that I have ever seen. He used to see other people as a stigma." Someone said.
This talk gradually turned into a humming. Everyone began to express their opinions about their king. But the King could not know anything about whom so much was happening. He had by then gone far beyond all the known and unknown. Only the blue sky, the tirelessly flowing blue sea, and the seagulls flying in search of food remainedthe witnesses of this conversation.
Velmor Castle
Queen Cassandra and her two children were sent to Velmor as soon as the war began. King Henry already predicted the consequences, so he sent them far away not only from Barren, but from the great five kingdoms.
The Queen had already received the news of the king's death. As soon as she got the news, she burst into tears, then stopped crying and entered the room reserved for her with her son and daughter and sat like a stone, not even coming out to eat. This tragic news started to devastate her from inside.
Queen Cassandra sat motionless on the edge of her bed. Her daughter was leaning against her, already asleep. While her young son was holding her fingers tightly. He was 7 years old, two years younger than his sister.
"Mother",he whispered, his voice barely audible."Will Dad never come back? What will happen to us now?"
His pitiful voice pierced the queen, breaking her even more. She stared at the opposite wall, thinking what to say.
The death of a King was just a heart-wrenching event for others, but for her it seemed like she and her children had been thrown into the eternal darkness, from where even light couldn't escape.
Slowly, she lifted her son's hand and placed it over her chest.
"We will survive", she whispered. "No matter what happens next, we will survive. Do you believe in your Mother?"
The little boy nodded.
Aknock at the door broke the silence. The maid hesitated stepping inside.
"My Queen, a messenger has arrived. He carries a message from Tursia Capital."
Cassandra got up, her heart pounding.
"Bring him in."
Moments later, a man in torn yet royal garments entered, bowing his head. He held out a sealed letter.
"This comes from Commander Edwin Ademar, your Grace. It concerns the fate of the Kingdom."
Her fingers trembled slightly as she took the letter and opened the seal. Her eyes skimmed the letter quickly, then froze.
'This....can't be' She thought in her mind.
"You can leave." The messenger left, bowing his head after the Queen's order.
The room was silent except for the candle's wavering flame.
Nothing remained the same after that moment. Queen Cassandra was no longer just a grieving widow. She was something far more than.
She re-read the letter.
"The capital is in chaos. Many people wish to name a new King, others whisper to rebellion. You must return immediately."
She closed her eyes. King Henry had ruled with iron and fire, but now that fire had been extinguished, leaving only rusty irons.
Cassandra let out a slow breath. The weight of the Kingdom was pressing down on her, but for the first time since Henry's death, she wasn't just mourning—she was planning.
She looked down at her son, his innocent eyes were full of fear and uncertainty.
"Prepare my carriage", she commanded the maid. "We will ride to Tursia at dawn."
She wasn't going back to grieve. She intended to rule.
Sibestia Forest
Massimo entered the tribal village with Adam, Sioux and other villagers. It was dawn—the Sun was almost near to the horizon, a yellowish orange glow was visible all around. The sun's rays were breaking through the trees and the fog, painting the surroundings with the light of a new dawn.
"Hey my friends, long time no see!" Massimo came closer and hugged Lucifer and Emma.
Rest of the villagers, mostly women and children, came out of their cottages and children started jumping, dancing around them. They were so young to understand, but they seemed happy to see them return. Nobody expected that all of them would return without any or nominal wound after fighting with King and his specially skilled warriors. It was itself a miracle!
After hearing everything from Massimo and Sioux, all of them were astonished, especially after knowing that Massimo had killed King Henry the VII.
"The danger isn't over yet! We can't rest until and unless they surrender." Adam cautioned them.
"You are afraid in vain. It has no meaning. Only a handful of their soldiers are alive." Mike assured Adam.
"Massimo, your revenge is complete but mine is not. Not until I kill that damn guy who slaughtered Charles. Maybe not after killing him...I won't get my friend back even after killing him. Will I?" Adam gasped after expressing his frustration.
"You have supported me to avenge my parents. So it's my responsibility to support you to avenge your friend too. And I will do my duty, be sure of that." Massimo patted his back.
"Keep aside those emotional stuff. We have all come back alive—that's all. I will arrange a great ceremony tonight for all. A party, a banquet whatever you say. It was suspended for this war mutiny. My old childhood friend Massimo is back. On this occasion, everyone is invited tonight. Not in a royal way, but tonight you will get an indication of what a tribal banquet is like." Sioux said enthusiastically.
(That day, at evening)
The banquet was about to begin. All the fuss had already started. All the villagers decorated all around with flowers and garlands. Some were looking at the culinary side. All in all, it seemed as if the entire village had regained a new lease of life. Everything looked alive and fresh.
On the other side, Massimo and Lucifer were sitting under a tree, talking with each other.
"I'm done—I have fulfilled my responsibility. After that I want to live like a normal human. In fact, I myself sometimes do not understand what I want. I also want to learn swordsmanship from Adam. And I want to see this world through the eyes of a warrior. Me, what do I really want??" Massimo's voice shook with overexcitement.
"What? Do you want to give up your miraculous talent by living like a common man? No, I won't let that happen. The qualities you have at this age, may be a dream for many. You know what you are good at. You even have the potential to rule this entire world."
"No, I have no desire to rule, at least not right now. Dominion makes people greedy, ruthless and mentally weak. A king is a slave to power and prestige. I don't want to be. I want to taste freedom. I want to be a free warrior and travel the whole world. What you said may be right. I want to change the whole world, but not by occupying the country, but by winning the hearts of the countrymen. These bloody wars, greed, lust, anger, hatred, fear, all in the minds of people should be removed. In fact, I want a lot of things, but who will give it?" Massimo smiled and looked at Lucifer, who was silently listening to Massimo.
He continued,"I decided, I will learn swordsmanship from Adam for a year first, then fate will take care of the rest."
(3 hours later)
The banquet began. The night cold breeze was swinging the trees here and there...creating sounds of wind. A large bonfire was put on the centre, casting flickering shadows on the tribal villagers as well as warriors. Wooden tables overflowed with roasted meat, fresh fruits and wild berries.
Massimo, Adam, Mike, Lucifer and Emma's faces were bright and they were smiling heartily as they had never seen such a banquet ever. Some of the tribals were dancing around the bonfire, with a special rhythm. Others were clapping to encourage them.
After a while, they all sat in a big circle. Sioux and other villagers served them dinner. Then they started talking and chatting eagerly with each other while taking a sip of wild berries.
The scent of grilled venison filled the air, mixing with the earthy aroma of damp leaves. Above, the stars shimmered, witnessing their fleeting joy.