How To Rule ✅COMPLETE

The Defeat

Rin did not sleep that night. Everything reminded her of him and each time her heart ached. Even as morning came, she still felt pain in her heart. Was this how her life was supposed to be like, pinning over a man who loved her because of a bond and not because he actually loved her. It hurt even thinking about it so she turned of her emotions and focused on being prepared for her very first meeting as queen.

Rowan had called a meeting and as he looked at his council consisting of men and women he trusted with his life he knew they would understand his decision.

He planned on staging an ambush against their new queen and her army.

Tenen did not know what to think about Rowan's plan. It would hurt her and he couldn't have that but it was the right thing to do even if she would not realise it. She was slowly turning into her father, the need of pleasing him her only goal and he needed her to become her own person so he did not object to the ambush in any way. As the meeting concluded he grabbed Zanna's arm on their way out, he could not resist warning her.

'My earlier threat remains, touch her and you are dead.'

'But this is war Tenen, if she gets hurt she is just another casualty. Is she not'

Zanna could not deny how the thought of hurting that mate of his brought so much joy to her. It had ticked her how unaffected she had been during their last talk but this time she would show her fear and hurt. Her blade would make sure of it.

Rin knew she was making a mistake. Her men were not prepared for war. They would lose. The rebel's had planned an ambush and if her spies had not gotten to her in time they would have succeeded. She was preparing for battle when Gavin walked in.

Gavin held the letter given to him by his king to give to Rin before her first war. He knew Arion would have wanted to give it to her himself but he had died before he could and the day had finally arrived. As he looked at her she looked even more like a queen and he couldn't help being mesmerized by her even more. He handed her the letter and left before he did something stupid like confess his unrequited feelings.

Warriors are not always the fastest or the strongest men.

Rin played with the edge of the letter. Her father had only written ten words but she knew how the statement always ended. Her father had made her say it so many times that she would never forget it.

Warriors are those that do not accept defeat and they change the world.

She folded up the piece of paper with her father's last words to her and placing it next to her mother's book she had never wanted anything more than for him to still be alive.

When she materialized in the middle of the fight, her eyes met his first. Tenen. It was brief but her heart hurt all the more. He looked ready to take down her men and it hurt that he was willing to go against her rather than concede to her rule. One of his soldiers tried attacking her and she struck him down barely flinching as his blood splattered on her face. She enjoyed it and the more of his men she killed, she reveled in their blood.

Tenen watched her, she was doing more of the killing than most of her men. She looked like she had lost her humanity and everything good that he associated to her. He wanted to save her but how could he save her from herself if she was the monster.

Gavin looked at Rin and barely recognized her. She was drenched in the blood of their enemies and looked like a warrior bred for battle but he knew that it wasn't her in the slightest. This war her father had started was slowly changing her and he knew the end result would please no one.

'Rin we are loosing twice as much soldiers as they are. We need to retreat.'

Gavin's words brought her out of her bloodlust and as she looked on at the battlefield which was littered with more of her soldiers than his, she realised they would lose if she did not do the smart thing and retreat her soldiers atleast what was left of them.

'Gavin round up twelve of their soldiers'

'Why do you need the twelve of their men for?'

Rin narrowed her eyes and clenched her fists. She was not in the mood to explain herself to anyone, especially him.

'Are you challenging me.'

Gavin watched her. She was slowly loosing it. He could see it in her eyes in the way her hands shook after every life she took and he knew this rift between the royal family and the rebel's would destroy her in the end.

'You know I would never do that. I am your loyal soldier till death.'

'Then just do it.'

Rin was in a mood. She gritted her last words and it made her feel like a whiny child not getting her way. She was losing in the only thing her father wanted her to do and it angered her. As she watched Gavin round up men she would need in performing her next spell she vowed never again to be a failure.