Aurelia: The Fanatical Story of A Girl

Chapter 73

Kharyn's POV

Perched upon the throne that was once her father's, Kharyn, the half-human Goblin Queen, felt the weight of her crown as if it were the mountain itself pressing down upon her brow. Her heart ached with a sorrow that none of her subjects could fathom. To them, she was the steadfast ruler, the unyielding monarch who would lead them to glory against the realms of men. But within the quiet chambers of her mind, a tempest of regret and longing raged.

War had never been her desire. Since ascending to the throne, she had dreamt of an era where goblins could emerge from the shadows of mistrust and find their place within the tapestry of the greater world. Yet, the legacy of her father, King Orndmun's, promise to Queen Orddu of the Orcs bound her to a path she had never chosen.

Orddu, the fierce matriarch of the Orcs, had never seen humans as a genuine threat. The Orcs and Goblins had been allies of circumstance, and the Ogres, with their brutish strength and insatiable hunger for power, were the true menace. But Orndmun's vow, sealed in the depths of time, had knotted their fates together, and now Kharyn was ensnared within it.

Kharyn's keen intellect saw through the facade that had been orchestrated by the Ogre Empress, Thalia. It was Thalia's machinations that had entwined their destinies, her cunning that had convinced her father and Orddu of threats and alliances that served only to elevate the Ogres' position. The Ogres held leverage over Orddu, a secret that Kharyn had yet to uncover, but one that clearly forced the Orc Queen's hand.

As she sat in her throne, the ambient light of the goblin forges casting an eerie glow upon her conflicted features, Kharyn resolved to chart a new course. She summoned her most trusted advisor, a goblin of great wisdom and loyalty, and shared with him her plan to extend an olive branch to the Tri-Queendom.

"Send an emissary to the human rulers," Kharyn instructed, her voice a whisper that carried the weight of her conviction. "Seek an audience on my behalf. Tell them that Queen Kharyn of the Goblins wishes to discuss a truce, to bring an end to this senseless war."

Her advisor bowed deeply, understanding the gravity of the task. "And what of the Orcs, my queen?" he inquired, his eyes betraying his concern.

Kharyn's gaze hardened with resolve. "Send a messenger to Queen Orddu as well. Tell her that I know she sees the Ogres as the true threat just as I do. Urge her to join us in seeking peace. It is time we reveal the truth of Thalia's lies and unite against the common foe that seeks to dominate us all."

Her advisor nodded, the gears of intrigue already turning in his mind. He understood the risks, but the potential for peace was a chance worth taking. With a silent promise to carry out her will, he departed to set the plan into motion.

As the echoes of her advisor's footsteps faded, Kharyn allowed herself a moment of vulnerability. Her thoughts drifted to the realms of men , to the Tri-Queendom where the rulers fought with the ferocity of cornered beasts against the forces that her father had unwittingly bound them to. She thought of the warriors on both sides who laid down their lives for a cause that was not truly theirs, for a conflict that was born from deception and manipulation.

Kharyn's heart was not devoid of compassion; it ached for those lost and for the blood that stained the hands of all races involved in this tragic war. The goblins, her people, were not evil by nature, but they had been cast as villains in the eyes of many. Now, she yearned for the chance to rewrite the narrative, to show that peace was possible between their kinds.

She stood from her throne, her gaze sweeping across the dimly lit hall of her ancestors. If her plan were to succeed, it would not only halt the senseless slaughter but could also reshape the future for all their realms. Kharyn was fully aware that her actions could be seen as a betrayal by her allies, the Orcs, and as a sign of weakness by her enemies, the Ogres. Yet, the prospect of a lasting peace, one carved from understanding and unity, was worth the gamble.