Crown of Purple Fire (English)

~XIX~

The Palace of Aschere was in ruins once again. Not that the Queen cared, of course. Considering she just burnt down half of what was already left of Sterling Stone, the ruined palace in ruins once again wasn't a sight to see.

Tessa flew up to the throne room, and saw the nests resting on each side in the air, and a broken chandelier just a tip away from falling. The sky was a dark shade of grey, the same as Yasmine's charred coat. Speak of the devil, Tessa saw the carcass of the fox just lying at the centre of it all, and shrugged it off as if it were casual.

She slowly approached the majestic chair up many steps, and took in the sight as each thorn stuck out more and more, and she was inches away from touching her birthright-

"Tess," a voice croaked behind her.

She turned around to see Rhian, with an expression of utter horror and disgust. Tears streamed down his face as he yelled at her, "Have you lost your damn mind?!"

"I had to, Rhian," Tessa replied quietly. "It was the only way."

"Don't say that to me," Rhian snarled. "It was not the only way and you know it."

"It was the only way I could do it. If I surrendered to her then attacked her, the city would have viewed me as a tyrant."

Rhian was taken aback. "And burning down the city itself would not?"

"They'll think that now," Tessa assured. "But over time, they'll learn to trust me. To listen to me. To love me."

"You really think that?" Rhian asked.

Tessa stepped away from the throne and came toward him. Even coming so far as to hug him. But she stopped an inch away, and said, "I don't think that. I know that."

"You know that you will be good?"

"I know that I will be better. I know what is good, because I am good." Tessa smiled. "But we cannot settle for that, darling. Oh, no." She flew up to the sky, amidst the ash, and said aloud, "ANIMALS OF RAVANYN!"

Rhian looked up, and saw her morph into a bigger version of herself-- much, much bigger. Words from a language he didn't understand glowed within her body, each character a bright, majestic stroke. "YOU HAVE BEEN RELEASED FROM THE REIGN OF THE MISERABLE FOX QUEEN. THE USURPER WHO BURNT MY FATHER AND TOOK THE CROWN FOR HERSELF.

"BUT HER REIGN IS NOW OVER. I AM YOUR QUEEN NOW, AND YOU WILL BOW TO ME AND FIND A WORLD BETTER THAN THE ONE YOU WERE BORN IN. I AM NOT SORRY FOR CAUSING THIS PAIN TO YOU, BUT YOU WILL LEARN THAT WITHIN TIME, IT WAS FOR YOUR OWN GOOD. YOU HAVE SWORN FEALTY TO THE USURPER, AND USUALLY, THAT IS AN ACT THAT NO QUEEN COULD FORGIVE. BUT I FORGIVE YOU. YOU HAVE RECEIVED YOUR JUST PUNISHMENT, AND IN A FEW DAYS, YOU WILL SWEAR YOUR LIVES TO ME, AS WE CONTINUE TO CONQUER THE WORLD."

Tessa continued, "ANIMALS OF IASSHAR! YOU HAVE JOINED ME IN MY CAUSE, AND FOUGHT THE WAR I PREPARED YOU FOR."

That honor goes to Efren and his wolves, you fool, Rhian wanted to say. But he couldn't. His voice couldn't possibly be heard, as the sound of his beloved's has echoed across the land.

"YOU SUPPORTED ME WHILE I WAS STILL THE WIFE OF A TYRANNICAL EAGLE. WELL, SOME OF YOU ANYWAY," Some birds from the crowd laughed. "AND IT IS FOR THAT, I THANK YOU. BUT I AM AFRAID YOUR SERVICE WILL BE REQUIRED OF A LITTLE LONGER.

"YOU SEE, I HAVE DECIDED THAT I MIGHT HAVE RECLAIMED MY HOME, BUT THAT WAS ONLY A PORTION OF MY DESTINY. I HAVEN'T SIMPLY GAINED THE POWER, THE SOUL OF THE ALL JUST SO I CAN LOOK BACK IN THE PAST. NO, I EARNED THE ALL IN ORDER TO FULFIL MY DUTY HERE IN THIS WORLD-TO LEAVE IT A BETTER PLACE THAN I FOUND IT. AND YOU WILL ALL HELP ME.