Lalzari had left Ahmali by the Kingdom gates watching her yearning for Lalzari to stay with her. But as she let go of her hand she knew Malaa would help her back home, she's always watching anyways. Lalzari slammed open the door to the King's room as she walked in to the executiononors den. She saw Laham standing by the window looking out with a grin that meant no good.
Lalzari slowly approached the window carefully and cautiously like a mouse avoiding the cheese trap. And as she came closer to the opening breeze she saw a pile of corpses, red liquid spilling from them like a busted pipe erupting blood from the sewers.
"What happened?" Lalzari examined trying to keep her voice as steady and calm as possible. The king wiped the small splash of blood off his face, that probably had landed during his shooting genocide. The dry blood just smeared out more over his cheek marking him with the deaths of many.
"Oh my Jewel, they're just peasants! They tried starting a revolution so I had to remind them who is king" Laham growled with a satisfied smirk planted on his sick face. Lalzari stayed quiet as thoughts rushed through her mind. Am I being too slow? So many lives are being lost! I'm running out of time and people are dying... Because of ME!
Suddenly, the doors slammed open once again and Talbazar walked in with black smoke surrounding him like a tornado of darkness that had leeched onto him becoming one with his aura. Lalzari tried to keep up with all the happenings but she was slowly becoming disoriented as the smell of oozing blood and decaying bodies filled the airspace so thickly it has planted its footprint on her taste buds.
"The Naida's are dead" Talbazar announced and he stood looking terribly disappointed in the success of Lalzari's mission from the king. The sickened vixen gathered all her energy to stay focused now that so many eyes were on her. She had to show confidence like never before.
"Told you I'd get rid of them" Lalzari stated, choosing her words wisely to not have any holes for Talbazar to see through. The king became ecstatic jumping up and down like a pathetic child. He brushed his fingers together and came behind Lalzari embracing her with satisfaction. Lalzari closed her eyes in utter disgust from his touch. His scent bringing her great discomfort, a constant reminder that her body isn't hers.
The doors to the room slammed open for the third time and the King's men came in with the bodies of deceased children from the protesting civilians. Once the bodies came closer Lalzari could see a clear outline around their faces, the skin on their face had been cut off. The king let go of Lalzari and in a manic fashion jolted to the bodies lifting the face of child and placing it on his own as if they were a face mask served to make him more youthful.
"Mmmmmm, how I've missed this" Laham hissed as he drew circular motion on the face mask like he was trying to make sure it penetrated as deep into the skin as possible. He took another face off one of the children and gave it to Lalzari "try it my jewel! We shall be youthful forever love".
Lalzari's whole body shook as she reached for the hanging piece of skin drooping from the king's grip. Why am I doing these things? Am I just like him? The confused vixen argued as she placed the face on hers but immediately threw it away with a clear disgust on her face. Her skin started tingling with an overwhelming sensation of numbness, a sudden dread hit her core splaying her fingers out like a fan on her chest and lightly clasping her throat. Lalzari gave a quick bark of laughter as she continued.
"That's disgusting! My youth will come from within I don't need this!" Her clever answer making it seem like she was "too good" for a child's mask rather than disgusted by the sickness that had plagued the kingdom.
Throughout it all, Talbazar was analysing Lalzari, starring her down and analysing her every movement. Her body language wasn't matching her words or attitude and Talbazar was able to see right through all of that.
"No one can defy death, it will come and take you, making you grow old, blurring your speech and movements, making you completely unable" Lalzari said as she was starring down Talbazar. Even though she was talking to Laham who didn't even hear her as he was seemingly too busy keeping himself youthful, her eyes was threatening Talbazar.
"Miss Lalzari, death is for the weak. I know you've seen a lot of deaths but perhaps they were never fit enough to survive" he answers back knowing exactly what words to strike the vulnerable vixen. Yet, she didn't let his words affect her, not this time.
"Mr. oh big magic man you would know since you're always hiding behind that thick layer of black smoke" offending Talbazar and his ego. He was most proud of his magic and criticising it would only anger him. Before he had a chance to say more Lalzari wiped the blood off her face as she announced she was leaving and left the room as traveling light to thunder.
Lalzari walked into the room where Mareeb was waiting for her with a smile on his face. Lalzari decided to smile back and let the past slide, she had far too much on the line to be worrying about her own codependency. Mareeb took her smile as an invitation and uttered "Omid! Seems like you missed me!"
Missing you doesn't mean I forgive you any more than your silence means you're sorry. Lalzari announced in her mind as she replied with a "mmhmm" and gave a side smile trying not to let her emotions get the best of her.
But even though Lalzari didn't want to get into the whole deal with Mareeb again she felt it was her right to remind him she had been disrespected. "Mareeb..." She took out a silver diamond ring from a little bag under her pillow and glided it on her ring finger. The sharp light hitting the diamond so intensely that rays of lights filled the room.
"Jamshar is my husband. He might be dead but he beats within me, if you say he's dead I die all over again" the weary vixen said firmly making it clear to never mention anything negative about her husband again.
"O-... Omid... I didn't know..." Mareeb uttered in great surprise to an unknown being married.
"He was the best husband. He loved me so dearly. Took care of me. But he had to go. Time has never been with us." She said with her eyes fixated on the shimmering diamond.
"Omid... I had no idea the unknown could be married" Mareeb uttered looking down at the floor in shame of saying such outrageous things about someone's family.
"There's a lot you don't know about the unknown so it's better not to speak of what you don't know" the emotional femme fetal boasted as Mareeb nodded in acceptance.
The two hadn't noticed a maid come in to fix the covers and tidy up, she listened intensely to the conversation and slowly closed the door as she came behind Lalzari.
"You're highness?" She spoke. She had big oval shaped light brown eyes that glistens as if she was constantly about to weep. Her nose was beyond unique, which was a tale tail sign that she wasn't from there. Her lips were narrow yet plump like dark mulberry plums as they ripen. Her copper hair was tied back in a high ponytail, with a choppy fringe framing her sharp pinned face. Her skin the colour of oatmeal.
Lalzari nodded giving her permission to speak. "I've been hearing your conversation... Not because I'm eavesdropping... I just... I've been waiting for someone like you! You're highness there's much you don't know! I'm from Kingdom Qasin on the North side! Talbazar is Queen Qasin's first son and she wanted him to be king but the man was weak and couldn't fight so instead he made girls pregnant and his disgrace made him flee the kingdom! Qasin is cruel though! She has concentration camps filled with my people all because of our beliefs! I'm going to get revenge and kill her but my plan is bigger than that! My plan collides with you! Your Highness!!! If you want to take down the king you must find the rebelling civilians and make alliances with them!" Lalzari stood in shock there was so much more to everything that she thought. Everything was truly connected.
"What's your name?" Lalzari asked the maid that looked too young to have been through pain.
"Khushboo" she answered.
"Okay, Khushboo I need you to be my eyes and ears in this Kingdom because I'll be leaving and coming back! I need you to report back to me about anything! Where do I find the rebellious?" Lalzari firmly stated as she threw on her shawl and wrapped it around her head and body.
"Yes, you'll find them in the town. In the houses with blue flowers at the front. But your Highness the magic Talbazar has is stolen. And the Kingdom of Qasin is evil! They're cleansing out my kind! There's only a few of us left! No one knows I'm from Kingdom Qasin you must not tell anyone!" Khushboo panicked with the look of terror and regret filling her eyes as she realised she had told a complete stranger her deepest darkest secrets.
"Don't worry Khushboo! You can trust me! I've suffered too much to ever betray the sincere!" Lalzari's words being a blanket of comfort for Khushboo as she seemed to regain trust to the blessed warrior. Lalzari tied her shawl at the front ready to head out.
"Omid, you need sleep!" Mareeb said as he grabbed her wrist in attempt to make her stay. Lalzari looked at Mareeb with an emptied look for she had officially brought out her inner warrior, there was no more time to waste.
"I need to protect, Mareeb" she roared.