Their faces transformed like heavy clouds hovering in front of the sun darkening everything in its way. These monster will surely pay, Balencia instigated in her mind as she plotted a revenge sweeter than the sweetness of life itself. They all watched to see what the neverending warrior had planned next, she had almost become their leader that even Laham himself fell into following her orders. She turned around slowly ready to march out of the kingdom and with every step she took, golden electricity radiated out of her veins like an eel touching prey.
As the visitors of kingdom Laham marched out of kingdom Saqatuu, Balencia's eyes fell upon the weapon of Malaa, the flame blade. It was encaptured like a trophy in a glass standing cabinet on display for everyone to see. The sheer sight of the display enraged Balencia "how dare they show off their betrayal like that?!" She roared thinking back at how they had treated Malaa and banned her from her own home. Balencia could no longer hold her anger in as it had become that of boiling water under a pressure cooker. The femme fatale marched to the glass cabinet and exploded the glass into fragments grabbing the flame blade.
"ZHOOM" the blade clanged as it touched the warm skin of the vixen. It had been locked up for so long that it had forgotten the touch of a human, a warrior.
"Lalzari what are you doing?!" Talbazar panicked and became severely stressed by Balencia's ongoing destruction and provocation.
"Shhhh let my jewel be" Laham snapped silencing the weak marshal in an instant.
The king's men came running to stop Balencia from taking their artifact. "THIEF! THIEF! DON'T YOU DARE STEAL!" They yelled as they rushed towards her only to stop in front of her. Their bodies were hesitant and frightened for they saw how Balencia's eyes had turned a burning shade of suntanned brown and her golden light had turned her pale blue veins a gleaming gold.
"Displayable betrayal I see. The thief is he who takes from the innocent" Balencia bellowed as she turned her back towards the soldiers marching out of the kingdom. The flame blade dragging along the marble floors creating a faint trail of fire behind her.
As soon as they re-entered kingdom Laham everyone rushed to prepare for queen Qasin. The finest jewels and crystals were being put out on display and running water underneath the castle floors for what better way to show your wealth than excessive water whilst your people are dying of thirst.
Mareeb rushed towards Balencia with a look on his face she had seen before, this was his face of anguish. "O-Omid! Vultana is residing by the rivers but she is furious and asked to see you asap! Zunaid has requested a banquet for you and asked you to come to the tents before dawn! And Khushboo... I don't know what but she's acting strange you must see to her!" Mareeb stressed frustrated and nervous.
"Mareeb I can't see to all these issues Qasin is coming! There's too many things!" Balencia answered as the tightness in her chest grabbed her like doors closing in a small space.
Mareeb had a moment of silence before he continued "Omid... with all due respect, there's no such thing as too many things anymore. You're going to be the next ruler and the one to save us all. We are all relying on you." The words hung heavy on Balencia's head yet she could feel the honour behind them.
"You're right. Tell Vultana I shall see her after I've seen Zunaid. I shall take the horse and ride after Qasin's visit. Inform them asap." Balencia commanded knowing that now was the time of change and her reign was growing ever so close. She had to deliver the way she promised.
"The weight of this land grows heavy. But I'll have to prosper" the dutiful warrior told herself as her thoughts became clearer and the clouds had let the sun seep through.
*DUM DU DUM* The sound erupted as Qasin's carriages approached the kingdom, the soldiers stood in straight lines, the king in his finest clothing on his crystallised throne and maids serving huge platters of food that no one would touch.
The doors of the castle swung open as lo and behold Queen Qasin stepped in. This was the first time Balencia had ever seen the monster of a woman. And she was nothing of that which Balencia had imagined.
For a woman who did such evil and destroyed so much hope she was much smaller in stature, at the most 5'5". She was cloaked in a midnight blue dress that was decorated with endless feathers on the end that left a trail behind her as she walked in. Her face was small and chin sharp with small rosy cheeks that which men in war would dream of coming home to. Yet her alluring eyes were shaped like crystals themselves, a golden brown outlined in a ocean blue. Her hair was no where to be seen for it hid behind her endless jewels and golden metal decorations. A set of golden circles, wings, ovals and crystals at every center more decorative than all of the castles in the land. Her skin was a pale fair colour like wheat before its harvested.
"Laham! I've travelled all this way! Shall I not be served?" Qasin said in the most seductive voice that could have ever existed. Someone like Laham could quickly fold and give in to such a woman. The king lifted his finger at the maids whom rushed over to Qasin pouring her a glass of Laham's finest grape juice. Qasin locked her cherry blossom lips around the cup gulping it all down in one sip.
"Tsk tsk ahhhhh, not as bitter as I remember it. Seems like you've been wasting your money on other things than harvest huh?" The queen bespoke.
"Hmph. Oh Qasin it's been a long time. What has brought you to my kingdom after all these years? Afraid of Saqatuu hmm?" The king snapped back like a snake waiting for his prey to let their guard down. Qasin's face turned furious and vengeful, she hated Laham with all her heart yet she was here begging for his alliance.
"You need me Laham. You really do. Forget your deal with Saqatuu and I'll give you what you always wanted" Qasin said with a smile of a million lies. Balencia watched everything happen trying to keep up yet her eyes fell upon Khushboo who looked uneasy and in great discomfort.
"Crap! I forgot to speak to her!" Balencia mumbled to herself as her eyes flashed between the two power sources and Khushboo. When her eyes were to lay on Khushboo again she was gone.
"W-what do you mean Qasin?... You're not... You're not talking about the emerald of youth are you?!" Laham stuttered his eyes filled with lust for eternity.
"You've always wanted the emerald that keeps anyone youthful haven't you? Well I have it with me and it's all yours if you sign an alliance with me right here!" Qasin explained pulling out a stone tinier than that of a peanut. Green and glowing.
"Pathetic! This jewel won't grant anyone anything. How has Laham survived so long on this throne with how stupid he is!" Balencia said angered by the sheer stupidity of her hier.
"YES YES! WE HAVE AN ALLIANCE QASIN! GIVE ME THE JEWEL!" Laham roared as his soldiers grabbed the alliance scroll handing it to a desperate king who stribbeled down his signature and reached his hands out for the jewel like a child.
In that moment as Qasin was about to hand the jewel a loud BOOM rang the ears of everyone in the castle. A bullet raced through the room like a plane in the sky before puncturing the back of Qasin's shoulder. The queen screamed in pain falling to the ground.
"ARHHH someone's trying to assassinate me! You find them and kill them if you want your jewel Laham!" Qasin groaned.
But without much time to waste the soldiers had already caught the sniper and brought them in immediately to Laham. Qasin was moaning in pain as medics aided her. The soldiers threw the sniper on the ground and as soon as Balencia saw her face she gasped.
"Crap! Khushboo! I should've known!" The once maid of Laham was kneeling on the floor in front of the two power sources.
"I don't regret a thing! Qasin and her orphanage hell has put so many through a pain you could never imagine! I only ever regret not trying to assassinate her sooner, don't worry though I'll kill you one day!" Khushboo said fiercely with an edge that Balencia could never have imagined the innocent maid had in her.
"I... I was too late. I've failed once more" Balencia mumbled.
"I want her Laham! My prison is far worse than yours!" Qasin commanded as Laham nodded in approval.
"I'll take her to Qasin's carriage!" Balencia interrupted.
Balencia walked next to Khushboo with the soliders guarding any form of escape. "What were you thinking Khushboo! How am I going to get you out of this?!" Balencia said angered.
"I'm sorry... I couldn't watch her and not do anything!" Khushboo contuined with no fear for what was about to happen to her.
"Khushboo they're going to torture you like no other! There was a better way to do this! You should have come to me!" Balencia roared angry at herself for not being able to save Khushboo but potentially have lost another battle. Balencia escorted Khushboo into the carriage and bend down to whisper a gleam of hope.
"Don't worry Khushboo I'll come save you! Just hold on a little longer!"
"Don't worry I never despair. I'll live for I live to see your reign Balencia!" Khushboo said with a smile filled with endless hope.
"How did you know about Balencia?" The golden warrior asked confused to how she knew it was her.
"Everyone knows the warrior Balencia will save us all. But I know who she actually is. Do it Balencia, reign!" Khushboo said with a power in her voice that Balencia could never betray. Things were going to get tough now and Balencia now knew she had to work fast, effective, and strategic.
"Once fires are ablaze the forests will light up with my flames, not the smoke of corruption" Balencia bellowed as she watched the clouds in the skies cover the canopy.