Xena took a step back and caught her opponent's arm mid-air. She twisted it and her opponent crumbled to the floor. Her opponent leaped back up and kicked her in the face, "Is that all you got Princess?"
Xena howled in pain and coddled her chin in her hand. That hurt way more than she would care to admit. Her blood was pounding, and she could taste the mix of blood and saliva in her mouth. She spat on the floor and circled left, going in for a quick jab. Her opponent dived right and Xena saw someone entering the room out of the corner of her eye. Her eyes were tearing up and her vision was blurred. She needed to win this session.
Xena let out a scream and tackled her opponent back to the ground breathlessly. She took out her dagger, Sabule, that was stored away in her shoe. She took the scabbard off and pressed the butt of Sabule on her opponent's neck. Her opponent chuckled and smiled in approval, moving Sabule away from her face, "Well done Ms. Jade. I think that's all for today."
Xena got up and pushed her black curls out of her face. She gasped for air and helped her opponent up as well. They bowed to each other and exchanged pleasantries. She loved the fact that her sessions were so brutal. It was amazing to have finally found a sparing teacher that didn't baby her. Ms. Rania went easy on her, but she let her have it at times. Xena waved her out the door, "I'll see you next week Ms. Rania."
She glanced around and started tidying up The Battle Room, which is what she preferred to call it. It was on the bottom floor of the castle and didn't have any windows. The walls were painted with yellow and green stripes. There were weapons on all the walls and the floor was covered with a special mat that softened the fall, everything about it just screamed Battle Room. Xena crouched down and picked up the abandoned swords they were using at the beginning of the fight and hung them on the wall. Training day was by far her favorite part of the week. It had been minutes since the fight, but she still felt the adrenaline coursing through her. It was exhilarating.
She turned to face Imani, the Queen's third advisor. She had been waiting patiently for some time now, "Yes?" Xena asked, acknowledging her.
Imani bowed her head a little, "Your mother asked you to take over her activities for the day. She and all the other advisors, myself included, will be occupied until further notice. An urgent matter has risen."
"Really, like what?"
Imani dropped her voice and looked around before speaking, "The Ikha has been reported stolen."
Xena took a step back. The Ikha was gone? How was that even possible?
"Do you know who stole it?" she asked, trying to get a read on Imani's face. She looked worried, and there were bags under her eyes. Xena had always thought of Imani as an aunt or a respected elder. It was weird seeing her so off guard, so vulnerable.
The Ikha was the symbolic message of peace between the four realms and was guarded day and night. The small sphere was passed around between the realms on occasion and had been signed by the founders. It was about twice the size of her hand and was painted in accordance with the flags of the realms. Xena herself had only seen it a handful of times, that's how guarded it was. She couldn't believe it was gone.
Imani shook her head, "Your mom is having dozens of people try to trace the Ikha, but it's so sacred, no one thought to put a tracker on it. We think that a gang in the Fifth Realm may have taken it."
Xena nodded trying to take it all in. It didn't make any sense to her though. Why would the Fifth Realm steal the Ikha? They had done nothing but help them! And how did they get in Everstan anyway?
Imani cleared her throat, "Your mother is booked for the day and so are the rest of the advisors. She asked that you fill in for her. She had a graduation to attend, and an unscheduled visit to the nearby farm. It's not her usual workload, a bit odd if you ask me, but regardless, she wants you to get on it."
"Ah, yes, I guess I can take over for now," said Xena, "I just have to bathe, then I'll get right to it.
"Don't forget to take off that precious locket, wouldn't want it to wither away, now would we?"
"I won't," said Xena, smiling at Imani as she left, she had always looked out for her. It was a sweet thought.
Xena held her locket for a moment and took it off with care. Her father had given it to her when she was a baby, or so she was told. He had passed away when she was around three in an unexpected car accident. The only memory she had of him was when he read her bedtime stories, and she wasn't even sure about that. Everything she knew about him was told to her by her mother.
Later that day Xena threw on a ruffled dress and a pair of jeans. She was going to have to take over for her mother for the day, might as well dress nice. She put her locket back on and braided her curly black hair. Her mother, Queen Vera of Everstan, was a busy woman. She always had some meetings to attend to, or a party to go to. Xena accompanied her at times, but it felt empowering knowing that her mother trusted her to take over. Xena put on a little golden crown and applied lotion on her rich black skin.
She grabbed her phone and jogged out of the castle and into the car that was waiting for her outside.
"Where to Princess Jade?" the driver asked.
"Regille School for Girls."
She felt a prickle of excitement and tried to suppress a smile. He had called her princess, usually, he referred to her as Ms. Jade because he was a family friend. She sat up straighter and attempted to act more profound. The car ride was smooth and peaceful. She looked out the window and watched the trees and houses go by. Eversville, the capital of Everstan was filled with farms. They passed multiple on the way to the school. Other parts of Everstan were more diverse in landscapes and had more houses, parks, and malls, but Everstan was known for its farms. It was their most profitable asset. They made so many jems off of corn, beans, and other agricultural goods. Xena beamed knowingly, it was why Everstan was the richest realm.
She got out of the car and walked into the school. The building was huge and had a nice green lawn on all sides. A guard let her in and Xena gave her a small smile. The hallways in the school were brightly lit and were long and narrow. There were paintings of famous women on all sides, Xena noted her mother on the wall as she walked towards the ceremony. The auditorium was beautifully lit, and it was painted rose gold. There were awards hanging on the walls and a red carpet covered the floor.
It had already begun, so Xena slipped in, trying not to disturb anyone. All the heads turned as she took her seat at the front and shook hands with the girls that were walking the stage. The girls looked delighted as their headmistress handed them their certificates. Xena sat in her comfy chair and watched the heartfelt ceremony, it was a sight to see.
"Princess Jade, how nice of you to join us," said the headmistress.
All the graduates and their family were packed into a little room at the end of the ceremony. Xena blushed, "It's my pleasure."
"Why don't you give these young women advice, and maybe your thoughts on what they should pursue as they grow older?"
Xena fidgeted with her dress, social interactions weren't really her strong suit. It was one thing to shake hands and smile, it was a whole other thing to give life advice. "Well... There are a lot of openings in the Tech Field. And they can-"
"What's it like being next in line for the throne? Are you going to have an arranged marriage?" asked a graduate. She had fiery red hair and was wide-eyed.
Everyone turned towards Xena. She felt her face heat up, she would literally give anything to get out of this situation. She looked around at the group of girls. There were about 30 of them and they were all about 15, a year younger than Xena was. Xena thought about her mother, and what she would do in this kind of situation. "What's it like being a proud Eversonian? Did your parents have an arranged marriage?" She asked, answering her question with another question.
Xena regretted the words the second they left her mouth. She could see the confusion on their faces, this wasn't going well.
"I love being an Eversonian," said the girl, saving Xena from humiliation. "And I want to be one of the Queen's five advisors when I grow up, so one of your five advisors."
Xena nodded at her, encouraging her to go on.
"And I would probably marry a friend, or maybe just not get married at all. I feel like in the day and age we live in, men aren't even a necessity."
"Yeah," said the rest of the girls cheering her on.
The girl went on, loving the spotlight. Her fiery red hair bobbed up and down as she talked, "I mean, all men do is work in the field and factories anyway. I would get married if I found true love, but otherwise, I would just stick to work." She glanced at Xena and smiled sweetly, "Which will hopefully be being the Queen's advisor. I hear they get a lot of jems."
The headmistress jumped in, "Girls, girls. Finding a job isn't about how much jems you make. It's about whether or not you enjoy it. And I know our society is run by women, but men are of equal importance." She shot the girl a dirty look. "Which you learned in Realm History 101, Bailey." The headmistress said Bailey's name in a threatening tone, causing her to shrink into a corner.
Xena tried not to laugh, Bailey was saying some offensive things, but she saved her, so Xena was willing to let it slide. Xena shook hands with all the graduates, took a couple of pictures, and kissed a few babies. She left in a hurry, promising she would visit at a later time. The Regille School for Girls was the most elite school in Everstan, so she would definitely be back for a visit. Xena felt a little down as she got back into the car. She envied the girls at the school. They were all friends, got to go to school every day, and just do normal activities. Xena had been schooled at home her entire life and didn't have many friends of her own, so it hit hard seeing the girls tear up when they graduated, knowing they would grow apart. It must be nice having friends, Xena thought. She chuckled to herself, she probably wouldn't know how to talk to them anyway.
They headed back to the castle and stopped by a farm on the way. Xena did a quick inventory and spoke to some of the field workers. They were on their break. Most of them were praying to Zara, the Goddess of life, a couple of people were praying to other things, and some were not praying at all and were just goofing off. Xena looked around at them and decided that she didn't care what Bailey thought. She believed the work the men did was of the same importance the women did, even if society didn't acknowledge it. Gender equality and equal rights were valued beliefs in Everstan. Even though the realm was run by women, they still believed the men made all the difference.
After the car ride, Xena walked into the castle defeated, running a realm was more difficult than it looked. Her mother just made it look effortless. She went up to the Briefing Room and knocked on the door. "Any updates on the Ikha situation?" she asked, walking into the room.
Her mother and her advisors looked up at Xena and stopped their hushed whispers. "Close the door," called her mother. Xena closed the door and had a seat at the long table.
"We called an international meeting. The Ikha was on Eversonian property when it was stolen, so it's up to us to make amends."
"What?" said Xena. She didn't think it was that serious.
Her mother looked up at her. Xena felt knots forming in her stomach. She didn't like seeing her mom like this. She was usually so well put together and calm. Her face looked drained, and she had bags under her eyes. She looked like she was carrying the weight of the world on her shoulders, and in a way, she was.
"Tell the handmaidens to get the guest rooms ready. All the leaders from Khethinia, Shlow, and Lagor will be joining us tomorrow to discuss the matters at hand. This cannot, and it will not leave this room. Is that understood?"
Xena nodded, she felt the blood drain from her face, what the hell was going on?
"This is an international crisis. The only symbol of peace between the four realms has been stolen and we don't know by what or whom. We need to act now."