Chapter 7:

Kara was stumbling to stand up with the heavy metal sword.

She wishes to own a gold one like her mother one day. But to possess a golden sword you have to be the ruler of the kingdom.

And it's not like her mother wants her to be the queen anyway.

She's watched and observed her mother since she was little. Her mother never let her in the ball and never let her participate in any of the hunting competitions or even the beauty pageants held once every year for the most beautiful princess.

'You will only bring shame.' is what she said to her every time.

'I think my mom hates me.' she choked as tears flowed down both her cheeks like a waterfall. Peanut sat on her lap and stroked her cheeks wiping her trears away.

'Thanks.' she sniffed.

The memory of her mom slapping her kept playing in her head not letting her sleep at all. She layed in bed scared of what will happen next.

Will her mother disown her? Will her dreams of becoming the next queen turn to dust? What will happen to her of her mother sends her away not wanting her anymore?

She sprung up from her bed not wanting to imagine what would happen if that was her reality.

'How can I prove her I am good enough?' she put her palm on her face and rubbed her temples. Peanut crawled up and was sleeping beside her.

She tiptoed across the hall so she wouldn't wake anyone up. Especially her mother. There's only one way she could prove herself.

The annual warrior competititon. Each of the soldiers are given a certain number of tasks to complete.

If they win, they get a grand prize. If they don't, they are disqualified out of the game.

The grand prize is different every year. the queen decides the prize. If she's impressed, she gives you a special role to play in her castle.

Most of the generals and commanders here are winners or people who played very well and had a lot of potential in them.

Anyone from the age of 16 can play it. Kara is still 14, she still has 2 years to prepare for it. But 2 years looks like a shorter time given the hard tasks they are meant to do. One time, every one of them got the task to swim through a pit of lava.

Most of them drowned or burnt down. Only one of them survuved, and he had wild scars when he came out.

The thought of doing that made her shudder.

I can't live with hideaous scars, how would I win the bearuty pagaents then? she thought to herself.

The castle was silent.

Everything was still except for the lit fire, dancing and crackling because of the light coming through the window. The guards were asleep.

Only the ones with the night shift were awake. She went outsisde the palace gates and found herself in a peaceful state.

The outside had a magical effect.

The cool breeze and the round moon was majestic as ever. When she was outside, she felt free like the wind.

No amount of gold can buy this amount of freedom and no amount of luxury can be compared to mother nature herself.

That's about a few things she and her mother agree.

Her mother held all her competitons outside and she even does her paperwork outside someitmes. But now the threat of the enemy is near, she has to work inside to maintain confidentiality.

'Face it. The kingdom is falling apart. The people are hungry and weak. They have nothing left to eat. And now Graxil wants to take control. Our only chance of survival is to surrender.' she heard the commander say it to her mother. But the queen is a stubborn woman. She never surrenders no matter how hard and despreate the situation is.

She always admired her for that.

BANG! she heard a sound from the ground. The whole ground was shaking and as a result she lost balance and landed on the cool muddy floor.

Everyone had woken up by the monstorous sound and went to check on what happened.

'What in the name of-' Another sound followed up the previous louder. now everyone was just panicking.

'Princess Kara?' she heard someone calling her.

It was Ming, her personal maid. Ming rushed outside to see if the princess was there.

She had escaped before she reached.

'Oh my god, where has she took off now?' the maid groaned, gotten used to the princess always rushing outside and gone for days.

Kara had ran off to find the source of the sound. It was coming from the dungeon.

She silently and slowly sneaked past the startled guards and went to find him. He was exactly like the maids described: long, blue-hair with a shade of purple and matching diamond eyes that gleam even in the dimmest light.

'wow…' she admired the lad. He was what, 15? he looked much younger and older at the same time.

His height showed him like he was bigger than the others but his measly arms looked like he was a new-born lamb.

It's not her first time seeing a boy, she thinks all boys are weird, and all of them are egoistic and selfish brats.

He's just strange and meek.

Cyran however, was too busy analyzing to see that Kara was staring at him.

'I need you to make us something to eat so my people won't starve.' The queen demanded.

'why? Don't you have enough food?' he asked, confused.

'Unfortuantely, our food supply is not as abundant as our iron. We are traders and we mostly do trading, but the past few years, Graxil cut off ties with us and so did the other nations. We now have to fend for ourselves.' She sighed.

Kara's stomach churned on hearing that. She had been ignorant about the famine and did nothing to help.

But her mother never let her help or do anything…

'oh.' He replied.

'Sidn't you grow any food in your own nation?'

'How? It barely rains and for most of the year the soil is dried up. There is no possibe way to grow plants across the whole country.' She replied somberly.

Cyran thought deep about her statement.

The people can't grow plants because they don't have any water. Water is scarce and hence food is also scarce.

'If that's the problem, then we'll make it rain.'