Chapter 6 - A Viper's Revenge

King Raglan was on his throne with Queen Lavila sitting on his right and an angry Prince Meelzib on his left. Bowing down below in chains was a bruised and beaten man in his underwear.

Two guards stood by his sides waiting for orders on what to do with him. The man was helplessly weeping and trembling in fear. The sound of his sobs echoed around the throne room.

"Three months ago, you were caught red-handed with my son's ruby encrusted robe, weren't you?" King Raglan asked the man.

"Yes, your majesty. Please have mercy on me." he begged.

"Why did you steal from the prince of this kingdom?" King Raglan calmly asked him again.

"My wife and little children were starving, your majesty. Their constant cries of hunger forced me to commit this terrible crime. Please have mercy on me." He continued to weep after his confession.

King Raglan grunted annoyed, "How could you be starving when we pay all the castle servants for their services? Where were you taking your wages?" he harshly asked the man who screamed.

"Your majesty, great and powerful ruler of Dark Star, I hadn't been paid in two months." he explained.

"What?" King Raglan couldn't believe it.

"I angered her highness; Queen Lavila, by not cleaning to her expectations and she cut my wages as punishment." he sobbed.

Queen Lavila gasped, and got off her chair. Her scowl prominent and fists clenched. "Shut up! How dare you say such lies before the king? I should have you executed for this insolence!" She shouted at the man and he screamed.

"Silence woman! Speak only when you are spoken to!" King Raglan thundered and she fearfully sat back down.

King Raglan scowled at her before turning back to the man in chains. He looked at his guards and said, "This is my judgement. He is to be set free immediately. The three months he spent in the dungeon is punishment enough."

"Father!" Prince Meelzib angrily stood up in disbelief.

"Oh, thank you so much my king." the man cried tears of joy and bowed down several times in happiness.

"This matter is not up for debate." King Raglan said to Prince Meelzib and gestured to the guards to take the cleaner away.

Prince Meelzib clenched his fists in anger and walked back and forth in disgust. Queen Lavila scowled equally annoyed with King Raglan's decision. King Raglan on the other hand, maintained his composure and crossed his legs as he watched Meelzib throw another one of his classic tantrums when he didn't get his way.

"How could you let that thief go just like that?!" Prince Meelzib furiously raised his voice at King Raglan.

"Do not raise your voice at me, boy. Don't forget that I am your father and king." King Raglan maintained his composure, a hint of boredom in his tone. "Like I said, this matter isn't up for debate."

Prince Meelzib puffed his chest and dashed out. Queen Lavila got up to leave when King Raglan held her wrist and forced her to sit back down. She tensed at him inquisitively tilting his head.

I am finished. She internally yelped.

"Lavila, why did you punish the cleaner so severely?" King Raglan calmly asked her.

"I punished him because his incompetence humiliated me in front of my friends." Queen Lavila tried to justify herself.

King Raglan leaned back on his throne. Without looking at Queen Lavila, he said, "Let this be the last time that you do that. The people who work here have families to take care of. Those families suffer greatly when their only source of income is taken away."

Queen Lavila let out a soft cry and kissed King Raglan's hand. "I am so sorry, my king. I just get so angry sometimes that it makes me do things without thinking. It will not happen again." She sweetly said to him.

King Raglan reached out to her and wiped her tears. His warm eyes gazed into hers. "It's okay. There's no need for you to cry."

****

Sharaina and the gang had been on the road for two hours when they finally arrived in Vanimaq village. They rode further into the woods and behold was the party. Several teenage looking darkas gods were already drinking and dancing.

Light looked out the window and saw a band playing music for the crowd of dancers. The music excited the girls. As soon as the carriage stopped, Sharaina and Liss got out.

Light joined them out. He felt uneasy but he didn't dare to show it. He wasn't used to parties like that. He caught Sharaina smiling at him, and he awkwardly smiled back. Liss suddenly shrieked and hugged a young man. Light assumed that he was Nelex.

Nelex was visibly drunk. He got a handful of Liss's bum and kissed her deeply. Light faced away awkward. Nelex pulled away from Liss but she clinged onto his collar begging him for another kiss. Nelex kissed her on her forehead and whispered something to her that made her cool down.

Nelex put his hand over Liss's shoulder and extended his gamarax manipulator marked to Light in greeting. The wind gently blew on his short maroon hair. Like Light, Nelex was a gamarax manipulator.

With a clumsy grin, Nelex said, "I can't help but feel that I have seen you somewhere before."

"Maybe you saw me at the Great Academy." Light shook his hand.

Nelex laughed, "Yes, Light Velan! Wow, I didn't expect to see you here. What a pleasant surprise." he turned smiling to Sharaina. "So, Light is your boyfriend, huh?" he teased her.

"Shut up," Sharaina smirked.

"I just wanted to be happy for you." Nelex laughed and Liss joined him.

"She doesn't want to admit it." Liss added.

"Wow." was all Sharaina could say. 'Don't mind them.' She secretly mouthed to Light and he grinned.

Nelex hollered to a red haired gamarax manipulator by a bar, "Yo Geren! Come over here with a beer for Light."

Geren joined everyone and handed Light a cold one. Light hesitantly took it. Geren pulled Mayla away and they disappeared into the dancing crowd. Liss seductively whispered something into Nelex's ear. Nelex grinned and put his arm around her waist. They waved good bye to Light and Sharaina in giggles and left.

Sharaina got a beer from a man handing them out. She opened it and gulped it down. Light cringed at her and looked at his own unopened bottle unsure of whether to take it or not. Sharaina didn't notice his skepticism. She was too absorbed in the music.

"Come on, let's go and dance!" Sharaina exclaimed.

Before Light could say anything, she pulled him into the dancing crowd. Light watched her move her body to the beat. He was amazed with how flexible her waist was. She twisted and twirled it in such a way that her hips followed suit. She was so in tune with the beat that Light got mesmerized watching her.

He admired how pretty she looked like when she laughed. Light didn't even know when he started dancing too. Someone bumped into him, consequently causing Light to drop his beer. Light continued to dance unbothered.

In the middle of the dance, Sharaina realized that her bottle was empty. She frowned and threw it away. She gestured to Light that they leave the crowd.

"I need another drink." Sharaina said to Light when they were out. "Do you need one too?" she asked him as her eyes searched for his bottle.

"Err sure," Light unwillingly said.

Sharaina got two bottles of wine and two cups. She took Light to a stream away from the party. There were a few people already there and most of them were couples. Sharaina found a secluded place and sat down. The wind gently blew her hair as she marveled at the stream. Light sat down beside her and followed her gaze.

"Nature is so beautiful." Sharaina commented.

"I couldn't agree more with you on that." Light threw a pebble at the stream.

Sharaina opened one bottle of wine and poured it into the cups. She gave Light his and drank hers in one gulp. Light looked at her laugh and clear her throat. She poured herself another cup but paused when she saw that Light hadn't drank his. Sharaina put her cup down and pinched her chin, her eyes inquisitive.

"Light, you don't drink, do you?" Sharaina asked him.

A soft laugh escaped Light's lungs, "To be honest, I have never had a drop of alcohol my whole life. All this is new to me." Light confessed. His boyish smile made Sharaina laugh softly at him.

"You have never partied before?" She asked him with a doubtful look on her face.

Light shook his head, "I have attended parties before but none of them were... this crazy."

Sharaina dropped her shoulders, "Oh, you mean those snobbish rich people parties. Those are boring as hell."

Light jerked his eyebrow up. "What?"

Sharaina rolled her eyes at him with a smug look, "Come on, you know it too. Admit it."

"I will agree that they are reserved but I'm not sure about the boring part." Light admitted.

"Take your drink, Light. There's a first time for anything." Sharaina egged him on, mischievously waving her brows up and down.

"I don't think I can, Sharaina." Light expressed his uncertainty.

Sharaina shook her head at him, "You won't die."

"I think I'm good." Light stood his ground.

Sharaina leaned closer to him and gazed into his eyes. Light wondered what she was up to. Sharaina got hold of face and forced her wine down Light's throat. Light swallowed it and got choked.

He coughed uncontrollably on the ground while Sharaina laughed hard. She gave him a pat on the back to help him clear his wind pipe. Light wiped his mouth. His eyes watery, and throat hot like it was on fire.

"You have truly never drank before." Sharaina said in between her laughs after he calmed down.

"I thought you said that I won't die." Light coughed a little more.

Sharaina scoffed. "Well, you didn't die."

"It sure felt like I was dying.What an embarrassing first time." Light laughed.

Sharaina poured Light another cup. "Here, take this and it will make you forget your embarrassing moment." She waved her eyebrows up and down.

Light took the cup and sipped the wine. He felt it burn as it went down his throat leaving a bitter taste in his mouth.

"Sharaina, it burns." he complained but she forced him to drink some more. "How do you drink this?" he laughed.

"You're not supposed to taste it. Throw it at the back of your throat before your tongue realizes what's happening." Sharaina winked, and drank from her cup.

Light finished his cup, "How long have you known Liss and Mayla?" he asked.

"I have known them since high school." Sharaina finished her cup.

****

Prince Meelzib slammed his bedroom door open and startled the woman who was waiting for him in his bed. She sat up and fearfully covered her naked body with the blanket. Prince Meelzib glared at her and she yelped.

"Get out of my sight!" He commanded her.

She quickly wore her dress and ran out of the room. Prince Meelzib felt suffocated by his anger and desperately needed some air. He went out to his balcony and looked down at the warriors training below.

"Meelzib!" Queen Lavila called him when she entered his room.

"What is it mother?" Prince Meelzib answered, uninterested.

Queen Lavila joined him on the balcony. "Son, I understand your anger. Even I am furious with your father's judgement."

"Nothing can be done now. His decision is final. I don't understand why he is always against me." Prince Meelzib held a pillar and a crack formed. His eyes beamed red for a second.

"He can't help it. His kindness is his weakness." Queen Lavila said with disgust.

They watched in silence as the free man was led out of the castle gate. He was so happy that he couldn't hide his joy. The moment he was out, a woman and two children embraced him. They all wept tears of joy as they hugged each other. Queen Lavila was disgusted by this. Her face balled up into a dark scowl.

"I will deal with that foolish man. I won't rest until I make him pay for humiliating me. How dare he expose me to your father?"

Prince Meelzib gave his mother the 'are you kidding?' look. "What do you intend on doing to him? It's not like you can have him locked up again."

"I will have him exiled without his family." Queen Lavila coldly said.

A sky blue haired maid listening to everything on the floor below the balcony gasped. She knew that the queen wasn't going to stop at nothing until she got rid of the poor cleaner.

I must find a way to warn him before it is too late. She fearfully thought to herself.

"You never cease to amaze me mother. Your wicked nature is soothing to me." Prince Meelzib grinned at Queen Lavila. He completely forgot about his anger and proudly looked on at his mother. "When are you planning on doing all this?"

Queen Lavila laughed evilly. "It will be done during the darkness of tonight."