The Five Week Queen

Alice was sitting near a bonfire, slowly kindling the fire so that it burns more blazingly. Aliyah came near her and sat beside her and said, "So, tomorrow we are going to unite the Shinigano and Shuken people with us and storm Tammy's palace and release Elgin from their clutches. Are you nervous?" Alice smiled, "Why should I be nervous? It is your war, your people and your struggle. I will just a part of the audience along with Elena and Trisha, won't I?"

Aliyah said grimly, "You know my reasons, don't you? I know you are braver and probably more tougher than I can see right now. But, this isn't the right time for you to fight. You might be thinking that I underestimate you or think you as incapable for the Blood Spear, but that isn't right. I think when the right time comes up, you will not only defeat Xao Chang, but also inspire many other girls like you to follow the path of justice and bravery and stay as strong as a mountain before any problem life throws at them." Alice said sadly, "You tell things that don't come from your heart, Aliyah. I don't want to wait for my "right time", I want to bring it myself. If I back down from this war, then the people won't trust me with their heart and will always have second thoughts about me."

Aliyah smiled, "You are right now too much filled with adrenaline and rage, but when you will see an orc in front of you, running towards you with full rage, you will surely pee your pants." Alice said sadly, "Now you are underestimating me." Aliyah said annoyed, "Yes, I'm underestimating you. Not because I don't trust you, but because I'm not a fool. I know that you cannot defeat legendary warriors like Tammy and Jammy or even that evil green sorcerer, Krymon. You cannot even defend yourself against one single normal orc who is hundred times more powerful than a normal human."

King Jamalus overheard their conversation and interrupted, "That's what your real problem is, Aliyah. You don't trust people, not even when you know that they are right." Aliyah said angrily, "Trusting on lies is a fool's habit, Jamalus. Years ago, I told your father to join our empire and come under our protection, but he rejected my proposal and remained independent and so did Shuken clan, who were homeless that time due to the flood caused by the annual overflow of the Yatsu River. This diversification resulted in distances which with time turned into bitter scuffles and eventually into enemity."

King Jamalus sat beside her and said, "If my father had agreed to your proposal that time, the Shuken people would have joined too. Though things would have gone smoothly for some years, but gradually the difference in culture and way of livelihood had made the things bitter. Tammy would have eventually became their king and then we wouldn't be here today, discussing attack plans on the palace, but waiting for the execution day rotting in the dirty cells of the palace. Everything in this world happens for a reason and you have to go with it." Aliyah smiled, "You are the perfect reflection of your father. Same talks, same criticisms. But, I never got to know about your mother. Anyway, who was she?"

King Jamalus said sadly, "Actually, she died when I was four years old and my father never discussed with me the reason of her sudden death. Her name was Regina Loras, the daughter of chief commandant, Algeius Loras. People say that my father tricked her and got her pregnant, or else the marriage was impossible. I really don't know what is true, but my mother and her side of family almost collapsed into nothing and when I reached the age of ten, her whole family name vanished and people stopped talking about them." Alice said, "I think I have heard about one Regina once, but she was not the daughter of some commandant, but a local tribal girl of the Yasum Tribe, who that time lived near the Yatsu river. I heard about her because she was the first girl in the tribe to get pregnant out of wedlock and a large commotion occurred on this matter. I, myself went there to see her, but before I could see her she eloped somewhere and many years later, her body was found near the Yatsu river getting eaten by vultures.

Her face was disfigured beyond recognition and some scratch and bite marks were found on her body and the medics confirmed that it was indeed a murder and she was brutally dragged and raped by multiple assailants before smashing her head with some heavy stone. The matter was dismissed by the elders stating it was a punishment given by the forest gods to her for committing a grievous sin." Alice said grimly, "Injustice on women is prevalent in all the cultures of the world. She didn't even got justice for the atrocities done on her and her culprits roamed free and safe even after committing such a hideous crime." King Jamalus said, "Things weren't that bad in the past. Yes, there were many baseless and harmful superstitions back then, but women enjoyed a very prestigious position then and Aliyah is a living example of it. She was the youngest war general and also the youngest queen for a brief period." Alice asked suprised, "Really? You were a queen?"

Aliyah smiled, "For a very, very brief period. Five weeks. I still remember, my brother and sister writing new vows for my coronation ceremony. I was sitting nervously on the floor of my room and Elgin and my personal maid, Taisha rubbing my shoulders to give me courage." Alice said, "Tell me more about that day. I want to know what scenarios used to happen at that time."

Aliyah took out a bottle of wine and emptied it in a go. She smiled, "It wasn't that much happy times. Father and mother went to visit a neighboring kingdom to pay condolences to the widow queen whose husband and son were brutally slaughtered by the Hill Orcs when returning from an annual hunt. The orcs kidnapped the daughter along with the daughter in law who were then brutally raped and traded in the taverns for a year's free drinks. The queen was quite alone and my father wanted to take this opportunity to bring her kingdom under our control by marrying her, but my mother opposed that proposal and went with him to keep my father in control. Two weeks passed, but the stay was getting longer than usual and we had to leave the kingdom as soon as possible due to its winter heavy snow which blocks away the roads to our kingdom for almost half the winter. Father didn't want to leave the kingdom until he marries the widow queen and consummate their marriage and my mother was never going to leave my father alone there.

So, I finally decided to return to my home and manage the royal affairs until my parents come out of that impasse and returns to the kingdom. I wanted to act as a princess, but the council members wanted me to officiate my position as a queen and not a princess. I was not against that notion, but it was too much process and an enormous responsibility for a twelve year old girl. Elgin and my siblings immediately agreed to that proposal and pressurized me to say yes to the proposal of the council members. I agreed, but the council members put a small gap in the proposal and let me choose an alternative person who may take my position if I die before my parents return. I choosed Elgin for that position and unknowingly it hurt my uncle and his wife who were expecting their son's name. I became the youngest queen in the history of the kingdom and ruled for five weeks. Fortunately, nothing dangerous happened during my small reign and I managed to keep my kingdom breathing comfortably." Alice asked, "What happened with your parents?"

Aliyah finished her wine and said softly, "Well, my parents stayed for another two weeks because, the widow queen got pregnant out of nowhere and my mother was doubting my father, who according to her claims, used to sneak out of the room, near midnight and used to return an hour later. My father on the other hand citied his disappearance as a visit to the privy which he usually does at midnight. The two weeks went off, without an official ruler on the throne. My parents eventually returned when the news of the First War of West started to brew. The widow queen gave birth to a very beautiful and white baby boy, who didn't had any resemblance with my father. The father of the baby remained a mystery as the queen died during the childbirth and the baby later got "lost".

It was the first kingdom to surrender before the allied forces of orcs and spirit demons. My brief period as the queen is the only good and joyous moment in this whole story." King Jamalus rose and said, "The dinner is ready. Better eat it before we move." Alice said, "Tell me something about this orcs." Aliyah smiled, "They are just some green people who knows magic and have inhuman strength and brilliant minds. In fact, our royal palace was made by an artitect who was apparently trained by the kind Supreme Builder, Vanas Le Croft who was an orc by birth, but decided to break all ties with his savage nature and learned architecture and craft by residing in the kingdom in the disguise of an orphan." Alice said, "See, there's always a silver lining in the clouds." Aliyah said grimly, "That silver lining has disappeared years ago and now what remains is the dark and thunderous clouds of Krymon." Alice said, "Maybe we can awaken the kindness in their hearts again and make them our friends." Aliyah said grimly, "They are already friends with the elves. Just the wrong ones." King Jamalus screamed, "Come fast. Time is matter of life and death in this forest, where wild and vicious predators lurk around." Aliyah and Alice quickly went towards the dinner spot, leaving behind the bonfire whose flames burned valiantly and attracted the attention of the forest's most lethal predators, the Fire lions.....