chapter 18

He crossed his legs, keeping one arm over the couch and the other on the couch armrest. He stared back into her eyes.

She gulped at his looks. "He must be looking prettier by the day". She thought.

His platinum hair was swept backward. His black opal eyes reflected from the sun rays entering through the tiny pores on the curtains. She gulped some more and blinked away.

He curled up his lips into a smile. Adjusting on his seat, he gave her more to look at. Slowly he combed the tips of his hair with his finger. Bringing his blurt chin forward. He swayed the hair slightly while his tongue was steadily licking his lips. Her breathe skipped.

His smiles broaden. At his seduction Eleanor forgot all about why she invited him. She closed her eyes and held her breathe.

Then her night mare returned. Her heart began throbbing again. The same way it did when she left the throne hall.

lord Zane sat upright. He let the previous smiles died down when he saw her worries and heard her heart pounding loudly in her chest.

"Why did you invite me?" He asked with an inch of concerned. He couldn't take his gazed off her. He wanted to pulled her into his arms and comfort her.

The ponytail that trails to her backside, took his eyes there. How beautiful she looked in trouser. He never thought she could be this pretty in it.

When his gazed traveled back, he saw in her eyes that something terrible was wrong. He couldn't tell, she wasn't thinking and she was finding it difficult to say.

"If you invited me here to keep staring at me. Then I shall leave. I have a lot of things to attain to".

She quickly bowed in apology. " please don't". She heaved. " My kingdom…my lord is in danger" she finally said.

"So how is that my concerned?". He said in a rush. She looked at him. He tilted a brow.

She went back and sat on the couch with him, leaving a space in-between.

"You know, it is interesting to see you look this miserable. What happened to the side of you, which would gladly bring out the tongue like a sharp sword. Scolding and commanding.

I saw you as a child, I treated you like one but you felt…".

He paused to looked at her. She was wearing a pleading look. She sat facing him.

"lord Zane please… I promised to be my best around you. Always".

" You look and speak so calm like an obedient little kitten who couldn't hurt a thing".

He stood up and walked away from her. Her eyes was trailing him. He went to open the curtains to see what was going on outside.

He saw that they were too many knights guarding the palace. Where his eyes could spot. He had stop using his powers around her since the last time she scolded him.

He was angry and still is. He was planning a pay back to make her learn by force how to speak nicely but seeing her like this. He drop the charges.

He walked back to were she was seated. She thought he wished to walked into her. She sprang up from her seat. Stepping slowly away from where the couch was. She walked backward.

He kept following her. Looking straight into her eyes.

She looked down, side and back into his eyes. Her feet were still moving until she lean on the wall. He caught up with her just in seconds.

His smiles returned. "Is strange how you change because you need my favour". He teased.

They were staring into each other's eyes. Her heart was throbbing. She couldn't get away from him nor could she tell him the reason he was being invited.

He had pinned both his hands on the wall leaving her in the middle to doubt if she was not mistaken for inviting him.

She tried to pushed him but her hand ended up resting on his chest. It lay peacefully there like a child in its cot. She could feel his heart was also pounding.

She knew why hers was throbbing. For fear of what the emperor might do to her people and her kingdom but what she didn't know was why his was also throbbing.

"Why is your heart pounding".

"I do want to believed that, that is not why I'm here".

She pouted her lips and regretted ever asking. He leaned forward to her ear. His breathe makes her jerked.

He kept teasing her. Breathing on her ear, down to her neck and up again. Slowly he bite the tail of her ear.

Her body was covered in goosebumps. She closed her eyes unsure of what was going on or where else he might teased her. Her hands felt warm on his chest.

He was wearing a royal blue coat and trouser as beautiful as the shade of blue used in designing princess Eleanor's bedroom that they were in.

When she opened her eyes he was looking at them. Her lips were parted. She pursed them looking slightly embarrassed for what just happened.

"What was I expecting?". She thought.

"Perhaps a kiss". He said, giving her a dark glare and smiles.

"don't get into my head. Allow me say it with my mouth" She then pushed him away. He didn't resist. He let her go.

She moved ahead of him, a little closer to her large bed which was covered in royal blue linen duvet. Beside her was a large passage to her bathtub.

She was looking at the portrait of her father which she told her maid to hung beside that of her mother.

She tried to put her self together after he made her forgot what she wanted to ask of him.

Her people needed her now and she needs to act like the warrior princess they new her for and not some frightened kid.

"lord Zane " she turned around looking at him in the eye, so determined.

"My kingdom in being threatened by Cassius. The emperor of Black Dust Empire. War might broke out any moment from now".

She went closer to him and held his hands and then kissed the back of his palms. He was surprised.

Still holding his hands in hers and her eyes buried in his. She left him stunned by her braveness.

"Help me to defeat this tyrant emperor". Her voice sound and commanding. " I shall do anything that you may asked of me".

He smiled. Her hands was still holding unto him which makes his body stiffen.

"Anything?" He asked her.

It just dawn on her what she just said. Seeing the wicked smile on his attractive pink lips. He might just asked her to come back to that trapped with him. The trapped she put herself into eight years ago in Serpent Land.

"It was because of this that we met after all. If not, who would I be asking for this kind of almost impossible favour from". She thought. Her eyes lit up.

" So you loved the fact that you met me". He said.

" Righteous!". She exclaimed. "I almost forgot you could read my mind. I tell you a time shall come when you shall no longer be able to". She seems suddenly glad and was jiggling his hands.

" Are you seeing a future with us?". He asked an innocent question. She fling his hands away.

"Easy don't pulled my arms. You love me that was why you held that hand for that long and my chest over there. You wished for us to spent our lives together. Why would you suddenly be upset?".

"No" she screamed in her head glaring at him. Her denial amused him. He was loving the moment.

She raised both hands to hold her head on either side.

" Why would he twist the whole situation around. I was just being myself seeking for help from him. How would he think of love.

"I don't". She blurted. Her countenance dropped again. Remembering the face of the emperor taunting her sick aged father who she knew was already so scared of him. She wept.

"Please do help me. Time is not on my side. That emperor might destroyed my kingdom". She said troubled ignoring his amusing glare

"I was going to wait till your eighteen birthday but it looks like you are in a haste to hear my condition". He tucked his hands into his pocket.

"My condition is...?"

"Hold it!". She screamed putting out her hands for him. She had walked closer to her bed. She dropped on it.

"I don't think I'm ready to hear it now. Maybe after I have victory over the Black Dust Empire". She stood up as she said this, raising her shoulders and her head held high.

He smiled at her moves. "You sure shall!". She smiled too. Looking into his eyes. The was silent in the room. The breeze gently blew the dark blue curtains which took her eyes there.

"But remember you promised me you would do anything". He drew her attention. " You shall obeyed my command and give in to any condition that I shall required of you".

" obey your command.." she emphasized

"You rather wished I used 'grant my request. I don't request, I command and my wished is a law". His voice was deeper. He had a dark aura around him.

She indeed forgot he was a demon. Those black eyes became darker. She was scared. Her breath became heavy she couldn't hide it. She quaked.

"Don't be frightened, my dear. I wouldn't let any harm come to you".

Refusing to looked into his eyes. She doesn't know why he said he would not let harm come to her. She let it slipped.

"Would you help me?". She asked to be sure she wasn't placing her hope on the wind

"Yes my lady" He said and bowed to her.

She was shy. Seeing him bow before her.

"my people… my kingdom" she screamed.

"Wait… before he could finished, she was already out of the room

***

Emperor Cassius was counting his breathe. Waiting for the time he kept to elapsed. On an instance he thought he was being silly for fixing such a long time. Spending seventy two hours already and not demolishing the entire kingdom was a slapped on his person.

"Two long hours". He cursed under his breathe.

On a second thought, he thought maybe king Ephraim might changed his mind and hand over the stone to him.

Then and only then shall he be save. His kingdom shall be spared just as he had earlier promised.

But it was three minutes left out of the two hours and nothing was done. He ran mad.

Emperor Cassius rose and mount on a white horse. He grabbed the reins with the rage in his soul.

Yaaa! Neighed!

Together they galloped to the front.

His warriors were many. Sticking together like mustache. He gingered their Morales to destroyed and killed one in Golden Hill even to a toddler.

The vibration of their Spears and pikes and clubs hitting the ground send vibration into Golden Hill.

They were afraid it was an earthquake. But something more than an earthquake was coming.

Emperor Cassius ordered his warriors to attacked. Their attacked was intense. They had camped and prepared outside this wall for this moment.

They were orderly. First set were archers. They released legions of arrows. Nothing that was expose was safe inside the wall.

The second set came arrows again, then caltrops and fireballs simultaneously.

Golden Hill was flaming. The was chaos everywhere. The knight moved close to the wall defending it from the climbers of Black Dust. Other knights were strengthening their gate.

The archers retaliated through the arrow slit. They replied the Black Dust Empire triple times yet the Black Dust Empire were over powering them.

They fell dozens of their knights that the people became frightened and questioning. They called on to the power of the kings' stone to come for their rescued. No help came, they were left to their fate.

The general was already worried sick and confused seeing his knights were falling like apples. It has never been in the history of Golden Hill since they took possession of the kings' stone.

"What has the king done" he cried out loud but only in his head.

Few of the knights who traveled with the princess to Serpent Land years back retreated into the city.

They stumbled into the palace in searched of queen Margaret. They were told she was in the king's chambers.

They marched there but was stopped by another set of the king's personal Knights.

"we are here for the queen" knights were not smiling. It was a matter of life or death.

Bernard went and knocked on the door. Princess Eleanor's told him the king shall be with them shortly.

Inside the king's bed chambers. Princess Eleanor and queen Margaret were by his side. The king was seated on the couch while the stood on either side.

"Jessica please used your powers to defend this kingdom so that my people shall not perished in the hands of this emperor".

Jessica was not surprised that the king was requesting this of her. Everyone had their doubt that the kings' Stone was gone, so was she.

The next option was to look for any available source to protect Serpent Land.

Jessica fell on her knees. For the very first time since she stepped her foots on the soil of Golden Hill she was Jessica and not Margaret.

"My king... I might not look like an ordinary human but I'm no different from one".

Princess Eleanor wept in her soul seeing Jessica being so indebted yet there was nothing she could do to help.

She had gone to see how her father was doing before she shall go to the warfront. But the king had another plan. He doesn't want her there.

He doesn't want to lose her. Instead he sent for queen Margaret, rather Jessica to fight for them.

"I am a legacy without powers. What ever power I might have practice in the past and present my king...".

Tears was strolling down her eyes. She saw the heart of the king through his eyes when she first stepped into his chambers that he had faith in her.

He believed she was going to rescued them from their enemies. How she wished she could but she was as scared as the next ordinary human.

"Is magic".

King Ephraim looked at her mouth agape. He was utterly disappointed not at her but at his hopes.

"This magic my king, I'm not so versed with it. The only thing I can do is to teleport anyone out of this kingdom to the first destination that comes into my mind".

She was holding the armrey of the couch the king was seated on, weeping.

King Ephraim rose and helped her up. He gave her a warm hugged. Tears left Eleanor's eyes as she watched them.

She just remembered that the were people outside Bernard said wanted to speak to queen Margaret. She tiptoed and left them.

On the door when she wanted to go out

"Eleanor"

"My king..." She turned to him.

"go with queen Margaret to Serpent Land and be there till when all this is over".

There was no need sneaking out anymore. She walked to him.

"Father since I was a child. You have thought me so many things. I grew up in your throne always by your side".

She laughed and cried and flung her right her to the side. When I first started learning the art of sword. It was for a day like this. I am going out there to exercised your teachings. To lead, defend and protect this kingdom even in death".

" No my child". He hurried to her. He held her face in his arms. He kissed her all round. Her forehead, her cheeks. He pressed her close to his body. She stood there not hugging back. She was crying.

Then she pulled away.

"Father I shall returned".

The king tried to convinced her to go with Jessica but she was determined. Even Jessica pleaded with the king to let her go and defend the people.

She left.

The knights were still waiting at the corridor of the king's chambers. They looked up on seeing her. Then Jessica after her. The other knights that has never seen Jessica flinched.

"I know why you are here. There is no time left to spared. Let's go the war front". Eleanor spoke authoritatively.

" To the warfront" they chorus and marched out but Jessica never followed them. She stayed back with the king.

Princess Eleanor ordered all the knights who were defending the city to stand down. They were startled.

But gave in without persuasion since they were all dependent on the power of the stone' to protect them as usual and as such the slacked in their physically training and psychologically trategy to defend themselves and their city against intruders.

What the Black Dust Empire were using against them was just physical weapons. No powers was involved. Maybe not yet.

They watched Black Dust Empire climbed their wall. Princess Eleanor and most knight climbed the battlement.

They stood prepared waiting for Eleanor's order.

Regularly they see their rival shoot their piton and belay while they propelled themselves up their city walls.

When they were reasonable close, princess Eleanor ordered that hot coal be poured on them and set them ablaze.

The then unleashed hot coal on them. The dropped into the moat and was burned to ashes but that was just a fraction of them.

The teeming angry brainwashed warriors of Black Dust Empire were still scratching their walls and poking on their well secured gate. Ranting and drumming and destroying what they could. They came up again in full squad.