Chapter XI: Unexpected encounters.

- "There is no doubt that Prince Romulos has had a more than satisfactory performance in his raid campaign through the desert. Don't you think so Minister Sergov ?

- "Certainly Chancellor Barbosa. It is indisputable that those who proudly carry Aspirthen blood are incomparable. Just like his son Demetrius, who I have already found out through the messenger that he has managed to capitulate almost all the border cities of Sidelia ." – Arranged at a round table drinking liquor that was served by maneki slaves , the two heaviest men after the royal family, rejoiced at the dark looks of the servants.

In just eight months after the military incursion from the west began, despite the valiant efforts of the civilian population and the military deployed along the border of the sands, the kingdom of Sidelia had seen much of its territory fall . at the hands of the coalition army.

Between infantry detachments made up of aspirtenes and lichens , fifth circle magicians and mounted men, the coalition cut its way through with the edge of the sword without leaving a single soul that could remain standing.

The fire of war that engulfed everything, made no distinction between men or women, the elderly or even babies, everyone with lupus blood was massacred without the slightest bit of mercy or consideration.

The few survivors who managed to escape from the immense wave of metal and blood narrated among the cities of refuge the atrocities that their eyes had witnessed on the western battlefront.

Among the stories that slipped through the cracks of the hearts of the settlers, the most remarkable one told of a woman with scarlet armor and a penetrating gaze similar to the abyss. Who, swinging his arms like the wings of a hawk, took his victims and forced them to fight even when the breath of life had already left their bodies.

Next to her, a man in emerald green armor with an evil smile on his face, let flow a sea of snakes that crawled through the immense golden sea of sands, mesmerizing the fierce combatants to the point of leaving them at his mercy to attack. against them with the edge of the sword.

"The two fates of the sunset" – It was how the survivors baptized the ducal marriage of Berenice and Demetrius, who carried a gospel of death and desolation under the banner of the new king of Antioca .

- "Definitely Melina's arms have been filled with glory from the west, but I consider that our eastern arm needs to move a bit, don't you think so, your majesty?" – Seated at the table in a position that denoted his hierarchy, a bearded man with a frown remained silent, resting his hands on the handle of a sword that served as a cane.

Cicero Astarothe de Melina, the current monarch of the kingdom, was a man who the weight of the years and the war wounds had wreaked havoc on his body. Despite this, the vigor in his gaze and the strength of his hands were enough to contain the voracity of the nobles of the kingdom.

As the venomous words fell from Minister Sergov 's lips , the king understood that this stance was intended to detract from Prince Remius 's passive behavior . For years, Melina's nobility had been united regarding the first prince's position as heir to the kingdom's crown. Despite being a mestizo son, the important houses gave their support to the brilliant and eloquent little heir.

But with the death of Queen Salome and the rise to power of the concubine Virginia, that unit fractured, forming two factions that contended under the table to place their candidate on the throne.

Remius 's influence waned among the nobility, with a contempt that was encouraged by the rumors fed by Virginia, of his fierce opposition to the system of slavery that prevailed in the kingdom.

- "It seems that I am not the only old man in this room who needs to go to the doctor to have his eyes checked frequently, Mr. Minister Sergov . Or are your eyes in the front having trouble getting you the information?

- "What does your majesty mean?"

- "While you are here drinking liquor talking about glory like a couple of geezers, the first prince has already been riding for days to the capital of Kalifuto accompanied by his legion"

- "It is impossible! Haven't I heard about that?"

- "I am afraid then that Minister Sergov will have to take better care of his health. The younger blood is imperious and ends up quickly displacing the old one" - With a leisurely laugh while holding his gaze against Sergov 's eyes , the king tightened the hilt of his sword reflecting on seeing how that man adjusted his neck. the shirt with the expression of the face upset.

For his part, sailing on his steed leading the immense human wall that followed him through the Goba desert , Remius covered his face with a scarf while the sandstorm obscured his vision.

- "My lord, the storm is increasing in intensity and the legs of the camelius can barely keep up the trot. If we continue at this rate, we will lose a third of our men before we reach the city of Kalifuto . Besides , we are running out of water, at most we will have rations for two days at the most" – With his lips cracked by the dryness of the desert air, Gideon gasped with an emaciated expression on his face.

Five days after leaving the border of Melina to enter Sidelia , Remius 's troops had marched without stopping throughout that hostile territory. Facing against the beasts and giant scorpions that threatened during the cold nights of the desert.

- "What is the nearest city Gideon?"

- "That would be the port city of Theseus, my lord. It is only one day away from our position and it is one of the few cities that has not been razed to the ground by the coalition army."

- "I understand. Tell the vanguards that we will go to Theseus first and wait there for three days to make our plan to conquer the capital."

- "As ordered, prince" - Retreating to the rear group, Gideon communicated his lord's orders, while he maintained his course towards the port. With a bitter taste in their mouths at the possibility that the coalition army would arrive before them.

Meanwhile in Theseus, the city bathed by the breeze of the Tigra and Euphic delta , the population was on edge at the news of the advance of the enemy army. The boisterous atmosphere that used to be common among the people of that port was replaced by anxiety in the expressions on their faces as the days passed and the news of the advance of the coalition troops.

- "I tell you that they are already close, it is better that we run away!"

- "And how are we going to do it, idiot? The cargo ships were taken by the army as troop transport and the few that remain are mere fishing boats that would not withstand the onslaught of the open sea.

In addition, the young men were taken as recruits to cover the casualties of our troops. If we leave, what will become of the women and children who are still here?"

- "And how do you plan to fight? You forget that the men who are left here are a bunch of old people. What fight can we give to the soldiers of the coalition?

- "You are a bloody coward!"

- "What did you say old man of dirt?" – Contemplating the old people who were mounting that brawl in the dock area, a man with a bandaged face carried a bag of supplies on his back while keeping his attention to the environment as if he were a thief.

Moving between the barrels that were in the alleys of the slum, the countenance of his eyes seemed that of a person who was in the middle of a crossroads from which he could hardly escape.

- "Please try to take the full treatment, that should lessen the gout problem in your right foot"

– "Thank you mederi , at my age I thought that I would not find relief from my ailment. But it is a miracle that it has reached our town" – At the foot of the door of a room in poor condition, that man contemplated a woman with long hair collected in a braid that rested on her chest.

As in the town of Tiblis , Aurora had established herself as a healer to provide the population with relief from their ailments and needs. Trying with it to keep his mind clear in the face of the crisis that broke out due to the war between nations.

With a somewhat grown belly, that fragile lady got up from her chair and walked slowly to the door accompanying the old woman, to cling to the arm of that man who remained with his eyes fixed on her.

- "With each passing day the ingredients to make medicine become scarcer and more scarce. At this rate it won't take long for this city to collapse due to an epidemic" – Raising her hand to her forehead with her eyes closed giving an air of annoyance, Aurora shook her head a little as she gently squeezed the man's arm.

- "You must not let this affect you in such a way. Remember that you carry our son in your womb and my priority is you"

- "Max! I know you care about me, but don't ask me to close my heart to the pain of the people around me. If I did that, what kind of mother would I be to our baby?" – Affected by the accumulated stress, Aurora felt a slight dizziness that immediately made Maximiliano take her by the waist to take her to the bed.

- "Aurora, forgive me for being so insensitive. But the mere idea of losing you terrifies me to the point of turning deaf to the problems of others" - Taking her hand while placing his forehead against hers, the one who was once the prince of the nation of Antioca remembered with regret the woman who had given birth to him.

Only through the anecdotes that his father told him, was the way in which the prince kept in mind the memory of his mother. Unable to live with her due to her sudden death, Maximiliano's childhood had been marked by profound loneliness.

From the moment he found out about Aurora's pregnancy, that man who was known as an unyielding warrior on the battlefield, felt a deep fear like he had never experienced before.

Would he be a good father? Would his wife survive childbirth? Could they raise a child while on the run from a kingdom that sought their death? All those questions drilled into Maximiliano's mind every night to the point that he felt he was losing his sanity.

- "Max, you will be a good father. If we are together, we will be able to raise this baby and we will see it grow" – Squeezing her beloved's hand, Aurora lost herself in Maximiliano's eyes with a candid essence that gave her a sense of peace in her heart.

Antioca rose, confined within the walls of the palace in a room without windows, a woman who was attended to remained silent. for a couple of maidens.

In the fire of rebellion, House Albert had been decimated and all its members executed according to royal edict. But out of all those souls, only one prevailed at the mere whim of King Romulos .

Stripped of all honor and glory, Emilia Vanessa Albert was the only one who could testify that the feared noble house ever existed.

- "Come out immediately!" – With his imposing presence that made even the fiercest heart tremble, King Romulos entered the room while the maidens hastened to withdraw to leave them alone.

- "This humble servant salutes the sun of the kingdom" - Rising from her chair, Emilia tried to bow, falling to the ground due to the tremor in her legs. Causing the monarch to laugh, who knelt in front of her to take her face.

- "I wonder what your father would say to see you this way? The always proud and haughty lady of the Albert house, trembling like an animal in front of the man who cut off her head" – Taking a lock of her hair, Romulos sniffed her while taking out a dagger from her waist to place it on her throbbing chest from Emily.

- "No, don't kill me. I will do what you order me"

- "Anything?"

- "Yes, anything!" – Clasping her hands with closed fists against her thighs, the daughter of the Albert house felt a mixture of impotence and terror in her heart. That was sharpened as he kept his eyes fixed before the amber pupils of Romulos , who drew a smile on his face when he heard him say that.

Rising from the ground while holding her tightly by the hair, the king stuck out his serpent tongue making an ominous hiss as if he were facing a rabbit whose heart was beating rapidly.

- "You may have already heard it from the maids who serve you, but there is a rumor that spreads throughout the palace. You know which one is?"

- "Yes, they, they say that Queen Andrea cannot fulfill her obligations as a wife"

- "Exact! The queen is a dry land where a seed can never flourish. But at the end of the day, she is my queen and anyone who dares to say such insolence deserves an exemplary punishment."

- "Excuse me! I only answered his question and repeated what maidens usually say."

- "How convenient for you, Miss Emilia. Just point your index finger in the direction of others and the blame is no longer yours. But that only worked when you were the worthy heir to the Albert house. However, all its value was reduced to nothing"

Grasping her roughly by the neck, Romulos lifted Emilia's body even higher until only the tips of her feet lightly brushed the cold stone floor of the room. Holding the force with her hands on the king's forearm, the woman struggled to support his weight preventing his neck from snapping.

- "I still have…"

- "You still have what?"

- "I still have courage! My blood has value for you my lord" – With a cry that came from the little air that still remained in her lungs, Emilia said those challenging words against the king, who threw her against the stone, dislocating her left shoulder.

Dragging with difficulty while gagging to gasp for air, Emilia clung to the comforter on the bed trying to push her bruised body against the edge to try to sit up. At the same time, Romulos approached threateningly with a grim attitude.

- "You are right, little and fragile rat. Even a wreck like you has a utility worth keeping alive in this palace. your blood! That blood of which you are so proud, is the last evidence of the indirect lineage of the royal family.

Did you tell me that you would do anything for me? Then you will do as you have said according to the weight of your words" – Taking off his jacket throwing it to the floor, Romulos started unbuttoning his shirt while Emilia looked at him with her eyes wide open with the terror that climbed up her back.

- "You have two options. In the first you will keep what little honor you have left as a noble and you will give me your body to father my son as a concubine. And that son you will give to my queen as her adopted son, keeping your mouth shut so that secret will never be known."

Helping her up to prostrate her on the bed, Romulos tilted his face until his pheromone-laden breath brushed Emilia's cheeks with almost scorching heat.

- "And the other, what is the second option?" – Fearful but defiant to the end, the woman felt like a pair of snakes tied her hands against the headboard while Romulos used the dagger to tear the dress she was wearing. Leaving her smooth skin exposed through which the cruel aspirthen passed the tips of his claws, marking a few scratches.

- "The second is to scream like a vile harlot in heat asking for help that will never come, to be stripped of the last thing you have of dignity and after giving me a child, to end up in a brothel satisfying the desires of countless men until your flesh turns old and rotten. And to prevent you from saying anything about my only son, I will cut your tongue" – Feeling how the snakes were biting her skin, injecting her with aphrodisiac venom, Emilia agreed to the demands of the infamous monarch. Drowning his wounded pride in a sea of tears that echoed little or nothing in the soul of Romulos .

- "My lady, all troops are in position and ready when I give the signal." – With that malicious expression that characterized him, Lucrecio approached Duchess Rivera who kept her gaze with the spyglass in the direction of the port city of Teseo.

- "Is it a long time before my husband reaches the forefront?" – Throwing the device into the hands of Lucretius, Berenice did not deign to turn her face as she let thin threads of mana flow over the bodies of the fallen soldiers of the Sidelia army .

- "The grand duke is still attending to the emissaries of the royal palace. But he ordered me to serve you in everything you commanded, my lady" – Taking her hand to kiss it on the back, Lucrecio felt a slap that threw the monocle that rested on his left side.

- "Who has allowed you to have so much trust with me? Don't forget that I am the Duchess of Rivera" – With her face flushed with anger, Berenice knew well that that man had no respect for her and all his behavior was a mere facade that hid his true colours.

- "I have definitely not made a mistake with you, my lady. Following him on this occasion will guarantee a wonderful spectacle to see" – Laughing as he touched his cheek, Lucretius wiped the trickle of blood from his lip with his tongue while keeping his eyes on the silhouette of the duchess. Suffocated by the desire to see that woman losing control of her actions.

- "Damn sick! The fact that even your head stays on your shoulders is because you are my husband's friend."

- "I know that perfectly, my lady."

- "If you know, then stop wasting time and gather the rearguard troops and tell them that we will start our march at sunset" - Making a slight mocking bow, Lucrecio left the front leaving Berenice, who was gnashing her teeth. biting his thumbnail with his blood boiling.

- "Prince Remius , we are half an hour away from our destination. Do you want the legion to advance fully or will we form a contingent to enter?"

- "Gideon, we will do the latter. According to our spy the city is in a chaotic state; if we arrive with the whole legion, the villagers will panic and possibly try to defend themselves. I do not want blood to be spilled unnecessarily, so form a group with thirty soldiers and accompany me" - With a serene countenance bathed by the last rays of light on the horizon, the prince took the reins of his steed and led the march of the small contingent headed for the city.

On the other hand, inside the dusty house that served as a clinic, Aurora and Maximiliano were preparing their luggage to take one of the fishing boats that still remained in the shipyards.

With the requisition of the royal army from Sidelia , the shipyard workers in the port saw off all the ships that remained afloat on the banks of the Euphiuchus . Only a few remained inside the workshops for maintenance work.

During the months of his stay in the city, Maximilian had made use of his old contacts among the Lupus tribes to obtain one of those ships, hoping all this time for an opportunity that would allow them to escape the threat of the kingdom of Antioca . .

- "Aurora, I will go to the shipyards to see if our ship is ready. Wait for me here and don't go, I won't be long. I promise" – Kissing the lips of his partner, Maximiliano hurried to go directly to the port. Sneaking through the crowd of townspeople who piled up in the alleys with their few belongings on their backs.

- "Sir, my lord!" – Among the bustle of the crowd, a familiar voice reached the ears of the prince, who turned his face looking for the person who was calling him among the sea of people.

- "I knew it! I knew it was you! We had hope, we never gave up hope" – Bursting into tears while clinging to that dusty cloak, the man knew that figure was none other than the lord whom he had faithfully served within the royal guard.

- "Vargas?"

- "Yes, my prince. I am your faithful assistant Vargas Bonaventura. We have been looking for him all these months since the day the rebellion broke out."

- "Searching? Who apart from you? Quick, answer me!" – Holding him hard by the shoulder, the prince's eyes could not hide his surprise. As Vargas spoke, the prince's dull face was recovering that light that months ago seemed to have been almost extinct, only supported by the growing love he professed for what was now his wife.

- "All of us who managed to escape persecution have settled on the islands of the Kaidos archipelago ."

- " Kaidos ? The land where divine beasts dwell?"

- "Yes, my lord, it is thanks to them that we have been able to survive all this time. Apparently the divine beasts heard an oracle from the goddess, telling them that men from overseas would come to their lands and they should support them in everything they ordered.

At first the others and I were skeptical, but the moment they mentioned that you were alive, we decided to accept their words and it was thanks to them that I was able to reach you" – Overwhelmed by the joy of his assistant's words , the prince thought within himself that he could finally give peace of mind to his family by escaping from the clutches of the kingdom of Antioca .

But that beacon of light that emerged from the darkness was soon eclipsed by a glow that suddenly exploded in the direction of the slums.

-"They are here, run away!" – The screams of the crowd were escalating like the wave of a human tsunami that hit the pier. Between confusion and despair, Maximiliano kept bumping into people while Vargas followed him desperately without taking his eyes off him.

- "Dawn! Dawn!" – Shouting his name to the point of being almost hoarse, the prince felt his heart beating to the point that it could almost come out of his throat. The fear that threatened him at night began to materialize in the shadowy form of an advance of soldiers who cut off every person they saw, killing them with the edge of the sword.

-"My lord, we must flee!"

- "Do not stop me! My wife and my son are still in the slums."

- "His wife? You are not referring to the dirty blood…" – As soon as he finished pronouncing those words, Maximiliano's fist hit Vargas' face hard, who did not believe his lord's outburst.

- "Mister! I apologize for my imprudence, I have sinned to death against the woman who carries the descendant of His Highness" – Adjusting the jaw that still throbbed, Vargas kept a look that mixed a feeling of astonishment and disbelief.

Being a descendant of the first Lichen , the very idea that the prince would mix his blood with a humble maneki , was something that seemed unlikely for a man belonging to a species so proud to preserve the purity of the lineage.

- "If you want to turn your back on me now, you are free to do so, Vargas. But I will not allow my wife to be insulted." - Extending his hand already calm, Maximiliano looked for his subordinate who answered that gesture by squeezing it as a sign of reconciliation.

- "Who should I follow who is more worthy than you my lord?"

- "If that is your determination, follow me and help me save my family"

- "Yes, your Highness!" – Returning his march in a hurry towards the slums, just a few steps away the prince saw the light of a lamp that remained lit inside the house. Spotting a silhouette of the shadow of a woman who was eagerly looking for something among the drawers.

- "Dawn!" – The cry of relief that Maximiliano released from his chest was soon extinguished by the roar of a great sphere of fire that fell from the sky, destroying the houses that were in front of him, throwing his body and that of Vargas by the force of the burst.

Dazed and unable to hear his vassal's voice, Maximilian stared blurry through the cloud of dust and debris trying to focus his vision to find his home. But the moment his vision improved, his eyes gazed in agony at the stage in front of which he left a hole in his heart.

-"!DAWN!" – With a heartbreaking scream that echoed to the foundations of the tombs, that man was stopped by Vargas while he struggled to get closer to that place devastated by the explosion. Where his wife should have been, now there was only a smoking crater that burned with the remains of the civilians that had been trapped in the attack.