Chapter 8 Queen Zoiraiba ang the Power of Darkness Part 2

POV OF QUEEN ZOIRAIBA

I am now a Queen, reigning over all. Yet, this was never my desire, nor did I ever dream of it. Sometimes, it feels as though I have forgotten my former self. Yes, the old me, the one considered ugly.

In those early days, my top part of the head was bald adorned with six large moles on my forehead, thick lips, and a nose that seemed to hide in the earth like a soldier avoiding the explosion of a grenade.

Only once did I see myself in the mirror. Back then, I was delighted and amused by my own reflection. Truly, I was enchanting, and even I fell in love with myself.

But suddenly, the door swung open, as if someone was peeking at me. The mirror shattered, and its shards floated into the air and it continued to shatter till it turned to dust.

I turned around and asked, "Who is peeking at me?" But as I was shocked as I look back at the broken mirror turning into pieces bit by bit.

It turned out that my master did it on purpose to protect my secret. On that fateful day, he reminded me to stay away from mirrors, for only I could see my beautiful reflection in them. Others would see my true and ugly face.

When I heard his warning, fear crept in, and I hurriedly left my room to confront the audacious intruder who dared to violate my privacy. But there was no one outside.

Master claimed that Queen Ellazairae had peeked into my room, but he was unaware of what the Queen had truly witnessed.

"That daring Queen!" I exclaimed in anger.

"Master," I pleaded, "can you eliminate Ellazairae? She might have seen my real face."

And so, the mystery unfolded, leaving me torn between my hidden beauty and the harsh reality that others perceived.

"Forgive me, but we cannot simply eliminate a Queen, especially within the palace or even on this planet," Master replied.

"Why not?" I asked.

"Besides the powerful guardians who watch over her, we cannot evade the law, and you would be easily exposed. Our plans would be jeopardized," Master explained.

Powerful guardians? Plans? I pondered. Perhaps Master referred to the Prime Minister, who held sway over Queen Ellazairae, being her father. It hadn't occurred to me that he possessed such strength, enough to make even Master hesitate to challenge him.

About the plan; well, I still don't have any bit of idea what tricks my master is up to.

It seems I have stumbled upon a tale of intrigue and destiny, woven within the walls of the palace. My journey from an unexpected arrival to an unexpected reign as Queen is captivating.

My prince charming, the elusive figure who captured myr heart, became more than a distant vision. He chose me, defying dissenting voices, and made me queen even though not the official queen. But perhaps there was more to this than mere chance.

Master, the enigmatic architect of events, harbored secrets and designs. His intentions remain veiled, and the unfolding drama hints at a grander scheme. The passing days led to an unexpected twist—the dual pregnancy of both Queens, me and Queen Ellazairae, by King Vamuz X.

And now, the arrival of the great seer adds another layer of mystique. The Prime Minister proposed divining the fate of the unborn children within our wombs. Elders and the King agreed, setting the stage for prophecy and revelation.

I was the first to be predicted. The great seer approached me. His hair was silver. He has long eyebrows that reached his chest and was coloured white the same as his beard. He wore a white robe with long sleeves, and his feet were also covered by his garment. He belonged to the red violet race according to the color of his skin. He touched my stomach, then his eyes turned white, and his hand emitted a white light.

"The child you will care for, raise, and love will be the next king of Andromeda," said the seer, and those words caught everyone's attention and shocked them all.

"How can that be?" asked some elders.

"But he is not of royal blood,"said others.

"That cannot be!" others protested.

I saw that the faces of the Prime Minister and Queen Ellazairae were indescribable. Sadness was evident on them.

Everyone paused when the great seer spoke again.

"However, his kingdom will be disrupted by a severe turmoil that has never occurred during the time of our ancestors. In the time of the coming chaos, the child you will care for, raise, and love will rise and serve as the hope of Andromeda with the help of those from other galaxies," concluded the Great Seer.

He removed his hands from my stomach. Everyone was stunned.

"This prophecy is certain, I have never been wrong before,"the great seer convinced because it seemed no one wanted to believe.

If that's the case, esteemed king, I suggest we start strengthening our weapons and armed forces," said the Minister of War.

All the elders agreed, and indeed, the armed forces of Andromeda were strengthened, and the Advanced Weapons were created, as well as our secret weapon called Doomsday.

Now it is time to predict the child in Queen Ellazairae's womb.

The great seer approached Queen Ellazairae, and as his palms were about to touch her stomach, he spoke as if giving a warning.

"Listen carefully, Andromedans, understand this prophecy well." Then he pressed his palms against Queen Ellazairae's stomach, and his palms flashed with lightning, and his eyes turned white.

"You will raise the child and care for him, but you will not love him.But as times passed you will learn to love him, but because of him, you will endure everything," said the great seer.

"Poor child of Queen Ellazairae," remarked an elder.

"That's unfair," said another.

"Why is that?" asked some.

"How sad," said others.

I am annoyed by the discrimination that is happening. Moreover, the child of Queen Ellazairae immediately gained sympathy even though he has not yet been born, while my child is almost cursed.

The seer spoke again.

"The child you will raise, care for, and learn to love will become the king in times of turmoil. Because of him, the turmoil will reach the neighboring galaxy, and under his leadership, Andromeda will attack the Milky Way."

And with that, the Great Seer concluded his prophecies. He left afterwards though there are plenty of questions left to ask but the great seer was gone without a trace. Left with no choice, the leaders of Andromeda had a lengthy discussion. In the end, many supported the future child of Queen Ellazairae.

At that moment, I began to dream again and to make plans. My dream and plan are one and the same, and it is for the welfare of my child. The dream of making my child seated as King of Andromeda.

Vamuz X always made me feel that I was more important to him in his heart and in his life. The king proved this when I became pregnant with our second child while there remained only one child of his with Queen Ellazairae.

When Queen Ellazairae learned that I was pregnant again, she cursed me in front of everyone in the royal hall. The ministers, the elders, the leader of the planet, and other representatives heard it. She intended to embarrass me, but this angered the king.

Suddenly, King Vamuz X rushed at her and slapped her. It was a gentle slap, but it was enough to stop her and embarrass her. Then the Prime Minister suddenly charged at the king and punched him in the stomach. The hall almost erupted into chaos that day if not for Elder Gangkhu intervening.

And when I gave birth to my youngest, everyone was horrified because he was the complete opposite of my beauty. Everyone wondered why a goddess like me gave birth to a monster.

Many believe it was because of Queen Ellazairae's curse. When King Vamuz X saw our youngest child, he couldn't contain his rage because of Queen Ellazairae's curse. He nearly destroyed the entire hospital building when he punched the wall of the room. It broke the entire wall, and he flew away to the mountains where he raged. He flattened the towering and massive mountains there and turned them into a desert. To this day, the desert remains, called by the locals as Curse Of Vamuz Dune.

When I returned to the palace, I confronted Queen Ellazairae.

"Hey Witch!" I shouted.

"Retract the curse on my daughter, right now!" I commanded.

"Who are you calling a witch?" asked Queen Ellazairae.

"Of course, you, who else?" I replied.

"Hey, you'll never give birth to an ugly child if you're truly beautiful," said Ellazairae.

I suddenly remembered the day when I looked myself in the mirror. That full-body mirror was a gift from Vamuz X because I hadn't yet seen the beautification done to me by the master, and it was the first time I had ever seen myself in a mirror, but it seemed like someone was peeking into my room, and the master immediately broke the mirror. The master himself said that it was Queen Ellazairae who peeked, but he didn't know what she just saw.

"Did you see it that day?" I asked her to confirm.

She didn't answer directly.

"All I can say is, it's normal for the ugly mother to give birth to an ugly child."

Annoyed, I drew a knife. I lifted it to stab her in the neck.

Suddenly, a sword appeared in Queen Ellazairae's hand. I don't know how she did it.

"You've got some nerve attacking me in my own palace. Do you think I'm afraid of you? Do you think I won't fight back because you've just given birth? What do you think, that I'll pity you?"

I was frightened and stepped back. I had heard that the Queen had been tirelessly training with the sword.

I had no choice but to return to my palace. I had left my baby behind, I remembered, perhaps she had woken up.

As I was leaving, I could still hear Queen Ellazairae shouting.

"Ugly!"

"Coward!"

In my mind, I thought,' You'll have your day with me.'

That night, I visited the king's chamber. I told him what happened between me and Queen Ellazairae.

He said, "Let her be. She has trained with the sword, and you cannot defeat her."

"Why does it sound like you're taking her side?" I asked.

"It's not like that, you've just given birth, and you'll only endanger yourself if you give in to your anger," explained King Vamuz X.

"She cursed our child, what mother wouldn't feel angry after seeing her child in that state. What does my child know? She did not do something evil to her. Why involve her in our conflict?" I pointed out.

"That's the point,'" he said.

"Our eldest is growing up," I changed the subject.

"By the way, they will start training with the sword and other combat training next week. Both of them, Vamuz XI and our son." Narrated by my spouse.

"I don't want them to train together with that Ellazairae's child," I said.

"You should give Viacyn a personal instructor."

"Yes, alright," He replied.

"You seem irritated with me, just because I've recently given birth, you're getting tired of me," I sulked.

"I will never tire of you. You are my goddess, the most beautiful in all of Andromeda," said Vamuz X.

"When you grow old, who will succeed you as king?" I asked.

"Of course, our son Viacyn," he replied.

I was pleased with his answer.

"How can that happen when the elders do not favor our son? And the Andromeda tradition that the next king and Vamuz must be of Royal blood," I asked.

"Prince Viacyn has Royal blood too," answered Vamuz X.

"What if the elders do not accept him?" I asked again.

"They will have no choice but to crown him king if he is the only one left, even if he is half-blood," explained Vamuz X.

I was puzzled by his statement, so I asked,

"What do you mean?"

He caressed my face and then spoke.

"I have already killed the royal bloods, and only two remain. I will also kill Ellazairae's child to ensure Prince Viacyn's reign."

I was shocked by what I heard. I never imagined he would be more aggressive in making our son king than I would.

"If the Prime Minister and Queen Ellazairae obstruct, I will kill them. Anyone who obstructs Prince Viacyn from becoming king and Vamuz will be punished by death," continued Vamuz X.

The next day, Queen Ellazairae and her son Vamuz XI disappeared and fled. They were searched for on their planet, but they were not there. Even Ellazairae's parents were looking for her.

Time passed, and the search for them was almost forgotten until a wizard Longnozz introduced himself as Vamuz XI.