7th Century B.C., Edrel
Men were the superior sex, or so they had thought. Never in their lives could anyone imagine that a mere girl would return triumphant from a war. Not only did she return undefeated, but she also led the army. At the age of seventeen, only.
Edrel had hit a milestone. It proved to all discriminants that women were no less than men.
She proudly walked through the royal court, a grin stretched from ear to ear. Her six sisters rushed towards her.
They hugged her, almost choking her; "I- can't- breathe," she blurted out with whatever air she had left in her lungs.
Meanwhile, the king watched his daughters rejoice, gratified with the victory for the kingdom. King Nycolas raised his glass of fine wine and addressed the extraordinary warrior he had brought up. "All hail, princess Avalon of Edrel!"
The court cheered.
Avalon turned to the subjects and smiled warmly. Soldiers kneeled, subjects bowed.
The king announced, "In honour of another conquest, I, Nycolas de Astelot, invite the whole kingdom for celebration, right here at the royal palace!"
They all applauded. The princesses dragged Avalon to her room, determined to make her look like a princess again. They waited while the servants treated her wounds, washed her hair, helped her to a bath and dressed her up.
The sisters tied Avalon's thick raven hair up and gave her a sable gown with diamonds embroidered on the torso. Tightening the corset, they helped her get into the garment.
The sheath gown accentuated her generous curves while not showing any skin. Avalon placed a simple silver crown decorated with gemstones on her head. When her sisters were busy putting cosmetics on her face, Avalon carefully chose her jewellery for the night. To honour her late mother, who had passed just after her birth, she wore one of her mother's rings.
Even though the seven sisters did not share the same mother, their bond was unbreakable.
Avalon had heard a lot about the second queen --her mother-- from her father. She became a warrior as a tribute to her mother. The late queen always wanted her daughters to be the kingdom's most treasured possession. Not because of who they married. But because of what they did for the nation.
"Did you hear the rumour?" Neveah asked.
The girls turned to her. Neveah knew about every title-tattle in the kingdom. They watched Neveah while being utterly clueless.
"Father will name his heir tonight. After the toast to Avalon and the soldiers."
"Does that surprise you?" Sybil's aloof countenance caught their attention. She spoke from the corner of the room, looking at her reflection in the small hand mirror she always carried.
"He will give his crown to Avalon, of course," Aures scoffed.
Neveah walked to the centre of the heptad. "Do we want that?" Looking into all of her sisters' eyes, one-by-one, Neveah tried getting their heads around her idea -- a proposal she hadn't made yet. "We want the crown just as much as she wants. We deserve the crown just as much as she
does."
"What are you trying to imply?" with her brows furrowed and hands crossed, Phyllia questioned.
Avalon, who was once seated calmly, stood up and walked closer.
"Father has eight children, each equally deserving of the throne. Should we not get a chance to rule together? In harmony?" Neveah waited for an objection. Receiving none, she continued, "Instead of having just one of us inherit all the glory? Which will eventually cause hatred and envy and spite."
"How will we make him believe that?"
Neveah smiled, "If what I heard is true, father will name his heir privately before letting the subjects know. Only the Lord Chancellor and his children will be allowed to know. And we will tell him about what we want."
Avalon caressed her mother's ring, contemplating the outcomes of what they planned on doing. "Fair enough. Let Sybil and Aures put forward our point. They are the oldest, after all."
Agreeing with Avalon, the sisters went back to rejoicing her victory.
They heard all the subjects enter the palace grounds and waited patiently for the celebration to begin.
However, they were interrupted by the king's guard. He knocked on the door before addressing them. "The king has called for all the princesses in his chancellory," he said.
The princesses shared knowing glances and walked out of the room. They followed the guard and were joined shortly by their step-brother, Xavier.
"Hello sisters, mind if I join?"
"Drop the chivalry, Xavier. We know you have a hidden motive. We learn from our past mistakes." Hera replied. The others snickered from behind.
"Seems like father has called for you too. So the rumour is true then." Xavier paced to the front of the group and turned around, walking backwards.
"And if it is true, you shouldn't be talking about it, you fool." flicking her brother's forehead, Hera scolded Xavier.
The rest of the stroll to the chancellory was silent. Almost nerve-wracking.
"Come in," the king said.
Seeming to be in deep thought, King Nycolas sat at the head of the table, and the Lord Chancellor stood behind him. He gestured his children to take a seat. Once the prince and the princesses were seated, the king started speaking. "You must have heard the rumour," he sighed, "It is true. Indeed, I will name my heir tonight."
An eerie silence followed. Xavier looked down, staring at his hands. There was no possible way he would get the throne. He couldn't even look at his father. Xavier waited for the disappointing but expected name to be said.
The sisters shared a glance before nodding at Aures and Sybil, the oldest twins. Looking at each other one last time, they stood up abruptly. Their sudden action startled King Nycolas.
"Father... my sisters and I have a proposal for you."
Arching his right brow, the king allowed them to proceed.
Sybil and Aures looked at each other again and turned to their father. Aures took a deep breath and said, "We think you should let us all rule together."
Xavier turned to his oldest sisters, wide-eyed.
King Nycolas, who was once listening closely, was now taken aback. With both of his brows furrowed, he asked, "What do you mean?"
"Let us form a parliament. We would all have equal power and authority." she emphasized the words 'all' and 'equal'.
"So you want me to hand the throne to all eight of you?" The idea was foreign to the king. Edrel had never had a queen rule alongside a king, let alone a parliament.
"Yes, naming one of us as your heir would do us no good. We would all
turn against each other. It would be unfair." Sybil added, "We have equally contributed to bringing Edrel where it is now. All in our own, different ways. Everyone here equally deserves to be named your heir."
Their father hummed and told them to sit down. After giving their proposal some thought, King Nycolas stood up and announced, "I thought about it, whatever you proposed. In my judgement, Edrel is not ready for a parliament. Not just yet." He saw his daughters lose their looks of hope, dropping their shoulders in defeat. Looking down, he continued, "I have decided who will be my heir."
Everyone breathed in sharply, nervous about the next thing the king was about to say.
King Nycolas smiled, "Xavier, my son, I am now ready to hand you my legacy. Make me proud." As soon as the words escaped his mouth, gasps echoed in the room.
Xavier looked at his father, shocked to hear that he was the heir to the throne of Edrel. He was going to be the king. Xavier stood up, astound and bowed. "Thank you, father. It is an honour."
The moment of happiness between the father and the son was short-lived. There wasn't just a father and his son present in the room.
A loud bang broke the silence of the room. Furious, Phyllia scowled at her father. "You chose him! Over us? You chose your bastard son over your own daughters?"
"Phyllia! He is the crowned prince. You ought to speak of him with respect."
"Respect?! So you expect us to respect him? I will never!" retorted Elyon, her glare piercing through Xavier's skin as she spoke. Presenting her opinion, Elyon stormed out of the room.
Soon after her exit, the other sisters followed Elyon. One by one, they proceeded to glower at their father and their brother before leaving. However, Avalon stayed behind. She remained seated, staring at the wall in front of her. She clenched her jaw while tears threatened to fall from her eyes. Avalon's body trembled with fury. She balled her fists so that the nails dug into her palms. Finally, with all her strength, she looked at Xavier, "Long may you reign." Avalon laughed, her tears staining her cheeks. The darkness in her eyes returned. "You bastard!" she spat on his face and flounced out.
She swept through a crowd of servants and banged open the door to her room with all her might. Avalon smouldered with resentment. On the wall to her right, she saw the portrait of her mother hanging with all its beauty. Avalon let out a scream and took the painting off the wall, smashing it. Opposite to where she was standing, she saw her reflection in the mirror.
Avalon saw the wounds that embraced her face. The cuts of glory, cuts that once made her proud of being a warrior. She breathed heavily through her clenched teeth. In a flash of a second, Avalon grabbed the nearest thing to her and threw it at the mirror. She let out another hair-raising scream.
Her sisters entered the room and tried calming her. They held her back from inflicting more harm on herself and her surroundings.
Yanking herself out of their grip, Avalon roared, "We've been left with nothing!"
"So what?!" Hera shouted back, her indifferent choice of words surprising the others. She scoffed, "We are women! No woman ever gets what she deserves! It is time we stop trying to sit and wait to earn respect and fight for what we deserve."
Taking one last shaky breath, Avalon sat on the floor. She looked down at her mother's ring. The others sat down with her, giving her all the support she needed.
"You are right, Hera. I am tired of looking out for everyone. I am tired of being denied of what we deserve." Elyon muttered.
"We have to bring down our father. We have to ruin our brother. Even if we have to do the worst of things." Neveah stated.
"I think I know where to start." The sisters turned to Aures. She seemed to have found the perfect solution.
.....
Deep inside the castle's prison, in a secret cave, sat a woman with a sickly pallor behind bars. Isolated from all the prisoners, she waited patiently. Iron chains stretched out her limbs while she remained shackled in the centre. The spikes on the inside of the body of the shackles pierced through her skin. Dried blood stained her arms and feet red. And her long, mucky curls covered her face.
She waited for the day her revenge was finally going to come to fruition. A voice inside her head kept telling her, 'It has begun. His doom has begun."
She recalled everything that happened on the day she got imprisoned.
[15 Years Ago]
"We have a prince!" a villager shouted. "We finally have a prince!"
From inside her tent, Annette heard the commotion outside. She scoffed. Her prediction had come true. The kingdom's day of utmost joy had come. The king and his mistress had finally given birth to a beautiful baby boy. She continued with her spell. After all, she had special fortune-telling to do.
A royal guard entered the tent, "The king has called for you."
"I have been waiting for his call."
Annette took all the necessary things for the reading and followed the guard to the castle.
As soon as she stepped foot into the court, four little princesses welcomed Annette by hugging her legs. She giggled along with them.
"Welcome," the third queen greeted her while holding her one-year-old daughter, princess Elyon. "the king is waiting for you in his chancellory."
Annette bowed in front of the queen and proceeded to the chancellory.
The king sat on his seat, holding his son with the mistress. Seeing the royal seer, the mother walked out with her son.
"Your son is as beautiful as I had seen in my vision."
"That he is. Tell me Annette, will my son make me proud?"
She sat across the king and placed her crystals on the tabletop. Taking out a crater --smaller than a usual one-- Annette poured the potion she had made for this telling. She shut her eyes and breathed in deeply. With her divine powers, she searched for a vision. "Who will be your heir?"
The king's forehead wrinkled with confusion. He decided to answer the seer's question anyways. "My son."
Annette opened her eyes, the expression plastered on her face unreadable. Taking another deep breath, she described what she had seen. "Your son will not live to sit on your throne."
"How is that possible? He is a healthy child."
"He will be killed," she placed her hands on the crater, feeling the liquid brush her palms. "you must kill your daughters in order to see the prince on the throne."
King Nycolas stood up angrily. The chair underneath him fell due to his sudden action. "How dare you command me to have my own daughters killed?!"
"You do not understand! Your daughters will not stop at killing just your son if you name him your heir!"
"My daughters will not be assassins! I won't raise them in that way!" the king shouted back. He saw Annette continuing to perform her spell.
"Accept my counsel! There is a way out of the bloodbath," she said.
"Guards! Imprison her!"
Two guards entered the room and held her arms, restraining Annette from finishing her spell. She fought back only to be tackled by a few more guards. Annette looked at the king and bellowed, "You can still accept my counsel! You can still save your son and your kingdom!"
"I am the king of Edrel! I do not need counsel from a mere woman!"
"A mere woman?!" she questioned the king's scorn, "It is you who is impotent out of the two of us." She yanked herself away from the guards. Unfortunately, there were too many against her.
Nycolas strode towards Annette, provoked by what she said. Such disdain towards the king was enough to get someone beheaded. He inched closer to the psychic as she fought those who held her. "I may be futile like you say, but at the end of the day, I will still be king, loved by everyone. And you will still be the witch kept in the kingdom at the mercy of the king."
He watched her seethe with a smug grin.
To the king's surprise, Annette stopped fighting for a moment. She laughed before glaring at him again. "Oh, I wish well for those who you showed mercy." She swung her little dagger and cut King Nycolas' left brow. The guards quickly took it away from her but, Annette already did what she had done.
He winced back in pain and touched the cut. King Nycolas had had enough. "Take her away!" his voice was as brittle as never before. "To the farthest prison." the king ordered.
Annette struggled in the bonds around her arms. "I curse you, Nycolas!"
As the guards dragged the woman who kept fighting restraints on her arms, she roared, "Your beloved daughters will be your downfall! And you will have no choice but to watch your kingdom fall apart!" Her voice reverberated. "They will make your worst fears come true!"
.....
The woman cackled with laughter. After years of isolation and with the company of just the voices in her head, Annette was no better than insane. "Foolish Nycolas. Thinks he can contain me. I will show him what I can do! I will destroy him and-" She stopped speaking when she heard distant footsteps.
Annette tore her gaze away from the floor for the first time since her incarceration. Smiling with a glint in her eyes, she spoke, "I knew this day would come." loud enough for those approaching her to hear.
A few moments later, seven charmingly confident young ladies stood in front of her, on the other side of the bars. Each of them was different in all respects.
"So this is where you were," Sybil said, "for all these years."
"I never stayed here intentionally, my dear Sybil."
Sybil's eyes broadened. She was surprised by the woman's ability to recognize her even after years of not seeing each other. "H-how?" she faltered.
"I was the royal seer for a reason, darling. I see what no other soul sees."
"You weren't a seer. You were a witch. I have heard the tales of your diablerie." Neveah stated, causing Annette to chuckle.
"So this is what my divine powers are called in the kingdom." shaking her head, Annette corrected the princess. "I am not a witch. Although that is what ignorants call us psychics."
"We are not here to discuss the ignorance of those who have influenced people before. We are here to free you." Avalon spoke bitterly. Her temper was evident in her voice.
"And what do I have to do for you all in return?"
"We want divine powers such as yours." Hera tried being as straightforward as she could. Impatience was one of her flaws, as believed by her father.
Annette laughed once again. Throwing her head back, she snickered for a good minute. "It was about time someone fueled your fury buried underneath." With a smug grin, she spoke, "Unfortunately, I can't fulfill your request while shackled."
"We know very well how capable you are. These shackles are no restraints to you. I wonder why you never broke free by yourself."
"I knew the best way to get my wishes granted was to be stuck here. You princesses are shockingly bright." Annette's hoarse voice ran chills down the girls' spines. "But why do you want such abilities? You princesses have the world at your fingertips, thanks to your mighty father."
"He denied us of what we deserve. It is time we take it ourselve."
Breathing in sharply, Elyon stepped forward and held the bars in rage. "Just do what we tell you to, and you will be freed and kept under our protection."
"I don't need your protection. You can't even protect yourselves!"
"Enough!" Aures said, exasperated. "Yes! We can't protect ourselves or our place in the kingdom. And that is exactly why we need those powers. You should know best, what it feels like to be scorned by those in power."
"So please, help us. And let us help you." Phyllia pleaded.
"You will all have a price to pay," Annette warned the princesses.
"When a person no longer has anything to lose, they have nothing to fear." Avalon was ready to pay any price. For she just wanted what was her birth-given right.
"As you wish." The psychic stood up on her feet, stumbling before gaining balance. She closed her eyes and gritted her teeth, making herself ready for what she was about to do. Annette yanked her hands from the shackles as the spikes bore deep into her skin. Blood oozing out of the wounds. Her scream and sudden action blanched the girls' faces. "I, Annette Le Theano, call upon the heavens that have watched over and ask for this gift!"
"Aw lon empyrean atman, lefsh evd vorv ailn esell dafast hase deservid. hife evd vorv ailn esell linm lon affalone er ji dafast hase feimid. er tear dif comint iet weiev wrongid linm!" Annette chanted in a language unknown to the girls. Her voice made their heart beat faster than ever.
She called out, "Sybil! Time will have no hold over you! From now on, you will hold the reins of time! You will have the ability to fog what everyone sees!" Annette gave her powers as divine as her own. "But behold! Your love for yourself will turn into a foolish and hubristic attachment to your value!
Sybil gasped, her eyes widening with shock. Her greatest fear had come out. It was the price she had to pay.
"Aures! You will know everything! The past, the present, the future! All at your fingertips. Nothing will stay hidden from you. But you will lose the consideration you are so proud of. Your avarice will reach new heights! and you will see no end to it!"
Aures stood frozen. Her eyes watered as she registered that she would no longer have the only thing that made her proud of who she was.
"Phyllia, you have never wanted something in your life. For you had it all. The heavens have gifted you with the power to control minds, make anyone fall for you! With just one glance! But your lust for power and sensuality will be insatiable! As much as you hated taking control of things, you will die to have all the authority!"
Phyllia never wished to be with a man. The idea of it made her feel inferior. She was never ready to bow to any man. And now, she was going to be hungry for that submissive feeling she hated.
"Hera! You already feel what others feel. But that is not limited to feelings inside one's head. You will feel everything felt by others around you, physically and mentally. You will be able to transfer whatever feelings others have to a different person! But new doors will open for your appetite. You will yearn for everything available for others. You will want it all for yourself!"
Hera had always liked to eat all the exquisite cuisines the royal chefs offer her. And deep inside, she always wanted more. And now that hunger was going to be more than ever before. She was going to be a glutton for everything.
Annette laughed. "Avalon, my child, so calm and peaceful. You will control what everyone thinks, you will rule the heavens above. You will know all about them. But the thing you hate most will be your answer to everything. You will fear your wrath!"
Avalon prepared herself to forget everything she stood for. Because it was a small price to pay for all the things she was about to do. Maybe Avalon was lying to herself. But she knew that there was more they had to pay.
"Neveah, darling, you will hold power to turn yourself and others around you into whatever you want! Your shapeshifting abilities will have no bound! But your heart will burn with envy. Just as selfless as you are now, you will be jealous of everything others have. You will strive to take it all away from them."
When Neveah's darkest truth came to light, she breathed in sharply. Whatever she did from behind shadows, under the protection of her mind's secrecy, she was going to do in front of everyone. And surprisingly, she felt an awful sense of relief. She had nothing to hide behind the curtains of her mind.
"Ahh Elyon, such a dreamer. Always lost in your imaginary world. So graceful! Always ready to do whatever it takes to get what you want. You will possess the power of telekinesis! But putting effort will disgust you. You will become the most shiftless person in the whole world!"
With her eyes broadened, Elyon faltered, "Wh- what?"
Annette finally opened her eyes and stared into their souls. "You will be more united than ever. Your powers will hold no consequence against each other. But your darkest desires and fears will come true, you will never feel relief. Not until you pay the whole price!"
A sinister silence loomed in the cave. The princesses felt the power run in their veins.
Aures stared into space and stated, "We will die." She looked at her sisters. They just watched her without saying a thing. "If we do what we planned to do, we will die."
"Will we get what we will fight for?" Phyllia asked. Death didn't scare her. Not anymore. If anything, dying was going to be the best way out of what they were getting in.
Sighing, Aures broke the eye contact and said, "Yes."
"Then our deaths will be the price we will pay. As long as we get what we wanted." Avalon said.
"As long as we get what we wanted," Hera nodded.
Elyon glanced at all her sisters. She gestured them to hold each other's hands, forming a circle. "From this moment onwards, we either die as our own heroes or live long enough to see ourselves become their villain."
After a little heartfelt moment of their own, the sisters turned around and stared at Annette. They looked down at her state, hovering over the pool of her blood.
The gaunt woman watched them with hope glistening in her eyes. But, when the princesses turned back around and started walking away, Annette frowned. "Where- where do you think you are going? Free me!"
"Magnificent!" Aures applauded her to the echo while embracing a sly grin. Annette's frown faded. She stared at the princess, stunned.
Avalon stepped closer to the cell and spoke as if it was a known fact that they would have deceived the psychic. "Did you really think that we wouldn't know?"
"There is more to it? I thought we agreed on keeping her imprisoned because she asked father to have us killed." Hera seemed just as surprised as the other sisters.
This new revelation made Annette think harder. With her past, intentions and the new powers she had given to the princesses, she found herself trapped in a labyrinth that she had created herself. And there was no way out.
"She wants revenge. She cursed father."
All sisters now looked back at Aures. Their jaws dropped.
Avalon had already felt it. She added, "That we will be his downfall."
With clenched teeth, Neveah concluded, "So you saw this happening. And you wanted us to do your dirty work all while staying under our protection."
"Not anymore." Elyon lifted her arms and pointed towards the flambeau hanging on the wall next to them. She threw it at Annette, setting the cell on fire. She then covered the bars with rocks as the old psychic screamed for her life.
Thanks to the powers bestowed on her, Sybil made the rocks look like a well-built wall. "Keep begging forever, no one will ever know where the screams come from," her voice was splenetic.
For years, the princesses were exploited. They gave their all to the kingdom only to be denied of what they deserved. For years, they had been used as pawns in someone else's game. It was a sickening feeling to have been used again.
Annette was someone they looked up to. They missed her presence. Even after what they had learnt about her statement, they respected her. For they did not know the reason behind it. But, this was their last straw. They swore that they would never let anyone use them again. Yet, it was the very first thing that happened to them.
They left Annette in the fire, as she hollered in pain. And to make it worse, they hid her from the rest of the world, just as their father had done. The only difference was that they made sure no one would ever be able to find her.
They were already letting their demons take over them.
The sisters walked out of the dungeon as if nothing had happened. As if nothing had changed. The halls were empty. But, they still checked if someone had seen them. They went back to their chambers to get ready for the toast. It was going to be a long night.
Before parting ways, they turned to each other. The celebration could be heard from where they stood. The kingdom was in peace. And they planned to ruin it. "The war has just begun."
Their respective lady's maids followed them to their corresponding rooms and dressed them for the night.
Avalon stared at her multiple reflections in the broken pieces of the mirror.
None of the servants dared to ask her about what had happened. There was a sinister look in her eyes that sent shivers down the maids' backs. They continued brushing her long hair and helped her choose another new jewellery set for the event.
She sat there in all her glory, though it was a part of an act. Avalon knew that she would emerge victorious out of this war. After all, it was just that. Just another war. A great warrior like her had fought far too many wars to be unnerved by this one. She looked at her hands, feeling her power.
Unlike Sybil and Elyon, she didn't get the chance to test her new abilities. It called for some testing.
Avalon lifted a finger, and with it, clouds rumbled. Her gaze never left the finger. With a tap on the table, her whole room lit up, followed by a loud thunderclap that echoed in the castle.
However, she wasn't satisfied. She tried again. This time, the thunder was like no other. The worst anyone had ever seen or heard.
What came next was the eeriest silence to have ever emerged in the kingdom of Edrel. As one would say, it was the calm before the storm. It was a warning, in Avalon's own subtle way.
She could sense the fear in everyone's minds. Avalon didn't want anyone to predict what could come next. So, she tried her next ability. With a blink, she erased their fear and turned it into utmost joy. It wasn't going to last long anyway.
Soon, Neveah rushed into the room, eyes broadened. She was going to speak when she took notice of the maids present. With a stern look, she ordered them, "We'll need some privacy."
The servants bowed to the princess and left quickly.
Avalon already knew what her twin was about to say. She was anticipating it from the moment she chose to play with her newfound powers.
"Was that you?"
"What do you think?"
"It was not what we planned!"
"Oh, I know," Avalon turned around and looked at Neveah's dumbfounded look. She giggled. "I was just seeing how far I can go. Don't worry, I erased the fear off of their minds."
Neveah crossed her arms and shook her head. She gave her sister a knowing smile. Having a little fun would never hurt. Moreover, who was she to stop Avalon from following her heart?
"Wait-" she stood up and walked to the box she had brought back from the battle. Avalon opened a small box and took out a ring that she bought on her way back to Edrel. it was a gift for Neveah. "I forgot to give you this."
Taking Neveah's hand in hers, Avalon slid the ring onto her finger. The golden band was of the perfect thickness. Just as Neveah liked. And the centre stone was a perfectly cut emerald, as vibrant as the shade of Neveah's eyes. Coincidentally, it matched what she had worn for the night.
"I love it," Neveah smiled her admiration of the exquisite gift her sister had given her. She lifted her hand against the lights and turned her wrist to see the gem in all possible ways.
Her smile was almost contagious. But Avalon grinned because it was the first time in a while that she had seen Neveah truly happy. It didn't take much to make her happy. Avalon knew it.
"Come on now, let's see if the others are done." Avalon dragged Neveah by her elbows, unable to wait any longer for the most eventful hour of the day.
The twins met their other sisters outside the room and joined their father for the toast.
King Nycolas was surprised to see them act as if nothing had happened. He searched for even a fragment of anger in their eyes and the lack of it was unsettling. His gaze lingered on them as they stood around him with no sign of bitterness. "I know that my decision hurt you all but I want you to know that I did what was best for you and Edrel."
The princesses continued smiling at the subjects under the balcony they stood in. He sighed. Although his daughters didn't look angry, their silence made it clear that they were not happy about the decision. "The nobles are still not ready for female rulers, let alone a parliament-"
"We understand, father," Avalon looked into his eyes. "The world is not ready for us." Saying that, she broke the eye contact and stared back at the subjects.
"We will just have to wait longer," Aures added.
Nycolas' breath hitched. When had his little daughters grown so much? At that moment, he didn't see his daughters. He saw seven beautiful, young women who had proved to him that they were the best rulers Edrel had given rise to. The king saw his rightful heirs who were going to do justice to his name and legacy. He pitied them. They were never going to get his throne.
If only they were assigned a different gender at birth.
He smiled but his smile didn't reach his eyes. He wouldn't — couldn't — look at them again. Not without a wave of sorrow washing over him.
Soon, King Nycolas felt the presence of Xavier behind him. It was time.
"Welcome! Ladies and gentlemen," he addressed his subjects, gaining their attention. "As you all know, we gather here today, to celebrate another one of princess Avalon's victories in war." He turned to look at Avalon with a satisfied grin.
She stepped forward to wave at the cheering crowd beneath them. After all, they were celebrating her wins. The day might have not been in her favour, but it was still a good one. One she would remember. Avalon had added another page in the history of women and it was something to raise a toast to.
The look of pity never left King Nycolas' face, and Avalon chose to ignore it. Whatever she was going to do to him would be painful as it is. The last thing she wanted was to let him know of her disappointment.
"Let us take a moment and," king Nycolas wrapped a hand around her shoulder, showing her that he was proud, "raise a toast to our greatest warrior!"
The multitude of subjects cheered for their princess.
Since his daughters couldn't get the throne, Nycolas wanted to — had to — give them all the happiness he could. Even though the best way to do so was to give them the throne. But that was after he hurt them one last time.
"However," he paused, creating a sense of suspense in the hearts of his people. "that is not all we are here for today. I am getting old. it is about time I name my heir."
The silence that was spread all over the room died and indistinct chatter replaced its place.
"I, King Nycolas de Astelot, name my son, Xavier de Astelot, the crowned prince of Edrel."
Some applauded. Some quieted down. And some started plotting against the prince.
Truth be told, everyone hoped for Avalon to be the crowned princess. Given her victories. At the same time, however, a part of them was against it. She was a woman after all. It didn't matter if she was the greatest of all warriors in Edrel. Thrones were meant for men. And no woman could rob them of it.
Avalon stepped back to where she stood before and her sisters embraced her to console their hearts, to prepare for what they were about to do next.
Sybil blurred everyone's vision. No one could see what they were doing. They couldn't afford to let anyone know about their powers.
Avalon took this chance to turn the clear night sky into a battlefield of clouds. Dark clouds surrounded the already dark sky above the palace. Strong winds howled about the building, sweeping everyone off their feet. Eventually, they trampled one another. With a tap of her foot, Avalon made thunder crash on the nearest tree in sight. The ground almost roared. Within seconds, it caught fire and burned to the ground. The fire spread across the other trees.
This wasn't going to do the trick, she figured. She tapped her foot again. With it, another lightning struck the palace. The impact was enough to shake the building that had stood strong for centuries, sheltering those who came before.
As the inner screams of fear from the subjects pulsated around Avalon, she felt her anger released. As she took a deep breath, she made sure to amplify the fear in their minds.
King Nycolas and Prince Xavier tried to hold their balance, for their dear life, oblivious to what was happening right behind them.
What Avalon did to the palace and its surroundings wasn't enough. There wasn't enough pain amongst the people. So, Elyon took this chance to quake the ground. She took it upon herself to make sure the tallest fell, and the shortest were crushed.
The subjects' screams grew louder by the second and when they peaked, Hera felt their pain as it was, in her own veins. Although she seemed to be immune to the feeling, indifferent rather, it took a toll on her. She fell to her knees. It was time for her to finally transfer it to its intended receiver.
She shut her eyes, and with all her strength, she pulled out all the pain from the people present in the hall and transported it all to her father.
When all her pain vanished, the palace almost shook with the king's blood-curdling scream.
Sybil lifted the fog on the vision of everyone present in the room so they could see their king fall.
The princesses had to fend off suspicion. They ran to their father, in an attempt to provide him all the comfort he needed while the agony of around thousands surged in his body.
They all frowned for the world to see. But as each second passed, they just hoped for the king's pain to increase.
Of all his children, Nycolas felt just one comforting stroke on his back. The looks of concern on his daughters' faces were empty. And it resonated across his soul. At that moment, his pain grew. Not physically. His eyes finally watered. Possibly the greatest warrior of Edrel finally had tears in his eyes. The second his first tear dripped out, time seemed to stop. He could feel the satisfaction the princesses felt. But their expressions made him want to believe otherwise.
And when Xavier pushed his sisters aside to take his father to his room's safety, the old man let out the breath he didn't realise he had been holding to himself.
Those seconds of absolute anguish were to be engraved in his heart. He knew that he would never let it slip from the crevices of his mind and his heart. The feeling of defeat. The feeling of losing his daughters in an ever so subtle way that no one would ever know. Although, it felt as if seven strangers had left his heart. King Nycolas did not know those women.
Had he hurt them that deeply? Or had he given them false hope for things they could never have? Perhaps he failed as a father. But then he asked himself. Was he ever a father to them?
"He who has won over the whole planet at the cost of his descendants is but the greatest loser." The first time Nycolas read those words as a boy, he laughed. How could a king with the whole world under his feet be a loser?
He now knew what those words meant.
If only he could go back in time and correct his mistakes.
.....