I watched as they tag on My daughter Emerald's hand. Pulling her away further into the crowd. I feel defenseless. There was precisely nothing I could do to stop them from taking her. It's only natural for them to do so.
"Emily."
I tilt my head as I stare at the person that had dared to call me by my name.
"Amelia," I say, before returning my gaze to keep my watch on the girls as they walk further away into the crowd. They continued walking further in, till I lost sight of them.
I exhaled and veered around.
"You look well," I managed a compliment at Amelia.
She smiled at me in gratitude. Her smile didn't do well to hide the sour expression on her face. Still, she smiled.
"Your daughter grew up to be a gem of her own."
I stilled at that.
"I meant her beauty, Emily," Amelia added.
I managed a curt nod.
Before taking a step forward, reaching where she stood.
After All these years, she's still as young and beautiful as she has always been.
Amelia is very cunning and has a habit of getting into someone with mere questions or compliments. But I've been friends with her for a long time and have been able to detect that. And I was extremely careful and detached myself from them.
"We should join the others. I'll see you there."
I mumble before moving forward and further into the room.
"You don't have to do this alone."
Amelia says, making me halt in my steps. "You've carried this weight for so long, Emily. Let us support you."
She said again.
I turned to face her, the tears I hadn't noticed had gathered in my eyes.
I let my fears show and I didn't know why. Probably because at this point I don't know if I can keep carrying the burden in my heart.
"Oh Emily!" she moaned before rushing forward to grasp me in her arms.
"I don't know what to do." I cried
I sank my face in her neck as I cried uncontrollably. I know I shouldn't be crying right now. But the weight on my shoulders was too much and for once I let my walls down.
"We are here for you, Emily." Another voice came in before wrapping its hands behind me.
I couldn't tell who it was, but I knew it was my best friends and comrades.
The best friends I had neglected and turned my back on thinking they would hate me all these years were the ones holding me in my weakest hour.
I slip myself out of their hold and I look at all three of them. I did not notice the rest coming in but I was glad they did.
I cleaned my tears and managed a smile at them.
"I promise I will tell you all about it after the meeting is held."
They nod their head in understanding and we all proceed back to the room.
We got inside the room where our meetings are usually held. On noticing our presence, the male warrior leaders disembodied themself from their small gathering and went to their seats.
While I and the rest of the queens take our seats on our various reserved thrones.
"A message has been sent to us from heaven."
I started. "What it says or means is what we do not know, but I believe there is an impending danger.
I caught a glimpse of a few of the warriors shifting in their seats like they were discomforted, but I continued.
"We've not had that kind of message, so mighty it lowered the queens to their feet before. Even before we existed or even in Lilith's time. A war is coming and God himself has briefed us with his mere presence. I urge everyone to be alerted. To the warriors in particular…"
"If I may, your highness." I sneered at lord Federick, the leader of my region, for cutting me short.
But I let him continue either way.
"I and my fellow warriors think- that was not what the message is about," he says with a smirk playing on his face.
"And why is that?" Amelia questions.
"I," he pauses, "we think," he says with his hands stretched to his fellow warriors indicating it was not his idea alone and they have the same smirk playing on their faces.
"Why that strong overwhelming presence had appeared and interrupted the ceremony, was to make one thing clear."
"You need to be straightforward," I growled
He let out a small chuckle that infuriated my anger.
"We think it's time the warriors get to be a keeper. Get to make rules and let people do our biddings."
"And why would you ever think of such," Amelia asks with a bored tone.
"I've always known and today proves it. The gems returned to the previous keeper and that can only mean one thing. They don't accept the new princesses to be their keepers."
"Let's say they don't. Who do you think is fit to keep the gems."
"The warriors," he says casually.
And It was Amelia's turn to chuckle.
Fiona, one of the queens, stood up from her throne and walked forward, down to where Lord Frederick sat.
With one of her hands, she summoned the gems in front of the warriors.
"Do you want to know what it's like when a gem rejects someone to be their keeper?" she questioned.
But the warriors had eyes on the gems and their greed and haughtiness showed forth.
They gulped heavily and saliva dropped from their lips in hunger.
"Who wants it?" Fiona asks sweetly
And they stumble forward all indicating and blabbing words that they should be the one.
"Lord Frederick, since you insinuate this, you should be the mayor to get the first gems," Freya suggests with a cunning look on her face.
Frederick stumbles forward and rushes in an attempt to grasp the first gem but he suddenly halts on his step.
"There's a chance this is a fake one. I have heard the fire regions are capable of creating gems, silver, and gold. This is probably a fake one. And also a replica of anything."
Frederick accused.
Freya smiles sweetly at him. Something she rarely does unless she is eating pastries or planning on making someone look stupid.
"Oh, dear! Alright, I'll go first." She raises her hand and one of the gems she has been keeping and protecting for years comes forward.
It lowers itself on her palms and she grasps it.
Her eyes shone brightly, the smirk still intact on her face.
Frederick did not wait for her to permit him to go next before he jumped forward and made to grasp hold of one of the gems.
It was the Terra gem he had made to grab. His hands had not gotten close before he turned to a pile of rock.
The rock broke and it shattered into pieces.
A loud gasp was heard from the rest of the warriors and they stumbled backward in fear.
"Who's next?" she asked sweetly
"Please, no!" they all said.
"It's not about power!" Freya says, staring at all of them suddenly getting serious.
"Can you wield it?"
I stand up from my throne and the rest of the queens do the same and we come to stand next to Fiona.
"If you go on like this you will all fall before the impending threat even comes to be. As warriors, you hold a very vital role on this planet. You are strong. Powerful and above all Important and loved. I'll beseech you all to do well and not let us down, a lot of Us are looking up to you." I say to them.
Even though I was very angry at them, clashing over it now would hinder any chance of survival for the unknown.
Samira steps forward and she squats over to where the pile of rocks had shattered.
She brings out her stale and lightning emitted from it, she points at the block and it starts forming back into a person.
To Lord Federick.
It was rare but Only the Water regions were able to give back life.
Freya holds her chest as she crouches low and screams in pain.
I rushed to her side to stop her from falling.
"Your daughter- the aura emitting from her is… Is so…"
Fiona has the power to feel burning energy from afar.
I didn't let her finish before handling her in Samira's care and made to rush out of the room.
"You need to tell us what's wrong, Emily."
"I don't know!" I cried "Emerald can wield powers on her own without a stale." I confessed.
"She's stronger than I am- and I'm afraid- she poses the same strength as Lilith or even worse," I say to them and Their eyes widened.
Is this what God has come to warn us about? I questioned myself.
I rushed out of the room to the coronation ground.
I felt something fly over my head but I didn't bother to look. My only priority is to get to Emerald.
"Take my hand," Amelia called from on top of the horse and I hastily did as told.
I took her hand and we flew high into the procession ground, where foods and drinks were dutifully served.
"There!" I cried
I hadn't noticed the tears that had started sipping from my eyes.
The horse lowers to the floor and I jump down rushing to where the girls are.
"...Ninety percent of your childhood and what you were told are all lies." I heard one of the princesses say as I got close.
"That's enough girls." Amelia scolds
I made my way towards Emerald who seemed lost in her world.
The aura emitting from her had worsened and I could feel everyone's gazes here.
"Emerald," I called
"Emerald." I say again
"You can fight this, just…Breathe. Smile and be calm..."
I muttered.
She slowly turns to me and her eyes snap open.
I let out a long gasp.
Emerald eyes had turned black… But not completely. There was a tiny green still in her eyes but the rest was completely black.
I shuddered in…..Fear.