"The troops are already in position in front of the delta of the Galmena river , we have prepared the carabineros framed with the infantry on horseback. And the archers have already flanked any escape route for the enemy troops. Before the sun sets, our army will have already taken the border cities of the principality of Arabella" – A bearded man with a warlike look leaned on the maps that were on the table.
Marshal Timoteo Balbuena was a highly experienced man in the art of war, being respected both by his men and by the enemy on the battlefield. The intention in his words full of optimism in the face of the imminent military incursion, provoked in those present his feeling of approval.
"Then we will proceed as marshal has informed us, I am counting on you so that the cleaning is quick" - Sitting on his throne stroking the chin of a tiger, Prince Eleazar gave his approval to his military chiefs to end the strategic meeting .
Five years had passed since the day of his wedding with Princess Elena, during which time his father King Archimedes had initiated military action to recover the territory of the Principality of Arabella. Everything seemed to favor the monarch, but the goddess fortune stopped looking at him with pleasure, falling ill in bed without possible recovery.
With the nationalist feeling exalted in the troops and motivated by the generals, Eleazar took advantage of it and began to increase his share of power within the royal family. Going even to reduce the support that his sister Sofia had among the most liberal nobles of the kingdom.
-"Lucio, how is Princess Elena right now?"
-"Your highness, the princess has not left her room for two days nor has she asked to taste any food" - The words of the eunuch unleashed the anger of Eleazar, who rose from his throne and walked quickly accompanied by his escorts , who were trying to keep up with the frantic way the sovereign moved.
"You dare to challenge me once again! Haven't you learned anything in all this time?" – Prince Eleazar opened the doors of Elena's bedroom, surprising both her and Eunice who was fixing her hair.
-"Greetings to the morning star of the kingdom"
-"Stop teasing me! I know that your greetings are just lip service" - A week ago while a dinner was being held between high military officials in the presence of His Majesty Eleazar, some men already drunk from the liquor began to loosen their tongues saying ill-intentioned comments about her highness ellen
Enduring his hurtful words about her inability to produce an heir to continue the royal line, Elena just smiled diplomatically while Sir Alfonso held back as much as he could bear. Calling the attention of Brigadier Vargas, a soldier who had under his command a quarter of the infantry on horseback.
"Your Majesty, perhaps you should ask my daughter to become your concubine! His mother comes from an extremely fertile lineage and possesses wide hips perfect for breeding. You need a woman in bed and not a mule" – When that insult came from the brigadier's lips, Sir Alfonso could not bear the verbal abuse of which his wife was a victim any longer, to the prince's pleasure. Going full with his fists to the face of Vargas, who clumsily tried to cover himself from the incessant punishment that Alfonso gave him.
-"I can only give diplomacy to a man who does not protect his wife from the sharp tongues of his vassals. Even more so if he disposes of my servants as if they were his property"
-"Is that man you brought with you from Antioca worth enough to disobey me and not eat a bite? What will the nobles say about me?"
-"You sent Sir Alfonso to the war front! To my bodyguard! Do you know how many times I've feared for my life since I married you? It's those very nobles you care so much about pleasing. They wanted this war and they found in you a perfect puppet…" – Elena received a slap in the face from Eleazar in the presence of his escorts, who remained firm, although stunned by the behavior of the future king.
-"Hold the princess's lady-in-waiting and don't let her shut her mouth"
"What do you think you are doing with my maid?" – Taking a dagger from the sash of one of his escorts, the prince bowed as his escorts held Eunice roughly by the cheekbones, forcing her to open her mouth while Eleazar pulled her tongue by the tip. Cutting her in one fell swoop amid screams of pain and blood spilled by the maiden, who uselessly tried to contain the bleeding with her hands.
Eleazar walked intimidatingly to where Elena was, throwing the still throbbing flesh of the amputated limb at her feet.
"Defaming a member of the royal family is a crime that is punishable by cutting out the offender's tongue. Since you are a member of royalty in this country, your servants are considered an extension of your body.
who looks out for the welfare of her vassals, you had better learn to know your place. Or they will pay the consequences" – Throwing the bloody dagger to the ground, Eleazar took a cloth and wiped the blood from his hands while giving the order to take the maiden to cauterize the wound.
Elena collapsed in horror at the prince's cruelty, pulling at her hair in frustration that she hadn't been able to protect her maiden.
While the traces of war were drawn between Tigris and Arabella, elsewhere the gears of war began to move from the heart of the parliament of the kingdom of Antioch .
"Tigris, our sister kingdom! It has already been preparing for five years to recover that territory that was taken from it in the midst of the confusion. Perhaps we, as the worthy kingdom that we are, will remain as mere spectators?
Members of this honorable parliament, Antiochus of noble and powerful lineage, I have not come here today to try to convince you with mere words.
No, but with the living testimony of the conspirators who threaten our great nation" – The now Duke Solera addressed parliament with the effusiveness of a great orator, bringing with him to the presence of the nobles two spies who had been captured by the royal guard.
On their bodies you could see the signs of the torture that the army inquisitors had practiced to obtain the information that Solera threw written on the floor of the parliament, while he continued in his speech igniting the spirits of those present.
When he finished speaking, the nobles present rose from their places elated to the cry of war. With bloodlust shining in their eyes as they instructed their personal armies to join the royal guard in coalition.
Seeing how successful his work had been, Solera withdrew from parliament in the direction of the royal palace. Where as soon as he got out of his carriage, he was escorted to the throne room where Queen Berenice was holding an audience with the representatives of the people.
-"Everyone leave the room immediately. I need to speak with His Majesty in private."
-"Duke Solera. Although he received powers from King Edward to act in his absence, he is exceeding his powers by disrespecting me in this way" – Berenice rose from the throne infuriated with her father, looking askance at the expressions of disagreement that the commoners they threw him looking for him to prevail over the arrogant attitude of the nobleman.
"Guards! Escort the duke to my office and have him wait for me. I'll go when the audience is over" – Approaching the duke, the guards surrounded him and proceeded to escort him as the queen commanded.
Hiding the anger that was eating away at his ego, Solera bowed and apologized to His Excellency for his lack of tact in the situation.
Entering the queen's office, Duke Solera went to the display case where the liquor was stored and poured himself a drink while he waited for his daughter. Squeezing the glass hard to the point of almost causing it to break.
After a few minutes, the door's hinges screeched, causing the duke to rise from his seat and direct his gaze toward the doorway. Surprised by the presence of a little boy of no more than four years of age, who was holding in his arms an old rag rabbit that he had collected from one of the rooms of the palace.
With red hair and piercing black eyes, the creature was the spitting image of Princess Elena. It was Princess Adela, daughter of His Majesty Rafael and Queen Berenice.
-"!Grandfather!" – With the innocence of her age, Adela ran to her grandfather to extend her arms looking for him to carry her.
Being true to his cold nature, Duke Solera looked down at the princess, who kept her eyes full of expectation to receive the affection of the man she considered part of her family.
"If only you had been born a man, I wouldn't have to mix with the barbarians of Tigris" - Duke Solera thought as he crouched down for her at the height of the little princess. Bringing his hands around the girl's neck, as if trying to strangle her.
"Even someone like you knows the penalty for injuring a member of the Duke Solera royal family! Keep your dirty hands away from my daughter" – Seeing her father's dark intentions, Berenice entered the room threatening him when she saw that her daughter's life was in danger.
"Then the queen should keep in mind that many things can happen to the royal family in times of war. Some spy or assassin could enter and finish off such a delicate sprout.
Wasn't it just a few days ago that my men intercepted the spies from the principality of Begonia?" – Smiling sarcastically while pulling the edge of his mustache, Solera rebuked the queen for the low security inside the palace.
-"You know very well that the king has mobilized with the entire regular army to the border with Begonia. We are short of knights and only have the recruits from the academy patrolling the streets. If only the nobles would lend their personal armies…"
– "It is precisely the topic I wanted to talk to you about when you kicked me out of the throne room, ungrateful daughter. Today in parliament I have obtained the motion of the chamber to use the private armies as a single warlike body to protect the eastern border" – Surprised by that statement, Berenice was incredulous at her father's words regarding the situation with the border that adjoined the territory of Tigris.
"Why would you move a large contingent to the borders of an allied nation? Prince Eleazar would take care of Arabella's territory, it is King Rafael who needs those men "
"Silly girl. You don't know how the movements of war are and you intend to teach me how to lead an army? I will send the troops as reinforcement to contain the escape of the rebels when the autonomous principalities fall due to the movement of pincers" – With a cloudy look and a low voice, Solera attacked Berenice making her keep silent.
"I have only come to inform you out of mere protocol, Your Highness. I remind you that the decisions about the military forces were given to me by our brave king who is now on the front lines. I hope you continue to be diligent about pleasing those filthy commoners you adore so much, so they don't turn on you when the going gets tough" – Leaving the room leaving Berenice speechless, Solea boarded his carriage to go to his mansion.
-"Gertrude!"
"Is my name your highness?"
– "Take the princess to her room. I need to be alone for a moment" – The housekeeper took the little princess in her arms, who watched her mother sit in front of her desk resting her elbows on the table, resting her forehead against her clenched fists as the door closed.
Pulling out a goatskin parchment from one of the drawers, Berenice injured one of her fingers and spilled a drop of blood on the symbol drawn on the animal's skin. Singing a chant in the Hufira dialect , causing a strong wind to blow into the center of the room.
"Why have you called me daughter of Gaia? What business do you have with the spirit realm this time?" – After diligently studying for all those years the book that the old woman gave her in the alley, Berenice had become able to use the spiritual power that resided in her blood.
Avoiding at all costs that anyone could see her, the queen put her life on the line every time she used the arcane spiritual arts.
-" Eolos , you must follow the man who drank from this cup. You will be my ears and eyes from this moment on."
-"Little creature, if you do that your body will be defenseless!"
-"I know the risk of doing this. But there is a greater danger that I must avoid at all costs" – Very reluctantly, the spirit of the wind took Berenice's soul from her body and infused her with spiritual breath so that she could separate herself from the flesh for a short period of time.
Blending in with the flow of air that oscillated through the palace garden, the queen went all the way in pursuit of Duke Solera's carriage until she caught up with him. Arriving at the mansion that I inhabit for a long time in the past.
"My lord, the emissary of the kingdom of Tigris is waiting for you in his study" - The butler bowed before his lord, opening the door to escort him to where that man with dark skin and coarse facial features was waiting.
-"It is a pleasure to see you again Chancellor Avalos! I hope your trip went smoothly."
-"Leave the formalities Solera. You know very well that my visit has nothing to do with diplomatic trivialities. Are the troops you promised to King Eleazar already ready?
-"For me to call him king instead of prince, it must be because his majesty Archimedes has already left this world" - Laughing like a madman possessed, Avalos hit his knees with the palms of his hands while throwing his head back pulling air in. your lungs.
The nobles who sided with Prince Eleazar's faction had conspired to slowly poison the Tigris monarch. Being a man with a firm character and honorable convictions, he had rejected on more than one occasion the proposals of the nobility to break the pact with Antioca and take the autonomous territories to move towards a total conquest of the continent.
With the death of King Edward and internal support from Duke Solera weakening the hierarchical structure of the kingdom, the Tigris nobles saw the perfect opportunity to build an empire using the young and inexperienced Eleazar as a puppet.
"Soon we will begin our advance against the capital of the principality of Arabella. By the time that moment arrives, we want to be sure that you will be on the right side of history, my dear friend" – Leaning his hand on Solera's right shoulder, Avalos brought his face close to the ear of the duke, who responded with a malicious smile to the request of your ally.
When that unwelcome visit was finally over, Solera loosened the knot of his tie and unbuttoned his shirt to release the tension. Heading for the stairs that led to the basement of the mansion.
"Little girl, your physical body is already beginning to weaken! If you keep staying out of it, you'll end up dead." Feeling her spiritual strength rapidly weakening, Berenice was about to leave when she heard a woman's whisper coming from the basement.
Due to the stale air emanating from the mansion's basement, the queen's energy depleted faster and faster as she descended. Being helped by Eolos to maintain his spiritual form, even at the cost of the physical integrity of his body.
"It's almost time for our plans to bear fruit Karina. Soon you will be able to take revenge on this cursed kingdom for all the damage they did to you and your tribe" – A woman with shoulder-length black hair took a needle into the veins of a lady who was tied to a bed unable to move.
With his body emaciated by hunger and constant blood extraction, his hair had almost completely fallen out. Leaving only red strands that were scattered across his skull. Berenice's former mother countess, was used for many years as living material for the dark arts of the woman Solera spoke to.
"You know better than anyone that my cause is just. When you were wounded on that battlefield with shrapnel piercing your heart, Eduardo abandoned you like a dog. But I saved you, taught you the sorcery that my tribe passed down from generation to generation. The heart that beats in your chest belongs only to me" – Approaching the duke holding him by the lapels of his jacket, Karina kissed him deeply as lovers would.
Berenice realized at that moment that her father had conspired for a long time against the kingdom for reasons of revenge, seduced by that woman who had been torturing her mother for a long time.
-"I need you to take care of that little rat inside the palace. We cannot allow your bastard daughter to act freely and destroy our plans."
– "You have nothing to worry about. I come from the palace just after moving the last piece of our game board" – Feeling a panic that almost took her to the grave, Berenice begged Aeolos to take her back to her body as quickly as possible.
Like an explosion from a whirlwind, the queen's office swayed causing the books and documents on the shelves to fly into the air. Returning the queen to her body, feeling how each of her organs struggled to stay alive due to the lack of oxygen in the blood.
" Gertru … ger …!" – Unable to speak, the queen collapsed on the floor dragging herself trying to reach the doorknob of her office.
"My lady! What has happened to him?" Sebastian, King Raphael's attendant, entered the door alarmed by the noise he had heard coming from the room.
-"Sebas… tian . The pri …ceases, my daughter. Where is it?"
– "My queen, Mrs. Gertrude left the palace with the princess. He said that you had asked him to take you to your grandfather" – The impact of that news made Berenice collapse, leaving her unconscious in the arms of the butler, who called the royal doctors to attend to him.
On the other side of the sky, crossing the border with the kingdom of Antioch ; the gardens of the Voltaire mansion were filled with the euphoric cries of a maiden running desperately across the lawn.
"Miss Vanesa, please don't run! What will I tell his father if he gets hurt?" With her brown hair covering half of her face hiding her scars, Ofelia panted for a while leaning on her knees pulling air to continue chasing a five-year-old girl.
With black hair and a face similar to Julia's, little Vanesa had been born thanks to her mother's last sacrifice.
The night that Edmundo left Julia to make her decision, the young woman ingested the pills to put an end to the life that was growing in her womb. But just remembering the words and the face of Duke Voltaire, she put her fingers to her mouth to vomit the medicine in deep tears ashamed of herself.
In the months that followed that bitter night, Edmundo worked hard to make Julia happy. Who saw how her belly grew and felt comforted by having by her side the man who little by little came to reciprocate her love.
But no blessing comes without a trial, nor can happiness be achieved without experiencing brokenness. The day Julia was about to give birth, the doctor who closely followed her pregnancy suffered an accident and died when his cart overturned.
-"Charlotte! Where is the doctor? Julia can't stand the contractions any longer."
-"My lord, there was a landslide on the main road and the guards tell me that they cannot find the doctor. Only his cart has been knocked down on the path, but there is no sign of him" – With her face reflecting deep concern, Carlota was snapping her fingers impatiently at the sight of her wife bathed in sweat while her belly convulsed.
"Sir, in the village where I grew up there was a midwife who I occasionally helped with childbirth. If you allow me, I can do something for the duchess" – Feeling obliged by the favor that the duke had done for her by saving her from the clutches of the marquis, Ofelia approached the bed where Julia was convalescing.
After carefully observing and feeling the uterine cavity of the young woman, the maiden knelt on the ground shedding tears of sadness.
-"My lord, the baby comes in a position in which it will not be possible for him to come out through the birth canal. There is a way to save him, but…"
-"But what? Speak up woman! What?"
-"To save him the lady has to die!" – Lightning lit up the night sky with the storm hitting the windows with its wind. The moment Edmund heard those terrible words, he cursed the sky for the situation in which they had been placed.
"Ed…Edmundo" – With the little strength she had left due to the pain, Julia called her husband, reaching for his face with her hand.
Julia, here I am! I told you that I would be by your side no matter what happens" – Unable to control his tears, Edmundo felt a lump in his throat when he contemplated the lost look of his wife.
– "These months that we have lived together, you have made me a happy woman. You made me regain hope when I was plunged into a deep abyss. But the time has come… when we must say goodbye"
-"What are you trying to say Julia?"
– "I want the baby to live. Let me give her the only gift that as a mother I can give her" – The resolution with which Julia said those words petrified Carlota and Edmundo, who refused to even think about sacrificing her.
-"Julia, don't ask me to kill you!"
-"No… you are killing me. You saved me that night when you reached for my heart. If you had not been there for me, with that noble spirit inside you, I would be descending to the grave with my conscience stained" – Squeezing his hand while smiling, Julia asked her husband to come closer so she could say a few last words before to give his life.
"If there is another life…if we could be reborn. Without a doubt, I would fall in love with you, no matter what" – Taking a delicate kiss from his wife's lips, Edmundo took the dagger from his belt and brought it up to his chest.
"In this life and the next, my heart will be yours alone. Goodbye my beloved Julia" – Sinking the dagger straight into her heart, Julia tried to scream while in her mind a memory blocked her.
"So that's how you felt that night father?" – With that last thought in her mind, Julia surrendered her soul to oblivion, closing her eyes with a smile on her face. Edmundo took the dagger again and opened Julia's womb, helped by Ofelia who was trying to introduce her hands to break the placenta and take out the baby.
With the umbilical cord wrapped around her neck, the baby had a purple hue as if she had suffocated.
Desperate while asking for warm water and clean towels, Ofelia carefully cleaned the creature while removing the umbilical cord trying to free its neck so that the blood could circulate. Giving light pats on her back to get the baby to react.
When they thought that everything was lost, as an act of divine intervention, the baby began to cry, thus recovering the color of the skin of her face.
"My Sir. It's a girl" – With the baby wrapped in towels, Ofelia approached Rafael who found his hands full of the blood of whoever was his wife. Unable to take the girl, Carlota went over to pick her up. Reflecting in his eyes the agony of losing the Duchess.
"Miss Vanessa, please!" – Looking back while running, Vanesa collided with the legs of a man dressed in military uniform. Falling to the grass on her hips, beginning to cry uncontrollably.
"Now do you realize that you should listen to your nana? Let me carry you my little princess!" – Gently lifting the girl, Edmundo approached her face to give a tender kiss on the forehead to whom he considered the greatest treasure that the woman he loved had entrusted to him.
-"My lord, I'm sorry! I should have taken better care of her."
– "Don't worry Ophelia. It was just an accident. Take the girl and tell Carlota to come see me"
- "Dad, are you going to go?"
– "I will return for your birthday my little princess. In the meantime, behave yourself."
-"You promise?" – Hearing that question with the face that reminded him of his late wife, Edmundo felt his chest tighten, making a lump in his throat, making it difficult for him to answer immediately.
"I promise you" – Saying goodbye to her father waving her hand, Vanesa was taken by Ofelia into the mansion. While Edmund stood under the shade of an oak tree waiting for Carlota.
"Is the situation at the border that bad?" – With a serious tone, Carlota approached Edmundo who nodded without saying a single word. The advancing royal troops of King Raphael had broken through the defense lines and threatened to enter the capital of Begonia without further resistance.
– "Leave everything and run away with your daughter! Let's go back to the times when we were mercenaries."
– "You know that this is impossible. If we don't fight in the capital, there won't be anyone to buy time for you guys to escape."
-"Then let me go with you! You are practically going to commit suicide!"
"You think I don't know damn it!" – Shaking from his shoulders with the eyes of a man who goes to his execution, Edmundo did not hide the fear he felt for the friend who accompanied him so many times in arms.
"I can only count on you to protect Vanessa and escape to the kingdom of Tigris. On the border there is a group of dissidents whom we have been secretly training for the last five years.
If I don't come back alive, please…" Holding his face to give him a kiss on the cheek, Carlota looked at the man she had secretly loved since their days as mercenaries.
"You will come back. Because you made a promise with that little girl and you are a man who always keeps his promises" – With a smile on her face, Carlota lost herself in Edmundo's eyes. Who took the reins of his horse and began his gallop with the wind hitting his face.
The drums of war sounded across the continent, setting the stage for a cruel battle that would be written in the history books in bloody ink.