The days that followed the terrible night that devastated the kingdom of Antioca and Tigris, the world shook violently with the revolution caused by the princesses Elena and Sofia. The nobles who had benefited from the dark manipulations of Duke Solera were arrested and tried as war criminals by the crown of the kingdom of Antioca.
Their assets were seized and both they and their seed were led to the gallows in the presence of the people they had oppressed for decades, seeing for the last time the faces of those commoners they despised, the heavy blade of the executioner falling on their necks.
The sole survivor of the Duchy of Solera was never found, presumed to have been one of the rotting corpses that were incinerated after defeating the immortal army.
The body of King Rafael and Duchess Valera were escorted by the royal guard, with military honors, to the cemetery of the great temple of the capital. The people, knowing that the king was a victim of Solera's plans, changed their anger for a deep affliction as they became aware of the harsh truth that he went through as a small child. Weeping him in his procession next to the coffin of the Duchess who accompanied him sharing a carriage.
Carrying a little girl in her arms whose gaze was lost, Princess Elena led the procession with her face covered by a black veil, which hid the gauntness of her countenance from the long nights of crying she suffered when she lost both her brother and to the woman I love.
From that day when the clouds were moved in tears for the countless lives, fifteen years passed in the continental calendar.
-" Queen Sofia, on behalf of Queen Elena, I thank you infinitely for being so diligent in attending to the trade agreement between our nations"
-" How could it not be when my dear friend does not rest for a second building her kingdom, I would be lazy if I did less than her" – Wearing a gold miter as a symbol of her rank, Queen Sofia was seated on her escorted throne by her faithful bodyguard who did not detach herself from her as if he were her shadow.
-" Diligent? If this daughter of men knew that you were a sloth who needed to be dragged out of bed to do her job, I don't know what face she would make."
"Enoch! It's enough" – With a mocking smile on his face, the ancestral spirit looked at the woman who remained with her knee bent on the ground trying not to burst out laughing.
-" I feel that a certain girl needs to learn to respect her elders together with a ladino bodyguard"
-" Your Highness, please don't get upset!" – Rising from her throne accompanied by Enoch, walking to where the emissary of Antioca was, the queen lifted the woman by the sides looking directly into her eyes. To later give him a hug tightly while laughing uncontrollably.
-" How could I get mad at you little tadpole"
-" Enough, aunt, I am no longer a girl"
-" At least in my eyes you still look like that brat that Ignis picked up on the riverbank"
-" You too, Enoch?" – That woman was none other than Julia's daughter, Vanesa Voltaire de Valera. The current Duchess and diplomatic representative of the Kingdom of Antioca, under the blessing of Her Majesty Queen Elena.
After the death of her mother, Princess Elena took under her protection that little girl who reminded her of her beloved Julia. Fulfilling the promise she made to her friend on her deathbed, she built a kingdom by implementing the necessary policies so that women could access education, public service positions and above all, the ability to inherit the position as head of the family.
Along with the kingdom of Antioch, Tigris flourished with the wisdom of Queen Sofia, who abolished the kingdom's dominant religion that stigmatized people with physical defects. Purging the kingdom of the noble houses whose corruption had grown under the protection of the ruling clergy.
- " Aren't you too old to play with your niece?"
-" Have the years made you senile, old witch?" – Dressed in armor bearing the coat of arms of the Duchy of Valera, Carlota served as assistant and escort of the current Duchess. Preserving her rough character, the old mercenary continued to get uncomfortable every time she saw Queen Sofia act so familiar with the young Vanesa.
"Enough two o'clock. Remember that this is an official visit" – Laughing out loud echoing in the throne room, the group of women strengthened their bonds in an atmosphere of brotherhood while they said goodbye to each other.
In the carriage on the way back to the kingdom of Antioca, Vanessa looked through the car window at the landscape that changed from the golden sands of the kingdom of Tigris, to give way to the thick green forests of Arabella's territory.
Letting out a deep sigh like the ocean, the young woman's eyes were filled with nostalgia as she contemplated that scenario through which she fled from her pursuers a few years ago.
"Miss, are you alright?" – With her hair tied back with a lace headdress, wearing her maiden uniform, her black hair already showed the gray hair that narrated the passage of time.
-" Ofelia, I want to visit my mother's grave"
- " In a few more days we will arrive at the capital, miss"
-" I am not referring to that Ofelia tomb, I am referring to the true tomb of mother" – Since she was born, the young Vanesa had been taken by her father every day to a tomb that was within the limits of the property of the Voltaire dukedom. Where the remains of the original body of the first Duchess of Valera rested, that body that carried her for nine months and that her mother had sacrificed to bring her into the world.
-" But miss!"
-" Shut up Ofelia, if the duchess wants to go to that tomb, you are not the one to question her" – With her arms crossed, sitting next to Vanesa, Carlota remained with her eyes closed while trying to rest during the heavy trip back.
"My lady, we have already reached the old dukedom" - Stopping the momentum of the horses, Mauricio descended to open the door and extend his hand to the young duchess. Who leaned softly on the tall grass, looking at the ruins of Voltaire's former dukedom.
When her eyes saw that bleak panorama, tears welled up in her eyes as she nostalgically evoked memories of her father playing with her in the vast garden.
"Child, if it's too difficult for you..." - Shaking her head at Carlota's concerns, the young duchess began to walk in the direction of the north wing of the land, just behind the ruins of the old mansion. Cutting some flowers on his way that he gathered little by little until he reached the place where there were two tombstones next to each other.
"Dad, I know you didn't mean to break your promise. But still, I can't help but feel angry with you. If only you had escaped with us that day, if only you had left the battlefield maybe you and mom would be alive" – Crying with all her might, the young duchess fell on her knees dropping the flowers on the tombstones trying to cover her face.
Watching her from a distance, Carlota was hugged by Ofelia while Vanesa let her soul flow with each tear that flowed from the bottom of her heart. The strong woman who grew up with the conviction of the ideals of her mother and father, could not help but bring the little girl who longed for the warm arms of her family.
"Mother, I want you to know that Queen Elena kept her word. Antioch is no longer the kingdom that you had to know in your childhood; nothing compares to the blessed land that is these days.
Girls can smile freely, study, they are not underestimated for being born women. There are no longer girls who have to sacrifice their femininity to preserve the family lineage, that nightmarish time is left behind.
Wherever you are, dear mother. I want you to know that I am happy thanks to you, thanks for loving me and giving me life . For escaping death to save us all in this world.
Rest in peace, my beloved woman knight"- Rising from the ground wiping the dirt from her dress, Vanesa felt a light breeze caressing her hair making her turn in the direction of Carlota and Ofelia. Wiping tears from her eyes, the young duchess ran toward them, throwing herself into their arms.
Just as Gaia dictates, countless are the worlds and realities where souls flow in an endless cycle, where death is not the perpetual goodbye or the bitter farewell that men usually believe.
Where stories like the one written in the kingdom of Antioca, are written in the same way in our vast world in front of us.
In some city on our planet, between the walls of the great buildings that rise imposingly as a testimony to the talent and aspirations of our species, the story of a young woman is written within the corridors of a private school exclusively for young ladies.
-" Lourdes! Aren't you listening to me, you damned four eyes?"
– " I'm sorry, I'm really sorry. I seriously had the money with me today, but someone opened my backpack and stole my wallet."
-" You know very well that if you want to finish high school in peace, you must pay for protection" – Delivering a blow to the pit of the stomach, the young bully dragged Lourdes by the hair to the bathrooms, where she continued attacking her until she was fed up.
"If tomorrow you don't bring the money, we will repeat the same Lourdes" - Leaving her lying on the ground, the young women came out laughing at the unfortunate student.
When dismissal time arrived, Lourdes went directly to her locker and took her things into her backpack, slamming the metal door shut. With teary eyes trying to control the tears to avoid the insidious looks of the other students.
Being the only child of a middle-class family, Lourdes had obtained a scholarship for her high average to study at that prestigious school. Hoping to finish her studies there and get a recommendation to a prestigious university, the young woman endured for a long time in silence the abuse she was subjected to by some girls from wealthy families.
With the cloudy sky and the light drops of rain that were beginning to fall, Lourdes walked with her eyes towards the floor shaking from the pain caused by the blows she had received.
Reaching the height of a small bridge that crossed a pluvial canal, two young men ran towards her, pushing her to make her hit the railing of the bridge. Making his backpack fall directly into the rising current of the canal.
"No, it can't be" - Running up the stairs until she reached the level of the tiles that marked the perimeter of the canal, the young woman desperately tried to throw herself into the mighty current to try to retrieve her books.
Just as she was about to throw herself into the wild rushing water, an arm wrapped around her waist firmly, pulling her back as they fell to the grass.
-" Let me go, let me. I have to get my books back."
- " Are those books more valuable than your life?"
"Yes they are!" – A slap was marked on the face of the young woman, who began to yell at the person who had just stopped her.
"What do you know about my life to mess with me? Did you just see me with pity as if I was looking to be saved? No one asked you" – Angry, unable to control her temper, Lourdes took out her frustration on that girl with brown hair who had a fringe covering the right side of her face.
"You're right, I'm not the one to get in the way of a stupid woman who thinks her life is worth nothing" - Lifting her fringe with her right hand, that young woman exposed the scar that rested on her delicate skin, covering her eye with a patch.
"What happened to your eye?" – Reconsidering her impulsive behavior, Lourdes felt guilty for treating that young woman as her classmates had done with her.
"My father is an alcoholic and my mother a prostitute. I had a little sister who I loved with all my heart, but I never realized that she was bullied at school because of our parents.
One day when my father was stupefied with drunkenness, a call rang at the house from the school administration. The director tried to contact my mother but she had turned off her phone.
My sister had been abused by some of her classmates behind the gyms and asked to come pick her up.
When I got to school, my sister was sitting in the office, her crotch covered in blood, not saying a single word.
At that moment I felt that the blood was boiling in my veins and I could not control myself. So I left the address looking for the bastards who had hurt my sister, I just wanted to kill them with my own hands for hurting her" - The young woman's voice was breathy, as if she was trying to stay calm while the rain continued to fall on her. them while telling their story.
Lourdes came a little closer, as if trying to touch her face with the tips of her fingers trying to dry the tears that were mixed with the raindrops.
"When I finally found them, I pounced on one of them with blows; that bastard was laughing, as if what he did to my sister was something funny. I couldn't help myself and dropped my fists on his face, not letting him get up when suddenly I began to see only half in black and I felt something warm run over my face.
The moment I was able to react, the pain made me fall to the ground as I screamed with my bloody hands covering my face.
When the prefect of the campus saw me, she ran to help me, calling the director to ask for an ambulance.
It was in those minutes that they left my sister alone, that she took scissors from the desk and stuck them in her neck. By the time they realized what he did, it was already too late.
That day I lost my eye and the only person I could call family" – Listening to the full story, Lourdes cried as if something inside her had completely broken.
Aware of the suffering of that girl in front of her, the young woman felt ashamed of herself begging him to forgive her.
"I am sorry forgive me. I offended you and you've been through so much that…" – Placing her hand on Lourdes's head, the young woman shook her hair a little while looking at her with that emerald green eye she still had.
"Follow me crybaby, maybe we can find her backpack stuck in the gratings down the channel" - Turning around revealing a ponytail tied by a clever sky blue, Lourdes felt a headache shake her mind causing her to collapse on her knees .
Images like memories that were foreign to her memory flooded her head, to the point of dizziness worrying the young woman who held her in her arms.
-" Hey four eyes, react! Hears!"
-" Julia" – Fainting from the impact of that experience, Lourdes stayed in the arms of the young woman who was surprised to hear that name from the lips of a stranger.
"Where did you hear that name from? Answer to me?" -Strongly shaking Lourdes shoulders, the mysterious young woman tried to make her react under the cold rain that fell on them.
-THE END-