Luana walked towards the railing of the castle, overlooking at the town's people gathered below. She placed her hands on the barrier and looked at the crowd. They were all looking at each other, whispering words to one another, questioning why they were called.
"People of Lucine!" The people fell silent, looking up at Luana. "I gathered you here to tell you the unfortunate news. The King and Queen were murdered." A unanimous gasp rose among the town's people. "They were murdered by the princess of Naydawin, soon to be the Queen of Lucine and Naydawin, the King and Queens only daughter Rea."
People started shouting over each other and Luana couldn't distinguish the words they were saying. She had anticipated the riot, after all, the people of Lucine adored Rea.
"Quiet!" She shouted, and the yelling subsided. "I know that you all loved Rea, but she is not who you think she is. I was fortunate enough to be the last person who spoke to The King and Queen. Unfortunately, I was also the one who witness them being killed by Rea. You see Rea knew that she couldn't have both Naydawin and Lucine for herself, till her parents were alive."
Of course, that was not true. Rea already had Lucine, even with her parents still alive. She only had to establish control over Naydawin and its people, but these people didn't know that.
"Yesterday, Rea came with her General and stabbed her parents. I managed to call the guards on time, but they did run away before they could catch them. As of now Lucine doesn't have an heir who is loyal to the throne, The King and Queen gave me their blessing and gave me their title."
The crowd stared up at her in silence with wide eyes. Luana extended her arms wide open.
"So, bow now before your new Queen of Lucine. I promise you I will bring back the power to this kingdom, and I will bring justice for the murdered King and Queen."
To Luana's surprise, the people started going on their knees, one by one. Luana's lips curled up into a satisfied smile. Oh, how naïve people can be. You tell them you are their Saint, and they'll believe you.
Someone in the mob shouted Justice for The King and Queen. More people joined shouting the phrase, some of them shouting Hail the new Queen.
"We will have our revenge!" Yelled Luana. "We will bring Rea down!"
There were more shouts, this time approving of Luana's words. She lowered her hands. How easy. Alieana would've loved this.
"You've actually done it." Luana turned around to her father, hiding in the shadows.
"You doubted me, pa!"
Mithras smiled. "Never in my life, little hawk."
The days that followed were days Luana, with the help of her father, spent preparing for the attack on Naydawin. Mithras had ensured the attack from the sea, after all, he had ships to spare and ships with crews loyal to him. Luana had also called on her personal army, which she had situated at every pleasure house. They were different than the soldiers in the royal army, no, they were entirely different. They were trained killers, who went into battle without a questioned asked and not afraid of death because they knew if they cowered away, they would be greeted with something far worse than death.
Her little private army consisted of about thousand soldiers, but they were more fatal than the five hundred soldiers the royal army of Lucine offered. She would put all of those soldiers on land, as Luana's father guaranteed protection from the sea.
Luana had also ordered to get rid of the blue flags and banners with a white crescent moon and the star in the middle of it. They were replaced by plain green ones, as they hadn't had the time to make more complicated ones. She wanted to get rid of the weeping willow and the lavender bushes, but her father persuaded her on waiting to do that after their victory. In the meantime, she would just avoid the gardens.
Luana sat on a big luxurious chair in front of a massive table, a map sprawled across it. Wooden figures, representing troops, were scattered around it. Her eyes were fixed on a spot on the map, her fingers following the lines of the Chrome Sphene necklace – her sister's favourite. She nervously chewed the tip of her quellazaire.
"It will work." Said Mithras, sliding his fingers across the edge of the table.
Luana's eyes didn't slip off the spot on the map. "I know it will. I have greater numbers than Rea and she doesn't have the trust of her people. I have everything."
"What about The Rose Sparrow?"
Her eyes snapped to Mithras. "Are you afraid of them?"
"I'm not afraid." He picked up a black wooden figure, representing The Rose Sparrow. "But he is dangerous."
"He is nothing." Hissed Luana.
"He is reckless." His eyes slid to Luana. "That makes him dangerous."
"Don't bother with him. If you kill his boy you break him. It's as simple as that."
"As you say." Mithras placed the figure back at the sea. Luana's eyes returned to the same spot on the map. "Something is still troubling you." She stayed silent, squinting her eyes. "Who is it?"
"The witch." Silence fell between them. Luana looked up at Mithras, who was looking at her calmly, unfazed. "Are you not going to tell me I'm out of my mind?"
"No. But what is she against your army?"
"She's growing stronger, and they are trusting her. She might help them."
Mithras sat down on the chair opposite her. "You shouldn't worry about the witch of death. You should be worried about the white one." Luana snapped her head up at him. "The witch of life. Her sister."
"Sister? She has a sister?"
"A powerful one, sealed in stone for decades."
"If she's sealed in stone than she is no threat to me." Said Luana sharply.
Mithras leaned back in his chair, stroking his white beard. "There is a prophecy- "
"A prophecy?" She rolled her eyes. "Come on pa. A prophecy, really?"
"You say that, yet you believe in witches." He said with a smile.
Luana peered through him. "It's different."
"As you say." He sighed. "You don't need to worry about them. They aren't as powerful." Mithras eyes laid on Luana as she leaned back in her chair. "You should rest."
"I don't need sleep. I'm used to working late into the night."
"Rest." He said coldly. "I don't want you to make reckless decisions."
Luana's eyes were fixed on him, studying him. "I'm not a child."
"But you are my daughter, and as a father, I tell you that you should rest. I'll go through the plan again for you."
"Fine."
Luana pushed the chair away as she stood up and stormed out of the room. She silently cursed under her breath as she walked down the castle hallways, which were now dark and silent as the dead. Sleep. Ha! She laughed. She hadn't known sleep since the murder of her sister. Every time she closed her eyes, she saw her. Alieana, her dear sister, dead in her arms. Her body was so cold, her eyes no more sharp and beautiful as snowy crystal, but still and grey. Luana was the first one to hold her sister in her arms when she was born, and she was also the last.
Sleep. She will have it after she avenged her sister.
Luana continued down the hallway, the sound of her heels echoing through the empty hallway. She thought about telling Mithras, Neirin was still alive, but she decided against it. The witch was still on her mind. She didn't know much about her, all she knew was that Sabur feared her and he feared no one and nothing. The witch was planning something and if she did, Luana didn't want her on the opposite side of the battlefield. And now, her father spoke of the other witch. The white witch.
Who is she? Could she really be stronger than the witch of death? Luana puffed the cigarette smoke out in anger. She should've asked Mithras about the prophecy. Was it connected with the dark witch getting her sister out of the stone?
Luana stopped. There was a light breeze blowing through the halls. There should be no breeze. She ordered the windows shut closed.
She yanked out the dagger fastened on her tight beneath her dress and quietly stepped on the edge of a narrower hallway, leading to the gardens. Luana gripped the dagger tighter as she heard light footsteps approaching her. When it was close, Luana swung her dagger towards her, stopping at her neck.
A pair of afraid, shining, golden eyes stared at her. There was dried blood smudged down her lip and she was clutching the side of her body. Her skin was dark, but her hair was white, almost shining in the dark.
The white witch.
Luana immediately swung her dagger again, the witch barely dogging it, moving behind Luana.
"Stop!" She screamed.
As if I would listen to a witch. Luana turned around ready to strike again when the witch raised her hands in surrender. "I can help you!" A big black snake crawled between them, stopping at the witches bear feet, hissing towards Luana. "Lynah don't!" The serpent stopped.
Luana hesitated, her eyes darting from the snake to the witch. "I don't need your help, witch."
"You want to stop Cornelis?" At that, Luana stopped. "The other witch. You want to stop her?"
"If she becomes a threat to me, yes."
The witch swallowed, her amber eyes steadying on Luana. "She already is, and you need me to stop her."