"How come you're attending the Freedom Day today?" Queen Clandestine asked as she stepped into the Carpod.
The Queen's emerald green dress shone under the sunlight shimmering through the windows of the Carpod. The fitted bodice hugged her upper body while the full skirt flowed down elegantly.
Her silver crown was seated on her head with her black long hair in a beautiful hairdo.
"Is it a crime for the Overlord to attend a ceremony held by the Council?" Cladymor snorted to his mother.
He had assumed he was going to be heading to the Ring Arena alone, in the comfort of his thoughts but his mother just had to interrupt. As always.
He knew she wouldn't enjoy this ride in peace and silence and he was already dreading the idea of making the decision to attend the Freedom Day for the first time since he assumed the throne.
Cladymor wanted a distraction from the raging thoughts in his head, and from the lingering fear in his heart. His 200th birthday was less than a year from now, and he knew what that meant.
The curse was getting closer. And the solution, nowhere to be found.
"I never said so, Clad."
'Departing to the Ring Arena.' The voice announced over the intercom.
The doors of the Carpod closed and the vehicle picked up from the ground, gliding in the air, simply using the motion censor invented by the Tech Team. This new technology had been under construction for years now and they were only able to effect it last year.
It had come in handy but was still only available for the elites in Bermuda ArchTri. Others still used the road vehicles.
Cladymor stared out the window, his ruby eyes on the city which had developed faster than he had predicted. It felt just like yesterday that he was coronated as the Overlord of Bermuda ArchTri.
It was almost like yesterday he saw his father's charred body.
"Anyways, I am happy to be on this outing with you, darling. It feels so long since we sat to have a conversation." Queen Clandestine got up from her seat and moved to settle besides her son.
Cladymor sighed under his breath, already dreading where this was heading. He had been avoiding his mother, using the excuses of being too busy with the kingdom for one reason--she always reminded him of the curse.
"Your 200th birthday is right down the corner and yet, you still don't have an heir for the throne."
"I know, Mother. Trust me, I know that very well." Cladymor hissed, almost contemplating whether to jump out of the pod with the inbuilt parachute to save himself from this talk.
"That is the only reason I am pushing you to get married to Alastra." his mother laid her perfectly manicured hand on his lap now. Her blue eyes bored into his. "You do know you must not fall in love with anyone, Clad. I hope you're still taking your medications as prescribed?"
His mother searched his face, trying to check for any falsehood in his next words. She was trying to see through him again, something she always failed at.
The Queen always seemed to forget that Cladymor was the monster she raised.
"Of course, Mother. How would I miss even a single day?" Cladymor's reply was clear and the satisfied smile on his mother's lips confirmed what he already knew.
His mother was clueless.
He had stopped taking his medications a few months ago, and had threatened his servants never to speak a word of it to anyone, especially the Queen, if they valued their lives.
Maybe that was the reason he was feeling this way...like a storm was coming his way and he wouldn't be able to escape it.
'Arrival at the Ring Arena.' The Carpod stopped moving as it settled on the ground. The doors were opened and the royal guards lowered themselves to their knees.
"Greetings, Your Majesties!" Their loud voices chorused.
"Arise." Cladymor said as he walked past them with the slightest attention.
People were already arriving at the Ring Arena, parking their cars in the reserved area. They all lowered their heads and remained in their positions as soon as they saw him.
This was the power he yielded for close to two decades now. He moved past them nonchantly, not even blinking at the gasps coming from a few people.
He was sure that nearly half of the population had never seen him in person. He wasn't a very...social leader.
Social events were for his mother to attend and to feed him with the gist later. He had bigger problems than showing up in a suit and pretending to be friendly with other lower entities.
"Honey boo!" A nasal voice pierced through the crowd and the tall lady stalked towards him with her army of bodyguards pushing the people from her path.
She was dressed in a light blue frock which showed too much cleavage than needed. Her red hair was like fire as it bounced with each of her steps.
Some men were unable to take their eyes off the gorgeous lady but Cladymor dreaded the very existence of her.
Cladymor gritted his teeth in annoyance and turned to the culprit, his mother.
"What? She wants to be wherever you are. You know I can't turn my darling Alastra down." The Queen smiled and hugged Alastra.
"Oh my Lord, Your Majesty. You just keep getting younger day by day. You really have to tell me this secret of yours." Alastra complimented Queen Clandestine with a wide smile.
"Oh, Alastra. You flatter me too much."
Cladymor turned to walk to his personal elevator, not wanting to listen to the girly gibberish of feeding each other with more gibberish and fake smiles.
"Clad honey, wait up!" Unfortunately, Alastra caught up with him before the elevator could close up.
The guards bowed at him before the elevator closed up, leaving him alone with the insufferable female he was supposed to get engaged to in a few days time.
"Oh, Clad, you're always so mean." Alastra pouted and playfully hit his chest.
He glared at her and her expression faltered a bit. "That will be the last time I will tolerate such nonsense, Lady Alastra." His voice was stern and he moved away from her as though she was a plague.
Alastra scoffed, her cute demeanor wearing off and exchanging with a bored look. "Have you forgotten I am your fiancée, Your Majesty?" She rested her back on the mirror, eyeing him up.
"Soon-to-be, Lady Alastra. That position can be changed in the blink of an eye." Cladymor retorted. There was nothing he hated more than an obnoxious person and Alastra was the perfect example of one.
"You don't seem to get a grasp on our situation, don't you, Your Majesty?" Alastra's laugh was mocking. The veins on Cladymor's neck tightened with rage.
"Our marriage has been declared since my birth. There is nothing you can do to avoid the inevitable."
"If your birth brought this cursed alliance upon me, maybe your death would end it." Cladymor spat without remorse.
Alastra's face dropped with her mouth wide open and Cladymor smirked. Finally, she would shut up.
"Close your mouth, Lady Alastra. You don't want to be ridiculed by my subjects." Cladymor said snidely just as the doors to the elevator opened up.
The crowd roared with enthusiasm as soon as his face appeared on the holoscreens hovering in the open roof of the arena. Alastra linked her arm with his and plastered a wide smile on her face, waving her hands for the crowd like she was royal.
Cladymor inwardly rolled his eyes at her bogus display. He moved to the elevated throne which was made specially for him at the reserved spot in the arena.
"A smile wouldn't hurt, my love." His mother who was already seated on a lower throne next to his gritted out, trying to keep the smile on her face.
"It wouldn't. It would kill." Cladymor retorted as the Queen sighed under her breath.
The officiator of the contest began his speech, rambling about the history of the Freedom Day and taking joy in the crowd's excitement.
Soon, the contestants were brought out and about twenty or more slaves spread out in the ground. Then, the hovering camera zoomed into the faces of the contestants with their numbers boldly on the holoscreen.
Cladymor was already bored at this point but then, something caught his attention.
"We have the last contestant, number 030!" the crowd applauded, their voices loud enough to block one's hearing but that was the least of Cladymor's concern.
His eyes settled on the screen, taking in the beauty of contestant number 030. Her long black hair flowed her shoulders, coming in contrast to her fair skin which seemed a bit soiled.
Her green eyes pierced through the screen and it was almost as though she was staring right at him. Cladymor recognized her, the latest subject from the Outside whom he had pardoned to be reduced to a slave rather than to be executed for her crime.
There was something about her. Something that made Cladymor's heart beat a mile faster for the first time in his 199 years of life.