FATE #3 *(A ROSE IN BLOOM)*

THE ROAD IN BETWEEN*

GENERAL POV

He stood still for a while when a ting of gold flashed his irises, but before he would go after her,  Ariana came by through the inner court. " All protocols are to be observed by everyone, Aria! That includes you!  Don't enter my court without my permission next time!" 

She took a bow trying to keep her cool, " I only wanted to know if you made the list for my servants, your majesty?" She inquired when he hummed a yes, " why are the humans on my personal servants list?" She asked again when he took a moment looking at her face.

" Where do you  wish to place them, Aria?" He  replied with a question feeling disgusted already, " the ones who would sit at my feet in your court your majesty, that's how low I want to see her, she's not worth much to follow me around!"  Her reply got him agitated but he clenched his jaws trying to control his emotions.

" Fine then, call them back and review the list,!" He watched her send for the chief servant, who came along with the servants as commanded, " I received the list, and I'm not quite satisfied with the duties assigned to some people, so I'm going to review your duties again!" She put across and  switched their roles according to her wish

Pearl stared at her wide eyed and Matrona nearly revolted but Pearl restrained her, " what? Is the empress feeling too big for her role?" She sinisterly asked, before Nathan proposed a way out for her,

" If you can't endure so much, then you've got one option, Pearl! go back, for real this time and don't.. ever come back here again!". Pearl hesitantly took a bow to accept the role, he wondered why she's adamant about her decision even though she's not getting any good thing out of it.

Days later, Nathan visited the realm leaders to talk about his compensation, " congratulations on finally getting married, Nathan! I would love to know how your Life has been after marriage but seeing you this bright I need not ask anymore.!" Fabian enunciated.

" Cut the crap, will you? I'm not here to play words around with you, Fabian! You were just lucky she came to invite you, I never planned to, so don't get overly excited" Nathan felt irritated, he proposed they proceed with the subject matter, his compensation for time wasted by the two kingdoms which is now one.

He requested for a quarter of their land , but where he specified sounded ridiculous to them, " the region where Yezskhetc and  Angharv meet,  in other words, the center of the two kingdoms, Fabian! And I'm not here to argue it out or discuss it with you all, so summon me again within the next one week to give me the approval, else I'll go about it my own way!" He walked out smugly .

Lloyd praised him for his choice, because if that portion is allocated to Valloany, spreading their wings throughout the two merged kingdoms will be as easy!.

Fabian finally realized how they've been played instead of it being the other way round, he now decided to rush Ariana with the task he has given her, within that one week interval . " they are just stupid! Prepare the Knights Lloyd, if they don't get back to me by the end of the next week, we will take it by ourselves.!" Nathan authoritatively commanded.

When Nathan got back, he summoned all the generals and the sixteen heads to relay his plans to them, Ariana also came together with Pearl, Matrona and her eyes in the palace, she sat and they sat under his feet while her personal servant stood on her right hand, while Nathan was observing her movements, she placed one foot on Pearl's shoulder and the other on Matrona's.

He felt disgusted by that before noticing Pearl's displeasure, " can you not do that in my court? It's not your bedroom." he whispered to her when she took a moment staring him in the eyes before taken them down.

He relayed his plans to them and they were thrilled by his intentions, Ariana thought Fabian would definitely seek her attention, she felt anxious and only kept taking glances at Nathan. In the evening there about, Takie sought her presence as she fled the palace with her servant. 

When she got to South Akilis, Fabian, his son, the whole family and Takie were waiting for her in their throne room, she kowtowed as they welcomed her in, Fabian congratulated her for succeeding in the first step, 

" I told you my son will be your husband and you both would rule Valloany in the name of South Akilis, I wasn't lying, Ariana! so don't build a world around Nathan!" he informed her about the demand Nathan made at the headquarters and went ahead to tell her his assumptions concerning what he thinks Nathan was up to, she noticed they had seen through Nathan's plans quite accurately.

" I want you to destroy him within this one week space, Aria! Nathan should be dead before that day comes do I make myself clear, if you fail me, I'll make sure to take your life together with his on my own!" Fabian said when she shed tears.

" come on, Aria! He doesn't even love you or care enough for you, and we both know, if not for the pressure and our taking that little human out of his way, he would have never had anything to do with you!" his son added the obvious truth to her.

she looked at the mark in her palm and kowtowed again, " good girl!  I know you would be needing help to do this so, I got Takie to support you with Avghar's Bennu spell, it's a replica because he died with all, he will be communicating with you regularly!" she requested them to do something about Sandra as she's the head sorceress for Nathan and nothing ever escapes her eyes. She took a bow before departing.

 When she got to the palace, Nathan saw her from afar, but didn't confront her on where she had been, she went into their room and took some magazines to read, he came there suddenly and utterly said nothing to her. 

" it's been three solid days and you've been acting cold towards me, do you feel it is fair? I mean I didn't force you to marry me, why did you even do it in the first place if you weren't ready for it, Nathan!" She calmly inquired, " I'm sorry, Ariana! I placed you in this position, when none of this is your fault, I made sure not to lie to you when I proposed didn't I? I guess I should have asked you for what you wanted as compensation!" she stood speechless, as that was what she had planned to ask for.

" you married me just to kill two birds with a stone, Nathan! you knew I wanted you, but you only wanted a mother for your kingdom that time,  so you only used my desire to your advantage, and you call it compensation?" she analyzed.

 " I have never cheated you, Aria! Besides, it has always been your dream to be the queen,  even though you knew I  had no feelings for you, yet you agreed to marry me,  do not ask for what was not promised you, I wouldn't have forced you if you had declined, Aria!" he retorted whereas she boiled on the inside, he chuckled and stared sternly at her, " are you searching for a reason, in order to go ahead with your plans, Ariana?" HE PROBED.

EPILOGUE:

The irony of it all, the beautiful end is prophesied but the deceit of the process, wrecks the heart into bits.
With  storms where agonies and  pain whirl about us, unending.

A step closer, feels like a mile away  with our ego shredding us down, till our hearts fail.

Until I am the doom for my enemies, his enemies and the once I've grown to love, approaching laughter seems like the smoke before the fire.

I am the emblem of wisdom though thunders roar, I'll rise up, I tred upon the angry seas but never will I go under.

There will be a time to hurt, and a time to heal, a time to listen and a time to act, I am bringing beauty where there's ash and stones and ... Where you are!