The Secret Kingdom

Prepare for Battle

Chapter 7 – Prepare for Battle

Shamir's POV

"No!" Hetria ran to me as I began falling forward. I had lost the love of my life. All she was trying to do was help the people, and now she had to suffer for it. We both lost the greatest thing we ever had, besides our dragons, but she was completely alone. I at least had the care of the Riders.

Hetria laid me down so I was looking up at the sky.

"What did he mean?"

"What connection did she give up?"

"What's happening to him?"

Question after question was fired my way, but I ignored it all.

I felt hallow. I couldn't feel Civia, not even through the connection a Leader always had to every Rider. I could feel every Rider in the world, except for her. She was completely gone.

When I didn't respond to anything Hetria was saying she turned to the crowd. "Are you happy now? You've gotten rid of the teenage Queen. She's completely gone. She only ever did what she thought we wanted. When we asked for her to give up the position we didn't even realize the extent of what we were asking for. Do you want to know what sacrifice she made to give us what we want?"

The crowd fell into silence as they waited for Hetria's explanation. Everyone could hear the hurt and anger in her voice. "She gave up her mate."

A gasp went through the crowd. "You mean..." Tertius stepped forward.

"Yes you idiot. You know some of the old language. Translate this, Sacrifico il mio potere e recidere la mia connessione."

It took him a moment before his eyes lit up in recognition. "I sacrifice my power and sever my connection."

Knowing that the last thing Civia would want was for me to lie here, I pushed myself to sit up. We had to get to work.

The Riders all started talking at once. They were saying whatever came to their mind, but the one thing that I understood was that they were all regretting their decision. They all regretted sending Civia away.

She had proved that she was worthy of being Queen, but it was too late now. She had given the position up and it had never been heard of for someone to return to the position. Of course, no one had known that anyone could take the power and give it to someone else without the receiving person being the next heir. So maybe she had a chance of returning. Maybe there was a way to return what had been lost; to the both of us.

"Do not strain yourself." Rian didn't often speak. He was a dragon of few words, but that was what I needed. I didn't need a talking companion. All I needed was someone there to help me make the right decisions for the Riders.

"I am back in this position. That means I must do whatever it is I can to keep my people safe. I must do something."

I felt his consent presence and felt relieved that there was someone that would back me up. I used to be able to rely on Civia and Olena as well, but they were gone. Civia was gone.

"Listen!" My voice was a lot stronger than I had thought it would be and I figured it had something to do with Rian. He would help me hold myself together until after the war was over.

The people quieted, looking to me.

I had stood up, drawing more attention to me. "We have lost the greatest ally we could've ever received, but we cannot dwell on it. Civia has given us everything she can to help us in the upcoming war, and I know she will continue to help us. That is the kind of person she is. She did everything she could for this people. She did not marry me when we both knew it was meant to be so she could keep herself free for you, her people she loved more than anything. She would not want us to stand here arguing over what we could've done. What's done is done. We must prepare for battle."

Everyone seemed shocked, but they nodded in agreement.

"Right, ready your armor. Sharpen your swords. In two days' time we ride into battle."

"Why can't we simply attack the Hunters while they are sleeping? Civia put a spell on them that no one has cast for centuries, a spell only the Queen has ever known. Who's to say she didn't want us to kill them now and avoid any more bloodshed than necessary?" It was Tertius that had spoken. Even after everything he had made happen he was still doubting what Civia did.

"It will not work if you do that. The spell was cast to put them into a sleep to give us time to prepare for battle. It was not used so we can murder them while they sleep. Where is your honor? The moment we attack them, whether they are already awake or not, they will awaken. Civia knew this and did everything she could to begin getting ready for battle. She nearly killed herself using the energy she did just to give us the time we needed. Are we really going to sacrifice that just to see if there is a flaw in her spell?"

No one spoke. I could see the fear on their faces at the news of the spell. I don't know how I knew the finer details of a spell I didn't even know the words to, but I did. I believe it had something to do with Civia.

Maybe she had put the information in my head before she had severed our connection. Or maybe she was still there and I just couldn't feel her.

Hope filled my chest, but I pushed it away. Hope was something I did not want.

It wasn't even a possibility that Civia and I were still connected. I felt the connection break myself. I tried to stop it, but she wouldn't let me. She had known exactly what I would do before I even knew myself.

She was the definition of the Queen of the Dragon Riders.

"So what are we supposed to do now?"

Without looking at the crowd, I gave them the only answer I had. "We prepare for battle." Not wanting to face them any longer I moved to Rian and we flew to our favorite spot; the place where I proposed to Civia.