Kingdom of Lies (The Fifth Element Chronicles)

Chapter 17 [part 1]

An image kept coming back to my mind. 

My parents hugging in bed, Lucius raising his sword, the pain and sadness of my agonizing cry trying to change the past. 

In front of me, so close to me, the culprit was smiling with what seemed like accomplishment.

Disgust, helplessness and anger mixed in a great feeling that came from under my skin. 

The magic began to build up. I could feel how it wanted to emerge and attack my opponent. 

'Stay calm, girl, I can feel your anger from here.' He said and made me even more sick. 

'You wanted to meet, here I am, say what you have to say.' I tried to keep my eyes fixed on him so as not to show myself as less than him. 

Actually, I wasn't, I was his equal, maybe even more than him and that comforted me. 

'I think you should change your tone towards your future father-in-law.' 

The magic was about to get out of control, to let go completely. 

Until a voice appeared in my head. 

It was different from the one I had heard before. It was a man's, that was for sure. 

He only said two words, which were enough to reassure me in some inexplicable way: 'Hold on.' 

King Lucius noticed the immediate change and tried to throw me off balance once again. 

'Now you really look like a candidate for my son, the first time it was almost humiliating to choose you from all the others, that precarious dress, that barbaric hairstyle, that wild attitude.'

The same two words kept coming back to me, 'Hold on, Hold on,'  in an unstoppable echo that spread through my senses. 

'I have two conditions to accept your son's proposal.' I crossed my hands in front of my dress, stretched my back and neck as much as I could and waited for his ironic response to come.

'You are not in a position to ask me for anything, let's be honest, if you are here today it is because you have no other way to save your people of filthy rats. You are desperate.' 

I felt the anger of everyone who was with me, including Rythel, who although he came from the Kingdom of Eurus, the kingdom of air, felt part of Crescendo. 

'It seems to me, Sir, that you are not in a position to deny me anything either. Regardless of the reasons for this meeting, you want my heir, it is common knowledge, and for your bad luck, you can only have him through me. Therefore I know that you will not object to anything I ask of you, and I will keep my covenant and have the baby you so desire.' 

King Lucius seemed surprised, even excited by my answer, as if he could not believe I had spoken to him in such a way. Did he think that because I was a girl I could not impose myself on a man? 

Rythel was so concerned that he stepped forward. 

'King Lucius she did not...' 

I turned around and looked at him in a way that only left him to step back. If he wanted me to behave like a real princess, then he had to let me be one. 

I focused again on Lucius, who was quick to say. 

'I'm listening, honey.' 

I ignored how he referred to me and stated my conditions. 

'First of all, you must promise to restore magic, not only in my Kingdom, but in all of them.' 

The men on horseback began to murmur among themselves, some mocking, others with some concern.