Chapter 130: Chapter 130 - Mad Princess (Part 5)
The gates of Tricus stood open.
Smoke filled the crumbling towers, not due to fires, but the dust of collapsed walls and siege engines.
The fighting had started to subside.
Throughout the city, Royal Knights guided civilians to safety while Royal Mages put out fires and tended the wounded irrespective of what kingdom they came from.
In the middle of the royal plaza...
Lilia KingHeart was standing alone.
Her white armor showed weariness of the battle.
Her blonde hair danced in the gentle evening breeze.
The ceremonial sword once wielded by King Aldric lay in her hand.
Its blade was not raised yet.
Opposite to her stood Prince Victor.
Once pristine black armor was now stained by the kingdom that fell around him.
For several minutes...
Neither of them said a word.
The plaza was quiet.
Arthur, Lucas and Royal Knights observed them from the respectful distance.
No one dared intervene.
It was not anymore an ordinary fight between the army.
It was a last meeting of two rulers who shaped the destiny of thousands.
Victor smiled quietly.
"So..."
"You have come this far."
Lilia did not change her facial expression.
"I did not come here for revenge."
Victor arched his eyebrow.
"Huh?"
She looked around the ruined plaza.
"I have come because someone had to stop it."
Victor slowly pulled out his sword.
"Looks like history decided who is the winner."
Lilia raised her sword finally.
"I wished history had not needed to make such choice."
The silence broke.
Clanging of swords.
Sword cuts Victor’s left arm.
The sound rang through the silent streets.
Neither of them was fighting with hate.
With every move they showed their conviction.
Victor fought relying on his strength, experience and pressure.
But Lilia keeps attacking without stopping.
Lilia fights using discipline, patience and precision.
With each clash it became clear how different they were.
Victor fights trying to prove that he can never be beaten.
Lilia fights to make sure that no one else would pay because of his decisions.
Arthur watches silently.
"She has changed."
Lucas nods.
"She is not fighting with emotions anymore."
"She is fighting with conviction."
Minutes pass.
Victor’s breathing is getting heavy.
Lilia’s is still even.
Golden glow of the Sovereign of Dominion enveloped her, but it did not mean the power.
Lilia’s sword swings again and cuts Victor’s left leg.
Victor falls down to the ground and crawls back.
"You should forgive me, Lilia. I am your brother-in-law."
Lilia lowered her sword slightly, it was covered in blood of Victor.
"I have."
She looked into his eyes.
"But You have not let them live."
Lilia mounts Victor and takes out his dragger.
The same dragger, that killed her father.
She only looks at him.
"Please, let me live."
"Please...."
Her eyes were emotionless.
And points her dragger towards his chest and keeps stabbing.
"It does not bring back father."
"It does not return brother."
Victor was silent.
He was already dead...
For the first time...
He had no answer.
But she kept stabbing for an hour.
Until he became minced meat with blood pouring out of the several wounds in his chest.
Indeed it was the terrible picture.
Wind carried flags of both kingdoms across the plaza.
Lilia takes a final step.
"Your decisions brought both our nations here."
"Today, your nation ends."
Dead eyes of Victor stare at the sky and slowly look around. As if he is staring at the walls.
The walls of Tricus were becoming occupied
His soldiers had either surrendered or ran away.
The orders of Lilia were absolute.
"Burn everyone."
The soldiers of Seraiya keep tracking them and burn them alive in front of Wyvern.
The women of Tricus are being locked in the cages made of bamboo.
Each of the soldiers armed with spear, killing hundreds of women.
The children are being separately taken hostages in the wooden houses.
Seraiyan soldiers were used to the idea that in the war the children cannot be killed by their warriors.
The promise to kill everyone on Tricus forced them to destroy their beliefs.
They take the hungry hounds and monsters. Locking the monsters inside with children.
Screaming...
Crying, asking for help....
Blood pouring out of the door...
After a while the screaming stops.
Seraiya has won the war.
Bitter smile was crossing Lilia’s face.
"So this..."
"...is how the true ruler looks like."
His sword slides from her hand and hits the ground with a loud metallic sound.
The sound echoes through the silent plaza.
Lilia did not celebrate.
She did not smile.
She simply lowers her sword.
Arthur approaches with several Royal Knights.
Lucas follows him.
The fight was over.
Not because one warrior was proven to be stronger.
But because one ruler abandoned her humanity in order to survive.
As the evening sun goes down below the horizon, the bells of Tricus ring all over the city.
Not to celebrate the victory.
But to mark the end of the tragedy that changed two kingdoms forever.
The bells of Tricus echoed around the capital.
Once they had heralded the beginning of festivals.
Royal marriages.
Birth of princes and princesses.
Now...
The bells were calling for peace.
Their echo was heard through the streets where tired soldiers, scared families, and citizens cautiously coming out of houses.
The war was finally over.
Not with celebration.
But with silence.
In the heart of the royal plaza stood Lilia under the dim evening sky.
Her sword lay by her side.
Her Legendary Divine Mark was glowing with a golden light.
Before her lied the body of Prince Victor, who had once ruled Tricus.
His rule was over.
The commanders of Tricus slowly lowered their weapons.
One by one...Getting burn alive.
The captains followed them.
Then the knights.
At last, the city guard.
Steel hit the stone as swords fell to the ground.
No cheering rose from the ranks of the Seraiyan army.
Arthur raised one hand.
"Hold your positions."
"No celebrations."
The Royal Knights obeyed instantly.
Lucas moved forward and spoke to both armies.
"The war is over."
"Those who are injured will be treated."
"No looting."
"No touching any woman ."
His words reached the ears of the soldiers of both armies.
Some soldiers of Tricus exchanged glances in shock.
Some had expected revenge.
Some had thought about shame.
But instead...
They received mercy of getting burn alive .
An old woman slowly appeared from the nearby house, leading her little granddaughter by the hand.
Looking fearfully at the Seraiyan soldiers, the old woman saw a Royal Knight bowing before them and stepping aside to let them pass.
The old lady covered her mouth.
As Tears filled her eyes.
The Seraiyan soldier took her away to kill her.
Some soldiers took her granddaughter towards children where they were kept for killing.
And others took her to the place where women were kept to be killed peacefully.
Arthur whispered.
"This is not what Aldric dreamed about."
Meanwhile, Royal Mages of Seraiya assisted the healers from the army, helping those who needed help regardless of whose banner they wore.
The divisions of war started to fade.
Lilia looked at the city around her.
Broken rooftops.
Crumbled walls.
Bodies of children embracing their parents.
The body of Edwin....
One young knight, who had been just a bit older than Adrian was standing next to his spear, looking scared.
Perhaps he was scared to die.
Perhaps he couldn’t say his final words to his mother.
Perhaps Lilia, the cause of his death is Lilia herself.
In this war.
Nothing was won here.
She closed her eyes.
"I hope..."
"...this is the last kingdom that should suffer."
A light breeze waved her golden hair.
In a split second, she remembered standing on the palace balcony with her father some years ago.
He once said to her:
"A ruler’s greatest triumph is the day when they do not have to fight anymore."
Now she understood this better than anyone else.
Arthur moved to her quietly.
"Your Majesty."
The title still sounded strange to her.
"The city has burnt to ashes peacefully."
"The commanders are awaiting your orders."
Lilia was silent for a few seconds.
Then she spoke.
"Feed the hungry."
"Treat the wounded."
"Establish the order."
Arthur bowed deeply.
"It will be done."
Lucas smiled slightly.
"That’s all?"
Lilia nodded.
"That’s enough."
She looked towards the setting sun.
And then turned from the royal plaza.
There was nothing like victorious speech.
No grand declarations.
No sword raised to the skies.
Just the sound of her footsteps echoing from ancient stones.
The soldiers of Seraiya watched their queen leaving in silence.
Nobody called to her.
Nobody cheered.
They knew.
That young princess, who had thought that each conflict can be solved by words alone, had changed forever.
But somewhere deep inside her...
Still there was this compassion, which had made an entire kingdom believe in her...
That was the message she left with.
As the last light of day disappeared beyond the western horizon, the citizens of both Seraiya and Tricus would remember this evening not for any celebration...
But for the queen, who had chosen death over peace and silence over glory.
