"Warriors will fight.
A monarch will rule.
The monster's bride will bear him an undefeatable army, a bloody monarch will rule the world if three things occur.
  A kin murders a kin
Hearts will be blinded by the reflection of light from the dark mirror
The world's shield yields to the earnest plea of the heart.
*******
"It is?" She managed to ask as she allowed the prophecy she had totally forgotten make it's way to her mind.
"The war, the monster, the monster's bride. They were all mentioned." Keevah explained rolling out the scroll he had written the prophecy on.
"We are not the only ones that know of this prophecy. If I am reading this right, the monarch and the monster are the same person and it has been determined. The end of the war...." She paused to look at Keevah who tried to understand what she was saying, a few moment had barely passed by when he widened his eyes, his jaw dropping.
"The monarch will rule, the monster's bride will bear him an undefeatable army. In this war, the monster, the one who the monster sides with is the one with the victory!!"
"But is the monster's victory the kind of victory I should seek?" She asked, barely before Keevah could close his mouth.
"No it is not but should we allow Yvonne have the monster then?" She asked, the situation beginning to infuriate her.
"No but....."
"Your highness, his highness Velaine is here." A guard Informed, his head bowed.
Keevah looked at Aveedah his eyes full of questions. She only shrugged in response and replied to the guard.
"Let him in." She ordered.
"I signed the treaty a while ago yet I am still in the dark. Is it a problem of trust or have you got no plans at all?" He asked, his tone serious.
Aveedah stared at him for a moment before she collected the scroll from Keevah and handed it to him.
"Do you know what this is?" She asked.
He took his time examining the words written before he looked up.
"What is this?" He asked quietly, his eyes on Keevah.
Keevah quickly glanced at Aveedah for permission and when she nodded her head, he replied.
"It is a Prophecy. It was revealed about a moon from now." He explained.
Velaine looked at the scroll now reading it carefully before he raised his head, a small smile on his face.
"You must be worried it is coming true." He remarked leaning on the wall close to him.
"You must know about the crown prince of the Air wielders." Aveedah stated.
"My sorceress is an air wielder who had lived in the palace." He replied.
"Do you not think it is something to worry about?" She asked, perturbed by the smile on his face.
"I should have killed Yvonne Instead." He commented quietly.
Keevah looked at him, shocked by his bluntness while Aveedah only shook her head, a small smile on her face before she walked to a nearby seat.
"I told you." She replied playfully.
He only rolled his eyes in response before he joined her.
"I had gotten the information only this morning." He sighed.
"Your highness, I think it is wise to lay out our plans." Keevah interrupted, pulling out a scroll from the closest shelf.
"You need the Air wielders but you should not marry the monster. However, in the prophecy, the bride was not specified so it does not have to be you. The only condition for the bride i monster has to marry someone that will enable him access to the throne that rules the world and the most likely person is Yvonne other than you." He paused to see if he had her attention and when he saw he did, he continued.
"We have King Velaine on our side but we cannot let her have the Air wielders. If we can not have them, then we should incapacitate them. That way, neither he, nor Velaine will pose a threat."
"Do you have a strategy in place?" Velaine asked truly curious.
"The only way we can get the air wielders to either mind their business as they have always done force them to submit to us is acquiring their stone."
"The monster is affected by neither of those." Velaine commented making Keevah and Aveedah look at him.
He simply shrugged then said.
"The prophecy did not specify the war, neither the kin just the monster. It could be any kin, any war but the ultimate destruction lies on the monster. The process is not important, it will all lead to the same result. You may make them submit now but what if they have been planning their own attack?"
"A monster's bride?" He chuckled mockingly before he replied.
"The bride could be any woman that can bear a child." He said, his tone mocking.
Aveedah did not allow herself dwell on his mockery. She had grown to understand it was a part of him. A trick he played to guage one's stability. Insecure, easily aggravated, low self-esteem, yearning for acknowledgement...
"I have an idea." She suddenly said, hitting the table due to excitement.
"It is perfect." She added and it was obvious both men could not wait to hear it, their eyes on her, impatience clearly in their gazes.
"Keevah, did you enter their palace?" She asked.
"No, I did not. If their wizard is a strong one and he is close enough, my presence would be detected." He explained.
"That means you saw this all from a distance. A rumour." She replied, happiness making her voice edgy.
"Pardon me but my reliable source said the same thing." Velaine interrupted, a silly smile on his face.
Aveedah rolled her eyes and continued what she was saying.
"Have you never thought that they are simply making the tale grand to attract attention? You know how royalty works, the boy might truly be a monster but why is there so much fuss on getting him a wife? He can do that on his own even after his old father passes away."
"Except if he can not do that without this old father. Except if the royal family are in need of another heir but the father is too old to produce one. Except if the monster is incapable of ruling the kingdom for as long as he should." She finished yet the men only seemed confused.
" Your words sound enticing yet they are baseless assumptions." Velaine replied, his eyes still on her as if challenging her to say otherwise.
"She is not saying any of those assumptions are true, it is her way of agreeing with you. There is always more to the story than a royal family lets on." Keevah explained, making Aveedah smile thankfully at him.
Velaine glanced between the two of them before he bluntly uttered what people had only whispered behind their backs.
"You can kiss, I do not mind." He made a point of standing up from where he sat between them.
Aveedah looked up at him, her fiery blue eyes threatening.
"I can leave if you are too shy." He continued.
"Your highness, you may be a king but remember it is her majesty Queen Aveedah you are speaking to." Keevah stood up too approaching.
Velaine stared at him until he bowed his head and moved back.
"Did you forget who are speaking to? Allow your queen to defend herself Keevah. You keep giving grounds for baseless accusations or am I wrong, her majesty?" He asked, turning to Aveedah who still sat on her seat but her countenance had changed.
"Grounds for baseless rumours?" She whispered.
"Keevah, give us a moment." She ordered but the look the look in her eyes was more like a plea.
"As you wish Vee." He said, making Aveedah smile while Velaine simply went back to his seat. He could not care less what was between them.
Immediately he lefts, she took the seat opposite him before she started.
"You have so many things suspicious about you. You know everything, you have so many connections, you are always where you are needed yet I still can not understand what you would gain from this alliance. You are someone who looks like you covet the throne but have I ever accused you of a rebellion? You have provided so many grounds for baseless rumours but I have respected you and kept my mouth shut."
"What we have is an alliance of kingdoms and that should be respected. I do not trust you and I will never do so but I keep my opinions to myself as a form of respect and I expect you do so. What I have with Keevah is not a part of the alliance and will not affect our our goal, therefore it is not your concern. So can we respect each other and achieve our goal or should we keep suspecting each other and slowing our progress?" She asked.
Velaine only smiled before he replied.
"Never in my life have I felt so immature. I feel like a jealous child." He confessed chuckling at himself.
"You must actually feel that way. You ear is growing red." She commented, her words playful but her face serious.
He forwarded his hand to her before he said.
"To a fruitful alliance and perhaps friendship if Keevah begins to treat me the way Leo treats you." He said meaningfully.
His words seemed to have taken her aback as she stared for a while, confusion in her eyes.
When she realized what he meant, she did not need to state it for him to know as her cheeks began to colour.
Keevah is used to belittling the court members and speaking out his opinion whenever he deems it fit. A disrespect to any royal and a valid reason for Velaine's anger.
Here she was, boldly ranting about respect, how embarrassing!!
He only smiled confidenly and forwarded his hand.