"Your Majesty, I have news, a news worthy of a banquet." An man rushed to his highness, the air wielder's king stopping very close to him.
He bowed deeply, a very big smile on his face as he prepared to relay the news he knew would earn him a fortune.
However, before he could utter another word, Joshua the air wielder's sorcerer rushed into the palace.
"Greetings your Majesty."
"Chief messenger, are you certain of what you told me?" Joshua asked, glee in his voice.
"What is the news that has brought a man in solitude out of his nest?" King Lewis asked, his booming voice calm and a bit anxious.
"Your highness, I had informed you of a prophecy a moon ago and I had told you I was suspecting that the fate of his highness Noelle is tied to the prophecy." Joshua paused to see if he recalled their conversation.
"You did so." He simply replied wondering where their conversation was leading to.
"Your highness, the chief messenger just informed me of the happenings on the outside and I am almost certain the monster, the monarch in the prophecy, he who has been chosen to rule the world by the gods themselves is none other than his highness prince Noelle."
The king only looked on, pure confusion on his face.
He had never coveted more than he had and he knew his son well. If he let the boy had his way, he would not even inherit his rightful throne talk more of becoming a bloody monarch that would rule the world.
"There must be a misconception sorcerer. Neither I nor Noelle are interested in that, you know very well where our interest lies." He argued.
"Your highness, the fate of the world depends on whose side you choose to stand. We have an opportunity to kill two birds with one stone. More than twenty girls have lost their lives in Noelle's hands all because of his quest for an offspring. What if we had been looking in the wrong place?"
"The fire wielders are led by Late king moorah's daughter Aveedah and a war is about to break out between the fire and water wielders. Your highness, when a war is about to break out, a good ruler tries to minimize the damage and shorten the war but a tyrant, a tyrant looks forward to crushing his enemy. In this case, both the tyrant and the good king have only one choice, to seek your alliance." Joshua stopped to see if he was getting to the king.
"Another war between regions? How?" King lewis asked, lost in his own thoughts.
Joshua rolled his eyes at his question.
That should not be their concern.
Taking advantage of the situation should be their goal but here is their overly empathetic king listening to the reason behind the war he should be strategizing how to take advantage of.
When the chief messenger had finished the narration, Joshua continued.
"Your highness, this is our opportunity. Even the gods are on our side. Have one of the desperate queens ask for Noelle's hand in marriage. He will have all he has ever wanted and much more."
"Enough Joshua. I wish to be alone." He ordered, dismissing them.
Is ruling the world worth his principles?
But what if one of the women held the cure for his son?
Will his principles still stand a chance then?
"Yvonne, if you wed Noelle, what about us?"
"Our goal is to rule the world together, so how will you and my father deal with it if Noelle is the monster. A prophecy is not so hard to evade moreso when you are threading the path it leads."
"Dunni, you had Interpreted it yourself. Victory belongs to thee whom has the monster. Do you suppose marrying Noelle is too much of a sacrifice to have Aveedah bow to me? To avenge my father? I could give up my life and any life in my hands if that is what it takes." She swore.
Dunni only nodded and made to walk out but he seemed to have a change of mind which made him stop few feet before the door and turned to her.
"Yvonne, I care about you so I am telling you this. My father had murdered his brother for this, he had betrayed his niece for this, he had turned against his own people, became a traitor in his motherland for this and has to continuously endure stares of contempt from the water wielder's for this. Do you think he will watch you sit on that throne simply because you wed a monster? If prophecies cannot be evaded then they can be manipulated. He can turn a monster if that is what it takes. Remember, the monster was not specified."
He walked out even before she could say anything leaving her In a dilemma.
'Even I am capable of turning a monster if that is what it takes.' She thought to herself.
********
"Why do you trust him?" Keevah asked, his back to Aveedah who had just walked into the sorcerers chambers.
"I do not." She replied quietly. Her eyes on the board they had written the prophecy.
"Then why?" He asked.
"I admire and fear him." She replied truthfully.
He turned to her, his eyes asking for an explanation.
"There is more to him than he lets on and there is more to what he seek than he says. What do you suppose I should do?"
"Let him out of my grasp where I have no control over him? He is powerful and with the right connections, Velaine knows how to make things work out in his favour. Is he better off with me or against me?"
"He is only with you for now because he needs you Vee, no, Your highness." He said bowing and moving away from her.
Aveedah walked to him and forcefully took his hands.
"Keevah, you are the family I do not have. Your opinions will matter till the very end. You are allowed to look out for me but it is my duty to serve the nation and the nation need his support. If the air wielders do not take my side, if I have to submit my people to a tyrant to have their support, should I not have his army by my side?" She asked.
"Vee, I do not trust him, there is something about him." He protested, clutching her hands with his.
"Which is why I have you. To understand what a man aims to achieve, you must know him. Do you understand what I want from you Keevah?" She asked, looking into his eyes.
"I understand." He replied confidently an assuring smile on his face.
She returned his smile before she added.
"I have Eric with me for the journey, you have nothing to worry about."