Aveedah woke up startled from the nightmare, touching her forehead, she realised she was sweating profusely.
She got up from her bed and made her way to the window
Slowly, she raised the drapes and allowed herself enjoy the night sky. She wasn't an ardent believer of the gods and their signs but today she could feel herself leaning towards the thought of a bad omen.
"Father, had I been more religious would the gods have kept you for me?" She asked quietly.
Suddenly she let out a dry chuckle.
" I know I should quit being a pampered daughter and become a queen for my people."
"And I know, they would have taken you anyway."
"But father, it is difficult. Now that I'm getting an insight into the workload, I feel like I should have assisted you more. You know I can be as tough as nails but father, it is so lonely without you, I only have Keevah to unveil this part of me to but sometimes I feel like I shouldn't, he might be my only friend but I am still his Queen, if I break then ...."
Irina watched from afar, it was going as planned but she didn't feel as happy as she thought she would. She wished she was anything like Velaine who believed solely in his abilities and nothing more. Maybe it was the sorceress in her but she couldn't help believing that destiny plays a crucial part in one's life.
'What if destiny makes a twist in his plans and that which he didn't see coming occurs?'
'Aveedah is nothing close to a fool, it might be almost impossible to outsmart Velaine but it is also difficult to tame Aveedah.'
'What would happen if he finally got Aveedah to Ridah.'
'What did he plan to do with her.'
And finally, though she knew very well she had no right at all to think this way, she couldn't help but wonder.
'How beautiful is Aveedah?' Her beauty has always been a point of appreciation anytime she was mentioned but she had never had the opportunity to see her. The thought of having somebody, that beautiful, Someone even Velaine himself had praised, someone he had considered being an ally with, someone whose existence wasn't a burden to him for a change caused a rather painful pang in her chest and a selfish part of her prayed, she wouldn't fall for the trap, but knowing Velaine, he most definitely has nothing less than 10 more traps for her.
She sighed to herself as she watched an ungifted purposely block a knife for one of Vedarah's knights, a knife his companion had secretly thrown.
She almost laughed to herself as the knight quickly dragged him to a secluded area to protect him.
The attack lasted half of the night with only few people from bydreen surviving, the ones she had told to be injured and make sure they are left behind were carried back by the knights of Vedarah while the remaining escaped. Her mission is complete and yet again Velaine has won. It will only be a matter of time before Aveedah asks for her secret ally.
Keevah drummed his finger on the table he rested his hands on. At any moment, the knights would be back. He did not want to admit it but he was nervous, If something goes wrong, it will be a declaration of war between the water wielders and the fire wielders. Not that he was afraid they wouldn't defeat the water wielders but, they would lose more than they could ever gain and His Queen will be put in harm's way. Nothing else mattered more than Aveedah, nothing.
Interfering his thought was the signature one knock.
'They are back.' He thought.
He opened the door counting them as they walked in, 34.
"Why ?" He asked before he realized they wouldn't respond to him. They only answered to the queen. Sighing, he teleported himself to the door to the queen's chamber.
Her guards were startled but managed to compose themselves.
"My Lord." They greeted.
"I have urgent news for the queen." He said.
"My Lord, urgent enough to wake the queen?" They asked skeptically.
"Let him in." The inner chamber maid appeared in front of them.
"The queen is expecting him."
Quickly, they bowed and moved out of the way.
Keevah hurried past the maid who walked out of the door, throwing suggestive winks to the guards and using her lips to point at a well knowing Keevah.
The man just smiled as he hurried deeper into chamber.
"Vee." He called.
Aveedah turned to him but didn't leave her position by the window.
"What worries you Vee?" He asked, his voice dropping as he cautiously approached her.
"I supposed they have arrived, lead the way." She ordered as she threw on her royal robe.
Keevah understood and without further delay, he led her to their Den.
"Why do we have foreigners in our midst." She asked after seeing the guests they brought along.
The chief in command for the operation, Victoria moved forward.
"Your highness." She bowed.
"These people were unexpected allies, they had helped in the operation and one of them got injured while protecting one of us. Forgive my taking the decision without consultation but your majesty, I just thought even if we don't have a need for them, we should at least not be in their dept."
Aveedah studied her for a while before she ordered them to be brought out.
The injured knights knelt before her.
"Greet her majesty." Victoria ordered
"Long live your highness." They greeted.
"Who sent you?" She asked.
"Forgive us your highness but we are not allowed to reveal that." One of them replied.
Aveedah let out a wicked chuckle before she approached Victoria and stunning them all gave her a tight slap.
"Do you know why I slapped you?" She asked still standing close to the woman.
Victoria didn't dare raise her head, she just answered as respectfully as she could.
"I apologize for my incompetence, your highness." That was her way of saying she was still confused.
Aveedah looked at the others, her question in her eyes.
"Your highness." Eric greeted moving forward.
"I apologize for my subordinate's incompetence, she shouldn't have brought in complete strangers into the kingdom and what more, she endangered the palace and us. She had stupidly put her honour before the kingdom's safety." He concluded eyeing Victoria.
Aveedah couldn't help the small smile on her face, Eric would never fail her.
Victoria fell on her knees trembling, she held the tears in her eyes at bay, unwilling to break down before her subordinates. Before she could utter a word, she heard Aveedah ask.
"Did one of them save your life?"
She couldn't answer. Truly, one of them had saved her life and that was why her mind was clouded, the man with the knife cut on his chest had taken that hit for her.
Aveedah looked at the woman clutching her feet. Others would have concluded her a traitor and sentenced her already but she just couldn't, she knew her special security, she had been one of them until her father died and Victoria was one of the most transparent among them, But she couldn't also forgive her just because of her emotional attachment to her, for everything she needed undisputable proof, it wasn't just her life at stake, it was millions of people under her care.