1. RUMOURS

AUTHOR'S POV:

"Once upon a time there was a queen. She was beautiful as the kings of all other kingdoms wanted to marry her. Her eyes had a sparkle that could make anyone obsessed with her but her heart wasn't as beautiful as her eyes. She was consumed by darkness and that's why the people of her kingdom had to cage her in her own castle so that she couldn't harm them..." The grumpy voice of an old man got mingled with the cold breeze flowing with a scent of floor in them.

"That's why our queen is also caged?" One of the children sitting in front of the man asked with curiosity in her eyes as before the old man could answer, a woman came from behind him, cutting his words. 

“Our queen isn’t caged, she just doesn’t like to come outside and she is also not that beautiful.” A woman grabbed that child's hands as she whispered to the old man. “I sent my daughter to learn something and you are telling them mythical stories, Orester.”

 “We were just having a break.” Orester winked at the children as he turned around to take out the cake from the oven. It was a bakery shop as Orester was famous for teaching children and telling them stories. He was once a captain of a ship but he came back after his son’s death. He had to take care of his wife as she was alone and sick but in a few days she died leaving him in guilt as he couldn’t spend time with his family just for his obsession with the sea.

He wanted to explore what’s on the other side of the sea as people had heard there was a group of species called the Dark Spades who lived on the other side and no human was allowed to go there. He was curious as he always found rumours clad in a different kind of blanket to hide the truth but he couldn’t.

“They should know about all the myths, especially the one we heard about the west of the sea.” Orester whispered as he had to make another cake for a customer as he stood up.

“What is that?” All the children gathered around him as he smirked looking at Myelin who wanted to take away her daughter.

“People say that the west Island is consumed by some kind of dark soul that changed their people into something else. They are called…” Orester was saying but he was again cut off not by Myelin but by the noises of the people coming from the cost.

“Dark Spades are here.”

“We are under attack.”

“Run for your lives.”

 “Dark Spades.” Orester mumbled to himself as Myelin grabbed the hand of name and ran away to find a shelter.

The Fated Kingdom was under attack by the Dark Spades as the people of the Fated Kingdom didn’t know that after the king’s death the alpha of the most feared group of people on their land would become their King.

The army assigned to guard the kingdom at cost couldn’t survive as the Fated Kingdom was now conquered by the Dark Spades. People gathered around the coast as they saw a giant ship coming towards the harbour.

There were many emotions in the people's eyes as the most dominant one was fear. They knew they couldn’t fight the Dark Spades without the King as their Queen hadn’t come out of the kingdom since the day she was born.

The ramp of the ship was thrown down as the atmosphere filled with screams when they saw werewolves stepping out from the ship.

“Holy Crap.” Orester mumbled to himself as the myth was that they were different creatures but he never thought that they would be werewolves. That’s the reason they never let a human enter their area of sea because they smell their scent from afar.

The werewolves were big and dark in colour as they parted to give way. There appeared a most huge and dark black werewolves as he was looking like the alpha. He howled when he stepped out of the ship as it was so loud that the people had to cover their eyes. He was announcing that he was the new king but Orester couldn’t understand why they wanted the peaceful Fated Kingdom as they had both power and money in the West Island.

A man came out from the ship as he covered the alpha with the black cardigan followed by the transformation of the alpha werewolf into alpha male.

“To the people of Fated Kingdom it is to announce that the King of Dark Spades Zackariya Hall has now become the King of the Fated Kingdom.” The man who appeared from the ship announced as Zackarya Hall came forward with his scrutinised gaze.

“Kneel.” Another werewolf beside him transformed into a human as he came forward announcing. The people looked at each other as they didn’t have any other choice. They started to kneel in front of their new king as one of them spoke up.

“But what about our queen?”

“Won’t she rule anymore?”

It’s been a month since she had become a Queen after the king’s death and it felt like there was no one ruling over them as the general kept the people in discipline.

“I have conquered your kingdom…” Zackarya’s voice made everyone silent. “…soon you will see the end of your Queen too.” He said as he moved forward to jump up on his horse and retreated going towards the castle followed by his whole army.  

*

“Are we going to kill the Queen?” Conner asked him as they entered the castle. The general was already waiting for them as he got injured while fighting with them. Now he had knelt in front of him as he couldn’t see his men dying in front of him.

“Apparently.” Zackarya answered briefly as the general led them towards the throne. All the staff and advisors of the concerned authorities were standing there with their heads lowered in respect and fear.  

“I think I don’t have to remind you that I am your new king and you have to be loyal with me from now on.” Zackarya glanced at everyone feeding their minds with his words. In those few moments people got to know that their new King didn’t like to exchange many words.

“His Imperial Majesty.” The general came forward with a fancy tray with a royal sword placed in it. They had to provide it to the new king.

Zackarya glanced at it as he motioned Conner to take it.

“I would like to see the queen.” Zackarya demanded as the General looked at him with dumbfounded expressions.

“I am sorry sir but she never came out in front of anyone.” General informed as he just looked at him with a death glare.

“A king is summoning her? How can you deny me?” Zackarya moved forward towards the General as he looked at the staff standing behind him.

“She isn’t worth seeing sir. You must have heard the rumours that she never comes out in public. She won’t do any harm to you as the Kingdom is all yours.” A woman came forward with her hands folded against her stomach in respect.

“What rumours?” Zackarya turned towards Conner with a raised eyebrow.

“It is heard that she is the ugliest Queen as she also didn’t know how to talk. It is also embodied that she can pass onto her bad luck to the next person with her in the same room. The King also hadn’t seen her after the day she was born. The first evidence of her bad luck was that her mother died giving her birth.” Conner explained everything as if he was reading a written message from a scroll.

“What?” Zackarya raised an eyebrow at Conner as he couldn’t believe that these reasons were so big that made them cage the Queen in her own castle.

“These are the rumours I have heard.” Conner shrugged his shoulders as Zackarya tilted his head towards the General.

“Who was ruling the kingdom then?” He asked, glancing at all the people present in the hall.

“Me and the other advisors. We made the Queen use the stamp from the outside of the door so she could stamp all the governmental documents before application. We are following the king’s rules. Nothing has changed.” The general briefed as Zackarya faced the hall raising his neck.

“I, the King of Dark Spades announced Fated Kingdom to become part of our domain too. The werewolves and humans would live together from now on. Tomorrow we will announce the death of the Queen. I don’t want distractions during my rule.” He hissed the last sentence staring at the General as he shook his head in agreement.