...51...
FAIR GAME
One of the empress candidates kept turning the platinum ring around her index finger.
It was the ring of choice.
This ring would end whatever they were all there for—the empress candidates.
The results would either be positive or negative, from the empress contest.
She stopped and set her left palm on the table afore her.
She had come to the royal territory with only one goal in her mind—to be admitted into the emperor's harem, nothing more and nothing less.
She had chosen to stick to that goal because of Princess Hera-Mera Dracon.
The woman was already betrothed to the emperor since birth, and then affianced to him by proxy as it was done in the land.
The empress contest was just to fulfil all righteousness and all protocols for the purpose of entertainment.
This was because the emperor's first bride, the empress had already been predecided.
And it was her and no other, Princess Hera-Mera Dracon of the Draco Kingdom.
In actuality -according to Hera-Mera- empress contest or not, she was already the empress in the eyes of many.
That is why she had not been greedy and had gladly settled for a spot in his harem.
But, fate seemed to be on her side.
A bagatelle -one trivial mistake- had cost Hera-Mera her position as soon to be empress.
She had been rudely stripped of such title and nearly eliminated from the empress contest.
Now, it was all a fair game.
All the seven ladies in the contest were now on an equal pedestal, competitors.
She had now gotten greedy -or call it lustful.
A place in the emperor's harem was now a lowly position to her when the empress spot was now open.
She would never be a royal concubine if the situation had gotten to that.
She wanted to be and would surely be empress -at all costs.
That was the slogan of her clan, at all costs.
They would rather die than lose, most especially to an inferior like the woman the emperor kept at his side.
Anyways, with Hera-Mera now out of the picture, becoming empress was not going to be a difficult task at all if she put in her best.
After all, she had succeeded in holding the emperor's interest in her too.
But, she could not actually go far with that and she suspected—no, she knew why.
The reason was because of that filthy whore, the one who had the emperor wrapped around her little finger like an over chewed piece of gum.
She clenched her hands into tight fist, a storm raging in her.
The one who had cleverly reduced Hera-Mera to what she was now by not fighting with her.
She hated the lady.
Why?
She was young and beautiful and she also had the great emperor of Linamine at her feet.
Oh what power she held!
The lady was the cause of the long marks on her back, the ones which had yet to heal properly enough because of the Xhanai poison.
She hated that lady and wanted her out of the picture.
That lady was the only threat to her mission, the only obstacle to her becoming empress.
Like of what use was it to become empress without the emperor's heart?
The rest of the empress candidates didn't seem like competition to her.
She would certes have her removed.
But, she needed to do subtly.
It was all a matter of time.
She unclenched her palms and resumed what she had been doing earlier, twisting the ring on her finger.
It was fast becoming a habit.
It had been so since she stepped foot in the Linamine palace and she would like it to remain that way so as to not lose focus on her prize.
It would spur her on.
The absence of the ring on her finger would mark the end of her mission, a sign of victory for at the end of the contest.
Then the emperor would choose a bride, the empress.
He would do so by taking the ring on the chosen's finger and putting it on him, wearing it, forever or until he took another empress.
Then, those who were not chosen would be added to his harem, and they could keep the ring.
The once that were not chosen would be sent back to their clans by the elders.
She knew not how that would feel, rejection and she did not want to know how it would feel either.
It was all the more reason why she should do it would take, everything that she could do to make absolute sure that she became the empress.
It was a matter of nothing more and nothing less.
She stood and walked to the door of her bedroom.
She opened it and stepped outside.
Her aide was just at the door.
She was sitting on a high stool and sharpening her sword.
She looked up at her mistress and smiled broadly at her.
'My lady,' she greeted.
'Thank you,' she replied. 'Has there been any news yet?' she demanded.
Her aide smiled radiantly at her, and she knew that there was good news.
'Yes My Lady, there is.'
The answer made her content for only a moment.
'How is she?'
'A bit over bad,' she replied getting to her feet.
She sheathed her sword and placed the blade file on her seat.
'I hope that it gets critical in no time,' she smirked wickedly.
Her eyes glistened with glee and uncontained triumph.
'Nevertheless, that was actually successful,' she said. 'But next time, I want her dead.'
'Your wish shall come to pass my lady,' her aide smirked.
Her mistress returned it, hers more evil.
'I do hope so.'
'Yes My Lady.'
There was a short while of silence then before her mistress finally spoke again.
'Where is she now?' she demanded curiously.
'I believe that the royal physician is attending to her."
"Is that so?"
The aide nodded.
"I heard from the imperial maids that the emperor is in with her, had been, ever since he took her into the bedroom.'
Her mistress scrunched her nose in slight disgust.
'She had better be dead soon, while I am actually being nice to her, least I find an opportunity and stab her to death myself, albeit the emperor's presence,' she furiously admitted.
'Well, I do hope so my Lady because I do not want your hands stained with blood, especially her blood. I would gladly do the bloody part for you," the aide grinned.
Her mistress sized her up with her bright eyes, fairly impressed by her loyalty.
'I hope no one will suspect us?' she asked.
Her escort shook her head at her in conviction.
'Not a soul would look in our direction my Lady. It was all neatly done. And even if the cause of her fall is found out, it will be pinned on the stables,' she ratiocinated.
'That had better be so. Remember if anything goes wrong, you planned it,' she warned.
Her eyes flashed a darker shade with utter wickedness.
'It shall be so my Lady,' her escort assured her with a bow.
From afar, someone watched them through high definition binoculars.
The orange sun was almost gone in the depths of the horizon.
The person studied the two ladies, standing side by side.
They were just what he actually needed to achieve his aim.
It was time he put his well curated plans into action.
He turned away from the duo and disappeared into the shadows without as much as a betraying sound.
Meanwhile, back at the toyal manor, the emperor watched the royal physician attend to his woman with angst.
He held her palm in his, praying silently that she be well.
The riding accident had left her unconscious, and him uneasy.
He had rode all the way to the riding arena with his heart on his sleeve when he has been informed if the occurrence.
His chest had pounded hard, blood roaring in his ears.
He had run into Xiera and Vura halfway there on horses, carrying their unconscious lady to the Linamine palace.
His stomach had dropped to the sole of his feet at the sight of her.
He had dismounted quickly and relieved them of the duties, taking her all the way there by himself.
The royal physician had been summoned to his quarters.
The man had arrived looking tired because of the haste in which he had had to come down there.
His assistant was looking better refreshed, as always.
He had then proceeded to order every other person out of the bedroom, except: the emperor, himself, his assistant, Vura and Cora, the Little Prince and Hyeera the healer.
The moment they were all out of the bedroom, the healer closed her eyes.
The emperor stood apprehensively, watching the events unfold.
Hyeera lifted her hands and began to murmur softly.
A surge of visible white energy went over her hands as she chanted higher and higher.
Then she placed her palms on the door of the bedroom.
A barrier built around the room, cocooning them all from the outside world.
She turned to the emperor when she was done with itm
'Nary a sound will leave this room my Lord,' she bowed.
'Let us begin,' the royal physician announced.
They all nodded at him except the emperor.
'Sedu mon gus sara na te ghe. Avec comple sano rivo mena sicker kia,' Matrix began to chant in the language of magic.
A soft reddish orange light began to form in the bedroom as his chant grew.
It brought with it the smell of freshly cut oranges.
The light grew also, slowly, from dull and plain till it was irradiant, opalescent, warm and almost blinding.
Every person in the room felt the hair if their skin lift.
They sensed the presence that came even before they saw it.
'Who bids me Quei?' a faint voice called from the light.
'Quiero Quei,' Matrix answered. 'It is I, Avon the warlock.'
'Avon the warlock, why on earth does thou bid me? Are not all ye present the same who cast me aside lest I stir the sleeping beast?" Quei mused.
The orange light continued to pulse with each word.
"Why now have ye called me here to do as you have all feared I would do?' the voice demanded.
Sarcasm dripped abundantly from every word uttered.
'We never cast you aside Quei and you know so, rather well," Matrix said. "We only cut you off of her for a little while.'
Quei released a scoff.
'And no one thought to inform me?!' the rather feminine voice boomed in anger. 'In fact what right have you to do that?"
The voice trembled with what was most definitely contempt and unfathomable rage.
"I was nearly lost in time without the essence of her. Our connection was severed and I was given no heads up on the matter," Quei carried on.
'I apologize for that Quei,' Matrix apologized in a sober voice.
'She would have died,' the emperor butted into the conversation.
He became the centre of attention the moment he spoke.
"Well, well, who do we have here?" Quei mused.
The emperor sighed softly because he knew he was it now.
"Quei allow me—"
'I know that it was your idea to dismiss her from everything, you demon!' Quei crudely interuppted.
The emperor remained unfazed by the spite in her voice.
"You can not lose her, no one else matters. Is it not?!' Quei pressed.
'Why should I lose her?' the emperor defended. 'It's unfair that-'
'What is unfair is that you did not inform all of us, her personalities before doing so! You should have done so. I would have had a better option!'
The tension in the room grew heavy, uncomfortable.
'Other than to turn her completely I guess?' the emperor snapped.
The atmosphere was quiet for a rather long while.
'I thought as much," he crawled with a nonchalant shrug.
Matrix groaned impatiently.
'We did not compel her here to berate each other Izhxel,' Matrix said to the emperor.
It was an indication that he should back down.
'The lady is lying conscious and all of her personalities are dormant except for you. I-'
'How did you find that out?' the voice interrupted him.
Matrix nearly face palmed at the rude interupption.
'You visited?' Vura chipped in. 'I guess you forgot that I am one of the zuiderose.'
Quei let out an 'Oh' sound mixed with genuine surprise.
'Ah, zuiderose, my competitor, I seemed to have," she said snidely.
Vura shook her head at the orange glow in resignation.
'I am not Quei. It is you who have made me and my sister into one," she pointed out. "We are not-'
'We are here for a way forward all of you!' the royal physician snapped irritatedly.
Silence instantly fell.
'Let us put whatsoever difference to the side and concentrate on the matter at hand," he managed to say through gritted teeth.
The emperor nodded. "I agree with you Master Kong."
But Master Kong only rolled his eyes at the tall dark man.
'The lady lapses every minute with her body not withstanding whatever. It is enough."
Quei started to speak.
"Hush orange!" He snapped. "Her demon is disconnected and her essence is dwindling."
Quei gasped at what sounded like an insult in that tone.
"You have all better come to a conclusion quick before her condition becomes one that is irremeable,' he rambled on.
The emperor sighed.
'Alright, I am with master Kong on this one,' Hyeera spoke up. 'Quei, we need your help.'
'How may I help my ward?' the feminine voice said after a sigh.
The emperor's brow instantly rose high on his forehead.
'Now she's your ward?' he asked Quei who snorted.
'Izhxel!' Matrix thundered. 'Quit being a fool and shut up!'
'My centuries old essence runs in her by inheritance, possession and acceptance, how then can she not be my ward you obstinate demon?!' Quei snapped back at the same time.
The emperor's eyes widened and his jaw tightened.
He stepped forward to speak to the bundle of orange light.
'Can both of you cut this out?" Matrix groaned.
"I do not think that it is so hard for you to set your pride and arrogance aside for a while!"
The emperor rolled his eyes and sighed, willing his anger away.
He stepped back, a gesture to show that he was backing off.
But Quei made a tsk sound.
"It might be hard for me because I can't swallow," she told Matrix.
Her orange light inched nearer, pulsating in an ethereal way.
"Can you get the demon to swallow mine as well?"
The emperor growled and started forward.
But Matrix rapidly threw himself in the way, stopping him.
"You should both be prioritizing the lady and not making stupid unwanted points!' he yelled.
He was losing his cool.
Everywhere went silent at his outburst.
'I would have both of you out of here if you utter one more nonsense! Am I understood?' he bellowed with shiny eyes.
No one spoke.
'I will take your silence to mean that you all agree. Now, let us go down to important business Hyeera,' he fumed.
'Yes My Lord,' Hyeera answered him.
She sighed.
Then she continued.
'Quei, since you are the only personality awake, we shall treat her with your connection and Vura's essence.'
A scoff resounded.
'That is possible only because I found a way to rebound with her with no thanks to any of-'
'Quei!'
This time, it was Vura and not Matrix who screamed frustratedly at her.
'Can you not be quiet and answer only that which you should? I am also frustrated that I could cry,' she all but wailed loudly.
Suddenly, there was a soft laughter in the bedroom.
...OmaPhinaPhire