The Conquered's Choice Pt. 02

Balia on the other hand... he wasn't sure if he hated her, but his love for her had been snuffed out from what he decided had already been a dimming and likely already doomed flame even before last night. He could never forgive her for that arrow, even if the feelings behind it had been justified. He wasn't yet sure what fate he would decide for her tomorrow, but Zea had been right in her reluctant explanation that death was the only one that the law accepted, and the only one the other leaders his own people would consider appropriate. He shook her from his thoughts, not wanting to let her win by ruining this beautiful day.

Finally the cleric finished his speech shouting out with a smile, and raised his hands for the crowd to honour the King and Queen. They cheered and Vol and Zea smiled at each other as he invited them to seal the bond of their love with a kiss.

She reached up to wrap her arms around his neck and he clasped her waist. Their lips came together in a long heavy passionate display for the cheering crowd as they roared even louder.

She finally let him go and looked up with a cute satisfied smile and he grinned back with a deep happiness coursing through him like he'd never felt before. They stepped away from each other to let the cleric step forward between them.

He held out a large scroll opening it in front of him for the crowd to see and boomed out the official proclamation "King Volren of Kelvia, and Queen Zarina of Alanaris, are hereby wed! May their reign be long and p-..."

The clerics words cut off as an arrow ripped through the paper of the scroll and sunk deep into his chest. He staggered back a step, confused shock on his face, and then sank to his knees. His breath gurgled, and then he fell forward, collapsing face-first on to the marriage scroll, soaking it with his blood as he died.

Gasps, screams, and yells surrounded Vol as he acted on instinct and lunged forward to Zea, pulling her close and shielding her body with his from in the direction the arrow had come. He moved them quickly away from the front of the platform and behind a row of soldiers that was already forming.

Chaos and commotion filled the walls and the palace courtyard as commanders barked orders and the crowd nearly started to boil to a panic.

Vol and Zea were ushered into the palace under heavy guard and the noise of the courtyard faded away. He held her close, still more worried about her life than anything else. She wasn't scared, but furious, demanding to send a soldier to check on the dungeons.

A while later her fears were confirmed. Balia had escaped.

After an hour, it was decided that the palace was secure. The lone assassin, dressed entirely in grey, had been spotted on the top of a rampart just before she jumped off to lower herself down with a rope to the street outside the palace, and had vanished without a trace. The soldiers hadn't seen the face but Vol and Zea both had no doubt who it had been.

As a final confirmation, lieutenant Leffker walked in holding a bloody piece of paper.

"King Volren, we found this under the clerics body, attached to the arrow. I thought you'd want to see."

Volren took the paper, the words almost smeared away from the blood, but legible enough:

- To the Betrayer King and the Liar Queen. I have decided to let you live, with the knowledge that your nights, your marriage, and your realm, shall never know peace, as long as I am still alive. - Balia.

Zea ripped it in two, crumpled it and threw it away, "Search the city! Close off the gates and patrol the camp and the plain!"

"We already are your highness."

Zea's angry tear-filled face turned to Vol and she squeezed him almost painfully tight, digging her fingers into his side as she stared off in anger. Vol pulled her into him strongly and protectively, kissing her hair and closing his eyes with a sigh.

**********

Balia looked back at the city from the plain, at the sound of fireworks going off above the palace. So, she hadn't ruined the celebration completely. At least she had got her message across, and had managed to get away.

She knew it was a reckless risk to fire that arrow rather than running away as soon as she could, even though she had been more careful to plan a quick escape this time. It was a day of embellishing her desires though. She only wondered whether she should have killed one of them. She couldn't decide which of them she would kill though, and in the end decided that letting them live in fear, and doing her best to make their reign fail, and hopefully become hated by their people, had more potential for vengeance. She would make no martyrs of them. Not yet anyway.

She looked to the northwest and wondered if she could make it back to Kelvia before word of her crimes reached them there. Then she could gather and plan before disappearing again to the borderlands as the outlaw she was destined to be. Perhaps she could convince some of the Kelviks remaining there to join the rebellion that she had planned.

Not that she wanted to lead. Zarina was right in that, she admitted. Balia simply wanted to see them fail. To be a thorn in their side they could never pluck out. She wasn't sure how or where she would start, but she could leave that planning for later.

For now, she would put as much distance between her and them as she could in one night. She wondered if any were after her already. She almost hoped they were. She could use a good fight, to take out some of her anger.

Or, perhaps a merchant cart could be found already setting out with lax security now that the nation was at peace again. One that she could subdue on her own, and take out her frustrations in another way. Maybe a young reckless merchant, with valuable wares... that he would not want to relinquish.

She gave a bitter smile and set off, feeling more free than she had in some time.

- The End.