Zara's screams echoed all over the dungeon. As they trashed, and burn her with metal. The men showed her no mercy, even though she was pregnant. They hit her where ever they wanted, even in her protruding stomach.
King Luther watched the scene with content and amusement. It was like Zara's screams of pain, brought him great pleasure. He was excited.
Amidst her pain, Zara was more scared for her baby. She was scared of losing it. And at that moment, she could feel her spirit slowly leaving her body, as the pain was so unbearable. 'No, I can't die like this, I can't,' Zara mulled. She knew she was the only hope her people had, so if she had to lose her pride, in other to save them, she was ready to do just that. Besides, what use is pride, if she lost her life.
With tears in her eyes, Zara said, "King Luther, I will do whatever you want, I will lick your feet, please spare my life and spare my people." Then she passed out.
King Luther was overjoyed. 'It took only a little effort to break you, Zara. Now you'll be mine. Mine to do whatever I please.'
"Guards, take queen Zara, to the royal physician, and have her wounds treated."
...
"Your majesty, Queen Zara is very weak, she might not make it," the royal physician tells king Luther as he examined Zara.
King Luther scoffed. "Royal physician Caleb, you have to do everything in your power to save queen Zara, even if it means killing her baby. You must save her."
King Luther couldn't let Zara die, as she was his key, to making the people of Everton follow him. Although king Luther merged Everton and Neptune into one nation which he called Morana, the people of Everton were yet to accept him and the new name. And why would they, when he brutally tortured and murder them.
Nodding his head, the royal physician, said "I'll give her a concoction to help her heal and regain her strength, I hope it works."
"It has to work_ Carl's widow is the only one who could help me fulfill my dream of gaining the people's hearts and also attaining the remaining three kingdoms. As I already have Crystal-Ville and Nedal as allies."
After the war, King Neil of Nedal and king Darian of Crystal-Ville bent the knee to King Luther. Pledging to serve him, even though they were Kings.
While the other three kingdoms, Azrael, Nival, and Greenville remained strongly against him.
TWO DAYS LATER
Zara gradually opened her eyes, using her hands to shield the ray of light reflecting through the window. She felt much better, and her wounds were slowly healing.
Glancing around, Zara's lips twitched into a sad smile, as this was the first time in eight months, that she slept in a bed or even slept at all. It was also the first time in eight months, that she was seeing light again... Although this ray of light was supposed to give her hope of a new life, it only made her feel worse.
She knew that the light was not one that signifies, a new and happy start. instead, it signifies, another phase of suffering.
Zara straightened, touching her protruding stomach. As she takes in her environment. There was nothing much in the chamber, only the bed which she was on, and a small table and stool. Even though it was nothing like the room she used to stay in when she was a queen, she was grateful for the little moment, she got to spend in it. Who knows when she might have such luxury again.
"Baby, I'm sorry that I might not be able to give you the life you deserve. Sorry that you'll be born into a world of wickedness. Where there is slavery and brutal killing of people," Zara mumbled, as sad tears trickled down her eyes.
Zara's time alone was short-lived, as the royal physician walked in, followed by King Luther.
"Queen Zara, it's good that you're awake. We can continue our discussion...Now, that you've agreed to lick my feet, I want you to also do something else," king Luther, said with a proud smile on his face.
"Your majesty, Queen Zara is yet to fully recover, please postpone any plans you have for her, until she's solely well," the physician reasoned.
However, King Luther was not as soft-hearted as he is. "Carl's widow will do as I say whenever I say it. I don't have the time to wait for her full recovery. Besides, she is no longer a queen, so she doesn't get to enjoy free time," king Luther retorted, with a scowl on his face.
"What should I do king Luther?" Zara asked. She had already accepted her ill fate. She knew that no matter how hard she fought, there was no way she could defeat king Luther, at least not now.
With a smile on his face, King Luther said, "I want you to renounce your late husband Carl, and become my slave. You'll marry me, but you'll be my queen in name only."
Zara gasped in disbelief. She agreed to lick his feet, but she couldn't denounce her husband. No! Not when she still had little hope that he would someday return_To her, Carl was not dead, he was out there somewhere.
"My husband is not dead. He will come back. I know it," Zara retorted, dabbing her hands over her eyes to prevent herself from crying.
King Luther let out a peal of laughter. "Zara! Your husband is dead...the sooner you accept it, the better."
Zara scoffed. "No, he's not dead, I know it," she yelled, although deep down, she had doubts. What if Carl is really dead? If not, why didn't he come to save her and their people?
Crouching down to her level, king Luther held Zara's small face in a tight grip.
"Look here Zara, up until now, I've only been going easy on you, but if you don't do as I say, I will not only kill your people, but I'll rip open your belly and pull your baby out," he gritted.
Zara trembled in fear, and she wrapped her hands protectively around her stomach. How can someone be so heartless and evil? He wouldn't even spare the innocent child in her womb. And he even said he was going easy on her, after all the torture she had gone through. There surely was no limit to his brutality.
With great difficulty, Zara said, "I will denounce my late husband."
IN AZRAEL Eight months earlier Ashira, do you think Carl would make it?""I can't give you any assurance king Alan. If the gods are on his side, he might make it. Otherwise, you'll have to prepare a grave for your son-in-law."King Alan and queen Lyarra were saddened by the news. Carl was the only hope of the six nations. Before it was seven nations, but now that king Luther took over his late son's kingdom(Neptune) and Carl's kingdom, merging them into one, it was now six kingdoms.If Carl were to lose his life, what would happen to his queen and his people? The news of King Luther's brutal torture and killing was everywhere, and they knew it was only a matter of time before he attacked their nation. After all, he was now the strongest king in Mercury, and the three kingdoms who were against him, would not be able to stand him even if they were to join forces."Ashira, please you'll have to do whatever it takes to save our son-in-law. You know
They were stunned and gave Carl a look of disbelief. There's no way they would go to Morana(Everton and Neptune) and come back alive. King Luther was surely going to murder them."Carl, you have to reconsider. You can't just match to Morana with five thousand. It's suicide_ King Luther is not someone you can easily defeat even if you take your five thousand men and the whole of Azrael's force.Carl scowled deeply. "Then should I just sit back and watch King Luther brutally murder my people," he rasped, sending shivers down the spine of everyone present.They could tell that Carl was not the same man from eight months back, he was someone else. Someone with a lot of anger and pain inside, so even king Alan and Queen Lyarra filtered their words before they spoke."That's not what we mean Carl, but now is not the right time to go to Morana. King Luther did not just merge Everton and Neptune, he has Nedal and Crystal-Ville at his palm. They are subject state now, and they answer to him. S
Zara and King Luther's wedding was held immediately after she denounced Carl. To the world, she was the wife of King Luther and the queen of Morana, but inside the palace, Zara was nothing more than a slave. "Zara, although we're married, you're still my slave. You're expected to do everything a slave does. And you will only eat the scraps that fall at my feet," King Luther tells her. Zara let out a sad smile, as she sat on the cold floor beside king Luther with an iron collar around her neck. She glanced around the throne room, which now looked like a whore house with her face wrinkled in disgust. She who used to be a queen has been reduced to a state of nothingness and is now been humiliated. Sad tears trickled down Zara's eyes as she blamed her ill fate. 'Maybe I did something bad in my past life, that's why the gods are punishing me,' she pondered, dabbing her hands over her eyes. Although King Luther, kept his word and stopped torturing and killing her people, he still made t
Cold sweats dripped from Zara's forehead, as she walked to king Luther's chamber. She was scared and wondered why he summoned her so late at night. 'Is it because of Zane, or something else?' Zara was grateful that Zane was asleep, else he wouldn't let her go alone, and she didn't want to infuriate king Luther more than he already is. Taking a deep breath, Zara knocked on King Luther's door, dabbing her sweaty palms on her dress nervously. "Come in," came a curt reply, and Zara walked in, bowing her head as she did. "Y...you asked to see me," she stuttered, raising her head slightly to peek at him. King Luther sneered, remembering how the little boy who looked just like her, spoke rudely to him. "Come closer," he tells Zara in a husky voice. Zara took a step closer, her heart throbbing fast against her chest. Yes, she was scared to be in Luther's presence, but she was more scared, knowing that her son was all alone in their small chamber. 'What if something happens to him?' Lu
"Zane," Zara called, running into the chamber. Her heart was beating fast against her chest as she crouched down looking under the bed if he was hiding like he always does. However, he wasn't there.Zara ignored her pain and ran out of the chamber. She didn't care if her clothes were torn, and she looked disheveled. All she cared about was finding her son.'Please, nothing can happen to Zane,' Zara prayed silently as she ran around, restlessly.She didn't know what she would do if she lost the one thing that kept her going. She feared that while King Luther molested her, his daughter Myla might have used the opportunity to get rid of her son.Tears were now streaming continuously out of Zara's eyes, as she got to the hall...She searched for Zane everywhere, but to no avail, she didn't find him. She asked anyone she came across if they saw her son because by now, everyone was awake and going about their usual routine, but no one saw him.Meanwhile, two elderly women could be seen with
The Neela kingdom(Carl's kingdom)"Your Majesty, I don't think it's wise for you to go to Morana. What if King Luther discovers your identity? If he finds out that you're alive, he's going to wreak havoc," One of Carl's councilmen reasoned."Your Majesty, he's right. You have to reconsider."Carl sighed, shutting his eyes for a second. He knew his councilmen were right, but he couldn't wait any longer. He had already waited for four years to free his people from their captor. To liberate them and give them the better life they once had. And throughout the four years, he made himself stronger and raised a powerful army. He endured the pain of being without his love and his family...Although Zara has a child for the enemy and even denounced him, he was not ready to give up on her. He still loves her as much as he did before, if not more. And the main reason he was going to Morana was to get answers and find a way to free his people.Carl opened his eyes, his well-defined face voi
"King of Neela, or should I say, King...?"I'm King Ryker of Neela," Carl declared, his gaze fixed on Zara all the while.'He's the so-called king of Neela,' King Luther pondered, and for some reason, he felt like the masked king was familiar, but he shrugged and walked toward Carl, while Myla followed suit."King Ryker of Neela, it's a pleasure to meet you," King Luther muttered, studying the man in front of him."The pleasure is mine, King Luther," Carl retorted, tilting his gaze to King Luther.A scowl appeared on his face, and his fist curled into a ball as the image of his people replayed in his head. Carl wanted nothing more than to slit king Luther's throat there and then, but he knew the consequences of doing so. However, it was not the right time."King Ryker, this is my daughter Myla," King Luther pointed to Myla, who walked seductively toward Carl with a huge smile on her face Although the man in front of her was wearing a mask, she knew that he was handsome, seeing as he
"Yes, father, my marriage to king Ryker_ let me wed King Ryker. And once I become the queen of Neela, I'll make him fall for me, and I'll also make him a puppet_That way, you'll have control over Neela too, and become the strongest king in all of mercury." Luther thought about what his daughter said, and his lips twitched into an evil smile_ Myla was right, if he could take over Neela, he would be the strongest king in all of mercury. Because right now, the Neela king(Carl) was just as strong as him, if not more. And one thing King Luther hated was someone as strong or stronger than he was. He wanted to be the most powerful, the most feared, and the most ruthless king that ever lived. And the first step to achieving his goal was by forming an alliance. And in order to form an alliance, his daughter Myla would have to marry the Neela king. Thinking about it, an evil smirk formed on King Luther's lips and he said, "You're right Myla, I'll talk to King Ryker about it. But don't you th