~ Chapter 135: A wish fulfilled ~

[Ildea’s point of view]

Deep down... I had hoped and prayed that things were not going to be as awful and as terrible as I had thought they would be. Deep down, I prayed that my friends would help make peace with my father, but never in a million years would I have thought that instead of the man I looked up to as a loving parent for so many years I would see a madman wearing his face.

I agreed to his crazy conditions while thinking that maybe if he saw me like this, he would realize that I never once thought of the betrayal he claimed I was guilty of. In my heart, he was still my father, and every time he lashed out at me, it hurt me more than physical injuries ever could.

Thus, I wanted for Alkelios to win this terrible battle and prove to him on his own terms that I wanted to be his daughter again, not the crazy traitorous Princess he painted me out to be.

Not even in a million years would I have thought that what I was going to witness was not him agreeing to give me another chance and listen to me but rather the execution of my own mother.

In that moment, when the blade slit across her frail neck, I felt as though my heart stopped beating together with hers. Memories of my younger days flashed before my eyes, and in that moment, I knew I would never get to see her smile, I would never have her sing me a lullaby, I would never feel her embrace, and I would never have someone to call ‘mother’ again...

In that moment, the man I once knew as my father took everything from me... and whether I would have died or not, mattered not to me.

I closed my eyes. I didn’t want to see the moment when my mother’s body struck the ground.

“Ildea!” Coshun’s voice called out to me.

I opened my eyes and saw that I was already in his arms. I was confused at first, my mind was in a stir, and I did not know how it happened or when, but apparently, this brave draconian dared to face off father’s wrath and saved me from my cage. Yet, what good was it now that the reason why we came here, the reason why I struggled so much had been destroyed when my father took my mother’s life.

“S-She’s dead...” I cried in his arms.

He simply held me to his chest.

“He took everything from me, Coshun... I have nothing...” I cried.

“Not exactly...” he told me, and I looked up at him. “Even if that was the case, you still have had me.” he showed me a soft smile, but at this moment, I couldn’t feel my heart beating for him.

The sadness of losing my mother was too much.

“Besides, you shouldn’t underestimate the man that was recognized by my father the King of Albeyater... Look.” he said as he nudged with his chiseled chin towards arena.

I struggled to turn my head because I was afraid of seeing the corpse of my mother, however, what I saw instead was Alkelios holding her in his arms.

“You told me earlier to stay put and believe in Alkelios... that saving you from that cage before he proved his might would just anger the King. Honestly, it was difficult for me to do so. Then, when I saw your mother get hurt, I wanted to rush in to catch her, but... I saw him move first, and I decided to trust him. Have faith in him, Ildea... He’ll definitely save your mother.” Coshun encouraged me and then brought me closer to them.

His words may have just been spoken for the sole purpose of calming down my heart, but when I saw my mother coughing and spitting out the blood in her throat only for her to then breath calmly, I knew that she was alive. Alkelios saved my mother from death’s door.

“Mother!” I called out to her and as soon as my feet touched the ground, I rushed over to embrace her.

“Ildea, I missed you... My sweet daughter, you’re alive and well...” she said with tears in her eyes.

“Mother, I thought... I thought that I had lost you... I saw father... I saw the blood... and... and...” I was not making any sense as the tears flowed down my cheeks.

I held mother close to me, but I could feel how skinny she was compared to when I had last seen her. Both of our time apart was tough on us. I nearly died trying to steal a piece of bread, while mother was almost killed by my father. If we did not arrive at the capital today, if we waited any longer... I did not even want to think about what would have happened then. We were lucky.

“I’m so happy that you are alive, mother!” I cried in her arms.

“I’m happy to be alive, Ildea...” she replied.

When I calmed down a bit, I looked up and met with Alkelios’ eyes.

If it is him... he can do it... he can help us... he can save us... Please save us... I thought and then I spoke the words I never thought I ever would in this lifetime. “Alkelios, I know that I may be asking too much, but please... please... save my father from his mortal suffering.”

Then he, without asking for a reward or something in return, nodded and replied “I understand...”

I closed my eyes as I continued to cry, struck by grief and pain that I was going to lose my father, but at the same time, I was happy that I did not lose my mother. Maybe my feelings were twisted or maybe my heart had too many wounds on it, but whatever happened today, I just wanted it to end... I just wanted it to end...

Coshun was kind enough to help us get back to the others. My mother was in a weak state, especially after she lost so much blood, but whatever Alkelios did, it seemed that it helped heal some of her other injuries as well. Through her cracked voice, she said to me.

“My back doesn’t hurt anymore...”

“Your back?” Coshun asked.

“It is difficult for me to say this in front of my daughter, but...” she looked at me, but I nodded. “Not long after Ildea fled the Palace under my request, Andarkuzzi ordered for me to be detained and kept within my room. It did not take long for my maids to vanish one after another and be replaced by some women I never met in my entire life. Afterwards, they diminished the amount of food I received until what I ate could not even be considered to be a peasant’s meal... A week ago, however, Andarkuzzi ordered for me to be interrogated, but I never did any of the things he claimed I had... I was beaten and tortured... and whipped like a common criminal...” she pulled back the sleeve on her right hand and then added with a smile “But it seems that those injuries are now gone... not even a scar was left.” she said with tears in her eyes.

“Mother... that’s awful!” I said as I took her hand into mine.

When I thought about what she must have been through, how much pain she must have felt, and the humiliation she had gone through, it made me feel as though I was truly lucky with my experiences. After all, I just had to starve a little. At least, I was not tortured or whipped.

“Whoever touched you, mother, we’ll make them pay!” I promised with tears in my eyes.

“Let us not think about that now, my daughter. We need to find a way to flee this place... then country. I don’t even know where we could go, all the surrounding nations have been taken over by the Human Heroes and... they won’t hesitate to return us to the hands of Andarkuzzi...” she said she held me tight to her chest.

“You don’t need to worry about that, your Majesty.” said Coshun.

“What do you mean?” she asked confused.

“Look.” he then pointed towards the ring.

“Are you not entertained?” Alkelios was there shouting towards the audience and around him were the bodies of the three champions brought by the Akutan Ambassador.

“As long as he is on our side, you have nothing to fear no matter where you are.” he said with confidence.

“You don’t understand, it doesn’t matter how strong he is, that man... Askarius Leden, he’s a terrible man with a fearsome power! He is the reason why my husband went mad!” mother declared with worry in her eyes.

“What?” Coshun frowned as he looked at her.

“He can somehow influence your mind. He never used that power on me for some reason. Maybe being the only one sane there had the effect he desired on those around me, but he did use it on my husband and his aides. I saw them change their views in a matter of moments. They listened to his words like they were spoken by a god! Askarius is not normal!” she declared.

“He can influence minds?” Coshun lifted an eyebrow and then let out a hearty laugh.

“W-What? What’s so funny?” she asked a bit flustered by his reaction.

“If that man, Askarius, can control minds, we have nothing to worry about!” he declared with a smirk.

“Why is that?” I asked him.

“Because, Ildea, nobody can control the mind of a Golden Scale!” he declared with pride.

“A what now?” mother was even more confused as she frowned.

“You’ll see.” he smirked.

Blinking surprised, mother then looked at me and asked “Daughter, who is this strange draconian?”

“He is... Coshun. He’s been with us for a while, and...” I blushed.

“Oh, my~!” she then looked up at him as he stood there with his chest out and an unshaken confidence in his eyes, then she looked back at me. “Is that it, is it? My baby girl’s is all grown up now, isn’t she?” she giggled.

“Mother!” I complained while my cheeks turned beet red.

It wasn’t long afterwards that we heard a powerful roar which pierced our ears and placed a terrible pressure on our bodies.

“HOW DARE YOU?!”

That was most definitely Alkelios’ voice, but where did this terrible pressure come from? It riled us up from the inside and disturbed the flow of Magic Energy inside our bodies. It made us feel terrible and from a distance I could see that there were even some who fainted after being struck by it.

The only one who stood up proud and tall was Coshun. Even in front of such a terrible pressure, he remained unphased. Kalderan also seemed to be alright, but the others weren’t feeling well.

“This thing... it’s making me sick...” mother said as she held her hand over her mouth.

“He finally unleashed it!” said Coshun with a smile and then added “The last time I felt this pressure was when my father the King of the Albeyater Kingdom was training his troops. Even my brothers and sisters who inherited his Golden Scale cannot release such a powerful pressure. It’s amazing!” he declared.

“The King of the Albeyater Kingdom?” mother asked confused.

“It’s a long story, mother, but... he’s the Prince of Albeyater.” I told her with a wry smile.

“Is that so, then he’s of noble blood... and a foreigner too, that could work.” she said while thinking about something.

While we tried to recover from the wave of pressure that was unleashed upon us, Alkelios stepped forward and made an appearance instead of my father or the ambassador. If what mother said about Askarius Leden, then right now we were either looking at another puppet or my friend who won over him.

One thing I had to mention, which brought great awe to everyone here, was the imposing and magnificent look of Alkelios as he stood there with his wings spread open, wearing an armor which rivaled that of the heroes of legends and weapons that struck fear in his enemies. While he was a draconian, a species that many humans hated, at this point, he was the one who was going to decide the fate of my Kingdom.

With his strong gaze and a firm voice, he spoke to the crowd like someone born among those living in high society, like the master who stood at the top of the world.

“It is with great sadness that I inform you, citizens of Ten Swords, that your beloved King has fallen to the pervasive blade of the one you know as Askarius Leden. Under the guise of an Ambassador from Akutan, he planned to take over this kingdom and annex it to the Akutan Empire. I still do not know if he was ordered to do so or if it was his own selfish initiative. What I do know, however, was that he forced your King to sign a document under which, upon his death, Askarius would become your next King. Fortunately, both the would-be King and his document were burned by my cleansing fire breath. My earlier roar... was after I witnessed the sinful deed of this man. I am ashamed to say that I was unable to save your King as I did your Queen. I had hoped that if the two were to have a more... civilized talk, they would be able to overcome their differences and return this wonderful Kingdom to its peaceful days.” he declared.

The words he spoke seemed foreign to me, almost as if they were a well made-up lie, but for the ones in the tribunes, the common folk and even the nobles who did not know the whole story, they were probably good enough for them to believe them wholeheartedly.

“However, I have not been completely truthful with you, I am not just a simple draconian who was passing by. I am in fact a Duke in the Albeyater Kingdom, thus nobility myself. Since I was the one to bring about the end of this plot and the one who heard the King’s final words before he, unfortunately, passed away, I shall declare this to all those who are listening and think about aiming for this empty throne. The King of Ten Swords Kingdom, in his last moment of sanity brought upon by his unpredicted death, he declared that Princess Ildeanussi Vermida Kor shall be the one to take the throne in his absence once she has learned the proper way of ruling this land from her mother, Queen Vermida Kor. He regrets his actions against them and at the same time wishes for their forgiveness... However, I cannot, in my peace of mind just let this be, and I shall stand as a temporary reagent until her training is over. Thus, as of this moment and until Princess Ildeanussi is proclaimed as Queen Ildeanussi of the Ten Swords Kingdom, this land, shall come under the guidance and protection of the Albeyater Kingdom of the Dragon Continent!” he declared.

His words were lies... nothing but lies. Father definitely didn’t say all of that, he definitely didn’t have a moment of sanity, but the only one who was there to witness it was Alkelios. Despite everything, for the future of this Kingdom, his words had to be said, I had to bite the sour fruit which was the lie of father asking for forgiveness... I had to accept the lie that he wished me and my mother well... but I could not accept it.

“Even if it’s just a lie, Ildea, it’s better than the truth...” mother told me as she wiped my tears away.

Alkelios’ speech, however, was not over, and he then turned towards many nobles that were present here. Many of them had lost relatives in the war against the draconians, but if they agreed to Ten Swords coming under the wing of Albeyater, it would mean to forgive the past and accept the present... as well as look forward to a future with new powerful allies. Some of them might come to accept this, but I feared that things would not be so easy.

“I understand that this is unacceptable for many of you, since the war between draconians and mankind had lasted for thousands of years now, however, I believe that with this event, it is time to put an end to this petty war and look forward towards a brighter future.” It was as if he was reading my mind, after all, I did not want to be his or Coshun’s enemy. “To make it easier and say that I didn’t take this land by force, I shall turn now towards Princess Ildeanussi Vermida Kor and Queen Vermida Kor as well as those royalties from far and above and ask them sincerely if they agree with my decree.”

“I, Princess Ildeanussi Vermida Kor of the Ten Swords Kingdom, agrees!” I declared loud enough for everyone to hear me with no sign of hesitation in my voice.

“I, Queen Vermida Kor of the Ten Swords Kingdom, agrees!”

“I, Prince Coshun Seyendraugher of the Albeyater Kingdom, agrees!”

“I, Prince Amadeus Akutan of the Akutan Empire, agrees!”

“I, Princess Drumora Akutan of the Akutan Empire, agrees!”

Thus, all the present royals agreed to his decree and then the nobles stood up one by one and agreed. A few of them disagreed, but they were left alone, for now.

By the time the last noble stepped up and made his choice, the decree was already set in stone as being official. Thus, with just those few words, Alkelios Yatagai accomplished what no man or draconian could until now... which was peace between our two species.

The man himself remained there while looking at us for a while, even after his speech was over and the declarations were done, but his gaze was strangely focused not on us but on the two Akutan siblings behind us... Maybe... maybe when he said ‘royalties from far and above’, he meant only Coshun and not the two of them as well? Whatever the case, the deed was done, and I was planning on having the sibling be brought under my care anyway. It did not matter in the slightest if this was declared now or later.