Prince Barrios returns to his seat just as the chef brings dinner to the table. It's more food than two people could possibly eat. A large turkey and lamb serve as the main courses, accompanied by dozens of side dishes: corn, peas, mashed potatoes, salads, and platters I've never seen before. The smell is mouthwatering, momentarily distracting me from the tense conversation we just had. The silverware is gold and silver lined, and our plates are exquisite china. I've never imagined eating at a table like this. My mouth waters at the sight of the food.
"Shall we say a prayer?" Prince Barrios asks.
I'm stunned that it's a thing here but relieved. Back home, this was familiar and comforting. I nod, and we bow our heads in silent prayer. My first bite is full of exceptional tastes. The food is excellently prepared, and I realize how hungry I am, having had nothing to eat or drink since arriving. My taste buds explode with the flavors, and for a moment, I find myself enjoying the meal.
"You can have it all if you come with me," Barrios says, his eyes still watching me.
"But wouldn't I already get this as the High Queen," I ask, noticing he hasn't taken a single bite.
"With me, you wouldn't have to worry about anything," he replies.
"Why do you want me to go with you, anyway?" I ask.
"You are different... something new," he says.
"Yet if I say no, so many will suffer," I whisper.
"Have you ever wondered what life would be like if you were a queen?" Barrios asks.
"Until this morning, no. I never once thought about that. To be honest, I'd rather be a normal person. I don't deserve any of this," I admit.
"I see. Nevertheless, I want you to come with me," Barrios says, a hint of longing in his voice.
I sit there, baffled. "I don't understand you at all," I say.
"Then come with me so you will," he asks.
"What is this? Are you trying to get me to fall for you or something?" I ask.
"Would it change your choice?" he questions.
I think about his words. He's using our kingdom's situation to get something he wants, and that something happens to be me. I have to decide within days.
"Can I ask something?" I inquire.
"Yes," he says.
"How much time do I have to answer?" I ask.
"By the end of the night," Prince Barrios admits.
A loud bang reverberates through the room. I jump at the sound, turning in time to see the doors flung open. A tall, slender man with white hair and golden eyes walks briskly into the room, flanked by two other men. All three wear white military-style uniforms, different from Barrios'. The man with white hair stops midway between Barrios and me, glaring with an intensity I've never experienced. His short white hair matches his pale skin, enhancing his glaring golden eyes. His triangular face and high-arched eyebrows only add to his ominous expression. Even his long, slender nose matches his angular cheekbones and sharp, v-shaped jawline.
"Indeed, the armies of the greatest and strongest kingdom will arrive in mere hours. The sun is setting for the husk of Sidra. The dawn of a new era is upon us. A new age will rise from the broken mess that once was the heart of Elona... replaced with an iron fist," the menacing man says.
"Wait, you said your armies wouldn't be here for a few days!" I cry.
"A few days or a few hours. Would that make a difference?" Barrios says.
"So you lied to me?" I shout.
"No, my armies are, in fact, days away. However, my father will be here by morning," the Prince reveals.
"The arrival of Prince Barrios' armies is irrelevant. However, the coming battle has been decided. Once my forces subdue the capital and grand palace, the good Prince can do whatever he pleases with you and your dear sisters. I'm sure you would make an excellent companion fit for royalty," the man says.
"What! Who the hell are you?" I yell, standing up. My breasts jiggle wildly, ringing the bells on my dress.
"Prince Bardas is heading to him now. As a means of stalling him," Barrios says.
"I'm afraid he isn't. As I am in command of the forces bound for the capital. I, General Moff Tiberius Octavius Constantius III, will be the one to bring down the legacy of Sidra and forge a new one that will last throughout the ages," the Moff says.
"Why would my father put you, of all people, in command of his armies?" Barrios questions, anger flashing in his eyes.
"To ensure victory. What other reason would there be?" the Moff asks.
"You are not even a general in our military. Therefore, you have no authority or power to command our armies over a Royal member of the House of Revennaut," Barrios says.
"My boy, we are allies; I needn't remind you. Your mighty armies now include my fearsome legions. This was the command of your father. One that your brother will discover once he returns to Byzantia," General Moff Constantius III reveals.
Fear grips me as I look at the General. His presence is intimidating, but in a way that's worlds apart from Barrios. He scares me more than anything. Not only is the Kingdom of Byzantia marching here, but also legions from a country I'm unaware of.
"Then I am sorry... Sidra will fall before the next sunrise. With the arrival of the Legions of Imperium, this has been assured," Barrios whispers.
"I can't do this anymore!" I yell as I rush to the exit.
Barrios cuts me off before I reach the doors. I stop as he stands in my way.
"Get out of my way!" I shout.
"What do you intend to do, fight? Why, when I have offered you an alternative?" the Prince says.
"All this was a distraction as your armies drew closer! I can't believe I was stupid enough to fall for this bullshit!" I cry.
"You are not stupid. You are doing the best you can for people you know nothing about. That enough speaks to your character," Barrios says.
"Is that supposed to make me feel better?" I question.
"You must do what you can for your people. Trust me, I know the feeling," Barrios says.
"I'm supposed to believe you know what I'm going through?" I say.
"I believe that you will do what you have to. That you would die for this kingdom without a single thought. I know this just from looking at you. That is why I'm asking you to come with me. To live," the Prince says.
"How am I going to live? I'll be a prisoner, a slave to you," I ask.
"That's not what I mean. If you say no... you will die, and your siblings will die because of you. You'll die protecting this kingdom. But if you come with me, you will live. They'll live, and so will this kingdom," Barrios explains.
My legs give way, but before I fall, Barrios catches me. My body feels heavy from the stress, yet he holds me gently. I feel tiny compared to him, and tears pour out. 'What was I going to do?' They came here intending to go to war. 'Who was I to think my life meant more than anyone here? If I can stop all of this, shouldn't I?' The alternative was the death of my sisters and these people. How he knew this, I didn't know. But I believed him. If I said no, everyone here would die. I couldn't let that happen.
"Your life doesn't have to end. Come with me and live," Barrios says.
"How can I say no? What other choice is there to make? Can't you see I have no choice," I whisper, looking down.
"Yes, you do. This has always been your choice," the Prince says.
"How do you know all this?" I question.
"It was a choice that I made a long time ago," the man reveals.
Time is running out. His father's armies could already be outside the city. 'Would I be the first to be notified of such a severe development?' If not, that might mean I was being kept in the dark on purpose. 'But to what end?' I needed to find out. There is no doubt that Constance knows. Among the three current rulers, she is one of them. I try to pull away from his embrace, but he still holds me firmly. I cling to his body, my hands against his chest. He wipes the tears from my eyes. 'What is going through this man's head?'
On one hand, his kingdom intends to harm this city's people. On the other, he seeks to avoid that catastrophe. I have to trust this man to save this kingdom that has become my charge. A person until today I had no idea existed.
"I-I... have to put... my faith in you... that is all I can do," I whisper.
"Come with me," he replies.
He takes my hand and leads me out of the dining room. I stare at his back as he leads the way. The guards that line the corridors salute as we pass. There is a difference in his aura now, a more focused, determined purpose. The fear and intimidation I felt before are gone, replaced with a longing a hope. I pause in my thoughts. 'What do I want him to do? What do I wish to happen? Could I like him, need him?' I know now that I want this man to protect me. Yesterday I would have called bullshit on that and laughed in your face. 'Me? Being a girl, falling in love?' Until we reach a roof on the south side of the castle. It's well beyond where I had been or known about. This castle is vast, and he takes me to the roof's edge.
He points out to the horizon. There, I see the lights coming over the horizon. To the south and west are countless dots of orange lights. I don't have to be told what those are. They are the armies that Prince Barrios spoke of. In mere hours, they will be here. The military protecting this city is dwarfed in comparison. Not even a fraction of the size that marches upon them. To the north and east are long lines of lights leaving the city. There is no way Constance doesn't know this. Everyone knew this long before I did. She put all her faith in me. Now, I have to put all my faith in him.
"I will come with you, Prince Barrios. I'm putting the fate of the Kingdom of Sidra and the Central Kingdoms in your hands. I'm putting my fate in you... my trust. I know I can't stop you from not upholding your promise," I say, looking him in the eyes.
In mere hours, the fate of this kingdom will be decided. He has promised that it won't happen if I choose to come with him, a decision I make now. He stares back into my eyes. As usual, I have no inkling of what is going through his mind. His intentions are his alone. And now I am his, and no doubt his brother's too. I wait for him to say something, make a statement, or do anything to signal the coming massacre is avoided.
"Are you going to say anything?" I say impatiently.
He turns me around to face the western view of the horizon, with one hand on my waist and the other touching my neck. He runs his fingers slowly down my spine. My body trembles as his fingers inch down. I respond by grabbing his hand on my stomach. In return, he holds me closer, still running his fingers. 'Is he trying to arouse me on purpose? Now, at a time like this?' My thighs tremble, and I'm on my toes even with these heels.
"What are you doing?" I whisper, almost moaning.
"Show them who you are, Princess Aria," the Prince whispers in my ear.
"I don't understand what you mean," I say.
"You were brought here by magic because you are the embodiment of magic. Show them that you are not just a Royal. Show them that you are the High Queen," he answers as he reaches the small of my back.
His touch is more tantalizing than I realized. I'm losing control of my emotions and my body. He can feel my body reacting to his touch as he moves over my bottom. I let out a whimper as he cups my buttocks. The way he touches me arouses me by the second. His hand finds the slit in my dress, and my body jumps when his fingers run over my mound. My free hand covers my crotch as I try to find his hand. The lips of my mound part as his finger goes inside my wet vagina. I whimper and squirm as he switches between caressing my clitoris and fingering my vagina.
"Show them now," the Prince says, breathing hot air into my ear. His manhood presses against my bottom.
"Show them what?" I moan.
A fever of energy rises from my womb through my stomach. This energy is unlike anything I've felt before. A sudden drop in temperature occurs. A stillness comes from nowhere. The night sky becomes crystal clear. My body is hotter than ever. His fingers work their way inside me. My thighs, hips, and stomach convulse with the movements of his fingers. A bluish light appears outside the castle walls. Well, in front of the troops that stand in defense of the castle. This light turns into a line that spreads around the city in both directions. In a few seconds, I know it has encircled the whole city. Something tells me to wait just a few more seconds. Enough that anyone near this bluish light will be at a safe distance.
This feeling tells me that it is time. I close my eyes and imagine a wall. One that will protect this city. A wall so high that no one can climb over it. One so deep that no one can dig underneath it. A wall so strong that no army can break through it. These thoughts come to me naturally. I open my eyes to see snowflakes. Ice builds on the ground around me, spreading from me, yet I feel no coldness. The temperature is the opposite for me. I feel hot, like I'm burning up. Barrios is still fingering my womanhood, and I feel a climax nearing. The whole time, he holds me. From the blue light, ice erupts from the ground. Giant pillars and chunks of glacier ice slide into place all around the city. This wall towers over the main castle walls and city walls. Four gates made of ice form at the corresponding gates in the city.
It is now snowing heavily, and hail falls outside the glacial ice wall. A blizzard forms on the south and west horizon, while the east and west remain clear skies. Now that it is finished, I realize I've had several orgasms during the event. I look down to see Barrios's feet encased in ice. He has finished pleasuring me, and I twist around to see what has happened.
"I'm sorry!" I cry.
"I'm fine," the Byzantia Prince says as the ice around his legs melts. Steam rises as the ice turns to water.
"What happened?" I ask.
"You used your magic to protect the city. After that display, my father will hold back for now," Barrios says.
"But if that was all I had to do, then..." I ask, dumbfounded.
"I wanted you to come with me on your own," Prince Barrios says.
Before I can say another word, he kisses me with such passion that any anger I have melted away. He embraces me, holding me as close as he can. I instinctively kissed him back. He wanted me to choose him. I have to find out why. 'What am I to him?' At the same time, I want to be upset, to pull away or slap him. But instead, I'm glued to him as if we are one being. 'Is this what Constance meant?'