"Leader! Princess's consort is coming here in a few minutes!"
One of the staff members rushed in to inform 3rd Rock Leader Vali Sverrisson, who stood menacingly on the office balcony. His imposing figure overlooked the central plaza below, where people were already gathering from all sides, ready to listen to the Princess.
Leader kept staring down at the growing crowd, his mind racing with many concerns.
Suddenly, a gentle hand came to rest on his shoulder.
"Husband, there's no hair left on your head, so stop thinking so hard."
A beautiful, tall woman stepped in front of him gracefully. She held his arms tenderly and placed her head on his shoulder, her neatly tied hair moving slightly as the wind hit against Leader's chest.
Leader Vali looked down at his wife and gently kissed the top of her head, breathing in her familiar scent.
"What did you decide?" his wife asked softly, her voice filled with genuine concern.
"I don't know. I'm not sure," Leader replied honestly, his jaw tight with tension.
"Sigh... just go to the Queen's side. She's helped us a lot, and it's time we support her during this dire situation." The wife stood in front of him properly now and began gently fixing his attire, smoothing out wrinkles and adjusting his collar with her delicate fingers.
"You also know many people depend on us. This rock is different from the others. It's the hub of this city, a middle place for everyone to gather. There's everything here for everyone." Leader Vali's voice grew heavy with the weight of responsibility pressing down on his shoulders. "One wrong decision and the balance will fall. Then the city will stop functioning."
He paused, his expression darkening while shadows crossed his weathered face. "If I had the chance, I would have chosen the Queen. But right now, her side is very weak, and her last chance.... her daughter.... hasn't made a strong presence in front of others. I don't think she can stay at the top of the Crown anymore."
Leader Vali touched his wife's cheeks tenderly. The sun's rays touched her beautiful black skin, making her face glow with a golden shimmer that took his breath away even after all these years together.
She kissed her husband's palm lovingly, then moved forward and kissed his lips with gentle passion. When she pulled back, her eyes were fierce with conviction burning inside them.
"If anyone else becomes the new ruler of this city, you know they'll exploit the people for sure. This market, its people.... they've been stable only because the Queen didn't squeeze them for profits. But if Grankell or Njala becomes the ruler, you know what will happen..... Or even if some outsider becomes one, it's all doom."
She stepped closer, her voice softening while losing none of its intensity. "Why not put our trust in the Queen? When no one stands with her, it's our duty to support our Queen in dire need. That's what good citizens should do. Think as a person, not as a businessman!"
The wife smiled sweetly and stood tall beside him, looking down at the Princess carriage touching the surface below as people gathered enthusiastically to welcome the Princess.
"Sigh... let's see her first, then I'll make a decision." Leader Vali took his wife's hand in his, their fingers intertwining naturally like they had done a thousand times before. "By the way, where is our son?"
They began walking down together to welcome Princess Natalia.
"Where do you think a young man would be? Clearly having fun with his friends!" The wife laughed warmly as she gestured to her staff to neatly arrange the food she'd prepared for the Princess.
"Sighhh…. he doesn't have any interest in business. He clearly took after someone else." Leader Vali smirked a little, then reached out and grabbed his wife's ass, fondling it playfully.
"KYYAA! STOP IT!" she squealed, slapping his arm gently while looking around in embarrassment at the staff nearby.
"At least he knows how to have fun.... not like you, a boring numbers man! Humph!" She huffed indignantly while smiling as they walked together, arms linked, heading to greet Princess Natalia at the front of their office.
.
"Leader Vali! I rarely see your presence. I missed you at my birthday party!" Princess Natalia spoke with a slight edge to her cheerful tone, her smile not quite reaching her eyes.
"Work keeps me busy, Princess," Leader Vali replied in a simple manner, his expression remaining neutral despite the accusation hanging in the air.
"I guess so. This market is the heart of this city, so I'm sure you're busy. But a few visits could be made, right?" Princess Natalia smirked slightly, her eyes challenging him in a way that made the atmosphere tense.
"Hmm, sure. I'll keep that in mind," Leader Vali spoke without showing any emotion on his face, his voice flat.
As their polite exchange continued with underlying tension crackling between them, the wife stepped forward gracefully and spoke with soft delight warming her voice. "Princess, you must be tired! I prepared a heartfelt meal for you. Please come inside and relax for a bit!"
The tall woman bowed gracefully, extending the invitation with sincere warmth radiating from her smile.
Before Natalia could respond, Little Man came forward swiftly and interjected with authority in his tone. "I think Natalia should first address the crowd. The sun will reach its peak soon enough.... you can't possibly be making the Princess stand in the hot sun for too long, right? And I think we'll move directly to the next rock after this and rest there for a while. Here there are lots of people.... it's not safe for the Princess."
Little Man spoke while grabbing Natalia's arm possessively, pulling her slightly away from them in a protective gesture that seemed overly territorial.
"Ah, I didn't mean it that way, Princess!" Leader's wife apologized, embarrassment coloring her face as she realized how her words might have sounded.
"Hmm, no need. It's okay. I'll speak to them first." Princess Natalia turned around and walked toward the stage with Little Man and her friends following closely behind her.
Big Guy stood at the back, seeming to struggle with a tough decision.... whether to go inside and eat or follow Natalia to protect her. His stomach clearly wanted one thing while his duty demanded another.
The wife, seeing his internal conflict written plainly across his face, smiled kindly at him. "You can eat afterward. Don't worry.... the food won't go anywhere."
Her sweet smile made Big Guy's decision easy. He thanked her gratefully, his face brightening before he hurried off to protect Natalia.
"Hehe, such a sweet kid Veny have." The wife's expression shifted to sadness as she watched the Princess walk away. "Sigh... but the Princess seems not to like us. Did I ruin it?"
Leader Vali came up behind her and held her slim waist reassuringly, his strong hands steadying her. "It's okay. You haven't done anything wrong." His eyes narrowed as he looked toward the stage where the group was gathering. "But I don't like her rumoured man's way of talking."
Leader Vali glared at Little Man on the stage, his jaw clenching with barely contained irritation.
"PFFT! What are you doing? Don't take a kid's words to heart! You're such a big man.... having such a soft heart isn't good!" The wife laughed cutely, trying to lighten the mood that had grown heavy around them.
"What? I just don't like it when anyone disrespects my beautiful wife." Leader Vali held her hip and brought her into his embrace, her ass pressing against the growing bulge in his crotch.
"Aah! Geez! Stop it! We're outside, and all eyes are on us!" The wife pulled away from his grasp embarrassedly and scolded him, though her eyes sparkled with affection she couldn't hide.
"KYYA! OUR LEADER IS SUCH A CUTIE PIE!" one of her staff members jumped in happiness from far away, unable to contain her excitement.
"SUCH LOVE! SIGHH, WHERE IS MY HUSBAND?!" a woman in the crowd shouted, shedding some tears as she watched the couple's display of affection.
"I CAN UNDERSTAND LEADER! I'M SURE HE CAN'T HOLD ON AFTER HOLDING SUCH A BEAUTIFUL WIFE!" some men laughed knowingly, nudging each other.
"MADAM SURE IS HAPPY, BUT SEE HER ACTING HARSH ON HIM! HEHE, THEY'RE BOTH SO CUTE! I NEVER GET BORED SEEING THEM TOGETHER!" young girls giggled, watching the couple with stars in their eyes as if witnessing something magical.
.
As the mood remained warm near Leader's office, on stage Princess Natalia stood overlooking the area filled with countless people. Since this was an open gathering, anyone could come, and many people were strategically placed throughout the crowd, ready to provide the tool to speak when chosen by her.
She looked at the faces below.... some smiling, some frowning, some filled with anger. All kinds of expressions gave Natalia a headache that pounded behind her eyes.
Don't look at me like that! I'm doing the best I can for this city! Natalia gritted her teeth internally, feeling the pressure mounting with each passing second.
Suddenly, she felt a warm hand on her lower back. Little Man leaned close and spoke softly in her ear, his breath tickling her skin. "Calm down. Remember, I'm here with you. Just be free and do things according to your vision. In the future, whatever happens, my house and many other houses under us will make sure your vision applies to every corner of this place! This is your city, so own it with your hands!"
Little Man held her waist and squeezed it reassuringly. His other hand gently grazed her lower back in slow circles that sent warmth spreading through her tense muscles.
Natalia suddenly turned her head sideways to look at him. Because their faces were so close, Little Man's nose brushed against her cheek in an intimate moment.
"Ah! Sorry!" She tried to put some distance between them, but Little Man pulled her right back into his embrace.
"I'm your man. Don't worry about little things." He touched her cheek affectionately, his fingers lingering on her skin in a possessive caress.
"Umm... thank you!" Natalia felt her face growing hotter under his intense gaze. She thanked him softly, then walked to the center of the stage where many people were waiting impatiently for her to start.
She breathed out deeply, calming her racing heart that threatened to burst from her chest. Then she spoke with full confidence, her voice ringing out clear through the plaza.
"GREETINGS, EVERYONE!"
.
Back at Leader's office, one of the staff members approached Madam Sverrisson hesitantly. "Umm, Madam, what should we do about the food?"
The wife sighed, looking at all the carefully prepared dishes she'd worked on since early morning. "What can we do? Just store them properly for now."
She sighed sadly, her shoulders slumping slightly as disappointment washed over her.
"Madam, you worked so hard on this from early in the morning and even rushed at the last minute to complete it due to Princess sudden change in schedule!!!" The staff all looked sadly at their collective hard work going unappreciated, their efforts seemingly wasted.
"It's okay. Don't worry. It's true our timing was off.... I didn't realize it in the hurry. We planned it during lunchtime, but her consort was fast with her decision." The wife smiled genuinely, trying to lift everyone's spirits despite her own disappointment. "It's okay. Food will never get wasted."
She ordered everyone to store the meals, making sure one plate was left out for later. Then she sighed while looking out the window, watching the large crowd moving back and forth around the Princess.
After quite a lot of time passed, the wife suddenly saw the crowd getting crazier. Slowly, the entire plaza descended into chaos!
She ran outside to her husband, who was just standing at the back, calmly observing the situation unfold. "HUSBAND! WHAT IS HAPPENING?!"
She rushed to him, panic rising in her voice as screams and shouts filled the air.
He spoke casually, as if discussing the weather rather than the riot forming before them. "Nothing much. The fear, the frustration, the anger.... it's all coming out. The shopkeepers aren't happy with suppliers. Customers aren't happy with the condition of this place and the prices. The people living in congested areas in this rock are equally mad at their living status. And some people spread negative news from the previous meeting. Mix everything together, and you get a mess."
Leader Vali spoke calmly, his voice steady even as chaos exploded around him in waves of violence.
Objects flew toward the stage.... vegetables, utensils, chunks of stone. The crowd surged forward in angry waves, bodies pressing closer and closer together. Big Guy and the guards moved in unison, shouting commands, forming a barrier as they struggled to hold the line against the pressing mob.
It wasn't just one kind of fury. Some people shoved and hurled things for the thrill of it, laughing as they did. Others fought among themselves, tempers flaring wildly over old grudges. And beneath it all were those truly enraged.... faces twisted with hatred, forcing their way forward with a single goal burning in their minds.
To reach the Princess.
It was a mess. A complete, terrifying mess that threatened to spiral completely out of control.
"TSK! THESE PEOPLE HAVE LOST IT! CAN'T THEY JUST BE HAPPY WITH WHAT THEY'VE GOT INSTEAD OF GOING CRAZY?!"
Little Man spread himself in front of the Princess, shielding her as objects rained down.... soft vegetables bursting on impact, hard utensils clanging painfully against his back and shoulders.
"Agh…"
Princess Natalia stared at the crowd, the fury blazing in their eyes. The sight made her chest ache, a tight knot forming in her heart that squeezed painfully with each hateful shout directed at her.
"YEAH! YEAH! BOOO!"
"KILL HERRR!"
Amid the chaos, Rugged Woman suddenly came in the crowd and eagerly added her voice to the mayhem, hurling objects with enthusiasm as she shoved her way forward through the packed bodies. As she advanced, her gaze landed on an unusual sight....
Big Guy was being assaulted by an old grandma wielding a frying pan with surprising vigor.
"Ow! Ow! Grandma, please! That pan is for cooking, not for beating people!" Big Guy pleaded gently, shielding his head as he took hit after hit, refusing to fight back against the elderly woman.
"HOHOHO!" the grandma cackled with wild energy. "You don't know this old lady's past! I was a warrior in my youth! I beat plenty of people like you!"
"Yes, yes, Grandma, of course you did," Rugged Woman said cheerfully as she stepped in smoothly. "Here, let me take that.... I'll beat him for you."
She took the frying pan from the delighted grandma, flashing Big Guy a playful grin as she waved it threateningly in his direction.
"Can you get her out of here?" Big Guy asked, fending off several aggressive attackers with one arm while carefully keeping the grandma safe with the other.
"Sure thing!" Rugged Woman laughed, guiding the old lady away from the danger. "Just make sure you say nice things about me to Boss!"
Big Guy signalled the guards, and they quickly let her pass as she disappeared into the crowd, still chuckling at the absurdity of the situation.
She nimbly moved through the crowd, weaving between bodies, climbed the stage swiftly, and jumped perfectly, landing right near Natalia with the grace of a trained fighter.
But as soon as she landed, another figure landed gracefully beside her.
"Oh, we meet again! How's your cheek?" Rugged Woman smirked at Miss Expert Sister, who stood proudly, blocking all thrown objects with precise movements that seemed almost effortless.
"Hmm, that was my sister, not me," Miss Expert Sister spoke casually, moving fluidly around the stage to intercept incoming projectiles.
"Umm, I think you're lying!" Rugged Woman looked confused, trying to examine her face clearly while simultaneously stopping many flying objects aimed at the Princess.
Natalia saw them both and grunted in frustration. "Why are they here again? Tsk!" She glared at them with annoyance flashing in her eyes.
"Ow! Ow!" Little Man felt pain as several objects hit him despite his best efforts to shield Natalia completely.
"Are you okay, Little Man? Don't overdo it!" Princess Natalia touched his chest worriedly, trying to comfort him as guilt washed over her. Her body was hidden completely behind his tall figure. His hand grabbed her hips possessively, letting her stay pressed close against him where she was safest.
"It's okay, Natalia. Anything for you!" Little Man smiled down at her warmly even though there was some pain radiating through his back.
"Geez, thank you so much." Natalia smiled back gratefully, her heart-warming at his dedication.
Little Man pulled her even closer, and she didn't push back.... just smiled embarrassedly, her face flushed with heat that had nothing to do with the chaos around them.
"Hey, you Boss's woman who is in another man's embrace!!! Move!!!!.... don't stand here waiting to get hit!"
Rugged Woman suddenly appeared and grabbed Natalia's hand, yanking her out of Little Man's embrace with surprising strength. She ran to the side of the stage, leaving a stunned Little Man behind. But he quickly recovered and ran after them, determination etched on his face.
"GRR! Don't think I'll forgive you and accept you just because you're protecting me!" Natalia glared at her angrily, her mind replaying the things she may have done with Zack and things she said back in 5th Rock meeting.
"I indeed came to say sorry, since my cute Subordinate woman is sad. She thinks she can't meet Boss anymore because we made you angry" Rugged Woman spoke while deflecting objects and shoving away aggressive people as they rushed toward Natalia with murder in their eyes.
"KYYAA!" Natalia gasped as she barely escaped being pulled into the violent crowd by a crazed man whose face was twisted with rage.
BOOM!
Rugged Woman kicked that man, sending him flying backward into the crowd where he crashed into others.
"PLEASE DON'T STOP US FROM MEETING HIM!!!!! I know he loves you and will listen to you, but we didn't commit any crime!!!!"
BOOM!
Rugged Woman punched another person coming close with a knife glinting in the sunlight, her fist connecting his elbow with brutal efficiency. She grabbed Natalia's waist protectively and ran faster, weaving through the chaos with expert precision.
Natalia saw wounds appearing on Rugged Woman's arms and face as she took hits meant for her. Blood trickled down from fresh cuts. Natalia bit her teeth hard and said firmly, "I can't let you do that!!! Zack is mine, and my love is much greater than someone who just know him for few days!!! I will not share him with anyone!"
She kept moving, trying to help navigate them through the crowd that seemed to close in from all sides.
"Huff... huff..."
BOOM!
Rugged Woman continued stopping men and women from reaching Natalia, pushing them back into the crowd with her considerable strength that seemed endless. She got into multiple tussles with angry crowd members, taking blow after blow without complaint.
Natalia looked back worriedly, wanting to help but unable to do anything useful. Little Man caught up and pulled her away from the immediate danger zone.
She glanced back, seeing Rugged Woman still fighting fiercely despite her injuries. Her heart throbbed unexpectedly.... a confusing feeling she couldn't quite name swirled inside her chest.
Because of Rugged Woman's efforts, Natalia easily reached the edge of the crowd. But many people were still chasing her, shouting threats and curses that made her blood run cold...
But suddenly, Leader's wife slowly walked past Natalia and stood calmly in front of her, doing nothing but existing with quiet authority.
The crowd stopped dead in their tracks.
"MADAM SVERRISSON! DON'T STOP US! SHE'S CLEARLY NOT TAKING US SERIOUSLY! OUR CHILDREN ARE ALWAYS SCARED AT NIGHT! THEY CAN'T EAT PROPERLY! THEY CAN'T MOVE IN THIS CITY WITHOUT DANGER, AND SHE'S SAYING SHE'LL 'LOOK INTO IT'!"
"YES, MADAM SVERRISSON! WE RESPECT YOU, BUT THE PRINCESS CLEARLY DOESN'T KNOW ANYTHING! OUR RESTAURANT HAS COMMON LOW-WAGE PEOPLE AS CUSTOMERS, AND WE WANT INGREDIENTS FROM 4TH ROCK AT LOWER PRICES! EVEN IF THE QUALITY IS LOW, WE WANT DECENT PRICING! BUT SHE SAID ALL INGREDIENTS ARE EQUAL AND WILL HAVE THE SAME PRICES! I KNOW THERE'S A SCARCITY OF FOOD IN THIS CITY, AND MAYBE SHE'S RIGHT, BUT WE WANT SOLUTIONS.... NOT HER BULLSHIT PROMISES!"
"YES, MADAM! WE DON'T EVEN KNOW IF THEY'LL RULE THIS CITY ANYMORE!"
"PRINCESS NATALIA IS DOING JUST FINE! WHAT ARE YOU BLABBERING ABOUT?! HER ANSWERS ARE LOGICAL! EVERYTHING HAPPENS SLOWLY.... THE FOOD, THE PRICES, THE SECURITY! EVERYTHING IS GOING SMOOTHLY! JUST BECAUSE YOU WANT BETTER THINGS DOESN'T MEAN THEY'LL COME MAGICALLY IN ONE DAY! GIVE HER TIME!"
"ARE YOU SAYING WE'RE DELUSIONAL IN ASKING FOR A BETTER PLACE TO LIVE AND MORE FOOD TO EAT?!"
"NO! I'M SAYING WE'VE BEEN LIVING FINE UNTIL NOW, RIGHT????! HER ANCESTORS BROUGHT THIS CITY TO THIS PLACE TO SUCH HEIGHTS! NOW TRUST IN HER.... SHE'LL DELIVER ON HER NAME!"
"WHY SHOULD WE TRUST A BRAT WHEN NEW LEADERS ARE TRYING TO TAKE OVER THE CITY WHO HAVE BETTER TRACK RECORD IN TERMS OF RULING???! CLEARLY, WE'LL HAVE MORE MONEY IF WE SUPPORT 5TH ROCK LEADER! HE'S THE RICHEST MAN IN THIS CITY!"
"YEAH??? SURE! GIVE YOUR DAUGHTER TO HIM, THEN HE'LL GIVE YOU MONEY!"
"HUH?! WHAT THE FUCK DID YOU SAY?!"
THUMP! BOOM! BOOM!
"AAH! OWW!"
Suddenly, chaos broke out again as people fought with each other violently. Some roared at the Princess, their angry voices bringing visible shivers to Princess Natalia's body that trembled hard, her attempts to stay strong was not working now.
"It's okay. Don't worry. It's okay. Calm down." Little Man gently hugged her, turning her head away from the angry crowd so she wouldn't have to see their hatred etched into every face. Then he turned around and shouted at the guards with fury blazing in his voice. "PREPARE THE CARRIAGE! WE'LL GO TO 2ND ROCK AFTER THE PRINCESS CALMS DOWN! AND MAKE SURE NO ONE DISTURBS HER REST!"
Little Man roared protectively as he brought the Princess inside the office building, shielding her from the violence.
Natalia glanced back one last time, seeing the furious crowd. Her eyes also caught sight of the wounded Rugged Woman finally getting out of the chaos, standing beside Madam Sverrisson, blood trickling from cuts on her face and arms.
Their eyes met across the distance.
Rugged Woman's eyes were pleading with desperate eyes, almost broken in a way that pierced straight through Natalia's defences for a moment.
PLEASE GIVE US A CHANCE!
Natalia could see her need but she turned around sharply, refusing to look anymore, and went inside.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
END OF CHAPTER
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Author Blabbering
When we fail at something big in our life we never do give it a second chance to it , at least many of us do not..... But what if we do that and try once again? we will fail once again? yes probably ? the time will get wasted ? depend on how you see your time , according to me Nothing we ever do is a waste of time!! if you sit quietly doing nothing then also its doing something inside of you and you are saying you wasted you time trying to achieve something? think!! think what you have gotten out from failure and if possible try again if you want that!!
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------