Chapter 88: Chapter 88

A single candle poorly lit a room that housed darkas gods sitting at a round table. They were all dressed in dark hoods that covered their faces. Among them were Sevilon, Ouman, Naraygeous, Zentz, Nelex, Geren, Yolin and Emelinia.

The rest were either the assassins hired by King Meelzib to attack golden haired maidens while the others were individuals the King had wronged. Some were just sick and tired of the injustice in the Kingdom and they wanted change. Two hooded warrior darkas gods stood guard at the door with their weapons out. In total they were thirty eight rebels.

"I greet you all in the name of our future queen, Sharaina." Sevilon opened the secret meeting. "As you know, are gathered here to discuss what we are to do in order to ensure that the prophecy comes to pass. For years Ouman, Emelinia and I have done everything in our power to protect our future queen. We are grateful that you have all decided to join us our cause."

"We are willing to do anything to make this prophecy come to pass." Naraygeous said.

"We are ready to die for the sake of Dark Star." Nelex added.

"Just tell us what we must do and consider it done." Zentz concluded and Sevilon nodded his head.

"You are to find more trusted people in your communities to join us. We need an army of our own." Sevilon told them and they nodded their heads, each murmuring something to the other. Sevilon turned to Emelinia. "The time has come for you to tell Sharaina of what her destiny is. She must know who she is."

"Are you sure of this?" She asked him.

"Oh yes we are. She has to be ready to defend herself for the King has grown restless. He will attack her any day now." Ouman answered her instead and Sevilon agreed with him.

"I will speak to her today." Emelinia assured them.

"I have an errand to run at the Gamarax Association. I will tell all this to Light just in case you don't find him home with Sharaina." Naraygeous offered.

"Yes it is best he knows all this too." Emelinia agreed with him.

****

Lalina burst through the castle doors. She headed straight to her room, pulled out a suitcase and started filling it up with her clothes. She knew deep down to the core of her heart that she had to leave.

If King Meelzib was cruel enough to kill his own parents, what was going to become of her once he found out that she was expecting before getting married? She thought of Naraygeous, her Naraygeous. He was surely going to be punished severely for getting her pregnant. She didn't want anything to happen to him especially now that he was finally hers.

She closed her suitcase and began to load another when King Meelzib unexpectedly entered her room without knocking. He looked over at her suitcases and turned to Lalina with a frown.

Lalina backed away from him in fear and held onto her dress. She didn't know what to do or say to him. She had planned on leaving without telling him and once she was safe at her parent's house, she would send a servant to tell him that she had left.

"My King," She began but he shook his head sideways. "I can explain." Fear laced her voice and it puzzled King Meelzib even more.

"So you were planning on leaving me Lalina." His masculine voice, sad but firm. There was no trace of anger in it but it still scared the hell out of Lalina.

"I miss my mother and father. I haven't seen my father since he woke up from his hibernation." Lalina explained. She held her chest in a hopeless attempt to calm her heart down.

King Meelzib drew closer to her and she stepped back. She kept her eyes on him as she moved back until she was horrified to feel the cold wall on her back. King Meelzib placed his hands on the wall and trapped her. His cold eyes pierced through her like a thousand nails. With his hand he caressed her cheek and she felt a cold sweat run down her face.

"Why are you so afraid of me? I don't think I have ever done anything to hurt you Lalina." His voice was kind but it sent goosebumps all over her skin.

"I am not afraid my King. I am just feeling out of place because aunt is dead." Lalina answered hoping that he wouldn't sense the fear in her voice.

"It is a pity but she just had to die otherwise she was going to cause more problems for me in the near future." He coldly said. His face lit up suddenly with a bright smile. "It is just you and I now. Beside you, there is none more precious. I refuse to let you leave me here all alone. You will stay here and rule with me as my wife."

Lalina widened her eyes astonished. "My King, but I am your cousin. How can this be so?" Lalina asked him.

"I am King therefore my word is law. You will be my wife and that is final. I declare that henceforth, you are no longer my cousin but my future wife."

"What will people say? This is insane." Lalina argued. She was shocked at her new found courage.

"Are you trying to anger me Lalina?" King Meelzib asked her and she swallowed hard. "You should know by now that I do not take no for an answer. I am not asking you to be my wife but commanding you. You know the fate of those who disobey me."

King Meelzib snapped his fingers and two guards walked in. "Take her to the highest room and keep her in there until it is time for our wedding." He ordered them and they grabbed Lalina.

"My King, please don't do this I beg of you. This is an abomination!" Lalina cried.

"I will send for your parents." King Meelzib said and walked out of the room.

*****

Sharaina whined all the way downstairs holding Light's hand. He was dressed in his Gamarax Association uniform while she was still in her night dress.

"I will be back after lunch I assure you." He said to her.

"No, I don't want you to go. What I'm I to do here all alone as I wait for you? You have maids doing all the chores. I am not used to sitting idle all day." Sharaina pouted with her pink lips.

"I know you're not used to it my love but I can't help it. I have already missed work for five days now. It's best that I report today. I have to make sure that everything in my division is in order."

Sharaina folded her hands and dramatically faced away with her eyes closed. "Fine then, leave me all alone here to suffer in boredom."

Light walked up to her and kiss the top of her head. "When are you going to stop been so dramatic?" He teased her and pulled her close. "I will be back soon, okay? When I get back we will do whatever you want and go wherever you want."

"Okay I will be expecting you after lunch." She finally agreed to let him go.

"If I face any delay I will send word to you." Light added and she sharply looked at him. "I'm just telling you Sharaina. Things can be unpredictable at the office."

"I hope it won't come to that." Sharaina pouted.

Light kissed her before finally hoping onto a wagon that took him away. Sharaina watched him leave at the door way with her hands folded and a look of frustration plastered over her face.

She walked back into the house and went back upstairs to freshen up. When she was done, she found her breakfast served at the dining table. Sharaina remembered that Light didn't have his breakfast before leaving and it upset her.

"He was in so much of a hurry to leave me that he forgot to have his breakfast." Sharaina complained to the maid serving her.

"Young master Light hardly ever has breakfast before reporting for work." She explained.

"Is that so?" Sharaina held her chin and smiled. "We will just have to change that."

Because she ate alone, Sharaina had her breakfast quickly and went back to her room. She sat at the terrace and admired the swimming pool. It was a hot day and a cool deep in the pool felt like a great idea.

She went into her closet of new clothes and looked to see if Jayniss and Lara remembered to get her bikinis. She opened three drawers before finally setting her eyes on them. Sharaina picked a white one and put it on. She wore flip flops at her feet and covered herself in a white bath robe.

Sharaina found a maid already waiting for her at the pool. She jerked her eyebrow at her. "How did you know that I wanted to have a swim?" Sharaina asked her.

"Young mistress, I knew because I am a seer. My powers aren't mature yet but my instincts are good." She answered with her head bowed.

Sharaina smiled at her. "That's nice."

Sharaina took off her bath robe and threw it to one of the chairs by the pool. She slowly got into the pool and felt the pleasing coolness of the water. In no time she began to swim.

Emelinia, her children and Alainara got into the swimming pool area. Alainara admired the water and she smiled in excitement. She looked over at Precious and saw that she was elated too. When Sharaina saw then she shrieked in happiness. She swam to them and got out of the pool.

"What a pleasant surprise! You have no idea how happy I am to see you here." Sharaina said to them.

"We thought of paying you a little visit." Emelinia said.

"This pool is insane." Alainara couldn't take her eyes off it.

"Would you like to go in?" Sharaina asked her.

"A thousand times yes!" Alainara answered with a frantic node.

"Me too aunt Sharaina!" Precious voiced out.

Sharaina laughed softly she turned to the maid. "Is it possible to get a swim suit for my niece around here?" She asked.

"Oh yes, there's a store nearby. I can have it back here in fifteen minutes." She humbly answered.

"That's great." Sharaina smiled. "Go with her so that she can give you a bikini to wear." Sharaina told Alainara. "And as for you my Precious, go with Alainara while you wait for your swim suit." Sharaina faced Emelinia. "I forgot to ask you if you also wanted to swim."

Emelinia laughed. "No thank you perhaps some other time. I don't like the feeling of cold water on my body." She declined.

"Alright, then let us sit down and talk." Sharaina gestured for her to take a seat.

Great, some alone time with her is what I actually needed. Emelinia thought to herself.

Earlier when she was leaving home, Akirexer asked Emelinia where she was going to. She couldn't muster the courage to lie to her so when Alainara and Precious heard that she was going to see Sharaina; they immediately wanted to tag along. Akirexer gave them the permission so Emelinia had no choice but to oblige.

Emelinia watched Sharaina lie down on the pool chair next to her. Her smile was so captivating that it made Emelinia wonder if it would fade away completely after telling Sharaina about her impending battle with King Meelzib for the throne. Nalvin's whimpers distracted her for a moment and she turned her attention to him.

"Give him to me." Sharaina stretched out her hands.

Emelinia looked at her play with Nalvin in her arms. She kissed him many times and tickled him. Emelinia looked around her and couldn't help but admire Sharaina's new home. She visited Light a few times at his mansion but not once did she pay so much attention to its detail. With Sharaina there, it was no longer a bachelor mansion but a home.

She is so happy. I feel bad that what I have to tell her will take away her peace but what can I do? She can no longer run away from her destiny. Emelinia quietly thought. Sharaina suddenly gasped and it startled her. "What is it?" She looked closely at Nalvin.

"I just remembered the battle that took place yesterday. I haven't gotten a chance to read the paper yet, what has become of commander Luven? I stopped watching the fight after I saw King Meelzib stab him." Sharaina asked Emelinia.

"King Meelzib killed him." Emelinia answered quickly.

"That's too bad. I wonder what caused them to fight."

"Rumor has it that commander Luven was having an affair with Queen mother Lavila. The both of them plotted to kill King Meelzib and possess the throne." Emelinia explained to Sharaina.

"You don't say. Is Lavila alright?"

Emelinia slowly shook her head. "She was killed too. Lalina and I watched her die. It's a long story."

"I'm sorry about that. I mean she was your aunt after all."

"We have arranged for her body to be cremated. King Meelzib has refused to carry out a royal funeral for her. He insists that we all forget her. Right now as we speak, her body is still at the Gemhules Hospital."

"King Meelzib is so wicked and cruel. He feels no remorse after having killed both his parents. Emelinia while I was in the military I saw things - deep and horrific things."

Emelinia's eyes widened. "What did you see Sharaina?"

"There are poor people Emelinia and when I say poor I mean poverty stricken people. King Meelzib has been slaughtering them because he deems them to be useless. I have watched countless villages getting burnt. He seized the lands and set up military bases. All he wants is power and Dark Star isn't enough for his unquenchable thirst. He wants to rule everything. Eventually he will have total control over Earth."

"That's madness!" Emelinia gasped. "The humans aren't supposed to be tempered with unless it is absolutely necessary. Without them everything will crumble here."

"Someone needs to stop him but how? He has killed all the people that could have been able to end his reign of terror." Sharaina sighed.

"No there is one left." Emelinia said. This is my chance to tell her. She thought.

Sharaina tilted her head in confusion. "Who is this person you speak of?"

"You." Emelinia answered and held her breath.

Sharaina burst out laughing. "Me? Are you serious?"

Her laughter wasn't the reaction Emelinia expected. "Why not?" She asked her.

"Where would I even begin? I have no army, King Meelzib is stronger than me and if by a miracle I manage to defeat him, then what?"

"You become Queen - the supreme ruler of Dark Star."

Sharaina laughed even harder and got distracted by the sound of Alainara and Precious jumping into the swimming pool distracted her. Emelinia watched Sharaina chat and laugh with them merrily. She knew that she had to make Sharaina see that she wasn't joking but was serious.

"Sharaina listen to me..." Emelinia tried.

"Young mistress, a woman named Tamithra Wayu is here to see you." The butler said completely ruining Emelinia's chance to stress her point.

Tamithra, what the hell is she doing here? Emelinia asked herself.

"What the hell is she doing here?" Sharaina asked the butler.

"She says she has brought the land papers that Young Master Light has to sign." He answered.

"I thought Mr. Wayu was going to send some errand boy or something. I am not in the mood to see Tamithra's face." Sharaina got up and wore her bath robe. "Tell her that I will be with her in a few minutes. I need to get changed."

"As you wish young mistress." The butler said with a bow and walked away.

"Emelinia, I will be right back. I know that even you don't want to see Tamithra."

"Yes I don't. Please do hurry though. I really want to talk to you."

****

Lalina laid on her bed and cried uncontrollably. Before she was thrown into the room, she was bound by a manite chain on her neck that prevented her from using her powers.

Standing guard outside the door were two guards. She had completely no way of escaping. She felt doomed with everything that was happening. King Meelzib's desire to marry was going to be the end of her life due to her pregnancy.

"What is going to become of my child and me? What about Naraygeous, how will I live without him? I shouldn't have come here but gone straight home." She sobbed.

Lalina heard her door open with a creak. She took a look to see who had opened it and was overjoyed to see her mother and father. She ran to hug her mother and the both of them cried deeply.

Holan, who was now a member of the Enchanted Seven due to the death of commander Luven, looked on feeling rather indifferent. Unlike his wife and daughter, he was pleased that King Meelzib chose to marry Lalina.

"Stop it with all this drama. You will not be the first one to get married to your cousin. Moreover he has declared that you are not his cousin so why all this crying?" Holan stated.

"Are you serious, how can you not see that our daughter is suffering because of this?" Panima was disgusted by his attitude. "Is it because he appointed you commander that you blindly follow his decisions without questioning him?"

"Shut up woman. Don't forget that I am your husband. You will not speak to me with such a tone again or else you will regret it. Lalina marrying King Meelzib is the best thing that will ever happen to her. She will be queen of this kingdom."

"Papa how can you think like this? I can't marry him." Lalina spoke up.

"Oh you will marry him. I have already accepted your bride price." Holan coldly answered.

"I don't love him and I never will!" Lalina screamed at Holan.

"Whether you do or not doesn't matter. You will get married to him as he wishes."

"I am pregnant for another man. It isn't possible for me to get married to the King!" Lalina angrily confessed.

Holan's eyes widened with shock. He furiously pulled Lalina out of her mother's hands and gave her a tight slap that sent her falling to the floor. He was going to hit her again when Panima blocked him and spread her arms apart. Lalina held her cheek and glared at her father.

"You are a foolish girl! How could you be so careless?" Holan asked her with fury. A vein was throbbing on his neck as he scowled darkly at Lalina.

"I was just as careless as you were when you got your mistress pregnant." Lalina angrily said to him.

Panima felt weak with her words. She turned to Lalina and helped her get up. "What did you say?"

"Mama, he got a woman named Channy pregnant one hundred and seven years ago. I have a half sister named Emelinia." Lalina said without taking her eyes off her father. "Deny it!" She dared him.

"That is none of your business." Holan stated but Panima slapped him hard across his face.

"So you fathered a child with another woman? You are a shameless man."

"He is even more shameless for denying her mama. The mere sight of him angered me so much that's why I left home." Lalina vehemently added.

"Shut up! I am your father. You will not speak to me in such a manner."

Panima slapped him again. "How many other children have you fathered elsewhere?" She asked him.

"Did you honestly think that I was going to faithfully wait for you to wake up from your hibernation after the birth of our daughter? I had needs you could no longer fulfill so as such I found an alternative source. You are lucky you woke up early. Had you delayed, I would have married Channy." Holan laughed after his confession. "If I want, I can divorce you and marry her. What would you do if I did?" He asked her and grabbed her neck. "Raise your hand to me ever again and I guarantee to you that you will taste my sword."

Holan glared at both his wife and daughter and walked out of the room. Panima sat on the bed with her eyes lost in space due to her shock. She failed to console Lalina who was sobbing on her laps but instead sat still like a statue.

Two warriors came bursting into the room and three gamarax manipulators rushed in. Panima and Lalina were taken aback by that. Holan whistled a tune as he walked it and he grinned evilly at them.

He walked over to Panima and pulled her away from Lalina. The warriors pounced on her and held her down. Lalina was screaming so loud that she was slapped by one of the gamarax manipulators. He then took out a cloth from his pocket and forced it down Lalina's mouth. Lalina was struggling and crying profusely while her mother cried with her.

"Holan, what are you doing?" Panima asked him, horrified.

"Something neither of us will see." He pulled Panima out of the room and shut the door behind him.

Lalina looked at the gamarax manipulator before her chant something under her breath. Her hand glowed purple and she forced it into her womb.

Lalina felt her inside and she screamed in pain. She struggled hard but the warriors tightened their hold on her. Lalina helplessly felt the sharp pain of her baby getting pulled out of her womb. She cried at the bloody sight of it in the palm of the one who pulled it out. It had already formed limbs despite being so tiny.

While the gamarax manipulator went to go and dispose the fetus, the one remaining pressed on her womb with glowing hands and forced everything out of her body.

Lalina's dress and bed were stained by her blood as everything came out. Lalina felt the tear of the unbelievable pain and screamed with all her might under the hand of her silencer. The pain became so unbearable that she lost consciousness.