Chapter 63: What have you done, my queen?
Xzander fought many battles and many raids. He was the man who did and saw horrible things, but this time, to him, this was pure madness, and he knew that was only the beginning. He suddenly stood up and took a bag, he started to fill it with necessary items.
"You have to leave with the children. You have to hide. I cannot keep you safe there. You leave tonight."
She panicked, caught his arm and tried to stop him.
"What?! Why! Wait, Xzander, I will not leave without you," she said while tears ran on her face.
"I cannot come with you. If I betray her she will hunt us, she will hunt you and the children. You have to leave, you have to hide, and I must never know where you are."
"I cannot do this! What will I tell the children? All our life is there."
Xzander stopped himself, he caught her by the shoulders and almost shook her.
"You don't get it! There is no future here anymore! It is only a matter of time before we all die!"
Her blood turned cold. Xzander was serious, she had so many questions that she didn't know anymore.
"But... Archanium will protect us, he loves us. Right?"
"Precisely because of Archanium! He turned her into this thing. I don't know what it is. I want you to run into the land of the other god. Please."
She was terrified, she never saw Xzander reacting in such a way. He always has been loyal to Archanium, and he had always followed Zaelia everywhere without ever doubting. What he was saying now was heresy, if someone heard him at this moment, that would be his end. Their end. She went to wake the children in the middle of the night. She was trembling. In a last embrace, she kissed him with all the love she had, and he whispered in her ear.
"Run to the sea. Run to the waters. These are the only cities still resisting us. Run and Hide. Even from me."
He pressed his lips strongly on the forehead of his two children and watched his wife leave silently. Once he was left alone, he dropped to his knees and cried.
He cried for his wife and children, he cried for his tribe, he cried for Zaelia, but he mostly cried for himself because he lost everything he cared for.
On the other side of the palace, Faerdrid has been transported to Zaelia's chamber, exactly in front of her bed. She asked to place him in a way that she would see him first thing when she awakes. She was sitting on her knees in the middle of the bed, admiring her work. The feeling of satisfaction she had at this moment couldn't be matched with anything. A warm breeze raised the curtains, and she felt the powerful arms of the god around her body from behind. His head leaned in her neck tenderly, both facing the statue and the horrified expression on it.
Her heart skipped a beat as she felt him there, she apprehended his reaction anxiously until she felt the corners of his mouth raising. His voice pierced into the silence of the night, and she felt a chill down her spine.
"What have you done, my Queen?"
Zaelia raised her hands on Archanium's arms, embracing her strongly, and she took a deep breath of contemplation.
"I turned our enemy into your most beautiful servants."
Archanium turned her and faced her. He was staring at her golden eyes with care and admiration. Everything she did was to please him, she was completely devoted to him. Her face was enlightened by his presence. Archanium smiled at her while his fingers were wandering onto her bare chest.
"I like it."
These words were enough. She felt touched by the light itself. Her love for him was at its peak. She would give everything to him. She was determined to bend the full world under his will. Archanium was watching her and his mind was on Tridjan. He lost his bet, he interacted with humans, but it didn't matter. What was happening now was way too precious to him to let go.
Archanium and Zaelia had another night together, a night of love and passion, and the next day when she went to join the throne room everyone could see that new golden marks appeared on her belly and bust. Each night passing, when Archanium and her enjoyed each other, her body was damaged, and she was slowly turning into his creation. Her devotion and mind seemed also affected by the touch of the gold. The more she saw of him, the more she became obsessed and distanced from the tribe.
Xzander saw her evolving, his heart was completely broken. There was nothing to do anymore for her. Sometimes, she didn't even seem to recognize him. Most of the time, she sat on the golden throne, in the sun, and the parts of her body that Archanium had touched shone with an unearthly glow. Her bloodthirsty nature became out of control, and she took to heart to lead her armies into a rampage. In only five years, she dominated the world. She was always in the front line, asking for more, always more.
The golden statues invaded the palace, they were everywhere. All the military chiefs, princes, nobles, and different ambassadors were meeting the same fate. In the land, there were only two nations she didn't attack yet. One was in the North, the land of Zarkhaïm and the other was in the West, the land of Tridjan.
Weekly Power Status
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Ranking 
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stone