Capítulo 9: Chapter Eight.
The instant Clement left Helen, she was not herself. She became restless and impatient. Not like she was not always like that most of the times, but it was worst. Worst to the extent, she thought she might die of anxiety. She picked up the letter over and over again, re-reading through the lines like it's content would soften to favor her.
You're not worthy of the life you desire. Give it up.
She was not worthy? Helen could had received any other insults like she was a maniac, a selfish ruler, perhaps even a witch? But not worthy?
She doubled the guards and sent for Clement immediately she received the letter. It was rather frightening to her. Of course it was a warning. A warning she did not take very friendly.
Clement had no choice because he was one of the very few people his Queen could call onto at any hour of the day to seek for guidance. If his thinking were correct, he was the only person Helen could trust. She was all by herself, even if she refused to admit it sometimes. The councils? They hated her to the core because most of them were Tobin's servants. The people of the Central City? They also hated her. She was helpless and all alone. No matter how hard she tried to deny that feeling. She didn't matter to anyone.
So at every minor inconvenience, Clement was her only run-to person. Although he had an obligation for his Queen, he also had to be supportive of Helen herself.
When he arrived, it was almost turning dark. He entered the palace hall as usual and bowed to his Queen who sat rather calm on the throne.
"Your majesty," he greeted, on which she only turned a deaf ear to. "You have called for me."
She tried for words but they didn't seem to form well. "Here..." She stretched out the note to him and he reached forward to grab it. It didn't take long for him to skim through it before returning it back to her.
"Well?" She asked with a stern look on her face. One would have thought she blamed Clement for sending the note to her.
"Well, your majesty-"
"Oh for lord sake! Cut the crap, Clement. It's just you and I here."
"My obligations forbid me from relating with the Queen informally, as you must have known that already," he pointed out and she only frowned in reply. "Your majesty."
"Very well then. Continue to embarrass me further. Act like we're complete strangers-"
"You belong there now, and you know that. You know clearly well that standing before you now, I am nothing but your loyal subject-"
"Well I feel so lost now!" She roared out in fear, her heart beating faster than they should normally do. Helen was scared to death. She felt like she was loosing it all, her mind, her throne, her life. Everything. And there came Clement, lecturing her about details that didn't matter to her. "So confused, Clement. I don't know what to do anymore." When she talked, her voice croaked a little and her tone came out as a soft whisper. She didn't mean to, but was tired of being so strong all the time. "Maybe they were right, you know? Maybe I'm not even worthy-"
"Don't speak like that, Helen." Clement said and when he called her name, she relaxed with a powerful breath of relieve. At least someone still remembered her for who she truly was. "Don't ever talk like that."
She was glad to have him around. Even if she don't mention it to him, she knew she was nothing without Clement by her side. "Then what must I do? How do I get out of this mess? It's getting so heavy than I'd expect, I - I..."
"What do you want to do?" He asked, but already aware of what reply he'd get from her. "What? Do you want to give in to them? They call you a weak Queen who cannot handle the power that comes with the crown. Is that what you think of yourself? Rather, is that what you want them think of you?" He asked, carefully this time. He'd always asked, and she would confront his question with true answers.
She shook her head from left to right, continuously. "No."
"Then why fret?" He asked gently, and it caused her head to raise up slowly. "You are the ruler of this City. Nobody else's opinion matters."
In her stomach, a feeling of somewhat courage began to form. He was right. None of their opinions mattered.
"Nobody's. Not unless they're yours." He assured.
"Then what must I do-"
Before she could finish with her sentence, an abruptly commotion of loud arguing was heard from outside. Both her head and Clement's turned towards the direction of the door and before they knew it, men, about a dozen of them, marched in with rather a fighting garment than a peaceful one. They were all familiar to Helen and Clement.
"I, I tried to-" one of the guards said, quickly apologizing to his Queen before she waved him off her sight. "Forgive me, your majesty." He fell on his knees and begged. Just some seconds later, more men rushed in, armed with their knightly swords. They all surrounded the men that just walked in, swords drawn and pointed at them.
"Councils of the royal house," Helen said with a slight frown on her face."Why have you all come at this hour of the day?" She asked as casual as she could. Those monsters weren't aloud to see through her fears.
In uniform, these men all fell on their knees and began to chorus; "Your majesty, the crown seems too heavy for you. Please, pass it on to a new ruler."
"Stop it. What rubbish is this!" Helen cried out. Her heart sank into the deepest of all terrors. This wasn't right. They gave no respect at all. "This is Tobin's doing I know. All of you, get out! This is treason! Get out!"
They didn't stop with their chantings and did so well to ignore Helen of all her threats. After repeating continuously, they changed their anthem again. "Dear Queen Helen, the people need a true potential. Give up the throne."
"Give up the throne."
"Give up the throne..."
"Stop it! Clement, do something!" Helen was already on the verge of crying. "Do something!" She screamed more even more than she'd expected to. Tobin was a bastard, she thought.
"Give up the throne."
It was not right and if just any ordinary person committed such atrocity that was being done by these men, it would be considered as treason. Treasons were punishable by death. But these men, they knew too well of the constitution. They'd planned it all too good. Law can't affect all members of the Council unless they all gathered together to commit a physical assault on any of the royal household.
"Give up the throne."
Their words kept ringing louder and louder in her head. She hated them. She hated just how miserable they were making her. She hated Clement for just standing there and not doing anything. Her mind was racing, screaming with rage and anger. But she couldn't take it out on anyone.
What had become of her?
****
Tobin was so full of himself, and who could blame him though? He had the city to himself. He was powerful, bold, smart, basically everything he'd envy of a great king. He had all the potentials already. Only, with one big threat standing in his way, there still wasn't much he could do.
"So? Did you get rid of the brat?" He asked, his tone completely harsh and heartless.
"Yes, your majesty. I even made it clear to her that it was all your doing-"
"All my doing? Why would think of revealing such to a mere girl?"
"Sire, from what I have heard, she isn't just a mere girl. She has the support of some powerful people, maybe not yet, but soon enough. Even the Queen might be at her right side." Ropert corrected.
Tobin only grunted in annoyance.
"I told her of you, because no one is foolish enough to face you. She can run home and tell whoever she is in favour of their support, that Lord Tobin is involved. It is merely pure politics, Sire."
"What would you know about politics?"
"Nothing compared to what you know Sire. You are the master in that game."
"Is that sarcasm I sense?" Asked Tobin with a furrowed brow.
"What? Of course not, Sire-"
"It better not be. You know just what happens to you once you fail me."
His heart crept with fear. He'd never heard of anyone that crossed Tobin and lived to tell another tale. He was not going to be a dummy. He was smarter than that. Swallowing his saliva came out as a hard task because his throat became dry as ever, he gave his reply. "Yes, Sire."
****
Fiora looked out her window and began working in her mind an escape plan. This wasn't the first time Clement had lock her inside. The window was a wooden carved one with shutters. It's inside were made of glass. The major reason escaping her prison had always been a fail wasn't because of the window. It was Clement himself. The man was a warrior who rarely fell asleep. No matter how stealth Fiora might try to be, Clement would hear. She feared him at moments when he was unexpectedly strict. Running away wasn't her best option now.
Just as she tried thinking of what to do, the door creaked a little, like someone were at the entrance, trying to open it.
"Psst! It's me, Fiora," Sif mentioned on the outside. "Let's get you out of there."
"Oh thank the gods! Hurry up, Sif." And just at her request, the door swung wide open, revealing two bright sets of a twelve years old teeth, and one slight frown on the face of a willowy adult. "Hi,"
"Welcome." Both girls smiled brightly as they chorused.
"We need to run before the scary man gets here again." Asmi instantly added.
"Where to? The streets again?" Her sister questioned.
"Dear sister, I don't like it here at all. I don't know about you, but he's just not friendly at all. You'd think he wants to kill you whereas he only wanted to ask you to pass the salt."
"Oh, sister! Don't be dramatic now."
"Dramatic? You and I both know that I don't act dramatic at all."
"You do. All the time." Revan corrected.
"What? That's not true. I swear it."
"You don't need to swear it, because its already true."
"You are unbelievable, dear sister-"
"Besides, we can't just leave Aunt Gregoria?"
Gregoria...
Fiora gasps at the mention of her name. "How is she?" She asked Sif, who instantly motioned her to calm down.
"She's alright. She's better." He assured her. "But I don't think you should still remain here like this. Father is going to kill me once he gets back and you're not in." He admitted. "But at least, you would have been far away from his reach." He said then stopped, got closer to her and whispered in her ears. "He's planning to send you away again. This time, maybe for good."
"What!"
"Shh!" Asmi hushed her up. "Aunt Gregoria is fast asleep. Keep it down, will you?"
"True." Sif agreed.
"Of course. Yes." Fiora said, then return her gaze back to Sif. "What are we going to do? Lord Tobin is in control. And we can't stop him. It'll be a death mission."
"Yes, I figured. He's the only man powerful enough as the Queen, maybe even more powerful at some extent." Sif said, agreeing with her. "But we need you out of here. Go find that rich boy you were with earlier and stay with him."
"Aiden?"
"I don't care to know his name, Fiora." He said almost immediately. "But yes. The Aiden boy."
"Alright. Wait, the Aiden boy?"
"Just go. Hurry up! Meet me by the river bank at midnight." He said.
"Okay. I will."
"Wait, don't you need to pick up any of your belongings?" Asmi asked inquisitively.
"I wouldn't say she was leaving for good, you know. Just temporarily for the day and maybe tomorrow as well. At least, till father's calmed down."
"Clement might never get over it-"
"It doesn't matter. You need to leave. Now! He can walk in any moment now."
"Yes. Yes. Of course." She agreed. "Don't I need to see Gre-"
"Fiora go now."
"Alright." She said, again. Then after weighing the thought carefully, decided to wrap her arms round Sif in a tight warm hug. He didn't protest.
Bang!
"Oh no." Fiora muttered, her and Aiden exchanging panic gazes before fixing their eyes again at the door.
The knocking continued, growing louder and louder, increasing the terror in their chests. Asmi and Revna quickly ran to where Gregoria was staying, leaving the two adults to face Clement.
The knocking became louder and more dangerous because it didn't continue with a steady pace, rather, a long bizarre one with an impatient anomalous banging.
"Oh heavens, please be my guide." Fiora mumbled under her breath, and she felt her heart instinctively whispered a quiet 'Amen'.
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