chapter 17

Princess Eleanor stood looking at this tyrant emperor as he approaches. Her heart skipped. She could not think of nothing order than her father's words, that they shall perished in his hands.

She remembered when she was much younger, while they were traveling to Serpent Land. The met those hungry looking villagers who had nothing left of their lands.

He was the reason for their misfortune. When they rode through their village to crossed to the next. She saw that their village was destroyed and left desolated. Most part of it was burnt and ripped. Their belongings buried in ashes. The crops trampled to shreds.

Few persons were seen waving at the riders for alms. Most were wandering. They turn into roving vagabonds, covered in dried blood. Their own blood. Weak and sick.

She saw them heading out of the border into another kingdom. Each gaits they took was with great difficulty. Helpless. Homeless. Hopeless.

Remembering the sight brings fear into her heart and hatred for this young emperor.

The thought that her kingdom might received the same fate as that kingdom make her face turned pink and red.

She squeezed her hands by her side. For once she thank queen Margaret for being kind to them even though she couldn't understand why she had to seek for her permission before giving the little she could.

If her father, the king was so scared that their kingdom might be as desolated as that kingdom she passed through then the kings' stone protection was gone.

The thought gave her migraine. She gritted her teeth. "This emperor is no fool to challenged Golden Hill to a battled if we still have the protection.

But what can I do. My father was right after all and the general too. I am just a girl. I might have fought so well. Those were just my knights.

The emperor is said to be practicing a very powerful dark magic that no one has ever defeated him or his Empire in battle before".

Eleanor's heart sunk as this and many more thought kept a steady parade through her mind.

She could now see them in full flesh. A preferred viewed to the microscope. The emperor and his warriors.

She noticed it wasn't mud they smeared but paint. The men of Black Dust Empire had their weapons tanned with it. It was red and blue and violet. The same shades of fingermarks they had on the revealing parts of their skins.

Their clothing was everything thing gothic. Black looks dangerous on them.

Their weapons was assorted, crossbow and arrow, spear, axe, swords, dagger, lance and mace.

The emperor of Black Dust Empire whipped his black giant horse further after his men halted at a near distance opposite the princess and the general.

It galloped a distance passed where the general and princess were. he couldn't tamed his horse.

It began to neighed aggressively when he forced it to a halt. It was lifting it fore legs in an attempt to fall the rider off it back... He fasten his gripped tightly on the reins. Tucking his right hand into the furs on the horses neck. The emperor crouched his neck to that of the horse's and even nearer that he was now fondling the fur with his chin.

"Death" he called it,

"I shall killed you if you don't stop disgracing me before my enemies".

This was his own way of calming his horse. but the horse refused to be calmed. Instead, it was darting about offensively. It turned around to where it came from. The horse acted as if it been enchanted to act in such manner by Golden Hill representatives.

Immediately he jumped down of the horse. It hop and knelt peacefully on the floor before princess Eleanor.

The emperor was surprised. He ordered one of his men to killed it. He could not condoned such embarrassment from a mere horse.

He smiled at people he considered his enemies

"woo woo woo" He said lifting his hands up when he saw the archers set their arrow against him.

The Golden Hill archers on the archers tower were ready to fire when his horse omitted where it was supposed to halt but there was none to give them the go ahead.

"calm your nerves except you wants me to burned down this kingdom" he bragged.

The emperor walked up to general Frederick. Golden Hill Knights held the handled of their sheathed swords lying safely in their waist.

"I am his imperial majesty, Cassius George. The emperor of Black Dust Empire. I don't negotiate with my rivals. I killed them and possessed their possession".

He paused and looked at the general who refused to let his fear for the young emperor overwhelmed him.

"I don't go to war. I sent my men but I'm here because of something very precious to me. Something I hold dear to my heart. I am here to negotiate because your king once spared my father's life in battle".

Emperor Cassius spoke lousily with an open arms in the air. General Frederick clear his throat to speak. He cut him off. He was not done. If the general was in Black Dust Empire he would have been punished for attempting to interject the emperor.

Emperor Cassius moved before the general proudly and in arrogance.

"None dared to speak when I'm still talking. You twat". The general was offended by this. " I am higher than your king. You don't talk until I asked you to. You old maggot".

With every word of his came an abuse for the general. "If it were in my empire you would be death by now. Moron".

"I knew you when your father had you from the harlot of Spring. He accepted you because of the oath he was deceived to enter by your deceitful mother".

The general spoke to emperor Cassius in such disdainful tone. "Who made you an emperor. You killed the rightful heir to the throne and destroyed kingdoms to make an empire out of them. Their bloods shall be on your head".

Emperor Cassius was fuming in anger "how dare you speak to me in such manner". He clenched his teeth as he spoke and crossed the distance between them that his face almost kissed that of general Frederick.

The general would have excreted in his trouser if he didn't have so much faith in the power of the kings' stone to deliver them out of the hands of this devil before him.

The fear that once gripped the old general when the princess first ordered for the gate to be opened was gone. He was now shooting his chest against the emperor.

Emperor Cassius's men were at alert. Some of them abandoned their horses and immediately took their place behind their emperor ready for an attacked.

General Frederick turned to glance at his knights, they were even more at alert. The archers on the high wall were waiting for orders.

Orders to fire pride out of the veins of the emperor and his warriors. The knights by his side needed just the snapped of a finger to butchered this men and their lordly emperor.

"I do not speak with commanders", king Cassius suddenly changed his countenance and arranged general Frederick collar.

The sky was becoming bright and brighter. The whole place was tensed, bloods boiling to be spills. Whose blood was unknown.

"What brings you emperor Cassius of Black Dust Empire to my kingdom".

Princess Eleanor spoke with confidence. She stood with both hands behind her back. Observing the every move of their rival.

Emperor Cassius went crumbling. He laughed so loud that he almost embraced the ground. His knights were his backups. They allowed him to solo each time before they picked up…

The representatives of Golden Hill waited patiently for them to satisfied their urged. While enduring the effect of the sun on them.

The peasants citizens who came around halted when they saw knights round every where. More knight were coming. They drove the citizens back into their homes. Outside was no longer safe until the tyrant emperor was gone.

The princess and general Frederick stay silent. Everywhere was quiet too except for their laughter. Emperor Cassius banned the laughter from his lips with force.

He went closer to the princess. The knights protecting the princess stop him from getting nearer with their swords crossed in-between them.

"Is there no king in the entire Golden Hill kingdom" he said in a sarcastic tone and picked up the laughter he dumped moments ago.

He was an emperor in his prime. Cunning and merciless. His dark brown hair flowed with the frequency of his laughter. His temple points in frustration and his brow was exactly the number of the innocent people he had killed. Numerous and attacking. Always attempting to killed him and save others who might be his next innocent victims. It's never succeeded anyways. It was just a brow.

His black piercing eyes made public his evil thoughts. It's never stopped broadcasting to the world the kind of emperor he was.

His naive nose was exceptional fine and silky and sharp too. It tampered into his small light lips like the edges of a tablespoon.

His fair skin dimed with his wickedness. Emperor Cassius's endowed body stature was envious and intimidating. His bass voice made his rival to summit to him without even trying to fight back.

"I speak and have dealings with king's and only king's". He said frustrated.

"And what deal do you await camping three days and night outside my kingdom for". King Ephraim spoke from behind.

" My king!"

the princess, general and knights bowed before him".

"King Ephraim of the great Golden Hill. Finally, there you are". He walked up to King Ephraim and stood face to face with him.

"You were afraid that I would killed you"

Emperor Cassius turned to backed the king facing his men. He spoke loudly

" He made his only child stand before me but he is afraid himself. What kind of a man does that?". They giggled like they got tickled.

"Afraid! That is it! The reason you hid in your chambers like a woman" He clapped his hands and turned back to face the king.

"when will you stop hiding in your chamber and in-between this walls?". Emperor Cassius hands pointed round the wall as he spoke.

"I won't have you speak to my king in such manner". Said duke Williams who came out with the king. He was behind him.

"Did something just made a sound" Emperor Cassius asked surprised. His men chuckle mockingly. He kept a serious face.

"It's a good thing that you are finally here. I don't have much time to waste or more patience to spared. I have exhausted all outside your city wall in those three days and nights. Agreed to my terms and ruled or you shall be another prisoner in my dungeon". He was looking at king Ephraim in the eye.

"I don't exchange words with drunken bastard who killed his bloods to claimed what he is supposed to worship". King Ephraim spoke with a commanding tone.

"Your quest for more power will someday bury your head in the mud. Refrained and be contented. You are young and strong and powerful. Why can't you thanked the skies for your fate" king Ephraim spoke authoritatively.

" Don't you insult and or patronized me you old fool". Emperor Cassius spoke without expressions. His right index finger was pointing down to the earth.

"You know why I'm here. Give me the kings' stone and I shall spared you and your kingdom just like you spared my father and his then kingdom".

All attention was on the two rulers abusing themselves. What they shall agreed on shall determined their fate.

The knights of Golden Hill imagined if their king give the kings' stone to this emperor. Then their doom is near but they were not afraid. With the kings' stone still in their custody. They emperor and his legions of warriors in and outside their city was bound to died by their hands.

"Go to the depths and heights of the earth. There and only there shall you find it. You might be death before you get to it seeing your dark past and even now. I grieved for you". King Ephraim told him with a smirk on.

Emperor Cassius was angry. His eyes were red and his heart was thumping in his chest. He heaved knowingly at king Ephraim.

"The protection of your kingdom by the stone has been broken and you know it. The veil was cast down because of your evil doing and you stand here to castigate me."

He walked away to the ministers and knights.

" I am here because your protection is broken. Yes!. It is dead. Your king broke it. Advise him to hand over the stone to me or I shall killed all of you if you don't comply".

Their eyes was dilated. They had had double thought because the protection of the stone has kept their kingdom safe for ages from him and his likes before him.

It was written on the sand of times, every single soul even to a child in the womb knew that their kingdom had protection from the stone. Every kingdom abroad know of the fact.

Before the emperor would insist on threatening them this past eight years means something was wrong.

General Frederick baffled, even duke was bemused.

Emperor Cassius was back were he stood initially glaring eye to eye at King Ephraim. King Ephraim left. His princess followed him.

" Your king is a coward" emperor Cassius screamed but king Ephraim was lost among the knights.

"Ahh ahh" emperor Cassius grinned. "you don't want another to touch the stone and have the same protection and riches that it has given you".

He joined his teeth.

"You asked for war and war shall you get. If in the next two hours the stone is not given me. I shall burned down this kingdom. I shall make you begged for my mercy. All of you".

They were all scared now. If the protection is gone then they are bared and exposed and vulnerable and doom.

Emperor Cassius departed angrily with his men.

The king was in the throne hall with his daughter. The queens came peeking. Every where was tensed unsure of what shall happened next.

King Ephraim was pacing. Princess Eleanor kept mute and stood still before him. She didn't wants to throw the many questions in her mind at him because she saw he was going through a lot right now.

Not long before the Duke came. He was looking eye to eye at the king as he near. His mouth was agape, he never blinked. The looked of shock at what he heard near the city gate stole his manners.

"The kings' stone. Is it still with us?". He asked the king.

Other ministers who were not around came striding in. They must have heard about it. They king climbed the throne and reclined.

Eleanor was tearing up internally seeing her father being so sick and dead troubled. She wished she could lift his burdens.

Duke Williams looked at the other nobles knowingly. They were now several of them. He directed his gaze back to the throne.

"Your majestic. We no longer have the protection of the kings' stone... Is the kings' stone still with us". He asked again when the first one was ignored.

" Yes" king Ephraim answered " any other person have something to say"

" my king, I heard clearly emperor Cassius of Black Dust Empire said the kings' stone was no longer potent in our kingdom. How is that my king?".

General Frederick asked.

Princess Eleanor gaze at her father. Their eyes locked. The king maintained it for sometime and look away adjusting on his seat.

"A ruler who want a thing will do so by all means to have that thing. Those were just mere babbling" the king debunked in a neutral tone.

The eyes that were looking at him soften. Deep down they knew the emperor would not be here if he was not sure of his claims but their king was telling them otherwise.

Should they ignored their king and believed the stranger or believed the words of their king and go to war with the Black Dust Empire. What if they perished. Black Dust Empire was feared by all the kingdoms.

None would dared make an alliance with them to fight against the Black Dust. Then they shall surely perished in the emperor's hand.

The king left them. His hand holding this crown. His head was going to explode because he had too much in there.

Princess Eleanor didn't followed him this time. Instead she went into her chambers.

After she closed the doors she lean on the door. Slowing dropping to the floor until she sat on the floor hugging her knees to her chest. She let out a loud cry.

What was she to do now. Her kingdom was in great danger. The emperor gave them two hours she heard him from a distance. His voice was loud enough. Twenty minutes was gone already while they were in the throne room.

Somehow she knew there was something her father was not saying. Meaning the emperor was telling the truth.

The thought of lord Zane came to her mind. She rose. She fasten the lock. She then stand on the bed and remove the ring behind the portrait of her mother where she put it in a string and hung there.

She wiped her tears. Quickly looked through the mirror to be sure there was no streak of tears. She clears her throat while walking to rest on the couch before she used the ring.

lord Zane sat next to her. She sprang up at their closeness.

"lord Zane" she bowed looking into his eyes.