I am the queen

"Well. I didn't expect the mighty king Rufus Fairfax to be such a timid person," Satifa said as Rufus was frozen.

During that time, the three witches of the hostile clans who were extorting the village hidden in the stones walked to the hall. They looked hostile and with smug faces as if they had just won.

"This will go way better for you if you say something to defend yourself," queen Satifa explained.

"There is no defense for their actions. Outsiders are to be killed as our law says," One of the witches from the hostile clans yelled out.

The queen then looked mad and glared at them. The three witches noticed this immediately and fell to their knees.

"It is forbidden for outsiders to come to this moon world, but the punishment has never been written or decided. A loophole yes, but left for such an occasion. To make sure what are the intentions to come to our home world," Satifa explained and waited for Rufus to respond.

Rufus then got his composure back.

"My intentions to come here are not malicious or harmful. My intention to come here is to save many innocent lives from impending doom," Rufus explained.

The queen looked like she knew what he was about to say.

"I need your help...."

"You need our help to fight against the Heian empire and emperor Ala," Satifa finished Rufus's sentence.

"This proves it. They are here to force us to fight in their stupid war," one of the hostile witches yelled out.

The sand locusts woke up and started to surround the witches.

"Next time, one of you speaks out of turn, I will have my locusts remind you," Satifa threatened as she was getting impatient.

Rufus realized that the queen was reasonable and didn't hold resentment towards outsiders like many of the other Saracens.

"I will not force anyone to die, nor is this war our choice. I have seen the enemy and how they operate. Unless we win we all will be lost," Rufus proclaimed.

All of the witches looked confused with Satifa being unsurprised.

"I think this proves your innocence. One who is brave enough to break the laws of our world just so he can save his people. Survive trekking through the desert and even ready to come here, to the one place where they could never escape from," the queen explained.

The hostile witches looked horrid with Rufus thinking he just had acquired an alliance with the queen.

"But do not take us as fools, young king," the queen then said in a stern voice, shocking Rufus.

"We fight every day against our world. It is cruel and people from other worlds have a hard time understanding this. That is why we do not like outsiders. Why we do not get involved.

"Same way how you choose to sacrifice yourself for your people, I choose to sacrifice you for my people. Your war is not our war and never will be," the queen explained.

The queen got up from his altar and stepped forward.

"You are allowed and forced to stay in Kairouan. For the good of my people, you and your friends will be held prisoners," The queen ordered.

"Wait, you can't!" Rufus yelled.

"I can and I will!" Satifa yelled.

The sand locusts started to swarm around the queen and lifted her in the air. More and more locusts started to enter the hall.

Rufus was thinking that he would have to fight his way out so they wouldn't have to be prisoners. He thought that maybe and just maybe, he could fight his way out so he can run away with his friends and guards. But he knew it would be in vain. The queen and the witches could slaughter them all if they resisted.

Rufus calmed down and dragged in his divinity. The queen smiled and let the locusts lower her down. She pulled in her divine aura and went back to sit on his altar.

"Tell your friends that they are to enter the palace. I will give them rooms to live in. You will be fed and taken good care of, but you will all stay in Kairouan as long as I want. As long as it is for the benefit of my people."

The queen then looked at Bouzid.

"Everyone else may leave. I wish to speak with Bouzid alone."

~~

When Rufus and all of the witches left the hall, leaving only Bouzid there, the queen rose up and walked towards her. She then hugged her like a mother would her own child.

"My little Bouzid. Always the quiet troublemaker."