The Hidden Lie

Kenchi was walking towards the brothel "Liliana", but he couldn't find it. Kenchi mumbled angrily, "That bitch told me that it was quite a grand place, but I still cannot find the place at all. Staying in the Elf Kingdom for too long will be dangerous for me." He looked around and saw a beautiful girl sitting under a tree. The place was quite secluded from the rest of the market and the large banyan trees made the place quite dark. Kenchi mumbled, "Why would such a beautiful girl be sitting in such a secluded place in the afternoon?" Kenchi walked towards the girl and sat near her and asked, "Why are you sitting here all alone?" The girl ignored his question and sat there quietly. Kenchi asked again. The girl looked at his this time but she didn't respond and gave a smile.

Kenchi mumbled, "Why is this idiot woman not answering my question?" The girl looked at him and said, "Go away, gentleman. This is not a place for paupers like you. Vagabonds gets killed if they stay here too long." Kenchi asked, "Why? What is so special about this place?" The girl smiled, "Wait here for another five minutes and you will get your answer. In a harsh way." Kenchi asked, "You said this place is not ordinary? What makes you think I am ordinary too?" The girl smiled, "Ordinary? Who said you are ordinary? I said you are a vagabond and vagabonds are killed here." Kenchi asked, "Yes. Why would I be killed? Do I look like a vagabond?" The girl rose and laughed, "Would a busy man sit here and argue with a random girl? You surely are a vagabond to notice a girl and keep arguing with her." Kenchi smiled, "I just want to know where I can find "Liliana"?" The girl looked at him and smiled, "You seek Liliana. Everyone does but only the affluent ones can enter through those pristine doors of that heaven."

Kenchi asked, "Do you know where I can find it?" The girl laughed, "If you were deserving enough, you would have not been seeking it like a mad man? You would be invited to enter it." Kenchi said, "There might be a problem in that heaven. Maybe, they forget about me or they might not know me?" The girl smiled, "Walk three miles north and you will find three women in green silk clothes. They will take you to your destination if they see you fit." The girl disappeared. Kenchi looked around and said, "I have to be more careful now. The place might not be as normal as it seems." Kenchi walked towards three miles north and saw three women in green silk clothes standing there.

Kenchi asked, "Can any of you tell me the way to Libitina?" The women looked at him and giggled. Kenchi asked again, "Can you, please tell me the way to Libitina? It is very necessary for me to go there." One of the women smiled, "Every man we meet here says the same thing. Why should we believe you to be any different?" Kenchi asked, "Should there be any test for entering there?" The woman smiled, "Test? What test are you implying?" Kenchi smirked, "Any test you are referring to." The tall one among the three women said in a harsh tone, "Libitina is not a place for low people like you. We entertain only the rich and the brave. Which one of them are you?"

Kenchi said, "Both. I am both rich and brave." The tall woman laughed, "Oh, really? I have spent decades stripping and fucking men like you and I can easily see who are true and who are just imposters." Kenchi asked, "Why do you think I am an imposter?" The tall woman said, "I can easily sense deceit and craftiness from you. You can be rich but that money is dishonesty and lies." Kenchi smiled, "What do you care? Your job is just to lie down and earn money. Who gave you the right to judge others?" The tall woman laughed, "This misbehaviour and small thinking is your real face. You will never be able to enter Libitina." Kenchi smiled, "And who will stop me?" The tall woman laughed, "You. Your own evil will ban you from entering Libitina." The three women disappeared. Kenchi mumbled angrily, "Fuck!" Kenchi stomped the ground angrily and disappeared in red mist.

Aliyah, Elgin and Vexana were sitting on one side of the table and Lys, Devee and Leven were sitting on the other side of the table. Aliyah said grimly, "Stop whining, Lys. Licha has to go and that's final. Licha is not a good queen and moreover she is not a good person. Your mother also never taught her any good qualities and now Licha killed your mother. Doesn't that mean anything to you? A daughter killing her own mother. I hated my mother too. In fact, no sane person would have loved that bitch and yet I didn't kill my mother." Lys said grimly, "Your mother and my mother are quite different. Your mother was a stern woman who rarely showed any compassion or care for her children while my mother pampered us even when we were young and very much grown up. Comparing them is just foolishness." Aliyah said grimly, "I am not comparing them.

But, yes. Your mother was a good woman and a very good mother too, but she didn't teach Licha any good qualities and you might not know but Queen Sejasha was a tyrant who exploited Namaria for three decades. What can be expected from her anyway? Licha is even worse than your mother and we have to stop her." Lys looked at Elgin and said, "How can you just sit there quietly like a statue while she is insulting our mother? You are no son of her." Elgin said angrily, "Don't drag me between here. You don't know anything about anyone. I have seen the horrors of our loved ones. Namaria is a good city and the people there are noble and innocent. But, Licha is not a noble queen. She is exploiting them with Leo and other corrupt people like him. We have to stop her or else nothing will remain in Namaria." Lys said grimly, "Believe me, brother. You will dearly regret this decision one day. There is nothing bigger than family in this world." Aliyah said grimly, "There is. Justice. Justice is above all relations and emotions of the world. That is the oath we all have taken the day before the war and I still haven't forgotten those vows."

Lys said angrily, "You don't have any right to use sentiments for political benefit. Licha is a descendant of my ancestors and she will bring more of our blood in the world in the future. I will not let you blemish our legacy." Aliyah said, "What about Diego? Is he not your blood?" Lys said, "Diego is not the rightful heir of Namaria. He is half mortal and his claim on the throne of Namaria is unethical." Elgin said grimly, "Diego's claim on the throne is not unethical. But, he will not claim it. Because I am taking my son far, far away from this land of violence and gore." Lys said, "Licha will stay alive and that's final." Aliyah said grimly, "Your decision means nothing, Lys. You are completely blinded by brotherly love and I am not going to let you ruin everything once it has started to get better." Lys said, "There is no use reasoning with you. I have made my mind and I will not let you kill my sister." Lys disappeared.

Aliyah looked at Devee and Leven and asked, "Are you two with us or against us?" Devee said, "We will not fight on either side. War is unnecessary and we will not participate in it." They disappeared too. Aliyah grunted, "My whole lineage is filled with idiots and cowards." Elgin said grimly, "I know my brother very well. He will not let us harm Licha. We have to do something about it." Aliyah said grimly, "I don't care about your brother. I care about you. Are you afraid?" Elgin said grimly, "Even if I was, there is no second option." Aliyah smiled, "Good. That's a wise answer. Lys will eventually understand why Licha is not a good queen. I will take him to Namaria this evening and show him what atrocities his innocent sister committed to the poor people of Namaria." Elgin smiled and disappeared. Vexana patted Aliyah's shoulder and disappeared too.

Aliyah, Lys and Devee were traveling inside Aliyah's sphere. Aliyah asked, "You should have brought Leven too. He must be feeling lonely." Devee said, "He is fine. He has an upset stomach. Being dead for so much time made him quite allergic to food." Lys smiled, "He was always a glutton. He ate almost three pigs in just five minutes." Devee smiled, "Yes. He just loves eating pork. Got his big belly due to it." Aliyah said grimly, "But people in Namaria starve for days due to Licha distributing all her resources only to his rich friends. You might not like it but Licha has to go and that's for everyone's good." Lys said grimly, "I am not denying anything. She might be a bad queen but she is still my sister. Would you have killed your sister if she turned bad too?" Aliyah said grimly, "I did. Carmilla was a bad person who did many bad things to the elves. She and her boyfriend, Frostbite tortured and killed many innocent people during the war. My sister was influenced by Frostbite's false love into doing all that evil and yet I showed no mercy to that sinner. Licha is doing everything deliberately knowing all the consequences perfectly. What punishment does she deserve according to you?"

Lys said grimly, "But, if she dies, who will continue our legacy?" Aliyah said grimly, "Your legacy died with you and uncle Deiss. There is no point denying that fact. Elgin's kid is the only person who is remotely related to you." Lys laughed, "Who would have thought that our legacy would die like this? I always wanted things to turn back to normal with all my family and friends living together with harmony and happiness amongst themselves. But, alas I returned from the dead only to see a broken family trying to kill each other." Aliyah smiled, "I saw that dream too but that dream comes with a lot of price and no one has any strength left to pay it any more." Devee asked, "What will happen if you win the war and lose all your family? Will it be counted as a victory?" Lys said grimly, "Father would never have accepted this bloodshed." Aliyah said grimly, "Uncle Deiss should have not fought that war. Namaria would have been much better and useful to us if uncle Deiss was the ruler."

Lys said grimly, "Your mother persuaded him to go. She said that it will bring glory to Namaria and will inscribe our family's name in the books of history forever." Aliyah smiled grimly, "My mother persuaded many people to go to war. She thought war was won by bravery and manpower alone, but she forgot that those men die too. She indirectly killed many people that way." Lys sighed, "I don't have the courage to see my sister die in front of my eyes. What will I do?" Aliyah patted his shoulder and said grimly, "In the battlefield, the people standing against are nothing but our enemies and no emotion and relationship is greater than the welfare of the Elf Kingdom. Licha is not the sister you left behind. She is a monster who will devour all of us if she is left unattended." Lys looked outside and saw Namaria. They descended into the palace and saw Maki waiting for them. Aliyah smiled, "You got thinner than before. Looks like the tyrant is rubbing you too much." Maki said grimly, "Being a spy is not an easy task. There are lots of risks and I have to calculate my every move ten times before executing it." Aliyah smiled, "Yeah, yeah, yeah. Stop boring us and tell us some good news."

Maki asked, "What good news?" Aliyah smiled, "Tell me that Licha is still in Ganzi City and she is not coming anytime soon. We have decided to attack three days later during the dawn time. Most of the guards will be asleep and we will easily cut through them all. Licha will die in Ganzi City, far, far away from Namaria." Maki said, "There is a slight change of plans." Aliyah asked grimly, "What?" An arrow fell and pierced Maki's heart and she fell on the ground dead. A woman in her late thirties walked towards them laughing and clapping, "Brilliant, Aliyah. Brilliant! Who would have thought that a woman who has been working for us for the last three decades will be your spy? I have to say, your intelligence still impresses me the same."

Lys, Devee and Aliyah were flabbergasted to see Vera standing in front of them. Vera raised her crossbow and shot another arrow which killed Devee. Lys said grimly, "Why are you doing this, Vera? Devee was your cousin." Vera smiled, "Dead cousin, brother Lys. The dead should remain dead." Aliyah asked, "How did you know Maki was a spy and where were you all this time?" Vera shot an arrow in her leg and smiled, "Waiting for your arrival. I was sitting silently waiting for you morons to kill each other and making my way to the throne of Namaria easier but when you killed my mother and sent assassins after me, I had to return to avenge my mother's death and kill all the opposition." Lys looked at Aliyah and said angrily, "You killed my mother. How could you?"

Vera shot an arrow in Lys's leg and smiled, "She was actually right. That old bitch lived too long anyway. I would have killed her anyway but my sister proved to be a bigger player and joined hands with Leo, Levi and Bron. I had to escape Namaria or else I would have been dead too." Lys said grimly, "Stop this madness at once, Vera. As your elder brother, I command you to lower that crossbow at once." Vera laughed and shot an arrow in Lys's head. Lys fell on the ground. Aliyah looked at Lys's dead body in horror. Vera smiled, "Don't feel sad. He was dead anyway. But, don't worry I won't kill you. You are quite lucky that I need you alive for now. You and my other brother are going to attack Namaria three days and so it will be, but the only difference will be that Namaria will not be yours but mine.

My idiot brother will kill Levi and Bron and then I will kill him like I killed Lys. Licha, Halidesus and Leo will die in Ganzi City and my new friends will kill Kayuba and Bayu. Alice will be given to Xao Chang and I will rule the whole Elf Kingdom by myself. Kystion and Kavana already killed Libitina when an anonymous letter told them about her betrayal. Now, what will the greatest warrior in the Elf Kingdom do?" Aliyah smiled, "You are a fool to believe that you will win." Vera shot an arrow in her other leg and said, "Take her and throw her in the darkest cell of Namaria. Let her enjoy the Namarian hospitality fully." Two guards took Aliyah and threw her in the darkest cell of Namaria.....