chapter 21

James sat at the throne that had been made for him. Before his eyes stood the most powerful summons dressed as a human. A maid had brought him food, which he had learned was directly cultivated from the forest. James had kind of laughed at the notion but the detailed explanations cleared the point. The only food he had was meat. Smoked meat, tandoori meat and burned meat. The elementals did not need any food as they were beings of raw energy. James had given the thousand gold coins and the rest to Clark, who had been in charge of the supplies. He had gone in to the merchant city and had brought some wheat, sugar and other items. They were really good at cooking.

James sat there pondering over what to do. His army was ready but waiting for the war to come to him was not a good idea. The idea of summoning another elemental would temporarily make him powerless though it would increase his power. The risk was too high. He had learned that the gates were closed and the people allowed in were very few. James knew he had to strike hard. For some reason he was able to know the name of the elementals without them introducing themselves. The fact seemed to be true, names had powers.

An elemental came to towards him and bowed to him.

Mione: I have found about them my lord.

James: Take me there Mione.

James stepped out from the portal and looked around. Mione had her dagger ready for fighting. Three figures came from the inside room holding what appeared to be sticks. Who attacked with sticks on the intruders these days?

James looked at the three people who had sworn allegiance to him. He had been cut off from that world and there were a few things he wanted to learn himself. The three scholars wore really bad dress. Where was the money he had given them?

Archie: Step away fiend. We will attack you.

James: Do you really thing this stick can do me any harm?

James removed the cape he was wearing and the three of them looked stiffened for a moment. They then dropped to their knees and paid their respect. James had sat on the throne-like chair that Mione had summoned.

James: What has happened? Tell me everything.

Freddie: After you had gone, there was an inquiry towards us as we were closest to you. The army returned to the previous state without any general as its head. The Rookwoods relinquished your name and said to be not related to you in any way. The money you had given us had been confiscated and no one would employ us. We are in the F-block for god's sake. No one can live here properly. The Heir to the house of Rookwood, Lady Amelia Rookwood had called us to the side and had given us few coins in hope that if you contact us to inform you to contact her. She still believes in you.

James: Archie. How big is the lawsuit?

Archie: They took the dress I had and burned it.

James: You have been constantly loyal to me and remember when I say this, I will l help you.

Archie looked into the fierce eyes of the general he had known. He bowed again for having taken the courage to see the eyes of a great man without permission.

Archie: The lawsuit is pretty much perfect. A soldier returned bloodied and alive. You were accused of having murdered the third princess of the state. From the site of the murder your imprints were found on the weapon. There is nothing that can be done. It might be better if you just leave the queendom forever.

James looked at the three of them shook his head. How did it get to this? The people he had trusted had still believed in him and he had nothing to offer them in return. He had failed them. He was a dark lord, but he was also a general and a lord to these people. It was his responsibility to take care of them.

James: Mione. Bring me fifty gold coins from Clark.

Everyone looked as the lady in front of them vanished into the flames and returned bearing a pouch. James pulled out the pouch and gave it to Freddie. Freddie accepted it and seeing the gold bowed again.

James: What of the princess heir?

Archie: Are you giving the money in exchange of information. We consider you our lord and you consider us so low.

The dagger in the hands of Mione became aflame until it became a sword.

Mione: You dare disrespect the lord who was generous to you. My lord. Give me the order and I shall slay him.

James: At ease Mione. Put your weapon down.

The weapon's fire extinguished and returned to the dagger state. The fire elemental stood away in the human form. James looked into the eyes of Archie.

James: The reason I give this money is because I consider you my comrades and I do not need a reason to help you. It should be understandable by how I brought you that dress. Know that you are talking to me who could have stayed behind and let his army take care of everything but instead decided to finish the war as soon as possible. Do not misunderstand me.

A drop of tear fell from the eyes of Max. He was always the emotional one.

Archie: Forgive me my lord for speaking rudely. I swear on my life to never do such a thing.

James: What of the princess heir? Why is it that my brand of the general is still available to me?

Archie: We saw it all happen. The Lord cannot be demoted any further unless he is killed. The fact of the power of the princess heir was to be used against you by the queen but she rebelled. She said she will not call back the crest. She is in a dungeon and as her punishment she will forced to bear the new third princess.

Mione: It seems the society is barbaric. Forcing someone to bear a child, I thought this was a civilised one.

James: The queen speaks of the uncivilised past, but now the civilisation is even more flawed. There are times like this. Are you sure Archie about the princess?

Archie: Yes, my lord. The army has been falsely given the information that you had been removed from the position. It seems like you can use the army.

James: If what you have said is true there is a way. We have to kill the Queen.

Max: I don't get it. How is what going to happen?

James: Your statement has no meaning at all.

Max: I am sorry but are we surely rebelling against the queen.

James: The queendom is not magical though the queen has magic. The world is powerful and the queens can be replaced. If we can kill the queen the princess heir becomes the queen. She will surely support me.

Freddie: Are you telling that there is still hope?

James: Yes.

Freddie: What are we to do?

James: Live. Be alive and be under the vision of the onlookers. Wait for me until I come to get you. A much bigger position awaits you.

Freddie: Can we help in any way, my lord?

James: No. This isn't political warfare. This is a real war.

Freddie: True.

James indicated the fire elemental to make a portal and a portal was made. James went to the other side and entered hi throne room. James looked at the elemental and called for Agni. After the arrival of Agni, James sat on his throne and Agni sat on the side throne. James looked at Agni and smiled.

James: It seems that we are in a war.

Agni: I exist to serve you my lord.

James: I still cannot understand why you serve me.

Agni: You are powerful. Your core is highly powerful and if we go on a battle, I am sure you will be able to defeat me. I knew that surrendering to you would increase the power of your core. As to why I want to do that, because you have the aptitude. You will lead me to a better state of existence. You can even achieve immortality and we could be your immortal servants. We can walk together on different worlds, conquering some while making friends of the others. The main reason is I fell in love with your power.

James: So, you are in love with me.

Agni: Not romantically. We fire elementals do not have romantic feelings. But I do feel love for you. Maybe you should summon another being to increase your power too.

James: I guess I have not said the truth to you. It is that I have been saving power as to make a primordial be in contract with me. There seems to be a primordial always calling onto me.

Agni: Interesting but scary. There are some primordial even powerful than the gods and the devils. The primordials don't take par in any conflict but just take care of their being. There are a few known people who have made a weak primordial bow to them. But if you are able to do so you will be become immortal directly. Until you are killed obviously.

James: If I had that power, I could have ruled this world or even had left this behind.

Agni: We can leave right now, if you want it.

James: I am not interested in running away.

Agni: If I may, what do you know of being a dark lord.

James: A lord with dark magic as a weapon living an independent life from the world's pleasures and sufferings.

Agni: True. But then why do all these fire elementals respect you. The reason is that the Dark lord is an anomality in the existence. Smaller dark lords challenge kingdoms and rule for a substantial period of time. Highest dark lord can stand against god, can defeat a primordial, makes the devil bow. He can create universes and destroy universes.

James heart rose hearing these words. He wanted these things. He wanted to be powerful and to be looked up to. He wanted to feel love and care.

Agni: What you do or how you do is different. As long as you are alive, we all will pay you allegiance even if costs our life.

James: I am perplexed. If I am weak why do you pledge allegiance even over death. Why?

Agni: Because every living being who does not have a wish to rule wishes to serve a proper lord or King. In monarchy it comes very rarely and so does happen in summoning. Even in the clan leaders the chances are rare. When such a person lives, all the people flock up to him. You are our leader and nothing will change that.

James: I am really happy to hear it.

They both sat alone for some time until the Lordess spoke.

Agni: Why did you actually call me here?

James suddenly remembered the reason he had called his favourite person and stood up. How could he have wasted such time. Being in par with the god, conquering worlds, it was fun. But he had to win this war. He looked at Agni who was standing as he was. He indicated her to sit and she sat.

James: The reason I called you is that I want to know whether it is possible to make the castle around.

Agni: Yes. Since this is your castle we can even move to another world.

James: The idea is good, then be ready. We might come across war as the queen already knows where this castle is.

Agni: The previous time the queen, I will not call her that. The previous time Senviness had known where the caste was, I had shifted it to here. She will not know where the castle is.

James: True. Then these are the orders. I am leaving for war and I want you to stay here.

Agni: What do you mean by that?

James: Believe me for once more.

Agni: I had waited for a long time to spend time with you. We all have.

James: After this war is over, I will be staying here permanently. I am going to return. I have to kill myself to live a long life.

Agni: I do not understand anything.

James: Just come with an elite number of people when I call you. It is necessary and the only other way than this is to wage a fully fledged war and eliminate the whole Queendom.

Agni looked kind of calm when she spoke.

Agni: Please leave my lord and return whenever you want. I shall follow your orders properly.

James nodded and called on a portal. He looked at the mini-wormhole that had appeared before him and stepped through it.

Clark: Why did you let him leave? He might be powerful but his heart is made of gold.

Agni: He called us people rather than elementals. We are more than a tool to him. He has truly accepted us as his people. He has become our king.

Clark: If he needs to be a true King, he needs to have more power and more lords and ladies under him.

Agni: More elementals alongside him. We will rise with our lord.

James looked around where he had landed. He looked at the place and had a slight feel of nostalgia. It was only a slight feel of nostalgia, he thought. James walked into the rooms and waited by the table. After sometime a knight walked by and seeing him drew her sword. James waived his hand comically as he was unsure what else had to be done. The knight ran and after some time there returned Amelia Rookwood alone and in haste. She looked at James and caught his wrist and walked furiously through the house until they reached a room. The door was bolted by Amelia and James secretly healed it with magic. James looked around the room and saw that it was rather beautifully decorated and the objects were really exquisite. She still had her hairpin on, which was given to her by James.

James: It seems this is the first time I am in your room.

Amelia: These are not the time for jokes. How could you fall in such a trap?

James: So, you know that I had not killed the princess.

Amelia: Everybody knows it.

James: Then why isn't anybody doing anything.

Amelia: Everybody knows it as it had happened before. This is one of the ways the power is controlled. Tell me something. What are your plans?

James: Do you still intend to marry me?

Amelia: My mother was really angry but subsided and accepted the fate. She has announced that you have nothing to do with the family and has even offered to offer your dead body to the queen. The queen has promised to add your power to the Rookwood family line.

James: Do you also have the same feeling towards me?

Amelia: If so, I would have already restrained you. Remember that I do love you.

James: I really did thing that Selena would offer me better help. I should have known better than to put my faith in her.

Amelia: Maybe you should have contacted us more.

James: True.

Amelia: What are your further plans?

James: The second princess is to be made the queen. She already supports me and will remove the wrong claim placed on me. We wouldn't need care for anything anymore.

Amelia: Marry me.

James: What?

Amelia: Let's get married already. If we get married the whole power of the Rookwood family will lie in my grasp. I can thus help you.

James: True. But I think our marriage should be done properly.

James wanted to say that he was not interested in marriage. The only reason he had stayed alongside her was to make sure the sponsorship never ended. He wanted to stop this now. For some reason he never felt guilt over cheating her. It was as if she never loved him at all. He will never be able to love a woman as he never trusted anyone. He had lost all hopes in the earlier stages of life as his mother had been cruel towards his father and him. The only good thought of her was she had helped him be powerful.

Amelia said something and he wasn't able to hear it properly.

James: What did you say. I was lost in the thoughts.

Amelia: How did you plan to kill the queen. She is freakishly powerful and has the army.

James: Whichever family do you think can we trust.

Amelia: None.

James: I need to muster as many forces I can. Is my private battalion still intact.

Amelia: Yes.

James: I need you to go to the queen and say that a new dark lady had been found and you would like to take the opportunity to atone for the sins of the male you should have controlled.

Amelia: Do you think she will fall for such an obvious trap?

James: No. But it will be enough to get my forces to my side. The rest of the people sent by the queen will be killed. We will regroup there and wait till the battle arrives.

Amelia: There is no need. If you just need to gather the troops outside the borders, it is impossible because first you need troops. All I can muster is the two hundred knight battalion and my few soldiers. I know of a secret passage and can cross the borders. Where should I arrive.

James: Do you have a map?

Amelia took a map and James pointed the place. Amelia marked the place. Able to read the map was a necessary skill for the future matron of a military family.

James: How fast can you reach?

Amelia: Today evening.

James: Fine. I am leaving.

James smiled at Amelia and created a gate and walked out. He had moved to the streets. He covered his face slightly and lowered his neck to make sure he was not noticed. He walked until he reached the gate that blocked to the A-block and apparated inside the surroundings. James was able to move directly to places he had visited or he could see. He had learned this in order to fight in a battle but he had rarely used it. James went further on until he reached the mansion he wanted to reach. The Richane House. He was able to feel strong magic within the area. He was sure that there was a huge layout of the space increment magic used. He had certain doubts about whether this house was even better than the castle of the queendom. James tried to pry with magic and found out that he was blocked. He wasn't the only one able to do magic. He knew it will take a long time if he had decided to unravel the magic. The house seemed to more than a millennium old and so was the magic. James tried to used fire to see within but there seemed to be anti-summoning bounds. James tried other elements until he decided to use darkness. The families had to keep their name.

James used darkness to pry and found out that the anti-darkness spells were really low. It was as if they did not expect any dark wizard to be alive. James unravelled the magic and found out that Lady Richane was alone in her study. James used his powers and entered the realm of darkness. He was at bliss. The power surging through him increased and he was able to see colours in the darkness. He navigated until he reached the room. He stepped into the corporeal world and locked the door with magic. James also made the walls soundproof from within. The matron felt a slight unease and looked behind. Her hands went to her pocket and James used telekinesis to hold her. She began to struggle. Her mental powers were not much high in comparison to the Dark Lord's. After seeing no alternate resolve, she stopped moving. James let her down and she sat down on her chair, indicating him to do so too.

James sat on the chair.

Lady Richane: It seems you have come to murder me as well.

James: Do you really believe so Lady Richane?

Lady Richane: No. I am sure you are innocent and has been framed but it is funny to thing otherwise.

James: That reminds me, I do not know your name.

Lady Richane: It is Aubrey Richane, though I would like to be addressed by my formal title.

James: Sure, Lady Richane. Also do remember that I am also a Lord.

Lady Richane: Sure, my Lord. But the fact is that your magic is really low. The only reason you had been able to win all those titles was due to luck. I am much stronger than you.

James: How can you say I am weaker than you?

Lady Richane: I can see your aura.

James: I can see yours too and is really sure that my power is higher.

Lady Richane: Stop joking James.

James: How much of your energy are you hiding?

Lady Richane: None. Surely you must be kidding.

James decided that there was no further need to make sure his powers are hidden. There was no harm in everybody knowing it. James simply released the seal he had placed on himself internally. There was an explosion of magical energy. All the objects in the room began to vibrate. The whole house shook from its base. The hair of James began to grow darker until it became pitch black. It had fallen out of illusion and was perfectly long till his waist.

Lady Richane's hands had began shaking. James had smiled and sat down again. He looked at the lady in front of him.

Lady Richane: It was you in the castle that released the energy. There were many discussions of an appearance of a being or a device gone haywire. We even thought it was an attack.

James: That was when the third princess had made me angry.

Lady Richane: Is that why you killed her?

James: No. she had been under the control of the queen. It was all a setup.

Lady Richane: I thought that you might not have done it because you were powerless. If it is not it is hard to believe otherwise. Have you come to kill me too?

James: Believe me in this. I have not killed the princess and stop shaking like child.

Aubrey looked at herself and then at her fingers. She had herself under control. She took one of the devices and touched it to her forehead. She was sober now as the aftermaths of the revelation wore off. She took another of the devices and talked to it.

Lady Richane: It's me. There is no need to rush here. I am perfectly fine.

She then kept the device down and looked at the suspicious eyes of James. She smiled thinly and then said.

Lady Richane: I had to tell them off. If not they might have come sensing the higher order release of power.

James: True.

Lady Richane: The offer still stands. You can marry one of my daughters and live in this house. I can keep you hidden.

James: The reason I denied the marriage then was not Amelia. The only reason I stayed with her was to continue sponsorship. Basically, I am not interested in marriage at all.

Lady Richane: That is sad to hear. If I am not wrong you are not interested in procreating. You are like the wizards attached to the elements, only interested in magic.

James: Kind of true.

Lady Richane: What if you just marry someone from my family for the sake of name? She can have children herself and can succeed the house and will even take care of the house. You are not interested in such things I suppose.

James: I have to deny the offer. There are things that I do not do simply because I do not want to. That aside, can you help me in the oncoming battle.

Lady Richane: Tell me your final objective.

James: Kill the queen and make the princess heir the queen.

Lady Richane: I will provide you with whatever assistance you need.

James: That is rather fast.

Lady Richane: Some years back Ariadne had come to me for support in order to become the queen. I had supported her elder sister. She is still in anger with me.

James: So, it is nothing but a chess game to you.

Lady Richane: That reminds me, we should play the mystical chess sometimes.

James: You are pretty calm considering how you were before.

Lady Richane: If you kill me that's it. If you do something else, that's it. Tell me what I should do for you.

James: I want you to go to the queen after a week and tell her that you have found a dark lady residing in this place.

James conjured a map in thin air and showed it to her. She looked at it and nodded.

James: Send your family along with the forces and turn against the tide and attack the soldiers of the queen. If it is the griffin army, wait till I ask them to come to my side. I am still the general.

Lady Richane: It shall be done. How shall I inform you?

James: The placed I showed you is my home. I will be always there, ready for battle.

Lady Richane: It shall be done. By the time the army reaches there, my whole family shall reach there.

James: Thank you. Is there anything you would like to add?

Lady Richane: You are a man James. I am happy to see a true and honourable man.

James: You know the true history.

Lady Richane: Yes.

James: I have to go. I have another meeting in the evening.

Aubrey touched her ring and the wards was temporarily deactivated. James had apparated into the place where he had said to wait for Amelia. He was already five hours early. The idea of apparition was growing on him. It was more dramatic after all. James stared into the empty sky as a single star appeared around the sun in the west. James stared at the beauty to pass the time.

It was night time as the people arrived. He sure was on time but as he knew they would never make it on time, he had thought to have appeared early. The trick of changing time frame was too good for him. James looked at the two hundred knight that had arranged themselves to his right. In his front stood three hundred knights along with Amelia.

Amelia got down from her horse and approached James. Amelia looked at James and smiled. She removed the ivory hairpin and held it in her hands.

Amelia: Hello James.

James: Hello Amelia.

Amelia: May I ask something. Who do you think the battalion to your right is loyal to?

James: I have to say me.

Amelia: You are wrong there. The only ones loyal to you are the army of the griffin because of your mark and the people you have hired yourself. They are loyal to me. I had picked them myself.

Amelia used the hairpin to channel energy and James was bound to his body. He was not able to move and the locking seems to be an advanced kind.

James: WHAT IS HAPPENING AMELIA. RELEASE ME. NOW!

Amelia: You will not shout until I finish speaking. I am going to kill you.