Victory…Dear Asha

Mother, you can't do this! I'm the king's son!" Mayo yelled.

"No, you're a prisoner now! Maribah needs to rid itself of all the bad eggs that have messed it up!" Zeep smirked in his face.

"You!" He growled, attempting to attack her, but the guards swiftly pulled him away.

Behind him, Denna was being dragged away by the guards while he stared at his mother with pleading eyes. But the queen remained unmoved. She was determined not to let them follow their father's path, and this was her first step in ensuring they didn't.

She wanted to speak to Elim and ask for his forgiveness for abandoning him as a child, but he was holding Asha tightly, checking if she was wounded. There was love in his eyes, the same love she had once seen in his father's eyes before the king took him away.

"I'm fine! You saved me again! My very own hero!" Asha held Elim's rough hands while he breathed heavily, as if in pain. "What's the matter?"

"I almost lost you!" He hugged her tightly. Then he noticed Nena and Nemere standing and waiting for him to finish up with Asha. Reluctantly, he let Asha go, even though he didn't want to. It was then he noticed the noblemen surrounding his mother, their faces filled with anger. Hurriedly, he moved to defend her.

"Asha! You're safe, and the king is dead! We emerged victorious!" Nena exclaimed in delight as she embraced her sister.

"It wouldn't have been possible without all of you. Nena, when did you grow so strong? So determined!" Asha asked with a bright smile.

"Hardship taught me to toughen up. You know, we faced really terrible times here when our father was imprisoned. You know even Denna almost…" Nena's words were cut short when Zeep appeared behind them. She stood with a solemn look on her face, unable to find the right words to express how sorry she was for everything.

But they didn't need words. Asha ran to embrace her eldest sister. She had missed them all terribly, and it was all her fault that their family was torn apart. Tears streamed down her face as they enveloped each other in a warm hug.

They would have continued their heartwarming moments, but the voice of the queen drew them to where she stood, with a small crowd gathering around her.

"Today, these men have been stripped of their titles. Only those who have proven themselves worthy of Maribah's honor will become our chiefs. Being a chief does not entitle you to mistreat others or consider yourself superior. Their belongings will be shared among the people of Maribah!" The crowd cheered as the queen spoke, while Elim stood beside her, his sword in hand in case any of the chiefs objected. It was a new dawn in Maribah; they had achieved it.

"After my reign, my son, you shall rule Maribah!" The Queen had said to Elim that evening when they returned to the palace.

"Leadership isn't for me! I am too tortured a soul to lead anyone. I must heal first if I am to become a leader."

"You will, because you will have a good woman beside you!" The Queen smiled, reminding him of Asha, his very heartbeat.

A few moments later, Asha and her sisters sat patiently in the palace as their father was finally brought out of prison.

"Father!" they all screamed. The weak-looking man's eyes widened in delight when he saw Asha running to him.

"You're alive and well! You're in Maribah! What about the king?"

"He's dead! We are free! The queen reigns now!" Nena declared as they knelt down to embrace their father.

It was so touching that a tear dropped down the queen's cheek. How she wished her husband were alive so they could all be reunited.

"A ruler doesn't show weakness in front of her subjects!" Elim said, smiling at her. It was the first time he had loosened up in front of her since she apologized for everything, and it made her want to cry even more.

"My son!" She hugged his arm, and he didn't know how to respond.

"I'm here, mother," he said as he watched the Dramidis transition from tears to laughter as they hugged each other endlessly. After a long pause, he asked, "What do you intend to do with your sons?"

"Train them into real men. When I'm done with them, they'll wish they had listened to me right from the beginning," she stated with determination. "That reminds me! Go get me Soma!" The Queen instructed a guard, who wasted no time in bringing the haughty girl to the palace.

"The king must hear of this! I know all about your plan! You planned this with them, Zeep! Didn't you? Our husband will strangle you to death!" She swore under her breath.

"The king is dead, and our husband is in prison. The tables have turned!" Zeep strolled toward Soma, standing tall, while Soma knelt on the floor, a bemused look on her face.

"What? How? When?"

"You are to become Zeep's personal maid! That's your punishment for working against me and being such a horrible person!" The Queen proclaimed.

"My queen… but—"

"Accept your fate!" Zeep added.

While they were still talking, Nena suddenly remembered the girl she had seen in Odmudo's room. She had to save the poor creature. She dragged Nemere and Asha along with her. "Come."

She swung the door open when she reached the room, only to find no men there, just the girl sitting and folding herself into a ball.

"Ada! How did you end up here?"

"Odmudo brought me here. I'm sorry, Asha! I was unkind to you. This is my punishment for all that wickedness!" She begged. "Do you rule here? Are you going to kill me?"

"No! We must help you get cleaned up and give you some food. Maribah is meant to be a better place, just like Aku... a home of hospitality," Asha smiled at Ada.

"You know, we planned to hand you over to Odmudo if you hadn't run. I understand if you wish to have me killed," Ada continued in a low voice.

"No!" Asha answered as they helped Ada up. As they escorted her out of the room to a better place where she could eat and rest, Elim bumped into them.

"Forgive me! Please!" Ada whispered as she wobbled on aching legs.

"Elim, I haven't thanked you enough for everything. I wasn't scared of the king because you taught me to be brave," Asha stopped to speak to Elim as she left Ada to Nemere and Nena.

"You've always been brave!" He pressed her against the wall, his hands trailing up her neck as he kissed her passionately.

"So what's next?"

"You fall in love with me! Dear Asha!" He whispered, while Asha laughed heartily.

Could this really become her future? One filled with laughter and love, and not the fear of being killed and betrayed? She asked herself, her heart beating loudly as Elim stared at her with love in his eyes.

"We will rule Maribah one day. Me and you!"

Asha laughed at the idea, but Elim was serious. And as she couldn't fathom how she could possibly go from being the silly Asha everyone never took seriously to the wife of a king! To a queen!