They cannot escape my Kingdom

Number 1 felt unsettled by her calm expression. 'Was she faking it? Or did she have a trump card they know nothing about?' he wondered, as he covertly assessed her and his surroundings.

His Intuition kept warning him that something wasn't right. Number Two patiently answered her question, feeling it was the last kindness she could show to a dead person.

''You shouldn't have allied through marriage. The balance has to be kept—stayed at the position as the second strongest.'' The woman clicked her tone in pity as she stared at the young queen.

Elora's calm expression cracked, and the temperature around her dropped. The woman's playful expression fell, and she moved back instinctively.

Her mind screamed for her to flee. Her body reacted before her mind, going into a defensive stance.

The others felt the same—their careless, confidence quickly gave way to caution and fear.