17: I WANT YOU

By dawn, the air in Calithea was thick with tension. 

Amidst The queen's fear that her people do not find out about the war Alaric intends to engage but at this time, rumor had spread like wildfire. 

The streets of calithea buzzed with whispers and conversations, fear etched into the faces of the people. 

"The Dark Lord is coming," they whispered. 

"War is upon us." Alaric's calculated move had worked, he had intentionally leaked the news of a possible war because he understood that it would grow off the date for the marriage, hence impeding on the allegiance between the queen of calithea and the king of Zethro.

Alaric's goal was pretty simple, he wanted Erythian to lose the allegiance with calithea completely and he wanted to do everything within his power to take Lysandra from Erythian.

His goal was to keep going until Erythian loses everything, in thesame way that he (Alaric) lost his sister Iva during the coup at his coronation.

Now, from the perspective of the people, the once-celebrated union between Zara and Erythian was now being branded as a curse, a taboo that had summoned Alaric's wrath upon their land.

Inside the royal palace, Zara sat in her chambers, oblivious to the chaos brewing outside. She had spent the morning mentally preparing for the final arrangements of her wedding, determined to follow through despite her doubts.

 Her resolve was ironclad, if her union with Erythian was what Calithea needed to survive, she would endure it. She could not allow her personal feelings to override her duty; at thesame time, Zara felt her heart lingering at the thought of Alaric, why did she hate him so passionately yet feel such severe compassion for him?

But the knock on her door shattered her momentary calm.

The head councilman, Lorian, entered into her chambers with permission from Mirenna, the queen's court maid; his face was pale and his lips pressed into a thin line. "Your Majesty, there is urgent news."

Zara straightened, sensing the weight of his words before he even spoke. "What is it, Lorian?"

"The people… they've learned about Alaric's impending attack. He leaked the information. The rumor has spread through every corner of Calithea," Lorian said with his voice trembling slightly. 

"They believe the attack is because of your marriage to Erythian. Alaric has convinced them that your union is cursed, a taboo that has provoked this reaction."

Zara's grip tightened on the armrest of her chair. "How did this happen? The council swore to keep this matter contained."

"Alaric has spies everywhere. We underestimated his reach," Lorian admitted. "The people are restless. They are calling for the wedding to be paused, Your Majesty."

Zara rose from her seat, her emerald eyes blazing with determination. "Paused? You cannot be serious, Lorian. Pausing the wedding would give Alaric exactly what he wants. He seeks to divide us, to weaken everyone from within."

Lorian hesitated. "I agree, but the council has convened an emergency meeting. They are unanimous in their decision to delay the wedding until the situation stabilizes."

Zara's heart pounded. "I will address the council myself," she said firmly. "Prepare the throne room."

By midday, the throne room was filled with the murmurs of council members and advisors, men and women alike. Zara entered with her head held high, her regal presence commanding silence. Erythian stood beside her, his expression was unreadable as always but his stance was protective. The tension between them had not gone unnoticed by the council, but it was overshadowed by the greater crisis at hand.

"Your Majesty," one of the council members began, stepping forward, "we have gathered to discuss the recent developments. The people's fears cannot be ignored. If we proceed with the wedding in the midst of this unrest, we risk losing their trust and loyalty." She said 

Zara's voice was steady but laced with frustration. "And if we pause the wedding, what message does that send to Alaric? That we are weak? That we will bend to his manipulations?"

A murmur of agreement rippled through the room, but Lorian raised a hand to quiet it.

 "Your Majesty, this is not about weakness. It is about strategy. The people must feel secure, Right now, they see the wedding as a trigger for war. We must address their concerns before moving forward." Another council member stated.

Zara turned to Erythian, her eyes searching his face for support. "And what does my-husband-to-be think of this?"

Erythian stepped forward, his voice calm but resolute. "I believe the wedding must proceed. Alaric thrives on fear. If we falter now, we hand him the advantage. We must show strength, not hesitation."

Zara felt a flicker of gratitude for his unwavering stance, but it was quickly overshadowed by her growing mistrust. She couldn't shake the feeling that Erythian's insistence on the wedding was driven more by his own ambitions than by a genuine desire to protect Calithea.

The council erupted into debate, voices clashing as arguments flew back and forth. Zara listened intently, her mind racing. She knew the People's fears were valid, but she also knew that delaying the wedding could have disastrous consequences. Alaric would see it as a victory and press harder, while the people's morale would continue to deteriorate.

Finally, she raised her hand, and the room fell silent.

"I understand the concerns of the council and of the people" Zara said firmly. "and we must show the people that we care for their wellbeing, we are united, and we will not be swayed by Alaric's games. In the mean time, the wedding will be paused".

A stunned silence followed her declaration. Erythian opened his mouth to protest, but Zara cut him off.

"This is not up for debate," she said, her voice like steel. "As queen, it is my duty to protect Calithea, and I believe that pausing with this union in the mean time is the best way to do so. Inform the people that their queen stands strong, and that she will not be intimidated by the likes of Alaric."

Lorain nodded in agreement.

Erythian's faint smile died down, Zara caught the glint in his eyes, a glint that made her stomach churn. Was it anger? arrogance? Whatever it was, it only deepened her suspicions about his true motives.

By afternoon, the palace was abuzz with activity as they prepare themselves for the possible war coming, But the atmosphere was heavy with unease. Zara could feel the weight of the people's fears pressing down on her, and it only fueled her resolve.

She retreated to her chambers, seeking a moment of solitude. As she paced the room, her mind replayed the events of the day. She couldn't shake the feeling that she was walking a tightrope, one misstep away from disaster.

Her thoughts were interrupted by a knock at the door. Before she could respond, the door creaked open, and air blew open her windows and the curtains flowed in rhythm, Zara walks towards the window to close it up when a heavy wind hits her and throws her to the ground, in the process of standing up, she slowly raises her head and her heart sinks because there's a figure right in front of her, she stands and looks over to his face; it was Alaric.

"Was it scarlet who helped him portal in here?"

Zara thought.

Her heart leapt into her throat. How had he managed to get in here? And why was he here?

"Alaric," she said, her voice steady despite her racing pulse. "You have no right to be here."

Alaric smirked, his dark eyes glinting with amusement. "Ah, but I couldn't resist. You've been on my mind, Queen Lysandra"

"You've been quite the thorn in my side," Alaric continued," it's… refreshing." He added.

Zara narrowed her eyes. "What do you want, Alaric?"

"I want what Erythian has," he said simply, his gaze locking onto hers. "And right now, that includes you."

"I'm glad you paused the wedding, I see we're on thesame page" Alaric said

"My decision has nothing to do with you" Zara said.

"Oh but it does" Alaric smirked.

Zara's breath caught in her throat. She clenched her fists, summoning the courage to stand her ground. " I will not allow you to destroy Calithea."

Alaric chuckled, a low, rumbling sound that sent shivers down her spine. "Oh, my dear queen, I have no intention of destroying Calithea. The only thing I wish to destroy is your dearest husband-to-be" Alaric said 

"My latest intent now is to take YOU for myself, and you see, I always get what I want."

With that, he turned and stood on the edge of Zara's window and fell back free while letting off a vicious laughter, leaving Zara shaken up and also more determined than ever. 

She knew the road ahead would be treacherous, but she also knew one thing for certain: she would not let Alaric win regardless of how she might feel about him.

To be continued…