17. Queens Scheme, Eagle Flies

Finally Lucy arrived at the Sunken Territories and meet Lily.

"He never truly loved you, did he, Lily?" Lucy's voice was a silken whisper, laced with false sympathy as she sat beside her sister. "Leon always had a wandering eye. You were just a fleeting fancy."

Lily flinched, the words hitting like tiny shards of ice. "That's not true," she whispered, but the conviction in her voice wavered.

"Oh, but it is," Lucy continued, her tone gentle but persistent. "Look at him now. Ruling by my side. He has moved on, Lily. Why can't you?"

Tears welled in Lily's eyes. "Because I thought what we had was real."

Lucy placed a comforting hand on Lily's arm, her touch cold. "Poor Lily. So naive. Love is a weakness in this court. Power is all that matters."

"And you have it now, don't you?" Lily said, pulling her arm away. "You have Leon. You have the throne."

"And I will keep it," Lucy stated, her eyes hardening. "You are a ghost here, Lily. Forgotten. Alone.".

In the Opulent Depths, miles away, Lena stood before her amassed forces, the ancient magic radiating from her. "They believe us broken. They believe us defeated," she declared, her voice ringing with power. "They will learn the meaning of resilience. They will learn the price of betrayal."

"For the Queen!" the creatures roared, their voices echoing through the underwater caverns.

Lena's gaze was fixed on the distant surface. "My sister languishes in despair, unaware of the storm that is coming. Leon sits on a stolen throne, blind to the truth. Their reign of lies is about to end."

After Lucy departure, Rowena entered Lily's chamber.

"Did Lena always have to be the center of attention?" Lily murmured, staring into the depths of her lonely chamber. "The strong one, the rightful Queen."

"She always craved power, didn't she?" Rowena's voice, smooth as polished stone, echoed in the room. "Even as children. Remember the games? She always had to win."

Doubt flickered in Lily's eyes. "She said she was coming back to save us to save the kingdom."

Rowena chuckled softly. "Save you? Or take back what she believes is hers? Power is a hungry beast, Lily. It consumes everything in its path."

Lily hugged herself, a chill running down her spine. "But she's my sister."

"Sisters can be the sharpest blades," Rowena countered, her voice laced with a hint of bitterness. "They know exactly where to strike to cause the most pain. Think back, Lily. Has Lena always put your needs first? Or was it always about Lena's ambitions?"

The memories, once comforting, now seemed tainted with a new perspective. Lena's determination now looked like ruthless ambition. Her strength now appeared as a desire for control. Had Lily been blind to her sister's true nature? Had she been a fool to believe in Lena's heroic return?

"You have power too, Lily," Rowena purred, sensing the shift in Lily's thoughts. "The ancient magic flows in your blood, just as it does in Lena's. You don't need to be a pawn in her game. You can forge your own destiny."

"My own destiny?" Lily whispered, a seed of a dangerous idea taking root in her heart.

"Yes," Rowena affirmed, her eyes gleaming with a predatory light. "You don't need to follow Lena. You can rise on your own. You can become a Queen." What path would Lily choose? Would she remain loyal to her sister, or would Rowena's poisonous words lead her down a darker, more ambitious path? The fragile bond between the sisters was beginning to fray.

"They took everything from you, Lily," Rowena whispered, her voice a seductive poison in the stillness of the chamber. "Leon's affection, your place in the court even your own sense of worth."

Lily's hands trembled. "It's true," she murmured, the bitterness rising in her throat. "I was a fool to trust them."

"But you don't have to remain a victim," Rowena purred, her eyes gleaming with an unsettling intensity. "You have power within you, Lily. Ancient power. Power they don't even suspect."

A spark ignited in Lily's eyes. "The magic it's always been there."

"It's your birthright," Rowena affirmed. "Embrace it. Control it. Show them that they underestimated you."

Meanwhile, far across the realm, Lena stood on the precipice of war. "The time for whispers is over," she declared to her loyal army. "The time for justice has come. We will take back our kingdom!"

"For the Queen!" the deep-sea creatures roared, their voices echoing with anticipation.

Lena, however, remained unaware of the storm brewing within her own family. She pictured Lily as a sister waiting to be freed, a comrade in arms against Lucy's tyranny.

But in the shadows, Lily was undergoing her own transformation. Guided by Rowena's insidious whispers, she delved deeper into the ancient magic, her power growing with each passing day. She gathered her own secret following, those who saw an opportunity in the impending chaos, those who believed in Lily's untapped potential.

"Lena returns for the throne," one of Lily's new allies hissed. "But why should she rule? What has she done for us?"

A cold smile touched Lily's lips. "Let them fight their battles. When the dust settles, a new queen will rise. One they never expected."

"They come for your throne, Lucy," a guard whispered, his voice trembling. "Lena and her creatures they're massing at the borders."

Lucy's laughter was sharp and cold. "Let them come. This kingdom will be their tomb."

"But there's more," the guard stammered. "Lily, she's not where we thought. She has her own army. They say she wields magic we've never seen."

Lucy's eyes widened, a flicker of unease crossing her face. "Lily? Impossible. She was broken, defeated."

"Rowena has whispered poison in her ear," a second guard added. "She has twisted Lily's heart. Now, she seeks not just revenge, but the throne itself."

Meanwhile, in the depths of a hidden grotto, Lily addressed her followers, her voice resonating with newfound power. "My sisters fight for a crown built on lies and betrayal. But I fight for something more. I fight for the future of this realm, a future where strength is not twisted into cruelty, where power is not used to oppress."

"For Lily!" her followers roared, their voices echoing through the caverns.

And on the surface, Lena prepared for war, her heart heavy with the prospect of battling her own kin. "They have become monsters," she lamented to her closest advisor. "Lucy, consumed by her ambition. Lily, twisted by Rowena's lies. How did it come to this?"

"You must be strong, my Queen," the advisor urged. "The fate of the kingdom rests on your shoulders."

As the three armies converged, Rowena and Sara watched from the shadows, their plan nearing its climax. "Let them tear each other apart," Rowena hissed, a cruel smile playing on her lips. "When they are weakened, we will take what is rightfully ours."

Sara nodded, her eyes gleaming with anticipation. "The throne will be ours, and the power of the ancient magic will be ours as well."

Brian returned after three days, bringing someone to Emperor Leon.

They stood before the Emperor.

Brian spoke first. "Your Majesty," he announced, "this is the one who holds the secrets of the Eagle Feast."

The woman stepped forward and knelt respectfully. Leon gestured for her to rise.

She began to speak. "I am Ayana, daughter of the Chief. I am the only one left of a thousand who died on the way to the Eagle Feast. I am here to take you there, Your Majesty."

Her words made Emperor Leon and Brian a little uneasy.

"How will we get there?" Leon asked, his voice firm.

"You and I both have the power of the eagle, Your Majesty. That is how we can go," Ayana replied.

"What do you mean, Ayana?" Leon questioned.

"You have two wings. You can use them to fly," Ayana explained.

"How do you know that?" Leon asked, surprised.

"We both come from the Eagle line," Ayana answered.

"But I can't fly! I don't know how," Leon insisted.

"I will teach you, Your Majesty," Ayana said, her tone leaving no room for argument.

But who was she? Where did Ayana come from? And what were her true intentions? Did she really want to help Leon?