Heaven blinked a few times. What was he talking about? She looked at Ilyas standing with her men in the hall. He could probably hear them but didn't bother to look their way.
"I am saying he moved like a storm and killed with ease. He is more powerful than he claims to be. He can't just be hundred years old." Zarin explained, not caring that Ilyas could hear them.
He moved like a storm? She clearly had more to learn about Ilyas, but she didn't want to judge him before knowing the whole truth.
"Did he do it in front of everyone?" She just asked in case.
She didn't believe that Ilyas would be so stupid to expose that he was a demon. All demons knew that their existence had to be unknown to humans.
"No." Zarin replied.
"Then there shouldn't be a problem. He made the task easier, didn't he?"
"He did. But he is not being truthful." Zarin said.
"I believe in him." Heaven spoke with finality. "Now we have other things to think about."
She stood up from her seat and went to speak to her soldiers. They still had things left to do. They had taken care of the castle's defence and the king's quarter's. Those were the biggest threats. But the queen's and the prince's quarters were left.
The prince followed in his father's footsteps. He exploited and oppressed the weak. Despite all the natural resources their kingdom had, their people starved while they swam in riches. The more she found out about humans, the more they surprised her.
Heaven gave her men instructions with Callum's help and they divided the task between them to take care of the prince and the queen.
"Zarin, you can follow them and help. Ilyas, you can stay here with me." Heaven said.
Zarin looked between her and Ilyas before following the others quietly. Heaven was relieved that she didn't have to scold him again. Once everyone left the hall, Ilyas turned to her.
"My Lady, it seems like my actions displeased you." He said.
"No, they didn't." She looked into his eyes. The pale blue in them had a hint of silver.
She had thought about it once before but never asked. "Was any of your parents ancient?"
"Yes, my mother. She was a smoke demon. "
She had guessed right. No wonder Zarin was surprised by his strength. Zamiel must have chosen him for a reason, but strength alone was not the reason. Why was Ilyas loyal to her? It felt like he served her wholeheartedly, despite that he wasn't given much of a choice.
Ilyas had provided her with all the information she needed the night she was making her plan. He had been a great support.
"What do you think we should do with the King?" She asked, curious to know his opinion.
"My lady, you came up with this plan. I am sure you will find a fitting punishment for him."
Heaven sighed. She knew she didn't want to do anything with him before her father came. "Let's lock him in for now." She said. "I scared him so he should be tortured for a while after he wakes up in a cell."
Ilyas nodded and followed her orders. When he came back, he had the seal with him.
"How did you find it?" She asked.
"I woke him up and compelled him." He said simply, handing her the seal.
Heaven took it and looked at it thoughtfully. If she had only thought about herself, she would have been on her way home with a deal and get her title as a General. Now she ruined her chances, but she didn't regret it at all.
Zarin, Callum and Oliver were the first to come back. They had the prince with them. Ilyas took care of him by locking him in a cell. Heaven didn't bother to talk to him or scare him. He would justify his actions just like his father.
The Queen's guards were taken care of and she was left to sleep. Heaven ordered Ilyas to compel her into slumber, and then she was locked in her room. The servants that were awake realized what was happening but didn't cause a problem. They were not armed and wouldn't be reckless to fight against them. They didn't have a reason to.
When all the soldiers completed their tasks, Heaven ordered the servants to provide them with food and take care of the injured ones. Because of Ilyas and Zarin, things went smoother than she expected. But taking over a kingdom was more than just invading it. Once her father came, he would have a lot to do. There would be political decisions and announcements to be made, rules to be set, punishments to be given, order to be brought back and much more.
"Your Highness. Why are you not eating?" Callum disrupted her thoughts. He handed her a bread where she sat alone on the floor, thinking, while everyone else ate their food.
Callum sat in front of her, keeping her company. "Are you worried?" He asked.
She was of course disturbed by all this. It wasn't what she wanted to do, nor what she came to do.
"Callum. Do you think we should always avoid war?" She asked.
"No. I wouldn't be wearing a military attire otherwise." He looked at her thoughtfully for a while. "You are worried about your father. He is not very fond of war."
Heaven nodded. "I am worried, but not because I doubt myself. What do you think? Did I make the wrong decision?"
"I think you were wise to not make a decision for anyone. Just for yourself."
Heaven was glad that Callum could see her point. He understood her strategy.
"If I may step out of line, I think it was time someone made a decision." He said. "If you need help, you have my support."
Heaven was confused. What did he mean?
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???? Hello everyone. Late and short update, but I thought it would be better than no update at all. I'll update tomorrow as well because of the short update.
Lots of love ❤️