"It's useless now, don't worry" I added, before shrugging "The mood has already been spoilt".
Silence.
"..I am.. sorry".
"I told you not to worry about it right" I shook my head. "Besides, it is my fault for not putting too much attention to the contract".
I grinned "Of course, you just gave me a very important piece of information.... One that I will be sure to use, no matter what".
I could hear the sound of her saliva travelling down her -'my' throat. It was satisfying to see her realize that she had just given me a very important piece of information. Nonetheless, it was still one that I could have found out about sooner or later.
"Nina" Still, I was thankful for this conversation, because it just showed me more than what I knew about Nina in the last 24 hours.
".… Yes, husband"
"I am sorry" I said, with a genuine expression on my face to back up my words.
She stared at me, silently in surprise.
However, I couldn't help but find the whole conversation so ludicrous "But, I still find it absurd that all this was because you aren't allowed to grow a dick".
Her expression dulled. She diverted her eyes and stared bashfully at the snow. "It wasn't because of that" She muttered something under her breath.
"What did you say?" I asked in amusement and curiosity.
"It isn't" She spoke, louder. "It wasn't about the dick.... I was just frustrated that I can't refute any of your orders or instruction without my body feeling as though my body is constricting under some kind of immense pressure".
I nodded my head in understanding "I will make sure to mind my words" I said.
"Thank you" Nina's body relaxed. Her shoulders dropped low, while her eyes closed and opened in relief.
I turned my head towards the warehouse. Although I was surprised that they haven't noticed us till now, but, I wasn't willing to wait and find out how long that was going to last.
I rubbed my nose, and turned to Nina who was, so far, still shy "Now that we have settled that… issue, are you ready?"
Her body tensed up "Yes".
I nodded.
"Alright. Let's see how well you understand your husband".
I stretched my hand and focused most of my magical energy on it. Instantly, a speck of fire conjured above my palm. With a single command, the fire got bigger and bigger, stretching to an extent that the overwhelming heat was able to sear away the snow under our feet into puddles of water.
"This should be enough" I said, to myself. Within my palms was a giant flaming torch that burned brightly in the night. If they haven't noticed us before, they would have surely noticed us now. But --
It doesn't matter.
"BOOOM!!"
With a single thought, I sent the flames forward.
…....
There was something different in the air. A stench. A foul, terrible stench that stunk around every corner. A putrid stench seemed to hang in the air, emanating from an unknown source.
Despite his efforts to pinpoint the source of the offensive contamination, it seemed to lurk around every corner, tainting the air with its presence. He knew that something was amiss, although, he couldn't fix his hands on it, but, he knew that it was there.
King Bor sat on his simple made throne, in a dimly light room, contemplating...
Suddenly he snapped his head to the side. A shadow materialized in the field of his vision.
"What is it? Has the fool -Boris arrived already?" He said. His eyes peered at the man clad in a white assassin's attire.
"No, he hasn't" His head of assassins replied. His lips morphed into a frown as he added "It's something else".
"Ho! What is it then? Don't keep me waiting" The stench. The foreboding feeling he felt that crept at the side of his nose, seemed to magnify.
"A message arrived at our doorsteps this evening that we have been invited by the Queen to the palace" The words struck him like lightning. His eyes went wide as he stood up from his seat and walked closer to one of the last remaining forces of his kingdom.
"Did the senile old man, perhaps, report to the Queen about what happened?" He scoffed
"No, it isn't anything like that" The assassin shook his head.
A frown appeared on his face "Then what is it?".
"From the contents of the letter, we can only deduce that the Queen has finally planned to take action on the fallen kingdoms who had claimed a piece of her territory" The assassin paused, letting those words sink.
His eyes went wide. He got the message pretty quickly. Regardless, the assassin continued "Not only us, but every fallen kingdom and their current rulers have been invited to come with a detailed analysis of their kingdom ".
His teeth gritted in frustration as soon as he digested the news. He.. was.. not.. pleased.
The Queen has finally decided to reclaim her lands from the grasp of the fallen kingdoms!
Did she think that any of them would give up their lands just because she said so, after months and years of trying to rebuild what they had once lost?
He scoffed.
The Vrymath Kingdom was already saturated with different factions, each vying for power. It was already a Kingdom that was on the verge of being divided.
Again, he scoffed. And the so-called Miracle Queen thinks that she can easily control or reclaim back her kingdom.
"Hahh!" A chuckle escaped his lips. Maybe the Miracle Queen wants to perform a 'Miracle' before their very own eyes, so she sent this letter.
King Bor turned around and took several steps forward. He sat back on his chair and stared at the assassin with a tinge of amusement and seriousness in his eyes "And when are we supposed to meet her?" He questioned.
"Tomorrow evening, my king" The assassin responded. "The letter said that the meeting would take place from tomorrow evening till the next morning".
"I see" He nodded his head, and combed his hands against his long-trimmed beard.
He grinned "Is that all?".
"Yes, my king. That is all"
"Okay. You can leave".
A brow rose as he sighted his assassin's hesitating expression.
"What is it?" King Bor asked, curiously.
"My King, will we also be attending this meeting".
He exhaled "Of course, we will. What other choice do we have except following the Queen's decree?".
"What about the plan to destroy the Eser and the Azuiloth Kingdom to take control of their city?" The assassin asked. He could feel a hint of worry in his words.
King Bor grinned. A soft snicker escaped his lips. The snicker grew, escalating until he began to laugh.
However, after a few seconds, he eventually calmed down and replied, "We'll have to put the plan on hold until we finish our business with the Queen. And who knows, we might even run into Boris and King Ameal at the meeting. We can't predict what might happen, so it's best to be prepared for any potential issues or complications that could arise".
"So we are going to just play along?"
"Yes. Depending on the situation, we will tie our legs and hide our claws in order not to arouse too much suspicion from the Queen. But If they decide to pick a fight with us, we will have no choice but to retaliate and make sure they pay back with a hefty price, and then, cripple them gradually from there." He mused. "There is no need for us to rush. We are already ahead of these fools who have reduced themselves to squabbling around for food and houses that they call territories".
"We have time, rationality, and a plan on our side, so there is no need for us to rush" He added.
His assassin breathed out a small 'puff' of fog from his mouth "Okay, my king" Then he vanished. He disappeared into the shadows, the same way he had appeared.
Meanwhile, King Bor sat on his poorly crafted throne, deep in thought as he tried to come up with a plan. He weighed his options and searched for the best course of action.
He paused. He sniffed the air around him, and he could perceive it more this time. The horrible, foul smell purged the air around him.
The smell got more apparent!
He knew -he could guess what it was. "Haaa…" He inhaled deeply and exhaled. Suddenly, A sound clicked in his head.
This smell?
This repulsing stench?
It was blood! And it was everywhere! A river of it flowed against the walls of the Vrymath kingdom, and he was the only one who seemed to notice.
The others were oblivious to the grisly smell, but he couldn't shake the scent that washed over him as he inwardly observed the red liquid slowly seep and stain the Vrymath Kingdom's once-pristine walls.
His mouth parted "Blood. I can smell it". And a single sentence escaped his lips
…....…
That night, several royal messengers spread out around the Vrymath Kingdom and delivered a letter, written by the Miracle Queen herself, to all of the fallen leaders within her land.
Its contents?
'Attention all leaders of fallen kingdoms! You are required to present yourself at the palace by 6 PM tomorrow, with a complete and accurate list of your forces and current assets. Failure to comply will result in immediate banishment for your kingdom. Do not risk the consequences of disobedience'.