The Blood King's Bride

Standing at the opposite end of the field as he led his soldiers with Svetlana and Daruki

by his side, Wazir felt his world crumble as he saw his father. He should have expected it. He should have thought of it. It had been bothering him on why the Alliance hadn't attacked for a month; it turned out that they were using the opportunity to raze another kingdom to the ground. He recognized that dead empty look in his father's eyes. The king of Pres once spotted that look, that is, till the spell over him began to wear off. He looked at the man who spoke for the Alliance, wishing he could tear his face from his head. Slovic, he would never forget that name. Wazir wondered if he was the one who had cast a spell on him if then all he had to do was kill him to free his father from his clutches. But just as he continued looking at his father, he began to notice the strange figures that rose behind them.

Elena could see the people who didn't put on the white garb of the Allikans standing

before them. They had the same dead eyes of her father and grandfather, and she feared that she already knew who they were.

"The original plan was to destroy the Blood kingdom after we have taken over the other three kingdoms, but as you can see, some things came up." The bald leader continued. "It wouldn't be fair now, would it? I mean, if you guys get to partner with others while we can't." He nudged his head to the people behind him.

"They are what are left of the good warriors in all the three kingdoms. So now, not only would you have to fight us, you would also have to fight your people to survive. Isn't that

great?"

Elena squeezed her hands tightly behind her. She had never felt as angry as she did just then. Her vision was slowly turning red. He wanted to kill. She imagined herself detaching his head from his shoulders.

Calhoun couldn't believe that of all ways he would meet his father-in-law and

grandfather-in-law, it would be on the battlefield and of opposing fields no less. He could see just as far as his wife, so he also noticed the dead eye look that his in-laws bore. That was something that he had seen before; when he first caught Firoza trying to use her blood to

manipulate someone. Was that what had taken place? He wondered. Was his father-in-law being controlled? Just who was that man?

"Who are you?" Calhoun called out loudly. The man stared intensely at Calhoun and

grinned.

"Your majesty, I am honoured to be able to talk with you." He said with a mocking bow.

"I am Slovic, uncle to the Blood Empress, General of the Allikan army." He looked at

Wazir, and his soldiers smiled, then faced Calhoun again.

"I am sure that your allies will be familiar with me. They sure had a hand in destroying our plans." He said, his grin turning malevolent.

"But it doesn't matter anymore. The battle ends now. Attack!" he shouted to his men.

They immediately began running to the battlefield, causing dust clouds to rise to the air. Elena

and her warriors all unsheathed their swords, running towards the men.

"Kill the ones in white! Knock out the ones, not in white!" Calhoun commanded the men before they all joined the battle.

Elena felt grateful. She knew that Calhoun was doing it for her, and she wished she could thank him, but unfortunately, the situation didn't call for it. Elena set her sight on Slovic. She wanted his head, and his head she would get.

She ran into the battlefield and started by slashing an Allikan's neck, then using the hilt

of her sword to knock out ones who weren't Allikans. They were innocent in all these and probably didn't even know what they were doing. It was a bit hard trying to kill while ensuring that she didn't kill anyone. She made sure she was light on her feet, drawing a bit from her husband's strength and letting her sword do the talking. She finally got used to the pattern; slash, knock-out, slash, knock-out. The opposing team poured out in numbers, trying to hinder her from attacking. She heard the cry of one of her men. She was slightly distracted, allowing Allikan to attack her. She countered quickly, causing the Allikan to swipe at her arm instead. Without thinking, she let her sword talk and decapitated his head.

That was the first body she had decapitated in that fight.

She wasn't one for much violence, but she was going to let the blood flow and the heads roll in this case.

"I am the Blood Queen," she muttered to herself. "Wife of the most powerful being in all kingdoms. I am not weak. And I would prove myself to you today that I am not a person you should take lightly."

Screaming, she let her husband's power flow through her. She felt it amplifying more than expected, but at that point, she didn't care. Letting her sword do the talking, she followed her pattern though changing her tactics. Before she slashed and knocked out, she now decapitated and wounded. She ensured that the wound would not end up being permanent, but it was enough to stop them from moving for weeks. The Alliance, on the other hand, the same could not be said for them.

Their heads rolled, littering on the floor like stones one would find in a rocky desert.

Heads were flying along sided severed limbs. They started to look at her with fear, both her enemies and her men likewise. But she couldn't blame them because, as of then, she wasn't plain Elena anymore. She was Elena, the blood Queen. The vanquisher.

Her eyes had turned red, and her mind was not hers anymore. A single chant lined up in her head; kill, save. Kill, save.

She used that chant as a guide to fight, making her journey smoother.

Elena didn't know that she was doing more than expected. Others were killing or giving

out mortal strikes; she decapitated straight up, leaving no room for defence or attack. She had made her sword her arm of vengeance, and it struck without pity.

It was gruesome. It was fearful. It was beautiful. The blood warriors looked at their queen

in shock and awe. Calhoun looked at his wife in Pride. He was still worried about her, but the

fear the Allikans exuded was enough to bring his fear for her down a notch.

Wazir watched his niece on the battlefield as he fought. She was a prodigy. He could see the expressions the warriors had on their faces. Tales of her feat would be spoken of for generations to come. He smiled continued his war with a renewed vigour.

Slovic didn't like what he was seeing. He didn't expect it at all. Just who was the girl that fought alongside the blood king? Who was she, and how did she get this much power? "Go after her." He said, speaking to the man next to him.

The king of Pres nodded, bowed, and went ahead to fight his daughter.

Elena was submerged in her power. The more she fought, the more she spilled blood, the more powerful she became. Her mind became sharper. She could predict the moves of her opponents before they could attack. It made her faster, her strike quicker. But she came to a sudden halt when she saw who her next opponent was.

Her father. The one who led her down that path.

She was tempted to kill him right then and there. He was the cause of her mother's death. Why should she allow him to live? But as she looked into his dead eyes, she changed her decision. There wasn't much change in the way he looked at her. He just lacked his usual hateful look. She wouldn't kill him why he was in that state. She had to make sure he had complete control of his mind, so she could punish him for his wrongdoing.

She ran straight for him, just as he did for her, and she gave him a significant slash on his chest, then knocked him out with heavy force on his head. It was worse than what she had given the others, but he would survive. She didn't give him a passing glance and went to her next attacker. She would have seen the minute movement his hands made if she had looked back. The battle wore out for long. Slovic had sent out the King of Neba to fight his son. It was a fight he enjoyed, seeing how Wazir's heart broke every time he landed a blow on his father.

His entertainment was cut short, with Wazir giving his father a hefty blow to the head. He saw their advancement, how they quickly cleared their paths to reach him. He smiled.

Let them come. He wasn't the same as he had been before.

Elena reached him first, drenched in the blood of those she had killed. His heart shook in fear once he took a good look at her, but he shut down that feeling immediately. There was no

way he would be afraid of a girl, especially one who was old enough to be his daughter. "You surprise me, young girl," Slovic said, ambling towards her. He dragged a slow gaze down her form, taking in her appearance. Her hair had been matted back with sweat and blood, splatters of red dripping down her face and her armour drenched with it. Her sword still dripped with the blood of the last person she had killed, and yet it looked life, almost like it was singing for more.

"Who are you? What relationship do you have with the blood king?" he asked, curious. Elena remained silent, keeping her face blank. The man looked at her expectantly, waiting for her response but to no avail. He grinned malevolently.

"Ah, you're playing hard to get. No worries. I would help you end this sooner." Elena drew her sword, taking on her standing pose. "I just wanted to see the scum I am battling before he faces his death. Now I know you are not worth talking to." "Why do I feel insulted?" he said, still grinning. "I do have to apologize though, that if you wish to fight me with a sword, that wouldn't be fair, as I do not carry any on me." Elena didn't have time to listen to his talk, so she attacked first. Slovic simply flung out his arm, sending Elena flying several meters away and landing heavily on her back. Calhoun felt his heart stop as he saw his wife being flung away into the field. He picked up his pace, attacking everyone in front of him with an angry fervour he didn't know possessed. All that was in his mind was to get to his wife.

Elena was still trying to get up from the ground, finding it hard to breathe. Slovic made his way slowly towards her.

"I don't know why, but for some strange reason, you remind me of the king of Pres. He was a valiant man, looking for power to destroy his brothers just so he could be king." He paused, giving Elena time to gain her bearing. "He heard of the Allikans and came to see if he could get our help. In the process he caught the eye of my sister. But there was a problem, was already married to a woman he very much loved. But my sister you see, when she wants something, she takes it. She wouldn't have it that another woman took full control of his heart." He was closer to Elena now. She had sat up, trying to catch her breath. Her hands shook beside her at the story he was telling.

"Do you know what she did? She offered him power at the cost of his freedom. Guess

which one he picked." He said, grinning widely.

"Although I must say at that time, he didn't know he was giving away total control of

himself, handing over all aspect of his life to my sister."

He stood in front of Elena. "But why am I telling you this? Because I want to. Because

for some strange reason, you remind me of the man he once was; stubborn, determined, and faint

at heart. Isn't that a nice thing to be?" he laughed out loud.

"Do you think that would change, if I break you as well?"