The Queen Of Time
Hold the Torch (Twenty Two)

        "Stop all your attacks! The kingdom of Bibury was defeated and became part of the kingdom of Chronos. Now settle all this mess and take all the royal treasures." cried Spencer to all the remaining soldiers of the kingdom of Chronos. The man then pulled Gazelle violently, until the woman was seen whimpering in pain due to the wound on her leg that was increasingly gaping wide. Seeing that, Spencer tried to harden his heart while looking straight at all the soldiers of Khronos who were snatching up all the remaining soldiers of the kingdom of Bibury. After this they will all be put in a dungeon, and if they always behave well while in prison, so Aiden would grant them forgiveness and allow them to be free or part of the kingdom by working as soldiers. But for those who disobey, they will soon be sentenced to death or served as a dinner menu for Aiden's wild pet tigers.

        Trudgingly, Gazelle seemed to be thinking of something inside her head to provoke Spencer's anger. He knew that Spencer had been keeping a taste in him. But, unfortunately, he did not love Spencer at all and instead loved Aiden, a cruel man who despite being very hated, but also very much loved to this day.

        "So, is this your fate?" tanya Gazelle scorned. Seeing Spencer completely unaffected by his ridicule infuriated Gazelle and made her even more eager to take Spencer down with her scathing remarks.

        "You continue to be Aiden's loyal bodyguard and a cleaner to all the mess Aiden has done? Ckckckk, pathetic. You are not even given the right to choose your own way of life. I'm really concerned about you Spencer."

        "Close your mouth! Your words did not affect me at all." spencer responded calmly still dragging Gazelle's hand to gather with the other rebel members.

        "Why are you so rude Spencer, shouldn't you be gentle with me, hmm?" gazelle asked in a provoking voice that sounded nauseating in Spencer's ears.

        "Shut your mouth Gazelle, or I'll shut her up with my own hands if you don't obey her. After all, you are not the kind of woman to be treated with gentleness. You are a crafty woman who should be treated harshly!" as if Spencer was angry.

        "I'm sorry, but I won't shut my mouth until you admit everything" Gazelle said. Spencer immediately stopped his steps in a huff as he swept Gazelle's tiny hand into the air. His patience is over. The woman had really made him angry and almost crazy at the same time as her very dissident attitude.

        "What do you really want? You're not the Gazelle I know now. Why did you choose this path just because king Aiden didn't choose you? You shouldn't have chosen this path and tried to find another man who would gladly give you sincere love."

        "Is that man you? Are you going to give me love sincerely even if I don't love you? You stupid Spencer! You fooler! Why would you keep your heart if I basically would never love you. Although I always yell at everyone if I hate Aiden, but deep down, my heart always shakes for Aiden. Only Aiden can drive me crazy. And only Aiden can hurt me to the worst point like this" Gazelle said in a loud voice. Some of the soldiers who passed by around them seemed to glance inquisitively at the pair of humans who were currently fighting fiercely in the midst of the chaos of war that occurred in the kingdom of Bibury.

        "Yes, I'm a fool! Even I am very***** for loving you so deeply. But, can I choose? Can my heart choose? Even the notoriously cruel and violent king could not choose his own woman at all and had to suffer every day from enduring so much pain. Love is a complicated thing. On the other hand love can bring happiness, but on the other hand love can also destroy. But, it all depends on you. You decide what love will be, whether to give you happiness or destroy you with pain like this."

        "I don't believe your foul words. You think I'll believe all that you say, while you can't apply it to yourself. Realize Spencer, you are a weak and cowardly man. You're just Aiden's errand boy and your degree will never be the same as mine." Gazelle said with hurtful words. Spencer clenched both his hands furiously until his knuckles turned white. The woman was really very stubborn and almost impossible to resuscitate. Indeed, from the beginning the woman was better to rot in prison or to be the food of Aiden's wild pets than she had to give him various kinds of advice, he said, which he was sure Gazelle would never hear.

        "Come in. After this you and all your other rebel members will be in jail. But you'd better be nice in jail, if you want Aiden to forgive you and set you free..."

        "I'm not begging Aiden for forgiveness. It's better for me to die rotting in prison than for me to beg forgiveness for that arrogant man." - Gazelle cut fiercely with her disgusting face. But, Spencer seems to have been unaffected by Gazelle's rude attitude now that the man seemed unconcerned and instead ripped his sleeve to treat the incision wound on Gazelle's gaping leg.

Srek

        "If you don't want to do it, then at least you do it for your family. Your father would have been very sad to see his only long-lost daughter turned out to be part of a rebel group" Spencer said flatly as he wrapped a cloth he had torn on Gazelle's calf. Seeing Spencer's treatment so soft behind his flat voice, Gazelle again filled with the man's attitude. And as Spencer got up, Gazelle quickly******* the handsome man's lips without regard to Spencer's surprised attitude that almost let go of his lips. But, Gazelle tightly held Spencer's nape so tightly that the man could not remove the link of his lips and simply replied to every lump given by him with a stirring lump.

        "Thank you for the kindness of your heart. But don't ever expect more from me, because I won't be the woman you want to be." Gazelle said flatly after she removed her lip link to Spencer. Some members of the rebels appeared to be stealing from them. But as Gazelle looked at them with a sharp gaze, they all instantly turned their attention to something else.

        Meanwhile, Spencer was still pensive in his place while digesting all the things that had just happened.

She never thought Gazelle would kiss her like that. He then stared at Gazelle, who was currently huddled alone on the ground with the other rebels. He was sure, in fact Gazelle still has a part of himself that once was, but unfortunately all of it has been covered with resentment and pain that was inscribed by Aiden on his fragile heart.

        "Whatever happens, you're still the only woman who fills Gazelle's heart."

-00-

        While all the soldiers of Khronos were cleaning up the chaos that occurred in the kingdom of Bibury, Bibury, Aiden and Calistha were in an old cabin warming themselves in front of a bonfire set up by Aiden. After they had fallen off the horse, the dark horse immediately went out of nowhere because Calistha had made the horse startle with its sudden jolt.

        The sound of the infection and some other night animals continue to mingle with the atmosphere of silence that occurs between them. From behind her plump eyelashes, Calistha continued to sneak a glance at Aiden to see how the man was doing right now. A few hours ago, he had cleaned the wound on Aiden's back with a piece of cloth he found in this cottage. Then with a little cloth from her dress, Calistha closed the gaping wound so as not to rot in the dusty air around them.

Crack

        Suddenly Calistha felt very hungry and wanted to eat something. But he could not find anything in this cottage, so since then he only stuck his stomach with legs that he deliberately folded in front of the chest so that his stomach did not get thrashed to be filled.

        "Are you okay?"

        Suddenly Aiden sat down next to her while looking at her two beads gently.

At first glance, Calistha felt stunned by that gaze. But he quickly turned his face to the flames that were currently dancing before him because he felt so ashamed to be close to Aiden. Especially after he cried long enough on the man's shoulders, crying all the sadness that suffocated his chest so he felt like dying and caught up with Max. But, for some reason after he spilled everything, now his feelings get better and he does not feel sad anymore. In fact, the desire to die is no longer

there's more. Really weird.

        "Yes, I'm fine. Are your soldiers coming tomorrow morning?"

        "They should have gone down this road because it was the only road that would lead them to Chronos."

        Silent. The atmosphere between them became silent again after Aiden finished his speech. Calistha herself was not having any talk to Aiden, so she preferred to close her eyes so that the hunger that had plagued her stomach since then was soon lost to drowsiness. But...

Crack

        Again the voice echoed inside her stomach, making Calistha instantly open her eyes nagging while looking at Aiden who was currently staring at her with an amused face holding back laughter. He was very sure, after this the man would make fun of him cruelly because he was caught hungry, but he had just fed the man if he was okay.

stand up to see the situation around the cottage. This afternoon it seemed like he saw a peach tree that had lush fruit not far from the cottage where they had spent the night, it was possible that he could take some and give it to the stubborn woman to prop up her hungry stomach.

        "Where are you going?"

        The noise of Aiden's movements, inevitably made Calistha turn her head to look at the man's condition. Seeing Aiden who was standing while tidying up his shabby grand robe made Calistha immediately raise her eyebrows and immediately stand up from her seat. He did not want to be left alone in this old cottage. He was too afraid to be in this old cottage alone because the atmosphere here was so dark and gripping.

        "I just want to find food. It seems not far from here there is a peach tree that is bearing fruit. I'm going to pop you some peaches to prop up your hungry stomach" Aiden said flatly. But, for some reason it can make Calistha's heart warm. No matter how Aiden's tone sounded cold and flat, the most important thing was that man's attitude was so gentle and understanding.

        "I'll come with you."

        Aiden nodded his small head and immediately walked out of the cottage followed by Calistha behind him. The cold night air immediately greeted them as they walked slowly, down the thick lush trees around them. Several times Calistha rubbed her hands on her cold arms and frozen face. But, it felt like this was better than he had to be inside the old hut itself even though the air inside there was very warm.

        "You're cold?"

        That icy-cold-sounding question tone shot out in the air all of a sudden, making Calistha instantly look her face towards Aiden. But, the man did not turn his body towards her at all. The man looks without a word, but through the movements of his body, Calistha knows that Aiden is currently taking off the robe

his greatness to give to Calistha.

        "wear this. I don't want you to get sick when we get back to the kingdom tomorrow because it'll trouble me." Aiden said in a cold tone that sounded indifferent. From behind her back, Calistha was seen snorting bitterly at the arrogant man who was currently walking in front of her. In Calistha's heart alluded to the coldness of the man who was already completely beyond help.

        "Basic ice guy. If I get sick, I'll take care of myself. I don't need your help." Calistha sneered softly, but sounded out loud as they were currently in the middle of a deserted forest.

        "So you don't need my help? All right, I'm not gonna get you any food. I'm gonna

return to the cottage to warm my body again." said Aiden casually. The man then immediately turned around to return to the old cottage again. But, the noise from Calistha's stomach made the man stop and laugh out loud in front of Calistha. While Calistha who initially looked angry and resentful, immediately fell silent for a moment while observing Aiden's facial expression that was so loose. It was his first experience seeing Aiden laugh, and it managed to make him feel disbelief because he thought Aiden was a cruel and stiff man who could not smile at all, let alone laugh. But, seeing how Aiden laughed at this moment, made Calistha inevitably have to admit one thing, if Aiden was very handsome if he was laughing like that.

        "Aiden, are you really laughing?" ask Calistha not to believe it. Since then the woman was still staring at Aiden's face with a doubtful face that looks so funny in Aiden's eyes, until Aiden reflexively raised one of his hands to rub Calistha's head several times.

        "Of course I'm really laughing."

        "really? How much grief do you endure until you look like this, cold, arrogant, and arrogant? You must have kept so much in your heart." - guess Calistha sympathized. Aiden smiled bitterly in response to Calistha's remark and preferred not to respond to it further. Know if in the end he will reveal everything to Calistha and make himself weak in front of the woman.

Karukk krauk

        "Aiden, what's that noise?" ask Calistha was-was. Suddenly an unfamiliar voice that sounded like the sound of chewing echoed around them, making Calistha instantly turn wary while observing the state of her pitch-black surroundings. In contrast to the panicked Calistha, Aiden looked so relaxed as he continued walking forward without thinking anything. As long as the sound is not from a wild animal, then he will remain relaxed like he never heard anything around him.

        "Aaiden, what's that noise? What if suddenly a tiger came out of the bush and ate us? Stop for a minute, I'm scared."

        Calistha said those words to Aiden. He felt that his pride had now been

it really falls to the most basic level. But he doesn't care. There was still plenty of time to restore his pride that had already fallen before Aiden. After all, the man had already known the good and bad qualities so far.

        "Tiger? Just be right. There can't be any tigers here. You're too much." said Aiden sneering. The man continued to walk forward through the thickets of bushes that blocked his path. While Calistha who was behind him seemed to continue tailing while glancing fearfully at every bush he passed.

        "Aiden, we better go back to the old cabin and wait for your soldiers to come tomorrow morning. Looks like my hunger is gone."

            "What did you say? Look, I just found our lost dark horse. We can return to my kingdom now" Aiden said happily but disguised in a flat tone. Instantly Calistha immediately leaned forward to see the black horse that was currently busy eating the peach fruit in front of it. It was a sense of relief and happiness that immediately burst into his chest as he was able to leave this terrible forest immediately, although he was going home to the kingdom of Khronos, it did not matter. He will think about his fate after he arrives at the kingdom of Chronos.

            "Come, don't you want to go back to my kingdom?" aiden asked as he extended his hand to Calistha who was still busy daydreaming beneath him. With hesitation, Calistha began to extend her hand as she prepared to ride the dark horse. And in a single jolt, Calistha immediately landed her body perfectly in front of Aiden, making the woman's heart suddenly beat fast due to their position being so close like this.

        "Don't try to act stupid again by jerking my hand off this bridle and making me fall" Aiden recalled in a threatening voice. Looking at Aiden's terrifying aura that was re-emitting, Calistha was only able to swallow her saliva with great difficulty while nodding her head slowly. After that, Aiden

immediately put his horse forward with a bang, splitting the silence of the night with the sound of the pounding of his horse so loud.

        "Aiden, do I have any other choice but to be your destiny?" calistha murmured softly, but it turned out that his speech was still clearly heard in Aiden's ear, and with

firmly the man said no while staring at both of his beads in the eye for

momentary.

"No, your destiny is to be with me and to stand by me as king. So you have no other destiny but to live with me, or if you want you can keep running and dodge me. But, no matter how far you run and avoid me, then I will still chase you and look for you Calistha."

         Hearing Aiden's reply that was so resolute and undeniable, made Calistha only able to exhale his resignation while guessing how his life after this. Is it only so far his struggle to escape Aiden, or does he still have a chance to escape Aiden and choose his own destiny? I don't know, that question is too hard to answer, even he himself is not sure if he can do all that after what happened to him and all the innocent lives he sacrificed. He really doesn't want to involve anyone in his problems anymore. It is enough that he alone bears all the consequences of the actions he takes, not others or loved ones.