The Queen Of Time
The Bloody Sword (Nine)
Calistha continued to hug Max's body tightly while closing her eyes tightly. He did not expect if in the end he could meet Max, the man he loved. After these two days he was frustrated and felt guilty because he had been the cause of the collapse of the kingdom of Hora. He then removed his embrace from Max's body and looked into Max's pitch-black eyes with his already teary eyes.
"Max, how can.. I thought you were dead. I'm sorry Max, I. I.."
The thin lips instantly stopped speaking as Max placed his index finger in front of Calistha's red lips. The handsome man shook his head slowly while smiling sincerely at Calistha. He did not blame the woman at all. He feels guilty for Calistha because he cannot protect her and must make her suffer from being dragged by Aiden to be his bride.
"Sstt, relax, you're innocent. I just wanted to apologize to you because I couldn't protect you. I'm sorry Cals." Please Max feel guilty. Calistha seemed to wipe her tears slowly while nodding at Max. The woman then pulled Max's hand to sit on a soft red chair near her bed.
"How did you come to this kingdom? What if the soldiers of the cruel king come to arrest you?" calistha asked in panic and worry. Max then holds Calistha's shoulders tightly to calm the woman down.
"Cals, take it easy, I managed to trick all those soldiers, including the loyal bodyguard of king Aiden. Are you all right? Did the king hurt you?" max asked worriedly while looking at Calistha's body one by one. Calistha slowly shook her head while looking at Max.
"The cruel king did nothing to me, but.."
"But why Cals? Tell me." said Max impatiently as he shook Calistha's shoulder many times. Both of Max's eyes seemed to emit a look of worry that was so thick, that Calistha did not feel the heart to see Max who had to bear all his actions.
"But the king will marry me tomorrow at the full moon. He said that I was his queen who could save him from the curse he suffered. What am I supposed to do, Max? I don't want to marry him. I don't want to marry that pervert king!" calistha seemed emotional. Max embraces Calistha's shoulders, and brings the woman's head into the chest of her field.
"I'm going to take you away, Cals, my purpose in coming here is to help you. Yesterday my mother and I met one of the rebel members who saved us. Her name is Gazelle."
Hearing the name Gazelle called, Calistha immediately straightened his body while staring at Max did not
believing. He thought Gazelle was dead when the kingdom of Chronos attacked Hora's cause because Gazelle never returned to accompany him. But, after he heard Max's explanation that Gazelle was alive and had helped the man, Calistha became relieved and felt grateful. At least his guilt is slightly lessened. Ever since he was captured by Aiden, he had never again felt a peaceful, calming life. Every second of his life is always haunted by guilt that continues to make his chest continue to wriggle tight.
"Thank God you met Gazelle. She's a good woman."
"You know him?" max asked in surprise. Calistha then nodded her head softly while smiling gently at Max. It seems like a good time to tell everything. All the things he had hidden from Max long ago.
"I've known Gazelle for a long time. We often practiced swords and martial arts together. And as far as I know, she's a tough woman."
"Wait, since when did you practice swordsmanship and martial arts. Have you been hiding something from me all this time?"
Max seemed to frown in confusion as he continued to stare at Calistha's face asking for an explanation.
"I'm sorry I never told you this whole time. Actually I used to sneak out to go to the forbidden forest and study martial arts together with the rebels. Usually I go out through the back door used by kitcheners to go shopping to the market. I'm sorry Max, but I really wanted to learn martial arts and swordsmanship because I thought it would be useful to protect me. Please don't be angry." said Calistha timidly as she squeezed the end of her dress.
"I'm not angry at all. I'm just proud of you, Cals. You are the most beautiful woman
strong that I've met." said Max sincerely while stroking Calistha's hair softly, making the woman blush in shame because of Max's very gentle treatment.
"So, what are your plans and Gazelle's? Are you guys gonna take me away?"
"Yes, we're here to take you away, Cals. Gazelle has her own grudge against King Aiden, after all, so she wants to avenge that man's ill-treatment through you. Do you want to come with us? Although I can't promise you an easy life if you decide to join us, considering I'm now part of a rebel group. My life is really not easy right now."
"I will go with you, no matter how difficult the obstacles we will pass, but if we face them together, it will definitely all feel easier" Calistha concluded. Max then got up from his seat while pulling Calistha's hand to stand up as well.
here's. I think Gazelle has found a safe way out of this kingdom, we should hurry to meet Gazelle who has been waiting for me in the back garden."
Hearing Max's explanation, Calistha seemed to flinch at his place while staring sadly at Max. He could not just leave this kingdom without Tiffany, because if Aiden knew he had escaped, then that ruthless man would have killed Tiffany so viciously. Just like that guy did to
women who served as a dinner menu for their wild animals.
"I can't just leave Max. I have to save Tiffany, she is my only surviving sister after what Aiden did to my other sisters. Aiden would've killed Tiffany if I had escaped from his palace. So before I actually leave this kingdom, I have to save Tiffany first, can you help me? Please Max, I can't let him be Aiden's wild pet. I don't want to see Tiffany die in the tiger's den." Calistha asked Max while wiping the water
his tears have run down the river. Seeing Calistha who was waiting in front of him made Max unbearable and inevitably nodded in agreement to save Tiffany. After all, if Calistha is unhappy after coming out of this kingdom, then she will never be happy either. Calistha was the source of her happiness.
"Alright, we'll save Tiffany after this. But we must meet Gazelle first because he must know a safe secret way to free your sister. Now remove your tears. I will pretend to be your bodyguard who will escort you to the back garden of the palace. Are you ready?"
"Yes, I'm ready. May the Lord always protect us all." Calistha prayed fervently before she walked quietly across her spacious room to go out and meet Gazelle in the garden. But behind that calmness was hidden a fear so great in his heart. It actually isn't
afraid that he will eventually have to die in this kingdom, but he is very afraid that he will make Max and Gazelle wretched for trying to save him. Somehow, his hunch said that this would not be well done.
-00-
In another room inside the palace, Gazelle was sneaking around while tightly grasping a tray containing a cup of tea. After he removed his disguise as a soldier, Gazelle immediately changed the disguise into the clothes of a servant. With determined and confident steps, Gazelle immediately pushed the large wooden door that loomed before her. When his foot stepped on the red carpet in the room, his memory suddenly soared to the events of a few years ago, at that time he often came to this room without the need to disguise himself as a servant like this. Gazelle then placed the cup containing tea that he brought to the large table in the middle of the room. The woman slowly stroked the edge of the table while closing her eyes. He really missed those moments. The time when he often spent in this room waiting for Aiden to complete his royal duties or just to disturb the man who was too serious to look at all the reports given by various village chiefs throughout his colony.
Gazelle then stepped onto the balcony inside Aiden's room which led directly to the palace grounds. Usually from the balcony he could see Aiden walking with the ministers to discuss various plans to build his kingdom. Now, all those memories were like thorns in his heart that could stab him at any moment and hurt him. If only the man had also returned his love, he would definitely not have ended up like this. Ended up as a miserable woman full of vengeance.
Vague Gazelle could see some ministers walking in the palace's large courtyard while talking about something. Suddenly a drop of clear liquid that he had been holding back was dripping slowly over his white cheeks. He misses his father so much. The old man looks so dashing down there in his shirt
the red minister of war. Gazelle then rubbed the tears roughly while gripping the balcony barrier wood tightly. He must not be weak, for if he is weak he will be easy to destroy. He looked at his father again while determined in his heart if he would not lose to his past. She had to forget those beautiful memories from inside her brain so that she would not turn into a weak melancholic woman. Gazelle then turned her body while tidying up the ends of her slightly shabby dress, intending to get out from within Aiden's private room. But, suddenly his movements stopped just like that when he saw a man looking at him deeply, while putting his hands in his pants pocket. With a stiff movement, Gazelle tried to approach the man while showing her a cynical smile that looked clumsy and awkward. For a long time they had never met, since the events of five years ago that made him ashamed and humiliated half to death, Gazelle never again met the man. Although he admitted it, he missed the man. The man who always comforts her and gives her wise advice if she complains about the never-smooth fate of her lover.
"Spencer, long time no see. Looks like you're okay." said Gazelle flatly as she stared cynically at Spencer's two beads. The man looked so calm in front of Gazelle and tried to be as habitual as possible to her, even though his heart was now rumbling because he missed her so much.
"Yes, I'm fine, and it looks like you are too. After a long time you disappeared, it turns out you still have the courage to enter the private room of His Majesty King Aiden. What are you gonna do, Gazelle? Never be foolish to challenge king Aiden because he is no match for you." - Spencer solemnly said. Gazelle looked grievously disliked Spencer's warning as if the man was underestimating his abilities. Though he was very sure if he could avenge him on Aiden, because he had Calistha on his side.
"Huh, you doubt me huh? Doesn't matter. But, I will never stop to take my revenge on Aiden. If you knew how my heart ached, you wouldn't have told me to stop trying to avenge all my pain on Aiden."
"Trust me I understand how you feel. But, try to make peace with the past and return to your previous life. Don't you miss your family? Besides, if you want to pay attention to the people around you, you will definitely feel their love so great for you. Please stop wishing on His Majesty Aiden, Your Majesty will soon be married to
the queen who was destined to be with him." persuaded Spencer subtly, trying to resuscitate the woman before him if she was a meaningful woman. But, it seems that it did not touch Gazelle at all, the woman was even more angry when she heard the news from Spencer that Aiden was going to marry his queen.
"Married? So Aiden is getting married while my heart still hurts? She was really mean." Gazelle disliked, trying to hide the pain in her stifling heart. Spencer is seen looking at the woman's dislike face while sighing softly. It turned out that what Aiden said to him this morning was indeed true. From the very beginning Aiden knew all the plans Gazelle was going to make, so he was here to warn her not to go any further, because Aiden won't let Gazelle out of his castle alive. Sooner or later Aiden will send his troops to capture Gazelle and kill the woman if he dares to mess with her wedding plans.
"You better get out of this kingdom now while His Majesty Aiden is still giving you a chance. Because you must know that His Majesty Aiden will not let you go alive if you are captured by the soldiers of the kingdom of Khronos." Spencer recalled calmly, but hidden worry in every sentence.
"I will leave this kingdom soon. But, don't expect me to back down and succumb to that bastard king of yours, because I will still avenge him." gazelle said full of promise and immediately walked out of Aiden's private room which made his emotions peak. As Gazelle passed through Spencer's body, the woman deliberately smashed his shoulder against Spencer's shoulder while staring cynically at the man.
"See you on the battlefield" Gazelle sighed cynically and went straight out of the room, leaving Spencer alone with his worried and frustrated feelings.