The Battle for Liferné

by Caleb Monroe

  “This very reason that we applaud my son is the same reason that I have invited all of you here tonight.” I have to stop moving, because the whole room has fallen silent and has turned their attention to their false king once again. “Tonight, in this very room, Cecilia herself is going to yield her rights to the throne and solidify my claim to the title of King of Liferné.” The crowd claps again, but Pontis talks over it, not waiting for their silence. “Once I am crowned King, I will make sure that the walls we have placed around our kingdom will NEVER come down, and you will be free to live the life you were born to live. A life free from contact with those who are beneath us, from those that are only here to help serve our purposes. So, with that being said, I want to welcome the former Queen of Liferné, my dear niece, Cecilia.”

  The doors to the ballroom are flung open, and all eyes turn to see the guest of honor as she enters the room with her head held high, not allowing anyone to see any hint of weakness or sadness that she might be feeling. They all clap as she progresses to the middle of the ballroom, mocking her for her former claim to the throne. I watch as she turns around bowing to everyone around her, but no one bows in return.

  She looks stunning in her custom blue robes. Her short hair is pushed to the side, framing her face perfectly. Everything about her is breathtaking, except for the sadness that she cannot seem to hide now as she spins around this crowded room of royals, anxiously awaiting the moment where she is torn down.

  Once the spectacle of her entrance is over, the rest of the party goes back to what they were doing before Pontis’ wife interrupted them with her speech. I look back at Pontis and see Tayus motioning for me to go to Cecilia. He grabs his father’s shoulder and takes his mother’s hand to lead them toward a group of white-robed royals gathered around a table full of fruit and meats on the other side of the room.

  He is providing me my opportunity to talk to Cecilia.

  I quickly dart between dancing couples, and I maneuver around the dancers with ease in order to make my way to Cecilia.

  “May I have this dance?” I ask.

  She does not even bother turning to see who is asking when she says, “I am really not in the mood to dance, sir.” I never noticed the subtle accent she has. She must have learned to suppress it while she spent time on my planet. I gently tap her on the shoulder, then ask her one more time. Cecilia turns toward me ready to firmly turn me down. When she sees it is me, her eyes light up in a way that brings me to life. “It’s you? You came for me.” We both look around to make sure no one heard how loudly she said that.

  She reaches out to hug me, but I take her hands in mine and dance with her instead. “This really isn’t the place or time for me to greet you like I want to,” I tell her.

  “I knew you would come. I never doubted you.” Cecilia helps to position us in a manner that will keep my back to Pontis while we dance. Her eyes look to the floor as she says, “But you have to get out of here, now. You are putting your life in danger every second you stay here.”

  “You mean because Pontis is in the room, or because the walls are lined with armed soldiers who will try to kill me once they discover who I am?” I put a big smile on my face to put her at ease.

  “Stop being cute. I’m serious, you could die tonight.” Cecilia pulls herself in a little tighter to me as we continue to dance to the soft music playing around us.

  “I count at least four ways for me to get of here tonight. I have been getting a lot of practice with escaping impossible situations these last few months, so this sticky predicament I currently find myself in is nothing out of the norm.” She laughs, and I feel my heart rate quicken. “You look beautiful, by the way. I guess they are taking care of you.”

  “They feed me and take me for walks twice a day. I’m practically a pet.”

  “Shadow would tell you that is a not such a bad thing.”

  “Where is he?” She lets her eyes search above, knowing he will not be far from me.

  “Close,” I tell her.

  “You know, I used to love these events,” Cecilia says as she glances around the room.

  “Dances?” I peek over my shoulder to make sure Pontis has not noticed us dancing yet.

  “Yes. My mother was never one to relish the idea of being a queen, but she did love coming to the balls with Father and me. It was one of the few occasions where I got a chance to see my mother and father be genuinely happy together. The idea of dressing up and going to a ball was something that we truly cherished between all of us.

  “While we danced and played as a family on those nights, I got to see my parents let all of the formality of who they were wash away. Those were the nights when we could truly be a family. There was no pretending to be someone that we were not so that we could keep everyone watching us happy. Getting ready for the ball was my favorite part. The seamstresses always designed and made the most beautiful dresses for us; usually we matched in some way. My mother knew how to fix my hair and makeup to highlight the work of the dressmaker. She taught me how to do these things, too.”

  “I bet you looked stunning.” I say with a laugh.

  “I got better as the years went.” She turns her eyes away from me as she says, “Now royal dances only make me sad. When I was fixing my hair and makeup tonight, I was reminded of how much I learned from my parents and how much is missing from this kingdom because they are gone.”

  “I know your dad died, but you’ve never really talked about what happened with your mother.”

  “My mother left this world six months after my father died. She didn’t die or abandon me, but she did leave me alone on this world. I can never forget that night. I was sitting on the castle wall staring at the stars above when my mother landed next to me on a griffin that was not hers. I asked what she was doing, and she simply told me she had to leave.

  “She told me that staying here and pretending to be a queen was something she could no longer do. She told me that the royal life was never a good fit for her, and I always knew that to be true. Leading this world as a queen was an annoying chore to her and was not something she saw as a way to right the wrongs that filled our kingdom.

  “My mother told me that leaving me would be the hardest thing she had ever done, but it was also the best thing for the kingdom. As long as she was around, there was no way I could be queen. My mother knew that she had to leave so that I could rule, and so that she could be free again. She was afraid to admit it, but deep down she wanted to run. She wanted to be free again. Free from the shackles that being a royal placed on her life, a life she wanted to be filled with adventure and danger, not obligatory meetings with royals who hated her. I always knew if she had the chance she would run away on a griffin to some far-off world, and that is exactly what she did.”

  “Your mother left on a griffin?” I ask with some disbelief.

  “Yeah. She was amazing like that.” You can hear the awe and respect with which Cecilia speaks of her mother. “I hurt for a while after she flew off, but I came to understand that what she did that night was only out of love and respect for the woman she knew I was going to become. She knew that I would make a great ruler, and she also knew I was ready to lead.” Cecilia breaks eye contact with me and begins to look out over the royals surrounding us. I watch as her soft smile begins to fade away, leaving a sad expression that hurts me to look upon.

  “Why are you sad?” I gently lift her chin so that I can look into her eyes again. “I am going to get you out of this. I swear.”

  “It’s not that, Jacob.” Her eyes begin to scan the room again. “Look at them. These sheep.” I follow her gaze but I see nothing other than the same royals who have been wanting me dead for the last three months. “These are not the same people my father once ruled over.”

  We continue to sway as the music dances around us. “What do you mean?”

  “It’s as if everything my father, their previous king, once stood for and fought for never existed at all. They stand here in this roo
m throwing a party to signify the death of everything he represented as king.” I see tears form in the corner of Cecilia’s eyes. “It was no mystery to me that my father was not the king they hoped for. The way he valued everyone’s lives equally always made the royals uneasy, but I never imagined that they would tear down everything he strived to instill in our kingdom in such a short period.

  “I want to hate the royals for how they are treating me and the rest of our kingdom, but sorrow is the only thing my heart will feel for them. A deep sadness that makes me yearn for a return to the old ways before Pontis’ reign. A time when our kingdom was still far from perfect, but at least we cherished each other. Our citizens once valued the lives of everyone in the kingdom, but that was before my mistake. Before I got stuck on your world and left my people to be molded by Pontis into what he always envisioned our world should be.

  “I must restore our world to its proper order. I know what must be done to right this tumultuous path and bring us back to the glorious kingdom we once inhabited. A place where everyone mattered and no one stood on the back of anyone else as they tried to climb to new heights. Our world needs a leader who understands what it means to lose everything and fight to regain it. Fight to the very brink to restore all that matters to them, not an overprivileged brat who thinks their jaded view of the world is the only way it can properly function.” There is a fire burning deep inside Cecilia that is beginning to grow. I can hear it in the way she speaks with such ferocity.

  “Which is exactly why you can’t give your throne up to Pontis.” I move my head so that Cecilia is forced to look me in the eyes, but her infectious passion to rise up and fight has yielded control to the fear and sorrow that has been weighing her down these last few months.

  She says in a soft, defeated tone, “But Pontis has all the power now. There is nothing I can do to avoid the outcome of this night.”

  I refuse to let the graceful, powerful, and intimidating woman–that I know Cecilia to be–fade into this fragile and scared little girl who I hold in my arms. I have to do something, and it must be now. I smile as I tell her, “If I do this, then Pontis will certainly forget about you and the throne.” I pull her in tight and give her the kiss I have wanted to give her since we last saw each other. The whole room seemed to ignore the fact that someone was dancing with Cecilia, the sad former and forgotten queen, but her being kissed is something they cannot overlook.

  I hear the whispers of the crowd beginning to grow louder, but I don’t care. I pull back from the kiss, and she asks me, “Why did you do that?”

  “Like you really have to ask. Just promise you will hold out for a few more days, I am about to give Pontis a reason to ignore you tonight.”

  I let go of Cecilia’s hand, as she frantically tries to grab on to them again saying, “Don’t do this. He will kill you!”

  I throw my hands into the air shouting, “What a party! I mean did you see the spread they have over at that table, and how about the music? Can we get some applause for the band?” Cecilia tries to grab my arm again, but I pull away smiling. I move closer to the band clapping as loud as I can.

  “What is the meaning of this?” Pontis and his wife are now making their way through the crowd of royals that have gathered around me. “Who is causing a commotion at MY coronation party!?”

  “That would be me.” I put the biggest smile on my face as Pontis makes eye contact with me.

  “It’s him, darling. It’s Jacob!” Pontis’ wife shouts.

  “The one and only. What you’ve heard about me is true, I do want to destroy your way of life and build a world in its place where everyone is valued for who they are, not for what they own or take from others.”

  Pontis’ face turns as red as an apple. “You will die tonight!”

  “No!” I run for the table next to me and hop on it kicking the food and drinks all over the royals gathered around the table. They all scatter as if I am going to kill them on the spot. “But everyone in this room is in danger.”

  “From you!” A random voice shouts from the crowd.

  “Not from me, you fool, but from the invading Mortem Mangoner army that will be here any day. They are preparing to attack with the overwhelming force of their entire army and burn your kingdom to ashes.”

  The whole room erupts into murmuring. People don’t know whom to believe. Could I possibly be telling the truth? Is Pontis hiding this important fact from the people it would affect the most? They look around and then finally stand to look at Pontis, waiting for his response.

  Pontis holds his hands up high yelling, “Silence!” The whole room dies down in seconds, and the only voice to be heard now is Pontis’. “There is nothing to fear, everyone. There is no invading army on Liferné.”

  “You’re right, Pontis, but there will be soon.” I am feeding off the unrest I’m feeling from the royals. They are not sure which one of us is telling the truth.

  “And how would you know this? Unless you are working with them, there is no way to know what they are planning. They are a nomadic tribe that moves from universe to universe using those horrid monsters.” Pontis is trying to discredit me, but I keep going.

  I leap off the table causing many of the nobles to scatter to the other side of the room. “I know, because I found them when Shadow and I were in another universe. I saw their battle plans, and it was clear that Liferné was their next stop. This is not an attempt to undermine you, Pontis. I am only trying to save everyone in this kingdom, contrary to that false propaganda you keep spreading.”

  The room stirs again, and I can tell Pontis is flustered by the look on his face. He tells me, “They have tried to raid our cities before, but our walls have kept us safe,” Pontis turns to address those around him saying, “and they will stand forever strong! We will be safe!”

  I see the royals in the room start to nod in agreement, so I counter him by saying, “You might have been able to handle a small raiding party of the Mortem Mangoners, but this time you will have to deal with the full force of their entire army. What I saw were over ten thousand crystal soldiers who are just waiting for word from their leader to strike.

  “They have the fighters, the warhounds, the weapons, and enough Imago to make these magic walls crumble like sandcastles. They are going to kill everyone, royal and lower kingdom alike.” The royals are listening to me and are looking frightened and confused. “The only hope this kingdom has of surviving is to unite as one people. It will take everyone fighting together to win this war.”

  The room has degraded into complete chaos. Many of the party goers are trying to leave, some are fighting with each other over the validity of what I just said, and others are surrounding Pontis begging for help or a solution to the problem I presented.

  Pontis shoves a royal who is clinging to his shoulder and shouts, “Enough!!!!! I will not allow you to send my kingdom spiraling into self-destruction over some false claim.”

  “This is not a false…”

  “Tayus, bring me his head!” Pontis throws his hand out pointing at me, and I watch as the royals in the room move to the sides of the dance floor allowing Tayus to make his way to me. This is a particular problem I know how to handle, but the fact that every soldier that was standing guard around the walls is now beginning to box me in on the dance floor is something I am not sure I can deal with all by myself.

  “You arrogant fool. Did you really think you could just come to this celebration for my father and leave here alive?” Tayus comes storming at me, looking as if he wants to kill me. I see a slight glint in his eye, which tells me everything is going to be fine. I decide to give my best impression of a true opponent.

  “How many times have we done this, Tayus? You haven’t caught me yet, and tonight will be no different.” The soldiers have nearly boxed me inside the inner portion of the dance floor. I can still see the window behind me, but there is one soldier in my way. “Surely you can’t be as blind as your father. The crystal army will be here any day, a
nd if the whole kingdom does not unite, then we are all doomed, rich or poor.”

  “You talk too much, Jacob.” Tayus unsheathes his broadsword, and I hear a chorus of blades unsheathing from the rest of the soldiers on the dance floor. “When I give the word, proceed as planned.” As he says that last line, Tayus looks around the room at the soldiers.

  Something is up.

  I spin around saying, “Whatever happens tonight, you people have to be ready for the invading army. They will kill every one of you, and there is nothing your wall can do to save you from them. You will need to enlist the help of the lower rings if you want to survive this attack.”

  “Tayus, silence him!” Pontis yells.

  “Father,” Tayus is now in striking range. “I want you and mother to know that I do love you, and that I do this for your sake.”

  “Yes, son, kill him, and we will celebrate tonight with his head hanging from the walls of the castle doors.” Pontis wears the face of a proud father as his son moves in to take the kill shot.

  “Tonight begins the end of your reign, monster!” Tayus raises his sword and brings it crashing down on the soldier to his left hitting him on the armor covering his arm, and with everyone caught in dismay, I quickly pull my Sica out and parry the oncoming attack from the soldier to my right. I spin around punching the soldier with the hilt of my blade, knocking him out.

  “What is the meaning of this!?” Pontis shouts.

  “Tayus, what are you doing?” His mother asks with a confused look.

  “I’m sorry, Mother but I can’t pretend to be your little soldier anymore. I have been living a lie trying to hold up to the appalling standards you have for me.”

  “You ungrateful boy. After all I have done for you, and you…”

  “No!” Tayus points his sword right at Pontis, causing him to back up even though he is ten feet away and in no danger of being struck. “What you have done to this kingdom is unforgivable. What you did to Jiriah was unforgivable, and I will not let that happen to another innocent person in our kingdom! You turned the people against themselves, and you dismissively ignore a great threat placing everyone in danger. Your pride has turned you into something else; you are a shell of the man you once were.”