EMPEROR AND I

FURIA

Torrential rain brewed all over the land of Furia―an omen for bad luck.

The night was restless as the wind churned and wailed widely, laboring against the ensued carnage. Bolts of lightning attempted to spark the sky with neon but valorously, the opaque pregnant clouds swallowed the luminescence with gloom. However nature writhed in chaos, silence managed to stagnate the air inside the Furian palace. It had been two days and still they waited in thick suspense.

Slow, yet light, footsteps were heard and in great antic.i.p.ation everyone hoped that the torrential rain was nothing but a dog barking without teeth. No bad omen was supposed to exist on this long awaited day, especially when everything had to work for their good. It was the only way they could continue to survive.

Things had to go right.

She had to be alive.

Quietly the woman walked in, her body swaying with grace as she took each step. Although she had screamed her lungs out for the past nights, one could not tell. Her broad magnificent wings kept flapping to and from showcasing her excitement.

At her sight, the whole audience knelt down with earnest greetings.

"Her highness, our queen has done well," they commended.

She smiled and looked down at what lay in her hands. Tiny it was but the most precious thing ever. Her little eyes were slightly closed, her small mouth opening and closing as she breathed. Pale skin, with beautiful ash blonde hair brushed her forehead. When she finally blinked her pearly eyes open, the fire within was exposed―a true fury indeed.

She was beautiful.

In triumph, the mother raised her pride and joy with a victorious laugh and the new born wriggled in the air.

At this ceremonious celebration, the Furian priestess stepped forward with her retinue of two and bowed before the queen. The queen grinned towards them and carefully handed over the the little princess.

"Eyes furnaced with fire, hair like the sun and skin like the moon," the Furial priestess spoke sternly. "Her Highness has done well."

The priestess" retinue giggled and sprinkled gold dust onto the little one. "Long live to our future queen."

The queen beamed at this as she took back her baby into her arms, her amber eyes turning liquid with tears of joy. With her golden curls, her exotic looks enthralled each eye that plucked up courage to glance at her.

"Long live the newborn! Arise by conquering our enemies and drive all the nations into jealousy by ruling the world. Arise oh arise and bring prosperity to the Land of Furia!" The room erupted.

"Your highness, that is the end of the doc.u.mented story pertaining the birth of our princess," the serving palace lady closed the book she was reading from. "Must I bring you a blanket, it"s getting cold here." Due to her countless years of duty, the palace lady could easily tell when her queen was getting the chills. And moreover, her highness was lounging on a stony balcony known for its low temperatures.

Queen Elora sighed and shook her head, "Books may lie but the truth carries much power. We may hide or imprison the truth, but so do we question ourselves "for how long?" Queen Elora looked below at the endless green gra.s.s that had birds perking around it for food.

The book doc.u.mented the birth of her daughter like a fairy tale although it had been the beginning of a horror story.

"Your Highness, if you don"t take care of your health, you may lose your life and who will bring the princess home?" The old maid begged for her mistress to see reason but the queen ignored her pet.i.tions.

"Why is this rabbit breathing so heavily?" The queen looked closely to examine the red-eyed rabbit that slept on her lap. The pet had been her daughter"s most treasured friend. Tired with age, each breath of his was a scuffle with death.

"You shall feed him my blood along with his dinner," the queen instructed.

"Your Highness please let nature take its course," the old woman pitied the rabbit, "these animals are not supposed to live this long." Fury royal blood healed one from their aches and pain but did not possess the power to stop one from aging or the effects of it thereof.

"Lady Naiyan seems to be forgetting her place." The queen chastised coldly and stood up to put the rabbit back in its cage.

It was near sunset, the sun kissing the Furian mountains goodnight while shadowing a splendor of orange. The queen"s skin resembled honey under the radiance and she loved it. It reminded her of her heydays when she was regarded as the most beautiful, exotic, enchanting and alluring.

When Queen Elora closed the cage, she swayed a little bit like she was intoxicated and her maid rushed to offer her aid.

"By day you worry for your daughter and at night you cry for your lover," Lady Naiyan stressed. Heavy feelings were not so kind to the people of Furia. If dwelt on for too long, they devoured a person alive like venom, leaving them for the grave. At just forty summers old, the queen"s hair had become snow and her skin wrinkled to mirror Lady Naiyan"s own although she was much older than her.

The Imperial General rushed onto their balcony, hurriedly bowing himself. "Report! Report! Report for her Highness!"

Lady Naiyan helped the queen back to her seat.

"If it is Huticah, I will lend my ear tomorrow." The queen waved her hand to be alone. Matters of Huticah always riled her up with anger. Furia was an independent nation lead by women, so how dare King Tobba continually threaten her? A man, for that matter.

"Forgive me, your Highness," the general persisted. "It"s Nevoria. Emperor Huizhong has formally threatened to start war if we continue to shield Huticah."

S.V