The Real Ending

         The Kaithronese men and the Aynahn men continued to stare at each other, still prepared to attack if the other suddenly tried something. One of the men of Kaithronese started to laugh. “There is only one way to end this,” he growls under his breath. Instantly Kier shields me, drawing his own sword.

        But it was too late that he realized what the Kaithronese man meant by that.

        A cry was loosed from within my throat, in a gurgling kind of way. For a moment time froze as everything around my started to spin. Not a sound was made and I stared straight ahead of me at Kier’s back, trying to catch a breath as I was suddenly suffocating. 

        But then the time was no longer frozen and everything moved in fast motion. The two men from Aynah lunged at the men from Kaithron all the while that an ear piercing scream was heard from across the battlefield, at the front line of the Kaithronese side.

        Kier wobbled then fell to his knees while I flung myself at him. It was complete horror before my eyes, as Kier’s face cringed in pain and he fought to hold his head up, holding the wound in his stomach as the blood dripped from it. My eyes clouded up with tears as I held his head up, trying to get me to look at me.

        Before he was slaughtered, I could hear the last haunting chant of the Kaithronese man who stabbed his own heir. “You will live a long, miserable life with that memory, w***e!”

        Kier didn’t say anything, just moan in pain, crouching over. I swallowed, wishing there was something I could do to undo what had been done, wishing I could take it all back. 

        “This is all my fault,” I choked out and Kier fell down to lie on his back. “Kier don’t leave me.”

        “Callea,” it hurt him to talk. “It’s not your fault.”

        Nothing else was said because a war to fight to the death had begun and my husband died before my eyes. My own guards dragged me from him as I tossed in their arms, screaming and trying to go back. They couldn’t take his life and not mine. They couldn’t keep me alive when he was dead.

        But I had failed that day. I had failed, and it cost me the loss of the second man I learned to love in this world. There was only one man left that I’d allow to take his place, but for everything else my heart had shattered and it refused to love anything else besides that third man.

        *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

        Time passed slowly. Seasons seemed to never change because it was always either raining or snowing, never daring to let down.

        That moment was here.

        I turned my head over to my brother and sister. They smiled warmly, foiling the cold I felt. I turned to look forward again, not letting expression cross my face as I patiently let time tick by pointlessly.

        Words ceased their murmurings and too soon the crown was placed upon my head. “Aynah, we present to you, your Queen, Queen Callea of Aynah from this day until she dies.”

        Though the welcoming chants were loud, I didn’t hear them. I could only stare at the bright faces that had betrayed me once. It had taken me fifteen more years to let myself forgive them for the betrayal that had shown me once, but in that moment which was supposed to be the most glorious of my life I felt that same hatred for them. I felt no sense of compassion for them, no sense of pity that they all now had to bow down at my feet and obey every word I said. Most of them agreed with me now, but those were not the ones who had been so treacherous and cruel to me. The ones that hated me were the ones I didn’t care that I was now their supreme being, and all of Aynah was going to fight on my side against those men.

        I continued to stare forward as the announcement of who would reign as the heir was called. My son came and took my side. He stared right at me but I couldn’t make myself face him in that instant. I couldn’t help but wonder if his life would be taken soon to, truly crumbling me once more.

        “They’re in approval mother. You hear that? They’re ready to obey their Queen,” he said, so only I could hear. I turned to face him and when our eyes met I allowed myself to smile, halfheartedly. His green eyes were filled with a joy only I knew, with a love only I could describe.

        “And so they shall as they learn a new meaning for hate.”