Chapter 5 The War

At first, it was blurry and soon everything began to clear, she blinked, and only the priestess saw that. and was equally shocked.

"Nonsense." The king spoke and everyone stood up immediately except Lucan.

"She's blind." He continued looking around at the faces of the people gathered.

"My daughter should rule." He yelled.

A tear fell from Avila's eyes, her very first tear after three years, her father always made her cry with those words. It hurts her to think that her very own family never took her as family, they treated her so badly and never acknowledged her as a princess.

The people looked among themselves, "Princess Avila, is she not your daughter?." The left minister asked.

"Are you asking me a question?." The king snapped and stood up.

He quickly went down on his knees, "Forgive me, my king."

"Who else wants to go against my wish?." He asked and they looked among themselves without speaking.

"Then this case is settled. Princess Ivy should be prepared to be crowned." He finalized and made to sit down.

"It doesn't stop the fact that princess Avila is the keeper of the staff." The priestess stated, stopping him abruptly.

Everyone began murmuring.

"My king, this might provoke the heavens." The priestess continued.

The ministers said together, "Your Highness, please reconsider your decision."

Everyone was against him.

There was only one thing, to use Avila against them. He looked at Avila.

"Do you still want the throne, Avila?." He asked.

Everyone looked at Avila.

Avila's face was up, she could now see the face of her father, the man who hated her more than anything in the world. She could not believe it, if anyone had told her that the first person she was to see once she gained her sight was her father, she would not believe that.

Avila knelt before the people and the king.

"How can that be? I can't see or do anything. How can I do anything for the kingdom?." She asked rhetorically, and the king smiled, "After all. My sister has been trained all her life to rule the kingdom."

"Did you hear that?." The king asked triumphantly.

"Is that what you want to hear, King Williams?" She asked, and everyone looked shocked. Her face was cold and she did not know how she could muster such courage to speak to the king like that.

She stood up, "I will let her rule on one condition," She continued and his smiles ceased.

"That you acknowledge me as your daughter," Avila said.

"Yes, you're my daughter. You're princess Avila." He answered and began laughing.

"And you say your daughter shall rule? I am now your daughter, I shall rule with her."

The laugh stopped in an instant. Avila had just used him.

"What!." He exclaimed and raised his brows.

"You just acknowledge me as your daughter and the princess of this kingdom, you shall not lock a princess inside her room anymore, you've just given me the right to the affairs of the kingdom. Nevertheless, I'd asked Ivy to rule with me because it was what we bargained for. Is that not right my king?."

The king was still getting over the shock but she continued.

"After all, I am the keeper of the staff. If I'm going to let go of the crown, it depends on how the princess and the royal household treat me from now on."

"Is the princess crazy? How can she bargain with her throne like that?." A minister muttered.

"I don't think she has any idea of what she's doing. Who cares if the king acknowledges her presence?." Another replied.

"Seriously, I do not think the princess was this wise, do you know what she just did? she just earned the people's trust and she made us think that without her, the kingdom won't be able to move forward." Rolfe shaded more light to them, and Ramus nodded in agreement, "And even if princess Ivy is crowned, the people will always see the princess as the chosen one. It doesn't matter who sits on the throne, right now all that matters is the keeper of the staff." Ramus stated with a smile.

"I was worried that she would never make a name for herself, I'm glad I chose the right woman for myself." He added and King Lucan turned to look at him.

He folded his hand on the table when he heard that. How dare he? But the anger was soon replaced with anger for king William, it's time he showed himself.

Suddenly he stood up, grabbed the arrow and bow beside him, and shot it towards the king, which flew past the king's face giving him a cut on his cheek and got stuck at his throne.

Everyone went panicking in an instant.

The king regained from shock and tilted his head to Lucan with anger.

"Are you crazy? how dare you?." He yelled, the guards quickly covered him, pointing their swords at Lucan.

"Do you think you'll leave here alive, king Lucan?."

King Lucan chuckled and began walking so confidently toward the middle of the hall. That chuckle...Avila recognized it, his smell...she knew it. The young man who had talked with her in the garden.

Avila turned and suddenly lost staring at him. He looked just as handsome as she imagined, with long black hair which rested at his back, he was attractive with stunning cold black eyes, yet they looked cute, well-defined features, and his chiseled jaw looked so sharp like it could cut through papers, he still had his wooden bow in his hand.

"Do you think I'm stupid enough to come here alone?." Lucan snapped back and raised his bow again. This time, he shot his arrow at his head, taking off his crown which fell to the ground.

It was so humiliating.

"Now you see how it looks to be humiliated, you did the worst to my father, my father practically begged you with his knees on the ground. Don't worry, I'm coming to that later, let's just have a fair fight. I'm declaring a war on you and your people. I'm gonna take your lands and make you suffer, get ready because the next time I come here, I'm bringing death with me." He finished, looked at Avila, and left the throne hall.

A few minutes passed, and no one spoke.

The king was tired, so he sat down on his throne.

"I think we have more issues at hand."

The priestess said, "I'll consult the heavens for what to do, we can still do the rain ritual tomorrow. Princess, be ready." She bowed and walked out with her divine maidens.