Chapter 16: The Truth


We were sequestered in the war room for hours. The sun rose and sat and we yet to agree on a plan.

Food was brought in at mid day and it sat there the whole day. Luca was the only one who served himself a portion of chicken and fruit. He handed me a plate but the tension in the room kept my hunger at bay. The rest sat there for the rest of the day.

Soldiers throughout the day kept rotating outside the doors, but only a specific set that had clearance to over hear the plans.

The plan, the plan was more of a stalemate of ideas. Everyone had one and no one wanted to commit to one to explore it further.

Every little detail had to be planned and agreed upon.

Everyone had to agree, but everyone wanted to be right. Who would take the glory of unifying the land and bringing peace.

"Three teams." Someone I had not known stood and addressed the room. He spoke confidently, turns out he was another Colonel, Colonel Hash. He was just as tall and big as Bull but he had bright red hair and light blue eyes. He spoke fast and angry, but he wasn't, that was just how he spoke.

"We make three teams. One for the sword, one for the fire, and then the stand-by team for the castle. There is no way we can march an army into Vanderlip. It has to be a specific group that can infiltrate in the night take the castle. By stealth." He motion with his hand moving slow then fast. His eyes widened at the last of his statement.

Licianna groaned and slammed her good fist on the table and moved some pieces. She exhaled annoyed and slightly glanced back at Amber Rose and spoke.

"There is a reason we chose the Royal Castle to be there and not here in Pivell." She looked around waiting for someone to see what she meant. Her eyes dance across the room waiting for someone to see what she knew.

Blank stares greeted her and she rolled her eyes. Her Father smiled and she rolled her eyes again.

"The underground tunnels. If we don't take those, then the ambush is for naught. We'll get flanked from every angle every way from here to-" she didn't finish her sentence and groaned loudly.

"Then we need at least six teams." Someone else suggested. She turned to the direction of the voice.

"We don't have enough for that."

"Plus your useless." Parker interrupted and sat there smugly unfazed at Licianna's glare. Her left hand in that black sling. I had no idea what her recovery process was.

"I doubt you can torture anyone now." Parker smirked and Licianna stood up so fast her chair flew back. Her hand on the hilt of her saber. Amber Rose grabbed her forearm and whispered to her. Licianna refused to stand down, Amber Rose's fingers dug into her bicep.

Of course the General narrowed his eyes at this and I studied the room.

The way Amber Rose leaned into Licianna and the way Licianna relaxed.

I had to look away, Luca gently placed his hand on my forearm.

"I can still hurt you one hand down." Licianna continued and threatened verbally but released her saber.

Parker ignored her, she knew Licianna would not hurt her. They were stuck with each other. During Licianna's recovery, Parker was her bodyguard. I guess when Parker lost her family crest, she was absolved into the Blas family. Parker might be rude and ruthless but she did follow orders and was loyal. So it seems in the end, they tolerated each other better.

"It's true," Luca exhaled deeply and looked to his father. He stood and cleared his throat. He patted my shoulder and side stepped around me to the center of the room.

The General stoically looked at his son. "She is useless. We don't have that Licianna, we lost Brian and our next best assassin is with the Princess. The original trio is gone. The original three that ended the great war are gone. Not just that, Erjon the best stealth assassin is with the Princess. I'm sorry my dear sister, one arm down. Erjon will win this time."

The General reluctantly grunted in agreement. The room murmured and I heard Erjon's name being echoed and repeated.

Who was Erjon?

Of course the Blas were the ones who were credited in ending the great war. From what I had heard from Luca over the last few weeks. Things were actually more complex than what the public knew.

Licianna swallowed hard and looked away. Her neck muscles strained at being reminded that she had a handicap.

"This is not like the war where the trio worked seamlessly together and we were able to topple two kingdoms. That was just three people. We're down to half of a half. It's not as easy as before." Luca inhaled deeply and Licianna exhaled loudly.

Licianna became the main topic.

"Is the arm dead?" Another adviser asked and Licianna exhaled through her nostrils sharply. Amber Rose shifted in her seat. I'm sure this whole time Amber Rose and Licianna had a chance to address their issues as well. Amber Rose was ordered to personally take care of her and maintain her in good health. Licianna looked healthy but no one knew what the extent of the function of her arm was.

The silence was deafening, everyone stared at her intently. She lowered her eyes down and stared at her own hand. Her gaze willingly it to move.

She took a deep breath and addressed the room.

"The pinky is the only thing that currently has movement." She avoided all eye contact.

The General exhaled almost relieved. It seemed even he didn't know the answer himself. I had asked Luca why it was so important for Licianna to have a dead limb on her than no limb.

Military rules were, if you were limbless your service was over. Even if the limb was non functional but still attached, you can still hold rank.

"How much of the forest has burned?" The topic switched.

I heard Luca scoff, "There is no number, we can see miles in now. More than we had in the last twenty-five year. We have a scouter but he can't get ahead of the fire."

Licianna closed her eyes and rubbed her face. Gazes went to her again.

"I will not apologize for the damn forest." She looked at Bull first and then at everyone else. Her eyes landed on me last and she held my gaze. Her eyes, a conflict within her brewed.

"No," she shook her head.

The silence settled and then someone cleared their throat.

"Have we tried setting a meeting with my sister?" I spotted Alex near the General. Someone shook their head in response and Parker scoffed, "He can't see."

"No, your majesty." The man who shook his head blushed and looked down at his feet.

"We know if we agree to a meeting she will attempt an assassination." Luca mentioned, "She has the man for the job. It would be a waste not to attempt it."

"I wouldn't expect any less from her and him to be honest." Alex lamented.

The silence fell over again, we were not getting anywhere. There was no agreement.

"What if we do it in sections one step at a time." I spoke and I hated the way my heart and my voice quivered, it was late and seeing Licianna so defeated. The ineptitude she was battling. We either needed to take an extra day or decide now.

I was sure Licianna was smiling at me and that was all the encouragement I needed.

I took a deep breath still waiting for someone to tell me to shut up.

General Blas nodded for me to continue.

"We can't storm the castle unless we have the sword. We need to get that first, and then we can plan the castle's infiltration plan." My hands trembled as I motion in a circle.

"True, first things first. Find the sword." Amber Rose spoke.

"Okay, do we still want to get ahead of the fire?" Bull asked, he was extremely concerned with the fate of the forest. General Blas nodded.

"Okay, we need two teams for now, Bull gather good men who can travel light and fast, if you can get ahead of the fire and cut down trees to stop the flow of fire. We can salvage what we can, before it reaches the second waterfall."

I heard mumbling, General Blas knew a lot about the forest and so did Bull. Licianna was surprised when she heard about the second waterfall. Her eyes narrowed slightly and she and Bull stared at each other.

"Luca, Parker, Emma and-"

"I'll go too." Licianna interrupted her father and he shook his head.

"I wasn't asking." He growled lowly.

The tension in the room was so heavy. We had been here for hours, no one had eaten, no break had been taken. It was a tense moment and it was finally breaking. The tension that father and daughter had not addressed in months.

"I said no." General Blas spoke low and slowly.

"I was not asking." Licianna repeated she stood and matched her father's gaze, "If you force me to stay in this damn position. I'm going to choose my missions then."

General Blas shifted his gaze to Amber Rose. Amber Rose knew what the General wanted her to say. Licianna turned her head and nodded to Amber Rose.

"She is in perfect health. Aside from limited mobility." The General narrowed his eyes.

"Clench your fist." General Blas commanded.

Licianna grunted and everyone's gaze fell on her hand. The small digit moved, the ring finger trembled uncontrollably, the muscle on her forearms bounced up and down, like a ripple under a body of water. She trembled and groaned fighting, and forcing any extra movement.

Amber Rose stood and grabbed her hand.

"Enough." She glared at the General.

"You asked me to save her arm, I did. You asked me to keep the diseased flesh from spreading, I did. You asked me to be in debt forever and I will. But this will not help her. We all know why she's here, because you wanted her here. Yet you never had the decency to see her when I had her flesh spread open for the world to see. You gave me no choice then and neither when you forced me to marry my husband. You need to stop dictating your children's lives. They are more than just soldiers. "

"Enough." General Blas voice boomed so loud. I saw Licianna's eyes widened at the revelation.

Licianna glared at her father. All these years, he had been the true reason for their separation.

That was the leverage she needed. Amber Rose gave it to her, damn the consequences.

"You stole everything from me. I'm going to the damn forest. I'm gonna reclaim the last bit of dignity I have left and end this war. Just like before father, because the Blas children have to keep making sacrifices."

Luca avoided his father's gaze and took a deep breath. Luca and I briefly made eye contact.

"You don't think I made sacrifices, your mother made the biggest, don't you dare talk to me about sacrifices." The General took two quick steps and Luca snapped and rushed to his side.

"You can't scare us with pain anymore." Luca smiled sadly and inhaled. The General eyes danced back and forth between both his children. Both stood stall and defiant.

"I know true pain." Luca whispered and patted his father's arm.

The room was uncomfortable as everyone did not know what to do or say. We had been stuck in this room for far too long.

Amber Rose patted Licianna's arm and made her way to the door.

The soldier's at the door blocked the exit and Parker shoved one into the wall.

"Stop pretending." She led Amber Rose out.

Licianna glared at her father then followed them out.

"Tomorrow at noon." Luca spoke still staring at his father.

The General grunted and turned to exit from the rear door, several soldiers rushed to his side.

I followed Luca and gave him a look. He smiled, "I know, I know."

"I wish we could just snap our fingers and have this whole mess go away." Luca glanced at me. He shrugged his shoulders, "Oh well."

I inhaled the cool night air, relishing the relief from being in the hot room. Being in that room had me dizzy from the heat.

"Why did you not tell me?" We followed the screams that rose from outside the far tavern. It was the dead of night, no one was up.

The moonlight was high and bright, the night was cold but the fury in Licianna's eyes was maddening. Parker stood off side letting them both argue, but still keeping watch.

"Why? You know damn well, the Princess was never going to allow the Queen for our courtship. Your Father was never going to allow you to wed. To me specifically. Or in general he never wants anyone to wed. Especially you two." Amber Rose noticed Luca and I.

"The Blas legacy ends here." Amber Rose pointed to the both of them.

"That is what the Order mandates."

Licianna rubbed her face confused.

"What damn Order. It doesn't exist. It some damn lie to keep us in control. The best damn thing I did was to burn the damn forest."

"It's not a lie and we could have ended the damn Order but, we didn't count on your dumb ass to burn the damn forest." Bull joined us.

"In the forest lies the Queen."

Luca and Bull spoke.

"No one lives in the forest, there is no one, it is just a fairy tale. " Licianna groaned in frustration.

"Part of it is." Amber Rose agreed. Licianna looked at all three of them confused.

"Magic in the forest? A new world being hidden? That's a tall tale. That is a myth. My family has been learning the healing craft for generations. Your family has been a soldier for generations." Amber then focused on Bull and smiled at him.

"And your family has kept the knowledge and only allowing a certain few to know the real truth." I watch Bull exhale relieved and agreed.

"Your father doesn't know it, but your mother did and she died keeping that secret. The knowledge can only be passed down every fifty years and can only be passed down to members who are connected by blood."

"I still don't understand." Licianna admitted.

"We need to talk somewhere more private and later. We all need rest and you need to change the bandage on your arm." Licianna stared down and crimson red had seeped from the force she had made trying to clench her fist.

We reluctantly parted ways. Licinanna was too engrossed in the prospect of the forest that she only nodded farewell to me.

Luca inhale deeply and led the way to our quarters.

"Be honest Emma what do you think?"

"Me?"

"Of course, you have been dragged and added to this mess. You might as well voice your opinion."

I had never been asked what I thought, back home things were more simple. The law of our land were more simple, we were a smaller kingdom. We really had nothing of worth to be conquered for, big kingdoms would just pass us by.

Why couldn't those laws be the same here.

"I-" I held back my thoughts until I knew we were safe in our sleeping quarters. Luca started to undress with his back to me. This was our nightly ritual of undressing and giving each other privacy.

"You can't just leave me with "I-." Luca prodded me again to answer.

"Why can't we just separate from them. Back home we were a small entity, self sustainable."

"That notion as noble as it is, will never be accepted. Power, people always crave power and control."

"What do you crave?"

I turned around and met his eyes.

He smiled and I knew who he was thinking about.

"I do love her, I have always loved her. If I could just run away and build a cabin in the forest and live a simple farmers life. I would."

We had no idea about Arline, or if she was still alive.

"She never loved me, I was just the convenient person with power who gave a damn about her."

"You don't love Licianna, your just smitten by everything she has done." I was going to protest, "If things hadn't changed. You two might have something evolved behind closed doors. Now? Licianna has gotten what she always wanted. Amber Rose of Perdine." Luca turned away, "Finish getting ready for bed. I got a bedtime story you should definitely hear."


The Council is led by a General, The Royal Family, A High Noble, and three advisers, one has to be a military. Rank does not matter. In the past there have been a few attempts to overthrow the kingdom.

When the King first gained the throne after his father's death.

Immediately after an assassination attempt occurred.

The Princess was eleven at the time. Alex was twelve.

Licianna and I started our combat training. Our father was keen on teaching us about pain.

Our training had to be interrupted and we were sent to live in the castle with the royal children. Essentially we were dummies. No one really had seen the royal children out in the public eye. We hardly left our compound, so we were ordered to accompany them everywhere.

We didn't really understand the severity of the situation, I mean I was barely seven and Licianna eight. All we knew was that we were destined to join the military.

Alex and I got along great. He didn't want to be King and he most certainly did not want to wed a woman. I was too young to understand or even comprehend but I knew he needed someone to talk to and I kept his secrets and we became great friends.

The Princess and Licianna was another story. Alize and Licianna was a rocky start. One, the Princess treated Licianna as a slave. She has never respected anyone.

Two, She is is just pure plain evil. She has no empathy or a conscious. For example Licianna had this small blade. Alize stole it and stabbed her in her sleep. Her reason? She wanted to see what was underneath the skin.

Imagine being eight years old and losing the ability to sleep in peace. The things that she did to an eight year old and the Princess is no older than us she was eleven at the time. Those are the first signs of what the Princess was going to become.

The King had to threaten her that Licianna was there for her protection. Thinking back to it, it would have been a good riddance if someone had succeeded in getting to her.

Not much happened after that, they caught the assassins and found out what kingdom they came from and they went and took over that kingdom.

Five years later we fully initiated our military career.

We didn't have a rank yet but obviously our main duty was being in the castle.

The King became ill at that time. He was making great progress in changing laws and he wanted more of a diverse council to make laws and keep order.

This time the perpetrators killed an adviser and wounded a lot of castle staff but at the time the King was being watched by my father. My father had just been promoted. After Colonel you can't fight your way to the spot. You have to be voted in unanimously.

So once again we had to be with the royal children at all times.

I remember Licianna rooted to her spot when the order came down. There was this fear in her eyes that I had never seen. She never spoke or told me what Alize did. I could never bring myself to ask.

I was twelve and Licianna thirteen. We never really had a childhood. I think that was the last time I saw Licianna sketch. She used to carry this small notebook and when ever she had free time she would draw. She was amazing. I actually kept one, years later Licianna actually burned everything she had done.

So when that attempt came we found out it was from another kingdom and their assassins escape and found refuge in another kingdom.

This where Erjon comes in, he's the King's bastard. Half Brother to Alize and Alex. He is great at being unseen and for being fourteen he was the best assassin. I mean Licianna and I could barely hold our own on duels.

That treason was punished in a weeks time. Erjon went in and came back with the culprits head.

From this point on the Princess took a very keen interest in Licianna and ordered that she be her personal body guard at all times. I mean a thirteen year old being a bodyguard was unheard off but the Queen allowed it.

Licianna gained lots of new scars visible and invisible. I know my father knew the abuse she was going through and he looked the other way.

I don't understand to this day why he would allow it.

My sister who loved art and loved books and smiled at the little things. Stopped smiling and submerge herself in training.

She fought and practice sword fighting. She became obsessed and was amazing.

The ultimate test was when Erjon and her fought, because the Princess ordered it. She wanted to have the best bodyguard around and my father told her if she lost on purpose just so she could escape then I would really know what pain was.

I wasn't the greatest at training, I was not good at hand to hand. But father didn't care and he made me fight and fight trying to beat the fear of pain out me and I just could not.

So Licianna suffered a little more until a ray of hope arrived.

Three years later, twenty year old Amber Rose of Perdine arrived to the city. Her parents had passed away and she was next in line to become head healer. She was a prodigy her knowledge surpassed all the books. Her skills were amazing.

So imagine sixteen year old Licianna meeting someone that actually made her feel human.

I was there when they first met. The stupid look in her eyes, I could see this array of emotions and feelings. She really was an idiot when it came to Amber Rose.

"Good Evening, I'm looking for General Blas." The scroll in her hands was creased and I smiled.

"I hope that is not an enlisting letter, you're much too pretty to be joining." My ability to flirt surprised me. But its something to tell the guys at training. Something to gain respect.

I glanced at Licianna and she was wide eye struck on the pretty girl's beauty. I shut my mouth and abandoned the idea of flirting.

"You can take her right?" Licianna snapped her head to me surprised I was volunteering her and nodded stupidly.

"Y-yes." She swallowed hard and tugged her sleeve down. I spotted a dry blood trail at her wrist and my smile faded knowing once again the Princess was up to no good. It had just happened and Licianna had to hide the mess, although I'm sure everyone in the compound figured out why Alize liked my sister.

"Is that a healer's kit?" I pointed to the box Amber Rose had to her side. Two worn leather straps on either side.

"This was my mothers. Yes." Amber Rose looked older and softer. Unlike Alize who had cold eyes.

"You're Amber Rose of Perdine." Licianna was not good at making small talk and I could only help so much.

"I'm sorry for your loss." Licianna spoke and I nodded encouraging her.

Amber Rose blushed and her gaze fell to the ground, "that's very kind of you uh-"

"Licianna"

"Blas" I added and Licianna glared at me, she hated when people found out who we were.

"Sergeant?" Amber Rose deducted and Licianna nodded.

"You are the new castle's healer?"

"Potentially, It has to be voted on, but I'm not of means. I doubt I'll -"

"You are," Licianna interrupted. Amber Rose seemed offended.

"I mean, what's richer than the vast knowledge to save a life. That's the best means to have."

"Gods." I mumbled low but it was enough for Licianna to hit me discreetly when she got the chance.

It was painful to see these two interact.

"I'll see you both later."

How those two evolved from there I don't know but obviously I knew how serious they got.

I mean Licianna fell in love. She started to ascend the rank in normal order. Which is unheard of. She ascended fast.

She reached a rank that allowed her to escape the clutches of the castle and Amber Rose was the hope that kept her alive.

Licianna was planning to propose, she read every book, every law. She was determined and then the big war erupted after the king's death. The carnage was horrible and it was worse because Kingdoms outside our reign were being affected. Treaties were being made and it was a big war because everyone kept betraying each other. Essentially we were fighting for ideals and ideas.

Every one was mandated to join the army, which included the Prince and Princess, but some technicalities and politics, the royal children were enlisted on paper but It was me and my sister who were on the front lines under their banners essentially.

Remember those two kingdoms from before, well they attacked full force. Revenge is a powerful motivator, but the way those other Kingdoms were affecting our citizens. Citizens in our rule were convinced that our methods of rule was barbaric and change was needed. That was the excuse used that our rule was wrong. Of course some of us knew the real reason. King was dead and they wanted to end his reign once and for all. Complete mutiny. The King was the best thing we had in a short period, He was slowly changing trade rules and slavery. We do use servants and there are rules. But the King wanted to change ideals and allow more freedom. Members of the council did not agree.

Pivell was spared but Anders and Osmos were just destroyed. Osmos is a fishing village they landed there. Ander was the closest city to the capital. It was used as a staging point to attack us from.

Crowds of people rushed to the city and we had to allow them passage.

We tried negotiations at first, but nothing. They wanted our reign over, and we were willing to part with lands and allow small kingdoms to exist as stand alone but they had to agreed to commerce rules. No one agreed with anything. They were "interested" in the good of the people, but they just wanted power.

I was eighteen and Licianna nineteen. Erjon, Brian and Licianna were chosen to end the war. We had tried honorable tactics and nothing was working. After battling on the fields we were able to get a plan approved by the true council. They infiltrated the city that housed the largest council members. They were allowed to infiltrate the city and we used the tunnels to create an ambush. I created that plan. I had cemented myself as a worthy war adviser. I wasn't good at fights but I was good at tactics. Brian, Licianna and Erjon infiltrated both Cities in hours. Murdered every high member.

The Blas children took all the glory. While the bastard went back to hiding and Brian fell in Licianna's shadow.

I never trusted Brian, they way he looked at her when he though no else noticed. I knew, he despised her but Licianna would never believe me.

She stopped trusting me when she found out that I told father about her plans to wed Amber Rose.

Amber Rose was immediately pulled from the city and sent off.

Word arrived a few months later that she was married and was officially high nurse of the kingdom. That's all Amber Rose wanted.

Licianna spiraled down and she and I were never the same.

What better way to hurt me, when she found out about my secret life with Arline.

I was ordered to be Alex's personal guard and since Alex had to court, well that meant I had to leave.

I don't think Licianna has ever stopped loving Amber Rose. She did everything she could to hate her and forget her and now however brief this is. She is living what could have been. That tiny spark of hope has come back, and not only Amber Rose but she was so close to being dismissed from the military.

I wanted to make amends with Licianna so I told my father, if he wanted a sound and cooperate Licianna then to let them both be.

I am the one who requested you be separated from Licianna.


"You but why?" Luca exhaled deeply. It was well into the night as we both laid on our beds.

"Why?" He scoffed, "Licianna asked me the same thing. Why did I tell him? She knew Amber Rose had been sent off because of him but she had no idea she had been forced to wed until tonight. I never gave her an answer, but the Princess would have murdered both of them, but first she would have tortured them and I had seen Licianna endure so much pain. I wanted to save her, and I needed my father's unconditional trust."

We were silent for so long. I thought he fell asleep.

"I have a plan. Emma be honest with me. What do you want in this world?"

When I first got here, I wanted revenge and I wanted power. Now I just wanted Licianna to be happy. I wanted peace, but in order to have any of those. You do need some type of power.

"Emma you're young and your smart and you suffered enough. What do you want?" I still did not respond but he continued.

"Power. You want it just like everyone else, but it's different how you want it, but it's still the same concept. I have seen you, your defiant and angry. The world has wronged you and you don't just want revenge. You want order, you want to fix the injustices."

I was afraid to agree with him. Thinking back to when I arrived and my quest for having power to now. To everything that had transpire, I wanted justice.

All I wanted was peace, not just for me but for everyone.

Joel, Arline, Leila, May- everyone.

They deserve to be treated as equal and not as slaves. The people I arrived on that boat with. They didn't deserve to be yanked away from their home for measly pieces of silver.

Something had to change.

I felt Luca shift and approach my side of the bed. He knelt down and whispered so low.

"You are my hope Emma. There is this fire in you that burns brighter than the forest." Luca held my hand and gripped it firmly. "This world needs to change and I know how."

Everything Luca was telling me made my heart beat faster. The idea of everything changing was exhilarating and petrifying.

"How?" I manage to utter out.

"I'm gonna make you Queen."


(A/N: Not gonna lie, I keep adding plot twist and I don't what the hell I'm doing.)