Chapter 45 New wave of trouble: Hwaja
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The entire court was full of tension immediately after the king’s presence was announced. The Minister’s faces held different expressions, Some were wondering why the king summoned them to court so early in the morning while some were just scared of the meeting in general. The expression on the king’s face was not helping their nerves either. His face was contorted in fury and he looked like he might breathe out fire anytime soon.
The sound of the king’s heavy boot echoed in the hall as he strolled to his throne at a quick pace. The ministers all bowed their heads until he sat down. Immediately he sat down, the loud voice of the eunuch at the entrance was heard.
” Your majesty, General Kim has sent a messenger from the borders”
” Let him in,” The king said without a change in his expression, he didn’t even look up or acknowledge the presence of his ministers.
The messenger was a soldier dressed in the silver uniform of Nayaki’s army. He looked like he had ridden throughout the night to get to the capital. His boots were soiled with mud and there was a bandage wrapped around his head, there were some ugly-looking bruises on his face and his right leg was equally bandaged. He limped in hurriedly and knelt before the King. His face contorted in pain as he addressed the king.
” Your majesty, General Kim asked me to…” The messenger said but he raised his hands swiftly to cut him off. He already knew what the messenger wanted to say but he only needed him to get straight to the point.
” Go straight to the point. What happened at the borders?”
” Two days ago, we noticed traces of smoke in the atmosphere close to our borders, General Kim and some soldiers went to investigate but it was a trap, they only wanted to lure him out of the fortress so they could launch a full attack on us. They placed some spells on our horses and then when we started fighting on foot, we were attacked by wolves who were as big as human beings. It was a total slaughter, Your Majesty. When General Kim arrived yesterday, only about fifty soldiers were left alive including me.” The soldier finished with an exhausted look on his face. He took a deep breath as he calculated the smirk on the king’s face. Some of the ministers were shocked while some had the look of ” Yes it is time for war”
” over one hundred of my soldiers were slaughtered by some barbarians of Aransas. You all know what this means right? I didn’t initiate it, they are the ones asking for it this time around. And I won’t hesitate to crush them with the magic of Hwaja they discovered” The king said with an amused laughter. His hornets already told him everything he needed to know except for the identity of the woman wielding the dark magic of Hwaja.
” Hwaja? The banished goddess” Minister Li said with a shaky voice. Every one of them knows the history of Hwaja, the only sister of Nati. She was also a goddess but got jealous of Natalí’s power and influence. She got power drunk and discovered another type of magic that was different from the one that Nati and other gods practiced. She got stronger with the dark magic and plotted the best way to kill the woman she hated the most but Nati, Her only brother got in her way. He is in love with Natalí and will do everything in his power to stop his power-hungry sister even by sacrificing his own life to save the woman he loves.
After a long battle between the two goddesses, Natalí was winning but Hwaja had another move up her sleeves, Nati saw This and shielded his love with his body while his hornets attacked his sister and stung Hwaja to death. After taking the impact of Hwaja’s magic, he became weak and fell into Natalí’s arms. As he was dying, he professed her love to her. His words brought tears to Natalí’s eyes and she cried while holding his body, her tears poured freely and fell on his body. They became light and traveled throughout his body and healed him.
The spot she cried on then went on to become a fountain of her tears which can only be controlled by any woman she chose. Nati blessed a young desperate warrior from a small village named Nasir with his strength, name, and other abilities so he could protect his people. Nasir then married a lady chosen by Natalí and together they founded a kingdom they both named Nayak and the family of Niamh has been ruling Nayak since then.
” Yes the banished goddess, but it doesn’t matter. If they want war, I will give them what they want. Assemble all the troops in the capital before tomorrow and every soldier in Nayak must be at the Lu fortress in three days. I will lead the war by myself” The king said and the ministers didn’t have a choice but to agree with him. But some held excited looks on their faces. They secretly mock the actions of their king because of their hidden agenda.
” Prepare for my rites at Nati’s temple.” He said finally before leaving the hall. None of the ministers could protest further, it was now glaringly obvious that the barbarians were looking for war.
Being a descendant of Niamh made Treven naturally excited for the war. It was his first war as King, he fought alongside his father against the mercenary invaders who threatened the peace of Holcomb. He could taste the excitement as the maids helped him into his religious robes. He needs to seek Nati’s blessings before going to the battlefield.
The doors of his Chambers opened and his Queen rushed in with a panicked look on her face. She looked like she had been running.
” Out!” She commanded all the servants in the room. They all hurried out under her gaze. He didn’t protest, he knew she had a right to be angry. After getting reports from the hornets, he drove her to the Queen’s chamber for the first time since they had gotten married.
” Is this how we are going to be living forever? Keeping things from each other? First, you lashed out during dinner and pushed me to sleep in another room and then you are going to war without saying anything to me” She sounded hurt and he felt bad, she didn’t deserve it. He turned around to face her but she flinched away from him. The act sent Spears to his heart but he walked closer to her and grabbed her waist. Wrapping his naked arm around her, he caught a whiff of her heavenly scent and breathed in.
“I’m sorry” He whispered using his other hand to caress her hair slowly. She didn’t even dress up before rushing over, but she was beautiful with her hair down. She nodded, swallowing her tears.
” My soldiers were slaughtered” He started after steadying her in his arms. ” I know, but I would have appreciated it if you had shared that with me yesterday, I know the bee told you” She muttered slowly and he chuckled slightly at the word “bee”. He sat on a cushion and helped her on his lap.
” They are not bees. They are hornets Lyn, and I am sorry for lashing out at you. I don’t know how to share these things with someone, You are the only one who got this close to me. I’m still learning how to express my love properly.” His grey eyes were intense as she read the honesty in his eyes.
” I don’t want you to go” She moaned softly. He placed his hands on her tummy which was starting to have a little bump.
” I have to go, Lyn, I am the only one who can bring my army to victory. And I need to make my heir proud like my father did”
” But we just met each other and I don’t want to lose you, I need you, my child needs you” She cried and he kept rubbing circles on her tummy. He kissed her forehead as her hands wrapped around his neck instinctively.
” You can follow me to the temple to bless my victory. You are my Natalí, you should give me your blessings” He asked and she nodded her head in agreement seeing that there was no way to convince him to think otherwise.
” I love you” He whispered before claiming her lips without waiting for her response but her heart responded to his love without a word from her mouth as she melted right into his kiss.