DRIVEN

Chapter 22

She couldn't stop the tears from falling, she clutched the paper to her chest and bursted into tears, she never realized it but receiving the letter from her father stirred all those emotions she had been suppressing for a while, she missed her parents alot and she couldn't help it but to cry, she had been acting so strong and trying to show this men that they couldn't take her for granted that she forgot how important it was to live her life the way she wanted, she wished she could go home but then thinking about how that will only lead to them loosing their lands and maybe their lives made that decision worse, she thought of the sacrifices she made just to come here, even going to the extent of making her father weak just so she could take his place and be here, she thought of what the witches told her and she felt more pressured to stay and strive to do whatever she could just for the sake of her people.what do they mean by that, would my going to the battlefield really change the situation of things. Those thoughts keep me awake all night as I think of a way to stop my father and take his place instead.

Morning comes faster than I'd like and still there's no solution to my problems, I don't even wait for my personal maid bianca to come and prepare me for the days activities, I hurry up and get ready by myself and rush out to see my father and try to see if I can convince him to not go to battle.

As I open the doors to my chambers I meet with a surprised bianca who isn't used to seeing me up and ready so early by myself. The shock shows so early on her face and before she can begin to ask questions and apologize for not coming earlier to wake me up and get things ready for the day if she had known I'd be going out so early.

I immediately cut her off, "morning bianca, how was your night?".

"morning my princess, I had no idea....".she immediately attempts to explain.

"No no bianca not a word of apology from those lips, It's not a big deal if I take care of my things my self you know, and plus I decided not to bother you quite early, I know you've been busy these past weeks with the war and all, don't worry it's fine". I tell her

I can see she still isn't okay with it so I change the topic." uhmm.... bianca, do you by any chance know where my father is?". I ask.

I immediately notice her mood changes to a solemn one." yes princess, he is in the queen's bedchamber, he hasn't come out of there since last night". she replies.

I understand the reason for her solemn mood so I give her a little smile and touch her shoulder as a sign of comfort. Thank you bianca, I'll be on my way now, I might be too busy today so why don't you take the whole day off".

" but princess wha....". she tries talking.

"shushhh... don't argue I know why I'm doing it, I know you've been so occupied that you haven't had the chance to go see your family for a while now and with things being so bad around here I know how much family means and the comfort one can only get around family, so go". don't worry I'll get someone else to help me Incase I need something". I assured her.

"oh thank you so much princess, I can't thank you enough for this". she said jumping up in joy.

" it's nothing now hurry up and get going, I have to speak to father before he goes out to see the council". I said while walking away.

"Thank you princess". bianca kept on saying till I disappeared out of her earshot.

I move on till I see the doors to my mother's chambers and I hasten up, i open the door to see my father already dressed for the day and just holding her hands, I can see he is about to move out and I'm lucky I got here just in time.

he turns and our eyes meet, he smiles at me and beckons me over.

I take a few steps to meet up with him and we both stand my her bedside.

he smiles lovingly at my mother and speaks." you know lucilda I wasn't always a good man, talk more of king, I didn't care about the responsibilities that came along with the crown, I was just interested in the power, then I met her.."

he pauses before he continues

" she was this charming ball of light that spread happiness and joy where ever she went but boy o boy, did she have a temper" he stops to laugh

"I remember hosting a party In the castle in honour of a visiting king and then boom I feel this energy and I stare into the crowd trying to find where it's coming from and then, I see her and I'm hooked, like I can't see anything or anyone else, it's like she can feel it too cause she stares right back at me and the rest well, let's say here we are".he concludes taking her hand.

" Everything will be fine father, I know it will". I say trying to comfort him.

" of course I know that lucilda that's why I'm going to go out there myself and get that cure rather than just sitting here and doing nothing, waiting for your mother to die". he says more to himself than me.

" But father haven't you thought of another option".I said to him.

"what option is there to think of lucilda". he says not paying me anymore attention.

" Father why don't I go instead". I say softly .

He whips his head so fast to look at me I think his neck must have snapped.

"what rubbish do you speak of lucilda, do you think the battlefield is like the training ground where I let you play with your sword all these years, those beasts out there won't hesitate to end your life, how can I let you go to your doom, what will become of me, what do I tell your mother happened to you". he shouts angrily

"But father I....". I attempt to make him understand.

"That's enough, do not speak of this to me or anyone ever again lucilda, I never want to hear this, sit right here and keep your mother company till I get back, I won't be long". he says and marches out angrily.

I sit down on the bed and try to devise another way to make me go in his stead, no matter what happens I'm going to make sure I'm the one at the battlefield in a few days time.

ve

And even if he wanted to accept her as his mate, lucilda would rather die than be with that man. He was the most terrible being in her eyes. she believed the fates must have made a big mistake in sending him to this world. And now they wanted to shackle her with him, that abomination, She could never imagine having to stay with him, she couldn't even stand him, and now if she thought of it, there was no how the lycans would ever let her go Scott free, they would keep her here for all eternity just to make sure nothing wrong happens to their king.

She knew that it was dangerous for a lycan to be away from his mate, it would weaken and destroy the lycan and as this was the king she was talking about, the effects of her leaving him would be ten times (10x) worse not only on himself but on his entire pack.

Damien had no heir and if anything were to happen now, it would bring upon unimaginable consequences on the pack, an all bloody war would break out.

The fight for the throne would ensue and they wouldn't be able to control it. Worse it might last years upon years and by the time it would end, the damage would be irreversible, and a lot of innocent lives would be lost.

That means she'd have to remain here, She bursted into tears again. There was no way she could stay here, she had a life back home, her parents would worry themselves to death. She knew her father would be planning a reprisal attack on the lycans at that very moment and that scared her.

The vampires were no match for the lycans and she knew that first hand, she couldn't sit and let her father get slaughtered by these beasts, she had to do something about it and fast. There was no way she could let things get that far, she had to try at least to leave this place, if she got away she could be atleast safe from them and also protect her father and her kingdom.

She remembered lucian her army's commander, she wondered where he was now. She hadn't seen him since the day he and the rest of the warriors were sentenced, but she was sure of one thing they were still alive. She didn't think the king was in the right state of mind to oversee an execution for now, so she knew that they were still alive, and she was also certain if that was the case then they'd be kept in the dungeons.

She had to find a way to get to them, so that together they'd escape back home to kripgin. She didn't have the heart to go back home alone, she'd be seen as a failure by her people, even though they might never say it to her face that didn't mean they would be scared to say it behind her back and if such talks went round, there was no way she'd ever gain her people's respect, they'd still have their prior opinion about her stuck in their heads all eternity and she didn't want that, no ruler wanted that. The most important thing for a ruler to have was trust and the respect of his or her subjects and right now she didn't have either of those from the majority of her people, imagine how she'd be viewed if she now went home alone.

The gossip would never end and right now she didn't have time for that.

The forbidden valleys is ours once again and so shall it remain. I led the invasion personally but I had to leave before the main event as I received notice of some urgent matters in the kingdom which made me leave just as the action got started.

I've settled all issues that might need my attention for a while and now I only have those bloodsuckers who were taken as spoils of war to deal with. To make matters more interesting I have their beloved princess with me, a laugh manages to slip out at that.

This is going to be more delightful than I thought, I'm going to hang those good for nothing bloodsuckers and once I'm sure their necks are snapped, I'm going to remove their corpse and burn them so they can't come back anymore to taint this world with their God forsaken presence.

And then I'm going to do the king, her father a big favour, I'm going to send him his daughter's ashes so he can have fun with it. I laugh out loud once again.

I hear the court bell being rung, that's a sign that everyone is already seated at court and I'm being expected.

I pick my cape and fix it on, and head out, as I step out I come in contact with my commander Killian and he gives me a curt bow and then we proceed together to the court.

I've known Killian for years now, we didn't start out on the right foot, cause we both used to compete against each other, Killian was the best fighter out there second to me though, although he's always said it's my alpha genes that provide me that extra advantage, I believe all that's just excuses and him trying to get his bruised ego to be alright after a proper whopping by me.

But then Killian has always had my back and I've never had any doubt about his loyalties, we've moved from friends to brothers and there's no one I'd trust to get a job done other than Killian, he's hardworking, dedicated and doesn't give up until he gets what he wants, in other words he's no quitter.

As we match down to the throne room together, he briefs me about the recent happenings in the kingdom, how the people are scared to get too close to the palace out of the fear of being attacked by a vampire. I laugh out loud cause I can't believe people would think that way, although in a way, they aren't to be blamed cause those vampires have a reputation, their blood drinking habits are legendary, as old as time and I'm very sure none of my people want their blood in their hands or rather mouth.

We were still talking and sharing jokes here and there when I felt the sudden change in atmosphere, it wasn't a bad change that would imply doom or something bad/life threatening.

There was just this lighter/airy feeling that roused the beast inside of me. He too stood up and began to pace.

I turned towards Killian" what's that?"

"what's what Damien" he sounded confused.

He turned round trying to see if he could understand why his friend and king was acting like one being possessed by something. He found his king sniffing as if trying to catch a whiff of a smell or scent.

"there's a change in the air Killian"

Killian tried sniffing too, but was met with nothing

" I think maybe it's because of the vampires, maybe your lycan isn't okay with them being so close to us and in our territory. maybe he feels threatened or the Alpha In him wants their head for the pain they've put us through all this years most especially these last couple of months, maybe that's why he isn't comfortable"

" you might be right on that Killian, I'm not happy one bit about them being here and I can't wait to get rid of them, to watch them burn back to hell where their kinds are meant to be, disgusting creatures". Damien's tone hardened.

"let's be on our way then to end this once and for all" Killian said with finality.

The closer they got to the throne room, the more the king was restless, he couldn't keep his lycan calm, he tried his best to suppress the beast in him but the more he tried, the more he felt the beast wanting to claw his chest out and be let free to roam.

Once they got to the door, the guards opened it and they entered. The hall was full as expected as everyone wanted to see the end of such vile creatures and now that he was inside, the feeling intensified, he had to try his hardest to pull himself together else his people notice that he wasn't quite well.

Killian had taken his seat very close to the king as he was the next to the king since Damien had no queen yet nor heir, so by law Killian was next in line, most people would try to take advantage of this opportunity and eliminate the king most especially since he had no successor and there'd be no one to challenge them for the throne in the future but not Killian, he was loyal to his king and throne and he valued the friendship they both shared, Damien was like a brother to him, one he had grown to live and cherish, who had his back when no one else had, although once in a while they do engage in competitions. however, that was just for fun, he could never think about challenging his king, friend and brother. He would always have his back. he had observed that his friend wasn't okay today and he felt it's because of the vampires in the same room as them, so he had to get this over with so things could be normal once again.

He stood up to drag the prisoners to the front of the king, with the help of the other guards he finally got all of them to Damien's front, he felt it would be best to try the warriors first before their princess so he left her at a corner and brought the rest to the front of the king.

Damien stood up and glanced at the prisoners, and then he faced his people " the vampires have been our mortal enemies for long, they have maimed and even killed many of our kind over the years and I think now that we have the chance why don't we pay them back in the same way they would if it were us".

He stared into the eyes of the warriors who were on their knees on front of him, they looked resigned to whatever decision might be taken on them.

"burn them"

The hall erupted in joyous approval and cheers, the men were dragged out and then a woman was brought to his front, he already knew who she was, their beloved princess.

Standing in front of the lady, his wolf was going crazy and he couldn't understand why, he wanted to get this done on time. he looked at her and commanded her to raise her head and look him in the eyes.

At first it looked like she wasn't going to accept the command but then she seemed to pull herself together and with her shoulders held high, she raised her head and looked him in the eyes.

his eyes widened and the one word he hated the most in his entire life slipped out, barely audible but enough to beAnd what's worse they took his baby girl, his princess. He remembers when the scouts came and delivered the news, the solemn look on their faces was enough to tell the tale their lips couldn't.

His beloved was gone, taken along with dozens of his most high ranking warriors. he had lost the valleys and his daughter, his most prized jewel all at once. ohh... he warned lucilda, he told her it wasn't an easy life at the camps. he told her things were more rough there than she would expect but no she wouldn't listen, she never listens to him. she was brave he would give her that but also foolish, and he was even more foolish for agreeing with her to go.

What sort of father was he, how would he explain things to his dear wife.

The thought of his wife broke his heart more, the cure to her illness could never be procured now, all hopes of her getting better was gone. There was no way she would make it anymore. and even if she did make it, the news of their beloved princess being abducted by those dogs was even to send her heart into a fit of seizures, things were just moving badly for them.

His people were dead, their valleys had now been taken by force, his wife was on the edge of death, his daughter and high ranking warriors kidn*pped and now it seemed like the kingdom was falling apart.

The weight of everything felt too heavy for him to lift and he had to sit down before he joined his wife on the bed.

he walked into the chambers where his queen laid and moved to sit beside her, Amol the healer was there on ground to take care of her. he had been there since lucilda left. He remembers being sick and Amol taking care of him. he was there at every waking hour until he got better and even at that he still refused to go. he mentioned something about a promise to the princess holding him in place, so he refused to leave. He told the king that he would be here to receive the princess back and with the cure for the queen.

he insisted that he had to perform that very important function first before he could go back home.

King Alexander moved to Amols front and pulled a chair forward.

"Don't you think It'd be best if you go home Amol".

" not till the princess is back with the cure my king".

King Alexander smiles." she isn't coming back Amol, we both know that, they won't let her come back, they'd kill her, that's if they haven't killed yet yet.

Amol laughs out, a very whole hearted laughter till a few tears manage to slip out from his eyes.

" o my dear king I can't believe you don't know your daughter, have a little faith in her and see, lucilda is alive and she will be back soon. we both know she isn't a quitter, if she was she'd have listened to the both of us and not gone there in the first place, that stubborn girl".

"are you sure of what you say Amol?, please reassure me, tell me the words I badly want to hear, promise me my child is safe and okay wherever she might be, This old man needs nothing more from you". The king was on the verge of tears.

" my king I have known lucilda since she was but a child, I have watched her blossom into a thoughtful, wise, kind, smart and beautiful lady and I know that lucilda going there had a reason, she wouldn't have gone there if she wasn't sure about what she wanted to achieve, her reason may be one we might not know about yet but there will be results soon, that's a promise from an old man to an old king".

"Amol is there something you aren't telling me, or is there something I should know that I don't, tell me please".

the king was desperate.

"Nothing my king, nothing, now if you'll please excuse me I have to do something quick outside".

Amol moved out of the room in a great haste.

" I don't know how you can be so sure Amol, but I know that you've never been wrong, you've always had a way to calm me down and you did the same thing today. I'm going to believe you Amol, I'm going to put my trust in you".

Amol had faith lucilda would be fine, the girl was determined and had guts.

when he first discovered that it was the Kai seeds which were making the king sick, he had wondered how possible it was for them to get close to the king and also he knew that they could only be found in his garden and he also knew that he didn't accept visitors at his home that often and no one had access to that part of the forest except him, that left him wondering who could have done this. and when the king was complaining about how adamant lucilda was on going in place of her father, he knew there and then that it was her, there was no one who'd have access to both king and healer except lucilda.

he knew that there was no one that would be brave enough to try the king that is except his daughter.

when he confirmed it was her, it seemed funny to the old healer why she would go such extra lengths simply to achieve her ambitions. But then if took a closer look at it, lucilda has never really been one to follow the rules. she derived joy in breaking them and made sure that wherever she went she left her mark there. so if she wanted to go to war that badly to the extent of poisoning her own father then that girl must be driven by something .

And he also had faith that she wasn't a quitter, the girl had guts, serious one and o boy he couldn't wait for her to get back, she had a lot of explanations to do.

Next day . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .