"Tokaku, do you have the report on the status on the other kingdoms?"
"Yes."
Land of Myojo. Home of the four kingdoms - North, South, East, and West. Over a long period of time, these kingdoms have lived in peace.
Slender fingers rubbed a throbbing temple, body weight heavy from the day's work. The scarlet chair made only for royalty was comforting, but it wasn't enough. How dearly she wished she could rest. To sleep in her bed fit for three kings, temporarily forgetting her responsibilities. A deep sigh escaped her lungs. "Alright, let's start."
The scroll unrolled. "North, West, and South's rulers have all fallen. They were immediately replaced by the children. The children's guards, however, are only slightly older or younger than the new rulers."
"All of them, replaced at the same time?"
"No. The rulers have been killed one by one, with each murder being separated by one month. A serial killer has been attacking the kingdoms lately. It seems that we'll be targeted next."
"A murder of the three other rulers, yet no one told me. Why wasn't I reported this earlier? And the new rulers..." Ichinose Haru, ruler of the East kingdom since she had turned thirteen, rubbed the bridge of her nose in mild aggravation. She leaned back on her throne and thought carefully. "When was the last murder?"
"In the North, two weeks ago. They started off in the West, as the West is the most poor out of all the kingdoms." Azuma Tokaku rolled the scroll back and took on her guard stance. Feet apart, hands behind back, stiff as a board but still ready to fight when necessary. "Inukai Isuke is now the ruler of the North, Hanabusa Sumireko of the South, Kirigaya Hitsugi of the West."
Haru clasped her hands together and sighed.
"What will you do?"
She looked down at her loyal servant, staring back at her with sharp cold eyes.
"Use the guards as a distraction. Get me transported to different areas of the castle every night. There aren't any potential heirs to my throne, I can't lose this. Have our best guards act as a distraction, or better yet, capture the killer."
"The serial killer is very experienced and will kill everyone."
A pause.
"Then send the newer ones first. Keep the best ones near the area I will be in that night. The serial killer will expect to see me in the royal bedroom, not in somewhere like the dungeon."
The queen stood up and stepped down the velvet stairs slowly, taking extra care not to fall over. "The attack with the thief had damaged enough. On the other hand, thank you for acting so quickly once the thief had broken in."
"It's not a problem. It was for the queen."
To sacrifice a few to save the best isn't a new tactic to Tokaku. She knew what it takes to survive, fight, and win. This is why she chose to serve the queen. The queen is sweet and kind, but will bring the hammer of judgment down when necessary.
Tokaku stepped to the side, making room for her to walk past. "This note was dismissed, but I believe that I should mention it to you anyways."
Haru stopped right in her tracks. Leering from the side of her eye, she asked, "And what might it be?"
The servant cleared her throat. "The ruler of the West, now labeled as the wrathful princess Angel Trumpet, wanted to declare war. However, it has been reported that her army is being trained to the bone with only dusk to dawn to rest. Her army is still in progress, yet she wants a war to gain more wealth for her kingdom."
"Fighting in a war with a worn out army?" Haru questioned to herself aloud. Her eyes shot towards her protector. "A declaration of war isn't something to be ignored, Tokaku."
A bead of sweat rolled down her neck. Her eyes cast downwards. "I deeply apologize. I believed that we shouldn't have agreed to something that would have been a waste of our time and resources."
"Yes, that's true. Invite them for dinner next week. We'll settle this with a peace talk. We aren't the wealthiest kingdom, but we will share if that's what it takes to keep the villagers quiet and unharmed." A bright smile flashed on her face, but her eyes filled with malice said otherwise.
"Right. I will report this at once."
"Good. Go back to your station now. I will be fine by myself."
Quickly, the servant hurried out. Haru chuckled quietly to herself and continued on her way.
I won't stand for a war. Whatever they want, it can't be worth losing several soldiers that barely even stood a chance.
And the riddle she had received a while back...
"The world is filled with... what, exactly?"
She doesn't know. But she'll find out.
Until then, she will have to keep quiet about her mysterious letter and keep everything under control.
A/N: I'm so awful at beginning chapters so this will have to do for now. I apologize deeply.
7/25/15 edit: Revised and fixed some things.