Hello everyone! Here returns the 73rd chapter of your beloved "Kingdom". You all must have missed it a lot, right? :P
At first, thanks so much to Cutetyhil, Emerald Vivienne Ramira Mayvin, Seafoam Green under Twilight, pokemonamvfans2, sakurasato56, LadyPeach7, Niya Sing, Black Witch of autumn, ILoveMySweetIndia, Stark02, Sohana Sarkar and Elena Dranzer for reviewing. Also thanks a lot to sakurasato56, Niya Sing, ILoveMySweetIndia and Elena Dranzer for faving and following it. Guys, you know, today, you all raised another storm over my KaiHil fics again. Thank you so much for it XD
Dedicated to: Elena Dranzer because she loves the chapters of China. Am I right, Elie? :P
Enjoy! :P
"Attention!" The announcer blurted at the top of his lungs, "Gonglu Zagart, the honorable emperor of China, is entering!"
Following the announcement, soon, the cinnamon-haired man entered the vast courtroom of his castle as all the court members stood up from their velvet seats, bowing to him for paying respect. Crossing the lavender marble bridge where a green, smooth-textured carpet with golden tassels was laid between two rectangular tanks, seafoam green water bubbling, he straightly progressed towards his majestic throne on the podium and proudly sat on it. The golden lamps on the lamp-stands attached to the cubic pillars raised the glow of the flames in the room. However, the faces of the scarlet-haired princess of China and the blunette prince were more glowing. Seeing them, the heart of Zagart also leapt up with joy. The maids flapped the peacock-feather fans.
All the ambiences were of joy and merriment. After all, China had won a battle which had been almost on the brink of getting lost. It was a team effort. Kane and Salima had helped him a lot gain victory over the rebel. Otherwise, Zagart himself didn't know what could have happened to him and his throne. Actually, he could never have imagined that the raven-haired neko-jin could have come to his palace in this way without any warning and challenged him for a battle. He'd been a pretty hardcore warrior but Kane was quite better than he, with more experience, more successful strategies and deeper knowledge about a battlefield. Salima was also witty, sending a letter to Kane and the female warriors to the battleground at the right time. Really, they were the precious gems of China.
Gesturing everyone to sit down, Zagart announced boldly, "If we have won today's war, it's been possible only because of prince Kane Yamashita, the prince of Hong Kong and princess Salima Zagart, my one and only daughter. I and the entire China want to thank prince Yamashita and his battalion for his praiseworthy battle skills. Besides, let's congratulate prince Yamashita and princess Salima, the daughter and the future son-in-law of China on their success!"
Salima's face flashed with happiness, the blunette stood up from his seat and bowed to everyone. The court members cheered, punching in the air:
"Hail Kane Yamashita, the prince of Hong Kong!"
"Hail Salima Zagart, the princess of China!"
"Hail Kane Yamashita, the prince of Hong Kong!"
"Hail Salima Zagart, the princess of China!"
"Smile as much as you can," Biyu poked her sister-in-law, "Now, you must be feeling 100 times happier, seeing him."
"Biyu…." The redhead narrowed her eyes, "Why shouldn't I be happy? He really showed his best in the battleground and all the enemies fled away in his fear, with their tails between legs. He's not like brother Gordo who got defeated two times against a mere rebel like that black-haired! I wonder why brother Gordo is losing his skills. Maybe, you aren't taking care of him well, I see."
"Hmph!" Biyu pouted.
"And today's festival of victory," Zagart spread his arms, "Goes to Kane Yamashita, our hero. Today, I want to honor prince Kane Yamashita in front of you all. Come here, prince Yamashita."
Nodding and flushing a bit, the guardian of illuminative Dragoon came at the center of the large courtroom and sat on the velvet tool. Two maids arrived there with round golden platters, filled with petals of roses and gold coins.
"I'm so overwhelmed with his valiance today," The emperor gently slapped the shoulder of his would-be son-in-law, "That's why, I want to appreciate his skills and courage today by giving him a bath of gold!"
Salima's face again got enlightened in pride and happiness for the blunette. Kane became embarrassed a bit. Nonetheless, for keeping the request of the Chinese emperor, he accepted it as the myrtles from all the directions got showered on him by the court members and the princesses. While throwing the flowers to him, Biyu was continuously nudging her sister-in-law but the scarlet princess didn't mind. After it, Zagart himself took the platter of the golden coins and poured it all over the head of the prince. The ochers flowed on his head, passing across the skin of his body and landing on his lap. Everyone got almost lost in happiness.
After Kane had gone back to his seat, facing the Chinese princess, the victory dance of the court dancers began with the rhythm of the music. The flute-artists played the flutes, with intense enthusiasm and excitement, the drummers thumped the drums with sticks. The beautiful ladies swirled at the center of the courtroom, wearing colorful qipaos with ruby and gold accessories, turning the night into a morning. Their anklets intricately tingled on the smooth, marble floor of the room. The family members clapped with the cadence. Amidst all these things, Kane and Salima stole each other's eyes secretly. When the blunette stared at those black diamonds, the redhead blushingly giggled, bending her head down.
Not knowing that they were spending the best moments of their lives.
After all the ceremonies had been completed, everybody went to sleep to respective chambers. The cinnamon-haired man was also proceeding towards his own luxurious bedroom. A cheeky and wicked smile was plastered on his face. He was really very happy as well as tired equally. He was expecting to have a pretty sound and deep sleep at that night. However, hearing the call of his rank from a feminine voice behind him, he stopped and turned back. It was his chief consort, Shaina Zagart, the mother of his four sons as well as his only daughter. However, she wasn't feeling joyous like her husband on his victory.
"Today's day must have been very big, special and great for you, mustn't it?" The redhead simpered, "But you will always remember this day for another fact along with your victory."
"For what?" Zagart felt annoyed a bit.
"An ordinary boy, around the age of our sons, with no experience of warfare, almost showed the face of defeat to you and your troop," She replied, "If prince Kane Yamashita hadn't arrived there at the right time, the situation would have been something else. At the place of prince Yamashita, that boy would have taken the gold bath!"
"Whatever," The emperor shrugged, "The truth is that victory has come to our door in the end."
"The truth is that," Shaina retorted, "An inexperienced boy, not belonging to any royal clan, nearly defeated your soldiers and brave sons."
"What do you want to say?" Zagart's tone was cold and creepy; he stiffened his jaw.
"I only want to say that you would rather put your concentration on increasing the safety, security and the skills of your soldiers than celebrate the festivals of victory," His wife advised him, "Besides, you should be prepared for the future too. You aren't only keeping your defense open not by paying any heed to the boy, but also, you're spoiling a brave, intelligent and skilled warrior like prince Yamashita with your lavishness. Whatever happened today will happen again, for sure. If you still don't bring necessary modifications to the safety and security of your subjects, you'll surely lose it this time."
"What's this, Shaina?" Zagart's annoyance with his wife was increasing, "Being a queen, you're having doubts on the capabilities of her king? Don't forget in front of whom you are standing and talking to right now!"
Grabbing her face firmly, he hissed, gawking viciously right at her eyes, "You're alive in this castle until Salima gets married. After it, I myself will seal your mouth forever with my own hands!"
"Father?"
Hearing another feminine voice, the face of the cinnamon-haired emperor softened a bit as he pulled his wife closer to his chest, pretending as if he'd been comforting her. Seeing his daughter, he acted to be surprised, "Salima?"
"What happened, father?" The redhead asked, watching her parents closer to each other all of a sudden.
"Nothing special, my girl," Zagart squeezed her shoulders, "We were just talking to each other about your marriage. Your mother was getting worried and started missing you from now, that's why I was comforting her. Right, Shaina?"
Seeing no other way, the elder redhead nodded, agreeing with her husband. Zagart smirked at her and threatened her silently with his murderous, piercing glances.
In a dense jungle of China, quite far away from the royal castle, the raven-haired neko-jin was chopping woods with an ordinary axe, applying the extraordinary amount of strength in both of his arms. The nightfall was evident everywhere with its own, condensed black sheets. The stars were twinkling on them with the globular moon but the huddling leafy heads of the trees around him weren't letting the silvery moonshines in. With the gusts of crazy and reckless wind, the dry leaves fallen from the trees were blowing away but they couldn't take away the grief of the young man along with them. The more he was hitting the timbers with his axe, the more he could remember the history of his failure.
"Shoosh!"
A couple of arrows landed before the running feet of the neko-jin, stopping him right there, creating a barrier. Startled, he looked forward. His surprised eyes met the blunette scurrying in the battleground on the back of his black Arabian horse. The feathery bottoms of the arrows were peeping from the quiver attached to his back. His right hand was holding the rein, the left was clutching a longbow. His azure bangs got almost dissolved in the dusky blue of the evening, only leaving his aquamarine orbs shimmering. Brass vest covered his chest, golden wristbands and armguards were hiding his slightly muscular arms. Lips held a confident smile under his sharp nose, the joy of coming there and saving his relatives upon receiving the letter of his fiancée. Behind him, the obedient soldiers of Hong Kong were coming. A temporary earthquake was caused by the new battalion, making the redhead in the balcony blush in pride. The student-teacher duo remained dumbfounded, forgetting to advise or move forward, making their enemy sigh in relief.
Dropping the axe, he stood up from his position, starting shivering all of a sudden.
"Prince Kane!" She cheered, "Show that brat the real power of a royal man! Prove that a prince is a born warrior! He never gets defeated by a random arrogant rebel!"
"Ray!" Master Tao waved a red flag standing at his position, "We have to get out!"
"You're ordering me to leave the battlefield?" Ray yelled, barely shoving one to the surface.
"Yes, I'm ordering you to leave the ground now," Tao furiously nodded, "We have to leave this place at this very moment!"
"But how can I leave the battlefield now?" The neko-jin questioned, operating his weapons, "Look at my teammates. They all are fighting for me."
"It's not the time of thinking these things," The bald teacher voiced, "Just exit!"
"But why?" The raven-haired queried, not stopping.
"Because Kane and his soldiers have already surrounded him from all the four directions!" The master explained, "Now the enemies are back to the battle."
"There's nothing impossible in this world," Ray was adamant, "I have learnt it from you. At least have some faith of your student, master!"
"Don't forget that Kane was also my student, Ray!" The mentor retorted, gaping at the prince of Hong Kong who was slaughtering the teammates of Ray in a row with his sword, "Think with your brain, not with your heart! That time, Chinese soldiers were alone. But now, the warriors of Hong Kong are with them. Besides, they have sacred beasts which we don't own. These spirits are deadly as they're snatching the lives of our soldiers mercilessly. If you don't retreat, you'll be killed!"
"Let anything happen today!" The neko-jin protested, "I won't back off, master!"
"Don't let your wrath control your conscience, Ray!" Master Tao warned, "Sometimes, the intelligence lies in backing off. Taking all the remaining soldiers, leave this place. If you leave and live today, you can battle tomorrow. Let's go back, Ray. I…I promise that we'll return. We'll come here back with a cunning and well-documented plan. But we have to retreat now!"
"Master," The black-haired spoke, "If this Kane didn't come on our way, this battle would be in our hands."
"Sometimes, we win," The bald master conversed, "And sometimes, we learn from our mistakes. Losses come as the significant turns in our lives, Ray. From them, the road to the next victories starts. Let's go, Ray!"
The spear of defeat was piercing his heart continuously ever since he'd returned- technically fled away from the battlefield, keeping the first war of his life incomplete. He'd gone so desperate that he'd not been caring anything. Even before the faces of the attacking sacred spirits of China and Hong Kong, he'd been standing straightly, not bending his spine a tad. He'd been determined, he'd had so much bravery and willpower. They could have made some other strategies to outshine Zagart as well as his battalion, he surely had the capability of doing so. He…he could have worn the crown of the emperor of China, been seated on the throne and somehow revived Driger back. Instead of it, he was sitting in this forest.
Alone. Defeated. Helpless. Battered and tattered.
Why? Why had it happened? He'd been almost winning. He had overthrown all the attacks of the four Chinese princes along with sending them back to their tents for healing their injuries. They had been smashing all their opponents so bravely, without even fearing of death. When he remembered the crude smile clinging to the red lips of the scarlet-haired princess who'd been witnessing everything from the balcony of their palace, his heart ached more. That was an insult to him. Though he hadn't seen her while escaping, he could have heard her amused laughter through the ears of his heart. She had never known how important it'd been for him to win it. Kane had never got a hint that he was on the right path, fighting for the justice, truth and welfare of the people of China.
"Such…such a huge try it was!" Ray kicked on the ground agitatedly, "I was so close to my victory…but how did I get defeated? How?!"
"It means…." Someone commented from behind, "You've accepted your defeat already."
Not confused, the neko-jin moved back and discovered his bald master there. Approaching him, he just turned his face away in disappointment, gritting his fists, "What else can I do now, Master? Our hard-work, training, plans which we had been preparing since years, your hopes, the faith of our soldiers, our dreams to win the throne of China-everything turned into ashes! We had to escape from the battlefield, what does it mean if it isn't our defeat?"
"The person who accepts his eternal defeat facing a visible defeat is not a warrior," Tao placed his hands on the shoulders of his student, "He's a warrior who learns from every defeat and wins from every learning. Mourning can never be a solution to any problem, Ray! It's the trait of a king to control his emotions in every victory and loss, in every event of happiness and sadness, in every up and down of his life. If you want to be a king, you have to gain victory over every emotion of you before gaining victory on a throne!"
Ray nodded gloomily, not able to take it easy still.
"You have to consider your defeats as your weapons, Ray," His teacher said more, "Only after it, you can gain victory. Get prepared, Ray. We might have lost the battle but the hope of victory inside our hearts is still alive!"
Looking at his rough feet having bruises, he added, "I have been walking on the streets, roads and fields of China without putting on shoes for the last twelve years. Whenever I look down at my bruised feet, I can remember that insult in the courtroom of Zagart before twelve years! My bare feet always keep fueling me for revenge! They don't let me sleep peacefully. Everyday, every moment, they keep saying to me, 'Wake up and fight!' It's neither the time to cry nor to sleep. It's the time to fight! It's the time to revenge and bring changes!"
Turning again to his student, he squeezed his shoulders, "Changes which we can bring together in this kingdom. Don't let your wounds heal ever, Ray. Whenever they will get healed, you'll also forget why you got these wounds. Keep the pain of these injuries alive, Ray. Only this pain will take you to the happiness of the final victory!"
"You're absolutely right, Master," Ray raised his bloodshot golden orbs bit by bit, "Hence, I'm taking a vow! I won't let my wound heal until I get victory over China's throne!"
"That's the spirit, my boy! I'm proud of you no matter how many battles you win or lose," Tao gently patted his back, "And I'll be always proud of you because you're my best student. You're the learner who learnt everything from me with great interest and concentration. You are a hard worker. Hard work is always paid off. Maybe, it's getting late this time but it won't go in vain. Just mark my words, Ray."
"I have full faith on you," The neko-jin weakly smiled, "As long as you're by my side to guide me always, in the end, I'll surely be the winner, Master Tao."
"So…." Tao cleared his throat, "We should make the next plan now. Since the royal family of Hong Kong is by China and Zagart's side, we also need some external supports; including financial and tactical. Thus, it will be easier for us to defeat Zagart."
"The next plan?" Ray raised an eyebrow, "What's it, Master? What shall we do now? Who'll be beside us to make our task easier so that we can defeat Zagart this time?"
"Hmm….." Closing his eyes and leaning against a tree, Tao thought something for a while. Then suddenly, he hit upon a plan.
'Time to teach the teacher….'
In the tents of the Brazilians, the environment was remorseful. Before a few days, due to severe illness, their king, Douglas had breathed his last. He'd wished to get buried in Brazil but it was impossible to take his corpse to Latin America. So, he'd been buried under the soil of China. But most importantly, his son was still an infant, unable to ascend the throne. That's why, Ricardo, the chief-commander of Brazil, had to assume the power. Taking the seat of the acting emperor, he was directing all the political, economical and social activities of Brazil in China, still intending to get the throne of China somehow and steal the illuminative spirits from Zagart for giving them to Boris Balkov.
"Now, it's the time to enhance the territory of Brazil to China," Mario, the new chief-commander replied, "We have to fulfill the dream of our late king, Douglas."
"Remembered one thing suddenly," Ricardo spoke, "I heard that China got attacked before a few days by a boy named Ray. Do you know anything about him?"
"Yes," Mario nodded, "Interrogating princess Frankie, we've got to know that Ray is the same guy who used to work here in the pseudonym of Toujin Poijiu and fled from here."
"Oh my!" The emperor raised a brow, "What was the outcome of the battle?"
"No other troop in this world can confront the battalion of China, my lord," He informed, "Ray had to face his defeat that night."
"Lord Ricardo!"
An injured soldier entered the room without taking permission. An arrow pierced his back, blood was dripping from the wound. Kneeling down weakly on the floor, he started panting. Everyone in the room became astonished at this sudden event.
"What happened?" Mario asked him.
"Sir, Ray Kon and his…. teammates attacked…. on us," He wheezed, "They killed all our soldiers who were guarding the pavilions. Now, only t…ten… soldiers, excluding …. you are left."
"What?!" Ricardo's jaw dropped in shock, "But there were 300 soldiers with us! How could they all get killed in this way?"
"We…we were guarding the area…..." His voice was getting broken, "But suddenly, from nowhere, they attacked on us. They had three special spirits…. a black lion…. aah!"
He couldn't finish his sentence, breathing his last at the same spot. At the order of Mario, some soldiers took away the body. They were about to go out for checking what had actually happened outside but before it, they fell back, receiving four more arrows at their chests which surprised Mario and Ricardo more. Breaking in, four neko-jins rushed towards them, bow and arrows in a quiver attached to their back as they were holding naked swords, drenched with the blood of dead Brazilian soldiers. The remaining six soldiers also clashed with them according to the order of the chief-commander but couldn't do much since the black lion of thunder rose from one of the swords of the assaulters. The black thunderbolts discharged from its paws hit them, it roared, exposing its silvery fangs. Their back thumped on the bamboo pillars, the whole well-organized tent got messed up.
Ricardo couldn't believe his own eyes. Three sacred spirits literally knocked down 300 soldiers within a blink? So much power in such a small battalion? He couldn't even properly enjoy the life of an emperor for a single week despite being the official king of Brazil after the demise of the former one. Soon, all his thoughts came to a break as he discovered himself grasped snugly in the arms of the raven-haired neko-jin, the tallest in the Chinese group as he was holding his open, blood-smeared sword against his throat. Ricardo struggled hard to get free but Ray's knuckles were harder than iron shackles. Soon, other soldiers rushed in and tied the hands and feet of Mario and Ricardo, wasting no moment.
Leaving him to others, Ray turned towards his childhood friends, "Lee, Gary, Kevin-thank you so much. If you weren't there, it would never be possible for me."
"A friend in need is a friend indeed, Ray," Gary gently slapped on his shoulder, "I think we may leave now, right?"
"Hm," Ray nodded, "I'll never forget what you did for me today."
"Good luck," Lee showed him his thumb, "If needs be, don't forget to call us again. See you."
Three neko-jins left the place as Ray turned his eyes around. He had to find someone, at any cost.
Soon, the opponent soldiers dragged the tangled captives to the field and made them sit on the chairs. Ricardo didn't have the eyes to look at Ray's face once. He became so humiliated at it because he'd used to think that there was no match of Brazilian battalion in this world. Well, the raven-haired neko-jin had surely proved him wrong. His attacking style was just like a tiger; silent but intense. Ricardo was still wondering how it had happened. There were so many faults of them in this case; having less soldiers and the environment was also pensive. But never could he have imagined that the enemies could utilize this chance. Damn, due to their own carelessness, they lost it totally.
Beside him, the lavender-haired girl was standing. She wasn't tied like other captives because she was special in Ray's eyes after all. She wasn't feeling insulted or hurt because of losing. Rather, she was joyful. It was her suggestion to Ray to attack the tents of the Brazilians. Before it, she'd sent a letter to him through the hands of a faithful maid of her suggesting the same. Now, her revenge against prince Kane Yamashita and princess Salima was possible again. She was seeing new hopes. She was having new and fresh dreams to capture the throne of China with the help of Ray and to be the empress of China.
"What do you want from us?" Ricardo asked Ray.
"We will not harm you at all, Sir Ricardo," On behalf of the neko-jin, his mentor replied, "We'll set you free if you fulfill our demands."
"What are your demands?"
"First of all," Tao declared, "You have to turn away from China and go back to Brazil, without doing any harm to the citizens."
"Accepted." The captive sighed in relief. He would never have wanted it but at that moment, it was a boon to him.
"Secondly," Ray spoke, "Give me the location as well as the map of Doomland where Boris Balkov resides."
Ricardo frowned. In this world, only a few persons in this world knew the exact location of Boris Balkov. They were considered to be very special and he was one of them. He was a faithful attendant of the ruler of underground, he didn't want to break his trust.
"You have to give it to us," Tao demanded, "Otherwise, you can never go back to Brazil in this life."
"Hm." Ricardo had no other way.
"Thirdly and finally," The master said, "Get your daughter Frankie married to Ray."
"Impossible!" The brown-haired man stood up with a jolt, anger boiling all over his face and in his blood. Frankie and Ray had emotionless expressions on their faces as if it'd been a normal thing. Turning to her father, the lavender-haired girl said, "But I have no problem to get married to Ray, father."
"What are you saying, Frankie?" Ricardo scowled.
"I said that I have no problem to marry him," Frankie shrugged, "Rather, joining alliances with him may be helpful to us in future. Listen to the words of master Tao."
Ricardo sighed again, nodding heavily in agreement. Tao smirked, "Then, it's fixed! The wedding of Ray and Frankie will take place here, right now! All the rituals of the wedding will happen in traditional Chinese style."
Both Ray and Frankie exchanged glances. They both heartily agreed for the marriage though they didn't have a single bit of love for each other in each other's hearts. Why? Only they themselves knew it more well than others in this world.
Soon, the wedding alter became ready. It was simpler than any other alter in this world. Some golden chairs were arranged in two separate rows as the arrangements of sitting for the guests of the bride's and groom's parties. Cotton, embroidered carpets were laid on the ground, a few brass lamp-stands held the crystal lanterns. Wild flowers were used to decorating the fabric walls. Sticks of gladiola were kept in bronze, pitcher-like vases at the four corners of the central tent. Even the guests were also very few in number. Obvious it was, the wedding was meant to be kept hidden from the rest of the world. Master Tao himself didn't want so much gorgeousness, nor did his student and the Brazilian girl.
With slow but astute footsteps, Frankie entered the alter, dressed in a georgette, cream-colored Hanfu gown, sleeves touching the ground and getting slid along with the fringes of the dress. It was decorated with golden beads and intricate embroideries. Silky, thick lavender hair was tied into a high bun, adorned with a few pale roses and twin tresses fell on her cheeks, keeping twin amethysts at the center. Ears held golden earrings studded with pearls and hands worn the gold bangles, containing moonstone granules. It was the second time that she wore a traditional Chinese attire. The first time when she had worn it had been for meeting her love interest who'd already become the sole source of her intense hatred. Only his demise along with that of his love interest could cool her heart then.
Ray gaped at her, wearing a black, full-sleeved, silk Chinese shirt, golden linear buttons on the chestline descending from the collars, crossing his knees and black pants, enclosing his waist with a red belt and tying his hair with a white wrap. Hands wore fingerless black gloves and white straps, embracing his wrists. The yin-yang bandana around his forehead was evident there, as always. He didn't have a gorgeous dress-up at all though he was the groom. There was no excitement or grief working in him because he took a vow not to fall in love ever. Coming, she sat beside him. They both looked at each other and gave casual smile. Ricardo gulped, thinking that his daughter might have an affair with Ray somehow.
The priests uttered the chants as fast as possible; the groom and the bride paid no heed to them. After it, the head-priest announced, handing the lavender-haired girl the marriage contract composed on thick yellow sheets and a copper inkpot with a white feather-pen:
"Frankie Ricardo Silva, the daughter of Ricardo Silva, do you agree to take Ray Kon to be your lawfully wedded husband, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death do you part?
Breathing, the lavender-haired girl took the pen and spoke, staring at the face of the neko-jin, "I do."
After putting a signature, the inkpot and the contract were handed to Ray. The vicar asked, as per the rule of the marriage:
"Ray, the son of Hal, do you agree to take Frankie Ricardo Silva to be your lawfully wedded wife, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death do you part?"
He also didn't hesitate to answer, "I do."
Signatures were done, so were the formalities. At the time of the auspicious prayer to the Chinese deities of marriage, Ray and Frankie didn't feel anything. Rather, they prayed to the deities of war, battles and valor so that they could be successful in avenging their insults whose wounds were feeling still very fresh and new to them. The arrangements, attires, locations-everything was ordinary but the wedding was not ordinary at all. They had respective motives and they would help each other gain what they wanted. It was the beginning of a sinful, forbidden but important partnership for the rise of a new world, a new China. Both were so eager for it. Still, Ray was feeling that something or someone was absent there. In spite of rummaging through his heart a lot, he couldn't find its actual name out.
Like the wedding hall, the bedroom for the new couple was also very simply decorated. On the ligneous wardrobe, a dragon-and-phoenix candle-stand was kept, discharging bluish and reddish flames. There were also other clay lamps laid on the floor in floral patterns. Camellia and jasmine garlands were hanging from the bed-stand. The bedsheet was cottony but well-embroidered, having the symbols of golden tigers. Rose-petals were also sprinkled there. On the side table, there were two goblets of moon milk for the newly wedded couple, garnished with honey and crushed almonds. Frankie was waiting for the raven-haired neko-jin on the bed, sprawling her legs gently.
Soon, pushing the curtains, Ray entered the chamber. Seeing the pose of his wife, he became nervous a bit because he was not really in the mood of doing those stuffs with Frankie. The lavender seductively gestured him to come and sit beside her. Huffing and panicked, the neko-jin took his seat on the tool by the bed, wondering what the next plan of Frankie was. Sometimes, this girl couldn't be believed.
"At the wedding night, the newly wedded husband and wife exchange gifts between themselves," Frankie added honey to her voice, "I also want to give a gift to you tonight, Ray."
"G…gift?!"
"Yes!"
The Brazilian girl turned over the bedsheet which disclosed the entire map of an unknown land painted on the surface in curves of anonymous radii at the second layer. Ray's eyes were lit at it.
"The map of Doomland," Taking a stick, Frankie marked a place on the canvas, "It's the same place where Driger, the precious white tiger of China, is held captive by Boris Balkov. Capturing all the sacred spirits throughout the world, he wants to become the emperor of the world. If you want to get Driger back, you have to go there and steal him because fighting against him will be an idiocy since Boris Balkov is thousand times powerful than Zagart. Got it?"
"Thank you so much, Frankie, for your help," Ray spoke, "But my gift is still left, I guess."
"Don't need to get worried about that now," His wife assured him, "You can give me it after we have conquered the throne of China."
"Once I become the king," The neko-jin promised, "I'll make you my chief consort and the head-empress of China, Frankie."
"But before it, you have to win the war," She held Ray's hands protectively, "Now, let's make the plans."
Their whole wedding night went like a night before a fatal battle as they studied the map and the locations together, taking each other's opinions on various cases. Ray would start his journey towards Doomland as soon as possible once he felt that he was prepared for it. Frankie wanted Ray get Driger back at any cost because only with his help, China could be conquered and revenge could be taken on Kane and Salima. The flames of vengeance were burning in their veins, they didn't let them get smothered so soon. Frankie recalled Kane's stern and harsh rejections only for Salima, Ray couldn't forget the smile on Salima's face when she'd seen Kane stepping in the battleground, against him. The feelings were mutual, so were the motives.
"What's the news, messenger?" Zagart asked the runner in his private chamber.
"Lord Boris Balkov has wanted you to help him get the princess of Japan," He informed, "But she's already got married to Kai Hiwatari, the prince of Russia. Tomorrow, they'll start for Russia."
When he heard the name of the husband of the Japanese princess, his blood bubbled and rushed up to his head. Clutching the curtains, he spoke, "But we have no preparation. Even I have also to separate the bitch from that bastard."
"Boris Balkov has suggested you to use illuminative spirits."
"Hmm…." Zagart's brain became a tad cool, "The idea is nice after all. I'm preparing to send Jim and Goki to Russia along with two small troops of soldiers. Illuminative Draciel and Illuminative Dranzer will create so many illusions and using the chance, Balkov can abduct Hilary. Damn, this idea is brilliant!"
"Okay, I'm going to inform this to lord Balkov," The messenger bowed, "He'll also arrive in Russia and be prepared."
When he left Zagart's chamber, the cinnamon-haired guy creepily grinned, looking outside, 'In this very way, I'll disrobe Kai Hiwatari in front of the world, stripping him of his pride and dignity. Now, Hilary Tachibana, the princess of Japan, the future empress of Russia, the beloved wife of Hiwatarian, the beautiful bride of Hiwatari clan-will be the private prostitute of Boris Balkov! Hahahaha!"
Sooo...how was it? Crazy, ah? :P
With this chapter, the second season of "Kingdom" is completed and the next season will be updated in the next year, maybe. It means...no more updates of Kingdom this year. Still you really all want, let me know, I may publish a special chapter *Winks at certain someone*.
So, I'll complete Outburst at first, then from the next Monday, I'll start a TyHil multichaptered horror *Gulps and nervously looks at TyHil fans who are thinking that I may destroy TyHil once again* For it, I need the blessings of the TyHil fans since it's my first multichaptered TyHil where Tyson and Hilary will be married, for my first time in my fics. Hehehehe *Nervously chuckles again*
Anyways, do read and review. Pardon the grammatical and spelling errors. Take care and stay safe :D
-Misty ^_^ ^_^