Chapter 3
The love that once fulfilled you, now leaves you empty.
The warmth that once caressed you, now left you hurting.
Thousand kinds of medicine have been made to cure all sorts of illnesses and diseases yet, NOT ONE have been created to relieve us from the pain of losing our loved ones.
Simply because....
"There is NO such thing."
Death is indeed, such a terrible, terrible thing.
It robs you of your life, of your future, of people you treasure.
The person whom you were just laughing with a moment ago, now gone....just like that.
It won't give you time to prepare...oh, no it won't. It won't give you a choice.
And all we are left to face with, is the cold and bitter truth that...
...we will never see them again...
...we will never see them smile again, or be angry, or sad...
...we will never hear their voice again...talk to them...
...we will never feel their warmth...their presence....
...we will never, ever, do the things we wished to do with them...
...the plans you both made for each other...
...the future that you longed for...
...the hope of being together till you both grew old...
ALL GONE.
Just like that.
And the hardest part?
"There is no turning back."
How we wished it was all a dream. That when you wake up, all is but a simple nightmare. That everything wasn't true and that when you wake up, you'd still see them lying next to you....
But instead, you wake up in disappointment.
All that's left is pain.
PAIN that DEMANDS to be felt!
It hurts... so much!...
...so much you can't bear.
...to the point that you wish to join them.
...or that you died instead.
For this pain is worse than death itself.
It tortures you...
It weakens you...
And it kills the very life in you..."
With eyes that stared into nothingness, Rania got dragged, along with tens of thousands of other candidates, to the inner courts of what seemed to be a palace covered with gems and marble stones.
They were being led by their captors whose appearance have been affected by the different countries and region they had gone to. Some even had snowflakes attached in their clothes which obviously was brought about by the cold weather.
Some candidates were tied with vines in their wrists. Some were asleep and being carried over the shoulder while others seemed bruised and injured from trying to fight for their lives. Some looked scared. Some looked tired. Some looked curious.
But there were also very few that were still able to walk with dignity and courage.
It didn't take that long for the last batch of candidates to arrive - for they all came through teleportation holes or magic circles that were casted by the magi. And as they all a.s.sembled, a tall and handsome figure appeared in front of everyone.He had short and wavy gray hair that matches his gray eyes.
He opened his mouth, bent his knees, and began to speak with his deep voice that echoed through the whole courts.
"Oh reverent king whom heaven favors, please grant us, your lowly servants, of your magnificent presence on this hour."
Soon after this calling, a giant ball of white light came rus.h.i.+ng from above to down below, in front of everyone and in front of the kneeling man who spoke.
Once the light has faded, it revealed a tall young man that seemed to be no older than 25, with golden hair, bright aquamarine eyes, pale skin, a perfect physique, and a very, very handsome face. Too handsome in fact, that everyone who saw him was set on a daze and adornment of his beautiful features.
Everyone except for Rania whom still, continues to stare at nothingness.
He was wearing white clothing matched with white pants, both with golden embroidery at the seams and ends, different accessories in his arms and wrists, matched with a large, furred, red cloak that extends to his feet, and a simple yet elegant golden crown on his head. The Magi may indeed be a different race, but their sense of fas.h.i.+on was not that different from those of humans - just better and more elegant.
After a few moments of silence and awe to him, he finally spoke.
"So these are the most beautiful and pure of the human race?" he said in a mocking voice.
For a normal human standard, each
"Unfortunately, these are the best they have to offer, your majesty." replied the kneeling man who summoned the king.
"I see." the king noted. "How disappointing. And to think I have to sleep with such lowlives."
"Indeed, your majesty! That's what I told th-" blurted the green-haired girl who stabbed Zeid.
As soon as Rania heard that devilish voice, she snapped out of her own depression and looked begrudgingly to this wicked woman.
With all hatred in her heart she stood up and readied herself to a shout.
Noticing her anger, was a kind, young woman with platinum blonde hair and a pair of blue eyes. She immediately went to Rania to stop her of whatever she was about to do for it may bring harm to her and to everyone.
"Uhm...Excuse me..." she said as she approached Rania and quickly grabbing her hands and rubbing it to calm her down. "My name is Azalea. What yours?" Her voice was that of an angel, so soothing to the ear.
Rania who was looking with killing intent to the green-haired girl a moment ago was now staring at Azalea. The girl held her face and made sure Rania focused on her.
"Look here...I understand you may have been very frustrated. In fact, everyone here feels the same way. We have all been separated to our families, to our loved ones. But please....please don't do anything that will endanger your life. It is not worth it. Not the least." Azalea pleaded.
With tears in the corners of her eyes, and hatred all over her face, Rania spoke bitterly, "That woman... killed...my.. fiance...in front of me! If they didn't need us in the first place, why bring us here? Why kill our loved ones? Our families? Our friends? Just why?!"
Azalea frowned and loneliness can be seen in her eyes.
"Honestly, I am as clueless as you are. I don't know as well. But what I know is that we must do everything to survive. We'll never know but maybe... just maybe, there is hope by the end of the tunnel." Azalea replied holding Rania's hands tightly.
"If that king doesn't need us, why won't he just return us from where we came? There's tens of thousands of us here. He can't possibly sleep with all of these women! Just choose whom he likes..." Rania replied and alas, once again, she went back to her depressed state and stared to nothingness once more.
Azalea frowned again, thought for a second, and nodded approvingly afterwards.
"Yes, you're right. He doesn't need all thousands of us."
With all courage and dignity, Azalea, walked towards the front row of the crowd. She clenched her small fists, then mustered all her courage and began to speak, interrupting the king and other men on stage who were talking to each other.
"Your... highness" she began. "I beg you to forgive my rudeness, but...if I may interrupt for a moment."
And there was silence.
The king's attention was caught for it was very brave indeed to dare speak in front of such a crowd. Without knowing what rules she may have been breaking, or customs, or traditions. Without knowing what price it has to pay. But nonetheless, the king, now interested, did not speak a word but waited to listen to whatever the girl has to say.
Though frightened, Azalea bowed her head.
"Thank you for letting me speak."
She breathed heavily and continued once more.
"As... you may have noticed, your highness, there are tens of thousands of women in this place. And hearing your conversation, I believe we are all gathered here to serve you, your highness.
But then I believe that you have your own standards and preferences. These women brought in front of you now were all chosen based on the preferences of their captors and not by you, your highness. So if I may imply, that.. your highness, why not -...
Why not, in this sea of ten thousands, choose your thousand. And in that thousand, choose your hundred. And in that hundred, choose your ten. And lastly in that ten, choose your.... the one and only..
I may not yet be knowledgeable of your culture, your politics, and customs but even so, I believe these bunch is too much for your highness. So for those whom you won't be needing.. will your highness, please... return them to their homes?"
Azalea's heart pounded very rapidly after finis.h.i.+ng her speech. Will she be dead now? Will the king be angry and kill her and everyone else in this place?
A moment of silence has pa.s.sed once more.
"HAHAHAHAHAHA!" the king laughed loudly that it echoed through the whole courts. "Hahahahahahaha!" He laughed again for almost a whole minute.
"Woman", he said after recovering from his amus.e.m.e.nt. "What is your name?"
"My name is Azalea, your highness." she answered and curtseyed afterwards.
"Hmm..Azalea, that was very brave of you indeed." the king said half laughing. "Certainly, I don't need ten thousand women to join me in bed. So why not? In return for you amusing me this day, I will give what you want."
"But your majesty-" the kneeling man interrupted.
"I don't want to hear any objections. I have been amused! And what should I reward the one who gave me amus.e.m.e.nt? Nothing?"
"B-b-ut..."
"Silence! My decision is final! I will choose my hundred and let go of the remaining! Make sure to bring them back from whence they came from!"
With disbelief, every woman there jumped in delight! They were overjoyed! For what greater news can they receive in such a tragic day such as this? They all went to Azalea to thank her. Everyone was smiling happily. Azalea tried to look for Rania to thank her for the idea but she can't find her due to the crowd swarming to her. She thought she'd just thank her later.
After a few more moments, the king indeed, chose his 100 candidates and commanded the rest of his race to return the unneeded women to their families.
Out of the chosen hundred belongs Azalea and Rania, and many other friends whom we are yet to meet.
It has been a very long and tiring day full of emotional roller coaster. The candidates were later on, brought to their a.s.signed quarters to rest and prepare for the next day.
Meanwhile, on one of the most renowned hospitals. On a certain dark room with a very tired mother sleeping in a corner, the sound of a cardiac monitor can be heard.
Toot….toot...toot….
And in its bed lies a heavily injured man - his upper body covered in bandages.
"Hey, have you heard what happened to the guy in room 302?", asked a curious nurse patrolling the area.
"Yeah, apparently he got stabbed in his stomach, poor thing." replied the other.
"So I've heard. But do you know what's more interesting?"
"Uhm...he's very handsome?"
"No! Silly...the thing that stabbed him!"
"The thing? Shouldn't it be who stabbed him? Like a relative or something?"
"No - it is right, the thing that stabbed him."
With confusion in her face, the other nurse asked, "okaaay,....then, what is it?"
"It's a spear! And not just any spear...for it was made with ice."