While I was summarising a conclusion, a sharp pain hit my lower back, bending me to my knees. With my right hand, I examined my lower back.

Glancing at my retreating hand, my eyes bulged, my hand was covered in blood. Slowly tilting my head downwards, a puddle of blood reflected my attractive features.

"Wha-" I started to speak when a second arrow hit my lower back making me cough up more blood. Even I could tell it hit near my spine when this adrenaline runs out I'll probably be immobilized for all my life.

Inclining my head backwards, I saw dozens of solders, even my royal guards, holding crossbows and swords. Have my people betrayed me? When I did nothing than to serve them?

With weak legs I started moving, even if I died today, I want to see him once, know who he is, hope to meet him if there is an afterlife.

Of course, I'm not a fool to lead these scum to attack him, but if I can make it to the guest garden I'll at least catch a glimpse.

"Men don't let the Queen escape! this must be done for the salvation of our empire!" "Do not frown upon her death, for she will be happy for our future!". One of the court members said. So it was them, should've known if I tried to change something they'd react.

But it was unimaginable, them doing Coup d'état. Our ancestors are probably frowning upon this empire. The people and the court are all scum.

The ordinary citizen screams against corruption and eats with a bribe. My death is the last bridge they need to cross.

I was never frightened by the probability of death. But now...after I had imagined a life with a coral, after I had expected to find happiness, to find love.

I was scared, I was back again to being the lonely girl who had no friends, who'd get whipped by her father until he disappeared.

Even so, I will not die here, I still had to look into his eyes and tell him I loved him, to tell him he was my everything, to tell him he deserved better.

In the back of my mind, a fantasy of exchanging soul crystals and kissing each other as we cried with happiness was cracking.

It hurt, it hurt more so than the arrows, knowing my foolish fantasy could never come true. We would never get a chance to hug, to kiss, to lay next to each other whispering sweet words with him seducing me with his laughs.

"What transgressions have I transpired against you, such that you'd raise your claws against me? Am I not your Queen!? Answer Me, Men!" I shouted coughing more blood.

At this point I had turned around and was glaring at them, even though my back was slightly bent, I knew my eyes carried intimidation. My Oceanic blue gown, covered in blood turned black, sweat plastered at my face, my chest was covered in the blood I coughed.

For a moment the soldiers looked hesitant. But the court member quickly assured them"Do not listen to her men! This is all for the sake of our empire, You swore to serve the empire first and foremost, The empires advancement requires the Queen's death! Your ancestors will smile upon your deed!"

After his announcement the soldiers looked to have gotten renewed courage, their bows trained themselves at me releasing bolts one after another.

The first two had gotten me by surprise but it won't be so easy this time, mustering up my strength I tried to turn into my dragon form only to find it impossible.

They had used some kind of poison. Still, I can fight in this form too, I could kill a royal guard turned dragon in this form easily. These are all inferior versions of my self.

Blocking their bolts I prepared myself to meet with the infantry running towards me. they couldn't turn into their dragon forms as it would alert the general public. if I could turn, it could've alerted the people of this rebellion.

Maybe just maybe I could've survived but the way this is going... it's unlikely.

With my weak half transformation, I cleaved through the charging infantry, smashing heads, piercing shields, blocking arrows. All the while I did not dare forget my original purpose.

Slowly being pushed back I made my way to the guest garden, turning around the corner hoping to sprint quickly and be done with this hell. An arrow pierced my leg, it seemed they were trying to immobilize me.

As the arrow pierced my legs, my vision turned blurry, intense pain made my legs go wobbly. I was leaking a lot of blood, from my initial battle to here, a path of my blood had surfaced.

Even with the hell, I was in, one motivation remained. I had to see him. Even if it's only once, even if I never get a chance again.

I had many regrets but this one...I couldn't even bear to die with it.

The soldiers had roughly figured out the direction I was heading. When I reached the entrance of the guest garden, troops came pouring in, soon I found myself surrounded by the very men that were sworn to serve me.

And it was not a small force either there had to be hundreds of them, how did they manage to gather such a huge force? I wasn't foolish, I kept informants everywhere, then how?

Seeing double the previous numbers my hopelessness grew, maybe I wasn't fated to see him even as my dying wish. Life's just too cruel sometimes.

Stomping my bloodied left foot on the ground I studied a battle stance, using the Water Dragons power to its limit all of my skin turned scaley, my mouth protruded a little, but I failed in changing myself into my dragon form yet again.

It wouldn't be right saying one by one.., dozens of troops charged towards their deaths. Yet the herd never thinned.

Grabbing a charging soldiers arm, I ripped it from his socket leaving him roaring in anguish, I cleaved heads, my claws ripped through bodies like ripples on the water surface.

I was impressive against melee, as my sheer close-ranged attack power was unmatchable. Soon enough they reorganized their strategy, but instead of the arrogance and righteousness, they felt a while ago. I was met with fear.

If I dragged my feet towards a solder, he'd instinctively flinch and move back. The swordsmen pointed their rattling swords at me but made no move to attack, instead the crossbowmen started releasing blot after bolt faster than ever before.

I see now...the swordsmen are surrounding me to block escape, while the bolts bring me down.

"Men you have seen with your eyes! she is a witch! look at your dead brethren, she is a murderer! Kill the Queen!" " FOR THE ATLANTA!!" the pompous 2nd court member barked. Such hypocrisy.

The royal red wallpaper of the palace was covered in blood, although the paint didn't really show blood, the bits and pieces sticking were evidence.

With this volley of arrows and the infantry ready to strike if I make a mistake I'll need to be quick. I can already feel fatigue sapping my strength at this rate I won't even last 10 minutes.

Not even bothering to kill them, I crazily pushed pass making my way to the guest garden.

 

He'll be waiting there. He'll be there, He'll be there for me...He'll be wont he?

Not noticing the new wounds from swords and arrows I bashed heads one after the other. Killing anyone that was in the way of my love.

After reaching the guest garden I searched, scanning the Queen's Garden. Hoping to find my secret joy, my only friend, my love.

Scanning through the flowers my eyes zoned in on golden black lights twirling like two sparks.

As I concentrated the sparks faded, revealing the man of my dreams, how I wished he'd looked from the bottom of my heart. How I imagined him as I practised kissing with my pillow.

Looking at his perfect figure I instinctively glanced at my self, my clothes were torn black-blue, cuts were swollen yet kept leaking blood due to extensive usage.

As if sensing my presence, his head perked up, from his black spiked hair, violet eyes that glowed in the dark to his devilish lips, everything was perfect. Even in my last moments I couldn't help but ogle at his body, those arms must hold so much power.

How would it feel to be between them? Not that it was happening now...after all in a few moments I would be nothing more than a corpse.

 

My life lost to my people.

He smiled in my direction as if he'd been waiting for me, God he's so beautiful. Even with neither me nor the soldiers being seen because of the tall bushes, he grimaced.

"I'm sensing ominous intent, what's happening?" His worried voice spoke in my mind. I can finally die in peace. I did it, I reached the garden. I met him.

"I...Just tell me this...d-did you ever...ever love me?" I asked my last question to lay my heart at peace.

"That's out of the blue...um...to tell you the truth...hey! I'm not a creep...but yeah...from the moment you were born" He answered with an unwavering voice signifying what he told as truth.

"Creep" I laughed, coughing blood.

"Am not...hey did you get a cold?" He asked tone shifting from amused to worry.

"I'm fi-" I was cut midway by the 1st court member as my mother's most trusted subordinate shouted.

"Queen you have spilled the blood of your brethren thus I have to use this. Regrettably, your soul won't go to the ancestors" He announced as if pitying me.

A sharp pain hit me as a blue-green arrow pierced my chest in-between my breast, but unlike the others this one was different, it was clawing at my very existence, even as I tried my best I couldn't hold in an earth-shattering scream.

"Ok, something's definitely wrong, I'm coming over there" a worried voice sounded in the back of my head. My consious began zooming in and out. A spear jabbed my belly and the countless arrow pierced me.

The soldiers were fearing that I would get up and bring them decimation again, thus they rained one volley after another, hoping that my fingers stop twitching, my life run out. Little did they know I was at my very last straw.., any moment now and the reaper would claim my life.

 

The best I could do was shield my vitals; head and heart with my clawed hands. My scales were resistant but not impregnable, an arrow piercing my right palm embedded itself near my heart, my every beat signified death drawing nearer.

In a flash my love was beside me, with a casual flick of his finger a thousand soldiers blew up, raining blood and gore. Training those perfect violet eyes towards me he had a pained expression as if my pierced body was his own.

----------------------------------------------

I'm going early. could you blame me? I was just too excited, she finally said she loved me. She'll come down after the public announcement, till then I'm going to go town and buy her a present. Throughout history, girls have liked presents.

This will be a new experience for me too. Descending in the city I take in my surroundings, preparations for festivities are going on, people are busy working, children playing. I'll bring her here someday, royalty isn't allowed to freely come here.

Going in what seemed to be a gift shop with a purple-blue signboard. An old lady sitting inside showed me a popular choice. None of it was worthy of my Elaisha...should I give her a planet as a present?

Anyways, that gift shop was a bust hardly anything there was worthhile. But I've come to the conclusion that I'll make the present myself. Finding a deserted alley I summoned the elements.

But I wasn't making a simple elemental charmed ring. No, this ring will be a masterpiece for my love. After converging the 4 elements I added light, darkness, compressed void and the force of gravity.

I'm not good with flashy names.., Ah-Ha, I'll call it The Ring Of Love...The Ring Of Elaisha..., those are so cheesy...

Let's go with the latter, this is The Ring Of Elaisha. This endeavour was bothersome and wasteful, in the end, I had to make the gift myself.

Nevertheless, it's time, I should go.

Teleporting to the garden where we first spoke, I waited and waited and waited. Maybe she changed her mind after all...well.., it's not like I'd give her a choice anyway; she's mine, pure and simple.

Fireworks were cracking near the dome's ceiling, she's done with the announcement I guess.., any minute now, come on where are you? Don't they teach you not to make gods wait?

The dragon's Dragonoid form with which I visited the city was removed, I was nothing more than my original essence form.

After waiting for a long time something changed, my essence took a solidified form, fingers formed, came with its feet, neck, chest, arms, soon enough I was a young man dressed in Atlanta's nobility fashion.

I glanced in the direction from where I got the synapse. Even when I tried to I couldn't hide my smile, I was just so happy. She's here! she's here for me.., not that I ever doubted it.

All was perfect, I could sense some movement but that would probably be the guests at the guest garden...but even so, I had a sense of dread wash over me.., it wasn't my first time feeling it, for I had been a witness of many wars.

"I'm sensing ominous intent, what's happening?" I Questioned knowing the link had been established when she looked at me.

"I...Just tell me this...d-did you ever...ever love me?" A broken voice questioned, what's happening why is my blood running cold as if I was buried under a glacier.

"That's out of the blue...um...to tell you the truth...hey! I'm not a creep...but yeah...from the moment you were born" I answered burying the bubbling anxiety in my gut.

"Creep" came her melodic voice followed by a series of terrible sounding cough. I tried to zoom in on her profile standing in the guest garden, but could only make out her figure, nothing more.

"Am not...hey did you get a cold?" I asked worriedly, gosh if she doesn't give me a clear response this anxiety's gonna make me vomit.
"I'm fi-" Her words were cut halfway as I heard her scream. My stomach rolled in on itself.

"Ok, something's definitely wrong, I'm coming over there" I announced cutting off the telepathic link. Whatever it is I hope I'm not too late.

Teleporting to her location it took me barely a second to see her bloodied and them not helping her. That was enough, with a flick of my finger I multiplied their heart rate by infinity making them go kaboom.