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MY HAND SEEKS OUT MALALA’S as we watch from the balcony of the royal conservatorium with bated breath. The world goes quiet.
Suddenly, the Queen Eater implodes. Clouds of fire erupt from within it in a grand display, taking the Weeping Wall with it.
Tears stream down my face as I tangibly feel the loss of Balenda as the traces of magic within her body snuffs out. It’s like her presence in this world is just...gone.
“She did it.” The Sages breath, looking off at the horizon with shocked and relieved stances. “It’s finally over.” All three of them look towards each other in disbelief and I watch them curiously. Warily.
I turn back to look down at the clearing where the war was taking place. The Drones and soldiers from Torrent have all of The People and Hivena traitors gathered and tamed. Many of them take off their masks that showed their allegiance to the secret organization, and look towards the Weeping Wall and the imploding Mercurial Spirit in the distance. The sky illuminates with balls of fire and sparks. Cries and wails of disbelief rip from their lips. Some even drop to their knees in shock.
Many of them truly believed their god couldn’t be defeated.
I watch as the Queen Eater dissipates, revealing a clear evening sky. The smoke and fire clears from the rubble of the Weeping Wall, and I gasp as colorful lights beam up from the ruins and dance towards the sky. I can feel the spirits of the past dwarf queens and Hivena Queens being released from whatever curse that was binding them here.
The air around me feels considerably lighter and clearer now that they’re finally free to move on from this plain on to something better.
*****
I KNOCK ON MALALA’S office door and greet her with a smile. She looks beautiful in her green gown, and the delicate gold crown nestled in her braids makes her even more regal.
It’s been a few weeks since our battle with The People and the Queen Eater. The Sages were gone immediately after the battle and haven’t been heard from or seen since. There was no explanation from them. No additional information...nothing. They just left. And for some reason, that unsettles me.
Malala and I have been hard at work rectifying everything that has been done. With the help of Kuruk and Torrent’s army, Hivena was able to patrol the streets against any more crimes against magic users and their sympathizers. We’ve been able to become a safe haven for magic users, and the pioneers and leaders in tolerance for many neighboring dominions. We’ve even created plans for our own army sector for magic users to learn their powers and serve the crown, giving many of them another option for a living wage.
With all that’s happened, me being alive is the least of anyone’s worries when it comes to the legitimacy of the crown and the rightful queen.
Houses have been rebuilt and families have been given relief for their losses and damages.
Correspondence with Veah has been frequent, and there are talks of establishing an alliance with Doyenne Ina. They not only won’t have to hide their presence anymore, they’ll be able to receive aid and trade from Hivena directly and vice versa. It’ll be an even bigger boost for their resources and send a message to all that Veah is alive and well and officially in alliance with Hivena.
Mourning Balenda has been hard, and the portrait hung of her on the wall in the foyer is only a small amount of salve put on the gaping wound that is her absence.
“You ready?” I ask Malala. She smiles and sets down her pen, grabbing the papers for her speech.
“Yup, I’m all set. You look beautiful by the way.” She beams, gazing at my embellished blue tunic that I got as a gift from Kuruk.
“Thank you, so do you.” I nudge her.
We walk hand in hand down the second floor corridor of the castle. Although everything in the castle is the same as when we’ve grown up, the air feels different. Clearer.
We make the long trek in comfortable silence, past waiting guards and servants lining the corridor, until we emerge through the balcony doors flanked by Captain Marquis and lieutenant Rue in their green uniforms.
Subjects from all over Hivena, as well as visiting domains, have gathered in the courtyard. From Lost Souls, to Zaphyrians, to advisors from Torrent. Even subjects from the Sono kingdom have come, and from what we’ve heard, they’ve overthrown their king and are in the process of establishing a new one.
I let go of Malala’s hand as she steps forward to the podium and addresses them all as a hush blankets over them.
“The time here in Hivena has not been easy. We have faced many great challenges that have been taking root in our land for centuries. Not only were we able to dismantle them and come out the other side, but we are stronger because of it. My plan moving forward for the beautiful people of Hivena is to continue dismantling our harmful systems and improving our queendom, by getting rid of the queening process and brood selection all together.” Gasps flitter throughout the crowd. Some of excitement and some of fear and uncertainty. “There will be no more Days of the Pupa, no more children brought to the castle to partake in royal jelly, and no more Thinning Ceremony. I will be working diligently with my advisor and sister to come up with a new queening process that will lead Hivena into a brighter direction. One that is not only safe for our people, but for future young girls and families of this land. From this moment forward, this queendom prioritizes family and the well being of people, not political power.”
Malala reaches her hand back and I take it, stepping beside her to the podium as cheers and chants erupt from the crowd.
“Long Live Queen Malala!”
“We love you Dwarf Queen Zemira!”
I smile down at my people, who I once tried to run away from, and tears prick my eyes at how they’ve accepted me back.
Standing here in the Hivena castle with my family was once an impossible dream. Now, it’s the dream I live for.
I register movement behind me and turn to see Rowan and Kuruk looking dashing in their suits and tunics as they stand proudly in the entrance to the hall, and standing behind them, are the glowing, proud, and relieved faces of our sisters.
Author’s Note
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Thank you for reading Queen of Lost Souls, book three in the Royal Jelly Series! As a self published author I’m constantly learning and improving my work to bring you the best works of fiction I can create. I truly hope you enjoyed it and I can’t wait to bring you more novels to enjoy! Please be sure to leave a review and let me know your thoughts!
If you want to stay up to date on new releases, visit my website www.aaliazealous.com
Xoxo A’alia Zealous
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Stay tuned for a sneak peek of my episodic fiction: Dead Queen!
Available on Kindle Vella where you can read your first 10 episodes FREE!!
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