He suddenly pointed at Ashen, and Cessilia raised her sword in a defensive stance.
“Why do you think I didn’t get rid of this boy sooner? I had plenty of opportunities! But while he was alive, he made a perfect puppet for us to use! Each Lord is more pathetic than the next, worthless, useless, and I knew he would follow what I told him, helpless as he was! ...Everything should have gone just fine. All I needed was to give him my daughter as a wife, and I would have controlled his heirs as I wanted! There is no need for a throne or a crown, I have always been the real King of this Kingdom! Unlike the Tyrant, I didn’t need people to know my name. All I needed was the power that came with those responsibilities! I would have kept this Kingdom powerful, and safe from your damn Dragon Empire!”
“What of the cities outside the Capital?” asked Cessilia. “All those people dying of hunger? All the homeless, penniless people who can’t live in the Capital?”
“There is no need to bother with the vermin,” scoffed Yebekh. “It takes care of itself eventually. It will probably take decades before those wretched people figure it out, anyway. All we need in the Capital is for the money to flourish, our clan to prosper!”
“...So you’re really just in it for the money and power,” sighed Cessilia. “I was right. Even in a million years, you’ll never be worthy of the King’s position.”
“You’re just a pampered child coming from an all-powerful family!” he shouted. “You know nothing of real power! Only the Yekara Clan has what it takes to stand up to the Dragon Empire! You think things are so easy because your family has dragons to keep your people in check! Here, all we have are weapons and money!”
“...You seem to forget one thing, Yebekh,” Cessilia retorted, finally stepping forward. “The Dragon Empire’s leader is a woman, and she has no dragon either. The only adult dragon in the Capital is my grandfather’s, and he is too old to bother. Moreover, our people do not fear our dragons anymore. My siblings and I have been playing in the streets with our dragons along with any commoner child. If anything, our people adore our dragons because they defend them. They don’t fear them. You think only fear can allow one to rule? You’re wrong. ...No, you’re an idiot. You’re the one who has no idea what makes this Kingdom’s people feel safe or happy.”
“How dare you?!” he shouted, furious. “This isn’t your Kingdom! You know nothing!”
“I’ve seen and heard enough,” Cessilia retorted.
The man took a step back, taken by surprise. This didn’t even feel like he was facing the same woman from earlier. Her appearance had changed a lot. He could understand the ripped clothes, the dried blood, and the silver scales on her, but... what was making him retreat was her demeanor. She didn’t act like the shy princess from before. He had thought this woman would be easy to handle compared to the King, so how was she now facing him, acting tall, mighty, and as powerful as a queen?!
Cessilia had always been tall, but only now did she seem to look her full height, almost looking down on that pathetic man, and standing like a lioness between him and the King. No, she looked like a fierce dragon facing him, ready to spit her fire at a weak human. She was still clearly a human, so how were her green eyes so... scary? He took a deep breath and held his sword with two hands, getting ready for her to attack any second now. He could tell she was strong, and not as tired as he would have hoped for her to be. He had been able to stand on the sidelines while the King fought his adopted brother, but now, she was not going to let him get away so easily. She wasn’t just blocking him from approaching the King, she was also standing in front of the large doors, making any attempt to flee impossible. He thought he’d be the one to lead the fight, so how was he feeling cornered already?!
“Real leaders are military, strategic leaders,” he resumed, with a low voice. “Those young men are nothing but empty symbols for the people.”
“Ashen resonates with his people more than you’ll ever be able to understand.”
“He’s only a prince for show! That brat knows nothing!”
“He knows what his people’s lives are like!” Cessilia suddenly shouted back.
She stepped forward again, making the man even more nervous.
“He’s a man of the people, and you’re just a rat making a feast out of scraps,” she continued with an ice-cold glare. “You think you manipulate anything? You’re just finding yourself excuses to remain the vulture hiding in the shadows. Ashen is the real King, and he will be for as long as he’s alive. Even if something happened to him, those people would never accept you as their leader. ...Look outside, Yebekh. You’ve already lost. The people aren’t the cowards you think. They’ll fight with all their might for their freedom, and since you have no idea what those people truly want, you and your men will inevitably lose!”
Cessilia’s sword was on him in a split second. Yebekh had to show his skills quickly to be able to block it at the very last second, and endure the tremendous strength of the Dragon Princess. He grimaced, holding his sword against hers. Their faces were so close she could see the pearls of sweat appearing on his forehead, and his teeth gritting from the effort. Cessilia was fed up with this man, and had no intention to give him any chance. She was sick of his underhanded ways, and ready to end him here and now. She suddenly released the pressure and spun around, launching a second assault with impressive speed.
In just a few clashes of swords, she was able to confirm Yebekh’s skills and experience weren’t fake or overestimated. He truly had the right movements and reflexes of a man who had fought in a military camp most of his life. Her terrific strength was met with his best tactics to try and block her, again and again, as she intensified her attacks. Cessilia had to admit, the old snake was a decent fighter. In her father’s army, he would have been amongst the best-ranked generals, capable of military strategy as well as fighting himself.
When they finally parted, her giving him a break, the man was out of breath but unscathed. Cessilia slowly spun her weapon in her hand, and retreated to get to Ashen, quickly checking on him. He had closed his eyes, but he was still slowly and steadily breathing. She slowly moved her wrists to stretch them a bit. His sword was larger than what she’s used to and not the type she would have chosen, but she had to make do with it.
“If only you hadn’t interfered...” hissed Yebekh. “I had this stupid boy in the palm of my hand!”
“I’ve already heard that today,” groaned Cessilia, “and I pity you for not being able to realize how much of a good king you already had. If I hadn’t interfered, you would have fallen all the same. It’s your loss for underestimating how strong this Kingdom really is.”
“Strong? You’re the mistaken one, child! Those people are living with nothing! This Kingdom is destined for ruin if no strong man takes the reins!”
To his surprise and anger, Cessilia chuckled.
“...Do you know what those people really need, Yebekh?”
“Money!” he shouted. “Power, and the means to–”
“Fish beignets.”
Cessilia’s words surprised him so much, the man’s expression fell, and he blinked twice, wondering if he hadn’t dreamed this stupidly simple couple of words. He scoffed.
“W-what did you say?”
“Fish beignets,” Cessilia retorted, with a smile on her lips.
“Have you gone mad?!”
“I’m very serious,” she said. “You’ve probably never had any, but what all those people outside need are tasty, warm fish beignets. The taste of delicious food in the morning, warming up their hearts and filling their stomachs. You see, men like you are the type to consider the Dorosef people as ignorant and harmless. When, in reality, they are exactly what the Kingdom needs. Nothing but kindness, and the will to make other people’s lives better. They do not care who eats the beignets they prepare every morning. They are just happy to serve.”
“You’re ridiculous,” grunted Yebekh. “There’s no way stupid beignets–”
“It’s not just stupid beignets. It’s the best food I’ve ever tasted,” chuckled Cessilia. “The fish is fresh, the dough is warm, and it just melts on your tongue and fills up your stomach. ...In fact, it’s probably worth much more than they make people pay for it too, but the Dorosef don’t care for money. All they want is to have others taste their food, and they always serve it with a smile. The Dorosef people are nothing like men like you, but they are the real owners of this Kingdom. They live every day with little to no expectations, only happy to fish, cook, and eat.”
As she said this, Cessilia had naturally walked up to one of the windows, glancing outside. Ironically, from this tower, she could see the seashore and the harbor where the Dorosef ships were swaying on the sea. Despite the rain, it seemed much calmer and more peaceful than the burning city she had seen outside.
“This Kingdom’s people have no need for a man like you, absolutely none, Yebekh. This Kingdom won’t heal with more military power or political schemes. It will heal if we, the people, get along and help one another, if they understand each other, and open their doors, and their hearts. You think your Yekara Clan is better than the others, but you’re the very last clan this population cares about, believe me. The warm herbal tea the Hashat makes is worth thousands of your swords. They will heal the Kingdom when it’s needed, and study until its medical knowledge is on par with the Dragon Empire’s. The Sehsan Tribe’s beautiful creations will bring back color and hope in their lives. They can trade with the Empire, and bring even more wealth, even more beauty back to the Eastern Kingdom. They don’t think about reinforcing borders, they think about what could be gained by opening them. Even the Cheshi are ready to ally with the people, stepping out of centuries-old secret hiding places to protect others!”
“Enough!” Yebekh shouted. “Those useless tribes’ trinkets and stupid tea are meaningless! This Kingdom needs to get stronger!”
“You can’t become stronger if you don’t heal first,” Cessilia retorted. “If I have learned one lesson since coming here, it is that. A kingdom needs time, patience, kindness, and faith to heal, just like people. Those people aren’t just cattle who’ll all depend on you. Each and every person out there is already doing their best and not waiting for their King to save them. They don’t need a strong king, they need one that can understand them, get on their level, and give them time. Your greedy and brutal ways will only provoke more struggle and death. Look outside! You’ve already filled this Capital with blood and fire for power! What will happen to the whole Kingdom if a man like you ever holds more power?”
She took a deep breath, and returned to her original position, glaring at him.
“I won’t allow it,” she said. “I’ll put an end to your ambitions, and help Ashen get it back on its feet.”
