May Death Do Us Part

46 Chapter 46 : The Great Cleansing

Juliet Aldos took a seat at her dresser in the master bedroom of the palace and placed the silver dagger in her drawer. She needed to go see her grandfather and inform him of the development, they were running out of time.

Juliet Aldos’ grandfather, Cornelius Meria was the last remaining member of ‘Cleansers’ an organization that included the great kings of old from Gavaria, Meria, Bailviles and Cenia who were the pioneers of ‘the great cleansing’.

Over two hundred years ago, humans lived together with the Dwarves, Eleves, Nosferatu and the Lycans. A treaty had been established between these five great races that they may all live in peace and harmony in the great continent of Ronia Cresus.

The races joined forces to bring prosperity to the the continent. The dwarves were great miners and forgers, hence they contibruted to the mineral and armory wealth of the continent. The elves were the wisest of all races and highly gifted in magic, they contributed to the academic, herbomancy and necromancy of the continent. The nosferatu were great warriors, their magic, strength and uncunny senses were the military pride of the continent, while the lycans were immaculate hunters and trackers, whose skills were also an important part of the military and security sector of the continent. The humans, though weaker and more vulnerable than the other four races were an important part of the working force of the continent, some humans were also able to learn a trade like necromancy, mining or warfare from the other races and would be incorporated into the system as such.

The peace and prosperity in the continent preserved for a hundred years, making Ronia Cresus a mighty and capable continent. But as time went on the human’s greed and hunger for power slowly began to devour them, they wanted to have total control of the riches of the continent.

The humans had the advantage of being more in number than the other four races whose rate of reproduction was extremely low, so they used this advantage to initiate ‘the great cleansing.’

Influential men conviced their followers that having magic and extraordinary abilities made the other races a threat to the peace of the continent, and that the races exhibiting these traits must be exterminated. The great cleansing was a mass genocied of the dwarves, elves, nosferatu and laycans, thousands of lives were lost at the hands of the greedy humans, forcing the survivors to flee to the uninhibited corners of the continent, and others to be enslaved by the humans.

The nosferatu and the laycans fled to the snow filled wastelands in the south, while the dwarves and the elves fled to the enchanted forest in the north east.

The humans then broke the central continent into four kingdoms and shared them among the pioneers of the great cleansing, the Gavrians, the Cenians, the Merians and the Baiviles.

.....

Meanwhile, the survivors of the four races did not just sit idly watching the humans enjoy the prosperity that they had worked hard to attain, they too devised a plan to enact their revenge and take back the land that was once theirs.

Four leaders, one from each of the four banished races fathered a child and while these children were in the womb, the great wizards from both the nosferatu and the elves performed a forbidden ancient incantation of rebirth.

The four women from the different races had labor induced at the same time and immediately the children left their wombs, the new mothers were required to kill their children in order to begin the cycle of rebirth.

The four children, Melissa, Gareth, Elric and Adiel were reborn into the four human kingdoms, sent to secretly watch over the humans and learn their ways and weaknesses until the time came that they would meet again and rise to lead the rebellion against the humans, to free their people who had been taken as slaves and to take back their land.

*

Queen Juliet Aldos walked into the royal study where her husband was having a cup of wine.

“Your majesty,” she spoke with a curtsy, “I’m going to visit my grandfather, I shall return before nightfall.”

King Bradley Aldos had taken over the Merian throne as the husband to the only daughter of the late king Gorge Meria, only son of the former king Cornelius Meria.

“What happened, has his health taken a turn for the worst again?” The king questioned his wife.

“No your majesty, I’ve just missed him that’s all, I wish to see him and catch up.” The timid woman responded.

“Oh, then allow me to be your escort-”

“No you don’t have to your majesty,” Juliet interrupted him, “I will be fine, you need not to worry.”

“Well if you insist,” king Aldos responded, “please take a member of the royal guard with you, I’d be more comfortable that way, because I’d know you’d be well protected.”

“Of course your majesty.” Juliet curtsied and exited the study, the truth of the great cleansing had only been passed down to descendants of its pioneers, so king Aldos only had a very vague idea of what happened a hundred years ago. It would be best to keep him out of it for the time being until it was absolutely necessary.

*

“Your majesty the men are ready to leave.”

King James Burchard turned to the knight who was genuflecting in front of him, “you’re all aware of the mission aren’t you?”

“Yes your majesty, retrieve the prince and his men, and lady Julia.” The knight responded respectfully.

“And if given the chance?...”

The knight took a deep breath before responding, “kill lady Ella Morrell and anyone who tries to stand in our way.”

“Excellent, dismissed,” the king added on, “the wedding is in four days, take the fastest horses and arrive in Meria by then, take advantage of the commotion in the wedding is going to cause in the town.”

“Of course your majesty.”

King James left his men to be on their way and walked back into the palace where he saw a familiar face waiting for him at the end of the hallway.

“Father?...”

*

Ella stood up and dusted her dress, “Nathan is here? Where is he?”

“Right here,” a familiar voice responded. The silver haired prince walked up to Ella, pulled her into his arms and planted a soft kiss on her lips, much to Ella’s brother’s dismay.

“You took so long to come home my love, I was worried about you,” Nathan spoke softly, “why didn’t you tell me your brothers had arrived, I would have accompanied you to greet my future brothers in law.”

Bahram, William, Jonathan and Alexander stood up and bowed to the prince.

“welcome to our home your grace.” Bahram spoke, it took a will of titanium not to grab Nathan by the coller and knock him right in the face.

“Thank you,” Nathan responded casually, “but unfortunately I cannot stay here very long, you see..” the prince tightened his grib around Ella and planted another kiss on her lips, “my future wife and I have a lot to do in preparation for the wedding.”

Alexander and Jonathan physically growled when they saw Nathan’s deceitful lips land on their sister’s innocent mouth.

“Shall we go my love?” Nathan spoke to the blue eyed woman.

Ella glanced at her brothers and then back to Nathan, in as much as she wanted to push him away and call him out for being a lair, she had to play dumb until she could find a way to escape him and reconnect with Adam somehow.

“Of course,” Ella responded.

Nathaniel relinquished the woman and took her hand firmly in his, “We’ll be looking forward to seeing you at the wedding,” the prince spoke to Ella’s brothers before turning and walking away.

William followed the couple, he needed to know what else Ella had wanted to say before Nathan interrupted them, it might have been important.

“Nathan!” William called out to the prince who halted in his steps and turned to him.

“Leo, take Ella to the horses,” Nathan instructed his knight.

“Wait Nathan I just need a word with my sister, it will only take a second,” William asked the prince.

“Whatever it is you have to say William, you can tell it to me and I will pass on the message,” Nathan responded coldly. From the way Ella responded to his kiss earlier, he could tell that her feelings towards him had changed, most likely because of whatever William had just told her.

“Nathan that is my sister!”

“And she’s my wife!” Nathan spat back, “so whatever it is you need to say to her you can say to me.”

William furrowed his brows at the prince, this man was nothing like the Nathan he knew five years ago. Ella’s brother took a step back when he sensed an intimidating aura radiating from the prince. He had sensed this aura before.

“Never mind,” William responded, “I’ll see you at the wedding.”

“Good,” the prince responded. Nathan took a step closer to William and sized him up, “and from now on, it’s PRINCE Nathaniel to you.” And with those words, the silver haired prince turned away and walked towards the exit.