Some people thought that she did not deserve to rule the queendom because she was a woman. The old folks’ opinions on political issues were irrelevant to her. Madelaine, the first queen of the realm would use all her sovereign powers to eliminate everyone who comes her way. She would pay no heed to anyone. She would even prove to anyone that the prophecy of her downfall was not true – that only the last member of the Falcon line could bring her sovereignty down. After all, her father has ended that line years ago. Nobody survived.
Yes, she kept on telling that to herself. The Falcon line, the true heirs of the realm has no survivors. She wanted to believe it despite the fact that her trusted sorcerer has informed her that the prophecy was still there.
She would not let that happen, so she ordered to make sure that the Falcons’ country seat was reduced to ashes. She also claimed everything that the Falcons used to own. She also ordered for the statistics of everyone in the kingdom, making sure that nobody bore the mark of the Falcon in which they said was found on their backs. And she was content. For a while. Because the prophecy was still there and she didn’t know why and how this was happening. The throne was hers! She deserved it! She fought hard for her right as a woman, the only living heiress, in this country who only favored men to be their ruler. She would not go down without a fight. She would prove that the prophecy was a lie. She would be the greatest ruler that this country could ever have!
One day, she received a report that a Falcon flag was found in the former castle owned by the said family. Nobody saw who put it. At the back of her mind, she knew that some time in the near future, she would come face to face with the person who would fulfill the prophecy, but until that has not happened yet, she would try to prevent its possible occurrence. And so, she called the commanding officer of her army.
The doors opened to reveal Sir Richard, her most trusted confidante, the leader of her army, and also her lover. She watched as he confidently strode his way towards her desk, his sword swinging by his side. She noticed that he was frowning and her heart skipped a beat.
Despite her strong façade, this man was her secret. He was her strength and her weakness. When she thought she could not do things on her own, his presence made her feel that she could do everything. At the same time, his presence reminded her how she could wear her heart upon her sleeve if she would only let herself embrace that loving feeling. And when he looked like this, she was scared at the thought of him changing his mind about her and leave her.
Hands under her desk, she tightly gripped her hands together as he got near. Her heart beat fast. She missed him. He has been away for so long. He was not here when she ordered to make sure that the Falcons were gone. Knowing that he was back from the mission she sent him to represent the country, she would ask him to take over this impending problem that she have.
“Your Majesty,” Sir Richard greeted her. The guards went out of the office, leaving them alone. “I want to make sure that the order was correct.”
“Yes.” She stood up, her eyes leveling his. “I want to make sure that all the Falcons are gone.”
Her most trusted soldier stared at her for a moment. They stood like that for a while.
Until she watched him made his way towards her, his hands reached out to grab her face and kiss her fully on the mouth. All the pent up emotions came out because she missed this. She missed his touch and his kisses. He lifted her up on the table, bunching her skirt to her waist. Their kiss continued. She took it upon her to open his breeches. He spread her wide and open and then he was inside her.
Madelaine groaned aloud in pressure, and louder when he began to move against her, inside her, faster and harder. His mouth was planting kisses on her neck; his hands firmly gripping her waist and her bottom, pressing into her for deeper and faster ministrations. She was getting close. Her arms went around him, embracing him, to feel that even for only this moment, she could pretend that he loves her the way that she does. He never voiced out his feelings. She thought she would not care but every time they would make love, she always wished that things were different. She wished he would say the words she longed to hear. A tear fell from her eye as she clenched him, gearing towards the height of pleasure that he always brought in her.
And then she screamed, in bliss and pleasure. Richard continued moving against her until he groaned aloud as he reached his own, milking her with his essence while he peppered her face and neck with kisses.
I love you, she wanted to say. They breathlessly looked at each other. She kissed him one more time before she felt him pulling out from her.
She arranged herself while he watched. For all those times they made love, they were always partly dressed. She held on for those stolen moments where she could have him by herself and pretend that she was loved.
“I cannot do what you wished me to do.”
Madelaine paused from going down from the desk and looked at Richard. “Huh?”
Richard shook his head. There was a smirk on his face and she did not understand. Her heart started beating faster, and she thought this was not going to be good.
She watched as he took off his shirt, revealing entirely his muscled torso that she could only peek every time they made love. And much to her shock, a pair of large wings appeared behind him. This could not be!
And then, she saw it. Richard’s eyes were full of rage. She could see the power of fire in his eyes.
Richard was a Falcon – and a Phoenix! She could tell from the appearance that was only distinctive in their race. He was more powerful. How she did not notice it was not even a question. A being as powerful as he could hide in plain sight and nobody would notice.
“I am the last in my race, thanks to you and your father!” Richard said. There was pure hatred in his eyes. It hurt her to realize that he would never look at her the way she wished him to be.
“I –“
Richard grabbed her and pulled her from the desk.
She looked at him with defiance. He was her doom, but she would not show him how that deeply cut her. She would not back down now without a fight. The wind surrounded them, her way of trying to fight him. But he only waved his hand and it disappeared. He was more powerful than her to even wipe out her power.
“What are you going to do? Kill me?”
There was a sinister smile on his face. “No. I will not taint my hands with your blood, like what you did with my race. But I will make you suffer, Madelaine. And I will make sure that you will, enough that you would rather die.”
I already died, she thought. He turned her around when the doors opened behind them. The guards have changed their colors into yellow and orange, the colors of the Falcons. The change of leadership happened quickly. It seemed like he planned this very well.
Richard called out for everyone’s attention. “For her numerous crimes, I, the new king and rightful heir, is sentencing Madelaine, our former queen, of life imprisonment. She will be brought in the dungeons of Maris where she would live for the rest of her life.”
Maris! Madelaine fought off from Richard’s grip but it only tightened. Maris was the worst place in the planet! She could not be there! He pushed her towards the guard who immediately put a gold pair of links in her hands. It removed the powers that she had, the blue streak in her hair became jet black, changing her into the most common woman in this country.
“You cannot do this!” Madelaine met his look. She could not see any hint of tenderness in him.
“I just did.” Richard calmly said.
Madelaine gave him one last look. “I love you.”
Richard’s wings folded behind him as he looked back at her. He shook his head. “I don’t.” The anger in his eyes burned even more. “I don’t believe you.”
“Then, kill me now, Richard!”
“I won’t. I will not make it easy for you.” He nodded at the guards to take her away. Madelaine looked at him for one last time. She would memorize his beautiful face. It would forever etch in her mind, the face of the only person she could ever love.
It was also the image of her downfall.
S.W.E.E.T. Books 