“Not the time to feel satisfied yet,” Dario murmured to himself. “No satisfaction until total victory.”His focus remained on winning the battle finally. Then he could allow himself to feel happy, satisfied, proud, relieved and more.The battlefield echoed endlessly with the clash of steel and the cries of the injured. But one thing was clear enough; the end was near. One by one, the enemies fell.Fear began to creep into the resolve of the kings of Ashton, Richmond, Hudson and Clandestine. They began to feel hopeless, exchanging desperate glances. King Erad found his way to King Samuel. “Our men are falling, one after the other. I think we should consider surrendering before we lose everything,” he said, glancing at their diminishing force. King Samuel nodded in agreement, “I totally agree, Erad,” he said, his breath coming in short and ragged. “I always knew the Persians were strong but how could they defeat us as a whole?? If we don’t surrender now, there will be nothing left of

‘Could you have really betrayed me?’ Dario asked Aisha in his mind as he stared down at her, his eyes filled with pain and growing resentment. “What’s wrong,” she asked, a smile still spread across her face and her eyebrows playfully raised. But Dario remained silent. “Are… you good?” she asked again. Now, her smile was beginning to fade as she realized that all along, Dario had actually been silent and had not smiled back even once. She playfully nudged him and asked again, “Did something happen to you during the battle?” But Dario remained silent. Her brows slowly furrowed deeper with each passing silent second. “You’re scaring me, Dario. Is something wrong?”Dario stared at her, his mind racing with several questions. Though he could hear her, he didn’t know what exactly to say first, as he had a hundred questions that needed answers. He also knew he could just read her mind, but the fear of the possibility of what could be there was holding him back. Aisha’s resolve was to

She looked up and met his gaze. Even if he appeared very furious, she could see the pain and disappointment in his face. She could feel how heartbroken he was. “It all started from when I was brought here for your hand in marriage by my kingdom. They hoped you would pick me and I would become an internal spy for them. It is true that they hold a hidden grudge against the Persian empire for decades…” She wiped away the tears blurring her vision so she could see Dario’s face clearly as she spoke. “I was just unfortunate to have been chosen and I didn’t have a choice but to accept.” She then swallowed hard, knowing Dario wouldn’t believe what she wanted to say next. “I didn’t mind it at first until I met you and fell in love with you,” she said, searching Dario’s eyes for any sign of understanding. “I never wanted to keep hurting you but I didn’t have control over it anymore.” Dario shook his head in disapproval as he stared at her. ‘There’s no way I’m falling for your lies an

Evan and Ethan were playing in the playground when they spotted Natalie approaching. And instantly, their faces lit up and broke into a bright smile. They hopped off the swings and ran towards her, shouting, “mama!”“Aw,” Natalie gushed. Every time she heard their tiny voices calling her ‘mama’, it melted her heart every single time. She knelt down and opened her arms wide, her eyes lit with love for them as she anticipated their hug. “Don’t get injured babies,” their nanny shouted from across the playground and broke into a laugh. “These boys,” she whispered under her breath and shook her head, her lips spread into a smile. In no time, they both crashed into Natalie for a hug and she enveloped them warmly, her heart swelling with love and affection. She heaved a happy sigh and squeezed them tight in her arms. “I missed you both so much!!” she said, her voice as low as a whisper. She then gently released them. “How are you, my loves?” she asked, ruffling their hair which made th

“Your Majesty, you have to see this!” Bruce exclaimed as he hurried into the throne room where Dario was sitting and reading some of his father’s books; historical books and books on leadership.Dario looked up at Bruce and seeing the urgency in his demeanor, he quickly asked, “what’s the problem?”Without answering, Bruce hurried to the newly installed television in the throne room and turned it on. “Uhm channel 6,” he murmured under his breath as he searched for the channel number on the remote control.The channel came on and Dario’s eyes squinted when he saw a familiar face on the screen. It was King Nathan. And it seemed like he was giving an announcement. King Nathan’s voice echoed through the throne room as Dario and Bruce watched attentively. “…If he wins, I will bow to him and surrender all that I possess. And if I win,” King Nathan paused for a moment to relish in his future victory. He continued, “If I win, which is definitely going to happen, he shall do the same!”Con