2022-09-24 11:09:56Lily had decorated her face with dark chalk, smearing her eyes with the dirt of the earth that they stood on and singing the songs of the old to everyone present while her eyes studied mbazi with the intensity of a lioness in hunting. Mbazi also had his face smeared but he did not recite the song. He did not utter a word or a sound, he was as quiet as a deathly viper, laying in wait for their prey.
Lily started to prance, staff in hand and toes apart for easy block and defense, it was a skill she had taught herself from the time she chose the staff as a weapon. She had knew that this day would surface. Mbazi made ticking notices and started to advance towards her from the side, eyes on each other and toes close to each other, he took the form of a python king, staring strategically at Lily while Lily squatted to her breast, he lunged towards her in so much speed that the audience that had formed a circle around them gasped with fear.
Lily had been waiting for this moment, this precise moment as mbazi would lunge at her, impatient as always. Quickly she jumped like a praying mantis, to the side and avoided his ill-planned attack giving him a swipe that caught between his feet and his thigh, and with the strength of a bear, she raised her staff and turned it, falling mbazi in the process. The crowd cheered and roared for her first victory. This was a battle for the chosen warrior, you needed to win this to become a true warrior to defend the clan and to be fully trusted and like intended to be a full warrior.
Again, they regrouped and mbazi took the same prance, his eyes sharper than before. He took his time to study more this time and while he studied, she squatted and crawled closer to him while still in her state. He maintained his stance, his toes on the ground and the heel in the air, his eyes didn't leave lily but he didn't realize that lily was calculating how much time he had left before his heel would twitch and want to kiss the earth. Mbazi, on the other hand, was puzzled about how her fighting strategy had changed, he didn't realize how close she was to him. She swung her staff and interlocked his legs, sending him halfway across the yard, kissing the earth. That was his second strike, if he got another one then she won. The whole crowd cheered and gigged their fists on their chest in support of the game that was going on. Lily didn't think that she would get this far, it was as much a surprise for her as it was for him. She noticed that mbazi was wearing a frown when they regrouped for their third match.
She wasn't surprised when mbazi took her previous stance, she already knew that he had never trained with it, but she had done this training with both stances and was a master at it. She smiled to herself knowing that she was going to beat mbazi so much that his bottom would tell more tales than his mouth would ever do and that sat well with her. He spread his legs, staff in hand, the other hand stretched out and ready to claw, his toes were in the wrong positions, and yet he still took the stance with a meticulous frown on his face. That didn't faze her, that didn't touch her at all. She knew how much mbazi had dreamt of this moment but so had she too. This was a chance to explore where she came from, no matter the stories she had heard from other sources. She loved her but something about exploring called out to her and she desperately needed to answer that call.
He crept silently towards her and for the first time since the match, she didn't squat but instead stood her ground. She dug her toes into the earth, her toes, and the sand merging and hanging together like a spider thread, light but very strong. As he crept closer, she dug her feet further into the soil, it was so deep, her toes started to overflow with sand peeking from each crevice and corner. Her gaze was tightened and her grip was stronger on her staff even more. She saw it as it happened, she had waited for it. Mbazi, impatiently as ever swung before he could maintain his balance, he swung and as he fell, he tried to take her down with him but it didn't work.
She swung her staff a second after he swung his, the sound of the staff at that moment cracked the wind and sounded like thunder in their ears. It resounded so much, the waves shook the staff out of mbazi's hands and he fell face flat to the ground. The crowd went ballistic with joy, as the crowd scattered across the battlefield and carried Lily upon their shoulders, their grains were wild and free and Lily closed her eyes, even as this was easier than she had realized that it would be. She glanced at mbazi and she couldn't see him, she struggled with the crowd, even believing that as she was that high that she would at least see him but nothing. The crowd swayed with joy and delight at not just the match that was concluded but that a new warrior was chosen not by the elders but by a fair match. They sang the songs of old and gave praises to the Moon goddess for using her infinite wisdom to help them, time and time again.
Searching and coming up with no sight of mbazi, she decided to bask herself in the praises and sing along with the people as they rejoiced. They danced to the high priestess shrine on the outskirts of their mountain, They swayed their bodies and stamped their feet on the ground in unison to their songs. They behaved this way for up to ten minutes, all the while never getting tired and still raging with so much energy. They banged on the door of the high priestess, she came out of her but and waved the crowd to silence.
The crowd carefully dropped Lily to the ground and the woman smiled, she smiled so widely, her crooked teeth showed in their full regalia "Come! Child" her voice boomed like thunder and danger mixed in a bowl. Lily shook a bit from fear but she just won the chosen warrior title. She wasn't about to spoil anything by being scared or afraid, she shook but she let it reach her toes and merge with the earth she stood on. The priestess noticed this and smiled even more as Lily approached. She turned Lily around and examined every inch of her, all the while, her smiles kept getting wider and wider.
"This is a warrior!!" She screamed out of nowhere and again the crowd cheered and clapped and stomped their feet. Lily smiled at how much they supported and showed it in every way "My child, kneel" Lily turned around and kneeled before her, she didn't notice that the priestess held a black substance in her palm, moist-looking, and kind of irritating but this was not the time to be girly. She had witnessed this event before, back when she was just a little girl, now that she was slightly older, she was here, in this very position living her dream. The woman took a part of the substance and Drew markings on her face, using her thumb, she drew a line on the mark that was given to her at birth. It went across her face like a sign for something. The woman marked it, as a symbol of acceptance, eternal acceptance. Her heart swelled in her chest. "Stand up child" Lily obeyed and stood up, she faced the crowd and she couldn't resist the urge as they began to thump their feet on the ground and hit their fists on their chest, she raised her closed right hand and threw it to the sky in salute. Everyone screamed for joy.
The priestess smiled into the sky and looked down upon them, getting their silence in one gaze. "A would-be conducted Tomorrow. At the sight of the moon tomorrow, Lily, our new warrior, would carry out the necessary rites. We shall commensurate her position properly today but today, we rest for another battle begins. Go! My child! Prepare for the rites. Many have passed the battle for the chosen but many have lost the war for the warrior. Prepare yourself! A lot awaits you!" The priestess said as she quietly withdrew back into her mountain. Lily was still carried on the tops of their shoulders, they still sang songs of old and thumped their feet, all the way back to the village. It was at this time, she saw mbazi and he wore a blank expression.
Lily sighed.
****
There was something about the Werewolf kingdom being at the center of the earth the Vampire king envied. Maybe it was because it was easy to dominate other kingdoms and be in control but the ancient kingdom was at the far end of the earth, away from any form of light. The Vampire kingdom was built in one of the thickest forests having tall trees giving shade during the day.
King Eric couldn't have been more proud to have a son. His only delight hearing about the birth of his heir thousands of years ago was that his blood was going to take over the kingdom. It didn't take long before the young prince was put into training. Day after day, the young prince woke with a sword and slept with a dagger. The only time he had to himself was when he was to retire to bed and even those moments he spent them conceiving new tactics to defeat his opponent.
Prince Nicholas put in a lot of work, training tirelessly. At first, it was to prove he was a worthy leader but now nothing beats the burning desire to make his aged father proud. For every strike he made with his sword, was a determined young vampire hoping to hear encouraging words from his father but his ears had heard the word "useless" more than the number of years he had spent in the world.
Maybe he wasn't my father, the prince thought. It was impossible to treat your own blood the way King Eric treated his son, Nicholas. Prince Nicholas had thought of ways to disappear from the kingdom but he knew better than to do that.
The King had also thought of killing his son. Whoever wanted a disgraceful son? The only reason Nicholas was still breathing was because they shared the same bond. Maybe he wasn't his son, the King once thought but the semblance was striking.They both had shining black hair, one which blended with the night. Their snort was the same, loud and revealing the dimple on their left cheek. Everyone also loved the green orbs prince Nicholas inherited from his father. The only difference one could tell they had was that the prince was taller than his father.
"Your majesty, there are intruders in the kingdom." Gaston, the prince's guard, informed. In no time, Gaston and the prince were at the scene. The Intruders were in the palace, their filthy eyes roaming the massive palace for priceless artifacts to steal. Gaston and the other guards were about to attack them but the prince raised a hand signaling for them to stand back. Prince Nicholas wanted to do this on his own. He needed to do this all on his own. He had to take every opportunity he had to make his father proud of him. "Tell everyone to stand down." "Your majesty-"
Prince Nicholas ordered, "Gaston, tell them all to stand down." Gaston ordered the other guards to stand down leaving the young prince to take on both intruders on his own. Taking stealth strides, Prince Nicholas moved slowly towards the intruder. The intruder looked around trying to ensure no one was around. He moved to the gold artifact and just as he was about to pick it up, the prince sprang on him but the other pushed him off. The vampire thief the prince sprang on and fled while he had left to battle the other intruder.
Prince Nicholas threw a punch at the intruder; the tall vampire shot a punch at the prince in return causing Nicholas to fall. Quickly, the thief took the gold artifact and made it to escape but the prince was quick to get a hold of his leg. The prince struggled to pin him underneath and threw him a punch at the thief when he had successfully pinned him down... From his pocket, the vampire thief pulled out a pocket knife. A loud shout went past the prince's lips as a sharp metal went through his lower stomach. The thief pushed him off ready to get a hold of the artifact.
Gaston couldn't watch the prince get beaten, he ordered the guards to save the prince. The guards hurried to get the thief but he was long gone out of the kingdom. Grunting in, prince Nicholas moved into the woods in search of the thief. He needed to find him. The thief and the artifact. The prince finally got a glimpse of shining metal. Clutching his belly, he walked behind a tree, thinking of ways to defeat and retrieve the priceless artifact. "Prince Nicholas!" Gaston cried out. This was all the thief needed to hear before he fled out.
"Shit!" Prince Nicholas cussed, groaning. "I was ordered to stand down!"
"I'm sorry, your majesty but you were..." Gaston trailed off, pointing at his wound. The prince was more than annoyed. He had to explain not just how an intruder got into the palace but how one of the priceless artifacts of the Vampire kingdom got stolen. He was sure his father wouldn't forgive him now and maybe his hatred for him would increase. "Your father asks to see you." A guard joined them.
Heaving a discombobulated sigh, the prince knew whatever the king had to see him about had to be no good. The old man was a handful. They all converged to the palace, they knew better than to keep the king waiting. The old man was pacing, his face alighted color when they arrived at the palace
"You're useless!" The king said to his son. Prince Nicholas had heard that more than a dozen times but it still hurt deep down. No matter how hard he tried to hide it, he wanted to make his father proud. The prince wanted his father to see past the ill words he always said to him. The king halted in his tracks. The old man was more than disappointed to have a weakling for son. It felt like every training his son had undergone was useless. "You had just one job." He yelled not caring about his injured son. "Just take care of the palace while I'm gone and you're useless at it."
Prince Nicholas leaned on a pillar, he was saving the rest of his strength to get better. He wasn't ready to listen to his father rant on and on about how disappointed he was. It was a routine now. He wasn't surprised his father was speaking this way, at least this time, he deserved it. "Sometimes, I wonder how I'm going to leave this kingdom to you." The wrinkled fingers of the old man motioned around the palace. The eyes of the prince did a three-sixty in their sockets. He had heard that line over and over again and he was sure this wasn't going to be the last time he would be hearing it.
Finally, the king said before leaving, "We'll be going on a journey. Get prepared."
Previous Chapter
Related Chapters
Of Glory and Of Doom FOUR - Intruders
The moon was out. Stars arrayed in the sky illuminated the darkness. The kayaans were ready. They were all at the center of the village ready for the feast. The elders were getting ready for the feast rites. Each one of the twelve elders had a bat on their shoulder and their faces colored with black chalk. Merriment was ongoing and everyone was anticipating the feast rites. It was the most anticipated feast in the Kayaan kingdom as it meant new dawn. They were all looking forward to the presence of the new Commander. The priestess stood before them next to the altar. Ralph, her apprentice stood in his small form next to her. Ever since he started growing under her wing, this was the most exciting thing he has had to witness. The young apprentice couldn't wait to be in the position of the priestess one day so he too could perform the rites one day.Lily was in her cave unsure whether to attend her feast. Her nerves were getting the best of her and her heart wouldn't stop throbbing. She
Of Glory and Of Doom FIVE - Laura
Hollow. That's the feeling that you get when you walk through the wolf kingdom. Places that were once creeping with Ivy and scattered with roses, now lay desolate. You could see what was left of fountains and stone hedges, houses, and stores. The wolf kingdom was falling. And it was falling fast.Some years ago, immediately after the wolf king took I'll and was sheltered from worrying eyes, the kingdom began to eat away. Like something infectious was finally making its round. And making sure that we saw the progress and the mark that was left on the town.Yes, the wolves stayed by the king. They didn't seek for greener pastures and ease to their riotous stomachs, they were forever loyal to their sovereign and they would see him to the end. If he lived to see more moons.Princess Laura, the king's only and loved daughter, could be called a fool. Not foolish per se, but the people of the kingdom didn't look too fairly upon her. She didn't act like she was capable of ruling after her dad
Of Glory and Of Doom SIX - Not Good
Her face fell. Her chest heaved with sorrow. When she had been informed that her father wanted to meet her, it had not occurred to her that marriage would be the subject of conversation."I'm getting married?" She asked incredulously. It was so sudden, so unexpected that it made her want to cry. Her father nodded slowly and said, "Yes, Laura. You're getting married. You didn't expect to remain single all the days of your life, did you?". He had a tiny smile on his face and she wondered if he found this amusing, if he thought the pain in her eyes was a joke."Why are you saying this all of a sudden? You have picked someone out for me?" She asked. Perhaps, her father was getting too desperate. How could she make him see reason with her? How would she explain to him that this wasn't what she wanted? She did not want somebody that her father had chosen for her. She did not want to even have this conversation right now."Yes, you are getting married to prince Nicholas" her Father said with
Of Glory and Of Doom SEVEN - Suprise!
Nicholas swung his sword left, right, ducking the way he'd been taught to when the dummy mechanically swung its sword at him in an offensive way that would have slashed his chest, something Nicolas thought would greatly please his sadistic father if he hadn't parried the strike.It was all his father's idea, making him train with a dummy. Something Nicolas had thought would be easy until he realized the dummy fought harder and more expertly than anyone he'd ever trained with. Nice, Nicholas bitterly thought, slashing again and missing the dummy who stepped out of the attack zone and roughly kicked at his legs, making him stumble and barely keep his balance. Nicholas didn't know what to call this bloodthirsty thing fighting with him but 'dummy' didn't cover it."Watch your feet, Nicholas! You're too negligent with your feet!" His father barked from where he was sitting, munching on grapes and watching his son fight something greater than him. Nicholas was suspecting that the man was g
Of Glory and Of Doom EIGHT - History
Lily sighed for the nth time listening to the elders speak about the history of the Kayaan Kingdom. It was something she had heard over and over again and her ears were definitely getting bored of sending the information to her brain. All she wanted to do was explore her new position and power as the commander of the Kayaans. It came with more respect than she thought.Her lips curved upwards when she saw Baba Mbari saunter into the secret room. The secret room was where the elders, priestess and commander were to meet. It was the only place they could get privacy to speak about weighty things.Baba Mbari sat on a stool listening to the other elders speak about the Kingdom. His eyes flickered from Lily to the priestess every now and then. He wanted to cut off Sarandi who was speaking but he knew just like the others that some stories are better left untold. The elder couldn't be more proud of Lily. Ever since she arrived at the Kayaan Kingdom, she was entrusted with him. He was to car
Of Glory and Of Doom NINE - Unknown
He kicked up his feet, watching as the dust rose into the air, disappearing slowly into the evening sky. The sight was almost entrancing and he found himself kicking up some more dust and watching it go before he realized he was indulging in some childish impulse and he gritted his teeth, picking up his pace as he walked around the palace grounds.It was a habit he'd developed a long time ago and he'd figured out that it didn't actually relieve any of his stress, it just created a distraction from the problems by giving him something else to think about. Like how his calf was burning with the strain of walking. It reminded him of some things that couldn't be kept at bay no matter how he tried.As he walked past the dead garden where creepers and moses had made their home, he couldn't help but grimace at the poor state the kingdom was in. The once blooming gardens of fresh roses, hyacinths, tulips and different types of flowers that had reeked of life and prosperity had withered and die
Of Glory and Of Doom TEN - A new discovery
"But you did a good job, keep it up,"Prince Nicholas just couldn't get his father's words out of his head. There was something about those words that gave him hope. Those few words brought his hope of his father fully accepting him and he was sure his mother was smiling from heaven having heard the King say such words. It was beyond the bounds of possibility to get his father to say such words and that only meant one thing. Those words were genuine. It calmed Prince Nicholas that his father meant his words. There was light at the end of the tunnel. He was close to winning his father over.The young prince got out of his bathroom, a white towel wrapped around his waist. He smirked at the sight before him. It was just perfect. A good way to unwind after a really long day.He joined the maid in his bed, slowly caressing her cheek. He moved closer to her, burying his nose to the crook of her neck. His nose picked up a familiar smell of roses. They smelled like the ones in the palace.
Of Glory and Of Doom ELEVEN - Wake up call
Laura woke the next morning, after having a very short night filled with turns and discomfort. She still couldn't get her mind over what was being requested of her. She played back the last years and her suitors' parade, the long line of requests and invitations just to be showed off and her worth determined. She hugged, hitting her bed harder till the frame shook beneath her. Elaine entered just then, an empty laundry basket in her hand and Laura remembered their conversation yesterday. Laura had been trying to glean more information about her mother and seeing as Elaine was always ready to tell her about her mom, she asked her about her mother during her marriage with her father. Elaine froze then, slowly turning towards Laura and searching her eyes. She probably didn't find what she was looking for because she bussed Laura's cheek and whispered, "She was beautiful." And she walked out, nervously glancing at Laura as she closed the door. Laura knew that Elaine was hiding
Latest Chapter
EPILOGUE - Happily Ever After
Lily could feel the sombre mood that settled on the castle when news of Laura's death spread. She knew that she should feel at least, terrible about what had happened, but she couldn't bring herself to grief like the rest of the kingdom. She barely knew her and although, she felt bad that her sister was gone before she knew her well, she didn't feel as bad as she had expected herself to feel.She had expected the news to hit her hard, weren't twins meant to feel each other's pain? She barely felt anything, except, maybe guilt. That she didn't feel that connection with her even if for a little.So while others mourned her twin, she mourned the relationship she never had, that they never had. She watched as the King - she hadn't gotten around to call him her father yet, moved around the castle aimlessly and felt bad that his child had died so young. Lily tried to get into the mind of her sister and figure out why exactly she died? It couldn't honestly be because of what had happened so
SEVENTY FOUR - And so it ends
Laura had never known heartbreak if it stared at her in the face before but today... Today was very much different than any other day she could have imagined. She had been through a lot but still survived because she believed her love for him was what would save her from all the figure she endured but now, been here... Hearing this. She would much rather be dead.Nicolas never loved her, Nicolas never even cared for her but Nicolas loved her and Nicolas cared for her, she kept on asking herself 'what did she have that I didn't ?' it was a terrible question to ask because she knew she was really beautiful despite the scar but she still didn't understand why he would choose lily over her. She was beyond sad and somehow even angry a big and it was justified. He didn't think their marriage was that much of something worth saving, he looked at their marriage like it never happened and like it was a skillful sacrifice. In more ways than one, it was a sacrifice.She buried herself between he
SEVENTY THREE - It was Laura
"Thank you so much, my love." Princess Laura hugged her husband. When the hug tried to linger for longer, gently, he pushed her from his space. "All thanks to the commander. She offered to get the kaayan healer to try restore you father's vision. Clearly, it worked." The princess couldn't contain her excitement from knowing her father could see now. She was sad he didn't have his sight during her wedding ceremony but now she was happy he was going to get to see all his grand children and he was going to be able to nurture then with extra love and care. Laura smiled, taking Nicholas hand. "I'm happy our love could stand all the tests of life. Our marriage is still standing firm after all we've been through." She went on her tiptoes and place a peck on his lips. Nicholas knew he had had to break the news to her now. He didn't want to keep letting her fall deeper and deeper with him. He loved someone else and she deserved to know that. It was important she knew he didn't feel the sam
SEVENTY TWO - Healing
Laura heard a shout from her father's room and dashed inside, sidestepping Lily who stood in front of her. Elaine rushed inside as well and they both closed the door. Laura walked slowly to his bed, watching as the healer hefted him up to a sitting position and made him rest against the headboard. The healer turned, her huge fur coat obstructing their view of the king as she spoke. "It's done, Princess. Why don't you move closer?"Laura couldn't help the apprehension that skittered down her back. What if he'd turn his face away from her? What if he'd look at her with hate? She had brought about the destruction of her people after all. Laura sniffled a bit, hating how she felt. She was shocked when she saw a head pop around the healer's white coat. Her father.He smiled widely at her, his hand weakly lifting to the healer's elbow and moving her out of the way. His strength was non-existent at this point, so Laura knew that the healer moved all by herself.She ran towards him when he
SEVENTY ONE - Toast
"How long has he been in darkness?" "Ever since I got into the werewolf kingdom." Prince Nicholas answered. All the leaders were in the dining hall having dinner in the werewolf kingdom. It was in celebration of their victory. Lily put a forkful of chicken into her mouth then sipped from her wine. "How did it happen?"The prince recounted the whole story and the commander gave desolate sigh."The doctors?" She raised an eyebrow. "Have you taken him to other kingdoms? They could have the antidote." Lily ended with a shrug, watching princess Laura feed her father.Nicholas took a sip from his wine. "We've called all the doctors, magicians and healers we know and there as been no change. " Lily felt pity for the werewolf king. She couldn't imagine being a leader and not having her eyes working. She wouldn't be able to lead the war if she was blind. "The kaayan healer could be of help.""Lily, we've had a lot of doctors come in from different kingdoms but there hasn't been any changes
SEVENTY - Liason
Everyone bowed before the commander. The kayaans, the fairies, the werewolves, the witches, the vampires, the angels and the gnomes were all faced down paying homage to the commander. Despite the lives lost, they bowed before her singing her praises and celebrating her leading them to victory. The commander was standing next to the prince. Their hands were intertwined, both staring at each other. The people stood up cheering and dancing in victory while Nicholas engulfed her into a hug. He smiled when he got a whiff of her lavander scent. The scent had a mix of foul odour so he grimaced in disgust. The groaning coming from Lily made them pull out of the hug and etched on Lily's face was a wide smile.Prince Nicholas skimmed the commander's body taking in the bruises on her skin. Some parts of her skin were swollen and she had a black eye. "Thank you." He breathed out, holding her hands. Lily gave a smile and he added, "I should still come take the fighting lessons though." The both
SIXTY NINE - A clash of worlds
They had broken out of the woods and were now crouched in the bushes, just outside the palace. Thanks to the excellent tracking skills of the bear shifters, they were able to navigate the woods, be treated to a very nice meal of roast meat and be protected from wild animals by the fairies. The trip had done alot more than Lily had expected. It had created some sort of bond between the kingdoms and there was no doubt that after this war, there would be a lot of strong allies to be called on.Despite the tense situation where they found themselves, Lily was feeling awfully good. It was a refreshing feeling, very different from all the adrenaline she usually felt before a match and she was finding it a good break. It didn't matter that Nicolas was even there, she didn't care. All that mattered was the euphoric feeling she was feeling."One of my fairies just came back with info," the fairy king announced, drawing Lily's attention to the now crouching fairy that had appeared out of nowher
SIXTY EIGHT - Strategic Alliances
The fairy king had come a long way on such a short notice but a war was on the brink of time and he had no choice. It was a mystery that he could find the crowd in the forest as they made their way towards their mission.A whole lot of his soldiers were just in front of him, guiding him from any attack that was peonw to happen if they were not careful enough. Lily and the others had stopped walking and waited for their arrival as the priestess had already told her that they were not far away from where they were nestled.It didn't take long before a buzzing sound was heard followed by a gentle sweet breeze. A signature entrance by the fairies. Everyone was on their feet, alert as always and anxious, Lily didn't know about anybody else but she was anxious. The soldiers all lined up, their fingers in a twist position for defense and their king at their center. He walks out as graciously as he could manage, it was a wonder still tahg he could still think of grace in this position and at
SIXTY SEVEN - Confessions
Lily was gazing faraway, thinking of Him, again. She had moved further away from her warriors that were training on the plain and sat, surrounded by a parchment of wild daffodils, overlooking a swords clashing and grunts could be heard afar off from her warriors as they trained rigorously. They would be there till mid day but, it was always worth it. They were the undefeated Kayaans and she meant for it to stay that way. She picked up a smooth stone from the soft earth, brushing off leaves and dirt around it. She tossed it in watching as the waters formed larger ripples from the place where the stone had landed. She felt like that was the way her mind worked at the moment. A small thought or sight would trigger her thoughts, making her to loose focus. These days, it seemed he was all she could think about. She had already resolved in her heart that she would focus only on protecting her people and dealing with the Vampire King. But, everytime she saw Nicholas, since he joined forces
