Saving the Heartthrob Frenemy

"... In the end she fell in love with you and I found out. She knew what she had to do. If she didnt do it then I would do it so ... she was very merciful by trying to kill you. You really should have stayed dead," she said and Qie Xieling’s eyes widened in shock. He finally came to a conclusion. These two women were crazy.

***

Queen Yana, dressed in regal crimson robes, sat upon her ornate throne-like chair in her private chambers. The room was adorned with opulent tapestries depicting scenes of conquest and power. In her hand, she held a small, treasure box, its lid carefully removed to reveal a collection of shimmering dragon heart scales belonging to her half brother.

With a great sense of victory, she caressed the scales with her delicate fingers, relishing in the triumph over her rival. The scales pulsed with an otherworldly energy, a testament to the power they contained. She could almost taste the sweet tang of revenge in the air.

As she reveled in her triumph, a sudden commotion erupted outside her chamber doors. The heavy wooden doors swung open, revealing one of her trusted monks, his face pale with fear. He hurriedly made his way toward the queen, falling to his knees in a display of abject submission. 𝓯𝙧𝓮𝓮𝒘𝓮𝙗𝙣𝒐𝒗𝒆𝓵.𝓬𝓸𝒎

"Your Majesty," the monk stammered, his voice trembling. "Forgive my intrusion, but urgent news has reached our ears."

Queen Yana’s eyes narrowed, her grip on the dragon scales tightening. "Speak," she commanded with regal authority, though her curiosity was piqued.

"Outside the palace walls," the monk continued, his voice barely above a whisper, "the deposed King Luo has returned. He demands the return of Eling."

Queen Yana’s expression shifted from curiosity to disbelief. Eling, within her palace? That was laughable. How could he be in her palace without her knowledge? It made no sense.

King Luo, had always been a thorn in her side, but his return seemed impossible.

Just like his mother Luo gave up and didnt even fight. Just like his mother Luo was what Yana would consider weak. Luo hated combat. He would rather steer clear of war rather than face it.

She almost dismissed the monk’s words as delusion, but a flicker of memory stirred within her mind.

Her mother, the malevolent goddess Loviator, had an insatiable appetite for chaos and manipulation. She had already warned her that if she didn’t take care of Eling she (Loviator) would take care of it. She would stop at nothing to achieve her goal.

The memory of her mother’s wickedness resurfaced, and suddenly, the monk’s words took on a new weight. What she couldn’t understand though was why King Luo wanted Eling back as a demand. Wouldn’t it be better to demand his kingdom back?

In that moment she understood the gravity of the situation. Rising from her throne, Queen Yana set aside the dragon heart scales, and turned her attention to the trembling monk. Her voice, though laced with resolve, carried an air of urgency. "Where is my mother?" The monk shook his head as he didn’t know where she was.

"Tell them all to prepare for battle. I want him dead by sundown," she commanded her voice trembling in anger

With a determined stride, Queen Yana left her chambers, her crimson robes billowing behind her.

She paced the corridors of her sprawling palace, her heart pounding with a mixture of anger and worry. The thought of her mother holding Eling captive struck her like a thunderbolt. Her mother was infamous for sleeping with her victims forcibly and digging out their hearts when they climax before eating it in front of their very eyes. She not only ate their hearts, she also took their souls and took them down with her to the underworld.

And now because of her, the deposed King Luo had arrived at her door in search of him.

Every step Yana took reverberated with her fury. She knew her mother’s sadistic nature all too well, but this act of treachery cut deeper than any before.

Eling had once held a special place in her heart, and the love they had shared remained unextinguished, despite the passage of time and the bitter end of their relationship.

As she stormed through the palace, her loyal guards and advisors watched her with a mix of concern and apprehension. None dared to question her purpose or deter her from her mission. They had seen the fire in her eyes, the resolute determination that burned within her, and they knew better than to stand in her way.

Finally, Yana reached the innermost chamber of the palace which was her mother’s favourite place.

The air crackled with dark energy, and a foreboding chill hung in the air. Yana’s heart pounded in her chest as she pushed open the ornate double doors.

And there, on the bed was Loviatar, a wicked smile curling her lips. Yana’s gaze darted next to her where Eling lay, his face etched with pain and desperation, his body restrained by chains that cut into his flesh. The sight fueled her rage, her love for Eling mingling with her hatred for her mother.

Without a second thought, Yana lunged forward, her fists clenched and her eyes blazing with fury. But before she could reach her mother, Loviatar raised her hand, a dark force emanating from her palm.

It struck Yana with an invisible power, sending her hurtling backward into the stone wall. Pain coursed through her body, but her determination remained unyielding.

Struggling to her feet, Yana wiped away a trickle of blood from her lip, her gaze fixed unwaveringly on her mother. Her voice, resolute and unwavering, cut through the tension in the room.

"Why?...Why couldn’t you let me have this one thing? I did everything you want. I became everything you wanted."

Loviatar’s laughter echoed through the chamber, chilling Yana to her core. "Oh, my dear," she taunted, her voice dripping with malevolence. "You are foolish to challenge me for him. He doesn’t even love you anymore. He is having sex with somebody else yet here you are defending him."

Yana’s heart ached with the weight of her mother’s words. She couldn’t believe it. Eling loved her so much that he was willing to betray King Luo, how could he sleep with someone else?

"No no no... no he would never."