The soft breeze lifted some strands of hair off her face as she rode her horse through the narrow pathway between the tall trees. This was her only chance and she mustn't miss it. If her mother was going to die, she'd better tell her everything she had been keeping in her mind for a long time. 

As Luana kept moving, she remembered her last days in her Father's house as a soldier. Strong and brutal. Loyal and hardworking. Never taking no for an answer. Images of the evening she had just arrived from the battleground clouded her mind. Her twenty-one-year-old self just returned from war.

"Father, I'm back." She had called as soon as she arrived inside the mansion, housing a strong chief of the army of Vampire City and his wife. 

"I made sure to close in on the intruders as soon as they tried maneuvering through the forbidden steeps, killing a handful of them. They should back out for a while now."

She explained, getting closer to her parents who stood in the room, arms spread to embrace her. 

"Oh, my child." Somty squeezed her shoulder slightly but she recoiled as if her touch was disastrous.

"I know and I can see how well you have fought to defend the Kingdom of our great King Zeidan. However," Tyson, her Father, returned to his seat as he lectured her, as usual.

"We need more tactics. More plans and resources to be able to protect this city. We cannot just rely on close-ups. Soon, our enemy will learn our moves and..."

"Use it against us." Luana finished for him. "I'm not surprised."

"Luana..." He started to say.

"No! I get it. I don't have many forms of fighting or have a board where I can analyze all my tactics but I only have my head to help me fight wars. This, you believe, is foolish." She nodded, heart heavy. It's been two years since she started fighting and she has made efforts to impress her father by developing her own means of fighting.

Despite her efforts, he has never seen any reason to praise her. He would only point out her flaws and it made her think she will never be good. 

"I will be retiring a few days from now and you don't expect me to leave my post in the hands of someone who isn't competent..."

"I am competent enough!"

"Luana," Somty called softly and she threw her a glare as if asking her not to interfere.

"If you think I'm not competent, then, leave me be and stop sending me to the war fronts! Every single time there is a war, you always find a reason to send me to the peak of the battle. I'm not something that can be tossed around, Dad. I need to be valued!" She yelled at her Father who rose abruptly, his face filled with rage. 

Tyson may be more than a hundred years old, but he still looked like he is in his mid-fifties with his grey-silvered hair and his sandy-colored eyes. He is a built man, six feet three inches tall and he has the physique of a man who has seen the all and sundry of war. 

He walked up to her majestically and confidently, intimidating her. 

"If you think I will applaud any single war you fight for Vampire City because you think you deserve it, then you have to think," he was now towering above her before using his index finger to push her forehead. "Again."

Looking up into his eyes, her legs were wobbly. How cruel can this man be? Well, maybe all these ends now. She removed a sheet of paper from her leather pants pocket and showed it to him, palms folded.

"Well," her shaky voice gave her away. "At least someone thinks otherwise."

"What do you mean?" Tyson asked, and from the corner of her eyes, she could see her mother rushing toward them.

"I have been invited by the King of Vampire City. To be the Queen and not some motherfucking soldier." She let a smile lift the corner of her lips. "So much for pleading to be applauded."

She could see the way his eyes burned with anger and much as he wanted to hold her back, he didn't. 

"Whatever. But you have to leave this place if you agree, and never come back."

Tyson thundered and rather than cower beneath his gaze, she puffed her chest and looked into his eyes. 

"If the King had invited my mother instead, I'm sure she wouldn't give it a damn second thought before riding her way to glory. It's now or never, Dad." She patted his arm and turned away.

As soon as she got outside, she heard her father giving orders.

"Stop her!" 

But who dares stop the terror queen? Probably some stubborn pips. Some of them ran toward her to stop her but she fought them all without sparing their lives. 

★★★★★★★★★★

Before Luana could snap out of her thought, a horse crossed her path suddenly stopping her movement.

"If you can't see at all, I'll advise you to hire someone who'll ride you about!" She spat before arranging her hair and looking up.

"Chloe?"

"Hey, Luana." She was on her horse, all dressed up as if she was coming from somewhere that she didn't need to ask. 

"I heard about your trip to Abbalong, so I decided to come and stop you."

Luana stared at her for a while before releasing a burst of laughter. 

"Now, that is a good joke. A good one, to be honest. Stop me?"

"Listen to me. I know we don't get along but you've got to trust me on this one."

"Look, if you're thinking of talking me into joining Shelbrooke, simply rethink. I will never..."

"This is not a time to decide. You just have to join us. In return, we will help you win Zeidan's heart again." Chloe's eyes were convincing enough but could she trust her? Maybe not.

"I promise you. Lyne is my niece and I have to protect her and her baby. Once I have finished achieving my aim, I'll just take the Onyx and run away with Lyne, leaving you with Zeidan. All Shelbrooke needs is the Onyx and all I need to do is make him feel the pain that I felt when I lost my people." She explained.

"Hold up. Lyne is your niece?" 

Although she found out when she had followed Lyne to the temple, she had to pretend it was news. 

"Yes. Her mother was killed by..."

"By my people. And you want me to trust you by sparing me?"

"Yes, if you agree to join us."

For a while, Luana pondered over Chloe's proposition, and thinking of all the juicy offers, she couldn't think twice about it.

"Well," she straightened her shoulders. "This doesn't mean we have settled our differences. We are just going to be partners on issues like this one. I mean, it doesn't guarantee my full devotion to you."

"I'm not looking forward to that." Chloe turned her horse towards the vast green fields by the right that leads to the Werecats Kingdom. "Hiya!" 

Luana followed, mind clouded with several plans.