Chapter 92: Kingdom united

Chapter 92: Kingdom united The distant rumble began as a whisper, a tremor that vibrated through the very foundations of the Moonlight Kingdom. Queen Elena stood atop the eastern tower, her hands resting on the cool silver parapets as she gazed toward the horizon. The sound grew steadily—thousands of hooves thundering across the plains, the earth itself seeming to respond to their approach. Commander Maria stood to her right, spine straight as a blade, her weathered face betraying nothing as she watched the approaching forces. Queen Elysia occupied Elena’s left, with Commander Lyra and Naia completing their silent vigil from the adjoining tower. "The Thornvale warriors," Naia breathed, her eyes widening as the army came into view. "There are more than I imagined." Lyra nodded, her silver eyes calculating distances and formations with practiced efficiency. "Mother called for their strongest. It seems Queen Elena delivered on her promise." She gestured toward the front lines where warriors rode atop massive elk, their antlers adorned with Thornvale’s distinctive emerald banners. "Look there—the elite earth-wielders lead the charge." As if to confirm her words, several riders at the front raised their hands in unison. The ground before them rippled and shifted, earth rising to form a smooth path that guided their mounts over the rocky terrain. Behind them followed rank upon rank of warriors, their green and brown armor catching the morning light as they approached Moonlight’s gleaming walls. "I never thought I’d see the day," Elena murmured, her voice carrying to Elysia despite the growing noise below. "Thornvale and Moonlight, marching to war together." Elysia turned to her fellow queen, searching her face. "Does it trouble you? Our kingdoms were enemies for so long." Elena’s expression softened momentarily. "History is written by those who survive, Elysia. If we don’t stand united now, there may be no one left to write anything at all." She straightened her shoulders, the brief vulnerability vanishing beneath queenly resolve. "The First Eternal threatens us all. Ancient grudges have no place in this fight." "Sound the ring," Elysia commanded, her voice carrying to the guards below. "Open the gates to welcome our allies." The massive silver bell that hung above the main gate began to toll—three times, then seven—the ancient signal that welcomed allies to the Moonlight Kingdom. The enormous gates began to part, silver mechanisms grinding smoothly as they revealed the path into the heart of the kingdom. Elena took a deep breath, her eyes fixed on her approaching warriors. "They come ready for war, not knowing if they’ll return," she said quietly. "Such is the burden of rule—to ask others to die for what we believe." "What we know," Elysia corrected gently. "Kaida’s plans are no mere belief. She would rob our children of their birthright, their connection to the elements." Elena nodded once, decisively. "Then we shall stop her, whatever the cost." She turned from the parapet. "I should greet them. Many have ridden for days without rest to answer my call." As Elena moved toward the stairwell, Elysia reached for Lyra’s hand, squeezing it briefly. "Whatever happens in the Fea realm," she whispered, "remember who you are—daughter of Moonlight, commander of our forces, and heir to our throne. Let that knowledge guide your blade." Lyra met her mother’s gaze steadily. "I won’t fail you—or the Veilwalker." The four women descended from the tower, each lost in her own thoughts as they prepared to face the army that would follow them into the unknown. In the courtyard below, Captain Nari and Lieutenant Seril approached Queen Elysia, their silver Vylonian armor gleaming in stark contrast to the blue and silver of Moonlight’s warriors who rushed around them, preparing for war. "Your Majesty," Nari began, bowing deeply. "Lieutenant Seril and I must return to Vylonia immediately. Queen Elizabeth requests your presence after your mission to the Fea realm." Elysia’s brow furrowed slightly. "Elizabeth wishes to see me? Did she say why?" "The queen believes she has information vital to understanding the First Eternal’s ultimate plans," Seril explained, her voice low to prevent others from overhearing. "Information that may prove crucial should your first assault fail." A shadow passed over Elysia’s face at the implication of failure, but she nodded. "Tell Elizabeth we are in her debt for her warning. Without her dream-walking abilities, we might never have located the Veilwalker in time." Emotion flickered briefly across Nari’s usually stoic features. "Queen Elizabeth values the Veilwalker highly, Your Majesty. His safe return is as important to her as it is to you." "Then we share a common purpose," Elysia replied, reaching out to clasp both warriors’ forearms in the traditional Vylonian farewell. "Go with speed and safety. Tell your queen we will not fail." As the Vylonian warriors departed, Elysia watched them go, wondering what secrets Elizabeth might hold—and why she had chosen now to reveal them. The staging grounds outside Moonlight’s inner walls had been transformed. Where once training dummies and practice rings had stood, now rows upon rows of warriors gathered—Thornvale’s forces intermingled with Moonlight’s defenders, creating a sea of green, brown, blue, and silver. Commander Maria stood upon the traditional war-platform, a massive circular dais of polished silver that reflected the afternoon sun with almost blinding intensity. Lyra stood at her side, both women armored for battle—Maria in the traditional blue-steel plates of Moonlight’s highest command, Lyra in lighter armor that allowed for greater mobility, twin water blades sheathed at her hips. The assembled warriors fell silent as Maria raised her hand, the gesture carrying across the field with practiced authority. Thornvale and Moonlight warriors alike turned their attention to the platform, though tension was visible in their stiff postures and the careful distance they maintained from one another. "Warriors of Thornvale and Moonlight," Maria began, her voice carrying effortlessly across the gathered forces. "I see the way you eye each other—with caution, with memory of past conflicts. I see how you keep your hands near your weapons when warriors of the other kingdom pass by." She paused, scanning the crowd with piercing eyes. "That ends today." A murmur rippled through the assembled forces, quickly silenced as Maria continued. "Today, we are not two kingdoms. We are not earth-wielders or water-benders, illusion-casters or air-shapers. Today, we are simply those who will fight—and those who will fall." She drew her sword, the polished blade catching the light as she held it aloft. "Beyond our realm lies an enemy who would strip our children of their birthright. An enemy who has taken our Veilwalker—the last of his kind—to use his powers against us all." Maria’s voice hardened, echoing with controlled fury. "This enemy believes us weak because we are divided. She thinks our ancient grudges will prevent us from standing together against her threat." She walked the edge of the platform, making eye contact with warriors from both kingdoms. "Will we prove her right? Will we let petty differences doom our future? Or will we show the First Eternal what happens when she threatens ALL our children?" The first cheers began among the younger warriors, hesitant at first, then growing in volume. Maria raised her hand again, commanding silence. "I don’t ask you to forget the past. I ask you to rise above it." She gestured to the mixed forces before her. "Look to your left, look to your right. The warrior beside you—regardless of kingdom—will be the one to guard your back in the darkness of the Fea realm. Their blade may be all that stands between you and death."