“Where…where is Thea?” His voice was shaky as his right arm laid across his stomach. The pain coursed through his body as the older blonde haired woman looked at him and then to the younger one. “She’s in her room, Thomas.” She said, Thomas looking at her. “Alex…get your sister.” He said, turning his head to look at the eldest child he and his wife Ella had. “Why?” Alex asked, her voice was cracking as Thomas winced in pain. “Don’t question me. Get your sister….now.” He said, his tone authoritative. Standing to her feet, Alex turned as she made her way swiftly past her youngest siblings, Daniel and Crystal. Ascending up the staircase, her long blonde hair bouncing behind her as she made it to the top landing. A sigh escaped her lips as she crossed the way to the first hallway on the left. The candles in the braziers were lit to help light the corridor. The castle had electricity but the Herman family still wanted somewhat of the ambiance from the medieval times. Standing at the large wooden door, Alex breathed in sharply and held her breath. ”Please forgive me, dear sister.” She whispered as her right hand rapped against the wooden door. Waiting for a moment, the door opened to reveal her sister. She was the only one who stood out the most amongst them. “Thea, father is needing to see you.” She said, wondering what Thea would say. She was the most unpredictable child. After the heartache and trauma she has endured, nobody knew what to expect. “I thought he was on the battlefield?” Thea’s arms crossed at the chest as her long auburn hair cascaded over her shoulders and her back. “He was, but he was injured and he sent me to get you.” Alex said, watching as she could see Thea was trying to read her demeanor. Shaking her head, she stepped over the threshold and into the hallway, closing the door behind her. Making her way past her sister, Thea walked towards the staircase. Wondering what her father was needing, she descended the staircase gracefully. Her left hand glided over the railing as she got to the bottom step. She stepped down and swiftly made her way into the room. Thomas laid there on the chaise lounger as Thea saw Daniel and Crystal with their mother around him. Approaching on the left side of her father she could see he was injured from the fight. Crouching down, she sighed as she reached her hands out to take his left hand in her own, but he pulled his hand away. A small gesture she tried to make. “They want…they want you.” He struggled to say as the court physician was arriving to help. “What?” Thea asked, sitting back as she stood up. “They want you. You’re the reason we are under attack.” Ella said. Her mother. Her own mother was blaming her for this attack. “It’s the Red Queen’s army….cough They want you.” Thomas said, seeing the fear on his daughter’s face. “Surrender to them. They won’t stop until they have you.” Ella said, standing up as she looked at Thea. The anger washed over her face as some of the objects close by began to float into the air. “You’re asking me…” “We’re telling you…” Her eyes went to her father. He wanted her to surrender for the sake of Verrelac. Her own father wanted her to leave. Shaking her head, a laugh escaped her lips. “You honestly want me to just surrender to them?! Hmm?!” She asked, her voice raising as she shook her head. Turning on her heels, Thea walked towards the open doors to the sitting room they occupied. Walking through the doorway, she passed by Alex. Her glaring stare at her sister as she shook her head. “Looks like I won’t be in Verrelac much longer.” Thea said, Alex wondering what her sister meant. Walking over to their parents, Alex raised a brow. “What was that about?” She asked, Ella looking at Alex. “They are here for your sister. It’s the Red Queen’s army and your father told her to surrender to them.” Ella said, Alex’s brows rising. “You’re letting them take her?! It’s like a lamb to the slaughter!” She asked, her arms crossed. “Yes, but we won’t last much longer so I told her to surrender.” Thomas said, coughing as he rolled over to the side in pain. “She will never forgive you for this.” ***** Thea walked out the front gates as she was met with the sounds of metal on metal clashing. The men screamed as some were killed and some were knocked out. Looking around, she sighed. Her arms crossed in a X for a moment and then moved out as the shield she casted as a protection for the castle allowed her to pass through. Walking towards the battlefield as the men stopped. Not expecting to see one of the Herman children on the field. The commander of the Red Queen’s army saw her walking towards them. A smirk painted on his lips. “We wondered if you would show up.” He said, Thea looking at him as she laughed. “I’m here aren’t I?” She asked, looking around. Two of the guards closed in behind her. One of them grabbed her left bicep and the other grabbed her right. “Don’t touch me.” Thea glared, jerking both arms away from them. “Feisty one.” The commander said, pulling the reins as he pulled his black horse around and began leading the men back to the camp. Thea stood there with a growl as she felt a hand on her left arm and she pulled away. “I’m perfectly capable of walking.” She growled, walking ahead of them. A few paces ahead of the two guards behind her, Thea looked around. Observing the area around them. They had come up to the camp as Thea noticed who all was there. The commander and his two lieutenants and then the two guards behind her. The other troops had yet to make their way back to the camp. Stopping in her tracks within the entrance of the camp, the guards came up behind her grabbing her arms. “Move.” The one on the right growled as Thea smirked. Her fingers on her right hand spread as a sphere of fire formed in her hand. Jerking her left arm free, she turned and hit the guards square in the chest with the fire. From the intensity of the heat, his armor began to melt. A scream emitting from him as it grabbed the commander’s attention. “SEIZE HER!” The loud voice roared out from behind as Thea looked back over her right shoulder. Her right hand came up as a burst of energy shot out of her hand towards the two guards near her. They were pushed back off their feet to the ground. The sound of metal against the ground caused Thea to look back to the left. Two of the lieutenants had charged towards her as she smirked. Her left arm came up in a blocking motion, as if holding a shield and the two men stopped. An invisible shield held up in front of her. Knocking the men back, Thea began walking towards the commander. Watching as he dismounted his horse, he grabbed the glaive from the saddle bag, and turned and began walking towards Thea. Tossing the spear towards her, Thea’s left hand raised as the glaive was tossed aside, landing in the grass nearby. Flabbergasted, the commander looked at Thea as she approached him. Drawing the long sword from the sheath on his right hip, he stood at the ready. The emerald cloud of smoke appeared in front of him. It began to engulf him as he was moving around. With his sword held out, he couldn’t see as he waved his sword carefully. Thea appeared behind him as she made a subtle sound to get his attention. Turning on his heels, he was shocked to see her, but as his eyes widened, Thea extended her right hand towards his chest. Her hand went through the side of his armor and to his heart. Grabbing it, a sick yet sadistic smirk pulled at her lips as he took note of it. “Your Queen will regret sending her army to Verrelac.” She said, her tone deep and with a sense of darkness. Eyes widened, a look of fear and fright was on his face as Thea squeezed his heart within his chest cavity. “I could control you, but where would be the fun in that? I could kill you right here but your queen wouldn’t know what happened.” Thea said, ripping his heart out, holding it within her hand. “Please, I have a family.” He begged. Looking at the heart in her hand, she gave a firm squeeze as the commander groaned as he fell to his knees before her. He noticed his men standing around with their swords extended, ready to fight. “Stand down!” He demanded, watching as they sheathed their swords. “I have a family too, and yet here you are. Attacking mine which they wanted me to surrender because your queen wants my head.” She said, squatting down beside him. “I could let you go, but what kind of message would that send to the Red Queen, hm? It would show weakness and I am far from weak.” Thea looked into his eyes. Grabbing his chin with her left hand, she looked into his eyes as she squeezed the heart with her right hand. Watching as the light faded from his eyes. The ash from his head being crushed fell out of her hand and blew into the wind as the commander fell to the ground. Standing to her feet, she turned to face the other men who were in charge. All four of them had a look of fear. “You will return to your Queen with his body. Show her how ruthless I can be and that should she send her army back to Verrelac that more blood will be shed.” Thea warned them. Nodding their heads out of fear from the unknown they watched as Thea paced back and forth in front of them. Nodding her head, she turned in front of one of the lieutenant’s, and she smirked. Holding his gaze, she reached her hand into his chest, pulling his heart out. Holding it in her hand, she squeezed it watching as he dropped to his knees and died. “You will return to your kingdom with their bodies. Two bodies are better than two.” Watching as some of the men were retreating, Thea shook her head. Standing up on the highest hill where she had killed the commander and one of the lieutenants, she watched as the soldiers of the Red Queen’s army were beginning to leave. Yet, it felt as though it wasn’t enough. That enough blood had been shed from that army. Taking a deep breath, her eyes closed as her hands went out as her fingers spread. Two spheres of fire formed in her hands as she opened her eyes, throwing them down towards the soldiers. Grabbing their attention, they stopped and looked back at the hill where she stood. “What is she doing?” One of the lieutenants asked, stepping forward. Before he knew it, he was met with a curtain of fire. The scream from Thea filled the air as her arms reached up towards the sky. Her fingers began to turn an amber like color as her hands heated up from the fire she was creating. Like a banshee screaming, Thea shot a curtain of fire down towards the men. They scattered like ants as the fire began to rain down upon them. The anger and the rage fueled her magic. Powerful and strong, the fire began to circle around the soldiers as if like a tornado. She watched as the cone of fire burned the men within it. No more than maybe four hundred men of the army were left. Watching in horror as their comrades were burned. They took this as their queue to leave. Watching as the men began to flee, Thea put her arms down allowing the cone of fire to slowly die out. **** Standing at the gates of the castle, Alex and Ella watched as their soldiers made their way back to the castle. Some were carried in by stretchers and some were carried that were still alive. “Did she surrender?” Ella asked, stopping the captain as he looked down at her. Walking past her without a word spoken, Alex looked at her mother. “If our men are retreating…” Alex’s voice cut off as Ella had a look of horror on her face. Looking out, they both saw a figure in the dust. A figure emerging as they saw it was Thea. Covered in dirt, their eyes widened. “I thought she surrendered to them?!” Alex asked in a loud whisper as she felt her mother’s left hand touch her arm as she turned inwards. “I fear she is too powerful.” Ella said softly. Thea was weak as she struggled to the bridge. The shield had come down as she stumbled forward. She saw her mother and sister, standing there in disbelief. Not thinking Thea could have caused so much….chaos. “And yet you thought I would surrender to them. Showing them weakness. That our kingdom is weak. Well I can surly tell you that I am not weak, mother. Thea walked towards the doors, and into the castle. “You are banished from Verrelac.” “What? What do you mean banished?! I just saved your kingdom from the war!” “Do not question me, Theodora!” “You were the one who told me to surrender! To show that we are weak! And yet if it were not for me your army would have been slaughtered!” “It’s because of you that they came here!” Thea’s eyes widened as her and her father argued in the throne room. Her family stood around. Her mother sat on the throne to the right as her father stood there. Wincing in pain. Alex along with her children stood by as well. Glancing around at her “family”, Thea shook her head. “I am YOUR daughter and yet you treat me like a monster. You act as if I am disposable! That you can get rid of me and use me as you see fit!” Thea shouted. Thomas looked at her as he could sense the air in the room getting heavy. “You’re a disgrace to this family. You have brought nothing but destruction since your return.” He said calmly, turning to return to his throne. Taking a seat, his arms laid upon the arms of the throne, his hands wrapping around the knobs that they rested upon at the end of the arms. “Theodora Herman, I, King Thomas of Verrelac, hereby banish you from Verrelac. Should you step foot inside the kingdom while I live you will be charged with treason against the crown.” he said as he motioned for his guards to get her. Standing there calm, her anger began to build within her tiny frame. The hands of her father’s guards grabbing her upper arms, causing her to jerk her arms free. “I am no daughter of yours. If I were you would not have treated me as such.” Turning on her heels, Thea walked towards the doors of the throne room, stopping halfway to turn back to her father. “You are nothing without me. You wouldn’t have won this war without me. Should you call upon me for help again I will refuse the call.” Thea said, turning her attention to her family members and then back to her parents. Shaking her head, she left the throne room.
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