A Tale That Could Not Be
Chapter 30: Empress Rhiannon

Sauradian archers pulled back on their bowstrings, Frenisian crossbowmen raised their weapons and took aim, and fire mages conjured spheres of flames between the palms of their hands. The dragon flew directly over the city square, casting a deep shadow over everyone with its passing, silencing all voices as it did so. The sound of its flight was like a rumbling hurricane or a devastating tornado, a thunder with no end. Many Sauradians fled upon sight of the terrible beast but most remained where they were, whether by utter fear or unbearable curiosity.

“Hold your fire!” Sultan Ali Baba called out as the dragon angled its flight and circled the city square, its red eyes scanning the area carefully. The Sultan then unsheathed his scimitar and waved it in the air, catching the dragon’s attention. “I am here, Empress! Cease this act and speak to me on equal footing. Why do you come here?”

The dragon roared loudly, circled the area once more, and then dove toward the platform upon which Belle and Prince Aladdin stood. The scaled creature streaked through the air like a comet but, before it crashed into the platform, shadowy tendrils suddenly protruded from its body. The tendrils slithered along the dragon’s body and completely consumed the beast. It quickly shrunk in size and took the form a woman. She smoothly landed on top of the platform as the last of the tendrils faded away. In her hand was clutched a black staff with a glowing, emerald orb on its tip. Within the orb were clouds that swirled about in an endless storm, flashing lightning and twisting into miniature tornados that trailed their paths along the orb’s surface from within like tentacles of wind. The woman was tall and slim and dressed in robes of pitch black. Upon her shoulders were flat, leather pauldrons rimmed with black feathers and on one of her fingers was a silver ring with a lavender stone. On her forehead was a silver crown that bore a great iridescent jewel and rising up from the back of her head was a series of thin, serrated metal rods arranged in a fan-shape. Coiled around each rod and reaching out to all the others was her hair, oily black with a glossy red tinge, which made the display resemble a huge spider’s web. Her face, smooth, angular, and beautiful, fixed its golden eyes on Prince Aladdin and narrowed slightly.

“Am I interrupting something?” she asked in a voice smoother than honey laced with venom. The empress looked down at Belle and the two women locked gazes, if only for a moment.

“Do not fear me,” said the woman without moving her lips.

“She is speaking to us mentally,” Beast said with surprise and a bit of trepidation.

“Yes, I am,” replied the woman, though her gaze had shifted back to the prince. “I am Empress Rhiannon, if you did not already piece that together. I am not here for you and I will not end your life, unless you give me reason to.”

We both mean no harm, Belle quickly said in her mind.

“Good. Then remain where you are.”

Are you here to help us?

“Do not be absurd. I know not who you are and care not for your troubles. I am here to speak to the sultan and the king and that is all.”

Belle’s heart was heavy with disappointment but she did as the empress instructed and did not get up and try to escape. She had never met Empress Rhiannon before but Belle had read many books about her and had always been fascinated by her rise to power. Before her, the Kingdom of Noyr had been about a third of the size of Frenis. It had harboured a reasonable army but few resources, making it somewhat of a weaker kingdom. When Rhiannon took power, and there were many tales and rumors as to how that happened, she expanded her kingdom’s influence to such magnitude that it now spanned across almost the entirety of the western continent of Argard, making it by far the largest nation of Faeryum. This powerful woman, the ruler of Faeryum’s greatest empire, now stood only a few feet away. Belle had long desired an audience with the empress in hopes of finding a way to give Beast his separate body but, sadly, she wanted nothing to do with her or Beast.

Her hopes ground to dust, Belle settled for watching the event unfold, grim in the knowledge that once it was over, so would be her life.

“Rhiannon!” boomed the sultan’s voice. “Why have you come?”

The empress gave Prince Aladdin a wink before turning around to face Sultan Ali Baba, who stood before the raised platform, sword in hand. “Dear sultan, have you forgotten your manners? I am an empress and thus should be addressed as such. I will let you off lightly this time, as you are fairly old for a mortal, but please remedy this mistake from now on.” Rhiannon then walked to the edge of the platform and gazed at the faces of all those watching.

Belle glanced at the rooftop her friends were on and saw them all standing silent and watching intently. She wondered what they were thinking now that Faeryum’s most powerful national leader had suddenly appeared.

“Everyone is on guard,” Beast said to her. “Bigbad feels a tension in the air and Marjeneh has ceased her weeping, settling for trembling in terror. All the others are observing wordlessly.”

As it should be, Belle thought. Rhiannon was not to be taken lightly and even distinguished captains like Hook or skilled warriors like Sinbad demanded her full respect.

“I am having difficulty believing that you came here to observe a simple execution,” Ali Baba growled to Rhiannon. “Have you come here for peace talks?”

Rhiannon grinned. “Peace talks? That would suggest that we are at war, good sultan. Is that our present standing?”

Ali Baba narrowed his eyes in suspicion. “Not currently…”

“Good, as that is what I had assumed. However, I must note that I am concerned with the increasing number of armed forces I am witnessing in both your kingdom and Charming’s. Also, with such a great distribution of arms passing to and fro between your two nations, I am almost inclined to believe that war is on the horizon. Tell me, if you will, which nation has slighted you for I do pity for their well-being? Actually, give me a moment and allow me to guess, will you?”

Sultan Ali Baba said nothing, his gaze and his lips pursed tightly.

Rhiannon continued. “Let’s see, it wouldn’t be that foolish yet rich King Midas, would it? Unenthusiastic and perhaps apathetic as he may be, he does boast an impressive army and might simply outright bribe your troops to join his side. A war with him would be costly, in more than just lives.

“Would it possibly be that righteous yet misguided King Arthur? His wealth pales in comparison to his Midaen ally but his Knights of the Round Table are a fierce force to engage in combat. And let us not both forget that sword of his…

“Is it the Ogram ogres, then? Are they the ones to feel the bloody stings of your blades? The ogres pose little threat to you, sultan, thus I assume it is not them.

“I know King Charming has always wanted to overthrow Queen Norra of Sworden. Is she the victim? Know that by engaging her that you risk engaging me as we all know that her nation is allied with my own. Surely you wouldn’t do that, would you? No, I do not think it is her.

“Certainly it wouldn’t be President Kazlav of Kenmard? Besieging a neutral nation would be most unwise and may incite the ire of all of Faeryum against you. You haven’t lived this long making foolish decisions, sultan, therefore I highly doubt Kenmard is your foe.

“Somehow I am inclined to believe that it is none of those nations. Were I to make an educated guess, I would place myself and my own empire as the focus of your forces. That would be ridiculous, would it not? Why entice the wrath of someone who has always desired your two nations as her own? Why would you so openly showcase your intentions if it would were not as some futile ploy of intimidation? Tell me, Sultan Ali Baba of the Sauradian Sultanate, tell me why you and your Frenisian ally prepare for war?”

The sultan held Rhiannon’s gaze firmly, his piercing eyes never once blinking. His grip tightened on the sword he held and he inhaled deeply before speaking. “You yourself, Empress Rhiannon, are known to be gathering your own forces in preparation for some grand assault. Consider what King Charming and I are doing as simple precaution.”

Rhiannon shrugged helplessly. “How are you to know my intentions, sultan? It is clear to all that I am at war with the New Avalonians and have been so for quite some time. Sherwood Forest is stained red with the blood of not only their warriors but my own as well. King Arthur continues to sail reinforcements from Avalon and Queen Marion is a skilled strategist, perhaps as skilled as I am. Puny as New Avalon may be, it has proven to be a most prickly thorn in my side, especially with the rise of this General Robin Hood. That fiery-haired thief has foiled far too many of my plans already and my patience has reached its limit. Would you then not do as I and seek to finish the war with one massive assault? Would you not seek to overwhelm your enemy by sheer numbers? It is the only path left open before me and that is why my forces have multiplied.”

“You’re a damned liar, Rhiannon!” King Charming roared, pointing his broadsword at the empress. “My spies have betrayed your true intentions as war on Faeryum itself! You want to conquer it all!”

Rhiannon pursed her lips and narrowed her eyes and Belle could feel the pressure in the air increasing. “I thought I made it clear that I wished to be referred to by my well-earned title. Because of your childish outburst and grave insult, King Charming, and I will be forced to take drastic action to ensure that it never happens again.” Rhiannon then straightened her back, stomped her staff on the wooden platform’s floor, and grinned wickedly. “Spies, you say? They were most incompetent, King Charming. I found them easily and they are now all resting in pieces. Had you sent more skillful infiltrators you might have been delivered this news sooner than now.”

Belle noticed King Charming’s face pale slightly. “What news?”

Rhiannon laughed. “You are rather adorable when you are afraid, Henri. It is a pity you declined my hand those many years ago. We could have had a wonderful future together. Alas, such was not the case and we found ourselves here and now, at the edge of the knife, the tip of the spear, the maw of the beast. The news you so dearly wish to hear, King Charming, is that your nation is now at war. Queen Norra, young and brash as she is but loyal to a fault, is sending multiples armies into your lands as we speak. You will return to your nation with the axe and blade of Sworden waving in the wind atop your keep, if it isn’t already doing so.”

“Madness!” King Charming roared. “You start a war without a proper declaration, you dishonorable and heartless witch!”

Rhiannon puffed up her bottom lip in a pout, as if hurt, and placed the delicate fingers of one hand over her heart. “I did no such thing, your highness. Swordenish soldiers march on your lands, not Noyran. If you wish to call someone hurtful names then do so to Queen Norra, not me.”

King Charming was red in the face and clenching his teeth tightly. His expression was a mix or rage, fear, and terrible worry. If Rhiannon’s words were true then he stood here in Sauradia as his countrymen were now fighting for their lives, and there was nothing he could do about it.

Rhiannon then shifted her gaze to the sultan. “As for you, Ali Baba, your country is safe from a Swordenish assault. Worry not about an invasion from the Ice Queen. Instead, I will tell you that your nation is under assault by my own army.”

“What?!” the sultan cried, his eyes bulging and the skin on his face turning white.

“You heard King Charming. It would be most dishonorable of me to invade your country without a proper declaration of war which is why I am here. Thus, as of now, I declare that the Empire of Noyr is now at war with the Sauradian Sultanate. Your navy at Port of the Sun is blockaded and the rest of my fleet is sailing here. Before the day is over, Arababyl will be mine!”

“Fiend!” the sultan cried. He pointed his scimitar at Rhiannon and then shouted, “Kill her! Destroy her! Men of Sauradia, let us end this war now!”

Crossbow bolts, loosed arrows, and fireballs came streaking toward Rhiannon like a hail storm but she didn’t appear concerned in the slightest. Inches away from the empress, the fireballs struck an invisible barrier and exploded into nothingness as the arrows and bolts simply tumbled to the ground. Prince Aladdin charged toward the empress but with a dismissive wave of her hand he was thrown back to the far edge of the platform, landing hard. Belle shut her eyes and braced herself as some of the stray arrows and bolts came her way but she found herself protected by the barrier as well.

“I am not here to kill you,” Rhiannon mentally repeated. “There is no reason for you to get caught in the crossfire. I do recommend that you leave now, however.”

Leave? Belle asked in confusion.

Rhiannon’s reply was her suddenly getting enveloped in shadowy tendrils and rapidly growing in size. Within mere moments the empress was transformed into a huge, black dragon and the arrows, fireballs, and bolts striking her did no damage. The dragon crushed the platform under her weight, forcing Belle and Prince Aladdin to leap aside.

“Your reign ends now!” the dragon roared in a voice like crackling fire in a thunderstorm. With a great whip of her spiked tail, Rhiannon gouged a huge chunk off of the bottom of the gigantic spire that stabbed the sky behind her and then spread her leathery wings. With a terrible roar that forced everyone to cover their ears lest they explode, Rhiannon beat down hard and took the sky.

The sounds of crumbling and cracking made Belle look up to see the spire beginning to lean toward her. The cracking intensified and a moment later the huge spire began to fall, slowly at first. Belle glanced about to see the entire area a scene of panic and chaos. Men, women, and children shoved and pushed through one another in a frenzied rush to find safety. King and Prince Charming, Sultan Ali Baba, Princess Balaura, and even Prince Aladdin were caught in the maelstrom of humans, unable to move. Guards and soldiers attempted to clear a path but it was taking too much time. The spire, hundreds of tons of solid stone, continued to fall directly toward the royal families, its path certain and unchangeable.

Another draconic roar pierced the air and Belle saw Rhiannon begin her assault. A jet of red flame burst forth from the dragon’s mouth and blasted into the buildings and streets of Arababyl, melting rock and roasting flesh. In great sweeps of destruction the Empress of Noyr made her presence known. With every fiery attack huge plumes of smoke rose to the sky, darkening and shading the entire city in a pall of grey and red.

The spire was only a few dozen feet away from flattening the royal families and Belle and was falling faster with every second. Belle knew that she could let Beast take over and he could leap up and away to safety but the same could not be said for the leaders of Frenis and Sauradia. A few seconds later and both nations would be leaderless.

“We need to go now, Belle!” Beast urged. “Let me emerge!”

Belle nodded and offered no resistance to Beast’s urging. He took control of the body and transformed. Caught in the horror of Rhiannon’s attack, the panicked people of Arababyl hardly noticed him. With one leap he could take both him and Belle to the rooftop Hook, Red, Cindy, Jack and the others stood on. Once rejoined with their friends they could flee the city before Rhiannon’s navy arrived. All Beast had to do was jump.

Instead, he ran.

The spire of stone plummeted to the ground, a blink of an eye away from crushing hundreds of bodies beneath it. Fire mages, noticing that it would kill their sultan, attacked it with fireballs but they did little more than chip off a few pebbles. Nothing could stop it. Nothing short of a miracle could save the two royal families now.

A miracle covered in spikes, grey fur, silver hair, and tusked at the mouth, did come. Beast charged in the midst of both families and roared at them to lay flat on the ground as low as they could. Terrified and confused, everyone did, including King Charming and Prince Aladdin, Beast’s greatest rivals.

Just before the spire crushed everyone into a puddle of blood and bone dust Beast raised his arms and caught it. The fall’s momentum continued to push the spire toward the ground but Beast pushed back, using his unequaled strength to keep it from ending any lives. The spire nearly won the battle, its smooth surface beginning to brush the backs of those lying down as Beast braced against its weight. Then, to everyone’s surprise, the spire stopped its descent. It leaned at an impossible angle, supported only by Beast’s power.

“GET AWAY!” Beast roared as loudly as he could. Veins bulged on his body and blood leaked from his snout but, as impossible as it seemed, he alone held up the entire spire. A few moments later, when everyone had recovered from the shock, the city square was mostly devoid of life. With a mighty grunt of effort Beast threw his arms up and tossed the spire behind him. The gigantic structure slammed to the ground with a great rumble and Beast immediately fell to his knees and caught his breath.

The royal families, alive and well, stared down at Beast and he looked up at them, breathing heavily. Princess Balaura bent down and hugged his neck.

“Thank you,” she said before kissing his forehead. “You’re a hero.”

Prince Charming unsheathed his sword, planted it in the ground, and bent down on one knee. “I owe you my life and I am forever in your debt. Have you ever the need to, shy not from seeking me out.”

“Get up, son,” King Charming grumbled with irritation.

“Father, that thing you once called a monster saved us!” Prince Charming retorted as he slowly stood up. “You owe it your life.”

“I owe it nothing,” King Charming growled back.

Sultan Ali Baba turned to his friend and put a hand on his shoulder. “You are alive, Henri, and therefore you can go save your people. Leave Arababyl and return to your ship in Port of the Sun. I will send my navy to break the blockade so that you may have a chance to return home. Do this now, but not before acknowledging that your life and your bloodline would be ended had this…hero not saved us.”

Beast stood up, ready to return to his friends, when Sultan Ali Baba and King Charming approached him. Both sovereigns then gave Beast a great bow so low that their foreheads nearly touched the ground.

The sultan took one of Beast’s large hands in his and said, “I have no quarrel with you, my savior. Your charges are lifted and though I grant you free passage across my lands I ask that perhaps, at least for now, you stay away. Gaphir’s words remain fresh in my populace’s ears and I would not wish you any further threat. Go now, and live a life of freedom and peace.”

King Charming did not take Beast’s hand. Instead he gave him a nod and grumbled, “You’re no longer an enemy of Frenis. You’re free to go.”

“Rhiannon is targeting the ships,” Prince Aladdin said, gazing across the city and breaking the moment. “If she is not stopped there will be no navy close enough to break the blockade at Port of the Sun.”

Sultan Ali Baba nodded and burst into motion. “Gather the Konri’s Breath Riders. Their enchanted arrows can pierce dragon hide. Rally them to the port and do it now!”

Prince Aladdin nodded and readied to leave. Before he did, he looked up at Beast, locked gazes for just a moment, gave him a short nod, and shouted, “Leave the city! Save yourself.” He then turned and charged off. The sultan and his daughter hurried away toward the palace and the Charmings raced to the east in the direction of Port of the Sun.

Beast wasted no time in turning toward his friends in the distance, who were already off of their rooftop and waiting for him in the street, and leaping toward them. Together again, they fled from Arababyl.

In the distance, Rhiannon streaked through the air and turned the forest of masts and wooden hulls into a blazing inferno. Arababyl burned. Its people fled in panic. Chaos reigned supreme.

War had come to Faeryum.

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