By Aradhya Malladi, 10B

Helvera stood in her long, silk robes, draped with borders of velvet, as she stared solemnly at the mahogany red walls surrounding her. In the distance she heard the frantic screams of soldiers, as they began to load canons and build defenses. Her deep-set red eyes bored into the walls – she had to win, no matter the price it took. Above the chaos, her ears picked up on an ear piercing scream, and she froze.

“Your majesty, i-it---it’s begun.” Her furrowed brows arched as she turned to face her advisor, Malcolm.

“I am quite aware. No matter, my dear Malcolm. I have a feeling that this battle will be ours.” A sinister smile edged its way up her rosy lips, as she walked to the balcony and peered over the chaos. “In fact, I am quite certain of it,” she whispered. With that, the war had begun.

Helvera rushed out of her chamber, eyes widened, as she spotted her son, Yves, calling out orders, his husky voice echoing throughout the corridor. He would make a great leader one day, Helvera knew. He was, after all, her son. She smiled to herself before calling out her son’s name.

“Yves! Come here, my child.” Yves strode to his mother with lumbering steps that seemed to make the ground tremble.

“Yes, mother?” He kneeled in front of her, one arm across his broad chest as a sign of respect. Helvera stroked his tousled hair, motioning for him to rise.

“Son, go and see to it that our plans are in order. If anyone is hurt, ensure that the nurses tend to them immediately. We cannot afford to make mistakes now, my son. Do you understand?”

Yves nodded, whizzing off immediately. Helvera’s gaze followed him until he was nowhere to be seen. She motioned Malcolm inside her chamber, and ambled out to the balcony, her fierce eyes scanning the battlefield where her soldiers could be seen dropping to the ground, one after the other; her hands began to shake.

“There truly is no time like the present, dear Malcolm. This battle has the power of determining this kingdom’s future and we cannot afford to lose, not now,” She turned slowly, a steely look in her merciless eyes.

“But I have the solution. This vial holds the secret to our victory, and a sip is all it takes: without the king, the kingdom itself will lose its identity, and victory will finally be ours. I am impatient, Malcolm, that is true, but perhaps my impatience is my strength.” She spoke frantically, her hands shaking as she gave the vial to Malcolm, her eyes filled with excitement. He glanced at the queen, hesitating, and walked out, where he found Yves waiting in the corridor.

“Yves? My son, wh—what are you doing here? I assumed you’d be---” Yves held out a hand.

“I heard everything, mother,” He looked up to face her, a smile slowly emerging onto his face, “and I am with you. I always will be. Let me have the honor of taking this vial to our opponents, and victory will be ours, as you want.”

Helvera looked at her son and nodded curtly, menacingly following the vial with her gaze.

A while later, Helvera stood on her balcony yet again, now delighted, as she watched Yves slink through the chaos of the battle, the vial in his hands. Turning, she sauntered towards her door, a malicious gleam in her eyes, but to her chagrin, was welcomed by a frantic Malcolm. She could tell by his worrisome breaths that something grave had happened.

“Your majesty. I’m afr—I’m afraid th—that Yves has forfeited. He is in favor of our opponents.

Helvera felt as though her heart had crumbled. Her eyes burned with rage. Marching up to the battlefield, everything seemed to freeze in place as the queen strode past the thousands of soldiers. She walked up to Yves, her eyes searching for her son’s, and all she found was satisfaction.

“Why?” She whispered.

“I should be the one asking you that question, mother. This has never been the way to victory, nor shall it ever be.” He yelled.

Scoffing, Helvera spat her son, “What do you know about ruling a kingdom? This was for us, for the future of our kingdom, for our people. You only ruined it, Yves. You only ruined it.”

“No matter your words, taking away an innocent life from the face of the earth is not what father would have done. I trusted you, mother. A true queen is someone who would have risked her own life to save her people. But you? You are revolting. You don’t deserve this. You never will. That is why, I have been helping them all this while.” He screamed at her in fury.

Helvera stepped back, shocked at her son’s vile words. She smiled at her son, turned, and walked briskly away. She would conquer the opposing territory one day, at any cost, even if she had to take her own son’s life. Victory was hers.