What would Lily say if I took this offer? I tilted my head, imagining her reaction. I could picture her, her hands on her hips, her blonde hair swaying around her arms as she shook a fist at me. She’d say, ‘Idiot! First of all, never make such decisions without my guidance. Second of all, why would you take such a shit deal?’

I laughed, but it was more of breathing air out of my nose. I shook my head at Caleb. 

His face distorted into anger. “Well I’m not willing to just let you play leader.” He shook, he wanted the power, the trust, the love. He grabbed me by my hair, pulling me towards the door. “They just see your lack of failure as a sign, but it’s not real!”

He was shouting at me, I tried to scream but no sound came out. 

“You’re not sent from god! You’re just like us! And this little game you’re playing is only going to get us all killed!” He was screeching.

I managed to pull myself away, to the dismay of my hair, just as Lily flew into the room. “Are you going to let him treat you like this?”

No.

He bellowed, “Don’t think I don’t know your trick. You’re only human.”

No, I was chosen by god.

Lily cooed, “That’s right Camellia. You’ve been given a gift.”

“You’re a fool if you think you’re special! You aren’t fit to run this troop. They are mine.” He seethed. I didn’t understand. How could a person keep in so much hatred? “Do you understand, you bitch?” The door to the room creaked opened, the children piling around to see what was going on, like they’d been listening in. Caleb looked at them with wide eyes.

Each one looked at him with surprise and something like ruin in their eyes. They’d seen their fearless leader stoop down to the level of the men that walked all over them.

A lone stone was thrown. It hit Caleb in the leg. It was a weak throw, probably a small child that threw it. Then another came, it came fast and hard. It nicked Caleb’s face, drawing blood. He touched his face with tentative fingers. His face was cloaked in shock.

A single word rang out over the silence. “Who?”

The anger unleashed something in the children, who charged him. 

“How dare you do that!” One hissed.

Another growled, “How could you treat her like that!”

“She’s our angel!” I glowed at that one.

Their cries gave me joy. The way they mercilessly beat at him, filled me with a kind of happiness I couldn’t put into words.

Lily sat on my shoulder, “This worked out well. By the way, are you going to keep up the gracious and benevolent thing?” She gave me a sidelong look, like she couldn’t care either way. After all, it was my decision. 

I cleared my throat.

The children stopped and looked at me, waiting for my direction. I pulled each one off and gave them a hug and kiss on the cheek. They beamed at me. Finally I pulled Caleb to his feet. 

He stared at me, whispering, “Why did you stop them?” There was a sadness in his eyes. Like he wanted to die. I felt his pain. Those days on the streets had wrecked me. He pulled me up by my collar, “What are your motives?”

I gave him a grin, To be queen. But, of course, he couldn’t hear me. Lily laughed.

A large kid, but only of the age of ten, pulled Caleb off me. “Don’t touch her.”

I gently touched the kid’s shoulder, I didn’t even know his name. Not that it matter. Maybe I’d make him my second after this. Next, I turned my attention back to Caleb. I slapped him, not too hard, but not too soft. Then I pointed to the door. Caleb sulked and walked out the door, hopefully he would never come back.

“Nicely done. A deed fit for a queen.”

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I smiled at the group, her compliment reaching home. I took out a piece of papyrus and began to write. Everyone crowded around, then I handed it to a girl, the skittish one with the ill mother. She smiled so broadly at me, I thought her face would rip.

“Thank you all, I had no idea that Caleb was hiding his true face. I can’t put into words my gratitude at your actions. I would like you all to forgive me though,” her face faltered.

“What are you doing?” Lily asked. Her own voice became shrill.

The girl looked at me, when I nodded she kept going. “After this incident, I don’t think I’m fit to lead you. As Caleb has pointed out, I’m just a person.” Tears started to fall from her face, I’d only been with them a month, but I could tell they loved me. “And you guys need more than a person. You need a savior.”

There was a long pause as she read the rest. She looked at me again to see if I was sure. I nodded at her.

“You need a queen.”

The children wiped their tears. The youngest, whose name I think was Jaren, hugged me. He only reached my hips, but he held me with all his might. “Don’t leave us. You can be the queen of our troop, shouldn’t that be enough for you.”

I knelt down to him, wrapping him in a hug suitable for any saint. I tried to make the sound come out, but only air wheezed out. I clawed at my throat, the bump that signified my loss.

“I can give it back to you, but only for a short time. And it’ll hurt a lot when it’s gone again. Do you want to make that deal?”

What will it cost me?

“Only a year of your life.”

I didn’t even need to think about it, Sounds like a deal to me.

I felt a burning in my throat, I coughed. Then, with a voice that was scratchy and out of use, I said, “What you need is not a leader, what you need is a savior, to clean out the corrupt and wash the streets clean. Someone who can give you a better life that won’t end in an early death. What you need is a ruler that can change this country.”

The girl spoke up, “Your voice.”

“I made a deal with an angel, I only get it back for a short while.”

“You truly are a chosen one!”

I nodded, “An angel has granted me the power of light. She says that I have a destiny to follow, to fulfill. And I’d like your help.”

“Anything!” They shouted, “Anything at all.”

I smiled, “I’m leaving, to go to the capital. I will become the king’s seer, and then his most trusted official. And then, I will show the people of this country his corrupt nature. And when he has be overthrown, I will take the throne for myself.”

The girl spoke up, she gently placed her hand on my arm, “But, won’t that be dangerous?”

“It will and I might not even make it that far, so what I’d like you all to do is grow. Grow throughout the land and make the people aware of me. Make them want me to be queen, so when the king is overthrown, they will look to me to lead them-”

I coughed. The burning in my throat was back. I looked to lily.

She shrugged, “Time’s up.”

I smiled at the children, giving them each a hug. There was more I wanted to say, but I said was enough. I packed up my things and left, after I appointed the girl as the new head. I couldn’t have them fighting internally after all.

Where to now? I asked Lily.

She flipped around in the air and then pointed west, “To the capital!”

I gazed at the giant tree, knowing that it was truly a sign from god.