The army, her army, walked down the streets. Merchants started to pack up their stalls when they saw them aproce, mothers dragged their children inside their homes. Her father's personal guard surrounded her own men. Idris leaned towards her.

"Do I miss something, or did you just decide for the both of use that we are getting married?" He asked her in a whisper. She shrunk a bit, that was true. She had introduced him as her fiancée, but she knew Eyob Cobwood and he would have killed Idris and his man. It did not matter if they were part of her personal guard. They had killed his best friend and brother in arms, it did not matter if it was in battle.

"Sorry about that, do you object?" She asked. He shook his head, this made her smile and her heart also skipped a beat. He looked so handsome inside the uniform, the white cape that waved behind him made the look complete. So strange that the change of clothing could change her perspective of him. It did not matter how much he protected her when he was wearing his old clothing, in her eyes he stayed a rogue. But now that he was wearing the uniform of her personal guard, it made him the man she had being waiting for. Funny that they had already met before all of this. "Good, but I do think that we need to discuss this further once we defeated my brother." She said, and he looked at her with those cloudy gray eyes. She hated the fact that they were marching into a battle, one she didn't know the outcome. Maybe she should have stolen some moments with him while they were traveling, something she now regretted.

"Do not think about it too much." He said. "We are almost at the palace and you know what will happen once we reach it. Please stay close to me and Fitsum, just as we did inside the village." He looked over his shoulder. She smiled at him, because she didn't want to point out that they got separated during that fight. But she already knew that this was also on his mind.

"Do not worry about me, if that happens again. Then I will stay close to Eyob. He was my mother's best friend and he will not betray me." She said.

"I thank her highness for her faith in me." Eyob said, clearly eavesdropping. "But your fiancée is right, it is better you stick with one of your own men. My men and I will do our best to live up to your trust." Idris looked over his shoulder and nodded towards the man.

"If she trusts you, then who am I to disagree with her. So I hope you will look out for her." Idris said. Eyob nodded, and looked at his men. Zeudi smiled at them, but when her gaze went back to the road in front of her... That smile disappeared, they were facing an army which was much larger than her own. And it was not only the numbers that made her doubt her decision, this army existed only out of trained soldiers. In the front was her brother, he was the only one on a horse. He smiled when he saw her.

"It is good to see you alive and well, my dear sister." Woldu said.

"Cut the crap, brother. You are only glad that I am still breathing, so that you have a change to end me." Zeudi replied. "And do not think for a second to lie about it." Woldu just shrugged.

"What a relief that I would not have wasted my breath, but sister are you really going to fight me?" He asked, she straightened her back.

"It seems to me that I have no other option, brother." She said. She pointed to the people behind her. "The people of Cidor want me as their queen." He simply looked at the people behind her. Then he shook his head. "I am willing to fight for their future, Woldu. You may think that I am weak, because I go these missions. But look where that brought me, I am walking among my subjects. I am not rising above them."

"Sister, you did me a favor of not wasting my breath. I will offer you the same. You are indeed too weak to rule this kingdom." He said, and then raised his hand with his sword. "Soldiers of Cidor, attack!" The soldiers grabbed their swords and started to march.

"Wait, soldiers of Cidor, before you attack, just know the people behind me are just normal citizens. They have come from the villages and Mji to stand with me." Zeudi said. Now all the soldiers stopped, some elders in the crowed behind them started to call their son's names. "You see, your parents are among them. Think twice before you act." Some soldiers dropped their weapons. Woldu looked at his men.

"What are you doing? Your parents are part of an uprising, they are the enemy." Woldu snapped.

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"You can't honestly expect of them to attack their own families, brother. Not all of them are as cold-hearted as you are." Zeudi replied. "Mom always said that if you want something done, you should do it yourself." Woldu nodded.

"That are indeed her words. And thank you for reminding me." He said, he gave his horse the command to charge. Zeudi stepped forward and grabbed her sword.

******

It all went so fast, the horse running straight towards her. The crowed behind her, screaming and running into the alleyways. She blocking her brothers' sword. Idris pulling him off the horse. Soldiers running towards their family members, hugging them. It might not be the battle everybody was expecting, but nobody got hurt in the end. Maybe Woldu and his pride, but she could live with that.

"Eyob, bring my brother and his men to the dungeons. Place them under guard." Zeudi said, Eyob jumped up and took Woldu from Idris.

"You have not won, sister, you will never win. Unless you kill me here and now." Woldu said, but she shook her head. Maybe it was naïve to think that locking him up will solve the problem, but she didn't want to kill her own family. Even they wanted to kill her.

"Take him out of my sight, before I change my mind." She said. Eyob nodded and disappeared. Idris took her in his arms, she could his heart beating fast. She knew that he was praying to which ever god he could think of at the moment. She had acted outside their plan, she had put herself in so much more danger. Something she will hear about later, but right now there was something else they needed to take care off. "Arsema, you and the other Witch doctors follow me." She placed a hand on Idris's chest. "We will talk later." He closed his eyes, but let her go. She started to walk as fast as she could, without breaking into a run. Knowing that the Witch doctors could follow her if she did. The hallways of the palace were dark and gloomy, the staff let them pass. Some of them whispered about her being alive, it was only not something that would stop her. She needed to restrain herself, otherwise she would have kicked the door to her father's chambers in. Armana stood over her father, holding a bowl in her hands. Was she forcing her father to drink? "Step away from him!" Armana shot up, the bowl dropped to the ground, but it did not break. Good, then the substance was still traceable.

"Milady, I..." Armana started.

"Drop the act, child. Nobody here will believe it." Arsema entered the room, and picked up the bowl. "Just as I though, poison. Do yourself a favor, girl, and tell me what kind of poison this is." Armana dropped on the ground.

"I do not know, Woldu did not want to tell me." She said, then she turned towards Zeudi. "He promised to marry me, if I did this. Otherwise, he would have killed me." Zeudi narrowed her eyes. She wanted to say a lot of things to her former lady royal, but there were no words that would bring over her anger and frustration with her. Now all she cared about was her father's health.

"Fitsum, take her out of my sight." She said, knowing that the men of her personal guard had followed her. On their way here she had explained their duties. And now they were following her, she will later, with the help of Idris set op a schedule. "Place her in the cell next to my brother."

"I will, your highness." Fitsum replied. He took Armana away. Zeudi then looked at Arsema.

"Once I overheard my brother tell his men, that Rasimu ya mjane mweusi was is favorite type of poison. Slow, deathly and almost untraceable if you do not know what it is." Zeudi said and Arsema nodded.

"Rasimu ya mjane mweusi, really?" Arsema said. "I never would have guessed that so I think you are right. But to be sure." She started to say a spell under her breath, but it didn't take long. "You are right, now leave the room. We Witch doctors need all the space to work." Zeudi didn't want to leave the room and her father. But there was indeed nothing she could do to help. So she left the room with the rest of her men. Idris took her in his arms once the door behind her closed.

"I know you are grieving the loss of a friend. But we need to talk business." He said and she shook her head.

"Not here. Not now, we will talk inside my chambers." She said, then she pointed to one of the maids.

"Moron, point these men to my personal guards quarters." She said, Moron bowed. "Simret, you take the others. Sennay once you are settled I want you to go back and get Aranchi, I am in need of a new lady royal. Take one of the horses." Sennay nodded, and the men followed Moron. She looked at Idris with a defeated look, she knew full well what he wanted to say to her. And she was not morning the loss of a friend, Armana was never really her friend. But she had a lot on her mind right now, now that her father was sick. She now needed to step up and act as a ruler, was she ready for that. There was only one way to find that out. "Idris you can follow me." Her chambers were in the same hallway. "Close the door would you." He cracked a smile.

"Are you now the one giving orders?" He asked and she nodded. He turned around and closed the door. She sneaked up from behind him and when he turned she kissed him. He stiffened up at first, but then he started to relax and to lean in. She took a step back.

"I am sorry." She said. He gave her a smile and pulled her in for another kiss.