By Cynthia Jeanette
Sybilla settles some more scores while she goes to visit the King to arrange their alliance for the war.

The response to her new orders was expected and they were shocked. Some of them were very happy to see things return to the way they were before Theodora changed everything. She saw the agents of the King respond with total horror to see all of the progress their glorious and great king had achieved be reversed in an instant. The King’s agents thought that this may likely result in a new round of wars. Only this time, it was unlikely that the King would win this time. They knew that and Sybilla thought it was unlikely that the King would try to go to war this time. They must work together to survive against the Fay.

Many of the women who had positions of power were in despair to hear the new orders. Sybilla just smiled in triumph. In a horrifying instant, those women’s lives were transformed. Their newfound power and freedom was stripped from them. They were removed from their positions of power within the territory, their new titles were stripped. They were now consigned to be wives and mothers once again. This was a stunning act by Sybilla. She wondered what Theodora would think about this.

Then she proudly stepped off of the raised platform looking at the despair of the women around her, and the horrified and tearful look in Ellyn’s eyes. The horror and total betrayal she saw in Ellyn’s eyes said everything she needed to know. Sybilla simply returned with a triumphant smirk as she nearly swaggered down from the podium. Many of those same women didn’t give a damn about what was taken from him or how Sybilla would live her new life. So she didn’t really care about them.

“I never knew you could be so evil and vicious, Sybilla. This isn’t the boy that I once knew as Serren.”

“That boy no longer exists,” Sybilla responded. “And I never knew my own family could be so evil. What you did to me was cruel and vicious.” Then Sybilla stepped back into the carriage to go back home. She had preparations to make for a long trip to Valois city in the capital to get an audience with the King. They had arrangements to make for their alliance in this war.

She also had someone to see, and a score to settle with a certain someone who really deserved it. This someone probably would know beforehand that she was coming. But this person probably knew her time was up and there was no longer any way to avoid what was coming. This score had been a long time in coming. She was really going to enjoy the look on that bitch’s face.

The trip was very long. The carriage went deep into the countryside long into the night. The soldiers and guards stayed back and the carriage parked near a tiny isolated cottage in the countryside. A darkened forest of trees hid the cottage from most onlookers. Then Sybilla was stunned to see Arcadia standing outside waiting for her. Sybilla opened the door to her carriage and stepped out to meet the deceitful lying woman.

This had been something Sybilla had been looking forward to and she thought that she would enjoy the stunned and fearful look in Arcadia’s eyes when she saw the angry vengeful former boy coming for her head.

Instead, she just saw a resigned smile and she looked totally at ease accepting her fate. Arcadia smiled and said, “So you have come to kill me, go ahead. Take your revenge. I know that I stand no chance against you. This won’t even be a challenge for someone gifted with the power of Hera. You could have killed me at any time you wanted with a snap of your fingers or a thought. So get this over with and then take your revenge on your sister for what she did.”

It was Sybilla’s turn to be totally stunned.

“What,” Arcadia said with a smirk. “You thought I would actually fight you. That day long ago, when you came to hurt me and force me to give you the transformation spell. I knew I stood little chance against you. You showed your strength to me and I was barely blocking your attacks. You smashed my enchanted staff. And now you have been granted the power of Hera. Several things now make more sense. They made no sense when it was happening. It was Aphrodite that gave you such immense power as a witch. No wonder you were able to overcome even the greatest witches of our time. And I was being manipulated from the start?”

Sybilla looked even more stunned. “You were being manipulated?” Sybilla said incredulously.”How do you think that when it was you manipulating everyone?”

“I was led to believe we were going to restore the rule of women over men. That’s what we set out to do and I was led to believe that was the goal of the Goddess Hekate. But no, it was never her goal. She wanted equality between the sex’s and that’s what your sister set out to do all along. We still had to wage war against the church to destroy their power. I was never to regain our place in society and that’s what I thought the Goddess wanted. I was deceived and then ignored once I fulfilled my role in this plot. I was cast away by your sister once she got what she wanted. It almost worked, but the goddess deceived me too.”

“Booo Hooo,” Sybilla said sarcastically. “I feel so bad for little suffering Arcadia. You thought his whole plot was to restore the witch kings and the rule of women when it was nothing like that. Hekate never intended you to get the crown. She never intended for your family to get revenge for losing it so long ago. The Goddess intended my sister to retain the crown. You must be suffering so much,” Sybilla sneered. “But what you endured and suffered can’t even begin to match what was done to me. By your hand?”

“You could never appreciate the great gift the Goddess gave you. If you could have appreciated it, you would have been far better off but you could never get past what you lost. The Goddess made a mistake there. We all thought you would eventually be happy as a woman. Especially with your kids. I saw you as a happy mother and you were almost happy. But you still wanted the crown and became so embittered by that, that you were unable to be happy as a mother raising your kids. You did everything possible to undermine your sister and you accomplished that. Now, you have betrayed the women and restored the church, all to make them suffer what you endured. That brings pleasure to you.”

“This is only the beginning,” Sybilla flashed a wicked evil smile.

“Was I really going to be killed if I was crowned King? You told my family that to get them to support you in the plot. They thought they were saving my life even though I am not convinced they really cared about that in the end. It was just an excuse they told themselves. In the end, they did it for their goals, and for the Goddess. But still, they thought they were saving my life. Would I had really been killed or is that something you were just telling them?”

“You were childish and arrogant back then Sybilla. As Prince Serren and then King, people would have tried to kill you.”

“People tried to kill Theodora too. That just goes with the crown. But was death inevitable for me as King or could those plots had been thwarted? I think they could have, especially if you helped me. But you had no interest in my life did you.”

Arcadia thought for a second and then decided to be truthful. “Yes, I could have protected you. Death wasn’t inevitable if you were crowned King. But we were following the Goddess’s plan. Theodora had to get the crown for things to change. Now you are preventing those changes and reversing all of our progress. I know you love that.”

Then Sybilla asked, “You always used your abilities to help my sister. You can see into the future, so tell me my chances of being successful?”

Arcadia giggled. “I can’t even see that. I just don’t know Sybilla. You are going to the underworld to fight a being that even the most powerful gods fear. But I see you have a version of the potion that I gave to your sister to make her stronger. It won’t give you power over him. It will give you his power. But I just can’t see the outcome of this. But seeing how powerful you have become, you have a chance. A very small chance. After all, Zeus, Poseidon and Hades combined could barely contend with Cronus and you want to fight him by yourself with the power of Hera. You have a good chance of not coming back alive. But there’s a chance, a very small one that you can defeat him. I can’t see the outcome of this. I helped your sister against human opponents and those were easy to see. My abilities won’t work in the underworld.”

Then Sybilla pulled out Cronus’ massive scythe. It towered above little Sybilla such that it almost looked comical. But it was very serious and Arcadia saw that Sybilla could handle such a massive and powerful weapon. “The sword I was supposed to get was stolen from me. I was supposed to wield Justice, the sword of my father but my evil sister and you had it taken from me. This will have to do.”

She pulled the enormous scythe back preparing to strike Arcadia down. “We have talked enough and it is now time to die.”

Arcadia didn’t look afraid at all as she looked at the enormous weapon with wonder. Then she said, “Oh my. That can easily destroy little me. You could destroy an entire nation with that weapon. We are discussing the Titans now.”

And then Sybilla said, “There is something I want you to know. You are right about women being stronger. I do feel much stronger as a woman than as a man. I feel that my sister embracing her masculinity and living a male lifestyle is weakening her. I embraced my femininity and I feel it has strengthened me. I feel much stronger than Serren ever was. So I thank you for this gift. But you had to know that it made me much better for the crown than Theodora. But we know what you intended all along. But had it worked out, I would have claimed the crown after everything I went through. I may have killed you then. The only thing is, I would have liked to have had a choice and if I was given a choice, Serren would have refused. Serren was happy as a boy and that’s what he was meant to be. The pain and conflict were still there until Hera changed me. Her love took away the conflict and made me happy as a woman.”

“Bye Arcadia. I have made sure that Hades has a very painful afterlife planed for you. Something you really deserve.” Sybilla struck with all of her mighty swinging the enormous scythe down on Arcadia. The blade crushed Arcadia and then it impacted the ground driving a deep hole in it. The explosion of power was totally unexpected. The power of the scythe caused such an enormous blast that it wiped out the cottage and miles of forest behind the cottage. She found herself holding the scythe standing on charred and scorched ground for miles around her. The forest was destroyed.

Hera appeared beside Sybilla with an angry look in her eyes. She shot out harshly, “You really need to learn to control your rage Sybilla. Especially with that weapon. You could have destroyed the entire Kingdom with that weapon. It’s capable of shattering the entire world if you put enough rage in it. You should have just used Ares sword on her. That scythe was meant to fight against Cronus. It’s about the only weapon that stands a chance against him.”

“You are sending me on a quest that it’s very likely I won’t return alive, aren’t you Hera?”

Hera nodded, “Yes, your chances of survival are very small in this. But you do have a chance. I have given you the weapons and the strength you need. You can defeat Cronus. But yes, you do stand little chance against him. But it is the only way you stand a chance against the power of the Fay.”

“I could defeat them now with your power,” said Sybilla, and she shook her head no.

“No, you don’t. The power of the Fay is on a totally different level. They can nullify our power. Even Gods stand little chance against them. That’s why I sent you to the Titans and the underworld. Theirs is a power that can defeat the Fay. The Titans can overwhelm them. Once you get them, nothing can stand against you. That’s what you want isn’t it?”

“Yes, and thank you. My Goddess. I will do your will when I succeed.”

“Just learn to control your anger.”

Sybilla was even more horrified when she returned to her carriage to see the ground scorched and charred black. The only thing standing was the carriage there and Ellyn alive who was frightened beyond all reason. The blast should have destroyed that too. Some divine power was protecting the carriage, the horses and Ellyn. Sybilla didn’t want Ellyn to die. It wasn’t out of love. She wanted Ellyn to see all of their progress be destroyed, and to watch Sybilla gain the crown. Sybilla wanted Ellyn to see her succeed. All of their efforts would eventually be for nothing and the brutal patriarchy would be reestablished right in Ellyn’s face. Sybilla could already see the pain in Ellyn’s eyes as Sybilla stood up in Plantagenet City and erased all of the women’s achievements and depose all of the women who had gained any sort of power. It was such a brutal and cruel thing to do. She loved the betrayal and pain in Ellyn’s eyes at seeing all of their work be destroyed in an instant. The pain and betrayal were almost as bad as her own that day she found out the person behind her transformation and her losing the crown was her own mother. Ellyn did this to Serren. She was on Theodora’s side all along and this had been in the planning for months. That was such a cruel and brutal betrayal and anything built on that must be destroyed.

Ellyn was in for an even bigger shock when they met up with her fully equipped and highly trained armies. All three of the greatest noble houses were there with their vast armies waiting for Sybilla to meet up with them. They all yelled and cheered when they saw their lord and commander. She truly felt like the goddess of war now. She raised up her powerful sword in the air and yelled back. Real fear and horror gripped Ellyn to see this vast army meeting Sybilla and how much they loved and respected Sybilla. They all loved her. She designed their training, she helped them train and designed their new weapons they would fight with. She helped the miners find the materials to mine to forge the new weapons. They really didn’t understand why Sybilla would require thousands of tons of stinking sulphur, charcoal and saltpeter. Those minerals seemed useless but Sybilla pushed each of her houses into mining thousands of tons of them. Then Sybilla taught them how to mix it properly and what it could do. They were amazed.

Then Sybilla designed the new weapons for the minerals. Weapons with a long steel tube with a trigger. She called the weapon the arquebus. She ordered the new weapon to be mass-produced. She wanted tens of thousands of them. Then she designed the training that would be required for thousands of their soldiers in order to use it effectively in combat. The soldiers were drilled relentlessly with the new weapon until they could fire three to four times each minute. They were trained to fire by rank. While the front ranks were firing, the lines behind the front rank were loading their weapon and they would fire while the front ranks were reloading. They were trained to fire fast, and accurately. By now, they were highly trained troops. She also drilled the men at arms and swordsmen relentlessly until they were lethal and ready to face combat. She had a very highly trained army by now. They were about ready to face combat with the Fay. They were also trained in the formations and flanking maneuvers they would need to face the Fay.

Ellyn saw the highly-trained army of tens of thousands of soldiers standing there in formation. What shocked her was their sheer numbers and each one standing behind their commanders proudly wearing the crest of their house. The flags were waving in the wind and their knights and swordsmen were standing there proudly. Their arquebus troops were standing there with their new lethal weapons. They were all ready.

Sybilla stood in front of her new army and said, “I welcome you and I am counting on the loyalty of the great houses you belong to. My own Plantagenet house, the house of Valentinian and the house of Constantine. You are all my most trusted allies. I have restored your armies and equipped them. The power of the Kingdom now belongs to us. We will march into the capital and show our pretend king what a real army can do under proper training and competent leadership. But remember, we must be allied. The house of Valois, Lancaster and Fawna are our allies in this war. We must all remain allied with each other against the Fay or we will all fall. We need the King’s loyal allies in this war. We will show them what a real army can do. We must help raise their levels of training and competence so we can rely on them in this war. We can destroy them later once we wipe out the Fay.”

Ellyn was shocked to her core. This was all Sybilla’s effort. She had trained these troops and helped raise these armies after the disastrous defeat. That monumental effort was somewhat amazing. Then keeping them together, gaining their loyalty was something else. This was something Serren could not have done. That arrogant childish boy was long gone. This woman was highly determined and proved herself a very competent commander. It was just sad that she was very angry and determined to undermine the King and take over the entire kingdom. Then destroy all that had been achieved. This was clearly a woman out for revenge.

She marched at the head of her army as they all progressed to the capital for a meeting with the King. For once, their king would start to see how helpless she really was.

Ellyn also looked at her fully armored and equipped Sybilla. There was clearly something else about her that was very odd. She wore armor clearly designed for a woman warrior. She didn’t shy away from expressing her femininity at all. Theodora wore male-like armor that diminished her femininity and it gained her the respect and admiration of the men following her. Sybilla wore her thick leather armor and fully expressed her femininity for them all. She flaunted it like a seasoned female warrior and leader. As Ellyn rode beside Sybilla, Ellyn looked at Sybilla and said, “I really wish you would stop being so angry and spiteful. You really need to understand why we did what we did. You seem determined to destroy our progress and that’s so sad. You will only hurt so many women who got their first taste of freedom in over a thousand years. This was all the will of the Goddess.”

“Your Goddess Hekate was wrong and she is corrupt and wicked,” sneered Sybilla hatefully between her gritted teeth. “Your Goddess of women seeks to undermine men and destroy them the way she destroyed and murdered your son. The same way she led your beloved husband and my father to his death. In following this Goddess, you and your daughter have betrayed everything your family stood for. Wasn't it the first Valois king that first struck down the last king of the Matriarchy and hunted down the witches. He declared himself king under the God Ares. Then they started a full-scale war to establish their rule throughout the land. They destroyed all of the Goddess temples, conquered the country and struck down the worship of Hekate. Now his descendants are destroying all of that and betraying him, and the family. You destroyed their last son Serren. Serren just wants revenge and to honor his ancestors. Even if it’s as a girl.” Sybilla smiled cruelly.

“The Goddess was wrongly vilified and blamed for many things that were happening back then,” said Ellyn.

“Seems Hekate was very correctly vilified. She formed the witches. She established the rule of women over men. Men were totally disempowered over their lives and the Valois king couldn’t accept he had no power over his life. That was the will of Hekate.”

“And now you want to do the same thing to women,” Ellyn accused, “and you think it’s right.”

“Only for a time,” Sybilla sneered. “I want them all to experience the helplessness and frustration I felt.”

“Many women lived under that helplessness under your father’s rule and his ancestors. That includes his daughter Theodora and myself. We only wanted power over our lives. Your sister wanted power and control over her life, and to be able to marry who she wanted. Not forced into it. Many women all over the country felt that helplessness. They were joyous over their first taste of freedom. Now, you are taking it away. All out of spite and hatred.”

“Then I should have also been freed,” remarked Sybilla. “I should have been respected as a new woman under this new freedom you spoke about and the joy they felt. I felt no joy. I felt suffering and anger at the abuse I endured. Your daughter abused, mocked and belittled me. I was sidelined from the war when I may have fought by her side. Why do you think I was so angry and threatened her. She insulted me daily and threw in my face that I said women can’t fight wars. Of course, she proved what I said right. She was too weak and had to wear her bewitched armor that gave her strength. She eventually had to steal the skill and strength from one of the Kingdom’s greatest warriors and make him into a thin helpless teenage boy. Now she is strong. And she proved it when she made me helpless as a girl. Of course, there are women warriors that prove us all wrong and don’t have to use magic or resort to stealing men’s strength to fight. They do it well on their own training. But the witches aren’t interested in them. That’s why I hate them and firmly believe the witches must be hunted down. They are an evil I must defeat.”

Ellyn could see that trying to get Sybilla to understand was no use. She was firmly convinced she was right. She hated the Goddess they worshiped. There was nothing else to say as they all marched toward the capital. During their march, she also heard the soldiers singing songs. She heard some of the marching songs from the King’s soldiers during the restoration war. But they were nothing like these songs. These were clearly war-like songs to inspire hatred, and loyalty in their lord. They were thunderous songs of war and glory. Some of them were also about death and destroying the enemy.”

Sybilla said to Ellyn, “You really shouldn’t have done what you did to Serren. It was so wrong and hurt him so much. You should have loved him and allowed him to claim his destiny.”

“It was the will of the Goddess.”

“A corrupt Goddess whose evil will should have been ignored. What’s happening now is a direct result of that. The Goddess will fail now. Her will of a new golden age will not happen. The boy she abused and mistreated will get his revenge. Your son will reclaim his crown and rule as a man. Nothing will change.” Sybilla said with a hard look in her eyes.

“I thought you said you were happy as a girl,” Ellyn said confused. “My son?”

“I am happy as a girl and I feel so much stronger. I won’t change. But you will see what I mean. Serren will return and claim what is his.”

Ellyn was now very confused as she saw the great city of Valois in the distance. Then Sybilla said to the commanders, “Battle formations. Just like we trained. Let’s make a good impression on the King. I am sure that bitch is there waiting with her army.”

She watched as the army assembled into the battle formations. The arquebus troops formed the first ranks and moved into a giant wedge formation. The swordmen stood behind them and the bowsmen formed their formation behind them. The armored knights rode on the sides ready for an enclosure or flanking move. Then they marched toward the capital.

They began seeing the glorious King Theodora with her ragtag army that she was having trouble training for battle. It was clear they were a long way from being ready for combat. Few even held their swords correctly. But it looked as if their troops were worried about the large formation of troops approaching and they were preparing for an attack. Theodora was also frightened to see Sybilla ride to her city with her soldiers assembled into battle formations ready for combat.

Sybilla’s soldiers stooped and the Arquebus troops leveled their weapons ready to fire into Theodora’s troops if they attacked. The knights held their weapons ready.

Sybilla rode forward and said, “Theodora,” refusing to address her sister as King “we come in peace. You invited me to come and help you in your war against the Fay. I have no intention of attacking our allies in this war. Please restrain your troops and I will help them prepare for combat against our real enemy.”

It was still unsettling to see a vast formation of troops facing them with their weapons ready. But she trusted Sybilla and ordered her troops down. She had to shout the command multiple times to get them to lower their weapons. Then Sybilla ordered her troops to stand down. They did in one command and her arquebus troops lowered their guns. The swordsmen lowered their swords and slid them in their scabbard. They broke battle formations. Theodora had no clue how her sister had formed a massive professional army in such a short time. But it was Serren who received a lifetime of training on how to lead troops and fight. It was his destiny that she tried to take from him. It was clear her sister would not be denied. She knew now that if Sybilla really intended to destroy her and claim the crown, there would not be a damn thing she could do about it. Sybilla could order them to attack her troops, the attack would take place. Her army would be slaughtered and Sybilla could reign as King. There would be nothing she could do to stop them. She felt more helpless than ever.

Theodora ordered the troops to remain outside of the city walls. Sybilla agreed and said she wanted to inspect the King’s troops later in the day. For now, they went into the city with the commanders and generals, and the personal guards of each. Theodora made arrangements to meet with Sybilla in the King’s throne room.

Theodora went into the throne room and sat on her Throne as Sybilla stood before her with her guards and commanders behind her.

Theodora saw that Sybilla was holding herself as another monarch here meeting an equal. And she may as well be at this moment. Several of the most powerful houses had left her. They have joined forces with Sybilla and swore loyalty to the house of Plantagenet. The Plantagenet has named Sybilla as the head. At this moment, Sybilla held immense power and has a large, very powerful army behind her. Theodora looked into Sybilla’s eyes and was really shocked by what she saw. She saw nothing but simmering hatred in the eyes of Sybilla. There was still that hate that Sybilla held. She felt the hate radiate from her in palpable waves. She could feel the level of the hatred and saw it in Sybilla’s eyes as she glared at Theodora. This was not going to be easy at all. It was as if Sybilla had been totally consumed by her raging hatred.

“I am glad that you have agreed to come and help us in this war against the Fay. We welcome you, Princess Sybilla.” Theodora said.

“I have agreed to nothing,” Sybilla responded harshly. The steel tone that came from Sybilla's mouth was shocking.

“But you have come here at my invitation. I assumed you agreed to help us,” Theodora said confused.

“I may and may not. I require a few concessions from you, and I will agree,” Sybilla said with a cruel smirk. “First, I demand an apology for what you did to me, admit you were wrong!”

“As King, I can never apologize. I was not wrong,” Theodora said. “I won't apologize.”

“Then this is your war. My allies won't help you.” Sybilla turned and began to walk out. The guards blocked the door as Sybilla approached and said harshly, “You may not leave. Your King requires your presence.”

“Move,” Sybilla commanded and when they refuse to move and held their weapons out. Sybilla's features glowed with power. She made a small gesture with her hands. The two guards blocking her way out suddenly lifted up off their feet and flew into the wall. They collapse in pain. One of them looked as if he had a broken neck. He was no longer breathing.

Sybilla opened the door to walk out when Theodora cried out, “Please, Sybilla. We need to be allied in this war. I need your help.”

Sybilla turned to her sister and said, “Then you know what you must do. This is not a negotiation. These are my demands. Or I walk out.”

“We will fall without you, And so will you?”

“Yes, they will fall,” Sybilla said harshly.

“Fine,” Theodora said. “I will apologize to you. Is that what you want?”

“Yes,“ Sybilla said. “But I need you to beg me. Get off of my throne. Get on your knees and apologize to me in front of your people here, your administrators, your generals, and commanders. Apologize to me for what you did. Admit you were wrong and beg for my help.”

Theodora thought she should have known what Sybilla would demand, and there was no choice there. She stood up and walked forward toward Sybilla and got on her knees. This was going to be very unkingly, and humiliating. Sybilla stood there with a triumphant smirk. She said, “I am sorry for what I did to you, my sister Sybilla. I know I was cruel and harsh to you. It was wrong of me. I was deceived, and you knew better than to trust Arcadia. Please accept my apology on behalf of our kingdom.”

“I accept your apology. We will fight united, under my command. You will place me in command of our combined forces. My houses will be in the lead. Even you will follow my command.”

“I agreed to place you in charge of the army. But your house will be in the lead. Okay, I accept that condition too.” Theodora accepted it.

“And when we win,” Sybilla said with a smile. “You will step down and name me as the King of the Shattered Isles. I will rule as I was meant to.”

“I have seen how you rule,” Theodora looked at Sybilla. “I heard you took command of your house. You forced their lord to step down and name you the head of the Plantagenet. The rebellious Valentinian family swore loyalty to you. So did the Constantinians. You have a large number of houses loyal to you too. Just as you wanted, they left me. And I heard what you did with it. You undermined all of my progress toward equality. You restored the church's power. You restored the cursed witch hunters, and witches fled. Many were caught before they escaped to the capital. They were burnt alive at the stake. You have removed all of the female administrators from their positions. You have done everything our father did. You are a very cruel ruler, Sybilla. How can I place you as King.”

“Because I am the only one who can achieve victory here,” Sybilla said. “You have proved your incompetence. You did well against one weak house with a vast advantage against them and using your witchcraft against them. But you can’t fight me here. We have the advantage. I am very competent. You will lose if you try to fight us. If you refuse me, I may simply assume command.”

“Fine,” Theodora said, defeated. “I will accept your conditions. I will name you King if you can save us.”

“There's one more condition I require. Bring forth your personal guards. I want them all.”

Theodora suddenly got a sick feeling in the pit of her stomach. She said, “They were only following their religion and mother's orders. There was little they could do to help you. Please, Sybilla, don’t do this.”

The harsh and cruel look in Sybilla’s eyes told her there would be no mercy and no compromise on this. “I hold them guilty for what happened to me. They share a lot of responsibility for my suffering. They were following your orders; they followed the professor's orders to remove me from the coronation after I was betrayed. They betrayed their sovereign king; they turned their backs on the previous king and planned on betraying him all along. I know why. They were secret followers of the Goddess Hekate. Mom made sure all of the King's personal guards were followers of the Goddess. They planned on betraying father from the very beginning. They betrayed me that day and didn't lift one finger to help me. No one stood up for me after that day. They are guilty, and the entire kingdom is guilty.”

The guards assembled there suddenly lost all color in their faces. They knew what was coming and knew they couldn’t do a thing to stop it. They were probably going to die very soon.

This was worse than Theodora thought it was. Sybilla not only held her guilty for it, Sybilla didn’t even consider only the followers of Hekate guilty. She held her guards, and the entire kingdom guilty. When she got the crown, Theodora knew that her little sister's wrath would spread across the entire kingdom. That's why she started this war with the Fay. Sybilla enjoyed the Fay burning her towns down. Putting the church back in power only helped make the citizens suffer. It was more than just to spite her. She knew that many of the people hated the war priests of the Church. Sybilla was really completely consumed with rage.”

Her guards assembled in front of Sybilla, and Theodora watched in horror as Sybilla drew the powerful sword of Ares and began beheading each of the guards one by one. She stopped at the tenth guard and spared the last two. Then Sybilla said, “It's too bad your captain died during the palace siege during your assassination attempt by Pyett and Valentinian’s son Godwin. I would like to have personally killed that traitor. But it's just as good he died. They are all going to suffer in the lake of pain, in the underworld of Hades. You better make sure your next batch of guards are followers of the war God, or they won't survive my rule. You wouldn't want to knowingly condemn more people to die, would you? And you better fire these last two.”

Theodora spate out in pure hatred, “I don't know how you can consider me so cruel and evil when you do the things you do just to cause suffering. You knowingly withheld vital knowledge of the treaty with the Fay’s Kingdom. Knowing that it would result in a war. You formed an alliance against me, and put the cruel church back in charge of those areas. You stripped the women of all of the rights they just gained from me. How can you consider me worse than what you just did.”

Sybilla smiled, “After what I suffered by your hand, I consider anything that opposes you to be justified. Your witches the cruelest of all. And have you forgotten the atrocities you committed on Valentinian’s Isle during the restoration war. Your troops rode into the Valentinian's army after they surrendered and were cowering and begging for mercy. You ordered your army to go in and behead them all as they were cowering in their church. That was a war crime, Theodora, and you talk about cruel. Why do you think it was so easy to get Reginald of Valentinian house to ally with me so quickly. They are angry and want revenge. I hardly had to use the Ring to get his obedience. He is so willing to follow me and is counting on my protection. He was very impressed at the speed I was able to raise a new army for him and train them to be competent warriors so quickly. He just doesn’t know that army is mine and not his.”

“They were traitors and fought a war of rebellion against the Kingdom. I gave them chances to turn away, but they refused. There weren't many left by that time anyway. It had to be done, but I know it was harsh. It pained me to do it. But its the job of the King. The father you loved would have done worse. But the war you started has cost far more lives than that. And the war you plan on fighting with me if I don’t hold my end of this agreement will cost many more lives. I have a feeling you will kill many more people when you wear the crown. I see the rage burning in your eyes. Sister, you are really much more cruel than I am. I did what I had to do to you to retain the crown. I know some of the things I did and said didn't have to be done. But making you live as a young woman had to be done.”

“You didn’t have to be so cruel to me when you did it,” Sybilla said triumphantly. “And changing me into a girl caused me to be assaulted, abused, and raped by Pyett. And then you cast the spell to make me pregnant. I really suffered at first until I grew to love it. And because of it, I have two precious children that I love dearly. But still, you intended it to be a crushing experience that would destroy me. When it didn’t end up that way, you were enraged and did one of the worst things you could have done. You tried to take my children away. I must depose you. Now, let's inspect the troops you trained.”

They began to walk down the hall of the Kings and headed toward the main door. Theodora said as they walked out, “Just so you know. You just took your daughter's future away from her. Because of what you just did, she will have no future except to be a wife of some man you arrange for her. She may want more but be unable to get it now. I think you should know that.”

Sybilla suddenly stopped at the door with a deepened, troubled frown on her face. “I never considered that. You are right.” Sybilla said in a strained troubled tone. Then she went deep in thought, just standing there with a frown on her face. Her daughter Blaze was six months old, and she could already tell that the girl had a fierce spirit of independence. She was already standing and preparing to walk. She was trying to walk. She refused to crawl like a baby, and Sybilla knew she would be walking by the time she was seven months old. She had a fierce unconquerable spirit that blazed brightly. That’s why Sybilla named her Blaze. She was so proud of her when she was born. She praised her daughter and counted on that spirit, changing the world. Now in a thoughtless act of vengeance, Sybilla had stolen her daughter’s entire future. Sybilla knew she had Theodora's fierce spirit and would want much of the same things. Only, Sybilla counted on having her guidance in life that Blaze would not adopt the cruel parts of Theodora's personality. She would shelter and love her brother Garrick. But now, she would likely resent her little brother just the same as Theodora did. And there was even worse coming very soon. And it was coming directly for Theodora, and Sybilla was looking forward to it until now.

Theodora bitterly laughed at her little sister's reaction to that bit of news. “You didn't think about that did ya, when you destroyed all of the progress I had made at such a great enormous effort and risk to myself. You weren't thinking about your daughter's life, were you? You were thoughtless and cruel. You were much worse than me, and it never occurred to you that I was doing what I was doing, not for my own glory, but for the good of the people. I made the sexes equal. I freed the women of the Kingdom. I made women's lives much better. They finally had power over their own life, including yourself and your daughter. In one single act of vengeance, you destroyed it all. That's why I did what I did and seized the crown. I did it all for the people, not myself. And I thought the plan would bring me happiness. It only made me conflicted, miserable, and hated. None of it is easy, and I almost feel like I am living a double life, as a woman, and a king living a male lifestyle. You have no idea how unhappy I am with all of this pressure on me. And so many people hate me so much, including you and many of the nobles who are finding much of the privilege they used to have is going away. I got a glimpse of what your life would have been like, and it is shocking. The glory would have gone to you. You would have been made some sort of powerful prophet enforcing the will of the Goddess and helping the people. You would have been beloved as the virgin mother of the Kingdom and a direct enforcer of her will. Even I would have had to listen to you. But you never got past your bitterness toward the Goddess and me. And now you are succeeding in destroying it all. You and your daughter will suffer because of it. I hope you are proud of yourself, little sister. You are restoring the rule of men. Thanks a lot. You deserve the credit. Now let's go examine the army.”

They walked out toward the Valois and the Lancaster’s family army training in the field. She even saw Brom Lancaster, one of the few lords that survived the disaster. He was training his army. Sybilla examined the swordsmen training and sparring in the field. Their slashes and thrusts, defense moves, dodging, and blocking. Sybilla was highly disappointed and could not believe this was several months of training. It looked like the first week to her. She looked at Theodora and said, “We may be months away from starting our offensive, and this is what you have to offer, Please Theodora tell me these are new recruits.”

Theodora glared at Sybilla and said, “This is why I need you. I didn’t receive the training to command and train an army. I needed training at first, but I really have no idea how to train an army. And we have very few lords left that are competent, and there’s only so much Brom can do.”

“This is pathetic,” snapped Sybilla.

Then she watched the pikemen and felt the same disappointment. She watched the archers miss almost every shot, and they had no idea how to coordinate their fire to fire volleys. She watched the horsemen and the knights train, and she gave up. She cast her eyes up and shouted toward Theodora, “How the fuck can I lead these people against the Fay. Theodora, you are a disappointment. Luckily, we have our lords who know how to train an army.”

“What about you,” asked Theodora.

“I have my own problems to solve. But I trained these lords and generals. They can train your army while I am gone. They will be in shape within weeks and be ready for war within months.”

Sybilla stopped the army’s training and made them assemble in front of her and her generals. Then Sybilla said bitterly, “This is pathetic. This is not what I expect with two months of training. If I took you into battle against the Fay right now, you would all fall. Your army would be destroyed. None of you would survive. Watch and learn. This is what I expected.”

Sybilla called two of her newest recruits that came about three weeks ago. Two young swordmen stood facing each other and went at it. They slashed, dodged, thrust, blocked, and battered each other’s armor. The power of their strikes, their accuracy, and ferocity were most impressive. Sybilla said. “This is what I expected from you. Keep watching.”

About twenty archers stood in rolls and fired at the targets downfield. Their fire was consistent and accurate. They were very deadly. There weren't many archers left in Sybilla's army. They were replaced by the Arquebus troops. Then they watched the knights go at it, and they were very impressive.

Sybilla then unleashed her Arquebus troops. They loaded aimed and fired as a group. Their rank style firing was very impressive. The blasts and smoke from their weapons were terrifying. They were able to keep up firing at least every ten seconds from volley to volley. It was clear they would decimate any army within a very short time.

Then a small army combined and demonstrated combat tactics and maneuvers. It highly impressed Theodora's army.

Sybilla then said, “This is what I expected. Sadly, your king is unable to properly train an army. She had no place trying to be a king. As of now, I am taking command of your army and training will be by my generals and commanders. They will train your swordsmen, archers, and knights. You will also be trained with our new weapons which we call the arquebus. And we will train you to fight the Fay. The thing about them is that they are very vast and strong. Never go at them from the front. They will destroy you. That was Theodora’s mistake. You must flank them. They are weak on the sides and the back. You must strike their wings. That is where they are very vulnerable. Their wings and back. Never the front. You will be trained in flanking maneuvers.”

Sybilla’s generals took command of the army's training and began setting them up in groups to train. Sybilla was confident that when she returned, she would have a reasonably competent army to lead against the Fay.

Then she faced Theodora and asked her, “How would you like to go on a quest with me, Sister?” Sybilla smiled warmly.

“Excuse me, I have work to do here. And anyway, forgive me for not trusting you here.”

“This is not a trick,” Sybilla said, “and with my generals here, they will do what needs to be done, and we can be gone for a time. I think I need your strength for this quest. I need you, Theodora. It will involve a lot of danger and fighting. The things you love. It will be a lot like that mission you went on in that mountain temple last year when you freed the dragon and took the primary temple of the war god. I think you will have a lot of fun if you go with me.”

Theodora was still suspicious. And she really wondered why with all of Sybilla's strength, why she would need her now.

Sybilla answered Theodora’s thoughts. “I am really not that strong. I was given much of Hera's power. But still, my body is still very physically weak. Thanks to you. I still have the physical strength of a young woman. You have the strength of a powerful man, and your armor gives you even more. I will be facing great danger where I am going, but the rewards will be immense. And then I will be able to face an army of the Fay from the front. Will you help me?”

Theodora still didn’t entirely trust her little sister, but this really sounded fun. So she smiled and said, “Okay, I will go with you. But where are you going to?”

“I am going into the Underworld, and to the prison of Tartarus. There’s something there I need to get, and they have monsters that will attack me.”

Now Theodora was almost sorry she agreed. Her face twisted and said, “You’re kidding me?” She shouted.

“You aren’t afraid of a few monsters, are you,” Sybilla said mockingly. “You fought and killed monsters.”

“Yes, up here, not in the underworld. Yes, I am afraid of those. But it does still sound fun so I will go. I wonder what the hell you got yourself involved in.”

“I made a deal with Hera,” Sybilla said.

Theodora laughed, “You moron. You should have known better. I see why you need my help. I should let you go and die. After what you did, but you are my little sister, so let's go. I just hope we all don’t die. Anyway, what are you supposed to do?”

“Kill Cronus.”

“Whaaat?” Theodora almost screamed. “You are insane.” She laughed, “I see why you need my help. But still, I don’t know what you expect me to do against the King of the Titans.”

The two made some last minute arrangements and orders for their armies and commanders.

Then Theodora watched Sybilla approach Brom Lancaster, and she got another really sick feeling in her stomach as she watched Sybilla approach him with a very harsh and determined look in her eyes. This wasn't going to be good at all.

Brom braced himself for a very unpleasant meeting with Sybilla as he watched her walk toward him with a cruel look in her eyes. It seemed unavoidable. She was clearly very angry at him, and he really couldn't blame her after all she suffered. She approached him and stood there, glaring at her. Theodora watched and was ready to step in if she needed to. She just wondered what good she could do if he really did need her to protect him.

Sybilla said to her, “Brom, I am giving you a choice now. You need to choose one or the other.”

“Okay,” Brom said, looking at her. “What choice do I have to make.”

“Choose one. Once I regain the crown after my quest. I am fully ready to give my army orders to go to Lancaster Isle and hunt down each and every member of your house. Round them all up and kill them, and burn your houses and fields. That's one of the options.”

“How could you do something like that,” Brom gasp in desperation picturing his entire family dead.

“Easy, just like you watched me suffer and never lifted a finger to help me. And you saw what Theodora did to me. But you sided with her against me. Watched me suffer in total agony as my life, my future, and everything was taken away from me. So I am fully prepared to issue those orders as soon as I regain the crown. Your house will be dissolved. I will kill your sons and daughters, and your grandchildren right in front of you. And then you will join them in the grave. That is if you refuse my other offer.”

Theodora approached and said, “None of this was his fault. Why are you holding his family responsible, you can’t do that Sybilla. You will need his support.”

“I will have all of the support I need. I won't need some spineless traitors help. He served my father and then turned his back on everything and lost his honor and respect. He watched me suffer helplessly, and I was abused and mistreated. I lost everything. So I will take everything from him. Your other option is to renounce all of your titles. Your royal house will be dissolved by your command. A new house will take your place. Then I won't exterminate every member of your family.”

“Sybilla,” Theodora said.

“Don’t even speak to me, Sister. It was you who caved to his request to release Pyett Lancaster from the dungeon, knowing what he was going to do to me. He raped me then, and you knew he never gave up his grudge and lust against me after I was transformed. You didn’t have the courage to refuse his evil request. Then you told him you would hold him responsible if Pyett attacked me. You didn’t have the courage to follow that. You let it all go after his family attacked me. You were more concerned with his family’s loyalty than your sister's safety.”

“I was bound by honor to return the boon I gave him for his loyalty. I really had no choice.” Pleaded Theodora knowing Sybilla would refuse to listen. “But, you will understand the pressure once you take the crown from me.”

“I would have refused that offer and then asked him how he could possibly consider releasing a would-be rapist and if he is at all concerned with my family. Then I may have taken action against his family for even daring to request such a despicable thing. But his family is clearly full of despicable traitors and rapists. But accepting your gift in return for betraying and destroying my life is alone worth destroying his entire family. The rape I suffered at his grandson's hands just resolved it for good.”

“I will accept your offer and abdicate and renounce my titles.” Said Brom totally defeated.

“That isn't enough. Your entire family, you the Duke, and your counts, your barons, every member of your family must renounce their titles forever.”

“There's more,” said Sybilla. “A male member of your family must also submit to me to be turned female. I will turn a male member of your choosing female. He will become a girl and live the rest of his as a girl. That is my offer, or I will choose the first one.”

Brom looked down, totally defeated and almost cried. Theodora gasp, “My Goddess, you are so cruel Sybilla. How in the name of the Goddess can you do something like that.”

“Just like you did Sister, you did it to Serren,” Sybilla said. “How can you disagree with it now.”

“I did it to free the people and make a better world than you would have. You are doing it to hurt them. It’s totally different from what I did,” Theodora said to Sybilla.

Brom yelled, “How do you expect me to make such a choice!”

“Just like you chose to watch me suffer and not lift a finger to oppose my cruel sister. You just watched me suffer in agony. Anyway, after what she did, I figured you liked such things and would look forward to more males being transformed just like Serren was. So what will be your choice?”

“There really is no choice, I will abdicate my titles, and submit a boy to being transformed by you. You will have your vengeance against my family. And you won't have us all killed.”

“Good,” Sybilla said, smiling. “And I will expect the boy you choose when I return. If not, I will seize the crown and then issue my first order.”

Theodora said, “I see your wrath starting and I can't believe I will give you the crown.”

“You better, sister. Or I will have to fight the flies buzzing over your rotting body to pry the crown from your severed head.” Sybilla snarled cruelly.

There was no compassion or kindness in Sybilla at all. It was so clear she was so consumed by rage. She really feared Sybilla's rule, but there was no avoiding it now.

And then the two sovereigns sat down for a show being performed by Sybilla's army. The men built a stage and stood there to perform some shows for Theodora's army. They performed some feats of combat, put on a sparring show, and did some large maneuvers. The Arquebus troops even performed and fired their weapons in the air.

Then her army assembled and Sybilla stood up and went on stage with her army to perform several songs for the guests. But unlike the previous ones she sang for Theodora's army during those days. This was a vastly different song. The trumpets started thumping a warlike beat and then her army began singing.

They sung in an angry determined tone.
“Arise our vast country.
For our battle to the death.
Against the dark evil forces and their cursed hordes.

Let our wrath boil like a wave.
Our national war is going.
This is our sacred war.”

They repeated that line in an angry tone with the trumpets thumping a continuous angry beat.

Then they kept singing.
“Done their black wings dare fly over our land.
Don’t their enemy dare tread over our vast fields.

Let our wrath boil like a wave.
Our national war is going.
Our Sacred War.”

Theodora was very frightened at these displays and that song they sang. It was clear that it was an angry war song meant to inspire loyalty in the troops, and arouse their anger.

And then their army began marching and singing a frightening marching song about treading on enemy land, laughing at Hades as they send the enemy to the underworld. They called it Hades’ song.

Sybilla had won the hearts and minds of her lords and the army. It was clear the army wasn’t loyal to their family anymore, or the lords of their land. They belonged to Sybilla and that would probably be the same for Theodora’s army very soon. This was very frightening and unsettling. It was clear that Sybilla wasn’t going to stop by pushing the Fay out of their country. This may become a war of extermination and conquest.