The entire night, I spent it caressing the ring bow as though it would give me answers to my miserable confusing life. I wondered who the orens chose to represent them in the battle for the throne tomorrow. I understood though why they were angry and bitter since most of them had led Azure during the time of my mother's reign. From the visions I had and revelations of the ancestors, the little knowledge that I gathered was that Kira, Kore and Dali were there when the Azurites battled against the beasts of the west. The rest of the orens replaced those who died in the war.  They were over a thousand years old and I was just a twenty year old confused girl who was thrust with the responsibility of being a warrior princess. What irked me the most was the fact that, the ancestors only revealed to me what they dimmed fit. When I was in greater need of their assistance, they went silent on me.

The night was still young so I decided to find answers on my existence, wherever I could. I thought back to how gala had reacted when I asked her about the weakness of the beasts of the west and I found it strange. Why would she be mad if it was something that could help the Azurites have an upper hand against the beasts? Then again, we were talking about a flower that could teleport and speak, so I didn't know what to think.

I had to summon Gladier. He was the reason I agreed to come here. The first time he mentioned my mother to me, I felt the instant connection. Nonetheless, something felt off about everything. Why would I have to be the one to lead a city when there were many more people capable of it than I was?

The questions I had, had no answers. At least, I didn't have answers for them. I rose from my bed and paced back and forth in the room. I was in a limbo. A few days ago, I had been a perfectly normal girl. Now? Now I don't know what to do! The fact that I had the urge to keep fighting for the throne even confused me the most. Why couldn't I give up the throne and go back to my normal life? Why couldn't I let Kira and the others have their way?

This blood in me better be able to do more or I am so done.

I finally came to an agreement that asking myself those questions was not going to get me anywhere. I had to summon a higher power to explain this to me.

I closed my eyes and concentrated to form the blue flame above my palm but I felt nothing. Then I thought about the shame and anger that Kira put me through ever since I arrived on Azure. Slowly, I felt a fire burning throughout my body. I thought about the hypocrisy of the ancestors, to use me only for their bidding and the sensation increased. I thought about how Gladier abandoned me here to fend for myself when he was the one who convinced me to come here. I felt my whole body being consumed by a fire and I directed the flow to my hand and the flame appeared. My eyes had already turned deep blue, an occurrence that came in handy when my powers were involved.

I twirled my hand in a circle, the same way I had done before and a ring of fire appeared above my bed. This time, there was no seer to brighten the fire so I had to think of something very quick. I flashed back on the pain I witnessed my mother go through when I first sat on the throne. The tears she shed when she witnessed her love be beheaded before her eyes. The anger she felt in that moment overwhelmed me completely and the flame burned brighter before Gladier appeared in his godly glory.

He was in his usual blue robe and in his hand, the staff with a blue flower. It's scent could be smelt even from the distance I was standing from. It reminded me of the flowerbed beside the stream where I had spent my day yesterday. He possessed a strong electric aura that could hypnotize anyone who stood within a close range. The hair on my hands rose and I visibly shivered.

I couldn't wait any longer. I had to get my answers, otherwise I would lose my mind. I asked everything I needed to know and he had an answer to everything I had to say. He explained to me that, the beasts of the west had only one weakness. Affection. Whenever they were showered with affection,they lost all sense of thought and could be easily manipulated. In addition to that, the scent of the beautiful blue flower which I learnt was called Chidora, could weaken the strength of the beasts, but only temporarily. That was the reason why my mother befriended the general of the beasts of the west. She had only intended to weaken him so that she could manipulate him, to win the war but the two fell in love. Mtengo, the general of the beasts of the west had also been sent by his ruler to get rid of my mom but couldn't because he loved her.

The love that Mtengo, and my mother shared touched Gladier so much that he decided to bless them with a child. Carrying a child for my mom was impossible so he gave up half of his power to her to make her fertile and so she carried the seed of the beast. The power was passed down to me when she died and I was conceived. My mother died during childbirth since it was impossible to withstand that amount of power. That is why I could do the things that I could do. Shoot flaming fires and so on. The rest of my power was inherited from mother and my father. My incredible strength from my father and my control over nature from my mother.

When I asked about the thing with my ancestors and my blood, he said that his powers that were within me made me part of the citizens of the highest city of the enthroned. An ancient city that was part of Azure before but because of the disagreement between the founders, it was split into two. The confusion was still very visible on my face and I failed to wrap my head around the information that I had gathered. There was more to the highest city of the enthroned than he was letting on. The part of my powers I understood but I felt there was more to the blood thing. I intended to know what it was at all cost.

I left out of the situation more confused than I had come in. Gladier's words kept ringing in my mind and I felt dizzy with fatigue.

I didn't want to hear anything more. My head would just burst. I dismissed him and asked him to let me think things through.

What I was grateful for, was the fact that I wasn't totally in the dark now. At least I knew some things about my existence. How I was magically implanted in the womb of an earthly mother immediately my birth mother died because her enemies were seeking to destroy me.

I had managed to make enemies only ever since I arrived. Those who were friendly towards me did it only for their fear of me, or they were in a way spiting me. I hadn't managed to salvage even a single honest soul on my side. Whatever the prophecy meant, I hoped it worked in my favor.

The dawn broke way sooner to my liking and I dreaded the path my life was about to turn to. The battle was in the late afternoon but I was already in a scrambled mess. I nibbled at the breakfast Caroline brought me and I constantly touched the ring bow for courage.

After taking the breakfast, I prepared myself. I took a long soaking bath concocted with the same scent that was on my bed sheets. The scent gave me a calming effect, one that managed to revive my happy spirits. I dressed in long tight pants and a loose blouse then braided my hair into two braids. I could pass for a commoner in that outfit. I felt at peace.

Caroline came to check up on me and wished me luck for later in the day. I thanked her and made my way out to the gardens to fe the serene silence. Around the chamber of orens black roses were lined up beautifully and they brought out the color of the building in excruciating beauty. To the right of the Chamber of orens, stood the main assembly hall where all activities were carried out. When the princess wanted to address the Azurites, it was done there. And so were many other activities. The Azure Palace was the magnificent of them all. It was a large modern building with traditional architecture. It was tiled by marble and hardwood floor, the combination bringing out the blue colour of the interior decor. By the outside, it resembled an African traditional hut, the rounded one. A very large beautiful one. By the inside, its incorporation of modern technology could blow someone's mind. The walls of the building looked like they were made out of sapphire and another gem I couldn't quite remember. The palace was partitioned into several pieces. The Royal wing, where the princess and her royal maidservants resided. Then the Oren wing, where all the other orens were provided with extravagant rooms and high quality services. Lastly was the Elders Circle where all the respected elders of the land resided. The soldiers  who had duty were given a partition of their own and those who didn't, had their own residence just outside the royal premises.

The commoner's houses were a few miles from the royal premises and they looked like normal apartment complexes except they were all one storey buildings. Together, the compilation of the entire city was a beauty to behold. All of the buildings were painted blue.

As I walked through the garden, I watched and marvelled at the beautiful trees that grew there. Their scents were fluorescent and intoxicating. The garden had the most  strange of plants and trees. Most of which I had never seen before.

Azurites had already awoken and were going about their normal businesses. They didn't need taps because various streams flowed throughout the city providing more than enough water to last a lifetime. The people looked peaceful, like there was no impending danger ahead. Little children were playing excitedly among themselves. Parents were preparing morning meals and others feeding their children.

I joined a group of children who were playing a game that went by the name ukuti, a famous children game that involved running around circle while singing songs. The children were really excited to have me there and they bombarded me with questions but one particular child attracted me the most.

"Hello milady, I have a question." The child, Javier shouted as he dragged me to run around with them.

"Yes of course, what troubles you?"

"My mom says you are scourge of this race and a scum of this city. She says you will be our doom one day. I don't know what any of that means but I think you are a motivation to us children and all the people. Karina says you treasure all people alike, commoners and royals. And I think that is reality cute of you milady. Look at how you are dressed now, who would think you are the warrior princess? You want to know something else? Lady Kira is so mean. She usually shouts at our parents when they don't bow as she passes."

I didn't know what to think of what Javier had said. Why would royals be brutal to innocent citizens? I failed to understand. All I knew in that moment was that I had to change things in the city. For the better of everyone.