"Listen, fellow goblins! This---human---" King Wredlar said mockingly---"dares defy us! And what do we do to those who defy us?"

The goblins started chanting. "Execute them! Execute them! Execute them!" they yelled.

I stared at them in horror. No way.

King Wredlar threw back his head and laughed. "You want to kill them?"

The goblins cried 'yes' in unison.

Their king grinned. "Oh, yes, that would be delightful. But seeing as the Queen is royalty, after all, I will give you something even more juicier."

He pointed his staff at us. "I challenge you to a duel. My champion, Hyu, will fight one of you on the autumn equinox, seven days from now. If your champion wins, which is highly unlikely, the goblins will become your allies. However, if you do not win...not only will your champion die, the goblins and humans will become sworn enemies forever. Next time we see any, we will kill them on sight."

I pondered over the challenge awhile. We had no options left, and at least if we accepted, we would keep our honour. Back out, the goblins would never help any humans again. If---and that's a very big if---we actually win, we would have the goblins' help.

I decided. "We accept your challenge."

A swamp-green goblin next to King Wredlar laughed. "Ha! Nobody beats Hyu. Good luck, humans. You will need it."

The goblins tied us up with woven-gold ropes, then tossed us into their dungeons. Dark, small, musty and stinky, it was the worst place I've ever been in.

It was then I realised how useless it was.

I curled myself up into a ball.

Everything was ruined. The goblins hated us, we were going to be killed in seven days' time, and I couldn't even stab that traitor King Terran once.

What I did next wasn't queenly. Wasn't queenly at all. But I couldn't control it.

Tears welled up from behind my eyes, and I began to cry.

How could everything go downhill so quickly? Why did the gods let me suffer through so much?

I knew the answer deep in my heart.

Because life in unfair, as demonstrated in Ryan and Tara's stories.

Still, I hope. It's the only thing I've got left.

---------------------------

I stare at the window. Two days should've passed, according to my warped sense of time in spending perhaps my last days in a cell.

"Zarzuela, god of fate and destiny, is this the way I die?" I whispered. "Ridiculed, robbed of my throne, presumed dead, abandoned by most of my people? People say you are cruel. I am starting to believe it is true."

In the cell next to mine, Ryan laughed. "Praying won't help you or me."

I glared at him, then looked away. His words were true. The Deities don't interfere in fateful events.

"Rhia?"

I looked back at Ryan. "Why don't you call me Queen Rhianna?"

"Too tired."

I understood. The goblins have only been giving us little bits of food every meal, and my energy is draining by the minute, even with energy conservation training with the Ba'ffkalomana monks. And Ryan certainly did not have energy conservation training. His originally shiny, smooth blond hair had become wild and untamed, and his green eyes have lost their sparkle.

"I've volunteered," Ryan said bluntly.

He volunteered?

"Are you out of your mind?" I yelled. "This... this... Hyu will kill you!"

Ryan shook his head. "I'm highly trained."

"That won't help when your opponents is a fearsome general!"

Yes, Hyu was the general of the goblins. I'd heard two guards talking about him outside my cell.

I broke down. "I'm sorry," I whispered. "It's just that so many people I know have already been taken away by the god of death, Iona."

He mustered up a grin. "You mean just death. And plus, I'm just a mercenary. You wouldn't miss me."

"No, everyone should be remembered. Ryan, I'm burdened with so much deaths already. I won't survive losing anyone else."

"Listen, Rhia. Everyone dies someday. I still have a chance to win this fight."

All it took was a glance at his face to know he wouldn't be giving up.

I sighed. "Fine."

Then I stared at him, making fire burn in my eyes.

"But I'm going to teach you the ways of the monks of Ba'ffkalomana first."

-----------------------------

Five days of training will not be enough.

The thought rolls around in my head as Ryan picks up an iron whip provided by the king.

He has had barely five days of training in inner energy channeling. I've had two years, and yet I still can't defeat ten junior monks. Goblins are fierce treasure guardians and even fiercer fighters, and I'm betting that the general will be formidable, at least.

Still, a confident voice in my mind says, 'No, it's enough. He's going to make it.'

I'm not assured. Mother always told me to be strong, proud, confident, but the moment I try pushing my doubts away, they come back. Stronger than ever. The mere thought that yet another citizen would die all because of me makes me hunch over in guilt. Ryan doesn't deserve to die.

Would your mother lose her composure like this? I scolded myself. No! Now chin high, smile, and straighten up. Look confident. That's what queens do.

So I held my head high, trying to look confident, when the general of the goblins came in.

It was then I lost all of my already dwindling confidence.

Hyu was ten feet tall, towering above all the other goblins. He swung an eleven-foot iron scythe with unnatural strength, his entire body covered with iron armour. I guess goblins are one of the only magical creatures who aren't hurt by iron.

The goblin general sneered at Ryan, so small compared to him. "Is this the human I am supposed to fight? Pathetic. I expected a real fight."

Ryan didn't reply, and gripped his whip tighter. About nine throwing knives and a dagger hung at his leather belt, also provided by the goblins.

King Wredlar grinned. "Fight!" he commanded.

Ryan and Hyu circled each other, eyeing their opponent carefully.

Suddenly, Ryan lashed out. His whip curled around the long handle of Hyu's scythe, and he tried to yank on it.

Hyu simply tightened his grip and whirled around his scythe, sending Ryan flying. Ryan flew across the room and landed on the ground with a sickening crack.

I winced. That must've been his rib.

Ryan slowly stood up and lashed out his whip at Hyu again. This time, it curled around Hyu's leg, and Ryan pulled, yanking him to the floor.

Hyu got up and ran at Ryan, swinging his scythe. Ryan couldn't dodge quickly enough, and the scythe slashed two wounds on his legs.

Ryan stumbled back. Hyu was advancing, menacingly swinging the scythe. Ryan took out two throwing knives and shot them at Hyu's eyes.

They flew straight and true.

Hyu howled in pain as they struck. He was blinded, and roared in fury at the loss of his sight. "You are dying a very slow death indeed!" he yelled.

Ryan flipped off the wall and quietly ran behind him using the trick I'd taught him. He took out his dagger and slashed the area behind his ankles, and without his tendons, Hyu collapsed.

Complete silence.

King Wredlar looked like he couldn't believe it. "You... you..."

"Severely injured your champion? Yes, I did," Ryan said without so much as a pause.

I smiled broadly and walked towards the king. "Time to pay up. And please, could you give my champion medical attention?"