Chapter 105
Maximus POV.
As we walked back to our camp in silence, all dismayed by this death, felicity was the most affected, and I had to be there for her. Despite our past differences and our rivalry, Adrian was my comrade. When we arrived at the camp, the others rushed towards us. "What happened?" one of them asked, looking at Adrian's lifeless body.
"He's gone," Kyle said, his voice heavy. "We need to bury him."
There was a moment of stunned silence before everyone sprang into action, gathering supplies and digging a grave. As we lowered Adrian into the ground, I felt a sense of closure, but also a deep sorrow for the loss of someone so young and full of promise. "Rest in peace, Adrian," I whispered, as we said our final goodbyes.
I couldn't help but feel a sense of guilt wash over me. Adrian had been my enemy, but he had also been a fighter, a warrior just like me. And in that moment, I realized that perhaps if things had been different, he could have been a true ally, a friend maybe. As we stood around the grave, I looked at the others, and I saw the pain etched on their faces. They had all lost someone they cared about, someone they had fought alongside, someone who had become a part of their family.
But amidst the grief, I could see a sense of determination in their eyes. We had lost our comrades, but we were still here, alive and fighting. And I knew that we would continue to fight until we had avenged their deaths, until we had brought an end to the darkness that threatened our world.
And as we stood there, in the pouring rain, I knew that Adrian's death had not been in vain. It had reminded us all of the fragility of life, and the importance of standing together, even in the face of adversity. It had united us in our grief, but also in our resolve, to continue on, to keep fighting, and to honor the memories of those we had lost.
I turned to my men,"arrange our affairs and prepare the horses. We have to hit the road of my kingdom as soon as possible," I said, my anger evident in my voice.
"Why the hurry, your highness?" asked one of my men.
"That bastard Melezo is sitting on my f*****g throne. I want to kill him!" I responded, my rage growing.
"Sir, acting impulsively won't change anything. It could even make things worse," advised Me. Jacobs.
"Then what should I do? Melezo has sent you to bring my head back to him!" I exclaimed.
At that moment, Felicity, spoke up. "I have an idea. We could make a false head of you so that Melezo thinks he's won," she suggested.
I looked at her in surprise. "That's genius!" I exclaimed before bringing her in for a quick kiss.
"Your highness, if I may suggest something," Mr. Jacobs intervened. "You could also send your men to retrieve the head of the man who most resembles you, to make the false head more believable. Let them go back to the battlefield and seek."
"You're right. Let's do that," I agreed before turning to my men and giving them their orders.
"Did you get it?" I asked as they approached, holding a severed head in one of their hands.
"Yes, Your Majesty," one of them replied, passing me the head.
I studied it for a moment before nodding in satisfaction. "Good work. Now, we'll use this to our advantage. We'll make it seem like you have already captured and killed me, giving us the upper hand in the element of surprise." "They have returned with a head," I said to Ava.
"A what?" Ava asked, sounding disgusted.
"A head," I repeated. "We need to make it look like me."
"What? No way," Ava protested.
"We have to, or we'll get caught," I explained. "Please, Ava, you're a good makeup artist."
"You're insane," Ava muttered, but she reluctantly agreed.
She looked at the head with disgust as she began to apply makeup, trying to match the skin tone and features to my own.
"You're not going to make me do this again, are you?" Ava asked, clearly unhappy with the task at hand.
"No, no, I promise," I assured her. "It's a one-time thing."
"Let's get to work on making that fake head. We have a kingdom to reclaim," I declared
After a few minutes, Ava handed me the head. To my surprise, it looked like a perfect replica of my own head.
"You did it!" I exclaimed, impressed. "It looks almost identical to my real head."
"I never want to do that again," Ava said, shuddering.
"Thank you, Ava," I said, grateful for her help. "We have to get rid of the evidence now."
"But what about the real you, Your Majesty?" Mr. Jacobs asked with concern.
"Titus, I want to go head to Melezo with you," Mr. Jacobs declared.
"I don't know if that's such a good idea," I replied.
"Why not?" Titus questioned.
"I don't trust you guys enough to carry out the mission without me," I admitted.
Everyone looked at me like I had made a blunder or some kind of bullshit.
"Are you sure about that, boss?" Marcus asked.
"Yes, I'm sure," I replied firmly. "But I'll need to disguise myself."
"How are you going to do that?" Titus inquired.
I smiled. "I'll be in disguise. We can't risk Melezo recognizing me and ruining the plan. Plus, I want to see the look on his face when he realizes he's been outsmarted."
"I'll pose as Céline Arnaud, my ex-fiancée bounty hunter whom I had killed," I explained.
"That's a pretty good plan," Mr. Jacobs agreed.
"But won't they recognize you?" Kyle asked.
"Not if I get a makeover," I replied.
Ava clapped excitedly."That's where I come in," Ava chimed in. "I can dress you up as Céline Arnaud and no one will know the difference."
I reluctantly agreed, knowing that it was the best option.
"That's settled then," Felicity said. "Let's get to work."
"I can create a convincing disguise. I have a talent for it." She said.
"Excellent," I said, nodding my approval. "We'll let Melezo think he's won, and then we'll strike back with everything we've got. Are you all with me?"
My men cheered and pumped their fists in the air, declaring their loyalty and readiness to fight. Mr. Jacobs wore a more somber expression, but he nodded his agreement in silent support.
"Good," I said. "Then let's go. The fate of my kingdom rests on this plan, and I don't intend to let Melezo destroy everything I've built."
Ava quickly transformed me into Céline Arnaud. I donned her clothes and shoes, feeling surprisingly comfortable in the attire this time. Everyone tried to suppress their laughter, but eventually, they all burst out into a fit of giggles. I glared at them, and eventually, they stopped laughing.
"Are we ready to go?" I asked, eager to begin our mission.
"Yep, let's go," Titus replied.
We all got on our horses and I shouted, "Forward, march!" and we began our journey with the disguised me leading the way.
Felicity was on my horse, behind me with our baby in hand. We galloped for hours and hours, then finally, we arrived at the border of my kingdom, and we stopped.
"Felicity and the others will wait for us here while Mr. Jacobs, Titus, and I enter my kingdom," I explained.
"What's the plan?" she asked me, holding our baby in her arms.
"We're going to give him the false head with the bomb hidden inside. Once we're out, we activate the bomb and he dies. Simple and effective," I explained.
"But what if he suspects something?" Titus asked, concerned.
"He won't. He can't know that it's a false head. He'll have doubts, but he won't be able to prove anything. We'll succeed," I reassured them.
After fixing my appearance and preparing the bomb's remote control, I kissed Felicity and our son goodbye. I then mounted my horse with Titus and Mr. Jacobs following behind me.
As we rode towards the kingdom, I couldn't help but feel anxious. But I put on a confident front, knowing that my men were counting on me.
"We're almost there," I said to Titus and Mr. Jacobs.
"Are you sure this plan will work, Your Majesty?" Mr. Jacobs asked, sounding worried.
"I have faith in it," I replied confidently.
We arrived at the gates of the kingdom, and I handed the false head over to the guards. They took it inside to show it to Melezo.
"Now, we wait," I said, taking out the remote control for the bomb.
After what felt like an eternity, the guards returned. "Melezo wants to see you," they said.
I nodded, and we followed them inside. Melezo was sitting on the throne, looking smug.
"Well, well, well, look who decided to show up," he sneered.
I walked up to him, trying to maintain my composure. "I'm Celine Arnaud, the fearsome and famous bounty hunter," I said, holding out my hands. "Ah, my dear friends, welcome back," Melezo greeted us with a smile.
"Thank you, Alpha Melezo. We have brought you the head as promised," I said.
Melezo inspected the head again closely, but he couldn't find any flaws. "Very good, very good indeed. You have done well, my friend," he praised us.
As we made our way out of the kingdom, I activated the bomb's remote control. There was a deafening explosion as the head detonated, killing Melezo and his closest men. "We did it. We succeeded," I exclaimed triumphantly.
My men cheered and congratulated me on a job well done. I couldn't have done it without them, and together, we had toppled a corrupt ruler and freed my people from his tyranny.