Kingdoms #6 - Mother

Shani was summoned to Zyrah’s chambers, 10 days after the “brave tiny” incident, as it was called across the kingdom.

Shani entered barefoot to the throne room, a sacred holy ground even for the goddess queens, her mother, Zyrah, was sitting on her throne.

Her feet were on the floor, tiny worshippers surrounded them, hundreds, perhaps thousands of them, kissing, cleaning, licking, eating whatever they could, praying, worshiping her.

Shani bowed her head in shame in front of her mother, she knew exactly what it was about.

“You embarrassed me”, Zyrah said with an intimidating tone.

“M-Mom I’m sor-“

“Quiet!” Zyrah made a sharp shout, pressing her feet harder to the ground, small cracks could be heard as some of the worshippers were crushed between her toes, Shani immediately went silent.

“You'll never be like Yen, you shame our family, you made us look like a joke”

Shani bowed her head lower, she adored Yen, her sister, hearing that breaks her heart.

“A tiny, tiny woman makes you run crying, how dare you?!” She shouted.

“M-Mom she was-“

“A tiny! A bug compared to you!” She lifted her foot up and *THUD* - crushed dozens of tiny worshipers in one swift stomp, the rest shrieked in fear but dared not stop worshiping her feet.

“I’m sorry”, Shani said, sniffing, on the verge of crying.

“Ugh, what I’m going to do with you, how come such a weak girl came out of me”, Zyrah said tiredly, acting tough, but clearly felt sorry for her daughter.

Shani sobbed and sniffed, “I didn’t know what to do, she threw stones at me”, she said crying.

Zyrah sighed and shook her head, “why didn’t you just crush her? You are a thousand times bigger than her”, she said helplessly, her motherhood took over her godly aura.

“I don’t know, I was scared”, she said in a high pitched tone, she was cute, seemed harmless, like she hadn't crushed dozens of kids just 10 days ago.

“I guess not all of us are warriors, come here”, she gestured to her daughter to join her.

Shani looked at her with wide opened eyes, like she struggles to believe her mother is acting like that.

“Come, I won’t harm you”, Zyrah gestured again, Shani slowly walked towards her, Zyrah pointed at the stool next to her throne, Shani sat there, tiny worshippers quickly got to her feet, also kissing and licking it just like they do with her mother.

“You are a goddess queen”, Zyrah said, “those bugs live only to serve you”

Shani nodded in shame, looking at the tinies by her feet.

“Promise me you’ll never act like that again, you’ll never cry over a tiny”

“I p-promise, I’m sorry mom”, Shani said in shame.

“Come”, Zyrah said with a smile, Shani got up and sat on her lap, Zyrah caressed her head calmly.

“I want to find her, I want to crush her for doing this to me”, Shani said, determined.

“You’ll create a martyr, we should not kill her”, Zyrah explained while caressing Shani’s hair.

“M-Martyr?” Shani asked, looking at her, confused.

“Your embarrassing incident sparked hope in the tiny hearts of those bugs, I’ve been informed that a rebellion is rising”, Zyrah said in a tired voice.

Shani opened her eyes in fear and gasped, she never thought she would hear anything like that.

“Doesn’t matter, they will learn their place quickly, we have more important matters to deal with”

“M-Mom I’m so sorry”, Shani said with tears.

Zyrah patted her head, “Vera’s kingdom worries me more, Yen still hasn't returned from the border, I fear she might have encountered Sheeran”.

“V-Vera’s eldest daughter?” Shani asked with fear and Zyrah sighed.

“Yen will prevail, she never lost a fight”, Zyrah said with a slight smile.

—————

Zyrah and Shani didn’t know that while they were in the palace, a huge mutiny started forming in the capitol, the people were filled with hope after seeing the brave mother’s act.

Weapons and traps were being prepared, they wouldn't submit so easily this time, they had enough sacrificing their children for the pleasure of goddess queens.

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