Cara Lugo [Complete]

Prologue

"I need you to give us more power over our own lives." Her voice rang out, strong and clear.

The answering laugh was deep and vibrated through the whole room. The laugh of someone untouchable, who knew the full extent of their power. Or overestimated it, but that was none of Cara's business. No, she was here to talk, not to judge. She had done plenty of that already over the last while.

"Oh don't you see? That would be chaos. Everything is better now and that is all my doing. This land is thriving."

"But your people are not," she says tonelessly, despite the rolling anger inside her making her fingers tingle.

"Ah, but they are. Fed, clothed, and with jobs. That was better than ever before, no? Better than starvation and aimless wandering."

"No, better is what he wants. We want rights. We want the ability to chose to wander aimlessly if we so, please. This is not what we want and you know it. When everyone was singing your praises you knew it then. When people rioted, you knew it then. Even know you know what we want yet you refuse to give it."

"You're acting like a petulant child." He scolds, brows furrowed and voice strong as if he was actually talking to a young child and not a full grown woman deserving of respect.

Of course, that depended on your idea of respect. Was it being treated like a human being, treated as an equal, or as a figure of authority.

"I liked you, Cara, I really did. You had a fire to you and you always did your job flawlessly. I really could not have found a flaw in anything you did until now. Now, you are using this fire that burns within you – you know I love it so much – for the wrong reasons. Settle down before you do something which you cannot take back."

"Like you did for the last while," she hisses, unable to contain her anger any longer.

"Do what? I help everyone."

"You lie."

He holds up his hands defensively. "I never lied to anyone. Whenever I spoke, on a serious topic mind you, I always told the truth."

"That too is a lie." Her throat started to feel scratchy with unshed tears of frustration. "That doesn't matter to you though, does it? You only care for yourself. We do not matter."

His face became soft, like a father to his child. "I care, I do. I care for every single person in this place."

Her jaw ticked, trying to expel the words that would not come. Could not come. After all, how does one combat stubbornness?

"Are you done, finally? You are a fiery one." He relaxes in his chair, head propped up as he gazed at her with a guarded look.

Yes, she had a fire burning inside her, and she would use that until the end. "And you're no king."

He curls his lip with distaste, face twisting up like he had just bitten into a lemon. "Ah, be careful."

"Careful? Careful? Are you threatening me?"

"I believe you are threatening me. And threats must be removed."

She would be fiery until the very end, but that end seemed closer every day.