Chapter 232
Ikenga smiled seeing Orin usage of his curse, the whisperer would have won if it were facing someone ignorant and without knowledge but he was facing the knowledge hoarder, "You can tell a lie to someone who knows the truth"
Looking at the next curses. Before she became the embodiment of tyranny, Queen Elsha was known for her wisdom and beauty. As the first female ruler of her kingdom, her ascent to the throne was fraught with challenges. She was the only child of her father, the late king before he died under the hands of a beast during his hunting party. Many of the kingdom’s nobles and advisors, accustomed to male leadership, questioned her right to rule. Despite their skepticism, Elsha’s early reign was marked by fairness and prosperity, and she quickly gained the love of her people through her just and compassionate rule.
However, her position remained precarious. The patriarchal structures of her society constantly undermined her authority, with whispers of defiance and plots to replace her becoming a common occurrence in the royal court. Elsha had to navigate a treacherous political intrigue, where every decision she made was scrutinized more harshly than it would have been for a male ruler.
Her most trusted advisor, Lord Malachi, who is also her uncle, was secretly one of her greatest adversaries. He manipulated the kingdom’s deeply ingrained misogyny to sow seeds of doubt and fear in Isabella’s mind. Malachi, seeking to control the throne from behind the scenes, fed her paranoia by fabricating conspiracies and exaggerating threats, painting a picture of a kingdom on the brink of betrayal.
Elsha, feeling isolated and increasingly desperate to prove her strength, began to rule with an iron fist. She implemented harsh measures to silence dispute and secure her power, believing that a show of strength was necessary to maintain her throne. The love and admiration of her people turned to fear and resentment as she executed those she perceived as threats without trial and imposed severe laws that stifled freedom.
The breaking point came when Isabella ordered the execution of her most vocal critic, Lady Garda, a noblewoman who championed the rights of the oppressed and openly defied Isabella’s harsh measures. Garda’s death was the final straw for the people, who had already suffered greatly under Elsha’s increasingly tyrannical rule. Their collective anguish and anger formed a powerful resentment that led to the attraction of the curse inhabiting her.
Unlike the other cursed beings who were shunned and chased away or killed. Once Elsha turned into a cursed being, no one in the kingdom aroused the thought of going against her rule even with her new appearance. They all silently stayed under her rule.
Thaddeus the other cursed being was once a powerful man in a peaceful and prosperous village. His extraordinary strength set him apart from others, making him an admired figure for his physical capabilities. However, the world’s serene state left him feeling unfulfilled. Despite his remarkable power, there was no conflict or challenge that required his might. This peace, though a blessing to many, felt like a curse to Thaddeus.
Thaddeus’s frustration grew over time. He hated being unable to use his strength for anything meaningful. The mundane tasks of village life seemed trivial compared to what he believed he was capable of. His discontent festered, turning into resentment towards the world around him. He began to believe that his strength was wasted in such a tranquil existence.