ALLIANCE

III

The woman in the purple hooded cloak smiles at me.

I had only planned to go out for ten minutes for fresh air. Father had forbidden me from going outside during this time. Alkarin was under attack by Dune and it was not smart for royalty to be outside without protection. Paying no heed, I strolled through the market on the main street and started browsing aimlessly. That's when I saw the woman. Her face was concealed by the scarf she wrapped around her neck and the hood that rests on her head. I could slightly make out her features, but not enough to connect them. It was a bit odd to see another woman in oversized attire like mine. I didn't think much of it and continued playing around with the jewelry in one of the stands.

The plump man who owned the small stand grumbles at me after I leave without purchasing anything. I didn't mind because his attitude meant my disguise was working and I was unrecognizable.

I made sure to leave a note in my room in case Syden or Julien noticed I was not in my room, or missing.

The streets were filled with the chatter of common folk and children wailed when their parents refused to purchase any toys for them. I assume they're running on a tight budget due to the battle. A mother who looks no more than thirty years old turns away to talk to a shop owner. That's when I dropped a few coins in her purse and winked at the child who saw me do it. He grins at me revealing a small gap in his front teeth. Chuckling, I ruffled his hair and continued walking.

Two children—a boy and girl—run past me, causing me to bump into the woman in the purple cloak and fall on the ground. My hood fell off and her eyes widened with realization.

Shit.

I quickly scrambled to put on my hood and turned to run away but she grabs my arm and begins to plead, "Please help me! No, you don't understand, you must help me!" A crazed look in her blue eyes causes me to stumble backwards.

Two guards notice the commotion and head towards us.

It took me a few seconds to realize that the guards were from Dune and not Alkarin. Frantically, I push my hood over my face as far as I could and push her away from me and into the arms of the guards.

One of the guards catches her and the other looks at me. The guard that is holding the woman pushes her hood off and smiles triumphantly. I couldn't be bothered to see what the woman looked like.

"We have found the prisoner! Let's take her back to the palace," the guard spoke.

The one that was looking at me turns back to his peer and grins sadistically. The woman, however, had other plans.

She pulls out a dagger with a yellow stone carved into the hilt and waves it recklessly towards the first guard.

She forgot about the second guard.

The second guard grabs his sword and in one slice decapitates the woman from the neck. She slumps to the ground immediately. People all around the market begin to scream and run. The street runs red with the crimson liquid leaving her petite body.

My stomach churns and I think I'm going to be sick. The image of her slaughtered body burns in my mind—an image I will never forget.

I pushed her.

I handed her to the guards so I wouldn't get caught.

Her blood is on my hands.

I killed her.

My body jolts and I wake up in cold sweat. Running to the bathroom, I heaved and emptied all the contents from my stomach into the sink.

I need a cold shower.