Arranged From Birth

Chapter 28 Slightly

Isablee's P.O.V.

So many sounds bounced off of the walls of the ballroom, screams echoing through the corridors. Shoes scuffling mixed with colliding weapons amplified by the sound of red liquid hitting the floor.

I made my way to Séan. I winced a little as my fathers guards fought the Hunters who rushed the stage. Almost all of the guests had been previously ushered out by Fred and Talbott with the promise of dinner in the gardens outside- which there was.

The fighting on the stage was seen by almost no one.
I watched as Manteriin drove a knife through one of the guards as Ace impaled my father with one of his. My father's back arched and he dropped to his knees. His 59 year old frame hit the stage as blood pooled out of the stab wound.

"Queen Isablee," Seth said, approaching me, attempting to usher me out as well.
"NO, THAT THRONE IS MINE." Damien yelled, running at me. I drew my civers from where they were still hidden on my person. I took ready position, and when he lunged at me I was ready. It was knives versus civers.

Séan held Seth back with a hand, as Damien met me. The boned corset unfortunately wasn't the best decision as it limited my mobility but I made do best I could. Damien's knife blade dragged against the long shaft of my civer and we both recoiled slightly.

Séan and I's dance previously was entirely opposite to the one Damien and I we're preforming. The music the orchestra had preformed totally out matched by the clashing of swords, knives, and civers. The underlying beat of shoe squeaking, and grunts of effort only amplified the strange melody.

Stroke after stroke, perry after perry, we fought on. "You could do so much good you know." I said between breaths and attacks. My multilayer dress was starting to piss me off, it was making it difficult to reach Damien. "You could save a kingdom."

"I could," he agreed swinging at my face. I wasn't fast enough and the tip of his knife dug a path in my skin from my bottom lip till halfway to my cheekbone. "If I wanted." Behind us, another body hit the floor, followed by the sound of metal being dropped.

"But you won't." Blood was filling my mouth by now, and I spat it out at my father's throne. My throne. "Will you?"

Damien shrugged, smirking. "Convince me."

"Nothing I say will get through to you. Sharp as a marble after all." I swiped at him, leaving a gash in his bicep. I spat out blood again, and Damien stabbed at my chest.

His knife hit one of the bones in my corset. I grabbed his wrist and swing him round till he was facing away from me.

Now visible, my fathers- no, my guards were escorting Tyrone, and Ace away in ropes. Their knives were cluttering the floor, spattered with blood. One guard, my father's right hand, Manteriin, and Seamus lay dead in said blood. Where was my father's body? Damien struggled out of my grip, but I was ready for him. I kicked his knees out, and he fell face first onto the marble stage.

"I haven't an idea to convince you of. If you don't do it of your own free will, it means less than zero." Seth walked over with a curtains rope, and tied Damiens wrists together.

Séan's P.O.V.

"What am I meant to do now? I got you here, don't forget that." Damien asked, his eyes sharp on Isablee.

"Rotna fyrir allt sem mér þykir vænt um." Isablee shot back.

Glancing around I found the Kings body propped up in his throne, as a mockery to him. I don't know who put him there, nor did it matter. The throne belonged to Isablee now.

Seth handed Damien off to one of the palace guards, and came over to Isablee and I. "Are you alright my queen? Let me fetch a doctor to look at your face. Are you otherwise hurt? I-"

"Seth I'm alright. It will scar perhaps, but I have many. The biggest bother is the dead around us."

"I'll get people on that right away my Queen." The Stuart madeto leave.

"Seth," Blee called, making him double back. "It's just Isablee." He nodded, smiling sheepishly and backing out of the ballroom.

"McCoy," I turned, "follow me outside? We need to talk to the people." Smiling, I held my arm out to her. She looped hers in mine, half-smiling, as I led her outside.

"You can call me Séan you know." I reminded her as the clinks of her shoes reverberated around the empty halls. "Maybe my old name's associated with some painful memories but I miss hearing it."

She grinned at me, and silence stood happy.

"Attention please." Her voice rang clear among the happy chatter of dinner.

"Isablee CoCorial, is that you?"

"King Mitvich yes it is me, I need to speak of you don't mind." Isablee explained the situation, taking almost an hour to fully flesh out every detail about the unique situation we had found ourselves in.

"So are you the Queen now?" Someone asked from the crowd.

"If you will accept me back, I would ask to join the council of the 13 kingdoms."

One Week Later
Isablee's P.O.V.

I stood before 25 people. A king or queen from every kingdom, with a staff member, second, or partner behind them. Chief councilman Ezra Satto was seated in Orantulles place, with no one behind him. He was my fathers second in command and had been ruling Orantulle for the past week.

A week. 7 days. 168 hours. 10,080 minutes. That's how long it took them to reach a decision about whether I was allowed to be queen.
4 days into their debate they called me in to prove my identity. That was easy enough however. The hard bit was waiting. Ezra Satto was a good man but was unfit -by his own words- to rule for an extended period of time.

"Yes."
And that was all they said, that was all that needed to be said.

I was queen. Or at least approved to be crowned.

H*** yes

-Eliza