Twisted Beauty (A Sleeping Beauty Tale)

Chapter Fifty-One

Cordia and I watched the army as the men and women organised themselves into formation. We stood on an outcropping, overlooking from high above. As we watched, we stood in a morbid silence, knowing that a lot of blood would be shed that day. I knew that the Daarikel sent to attack our camp were not the only ones – from the numbers the generals had described, it had only been a fraction.

"Does it bother you?" Cordia asked. I frowned, not quite understanding her question, and she turned to look at me. "That your people are turning against you through fighting here. That many Eshon men will die today."

It was a question I knew was coming – something I had been thinking about ever since Diane decided to declare war. But it wasn't something I knew how to answer, and I couldn't help how my eyes stung. "It is upsetting," I finally replied. "I do not know whether they believe I am held hostage, or if they genuinely wish for this war to continue. But the thought of my own blood being spilled upsets me, no matter their reasoning."

I knew my answer did not satisfy her. Even if we had become fast friends upon meeting, there was a layer of scepticism. I was a foreign woman who had won the heart of their prince; a woman who was the centre of this war.

"However," I continued, knowing she was about to speak, "I cannot claim them as my own people anymore. Even if we share blood and I grew up in Eshon, my own people are those of Kallis. I will fight for them with my life. And even if some see nothing more than my roots and believe I am not fit to be queen, I will not hesitate to protect them."

Cordia slowly nodded, tears gleaming in her eyes. The sight startled me – and it made me realise that even though she was always smiling broadly and accepted me openly, there was something deeper. Something that prevented her from truly accepting me, as both a friend and queen. So, I pulled her into an embrace, not knowing what else to do, and we held each other until the horns sounded.

It was like the Eshon soldiers appeared out of thin air. One moment, the land before our soldiers was empty, and the next, it was filled with men, each charging towards them. But it did not catch our soldiers off guard. They sounded horns as they faced the men, their swords raised and their spirits high.

Battle was a dance, I realised. Every aspect of training I had deemed useless – the basic movements with a sword or the ways to move your body – they were all small pieces of a dance. It was mesmerising. And in the middle of the chaotic beauty was Drake, hit helmet gleaming with blood as he led this dance. His soldiers followed his lead, keeping the front line intact.

"It's beautiful," I finally said, finding the silence unbearable. Cordia dipped her chin, and I could see the yearning look in her eyes. She wanted to be down there, I realised. However brutal and bloody battle was, I knew she must thrive in it. "You don't need to babysit me if you wish to fight with them."

After a moment, she dragged her eyes away from the unfolding battle to look at me. "My king told me to protect you."

"And I tell you that I am alright by myself," I replied. Hesitation – that was the look in her eyes. Though she masked it well, I could see it beneath her too-calm expression. She saw what I had done to the Daarikel that morning. She knew I was more than capable of protecting myself.

"You promise to stay up here?" she asked, and I nodded in response. "Thank you, my queen." And with that, she simply vanished. I whipped my head to the side to scan the battlefield, realising she had appeared near the front line, likely by using magic of sorts. Drake would not let me get off easy for letting her fight, but I wasn't too worried about that. Cordia was needed, and he knew that.

I knew that Cordia leaving would draw out Morana, and just seconds later, I felt her cold hand on my shoulder. She was behind me, her breath on my neck as she looked over my shoulder to watch the battle. She waited. I waited. One of us would break first – though I wasn't sure what she wanted. I would not give her the satisfaction of asking.

"Bloodshed is beautiful, isn't it?" she murmured. I shivered, and not just because of her cold fingers. It was beautiful. The euphoria of taking a life – of being strong enough to do so. Morana chuckled, low and cold, as if she knew my thoughts. "Would you like to help them? It would take only half a thought."

"I do," I replied, trying to reach for her – not with my hands, but with my mind. To access the magic within me and help my people. But she clicked her tongue, and I felt the power slip through my fingers and beyond my reach.

"Not so fast, young queen," she scolded. I tried to turn and face her, but cold hands gripped the sides of my jaw, so I was forced to watch the battle before me. "The people of Kallis may be your own now, but your roots are in Eshon. Know this: if you help your people and kill your blood, it will remain with you."

I knew it would. I had heard about how murder had haunted soldiers before, leaving them on the brink of insanity. "Aren't you supposed to lead me into the darkness? Why tell me?"

"Mercy," she whispered. My body shuddered at the word. "You have never taken a life before – not truly. Not a human life. Do you wish to cross the line?"

My eyes closed, and with a deep breath to calm myself, I replied, "I do."

A laugh escaped Morana's lips – a bubbly giggle that edged on insanity. Shoulders shaking with laughter, she rested her forehead on the back of my shoulder, and her nails dug into my skin as her grip tightened on my arms. "Very well," she murmured.

The magic was like a blow to my chest, leaving me gasping for breath. What I had access to before . . . that was hardly a taste of what was within me; within Morana. It was an endless well of power, the magic old and cold as ice. And for once, I knew what I was experiencing was visible. The soldiers who were facing my direction pointed up at me, even as the battle continued. They saw Morana, in the form of the beast of ice, and she let out a mighty roar.

"One chance," I whispered, using my magic to ensure the Eshon soldiers heard me. A gift from Morana – to aid me in my first kills. "Surrender and be spared."

The battle seemed to pause. For just a moment, the Kallis soldiers stopped their attack, giving the Eshon men a chance to respond to me. And some did – they dropped to their knees and let their weapons fall from their hands. I marked them with my magic, and when no one else surrendered, I erupted.

The battle began to move once more, and I wove my magic between the soldiers, ignoring my own people and those who had surrendered, and focused on the Eshon soldiers who continued to fight. I did not summon ice as I did with the Daarikel. I did not need to – it was a waste of energy when the human body contained all the liquid I needed. In moments of attacking, their bodies moved slowly to a halt, frozen mid-attack. Statues of ice.

Everything was still. Even my own soldiers, who had stopped fighting, seemed to hesitate before doing anything else. It was Cordia who moved first – with one fluid movement, she turned towards where I stood and dropped to one knee. One by one, the Kallis soldiers followed in suit, each dropping to their knees. Until no one was left standing except my husband. And just like before, despite the markings etched into his skin, he bowed to me.

I did not know what to do with myself, and so I simply inclined my head to them until they rose once more to care for their wounded. Drake, after giving his generals orders, came to find me. He was covered in blood, concern etched into his expression. All at once, the exhaustion of using my magic crashed into me, and I found myself swaying on my feet. Drake pulled me into an embrace, his support being the only thing keeping me standing.

"You're alright," he murmured, running a hand through my hair. I didn't know what to say or how to reply. The magic had left me numb, with my head too quiet and my body too weak. And after a moment, perhaps when my body registered that I was safe, my eyes rolled back, and I felt myself being carried into unconsciousness.