The Queen's Shadow

Unfortunate Enemies

~~~Michael O'Brian

I sat in his room like an obedient child. What makes it worse is that I actually listened to him like a child. He didn't treat me like a child but I followed his orders. He told me, 'Come with me and follow my instructions,' I did, I'm sitting on the bed now, waiting for him. He left quickly and before he left, he said 'Don't leave this room,' It was more like he was trying to protect me as he left. I sit and wait, patiently and quietly, I think about the fact that I betrayed Hans but then I realize I betrayed him a long time ago.

It's then that I hear a soft knock on the door. I get up and answer the door. Before I could answer it, the door was pushed open. I see a red dress and a jester's mask and I dodge the two blades coming straight for my neck. They then go for a stabbing motion, aiming straight at my heart. I dodged again, watching how she came at me; let me know they planned on making this quick and quiet. I think about jumping out the window, but I realize I'm safer here. If I go outside and there's more of them I'm screwed.

It was then that I took a good look at them. It's a girl, could that be Priscilla? The hair is a dead giveaway, why was she here? Apollos wouldn't send someone to kill me he would just do it himself. At least that's the impression I got from him. "Priscilla, you don't have to do this,' She smiles and says, 'You're right, I don't have to. I'm doing it because I want to,' I feel a gust of wind as she closes in. It's then that I dodge her blade but just barely, I feel a deep gash on my cheek.

Blood starts dripping down from the wound, I'm not allowed to recover as the blood is spraying out of my wound. I dodge but she still manages to hit me several times. Her age was put at around 350 years old but she fights on a scale of someone much older. She also has sadistic tendencies, I finally realize there's not much I can do against her onslaught. It's only then that I close my eyes and surrender myself to her. I allow myself to submit to her, maybe this is what I'm supposed to do. Maybe I'm supposed to die.

Then I remember Stacy, 'You're done fighting?' I hear her say. 'I expected more from one of Hans' lackeys. Even Jeane put up a better fight,' I remember that I can't give up, not yet. If it's my time to die, so be it but not before I tell Apollos what I need to tell him. Once I give him this information, I can atone with my life. I dodge out of the way of her decisive blow, she then comes with a closing scissor attack. I dodge again, at this rate, I might die even though I don't want to.

'Stop Priscilla,' I hear a voice as she stops mid-step, the blades inches away from my neck. 'Brother, I didn't expect you to come back so soon,' She says in an innocent voice. She looks at him and she takes her mask off. The burning resentment and hatred in her eyes went away but only for a second, though. 'Why are you here, brother?' she asked in a demanding voice. 'I'm here because all of the men I had posted around my room decided to take a fucking walk.'

'I gave the men the choice: Who do you fear most out of me or my brother? Me or you?' She said to him. 'It's clear they fear me more than you, brother,' He looks at her and says, 'Am I supposed to be grateful that my sister just blatantly disrespects me?' 'That's not what I meant, brother' She puts her head down in shame as he then says, 'I appreciate you trying to protect me but if you kill everyone you don't agree with, all you're going to do is inspire distrust,' She then says, 'If I had my way, you would have an army of slaves for you, not a bunch of traitors looking to survive to the next day,'

'Priscilla, you know they're young,' He says in a caring tone. 'You intimidating them isn't going to help,' She says, 'Fine' and then looks at me, I could see the hate renewed in her eyes. She then sends me a mental image of what she would've done to me and I almost vomit in my mouth. I'm only 108 years old but, she's seen much more than me and she's done much more than me. I know she would leave a scar on me, no matter how beautiful a vampire's skin is. She leaves without a word.