Azrael's knuckles grew a flesh white as he grasped onto the bars of the cell. The cold tinge of metal on his palms convulsed his stomach. A scrapping noise echoed across the cell making him flinch and take a shuddering breath in. The figure sat hunched over the ripped bed, knuckles wrapped over the rotting frame. Azrael's skin crawled and shivered as Marcus and Aiden fiddled with the metal keys, rattling the cell bars as Marcus shoved the key into the hole and twisted it violently before throwing the cell door open, letting a crack ripple through the prison. Aiden's silver eyes slid to Azrael's the sea of metallic displaying a sliver of sympathy, before recuperating and walking into the cell Marcus close behind.
The shadows strewed the figure hunched over the bed. The candle-lit cell providing a dangerous amount of silence and darkness that the mind could eagerly set the imagination alight, creating vivid creatures and playing with the hearing, the mind mimicking the sound of scratching or tapping.
The shadows lingered around the man before Marcus and Aiden's figures wrapped their arms around the man, forcing him up and shoving him forward until the cold tinge of metal burnt his face. Placed between the bars Azrael raised the candle to them, illuminating the man's face, the wrinkled and dry creature he wasn't sure was completely human, the dried blood and bruised skin, splotches of purples and pinks clouded the sides of his cheeks and his left eye. The dried blood cracked over his top lip. As they pressed him into the metal bars the man's bloodshot eyes with a soft ring of brown echoed a question Azrael didn't want to be answered.
"You know why you're here?" Azrael neared his face to the bars, making the man shudder and refuse to meet his eye. Aiden pressed his hands straight into the man's shoulders making him wince in pain and meet Azrael's eyes. The candle near them provided only an outline of the crown on his head, but the man knew who he was. The presence of a king is not commonly mistaken. "You know the punishments for disrespecting a court member," Azrael spoke, a snake on his tongue.
The man spat on the ground, narrowly missing Azrael's shoes. Immediately he got his head slammed into the bars causing a string of curses and the sound of rattling metal to fill the room. "You know the punishments for disrespecting her highness," Azrael slipped his hand between the bars and gripped onto the man's white straw-like hair, pulling it tightly and placing his bruised cheek onto the metal. "Disrespecting her," Azrael spoke but couldn't string the remaining words on his tongue.
"What if I told you she's an imposter?" The man laughed showing his bloody smile and squinted eyes. "What if I told you that Evelynn-"
"Do not mention her NAME-"
Azrael pushed the man back before grabbing his collar and forcing him forward, his head hitting the bars. His skin broke apart onto the contact metal forcing the blood to spill down the bars. Azrael's smile glinted holding the cold bars to his skin.
"She's Athrolilan," The man's smile reappeared, "I drove her here after all." The bloody smile splinters in Azrael's skin. "She's here to kill you."
"No,"
"Oh, yes" the words cackled in a high shrill.
~
The green swayed over the marble, gently brushing and licking the tiles near her feet. The hilt of her sword stroked the back of her spine, eager for its arrival at his neck. Evelynn walked with Audria unable to meet her eye. Her blonde ringlets were braided and passion twisted into a bun on the centre of her head. Jewels and gems crowded her scalp, as the long chain of gold wrapped around her hair. Audria glanced at Evelynn but quickly looked away, lowering her gaze to her dress. Audria crooked her head as she swore that she'd seen that dress before. The intricate flower embroiders and snatched green waste with the soft fabrics protruding out of the waist.
Evelynn's gaze was struck by the man who stood in front of the throne. Her gaze did not falter as her blue eyes locked on him. Her eyes drifted from his face to his exposed neck, the veins and exposed trapezius. The honeyed skin is ready to be split. Her eyes flicked away as he shuffled and the hilt of his sword appeared from behind his green cape.
"Morning," He spoke, the lingering taste of Audria's lips on his. The calm and echoing tone filled the ballroom with a sweet and effortlessly fake aura.
"Morning," Audria replied. Evelynn followed with a nod. The blade shifted up her back. She swallowed and placed her hands behind her back. Waiting.
"I won't bother you with introductions or protocols since it is just the two of you." Azrael lowered his head at Evelynn his green eyes glaring at her. The splintering dragon green eyes stared at her emotionless. Evelynn pressed her tongue between her teeth, before breaking the stare and looking upwards.
"It has been a pleasure meeting you both and experiencing something many would never enjoy in a million lifetimes." Azrael sugar-coated the proceedings. Evelynn chewed the inside of her cheek. "Both of you are welcome in my court if you would like,"
Audria glanced toward her. Her soft smile and brown skin would easily have been a portrait if someone could paint her, capturing all of her beauty. "Audria, I hope you take up this position." A pause as Azrael pressed his lips into a line. "Thank you for your companionship." Audria's smile dropped disappointedly but her bow to Evelynn immediately after provided a moment of happiness in success for her. Seeing her oak brown eyes glisten with joy brought halted Evelynn's thoughts for a brief moment.
"Evelynn I would like to speak to you, " Azrael rolled his tongue between his teeth. "If you want my hand,"
She'd won.
Evelynn seethed the hilt of her sword with her backhand stretching her arm over her back, grasping onto the blade. She pulled it out of the back of her dress and took a step forward pressing her blade into the side of his neck.
The subtle pain grew in the side of her neck. He's quick.
"I didn't want to believe him," His voice cracked. The raw and painful strains in the words floated on the small space between them.
A tight knot grew in her heart. Its strings pulled and with a snap her lips trembled. Her blue eyes glanced at him. Her heart wrenched. Azrael's lips pressed together, he dropped his head and clamped his free hand into a fist. His nails dug into his calloused skin. Her eyes flickered away from his. She knew. She tightened the blade in her grasp.
Azrael's throat burned to etch a scream. A shattered shallow breath entered his lungs. The metal lightly scraped the side of her neck. His stomach dropped, and his mouth parted to inhale once more without retching. His eyes swelled with tears as he looked up at her. Her throat bobbled as she saw him, the water filling his dragon green eyes. Evelynn ruffled her feet and drew her left hand into a fist.
Azrael shook his head and trembled, each other's blades at their throats. "Evelynn," His broken voice was a mere whisper. "You are an Athrolilan Royal?"
"And you're an Eramadam," Evelynn coated pressing the sword into his neck. The small sprinkle of red drifted down the tip of the blade.
"You have the Triad in your veins," He shuddered.
"That doesn't make us any different to the soldiers in the field. If I was to slit your throat you would still bleed the same, wouldn't you?" Evelynn groaned as Azrael retaliated pressing the blade deeper into her neck. "Azrael?"
"Your a Triad," He croaked.
"I'm a human! So are you!"
"-And yet the lack emotion says differently. I was ready to give everything to you Evelynn. I was..." The words lingered at the back of his throat but he didn't finish.
"You've should of seen it coming. You should of killed me when you had the chance." Evelynn spoke her eyes squinted like a snake.
"Why now?" Azrael's voice was gentle. "Was it because of her? That afternoon?"
Evelynn wanted to lie and tell him it wasn't, but a part of her knew it was. It only took one mistake.
"You should have killed me that night. Not linger in this place, not toyed with my heart," Blood and tears dripped down the tip of her sword.
Evelynn inhaled sharply, her eyes flickering to the sword at her neck, "It was the only way-"
"-You lied, and lied, and lied, and lied, and I'm the idiot. I believed you, trusted you, and cared about you, and Gods forbid loved you."
"Well guess what? I was never that person Azrael. I will press this blade into your throat and spill your blood, " Evelynn spoke her voice hoarse.
Tears slipped down his face in return. "You killed my father, my court and yet you dare to stand in front of me?" Azrael closed his eyes momentarily.
"Legend says that the loveliest of angles make the cruelest demons, and you Azrael were so kind, and compassionate until your Kingdom dragged you to hell!" Evelynn screamed, watching carefully not to move her neck. "I dare to stand in front of you for my Kingdom. My crown," Evelynn pulled back her dress, exposing the dagger strapped to her thigh. The blue glistering from the holder.
She smiled softly but this time it was different. Her face smiled but her eyes didn't, now it faded into nothing. You see Evelynn wanted to feel something but she couldn't muster the feelings they shared before. She tried so hard to pull herself out but every time she tried she fell deeper.
She tried to grasp onto the remains of something so fragmented it couldn't be salvaged.
With a loud thump, the doors flew open, and dark cloaked figures filtered through the room. Marcus and Aiden withdrew their swords and stood next to Azrael. Their faces were unreadable, Marcus' eyes glassy and Aiden's silver splinters unsympathetic.
"Before you run my name into the mud, remember what we did." Evelynn smirked. "What we loved. I always loved you until you broke my Kingdom. A queen never strays from her people. A King however slept with the enemy."
Aiden and Marcus pointed their blades at Evelynn's neck. The metal pointed in three different directions at her neck. Her throat bobbled as Azrael's blade fresh blood dipped onto her sword. Her crimson blood spilled onto the green-hilted sword.
"Your a monster Evelynn," Azrael reprimanded.
"Steal a loaf of bread, they call you a thief. Steal a Kingdom and they call you a Statesman," Evelynn chuckled.
"I guess we never really got to know each other. We acted like best friends, but in the end we are nothing more than strangers," Azrael pushed the sword forward, nicking the side of her neck, wrapping his arm around her waist watching the trickle of blood slide down the blade, puddling at his hilt. Evelynn's pulled the dagger and raised it above his heart. The clang of metal met their ears, at their blades joined above them. Evelynn grasped onto the blade seeing the tinge of red drip down his shirt, staining the pearl white collar.
She shuffled and shook but Azrael continued to hold her waist, pressing Evelynn onto him. Evelynn was forced to acknowledge him, glaring up at him. Her eyes welled with tears, but refused to fall, biting on her courage she closed her eyes, refusing to look at him. Azrael held her in his arm defeated, clenching his jaw and exhaling out his mouth. His brown hair ruffled and wavy, covering the tips of his eyelids. He could feel a warm and tingling sensation slide down his neck, and the damp fabric pressing onto his collarbone. The white stained a bright red. His nose burned and as he swallowed he bit back a sharp pain at the back of his throat. Their bodies ached and blades twitched lower, still stubborn and challenging one another. As Evelynn opened her eyes, he plummeted into the azure eyes. He tried to swim to find the girl he once loved. Her eyes glazed over and his heart rattled.