As we arrived in the city, ready to make a show of force, as we marched towards the city of Darcy my secret weighed upon me heavily.
I was afraid this secret would prevent us from succeeding, I could only have faith that I had the strength to see this through so that it was not all for nothing. The nose bleeds were an omen, a warning, but not about the impending battle. They were a sign that time was running out. They were simply the first of many symptoms to emerge. I knew by now that I was sick, my condition had been very slowly but progressively deteriorating since that day Alessandra and I had seen the vision in the church. By then I had dizzy spells and nosebleeds, my sleep slowly becoming harder to wake from every time. I knew that I was dying and I had a feeling when everything was said and done, I wouldn't have much longer to live.
If we all survived then the only causality and collateral damage left would be me but I was okay with dying and I didn't fear oblivion's peaceful embrace. The only fear I had was of failure and running out of time. My fear was of not being strong enough to win this fight that I had to win. Everything was riding on this siege succeeding. Everything rode on me taking the throne and if I failed, I wouldn't have the time left to execute a backup plan. This was it. My hail mary. My last chance. It was all or nothing and as we stood at the edge of the city, hundreds willing to follow me so that I could take my place on my father's throne, I knew we had no choice but to win. If we lost, the war would never end. After everyone who'd been lost up to this moment, I could not allow this to fail. I could not fail again.
When we reached Darcy, it was early morning, just before sunrise, and I watched as the city gates opened for us with Caspian to my left and Darren to my right, both of them armed and ready for anything. It was cool outside but it felt far warmer than it had been since winter hit, no longer any snow on the dark grey cobblestone streets but they were still damp from where it had melted, the street lights lit the city that was in shambles. black onyx stone buildings half crumbled and dilapidated as far as I could see but it wasn't the town, I was focused on but the seemingly untouched palace that looked the same as before. It still sat ominously at the top of the hill overlooking the city in the same haunting gothic style and I felt so many old emotions and memories flood back to me as I took in the sight. So it began, the siege that would make history. The siege many would talk about surely for years to come. An event that would reach legendary status before I even died.
As the sun began to rise, we began the siege. This was it. It all started with Darren who shouted loudly, "The king is gone, all hail and long live the queen!", it was then echoed by Caspian as we began to walk the streets with our massive army following behind the chant catching on like a wildfire igniting. People began to emerge as the march and chant continued making progress, some of the citizens joining in, but as we reached the palace, we saw large groups of rebel forces gathered prepared to defend the castle. The energy of the city was almost tangible as we reached the palace and with one final "Long live the queen" all hell broke loose as both armies lunged head first at each other, I leaped into the fray with Caspian and Darren by my side as we made our way through the bloodbath.
The sound was deafening, shouts and screams from every angle almost drowning out the clashing of metal as the battle ensued. All around us people were dropping like flies, both our forces and theirs, but I lost myself completely to the fight as I dropped soldier after soldier. It took time but the three of us progressed through the palace walls and we knew we had to get inside the palace. Finally, Caspian, Darren, and I had found a way out of the chaos, slipping around the side in search of the hidden door leading to the secret passage Darren used to rescue Seth and I just years ago. We made it into the palace easily with a group of warriors as backup only to find the battle had already reached inside the walls. While making our way as quickly as we could to the throne room, we only really fought a few rebels along the way since the loyal guards within the walls were already keeping them at bay for us. When we reached the throne room, I saw a man with light bright green eyes sitting upon the throne that had once been my father's and easily twenty guards stood in a line across the front of it, ready to defend him.
"Caspian, my brother! I knew when you left that you were looking for Atticus but I didn't realize you were so ready to betray our family by joining his daughter in this ridiculous crusade" He shouted as our guards closed the throne room doors, staying outside to keep rebels from returning to the room to attack us from behind. We were outnumbered and at a serious disadvantage I realize as I fought the flashbacks that the room had begun trying to induce, I couldn't be distracted. It took everything I had not to be pulled into a panic attack or the painful memory. "She is the rightful Queen!" Caspian had shouted back to Aiden sounding angry and hurt. "Our family was never meant to rule and you are the true traitor Aiden!" Caspian roared at him. I could tell he was struggling to restrain his temper, to not ruin our plan by making a move too soon.
"Then you can die like she will, the rest of her tainted bloodline with her!" The man named Aiden shouted in disgust and I knew by tainted he had meant the fact that my mother was a light fairy. "You're the one not coming out on the other side! Surrender now or die!" I shouted back at him and with a wave of Aiden's hand began the final battle, the live or die all or nothing that would decide the fate of everything around us. We launched into the fight Darren and Caspian trying to defend me against the onslaught of men who had come at us proving just how truly outnumbered we were in the moment but I knew immediately what they were trying to achieve. If I took out their leader and killed Aiden then it would be a cease fire that would end the siege on Darcy and declare our side the clear winner.
No one would continue fighting for a cause without a leader. I fought harder than I have ever fought before in my life. We had planned for this. We knew what we had to do, that we had to go straight for the kill. That Aiden needed to die. Adrenaline was racing though my veins and my heart was pumping in my chest so hard I heard it in my ears. Thud, thud, thud. To my left Caspian was disappearing into the battle as he shouted at me, "Annabelle! Go!" as if he'd seen something. To my right I saw Darren struggling to keep up with the onslaught that we faced as the soldiers fought to overwhelm him. Only as I took down the men coming after me personally, I saw what Caspian had seen, a gap of space that an ordinary fairy would not fit through because of their wings but I could easily slip through with my size and winglessness.
The only thing causing me to hesitate was the danger Darren was in, the men he had been fighting ready to deal what could be a fatal blow and there was no way for him to see it coming or deflect it. Darren, I'm so sorry, I thought to myself as I let out a cry of anger and anguish as I rushed forward, taking soldiers down one after the other before shoving through the small gap. I sprinted toward Aiden who stood up with a shocked expression on his face and without hesitation I acted, I gave him no chance to fight back. I'd had a choice to make. I could have gone to save my friend or taken the opening to kill Aiden. I only hoped my choice would not be the death of my dear friend, the death of Darren.
I could only pray to the goddess I would not be the death of my friend who meant so damn much to me. I swiftly managed to drive my sword into Aiden, between two of his ribs at just the right angle, knowing it would drive my blade through his heart. I then ripped my blade back out with all my might, the blade was saturated in blood by this point and I turned around while shoving Aiden's body forward carelessly before screaming loud enough to be heard over the fray. "Your leader is dead! Cease fire or die with him!" I said fiercely, somehow my voice carrying and echoing above the battle and suddenly the fighting in the room came to a halt as men rushed to throw open the throne room doors, they began spreading the decree. Most of the rebels gave in quickly now that their leader was dead but the few that remained fighting were killed on sight.
The instant the fight was over I sprinted to my fallen friend who'd been run through with two different swords in two different places. He lay unconscious and bloodied on the marbled floors. When I reached him, I fell immediately to my knees in hopes of finding some sign that he was alive, that he was okay, I just thought over and over please not him. Not Darren, I couldn't lose him or anyone else. I couldn't be the cause of death to yet another person I had loved. I could have chosen to help a friend or complete our mission and without hesitation I had chosen to risk sacrificing yet another person, one I held so dear, and I knew regardless of the outcome I had made the right call even if it felt so damned wrong and hurt so fucking much.
Much to my relief Darren had survived, he was alive, barely alive but he was. It was a miracle I thanked the goddess for. My friend had somehow survived the damage he'd sustained that should have been lethal and after days of being on the brink of death our healers managed to keep him alive. I was beyond relieved and though we lost half our forces we had almost completely obliterated the rebels and what few remained alive swore their allegiance to me. I was immediately crowned the queen and I knew with only a short time left before the day of destiny I had to move quickly with my plans. It took a couple days but with the help of Caspian I set up a council to aid with the rule of the monarchy on the dark side, comprising it of members of the other three royal families outside of Caspian's and mine.
Caspian took the council position his family had been offered though I knew he wanted nothing to do with it. It was also immediately that I had a treaty drawn up between the dark and light fairies. It wasn't to be officially signed for a few more weeks but the effect was to be immediate as a sign of goodwill. Both sides would remain in their own territories that were divided back to where the border once stood. Part of the peace treaty ruled both sides would remain separate. Agreeing to remain in touch to know what was happening with the other side politically and vowed to aid and protect each other always, keeping to themselves only when aid was not necessary.
The dark fairies would stay in their territories and the light would remain in theirs unless they needed help from one another to maintain stability of government. Before long everything was in order and the rebuilding had begun on both sides, it was at this time I pulled Caspian aside to talk. I took him to the small torture chamber where I had once been both the tortured and the torturer because I knew even if he shouted no one would hear us. I'd known that the news I would share with him would upset him but I also knew that despite his outrage that he would understand. I knew that it was time for me to set the stage for my exit from this story, that my time would soon be up. I had to tell Caspian the truth and of the burden I was forced to place upon him.
I remember the news I shared that day vividly as it was not so long ago that this moment had occurred. As I am writing this, I realize just how close the end is, read on because you must know what I have left to say...
...What I have left to share with you...