My steps were weak. The legs did not want to hold the weight of the body. My eyes were red from tears. I had the feeling that at any moment the waterfall of tears could start again, which I would not be able to stop. When I went down to the tomb, I had to lean against the wall so I wouldn't fall to the ground. I was holding a bloody bag in my hand. Blood was dripping from it. It was leaving a trail behind me.
They were all still in the tomb. They were waiting for my return. Only my brother was gone. I didn't know what they did with him.
I threw the bloody bag at their feet. A dead heart rolled out of it. I tried to put on a stone face, but I failed. Both Bael and Balmore smiled. The soldiers laughed triumphantly.
"I knew you could do it, Dragomira," Bael said, tucking a loose strand of hair behind my ear.
I shied away from his touch. I was disgusted by him.
"You could do it too if you weren't so bad at fighting," I retorted.
Bael laughed. "Unyielding to the last breath."
"Where is my brother?" I asked him.
"First give me back the dagger," said Balmore.
"It burned up with Cassius' body as soon as I killed him," I said.
"Dragomira." Bael's voice sounded a warning.
"My brother's life is at stake. Do you think I would play with you here?"
"Then whose heart is it?" he asked.
"Tell me where my brother is and I'll tell you whose heart it is," I smirked viciously.
I lost my sanity that night. He deprived me of everything. And I had to fight for even that little remainder. I lost Cassius and my family. I was left alone.
"What have you done, Dragomira? I know this look of yours."
"Tell me where my brother is and I'll tell you."
He hesitated for a moment but finally decided to answer. "We threw him into the well in front of the cathedral. Whose heart is this?'
"You know, dear Bael, Cassius has learned, unlike you, that threatening to kill my family has consequences," I said. "I was constantly thinking about how it is possible that you know about everything I do, you know my every move. I found out. That mortal woman you fell in love with. Anastasia, right?"
I could see in his eyes that I guessed right.
"She obviously didn't want to be one of us, so she grew old. No wonder Cassius didn't recognize her as my servant. You took something from me, so I took something from you," I said with a mischievous smile on my lips. "I made sure she was still alive when I carved her heart out of her chest so she could feel it as I held it in my hands."
"My mother!" cried Balmore, falling on his knees to her heart, which I threw at his feet.
"You're crazy," Bael told me.
"You already knew that a long time ago and you still provoked me into this state," I said. "I guess Cassius and I aren't all that different."
I turned to leave, but I turned to him one last time. "Enjoy your punishment knowing that she called your name as she was dying for you to come save her."
Balmore drew his sword on me. He blocked my way with it.
"You do realize you can't hurt me with that, right?" I gave him a wicked smile.
"You have my crown on your head," he said.
"How impudent," I said. "I think you should properly address me as Your Majesty, the Queen."
"That crown belongs to me," he objected.
On my head was the crown of Cassius. Just like he used to let me wear it. When he made me his that way.
"I'm leaving." I laughed at him and pushed his sword out of the way.
And he was such a fool that he stuck it in me.
"You're not leaving with that crown."
I whistled and the royal guards burst into the tomb. His soldiers didn't even have a chance to draw their swords. They were caught. Those who tried to escape or defend themselves were executed on the spot. I pulled out the blade of his sword from my body.
"I am the rightful queen of Toska. This kingdom stands by me," I said. "Did you really think you could ever become king? You are human. You wouldn't last a month on the throne. The lords would throw themselves into the fight for the crown and you simply wouldn't survive. Not that you'd even get a chance to fight for the crown, would he Bael?'
I turned to him. The guards held him. He had an angry look on his face because I managed to fool him anyway.
"I know you too well to hide it from me." I turned back to Balmore. "Bael never wanted to give you the crown. You were just a way for him to get the army on his side. He would kill you and crown himself king."
"You could have been my queen, but Cassius always had to claim everything for himself," Bael said.
"You must have planned this for a really long time," I said. "And it still didn't work out for you because you underestimated me as always. There is a reason why Cassius chose me."
⸸
I ran to save my brother. Dawn was dangerously close and I had to get him to safety before it was too late. The royal guards did not come to help me. They had enough to worry about with the traitors in the palace.
"Alexei!" I shouted as I approached the cathedral. "Alexei!"
"Dragomira!" I heard his weak voice.
"Alexei!"
I ran to him. I arrived at an old, stone well. I leaned over the edge. It was dark and I couldn't see anything.
"Alexei!" I shouted inside.
"Dragomira!" he called back.
"I'll help you," I said.
I had to somehow get him out of there. I hated Bael for what he did. After all, his betrayal hurt more than Nathaniel's. I looked around for something to pull him out with. Finally, I used the chain they used to pull water from the well. I dropped the bucket and lowered the chain itself.
"Wrap it around your body, Alexei," I told him.
"You can pull," he said as he did as I ordered.
I started pulling. Slowly but surely I pulled him out of the well. The chain slipped in my hands. I felt like it weighed about a ton. I managed to get him back to the surface. He grabbed the edge of the well. I gave him a helping hand. We fell into the grass. I hugged him. Maybe a little too tight. He winced in pain.
"I'm so sorry, Alexei," I told him. "This shouldn't have happened."
"I would give my life for you, sister," said Alexei.
"I know, but I don't want you to die for me," I said.
He was covered in blood. Wounded. It will take a long time to heal. If he were human, he would definitely not survive.
I didn't take him to the Red Palace. I took him home.
Alexei could barely stand on his feet. I had to hold him so he wouldn't fall to the ground. He was so strong. Despite his injuries and pain, he kept going. He didn't let anything stop him. He has always been more supportive of me than I have ever been of him.
"What happened?" father said horrified as we burst in, running from the sun.
"A small war broke out in the palace," I replied.
⸸
It took several days for Alexei's wounds to heal. Stupid magical hunter blades. They were not yet fully healed when he decided to return to the service of the King's Guard Commander. I insisted that he stay in bed for a few more days and heal properly, but he insisted that it was his duty. He didn't want me to worry about him. He always thought of himself as a big brother who should protect me and not me him. He was oblivious to the fact that I was the one who got him into all the trouble. Because he wanted to protect me, he accepted my punishments.
No one in the palace missed me. Rather, I was worried about what would happen if someone started missing me.
"Where are you going to go?" Alexei asked me as we were saying goodbye to each other.
"I do not know yet," I replied. "I'm on the run now. I guess I'll do what my mother did so the king won't find me."
"You forget that father finally found you," noted Alexei.
"Yes, he did, but at least I'll have time to think about what to do next. I'll organize my thoughts first, and then I'll see."
"Dragomira."
There was pity in his voice, but I didn't want it. I didn't deserve it. It's my fault the situation I found myself in.
"Give it back to the king." I handed Alexei the ring and my necklace as he was leaving.
"Isn't that your mother's necklace?" he wondered.
"I want him to have it," I said.
And just as Alexei went back to his life, so I left, running away from my life.