“Matilda?” I choke out in a strangled voice. She moves slightly and looks down at me. Her emerald eyes widen then fill with tears. Gripping the rope so it does not choke her she begins to wail and cry.
“’I’ve killed him! He’s dead and so am I!” She sobs, “Atleast I deserved this but not Garrett, not Garrett.” She whimpers.
Realizing she thinks she’s died and that she’s seeing me in heaven I quickly climb up the gallow to get her down.
“I’m sorry! I had no choice! I didn’t mean what I said in the dungeon, I had no choice!” She belts out beginning to squirm.
“Quit moving or you actually might die!” I say snapping at her.
“What?”
“Your not dead.” I tell her raising my sword. She flinches at the sight and hangs her head assuming I’ve come to kill her myself. Hacking off the ropes around her neck we watch as they fall towards the ground.
“So your not dead?” she whispers.
“No.”
She slowly takes in my white armor, shining shoes, and blinding plate legs, slowly scanning everything till her eyes lock with mine. I try to make myself smile but can’t bring my muscles to do make the expression. She sees the failed gesture and hangs her head in shame.
“I don’t believe your real.” She mutters shimmying down the pole landing softly on the ground."
“Really? Why?” I ponder hopping down and following her.
“Garrett is dead, and it is my fault, this whole war is my fault! Why!? Why can I never do anything right!?” She screams kicking hard at the air in front of her.
“I need him! I need Garrett! And it’s all my fault he’s not here.” She whimpers kicking the air hard enough this time that she plops towards the ground.
“I am Garrett, Matilda.” I say sitting down on the floor next to her.
“No the Garrett I know, has been in a dungeon for almost a year now. He probably died years ago.” She says with no emotion. The sight awakens my old feelings inside, and I quickly put aside the fact that she said she didn’t love me.
“I am Garret! Look!” I say reaching out and pinching her hand.
“Ow! Why on earth did you do that?”
“If I were dead you wouldn’t be able to feel that.”
“So?”
“I’m not dead.”
“But your dressed in white, like you've come from heaven. Your not scarred or bruised.”
“It’s this sword.” I say reaching behind me and grabbing the talking sword.
“The Sword of Balthazar.” She whispers starring at it. “You’re the New King.”
“So it says.” I say putting it back in its sheath.
She looks at me from beneath her eyelashes and the sight makes me realize how much things have changed. The old Matilda would continue to question me, get in my face, deny it until I did something unexplainable!
"Garrett I-" she chokes.
Behind you!
As if on instinct I quickly turn round holding my sword to block and enemies attack. The man bares his teeth pushing his sword hard against mine. Kicking his feet out from underneath him I take a quick slash at his legs and arms putting him down for the minute.
"Come!" Matilda commands grabbing my hand and sprinting into the Main lands castle. We sprint up stairs into the main hallway and she moves a painting grabbing a set of a hidden bow and arrow.
"How has this war started?"
"To be honest you kind of helped start it." she says taking my hand and taking me up more hidden corridor and steps.
"Me?"
"Yes, when your family was sold and people caught wind of the things that happend to your little sister, the poverty stricken villagers were finally sick of my father's selfish ways. They demanded more but being the fool he is, father just took away more and more stuff as a punishment. Long story short, they rebelled and now we're at war." she finishes flinging open a hatch that lays atop the castle.
I don't have much time to dwell on the story because a new thought strikes me. Matilda pulls back an arrow and aims at the castle guards, her face looks unlike her own, not showing any emotion at all. Letting the arrow go she takes the man down, only flinching when she realizes she probably knew him.
"How am I supposed to fight from atop here, I have a sword." I ask her.
"Improvise." she grunts sticking another in the heel.
Violence is not the way! Find another way to stop this war, killing will get you no where.
"Then what should I do?" I ask the sword. Matilda glances at me then realizes the sword and I must be communicating some how.
Find the King.
"Do you know where you're father is?"
"N-"
"Right here my dear." says a voice from behind. Before any of us have time to turn around five guards have us pinned to the ground.
"My dear Matilda, shouldn't you have been dead by now." he questions as if he were killing a fly not his own daughter.
"Never!" she grunts struggling but not budging the guards at all.
"Hmm shame, and you! How shouldn't you have been dead long before now!" he says addressing me.
"Not till you die!"
"Pity." he mutters looking round. Noticing the sword by my side his eyes widen to the size of the moon.
"Where did you get t-that?" He asks beginning to tremble.
"Dungeon?"
"Seize it at once!" He tells extra guards by his side. A guards jogs over to the sword, reaches down to grab it, and is instantly killed on the spot. Smirking at the fact they can't touch my sword I gain a little more confidence.
"Sword Thief!"The sword calls out allowed to the king.
We all glance down to where my sword lays by my side shaking. The shaking spreads from the sword into the ground below is and a blinding light flashes leaving a man dressed in glorious white silk cloth standing in it's place. He doesn't look much older than his mid twenties but has pure white hair. He has white eyes with just enough grey in them you can make out which is the iris. He gives a head nod towards me, and slowly steps towards the King.
"Matthew, why have you done this?" He asks with a such a pure voice you can't imagine the vast amount of wisdom he must know.
The king stares wide eyed at the sight before him.
"Answer me!" he commands sending thunder crackling through the air.
"Done what!" The king screams denying the monstrosity he's created below.
"Turned your kingdom against one anther and attempted to kill your own child to be the only last living heir to this kingdom!"
"Lies!" the King shouts swinging his sword through the man. The sword glides right through him separating his body like fog then coming back together.
"Tis a shame you went bad." the man or should I say my sword says.
"Shutup!" The king yells swinging at him multiple times. Each attack is a fail and he's soon heaving and sweating like a beast. I let out a small laugh at his sad attempts, and that seems to catch his attention. And evil smirk stretches across his face and he chargers towards me sword raised and aimed for my head.
I sudden burst of energy sends all the guards atop me flying through the air. I look down at my hand and realize I'm not only free, but that in a way the white man has become a part of me. His ghost like hands cover mine but at the same time it's like we are the same person.
You may stop adressing me as the white man, you may call me Belthazar.
Sure thing Belthz, I reply.
I roll my eyes without my consent and realize it's Belthz doing. He controls my movements as I block and slash at the king. Ducking some impossible to doge hits he saves my life multiple times. We get a lucky break and the king takes a wrong step. Pushing him back he crashes to the floor his sword skidding in the other direction. We raise our hand high above our heads getting ready to land the final blow. The King shuts his eyes getting ready for the instant pain then the dull feeling of death.
"NO!" We hear two voices yell at once. Turning round I see Matilda standing and shaking in fear, while a mysteriously stunning, but ghost like woman stands next to her
"You promised you would not lay a hand on him!" She says in a beautifully commanding voice. She seems to glide over to Belthazar who has now removed himself from me, and stands with his head down staring at his feet.
"Lizzy?" the king says in a horribly pathetic way you can't help but to feel pity for him.
"You do not have the right to call me that!" She says yelling at her husband, "What were you thinking killing your only daughter, our only daughter!"
"I-I- is that really you?" He asks reaching out to her hand. His hand passes through her like his sword did Belthazar and lands in a dull thud on the floor.
"You know I am no longer here Matthew, please don't make this hard on the both of us." She says tears springing up in her eyes.
"Why show up now?" he whispers.
"I don't want to see you, our daughter, or this kingdom die! You've been holding these feelings in for to long, you've become bitter and angry! And I can't stand to see you like this anymore!" she says.
"But I-I miss you." He says choking on his words.
"I-I miss you too, but you know I'm always watching from above! And it breaks my heart to see you ignore the one thing left closest to your heart." She says turning and looking over to Matilda.
"You've neglected her Matthew-- you've neglected our daughter." She says turning round to look at Matilda. Matilda cringes and averts her mothers gaze, tucking in her arms close to her and rubbing them as if she were cold.
"And in turn, your negligence has broken her." Her mother says moving closer to Matti.
"Matilda dear. Why will you not look at me?" Her mother ask picking up her face with her forefinger.
"Because you are not real."
"But do you not miss me?"
"I do....but if I look again I'll never want you to leave, and I'll be losing you twice."
"So you don't even want to remember what I looked like?"
"Y-N-no, I'm just starting to forget."
"You don't have to forget everything dear, I can still be with you." She says taking a lock of her daughters hair and tucking it behind her ear. Matilda's head snaps up trying to interpret what her mother just said.
"Pardon?"
"I can still be with you."
"Really?"
"Yes dear, would you like that? Of course I would be leaving the rest of the family in heaven, but only for a while, until you my dear die too, and then we will both go up together. Would you like that?"
"Oh most defineatly!" She says brightening up and beaming up at her mother.
"Alright I will. But Matthew!"
"Yes dear?" he says beaming from ear to ear at the thought of his wife coming back.
"You will take care of our daughter from now on, promise me that."
"Anything for you darling." he agrees bowing.
"Splendid." Her mother finishes sending a smitten smile towards her father. It seems like their both still in love.
"Elizabeth! You can't do that!" Belthazar finally breaks in.
"I can."
"No you can not! You will get us both in trouble!" He says panicking just a smige.
"I can, and I already am." She finshes smirking at him. And as soon as those last words were spoken she began to gleam. A blinding golden light spreads up and down her translucent body. The light spreads all around her and burst trhough her eye sockets and open mouth. She lets out a small whimper before the light explodes leaving...nothing where she stood.
"Where's mother?"
"Elizabeth?"
"I told you you'd get us in trouble." Belthazar grunts turning back into my sword.