Hey guys.... so I missed Thursday literally on my first try. I originally planned the updating schedule as Monday and Friday then changed it last minute to give myself more time by changing it to Thursday. I forgot I made that correction. I'm sorry but I'm really going to try harder next time. I've never had an updating schedule before I'm trying so hard to discipline myself.
-
April is riding a werewolf, not in the fun way. She's riding a werewolf on the moon's side with a bloody sword in her hand. Getting on top of a werewolf who promised her that he could successfully get her down from a very tall tower as long as she held on tightly.
The mission was suicidal for both of them but they did it anyway.
April's weight though knocked Donovan to the ground. Succeeding in crushing his back legs. He lets out a howl and April who rolled to the ground almost on impact feels a frightening cold chill run through her at the sound.
He's in pain.
Thankfully, it doesn't last for long as his bones began snapping back into place. Battered skin healing and dislocated jaw finds its proper location. April doesn't even have time to admire him as he stretches out at full size.
April was attacked by a witch's strength. She's pulled off the ground by a magical force levitating in mid air before she's slammed against the wall that separates the moon from the sun.
April's skull makes impact with the wall and she feels as though every part of her body had moved back and connected to the wall leaving her immobile as she fell down from the height.
While she's down for a spilt second she imagines her life as someone else. Maybe she wasn't April maybe she was Mary or may even. Mary would've grown up to be a housewife, maybe Mary would've been lucky enough to get a husband that wasn't a complete prick and she would've been able to tolerate him. Mary would be happy cleaning up after her children, to wait for her husband to fuck her every night and she'd be happy in general.
In her imagination, Mary who's also April turns and scoffs at her.
"Who're you trying to fool, there's no where else fitted for you than here." Mary said and April snaps out of it.
Donovan is being pinned to the floor in an uncomfortable impossible manner and three witches are surrounding him. One's grabbed on to his mouth and was forcing it close. They were all paying close attention to him. He's whimpering as they continued to pushing him down and tug him around.
April tries to move as slowly as possible, her head is throbbing and she starts to see black spots in her vision. She fears its death. She's frightened because she hasn't even lived yet, not really anyway.
Her arm travels to her boot and she grabs the knife that's hidden there. She throws the knife so fast and carelessly that she misses. She can't see well and her vision is only getting worse.
"Met I thought you killed her." One of the witches said and the Met girl answers.
"I thought she was dead, no matter-" the girl and before soon a dark cloud like force was rushing towards her. April quickly rolls over and the cloud misses her.
"What in the name of the moon is that?" Another witch said.
"Did she just dodge a spell?" The witch asked and April crawls away from them as they spoke.
"Let's see." Another witch said and started chanting something that causes April to be lifted to the sky once more. April can vaguely see the dark cloud sounding her neck but she can feel it there. She takes her hand and wraps it around the cloud despite the tightening of it around her neck, choking her. She tightens her hold over and struggles around it.
Suddenly everything slows down as she tightens her hold on the cloud. Somehow she can hold something that shouldn't be physical that shouldn't even be visible and some how she's able to tear it apart.
She dropped to the floor but the perplexed witches are just getting started.
"HERE!" A soldier screams to April before tossing down an axe and a shield.
April gathers it quickly. For some reason the witches let her.
"STUPID WEAK HUMAN, YOU THINK YOU CAN BEAT US. YOU THINK YOU CAN-"
This too happens quickly, April's sudden small knife penetrating her left eye.
This was it. This was her chance.
Despite the throbbing in her head she runs towards the witches a battle cry on her lips because, deep down she knows there's nowhere or anyone else she'd rather.
-
Juliet is the best maiden in the whole castle. She earned the title because she's the King's favorite. Before Juliet was a royal maid she was the King's friend. Friend is a generous word to describe their lack luster relationship but Juliet was always the King's favorite.
She always knew what he needed, sometimes way before even he did.
She never had any competition, no one understands the king like she does.
Here she was, warming his bed like she's always dreamed of doing with him actually in it.
They didn't have sex, not yet anyway.
They were just laying there naked staring up at the glass painting the King's godfather had made for him before he died.
"Your majesty-" Juliet started but the king doesn't allow her to speak.
"Be quiet." He says eyes focused on the ceiling.
Juliet bites her lip and continued tearing into the painting. The king turns and lifts his hand towards her face. Juliet flinches but doesn't make any attempt to jump back.
"I want to eat you." The king says and Juliet's eyes widen.
"There's this tiny voice inside me saying if I eat you I'll feel better. That I won't hurt so much anymore." The king said turning Juliet's jaw to the side to stare at her long tan neck.
She swallows and he can feel her heart thumping from his thumb through his whole body.
"If it would make you happy your majesty. You can have all of me." Juliet said and the king stares at her.
He hates how devoted she was to him. How somehow she looks like him, like a piece of him that had fallen off his body.
"No- don't say that." The king said his talons are growing and the gums around his canines are shaking.
"No matter what happens Juliet, don't let me feed on you or anyone else. Kill me or kill everyone else. Do not let me taste anyone else. Do you understand me?" He asked and Juliet placed her hand on his.
She holds his hands, it's warm and rough. She answers a lie.
"I understand my king."
They laid side by side hands in each other's. Juliet sleeps but the king doesn't, his stomach is growling and for someone who's never been hungry before it's a sleepless experience.
The king had 3 women in his life.
He had Akia who wanted him to be good, better.
He had the queen who wants him as the king. As whatever he wanted to be.
He had Juliet and Juliet didn't think this was enough. She thinks he's weak. He's human, disgustingly so despite being a mix of every kind of strength the moon could provide. Juliet wants him to command the earth to serve him.
Juliet and Akia had common goals they just went in opposite directions.
When morning comes the king finally sleeps and Juliet begins her day differently than usual. She turns in the King's bed and looks over to the wooden box on the side of his bed.
She opens it and she finds a giant pressed sunflower invaded in a photo frame. She remembers when he received it.
Remembers how happy he was then 2 years ago when he'd received it from Akia.
The framed flower was a thank you present.
Juliet remembers her words.
"I wanted to give you something to say thank you Sir- sire?, and I couldn't think of a single thing you wouldn't have and figured you might not have a flower of your own that you could carry with you whenever. Something you could look at whenever you wanted and be reassured that the sun is always with you. To feed, guide and protect you." Akia said, she had moved up the stairs and guards had stepped in front of her before she could reach the king. The lion that laid besides the throne back then roared to life.
Akia was frightened, clutching the frame to her chest.
"Let her through." The king had said simply. The lion laid back to rest as the commotion settled. It yawned as Akia walked closer to the king and settled its head down.
The king extended his hand and Akia bows her head before she placed the item in his hand. He took the item, his eyes glanced over it and then he brought it to his nose.
He smells the frame for a moment it was obvious he had transported somewhere else. Somewhere where the scent,her scent had filled his surroundings leaving on the two of them. He hands the frame to someone else and thanks Akia.
Who smiles brightly. The deformities in her cheeks showing. This makes the king smile as well at her unique feature.
Juliet should've known what that smile meant. Especially when the witch doctor had passed by her as she exited the palace. She should've known when the witch doctor stared at her for a moment too long before his face engulfed in a smile.
Juliet was known for her keen eye to detail but she'd missed it. She'd missed this whole plot. She placed the frame down.
She picks up a watercolor painting. It's Akia, well almost Akia. The jaw was a bit off but she remembers this day too. The day the king asked the palace painters to paint him a portrait to prove their skills to him. He only wanted one painter but invited more than 30 to paint for him.
He described her, the hue of her skin, the softness and curves of her eyes. The sharp of her lips, the round shape of her nose. Her short straight eyebrows and long eyelashes. The curly wild flower decorated mane she used to run around with.
They had all gone to work and he'd refused all of them. He looked at them for quite a while before settling for this one.
Juliet recalls the first time she acknowledged the King's infatuation with the girl.
It was at a family dinner and Akia was maybe a couple days passed 15. Her hair had been braided down and decorated for the night. She was wearing a bright dress covered in gold glitter.
She was the youngest one at the long table that accompanied the king and all the other generals. She was sat next to her sister. While the king and their father talked the two giggled through out the whole night.
The king was curious, perhaps even a little offended by their continuous giggles.
He questioned it.
"What's so funny?" He asked calling everyone's attention away from general worship's speech.
"Oh I'm so sorry your majesty. I would've had these two eat with the dogs if I knew they were going to be this rude." Lady Kenya said scolding the girls with her eyes.
"No it's nice to hear laughter, I'm just unsure if it's directed towards me or not." The king said and Akia's eyes widen and she spoke to the king aside from a greeting for the first time that night.
"What would we have to laugh about you your majesty?" Akia asked. "You're the greatest king elfton ever had." Akia said seriously.
"Have you met many kings?" The king asked and Akia shakes her head.
"Admittedly no. But I couldn't imagine there being a sacrifice bigger than the one you've given up for us. Some kings lost their lives for this kingdom. That much is true but no king has lost close to everything and chosen to continue living for the sake of his people."
Everyone was stunned by her words.
"Akia stepped in poop before coming inside so she's eating without any shoes on. It was funny because we knew mother would kill her if she found out. She was being very rebellious." April said and Akia laughs only to meet her mother's death glare.
Juliet could practically feel some of the weight lift off the King's shoulders at the comment. The war had been long gone but the pains of the separation of all he knew at home was still very much there.
The king had kissed Lady Kenya goodnight and then April and then a bare footed Akia who smelled of all the good things in the world.
Back then despite the king battling monsters opened up by the war everyone had moved on from. Akia has Congratulated him had filled this hole in him. This hole of acknowledgement where someone recognized his sacrifice.
He'd lost most of everything that was him and awakened everything that wasn't. Everyone had moved on from the war and he was still in it.
Juliet thinks it's easy to assume that all he wanted to hear was praises. 'You're doing good.' Or 'you did well' but the queen gave him that no matter what so it must've been something else with Akia.
The king used to take long trips from the palace to the field when the servant he paid to spy on them said they'd be there.
He'd watch the two sisters run around. Akia falling almost every other moment, April laughing at her until she started whimpering.
Every moment he spent looking at her filled all the empty spaces in his heart.
Juliet picked up letters. Still rolled and bowed with the prettiest colored bows.
These were the letters, the letters he wished to sent her, to confront his feelings if he was ever so brave, brave enough to face that he was never someone she'd consider brave enough to break his promise.
He never sent them out, the many many drafts all pages filled by adoration and desires.
Juliet wants to open them but she doesn't.
The king needs to forget them. Opening the letter will have a ripple effect that'd take him back to her and she just wasn't going to allow him to continue to be week like this.
The decision was so quick.
The catch was even quicker. She Was a kitchen staff member, a young girl maybe 14.
The girl was shaking as she was led to the King's chambers.
Juliet woke the king up gently.
"Morning your majesty. I brought you nourishment."