That night in the Queen's parlour, Arabella had been presented with a choice: Either tell the absolute truth about Indigo and the true danger it represented or say just what they needed to hear to get rid of the definitive host once and for all.
As always, she chose a combination of both. Telling them the entire truth meant she would have to explain the fact she was a child born fifteen hundred gears ago, who travelled through time and space to bring a cure against this parasite, a cure that was somehow lost in her travels.
She remembered how she had received the news when Master Nilla had first told her. On the day of her seventeenth name day, she had sat down and her Master had presented her with a metallic box unlike any other she had ever seen. Inside, carefully folded, a baby one-piece and a white bracelet had changed her life forever.
It had taken her some time to fully process what that meant. It took her even longer to understand that her dreams were much more than that. Today and tomorrow became hard to distinguish. And every new day, the future became more of a dread, sad and uncertain, while the past remained absolute, clear and bright.
But such a bleak thought was not one people wanted to hear. No one liked the idea of a doomed tomorrow. So she avoided the matter when she spoke to the group. Instead, she only told them what they needed, and wanted, to hear. Enough to convince them that actions needed to be taken if they were to survive.
"So this parasite," the Captain had said as his nervous pace around the room became more of a strut, "it has infected the Princes?"
"Indeed it has," she responded.
The Queen asked, uncertainty plaguing her voice. "And there's no cure?"
"Not that we know of."
"Then we shall create one." The Withered Flower stood up, as if she wanted to go and search for one. "We'll bring every Physician, every Alienist, any and every person that can help. I don't care what it takes. I'll find one."
"Could we do that?" Shooter Viola asked, her eyes still fixed on the burn in her arm.
Arabella shrugged. "No one has ever acknowledged Indigo's existence before, so no one has ever tried. Perhaps it can be done. As of now, our main interest is to keep the parasite from further spreading. The definitive host controls all the others, so we need to neutralize him. But that does not mean we have to kill him."
"We would have to imprison every other infected person too, if we indeed want to keep this thing from growing stronger," the Viscount spoke, still clenching his future bride.
The Queen shook her head vigorously. "Do what you want with the others. Kill them for all I care. But no one touches my sons. That's an order."
Arabella, of course, intended to ignore the Withered Flower's wishes. She knew that a cure would be impossible to find. If the people that came before them had failed to find one, even with all their science and technology, what chance did they have? They, who were in diapers compared to Gunners. No, Arabella knew that was a losing fight.
All Royders needed to go. If Indigo was left unchecked, it would keep growing until all of Makina was infected. She would take no such chances. Each and every host would have to die, including both Princes. She did not care if that meant securing the Queen's hatred. She would kill them all with her bare hands if she had to.
And she probably would.
********
With the Queen's permission, Captain Batchelor moved against the Princes. Accusing them of treason, both Raynard and Hugo were summoned to the throne room to answer for their crimes.
Arabella knew this would be the day when all was decided. Not only would the Withered Flower be present, a great deal of Royal Corps would be too. Not to mention the members of the Small Council and noblemen and women who would bear witness to the trial. A room full of new targets for Indigo to invade. All it took was a well-placed spit and the parasite would have a new army of Royders.
Before they left her room, Arabella stopped Shooter Viola. "I have something for you. I had it custom made."
She took out the small box and put in in the Shooter's hands. The woman gave her a surprised look with her one good eye before opening it. The silver gun lied on top of a black velvet bed, shining like the sole star in the darkest of nights. Master Nilla had worked hard to have the gun ready and she had even engraved the Shooter's initials on the grip.
Viola took her time examining the weapon, her eye gleaming as her fingers danced around it. She held it, studied it, felt its weight against her skin as she grew accustomed to its shape. It was truly a beautiful piece. Master Nilla had outdone herself.
"This is like the gun you fired last night at Edison," Arabella said. "It will shoot lightning bolts instead of bullets. See those cartridges?" She pointed at the two silver packages that still laid in the velvet bed. "Each one has ten bolts. The gun has another ten already loaded. When you run out of them, just release the empty cartridge with the top button and introduce a new one. Lightning is very hard to harvest, so this is everything we have. However, I am certain Raynard and Hugo will have guns of their own, so you can always take those."
"Thank you," she said, finally looking at Arabella again. "I don't know what to say."
Arabella smiled. "Say nothing, then. Just make me a promise." She held the Shooter's hands with hers and squeezed them tightly. "Promise me you shall use it well. Promise me you will win. Promise me you will not die."
The Shooter drew a feeble smile and pulled her in for a hug. "I promise. Don't worry, Marquise. This ain't my first war."
Arabella felt her heart racing. She knew both of them were making their best to remain calm for the other. They were putting up a brave face, even though they were both afraid of what tonight would bring. They stayed silently embracing each other for quite a while until they finally separated, both their faces flushed and their eyes glassy.
"Ready to go?" Shooter Viola reached out and Arabella grabbed her glove-covered hand. Now more than ever, she was glad she would not be facing this fight by herself.
********
"Crown Prince Raynard," the Withered Flower spoke in a solemn, dry voice that reached every corner of the throne room. "You stand here accused of treason. Were you or were you not behind the plot that resulted in the death of the King of Makina and threw the kingdom into turmoil and uncertainty?"
Standing next to the Queen, Arabella faced the Prince, scrutinizing his every move. Raynard, eyes hidden behind the goggles and mouth covered with the brown leather cloth, remained silent. Even though Arabella could not meet his gaze or see his mouth, she was certain he was smirking.
"Crown Prince Raynard," the Withered Flower spoke again, trying to disguise the tremors in her voice. "You stand here accused of the murder of His Majesty, Samuel Alistair Forge..."
"May he rest in peace," the crowd proclaimed in unison and the Queen sighed in desperation as she spoke over their voices.
"...covering and tempering with the investigation in complicity with several others. Were you or were you not responsible for his death?"
Silence. Raynard, still speechless, remained stoic, unmovable. The Queen began to lose her patience.
"Crown Prince Raynard. You stand here accused of extortion. Were you or were you not responsible for the corruption of several members of court, including your two brothers, Prince Hugo and Prince Edison...?"
"May he rest in peace," the crowd sang again and the Queen pressed the throne's arms with such strength, Arabella thought she saw blood coming out of the woman's hands.
"How do you answer to these charges?" The Queen's voice made it clear she would not accept any more interruptions. Raynard's attitude did not change and Arabella knew it would take more to get him to speak. The Queen seemed to think so too, because she left the throne, climbed down the stairs and stood in front of her son. "How do you answer to these charges?"
Arabella exchanged looks with Captain Batchelor, who was standing across from her, on the right side of the throne. Like her, he was prepared for the worst. His hand was placed on the gun that hung from his belt and his entire body seemed tense. In front of her, behind the Princes, Shooter Viola's eyes kept going from one side of the room to the other, her face hardening a bit more every time she found another face hidden behind goggles and mouth covers. Besides her, the Viscount eyes were fixed on Prince Hugo, who seemed to be answering his taunt with one of his own.
The room was now completely silent. No one knew what was happening. A mental duel seemed to be happening between the Crown Prince and the Queen. They both stood facing each other, bodies livid. Neither moved nor said anything. A moment to last forever. And the more time passed, the more Arabella's fear increased. Suddenly, she thought she could hear the heartbeat of all those present.
Then the moment ended and a new one began. The moment she had been waiting for.
The Crown Prince's movements were fast and flowy. He threw the Queen to the side. The woman let out a loud screech as she crashed against the floor, her crown falling off her head and rolling into the crowd behind. The sound of the doors closing made it clear they were now locked. The sight of the Crown Prince's face without the mouth cover let Arabella know this was the point of no return.
Tongue hanging and saliva dripping, the Prince didn't spit at her or at the Captain. Instead, he turned and pointed his open mouth at the horde of noblemen and women behind him.
Shooter Viola reacted faster than Arabella. She took out the silver gun and pointed it at the Prince. She fired. The lightning bolt landed directly inside Raynard's open mouth. His scream was drowned by the static, his body shaking at its rhythm. He hit the floor and all hell broke loose.
Arabella was prepared. She got rid of her big skirt, revealing the leather pants she always wore underneath. This time, however, she had brought something else. The sword that Master Nilla had made for her. Long, sharp and light, it felt like it belonged in her hands. She wielded it and before she knew it, she had jumped into the floor.
As if commanded by the sword, Arabella went straight into the group of Royders that were now surrounding the fallen Prince. Her eyes met the Viscount's. She heard herself shouting.
"Open the doors! Get the nobles out of here!"
The young man obeyed and ran towards the doors, disappearing behind the crowd that had gathered around the exit, desperate to get away from the mayhem.
Besides her, Viola was running towards the stairs. Knowing that from the upper level the Shooter would have a better vantage point, Arabella tried to clear the way for her. However, a hand grabbed her by the shoulder and pulled her back with such intensity, she almost fell to the floor.
Raynard was now standing up and bleeding profusely. Every single hole in his face was dripping the blue oil she had come to know and fear so much. As he approached her slowly, she saw the thin and shaky frame of the Queen crawling on the floor, trying to escape the heat of battle.
"Captain!" She screamed. The man, who was fighting two at once, took a moment before turning to see her. "Get the Queen out of here."
She did not have a chance to see if the Shark had obeyed her. Raynard jumped at her with all the power of a beast. They both crashed against the floor. He was on top, trying to subdue her. For a second, he did it. He opened his mouth and the ooze came out. She felt it crashing against her face, yet it did not burn her skin.
Arabella smiled at Raynard's anger. "Wrong move, fucker."
Raising her foot, she put it on his chest and pushed him away. She got up and pointed her sword at him. He hissed and launched at her again. Her sword crashed against his metal wrist bands. Sparks flied as steel crashed against iron. They were now dancing. She was leading, her attacks becoming faster and stronger. She had trained with the sword since she was five. It was now showing.
They used the space around them in their fight. They moved around the room and everyone seemed to move to let them pass. She went left, her blade biting Raynard's shoulder. The cut was superficial and he barely noticed it. She needed to go for the neck. Not even a Royder could survive without a head.
Around them, the fight was raging. The sight of a bolt of lightning hitting a would-be attacker let her know Viola had reached the upper floor. The Shooter now had eyes on everything. On her left, through the corner of her eye, she saw the Viscount leading a group of RoyalCorps against four Royders. Despite being badly bruised from his previous Royder attack, the young man was fighting boldly. It was clear, however, he wouldn't last much longer.
The Shark had disappeared from her view and so had the Queen. One less thing to worry about. Her sword made a deeper cut, this time on Raynard's leg, but her victory was short-lived. Grabbing her blade with his hands, the Prince broke it as if it was nothing more than a piece of wood. His fist on her stomach made her lose touch with the moment. Before she knew it, she was flying across the room. She crashed against the wall, her head receiving the impact first.
The world was spinning. Her vision was compromised. Blood was filling her mouth with the taste of iron. Shapes and figures surrounded her. Shadows. She heard screams that seemed to come from some distant place. She was not there anymore. She closed her eyes and shook her head, trying to come back to the moment. When she opened them again, the world had changed.
A ringing was growing in her ears and she did her best to ignore it. Shining in the distance, her broken weapon laid next to the group of Royders who were now standing between her and Raynard. Feeling the anger rising in her chest, she let it feed her. She stood up. She cracked her knuckles and felt her blood boiling.
Arabella ran towards them. She did not engage them directly. Instead, she slid on the floor, passing between the open legs of one. Jumping back up, she kicked the one closest to her on the knees, then again on the head. Two more came her way. She reached the knife on her belt and stabbed the first one on the neck, sliding the blade until she ran out of skin. Turning to the second one, her blade landed on the man's green eye. His scream was enough to make her realize he was no Royder. She tossed him aside and focused on Raynard again.
His fists went her way but she dodged them and went low. Her open palm crashed against his chest, throwing him back. Remembering her days of training with Master Nilla, she seized the opportunity. Her fists were the ones who attacked this time and they crashed against his sides. Right, left, right. She could feel his anger growing as his strike failed again.
She repeated the combo. She needed to wear him down before using the knife. As his attacks became angrier and more erratic, hers turned fleeting and unerring. She hit hard and fast. She went in and out with all the speed she had left in her increasingly tired body.
The Shark's voice made her turn to see him fighting against Hugo. Her brief distraction made her take a punch to the cheek. For a brief second, she thought some of her teeth might have fallen off. The thought sent a shock through her body. Focusing again, she saw Raynard charging at her. She grabbed the knife and leapfrogged over the Prince, landing behind him. She then jumped again, clinging to his back.
Raynard moved stupidly, trying to shake her off, but she nailed herself to his skin. Using her elbow, she stroke his neck repeatedly until he finally roared in pain. His legs trembled and Arabella raised her knife. In the blink of an eye, the blade went into the Prince's skin. A shade of indigo came gushing out of Raynard's neck as he swung desperately.
The knife came out from inside him, only to find its way back. Arabella stabbed him with such strength, she felt the blade coming out on the back side of his neck. The pool of blood underneath them filled the room with a putrid smell. Behind her, Hugo's enraged scream was cut short by the Shark's own dagger, which went through the Prince's skin, drowning his last howl.
Arabella let go of the Prince's body, which crashed against the pool of blue blood with a loud bang and a slight splash. Around her, the last Royders standing cried in agony at the sight of their fallen leaders. Taking a deep sigh, Arabella kneeled beside Raynard and took her knife out of his neck. Then, standing up with renewed will, she turned to the remaining Royders and pointed the blade at them.
"Time to end this."