Carmine

The sun glared at us, for we set fire to consume its child.

The fledgling empire of Tiam would burn today.

We all walked briskly on the stone walkway in between the dainty crenellations. Looking down afforded us a sight of a large contingent of soldiers.

Knights traveled on the crux of them, yet the majority of the knights stood on the walls. They were on the northern wall, while we were on the southern wall.

Hopefully, they never saw us least we fight high above the squabbles of the lowly.

We stopped near one of the watchtowers surrounding the bailey. A gale blew and its serenity hugged me in the nestling wind.

On the other side was an immense tarp that covered a large section of the open field in front of the orchid garden.

“Carmine?” Para pointed.

Across the field, at the huge hole, Adu waved at us. Arrows flew up and he ducked behind the wall.

I hoped they were holding out okay.

Xallion asked, “What is really going on here?”

I chanced a look at Five. He gave me one finger. Not long now, I turned, shivering to the warm breeze. The wine and the glass were taken out.

“Part of me would have expected them to see us from up here,” Janilla said.

I poured myself a glass of wine. Janilla always complained, but sometimes her complaints landed well. We were on the wall path that goes into the tower. It would be hard to see us from the ground, but not impossible.

I took a sip and motioned the bottle of wine towards her. She looked at it and shook her head.

More for me than.

Five fidgeted as if he was trying his best not to move. “I am being suppressed. I cannot crack.” To crack was to enter, so Empaths or any capable witch could crack, which in essence allowed them into spaces.

“Who?” I asked.

Five shook his head. “Not sure.” Blood streamed out of his nose.

I stood up. “Five?”

Please do not interrupt me.

Janilla grabbed onto the hem of my robe and peeked at Five from my side. Pera gasped moving behind Xallion.

Almost—

“What happened?” I asked.

A massive rumble rippled through the bottom floor of the keep as rocks spurted out, sending massive projectiles flying into the bailey.

Many soldiers screamed under the crushing mishap befalling them.

We shielded our eyes and faces as the dust traveled with the wind and bashed into us. I choked, while steadying myself against the wind.

Janilla ducked as a rocket sailed over her head, passed us, and down into the city below.

The dust covered most of the keep’s upper wall. Shouts and cries echoed in the atmosphere. My hand quivered in fear as I switched from Five's shivering and Janilla's frightened face.

Swallowing the hesitation in my empty throat, I drew the shaken glass to my lips and sipped.

There were things on my tongue. I spat out the wine and saw dust in the glass, so the wine was disposed of and poured again.

A horn blared. I clenched my teeth and stilled the shaking.

“What is the meaning of this?!” Xallion cried.

Pera laid her hand over mine and gestured with my glass at the rising dust. “A declaration of war.”

I broke the hold and downed the wine, while Xallion twitched his brow in shock at me. Five?

Sorry, I lost contact with the empath. Valor and Adu are trapped, but the soldiers cannot reach them. They are safe for now.

I said, “That is why I brought you up here. To save you from that.” Para and Xallion stared into the thick dust and the myriad of painful cries.

A mumbled thank you came from Para, while Xallion stared at me with squinted eyes.

I mused to myself that I shouldn't have lied but it was my best option. “Come, let us leave.”

We strolled down the pathway with me in front as the others trailed behind. The tower cast a deep shadow as the stairs carried us through a narrow underground passage.

We passed scared and running nobles as our feet stepped into the wide stone brick room. The cold shade of the wading pond that intersected this room at one end had gigantic square makeshift gardens. Large fountains laid in each corner of this place. A makeshift fountain wall crossed the other side to the orchid garden outside.

This was the place from that terrible vision.

A beautiful court hall rested here, if only I never arrived here and brought my chaos to wake in this docile land.

If Canus's blood washed the floor that vision Corona gave me would become true.

As I looked out beyond the water’s sad stream, the cascading spray raised and accented the bushes on the other side.

It brought back so many crushing memories of what could have been now sipping into the earth.

More royalty lingered in small groups crying for help and scant alarm to the whole room as if they were more important than the others. We were the only ones calm.

”My Queen we should leave this place,” Xallion said.

Para twiddled her fingers and looked at me. I nodded at her, yet I could offer no solace. “Go, I have unfinished business.”

“Carmine, I do not want to lose you,” Para said.

“You will not.” But I knew I could not guarantee that.

Xallion sounded unimpressed. “I do not think you are telling me everything.”

I wished I could. “Do not worry. Everything will come to light very soon. Go.”

Xallion sighed. “I hope you are truthful about that.” They turned and filed out with the rest of the screaming nobles and servants.

We needed to get back to the east side of the keep, because saving Valor and the others were going to be a pain.

I sighed for never thinking that far ahead, but I was desperate. Hopefully, Valor could make magic out of misery and figure something out without me.

The chaos gave him room. It did that for all of us as well. We walked more comfortably, soldiers passed by us without a care in the world. Naturally, because they were in a hurry to escape this disaster I created.

Five led us closer to the middle of this hall. Our eyes darted about hoping for no trouble to impale us.

Janilla stalled, grabbing my arm. Five turned when Janilla mentally shouted, That man! He stabbed Sandream!

We saw two men standing in front of a wall spewing a spray of water into a channel. One man moved with vigor and violence in his arms and face, while dressed in clean, but respectable cloth that flowed over his muscular frame. The other man on the receiving end of an aggressive conversation piqued my interest.

Bald, but he had a gray mustache and beard.

Dressed in the typical Ascus fiery red and green colors of our army, he paused as he noticed me. His jaw dropped and his fingers came on his lips as he stared in awe.

“Carmine, Princess Carmi—“ He rushed over and patted me on either side of my shoulders and said, “My Lady, I am so glad to see you are looking so well. By Ashuor’s grace, you have grown.”

Of all people, I ended up seeing Hion. I nodded my head and grinned. “Yes, I have.”

The other man came behind Hion. He looked at Janilla, their long silent stares said enough. The man glanced at Five, Five lifted his chin and made sure he saw Five's hand on his sword pommel.

“My Lady, I sent for you, but lost contact with Garth. What happened? Where is he?” Hion asked.

My hands came behind my back and dropped on the edge of my hips in matrimony. I reached under my wrist's cuff and pressed on the string of the gauntlet to remember this lovely discussion.

“He died.”

Hion’s jaw dropped. He closed it as his fist clutched. “I see, I will have to contact his family and give them the news. My Lady, I heard stories—I am not sure which is true. Still, I knew you had nothing to do with Canus’s murder. He was important to you, I dare say, you loved that boy, my Lady.”

I averted my eyes. “I did.” An exhale escaped me as I returned my gaze. “That is not important right now. What is, is you, Hion.”

Hion shifted as his eyes tapered at me.

“Did you send Garth to kill me?” I asked.

Hion giggled then he stopped. He sighed and smirked at me. “My Lady, do you think I would betray your father in such a manner?”

He is lying. Five's voice resonated.

Hion said, “My Lady, I sought you out specifically, me, I was the only one who did that, no one else cared. It was not because you are his daughter, but, because a conspiracy weaves heavy in the court and that woman has her hands very deep in it."

He is not sure of that, only suspects, but the evidence is strong.

“My Lady, me and a few people loyal to your bloodline wanted you to rule.” Hion spat and said with disgust, “Not that weak boned imbecile of a bastard that she calls a son, my Lady.”

His hatred for the bastard is real, everything else is false.

This was interesting. Still, I was stuck without much direction on what to do with all this information. My confusion ripped me apart right now.

I spoke further, “My father is dead and you were there. Garth suggested to me he was murdered. Do you know who?”

Hion sighed. “No, I wished I did, my Lady. But we know he died of mysterious means. We do not even know how and have any motives, Lady Carmine.”

Lie.

Hion turned and looked in Five’s direction. Five acted oblivious as he stared out into the waterfall along the wall. My hands tensed as I wavered it over the arrowgun under my cape.

Hion looked down, losing interest in Five as he said, “My Lady, though it was odd how Marideth came so quickly to claim the throne—”

I raised my hand and he stopped. Nobles watched each other like they counted their coin. It was not so odd considering her son’s bastardry. “Adu will be dealt with in time.”

Hion turned around. “Yes, Princess Carmine, I guess that is that.”

“No, it is not.”

Hion looked back at me.

“You still tried to have me killed.”

Hion's face contorted in anguish. “Do you think that? My Lady, I understand you've been through a lot but such an accusation is madness.”

Might as well I got everything out before making a move, I asked, “My mother, she is named Arkonlia Erot, right?”

Hion blinked. “How—”

I waved my hand gesturing at him. Hion’s face got darker. “You should not know this, my Lady.”

“Why is that?”

Hion sighed. “It does not matter now, my Lady. Your presence has been revealed and death chases you.”

“You would know about that. What do you know about my mother? Because I met her. I—”

“You have, what has she said?”

“She wants me back. Back in Elam.”

Hion grabbed his chin in thought. “I see. What will you do?”

The horn blared again. Distant screams left me empty and distraught. “You tell me, I do not know what to do.”

Hion twisted his lips in silence.

I spoke, “All this time I thought she was dead. Nobody told me, did you know?”

Hion looked away. “Some secrets are best kept—hidden. You were never supposed to know.”

“Why has she left? Hion, answer me!” Janilla had grabbed my arm to stop me from stepping forward.

Hion looked over me. “Gods are petty. When you read the stories of Gods, the debauchery, the insensible decisions mapped off of the Shyia nature. You were left in Ascus as poison.”

My fingers shivered backward. “Poison?”

“Erot found no better way to anger Ashuor than to ensnare and take advantage of your father’s lust. To lay a destructive egg inside her kingdom, you. Ashuor hated your existence and Erot never cared for it more than a specific task.”

He speaks true.

My chest heaved with a raising ache that waved into my then shaking limbs. I raised my head, clenched my fists hard as I tried not to laugh. This, this, these manipulative Gods, I was used for some petty revenge?

No, this could be true. “Hold on, what task? Mmm? What was I supposed to do, ah?”

“You did it already. He fell in love with your mother and you. You were going to be the Queen which benefited Erot, not Ashuor. Ashuor ordered you gone.”

“That night—”

“Ashuor came for you—your father wanted you to live, so he made a deal. He would banish you. That technically would absolve you of your rank and prestige appeasing Ashuor to some extent. Ashuor has chosen Adu to be her champion, not you. You are a mistake that should never have happened.”

True—but your father never banished you. His hand was forced by the people around him. Namely Hion.

I chuckled. Janilla let go of my arm.

This was ridiculous, right? My heart ached with intense sorrow. It traversed through like a groundswell shaking my feet.

With my blurred vision, I drowned in darkness, while my bones bit back the pain fighting the consumption.

Why was I, some boomon piece, a piece in a game to these Gods? They were not even Gods. They were Shyias who long advanced ahead of the Shyia race pretending importance.

I breathed out, flexing my jaw in avid contempt. “Guess you would know about that?” I motioned at the man behind Hion. He looked flustered.

Hion replied, “He only follows the order of his God.”

Snickers left my tensed lips. “I know, I know. I know all too well.” I slammed my clenched fist against my thighs. Everyone flinched around me. Only then I noted I was breathing hard. “And what about now?”

Hion shook his head. “I am not sure why Elam's assassins chase you.”

“I heard I will kill Erot, as in my sister. That will wash Elam in blood. A war will be waged in my name. I don't know—”

“Interesting prediction, why do you not do it?”

“Wha’?”

Hion nodded. “Listen to me. Your mother means you no good, I may say she will kill you when she is finished using you. But if you have such a grand fate how about using it.”

I turned to Janilla. Our gazes showed the anxiety we felt at that moment. “I have been trying to run from that fate all this time.”

“Then run towards it. Look, I loved your father more than you will ever know.” Lie. “If you are to kill Ashuor's enemy—do it. Your mother was not one of us. You were never supposed to be one of us either. Ashuor, Erot, they can burn in a bath of acid for all I care. Even if they were like us long ago, now they are nothing more than perverted. Shyia was once a great race, we should not be pets to them.”

I said nothing though the retainer looked at Hion with cold narrowed eyes.

“It is your birthright after all. You can make Ascus a powerful empire again. You can make it a power to be feared again. You can do that—if you desire my Lady.”

“You want Ascus to be powerful, oh lovely—to drag them into war?” I snorted. “Have you ever considered to ask what your people want, what your crown King wants?”

Hion said with disgust heavy on his tongue, “He, he is like many, a peasant and peasants should have no opinion on the glory of a nation.”

I got pissed and flashed my hand in his face. “Hion, I am a peasant. You forget? You forget—you all banished me to nothing.”

“You are the Queen now. ”

I turned away. Another horn blared, but in the background of that blazed a high-pitched screech that sounded distorted.

My teeth clattered then Five's eyes widened.

Please tell me it was good news.

He shook his head.

Corona.

I loved my life, I did. A sigh escaped me. The man whispered in Hion's ears, probably about Corona.

Hion narrowed his eyes at me. “They cometh for you. Mm?”

I waved my palm at him. “Say nothing more from your mouth.”

“Carmine, will you not listen to the waves that surge around you? You have to choose!”

I fidgeted and turned towards him. “You assume I asked for this. I asked for none of it.”

Hion stepped forward, Five stepped between us. Hion said under his breath, “If you desire peace then just give yourself over to death then. Many will die whichever way you pick, but your death ends this madness, my Lady.”

“What you always wanted,” I replied with a grin. He moved back. “No Hion, I am Carmine. I am not your Queen. I am just a peasant trying to live. And if anyone wants me dead they have to earn it. Remember that.”