"Who are you and why are you here?" I whisper in their ear.
"What, you can't even recognize your only friend?" Vie. Only he would be crazy enough to break into my room. At what? three in the morning.
"Did you have to break into my room?"
"I heard what the Green King said to you, I also saw you break into your own library. I mean, who else would so that?"
I pinch the bridge of my nose, I can almost feel myself growing grey hairs with this stress. "I've just found out that my Elder's have been lying to my face for my whole time I've been King. Who knows, they might have been doing it to the past Kings as well. Maybe they just view me as a puppet. A replaceable tool and it seems my days left as a King are numbered."
"Woah, woah, woah. Where did all of this come from?"
I show him my list of things the Elders have done behind my back or lied to me about. The list is about as long as a novella at this point. I quickly flip through a few pages a point at one thing, "Assassination of Blue King" Vie steps back so quickly, he almost falls. A look of terror and disgust is plastered on his face. He then snatches the list from my hands and looks at the name of the Elder who orchestrated it. Iver.
His eyes meet mine, betrayal fills his blue eyes. "You, you were mentored by this guy, weren't you? You must have known about this?" His voice steadily gains volume, "I thought we were friends. I thought I could trust you." At this point, his tone turns from angry into accusing.
I turn around, "It seems you won't listen to what I have to say. I suppose I must bid you farewell, Blue King." Sadness. Why do I feel sad? I never did trust him, yet why does my heart feel like breaking when he walks away? It seems fate had forbidden me from friendship and trust. Only blood and betrayal wait for me in the future.
Vie's POV
A few days have passed and I still haven't talked to-- wait I mean the Red Kind. My elders say that I shouldn't befriend an enemy King, especially one of the Red Faction. Seeing how we are enemies and all.
I walk to the library and I don't have to sneak, unlike someone~. Wait. I really shouldn't think about her, seeing how we're not friends anymore. I begin to research the death of my brother and mentor, the past Blue King. N did claim that she didn't help nor know that her faction was the cause of their death. Yet me being the dumb, naive, and selfish brat that I am decided to throw rude accusations at her.
I sneak into the "Elder Only" part of the library and open a few books and scrolls. I finally find the one I'm looking for, "Deaths of Past Kings". I smuggle the scroll back into my room and quickly skim it. I soon find a pattern, many Kings have died by the same poison. A poison that is only available to the Blue Faction Elders.
I find my brother's name. Cause of death - assassination, weapon(s) used - aflatoxin and tetrodotoxin. Two poisons only found in Red and Blue Factions. I sigh and collapse on my bed, my hands rubbing my temples. So it was a combined effort. I was only told that the Reds did it. Maybe they've also brainwashed me, just like what they did to N.
Midnight comes in a flash, and I have just snuck close to Red Faction estate. Smoke is billowing out from everywhere, windows, doors, and the roof. I wrap some damp fabric over my mouth and run inside. I quickly navigate my way to N's room. She isn't there. The library, she must be researching still! I run to the library. I spot N in the middle of the room, surrounded by fire and smoke that appears to be spiraling around her. I follow her line of sight to the source of the flame, and what used to be a bookshelf. Written in what seems to be blood is "A fire that burns bright only turns to ash". I approach the motionless N, but before I reach her she says, "Vie, why are you here? Even after our friendship has fallen to pieces to still come back?"
"I recognize that I was wrong that night, I came to see if I could right that wrong."
"You're too late. It is too late for me. They have found out what I've done. Tonight is my last night."
"They wouldn't kill you, right? I mean, you are the best fighter I've ever seen." A voice in my head keeps refusing to believe the obvious truth.
"Naive as always. My time has come to an end, you see. It truly was nice knowing you." Her voice is even colder than it was before, so cold it was as if the flames froze. "Do you remember the story I told you? The one with me and Four?"
"Yes, yes I do."
"Good, now I haven't finished that story." Her voice sounds hoarse as if she's been crying recently.
"Wait, N, we have to leave. This fire, it's not stopping."
"Don't you understand? I can't leave! The minute I became King, they took everything from me! I can't- I can't even trust my own memories anymore…"