The army followed me down the road, through the gates, and into the castle. I walked through the front doors and was immediately greeted by a confused Joey. He seemed worried.
"Make yourselves at home," I told them before I turned to Joey. He seemed quite angry with me.
"What have you done?" Joey asked me criticizingly.
"Listen to me when I say this Joey," I said with such a ferocious-ness that Joey immediately regretted speaking to me with such a condescending manner. "You tell me to stay quiet to save myself. I was not made with a fire in my heart so I could be put out. I have not been made this way to be talked down from doing what it right. I wake up every morning to fight the same demon that left me so tiresome the night before. That, Joey, is bravery. What you have is cowardness. In no way, shape, or form will I let myself leave cold soldiers out in the snow of winter overnight when there is plenty of room inside the castle for them to sleep."
"They're the enemy-" Joey started.
"They are not the enemy," I interrupted.
"They murdered your family," Joey argued.
"No," I stated, "They followed orders."
"The orders that killed your family and friends," Joey started to raise his voice.
"If I am to not forgive them then how is God supposed to forgive me for my sins?"
Joey sat quietly.
"Listen Joey," I growled, "I have been pacing the castle for two years. Thinking. Overthinking and then rethinking everything again. Anytime I spoke of that day I was either fighting the will to cry or fighting the want to rip Jason limb from limb. You know what that sounds like to me?"
Joey stayed silent.
"A lesson."
Joey scoffed and rolled his eyes, "You've gone insane."
"Your enemy is not sleeping in the spare bedrooms today, our enemy is sleeping in out heads and tormenting us until we turn them off," I explained.
Joey shook his head.
I grabbed him by the collar and pulled him close to me. My voice laced with pent up anger and frustration as I spoke, "I am your Hena and you never told me that Rachel had a plan."
Joey's eyes widened in fear.
"Not only that but I'm your friend," I dropped him and did a 360° spin to calm down.
"How did you-"
"Some of these people are from Lionsville Joey," I snapped, "Rachel got some of them out before the murders."
Joey turned around.
"They're scared Joey," I explained, "Each of them is scared I'm going to rip them to shreds for killing my family."
"Will you?" Joey asked as he turned back around, "That is kinda what you're known for."
"How can you even say that?"
"Because it's true, you've always been the one to do the dirty work yourself and get your hands bloody," Joey explained, "You made yourself look like a monster so nobody else had to. You locked yourself in that room for ages so you wouldn't do something you'd regret."
"I've forgiven them," I told him.
"And Jason?"
"I have a surprise for Jason."
"Oh no."
--
Challenge day
--
"You ready for this?" I asked Jasper as I put on his last piece of armor. I tightened the strap so it would be snug and the took a step back to look at him.
"It doesn't matter if I'm ready or not," Jasper sighed, "I'm going to let everyone down."
"You can win this," I told him.
"Carla, I challenged you so I'd bring out the leader in you that we need," Jasper explained.
My shocked expression must've worried him because he tried to say something else but I interrupted him, "You called me Carla."
"I figured since this is the last time-"
"No," I growled as I grabbed his face and made him look at me, "You're not going to die. You're going to win and then I'll spare your life."
"Jason was never one to surrender Carla," Jasper explained, "Someone has to die and I'm not going to kill him."
"Then beat him until he almost dies," I told him, "Tire him out and then stick a knife somewhere vulnerable and make him surrender."
"I haven't practiced in a year," Jasper worriedly sighed.
"You can do this," I gently said as I let go of him, "Now go, before you forfeit for being late."
"What happens if I forfeit?" Jasper asked.
"Everyone looks at you like you're a coward and you'll be shunned," I told Jasper, "Now go."
"Thank you Carla," Jasper said with a forced smile before he left.
I walked after him, my boots hitting the hardwood with even step.
I straightened my blue t-shirt and re-centered my crown before walking out the front door. Everyone crowded around the ring where Jasper and Jason now stood.
Joey was announcing the rules and how everything would play out. He explained that armor will be taken off for the final fight for the Alpha title and that they are just fighting for who is going to challenge the Alpha.
I made my way next to Joey just as he finished.
He turned the microphone off and looked at me with a face full of fear.
"Carla you have always cared for me. You have always but the needs of your friends and your people about your own needs. You have always fought for the lives of your family without hesitating, even if you thought you'd die in the end. You are like a sister to me, and no matter what the outcome of the day ends up being, I want you to know that. That you are my sister, and I'll love you whether or not you rip Jason apart."
I nodded and pulled him into a hug, "You are my brother Joey, and I'll always fight to keep you alive."
Joey smiled down at me and rung the bell to start the fight. I looked down worriedly as I watched Jasper and Jason grab identical swords.
Jasper was quick.
Jason was quicker.
Jasper was luckily good at blocking as well as he was light on his feet and good at getting away from a potentially fatal swings.
The loud crash of steel swords meeting eachother had echoed in each of our ears as we watched Jasper knock his brother down to the ground.
A sword was thrown and Jasper held his brother to the ground.
Cold steel agaisnt Jason's neck.
The mumbling of them talking back and forth could be heard but could not be heard clearly through the crowd of people cheering.
And then it happened.
Jason had orchestrated the hole endeavor, the whole fight.
From the beginning few slashes to the knife left protruding from Jasper's chest.
The screams singing from the depths of my heart demanded his head on a stake.
Jasper was such a kind soul.
Always helping the helpless. Always taking care of the parentless. He showed me that not everything is as it seems.
Another gem was placed on the crown Jason wore.
And then it clicked.
"You fight at dusk," Joey said into the microphone before holding me in a hug. My knees began to weaken as I watched them carry away the body of someone I saw as a brother.
"Don't you see why you have to fight?" Joey explained, "You have to kill him."
My blank expression invited more words like that as Joey attempted to convince me I needed to rid the world of this monster.
It wasn't even the scariest part.
That title was given to the only thought running through my head: "I'm not a murderer."