Emerelda figured it out, her Father was not…normal.
His thoughts were scattered, far more scattered then normal thoughts of people. He didn't want Emerelda to be trained with her gift because of fear, but fear of what? He blamed her for almost everything wrong. The time where Floyd's mother ran away from the kingdom, he had cornered her in her chamber and yelled on how a horrible daughter she was. When her mother had passed away, he wouldn't listen twice on the fact she admitted she had gift and that she heard her mother's last thoughts.
"The sight of you was what made her leave this earth." He said when she confronted him again.
"You are dense."
"Stop trying to reach Floyd's level."
"You were lucky to even get this throne, if you get it that is."
"I wouldn't count on your new gift that you now suddenly had. Why you kept it a secret disgust me. Your punishment is that you wouldn't learn more of it."
"I wonder how you're even my daughter."
Floyd wasn't around most of the times, and she wanted to keep it like that. Her father worshiped Floyd, she worshiped Floyd as well. Floyd was everyone's saint, they all regarded him as someone high, an angle who was from heaven.
That was how she kept on living, for Floyd. She loved Floyd despite not being full siblings, and Floyd loved her. That was what she fed on. And he knew it as well.
Except that all got ripped from her.
"Your highness, Prince Floyd!" A butler called.
She looks up from her book and watched Floyd walking in. The butler retreated and closed the door. Floyd smirks when he saw her. He looked like Father, blue and blond hair. They strangely looked nothing alike.
"Another reread?" he asks as he strolled over sitting on the edge of her bed.
Emerelda looked down at her Oscar Wilde book, "Why yes, of course. Now, what bring you here?"
He shrugs, "I came to see you, I wanted to know how you were feeling."
Emerelda smiles, "I am doing well, mostly the same as before. Nothing has changed, I can assure you."
"That, I know." Floyd chuckles, "I meant how are you feeling during these times?"
Emerelda understood, "Ah you meant the whole killings happening with the so call Midnight Assassin?"
"You despise the name, do you?"
"The name is ridiculous! Too cliché."
Floyd shrugged again, "I wouldn't know, I hardly read books."
She rolled her eyes, "Think about it; imagine having a whole Assassin on the loose to call it the 'Midnight Assassin', because it kills during Midnight. Quite pathetic, I could name better."
His eyebrows rose, "And what would it be?" he challenges.
"I haven't thought about it!" she snaps, "Not yet that is."
"Then the 'Midnight Assassin' would not change. Let's leave it at that."
Emerelda closed her book with a loud thud and sighs, "I do feel as if the writer for this story struggled with this name."
"What was that?" Floyd questions, "You were mumbling."
She shook her head, "Nothing." She smiles, "And to answer your question, I am a little fearful."
Floyd nods, "I am too. Don't you worry; they wouldn't get into the palace."
Her whole mood shifted at the name of palace. She held back tears and whispers, "I hate it here."
Floyd was by her side without a moment's thought. He held her and stroked her head, "Tell me Emerelda, give me the reason on what bothers you and I would help you."
'If you knew, everything would change.'
She pushed him away, "I'm fine, I hate the system. I already explained that to you."
Floyd didn't seem convinced although he removed his arms from her, "I want to help you.'
'But if you knew Father was the problem, what would you do? What would you think? Things can't change. Things need to be the same.'
She forced a smile, "You worry too much."
He didn't smile back, "I worry about you."
She placed a hand on his shoulder, "That is reassuring, thank you."
He got off the bed and sighed, "I'll be in my room if anything." He starts walking to the door.
She raised her eyebrows, "Oh? You're finally not busy enough to be in your room hmm?"
He turns to roll his eyes at her, "I'm on a break, be happy for me."
"I'm quite happy for you. Truly." She grins.
Floyd opens the door and chuckles with a "Lying is a sin." And the door slam shut behind him.
That night Emerelda,an hour after Floyd left, twisted and turned. She should tell Floyd. She should seek help against her Father. All she had to do is simply explain the problem to him. Though she was scared. He saw glimpse on how Father was, therefore he'll believe her. Although…if Floyd went against their Father, her Father would surely blame it on her, hurt her…
She got up from her bed and slowly, barefooted, walked to Floyd's chamber. Usually, since she was a child, when she had trouble sleeping, she'll quietly walk into Floyd's chamber and sleep in his bed until he realized she climbed in with him and hold her close.
The hallways were empty and quiet. Emerelda found this slightly strange but didn't think much of it. It was best the guards were not here, they would have sent her off and back to her room.
She opens his door slowly. She hesitates but then peers through and at the center of the room she saw a figure in the darkness. She gave out an embarrass smile as she got caught. She opens the door wide and froze.
There were two figures.
The more the hallways light seeped into the chamber, the more she saw the scene ahead clearly. Floyd had a sword pierced through his chest looking down at it with shock. Emerelda gasped and rushed to him.
She didn't make it.
She watched the figure pulled the sword back and disappeared out to the night breaking the window. Glass shattered all around, exposing the breeze form the outside.
Emerelda suddenly couldn't move. This was a dream, she told herself. This wasn't real. She closed her eyes tight and opened it again expecting to see her decorated ceiling. All she saw was Floyd's body bleeding all over the floor.
She chocked on a sob and her legs started moving again. She dropped on all floors and pulled Floyd onto her lap, tapping his face and opening his eyes.
"Floyd!" she calls, "Floyd, can you hear me? Floyd!"
Floyd didn't respond, and more blood gushed through his wound. She started putting pressure onto it, trying to stop all the blood. Instead, the blood seeped through her fingers and her hands started becoming wet and sticky.
"Floyd! Please, please, please." She prayed, "Please don't die." She whispers.
She realized the blood wouldn't stop with just her hands. She looked around and next to her was a shard of glass. She picked it up and ripped a long piece from her night gown. Slowly, but hastily, she wrapped it around his chest. She tied it tight and went back having Floyd on her lap.
She starts tapping his cheeks again, "Floyd, stay with me alright? Stay…" she trailed off.
The cloth she wrapped was soaked with blood.
With horror, and devastation, Emerelda stared down at the lifeless body before her.