Creeping up the rubble staircase with lethal intent and swiftness, Aloysia was heading for the Castle entrance in order to remove any of the kings control over her.
But most importantly, the Death stone within.
The guard, however strong; who had the misfortune of investigating the scream, was wiped from existence with a quick swipe of her fingers; falling to dust, only to fly away with the stuffy air and trickle down the staircase under foot of Aloysia.
Not a single shudder flew down her spine at the brutality and total decimation of an innocent soul that a normal person would have felt. She just continued mounting forward, not even sparing a glance as she murdered him.
Liam, who was only a few steps behind her, was not as graceful on the crumbling stone as she would have hoped.
Fumbling over the grime staining each surface, his mind and body would have appeared at first glance disconnected, which in fact, they were.
Instead, his mindless stealth caused heavy footsteps to cast echoes to the chambers above, to which the soldiers stationed there, would hear.
A sound portraying, most importantly, only one person ascending the stairwell.
Wasting no more time in thought, Aloysia hastily crept behind Liam, and brutally shoved him forward; sending him flying through the blackened arch connecting the inner castle walls to the deep depths of torture.
Lucky for him, he was able to stabilise himself without arousing suspicion, but it did earn him a few queer looks that he merely shrugged off.
Somehow something inside him was squirming; removing any emotion of fear, Cowardice, or regret.
His conscience had been locked away, and his beating heart was under lock and key, as if any irregular heart beat signalling weakness was intolerable...
The bright castle hallways were in contrast to the dim lighting beneath, making the Prince squint in discomfort.
Opening his eyes further, and allowing his pupils to adjust, he took into account the layout of his current position.
Directly in front, lead out to a hallway connecting this open room to the main castle, guarded by 9 of the most brutish looking guards.
Bit much? Just for 1 prisoner?
Like a mindless drone controlled remotely, his legs began walking toward one guard calmly, as if just to report of his 'visit'.
Behind him, and still enveloped by the darkness of the stairwell, Aloysia crouched down, wrapping her dark cloak around her hidden body; as if to hide and wait patiently for her cue.
Carefully and quietly, a hood shrouded her frame out of vision from the guards, as she watched from below; a smirk being the only hint of her existence within the mingling of the shadows.
She was given a name for a reason...
"Prince Liam"
He swivelled his head.
"The king is looking for you, he wishes a meeting"
Liam gave no expression, his face blank and unreadable.
The guard stepped forward, "He has informed us that you can not deny this meeting, it is one of importance"
His tone was dominating, yet Liam showed no retraction or sign of intimidation.
He was instead distracted to what the man in front of him was saying, to the sun's ray catching the shining emblem on his uniform, sparkling in the morning sky. The royal wolf of the Northern kingdom.
The king had his own guards stationed here instead of Southern guards?
"No" Liam answered, causing the guard to raise an eyebrow; a rough hand outstretching to his sword's pommel slyly.
"It is not a request Liam"
His tone turned threatening as the grip strengthened; a clear frustrated expression shining through.
The atmosphere grew thick, dominance leaking out of these bastards who think they own him.
Surrounding him, other guards passed eye contact; silent confirmation.
Liam peered over his shoulder, noticing the sudden change in fidgeting; eyes reading for any sign of danger.
The 4 walls suffocating him were radiating back the tension; punishing him in waves.
"I made myself quite clear, I am not leaving" Liam spat, body flaring.
The guard sighed, dipping his head; only to straighten once agin, drawing his sword and muttering "I wish it didn't have to come to this"
Instantly, silver flashed the ray of the sun, and the sharp sound sliced at his ear of metal scraping against metal.
It was brought above his head, driving down with horrendous force it would have shattered bone.
If it could only reach it...
Before it had a chance to leave the toxic fumes of tension to meet flesh, 2 swift hands appeared out of thin air, catching the sword's fuller between its palms; halting the movement, and ringing off silence.
A vibration was released to due to the impact, yet the person didn't move an inch.
Dawning an all to familiar hood, a voice peeped up beneath it.
"Neither did I"
Her grin was inhumaine as it boomed from her crimson full lips.
A tongue, painfully slow, ran over her white teeth as her head lifted.
There, matching her lips, shone the deathly eyes that could transport you to hell in a blink.
The guard bearing down her stare visibly swallowed his words, hands beginning to tremor slightly.
Aloysia's fingers, ever so gently feathered along the sword's blade; a kind, almost beautiful gesture that was anything besides that.
Her fingertips snaked up the pommel onto the guards rough hand shaking in its grip.
Everyone in that room could see what that guard wanted to say, but they knew his lips, throat, and heart had betrayed him.
All systems that were ment to function failed in anticipating, and surviving someone he knew very well.
"It'd be a shame to kill you now, Chase"
He visibly shuddered at the hearkening of his name being bitten of another's tongue so harshly.
Aloysia's body quietly turned to the present guards ogling from the sidelines, abandoning his touch.
"It'd be a shame to kill all of you, but if you leave me no choice, I will happily oblige" she mused.
Liam deadpanned at her words, a slow smile creeping to his lips, knowing full well that what was about to happen would be spectators sport.
The tension consuming the atmosphere only grew hazier like a fog spreading over the castle, muffling it in its secrets.
No one uttered a word; until someone stupid enough answered the silence...
Aloysia's attention was quickly averted to Chase as he let out a low growl, eyes pinning her with built up rage and pure hatred.
"You couldn't kill me even if you got your lapdog to do it for you" Adrenalin clearly taking over his system.
Venom was spat in those words, and he pointed toward the Prince standing by Aloysia's side.
"Speak again and I will remove more than your tongue" she hissed, stepping forward slightly, eyes penetrating his own. "This is your only warning"
Their breath's intertwined, fighting their own battle as their bodies stood hard as stone.
He was taller than her, by only 5 centimetres; yet to him, it felt like miles, always enjoying to use it as an excuse to overpower her.
Even his features screamed smug; a handsome face hiding a cruel, ugly mind.
"You know what your father wishes Aloysia, so why deny it from him, you'll only cause him more trouble" Chase whispered in her ear as Aloysia remained stone faced, not giving into any emotions that wished to snap his neck for even breathing the same air as her.
"Don't you remember all the fun we had Aloysia?" he smirked, inching closer; his stubble rubbing against her smooth ear.
Her skin tingled at the contact, becoming irritated like a nasty rash.
His hand reached for hers...
She stepped back. A face restrained by anger was shining through. Her eyes, burning a deeper red, as her fists remained clasped at her sides.
"Keep talking" she threatened.
Something pulsed within, hammering to the rapid pace of her heart...
As if an invitation... he did, but this time, with a gruesome, cruel smile that caused Liam to shiver to his very bones.
He lent over to her face ever so slightly, eyeing her with bestial avidity.
"Why act so cold darling? I thought you loved my presence" he laughed, bringing his sword toward Aloysia's tensed neck, aiming it carefully.
No flinch. She remained shaking; bottled in rage... just waiting...
Liam's eyes darted between the two, confusion on the truth gripping him in place. There was more to this than either of them led on... He did not wish to be here. He did not wish to see this... yet he was fixated to the floor like glue.
Why was his body never his own?
"I wonder?" He peered to her chest, "Do you still have that horrible scar from your childhood? Or did it leave you like your moth-"
Vacant. That was Chase's body as his soul was physically shattered inside his body, sending the flesh limp; crumbling to the floor.
There was no time for a scream...
In the centre of it all was Aloysia's closed fist, her face torn in rage at his words, and her palpitating heart thundering against her chest as her body violently shook from the trauma of his words reminisced.
Sunlight set upon her dark features, a complete contradiction to the situation 4 walls contained.
"I told you Chase... I gave you a warning... but you didn't listen... you never do-never did... stop... means stop..." her voice croaked, trailing into silence along with his ashes. Her voice trailed somewhere that sounded mournful and agonisingly heartbreaking.
Her past literally tormented her to this day.
Her skin grew pale, appearing as if she were about to heave; and if it were not for the wall she were standing by, she would have collapsed to the ground.
Liam's fear and confusion mixing together grew at an alarming pace; the other guards too startled to even process movement, let alone comprehend power on this scale.
Aloysia was clutching her stomach, her skin a shocking pale.
"Go..." she murmured from beneath her hood.
Wide eyed and confused at what that meant he immediately shook his head; arms reaching out to stabilise the shaking assassin.
She pushed him away, scrunching her eyes at the pain and breathing heavily.
"Go... get out of here" she murmured again, voice straining against something causing her pain.
Although pain resided ever present, a feeling of revenge tasted sweet on her tongue as it danced with freedom and bliss.
A part of her had always wanted to destroy him, she just only wished he suffered a more painful, lasting death.
But obliteration would always be easier especially since Chase was one of the Northern guards that rotated from guarding her cell to whipping her these last days...
Oh how she wished she could have torn his face off at how much enjoyment he was receiving of of her cries for help.
...Aloysia also knew him from childhood, but buried those years in the deepest most forgetful part of her mind; so to resurface those memories came a horrifying shock as she saw his facial features again; guarding the halls that she was dragged through by manacles...
Watching that breath hitching grin beam as she was being chained.
Compared to all the brutal torture she endured, seeing his face again was the most frightening thing she has ever had to witness recently.
No more. Small mercy. Small relief. She'd take it. She'd have to.
"Go! What part of that do you not understand?" Aloysia murmured desperately, legs soon beginning to fail her.
Liam was torn.
But this was not his decision to make. He did not have a say...
And so, like a mechanical object, his foreign legs began to turn one by one, treading quickly as a leisurely walk that hastily turned to a sprint.
He was screaming internally. No one would think that from his appearance, but he just knew he was being controlled, and he hated her with every fibre of his god dammed being for making him flee; leaving her alone vulnerably in the hands of the king.
Liam did not want to admit it, but he was scared; deathly scared of loosing another person to that maniac.
But he could do nothing...
Just sit back like a spectator from his own body being controlled like a mindless vessel, and become buried upon by the weight of emotions that he was feeling; ones that his exterior hid and never let anyone know...
Liam was slowly falling apart in his own body that he no longer held the reins too...
How did it get to this?