And there lay a cold, desecrated corpse on display for all to see. No one had bothered to remove it. No one dared. A fetid, sickly sweet aroma permeated the area, invading the homes of the peasants and causing those inside to retch in their feeble attempts to sleep. The unkept cobblestone streets were barren and dark, a direct result of the curfew established by the regime. None would dare leave his dilapidated wooden home in fear of sharing the same fate as the corpse. The city was blanketed by a thick silence that was interrupted only by the occasional cough or murmur of a patrolling guard. They held torches illuminating small patches of the city, serving to contribute to a gloom that mirrored the nature of the kingdom.
Eris looked down upon this from the window of her tower with a slight smirk, knowing that her omnipotent will dictated every waking moment of the lives of thousands. The rush she felt from such power was unlike any other, and she did not believe anything could rival it. But it was getting late. It was a moonless night, and as was typical of such, the night was even darker than usual.
"Your Majesty," interrupted a handmaid, who, judging her trembling figure as she addressed her from a prostrate position, was new,"I think it is time for bed." The other handmaids more familiar with the princess's temperament exchanged shocked glances, awaiting a harsh punishment for the new handmaid. The princess, however, for seemingly no reason in particular, gave a generous verdict: the handmaid would be expelled from the castle and was not to set foot on its grounds ever again. But the new handmaid was rendered immobile from shock; she did not expect such a sentence. Eris couldn't care less. She ordered the hapless girl out of her sight and resumed her viewing of the city from her tower. Eventually, by her own will of course, she retreated to her quarters to rest.