(Lena's Prologue)
The night light connected with my face, more than once that entire night. As I got annoyed, I felt no energy inside myself, to even bother to get myself up and out of the bed to turn it off. I was too exhausted, plus extremely lazy. After visiting Cleo's chambers, I'd retired to my own chambers, where I plopped myself down, under the covers, and called it a day! Since being welcomed at the castle by Cleo as her quest, things have been strange for me. A mortal living in the castle of powerful Retuz, when she possessed so abilities? I knew I didn't belong; they knew I didn't belong, Cleo probably knew I didn't belong, but asked me to stay because she felt bad for me? That's it? Isn't it?! Why else would I be here? What mortal didn't fear death? I did, I don't want to die. I can't imagine anyone wishing for such a thing. I'm sure if I asked Cleo to kill me, she'd probably look at me as if I'd gone insane…. The second thing she'd do is take away my training license, and banish me to the prison chambers, until I somehow snapped out of whatever spell had been cast over me? How silly it would be when she found out there wasn't a spell, that I was asking her to actually do it. To put me out of misery? As my friend, she'd tell me no, wouldn't she? She wouldn't let me die, would she? The light grew hotter against my cheeks, still blinding me, as my vision heated and was extremely bright. Finally, with a small bit of energy I could muster, I turned myself around. The sounds of my bones cracking all at once, exploding through me, as an expression of pain stumbled onto my face. I guess I was more weak and sore than I thought. I then pulled the covers from underneath me and placed them back on top. Digging into the flowery pattern, I didn't stop till the entire half of the blanket was covering my head now. I guess I'd been stuck in my mind for too long, because I jumped a little when the door suddenly made a sound, letting in a small breeze, past me, and through the surroundings of the small room, that was my chambers. I groaned as I knew I would have to sit up, which after a few seconds, I finally did. The covers had messed up my hair, which had my bronze locks spiraling in different directions, and strings of cotton lying the top of my head, from the ripped up pillow, sitting next to me.
''Lena,'' whispered a familiar voice. ''You okay?'' I took the sleep out of my eyes and stared up at the person. A creamy white face, and light icy eyes, smiled right at me. One word, Cleo. I stared at her with tired eyes, but still tried to keep myself from looking like I'd completely let myself go, proceeding to get out of bed, to remake it. Giving her the impression I was a slob didn't sit right with me. Although as I got to the other side of the bed, just about to reach for the damage pillow, leaking cotton feathers out from the inside, she stopped me. Forcing me to halt right in front of her. She is my friend, but a princess all the same. My respect for her had to be higher than that of a friend. ''How have you been lately?'' she suddenly asked. I tried not to stumble over my words, but I couldn't keep the shock I felt from messing with my smile. I noticed she saw my sudden change and rose her eyebrows. ''Is it odd for me to ask?'' she questioned. ''No,'' I said back. ''No, absolutely not…'' I whispered. ''Then the problem is?'' she asked me. ''We are friends, aren't we?''
I looked at her for a long few minuets, until I was one hundred percent sure what I was going to say next, wasn't going to make me feel idiotic. I was captured in her gaze, which only lasted a couple seconds, until the unexpected happened. Before I knew what was happening, I'd been standing, now I was on my back, pinned down, with a tight grip upon both my arms and legs. I didn't struggle though, not when I saw who was looking down at me. Those cherry colored lips, and golden locks, as bits of loose hair, came down stroking and rubbing against the side of my face. ''What's this for?'' I asked her, not sure if I should even speck right now. Her eyes softened, and my voice cut off, as her creamy white face, leaned into mine. Her breath on my cheek, made me have tingles all up and down my spine, as I just laid there. Stayed there, until the princess was satisfied.
Or maybe, it was until I was satisfied to stand up. The pain in my mouth, lasted a few seconds, as I felt her teeth bite down on my tongue. I knew when I tasted blood, there was damage. Although the blood, my blood? Tasted of medal and squished around like an amount of water, I kept it in. Unable to spit it out, or pull away from Cleo, as I felt her touch against my face. Her body pressed against mine, as our warmth mixed, then combined together, to create a whole. The temperature of both are bodies connected us together, although the fun stopped, when I watched her cheeks flush up with red, and her eyes weren't looking at me anymore. She pushed herself from my body, so suddenly, I barely had time to ask her anymore questions. My mind was filled with curiosity, and demanded answers, but I had to wait. She stood before me now. The first thing I did once I stood, was quickly turn away from her, so she couldn't see me, and let the small amount of tasteless metal, escape from inside. It darkened after a few seconds, once the air got to it, and was dry, as my eyes turned from the sight of it, and back to the princess. Cleo looked embarrassed. As she should be! I thought. But for some reason, my cheeks weren't warm, my heart wouldn't race, and I felt the same? Why wasn't I embarrassed? A girl had just kissed me, made a move on me? And that girl is my friend, not to mention the princess of the land. How because of her orders, I'd been allowed to live here....
Neither one of us wanted to say a word, from Cleo's amusement all of a sudden, I knew she was in shock. From the way her body shivered and shook, as if she was covered in tingles, her soul was having problems coming to terms with what had just happened, much slower processing than her mind had, though. I stood still, motionless, with the scent of blood still lingering in the air, as my mouth started aching. The pain had returned, which I wasn't to happy about, but tried to hold it back till she decided to leave for the night. The broken pillow leaking out feathers, was in my hands, in seconds, now pressed against my chest, as drops of blood from my mouth, suddenly fell upon it. The drops were small, and just as bright, but I couldn't keep my swearing to myself, I let out a small ''Shit'' and tried to wipe the stains away with my white, short, fingernail. Although, all it seemed to be doing, was making the stain edge deeper into the material. There was no coming back from that. My blood was one with the pillow now. My pillow. They were together, forever, kind of like how I'd felt when Cleo first threw me down, how I felt when she bit me hard enough to cause my gums to bleed. How she moved to my tongue, only to nip the small top, and move away just so I could spit it out?
''Did that mean something to you?'' I heard her whisper, through sobs of sudden tears.. ''I mean, what did it mean, I'm-I don't know why I did that! My father will banish me for sure!'' she shouted, throwing her hands over her head, as her sleeping gown, slipped, and waved around in the air. Just as she was about to flee, I remembered grabbing her arm. Forcing her to turn to look at me, at that moment, I'd forced myself to forget that she was royalty. Forced myself to forget her title, for just as second, as my warm fingertips rubbed her creamy white skin, with my thumb. She turned to me with sorrow filled eyes, and fresh watery tears, which made my face fall. She really didn't want this. What had happened was a accident. Unwashed tears of embarrassment were starting to burn her eyes. ''I won't tell anyone,'' ''I promise you, as my friend, this'll never leave the inside of my mind....'' I promised her, as I nodded, telling her with my eyes, I meant every word.
Without question, she pulled me close to her, her chest pressing against mine, as her arms covered me from behind. Her face nudged my neck, then she pilled away, and disappeared out the door, back to where ever she'd come from. Leaving me with a taste of death in the back of my throat, and the still dried scent of crimson, tickled my nose. The soft pillow I'd been holding before, landing on the floor, next to my feet, as I stumped the contents of the loose feathers, creating a mess of feathers, creating what could've been a murder crime scene, all over the contents of the large room I was given. Now the room just looked like someone had been murdered inside.
*
Cleo walked down the narrow, rocky, hallway, the smell of burning fire, and smoke from her recent cup of tea, created smoke from the kettle, blew past her, once she passed the open kitchen. The staff had gone home, several hours ago, leaving nothing but the open doors, for late snacking, and the fresh smell of peppermint bagels, set aside only for her father, the king. She walked with her long white, night gown, trailing behind her. While she walked, she looked to be in some discomfort. Very much from the way her face twisted, and shined white, like a ghost. It appeared she wanted to throw up, but was holding herself back. As she kept on walking, quickening her pace, she didn't even flinch, when two twin doors, pushed themselves open, and she hurried herself inside. Letting out a small jog, with the edge of her gown, pressed against two of her fingertips. Just as fast as it'd taken her to enter the room, she threw up into a small pill sized bottle, someone had pressed toward her. What came out was a crimson substance. The color of blood, scented with the rotting smell of metal, and moonshine.
''I told you to be quick!'' she shouted at the dark figure in front of her, angry and displacement on her pale expression. ''I told you to have it ready, as soon has I arrived! Do you have any idea what blood feels like, squishing around in your mouth! Ewwww!'' she squealed. ''Especially someone else,'' ''Especially some one mortal?!'' her voice stabbed against the figure's chest, as with his strong, black gloves hands, he twisted the top on the bottle, and stared deeply, through the glass, where with his hand, shook the bottle. The red substance reacted to his shake, and violently moved about inside the bottle. Seeing this, Cleo smiled a evil and twisted smile. How her plan had gone so smoothly, she was now steps ahead of everyone else. ''How long?'' she hissed. ''Shouldn't take longer than a hour....'' the voice was deep, yet smooth. Weak sounding, mixed with strength and power. His eyes moved from the contents in the bottle, to the princess. Sharing the same twisted smile as she, he handed the bottle over to her, as she slipped the special bottle, in a small pocket, behind her. She slipped it in, and quickly spit. Her saliva hit the cement floor, with a small slap down, and her face grew with disgust once more. ''Her blood tastes rotten..'' she complained. ''It's like she's made of salt, and tasteless dark chocolate...'' she hissed. ''Do you honestly believe she's lying to everyone, about what she is? Do you really think she's one of them.....'' The conversation grew more interesting, and waiting, as Cleo grinned her teeth. She wanted the full details of the story. She wanted to know the contents of the plan. The plan she'd been asked to help with, by a certain Retuz, she'd grown closer to, in the many, dark months, since the bloody war.
The war between Retuz, and Skyrai. Two powerful species, not able to see eye to eye, on how the two kingdoms could live in piece. The royal family, of the Retuz, had their own terms. The Skyrai denied the treaty for peace. Leading up the terrible war, that lead of two each kingdom to build training chambers. Eager to have the young learn at a young age, in case, trouble brewed again.
''I don't know what to believe, the only thing I know for sure.....is something's not right about her. What you saw in her, to allow her to stay here, I don't understand.....but-''
''It's not your place to understand..'' Cleo suddenly interrupted, cutting him off, before his last bit of words, could get out. ''I do what I want, when I want. I was interested in her, there's noting more to say...'' she settled. ''She's also here, because you asked me to get her. it was your word, that finalized things for me.'' she truthfully admitted. ''I offered my services, because your experiment had me interested...I'm not going to stand here and tell you I understand your motives, Scarlet...'' she crossed her arms, pressing against her chest, as she let out a painful yawn, that caused her eyes to burn, the water. She helped herself to her pocket again, holding the bottle safely in her fist, as she held it out to the black hooded Scarlet Fey. He glared at her, his eyes, curious for a moment, until she said. ''Keep it. I'll be punished, if my father smells blood on me,'' ''I'm not supposed to feed on blood anymore.'' she lied. ''But you do anyways?'' Scarlet questioned. ''How else does he expect me to remain this strong?!'' Cleo whined. ''Has to happen somehow? Anyway, let me know when you've got the results, keep me posted, or your busted! Don't forget the consequences., darling....'' she smiled. She left the room and returned to her chambers, before her being out, awoke the guards, leaving Scarlet alone..
The time struck midnight, when darkness surrounded the castle, leading to the return of six children, as they return home for a twisted family gathering. A gathering leading up to execution day.