TW//Murder, blood, sexual predatory behaviour
Cold.
Cold are these walls I'm trapped in. The princess really doesn't know how to welcome their guests and make their stay at the kingdom pleasant. She had visited me only once. Such impoliteness.
Luana moved her quellazaire to her mouth and inhaled.
At least the guards are quick to persuade. She grinned and stared up into the night sky from her little window. She was getting quite bored in this cell. Having no one to give orders to, no one she could please herself with, no money and no one, whose life she could ruin.
What a tedious life, it was being imprisoned.
The only thing that made this thing not so monotonous was the chatting of the guards. Luana smiled.
Oh, and they were quite a chatting bunch. Especially today. Rumours had spread that even the little boy Tivon had disappeared, kidnapped by non-other than Elias, the Captain of The Rose Sparrow. Oh, now Tivon could finally taste the sweet flavour of betrayal. Even more, the poor Queen had taken ill, oh, and the banquet was just around the corner. Rumour has it, that it will be tomorrow night. How unfortunate. I hope the princess gets well soon.
Luana moved the quellazaire away and looked at her left hand, scar running across the palm of the hand. Rea will pay for it. I'm going to get out of here and I will get my revenge and all the lost profit from my burned down houses and killed boys.
How unfortunate for them – not doing anything wrong, but still getting killed. Fortunately, with the plan up her sleeve, she wouldn't need them. After what she was about to do, she wouldn't need her houses and her boys. Maybe a bunch of them, but not all.
Luana admitted to herself, that she was rather insulated, not to be invited to the ball. Despite that she hated people, she would love to cause some chaos.
Oh, and she would cause some chaos.
Luana watched a black crow fly towards her cell. It landed on the window still behind the bars. Luana looked over her shoulder to see if the guards were paying her attention. When she made sure they were too busy gossiping, she approached the window, as the bird stuck his head through the bars.
"Hello, Ashi." Luana stroked the bird. She glanced at its feet, above sharp talons. There was a piece of paper attached to it. "Oh, you've got a letter for me."
She untied it and gently stroked the bird again. "Good bird."
The bird crowed and flew away. Luana unravelled the tiny parchment and read it.
Tomorrow night, stay away from the west wall.
Be ready.
At the bottom of the paper was a little symbol resembling an eye.
A big grin appeared across Luana's face as she lit up the letter with her cigarette and threw them through the window.
The music from the castle could be heard all the way to her cell. It was quite a beautiful melody, and she was quite unnerved, she wouldn't be able to attend the ball. However, that didn't bother her for long, for she knew she would be free in just a couple of hours or maybe even minutes.
Luana was leaning against the wall, far from the west wall. The crow had returned in the morning to give her a pin for her hair. There was a long needle attached to it, sharp as a dagger. She glanced at the guards standing by her cell.
They had lowered the number of guards to two, moving the rest of them to the harbour and the castle. The timing of it couldn't be more perfect. General Ivan really didn't think this through.
Luana heard a low whistle outside the walls. That was her sign. She put on her lovely grin and put the quellazaire in her mouth.
"Marily." She called to the guard. "This cigarette won't light itself up."
The guard hesitated, but still moved to her, reaching for his matches. Luana moved the quellazaire in her left hand and moved her face towards the flame. Another low whistle sounded as her cigarette lit up. She looked at the guard, up at his eyes and smiled.
The guards eyes narrowed and before he could call for help, Luana snatched the sharp needle of her pin and stabbed the man in the neck. She quickly pulled out the needle and pressed herself to the wall. The other guard came, but before he could help his comrade, a cannon ball slammed into the prison wall, crushing it down.
As soon as the dust settled down, the guard reached for his pistol, but before he could open his mouth to shout for aid, a bullet struck him in the middle of his head. Luana turned to the hole and smiled at a rather old man with darker skin, his grey hair neatly tied into a low ponytail, dressed in a dark blue long coat. His vile deep green eyes flickered as he smiled.
Luana hasn't seen this familiar face in over a decade. Her smile widened.
"Hi pa."
Luana looked at herself in the mirror. She finally got her familiar face back. Dark, black smoky makeup, dressed in a green gown, a black scarf covering her shoulders, a glamorous necklace with a dioptase crystal and big malachite crystals hanging from her ears.
Her red lips curled into a smile. Luana covered her scarred hand with a black glove. She grabbed a fan and stormed out onto the deck of the ship. She looked up at its dark blue sails. The crew stopped their work and bowed down to her.
"Welcome back," a deep voice sounded behind her. Luana turned to face her father. "Daughter."
He offered her his hand and she took it. "Hello pa. How is life at sea?"
They walked across the ship. "As always. We've been quite busy while you were held captive."
"Ah yes, good."
"Where is your sister, my little hawk?"
Luana stopped. She placed her hands on the railings, eyes fixed on the sea in front of her. "So, the news hadn't spread yet?"
"News of what?"
Luana turned around. "Mithras, your daughter is dead."
He looked down, but he didn't look as shocked. Or sad. "I see."
Luana couldn't blame him. Alieana and him weren't as close as she was with him. Aliana was a special girl, always wanting things to go her way and when they weren't as she wished them to be, she'd riot. Father hated that, so Luana offered her to live with her in Bradfordshire. Alieana didn't like that at first, but she quickly grew fond of that town and with Luana allowing her to do whatever she wanted she never complained again.
Luana loved her sister. She was the dearest person to her in her whole world. She couldn't even compare to her mother, who she also admired. Luana would do anything for her little sister.
The images of her dead body, sprawled over the pillows, flooded her. The still warm blood splashed down her neck and mouth was so vibrant in her mind. Luana had screamed herself hoarse when she found her.
She had never felt so much rage and sorrow at the same time.
"How did she die?"
Luana gripped the railings tighter, shutting her eyes. "She was murdered." She paused. "Alieana was murdered by a little, scrawny prince." She spit through her teeth. Luana turned around, tears smearing her makeup. "And I'm going to avenge her."
Mithras opened his mouth to speak when a member of a crew came to him.
"Captain, the ship is here."
Both Luana and Mithras turned towards the ship, no banners, or flags in sight. They were already pulling up a boat, helping a woman, Luana presumed to be the right hand of the ship's Captain, out of it. She had deep dark skin, curly hair. She wore a black coat over her shoulders.
She approached them, removing her big hat with feathers and bowed down before Mithras.
"We did as you wished father."
"You were late." Said Mithras roughly.
"Father?" Luana stepped forward, looking down at this girl, who dared to call her pa, her father. "What's the meaning of this pa?"
The curly haired girl peered through her. "Who is she?"
"Me?" She placed her hand over her chest, shocked. "Who am I, marily? I am Luana or you may also know me as The Green Woman."
The look on her face revealed to her that she had heard of her before. Luana pointed her fan at her, pushing her chin up to meet her eyes. "But the real question is, who are you?"
The woman frowned and pushed away her fan with her hook. "I am Neirin daughter of Mithras, and you will address me as Captain."
Luana leaned closer. "Are you ordering me, marily?"
Neirin opened her mouth to speak.
"Enough." Said Mithras.
Neirin immediately flinched and looked down, but Luana just looked at him baffled.
"Luana this is my other daughter Neirin. Neirin this is my daughter Luana."
Luana could hear the slightest hesitation when he said daughter the first time. Curiosity began to overtake her, but before she could ask any further questions Mithras spoke. "You don't have the same mother." He turned to Neirin. "Meet me in my cabin. Now."
Neirin quickly followed after him. Luana watched as they disappeared and then smiled. I don't want to miss that. She quickly walked to the first window, she could find. Then she took the sharp end of the pin in her hair, and stuck it between the window and opened it just slightly so she could hear the conversation between her father and so called sister-in-law.
"You were late." Mithras sat down. He sounded disappointed and angry.
"There were more guards stationed at the castle than it was intended. We attacked as soon as we could." Luana could tell, she was trying to steady her voice. "It won't happen again."
"It better not. You don't want to lose your title as a Captain." He paused. "Or your other hand."
She lowered her voice. "No father."
"You are dismissed."
None of them moved. Neirin shifted. "You never told me you had a daughter, and she is The Green Woman everyone is talking about."
"I had two. Their mother died shortly after the second one was born."
"So, it was not the same mother as mi- "
"Of course, she wasn't." Yelled Mithras. "Iovita was nothing compared to that slut, you called your mother." Neirin flinched but stayed quiet. "She was a slave, a no one. If you mention her in my presence even one more time, I'm going to throw you off into the sea."
"Yes, Captain." She said quietly.
Neirin turned to leave. She was at the door when Mithras spoke. "Remember that it was I who saved you from misery."
"Yes, father." She whispered and closed the door behind.
Luana leaned to the wooden wall. Neirin didn't see her as she stormed of below deck. The smile on Luana widened. Oh, interesting.
"Who are you?"
Luana looked up at someone sitting on the riggings. She couldn't quite figure out if they were a boy or a girl. Luana removed the pin from the window as they jumped down to her.
"Snooping on our Captains are we?"
Luana had to look down, for they were several inches shorter than her. "And you are?"
"Amari." Their serious expression didn't change. "The right hand of Captain Neirin."
"Thought so." Luana returned the sharp needle back into her pin. "I see you and your Captain have no respect for the ones above you. You know I am The Green Woman."
"Oh, I know who you are." They placed their hand on their longsword. "But l tell you this. I don't like anyone, despite their rank, who eavesdrops on her."
Luana scanned them from the bottom to the top. Despite not quite knowing what they were, Luana had to admit, they would fit into her houses quite well.
"You are still quiet young." She started circling around them. "Just tall enough, pretty too. We would have to work on your attitude though." Amari gripped their sword. She brushed a lock of their hair, and they froze on spot. Luana leaned to her ear. "And you are cute. Surely someone would look past your manners. You could please them- "
Suddenly Luana felt a dagger at her throat.
"Step away from them." Neirin hissed.
Luana turned to face Neirin, not caring that the blade had slightly cut her. "You simply don't know how to act, do you?"
Neirin leaned closer. "I don't care who you are or what father says. You. Do. Not. Touch. Amari."
"Do you really want to mess with me, marily?"
"Try me. I have a blade for every part of your body."
Luana stared at her dark eyes. Oh, she really is choosing this path. She was about to open her mouth when Mithras yelled.
"Neirin!" Luana saw her flinch as Mithras came from his cabin, but she still didn't put the dagger down. "Neirin!"
"I'm not done with you." Neirin hissed to Luana and put away her dagger.
She grabbed Amari by their hand and strode off. Luana watched as they disappeared below deck. Oh, the things I could do to you, marily. You haven't got a single clue.
"Can we talk, my little hawk?"
Luana turned to him. "Of course, pa."
Mithras poured her a glass of wine and sat down.
"Heard the business is doing good."
Luana took a sip and smiled. "It was till I've got imprisoned." She saw him wanting to defend himself, but she put up her hand. "The rebellion was necessary. You had promised you would destroy the houses if necessary. I thank you for that."
"Someone was helping us."
"Helping us? Who would possibly do that?" Laughed Luana.
"For a year they had been seizing the houses, freeing the boys and then overnight, they were the ones who destroyed most of them. Killing them quicker then we intended."
"Who were they?" She asked, though she already knew what his answer would be.
"The Rose Sparrow." He finished his wine and slammed the glass on the table. "Your old boy, Elias."
Luana's face turned serious. "Are you sure it was him?"
"I saw them with my own eyes. I have never seen that boy so ruthless." He looked up from his glass. "And I have heard the stories."
"You sound like you fear him, father." Luana smirked. "You don't know him. He is weak, I know his weaknesses. Just a simple whisper and he becomes undone."
"I fear no one." He leaned back in his chair. "He had destroyed more houses, killed more boys than it was intended."
Mithras looked up worried. Luana only smiled.
"Don't worry pa, I have a plan." She brushed her nails over the map on the table. "Have you heard of The Kingdom of Lucine?"
"Yes, I indeed have."
Luana stood up and took her glass. "It is ruled by King Hemold and Queen Lorain." She stopped by the window. "I want their kingdom."
Mithras choked on his wine. "Why not get Naydawin? That kingdom is already doomed to fall."
"When I get Lucine, Naydawin will be mine."
"And how do you mean to do that?"
She took a knife sitting on a shelve and turned it around in her hand. "I was originally planning to get Naydawin, but now Lucine is the better option. If the King and Queen are in danger, they can give their kingdom to anyone they want. They need no witnesses, no ceremony, nothing. Killing them would be easy. I heard the King is already at his death bed. That makes my job easier." She slammed the knife in the map where Lucine was located. "Then I'll just frame someone with the murder. It's as simple as that."
"And who will you frame?"
"Anyone who is there at hand." She sat down. "You won't need to do much, just take me to Lucine."
He went through his hair, considering. "I can do that. But what about the boys?"
Luana grinned. "When I become a Queen I won't have any need for the houses. Maybe a couple of them. Some boys may become my servants. Others…" Her eyes glinted. "Continue killing them."
Mithras nodded. "There is another problem."
"It's the girl, isn't it?"
"Precisely." He crossed his arms. "She is a problem."
"So?" Mithras looked up. "You know what we do with problems." Luana leaned closer and smiled. "We get rid of them."