"Princess of Kreogstone, your loyalty stands with your father and yet as firstborn he has yet to name you heir to the throne." I do not have the patience nor the time to entertain such silly words. None which will shake me to their side. "His bastards seem to have more standing than his one and only legitimate child." Contrary to what the kingdom believes my anger runs slow, it is cold, it is ice, it kills slowly but surely. It is clean and efficient, I don't combust into flames nor do I burn my enemies at the stake.

The only time I like flames is when I get to ignite a small one in their eyes and put it right out. Five minutes feel like an eternity while holding Dorian's throat holding him in the air at the edge of the cliff. My soldiers draw their swords and surround me as the nine out of ten rogue soldiers of the Kreogstone army point their flimsy weapons at me. I hold the tenth by the throat but quite honestly my hand aches. It is all so silly really.

"It is General Kaleah Valerys to you. Now, where is my brother's pocket watch? Hand it over and I promise you can all go home." They all laugh amongst themselves as if this is all some great joke I am not a part of. "Your rank is laughable, Your Grace. Your father gave you a flimsy army to keep you occupied as his bastard usurps your throne. Even all 15 of your soldiers combined could not take on a single one of us."

"Our ancestors could move mountains to create impenetrable fortresses during war and they can not even create a sprout." He is short and bulky, and the least bit intimidating unlike what he hopes to be perceived as. The other pats him in the back, taller blond, broken nose and blue eyes. He swirls his index finger above him, small tornadoes already forming, windmaster he might be but though I am general of the smallest army there has ever been I am not an idiot. 

"Alright then I suppose I give up." I say. "You win. Just hand me the watch and I'll free your friend. Or not, you can kill me and my soldiers after I kill your friend and keep the watch." I don't need a brilliant plan, I do not need to waste my energy on these idiots. My fingers have gone numb, the greatest idiot of them all writhes like a worm, gasping for air. I tighten my hold. Doesn't he see the drop? The more he struggles against my hold the more it slips. What a shame would it be if I accidentally dropped him no? A kill with no intention is no kill at all.

"Our friend lives. And you can take the pocket watch. We only ask that you forget you saw us around these parts." The short one relents, tossing the watch at my feet. I fake my kind smile and look at Dorian. "Looks like it's your lucky day." He finally stills, and inhales sharply when I loosen my hold. I look into his eyes and laugh. 

"Freedom is an illusion Dorian." I let go.

Dorian's screams echo, as I slip the dagger from under my sleeve and blind the eye of the short one, the seer. How will he predict my future moves with only an eye? Vines erupt from the ground and wrap around their legs. I've always been one big joke. Nothing but violence exists in my heart and yet the little bit of power I can pour out of my body creates life, it is gentle and peaceful. Everything I have never been. Flowers flourish around their limbs as the earth begins to swallow them. I only have enough energy to kill four, and my soldiers finish off the rest. I memorize the spot where the four used to stand and note the little sprouts. Ironic really, four trees will grow here.

I kick the stupid watch off the cliff and search the short's ones pockets for the real one. Their seer was a weak one, it could not anticipate more than a few minutes ahead to anticipate my actions and his illusion of my brother's watch flickered the moment it hit the ground. It was a mere rock, I wasn't going to spare Dorian's life for a rock. However far he saw it was not enough to save them. Seers are like that, anything can distort their vision. A little alcoholism, lack of sleep and hunger is enough and just like that they go insane. Lost and misled by a distorted future they swear they saw.

"Get rid of the bodies." I order and pocket the watch. I hop onto Mushroom's back and ride towards the castle.

When I reach Baeloh's chambers he cackles maniacally. "Oh thank the gods for your silly little vines sister. You have done an honor to this kingdom, you've salvaged my dearest accessory. Shall I award you with it? Yes! I shall, it is your sister, you've earned it. He tosses it in my direction, expecting me to catch it but it lands on my feet. The room stinks of cheap wine. You'd think a prince would be able to distinguish between good and cheap wine gifted to him by his noble friends. But he can barely tell which is his arse or brain.

"I shall thank you with my silly little vines. Would you like a flower crown brother? Perhaps a necklace. Lilies or roses?" He laughs and turns away stumbling through the furniture and lands head first onto his bed. The sun has barely risen for Kreogstone's sake; we are doomed. 

I glance at his red nightgown and snicker. "Roses it is brother." I turn around and make my leave as he screams, clutching his throat. I can't help myself, I turn to watch his horrified eyes, the thorns of the roses around his neck, digging into his throat. I let him live because I have no choice and because I have more satisfying death planned for him. 

I've been a general for a day. And the first mission my father has assigned me to is to recover gold trinkets of a useless prince. All to appease me, to keep me not quite starving but not quite fed either. 

Freedom is an illusion.