ELIARA

Not after a long time, her energy was fully restored and the wound that once threatened her life was just but a faded memory. She sat up propping herself with her elbows and looking around her chamber. After Marco and his men left the room, she had taken a quick regenerative nap. And it worked. The chamber was quiet and the only trace of her earlier pain was the tension that still lingered in the air.

"My lady,"

A familiar, gentle voice called out. She cocked her head to the direction where the voice came from and she spotted her personal maid, Elizabeth.

"How do you feel?"

Iris fell silent for a while, like she was pondering on how she really felt. Her face suddenly became stoic and void of emotion, and her voice calm but laced with an unmistakable chill.

"Tell me honestly, Elizabeth…." Her voice trailed off. "Is it wrong that I want someone dead simply because they stole the death that I had been waiting to deliver for as long as I can remember?"

"Erm….my lady…that is-"

"THAT WAS MY KILL!!! THE NERVE SHE HAD!! THE AUDACITY!!!!"

She snapped, throwing her covers aside and getting off her bed dramatically. Elizabeth just followed quietly behind her as she stormed into her dressing room , picked out a white dress and thrust it to Elizabeth, clearly telling her to help her put it on.

"My hair too."

"As you wish, your highness."

Her room was filled with silence, and only deep sighs of frustration were heard.

" What would you do if you were me, Elizabeth?"

Elizabeth smiled and stopped brushing her hair.

"I would forget all about it. The poor kid probably had a reason why she did that. Maybe her reason was valid-"

"So my reason isn't valid, right? After all, the reaper just killed my mother. Its not that big of a deal, right? Is that what you are implying?"

"No my lady…." She took in a deep breath. "Killing won't justify anything. It changes nothing."

Before iris could say anything, she was disrupted by a knock. Before she could say come in, the door was already fully opened.

"Who dares-"

The princess' mouth opened in shock because who dared to….. but when she saw who it was, she wasn't surprised anymore

"My lady, sorry for the disruption" Oliver's unmistakable voice rang out. ".....hehe…..but…the compensation?"

"...…"

.

.

.

There was no way she could get out of here. Thick, cold stone walls boxed them from every direction. And a suffocating spell surrounded the space like an invisible chokehold. She could get past the spell, but the other girl wouldn't. She couldn't break any spells, and she could barely cast anything stronger than a flicker. She hated the fact that she was stuck with the green-haired girl. She paced up and down in the room thinking of ways to get out of here. her sharp eyes scanned for any possible exits.

The major issue wasn't the fact that she killed the reaper. Her accomplice attacked the princess with a poisoned arrow. Knowing Melda, her poisons were lethal and never failed to work. And she never carelessly used her poisons; she chose a target, made a 'perfect poison' as she termed it, then used it on the target. but, since when had she targetted a princess? She really hoped she was ok, maybe that would lessen their sentence.

Just maybe.

Tired, she let out a breath and sat down. After all, she had been pacing since she came to.

At that moment, she heard the green-haired girl groaning; signs that she was waking up. About time she woke up! She slowly scanned the room they were in and she sprang up with a surprised look.

"Where…are we big si-"

"Don't call me that!!!" She snapped. With a few strides she was towering over her, and she held her by the neck slightly chocking her "The hell was that for, Melda? I told you not to interfere and leave this to me"

"B-Bi…s-s-siz….."

"DON'T. CALL. ME. THAT."

She said each word with emphasis while tightening her grip after each word.

She had to control herself. She was raging mad but what would she gain if she killed Melda? She let her go and she fell on the concrete floor in a slump, gasping desperately for air.

"Why?"

"I…I was just trying to help….when I found out…you were going to kill him-"

"This had nothing to do with you!!!!"

She laughed bitterly.

"Really? I don't know if you noticed before, but Jess was important to me too!! You really think I wouldn't want to avenge her? I wanted to kill him too…FOR JESS!!"

Silence.

"And I'm guessing you didn't tell me because I'm weak? Because I would only drag you behind?.... I knew all that. And….even if I couldn't kill him directly, aiding you would make me feel better. That was all I wanted."

A faint broken smile tugged her lips.

"I'm sorry big si- I mean…Eli…."

Eli cursed under her breath and ruffled her hair in frustration.

"When we get out of here, let's forget about each other and go our separate ways."

"H-huh?"

Her expression shattered. Wide eyes. Betrayal. Abandonment.

She looked and felt betrayed and abandoned by the only person she depended on. Her eyes visibly teared up.

"You heard me. Lets not be involved with each other's lives from now on."

Melda ran her hand through her hair in frustration, as she nibbled her other hand's index finger. Blood could be seen dripping from her finger.

She bit herself.

Before she could respond the door flung open, and a man….no, a boy probably their age, in the guardians uniform barged in. He was slightly taller than Melda, but shorter than Eli. He had the same green hair Melda had, but longer, in a nice manbun.

No one had come in here since she woke up. So could this be…?

He visibly wore a disappointed expression as if he was forced to do this, and he was against. He walked while mumbling some words to himself to where Melda stood.

"You, come with me!"

He said grabbing her by the collar.

Eli, confused had to ask, "What the hell…where are you taking her?"

"Compensation."

Compensation?

He turned to Eli.

"You are confused too, right?"

He sighed dramatically and dragged Melda out of there. This was definitely bound to happen. There was no way they were going to be confined in the same room the whole time.

Once the door was locked, Eli went to one of the corners in the room and sat down. She thought hard about what she had just said to Melda. Forget about each other. Live separate lives. That is something she most definitely wanted and has been wishing that something natural, like death, would take Melda away from her. But then, if they separated, Melda wouldn't last two days in this wretched life. Yes, she cared about Melda. After all, she was the only closest thing to family she had left in this world. Her dynamic with Melda, in general, was difficult. Too problematic to be comfortable with; she didn't want her around because of all the trouble she caused. Compared to Eli who was calculated and strategic, Melda was impulsive, carefree and unpredictable. But Melda was too important for her to just abandon her, so to her, cutting ties with her was never an option. So how did she actually propose their separation with no hesitation? The hurt look on Melda's face after she said that kept replaying in her mind. What should she do now?

As she was still drowning in thoughts, the door was opened.

It couldn't get any worse.

The princess walked in with three guards. One carried a chair that she would most probably sit on, and the other two walked up to her and chained her up like an animal.

She smirked.

"Scared I'm going to kill you?" she asked in a rather mocking and intimidating tone while looking at the princess in the eye.

The princess had a stoic look on her face. Her dark blood-red eyes as sharp as ever pierced through Eli. Eli glared back at her.

"I just had to make sure."

She said opening up a book. With the page she opened, it was obvious she had been reading it before she came in here.

"My father wants to kill that green haired brat." she said in a boring tone. "She…is probably in the execution room by now." She looked up at Eli and smirked. "I forgot to tell you to say your final goodbyes. But oh well-"

"If you kill her," Eli snarled. "I'm going to fucking obliterate all of you."

Iris chuckled, unmoved.

"Oh? So it was fine when she shot me with a poisoned arrow, but chopping her neck off is not? Funny, I think it's honestly very fair."

"Tch. Like a dirty royal would know anything about fairness."

Iris smiled and went back to her book.

"Kill me instead. But let her go."

Iris looked up amused.

"Oh?"

"Killing her and letting me live isn't the best choice." She said glaring at Iris, murder surging in her eyes.

Iris ignored her and went back to reading her book. This frustrated Eli. What the hell was she even doing? Or was this just a way to get to her nerves? If it was, it was working. And anger was boiling inside her, and she would explode any time now.

"What are you doing?"

"Reading. Is it not obvious enough?"

"I mean-"

Suddenly, Iris interrupted her statement with a hearty laughter. Deep, unhinged laughter. What was wrong with her? Was she mental? She laughed for close to two minutes, then casually went back to reading like it was a normal thing.

She is mental.

"Sorry, I just read something so funny. "

Eli rolled her eyes.

"Books can't be that funny."

"But this is."

"Really?"

"Yes, Gods!!! It's a book about the art of torture. I started reading it today, but I still can't pick what to do to you."

Eli laughed.

Right....

A book on torture.

Real funny.

And iris joined her.

This mental creature, why was she laughing with her?

"The poison fried your brain, huh?. Or are you normally like this?"

Iris closed her book and stood up from the chair, and walked closer to where she stood. She circled her slowly while observing her.

"Are you a witch?"

"Guess, princess."

Iris responded by holding out her hand, where a white beam appeared revealing a dagger.

Was she going to stab her?

"I guess…I'll have to find out…"

She said as she stabbed her through her stomach.

She let out an agonizing scream.

Iris smirked as she twisted the knife in all directions. Her blood gushed out and the wound got deeper. Iris drew the knife out, and almost immediately the wound healed. What…? That was even faster than what the strongest healer in the whole kingdom would do.

So she cant torture her. Or kill her.

"You know, you could have just asked if I can heal my wounds or not like a normal person! Oh wait..."

Iris couldn't even hear her.

Spells can't work on her, and her wounds heal too fast.

"What…are you?"

She smirked.

"You said you'll find out. Do that for the both of us. I have no idea either."

Iris went back to her seat.

"Why did you disrupt a royal procession? And, why did the other girl shoot me?"

"Will my explanation let us free?"

"No"

"Suit yourself then."

Iris smirked.

"Fine. Your name?"

"Emerald."

"You are lying."

"Ruby."

Iris sighed in frustration. Clearly irritated.

"Tell me your real name."

"What? You don't think I'm a gem?"

"Not in any universe."

" Eli. Short for Eliara."

Iris smiled in satisfaction.

" Eliara…the one destined to destroy. That suits you perfectly."

.

.:))))