Scarlet Queen

Chapter 12

I froze. There was no way I could block all of the arrows at once. The idea of the mission was to go light, but I regretted leaving my shield. It wouldn't have helped much, I thought ruefully. I wouldn't be able to cover me entire body at once. The archers kept a steady aim on us, and King Arcane flicked his hand lazily.

"Well, now, no point in hiding up there. Come down before my archers are obliged to shoot you down," he said. The creak of a bowstring reminded me that we could all die at any second, and I wrapped my chain around the beam, lowering it down to the floor. I slid down first, with Slinger, Lucas, and Sticky following. All of the guards tensed and drew their weapons as I landed, and I glared at them. Then I turned to face King Arcane.

Arcane glowered down at us all, the same eerie smile on his face. I locked eyes with him. His eyes were the same green color as me and Lucas', but cold and unforgiving. Not unlike a cobra's gaze, right before it strikes. I unconsciously shift into a defensive position. Arcane breaks eye contact with me first, his smile shifting ever so slightly into a sneer. He lifts an accusing finger and points at me.

"You. Assassin. You took down a lot of my guards on the day of the festival," he says bluntly. I nod, not trusting myself to speak. I didn't know how well he would react when he discovered my identity. He stares at me longer, cocking his head. He beckons, and a guard comes forward. "I've long wondered who you might be. Obviously someone who hates me very much. So why don't we take off that hood and scarf?" He grins, and the guard rushes towards me.

I react instantly, dropping to the ground in a perfect baseball slide. I go between the guards legs, pop up behind him, and kick him in the back. Hard. He stumbles forward, falling and knocking over a few of his comrades, causing a couple of enraged shouts. I can't resist my grin as Slinger gives me a thumbs-up.

King Arcane hisses, an animalistic noise that I've never heard from him before. "So, we'll make this hard, will we? Well, I can think of one way to reveal your identity in a way you won't resist!" He pulls out a sword, with glittering rubies in the hilt. I feel a sickening twist of recognition at the weapon. I gave that sword to King Arcane. For his birthday.

He stands up from his throne with a flourish, holding the sword in front of him. "You won't resist when you're dead, assassin," he snarled. I drew Vengeance, knowing that the dagger would be difficult to fight with against a sword.

Won't it be ironic when he kills me with the blade I gave him, I thought sadly.

---

I glance to my left, where Ruby is facing off with Father. The guards surround us in a circle, weapons drawn and at the ready. Captain Slinger had a sword with a leather-wrapped hilt drawn, and the Sky Pirate named Sticky had a fork (a fork?) and was brandishing it threateningly. I hadn't brought a weapon. I was never the best at combat training. But whenever I looked around at the guards, and at Father, I immidiatlely regretted my decision to not grab at least a fork.

Father let out a creepy hiss, glaring dangerously at Ruby. "So, we'll make this hard, will we? Well, I can think of one way to reveal your identity in a way you won't resist!" he snarls, drawing a sword. My breath catches in my throat whenever I see the ruby-encrusted hilt. Ruby gave him that sword. He's going to kill her with the very blade she gave him! I thought frantically.

Ruby drew her dagger, Vengeance, and stood ready to face Father. There was no way that she could win this battle. She wasn't prepared. Still, I raised my fists and hoped for the best.

With a bellow, Father raised his sword, lunging forward and bringing it down for the killing blow. But Ruby wasn't there to recieve it. She had dodged the blade, weaving behind and around Father, evading his attacks. Not a single blow touched her. I could see her plan. It was the same plan she had used in battle training to beat all of her opponents. She wouldn't attack at all. She would let her enemy wear themselves down, then, once they were tired, she would give them everything she's got.

It was working, too. Father was breathing more heavily, his attacks slower. When he paused, for half a second, Ruby sensed that weakness and lunged forward to attack. Vengeance slashed downward, carving a gash into Father's arm. He let out a cry of pain and fury, and pushed against Ruby with renewed vigor.

The battle went on for a few more minutes until something drastic happened. Ruby leaned forward to attack, but Father's non-sword hand came up and grabbed Ruby's hood. He pulled back, and the hood and scarf came loose, revealing Ruby's face in all it's scarred, broken glory.

Father froze. The guards dropped their weapons in shock. The maidservant that had brought Father a drink sighed, then slumped away in a dead faint. I stared at Ruby, who was just as surprised as the royal people in the hall. But then she seemed to shake herself from her trance, and she gave Father a smile halfway twisted from her scar.

"Yes, King Arcane," she said, her voice magnified in the silence. "The assassin is someone who hates you very much." She leaped towards him, swinging her blade wildly. I gasped at her recklessness. Slinger leaned towards me and whispered, "This happens when her face is revealed. She goes into a frenzy, not caring who gets hurt. If she doesn't snap out of it, she could get herself hurt." I turn back uneasily to watch the battle.

Father was blocking Ruby's attacks with increasing desperation. "Ruby, my daughter! Stop! Stand down!" he cried, blocking her attempt to slash his throat. She let out a hiss that sounded uncannily like Father's. "You're no father of mine, Arcane. Any sort of kinship we had was severed as soon as you severed my face!" she snarled. She swung Vengeance, knocking away his sword, and brought the dagger down towards his heart. "And my name is Scarlet!" she shrieked.

I gasped. I was sure that the blade would find it's mark in Father's heart. But it didn't.

Father's fist came up, punching Ruby hard in the jaw. She staggered back, and he took the opportunity to kick her in the stomach. She fell to her knees, then fell completely down when he dealt a swift uppercut to her. Father stood over her, panting, a look of insanity on his face. "You dared fight against me," he said in a gravelly tone. "You dared come back. You could have killed me."

Ruby nodded at him, blood trickling from her mouth. He nodded back. "You wouldn't show me any mercy. So I won't show any to you." He brought up the sword, ready to deal the killing blow. Then time slowed.

I saw Ruby, closing her eyes, ready to take the blade.

I saw Slinger, pivoting to face her with a look of horror on his face.

I saw the blade coming down towards her.

And I felt myself running forward, pushing against the ground, throwing myself in the blade's path to protect my sister.