DEMENTED | Romance | Fantasy | Slight Thriller

Chapter Twenty-One: Tomorrow

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Chapter Twenty-One: Tomorrow

[Told in Crimson's POV]

Her sister was back. Crimson clutched her goblet so hard her knuckles turned white. Someone helped her get out of her prison, her soon-to-be deathbed. She gritted her teeth. By this time, Ebony should've been nearly wasted away, too weak to move, to speak, to truly think anymore. Or she would already be dead. Everyone knew too much daylight at once and the addition of the sand in the morning would kill Absinthians. The light burned, the sand enhanced. That was what the sand always had done and always would continue to do.

Anywhere else, the sand would be extremely valuable. In the right place, it could save a person's life, enhancing cures and potions and remedies. Crimson knew firsthand how much people were willing to pay for the continuation of another's life. It was why her father nearly wiped the kingdom of its riches.

But it also enhanced dangerous things, like the effects of curses. It was used instead of gunpowder and caused fifty times as much damage in smaller doses. It also enhanced sickness. Which was why the mother her darling sister Ebony loved so dearly had died.

Crimson didn't care in the slightest about others' lives, and she let it be known to the public. It was why she was such a good ruler. Sympathy was never what she gave to her people. Instead, she gave them power, and everyone always valued wealth over kindness. It was simply how things worked.

Her sister was different, and it was why she hated her. She valued kindness–Crimson could see it in the way Ebony looked at her with a sick sort of pity and guilt that made her insides boil. She was not to be pitied. And while the sand was what killed her mother in the end, it was her generosity that ultimately brought about the deed. When she was alive Crimson could see it–eating away at her slowly, as a parasite would its host.

Ebony was quite like that, she realized. Only she wasn't the host–she was the parasite itself, attempting to latch onto Crimson, to corrupt her mind into what she wanted it to be. The insect was meddlesome, and an annoyance, but it would be soon exterminated. As it should've been when she exiled it nearly a year ago.

She sighed. She needed something else to think about. Something to get her mind off of it. Something like...

She grabbed the bottle nearest to where she reclined and poured herself a drink.

Soon enough every word that came out of her mouth was slurred and unfocused. Her vision became a kaleidoscope of blurred colors, her eyes unfocused and distant. She both loved and hated this feeling, not knowing what was going on around her. A servant, she thought, appeared and then said something, but she waved them away, uncaring, unfeeling. The best part of the ichor. It made her feel like the Goddess, although she dared not admit it out loud. Even though she had never met the Creator of the Realms, she didn't want to invoke Her wrath.

Then another servant came into the room and stood at attention, poised and calm. Crimson rolled her eyes. "I've already told one of you to leave. I do not want to have to repeat myself."

"I believe there is only one of me," the servant replied, voice surprisingly haughty. Too haughty to be of a servant in their right mind, at least. Or... not a servant at all.

She squinted at her guest, trying to focus her eyes on who the stranger was. "Address yourself," she ordered in a haze. "Who has invited themselves into my presence?"

"Your sister, the exiled princess of Chasmic Absinthe–Ebony of the Macabre Sisters, your Highness," Ebony replied almost mockingly. "How would you not know your own–"

She noticed the empty bottles at her feet and fresh ichor stains on the carpet. "I see you've created quite the mess," she noted, a dark undertone present in her voice. Crimson smiled. It was perfect, how very opportune it was that she would come across a scene she so despised.

"My servants will soon clean it up," she replied mildly, appearing disinterested. "They're very good at their work, you know. I've given them plenty of opportunities such as this where they've proved their worth." Opportunities she would create again, she thought to herself, flashing Ebony a pearly white smirk. "What, do you not like that, dear sister?"

"I said nothing of the sort," Ebony replied, but the disagreement was visible on her face as she gritted her teeth. This pleased Crimson. A few moments of conversation and she'd already given her a reaction. My, my, you're out of practice, she thought gleefully.

This was often how the beginning of their mind games played out. Crimson would taunt Ebony, and she'd do her best to resist feeling. To not get worked up by it. Crimson assumed it would come back naturally to her, but it was different this time. A part of her change that she liked. She would soon lose easily.

But her excitement soon vanished. "I'm not here for games," Ebony declared. "I came to talk. There are some things you know we need to address."

Crimson sighed, clearly disappointed. "A shame. Well, then I suppose today isn't a good day. Come back tomorrow."

"What?" Ebony exclaimed, angry now. "I know you. Tomorrow means the next day, and then the next day, and on and on until it's all forgotten. Tomorrow's not going to happen, Crimson."

"Exactly," Crimson replied. "Tomorrow. Don't ask again. Remember your place in this court–the one you should not have re-entered." She made sure the note of warning was evident in her regal voice. "I could send you just as easily back to your exiled Absinthe as I am talking to you, understood?"

Ebony cursed. "I will come back tomorrow," she promised angrily as she stalked out of the chamber. Silence followed and filled up her absence. It was almost as bad as when she was still there.

She glanced at the mess on the floor below her. It was indeed bad. Unsightly of a Queen to have made and be sitting around.

So she began to pick up a few of the bottles herself.

Word count: 1024 words

I'm back! Again. I just finished performing in a really difficult musical at my school and now I have more free time than I know how to handle, so I'm likely going to be writing more. I actually have already written a good chunk of Chapter Twenty-Two, and that will probably be finished soon - I will just need to get around to typing it up like I had been meaning to do for this one.

My birthday's actually coming up! Which is weird because of the musical and other stressful things in my life I completely forgot about it. Huh.

But anyways, that's all! And I'm not sure if anyone's actually reading this (bc honestly the past several times I've updated the reads have just been me re-reading the story I think), but if you are, please let me know! You can just say hi, or whatever - anything to let me know you're there. It motivates me to update more and keep putting effort into this crazy weird story of mine :'D

AND also ofc don't forget to vote! Votes, reads, comments, and shares are all super duper helpful! And very appreciated.

Love ya! mavis out~