The Missing Monarch

. . . ⇢ ˗ˏˋ [The Beginning] ࿐ྂ

Brielle:
1881, August

Looking over at the burning empires, Brielle gripped onto her arm tighter, tearing the skin beneath her nails. What was going on? The cold-stone walls that had long felt like a cage to her, suddenly felt like a guardian angel ripped from its duties. The watchtowers, which had felt like a ridiculous safety measure, were now devoid of guards- the lack of security fueling the upbeat rhythm of fear in her chest. And the spiked, golden gates, which had been wrenched down with thick tendrils of rope, felt like a long-forgotten nightmare flaring into the big, bright flames of another.

Warily, Brielle swivelled to face the sound of ruffling feet moving against the soft carpeting of the safe room. The room suddenly not feeling 'safe' anymore as an indiscernible figure creeped through the lifeless shadows. She detected hope swelling- the hope that this could be the one who she longed for the most and who always came to protect her- but she quickly crushed it. Things had changed. She could protect herself nowadays, and people weren't always who they said they were. Not anymore.

Brielle hoisted up the sword that had previously been at her feet, ready to strike if she had to. "Quinn? Is that you?" She uttered beneath a shallow breath. She still had to make sure.

A blonde head came into view and her heart's unsteady rhythm eased. She let the sword clatter to the ground. "Yes, Bri. We must leave." It was Quinn. No one else ever called her that but him. Although his voice had taken on a rather bashful tone, one she had never heard him use before. Maybe it was the circumstances or maybe something was incredibly more worrisome.

As he stepped ever closer, Brielle was ready to pounce and wrap her arms around his neck, until her eyes tracked Quinn's once radiant, blonde locks streaked with blood and his previously glorious armour looking beaten. She immediately felt the flair of uncertainty and danger bloom back to life within her chest and grab hold of her gut in an iron fist.

Brielle opened her mouth to protest about her concerns aloud, but the words never left as her gaze became aware of Quinn's uncanny pose and his unusual flat-lined lips. "Quinn-?!"

The rough calluses of Quinn's palm pressed against her mouth, silencing her with the sudden skin-to-skin contact momentarily. As soon as he withdrew his hand, Brielle began to talk again despite the raising red flags within. "Quinn, you must tell me what is going on- at once! I am demanding it."

Instead of answering, Quinn grabbed hold of Brielle's hand that had been glued to her side and started to pace towards the door, dragging her after him. She tried to remove Quinn's grasp on her hand but it was an impossible feat. Trying to get rid of Quinn's grasp was like trying to remove a rattle from a baby; impossible.

Quinn cocked his head to look back at Brielle, noticing her useless attempt to escape his hold. He unexpectedly stopped pacing, forcing Brielle to practically dive head first into his back.

Brielle was speechless for mere seconds before she opened her mouth to speak, which yet again had been cut off by the stocky, callused palm of her supposed best friend. However, this time was different. Quinn had hold of the back of her neck, and held a handkerchief against her mouth and nose.

Breathing in through her nose, Brielle began to pick up the sweet scent of flowers and some sort of herbal concoction radiating off the handkerchief. It was filling her senses with a whole bucket worth of tiredness.

Brielle then felt the hand that had been on her neck let go and brush a stray strand of her jet-black hair behind her ear. The red flags were wearing down, the same as every other thought she had had in her head.

Leaning in to brush his mouth against her ear, Quinn whispered. "Shhh. If you are quiet, it will all be over soon." Not only did she hear his voice, but she also now heard the sounds of heated shouts and clanging of metal outside the door, which she hadn't picked up on before. Brielle began to suspect something was awfully wrong.