We are all entitled to be beautiful

Chapter Twelve - A price to pay

Xavier

"Why are you here?" I spat my voice laced with as much anger as I could muster. The woman before more me merely grinned baring her pearly white teeth against blood red lipstick. Even amongst a rebellion she managed to main proper and poised.

"Can't a mother visit her son?" her voice was saccharine and sweet parading as true affection but I knew better than most.

"I am not you son," my eyes flitted over to Rose's lifeless body, a new wave of anger resonating within me.

She laughed, "You might be more right than you think." this caught me off guard.

"What do you mean?"

She completely ignored the question making her way closer to Rose, I lurched forward blocking her path, "Don't."

I needn't say anymore, she graciously took a step backward, "Where was this strength when we needed you to rule." she paused to look at the red of her nails, and then down to her wedding ring carefully observing it shimmer in the dim lighting. "It's a shame you waste it all on her."

There was a bitterness to her tone, a resentment that was reserved for the only person that was able to stop her rule.

"What do you want?" my patience was growing thin as plans of escape whirled through my brain. My eyes narrowed on the former queen, trying to judge what her intentions were. Whatever they were they could be nothing less than malevolent.

"It's more a question of what you need and what I can provide," her gaze rested on Rose's lifeless body a false look of pity drawing her thin eyebrows together in what any stranger would mistake for care.

The look immediately told me what she had been referring too, I knew even before she pulled the vial from beneath her billowing gown.

"The antidote," my voice was barely a whisper as hope flared in my heart. If she had the antidote there was a chance that I could save Rose.

"Give it to me," I demanded my voice rough with uncertainty as I knew for everything there was always a price to pay. Gone were the days when people would provide out of the kindness of their hearts we were living in times where everything had a cost. But I would pay anything to have her back, anything in the world.

"You my dear know nothing is free," she clutched the glass tube in her hand and before I could reach it she threw it on the ground.

"No," I cried out as I dropped to my knees watching the splash of the only thing that could save her. The metallic liquid seeped into the tiles of the floor. My hand shook with anger as I tried to salvage any of the medicine but it was useless it was gone.

My throat constricted as I choked a shout, "Why?"

She gave a wiry smile, "Don't worry I have more, I just needed to make sure that you didn't take the antidote and run away before you did what I needed you to."

"You don't get to control me anymore,"

She stepped forward and rested a cool palm on my cheek, I flinched at her touch but she gripped my chin before I could move away, "I will always control of you as long as I have her life in my hands."

She was right, I would do anything for Rose. I would destroy anything for her, even myself.

"What do you want?"

"All in good time my dear,"