The Warrior, The Healer and The Thief

Chapter Twenty-seven

I'm back in the forest now. I feel bad for what happened but this is what must be done. I need the crown. I need its power. I have things to do and this will help. It won't make everything perfect but it will do enough. It can't give me what I really want but it will give enough. I won't use this for evil. I'll use it once then it goes right back in the mountain. Ava and Layla will be fine. They can go home and return to their normal lives. I won't be seeing them again.

"Hello Miss Ducane." I was so in my head I didn't even realise the group of knights in front of me. "Fancy seeing you here, where are the others?" The king said as he steps out of his carriage.

"They went home, it's just me." I reply as I tighten my grip on my bag. The knights circle around me.

"Did you at least complete the mission yourself? I know how much you want your freedom." The king asked.

"Maybe I did maybe I didn't. You weren't even planning on rewarding any of us so why should I tell you?"

"You're a smart girl and maybe if you hand the crown over I'll reconsider."

"I think I'll pass. I know what you really are. I know why you really want this crown. You don't care about the kingdom or its people. You just want power. All you care about is yourself. No one else. Not even your own daughter. Not even your own niece. You left her with Satella when you were supposed to protect her and look what happened." I taunt.

"Her death was not my fault. How do you even know about that?" The king asks.

"Criminals talk. We learn secrets. People don't notice us and we hear their deep dark secrets."

"If you hand over the crown you won't have to be a criminal anymore, you can have all of the riches you want." The king sounds desperate. I've always known his true intentions. He's not as good as he seems. It's all a disguise. He's as bad as Satella. His niece was the queen's daughter and he was supposed to protect her but the whispers say he was fed up with her like the queen was and knew the queen was planning to murder her. The queen murdered her own daughter in cold blood. She never admitted to why but people have their theories. The one I've heard the most is that she doesn't want loose her power to her. "I don't care for riches and I'm quite happy being a criminal, it's a nice life." I reply.

"Then I'll have to take it from you by force. Kill her." The king ordered. The knights start walking towards me. There's only ten so I can handle them. I muster up my strength and send out a large pulse sending all of the knights flying. It didn't kill them but it did knock them out. Morons. I take out my dagger and walk towards the king. "How do you feel knowing you'll die because of a women?" I laugh. I lift my weapon high into the sky and was about to stab it into his just when I heard a scream and I know exactly who it belongs to. "Layla?"