The parting glass

Chapter seven

The smell of summer wafted through Darius' nose, however the image of positivity and happiness was disorted when he opened his eyes and saw his nose buried into Talisa's long hair and he immediately came to face with the personification of sadness and dreariness.
He was shocked to find her hands still wrapped protectively over her body, it was odd it was as if she was holding so tightly as if he would disappear if he didn't.
Darius knew she didn't care for him, he was just someone to hold.
Talisa awoke, and awkwardly took her hands away.
'Fetch me breakfast,' she said to Darius
Darius looked confused.
'Come on then! I'm hungry,' she stated
Darius stretched and walked to the dining room where he met sam.
'Did she hurt you last night?' Sam asked whist preparing her breakfast.
Darius before answering thought about it, he didn't want Sam to envy him in anyway. It would comfort sam to think Darius was having a bad time aswell.
'Lets just put it this way, I have wounds from darts in my legs,'
Sam shook his head with disbelief 'she's crazy! A psyco! No wonder everyone hates her, what type of Moran throws darts into another person,' sam said.
'Are you sure that you are okay?' Sam asked
Darius nodded.
'Atleast you slept in her comfy bed,' sam said
Darius nodded then took the breakfast back upstairs.
When he re-entered the room he saw Talisa arguing with Poucell.
'I don't care what the Damani people want! Don't you dare call my uncle!' Talisa was growling.
When Talisa saw Darius she composed herself.
'I will talk about this later with you,' she said to Poucell.
Poucell left and Darius placed the tray on her table. As if on cue his stomach grumbled from immense hunger. She looked at him but didn't do anything just took the food and placed it into her mouth. She ate it whilst he watched helplessly, not knowing where to look.
She left a tiny piece of bread at the end.
'EAt,' she said
Darius was shocked as she passed over the food. He knew not to expect much from the merciless queen yet to leave him a few bites was an insult. Yet his hunger was much greater than his pride so he ate it gratefully. Talisa changed into her day clothed infront of him. As he chewed on the bread he couldn't help but admire her slim tanned body slip into a dress. Her perfect round bossism and her perky breasts made his mouth drool with lust.
she then turned around.
'You truly do have magic hands, you must have had plenty of practice down at waters end,' she said
'What do you mean?' Darius asked
Talisa rolled her eyes 'I'm asking if you shagged many girls?' She said rudely.
Darius blushed.
Talisa groaned 'never thought you'd be coy, anyways we better go down,'
Talisa walked ahead of him as they retreated downstairs, Darius went to fetch talisa drinks and things as she sat on her throne. Looking powerful, she wore her golden crown with pride and demeaner. when she wore the crown she no longer was that child Darius saw as she slept yesterday night.
As Darius poured barley water Into her cup, Poucell came rushing into the room.
'Your highness,' he breathed.
He was holding a stack of leaflets in his hand.
'Someone distributed these this morning, they are all around the kingdom. One on every tree and bench, the kingdom is full of them,' he said handing Talisa the leaflet.
Darius' subtly grasped a look at the leaflet.
Talisa growled angrily as she saw it.
'Find whoever did this immediately!' She demanded
The leaflet had her face on it and on it, it was written 'queen slayer must die!'
'Immedialty!' She roared again. She aggressively tore the leaflet in two.
Darius decided it was best if he disappeared as she was angry. He didn't want to be her outlet of anger.
He went to fetch more barely water and poured it back into the glass as Talisa glared at him.
'Sit next to me,' she monotonously said to Darius. He was fearful but did what she said.
'Do you remember what I said about power last night?' Talisa asked
Darius nodded.
'Remember that, I wish more people understood it,' she growled

Later on the day, Darius was mopping the floor as Talisa sat on the throne looking through files. The guards took in a man who looked at her angrily.
'We found piles of these leaflets in his house,' the guards said.
'Is that so?' Talisa asked
The man looked not at all fearful, he looked proud of what he had done.
The council joined Talisa for his trial, she was annoyed at his calmness. Darius was polishing statues in the room so had a prime view of the trial.
Talisa was expecting a long trial so was surprised when the man whose name was Dave admitted to his crime.
'Yes I distributed these leaflets and I don't regret it, the whole town must know you for who you really are you murdered the queen! Your own sister! You never mention it, and people to respond to it! Everyone preferred Queen Zara. You are nothing but the merciless queen,'
Darius looked up, he knew that Talisa supposedly hated her sister Zara in the last few years. He had heard speculations from everybody that Talisa killed her sister in the previous war 3 years ago, yet it had never been confirmed. Queen Zara's death was a touchy subject that was never brought into question.
Talisa remained silent as Dave carried on.
'Admit it! Infront of your council and your servants! You killed your own sister! You truly have no soul!' He shouted.
Darius watched Talisa's face expression change from anger to sadness, he even thought he saw tears appear in her hazel eyes.
She glared.
'I hereby sentence Dave Edgewater to death,' Talisa said monotonously, she got up without another word as there was outraged shrieks and murmuring amongst the hall. Chaos erupted as Dave tried to remove himself from the grips of the guards as they picked their best sword to kill him with.
'No!' Darius shrieked running after Talisa, he couldn't bare to see the execution. He was angry, this man did not deserve to die and talisa sentenced him to death as if his life did not matter. His anger boiled inside of him, as he forgot all courtesies and banged on Talisa's bedroom door.
She opened the door to see Darius with tears staining his face.
'If you can't watch an execution you shouldn't sentence someone to death,' he said through tears.
Talisa grabbed him by his collar and took him into her room.
'What are you doing!' She shouted as Darius was crying helplessly.
'Why did you kill him?! Is this what makes you powerful? I don't understand it!' Darius shrieked.
Talisa sighed.
'If you don't calm down I will get someone to MAKE you calm down,' Talisa said with gritted teeth.
Darius fell to the floor breathing in and out.
After 10 minutes he calmed down and he looked up slightly, Talisa didn't even try to meet his eye.
'So it's true? The things I heard about you? You truly are a queen slayer,' Darius said calmly with a disgusted tone in his voice.
'My name is Talisa,' Talisa said
'Did you kill queen Zara at the battle that killed my mother?' Darius asked
Talisa didn't reply.
She got up and circulated the room.
'Stop asking questions, curiousity killed the cat,' she said
'And apparantly queen Zara,' Darius said
This was too far for Talisa and she smacked Darius across the face as if he was a child he emerged with blood on his face. Yet he seemed unbothered about it, he acted as if he didn't get slapped and spoke again in the same tone
'Is that why you kill people? Tonfel powerful?' He asked
Anger was growing inside of her. She grasped Darius angrily and dragged him to the room with the throne in. Dave's body was taken away and the room cleared yet the stench of blood made Darius gag.
'Sit on the throne!' Talisa commanded Darius.
Darius raised his eyebrow
'Sit on it!' She shouted
He awkwardly sat on the throne.
'How do you feel?' Talisa asked sinisterly
Darius felt a weird sensation happen to him, by only sitting on this chair he felt more powerful more bold and important. A simple chair made him feel more that Darius HAver.
'You see why people fight in battles to sit on here,' Talisa said
'For power?' Darius asked
'It is so much more than power,' Talisa said
'Power changes a person, it makes them hateful and lustful and sinful. Your closest friends and family can turn into enemies and into people you don't recognise simply when they are given a crown and a throne to sit on,'
Talisa said
She indicated for Darius to get off the throne.
'You will never understand what I am trying to say,' Talisa said 'no one will, no one can ever understand until they have sat on that throne,'
Talisa walked out of the room with Darius following behind her.
She turned once round and stated simply 'Power consumed my sister in a way you can never imagine, power gives me the power to kill and so I kill. If dave had not mentioned my sister I may have saved his life,'
She walked faster so darius had to walk faster.
'Dont judge me Darius if you could kill anyone who would you kill?'
Darius started to grin subconsciously with the thought of killing those he could.
'Exactly, you have a kill list aswell, just the thought of killing had you excited so don't be a hypocrit. I assure you power would taint your pure soul aswell,'
Talisa then walked up her black staircase but Darius stayed on the ground from the top of the staircase Talisa turned around.
'I bet I am on that kill list, aren't i darius?' She chuckled then walked jnto her room.