Rosetta

16

Rosetta lowered the podship at the very back of New Beijing palace, and through the gates you could see the remnants of the wedding between the former lunar princess Winter and her guard Sir Clay. Though the event has not been broadcasted, the wedding has been announced and shown as a 'quiet day with friends and family.'

Two guards were posted on either side of the gate. Rosetta looked up and the cameras, and relief washed over when she saw that they were inactive. Rosetta took out her gun and checked the magazine again. It was made of a pearly material. Regolith, she realised. She aimed her gun towards the first guard. He was looking sleepy, his orange, flaming hair sticking up in the breeze. She pulled the trigger and he dropped. The second guard, stricter looking and without hair, ran to his side. She pulled the trigger again and he fell on top of him.

Rosetta crept over to their bodies and checked for a pulse. It was there, slow and constant. She picked up the second guard's left wrist and held it up to the scanner. It flashed green and the gate opened for her.

She stepped into the gardens faltered. How was she supposed to get to the next door with the guard's ID chip? Rosetta felt inside her pocket. A small penknife was there, the one she always kept on her. She rushed back to the guard and carefully took out his chip. If all went well, they would eventually realise that someone had come, even if she was a stealthy as can be. She picked up the blooded chip and tried not to gag. She cleaned the blood on her shirt and walked back to the door. She presented the chip and it unlocked.

Rosetta stepped in and opened her portscreen. She had downloaded directions towards the Emperor's room and went towards the lift. From the gardens, she could here sniffling. Whispers. Begs of forgiveness. But no crying.

She walked back outside and followed the noise. She ran around the corner and smashed into a guard.

"What-" he started.

Rosetta crashed to her knees and winced. She forced tears into her eyes and croaked, "What did you do to me?"
The guard bent down and held up her face.

"Are you injured? What are you doing here?" He asked, trying to pick her up. She felt a genuine twang of pain when she thought about how Carlos would react to another man helping her. The guard's voice was gentle, reassuring. Rosetta knew that she would regret what came next.

She felt for her gun and shot him. He collapsed onto her, and she tried not screamed in pain. The guard's knife had fallen out of his pocket and stabbed into her side. She threw the guard off of her and yanked the knife out. It wasn't a deep wound, but she torn off the corner of her shirt to staunch the bleeding. It worked, but she wasn't sure for how long.

She hobbled towards the sound and was presented with the Royal Temple. There were gravestones from most of New Beijing's rulers, but also their spouses and their relatives too. There was Emperor Rikan, who's stone had only just began to age slightly. There were also 3 new ones for Linh Adri, Linh Pearl and Linh Peony. They all were identical, except for that in front of Linh Peony's stone was a jar, covered in little peony flowers.

And beside the Linh family's stones, was Empress Cinder.

She was on her knees, rubbing her eyes as her swollen cheeks became redder and redder. Rosetta looked around. The Emperor was no where to be seen. The Empress held a tissue to her nose and blew hard, and watching her worried expression made Rosetta feel a sort of pity for the woman. Especially for what she was about to suffer. She came around behind her, doing a search for anymore guards. She looked up at the cameras. All offline. She raised her gun behind the Empress's back and checked again for more guards and unnoticeable cameras.

She knew she was stalling. Was she really about to do this? Why was she about to do this? She reminded herself that it was for Natasha, even after all the lies she had told. She had taken her when her parents obviously had not wanted her. If she did this, she would be saving her. Saving them. But the Empress would suffer alone.

Rosetta had a sudden thought then. What if she didn't have to be alone? She ducked behind a tall bush and checked her portscreen. The tranquillisers would only keep the guards unconscious for half an hour before the first ones woke up. Hurriedly, she found the directions for the Emperor's room and ran.

                                        *

Rosetta stepped over the dark haired guard and swiftly slipped into the Emperor's room, gun at the ready. But he was asleep. Rosetta saw paper on his desk a small black pen, ink dripping from the tip. She quickly wrote a note.

I'm sorry. I took Empress Cinder. I had my reasons. My mother's life was at stake. I am trying to help you. I am afraid i cannot write were she is but when I am freed I swear that I will come to the Palace myself to help. I am so sorry. I will try to stall to save the Empress's life. Please allow me to help you when I am free.

She left the note on the Emperor's table and  returned to Empress Cinder.

                                     *

The Empress was still in the mourning position when Rosetta returned. This time, she did not falter when she lifted the gun and shot the dart directly into her back. She realised a quick gasp before falling onto her back. From nowhere, she summoned the strength to pick up the Empress and ran towards the podship. When she reached it, said, "Pod, Open Doors," and placed the Empress in the corner. Shouts emerged from behind her. She cursed. The guards had woken up.

She swung her head back and said, "Pod, Close doors." But she wasn't fast enough before one bullet came through and hit her leg. This time, she let the scream escape her and crumpled to the ground.

"Pod," she moaned. "Pod, lift off."

With one hand on her leg, she crawled to the cabinet as the podship slowly rose amd shot off into the direction of the moon. Rosetta got on her knees and smacked the cabinet doors, making a white kit with a red cross fall out. She clicked it open and pulled out the bandages, which she rolled appart with her teeth. She knew that she would only have a couple more minutes until they left the atmosphere and Rosetta would have to pilot the ship. She wrapped the bandages around her leg and moved onto the knife wound on her side. She lifted her shirt up, which had gone dark with blood, and twisted it round and round until she was fully covered. She then eased herself into the pilot's chair and steered towards Luna.

She took a minute to assess her work. In the space of two hours, she had gone past a dozen or more guards and kidnapped the Empress. Kidnapped the Empress. The Empress that had transformed Luna forever. That had led a revolution. That was Levana's niece, even though she was dead. She looked at her body in the back of the pod, frail looking and sickly. She was clearly suffering already. Rosetta stumbled over to her and took a cloak from the peg by the doors. She draped it over the Empress and removed the dart, causing her to twitch but still stay unconscious.

It was then that Rosetta asked the question that she and wanted to ask from the moment she had left to New Beijing , even if it was to an empty ship.

"What have I done?"