Kaija: Queen of Stone

10

It was over or it began.

I stared at her body as it fell to the floor, toppling from the chair with another crack as she folded. I stabbed her multiple times after the blow that killed her. Out of pain, fury and the desire to silence the itch. Her hand was outreached while her legs were contorted, almost parallel to the wedding ceremony. I blinked back tears as I stared at the amount of blood covering her and the floor.

It had to be done.

The itch told me she needed to die and it wouldn't let her live any longer. The knife fell from my hand and clattered to the floor. Blood pumped through my ears, masking the echo. My chest heaved, throat tightening with each breath I tried to take. My hands were encrusted with blood.

As I wiped them on my dress, the doors to the dining hall opened. In the middle of them stood Hona and Qia with perplexed expressions. He pushed her back, shielding her from the horror. Qia stayed by the threshold, looking at me with concern.

I felt like I was back in the river, waiting to be viewed as a monster. I backed up, cornered, not able to escape. Hona approached me and looked me over. There was a shift in his expression when he saw the blood on my dress and coated on my fingers.

"Mara?" he whispered, walking around the table. There was a tremble in his gaze as he stared around the room. "Where is Baria?"

Her name made my ears ring. I stared at the ground and picked up the knife. It was no longer warm in my hands but cold. Baria's silver eyes stared at me, lifeless and weak from the ground. I looked at Hona, fingers tight on the handle. His eyes traveled to the knife and he stopped inches from me.

I gritted my teeth and brandished my chosen weapon. "Leave me alone!"

"Mara, what happened?" His voice was low and calm.

I thought he would be unruly like Jonga was. I imagined he would hurt me like him, cutting into my flesh until it was bone. I shook my head, Hona was appearing to be more understanding than I initially thought. A lump grew in my throat as I waited for the understanding to vanish and betrayal to come. I was fooling myself.

"It had to be done," I said through the lump. "She was not the queen Udan needed. She was hurting people. Hona, if I didn't do anything, she would hurt everyone."

"Mara..."

I brandished it again. I was right. He didn't understand.

"Qia and Tiroa suffered because of her and so has this entire village! She was plotting to kill me. It was blatant to see... Hona, if I didn't defend myself I would be in her place." I looked down at Baria's body and imagined the stranger I knew as myself on the floor. Ivory hair and pale skin with crimson blood leaking from my chest and throat.

He held out a hand like he had in the river. I wasn't the damsel anymore, I was the danger, the enemy.

My stomach clenched as I stared at him. "I will not let these people suffer!" I screeched, stepping back. "I will murder anyone just to bring justice to those who deserve it! Even you. You've shown me kindness, Hona, but I must do what is best for Udan."

"What is best for Udan?"

He didn't need to know. If I told him, that was going to make things worse.

He realized I wasn't going to tell him. "Put the knife down," he ordered. "I will not hurt you, I promise."

"You've seen it for yourself!" I continued like I didn't hear him, tears running down my face. "The way that she treated them."

He nodded, pain on his face. "I have."

"Then do you understand?"

He didn't answer, his hand still outheld. I took another step back and plucked the silver crown from her head. Hona still stared at me as I placed it onto my head. "I can bring them justice," I repeated. "I can be the queen they need." I would not be a tyrant like Baria was.