Villain

15.The Reality of War

I am still screaming as my father drops to the ground, dead. The smug expression is of the Queens face as she stares in horror at Cel. Prince Lucien stands next to her, frowning at the fact that the Queen is still alive. Cel doesn't react to the fact that she killed the wrong person. Doesn't acknowledge that she just killed our father. Her face is vacant of any expression, her eyes that are normally green ,now shine purple. The Queen stumbles back. "How," she asks, fear in her voice. Prince Lucien than pulls out the Black Rune box. My mothers eyes widen as she looks at me accusingly.

How is it my fault The Prince of Darkness has her box? I feel sick from the casual death. Just the other day so I told me she wanted to avoid an essay of bloodshed. How was she how was killing the guard and our father necessary in any way ? How could she take life so easily? Is she any better than the monster my mother is? I realize she is the monster my mother created. My personal hero ,always protecting and saving me ,but not a good person to anyone else. To the people she harmed to keep me safe, she was nothing but a monster. Nothing but a villain.

Cel grabs my hand as guard storm into the room, the Prince holding on to her hand as well. Dark mist covers us and my insides turn as my vision blurs and I feel as if I am floating. I close my eyes as tightly as I can. "You can open your eyes now," Cel's voice is calm. I opened my eyes to find us in an old, empty cottage. I look at Prince Lucien. He teleported us here. From the looks of things we're still in the kingdom of light.

"What the hell was that," I exclaim, feeling dizzy from all the action. Deaths. Teleporting. The fact that my father is no more. I can't fight the grief that floods my body. "A mis calculation on my part," Prince Lucien says. "A miscalculation ! An innocent man died! You killed the wrong person! My father is dead," I yell at both of them, anger feeling like the only emotion to display. Cel doesn't respond, oddly quiet. "Why didn't you tell me," I yell at her.

"So you could report back to your mother", Lucien rolls his eyes. "You're lucky she convinced me to bring you along," his words form a pit in my stomach. They were going to leave me behind? I look at Cel, hoping for her to say something, but all I am met with is silence. I choke out a sob. "He was our father Cel," I tell her. "How can you stand there and just let him brush it of as a miscalculation," I ask her. She sighs. "Maybe he was a father to you Dawn. While he taught you how to ride a horse he taught me to fight with a blade just like the one that killed him,' she says.

"He was not a good man," she answers coldly. "He was still your father," I practically cry. "Yes. He sliced me up, healed it so he could do it again, and again," she responds the facts, shocking me. "He had no choice he was under one of her spells as well," I defend. Cel sighs. "I know this is hard for you Dawn. But this is how war is. People die. People we love. I could die. So could you or Lucien. It's war," she says, her voice far away.

"The whole Kingdom will be looking for us," Lucien interrupts any further conversation. "We're safe her," Cel assures him. "This is a poorer, almost abandoned village. The Kingdom of Light overlooks it with the Royals pretending it doesn't exist exist and everyone else having forgotten it was ever here," she says. I stare dumbly at her words. The Kingdom of Light really does that? "Why did you bring us here and not to the Kingdom of Darkness," I ask. Prince Lucien looks at me as if I had grown two heads. "Just as anyone from the Kingdom of Light is weaker in the Kingdom of Darkness, the same works the other way around," Cel explains. "If it was just him he could have made the entire trip easily," she explains. I nod, feeling bad for my behavior. Cel is always explaining things to me.

"I'm sorry," I mutter out. I asked to be involved in their plan. Including bloodshed. And here I am, criticizing them for it. "I know its tough for you Dawn, but you need to grow up," Prince Lucien's response shocks me. Cel gives him a small smile for his slightly less harsh response. "We have to leave the Kingdom of Light soon, don't we," I ask. Cel shakes her head. "Patrols will be looking everywhere. It is safer here. We have to lie low before we can start making our way back to the Kingdom of Darkness," Cel explains. I cant help but admire her planning skills.

"We do have to get back before the Queen deploys her armies to attack. And we have to have our defenses ready," Prince Lucien says. "You have to remember it's not just the Kingdom of Light's army. The Queen will call her allies," Cel says. "Allies," I ask, hating that I have no idea what Cel is talking about. "Neighbor Kingdoms. Noblemen with small armies of their own," she explains, I nod in response. "Your Kingdom will be outnumbered," I tell Prince Lucien. He simply nods in response.

"Then why did you start a war," I ask. "It's the only way to end it. And we have something the Queen doesn't," The Prince responds. I raise an eyebrow in question. "Me Dawn. The Kingdom of Darkness has me," Cel says and I tilt my head. I know Cel is trained to kill and that she was powerful enough to make my mother bind her magic, but I have no idea what her magic is or how one person can make much of a big difference. Despite my questions, I smile.

Prince Lucien takes a walk outside the cottage to gather some wood. For a Prince he is very self sufficient and able to take care of himself in situations like these. Unlike me, a useless Princess whose only talent is to look pretty. I sigh at the thoughts clouding my mind. Cel sits next to me, looking outside. "Dawn I trust you more than any other person I know . I know that no matter what you will always make the right decision," she says. I frown at her words, confused my her tone of voice. "What are you taking about," I ask her.

With a sigh Cel smiles at me tightly. "I wish I could tell you. But you will know when the time is right. All I ask of you is forgiveness," she says. I frown deeper. "For what. You haven't done anything wrong," I frown at her cryptic tone. Cel isn't normally so cagey. "There are things at stake Dawn. Things may not make sense right now, but they will," she says, determination in her voice. I spot the Prince walking closer, and fight of my worried feeling. "Thank you for trusting me," I tell her, a small smile on my face. Cel simply smiles at me. It is that moment I realize, I don't need my father who let my mother spell me, or my power hungry mother who was blinded by her thirst for power. I have a sister who trusts and loves me. Who is there for me no matter what. "We should rest," Cel says, before preparing my place to sleep. I smile at her actions , drifting of easily.

The bright sunlight awakens me , and I look around confused. The cottage is empty. Frowning, I get up, taking a walk outside. A pit forms in my stomach as I realize what happened. They left me. Pure disbelief fills my body,along with a sence of betrayal and anger. Cel left me. Cel would never leave me. It's not like her. I recall her cryptic words, how carefully she made my bed. Had she known? Why would she leave me like this, with no explaination, after everything that happened? I will be in danger here, labelled as a traitor. Cel would never leave me in danger.

Unless she had no choice. I head over to my make shift bead, tearing it apart. Finally, I find a small piece of paper, with Cels handwriting on it. "I promise I will explain everything ,but first I need you to do something for me,"I read the words out, scanning through the rest of the note with dread filling my body at every word written. Sighing, I walk up to the side of the room Cel had slept, and focus all of my energy into my palm, before blasting the wall. I cough as it crumbles around me and I wait till the dust settles.

In the debris , is a Black Box with rune markings on it, three of which are red. I pick up the box , swallowing hard. Cel's words echo in my head :"I know that no matter what you will do the right thing". I wanted to help. The war has just begun, but Cel has given me the way to end it all. My tasks start now.