Legacy

twelve

"Alessa!"

She ran through the darkened woods, branches snapping beneath her feet, others scratching into her arms as she pushed past tree after tree. She ignored the sharp pain as they easily tore through her skin, drops of blood smearing down her arms. She could barely take in a breath, a wave of lightheadedness rushing over her. But she couldn't stop, not when he was screaming for her.

"Alessa please!"

She broke through the trees to find herself suddenly in bright daylight. Alyosha was pinned down by a large tree trunk, two muscled men closing in on him with their swords drawn. She took a step towards him, when a hand grabbed her forearm, yanking her back.

"Alessa, we must go!" Mela pleaded, eyes wide with concern, "We can't save him, but we must go now!"

"I'm not leaving him!"

"Well it's your damned head they shall take then, not mine!" She hissed, letting go of Alessa's arm as if it had burned her.

Without another word, she took off into the forest. Alessa didn't have time to acknowledge the ache in her heart but instead raised her sword and ran full speed towards the two men and her brother trapped under the trunk.

She ran full speed towards her own demise and never looked back.

—

Before she even opened her eyes, she felt a strange sensation against her wrists, an itching of sorts. She ignored it at first, nuzzling into her blanket and trying to recapture a few moments of sleep, but the itching grew fiercer, more uncomfortable until she couldn't stand it anymore.

She stirred, prying her eyes open slowly and moved to pull herself up, but she was immoble. It took her far longer than necessary to realise that she was in fact tied to the bed, awkwardly perched in a sitting position.

"What in the world?" She mumbled, trying to rub her eyes, but the restraints didn't reach far enough.

"Oh good!" A flash of metal appeared in front of her face - her sword, "You're awake! Just in time for the fun!"

She jerked back instinctively as the cool metal brushed her nose, "What on earth are you doing? I thought we were going to work together!"

"See I was thinking that, but I could just rob you blind like I did those other two and set off on my own."

"Well that must have worked out great for you since you ended up back here."

Mela's smug demeanour dropped briefly, less than a second before it flared up tenfold, a smirk plastered across her lips.

"Third time's a charm right?" She snickered, "Those brutes cannot hurt me."

"So what? You're gonna leave me here to die?"

It sounded like a nightmare, being cooped up in this sorry excuse for a room, for weeks on end, if not months. It didn't surprise Alessa in the slightest that Mela was clearly unhinged, it made complete sense.

"You can be the new Mela! No one will notice the difference."

"Then how are they supposed to know that you're a princess and not me?"

She hesitated for a moment, then shrugged, "Zeus will smite them."

Alessa was done playing these childish games, she was ready to gouge the other woman's eyes out. At first, Mela had come across as endearing in a way that fascinated her, that made her want to stare at her in awe for longer than appropriate. She seemed cold and distant, but a genuine person underneath from their conversations the night before. Alessa was never one to back down from a challenge and Mela was certainly challenging. However, in the stark light of day Alessa realised that this was a giant pile of steaming kopros.

If there was one thing Alessa could do, it was play the part of a demure, weak girl who needed help. And as much as she didn't relish the thought, she knew it was the only way she was escaping. She glanced up at the princess who was looking at her carefully, as if she feared Alessa was about to pounce at her even though there was a sword two inches away from removing one of her eyeballs.