Daffodils and Hyacinths (3rd book in the Forgotten Truths series)

PROLOGUE

Small gore warning.
(Exactly one year later after the storm...)

She sighed.

So much had changed..

So much had changed in her favor.

As she played with the jewels on her favorite crown, the one she had been first crowned with, the curtains opened. Many were crowded here. They had to be, although she knew they'd come either way. Her people have common sense — At least the surviving ones did.

The scene starts out just how it happened. Her idol, as the main character. She could have acted this out herself, but she had preferred to watch another play the part.

Her eyes never fleeted away from the dancers. Each graceful movement swept away back in a quick manner. Similar to riding a horse.

The actors use up the whole arena. Parts had been damaged, but in the recent months she had pushed some of the more unlikeable slaves; most of which had been lawbreakers, or fugitives who didn't wish to be under her rule. Now, the arena shined bright in the dusty sky.

The scene now changes. In the back, smaller servants hold larger chunks of wood and rock carved out to show those space-filling forests that used to cover these lands. The bright green hue illuminating from them reminded her of adventures she didn't enjoy remembering.

'Now we're getting to the good part,' She thought impatiently, while she pushed herself forward in her large throne.

The actress who played as the fallen Queen Edge, danced back to the center. The large sword glinted with each swift movement.

The scene changes to a large castle. With a large swipe, the sword cuts down the walls. They quickly crumble to the side.

"Huyah!" The sound of other's exclaimed, as they entered the setting. They were the other chosen actors for her project.

"You best lay down your weapons," The actress playing Edge explained, "They won't help you in this battle to unify our world!" The 'unify the world' part had a loud emphasis on it.

'This play is a little pathetic,' She thought; resting her head against her hand, 'Where's the blood?'

She had forgotten what their names were. They were unimportant anyways. Just some fools that easily crumbled under true power.

Edge merely flicked her sword, and cut off each of their heads before the actors had a second to run. She smiled. Finally, something worth watching in this play.

Of course, she had to add this part herself right before the show happened. If it was apart of the original storyline, the actors would have run off. That would be too tiresome to go chase after them and put them to their fate here.

A couple screams sounded from the children. The heads rolled about, as they weren't too sure where to go. One even blinked a few times.

The actress looked a little shook, but she continued on. Bending down, she swooped up each crown, before heading back. The stage rotated back as she ran; the stage crew forced to quickly fix the mess.

"What happened here?! I know this is the infamous arena but did you guys take it too seriously?! Answer me idiots!" A sudden shout from someone among the crowd yelled. The voice was rather, agonizingly, familiar.

She scowled. She whipped back towards the source, "Shhh!"

Once this play was over, her words would have a deep effect on —that—, and the thing's friends. She would be much stronger with dealing with things like those than her idol, this time around.

She goes up to her balcony and into a dark room closed off by thick curtains. There lay 5 prisoners: Ken'ichi, Wisp, Rustic, Hidden, and that thing again. All were broadcasted as the gnarliest prisoners she owned.

The actress wakes them up by having her idol's favorite little boy cut them one by one with her sharp nails dipped in tetrodotoxin. It can be fatal, but these actors and actresses are nobodies anyways. Who is to miss them once they're gone?

Then it continues, she shows Wisp's dead sister, cut many times with the poison. Just another annoying thing that had to be removed of.

The remaining Leaf Tribe queen comes, with her little army, is wrapped up by vines, killed, and has her crown taken.

A strong storm begins to brew afterwards. 'Hidden' somehow tackles Edge off the railing. The rest of the prisoners and guards fall off as the building crumbles.

With everyone now dead, and stage crew carrying off the bodies, she strides onto stage.

She brushes her dark red hair off her shoulder, and smiles. With a clap, she signals for the audience to cheer. Then after a good minute, it gets a little repetitive, and she claps again for it to cease.

She began, "Hello citizens! I hope you have enjoyed the show, but all good things must come to an end."

I must bring this to your attention. There are dangerous people in our world. Dangerous people who still possess their abilities."

A gasp ran through. After the storm, everything had been stripped. That included abilities. Someone who still had theirs could cause much damage.

"We need to remove them from our community." She paused, "By death."

She yanked down on a small rope in front of her. It read the price for catching them: One free home to live in, — Large enough for a family —on a partially-living plot, with one's own little garden. Cheers echoed through. Many still lived in cramped areas; usually with a couple other families.

With a Cheshire Cat-like grin, she cast a finger towards the group she hated the most. —Her— prisoners who should have died exactly one year ago.

'This will be fun.'