Eve Enchanted

Murderous Intent

Atlas' shoes clicked along the marble floors on his way to do his most dreaded chore of the day, visiting his father's throne. The heavy doors opened revealing the sweating, overworked servant trying her best to yank them open for Atlas to enter.

"Morning Rita" he smiled at the servant as he passed her, her warm smile returning his. "Good morning Prince Atlas" she said with a bow. He smiled to himself making his way into the room, he'd always liked Rita. Whenever he was having a tough day she would sneak up to his room with leftover ice cream or his favourite fruits and talk with him, listen while he talked about what was on his mind, he was grateful to see her smiling at him on this uncomfortable morning.

Since his last visit to his mother's hollow, he had become rather infatuated with Eve, and he had began to realise something in him felt conflicted about his mother, more than ever before. He'd tried to ignore his feelings for Eve, but he couldn't deny that he cared for her, and he knew he wouldn't be able to keep seeing her, his father would suspect something. Insistent that he was not having doubts, and trying his best to hide his aching heart from his father, he deemed it best to distance himself from the hollow, and from Eve, however much it was killing him to want to visit her.

Looking up from the notes he was reading, and slightly pushing some hair away from his face, King Argyle met his son's eyes with the same icy stare he always did, except there was something else there this time, something Atlas couldn't make out, which terrified him. "Father. My King, you sent for me, sir." Atlas bowed his head upon greeting his father as he always did. "Son, you look well today. I sent for you because I have a job for you, a very important job and I think you are the just the elf to do it." A smile crept onto Argyle's face, one that chilled Atlas, his father rarely smiled, unless he was up to his tricks again.

Atlas swept a hand through the lengths of his hair resting on his shoulders, looking into his father's eyes nervously. "So, out with it then, Father. What mindless job are you sending me to now?" he said in an attempt to hide his nerves. His father snapped his fingers, to which Rita came clumsily running up the steps to the throne, with a crystal pitcher and matching wine glass. Argyle snatched the glass from her earning a sharp gasp and wide eyes, she poured him some wine and turned to leave, shakily muttering a "your Majesty" before running back to her post beside outside the doors.

"Watch your tone, boy. I am still your king." Argyle snapped, sipping the wine. "Apologies, your Majesty, what is the job then?" Atlas corrected through gritted teeth. Argyle opened his mouth to speak when the little servant girl returned, collecting the wine pitcher from the small table beside the throne, when she tripped and fell on her way out of the throne room, earning a loud crash and crystal shards flying everywhere as the pitcher fell from her shaky hands, deep red liquid flowing in a pool around it. She gasped, her eyes wider than Atlas thought humanly possible, "your Majesty! My greatest apologies my King, I shall fetch a cloth immediately!" she cried, tears welling in her eyes upon seeing the Kings gaze fixed on her. Atlas began walking over to help her when Argyle boomed out "wait. Stay where you are. Both of you."

The king stood from his throne and stalked down the steps towards the girl, frozen in place, shaking wildly. Tutting and shaking his head he stopped in front of her, "what's your name, child?" The brown eyed, tear stained girl bowed her head and quietly replied "Rita, your Majesty." Argyle clapped his hands together loudly, making her almost jump off the ground entirely, "Rita! Ahh Rita, Rita, what a pretty name. Rolls off the tongue, does it not? Yes, Rita. Lovely name for an equally lovely girl." Rita stepped back a step, playing with her apron on the front of her dress, "thankyou, that's very kind your Ma-" she was cut off with Argyle holding up his hand. "And an equally incompetent, useless child. Tell me, are you useless Rita? Are you so insulant you can't leave a room without causing a great scene? Hm?" Rita simply stared at the ground, not saying anything, her whole body stiff and tense. "I... well..." Argyle stood as close as he could, looking down on her, "I'll ask again shall I? Are you useless, Rita?" Rita kept her eyes fixed to the floor, before understanding an replying, almost whispering, "yes your Majesty. I am."

"Father, enough." Atlas tried to intervene, wanting to help the poor girl, but his father simply shushed him by holding up a hand. "So, useless Rita then. Useless people have to learn their place don't they. I liked that pitcher, and I rather like my floors, very expensive marble aren't they? So, before that wonderful wine, that I could have been drinking until you wasted it all, stains my floor, Rita, you are going to get on your knees, and you're going to clean up the mess you made, but you see dear Rita, wine is really such a shame to waste. So, you're going to lick my floor clean. And, afterwards I'd like to hear how grateful you are, that I was so understanding, and let you off easy, Rita."

The poor servant girl just stared in shock at the King, not knowing if she should do as he said or not, waiting to see if he was serious. When she realised he was, she began to get down onto the floor, crying heavily. "Your Majesty, please... I... please allow me to show you my remorse." Atlas watched in horror, as she sat on the floor, sobbing and begging his father not to force her to do this. She grovelled at his feet, trying to make him change his mind.

"Oh come now, you've gotten your pathetic tears on my best boots Rita. Unacceptable." Atlas watched as he turned and walked away, pulling out his wand. The next thing he knew, there was a flash of red light, and a loud sound, once the light died away, he watched Rita's body fall limp, he knew immediately what the spell was, Rita was dead. A pool of deep red sat around her head, soaking her brunette hair, turning her white dress red.

"Look now, a bigger mess for the rats to mop up. Anyways, Atlas, you are going to be doing something for me, it's important that it be done, so you mustn't waste any time." Still in shock, Atlas stared at his father, not knowing what to do.

"What am I to do Father?" He stared at the body in front of the throne where his father had returned to, sitting tall, obviously proud of his work. "You, my son, are going to eliminate the threat to us, take away Azure's weapon. Ensure that we will thrive forever. You, are going to kill Eve."