Raising Hell

Beautiful Rebellion

I didn't let Irene in for three days. I claimed I was ill and didn't go to breakfast. Food was delivered to me silently by a guard and I didn't eat any of it. I couldn't breathe, or more accurately, I didn't want to. It was hard to not pick up a knife and end the pain that seems to never end. But I knew what my mission was and I couldn't stop for anything. Not even my foolish thoughts. I would just hold the knife in my hand and rub the handle until it was smooth and unpolished. On the final day of my absence of any social interactions, Irene walked into my room. I looked up from the knife and find her standing awkwardly by the shut door.
"I don't wish to see you." I say sternly and she chuckles.

"That's the beauty of rebellion, Alex. The rules don't apply to me." She says as she walks to me and sits on my bed. I sighed loudly, knowing she was waiting for an explanation.

"I knew Arthur." I say and she nods.

"I know." She says, rubbing my sheets.

"You do?"

"He wouldn't stop talking about you. He thought you would single handedly win the war." She explains and I smiled sadly.

"He was a great man, Irene."

"I thought he was foolish for thinking you could do it. Then I met you."

"And?"

"If anyone can win this thing, it's you." She assures.

"You're not loyal to this city." I breathe, realizing that this entire time, she knew me and what I was planning. I suddenly felt exposed and naked.

"It's hard to be loyal when you're the one has to mop up the blood." She says absently as she looks out the window. I touch her hand and she flinches.

"I'm going to fix this." I promise and she looks up to me.

"I know you will. No one else can." She breathes and squeezes my hand. We sit like that for a while until I realize something. Before I left Valmeadow we discussed how I would report the day of the wedding. We decided to take a risk and send a message via the communication device. We explained what our plan was and that we needed help and all we got in reply was a lousy okay. We hoped someone would come to me with the device and hopefully keep it hidden from Malak.

"Irene."

"Hm?" 

"Your father had a communication device, it looks like a walkie talkie. Do you have it?" I ask, hopefully. She shakes her head.

"No," She says and I put my head in my hands. "But I know who does." She adds and I look up.

"Bring me to them." I order and she nods.

"Of course." She says and jumps off my bed. "Follow my lead." She orders and walks out of the room, with me following close behind.

We enter the hallway and a guard immediately greets us with a frown.

"Where do you think you're going?" He asks the both of us. I try to make a quick excuse but Irene shoots me a dirty look. She then turns to the guard and puts on a synthetic smile.

"The royal highness is upset with her variety of clothes. I was bringing her to the royal seamstress, to be fitted for more extravagant dresses. She finds the ones we've provided a bit dull." She explains.

"Your cities sense of fashion disgusts me." I say with an upturned nose and the guard looks at me then back at Irene.

"I'll come with." He says.

"No!" Irene shouted and the guard looks at her oddly.

"Why not?" He asks.

"Well I wasn't supposed to tell anyone but the queen is getting her wedding dress fitted, and no one is allowed to see it but her." She tells him. He nods in agreement.