The Shadows That Dwell Within (The Warrior Queens book #1) (#Wattys2016)

Chapter 30 - Rosaline

Rosaline jumped over the bed and ran over to the airship's entrance, expecting the worse. Behemoths of incredible sizes, foul beasts with sharp claws. What Rosaline found almost disappointed her. Humans dressed in ragged clothing had descended on the Falcons. They brandished clubs and spiked maces and fought with a vicious force. But they were no match for the Falcons.

Rosaline stepped out the airship and drew her daggers from her belt. Nicholas threw her a startled look. He did not hold his usual weapon, a morning star. Instead he held a Taser, and he held one out to Rosaline.

"They're just scared citizens who don't know who we are. We can't hurt them" he reasoned.

"They attacked us" Rosaline exclaimed. "And they don't look civilised to me"

Rosaline put her daggers back on her belt and snatched the Taser. The Falcons had sedated the crowd that attacked them. Most of them. Rosaline was closest to the airship. She was the first to spot the few that went in the huge craft. She sprinted as if her life depended on it. For all she knew it could.

Prince Casper was knelt before the attackers, one of them had a club raised. The look of absolute desperation he threw Rosaline tugged at her heart. In that moment, he was not a pompous prince, not the captain of the ship, he was not even the son of a tyrannical leader. He was just a boy, barely nineteen who was about to be killed.

The dagger spun out of her hand before she could think twice. The knife landed in the arm of the attacker with his club raised. The Shinamains turned round and finally noticed her.

"Don't kill him. That's the prince of Amiticia. Do you know how much ransom you could get?" Rosaline protested.

The attackers glanced at one another.

"That's the prince?" one them said in S'ian

"How was I supposed to know that? I've never been to Amiticia" he replied.

The attackers proceeded towards her. Ducking out of their grasp, she made her way to the control room. Rosaline managed to swerve out of way of several hits but failed to dodge the one behind her. Pain laced her head and her world was tilted to the side. Still, she keep moving forward, punching and kicking and elbowing. The tips of her fingers just graced the handle to the emergency door when everything went black.

Chains rattled as Rosaline stirred in her sleep. She awoke to find shackles round her wrist binding her to the metal railing that lined the small room. A putrid smell filled her nostrils. She was in the room behind the bathrooms. The room where they kept prisoners.

Beside her, the prince had his head in his hands. His royal jacket was torn and bloodied. The prince was always immaculately dressed and elegant, it was strange to see him this way. Even though Rosaline despised the Amitician monarchy and all they stood for, she took no joy in seeing Prince Casper like that.

Rosaline forced herself into a sitting position with a groan. Casper turned his head to the side.

"You're alive" he said.

"Sorry to disappoint"

"We're both going to die anyway" Casper said, staring at the floor.

Rosaline snorted. "You're not. Daddy's going to bail you out".

"My father won't pay the ransom"

"Of course he will. You're his son"

"I appreciate you trying to save me, but there are other heirs. He doesn't need me".

Rosaline stared at him in confusion. She was sure the king and queen only had one child. Not that it mattered... Rosaline knew King Leonard was cruel. He would not give up his crown, no matter how many people died at the hands of Erebus. But to just let his own son die... and all he had to do was give up a small fortune.