Scrawl

Facts (story 3)

I was listening to The Room Where it Happened from Hamilton when I came up with this one (I recommend listening to the soundtrack for Hamilton, it's really good!).  Enjoy!

Emerald stared at the bulletin board in front of her, of which was layered with pictures and notes scarred with marker and connected by multicolored pins and thread. Moonlight drifted into the messy room from the window in the left of the room, outlining the forms of objects within the room and making Emerald's blue tinted fur shimmer silver. Green eyes stared at the messy board before them, more notably studying it's center, where all of the strings and pins connected to the large red question mark drawn underneath. Notes were grafted nearby the center, messily written words scrawled on their fronts. Emerald continued to stare at the notes, the gears turning in her head. She growled, stomping her paw on the off-white tile floor.

"I don't get it! Why does she make these deals, even if she knows they could harm the kingdom? What is going to happen on Monday? Who tried to kill queen Tia? Why are they telling no one what's going on between the kingdom's courts?"

"Maybe it's because they don't want you to know." Emerald didn't even need to turn around to know who was approaching her. Hollow's long black fur seemed to shimmer under the moonlight as she drew near, the white freckles on the black fur sticking out like stars. Hollow sat next to Emerald, neither taking the time to look at one another.

"Princess."

"Emerald."

"Why are you here?"

"Why're you here?"

"Don't try to twist my own question back unto me, princess. Why have you come?"

"...do you have any leads?"

"Leads?"

"On my sister's...um...predicament, I mean."

"Oh. Well, I hate to inform you, but I have yet to find anything new on the case, I'm sorry."

They sat in silence together for a moment.

"Though I have found something rather interesting."

Hollow flinched slightly. They kept their gazes locked upon the bulletin board, though Hollow stared only at its center.

"Oh? And what did you find?"

"Well, I don't mean to flaunt my own abilities, but you know how I love to dig when I'm researching. And while digging, I think I found some diamonds within the dirt."

"What're you going on about Emy?"

"Oh, nothing much, nothing much at all, my dear. I simply found something rather...fascinating."

"Fascinating? How so?"

"Oh, well, I don't know about you, princess, but I find the concept of the royal family committing acts of embezzlement and espionage rather riveting. Especially so when such an affair is hidden from the public. Don't you agree?"

"h-how...how do you get such w-wild ideas, Emerald? Ha ha..."

Neither looked at one another still.

"Well," The short-furred one turned one paw towards the notes and pictures pieced together on the bulletin board, "I found that facts and evidence can form a story quite nicely. Of course, that's not all I have on the topic of shady dealings within your bloodline, my dear, for you know how I like to search."

"..."

"I must say though, if anything, it was hidden away quite well. Like whoever hid it didn't want it seen." Hollow's long fur fluffed up, fear gripping her like a summer flower grasping the last drops of mid-autumn warmth.

"How did you find all this?"

"Like I said, you dig around deep enough, your bound to find something worth seeing. I'm sure you could understand that much, princess."

Hollow didn't respond. Emerald's voice softened, sensing the younger ones distress.

"All I want to know...is why?" The princess turned her fearful gaze towards Emerald, studying her for a moment before breaking the gaze with a sigh as she regained her composure and stared at the ground.

"Emy, you understand what the royal family is supposed to do, right?"

Emerald nodded, slightly wary of her friend's still, emotionless tone.

"Yes, of course." A silver-eyed gaze drifted towards her, calm yet hesitant.

"Then you know what, exactly, the job would entail. Am I right?"

"No, Hollow, Not entirely."

The Royal rose to her feet and turned towards the door.

"Exactly."

"...what do you mean, princess?"

"That's none of your concern, Emerald. Now if you would be so kind as to-"

"Princess, please, what do you mean?"

"I already told you, that's none of your concern."

"Actually, as a legal citizen of this kingdom, this is my concern entirely."

"As a citizen, you shouldn't have been fooling around where your not supposed to."

"But I'm a reporter. That's my job!" Hollow turned to face her

"No, your job is to write articles on new restaurants in town and which business are doing better than others in the city. Not to stick your muzzle in where it doesn't belong."

Hollow turned towards the door again, but the journalist was far from satisfied. She narrowed her eyes before leaping onto the leader's long, plume-like tail. Hollow quickly turned around abruptly.

"I want my answers, Hollow, and you know full well that I don't take no for an answer."

"Well why can't you, just this one time, let it go? Can't you realize that this really is none of your concern? The past actions of me and my kin have meaning, but not that is not something I need to justify to the likes of you! Now, before you end up without a job, you're gonna get this through that impenetrability thick skull of yours and your gonna get it good: your gonna take down all this stupid shit on the things my family's done and focus on the one, singular task I asked you to do, or I'm going to use every bit of influence I have to get you fired from your job, got it? And next time you'll keep to the work your supposed to be doing instead of going off and accusing my lineage of having a crime record that runs a mile high!"

Hollow turned and raced out the door, not waiting a moment for Emerald to respond before vanishing from sight. The young news reporter simply stared at the now empty space before the door as a cloud drifted across the moon, plunging the room into darkness.

The ending was a dit of a pain to write, but I hope you enjoyed it nonetheless! Thanks for reading!