What She Did

Prologue: Chapter Five

Shae quickly tossed the box underneath the bed. She felt her furiously palpitating heart go off beat. She stood up straight and leaned against the cupboard, holding her letter as if nothing had happened.

Skiel strolled in.

"I see you've found the letter." He gave a smile, which faltered slightly as he saw Shae's face somehow like breaking porcelain. "What's wrong?"

Shae couldn't bear to face him. The ever familiar, horrible disgust brought on an acidic touch to the roof of her mouth. She turned towards the window.

"I'm sorry, please leave me alone. I do not feel well." Shae muttered. Her complexion most certainly seemed pale.

"Well. Okay." Skiel seemed to detect something wrong. He left, closing the door behind him after he gave a worried glance.

"Sh-" Shae started. It dawned on her that it was Skiel's room she was currently in and couldn't help feel anything than complete guilt. She retrieved the box.

He trusted her. Enough to leave her in her own room. 

She placed a hand on the long glass panel. It was a flaming sunset. The sky was painted orange, with vibrant tinges of sanguine. The clouds looked like translucent wisps of wool. Then, the box slipped out of her hands like butter. As she bent down to pick it up, she noticed specks of green and red.

The rose garden.

The sun abruptly went behind the horizon and night covered the Kingdom. Shae began to panic. She got herself onto the bed and curled. 

She was tired.

She had too many thoughts.

Coleka was chained and kneeling. She lost her grip on Shae's legs as she walked away from her, leaving her scratching the dirt floor. 

"I didn't do anything wrong! It was he-" Coleka pointed wildly to the door.

Shae turned to see Skiel standing behind the door, a smirk on his face.

"Well Shae, you didn't know that Coleka's lover was me, did you?" 

Skiel unsheathed a sword, pointing it at Coleka as he advanced. Shae dashed in front of Coleka, her arms spread wide.

"You- you did this?" 

Shae ripped off one of her sleeves.

"Well Shae, it was all a scheme. Your King would rather you marry him than me so.." Skiel took a glance at Coleka. 

Shae quickly freed Coleka from her chains. 

"Get up and run, now!" Shae yelled. Holding her hand, Shae rushed out of the door, using her free hand to push Skiel away. 

Skiel suddenly appeared on the corridor, and pierced Coleka in the abdomen. 

"You didn't wait for me to continue what I was saying. A princess ought to have proper etiquette, doesn't she?" Skiel drawled.

His grey eyes seemed opaque. Shae couldn't see what he was thinking. His face was now straight, not revealing an ounce of emotion.

"So, she was the sacrifice." Skiel said. "Before you think badly of me, I lo-"

"Noo......!" Shae cupped her ears and screamed. 

Shae sat up, her breath almost hysterical. She held her breath with extreme difficulty as she heard a bell ring twelve times. 

Midnight. 

She grabbed the box beside her with such haste it opened and spilled its contents all over her.

Such familiar handwriting.

Shae found herself wallowing in her own thoughts again. There she sat, in the middle of the letters, like a doll. Her eyes were somehow glassy. Pre-occupied, she failed to recognise the door opening as a threat. 

Until it grabbed her shoulders from the back and pushed her towards the glass, which shattered upon impact.