The Last Princess

Chapter 21

My heart stopped.

How had she found me here?

For a moment, all I heard was the hem of her black dress rustling on the grass as she walked out leering. "I-I-Ivy!" I could barely talk.

She, on the other hand, had no problem.

She threw back her head and laughed, sending shivers down my spine. "Dear Elvie! So nice to see you here!"

"W-w-what are you d-doing here?" It was a futile question, but I didn't know what else to say.

She examined her nails casually. "Oh, I wonder." she said sarcastically. "But I do know that by tomorrow morning, you will have ceased to exist."

My breath had pretty much stopped too.

"Why? Why are you doing all of this?" Her eyes snapped to me as soon as I asked. "Because you girls are the reminder of a past..." She trailed off as she began circling me, forcing me to turn in circles on the spot.

We're both silent for some time. Well, as silent as you can get on a pitch dark night with wind whistling through leaves, owls hooting and the grass rustling beneath your feet.

She sighed to herself. "What?" I said rudely. "Oh, just remembering. Fond memories, you know. Bondage disappearing." "Huh?" I asked, too confused to remember to talk to her rudely.

"Well, that's where I killed Laurel." she said, pointing to a place on the ground near my feet. I gasped. She continued pointing out where she had killed all my sisters, ending with "Oh, and I killed your favorite sister, that...Juniper...there."

The place was right below my feet.

My stomach flipped.

I felt sick. She was insane. Absolutely crazy. What kind of monster murdered seven- or eight- of their own daughters? 

"And now, that's where you'll die." she said calmly.

"No!" I shouted. She tilted her head to the side, considering. "Say please." "Absolutely not." I shook my head firmly. I knew she'd trick me. If I'd die I wouldn't die in shame at least. I still had some pride.

"Say please and I'll let you go. I swear on Nalvia."

I hesitated. This was a big thing. Nalvia, the Forest Spirit, was the life force of the whole Forest and everything in it- including us elves. Breaking a promise on Nalvia was tantamount to giving your soul- thereby your life- to her. But I didn't know. It had never happened before. But a promise on Nalvia. She couldn't break it, I decided.

"Please." I muttered.

"What was that? I didn't quite catch it." I gritted my teeth, silently cursing her. "I said please!" I shouted.

"Hmm." she tilted her head to the other side.

"No. I think I'll just kill you." She laughed at my dumbfounded expression. I froze, now mentally cursing myself. Why did I ever think this woman would let me go? She hated me. And she had no soul to lose anyway. She had already murdered my sisters.

Her expression changed into one of true viciousness.

She thrust out her hands, and a wall of dirt rose and rushed towards me, coming closer, probably to choke me to death.

Even though this was probably the last thing I would see, I didn't close my eyes. I couldn't.

A net of vines stopped the dirt inches from me.

I turned my head quick as lightning.

A man had melted out from a tree.