Fallen From Grace

Part 12

She took in her sister's disheveled appearance. Her tangled wild hair and crazed matching look in her eyes. She had never seen her this way and Emilia found it rather concerning. What was more concerning was the dagger that was pointed at her and the fact that it was already covered in blood. She looked into her sisters eyes to try and read what lay with in their depths. All she saw was madness and fury.

"Brigitte..." Emilia started only to have the knife thrust at her once more bringing her statement to a halt.

"NO!" Brigitte screamed at her. "You will not speak! You have taken everything from me! So now it my turn." She was becoming more erratic, more crazed.

"What did you do?" Emilia was finally able to get out in a whisper.

"DO? I only did what had to be done. I only did what must be done. You took my father, my legacy so now I am taking it all back."

"I didn't take father from you." Emilia stated firmly. This only caused Brigitte to become more agitated and she thrust her knife closer to Emilia's throat.

"Stop calling him that!" She screamed. "He was never your father! He just felt sorry for you! You are worth nothing more than the dirt beneath my feet." Emilia knew that none of this was true but she still felt a stab of fear that Brigitte was right. She took a deep breath staying very still as her grip on her sword tightened around the handle where it was hidden beneath the folds of her dress.

"Brigitte, what did you do?" She asked again. Her sisters face seemed to change suddenly and went from being murderous to calm; a very scary and calculating calm.

"What had to be done? Many have tried but we will be successful and then I will have everything I deserve." She suddenly stepped away from Emilia still holding her knife but seemingly lost in her own thoughts. "Mother had it figured out from the beginning. We would be rid of you and then we would get everything. But then you and had to go make friends with the king's bastard son." Her eyes filled with anger once again. "Everything was laid out, everything would have been perfect." She was starting not to make sense again. Emilia tightened the grip on her sword even more. She knew that it was only a matter of waiting for the right moment before she made a move, a move that would not end well for either of them.

"Brigitte, what did you do?" Emilia asked again in a calm voice. If she could keep her distracted long enough it may buy her a bit more time. She looked back at Emilia with contempt in her eyes.

"The only thing we could. We are going to kill the king." She was so calm that at first Emilia didn't think she heard her right. Then she remembered the attack that had just occurred.

"You mean you haven't done it yet. I thought the King was attacked?"

"A well thought out distraction. While everyone is out looking for an assassin the real one would be hiding in the walls of this very castle."

"Then why come here? Why me?"

"You're my lose end, my one last regret. Do you know how many times I have dreamed of this very moment? Seeing you one last time knowing I will be the one to end your life." She advanced toward Emilia but Emilia was quicker and plunged her sword deep into her sister's chest. The look of Brigitte's face was one of shock and anger. She looked down at the wound and then back at Emilia as she fell. Emilia lurched from the chair ignoring the pain in her leg as she caught her sister's lifeless form. Nothing compared to the sudden pain in her heart at the fact she had just ended a life. She cried out and felt the tears run down her face. Holding her sister she looked down at her lifeless eyes.

"I am sorry, so very sorry." She didn't know what else to say or what else to do so she lay Brigitte down very carefully and covered her body with a blanket from the bed after she retrieved her sword. She knew that the king's life was still in danger so she did the only thing she could think of. She lifted herself off the ground using her sword as a sort of crutch and went to where the secret door was. She knew that this was the quickest way to the King's chambers and the most likely place to where he would be while the castle was searched. She stepped into the dark tunnel remembering the last time she was here but this time she wasn't running. Using her hands to guide her and her sword to support her she made her way into the darkness. Just as she took her first step she suddenly felt a cold icy hand grab her wrist. She shrieked slightly as the grip tightened when she tried to pull away.