Silvestre Pendragon

Dark Consequences

Braiding back down the path towards the city, Silvestre watched Crystal as she clung tightly to Milo's hand, she seemed so quiet and tranquil but in her eyes there was fear, she stared knowingly at the silent city. Suddenly, she stopped. In knife straight posture she froze, her eyes widened in terror and her rosy lips moved so quickly Silvestre thought she could've imagined the sound.

"They know. The King knows. Fire. Fire. Fire."  at first her words were clear and precisely cut but they quickly fell into a mumbling state of anxiety, repeating the last word over and over, Milo crouched down, rubbing his hands against her arms, trying to sooth her, without breaking his gaze with crystal, he said urgently, 

"Sil, go now. Go to the King."

Silvestre was already striding through the deserted roads, the knights would be conversing with the king, mothers had locked their children inside, everyone was gone, all except one young guard leaning casually against the castle wall, 

"Leon, go to the stable house, and guard it. Protect it." Silvestre commanded. Confused, Leon reached his hand out in attempt to stop the determined princess 

"I only take orders from Almore." he replied, 

Snatching his wrist, twisting it, and pulling the young guard closer to her, Silvestre hissed, 

"Wouldn't it be an awful shame if Camelot was burnt to the ground, Noirsk triumphed and the kingdom fell, all because you couldn't take an order... Now don't make me ask again." As soon as she let go Leon rapidly scurried towards the stable house. Seeing Milo with Crystal had reminded Silvestre of everything she had wanted from Albert when she was a child, but now she was no longer a child and upon meeting Crystal she had mentally vowed to protect the natural beauty of the little fiddler. 

Hearing raised voice from the throne room, Silvestre readied herself, taking one last deep breath as she threw open the doors. Silence fell. The King's court stared bewildered at the scruffy looking princess but it was the punching determination and snarl behind her winter eyes that had silenced them. Silvestre had no time to be conscious of her untidy dark curls, or her dirty shirt as she strode into the room. 

"Go Silvestre." sniggered Albert with a content smirk on his face. 

"I have just as much right to be here as you do Albert. If you would kindly die then I'd be the first heir." 

"Is that a threat?!" he roared, lunging forwards, but Silvestre swiftly stepped aside watching (and enjoying) as Albert stumbled. 

"No brother dear, it's a warning." She whispered, giving him a sly wink. Though some of the King's older associates were accustomed to Silvestre's wild behaviour and her battles with Albert, there were still many shocked faces that seemed paralysed as Silvestre rose to examine the maps on the table. 

"With all due respect Sire, I believe Princess Silvestre may be helpful, if she's  permitted to stay, as she has been on every expedition in attempt to capture Noirsk." Almore suggested, nodding encouragingly to Silvestre. The grey,  skeletal figure of the King nodded, continuing to avoid Silvestre's eyes. 

"We will order villagers and some of our troops to distinguish the fires, so far they haven't spread far and they will be controllable." he declared.

"Controllable? Do you think anything about Noirsk is controllable!?" Silvestre asked,  concealing her angry, orange flames in her fist. 

"Nothing is unstoppable." replied the King, still gazing at the maps. 

"Then you are foolish and ignorant." The room gasped, shocked horror, they all gazed at the King, awaiting his reply, but they were disappointed as he remained seated, merely scratching a quill and ink against some parchment, as if he hadn't heard his daughters insult. 

The temperature of Silvestre's palms was rising, her eyes were overflowing with resent, her own father sat in that throne and ignored her, she felt as though her blood was boiling with fury, a bitter taste of salt had leaked into her mouth and her tongue was sharpened with a thousand words for weapons. But only five words thundered within her mind. Each one a punch to the heart. Repeating and repeating. Then, when she couldn't keep her teeth gritted no more, and her anger hit its peak, Silvestre yelled, 

"LOOK AT ME OLD MAN!!" 

 He did. 

His tired eyes lingered on Silvestre's face, perhaps for the first time since she was a child. One thing was for certain, it was the first time he had looked at Silvestre when she knew he was looking and a strange sensation tugged at Silvestre's heart. 

"Go. All of you. I must speak to my daughter alone." 

Hushed murmurs filled the air as the crowd filed out through the doors. Humiliated, Albert scowled at Silvestre,

"You're swimming in the deep end little sister" 

Everyone had left, some of the knights had patted Silvestre on the back "Well done" they had whispered, but now, standing in front of her father, the King, Silvestre had to gather all her remaining courage, the plan she had devised in her mind must be put into action, it was the only way. 

"Sit down, Silvestre." said the King, although he was old and frail, his voice was clear and still and some youth to it. Silvestre sat, gazing at the collage of maps the laid upon the table, small blotches of red ink signalled where the fire had spread, Silvestre's mind was spinning into action, the clogs were clunking and rotating within her brain. "Silvestre. Do you know why Noirsk wants to destroy us Pendragons?"

"Only stories." Silvestre replied, recklessly letting flames dance around her fingers under the table. The joyful danger of using magic so close to the King. 

"When I was young, and my father was King , magic was permitted in Camelot." He began, Silvestre's head snapped from the maps to gaze at her father, a man who had known a land where magic was free. Intrigued, she leaned forward in her chair. "I was like you, Silvestre. I wasn't interested in playing prince and being 'proper', I wanted to live, to fight and to be with people." A sad smile creeped to his face, "I made friends with a girl from one of the villages, she had magic and she was powerful. At first we had fun, she was... exciting. But with great power comes temptation. Silvestre, that girl was Noirsk. She gave in to temptation. She was ambitious and wanted to rule an Empire, as children I merely laughed but as I grew older I saw the darkness that had leaked into the soul that was once so innocent and kind. She had been corrupted. Magic was corrupting people. Then, one day my father demanded that magic be outlawed, he saw it for what it really is: evil. Noirsk's people, her family were murdered and I should've stopped it. But now, I'm King and I have seen what magic has done to people, Noirsk has killed so many and she never forgave me for letting her family be killed.  Noirsk is only proof of the darkness magic brings. She will do whatever it takes, but I will not except that she is unstoppable, she must be defeated." 

The old mans story had come to an end, he had known Noirsk. He had seen her anger, sadness and darkness and now he had to fight a woman he had once called a friend. Silvestre understood his pain, he refused to see magic as a force for good but he had only witnessed evil and hurt. Noirsk had suffered and it was her weakness that had given in to darkness, not her strength. 

"Silvestre, whatever that cruel woman wants, I will not give it her. "

"Father, she will kill people and burn the city to the ground. But we can't aid her in her plans, instead we must protect our Kingdom." Silvestre stated. "Your Highness, I suggest we send troops to our crop fields, if the fires burn them, we'll be vulnerable for months. Evacuate the outer villages, the cities walls can welcome any refugees. Noirsk will attack straight for the castle, she'll look everywhere until she gets what she wants." 

"And we must stop her before she reaches the forest of Jaden." added the King. 

"Yes." confirmed Silvestre. 

"Very well." 

Silvestre gave a small bow to her father before going to the door, 

"Silvestre, don't do anything reckless child..." 

Silvestre smiled, 

" I won't" She lied.