A Whisper of Night

15.1 || SCIROCCA 🍃

When she was a little girl, Scirocca had always dreamed about her wedding dress.

    Now, she wished she were wearing anything but her gown.

    "You have to run," she said, staring at Zalyne. "You - Zalyne - how are you back here?"

    "Long story," Zalyne said. The fugitive girl looked even worse than when she'd first seen her - now her face was gaunt, her eyes too wide. "Have you - have you seen Luka?"

    Scirocca shook her head. "I'm sorry," she said, as Zalyne looked away dejectedly.

    "What are you doing here?" demanded one of the other women. She had skin a few shades darker than Zalyne's, with unruly raven hair. She was clearly highborn, with her curves and complexion -

    Scirocca's mouth fell open. "Princess Brennia?" she said in disbelief. "What - how - and who are you?"

    The blonde woman laughed softly. She was strikingly beautiful, with soft blue eyes and a sweet smile. "Majaeyra," she said. "From Svanvald."

    No...this can't be possible. I'm dreaming. I have to be dreaming. "You're three of Wyaernos' most wanted fugitives," she said numbly. "And - no. No, you can't be in here." Frantically, she glanced at the door. "How...never mind. We have to go."

    "Hang on," Brennia said. "Why are you here? Aren't you to be married to the Alchemists?"

    Scirocca gritted her teeth. Would you want to wed them, if you were me? "I have some other things to tend to - things I'd rather not divulge here. I'm just trying to escape."

    "But why?" Jae said softly. "Wouldn't that just endanger your kingdom more?"

    Scirocca sighed, running a hand through her perfectly-braided hair. "It's my sister," she said simply. "Merocca. She's...she's to be wed to one of the Lion Queen's men. Have you heard of Radeus Sudamo?"

    Brennia's eyes widened. The other two just looked confused.

    "Who is he?" Zalyne asked, turning to Brennia.

    "A...an animal," Brennia muttered. "He's disgusting - he - my aunt - he raped her - "

    The princess' cheeks were turning red. Scirocca nodded, swallowing. "Merocca's to be wed to him," she said quietly. "He asked for her specifically. My sister's in town today, in fact. After the wedding, she'll be taken to the Lion Queen"

    "There has to be someone else," Jae said, horrified. "They can't - your father can request - "

    "My father is in no position to bargain," she said sharply. "Besides, Sudamo is one of Queen Lleona's loyalist supporters."

    "But your sister's sickly," Brennia said. "With all due respect, my Princess, she won't be able to last long - if you think about this strategically - "

    "How could you say that?" Jae demanded, stepping before Brennia. "She may be sickly, but that doesn't mean - you yourself said that Sudamo's a rapist! We can't sentence anyone to that fate, no matter their physical condition or strategic advantage or whatever!"

    Scirocca watched the argument numbly. Brennia's right, she realized. Even if I did manage to save Merocca...I'd gain nothing from it.

    "So you tipped the carriage?" Zalyne said. "You did it on purpose?"

    "They sent me in here to clean myself up," Scirocca said. "But I...I came here instead."

    "But your kingdom," Zalyne said. "Your people - "

    "My father doomed my people when he sent me to marry the Alchemists," she said coldly. "They'll be coming here soon - there are four weapons rooms and I got lucky - arm yourselves."

    Scirocca bent down and pulled her sword from the pile of blades. She'd made a mental note of where the Alchemists had taken her sword that morning, and now...well, now she was thankful for doing so.

    Immediately, Brennia knelt and picked up an old sword. "You know how to fight?" Scirocca said, impressed.

    The princess frowned, looking up. "No, of course not. But I know how to stab."

    Any other time, Scirocca would've laughed. Instead she shrugged. "Better than nothing. You two - can you - "

    She froze.

    "Find the princess!" came a shout. "She's in one of the weapons rooms - be careful - "

    "We need to hide," Zalyne said urgently. "We can't overcome all of them."

    "Where?" Brennia demanded, swinging her blade about her. Scirocca leapt aside. She really needs to be more careful. "We have to fight!"

    "No, we don't." Zalyne approached the back of the room, where several suits of armor stood. She squeezed behind one of them.

    "That's great," Brennia snapped. "But not all of us are wisps like you - "

    The door banged open.

    "Stay where you are!" came a reedy, panicky voice. A Novice in the gray robes of the Alchemists stood before them, his eyes wide as he stared at the blade in Scirocca's hand.

    "Run," Scirocca said.

    She sprinted from the room, stumbling over the hem of her gown. Curse this dress! The guard yelped and leapt aside as her blade came down towards him, barely grazing his tunic. She could only hope that Jae, Brennia, and Zalyne were behind her.

    Guards thronged in the hallway, yelling, naked blades in hand. Scirocca slammed them away with the butt of her sword or scratched the fabric of their tunics, trying her best to harm no one -

    "Stop her!" came a shout - perhaps it was an Alchemist -

    She forced her way up the passage, shoving away the hands which closed around her arms and body. Behind her, Brennia grunted, jabbing her sword every which way.

    We're almost there, she thought wildly. Merocca - I'm coming for you -

    They were approaching the end of the passageway now. Scirocca's muscles were screaming - she hadn't touched her sword in too long -

    And all of a sudden, they were out - they were free -

    "Scirocca? What the hell are you - "

    She swung wildly, her sword catching the man right in the chest.

    Her blade cut through robes of green and gold, through layers of silk and fur. For the first time in ten years, her sword pierced through skin, through muscle, through bone.

    Blood burst into the air, shockingly scarlet.

    And King Sirok fell, his last words still etched upon his lips.

~~

I feel like I give Zalyne all the crossovers and Scirocca all worst situations. :(

So what do you think will happen now? Do you think everyone's going to escape?

As usual, please vote and comment!