The Violet-Eyed

Chapter 16

"Haywire just had to disappear at this precise moment," Martin said through gritted teeth.

"I'd told him everything about the plan, and he said he'd help us to the best of his ability. I thought...I thought it wouldn't be polite to stay in his quarters, so I left. By the time I'd returned to find him, he'd disappeared!" Josie wailed, floodgates about to burst open.

"Calm yourself, Josie," Miriam said testily. "It won't do to lose your head now. It's not the end of the world, you see. We could always give clear instructions to the palace staff. I trust them to act accordingly," she glanced towards Solaria for her approval.

Solaria shook her head, annoyed. "Who said we're even continuing with this? Why can't we just pick another night to carry out our plans? For all I know, things won't change anytime soon, so we have all the time we want!"

"No. That's exactly the point – we don't have all the time we want. Last time Sonora called me into her bedroom, she tried to – let's say, physically bond with me, but I turned her down. She wasn't too pleased about that. If she gets in a foul mood, she could easily throw me out of the palace, and Solaria would be thrown straight into the dungeons. How are we supposed to help by then?" Martin said in a tone that discouraged anyone from arguing with him.

"You...you didn't do anything with her?" Solaria was shocked. "Why didn't you tell me so?"

Martin grinned. "You said you didn't care, right? I was only being polite by sparing you details that you wouldn't have cared about."

"Fine, so say we are running out of time fast. What do you suggest then? Do you really think the palace staff will listen to our orders perfectly? I'm not optimistic about this, you know." Miriam retorted.

"There's nobody else who can lead the palace staff. Everyone is needed to do something else. Do you have a better idea, Miriam?" Solaria shot her a furious glare, her anxiety making her irritable.

Miriam took it as her cue to shut up.

"Alright, then. Our battle starts in exactly thirty minutes." Martin announced.

Twenty-five minutes later, everyone was in their respective positions. Other than the palace guard, nobody had weapons, which was no doubt a dangerous risk, but Solaria had deemed it too risky to steal weapons. The 1st, 2nd and 3rd Brigades waited with their leaders in complete silence, listening intently for the faintest noise produced by the palace staff.

Precisely another five minutes later, shrieks could be heard from far away. "Assassin in the palace!" "Protect the queen!" "Help!" With screams coming from every direction, the Queen's Royal Guard was driven into utter chaos. Sonora had, of course, retreated into her chambers like a coward. Metal boots could be heard clanking away, presumably due to Josie. Evidently she was being pursued – the thump of footsteps was getting louder and louder. Solaria silently muttered a prayer for Josie under her breath. Then she motioned for Martin and Miriam to lead the brigades into action.

The 3 Brigades dashed straight towards Sonora's chambers, unfazed by the chaos all over the palace. Screams resonated throughout the corridors, adding to the already nerve-racking atmosphere. Once they'd reached the large queen's chambers, the 1st Brigade, led by Miriam, quickly hurried to seek out and capture any of Sonora's allies. Meanwhile, the Queen's Royal Guard had already realized that their queen had been surrounded. The Royal Guard poured out from all directions, moving and fighting as one. They were so well-trained that the 2nd and 3rd Brigades felt as though they were fighting one single giant who was impossible to defeat.

Martin glanced over his shoulder at the soldiers fighting behind him. "Sola! We go in now! The Royal Guard is preoccupied with fighting – Sonora should only have a few guards inside!" he hissed. With a flick of her wrist, Solaria beckoned a few chosen soldiers to follow her, and charged inside Sonora's chambers, flanked by Martin.

Sonora's chambers were large, but Solaria knew her way around, since she'd been its old resident. She led Martin and the soldiers into the innermost room – the bedroom, where she found Sonora and her two guards lounging on the sofa.

Her soldiers looked at her, waiting for further instruction. Solaria nodded towards Sonora's guards, and her own soldiers ran towards them, sword thrust out. They duelled briefly, but strangely enough, Sonora's guards collapsed dead in no time at all. Martin shifted uneasily, and stole a glance at Sonora, who remained expressionless.

"So, we meet again, Sonora." Solaria started the conversation, curling her fists into tight balls to keep herself from punching Sonora.

"Indeed, Your Former Royal Highness. And you have brought your lover Martin with you, the boy I sent trained assassins to murder years ago. But the gods smiled down on him that day, so he survived. Lucky, isn't he?" she tilted her head smilingly.

"How do you know who he is?" Solaria demanded, inadvertently confirming Sonora's belief.

"Ah. The head chef's missing, I take it? Did you ever wonder where he went?" Sonora seemed way too calm, considering her situation. "And you expect to fight me, and win?"

Solaria panicked and attempted to wipe Sonora's memory of being queen. She wasn't yet sure how long her powers lasted, but she saw no other option. "Forget – " she started, only to find that she had been muted. As she glanced to Martin, he apparently had suffered the same treatment, too. They were suddenly at a loss what to do next – their powers had been rendered useless without the ability to speak.

Sonora threw her head back and laughed. "How sweet victory is," she drawled. "And to answer your question, this friend of mine here kindly helped me stop your tongues."

Out of a dark, shadowed corner, a man stepped out – the very man that had gone missing less than an hour ago.