Courage- The Dark Heart

Ch1~ Part One~Dark Whispers

~~Adekemi~~

The head hit the ground. Its skin paled, lips turned wan and dry. The blood crusted on the ends of the neck, mixing with the sand. Its dull eyes stared blankly at the blue sky. No more hope in them. No more life. Just like six others on the sandy grounds.

The crowd roared with applause.

The princess twisted her face in disgust. 

"Rebels," she said, "first they protest the war, now the peace treaty." Her dark, hazel eyes scanned the colored crowds in the stands. People. Nobles from all over Athrya had come here, to the Capital. Men, women, children...all happy and celebrating the war's end.

Well, almost everyone.

Adekemi watched with an expression of stone as the bodies and severed heads were picked up and moved. The crowd began exiting the stadium.

     "I'm beginning to wonder whether or not they will ever be satisfied," spoke Everette, walking over to her. She stood and smoothed out her midnight gown. A dark color for mourning, which she wore despite the heat.

Her brother strode up to her with ease, a casualness in his step. He approached her like a friend, or rather, like someone who wasn't a threat. He approached her as if she were a harmless, domesticated animal. A creature who would never dare harm him.

    Although Everette was the one of seven brothers who deigned to speak to her with even an ounce of respect, he did not deem her an equal. And his words about their people...they kindled flames in her blood.

Of course they weren't satisfied; the people wanted an end to the war, not a treaty with the other races that would allow their former enemies, non-humans, into their borders. Adekemi was not thrilled about this either. Athrya's economy and infrastructure needed time to recover from the war. If the other races, who were far more powerful than mortal humans, were allowed entrance into their cities...

Chaos.

Carefully masking her expression, so as to respond to the prince, Adekemi replied, "I assume there won't be many more uprisings, brother. Small and insignificant as they are, the threat they pose will no doubt be quelled by the message sent with their heads." Her tone was flat. Bored.

      She did not support these executions, she never had. Those were her subjects, her people, underneath the mouton, not mere rebels. They were not bodies to be gawked at or cheered for when slain— but to say that aloud could be considered treason, for it went against the King's judgement.

     She could easily end up in the Pit herself, if she did not mind her tongue. 

  Silently, the princess's sharp gaze turned back to the execution grounds. With her father's brutality and ruthlessness, she had no doubt the remaining outspoken rebels would be caught and turned in by the end of the week. Perhaps it was for the best.

Before her, Everette sighed. "Can you believe soon we'll have non-humans at the palace? People we've warred with for over a century will be taking shelter in our home." Adekemi turned her eyes to him.

        "It is hard to imagine," she answered in honesty, then thought aloud, "I wonder if they'll be like the stories."

         She had never seen the other races before, nor had she ever seen battle, and she had been too young to really understand what was going on until a few years ago. She was nineteen now, but it had started decades before she was even breathing. So much history missed. The only reference to any of these other races she had were the books in the libraries, stories from soldiers, and tales from Selene.