Of Rebels and Crowns

Chapter 1

"Tell me," she whispered, her voice raspy in the young girl's ear. "Tell me again exactly what you're going to do to him." Her voice rose with every word in her excited frenzy.

One corner of the young girl's mouth lifted in a crooked smile.

"First, I'll sneak up on him like this." She slyly wove through the room towards the unfortunate guard she had chosen for target practice.

"Then, I'll grab him like so." She twisted his right arm behind his back and aimed a sharp blade at his neck in one swift motion that he had no time to react.

The older woman clapped her hands in delight, "Oh, how marvelous!" she exclaimed.

The girl's grip on the guard tightened as he tried to break the hold she had on him.

"I wouldn't bother if I were you." She drove the point of her blade into his neck, drawing a small drop of blood.

He froze, cold droplets forming on his forehead.

"There's a good boy," she whispered in his ear.

It's no fun

To go with a gun

She began reciting the rhyme she had been so religiously taught since she arrived in the house.

But if they run

Consider it done

The older woman recited the next part with obvious delight as she strode towards the pair majestically, trailing her beautiful black gown behind her. They went through the next part together.

But better so

With sword or quiver, blade, throwing star

The longer they bleed

The sweeter the treat

But when they start to scream and cry

It is then that they shall die...

The chant sent chills up and down the guard's spine. They were delusional, crazy even. But then again the most dangerous people were. He himself had seen just what they were capable and was in no rush to leave. Leave the plane of the living, that is. He humbly surrendered hoping that might make them spare his life.

The candles in the dimly-lit room cast shadows on their faces, making the whole scene even more terrifying. The older woman's dark eyes glinted evilly. Black coils of hair were piled on top of her head and secured by a large hairpin. It all served to make her a daunting figure. The other guard stood stock-still at his post, stone-faced, betraying no signs of emotion. His only job was to follow orders not to question sanity or morality.

Raising her voice louder she said, "They shall remember my name! Everything that they took from me-from us-we shall get it back!" She spun around to face her most trusted follower. "And you, my true daughter, you shall reign beside me and we'll show them what true power really is!"

"You will not fail me." It was uttered as a command rather than a statement.

"Mother," she drew out the word, "when have I ever failed you?"

"Well, you're still here aren't you?"

Looking at her mother dead in the eye, she promised, "It will be done."

Smirking, she tilted her head towards the guard, "I'll leave you to it."

Amelia returned the smirk. "Yes, mother." 

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