Inkvite - My Collaborations

Family Inheritance

Note: Originally written on Inkvite by 'Lilackv4' & 'undormant'. 3 parts presented together here as one complete story.

I stared at the note, it had my mums handwriting and it was sealed with our family emblem, two swords crossed over and a crown above. She was something that many people were not, she was an assassin with a difference that even her parents don't know.
My mother had the power of suggestion, especially over men, she didn't know where it had come from, at least that is what she told me, and it didn't always work, but when it did she could make her targets fall in love with her and walk calmly to their death over a cliff.
But I wasn't given this skill, mine was much more advanced, I had the power to make anyone obey me and as each day passes my powers grow stronger and more things are uncovered. Just yesterday i had seen the prince in the streets and managed to lead him astray to try a trick.
I knew the Prince liked to sneak out about once a week to mingle as a commoner amongst the seedy nightlife of the city. This was a little known rumour but the circles my mother and I move in led me to eventually find out his secret tunnel to the palace and wait in watch.
When I was younger I used to spend hours watching, waiting for something to happen, rumours of the queen having an affair had lead my mother to her next job. Killing that man but she got it wrong and the consequence was her life. She was hung the next day and I watched...
I'm not beautiful but quite pretty, I acted as if I had fallen for his commoner act, convinced him to let me show him the town. He said he didn't need a guide, I didn't doubt it, I couldn't make him love me, but I could see he felt that strange urge to obey, I hide my smile.
I thought maybe I should carry out my mums last request, he was the bastard son of the queen but he didn't seem as snobby as his fully royal sister. He was the heir even though his sister was older, maybe I should make my way into his heart become the queen that would be fun.
I became his lover knowing there was no way I'd be accepted as his partner in his reality. It became clear he was a gambler, a drunk, a fighter and a womaniser despite his better qualities. Using my powers I convinced him a game of poison berry roulette would be a good idea.
I instantly regretted my decision as he put the berry to his lips, all of which were poison. In the months I had known him and despite his flaws I realised I had come to love him. I was torn by conflicting emotions of anger at myself, realisation of love, and fear of him dying.
"Stop!" I scream at him tears clinging to my eyes, he sets down the glass and looks at me. He had drank some I could already see him struggling to breathe. I pry open his mouth and shove my fingers down his throat, he gags and vomits all over me. Better than him being dead.
It wasn't the romantic outcome I was hoping for, but we laughed none the less. We went back to my boarding room, I earned enough from confidence tricks to have this comfort. We washed. We made love. That evening he went back to the palace with poison berries in his pocket.
He told me to wait for him, I knew what he was going to do. Put berries into the queens salad, I had managed to convince him that it was her who had gave him the poison and then using my powers to my advantage convinced him to make her pay. For my mother too. I convinced the Prince it was the Queen's man servant who made all the berries in the game poison, instead of half, as the queen wanted the Prince dead.
He stalled, before this plan went into action he got me a job in the palace kitchen. He knew I'd want to watch as she died.
I took a deep breath and entered the room, "your food my grace," I said with a courtesy, handing over the golden tray. She took it gladly and picked up a berry which the prince had managed to sneak onto the plate and popped it into her mouth. The berry tastes sweet at first, then I watched as her face changed to an expression of horror, I put a hand in my pocket and touched my mothers note. The Queen clutched her throat, her gagging mouth wide in silence unable to make a noise as she collapsed to the floor. I watched the light leave her eyes.
Quickly I grabbed his hand and lead him out the room, his eyes were wide with shock. Watching someone die is a terrifying experience something I have seen many times. His father still lives, that is all that lies between me and the throne, he is next...
The investigation was swift. The Queen's man servant was found with the remaining stash of poison berries in his quarters and was hung two days later. It was then as I watched I realised how cold hearted I had become, my only genuine emotions being those of love and revenge.
But more rumours had spread around the castle, not good ones at that. The prince had supposedly being caught making love to his sister, if that is true after we marry and I become the queen I will have to kill him- I truly have become cold hearted, all I want is power.
One day I was out in the ground, the King rode up on his horse, he had a reputation. He attempted to sexually assault me. I used my power to make him obey me before he could do this. I told him to wait there until I was gone and others came. He did this & slit his own throat.
Now all that was left was me and the prince to get married, it didn't take long to convince him because after all he didn't control what thoughts I was putting into his head. We got married and he was coronated, as was I, I'm now the queen. He shouldn't have made me angry!
I made the staff obey me & spy on the Prince. I wanted to believe he wasn't having this sordid affair. I wanted to give him, and what little humanity I had left, a chance, but I had to be sure. I tried to subtlety raise the subject of infidelity & he swore he'd be faithful.
Many months past and no word came from any of my spies, trained as a cunning and artful assassin I thought maybe I should take a look? My prince had said he was going hunting and his sister was taking sewing lessons, but that's what they made everyone think.
Yes, I had been resting on my laurels, or maybe just afraid of finding out the truth. I had previously discounted a tryst taking place during the lessons due to the presence of two matrons. Yet as I secretly watched here he was on top of her britches down as they watched.
For some reason a wicked shark like smile spread across my face, I should kill them here! I needed a weapon, frantically I searched and found a wooden pole. I need to sharpen it then it will kill them both... The next day they were found dead, on top of one another.
Many gruelling days had passed, been the queen was lonely, there was no heirs. I was alone ruling this world, everyone obeyed me which made it very boring. The days wore on each one worse than the last.
I had become bitter, power mad and twisted. I had people hung for my amusement, or if they slighted me in some way.
Years passed, armies attacked, I simply faced them on the mount and ordered them to kill each other, on other occasions switch sides and serve me.
But the fantasy had soon wore off, my 25th birthday was fast approaching and I wanted a massive even; a masked ball and a feast fit for a king, maybe I should find a new king? No, they're too much hassle, a masquerade ball it is then.
There was something familiar about the masked mysterious man who had been staring at her all night from across the hall. The lower part of his jaw wasn't masked & he had very pale skin otherwise she could've swore it was the dead Prince. That was silly. She felt unnerved.
Even though I knew he was dead and it wasn't him I stayed well clear until later into the night. He had cornered me and began running a gentle finger down the exposed skin on my face. He lifted his mask, I gasped at the ghastly sight...
"Thomas!" I wept in fear & disbelief as I stumbled backward "it can't be!" I closed my eyes we were alone in this side room.
"Yes Andrea" the voice was watery & grave like "almost. No point in hiding your eyes. Look at me!!"
With such force & command I was compelled to look into his eyes, or what was left of them. They had changed, they no longer looked over me with greed for my body they looked at me for greed for my life. "You know what I want, did your mother tell you?" The note, it wasn't in my pocket anymore.
I could smell him now, a rotting corpse reanimated through some evil.
"You're not my Thomas!" I cried.
"As I said. Almost. Answer the question, didn't your mother tell you the deal she made?"
"No, what are you, what are you talking about?!"
"Did you not think that those powers that you have wasted cost nothing?" He smirked his teeth black, "why won't you obey me?" I began shouting causing people to look at me, my voice lowers. "She sold my soul to the devil," the realisation kicked in, a scream clawed at my throat.
He forwarded, I stood transfixed by a supernatural power.
"Kiss me darling" he sneered & forced an embrace sticking his vile tongue in my mouth.
I pushed him away & he stepped back of his own accord laughing like a child. People ran to the open door of the side room but he used some unknown force to slam the doors shut making sure everyone could see his little show. He put his hands around my throat and began squeezing, I could feel every breath getting shorter and harder. How did he know my favourite way to kill? Oh yeah he was the devil...
"Pleased to meet you. Can you guess my name?" he taunted me as the room became hotter and hotter. The flames grew around us as people tried to get into the room to save me, banging furiously but all I could see was that demonic face now lit by shadow and flame.
It wasn't long before my body had fell motionless on the ground but I was still fully aware of what was going on. I felt my soul departing my body bit by bit reaching into another realm, far away from this one, far away from life. I remember thinking it wasn't possibly for one person to sell another's soul in the fashion my mother apparently had.
"Where did you read that" slithered the voice from behind the red eyes as the room became a furnace. "I see no rule book, only old wife's tales" he continued.
The world around me became a blaze and my eyes stung from the smoke, I began coughing until my lungs felt like they were going to burst. I'm going to be here forever the realisation kicked in like a blow to the stomach.
"I'm sorry" my mother, there she was, bloodied & burnt. The devil took her hand.
We fell a thousand miles to hell, burning, screaming, no release of death.
Suddenly I was at my desk, mothers note in hand, forgetting events. My personal hell playing out again. Forever...