Nikita
I brought the chest up to my room, holding back the tears I desperately needed to let out. I set it down next to my bed, opening the lid again. I caressed one of the eggs, feeling a tear roll down my cheek.
“Nikita. May I come in?” Samuel asked, knocking on the door. I shut the lid and tucked the chest under my bed before opening the door.
“Was that your first?” he asked, sitting down in a chair. I nodded slowly, unsure of what my voice would sound like. “You are doing amazing, then. But I have to ask. Why? She was an old woman, meaning no harm to you.” He looked up at me, his dark blue eyes filled with trust.
“If I tell you a secret, something even Hilary does not know, will you promise to keep it hidden?” I asked, sitting down on the bed and staring at my hands.
“Of course.”
I brought the chest back out, pulling an egg into my lap.
“When I was young, barely eleven, my mother took me on a hunting trip. She wanted to teach me archery. On the trip, she told me of our family’s secrets, some of which I will not reveal to you now. One of them, though, was that we were Dragos, an old race that’s nearly died out. In her bag were five pure-bred dragon eggs. They were the offspring of her own dragons that her mother gave to her. It was a tradition in our family. Since the first dragon’s birth, one of my ancestors kept it and bred it then gave the eggs to their daughter. My mother was supposed to give them to me when I came of age. She took me out, taught me how to use a bow, gave me some arrows. We returned to the tent, only the eggs were gone. As was our meal. Mother blamed herself up until her death. And now, I find out that my mother thought she had brought shame onto her family because some peasant got greedy?” I felt tears roll down my cheeks as my voice quivered and my hands trembled. I looked down at them clutching the egg.
“I’m so sorry.” Samuel murmured, staring at me.
“For what? It was only natural for you to think I was insane. I don’t hold you to that. But what I do hold you to is keeping my little secret quiet. You cannot tell anyone or I will personally slit your throat and add another to my kills.”
Hilary
I stared down over the railing at the maids struggling to get the blood off the marble tiles. I knew my sister. She was not capable of something like this. But I had watch her, with my own eyes, murder an innocent old woman.
“How is she?” Ryker asked, leaning against the railing as we both looked down at the maids.
“I do not know. Samuel went in to find the reason and they will not let me near her. They…fear her.”
“As they should. No one thought sweet little innocent Nikita would kill someone. She threatened a guard simply because he wouldn’t obey her. No one expected her to become a queen.”
“Where is she?! I demand to see her at once!” Nathaniel yelled, storming over to her door. A guard pushed him back, shaking his head. “I am your king. I command you to move this instant or I will have you thrown into a dungeon!” Nathaniel spat, glaring widely at the guard.
“You are not king yet.” the guard pointed out, pulling out his sword.
“And when I am, you will be the first to go. All of you! Mark my words, I shall have every last person in this castle murdered!” Nathaniel turned and went down the hall toward father’s room.
Nikita’s door opened and she peeked out, her light blond hair falling over her eyes.
“Nikki!” I gasped, running over to hug her. She pulled me into the room, shutting the door quickly. I pulled away and slapped her. “Are you mad? What you did today was the most stupid thing I have ever seen or heard. You are a princess. Princesses do not kill their people.” I shouted, waving Samuel away as he stood.
“If you knew of her true crimes, you would have raised a sword with me, sister. Samuel, escort this woman out of my room and make sure she does not come back.” She glared at me, holding her cheek as Samuel opened the door and gestured out, shrugging when I gave him a look.
“What has gotten into you? Murder and now you’re sending your own sister out?”
“It is what they wanted. I am becoming a queen.”
