Royal Misfits

Chapter 26 - Aftermath

Author's Note: This chapter contains scenes with violence and vulgar language.

*Lizetta's P.O.V*

Looks like using all of these less popular parts of the castle to avoid my parents finally actually came in handy, Lizetta thought as she and Tate weaved through the palace. They had been walking for a while as they tried to avoid the foreign men walking around. Just as she was about to turn a corner, Tate yanked her back. "The prince has given strict instructions that nobody is to approach the Western wing, especially the third floor," a soldier said to the other standing next to him. "Oh, I know," said the other man, "Apparently he's having a conference with the princess and Weston." Lizetta's heart felt as if it was going to burst out of her chest. She had come so close to being caught. She nodded thanks to Tate and he nodded back. Tate then nodded towards them and Lizetta knew what he meant, the men were talking about where Ethan was keeping Lia, and Weston was there too. Lizetta and Tate waited for the men to move on before moving again. Lizetta hated moving so slow, but she had to. For Lia. She had to be smart, and think about what her next move was going to be, she knew she couldn't rush into this like she does with other things. Something else was nagging at Lizetta despite everything else going, there were none of the servants Lizetta was used to seeing around anywhere. She had been counting on some aid from them in her mission, but there was not one familiar soul in that place.

They stopped at the corridor before the entrance to the Western wing. Lizetta spied three guards playfully walking around the area. I guess they didn't get the memo, Lizetta groaned internally. She turned to Tate and indicated towards them and then shrugged, she hoped he'd understand that she had no ideas. Tate simply nodded before standing up and stepping into the passage. Lizetta thought her heart had stopped beating, What is he thinking?, Lizetta's inner voice screamed out. The men almost instant saw him and called out, "Who are you? Nobody is allowed up here!" they approached him looking very menacing. "I'm Tate," he smiled at them, "I'm Ethan's best friend, I've seen him throw up after eating too much. I'm sure I'm allowed to be here." The men looked at each other for a while before looking back at Tate. The continued walking toward him, "Then you won't mind coming with us to see him about that privilege of yours." Lizetta saw Tate hesitate for a second before he took off sprinting in the opposite direction. Though her heart ached at the thought of something happening to Tate because of her, she reminded herself of what her mission was and started off looking through the passage for Lia. She hesitated to check every room, since she might land herself getting captured. She remembered Tate's call, he said that the bell ringing was really loud, and she knew which room got the worst of the bell's ringing. It's a long shot, but I have to try, she thought as she raced towards that room.

She stopped and listened for any movement before going in. Gore greeted her. Her hand flew to her mouth to stop her from throwing up over everything. Ethan was dead. He was laying on the bed, his throat slit, and he was mostly naked. Lizetta averted her eyes from Ethan's corpse and looked around for Lia. "Lia?" she whispered, "Are you here?" She looked under the bed and found a bloody nightgown. It was splattered with blood, but the bottom parts of it looked particularly soaked. Lizetta shook out the growing negative thoughts in her mind. She began looking for daggers she regularly hid in this room, and found that three were missing from their hiding spots. Lia killed him, she thought. Only Lia and Lizetta knew about those daggers in the room.

*Tate's P.O.V*

He was barely breathing anymore. He ran and ran, dodging the guards as well as he could. He got two of them to knock themselves out at sharp corners and the last one simply gave up, he did look rather old. He made his way back to the corridor where they were at when he made a run for it. He walked through the passage until he spied an open door at the end of the passage. He approached slowly and looked inside. It was Lizetta. She was staring at something on the bed. He walked in to see Ethan lying there. He didn't have clothes on, and his throat was brutally cut open. Tate vaguely felt his legs give way and he fell to floor. Tate sobbed, and he didn't care about Lizetta looking at him like he was crazy. He felt her hand on his shoulder, "I'm sorry, Tate," she squeezed softly, "But we don't have much time. We have to keep moving." Tate snapped. He smacked her hand off his shoulder and stood up to face her, "You crazy bitch! You must be happy now, huh?" Tate saw her flinch and he did not care at all. "I have tolerated everything I could from you. Your sister is danger, I know!" he threw his hands up in the air, "But you're not the only one going through a tough situation. My best friend is naked and DEAD in front of me right now, and you say we don't have time for me to fucking cry?" Lizetta's face changed, "Then you can die right here with him," she spat at him, "He was a monster who killed and hurt people." She threw a blood-covered nightgown at him and she left.