Three Monarchs & a Royal Guard

Part title

"Without those boring meetings I have time to close some previously opened doors." They were eating lunch in the garden. Tomorrow he would be king. Tonight she would leave. The location of their lunch wasn't as accident.

"You were quick to betray Veda, why? I'm curious." She finished off her bite and swallowed. She tried to puzzle out if he wanted the truth or his truth as she took another bite. She did her best to navigate the slippery slope that was every conversation with Colin. "I was loyal to her because I believed in what she was doing. I was loyal to the cause." And it was he truth. She killed Warrick out of her own volition. Sure, Veda asked it of her, but she had a choice then. She believed in her.

Colin nodded, moving his fork around his food methodically as he watched her, "And do you believe in what I am doing?" She kept her eyes focused on her plate, keeping Colin in her peripheral vision as he spoke. Now that the gardens were being tended to it was unlikely he would take out his frustrations on her here. Too many eyes. "You haven't explained your causes to me, sir." He stood, pushing his chair in and leaving his plate for the kitchen staff. She followed suit despite not being done with her food. He smiled, "In time. Would you be willing to prove your loyalty to me, Kaya?" She nodded, struggling to figure out what he was getting at. He was acting strange. Maybe it was because they were in public. She gave him a small bow, "Of course sir, but I would like to believe I already have." He raised an eyebrow as he smiled, it made her sick but she kept her smile on, "You haven't. You will tonight though." She tried not to think about what he had planned but her brain couldn't stop. Still, she couldn't begin to imagine what he had in store for her.

They were already setting up for the coronation tomorrow. She passed by Leona in the hall and the two bumped elbows as they passed with their respective council members. Maybe things weren't so bad. The castle looked beautiful, Colin's temper had decreased to a manageable amount, things were better.

They moved up to Colin's room where they would likely stay until dinner, as she had memorized his daily routine as his personal guard. She sit in the corner doing something to busy herself as he wrote letters. She was never allowed to see the receiver nor the contents of it but sometimes she imagined what they might hold when she needed something to entertain herself.

He pushed open the door, leading her inside. A voice inside had her drawing her sword. "Hello?" Colin pushed her hand down. "Oh no, it's quite alright. I brought them here." They turned the corner to the main part of his room. Eleanor was blindfolded, tied to a chair in the center of the room. Colin looked at her with a smile, tapping her chin with his finger.

"So she does mean something to you. Rumor has it she sneaks off to your room every night, very promiscuous for the king's guard wouldn't you say?" She couldn't even begin to speak. The blindfold was wet. Eleanor had been crying. Colin was just so fucking smug about it too. It made her blood boil.

Colin put a hand on her back, walking her over to stand in front of Eleanor. The rug had been removed. Only tile remained beneath them. Kaya was smart enough to know why. "What's her name, Kaya?" Eleanor stopped moving, looking up to where the voice was coming from. Kaya could've sworn she was looking right at her. Her heart ached. She couldn't, even if she wanted to. Whatever Colin asked the answer was no, whatever the consequences. "Kaya? Kaya it's all under the bed. Do what you have to." Colin grabbed the back of her shirt. She wasn't even moving. She wasn't even sure she could feel her limbs at all. "What's she talking about?" Instinct took over. Fuck the truth. Fuck all of it. "Alcohol under her bed. It my birthday."

Colin considered this for a moment before he reached into her pocket and retrieved the knife. He moved it down into her hand silently, "Well shit, happy birthday," Her birthday wasn't until later this year. He wouldn't have bothered to know that information. Veda had. Veda always got her a gift. So did Eleanor. Colin leaned in close enough she could feel his breath on her ear, "Kill her." Her body didn't move. Colin put a hand on the back of her neck, pushing her forward. She stood over Eleanor, now looking up at her despite not being able to see. She said nothing.

Colin squeezed at her neck, "She's going to die tonight. If you won't do it, I will. You're hesitating. I bet you didn't hesitate for Ved-" She stabbed him in the gut, pushing him to the ground as he scrambled for the door. She stomped on his head, hearing the crack of bone before she dropped to the floor and tore at his stomach. "Fuck you! Fuck you! Fuck you! Fuck you! You piece of shit monster I hate you!" She stopped with the knife inside his gut. Blood covered her hands. The knife. The floor. Her clothes. She fell back into a sit, looking at her work. "Fuck."

"Kaya...?" She looked up at Eleanor, hurrying to her feet to free her. She pulled off her blindfold once her hands were free. Her eyes first went to her, then to the mutilated body on the floor. "We have to go. Now." She hurried to his closet, tossing clothes on the bed as Kaya watched. She stopped short in the room, "There's blood all over you! Go clean up!" She did so, watching the blood circle the sink before going down the drain. She took a towel and dabbed her face, watching it come away red. She stared in the mirror as the water ran over her fingers. She should've felt good, instead she felt nothing at all.

Eleanor appeared in the door, dragging her out of the bathroom and forcing her into clean clothes. "The night guard will be here soon. We'll steal a horse from the stables. I already packed our things, come on." She nodded, letting Eleanor lead her down the hall to their room. She threw a bag over her shoulder and e two went out to the stables. Eleanor led away a horse and mounted it, offering her a hand. She took it as Eleanor prodded the horse onward and it took off.

Kaya looked back toward the castle and every single wall she'd built crumbled. She was safe. She was away from that place. She was with Eleanor. She wrapped her arms around her, burying her face in her neck as they rode through the night.

Tomorrow would be a better day.